http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/services/Feed ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12330 Objective: The role of biomechanics during the overhead lift has not been widely investigated. This study aimed to evaluate any change in biomechanics between safe minimum and safe maximum overhead lifts during the WorkHab Functional Capacity Evaluation. Method: Thirty healthy participants (age range 18–22 years) were videotaped completing the overhead lift. Images at the beginning (0/3), one-third (1/3), two-thirds (2/3), and end of lift (3/3) were collected for the minimum and safe maximum lifts Measurement of joint angles of the wrist, elbow, shoulder and sagittal spine using Dartfish Prosuite software was completed. Paired t-tests were used to analyse the differences in joint angles between lifts. Results: Participants' biomechanics changed between the minimum and maximum lifts In comparison to minimum lifts, there was increased wrist ulnar deviation (10.50, 95% CI 4.39, 16.61, p=0.002), increased shoulder flexion (7.26, 95% CI 0.50, 14.01, p=0.036), increased thoracic extension (−3.40, 95% CI −5.36, −1.45, p=0.001), increased lumbar extension (3.75, 95% CI 1.39, 6.12, p=0.003), and decreased elbow flexion (−11.28, 95% CI −18.57, −4.00, p=0.004) in the maximum lifts. Conclusions: The results of this study provide insight into biomechanical changes during the overhead lifting, and support the clinical judgements made by the WorkHab assessor in determining safe maximal lift. 2013-01-03T02:00:16.277Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12197 Obesity is a global issue, with healthcare practitioners increasingly involved in clinical interactions with people who are overweight or obese.These interactions are opportunities to provide evidence-based healthy lifestyle advice, and impact on public health. This study used a cross-sectional survey of Australian healthcare practitioners to investigate what influenced the provision of healthy lifestyle advice to obese and overweight clients. A modified theory of planned behavior was used to explore knowledge translation processes. Knowledge translation was linked to three factors: (i) a healthcare practitioner’s education and confidence in the currency of their knowledge; (ii) personal characteristics – whether they accepted that providing this advice was within their domain of practice; and (iii) the existence of organizational support structures, such as access to education, and best practice guidelines. To fulfill the potential role healthcare practitioners can play in the provision of evidence-based health promotion advice requires organizations to provide access to practice guidelines and to instill a belief in their workforce that this is a shared professional domain. 2012-12-12T05:05:05.223Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:12196 Few studies have examined the return-to-work process for nurses who are injured at work. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that facilitate or impede the successful return to work of nurses who have sustained a workplace injury from the perspective of return-to-work coordinators. A qualitative, descriptive study was conducted and 25 return-to-work coordinators from 14 different organizations participated in focus group discussions. The participants were recruited from healthcare settings in metropolitan and rural areas of New South Wales, Australia. These included aged-care, residential, and community disability support services, public and private hospitals, and the community health sector. Workforce shortages, individual life circumstances and nurses' work, and nurses' qualifications, specialization, experience, and job tenure were identified as the factors that influence the timely, safe, and sustainable return to work of injured nurses. This study provides insight into how workforce shortages have driven innovative practice in accommodating a nurse's life circumstances when developing the return-to-work plan. Barriers to nurses' return to work included a lack of qualifications, specialization, and the casualization of the workforce. 2012-12-12T03:36:31.032Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9329 The nursing workforce has a high risk of injury in the workplace due to a very active and heavy manual handling workload and associated hazards. Previous studies have focused on the problem of manual handling injuries in a range of professions. This study focused specifically on the nursing workforce and the experience of occupational rehabilitation from two perspectives: Return to work coordinators and injured nurses. Occupational rehabilitation is a complex process involving several stakeholders. The employer, insurer, return-to-work coordinator, various medical and allied health service providers, the injured person and their colleagues all contribute to this process. The study has included participants representing a range of health care facilities and working environments. Nurse participants were recruited from a range of specialty areas of practice and across a range of nursing roles or classifications. 2012-05-28T23:11:52.246Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:1085 Practice placement education is an essential component of health professional programmes. The number of students with a disability entering health professional education programmes is anticipated to rise, yet research about the perspectives of students with a disability is limited, especially related to practice placement education. Therefore, the need to investigate student experiences has intensified. In this study, qualitative research methodology was used to investigate the perceptions, feelings and experiences of health professional students with a disability during practice placement education. Five health professional students, recruited from a regional university in New South Wales, Australia, participated in semi-structured, individual interviews. A phenomenological approach was used. Following inductive analysis of the data, three themes reflecting the students' experience of practice placement education emerged: the impact of disability, including the barriers and the strategies used to overcome these; the experiences of practice placement education, including the feelings of the participants; and support, which came from the practice placement educator, the university staff, family and friends. This pilot study provides valuable insight into the perspectives of these students about practice placement education. The findings reinforce the need for further exploration of the unique experiences of students with a disability to ensure success within their university programme and future profession. 