Orthopedic residents' perceptions of the content and adequacy of their residency training

The content and adequacy of orthopedic surgery residency training can be evaluated by several means. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the Residency Review Committee set standards with which residency programs must comply in order to be accredited. Residents' perceptions of the content and adequacy of their training is another means of evaluating orthopedic residency training. A questionnaire was sent to all graduating orthopedic residents in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The questionnaire provided program and individual resident demographics, as well as the residents' rating of specific areas of residency training on a 5-point scale (1=superior, 2=above average, 3=average, 4=below average, 5=inadequate). Completed surveys were received from 454 of the 698 graduating orthopedic surgery residents listed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; the response rate was therefore 65.0%. Our respondents were representative of the entire population in terms of geographic and sex distribution. Respondents rated their general orthopedic training at 1.9. The areas of training that had the best ratings included trauma/fracture (1.8), adult reconstruction (1.9), and pediatrics (1.9). The worst rating was reported for training in foot and ankle (2.7). Factors related to better ratings for general orthopedic training included male sex of residents, programs with more full-time faculty, programs with more hours of weekly teaching conferences, programs with one or more faculty present at all teaching conferences and programs in which residents first operate independently at or before postgraduate year 4. Sixty-six percent of all respondents were planning to hold a fellowship immediately after graduation. The most common fellowships taken included sports medicine (20.5% of all respondents), hand (12.1%), and spine (9.5%). Younger graduating residents, those from larger programs (more residents per year), and those from the Mideast (U.S.), and New England regions were most likely to enter a fellowship after graduation.     

Senior obstetric-gynecologic residents' perceptions of their surgical training, experiences and skill

Senior obstetric and gynecologic residents' self-perceptions of surgical skill seem to be unrelated to the kinds of didactic experiences received or to the number of basic gynecologic procedures performed during training. These data offer further support for the need for a comprehensive reevaluation of the components of gynecologic surgical curricula; the cognitive, behavioral and psychomotor educational objectives of such training; and the methods by which the outcomes for these objectives are measured.     

The relationship between research productivity and perceptions of doctoral program quality.

Research productivity in the Journal of Applied Psychology (JAP) was assessed for 39 universities offering a doctoral program in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology. Productivity ratings were subsequently compared with perceptions of I/O program quality obtained by Greenberg et al. in 1978. The results indicate that there is a very strong relation between such subjective opinions of program quality and the number of articles that a university had published in JAP before 1978. The results also reveal some changes in productivity ratings during the past 8 yrs (i.e., 1978–1985), suggesting that concurrent changes in perceptions of I/O program quality might likewise have occurred in recent times. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychology graduate students' perceptions of their scientific and practical training: A Canadian perspective.

The scientist-practitioner model is the most commonly used training modality in Canadian clinical psychology graduate programmes. Despite pervasive endorsement throughout Canadian psychology programmes, there is a paucity of data available on Canadian student opinions of the model's implementation. The current study assessed 134 students from 9 provinces with a 38-item questionnaire developed by the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology for assessing students' perceptions about the quantity, quality, and breadth of science training in their clinical psychology doctoral programmes. Most students described their programs as providing a mix of research and clinical focus, with slightly more weight given to research. Science training was reported as very important to students, with indications they receive a good amount of high-quality training in science. Moreover, there was a high level of agreement between desired levels of science training and the science training received. Implications for future research and training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Patients' perceptions of their quality of life 11 years after discharge from a state hospital

OBJECTIVE: Fifty-three state hospital patients discharged to group homes in the community in 1978-79 were followed up at three and 11 years to assess their quality of life and several other dimensions of their community experience. METHODS: A structured interview was used to obtain data on patients' perceptions of and degree of satisfaction with aspects of their lives one month before hospital discharge and at three and 11 years after. Group home staff rated patients' functioning at follow-up. Data on rehospitalizations over the 11-year period were collected. RESULTS: At 11-year follow-up, 30 of the surviving 40 patients were living in noninstitutional settings: nine in independent or semi-independent settings and 21 in group homes. The 30 patients perceived that their quality of life outside the hospital had improved in several ways, including the extent of their social networks, the quality of their living environment, and their capacity to meet basic needs. When data were averaged over the 11 years and corrected for the shorter time in the study of subjects who died, patients spent only 2.6 percent of the follow-up period in the hospital. Only one patient at 11 years wanted to return to the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The finding that even the small minority of patients who required multiple rehospitalizations preferred community life may have important clinical and policy implications for setting the threshold of hospital discharge.     

