There Were Many Philosophers Throughout The Enlightenment Period. Some

There were many philosophers throughout the Enlightenment period. Some of these great thinkers shared similar views on related ideas, others differed completely. I personally agreed most with John Locke's philosophies. Locke was born in 1632 and died in 1704. His works concerned human nature, how the structure of a society should be set up, and other issues to that effect. Locke's philosophies and books are all applicable to our society today and some of our country's political foundations are based on his notable philosophies. I agree with his reasoning on why an absolute monarchy is no form of a civil government. I believe that the people who make the decisions for their country are their country and that ?the people' should have equal power and all be on the same level socially and politically. Like Locke, I believe that a superior to judge between right and wrong and to punish those who do wrong is absolutely necessary, yet the power should be in the hands of the people and not a monarch. Before the enlightenment, both secular and religious worlds were in a power struggle and became extremely corrupt, proving that ?absolute power corrupts absolutely'. Locke stated "...and have a common established law and judicature to appeal to, with authority to decide controversies between them and punish offenders" (Civil Society). I have no doubt that to have structure and a judicial system in a society is essential and without it there would be complete and utter chaos. I also agree with Locke on the subject of why a civil society is better and more productive then living in the state of nature. Locke's "state of nature" was a state of liberty, and all people were considered equal, but there was no authority to enforce the law which I believe to be greatly problematic. Without laws or government, a state or country is bound to be inextricable and completely disorganized which are not good conditions. With such disagreeable circumstances the people are bound to fight with one another and act bestial causing the overall conditions of the state to worsen even more. Locke philosophized that a civil state should be formed for three significant reasons; an established law was needed, authority to judge right from wrong according to the established law, and a power to"back and support the sentence when right and give it due execution" (Why Form a Civil Society). I find these three reasons to be substantive in our society today and without those factors our society would be in a disordered situation where nothing functions correctly and all people are corrupt.

Commitments Essay essays

Commitments Essay essays Fame and success in the entertainment business will reveal the worst in some people. Conceit is one of the main attributes of these few. In the film version of Roddy Doyles The Commitments by Alan Parker, the egotistical attitude of the band members is a direct result of the vast amounts of praise showered upon them by an adoring public, that in turn gives the members the feeling of supremacy. There are various examples in the film, as well as in Hollywood. Although all members of the band displayed some degree of self-absorption, several severe egotistical attributes are shown in the behaviour of; Deco Cuffe the lead singer; Dean the sax player, as well as the film star, Jim Carey. Deco Cuffe, the leader singer, acts condescendingly to his band members and his thoughts of superiority are quite evident in the way he speaks throughout the movie. In the beginning of the film when the manager of the Band, Jimmy Rabbite, asks him to sing for the band, he is timid at first, and then agrees. As the band practices more, and everyone applauds Decos talents, he seemingly becomes more self-involved. He has a mind set that he is irreplaceable. At their last performance Deco announces that he has an offer to sing for another band with a record deal. When the band members react in a cynical way to the news, he defends himself by saying. I have my career to think of. This statement implies he is saying that he is better than the group, therefore deserves the finest. He seems to think that he is a superstar. He demands that when he comes off stage he wants a proper towel not a tea towel, and bottle of mineral water. He also makes the comment, Wilson Pickett and Deco Cuffe, t ogether at last Making an inference that he is as great as Wilson Pickett, a renowned soul singer, that finally the two greatest singers will be united. Deco Cuffe is the ultimate example of ego...

Children Face Asthma Risk If Mothers Exposed to Pollutants Essay

Children Face Asthma Risk If Mothers Exposed to Pollutants - Essay Example The article is based on research from Denmark which states that children exposed to chlorinated chemicals before their mothers gave birth to them are more likely to have asthma before they are 20 years old. Five other PCB compounds apparently have a weak relationship with asthma. The article describes how these pollutants are usually found in fish and other marine species and in pesticides. The author also points out that some PCBs were widely used in the 1960s and 1970s but now are banned. They have a tendency to linger in human cells, however, and this means that babies can be affected through their mothers. They can suffer wheezing and asthma because of these chemicals.After reading this article I realized that environmental pollution can have very long term effects. If people are using harmful products today, then it is possible that they will also harm the children of the future. This is an invisible danger which is hidden within the world around us and inside human bodies. What we need to do is read more articles about the environment and spread this kind of information across the world. If we ignore this problem, then our children and our children’s children will suffer in the future. It is our responsibility to think about the results of our actions. It is also our responsibility to take action when evidence like this is found. It is the time that we banned more of these products in order to protect the environment and the future of all the species on the planet.

The History of Tattoos in the USA Research Paper

The History of Tattoos in the USA - Research Paper Example â€Å"In the Jesuit Relations of 1663, it was reported that an Iroquois chief known to the French as "Nero" bore on this thighs 60 tattooed characters, each of which symbolized an enemy killed with his own hand†. Captain James Cook made a voyage to Tahitia in 1769 where he noticed that the local people were skilled in making their skins. The indigenous people printed symbols on their bodies and tattooing was established as a field of art. The American sailors in the early nineteenth century played a fundamental role in the evolvement of tattooing in the USA. In the ancient America, tattoos were associated with the sailors that used to learn the art of tattooing from their seagoing brethren of the British origin. Sailors in the past used to have faith in the power of tattoos. Sailors would carve their skin to display patterns that they believed had the power to protect them on their sea voyages, â€Å"pay homage to sailing traditions and the fraternity of seafarers, memorializ e loved ones, and showcase mementos of significant experiences and exotic locales† (â€Å"Skin and bones†). Pricking was the term used for the log of the seamen. People began to open their shops near the ports of the ships in order to provide the sailors with access to the tattoos. The designs of tattoos were inspired by the sea-life. There were tattoos of mermaids, anchors and numerous other objects like crosses and hearts. Sailor Jerry Collins is placed amongst the pioneers of the traditional tattooing practice in the USA. He wanted to bring a revolution in the Western style. According to him, the indigenous

Intercontinental Hotels Group plc Finance report Assignment

Intercontinental Hotels Group plc Finance report - Assignment Example Increase in cost of sales has made no large effect on the gross profit in 2013 because the turnover has increased with a greater proportion than the cost of sales. The revenue in 2013 has increased by 3.79% while the increase in cost of sales is just as low as 0.13%. This has caused the gross profit of the company to increase by 6.62% in 2013. Other operating income of $57 million in 2012 has disappeared in 2013 causing an expense of $3 million in 2013, and the administrative expenses have decreased from $381 million in 2012 to $379 million in 2013. This has contributed towards the favourable effect on the operating profit in 2013. The finance cost of the company has decreased from $64 million in 2012 to $57 million in 2013. This is due to the decreased proportion of noncurrent liability causing a decrease in the interest liability of the company. However, the finance income has increased from $2 million in 2012 to $3 million in 2013. This is probably due to the increase in long term investments in noncurrent assets. (Kline, 2007) The current ratio measures ability of a company to pay its debts over the next 12 months or over its business cycle by comparing company’s current assets to its current liabilities. The current ratio of IHG has increased from 0.672 times in 2011 to 0.846 times in 2012. Higher the current ratio, the higher is the ability of the company to pay off its obligations. An increase in current ratio of IHG indicates more efficiency compared to previous period and safe liquidity. This ratio tells about how efficient is the company’s operating cycle and its capability to convert its products into cash. Quick ratio is also known as the acid test ratio. It takes into account the ability of a company to pay its short term debts. It is a more reliable test of short term solvency than current ratio as it shows the ability of any company to pay its short term debts immediately. Quick assets

