Character and Sex Education

As Americans we tend to have a conditioned view toward sexuality as a normal, healthy part of life. However, it seems that one may underestimate the power that sex has on culture, which is evident in the many areas. Most recently discussions on a sexual nature received extreme national prominence with the public events surrounding the Kenneth Starr investigation and report, which focuses on the sexual aspects of the relationship between President Bill Clinton and a former intern, Monica Lewinsky. The result was a war of beliefs, morals and differences of cultures mixed with political anipulations. With the increase of sexual presence in our society, it is often wondered how this increase has affected morals and values of those who live it. Sex is everywhere–not just limited to the bedroom, but to the television, movies, billboards, office buildings and almost every fragment of modern culture. Around the turn of the twentieth century, open discussion and study of sex was well on its way. Sexual/cultural pioneer, Sigmund Freud believed that sexuality was tightly woven in all persons, present from birth. His breakthrough thinking affected social practices and was nstrumental in breaking the â€Å"moral fog that had enshrouded sexuality for most of the nineteenth century did not begin to lift until after the First World War† (Janus 1993). By analyzing modern culture, a person can accurately determine the effects of the sexual revolution and how it has led to the alterations or evolution of personal, moral and Where do we get our morals and values? Character education was what took place in school and society in the past. This drilling of acceptable social conventions seemed to â€Å"contain† our culture for many years. In modern years society has shifted to the â€Å"decision-making approach† (Kilpatrick 1993). This approach takes many forms, sometimes as a course in itself, sometimes as a strategy in sex education classes, sometimes as a unit in civics or social sciences–it has set the tone for modern moral education in public and even private schools. â€Å"The shift from character education to the decision-making model was begun with the best of intentions. The new approach was meant to help students to think more independently and critically about values† (Kilpatrick 1993). Followers of this approach claimed that a young person would be more committed to self-discovered values than to ones that were simply handed down y adults. That was the hope, but the actual effect of the shift has been quite different. For students, it has meant confusion about moral values: learning to question values they have scarcely acquired, unlearning values taught at home, and concluding that questions of right and wrong are always changing with the influence of society. We live in a sexual world, but Americans have been slow to fully acknowledge its enormous impact. Among those interviewed in the Janus Report who were 18 to 26 years old, 21% of the men and 15% of the women had had sexual intercourse by age 4; a small percentage of them had had their first intercourse before age 10. â€Å"It ought to be the oldest things that are taught to the youngest people. † (Noonan 1999) This statement accurately portrays moral education today. â€Å"The Day America Told the Truth,† a 1990 survey of American beliefs and values contains this scene from a California high school. The setting, Friday afternoon and the students are leaving a class in â€Å"social living. † The teacher's parting words are, â€Å"have a great weekend. Be safe. Buckle up. Just say no. And if you can't say ‘No,' then use a condom! (Kilpatrick 993) Although the teacher in this example gives a nod in the direction of abstinence, his approach is basically of the â€Å"responsible sex† variety. Sex is an image that Americans have grown accustomed too. Sex is everything. If you're good looking, then you're having sex. If you're sexy, then you're having sex. If you're having sex, you're popular, and people are more likely to buy stuff from your company if you show people having sex. Sex sells. Sex sells cigarettes. Sex sells cars. Sex sells clothes, alcohol and One way that a breakdown of sexual restraint hurts society is the educational sphere. There is abundant evidence that the more sexually active students do poorly in school and tend to drop out more frequently (Noonan 1999). For all of the teenage girls, who drop out of school, half of them do so because of pregnancy. But that figure only suggests one small aspect of the problem. The constant distraction caused by worries about sex and about relationships takes a tool on schoolwork. Dieting has become an unfortunate cultural phenomenon, especially for women and girls, whose self-image is often closely linked with their body image. Eating disorders are more common in girls ecause they believe it's their role in society to be sexy. Numerous studies have been conducted to determine the history of sexual abuse in eating disorders patients, and the findings have been controversial. The figures range from 7% to 74%, with most studies showing that between 20-69% of anorexics and bulimics have been abused† (Janus 1993). It is important to note, however that not everyone who has been sexually abused develops anorexia and not all anorexics have been sexually abused. For many survivors, anorexia can also serve as a way to make their bodies less desirable to potential perpetrators. In one sense, mature adolescents deny their sexuality by returning to a prepubescent state, developing amenorreah or loss of menstruation, which is one of the criteria for diagnosing anorexia. Unfortunately, teachers have been reluctant