提高培训质量打造培训品牌

培训是一项非常重要的工作,因为它是提高人的素质的一条非常重要的途径.企业要想在市场激烈的竞争中生存下去并成为一流企业,就必须拥有高素质的职工队伍和一流的人才队伍.而人才队伍除了一部分可以通过引进加以解决外,绝大部分人才和职工队伍素质的提高还需要通过不断地培训来实现,因此职工培训工作显得尤为重要.许多企业已经充分认识到了这一点,对职工培训工作给予了高度的重视.在这种情况下,作为职工培训部门和培训工作者,如何抓住当前的机遇,踏踏实实地做好培训工作,提高培训质量、打造培训品牌,是急需研究与探索的一个重要问题.     

Clinical oncology nurses' perceptions of research

Within the realm of oncology nursing, research has been an integral part in its development as a specialty practice. Yet despite the growing volume of published nursing research studies, little is known about how nurses working in oncology care settings perceive research. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to examine clinical oncology nurses' perceptions of research and to determine factors influencing their perceptions. Two hundred and eighty-three registered nurses providing cancer care to patients in 40 health care agencies across northern Ontario participated in the survey. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by Alcock and colleagues (1990) which addressed nurses' perceived value of research, their role, interest and experience in research as well as the research climate of the agency. The findings showed that respondents valued nursing research and perceived a research role for staff nurses. However, the respondents did not perceive strong administrative or collegial support for nurses' involvement in research activities. In addition, the study results indicated that the clinical oncology nurses' perceptions of research were influenced by educational preparation.     

Interns' perceptions of their internships.

When 62 clinical interns from 11 programs and 56 school interns prepared by 13 programs completed a 32-item questionnaire on the internship experience, results show that Ss (1) perceived the majority of their settings met and exceeded the standards and guidelines promulgated by national professional organizations and (2) held positive perceptions of their internship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Delinquents' perceptions of their parents.

The Parent-Child Relations questionnaire was administered to 30 delinquent boys, mean age 15 yr., and to a matched group of nondelinquents. The 1st hypothesis concerning a significant difference between the delinquent and nondelinquent boys in their perceptions of their parents, with the latter group holding more favorable attitudes, was clearly confirmed. The 2nd hypothesis concerning greater difference between the 2 groups in their perceptions of their fathers than their mothers was also confirmed. The unfavorable attitude of the delinquents toward their fathers was especially marked on the Rejecting and Neglecting scales. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's perceptions of their own and their classmates' ability.

64 children in kindergarten through 3rd grade rated their own and their classmates' "smartness" and nominated classmates who were the best and worst at specific tasks and the best and worst thinkers in the classroom. These ratings were then compared to 12 teachers' classification of the Ss as low or high achievers. Only the 2nd and 3rd graders' ratings of their own ability reflected their teachers' ratings and were correlated to classmates' ratings of their ability. At all grade levels, Ss' ratings of their classmates reflected teachers' ratings of the academic status of the child being rated. Responses to open-ended questions concerning the criteria Ss used in evaluating their own smartness revealed that older Ss most often provided examples of their performance on specific tasks to justify their self-ratings, whereas younger Ss most frequently explained their self-ratings on the basis of their work habits (e.g., following directions). Work habits were also given as the most common explanation for peer smartness ratings. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assuring quality in extramural studies: the perceptions of practitioners

This paper presents the results of a questionnaire completed by 331 UK veterinary practitioners which focused on the quality assurance of extramural studies. The questionnaire considered the attributes of practitioners as extramural teachers and the suitability of host practices for extramural studies, the students' evaluation of their quality, and the role of the veterinary schools. The questionnaire identified two broad roles for the practitioner, first, as teacher and, secondly, as professional role model, and there was strong support for students being allowed to evaluate their role as teacher. The findings are discussed in relation to aspects of good practice associated with quality assurance, and in relation to the need to develop stronger links between the schools and the veterinary profession.     

Post-notification day perceptions of unplaced internship applicants and their academic training directors: Recommendations for improving future selection processes.

The demand for predoctoral internships has risen in recent years, possibly contributing to some students' difficulty in securing a slot. The present study examined the experiences of unplaced applicants and their academic training directors after the 1995-1996 internship selection process. Respondents provided their perceptions about (a) why some students did not obtain an internship placement, (b) how prospective applicants may wish to conduct themselves in future selection processes, and (c) how the American Psychological Association, the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, and academic and internship training programs might respond to the perceived shortage of internship positions. Recommendations for addressing the hypothesized applicant-to-slot imbalance are also presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clients' perceptions of their psychotherapists' multicultural orientation.