Marketing Essays Red Bull

Marketing Essays Red Bull Table of Contents Introduction Red Bull and Marketing Theory Introduction Market Entry Market Strategy Marketing Communications Company Analysis Analytical Methods Company Sales and Diversification Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Conclusions Future of Red Bull and Recommendations References Introduction Red Bull has created a strong brand image, using colourful icon with two bulls in opposition and a memorable tag line; ‘Red Bull gives you wings’. Through creative marketing and sponsorship it has linked itself with extreme sports, innovative music and art, all aimed squarely at the youth market (Dahlen, Lange and Smith, 2010). This brief examines brand development, which strategies have helped it to success and where the brand goes from here as it faces the prospect of losing its cutting-edge image while continuing largely with only one product. Red Bull is a European success story. The product was launched in 1987 in Austria. It faced opposition from the Food and Drink Administration (FDA), who refused to clear it for distribution but despite this it became an underground success through clubbers and snowboarders. This anti-establishment stance found synergy with consumers, even after it was cleared for sale. It quickly spread into neighbouring countries and into the US market (Franzen and Moriarty, 2009). Dahlen, Lange and Smith (2010) note that by 2004, it had gained 40% share of its market sector and 70% in Europe. However, the brand still faced problems; it was banned in Denmark and France following unsubstantiated rumours that people had died from drinking the product in Sweden and Ireland (Mail Online, 2001). The European market was stagnating, and it faced distribution problems from companies supporting their own-brand products. The ever-present competition from Pepsi and Coca-Cola limited the scope for expansion. With these pressures, the company developed a marketing strategy that avoided mainstream advertising, instead focusing on grass-roots promotion. The product was sold in trendy nightclubs and bars, and the credibility of those held in high regard by the young target audience, such as DJs (Boswijk, Thijssen and Peelen, 2007). Brand education was provided by high-profile visits to places where the company felt people ‘might need a lift’. Examples include offices, building sites and garages. Self-styled Red Bull distributors exploited their local knowledge to help sell the brand and its products. It terms of higher profile marketing, Red Bull has primarily focused on maintaining its links with extreme sports. It sponsors two Formula One teams (Red Bull and Toro Rosso), as well as snowboarding, kite-boarding, surfing and aircraft racing. All of these underline its commitment to its youthful, energetic target audience. The next part of the brief examines how its marketing strategy fits into contemporary marketing theory. Red Bull and Marketing Theory Introduction Red Bull is essentially a one-product brand, offered at a premium price in its market sector. Having started in Austria, it quickly spread to other markets including the USA and has become the market leader in its sector. It uses a novel approach to marketing, which is discussed later in this section. In terms of the traditional 4Ps of marketing, therefore, the company is easy to categorise. However, the 4P method has received criticism as being somewhat limited (Lee, 2001), and therefore the company is examined from a number of perspectives in this section, starting with market entry. Market Entry Any new company has to determine how they intend to enter a new market. This will be predicated by a number of factors such as the available resources, the sales objectives, product offered and existing competition (Fifield, 1998). In the case of Red Bull, the launch of the new product established a new category of product; that of energy drinks. Derived from a concept found by Dietrich Mateschitz in the Far East, the formula developed included large amounts of caffeine, sugars (glucose and sucrose) and taurine (Red Bull, 2014). Taurine is a ‘conditional amino acid’, which means it cannot be created by the body but needs to be provided in the diet. It is found in meat and fish (WebMD, 2014). It is used medically in the treatment of congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, among other conditions, and it is present in infant formulas. Taken together with the other ingredients, Red Bull claims that it provides an energy boost (Red Bull, 2014). Since no similar type of product existed on the market, there was no direct competitor. As an innovator, the company had to educate its target audience on the product’s benefits. If a mass market entry approach is used, this can be extremely expensive (Hill and Jones, 2012), since customers have to be convinced that the new product is safe, has unique benefits and is socially acceptable. Rather than attempting to do this on a large scale, Red Bull adopted a novel method based on introducing the product at a grass roots level. It is promoted as a trendy drink at events where its main target audience gathers; nightclubs, extreme sports events and even parties. In the latter, it encourages students to set up Red Bull parties and provides them with free cans to distribute to their friends. The company also uses cars in the corporate colour scheme – together with a gigantic can – which give out promotional samples (Onkvisit and Shaw, 2009). Initially, distribution is set up using small distributors. In some cases, the company has hired warehouses and set up young people to aggressively sell the product (Pride and O’Ferrell, 2006). As far as can be determined from the available literature, this approach is likely to continue to be used in addressing new markets in future. Market Strategy Its chosen strategy has led to strong word-of-mouth sales in new markets, and this provides a springboard for further success in those markets. As it grows, it invests further in creating events such as the Flugtag, in which competitors attempt to fly from a pier using homemade, unpowered aircraft – most of which are incapable of flight, and soapbox racing (Red Bull, 2014a). This draws both competitors and audiences. Most of the events the company sponsors are more professional in nature and cover an increasing range of activities, from spectacular air racing using stunt planes, to cliff diving, wingsuit racing, motorsports and adventures. The company has even moved into computer gaming and e-sports. The features that are common to all of these activities are their attraction to their target audience and their physical and mental requirements. Having identified this approach, the company appears to be keen to continue to exploit it. When considering the market positioning of the Red Bull energy drink, it almost appears that it has arisen organically from the properties of the product; it supports physical and mental exertion and therefore the market position supports this. However, this belies is underpinned by clever physical and psychological positioning. The physical positioning refers to the product’s unique characteristics (it provides energy from its unique formula) and the psychological positioning derives from its brand image as being youthful and energetic, and socially desirable to its twenty-something core audience (Lantos, 2011). From its original product offering (one product), the company has added a little to its portfolio through the introduction of Red Bull sugar-free, Red Bull zero-calories, Red Bull editions (in flavours of cranberry, lime and blueberry) and Red Bull cola. The cola is promoted as being the only cola drink made from 100% natural ingredients and makes the case that, unlike other brands that might be mentioned, it has no secret formula. The company follows the same basic branding approach for these additional products, presumably on the grounds that they will appeal to subsets of their existing target audience. Marketing Communications However impressive a brand is, it has no value unless it can communicate its unique characteristics to the consumer. On this basis, Red Bull has a highly effective marketing communications approach, it is currently recognised as the 74th most valuable brand in the world, with a value of $7.5 billion USD (Forbes, 2014). From grass roots marketing, these days the brand is more recognised through its sponsorship initiatives. This is backed up with a strong online presence that strongly reflects the brand image and provides a form of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). The company sees modern communications media as being critical to their success (Kotler and Keller, 2012). The reason Red Bull has achieved such success has been that it has successfully aligned its brand identity with that of its target audience in a way not achieved by its competitors (Urbany and Davis, 2010). Even when it uses traditional marketing media such as TV, it does so in a quirky ways that does not take itself too seriously. In doing so it maintains the image that appeals to its customers. It is this consistancy of message that is so important to IMC. Whatever channel is used to get the message across, it must be the same as those used on alternative channels. Digital media provides an increasingly important method of communicating with consumers, and Red Bull has identified this. As well as having a strong website that focuses on the sponsorship activities it is involved with, it also provides links to social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and You Tube. These sites provide consumers with a means of communicating with the company and with like-minded individuals across the world. This fosters a club-like experience that enhances the company’s alignment with its customers. The use of social media to build on relationship marketing is now well recognised, and Red Bull has been in the forefront of exploiting this (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2011). The company has also been active in the field of mobile marketing, launching its own app to allow subscribers to keep in touch with the company when on the move. Overall, Red Bull is one of the most effective marketing communications companies in the world, and it does so by offering interesting content to its customers. The actual advertising of the products forms a small part of this. However, the brand is intimately linked with its products and thus the message gets across clearly. The continually changing content prompts users to visit its sites frequently, and in doing so keeps the brand close to the user’s attention. Few companies have been so successful in doing so. The next section looks at the current state of the company in the market. Company Analysis Analytical Methods There are a variety of methods available for the analysis of a company. These include analyses on the external environment in which the company operates, such as PESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technical, Legal and Environment), and those that examine the internal context such as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) (Allen, 2001; Murray-Webster, 2010). Other techniques include VRIO (Value, Rarity, Imitability and Organisation), used to determine the level of competitive advantage a company has and how long it is likely to be retained (Peng, 2011). In this case, a PESTLE analysis would provide results indicative of the energy drinks market rather than being specific to Red Bull. A VRIO analysis lacks the depth of SWOT analysis in terms of a general assessment of the internal and external situation, and therefore a SWOT analysis was chosen for analysis of the company. This is shown later in the next section. Company Sales and Diversification Apart from its energy drinks, the company has diversified into other businesses that have synergy with its brand image. These include football clubs, youth academies, online clothing sales and even a construction company. It has moved into media ownership, with print magazines and the mobile phone service industry. Red Bull is privately owned and therefore does not need to report its performance publicly. However, it reported net sales of 4.9 billion Euros in 2012, with 5.2 billion cans of its primary product sold. This represented considerable growth on the previous year (15.9% on sales; 12.8% on number of cans). The company showed very strong net sales growth in South Africa (52%), Japan (51%), Saudi Arabia (38%) and strong continued growth in France (21%), the US (17%) and Germany (14%) (Euromonitor, 2012). The company attributed this to ongoing brand investment and efficient cost management (Euromonitor, 2012). Strengths The main strength of Red Bull is its brand, which is very valuable and has allowed it to grow a strong set of customers. It is synonymous with its energy drink, which is a positive factor (Park et al, 2013). The company has successfully developed new markets internationally using the same brand image. It can therefore be considered as a global company. This is important in that many of its current markets are at or near market saturation. Its use of social media to help to build its brand by relationship marketing is also a strength (Segrave, Carson and Merhout, 2011). Weaknesses The main weakness of the brand is its limited product portfolio. It primary relies on its single main product. This product is at risk of political or legal controls owing to the high levels of caffeine used, or it could just lose its appeal to the market (Aaker and McLoughlin, 2010). This could adversely affect the ability of the company to maintain its position in various markets. Opportunities The company has been effective in developing emerging markets, and if this continues it could largely offset poorer sales developments in the mature markets. Its global marketing message appears to be universally appealing to its target audience, despite cultural differences. It has also invested in new production facilities in Brazil to support domestic sales in the South American continent management (Euromonitor, 2012). This model could easily be extended to local production in Asia and other developing markets. This would both reduce cost of sales and provide a greater sense of community belonging. Threats A range of similar drinks have emerged following its success, increasing the level of competition within its market sector. Some of these competitors use natural ingredients, which may be seen as more desirable to its target audience. This includes the Monster product, which is pressuring sales particularly in North America management (Euromonitor, 2012). The company also faces competition from entrenched market leaders in the wider drinks market such as Coca Cola and Pepsi. These companies work continuously to reduce the threat level posed to themselves from Red Bull. With their huge marketing budgets and ability to develop new products, this could eventually prove decisive and reduce the success of Red Bull. The company also faces the law of diminishing returns in marketing in its mature market, in that the cost to reach the relatively small number of potential customers remaining in these markets becomes prohibitively high (Mike, 2004). The company invests considerable resources in its relationship marketing, and this ongoing cost may also become more onerous, should sales in its target market fall for any reason. Therefore the company faces the potential of having high marketing costs leading to smaller sales despite its dominant position in many markets. Conclusions Red Bull has demonstrated a novel approach to marketing and has introduced a new product to the market that has spawned an entire new category of product. Through its actions, the company has become very successful and has become the market leader in its sector. Its use of a marketing message that is light on selling the product but heavy on building the brand image and associating it with extreme sports and other activities of interest to its target audience has possibly shown the future direction of much marketing effort. The current position of Red Bull remains strong in its market sector. However, as it is now the leading brand in many markets, it will find it difficult to maintain its position due to increased competition from other brands that have seen the opportunities offered by the sector. The growing age of its original target audience may also prove a factor; the company has deliberately addressed a youthful market and as these original customers grow older, it remains to be seen whether the product will continue to appeal to newer generations. However, the company can n develop new markets, and it can potentially reduce costs by focusing on domestic production. These new markets may allow the development of complimentary new products. . It is possible that these could then be sold in its mature markets, widening its product portfolio. Whether the company remains successful will depend on a number of factors. Primarily, there is a question of whether the brand can continue to be trendy now that it is well established in the market. It faces increasing competition in its sector, and this will affect sales unless the company can successfully fend it off. However, it can still expand into new markets and streamline its production facilities to allow the business to continue to grow. Future of Red Bull and Recommendations In order to protect its position and continue to grow, the company should embrace the opportunities offered in emerging markets. It should also work to streamline its distribution to reduce costs. This could be through domestic production or through setting up alliances with existing distributors in those regions. The competition to Red Bull is only likely to increase as more manufacturers seek to exploit its market sector. Emerging products may replace the Red Bull brand image of being cutting edge and anti-establishment; one company cannot keep this mantle forever. The company should therefore consider adapting its message to existing consumers as they mature. The company is well placed to make this transition. However, it cannot simply rely on existing customers, but must appeal to new consumer groups. This could be assisted by the launching of additional products aimed at different demographics. Red Bull is used as a mixer for spirits such as vodka. This offers an additional opportunity to target the more mature audience by launching pre-mixed alcoholic drinks. Red Bull has shown itself adept at social media. The company should develop this as far as possible, embracing new technologies as they arise. This is vital for it to maintain its relationship marketing and also allow the brand to continue to spread through word-of-mouth and sharing of information online. Since the company has so much news to share from the events and teams it sponsors, it has a readymade store of information. This could prove to be important in maintaining brand loyalty in the future. References Aaker, D. A. McLoughlin, D. (2010), Strategic Market Management: Global Perspectives, UK: John Wiley Sons Allen, M. (2001), Analysing the Organisational Environment, UK: Select Knowledge Boswijk, A., Thijssen, T. Peelen, E. (2007), The Experience Economy: A New Perspective, Netherlands: Pearson Education Benelux Dahlen, M., Lange, F. Smith, T. (2010), Marketing Communications: A Brand Narrative Approach, UK: John Wiley Sons Euromonitor (2012), Red Bull GMBH in Soft Drinks (World), available from http://www.euromonitor.com/medialibrary/PDF/RedBull-Company-Profile-SWOT-Analysis.pdf , accessed 4th November 2014 Fifield, P. (1998), Marketing Strategy, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann Forbes, Red Bull, available from http://www.forbes.com/companies/red-bull/, accessed 6 th November 2014 Franzen, G. Moriarty, S. (2009), The Science and Art of Branding, USA: M. E. Sharpe Inc. Hill, C. Jones, G. (2012), Essentials of Strategic Management, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning Kotler, P. Keller, K. (2012), Marketing Management 14th Edition, USA: Pearson Education Lamb, C., Hair, J. McDaniel, C. (2011), Essentials of Marketing 11th Edition, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning Lantos, G. P. (2011), Consumer Behaviour in Action, USA: M. E. Sharpe Inc. Lee, O. (2001), Internet Marketing Research: Theory and Practice, USA: Idea Group Publishing Mail Online (2001), Three Deaths linked to energy drink, available from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-59862/Three-deaths-linked-energy-drink.html , accessed 6th November 2014 Mike, S. (2004), Marketing and Sales, India: Lotus Press Murray-Webster, R. (2010), Management of risk: guidance for practitioners, UK: The Stationery Office Onkvisit, S. Shaw, J. (2009), International Marketing: Strategy and Theory 5th Edition, UK: Routledge Park, C. W., Eisingerich, A. B., Pol,G. Park, J. W. (2013), The role of brand image in firm performance, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 66, 180-187 Peng, M. W. 92011), Global Business, USA: South-Western Cengage Learning Pride, W. O’Ferrell, O. C. (2006), Marketing, USA: Houghton Mifflin Red Bull (2014), Red Bull Energy Drink Ingredients, available from http://energydrink.redbull.com/ingredients-red-bull, accessed 3rd November 2014 Red Bull (2014a), Events, available from http://www.redbull.com/en/discover/events, accessed 4th November 2014 Segrave, J., Carson, C. Merhout, J. W. (2011), Online Social Networks: An Online Brand Community Framework (2011). AMCIS 2011 Proceedings All Submissions. Paper 249. http://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2011_submissions/249 Urbany, J. E. Davis, J. H. (2010), Grow by Focusing of What Matters: Competitive Strategy in 3 Circles, USA: Business Experts Press

