From the Editor
Although I am an occupational therapist and an ergonomist, I have not spent much time working with clients at their end-of-life. Palliative and hospice care is not my area of expertise nor has it been a topic of discussion with my colleagues, family or friends. We have published a few articles in WORK over the years, but they have been few in number. Nonetheless, in July of this year when my mom became gravely ill after a fall where she broke her hip, sustained a significant stroke, and passed a week later, I understood how important it was for me, both personally and professionally, to gain a better understanding of this important stage of life and the workers who care for people during their end-of-life. I hold so much respect and admiration for people working in palliative and hospice care and extend my general thanks for your dedication to compassionate care. It is with these thoughts that I dedicate this issue of WORK to my mom, Ruth Filler Jacobs, who was an avid supporter of WORK since its beginning in 1990 and the “wind beneath my wings”.
This issue of WORK contains 24 articles on a variety of topics which I am sure readers will find of interest. Topics include: musculoskeletal disorders and mental health status in the office environment, toxic stress among workers in a ceramic manufacturing industry, insights into workplace return-to-work coordinator training, using drawings to convey health and safety messages among immigrant workers, burnout, gender transition in the workplace, shift work and insomnia and cardiovascular risk factors in bus drivers, among many other subjects.
As discussed in previous issues of WORK, Learn at WORK, is a complimentary webinar series where each webinar provides a presentation by and conversation with authors whose evidence-based research article was published in WORK. The easy to access platform makes the webinars available globally. Here are the other upcoming Learn at WORK webinars:
• October 17, 2016; 1-2 pm EST – Dr. Julie Keysor and Dr. Rawan Alheresh will discuss, The Work-It Study for People with Arthritis: Study Protocol and Baseline Sample Characteristics
• December 8, 2016; 1-2 pm EST – Dr. Tom Albin will discuss, Computer Ergonomics: State of the Art
You can learn more about Learn at WORK at: http://www.iospress.nl/journal/work/ Follow us on Twitter@WORK_Journal and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WORKJournal2016/?fref=ts
As always, I welcome hearing from you.
All my best,
Karen
Founding Editor, WORK
Occupational therapist & ergonomist