to discuss sex in absolute moral terms, leaving students with the impression that it's purely as subjective matter. It turns out that when adults confront teens over sexual misbehaviors, a frequent response is simply, â€Å"I didn't know it was wrong. † Everyone is a product of his or her culture. We tend to conform to cultural expectations, even if not perfectly. Our present culture sends out confused and misleading messages about sex-messages that, in the long run, may cause more harm than good. A former secretary of education observed,†I have never had a parent tell me that he or she would be offended boy a teacher telling a class that it is better to postpone sex. Or that marriage is the best setting for sex, and in which to have and raise children. On the contrary, my impression is that the overwhelming majority of parents would gratefully welcome help in transmitting such values. † (Kilpatrick 1993) The long history of sexually transmitted diseases has made aution in sex one of the facts of life. In the late 1980s, the AIDS epidemic made caution in sex a fact of life or death. It was no longer a moral issue. When AIDS surfaced as a national problem, the sexually active momentarily panicked. The enormous tensions generated by these devastating STD†s made practice of casual sex pause. â€Å"The new social and sexual changes in lifestyles have been adopted by many other participants. Divorced or separated men and women, newly single, are dating again and searching for sex partners and new love. Parents in their 40's and 50's and 0's are enjoying a new sexual style at the same time their teenage or young adult children are also experimenting with sex, and seeking loving relationships. There are few guidelines now, except for cautions about sexually transmitted diseases. The old rules governing sex no longer apply, and many individuals and couples now create their own moral and lifestyle decisions, or make them within the morality of their own small, peer In the Janus report, 45% of women and 19% of men claimed to have been sexually harassed on their jobs. In the interviews, the men attributed the harassment they xperienced to both heterosexual and homosexual individuals; the women ascribed their harassment almost entirely to men. In an age of liberation, it is interesting that an issue so broad gained national attention so accidentally. Why all the sudden there an underlying awareness of widespread sexual harassment on the part of women? The intensity and speed of reaction to the charges readily support this assumption. Sexual Harassment has become a household topic across America. Today, men and women are more free than ever to explore their sexual beings in or out of marriage. Their ransformed sex roles, feminism movement and the sexual revolution cause increased communication outside the home. Today, medicine, psychology and sociology advise that people should keep on having sex as long as they wish. Sexuality becomes adapted to the context of the sexual experience, at all ages. While early adolescence are experimenting with full sexual activities of diverse varieties and young couples are seeking sex for reproduction, older couples are enjoying the comfort and excitement of sex in a new appreciated form. â€Å"A new, vital, and active sexuality has been identified mong mature, and post mature Americans. While society frets about preteens' frolicking and college students' antics on Spring break in Florida, the graying segment of Americans may be leading the way in superior sexual experience† (Janus 1993). Other issues relating to sexuality have also made headlines over the past two decades. Divorce rates leaped in the 1970's, absent or self-involved parents and child-rearing practices were blamed for creating misbehaving, out-of-control kids; the family was believed to be in big trouble. Very young adults are living together without the benefit f marriage. Meanwhile, kids are experimenting with their own sexuality at earlier and earlier ages. Barely out of their own childhood, teenagers are producing babies at ever-growing rates. By the 1980's, nearly a million mothers under 18 were giving birth every year. (Janus 1993) Of these young women, 70% were unmarried, up from 30% only a decade earlier. Some estimates indicate that as many as 10,000 extremely young women age 12 or younger, become pregnant every year. (Janus 1993) The younger these children are when they have their first child, the more likely they are to ave at least one more child before their teen years end. These children who have children are particularly at risk of dropping out of school and becoming social throwaways who face a bleak future and are wanted only on the streets. Later, unable to get and hold jobs, they will drop out of the labor market as well, creating cycles of deep, depressing, poverty as their children and grandchildren in turn become teenage, single, unemployable parents. This idea represents the attitude of our culture to criticize teen parents and to make an example of â€Å"those kids. look what can happen to you. etc. However, this is not always the case, many teen mothers are extremely successful in personal and professional careers. Many times the father will support the baby who shares his genes, even if they do not act as a family unit. By analyzing many factors where sex is apparent on modern culture, it is obvious how this increased presence has significantly affected values and morals on related topics. There has been a dramatic shift in attitude in just a small period of time and it will be interesting to see how these changes will continue to evolve and adapt to new introductions of culture and it†s influence.

