The purpose of this study was to explore Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in Organizations, using school nurses and to answer the research question of whether there is a relationship between empowerment and autonomy in school nurses. This study found a positive relationship between the nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy. The school…

This paper proposes that learning and teaching for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties could be enhanced by a closer focus on emotional factors and on the careful identification of what is meaningful for them. Phil Goss, senior lecturer in counselling and psychotherapy at the University of Central Lancashire draws on…

The Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability, Northern Ireland commissioned the present consultation to support the work of its Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) subgroup. The investigation employed a two-stage qualitative approach to explore views and opinions held by users and carers about CAMH services. Nineteen services…

Purpose: We assess the effects of racial or ethnic concordance between caregivers and interventionists on caregiver attrition, change in depression, and change in burden in a multisite randomized clinical trial. Design and Methods: Family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease were randomized to intervention or control groups at six sites…

As part of a larger project begun three years after the adoption of the Australian Early Childhood Association (AECA) Code of Ethics, this study sought practitioners' views about formal enforcement of a code of ethics for early childhood personnel. Questionnaires were sent to directors of 200 early childhood services in New South Wales; about 225…

This digest considers quality in early childhood programs from four perspectives. The top-down perspective, or adults' perspective, on program quality takes into account such program characteristics as adult-child ratio, staff qualifications, and health and hygiene procedures. The bottom-up perspective, or the children's perspective, hinges on…

This study examined the relationship between educational background and the philosophical orientation of early childhood educators who worked as caregivers and teachers of preschoolers, ages 3 to 6 years, in one midwestern state (Indiana) in the United States. Specifically, the highest level of education attained by the early childhood…

Recent changes such as declining economic status of families and large-scale employment of women have resulted in increased utilization of child care services and the need for qualified child care providers. This study evaluated the Preservice Training for Child Care Workers programs' ability to meet the training needs of rural Texas child care…

This study examined early childhood caregivers' perceptions of the availability and quality of child care and examined the extent to which caregiver knowledge, training, experience, and motivation predicted judgments of quality and availability. Surveys were mailed to 292 licensed and registered family day care providers in Shelby County,…

Surveyed Australian child-care workers on job satisfaction. Found that although 80% indicated satisfaction with their job, 40% said they frequently thought of quitting. Found a past and projected turnover rate of about 30%; although workers' qualifications and skills base have increased significantly in the past decade, the accreditation process…

Discusses the statement "I just love children" and its inappropriateness in the context of working with children in child care settings. Stresses that such statements are sometimes indicators of inappropriate attitudes on the part of caregivers, such as exercising undue power, fostering dependency, patronizing, being amused by children,…

Presents memoirs written by those who have cared for severely ill and disabled loved ones. Such memoirs reveal multiple meanings--many of them positive--inherent in caregiving, contradicting the professional paradigm that family caregiving equals stress. These memoirs can provide an empathic point of entry for clinicians. (RJM)

Examines the relationship between meaning in caregiving (positive beliefs about the caregiving situation and the self as caregiver) and the psychological well-being of 131 informal caregivers to community-residing frail elders. Results indicate that meaning in caregiving explained a significant portion of the differences in depression and…

Examines caregiver attitudes toward toddler conflict and considers ways to facilitate conflict resolution to promote toddler growth, learning, and social development. Suggests that the ways caregivers intervene often do not promote resolution between children. Presents prevention and intervention strategies and discusses implications for practice…

Child care professionals in Hawaii were surveyed to assess health training needs. Respondents reported a high degree of comfort in managing common health conditions. The most commonly requested health services involved speech/language testing and vision/hearing screening. The most requested health/safety workshop topic was behavioral problems. The…