This study examines the reliability and validity of a measure to evaluate student field performance. Results demonstrated a consistent factor structure with excellent internal consistency, however, there was inadequate consistency between ratings of individual students in their first and second field education experiences. The measure had some predictive validity in that it could differentiate between students identified as having difficulty in Year 1 of the program, but not in Year 2. Scores were significantly associated with academic grades. Implications for future instrument development and the process of evaluation are considered.

Linguistic and ethnocultural diversity in long-term residential care is a growing trend in many urban settings. When long-term care staff and residents do not share the same language or ethnocultural background, the quality of their communication and care are jeopardized. There is very little research addressing how staff and residents communicate when they experience a mismatch in their language and ethnocultural backgrounds. Thus, the goals of the present study were to 1) document the verbal and nonverbal behaviours used by staff and residents in diverse interactions, and 2) identify and account for behaviours that either promoted or detracted from positive communication by drawing on principles from 'Communication Accommodation Theory'. Two long-term care facilities in British Columbia Canada were selected due to the diverse linguistic and ethnocultural backgrounds of their staff and residents. Twenty-seven staff and 27 residents consented to being video-recorded during routine activities (e.g., mealtimes, recreational activities). The recorded observations were transcribed, translated, and coded using qualitative descriptive and interpretive analyses. A number of verbal and nonverbal behaviours were identified and interpreted in relation to whether they promoted or detracted from positive communication. The findings point to considering a variety of proactive strategies that staff and administrators could employ to effectively accommodate to language and ethnocultural diversity in long-term care practice.

The impact of nurse staffing levels on patients' hospital mortality in critical care settings was not evident in the reviewed studies. Methodological challenges that might have impeded correct assessment of the association include measurement problems in exposure status and confounding factors, often uncontrolled. The lack of association also indicates that hospital mortality may not be sensitive enough to detect the consequences of low nurse staffing levels in critical care settings.

Renewing the profession of social work is historically dependent on social work practitioners volunteering to be field educators for students placed in their agencies. During the past decade, with massive funding cuts to social and health services and changes in professional practice, the availability of field instructors has been threatened. This article reports on social workers' motivations to become field instructors. The findings from qualitative interviews with 20 social workers randomly selected from a range of field agencies indicate that current organizational culture has a powerful influence on social workers' motivations to volunteer to become field instructors. The implications of this shift are discussed in relation to rejuvenating the profession of social work. Collaboration among organizations, professional associations, and schools of social work at the local and national level is critical.

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