The Effect of Illiteracy

EFFECTS OF ILLITERACY ON SOCIETY illiteracy is one of the major problems facing society and the educational system. Recent studies show that there is an increasing rate of illiteracy all over the world. A study conducted by Recent studies show that there is an increasing rate of illiteracy all over the world. A study conducted by WSI (World Statistics Institute) shows that over 27% of people are illiterate globally. Another study by the same institute shows that the speed at which the illiteracy rate ascends is 32% [32% of what? . These rates are quite important, as illiteracy has terrible effects on society. The most important effect of illiteracy on society is that it works as an inhibitor. That is to say, the more illiterate people there are in a country, the harder it will be for the country to develop. This fact could be clarified with an example: America (whose illiteracy rate is below 5%) and Canada (illiteracy rate: around 8%) are developed countries, whereas countries like T urkey and Iran (illiteracy rates: 61% and 43% in order [respectively]) are undeveloped countries. Illiteracy has got a kind of   â€Å"genetic† effect.The children of illiterate people are more likely to be illiterate than those who aren't [aren't what? – rewrite this sentence to make it clear]. Even if the parents don't want their children to be illiterate, their children, observing the parents, see that they somehow manage to live and adopt the idea that illiteracy isn't actually a bad thing [not very clearly expressed – try a rewrite]. And since people develop most of their character during childhood, they choose to go with illiteracy. Another major effect of illiteracy is that illiterate people believe in the said things easily.They do not investigate what was said or told to them. When looked [looking] at the pages of history, it can be seen that while most uneducated people are [were] slaves, guardians and assistants; people who are [were] educated are [ were] mostly kings, queens and sultans. They [Who? ] are not slaves because they wanted, but because people superior to them – in terms of education – made them so. All these significant results of illiteracy affect society in a bad way. So, illiteracy rates must be tried to cut down. Try and imagine our society without a common language. This could be quite a hard idea to fathom. Allow me to assist you.If this hypothetical idea were in fact true, a typical conversation between two individuals would be as follows: one of the two would begin the conversation by making noises representing their language, the other person would not understand these noises and respond with unrecognizable noises to the first individual. As you can well imagine, this would get quite frustrating. Rita Mae Brown describes literacy as, â€Å"a social contract, an agreed upon representation of certain symbols† (420). If the symbol's (letters) meanings are not agreed upon by those attempti ng to communicate, then interpreting one another becomes difficult.Simply stated, literacy is very important. Society has proven time and time again, it will reward those individuals who are competent and impede those who are not, whether expressed in terms of employment opportunities (job success) or just on a social level. One need look no further than their everyday activities in order to realize how important literary skills are. Without adequate literary skills one may not be able to identify on a label the correct amount of medicine to give a child, or read and interpret a sign giving instructions on what to do in case of a fire.These two examples bring perspective to literacy's importance. Nevertheless, recent surveys have indicated that, â€Å"4. 5 million Canadians, representing 24 percent of the eighteen-and-over group, can be considered illiterate† (â€Å"Adult Illiteracy† 5). Illiteracy is truly a problem within Canada. Although many groups are working to r ender the problem of illiteracy, much work still lies ahead. As our society moves on into the next century literacy is proving vital to economic performance. Without basic literary skills in one's possession they will become lost in our rapidly changing society.The modern worker must be able to adapt to the changing job-scene. This often means gathering new skills and knowledge from printed material, whether instruction manuals, computer programs, or classroom training (text books). It is quite commonly the case that highly skilled jobs require a high level of literacy. Therefore, literary skill level is an important factor in predicting an individual's economic success. It will affect an individual's income, their employment stability and whether they even receive employment opportunities. Presently, our world revolves around literacy.Simply being literate allows one to continuously upgrade one's literary skills to a higher level. It allows one to stay informed of happenings in and around the world through mediums such as newspapers and magazines. Knowing current news about what is going on in this ever changing world of ours is the key to staying ahead. Another thought to ponder is this, we rely on those with high literacy levels to record and document findings and happenings for future generations to reflect on. These writings would most likely be dull and inaccurate or would not exist at all without our current levels of literacy.When viewed from a social standpoint, literacy remains just as important as when viewed from the economic standpoint. Linda Macleod of the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice, points out that, â€Å"65 percent of people entering Canadian prisons for the first time have trouble reading and writing, low literacy is part of a constellation of problems that can limit choices in life and thus lead people to criminal activity† (20). Somebody in possession of a high level of literacy will most likely be well informed and tend to make wiser decisions.By obtaining this level of literacy they have also gathered a large vocabulary giving them many words to choose from to express their ideas and feelings. Conversely, many would agree that a conversation with one who has a good grasp of the English language is always more delightful than with one who is less educated. Literacy can act as a window, opening one's view to the world. Presently, we are being bombarded with information, news, trivia and gossip (not that this is always a positive feature in our lives). Without sufficient literary skills one cannot even absorb any of this information.These people will miss out on many of life's benefits, socially as well as economically. Without sufficient literary skills one would have a tremendously difficult time functioning in our current world. Think about your average day, consider how many times you refer to your literary skills to aid you, could you function without those skills? Finding an address, r eading a map, reading a menu, performing a bank transaction, these are just a few common tasks that require your literary skills. Also, when looking at the importance of literacy to our nation, its value is evident. High levels of iteracy throughout all sectors of Canada's workforce are necessary, â€Å"low literacy levels of workers' affect Canada's ability to perform in the increasingly competitive international marketplace† (â€Å"Literacy† 7). Literary skills become building blocks. First creating a well-educated society, then a highly skilled labour force which can compete and adapt to the changing market. These factors lead to an increase in economic growth within the nation which in turn, results in a higher standard of living for its people. As our society moves forward into the future, a higher level of literacy will become more important to one's level of success.Where would our society be without our ability to exchange knowledge and information? How many ti mes have you made a purchase that read on the outside – instructions inside? You and I think nothing of this, and in a sense take our gift for granted. For many, deciphering written instructions is a near impossible task, asking for assistance does little more than to further lower their self esteem. Literacy is important. To truly seize the benefits possible in one's life it has to be accepted that literacy is the key. Society will continue to reward skilled individuals and disadvantage those who are not.

