Today@Dal

(1)

Grant Paid Job Opportunity

Project Coordinator
Animal-Assisted Interventions in Nova Scotia:
Investigating Current Practice Within the Health Professions

Research across the health sciences and professions increasingly provides evidence of the human health benefits derived from human-animal interactions and relationships. During the past 50 years, the use of therapy animals in health care has increased and in clinical practice is heralded as a lifeline for those who are especially vulnerable. Health practitioners such as speech and language therapists, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers and nurses are incorporating Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) in a variety of settings including hospital critical care units, psychiatric institutions, long-term care facilities, hospice facilities, youth and adult correctional facilities, and private practice. At the same time, there are several disconnects between those conducting AAI and the health services sector. The proposed study will investigate current practice of AAI within the domain of five health professions in the province of No! va Scotia from the perspective of practitioners who do conduct AAI. The proposed research will address gaps in the research literature through 1) exploring how health practitioners who provide AAI in NS are networked within the larger provincial health services landscape, 2) how they coordinate services with other practitioners in the health services community, and how clients find/get connected to AAI services and programs, and 3) how/where health practitioners acquire the additional education and training regarding AAI. This study proposes to develop a conceptual framework for best practices of AAI within the context of NS and take curricular change initiatives based on the findings. This research is funded by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation.

This position entails working with the Principal Investigator and the research team to
• manage the research project including administrative tasks such as room bookings, catering, and travel arrangements
• Prepare ethics proposal
• develop and manage project website
• recruit participants and maintain participant database
• manage the budget
• conduct literature search using primary and online sources
• develop & pilot interview/focus group guides
• assist with interviews & focus groups
• assist with qualitative data analysis (this research will use constructivist grounded theory)
• edit transcriptions against recordings
• assist with writing reports and articles
• organize dissemination of research findings
• organize implementation of the research

Qualifications and Experience:
• Master’s degree, or degree in progress, in relevant field (social or health sciences, health administration, applied health services research)
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to undertake qualitative data collection and analysis
• Excellent written and oral skills, strong communication and presentation skills
• Experience with collaborative research
• familiarity with software for organizing data (NVivo)
• Ability to work independently as well as within a collaborative, interprofessional team environment
• Preference will be given to those with an interest in the subject matter

Part time: 20 hours / week; hours may fluctuate based on the pace of the research
Term: Approx 3 years    
Rate: $21,698/yr with benefits calculated at 13%; a 3% salary increase in years 2 and 3.
Start Date: Immediately. To apply, send your cover letter, resume and the names of three references by email to: Dr. Cassandra Hanrahan, School of Social Work, at cassandra.hanrahan@dal.ca

Application deadline: open until position is filled.

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(2)

Grant Paid Job Opportunity

Research Assistant
Animal-Assisted Interventions in Nova Scotia:
Investigating Current Practice Within the Health Professions

Research across the health sciences and professions increasingly provides evidence of the human health benefits derived from human-animal interactions and relationships. During the past 50 years, the use of therapy animals in health care has increased and in clinical practice is heralded as a lifeline for those who are especially vulnerable. Health practitioners such as speech and language therapists, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers and nurses are incorporating Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) in a variety of settings including hospital critical care units, psychiatric institutions, long-term care facilities, hospice facilities, youth and adult correctional facilities, and private practice. At the same time, there are several disconnects between those conducting AAI and the health services sector. The proposed study will investigate current practice of AAI within the domain of five health professions in the province of No! va Scotia from the perspective of practitioners who do conduct AAI. The proposed research will address gaps in the research literature through 1) exploring how health practitioners who provide AAI in NS are networked within the larger provincial health services landscape, 2) how they coordinate services with other practitioners in the health services community, and how clients find/get connected to AAI services and programs, and 3) how/where health practitioners acquire the additional education and training regarding AAI. This study proposes to develop a conceptual framework for best practices of AAI within the context of NS and take curricular change initiatives based on the findings. This research is funded by the Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation.

This position entails working with the Principal Investigator and the research team to
• assist team members and Project Coordinator with various project related tasks
• assist Project Coordinator with content development for project website
• recruit participants
• conduct literature search using primary and online sources
• assist with development & piloting interview/focus group guides
• conduct some interviews & assist with focus groups
• assist with qualitative data analysis (this research will use constructivist grounded theory)
• edit transcriptions against recordings
• data collection and management and analysis
• assist with writing reports and articles

Qualifications and Experience:
• Master’s degree, or degree in progress, in relevant field (social or health sciences, health administration, applied health services research)
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to undertake qualitative data collection and analysis
• Excellent written and oral skills, strong communication and presentation skills
• Experience with collaborative research
• familiarity with software for organizing data (NVivo)
• Ability to work independently as well as within a collaborative, interprofessional team environment
• Preference will be given to those with an interest in the subject matter

Part time: 15 hours / week; hours may fluctuate based on the pace of the research
Term: Approx 3 years    
Rate: $13, 017.60/yr with benefits calculated at 13%; a 3% salary increase in years 2 and 3. The pay rate is $16/hour
Start Date: Immediately. To apply, send your cover letter, resume and the names of three references by email to: Dr. Cassandra Hanrahan, School of Social Work, at cassandra.hanrahan@dal.ca

Application deadline: open until position is filled.