National initiative Unit

For the scenario I am investigating there are a number of laws and regulations that have to be considered and adhered too, they are as follows: European convention on human rights and fundamental freedoms (1950) This piece of legislation was introduced after the Second World War and relates to the human rights every individual can expect whilst living and working in the European Union. The act was necessary as so many people had, had their human rights violated during the war years. Following this many individual acts were passed to ensure that discrimination was against the law.In 1 998 the human rights act was the document that updated previous legislation and importantly made sure that any citizen had the right to take legal action against any person or organization that disrespected their human rights. This included all health and social care services. Collectively, human rights legislation is a powerful tool to ensure that those who are more vulnerable in society have the backin g of the law in relation to their rights. In the residential care home it is important that we recognize the diversity of needs of our clientele and are aware of their needs and preferences.The sex scrimp nation act (1975) This act was introduced to protect both men and women against discrimination or harassment in relation to their gender. This included employment, education, advertising or in the provision of housing, goods, services or facilities. In the main it was to address the discrimination that was mainly taking place against women. Employers would often reject a potential female employee in favor of a man as they felt a male would be more reliable as women both have children and care for them.In more recent years the equal pay act has defined clearer guidelines in relation to pay truce. In nursing the pay scale does not discriminate and care staff are employed for their capacity to do the job and men and women receive the same remuneration. In the care home there are both male and female workers who are employed for their skills and ability to address the complex needs of the clients. There is training provided and pay is linked to qualifications and job roles regardless of gender. In addition, we have both male and female clients and we provide for their needs appropriately.The mental health act The mental health act was introduced initially in 1983 and has had a number f changes in the years up until 2006 (see appendices 2). The purpose of this act was to make sure that the appropriate action could be taken when people displaying mental health or learning difficulties got the help, care and treatment they needed both for their own health or safety and the protection of others. This was an important step because those with these problems were often not given the care and support that there condition required.In the I-J, there were large mental hospitals which catered for a variety of conditions and needs but gave little thought to the needs of the i ndividual. It was a case of the individual fitting into the programmer offered whereas today we appreciate the needs of the individual and how important it is to tailor care to need. The large hospitals and institutions were closed down as it was decided that people were better off living in smaller units or being cared for in the community. However, there was still not enough legislation to provide the necessary protection.In 2005 the mental capacity act was introduced which provided a frame work that empowered and protected vulnerable people who are unable to make their own decisions. The act States army who can take decisions in various situations and how things should be carried out. For example, two doctors now need to sign a sectioning order for a patient to be detained because of their mental health. Prior to this, there have been cases where people have been sectioned with no right to complain. This act states very clearly those people that have the power to make decisions.I t enables people to plan ahead for a time when they might lose their mental capacity. This act was seen as important as so many people are now suffering with some form of dementia in their later years. It meant hat health care professionals such as doctors and social workers had a professional duty to work with the most vulnerable, in their best interests and to empower them to make their own decisions. There is still much to be done with mental health care which is sometimes referred to as the Cinderella of the health service.New initiatives in relation to mental health have been introduced as it was clear in some areas that care of the community was not working as well as it should. Northern Ireland has similar legal frameworks to England but under the Northern Ireland assembly they can have variations. Legislation related to children Two pieces of legislation were passed in 1989, one the convention on the rights of a child' and the other ‘the children's act'. The first was issued by EUNICE and it provided a framework for the rights of the child.It specifically highlighted children's rights in international law and included the principles and standards for the treatment of the children's workforce. The children's act concerns the UK only and is designed to protect the child from significant harm and to keep them safe and cared for by setting standards. Organizations working with children have to provide policies and procedures n relation to how they are promoting the children's act in their environment. An example of this is the safe guarding procedures that are in place in schools.Every school has to have its own safe guarding policy which outlines all procedures and highlights training. This is an extremely important document and in schools every member of staff needs to know who the child protection officer is and to have read the safe guarding policy. In the school attend every member of staff has a summarized copy included in their handbook and th e full copy is available in the staff room and online. Every Taft member has to sign this at the beginning of each academic year to show that they understand what they have to do should they become concerned about any safe guarding issue.Training is given to key professionals and the policy is revised every year in relation to new legislation. The children's act was revised in 2004 in relation to improving children's lives in a broader sense. The aim of this was to encourage better services and provision for all aspects of children's welfare and health. It also covered making sure children had access to the services they needed including additional needs. An example is my own school where there are policies and procedures in place to ensure that all children are treated fairly and offer the opportunities they need on a personal level.Children's educational needs are investigated and the appropriate intervention is put in place. Am currently working with this department as part of th eir literacy strategy offering one to one instruction to children below the reading age expected for their chronological years. Children have been evident in the media recently because of historic abuse cases and this has raised everyone's awareness in relation to how vulnerable hey are. There is now greater emphasis on all policies and procedures that relate to children. Race relations There has been a great deal of legislation in relation to people of a different race living in the KICK.In my notes already have highlighted the benefits of a diverse multicultural society. People have been making their home in the UK since the sass's when Jews arrived from Russia and Poland and people from Ireland were driven out by the potato famine. The race relations amendment act was passed in the year 2000. Its main principle is to protect racially quality and ensure that no person is discriminated against on the grounds of their race. Britain today is truly multicultural and the act ensures th at it promotes good relationships between people from different ethnic backgrounds.If a person faces discrimination because of their race the law protects them and gives redress. I have watched a number of video clips that illustrate how distressing racial discrimination can be and also how people can have stereotyped ideas and opinions. Race relations are linked to equal opportunities and the human rights act. Disability discrimination act (DAD) The DAD ensures that people with disabilities have their civil rights protected and do not face discrimination. It was passed in 1 995 and encouraged organizations and health authorities to overcome barriers and make reasonable adjustments to ensure full accessibility.Clearly this act did not go far enough and