Care Delivery & Management Essay

The purpose of this assignment is to reflect upon my personal and professional development. It will consider the quality of the care I provided, the skills I developed in my specialist placement, plus my learning since the commencement of my nurse training. Personal learning and self-reflection will be identified. I shall be using Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle to consider my practice. Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle looks at six aspects which include the following; what happened, what were my thoughts and feelings, what was good or bad about the experience, what sense can I make out of the situation, what else could I have done and if it arose again what would I do? Findings will be supported or contrasted by relevant literature. A conclusion will be offered to evaluate findings. I shall also include an action plan, which will address future professional and personal development needs and any factors that may help or hinder this. I will also consider why I have selected these issues fo r my action plan, what my goals are and how I aim to achieve them. At the beginning of my nurse training we were asked to write on a piece of piece what our definition of nursing was. I wrote ‘It’s about being human’. At the time these words were based on my gut feeling and personal belief. Now, two and a half years later, I would write the same thing, but this time my definition would be based on the skills, knowledge and experiences I feel privileged and grateful to have had during my training and not just on gut feeling and personal belief. How does this knowledge impact on me in terms of practice? I can now put my definition of nursing into a framework and relate the theory of it to practice, for example I can identify when I am actively undertaking anxiety management with a patient. This is quite an achievement for me. What else have I learnt? I have gained knowledge of illnesses and understand how bio-psycho-social aspects of mental illness impact on the individual, their family and their life. I have also developed a good basic knowledge of practical skills such as: counselling, anxiety management, assessment, nursing and communication models, problem-solving and psychotherapy. This knowledge and development of practical skills has enabled my self confidence and self esteem to grow. What things have had the most influence on my personal and professional learning? These things are what ‘It’s about being human’ means to me as a nurse. They include a humanistic care philosophy. Evidence suggests that patients have found the humanistic care philosophy to be positive and helpful to their well-being (Beech, Norman 1995.) Humanistic care believes in; developing trust, the nurse-patient relationship, using the self as a therapeutic tool, spending time to ‘be with’ and ‘do with’ the patient (Hanson 2000,) patient empowerment, the patient as an equal partners in their care (Department Of Health 1999,) respect for the patient’s uniqueness, recognition of the patient as an expert on themselves (Nelson-Jones 1982, Playle 1995, Horsfall 1997). Equally important to me is person-centred care, Roger’s (1961) unconditional positive regard, warmth, genuineness and empathy, recognition of counter-transference, self-reflect ion and self-awareness. I was on placement with Liaison Psychiatry also known as Deliberate Self Harm. The team consisted of my mentor and myself. In this placement we would assess patients who had deliberately self harmed. Patients would be referred via A&E only. We would see patients whilst they were still in A&E or after they had been transferred to hospital wards for medical treatment for their injuries etc. We would only see patients once they were medically fit to have a psychiatric assessment. The purpose of the assessment was to find out what was happening for the individual and see if we could offer any help via mental health services to the individual, this is done via implementing ‘APIE’ the nursing process (Hargreaves 1975). The main focus was to consider what degree of risk we felt the patient was in. Therefore we needed to establish what the individuals intent was at the time of the deliberate self harm, and if suicidal, whether they still had suicidal intent after the incident. We also held a weekly counselling clinic. I considered Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle. How did I feel about this placement? At first I was apprehensive as to how I would feel dealing with patients who do not necessarily want to live. I belong to a profession that saves lives, so I felt an inner conflict. This is an anxiety that is recognised in most nurses (Whitworth 1984). In my first few weeks I felt distressed by the traumatic events that these patients were experiencing. I felt guilty that I have a family who love me, a fulfilling career, a lovely home and no debts, then each day I talk to people who may have no home, no money, no one to love them and no employment. It was hard for me to make sense of these things when life circumstances, such as class, status, wealth, education and employment create unfairness. I felt a desire to help try and improve the quality of these patients’ situations. Midence (1996) has identified that these feelings are a normal response when dealing with others less fortunate that oursel ves. Patients’ who attempt suicide have lost hope (Beck 1986). I felt more settled and positive once I was able to make sense of the situation (Gibbs 1988). I realised that could help by listening to these patient’s and help to restore hope, develop problem solving ideas to tackle some of their problems or referring them to gain the emotional help and support they needed from appropriate mental health services. Patients find help with problem solving extremely valuable and can help them feel able to cope (McLaughlin 1999). Generally, after most assessments, I learnt that listening, giving emotional support and problem solving helped restore enough hope in the previously suicidal patient enable them to feel safe from future self harm. In only a handful of cases did my mentor and I need to admit patients to any inpatient facility under the Mental Health Act (1983). This was because they still felt at risk of future self-harm. Through using Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle to consider my special placement area I feel I have been able to change my nursing practice in a positive way, initially from feeling anxious, guilty and helpless when dealing with suicidal patients to feeling useful, constructive and positive. I’ve learnt that by confronting my own feelings of guilt and discomfort I was able to help in a very positive, practical, constructive and empowering way. My mentor identified that one of my strengths is that I can generally combine common sense, logic and practicality in terms of risk assessment and problem solving and still build up a sensitive and caring, therapeutic relationship when dealing with patients whose circumstances are in crisis and complicated and they themselves are emotionally and mentally vulnerable. Nurses not only need good communication skills (Faulkner 1998) but they also need to have an environment conductive to open communication (Wilkinson 1992). Social barriers such as environment, structure or cultural aspects of healthcare can inhibit the application of communication skills (Chambers 2002) Utilising Gibbs (19988) Reflective Model, in retrospect; I feel our interview with some patients could have been done differently. On occasions when my mentor and I were in the A & E department the two rooms that we had available for our use were occasionally both in use. This meant that we would conduct our assessment interviews in the Plaster Room, if it was empty. This room was where medical patients would have plaster-casts applied. This was a very clinical room. However, due to limited room availability this was sometimes the only option we had at the time, it was not a welcoming or appropriate setting and would not have helped patients feel relaxed or valued. In reflection, I believe it was actually demeaning as we were asking patients who had attempted suicide to sit on a hard chair in a clinical workroom and share their despair with us. I am sad that this happened and I feel as though we were giving the patients the impression that a cold clinical work room is all they were worth. If this arose again (Gibbs 1988) I would suggest to my mentor that we wait for one of our allocated rooms to become available, where the rooms were relaxing, with soft armchairs and a feeling of comfort. Using Gibbs (1988) Reflective Model I shall describe a situation with a patient to highlight my learning. What happened (Gibbs 1988)? Neil had been bought to A&E by his son after he made an attempt to take his own life. His son explained that Neil’s wife had terminal cancer and had died the day before. Neil was unable to engage in conversation other that to repeat over and over again â€Å"I don’t want to live without my wife.† However the more disturbed and difficult to communicate a patient is the less interaction they receive therapeutic or otherwise from nursing staff (Cormack 1976, Poole, Sanson-Fisher, Thompson 1981, Robinson 1996a, 1996b). I found this too be true in Neil’s situation as some A & E nurses did not wish to approach him because of his disturbed state and unresponsiveness to verbal cues. What were my thoughts and feeling (Gibbs 1988)? After spending twenty minutes in the assessment interview Neil had remained unresponsive to our approaches and had remained distressed, distant and uncommunicative for the entire time. I had past experience of recent bereavement within my immediate family and I realised that counter-transference was at play and was a reason for my strong emotional reaction to Neil’s distress resulting in me having an overwhelming desire to ease his suffering. Even though another part of me understood the need for him to experience this extreme pain as a normal part of grieving. What was good or bad about the experience (Gibbs 1988)? This was not a good experience for me because as a compassionate person, I found it extremely hard to suppress my own feelings of wanting to protect him from such devastating distress, although I recognised that I was over-identifying with him due to my own grief. I considered that he might have been embarrassed by the emotional state he was in and his inability to control his grief; he could not speak, maintain eye contact or even physically stand. What sense could I make of the situation (Gibbs 1988)? We adjourned for a few minutes so that my mentor and I could assess the situation. I thought it might be appropriate to utilise Heron’s Six Category Intervention Analysis (1975) cathartic intervention as a therapeutic strategy to enable the patient to release emotional tension such as grief, anger, despair and anxiety by helping to (Chambers 1990). I hoped it would facilitate the opportunity for Neil to open up and express his full feelings in a safe and supportive environment. I initially planned to sit quietly with him and briefly put a reassuring hand on either his hand, arm or shoulder. My mentor supported this action. I was aware that I ran a risk of misinterpretation by choosing therapeutic touch. Therapeutic touch may be criticised because it is open to misinterpretation by the patient and abuse of power by staff. The patient may view holding another’s hand as a sexual advance, violation