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Biomedical subjects

L Whitener

Publications and source records attributed to L Whitener.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Distance learning for hospital managers.

Telemedicine technology enabled this class to meet. The Chapel Hill instructor could not have traveled to Scotland Neck for the classes, and the class members could not have taken time away from their jobs to travel to Chapel Hill. The technology allowed the participants to fit the classes into their schedules. For the group of managers at this small, isolated hospital, the experience of participating in a management class with an expert was a positive one. They were introduced to standard management practices, learned new skills, and formed a support group/team onsite. The students felt close to the leader, yet the physical distance made her an outsider in a way that encouraged frankness. The technology seemed to foster the best of both worlds--intimacy, yet physical distance and, thus, safety. These new managers were able to take part in a course that taught tangible skills for improving their job performance and, more important, afforded access to resources outside of Halifax County. They were able to step away from their daily routine and interact with outsiders and each other in new ways, without the stress and expense of travel. The results of this pilot study indicate that distance learning is feasible for courses of this kind. Staff burnout and turnover are chronic problems in rural facilities, with isolation contributing to job dissatisfaction. Distance learning offers exciting possibilities for addressing these problems in healthcare settings across the country.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1993

Campaign '92: three more years!

Creative planning and well-executed graphics produced an upbeat approach to preparing staff for a JCAHO accreditation visit. Five humorous and highly visible strategies were used in a coordinated eight-week "campaign." Not only did the institution "pass the test" but there was a consensus among staff nurses that they had felt comfortable, confident and in control during interviews with the JCAHO surveyor.

Accreditation↗
PubMed1992

Effects of policy manual reorganization on user proficiency.

This study compared the proficiency of nurses who located policies in a traditional, alphabetically arranged policy manual vs. a reorganized, indexed manual. Nurses were asked to locate policy statements that would resolve issues presented in three vignettes that were typical of the decisions nurses must regularly make. Answers were scored as correct or incorrect; time to respond and search strategies were also recorded. Data analyses show the overall superiority of the reorganized, indexed manual.

Abstracting and Indexing↗