was updated in 2005 to apply to the public sector and to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities and to eliminate discrimination. At this time it was also seen as necessary to include people with HIVE. It stated t hat public bodies must promote disability equality and reduce action plans to show how they intend to fulfill their duties and to renew the progress annually. Schools, colleges and universities were all told to make reasonable changes to their premises to make them user friendly for Britain's students with disabilities.In my school all doorways were fitted with ramps as well as having a lift installed. In addition, a fitted disabled bathroom was installed and money set aside for any student's specific needs. This was particularly important for wheelchair users. Making all public buildings, apart from those with a listed status was a huge undertaking and the government catered in three years to bring this into place. It meant that all public bodies and authorities had to review their policies, practices, procedures and services to make sure they did not discriminate against anyone with a disability.Huge advances have been made to accommodate those with disabilities culminating in the successful Paralytics. This was televised across the world and opened everyone's eyes to how important it is to be accepted in society despite their disability. The human rights act (1998) This act covers all human rights and ensures civil rights for people enabling hem to take legal action against any person or organization, including HAS, which disrespects their human rights. This act has been used when people feel their rights have been violated.Recently a female worker for British airways was told she could no longer wear a cross around her neck whilst at work. She felt that this violated her human rights and so took her case to the European courts where she won her case. This is just one example and there have been many particularly in relation to same sex marriages and counseling services. A homosexual couple went to relate which is an organization that helps relationships through the use of counseling.The counselor rejected the homosexual couple and did not wish to help them so the couple took their case to the human rights where they won their case and the counselor had no right to reject them. Data protection act This act covers the way information about people is kept and used and protected and kept secure. It is necessary for every organization to hold personal data on employees but this has to be kept secure and it is extremely important in any health and social care sector. All organizations have policies ND procedures that employees have to be made aware of and they need to follow correct procedure.In school data is held on every student and this is confidential and can only be viewed on a need to know basis and must not be passed on outside of the school environment. All confidential information has to be shredded. Nursing and residential care homes regulations This act was passed in 1984 and was amended in 2002 and applies to all nursing and residential care homes. Every residential care home has to have a license to operate which is issued by their local council. This license regulates how they practice. If the homes do not meet regulations they face prosecution and sometimes closure.This act works closely with the care standards act that was passed in 2000. This piece of legislation covered individuals in all care settings including domiciliary. Again, standards have to be met and the individual must receive appropriate care. This act also covers fostering and family care. Every care home has to have policies and procedures in place that reflect national legislation. These are open to inspection. Age discrimination act (2006) This act was passed to make it unlawful for employers and others to criminate against a person on the basis of their age. This applies to jobs, promotion, training and employment.Legislation is being updated and changed all the time and in particular when political parties are in control. In health and social care all professionals must stay up to date with current legislation. The legislation I h ave researched is used by health and social care organizations to produce policies and procedures that outline the roles, rights and responsibilities involved in the service they are working for. Legislation indicates what those using the services expect in the way of support and behavior. Most health and social care organizations and professions have a charter or code of practice and procedures that has to be followed.I have researched the code of conduct published by the NC which outlines the standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives and have included this as an example of how legislation is applied. The general social care council (SIC) registers all social care workers and regulates both training and conduct. Codes of practice are needed as when services are inspected or audited they will be judged upon the level of service they are roving. Any professional role will be overseen by the SIC and staff in training will be made aware of the code of practic e and charters they have to work to.Charters inform staff and those using the service about what they can expect. The care quality commission (ICQ) regulates the standards on behalf of the government. This is often done with inspections. Every organization has to produce its own policies and procedures that respect all aspects of equality, diversity and rights in health and social care. Managers have to guide professionals in their employment to ensure they are observing reoccurred. This can be seen in all areas of HAS by looking at notice boards in the hall way, reception or staff rooms.In addition, charters are put online where they can be viewed by the public. All staff should receive a handbook when being inducted into a new post or role and care workers should have frequent training and updating on any changes. If this is followed the individual's rights are promoted in a positive way. There are many people who are too ill or too frail to speak for themselves or who do not know their rights. There are many vulnerable people who may not even be aware of their sights and need a person to make sure they've received what they are entitled too.A trained person will speak on their behalf and this is referred to as an advocate. The advocate can be a professional worker or a friend or relative but must always realism that they are speaking on behalf of the individual and not expressing their own view. Every health and social care setting must have policies and procedures firmly in place and ensure that staff know about these by putting up notices and providing training. If this is done properly staff are sure of what they should be doing and if they fail to comply capillary action or dismissal may occur.Staff development and training are vital if staff are to be kept up to date with changes, policies and procedures, as well as legislation and technology. Technology changes rapidly so there is a need for continual professional development. Quality of care and expe rience is constantly improving by being reviewed and developing equality, diversity and rights. It is important that work place or organizations keep up to date with all changes. Sometimes large organizations will appoint managers who will ensure that things are followed correctly and there is regular training for Taft.Every organization must have a complaints procedure by law and these will be inspected when settings are audited. If Someone complains they have the right to have their complaint dealt with efficiently and investigated. They need to know the outcome of the investigation and if they are not happy take it to the independent parliamentary and health service ombudsman if they are not satisfied with the way there complaint has been dealt with. Sometimes people will make a complaint if they think they have been directly affected by an unlawful act or a decision in relation to care issues.If they have en harmed they may receive compensation. Affirmative action sometimes call ed positive discrimination or action means when one individual is favoring another because of their ethnicity. Although seen as discriminatory it may be legal if it benefits the local community. For example, appointing someone who speaks a certain language because that's what the area needs. Laws relating to anti-harassment relate to issues such as bullying, sexuality, race, ethnicity, gender, beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status or disability. It can cause stress, humiliation and depression and needs to be sorted out immediately.

