PurposeThis paper seeks to examine workplace learning strategies, learning facilitators and learning barriers of public accountants in Canada across three professional levels – trainees, managers, and partners.Design/methodology/approachVolunteer participants from public accounting firms in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick completed a demographic survey, a learning activities survey, a learning barriers survey, and a learning facilitators survey. Quantitative analysis provided total scores for key variables and compared these across the three levels.FindingsThe paper finds that accountants across different levels use a variety of formal and informal learning strategies, although informal strategies predominate. Accountants encounter numerous facilitators and barriers. There are variations in strategies, barriers and facilitators based on professional level; for example, trainees make more use of e‐learning than do either managers or partners.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research could focus on the efficacy of accountants' formal and informal learning strategies as well as how e‐learning can be appropriately managed and utilized.Practical implicationsAllocation of work and relationships with people are important to the learning process and should be considered in work assignments. One implication is to encourage informal learning and provide appropriate learning activities and feedback so that informal learning is maximized. There could also be more emphasis placed on assisting partners and managers in developing their roles as coaches and mentors.Originality/valueThe paper provides information on workplace learning for an understudied group of professionals in a Canadian context.
Objectives The purpose of this study was three‐fold: to identify which behavioural, communicative and personal presentation characteristics most closely represent patients’ views of professionalism; to determine whether patients perceive resident doctors as displaying these characteristics, and to explore whether or not resident doctor professional behaviour creates an impression of clinical competence to the degree where patients perceive a decreased need for Attending Physician involvement. Methods We carried out a descriptive, cross‐sectional study at an academic centre. An anonymous, voluntary four‐question survey with multiple items was administered to all adult patients or the parents of paediatric patients attending an ophthalmology clinic who were seen by a resident doctor followed by an Attending Physician. Results A total of 133 of 148 (90%) surveys were returned. All the itemised characteristics of professionalism were reported to be important or very important to the majority of participants. The most important were: ‘Pays attention to my concerns’ (90%); ‘Is compassionate’ (83%), and ‘Speaks in terms that I can understand’ (83%). Although 85% of respondents reported that resident doctors demonstrated all the characteristics of professionalism listed on the survey, 83% of participants stated that it was important or very important that residents have Attending Physician involvement. Conclusions Patient‐centred components of professionalism, such as communication skills and compassion, are more important to patients than social behaviours, such as appearance and acknowledgement of family members. Resident doctors are perceived to display a high level of professionalism during patient care. Patients clearly desire direct resident doctor supervision by an Attending Physician.
Background: Educating medical students about how to effectively counsel patients with negative health behaviors (i.e., lack of exercise, smoking) is vitally important. Behavior change counseling is a promising method that can be used by physicians to encourage positive changes in health behaviors. Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of a 2 h workshop in behavior change counseling for medical students. Methods: This study used a pre-post control group design with 35 second-year medical students who were randomly assigned to participate in a behavior change counseling intervention or wait-list control group. Student knowledge and attitudes were assessed using multiple choice items and open-ended question prompts. Student skills were assessed via performance in a standardized patient encounter rated using the Behavior Change Counseling Index (BECCI). Results: Student attitudes toward behavior change counseling were positive at both pre-and post-test assessment in both groups. Knowledge scores and BECCI total scores showed significantly greater improvement in the intervention group compared to the wait-list control group. Conclusions: This study found that a brief educational intervention had a positive impact on medical students' knowledge and skills in behavior change counseling, and that student attitudes about the counseling method were very positive.
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