http://hdl.handle.net/11189/1930 2026-09-08T02:02:50Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/10787 Title: Paramedic educational interventions for out-of-hospital domestic and intimate partner violence cases: a scoping review Authors: Craig, Wesley; Hartnady, Natalie; Naidoo, Navindhra; Martin, Lorna J.; Artz, Lillian Abstract: Domestic and intimate partner violence are significant causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The act is usually serial in nature and tends to amplify in severity if not intervened. The first interaction a victim-survivor has with the healthcare system may be through a paramedic. Paramedics are opportunely placed for early violence intervention. Previous research sought to assess the impact of domestic and intimate partner violence education on healthcare professionals, primarily with in-hospital staff, however, there has been relatively minimal inquiry concerning paramedic education and practice. This study aimed to investigate evidence regarding domestic and intimate partner violence educational interventions for pre- and in-service paramedics. Additionally, we describe the nature and extent of interprofessional training and the relevant practice guidelines/policies for paramedic responses. A scoping review, utilising an a priori piloted search strategy (Medline via PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost), was used to identify literature published from 2002 related to paramedic domestic and intimate partner violence interventions. Academic literature including research produced by organizations outside of conventional academic publishing were searched. A total of 1713 records were identified, and 36 were included for descriptive analysis. Major topic domains identified included teaching content and methods, professionalising best practices for public protection, intersectionality calls for interprofessional training, and the impact of educational interventions. With reports increasingly highlighting the potential role of the paramedic response to violence, there is a paucity of studies related to its improvement. Reported teaching strategies across multiple settings have some consistency. Though interventions may improve behaviour and actual/perceived knowledge and competence, there is no evidence suggesting an impact on victim-survivor experiences and outcomes. Interprofessional collaborations between out-of-hospital services, police, social workers, and in-hospital staff may be useful but remains underreported/underutilised. Future research should focus on domestic and intimate partner violence victim-survivor stakeholder engagement and intervention implementation. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/10786 Title: Insight into the emotional well-being of South African diagnostic radiography students during workplace learning Authors: Lewis, S.; Koch, Gerhardus George Visser; Naidoo, K.; Khoza, T.E.; Phahlamohlaka, N.M.; Badriparsad, N.R. Abstract: Introduction: Workplace learning is a significant component of radiography education. While studies about the structure, characteristics and coping mechanisms of workplace learning exist, diagnostic radiography students' emotional well-being during workplace learning remains unexplored. Therefore, this study investigated South African diagnostic radiography students’ emotional well-being during workplace learning. Methods: A quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data through an online questionnaire from undergraduate diagnostic radiography students at five randomly selected higher education institutions in South Africa. Data were analysed statistically. Results: The survey received 265 responses (24.2 % response rate). Most participants (39.6 %) were in their second year of study, 21 years old (28.1 %) and attended public workplace learning centers (52.7 %). The majority of participants (77.7 %) experienced emotionally challenging situations during workplace learning, with the highest levels of emotional distress in forensic radiography (28.6 %), interactions with doctors (19.5 %), and working with burn patients (48.6 %). To cope, 15 % focused on the tasks at hand, and 23.8 % wanted more support. Participants viewed challenges as opportunities for growth, with 65.8 % feeling more confident as they progressed in their degree and 77.2 % gaining awareness of their responses and resilience in the face of emotional challenges. Conclusion: South African diagnostic radiography students experience workplace learning challenges that affect their emotional well-being during workplace learning. While participants shared the need for more support, others saw it as an opportunity to grow and reflect on their responses and resilience. Implications for practice: The stressors identified in the study can be addressed to ensure diagnostic radiography students' emotional well-being, which impacts their cognition and quality of patient care. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/10785 Title: Strengthening the Frontline Response to Elder Abuse: qualitative Insights From Australian Paramedics Authors: Naidoo, Navindhra; Feldman, Peter; Muoio, Rachel; Sawyer, Simon; Brijnath, Bianca Abstract: In this research we identified the training needs of paramedics in Australia regarding elder abuse identification and response. Ten qualitative interviews with paramedics and paramedic educators from each state and territory were conducted between January and March 2024. Participants encountered elder abuse in their professional capacity, often manifesting as neglect although responses were variable, influenced by the jurisdiction, whether the paramedic had specialist training, how much "scene time" was permitted, workload pressures, and if there were clear protocols and guidelines from the ambulance service on how to respond to elder abuse. The existing training was perceived as "patchy" and ad hoc, but participants offered recommendations for training content and preferred training delivery method in detecting and responding to elder abuse. Given population aging and increased use of ambulance services by older people, paramedics have a crucial role to play in elder abuse early detection and referral. This research presents a critical first step in addressing this gap. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/11189/10770 Title: ualitative and quantitative evaluation of bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates: a critical review of existing methodologies Authors: Ranjan, Amrita; Mthethwa, Thandekile; Welz, Pamela Abstract: Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are non-toxic aliphatic polyester biopolymers that are gaining traction as bio-based and biodegradable materials. To support the growing body of research on this subject, scientists and other stakeholders require insight into the synthesis, structure and quantity of PHA produced by bacterial isolates. To address the challenges that researchers face when seeking to evaluate bacterial PHA production, this manuscript presents a cohesive collection and critical evaluation of the methods described in literature, highlighting the applications, advantages, and disadvantages of each. Environmental samples are typically screened for PHA production based on uptake of lipophilic dyes. Thereafter, quantification of polyhydroxybutyrate and/or polyhydroxyvalerate monomers is typically performed using gas chromatography or high-performance liquid chromatography. These methods are robust with good specificity, but their application range is limited by non-availability of commercial standards. Methods based on lipophilic fluorescent dye emissions measured by spectrofluorometry or flow cytometry present simple, cost effective and efficient alternatives, but there are issues related to lack of specificity. For identification and quantification of monomers other than polyhydroxybutyrate and/or polyhydroxyvalerate, and to elucidate monomeric spatial arrangements within the polymer structure requires more sophisticated equipment and skilled analyses including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and finally nuclear magnetic resonance. These methods are presented and discussed, along with other ancillary methods including Raman spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and methods based on molecular biology principles. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z