Reconstruction of the Union following the Civil War Research Paper

Reconstruction of the Union following the Civil War - Research Paper Example The Reconstruction also brought several black members to Congress and to all other government positions including the sheriff and the judge. Moreover, the Reconstruction brought with it the formulation of certain laws that protected and underlined the rights of black people in the American society (â€Å"Reconstruction: The Second Civil War†). The first problem associated with the Reconstruction is that the first reconstruction plans were themselves problematic. Lincoln’s 10 percent policy was not accepted by Radical Republicans for they said it was too easy for the Confederate states to use to gain readmission and that the plan was not enough in terms of protecting the former slaves. Because of this deficiency, Congress passed its own Wade-Davis Bill, which tried to limit the political participation of white Confederates and proposed the equality of the blacks before the law, but Lincoln did not sign the bill into a law (â€Å"Reconstruction†). ... Many of the problems concerning the Reconstruction actually had their roots from selfish political agenda of certain politicians both from the North and the South. Another problem with the Reconstruction is that it brought with it certain disagreements among blacks and whites on the newly institutionalized laws of equality and emancipation of the Negro slave. This resulted in several complications about the ownership of land and about the new sharecropping practices such as those experienced by the landlady Butler when negotiating with her former slaves as to how much of the proceeds of the plantation would go to her and how much would go to the black worker. In fact, she could sense so much animosity among her former slaves that is why she always slept at night with a pistol beside her. The complications and tension also extended to the state governments, such as that of Georgia, where the white lawmakers defied the command of the Northern States by banning black people from taking part in the state government. Although this was remedied, hatred and tension have developed between blacks and whites (â€Å"Reconstruction: The Second Civil War†). There was also the problem of the impending Negro rule or the supremacy and dominance of blacks. Certain influential black leaders during the time of the Reconstruction like the preacher Tunis Campbell has encouraged blacks to fight for their rights by instilling in them a hatred towards whites and the idea that the whites were always taking advantage of blacks. Campbell has also inspired blacks to complain to their masters about what is supposed to be rightfully theirs (â€Å"Reconstruction: The Second Civil War†). Another problem with the Reconstruction is the group of white Republicans who want to settle down