or abuse, so nurses should always consider patient consent, appropriateness, context and boundaries. Clause 2.4 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2002) Code Of Professional Conduct says that at all times healthcare professionals must maintain appropriate boundaries with patients and all aspects of care must be relevant to their needs. Therapeutic touch appeared acceptable given his situation and seemed appropriate to the context it would be performed in, given that my mentor would supervise me. As per Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle I considered what else I could have done especially if the situation arose again and mentor not been there. I would may have chosen to utilise Hanson’s (2000) approach of ‘being with’ whereby I use therapeutic use of self through the sharing of one’s own presence, and not involved any form of touch, avoiding any misinterpretation or breach of boundaries. I was anxious because I felt concerned that my nursing skills would be inadequate to address his needs due to his acutely distressed state. In reflection my mentor helped me acknowledge that this was about my own anxiety rather than being accurately reflective of my nursing ability. I approached Neil and explained that if it was acceptable with him I would like to sit quietly with him so that he was not alone in his distress. â€Å"It is likely that the nursing process is therapeutic when nurse and patient can come to know and to respect each other, as persons who are alike and yet different, as persons who share in the solution of problems† (Peplau 1988). I gently placed my hand onto his. Neil reacted by given the impression that he physically disintegrated, he become extremely distressed and crying loudly, squeezing my hand tightly. This continued for several minutes. Neil became calmer and started to talk about his situation. This was a good outcome. I was able to utilise Herons (1975) cathartic strategy with positive effect via empathising with Neil’s situation and using myself as a therapeutic tool through the use of touch, thus enabling Neil to express his emotions and activate a nurse-patient relationship. Studies have shown that nurses can express compassion and empathy through touch, using themselves as a therapeutic tool (Routasalo 1999, Scholes 1996) and this has a cathartic value, enabling the patient to express their feelings more easily (Leslie Baillie 1996). The therapeutic value of non-verbal communication and its harmfulness is overlooked (Salvage 1990). Attitudes are evident in the way we interact with others and can create atmospheres that make patient care uncomfortable (Hinchcliff, Norman, Schoeber 1998) On one occasion, one nurse privately referred to Neil as a â€Å"wimp† because he was having difficulty coping with the death of his wife. I wondered whether her body language had transmitted her bad attitude towards Neil, contributing to his distress and difficulties in communicating with staff. Again using Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle, I shall provide another example to highlight my learning in practice. What happened (Gibbs 1988)? Cycle On one occasion my mentor and I received a phone call from A & E asking us to review an 18-year-old girl called Emma who had taken an overdose. They said she was medically fit to be assessed. When we arrived they claimed that she was pretending to still feel unwell and described her as â€Å"milking it†. We found her to be vomiting and discovered she had been left in a bed in the corridor of A & E for 8 hours. McAllister (2001) found that patients who had self-harmed were ignored, had exceptionally long waits and suffered judgemental comments. What were my thoughts and feelings (Gibbs 1988)? I felt very angry towards A & E staff as I felt that she was being unfairly treated because she had caused harm to herself, she had been labelled as a troublemaker by staff and I do not believe she had received good quality care. Emma explained that in the last month her father had died, she had miscarried her baby, discovered that her partner was having an affair, and she had been made redundant leaving her with debts that she couldn’t pay. As I looked at her, I saw a vulnerable young woman at the end of her tether. I felt saddened and disappointed by the judgemental attitudes of the A & E staff who had not even taken the time to talk to Emma or ask her why she had taken an overdose, instead they describe her as an â€Å"immature and attention seeking kid†. As per Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle, I felt this was a very bad experience of poor care, bad attitudes and unacceptable moral judgement being made by A & E staff. Cohen (1996) and Nettleton (1995) identify that social status; age, gender, race and class contribute to stereotyping and judgemental attitudes. I noticed that people who self-harmed were judged differently dependent upon their age and the younger they were the worse the attitude of A and E staff. Interestingly ageism towards youth is an area that I could find no research on. I believe ageism towards younger people is overlooked and is really only identified in the elderly. During the assessment I was aware of how my physical presence can impact on the care given. However, I have learnt about the importance of considering how one can communicate to the patient via body language. By attending to patients in a non-verbal or physical way it is another method of saying, â€Å"I’m interested, I’m listening and I care.† To do this during Emma’s assessment I utilised Egan’s (1982) acronym S.O.L.A.R. This meant that I sat facing Emma Squarely, with an Open posture, Leaning towards her, whilst making Eye contact and Relaxing myself, to give her the feeling of my willingness to help. This client centred care recognises her equality in the nurse-patient relationship. What sense did I make of the situation (Gibbs 1988)? I was very unhappy about the attitude of A & E staff but recognised that they had a lack of understanding and knowledge. In one study looking at self-harm admissions it was discovered that patients who deliberately self-harm are often deemed as unpopular patients, being labelled and judged as time wasters by A & E staff. Apparently 55% of general nurses perceived these patients as attention seekers and disliked working with them, 64% found it frustrating, 20% found it depressing and almost a third found it uncomfortable (Sidley, Renton 1996). What else could I have done (Gibbs 1988) After reflecting upon the experience with my mentor, I was able to realise that part of my role is to act as a representative for mental health. If this happened again what would I do (Gibbs 1988)? If staff were to make judgemental comments again it is part of my role to educate and inform them so they can have a positive understanding of the needs of the mental health patient and learn to address any judgemental comments made. This is a view supported by Johnstone (1997), who says that if we are made aware of our actions when we are judging and labelling people it is our responsibility to correct this. Medical staff need to be aware of mental health promotion, and need further training and education in respects of helping to care for and understand of this vulnerable patient group (Hawton 2000). This is a view supported by the Department of Health (DOH 1999a) who have recommended closer liaison between mental health and A & E services in an effort to address the poor understanding and negative attitudes of A & E staff. I have also learnt that I must look at both sides of each situation and should show more understanding towards the A & E staff’s feelings, as they are often confronted with shocking and distressing acts of self infliction which can make them feel despair, helpless and unskilled to deal with these sort of patient. I believe nurses negative attitudes develop because we all intuitively apply own our values and views to everyday situations, people, experiences and interactions. It may be the staff member’s own coping mechanism to keep their distance from the patient or to label them as attention seeking in order to make sense of the situation for themselves. This is a view supported by Johnstone (1997). In reflection, following the assessment and planning of care for Emma my mentor and I reflected upon the care I provided for her. I recognised that I felt nervous because it was my first experience of conducting an assessment. Having my mentor there to observe me made me feel secure because I trusted my mentor and could rely on her expertise to ensure that I provided safe practice for Emma. However, I still felt anxious as I was faced with an unknown situation. This made me realise how difficult and intimidating the assessment process may have felt to Emma. I had the security of feeling safe in the relationship with my mentor. Emma didn’t know either of us. This highlighted the huge value of the nurse-patient relationship and how the importance of utilising Rogers (1961) theory of client-centred care involving unconditional positive regard, warmth, genuineness and empathy towards patients. My mentor said that I provided evidence based care and I appeared to have a good humanistic approach, sensitively providing client centred care. She joked that I was so keen to ‘get it right’ that I was practically sat on Emma’s knee in my efforts to non-verbally show to Emma that I was attentive and listening to her. I think that whilst this was a joke, I will endeavour to continue to be keen but will relax a bit more, hopefully as I gain more experience myself. I will also use the insight and understanding from these experiences to benefit my future practise and the care I provide for patients. Boyd & Fales (1983) suggest, â€Å"Reflective learning is the process of internally examining an issue of concern, triggered by an experience, which creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self, and which results in a changed conceptual perspective.