2012-05-28T23:10:50.107Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:3013 Pre-employment assessments must accurately simulate job tasks and demands and select appropriate personnel to be considered effective. This study focussed on the perception of NSW fire-fighters in relation to the validity of the NSW Fire Brigade's pre-employment assessment, the Physical Aptitude Test. A qualitative method was used to gain a precise understanding of fire fighters' opinions of the accuracy of the Physical Aptitude Test. Information letters and consent forms were sent to an urban fire station with interested participants replying via the university. Six participants, who met the inclusion criteria were randomly selected for the study and in-depth, ethnographic, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The fire fighters believed in order for the Physical Aptitude Test to accurately simulate job demands and select the most capable fire fighters', it needed to be more physically demanding. However, participants believed that the "work-simulating" nature of the Physical Aptitude Test provided an accurate indication of the job tasks. 2012-05-28T23:10:14.491Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:5169 Purpose: A fear of falls is widespread amongst older Australians. It increases the risk of falls and can lead to restriction of activity. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the precursors of a fear of falls and the experiences associated with this fear. Methods: Using a qualitative, phenomenological method, individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 community-based participants who reported moderate to high levels of fear of falling. Results: Most participants did not fear falling until they had experienced a fall themselves. The fear of falls was described as a negative experience, often linked with incapacitation, fear of dependence and having to leave their home. Participants chose to avoid falls by ‘taking care’. Five themes emerged from data analysis: activity levels; view of the future; perceptions of fall experiences; fall avoidance; and development of fear of falls. Conclusions: The results indicated that factors other than a fear of falling resulted in a restriction of activities for these participants; therefore, it cannot be assumed that a fear of falls alone results in reduction of activity. Fear of falls, in combination with other potential issues that could restrict activities, should be taken into account in the development of fall-prevention programs in order to ensure clients’ needs are being met. 2012-05-28T23:09:42.238Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:7924 Pet ownership is an occupation that has benefits for human health and wellbeing. However, research on pet ownership mainly addresses the benefits of interactive pets, such as dogs and cats. Some individuals are unable to participate in the occupation of interactive pet ownership and, therefore, may be deprived of the benefits that pets can bring to their lives. This research used a qualitative, phenomenological methodology to explore the ownership of fish as pets. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews and were analysed inductively. Nine participants were interviewed and the following themes were identified from the data collected: the reasons for owning fish as pets; the fish environment; caring for fish; and the benefits of owning fish as pets. It was discovered that pet fish ownership is a meaningful occupation that provides purpose and enjoyment in life. The findings of this study suggest that pet fish may be an alternative to interactive pets, and one that therapists can recommend to clients who wish to own a pet. 2012-05-28T23:09:05.275Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:10443 Aims: This article looks at the effect that fear of movement can have on the lives of people with chronic low back pain. It describes the experiences of people who were attending a six week work hardening programme as part of their vocational rehabilitation in Sydney, Australia. Method: A thematic content analysis of data collected during an ethnographic study of eleven unemployed participants with chronic low back pain who attended the work hardening programme took place. The analysis focused on the effects of fear of movement on the participants' lives. Findings: The fear of movement impacted on all aspects of the participants' daily occupations and restricted their occupational roles. These changes involved loss of occupational roles, relationship changes, loss of participation in leisure and encountering barriers to returning to paid employment. Conclusions: The findings suggest that fear of movement has a significant effect on all areas of the lives of people with chronic low back pain. Recognizing fear of movement as a barrier will enable health professionals involved in vocational rehabilitation to develop a greater understanding of the context in which people with chronic low back pain live. 2012-03-19T21:40:05.023Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9204 Purpose: The WorkHab Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is one of many FCEs currently available and is widely used in the Australian workplace injury management and occupational rehabilitation arena. This study investigated the test–retest reliability of manual handling tasks within the WorkHab FCE in healthy adults. Method: A convenience sample of 25 healthy subjects, consisting of 19 women and 6 men with a mean age of 29 years (SD: 12.0) participated in this study. Two FCE sessions were held a week apart and