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 26

Assignment Example The 96 hours of exposure indicates the maximum time of exposure that may result into viable results. Acute toxicity may not apply to natural environments hence limiting the results of studies involving them. The disadvantages with these also involves the reliance on cause and affect aspects in research and lastly the effect of the specific nature of the study that limit they results. The usefulness of acute toxicity is in the analytical nature of the experiments and the results provided (Acute and Chronic Toxicity Testing, n.d). The maximum levels of concentrations set by the regulators are normally lower to reduce the effects that the chemicals may have on the experimenters. Through these, the margins of exposure determinations become possible since the NOEL levels provide the basis for other measurements to provide relevant information and the concentrations become easier to interpret (Reference dose RFD, 2012). In other words, NOEL sets the reference dose for usage in all experiments that acts as base. Natural endocrines provide a hormonal support to the body systems. Endocrines play a role in building connections with glands tasked to carry hormones around the body and place them into the blood stream for purposes of hormonal responses and support. Glands and hormones have the role of regulating growth, development and maturity aspects among other body regulations. There exist natural endocrines and artificial endocrines. The natural endocrines exist naturally in the body and build up because of natural processes while the artificial endocrines are introduced into the body to play the same role as natural endocrines. Among the many glands that produce, hormones in the body include pituitary glands, thyroid glands, thymus, pancreases, and ovaries among others. There exist many endocrine systems in animals serving a

Current Issues in Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Current Issues in Finance - Essay Example As the paper highlights not to miss mentioning is the news of UK Prudential closing $35.5B takeover bid of AIG Asian due to pressure from the shareholders to lower the bid asking rate by $30B. Market was not in favor of clinching the deal, as after cancelling the deal, Prudential’s shares rose by 6.3% on Tuesday. At the same time, the ending of the takeover bid was a blow to the AIG efforts to pay back the loan of $132 billion to the Treasury from the proceeds of the sale to Prudential, which was taken to save the AIG from collapsing from the financial crisis in 2008. This discussion outlines that there could be a number of reasons attributed to a merger or acquisition wherein payment is made through stock. Companies are acquired with the aim of safer income streams, as cost of debt could be very high and banks won’t be forthcoming with the offer of reduced rate of interests. Mergers where price/earning ratio (P/E) is very high are not welcomed because of the fear of loss of income over share price. If a company’s stocks are an all-time high, in stead of paying cash it offers its new stock shares. But sometimes it becomes all the more difficult for the buyer company to evaluate the target company as the stock price of the target company rises due to the possibility of merger bid. Answers to the above questions can be reached at by analysing the cases of acquisitions and mergers in the literature in the recent past on the financial and valuation aspects of such acquisitions and mergers. There could be number of motives behind an acqui sition. Diversification in a different line of business has been an aim to be achieved through acquisition.