† Self-reflection helps the practitioner find practice-based answers to problems that require more than the application of theory (Schon 1983). I have discovered this to be true, especially in mental health nursing where problem solving may be in the realm of religious, spiritual or cultural beliefs, emotional or intuitive feelings, ethics and moral ideals, which sometimes cannot be theorised. With one patient I couldn’t understand his unwillingness to engage in therapy even though he turned up for a weekly appointment. Once I reflected on this with my mentor I realised that I was not considering his strict religious and cultural background, which complicated his care. I realised that I had been completely ignorant of his needs and had in-fact lacked self-awareness otherwise I would have recognised these issues sooner. According to Kemmis (1995) a benefit of self-reflection is that it helps practitioners become ‘aware of their unawareness’. I have learnt that there are barriers to reflection. On occasions after seeing a patient my mentor may interpret events in a slightly different way to myself. Newell (1992) and Jones (1995) criticize the idea of reflection arguing that it is a flawed process due to inaccurate recall memory and hindsight bias. Another criticism of refection is that it aims to theorise actions in hindsight therefore devaluing the skill of responding intuitively to a patient (Richardson 1995). I considered that my thought to hold Neil’s hand may have been intuitive but because we must use evidence based practice and appropriate frameworks of care, I theorised my care and utilised Heron’s (1975) framework. I believe self-reflection helps me to become self-aware. Self-awareness is achieved when the student acknowledges there own personal characteristics, including values, attitudes, prejudices, beliefs, assumptions, feelings, counter-transferences, personal motives and needs, competencies, skills and limitations. When they become aware of these things and the impact they have on the therapeutic communication and relationship with the patient then they become self-aware (Cook 1999). I have learnt through these experiences that reflection can be a painful experience as I have recognised my own imperfections and bias. I have felt angry with general nursing staffs attitudes towards mental health patients and have now been able to realise that this emotion is unhelpful and instead I should be more tolerant and understanding and help them to understand the patients needs. It is also difficult especially if one is experiencing strong emotions such as anger, frustration and grief (Rich 1995). At times I have over-identified with my patients and personalised their situation to similar situations of my own. This is known as counter-transference and has blinded my ability to address their care needs. Counter-transference is the healthcare professionals emotional reaction to the patient, it is constantly present in every interaction and it strongly influences the therapeutic relationship, but is often not reflected upon (Slipp 2000). Counter-transference can be defined as negative as it can create disruptive feelings in the clinician, causing misguided values and bias (Pearson 2001). I have learnt that it is crucial for me to consider how my reactions to a patient’s problem can impact on the care I provide. Whilst I endeavour to always give 100% best and unbiased care to each patient, I have realised I respond more favourably to patients that I like or identify with. For example I was extremely compassionate and biased towards both Emma and Neil and I feel that my personal life experiences influenced me because I could really empathise with them both. However, I realised that I am only human and that as long as I recognise the impact of counter-transference then I can use it positively as my self awareness of the fact that the process is occurring will enable me to address and challenge my own thoughts, feelings and responses. To conclude, I have been able to highlight my learning over the last two and a half years, both personally and professionally. This has enabled me to look at the areas that I am good at and the areas that I can improve on. I have been able to look at the quality of the care I have given patients and considered what I have achieved, how I felt, how I could have done things better, what was successful and unsuccessful, what issues influenced me and what understanding I had of the experience. I have also been able to recognise my role as a representative for mental health nursing and how I can promote it to other healthcare professionals. I have also identified the value of the role of my mentor in helping me to develop as a nurse. I will use the insight and understanding from these experiences to benefit my future practice and the care I provide for patients. ACTION PLAN Word Count 1086 What are my goals? My mentor and I discussed the areas that I want to improve on. We identified that my stronger points are common sense, logical approach and practical ability in terms of things like risk assessing and problem solving. I am also competent in the building of a therapeutic relationship, utilising a humanistic care philosophy, person centre approach, empathy, genuineness, unconditional positive regard and honest. I also have a good knowledge in respect of mental health promotion, anxiety management, basic counselling skills, understanding of the fundamentals associated with nursing, assessment and communication models and the basic principles of psychotherapy. I feel I have come a long way in two and a half years and have accomplished a lot. However, there are areas that I recognise that I can improve on and I am happy that I can address these as I hope this will improve my learning, skills and competency as a nurse in the future, providing better patient care. The areas I need to gain more knowledge and experience of include: understanding the religious, cultural and spiritual needs of the patient and how this impacts on their care and quality of life, recognising and working with counter transference and my tendency to feel the need to over protect patients as this does not help the patient to utilise choice, be responsible for themselves or empower themselves. I want to continue developing my own self awareness through self reflection. Finally I wish to develop my academic abilities and to train further so that I have more knowledge. Why have I chosen these issues? I have chosen to improve my knowledge and understanding of patients religious, cultural and spiritual needs and how this impacts on their care and quality of life, because by doing this I hope to be able to address their needs holistically. To successfully undertake a thorough assessment the healthcare practitioner needs to identify the holistic needs of the patient, failure to do so would neglect the patients physical, psycho-social and spiritual needs (Stuart and Sundeen 1997.) At present I feel I am unable to fully comprehend or provide best care as I feel I lack the skills and knowledge to do so. I also wish to further consider the impact of counter transference and my tendency to feel the need to over protect patients. I feel that if I gain more understanding and recognition of how counter-transference can change my reaction to a patient then I will be able to address it and have more control and choice over my nursing and my responses. In practice, I have experienced strong emotional reactions to some patient’s, perhaps because I could identify with some of their issues. However, this can result in my wanting to over protect them, which may disempower them, and this is unhelpful. Different characteristic in patients can influence the emotional reaction of the nurse (Holmquist 1998). I need to be able to recognise these characteristics in the patient and be self aware of the way I am responding. I want to continue developing my own self-awareness through self-reflection, as I will need to be able to exercise autonomous and expert judgement as a qualified nurse. The ability to use self-reflection as a learning tool to becoming self-aware will help me achieve this. This is a view supported by (Wong 1995). Boud, Keogh & Walker (1995) believe self reflection is an important human activity, essential for personal development as well as for the professional development of the nurse. By being able to mull over my experiences will help me challenge my beliefs and behaviour as an individual and a nurse. Finally I wish to develop my academic abilities and to train further so that I have more nursing knowledge. Experience alone is not the key to learning (Boud et al 1985). I wish to gain further qualifications so that I may further my career and knowledge, as this will provide a sense of achievement and fulfilment for me. How am I going to achieve my goals? I intend to develop my portfolio and keep an open reflective diary (Richardson 1995) to show evidence of my learning and prepare for my PREPP. Portfolios are seen as a collection of information and evidence used to summarize what has been learnt from prior experience and opportunities (Knapp 1975), and acknowledges professional and personal development, knowledge and competence, providing nurses with evidence of their eligibility for re-registration every three years (NMC 2002). I believe maintaining my portfolio helps with one’s self-assessment and will help me to develop my strengths, plus identify and critically evaluate my weaker areas, this is a view supported by Garside (1990). However in contrast Miller & Daloz (1989) suggest there is no evidence to suggest that self assessment contributes to enhance self awareness. A barrier to one’s ability to self-reflect may be time constraints and socio-economic factors such as high staff and management turnover, low staff morale and staff illness (Bailey 1995) I hope to overcome this by being a supportive team member to my colleagues and maintaining a positive mental attitude. I am happy to work on my portfolio and diary in my own time as I think it is a valuable learning tool. I will use my preceptorship, learning in practice, observation in practice and clinical supervision to help achieve my goals. Reflection on action is considered to be an essential part of clinical supervision (Scanlon & Weir 1997). I will continue to use Gibbs (1988) Reflective Model to help me develop my learning through reflection. I will need to feel confident that by sharing my portfolio, diary, reflection or seeking advice via preceptorship and supervision that this will not reflect negatively on me and effect my ability to feel able to trust my mentor. Students and staff sometimes feel unable to fully express themselves or belittled by the power relationship if supervision is not in a trusting relationship feeling it could be open to bias, personality clashes, counter-transference or could disadvantage them in terms of career development (Richardson 1995 Jones 2001). However, good clinical supervision enables nurses to feel better supported, contributing to safer and more effective nursing (Teasdale 2001, Jones A 2001). I hope to continue with life long learning and would like to be able to study for a degree in nursing. I shall do this by apply for funding once I am employed and hope that whoever my employers are they will support me in my goal to become better qualified. References Bailey J (1995) Reflective Practice, Implementing Theory, Nursing Standard, Vol 9 (46) 29-31 Baillie, L (1996) A Phenomenological Study Of The Nature Of Empathy, Journal Of Advanced Nursing, 24,6, 1300-1308 Beck A T (1986) Hopelessness As A Predictor OF Eventual Suicide, Annals Of The New York Academy Of Science, Vol 487, 90-96 Beech P, Norman I (1995) Patients’ Perceptions Of The Quality Of Psychiatric Nursing Care: Findings From A Small Scale Descriptive Study, Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 4, 117-123 Boud D, Keogh R, Walker D (1985) Reflection: Turning Experience Into Learning, London, Kogan Page, Boyd E M, Fales A W (1983) Reflective Learning: Key To Learning From Experience, Journal OF Humanistic Psychology Vol 23 (2) 99-117 Chambers M, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing; Learning In The Clinical Environment , Cited in: Reynolds W, Cormack D (Eds) (1990) Psychiatric And Mental Health Nursing, London, Chapman and Hall Cohen G (1996) Age And Health Status In A Patient Satisfaction Survey, Social Science And Medicine, Vol 42 (7) 1085-1093 Cook S (1999) The Self In Self Awareness, Journal Of Advanced Nursing, Vol 29 (6) 1292-1299 Cormack DFS (1976) Psychiatric Nursing Observed: A Descriptive Study Of The Work Of The Charge Nurse In Acute Admission Wards Of Psychiatric Hospitals, London RCN Department Of Health (1999) The National Service Framework for Mental Health, London, HMSO Egan G (1994) The Skilled Helper Model, Skills & Methods For Effective Helping, Brooks/Cole Publishing, Pacific Groves, California. 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Invasive Disease Essays