subjects completed a floor to bench, bench to shoulder and bench to bench lift. Analysis of the outcomes of the FCE included descriptive analysis, intra-class correlations (ICC), kappa, percentage agreement and 95% limits of agreement where appropriate. Results: The ICCs for the three lifts show an excellent reliability (0.90–0.92), and a moderate reliability for the manual handling score (0.74). Further analysis of the components of the manual handling score found the percentage agreement was high for all components ranging from 72 to 92%; however, the kappa scores suggested poor to moderate reliability (range: −0.06 to 0.52). Internal consistency of the manual handling score was good (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.92) indicating this is a reliable scale. Conclusions: The ratings for the lifting components identified substantial levels of test–retest reliability for the lifting components of the WorkHab FCE in healthy adults. 2012-01-30T05:21:00.487Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:7318 Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE's) are used within the occupational rehabilitation arena with the aim of assessing an individual's functional abilities in relation to work tasks. Therapists use a variety of different FCE's, both standardized and non standardized. This study aimed to investigate therapists' views on the clinical utility of FCE's in general and to identify if these differed between professional groups. A cross sectional study design was used. Health professionals who conduct FCE's and who worked for WorkCover accredited rehabilitation providers in NSW were surveyed. Surveys were returned from 79 participants working for 65 different rehabilitation providers. Of those who replied, 82% (n=63) were occupational therapists, 13% (n=10) physiotherapists and 5% (n=5) exercise physiologists. The mean years of professional experience was 10.9 years and the mean years of FCE experience was 5.3 years. Data were analyzed using STATA [v8.0] and the clinical utility of FCE's was considered relating to: usefulness & relevance; adaptability and flexibility; therapist perceived requirements and issues in practice. No differences were found related to the clinical utility of FCE's between professional groups or years of professional experience. The results suggest consistency and similarities in how FCE's are currently used in practice across NSW (Australia). Limitations of this study and areas for further research are suggested. 2012-01-30T05:16:42.661Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:8721 Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2011-12-07T05:20:11.995Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9207 Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE's) are part of practice in work injury prevention and rehabilitation, and are designed to define an individual's functional abilities or limitations in the context of safe, productive work tasks. Qualitative research methodology was used to investigate the attitudes and behaviours of health professionals in relation to FCE use. The study aimed to identify why health professionals chose a particular FCE, and to identify what factors influence health professionals' clinical judgements when providing results and recommendations for the individual being assessed. Five health professionals from the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, participated in semi-structured, individual interviews using a phenomenological approach. Following inductive analysis of the data, four themes reflecting participants' attitudes and behaviours of FCE use emerged: i) referrals and expectations, including why and when the assessment is completed ii) outcomes, – what the results aim to provide iii) workplace/practice/usage issues and iv) skills of the assessor. The results indicate the need for further research on the clinical utility of FCE's. A large scale quantitative study would allow results to be generalised to a wider community of FCE users. 2011-10-25T03:40:10.890Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9206 The WorkHab Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) is widely used in Australian workplace injury management and occupational rehabilitation arenas; however, there is a lack of published literature regarding its reliability and validity. Purpose: This study investigated the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the manual handling component of this FCE. Method: A DVD was produced containing footage of the manual handling components of the WorkHab conducted with four injured workers. Therapist raters (n == 17) who were trained and accredited in use of the WorkHab FCE scored these components and 14 raters re-evaluated them after approximately 2 weeks. Ratings were compared using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), paired sample t-tests (intra-rater), chi-squared (inter-rater) and percentage agreement. Results: Intra-rater agreement was high with ICCs for the manual handling components and manual handling score showing excellent reliability (0.94–0.98) and good reliability for identification of the safe maximal lift (ICC: 0.81). Overall inter-rater agreement ranged from good to excellent for the manual handling components and safe maximal lift determination (ICC > 0.9). Agreement for safe maximal lift identification was good. Conclusions: Ratings demonstrated substantial levels of intra-rater and inter-rater reliability for the lifting components of the WorkHab FCEs. 2011-10-25T03:40:07.634Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:9205 Introduction: Few studies have examined the role of RTW Coordination from the perspective of RTW Coordinator’s. Furthermore there is little health specific literature on returning injured nurses to work despite the critical workforce shortages of these professionals. The study aimed to examine barriers and facilitators identified by the RTW Coordinator to returning injured nurses to work and influences on specific health sector or geographic location. The study sought to gain insights into the professional backgrounds and everyday work practices of RTW Coordinators. Method: Five focus groups were conducted in metropolitan and rural areas of NSW, Australia. Twenty-five RTW Coordinators from 14 different organisations participated in the study. The focus groups included participants representing different health sectors (aged, disability, public and private hospital and community health). Results: The data analysis identified information pertaining to the qualifications and backgrounds of RTW Coordinators; the role of RTW Coordinators’ within organisational structures; a range of technical knowledge and personal qualities for RTW Coordination and important elements of the case management style used to facilitate RTW. Conclusions: The findings identified a wide range of professional backgrounds that RTW Coordinators bring to the role and the impact of organisational structures on the ability to effectively undertake RTW responsibilities. The study found that interpersonal skills of RTW Coordinators may be more important to facilitate RTW than a healthcare background. A collaborative case management style was also highlighted and the difficulties associated with juggling conflicts of interest, multiple organisational roles and the emotional impact of the work. 2011-10-25T03:40:04.906Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:8346 Introduction: This study investigated the perceptions and practices of Australian health professionals in relation to the use of functional capacity evaluations (FCE’s). Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study design was used to survey health professionals who conduct FCE’s and who were working for one of 219 rehabilitation providers in NSW, Australia. Seventy seven returned surveys were eligible for inclusion. Results: Eleven different FCE’s were being utilised with many health professionals using more than one FCE. The most commonly used FCE was non-standardised (56%, n = 43) followed by 52% (n = 40) using the Workhab, and 18% (n = 14) using Valpar. Both non-standardised and standardised assessments were being used by 90% (n = 69) of respondents. Health professionals reported using all or parts of the FCE, and indicated identical FCE’s are not always conducted, with adaptation of the FCE, due to client injury (82%, n = 62) and job (80%, n = 43) occurring. About 60% of respondents had no choice in the type of FCE they conducted, and of the 40% with a choice, this was not influenced by other stakeholders in the process. Accreditation and training, characteristics of assessment tasks, standardisation, reliability, cost, length and flexibility were all identified as factors affecting the selection of an FCE. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that health professionals in NSW Australia, are not routinely using standardised tools for FCE’s. Health professional perceptions suggest accreditation, training and the characteristics of the FCE were important factors in FCE selection. In practice, participants tended to use parts of an FCE rather than the whole FCE. Adaptation of FCE’s was common, due to client injury and specific job requirements. 2011-10-25T03:30:10.287Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:1893 Second-year students of undergraduate occupational therapy at the University of Newcastle, NSW, undertake a fieldwork placement in occupational health. However, sufficient placements are not always available. A new fieldwork program attempts to meet this need. Three groups of students conducted risk assessments throughout the academic year, with generally positive results. Students enjoyed the self-directed nature of the placement and the opportunity to learn generic and occupational health related skills. Although there were some limitations to the program, we believe that fieldwork placements met the learning needs of second-year students and offered them an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience related to occupational health practice in prevention. 2010-04-27T06:59:31.993Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:1601 Aim: Occupational injury and the process of rehabilitation can impact significantly on an individual's life. Research on the perspectives of injured workers, and their perceptions of the occupational therapy role, is limited. Method: A qualitative, phenomenological study explored the experiences of six injured workers, from a large regional area health service, who had undergone occupational rehabilitation within the NSW Workers Compensation System. Data were collected through the use of in-depth, semistructured interviews and were analysed inductively. Results: Injured workers have a limited knowledge and understanding of the rehabilitation process, feel unsupported throughout the process, have unsatisfying return-to-work duties and often experience negative attitudes from key stakeholders. Conclusion: The results highlight the opportunity for occupational therapists to increase their role within occupational rehabilitation; however, they need to adopt a more holistic approach to their practice. 2010-04-27T06:28:52.293Z ]]> http://nova.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/manager/Repository/uon:571 Aim: Occupational injury and the process of rehabilitation can impact significantly on an individual's life. Research on the perspectives of injured workers, and their perceptions of the occupational therapy role, is limited. Method: A qualitative, phenomenological study explored the experiences of six injured workers, from a large regional area health service, who had undergone occupational rehabilitation within the NSW Workers Compensation System. Data were collected through the use of in-depth, semistructured interviews and were analysed inductively. Results: Injured workers have a limited knowledge and understanding of the rehabilitation process, feel unsupported throughout the process, have unsatisfying return-to-work duties and often experience negative attitudes from key stakeholders. Conclusion: The results highlight the opportunity for occupational therapists to increase their role within occupational rehabilitation; however, they need to adopt a more holistic approach to their practice. 2010-04-27T05:41:45.227Z ]]>