Proposal of Anti-discrimination of Mexican Americans in the South Research Paper

Proposal of Anti-discrimination of Mexican Americans in the South - Research Paper Example The United States has witnessed the movement of many ethnic and racial groups from Latin America and South America. These groups are often identified as Latinos, Hispanics and Mexicans in popular jargon though their racial and ethnic linkages may not always be with these particular groups. Perhaps the greatest influx of these racial and ethnic groups has been in the South of the United States where hundreds of thousands of people cross the border each year in search of better job opportunities and living standards. The most notable of these movements of Latinos and Hispanics originates from Mexico which is just south of the United States border. A large proportion of these immigrants are Mexicans while there are large swathes of naturalized Mexicans already present inside the United States. The Mexican ethnic groups have long been subject to racial discrimination in one form or the other such as the popular association of mafia and drug culture with the Mexicans (E-RACE, 2011). Howev er such sentiments are not always grounded in fact and the Mexicans have played a large part in the development of the United States economy. The racial discrimination faced by the Mexicans has brought direct costs for the federal as well as state governments. This study will focus on the costs of discrimination against Mexicans in South Carolina and the actions and policies that could be implemented in order to deal with these problems through affirmative action and other means. 2. Defining Mexicans As mentioned before the term Latino, Hispanic and Mexican tends to over assume the racial and ethnic identities of the subject groups. The living habits and social behavior as well as the overall outlook for these groups are similar so it is natural to find discrimination across the board for all of these groups. However for the purposes of this study the particular segment in focus will be Mexicans who reside in South Carolina. These Mexicans could either be immigrants who have come ac ross the border recently, workers who work for some time in the United States and then relocate to Mexico as well as Mexicans who are permanently settled in the United States and are naturalized. 3. Economic Profile of Mexicans in South Carolina A study conducted for Mexicans available in South Carolina (Lacy, 2007) demonstrated that most Mexican immigrants were employed in four economic sectors that are: Construction; Restaurants; Manufacturing; Services. Some smaller proportions of Mexicans are also employed in poultry processing and landscaping as well. The study showed that only 0.02 percent of the included respondents were reported as unemployed. However around 11% of the surveyed women (who were home makers) said that they considered taking up another job to augment the total family income. The communication barrier because of lingual differences (Spanish versus English) seemed to play a major role for these women being unable to find jobs. Around 54% of the women surveyed wer e employed and out of these some 56% worked either in restaurants or as domestic help (such as house cleaning, elderly and child care). The income levels of the respondents varied widely. People employed in the construction industry reported incomes of $ 1,350 per month on average but these figures varied depending on weather conditions as well as other factors. The people employed in restaurants reported higher earnings of around $ 1,450 per month on average while those in the manufacturing sectors reported incomes

The Impact of Rising Food and Fuel Prices Essay

The Impact of Rising Food and Fuel Prices - Essay Example The rising trend in international food prices persisted and accelerated in 2008. U.S. wheat export prices skyrocketed from $375/ton in January to $440/ton in March. Thai rice export prices chalked up from $365/ton to $562/ton. The governments of the developed and developing countries adopted various mitigation measures. Specific policy interventions were applied in three broad categories: (i) interventions to assure household food security by establishing food safety nets; (ii) interventions to lessen domestic food prices by way of penalty or administrative action, and (iii) interventions to develop supplies and production of longer-term food supply. Given the three categories of policies there are preferred options that are more reliable and equitable. The best options to address food insecurity is the targeted cash transfers to vulnerable groups. Cash transfers increase the purchasing power of the poor without changing the chain of incentives that are available to produce more food and without reducing the incomes of poor food sellers. The depth, targeting efficiency and value of the transfer programs depends on the country's level of development. Another set of best options to decrease domestic prices cover the lowering of tariffs and other government taxes on key staples. Many countries impose tariffs on food imports so as to foster domestic production and produce reliable revenues. During a period of increasing prices, the consequent reductions in tariffs and taxes presents a measure of relief to existing consumers at a limited fiscal cost. The subsequent revenue loss arising from the reduction of the tariffs is very important and the fiscal result of implementing this with extra social protection expenditures can require cutbacks in less priority areas. Approximately twenty-four out of fifty-eight countries under study have recently reduced import duties and Value Added Taxes in the phenomenon of rising food prices. Others developing countries, such as the Philippines, implemented a regime of high tariffs to protect domestic food producers and manufacturers.Other countries utilize a policy of implementing a bread or grain subsidies specifically targeted to the poor to handle household food insecurity. In some cases, the introduction of consumer subsidies for staples after the recent rise in food prices. The Government of Yemen provided wheat in public markets at subsidized rates following a rise in food prices. In 2008, the Government of Pakistan implemented a ration card system to distribute subsidized wheat. These measures can be made permanent given the persistent food increase which results in high fiscal costs. Moreover, if the application of all the consumer subsidies are countered by specific measures to keep producer prices low, this can be counterproductive in the end. The one exception to this situation is when price controls are introduced as a temporary measure and are deemed important in terms of a higher social goal. In these exceptional cases, the risks of entrenchment will be minimized. For countries that are grain exporters, there exist political exigencies to ban or tax grain exports in high price years. Some of these countries have fullly applied these methods. These policies tend to have a limited impact on domestic price levels and a relatively negative effect on