Invasive Disease Essays Invasive Disease Essay Invasive Disease Essay While millions of dollars are being geared up into cancer research, in hope to find a cure, thousands of loved ones are taken from their family due to a terrible disease is known as cancer. Between seventy and ninety percent of current cancers are due to environmental factors therefore possibly preventable. Cancer is a group of diseases involving unusual cell growth that can ultimately permeate to other parts of the body (NIH). Due to most people knowing someone with cancer, it is important to find out how to decrease cancer risk. Many cancers can be prevented due to environmental risk factors that are controllable lifestyle choices. Many of which include, tobacco, poor diet, and physical inactivity. â€Å"Cancer prevention has been classified into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary cancer prevention. Behavior changes that decrease the risk of cancer fall into primary cancer prevention. Secondary prevention strategies focus on detection of existing cancer when treatment and cure are more likely to be achieved. In tertiary cancer prevention, the focus is to prevent and control the symptoms and morbidity caused by established cancer and cancer therapy and to prevent the development of secondary cancers or other diseases. Primary cancer prevention has targeted behaviors such as tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and exposure to certain infectious agents, UV radiation, and occupational and environmental toxins that are associated with increased cancer risk† (Cialdella 137). â€Å"In 1982 the surgeon general of the United States reported that cigarette smoking was the major cause of cancer deaths in the country† (Silverthorne 39). Smoking can lead to long-term effects on your body system, as well as continuing complexity in the body. Since smoking damages the lungs it causes smokers to have trouble breathing. To be at risk for harm caused by tobacco smoke a person does not have to be a smoker. Tobacco can cause emphysema also known as lung disease and lung cancer. â€Å"The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) reported that 3–4 million cancer cases worldwide could be prevented through healthy lifestyle factors† (Potter 1). Dietary patterns effect cancer risk. Cancer prevention sometimes includes an importance on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fish; and prevention of processed and red meat (beef, pork, lamb). Eating red or processed meat increases the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, and pancreatic cancer. A rare occurrence that could be due to the presence of carcinogens in meats and cooked at high temperatures. Eating processed meat (e.g. bacon, ham, sausages) and, to a lesser degree, red meat was linked to some cancers. Thirty to thirty-five percent of cancer deaths are caused by physical inactivity and obesity. It is considered to contribute to cancer risk. Not only through its effect on the body weight but also through negative effects on the immune and endocrine system. â€Å"In their struggle for survival, it was critical for early humans to maintain a high level of physical fitness. However, modern-day humans are dying from various diseases because of physical inactivity. According to the 1990 Global Burden of Disease Study, physical inactivity was among the top ten risk factors for global health† (Knight 183). It is important to speak up to those who currently are dealing with tobacco products, struggling with poor diet and physical inactivity. A plan for the examination and medical care of cancer is an important component of any general cancer control plan. Curing cancer patients, prolonging their life significantly, and guarantying a good quality of life is its main goal. In order for an examination and medical care to be effective, it must never be in seclusion. It needs to be connected to an early detection so that cases are discovered at an early stage when medical care is more effective and there is a better chance of cure. Cancer.gov.†What is Cancer?† U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Cancer Institute. 9 Feb 2015. Web. 19 June 2018. Cialdella-Kam, L., Sabado, P., Bispeck, M. K., Silverman, S., Bernstein, L., Krawiec, V., . . . Odonnell, J., F. (2012). Implementing cancer prevention into clinical practice. Journal of Cancer Education, 27, 136-43. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13187-012-0331-6. Print. Knight, Joseph A. Crisis Call for New Preventive Medicine, A: Emerging Effects of Lifestyle on Morbidity and Mortality. World Scientific, 2004. EBSCOhost, proxygsu-sav2.galileo.usg.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=nlebkAN=137591site=ehost-live. Print. Potter, Jennifer, et al. Diet Quality and Cancer Outcomes in Adults: A Systematic Review of Epidemiological Studies. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 17, no. 7, July 2016, pp. 1-30. EBSCOhost, doi:10.3390/ijms17071052. Print. Silverthorne, Elizabeth. Preventing Cancer. Cancer, Lucent Books, 2009, pp. 38-54. Diseases Disorders. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3241700009/GVRL?u=sav2sid=GVRLxid=58d87b37. Accessed 28 June 2018. Print.

