The Role of Gender in the History of the Professional Development of South African Nursing and Nursing Organisations

Historically, female nurse leaders endeavoured to make nursing a profession by establishing nursing organisations that could act as agents of change. They were hampered by sociocultural notions of gender: men dominating society, politics, and the economy. Nurses therefore needed positive working relationships with male leaders. In South Africa, such gender dynamics led to the South African Nursing Association (SANA), being influenced by a political system, that is, apartheid, which had dire consequences for the profession. This article illustrates that historically the emerging nursing profession was intimately connected with a changing society: female nurses strove for economic and professional independence but were confined by a male-dominated (medical) society. South African female nurse leaders never openly challenged the political status quo. It is recommended that current South African nursing organisations advocate for gender equality and clarify how they can foster a health-care environment in which gender diversity is the norm.

Impact of the Work Environment on Patients’ Safety as Perceived by Nurses in Poland—A Cross-Sectional Study

Numerous studies have found that organizational features connected with the work environment of nurses have a significant influence on patients’ safety. The aim of this research was to capture nurses’ opinions about patients’ safety and discern relationships with work environment characteristics. This cross-sectional study surveyed 1825 nurses. The research used questionnaire consisting of four parts: (1) covered The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI); (2) assessed the quality of nursing care and care safety; (3) contained information on the most recent duty served by the nurses and (4) captured social and demographic data of participants. The research identified strong association between patient safety assessment and work environment of nurses in the aspect of employment adequacy, cooperation between nurses and doctors, support for nurses from the managing staff, the possibility to participate in the management as well as professional promotion of nurses employed in the hospital (p < 0.001). Nurses rated patient safety higher when responsible for a smaller number of patients. Work environment factors such as proper staffing, good cooperation with doctors, support from the management, as well as professional independence are significantly related to nurses’ assessment of patients’ safety.

Congressional Concerns Over Partisanship and a Lack of Professional Independence: Critical Junctures and the Evolution of U.S. Government Information Agencies

The nomination by Pres. Donald J. Trump of Michael Pack as the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the agency that oversees the Voice of America (VOA) and other civilian international broadcasters, was politically controversial. Democratic senators feared that if confirmed, Pack would pursue a partisan political agenda through the broadcasters because he was a known associate of President Trump’s former chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon. This study shows that fears that a president could use government agencies to advance a partisan political agenda emerged long ago when the government first started establishing information agencies, such as the Committee on Public Information (CPI) and the Office of War Information (OWI). Such fears are likely to continue.

FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL INDEPENDENCE AS AN OBJECTIVE COMPONENT OF THE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE SPECIALISTS OF TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

Выявлены проблемы формирования творческой личности специалиста в процессе обучения в техническом вузе. Проанализированы основные задачи, которые ставятся перед преподавательским составом высшей школы. Сформулированы основополагающие принципы повышения мотивации при изучении учебной дисциплины «Иностранный язык». The problems of the formation of the creative personality of а specialist in the process of training at a technical university are revealed. The main tasks that are set before the teaching staff of the higher education are analyzed. The fundamental principles of increasing motivation in the process of study of the academic discipline "Foreign language" are formulated.

Nursing Students' Experiences of Educational Discrimination: A Qualitative Study

Background: Although the need for justice and the elimination of injustice (or discrimination) is now a universally accepted principle, discrimination is still an unpleasant experience for many nursing students. This study aimed to explain the experiences of nursing students of educational discrimination and find out the main factors that cause this feeling.Methods: This is a qualitative study conducted in the nursing faculty of Shahr-e-Kord and the Iran university of medical science (IUMS) in Iran. Twelve nursing students were selected by purposeful sampling method and were interviewed. All interviews were analyzed according to the content analysis method.Results: Three main themes and ten subcategories appeared. Extracted themes include: "inappropriate behavior of nursing professors (or instructors) " with 3 subcategories (1- discriminatory behavior by nursing professors (or instructors), 2- lack of sufficient self-confidence in nursing professors and transferring it to the student, and 3- the educator role in motivating or eliminating motivation); "Strict rules" with 3 subcategories (1- inequality in implementation of rights and rules among students of different disciplines, 2- differences in compliance with laws and regulations, and 3- nurses are being strictly monitored), and " Lack of nursing professional independence " with 4 subcategories (1- lack of authority, 2- lack of supportive organizations for nurses, 3- lack of proper social status of nursing in society, and 4- the high authority and power of physicians over other disciplines).Conclusions: In our study, it was shown that nursing students feel the most discrimination in front of medical students. Feelings of discrimination reduce self-confidence in nursing students. Therefore, nursing educators and professors must think of a solution, or at least they themselves should not cause this feeling in them by inappropriate behavior and discriminatory speech and words.

Auditor's professional skepticism: a case from Ukraine

The authors conducted a study of the modern concept of professional skepticism of an auditor in Ukraine to develop proposals in accordance with the main directions of its development and improvement based on positive foreign experience. The research methodology is based on theoretical generalizations and the use of scientific tools, including comparative analysis, surveys of auditors to determine the level of their professional scepticism. 124 questionnaires were distributed to auditors in Ukraine in order to conduct empirical studies to determine the level of professional scepticism of auditors. A total of 92 questionnaires were received, accounting for 74% of responses. The study uses a questionnaire method to determine the level of professional scepticism of participants on the thirty questions identified by HURTT (2010). The authors substantiated the need to develop a separate working document for the auditor, which should contain a list of questions, the answers to which would enable the head of the audit group (the head of the audit firm responsible for the quality control system of the audit firm) to summarize information on the use of professional skepticism by the group members in the audit process for confidence that the audit engagement was carried out with a high level of professionalism and professional independence. The use of the Hurtt scale of professional skepticism (2010) to measure the level of professional skepticism of auditors in Ukraine is quite acceptable for ensuring quality control procedures for audit services both at the intra-firm level and at the level of external quality control.

The impact of the work environment of nurses on patients safety

Introduction. Numerous studies have found that organizational features connected with the work environment of nurses have a significant influence on patients' safety. Aim of research. To capture nurses’ opinions about patients' safety and discern relationships with work environment characteristics. Material and methods. This cross-sectional study surveyed 1,825 nurses. The research used questionnaire consisting of four parts: 1/covered The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI), 2/assessed the quality of nursing care and care safety, 3/ contained information on the most recent duty served by the nurses, 4/ captured social and demographic data of participants. Results. The research identified strong association between patient safety assessment and work environment of nurses in the aspect of employment adequacy, cooperation between nurses and doctors, support for nurses from the managing staff, the possibility to participate in the management as well as professional promotion of nurses employed in the hospital (p<0.001). Nurses rated patient safety higher when responsible for a smaller number of patients. Conclusions. Work environment factors such as proper staffing, good cooperation with doctors, support from the management, professional independence as well as a prospect of promotion determine provision of safety for patient according to nurses.

Nurse of a specialist team for diagnostics and treatment of syncope – a practical guide

Introduction. Nowadays, nursing is perceived as a practical discipline, subject to processes of change towards the competence and professional independence of nurses. Propagation of the importance of the role of a specialist nursing team featured in the latest guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) conduces to build the autonomy of this profession. Professional independence carries the increment in responsibility and competence requirements. Therefore, there is a need to collect and summarise the most important rules for dealing with syncope.Aim. The aim of the paper was to develop a practical guide on the activity and role of the specialist nursing team in the care of a patient with syncope.