Academic espionage: dysfunctional aspects of the publish or perish ethic

There are many dysfunctional manifestations relative to the tenure and promotion process. These are disruptive to academic life. Much of this is encouraged by the university because of their publish or perish ethic. Excellence in classroom teaching and success in the field of clinical and human endeavours are not highly valued in deliberations to grant tenure and advancement in academic rank. Research and publications are the major yardsticks upon which a faculty member is judged. This prevailing perspective poses a dilemma for many nursing faculty who have high clinical workloads and have not been socialized for academic survival. The pressures to publish and research can be achieved in a realistic and non-stressful way. Three aspects seem to be particularly relevant to facilitate this achievement; these are: anticipatory planning, balancing the workload, and understanding the interpersonal dimensions of collegeality.     

Methanol poisoning: a review and case study of four patients from Central Australia

Methanol intoxication, a rare and potentially lethal form of poisoning, usually results from ingestion and occasionally inhalation of methanol. Initial symptoms of blurred vision, elongated anion gap and metabolic acidosis are typically delayed and may not at first be recognised as methanol-related complaints. Once diagnosed, treatment must be prompt and definitive. As well as general supportive care, ethanol infusion, dialysis and alkalinization form the mainstays of treatment.

The cases described in this paper are compared to previous reports from other countries worldwide and contrast the variance in outcome often seen in methanol poisoning. The paper describes two tragic deaths and two lucky survivors, all of whom had consumed a cocktail of methanol and other alcoholic beverages at the same party.

The ICU nurse's role in managing the methanol-intoxicated patient relies on that person's sound knowledge of the unusual biochemical reactions occurring in the body and the need to institute definitive and supportive measures to help both patient and family recover.     

An evaluation of a strategy to improve the support of orthopaedic nurses through a team preceptorship programme

Transition to a new work area is often stressful for both experienced and new graduate nurses. It is essential that the new graduate be supported through this transition period to enable them to adjust to the environment itself, refine knowledge, and develop skills specific to their chosen clinical stream. In past years, several strategies have been designed with varying levels of success.This study evaluates an Australian transition support model, where the fundamental difference is that the management of the program is facilitated by a nurse possessing refined leadership, communication, clinical and organisational skills.The model has been evaluated on its effectiveness in meeting specific outcomes. The findings revealed that this coordinated team approach provided increased support for the new graduate, reduced the stress and workloads on the preceptors, whilst promoting confidence in the new starters and preventing conflict between preceptors and preceptees. The Coordinator’s role was shown to be an effective and crucial component in the Coordinated Team Preceptorship Model (CTPM) and findings illustrated that a team preceptorship model is not sustainable without a Coordinator.     

Molecular Characterization by Using Next-Generation Sequencing of Plasmids Containing blaNDM-7 in Enterobacteriaceae from Calgary,Canada

Enterobacteriaceae with bla_NDM-7 are relatively uncommon and had previously been described in Europe, India, the United States, and Japan. This study describes the characteristics of Enterobacteriaceae (Klebsiella pneumoniae [n = 2], Escherichia coli [n = 2], Serratia marcescens [n = 1], and Enterobacter hormaechei [n = 1] isolates) with bla_NDM-7 obtained from 4 patients from Calgary, Canada, from 2013 to 2014. The 46,161-bp IncX3 plasmids with bla_NDM-7 are highly similar to other bla_NDM-harboring IncX3 plasmids and, interestingly, showed identical structures within the different isolates. This finding may indicate horizontal transmission within our health region, or it may indicate contact with individuals from areas of endemicity within the hospital setting. Patients infected or colonized with bacteria containing bla_NDM-7 IncX3 plasmids generate infection control challenges. Epidemiological and molecular studies are required to better understand the dynamics of transmission, the risk factors, and the reservoirs for bacteria harboring bla_NDM-7. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of S. marcescens and E. hormaechei with bla_NDM-7.     

Faculty/student perception of organizational climates in the schools of nursing, Oyo State, Nigeria

This study examined the influence of educational status and gender on the faculty and students' perceptions of their school climates. A self-designed questionnaire was used to elicit information from the 385 subjects (320 students and 65 tutors). Analysis using the t-test technique revealed that there were no significant differences at the 0.05 level of probability in the perceptions of: (a) faculty and students on climate variables “thrust” (t = 0.31) and “control” (t = 1.19); and (b) both sexes on climate variables “thrust” (t = 1.69), “control” (t = 1.13) and “disengagement” (t = −0.53). The conclusion therefore, is that educational status and gender have little or no influence on the peoples' perception of their school climates.