The current retrospective study examined whether clients' (N = 176) perceptions of their psychotherapists' multicultural orientation (MCO) were associated with their psychological functioning, working alliance, and real relationship scores. Moreover, we tested whether clients' perceptions of the working alliance and the real relationship mediated the relationship between clients' perceptions of their psychotherapists' MCO and psychological functioning. The results showed that clients' perceptions of their psychotherapists' MCO were positively related to working alliance, real relationship, and psychological functioning. Only clients' ratings of the working alliance mediated the relationship between clients' perceptions of their psychotherapists' MCO and psychological functioning. Thus, because clients perceive their psychotherapists as being more oriented toward cultural issues, they may view the therapist as being more credible and may gain a sense of comfort in the therapeutic process. In turn, clients' strong alliance facilitates improvement in psychological well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescents' self-acceptance and perceptions of their parents.

Measures of self-acceptance, adjustment, perceived acceptance by parents and identification with them were correlated with 10 sub-tests of a parent-child relations questionnaire. Ss were 44 college freshman with a mean age of 18 yr. Adolescents high in self-acceptance and adjustment perceived their parents as loving and not as neglectful or rejecting. Ss' self-regard was more closely related to their mothers' than their fathers' child-rearing attitudes. Correlations between self-regard measures and evaluation of parents' child-rearing attitudes were higher for boys than for girls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Women's perceptions of quality and benefits of postpartum care

Increased competition in the United States has led to increased interest in women's perceptions of their obstetric experience. Family-centered postpartum care (FCPPC) was originated to improve women's perceptions of care quality. This study examined differences in and the hypothesized relationship between quality and beneficence in a group receiving traditional postpartum care (TPPC) and a group receiving FCPPC in a safety-net hospital in West Tennessee. Both groups had high mean quality and beneficence scores; however, the FCPPC group's scores were significantly higher than those of the TPPC group. There was a relationship between quality and beneficence for the combined sample. The findings suggest that nurses should incorporate FCPPC approaches as a means of improving perceived quality and benefits.     

Children's perceptions of the personal relationships in their social networks.

Tested the hypothesis that children would report that different social-network members provide different social provisions, using 199 5th–6th grade White children. Ss completed network of relationships inventories, which assessed 10 qualities of their relationships with mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, friends, and teachers. Consistent with R. S. Weiss's (1974) theory (i.e., that individuals seek specific social provisions or types of social support in their relationships with others), Ss reported seeking different provisions from different individuals. Mothers and fathers were turned to most often for affection, enhancement of worth, a sense of reliable aid, and instrumental aid. Next to parents, grandparents were turned to most often for affection and enhancement of worth, and teachers were turned to most often for instrumental aid. Friends were the greatest source of companionship, and friends and mothers received the highest ratings of intimacy. Ss also reported having more power in their relationships with other children than in those with adults. Conflict was perceived as occurring most often in sibling relationships. Ss were most satisfied with their relationships with mothers, and they thought their relationships with mothers and fathers were the most important. Bases for children's differentiations of their relationships and implications for understanding social networks are discussed. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment

The clinical learning environment (CLE) is an interactive network of forces influencing student learning outcomes in the clinical setting. This study used mixed methods to identify factors characterizing students' perceptions of the CLE. The sample consisted of 229 undergraduate students in the second or third year of their biophysical nursing strand. The five subscales of the Clinical Learning Environment Scale, 'staff-student relationships', 'nurse manager commitment', 'patient relationships', 'student satisfaction' and 'hierarchy and ritual', were supported by qualitative data obtained from student interviews. Interpersonal relationships between the participants in the CLE were crucial to the development of a positive learning environment. Student satisfaction with the CLE was both a result of, and influential in creating, a positive learning environment. Nurse educators, clinical venues, and all others participating in the undergraduate nursing students' clinical education, must collaborate in order to create a CLE which promotes the development of well-educated registered nurses capable of providing safe, cost-effective patient care.     

Subject-experimenter perceptions of ethical issues in human research.

Measured attitudes of 400 psychologists and 357 undergraduates to 4 hypothetical experiments with controversial design characteristics: (a) experimentally induced stress, (b) experimental pain, (c) manipulation of self-esteem, and (d) prompted unethical behavior. Demographic information for students (sex, major, number of psychology courses taken, and number of experiments participated in) and for psychologists (number of submitted and published articles, amount of research with human Ss, and use of the designs in question) was obtained. Results show that psychologists gave a stricter interpretation of the ethical issues than did students and the most negative rating to the experimental stress study. Students found the pain and unethical behavior designs the most distasteful. None of the demographic variables were found to be significant. An additional result was that 71% of the psychologists returned the questionnaire within 30 days, showing a high level of interest in the study. (22 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)