The Complete Guide to AP US Government FRQs

The Complete Guide to AP US Government FRQs SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Free-response questions on the AP US Government exam are more straightforward than those on some other AP tests, but they can still be tough if you're not ready for them. In this guide, I'll lay out a step-by-step method for answering AP Government FRQs, go through a real example, and tell you where you can find additional practice resources. AP Government Free-Response Section Format The free-response section has four questions total, each of which is worth an equal percentage of your score.You’ll have an hour and 40 minutes to answer these questions, which means you should spend no more than 20-25 minutes on each of them.Each question is typically worth between 5-7 raw points, and the free-response section as a whole makes up 50 percent of your score.All the free-response questions have pretty much the same format, so it's one of the simpler AP free-response sections overall. Free-response questions on this exam will ask you to integrate your knowledge of the various content areas covered by the course.This includes analyzing political events in the US, discussing examples, and demonstrating your understanding of general principles of US government and politics.You'll also be asked to examine data from charts, define key terms, and explain the roles that different parts of our government play in the political system. AP Government FRQs: Step-By-Step Solution Process This section provides a step-by-step process for answering any question on the AP US Government exam.Here’s a sample question that I’ll reference throughoutso that you can see how these steps might work in practice: Step 1: Read the Introduction to the Question Most questions on this test will have an introductory sentence or two before they break down into parts that you need to answer.This will give you background information and a general sense of what to expect in the rest of the question.Some questions are accompanied by images or charts (as we will see in the example section).If that’s the case, you should also take a second here to review the graphics and make sure you understand what they’re showing. If you want, you can read the intros to all the questions before choosing where to begin. It may help to build your confidence and improve your efficiency to start with a question that’s easier for you.In the sample question, you would note from the introduction that the question is going to be dealing with the role of political parties in US government.The intro also tells us that political parties have recently gained influence in Congress while losing influence in the actual election process. Step 2: Identify (and Underline, If You Want) the Command Verb For each part of each question, you’re given specific instructions on the type of answer that is expected.These instructions include verbs like â€Å"identify†, â€Å"explain†, â€Å"describe†, â€Å"define†, and â€Å"compare.† It’s important to be aware of exactly what the question is asking you to do so that you can earn full points.These command verbs are the first words you should zero in on as you read.If you think it will help keep you focused, you can even underline them as you go through the question. In part a of the sample question, the command verb is â€Å"describe.†This indicates that you need to do more than just state an important function of political parties; you need to expand on exactly what it is.In parts c and d, the command verb changes to â€Å"explain†, which means you’ll need to include even more elaboration in your answer on how certain factors have affected party politics. Step 3: Address All the Potential Points After finding the command verb in the part of the question you’re answering, take note of how many examples or descriptions you need to provide.Each of them will almost always correspond to a point in your raw score for the question.Be careful to answer the question thoroughly but directly, addressing all of these points in a way that will make it easy for graders to assess your response.You don’t need to write an essay for these free-response questions. Just go straight for the answer to avoid ambiguity. For part a of the sample question, you’re asked to describe two important functions of political parties, which means that part a is almost certainly worth two points.You need to make sure you provide two distinct functions and make it easy for the grader to award points foryour answer.If you go through the rest of the question, it looks like there are five raw points available in total:two for part a, one for part b, two for part c, and one for part d.Write your answer carefully so you can scoop up all of them! Step 4: Reread Your Answer Finally, reread what you wrote to ensure that it makes sense and addresses the question completely.Did you give the correct number of descriptions/examples/identifications? Does your answer directly respond to what the question is asking overall?If you’re satisfied, move onto the next part of the question and return to step 2! AP Government FRQ Example Now, I’ll go through the answers to a real AP Government free-response question from the 2013 exam to show you what your responses should look like: First, let’s consider the chart and the introductory sentence for this question.It looks like we’re comparing the distribution of judicial appointments by gender and ethnicity for two different presidents. For part a, you are asked to describe one way in which the judicial appointments of Obama and Bush were similar.You might say that in both cases more than half of the appointees were white, with Obama at 59 percent and Bush at 82 percent white.You could also say that the percentage of Hispanic nominees was similar for each president or that in both cases Asian American nominees were the rarest of all the ethnic groups.You would earn one point for this part of the question if you included either of those responses. For part b, you are asked to describe two differences between the presidents in their judicial appointments.One difference you might point out is that a significantly larger percentage of Obama’s nominees were women - almost half compared to Bush’s mere 22 percent.A second difference is that Obama appointed a greater percentage of candidates from racial minorities. For example, 22 percent of his appointees were African American as compared to Bush’s 7 percent.You could earn two points for part b, one for each difference between the two sets of nominees. Part c asks you to explain how party affiliation impacts judiciary nominations.You might say that the President often chooses nominees with similar views who will adhere to his policy preferences.This typically means people who belong to the same political party as the President.You could also say that the President tends to choose nominees who will make his party’s electoral base happy and lead to victories in future elections.Part c was worth one point. Finally, part d asks you to describe what a President can do to increase the likelihood that his federal court nominees will be confirmed.Possible answers to part d include: Consulting with the Senate/using senatorial courtesy Selecting a moderate candidate in the first place Properly vetting candidates and choosing people who are highly qualified You would earn one point for this part of the question if you described any one of these methods.Notice that this question was worth a total of five raw points, which is probably the lowest raw point value you’ll see on any of the AP US Government free-response questions.However, a lower raw point value doesn’t mean it’s worth any less in your final scaled score; each free-response question is equally important on this test. Even people who make extremely important decisions, like federal judges, are appointed partially based on their political favorability. How to Practice AP US Government Free-Response Questions There are several resources that you can use to hone your skills in answering AP Government FRQs. Official College Board Resources The College Board site hosts free-response questions from previous tests that you can use for practice.Questions that come from tests administered between 2004 and 2015 are accompanied by scoring guidelines, so you can check your answers and tally up how many points you would have earned.These are the best sample free-response questions you can get because you know for sure that they accurately represent what you’ll see on the real test.The questions from 2002 and 2003 don’t have scoring guidelines, so be aware that you won’t be able to check the official answers if you choose to use them. Review Books Review books can also be good resources for free response practice although they tend to vary in quality.The Princeton Review book for AP Gov includes five full practice tests, so there should be plenty of free response questions that you can use to practice your skills.The Barron’s review book also has a couple of practice tests and extra free response questions that may be useful for practice. If you don’t want to buy the book, you can also takeBarron’s free online practice test for AP Gov, which includes free-response questions and scoring guidelines.If you use these free-response questions for practice, just be sure to intersperse them with official questions from the College Board so that you maintain an accurate sense of what to expect on the real test. Review books can be great resources for free-response and multiple-choice practice questions and for test-taking strategies that you may not have discovered on your own. Conclusion The four free-response questions on the AP US Government exam can be approached methodically to earn the maximum number of points. Read the introduction to the question first so you can get your bearings. Then, for each of the separate parts, identify the command verb, address all aspects of the question, and double check your answer for missing pieces and careless errors. I'd suggest practicing at least a few free response questions before heading into the exam. The best resource to use is the College Board website, which has an archive of past questions accompanied by answer guidelines. These questions are pretty simple compared to the free-response questions on other AP tests once you get the hang of them! What's Next Not sure where to begin in studying for the test as a whole? Read our five-step plan that will help you prepare to take on any AP test. If you're missing some of your notes that you need to study for AP Gov, check out this article with links to all the content you need to know for the test. Do you have a target score in mind for this exam? Learn more about what it takes to earn a 5 on an AP test and whether you should aim for one yourself. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Change Management - Essay Example The first stage involves creating a sense of urgency and advocating for change through strong leadership. Kotter advises organizations to hire new leaders or designate change champions who act as the driving force of change (Kotter, 1996, P. 125). The second stage is the engagement of senior managers in the implementation of change. Senior managers form a guiding coalition which is committed to excellence through renewal. This coalition exists outside normal hierarchy and is guided through efforts and the commitment of the top management. The next stage is the creation of a vision by the guiding coalition. The vision is a guiding strategy that clarifies the direction which the organisation intends to take. The ideal vision is brief and concise (Kotter, 1996, P. 125). The fourth step is communicating the vision through newsletters and speeches. If downsizing is part of the vision, new growth possibilities and commitment to fair treatment of those who are laid off is critical. Executives should constantly use the existing communication channels to broadcast the vision. The next stage involves removing of obstacles to change such obstacles include constraints in the compensation or performance appraisal systems and a rigid organizational structure. It is important for the appraisal and reward system to be consistent with the vision (Kotter, 1996, P. 125; (Wilson, 1999, P. 57)). The transformation process should accommodate short-term wins. As such, the process should set short-term goals to be met and celebrated. Managers should actively design ways to obtain performance improvements and to achieve objectives with the people involved being rewarded and celebrated. Victory is not attained until the changes are embedded in the organisation culture. Rather than declaring victory managers should use the milestones achieved by short-term gains to tackle bigger challenges (Kotter, 1996,

Have you been influenced by your family history or culture, or the Essay

Have you been influenced by your family history or culture, or the family environment you grew up in You might consider who you are as an individual, what va - Essay Example With so many people sharing a planet and so many different characteristics, ideologies, concepts, opinions, dreams, aspirations and life styles, the world should be a happy melting pot of culture and celebrated differences. Sadly, this is not the case at all. I dream of living in a world, or even a community where qualities such as acceptance, love, kindness and understanding are the centrifugal emotions and attitudes. I hope to one day see a world that is almost void of racism, war, hatred, prejudice, greed, violence and unkindness. I feel strongly that if we all made an effort to celebrate the things which make us different, we would have a much easier time forming long and lasting friendships and partnerships with others. This would ultimately lead to a peaceful and symbiotic coexistence for everyone on the planet. I feel that I am an extremely ambitious individual and capable of a myriad of tasks at once. I fell strongly that I am best suited to be an entrepreneur, and a self made one at that. I am dedicated to my education, as well as to hard work and studying in order to surpass the expectations and ideologies of my parents and grandparents before me. I look forward to building my own company from the ground up and watching it flourish through all of my hard work and dedication. I hope that in some small way, I can create a sense of happiness and acceptance among the people that I meet and work with in such a way that a spirit of kindness and individuality will seep into the lives of everyone I know and then everyone that those individuals know and so on. I am grateful for my heritage and for the most part, proud of it. I have seen racism and conflicts between ethnic groups in my life which saddens me. I believe these events have made me a stronger person as well as one who is aware of the horrors of a racist attitude. Just as an attitude of racism infects those