Specific patients Case Management (Instruction Below, and patients Essay

Specific patients Case Management (Instruction Below, and patients info faxed) - Essay Example The presented complexity of health problems experienced by the patient is very similar to the case presented by Dr. Sheehan (2008) of Joslin Diabetes Center, Inc. where the case talks about a patient having type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension and all of the microvascular complications. There are essentially two primary defects in type 2 diabetes. One is insulin resistance. At the level of the liver, there is uncontrolled liver glucose output; in skeletal muscle, there is defective skeletal muscle glucose uptake, and nonoxidative glucose metabolism. There are defects in the adipocyte in terms of storing fat, excessive lipolysis, and high levels of free fatty acids in the circulation that can worsen insulin resistance. The adipose tissue can release inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, we have known for a great many years that there are defects in glucagon regulation at the level of the pancreas. The alpha cell, which makes glucagon, overproduces glucagon both in the fasting a nd the fed state. This is another major defect in type 2 diabetes (Sheehan, 2008). Long-term research has demonstrated the benefits of maintaining good control over blood glucose levels. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) found that the diabetes-related complications of retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy were reduced significantly in study subjects with type 2 diabetes who practiced intensive blood glucose control. In addition, for every percentage point reduction in A1C (a blood test that measures the three-month average of blood glucose levels), study participants achieved a 35% reduction in the risk of complications (American Diabetes Association, 2002). The best nursing theory applicable in this case is Dorothea Orem’s Self-Care Deficit theory. The theory essentially defines the need for nursing care. Since Mrs. X experiences some limitations or deficit which interferes with her ability to maintain self-care, she

Employer branding definition Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employer branding definition - Assignment Example Employer branding that had begun as an innovative advertising medium for organisations has now become an essential part of organisational strategy. Ambler and Barrow (1996) define employer branding as the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company (cited in Barrow & Moseley, 2005, p.xvi). Ambler and Barrow (1996) assert that employer branding helps in focusing on organisational priorities, increasing productivity, improving recr4uitment, retention and commitment. This discourse explores different factors that necessitate employer branding and its benefits. A valued employer brand is preferred to money in current economy. Employers establish credibility through branding by adopting a myriad of practices and approaches, which includes a component of alignment of organisational values with HR strategies like employee satisfaction, employee motivation, trust, innovation, improved performance etc. Besides edu cating potential employees of the organisation’s policies and establishing a good image, employer branding also aims at employee retention by adopting practices that educate employees of organisational goals and commitment towards employees. Employee retention is extremely important for organisations because of the time and costs invested in employees’ recruitment, training, and other facilities. It is also important to save employees from competitors that are constantly looking out to attract the best talent through money and/or other benefits. It is generally recognized that intellectual and human capital is the foundation of competitive advantage in the modern economy (Berthon Ewing & Hah, 2005, p.152). In this perspective, job sculpting has emerged as a path by which people are matched to the jobs thereby giving considerable significance to their deeply embedded life interests. This way, organisations provide opportunities to their employees to pursue career goals of their interest, a great way to retain people (Findlay, 2008). Technological advances are driving employers to continuously seek innovation and higher expertise in order to tackle the global and local competition. Globalization has resulted in substantial decrease in available skills in the local markets; this has strengthened the need for employee retention, which organisations are achieving through employer branding. A comprehensive program for employer branding is the total reward system in which HRM entails a wide competitive proposition as developed by Towers Perrin. This four-quadrant model comprises of transactional rewards and relational rewards. Transactional rewards are given to employees in relation to pay packages and benefits like pensions, holidays, healthcare etc (Armstrong & Brown, 2006). This is a comprehensive framework for implementing effective employer branding proposition that facilitates employee retention and also motivates employees through engagement, lea rning and development thereby enhancing employee commitment and organisational performance. Moroco and Uncles (2008) conducted a qualitative research to assess characteristics of successful and unsuccessful employer brands; this study identified certain HR metrics, employment experience, and alignment between HR and marketing as the core indicators for successful employer branding. HR metrics graded against industry standards or average determine success of employer brand include percentage of job offers accepted; number of applicants per role; average length of tenure; average staff turnover; and level of staff engagement. Considering employment as a product offered to employees, their experience with employment is dependent upon organisation’s culture, policies and processes. Further, marketing and HR functions play a significant role in providing the best employment experience through psychological contract between employees and the organisation. From HR perspective, emplo yer branding aids in job satisfaction, employee motivation, employee

Sustaining Employee Performance Essay Example for Free

Sustaining Employee Performance Essay There is usually a multitude of different positions within an organization. The different positions are determined by the size of the organization. While many positions may have similar characteristics when it comes to performance and compensation many are also at opposite ends of the spectrum. Based on the position, companies may choose different methods of evaluating performance. Companies also choose different pay scales and incentives based on each position. Two positions that may be compared would be a triage nurse and an admission receptionist. While both of these positions exist in the hospital, they are going to be reviewed and compensated in different ways. Function of Performance Management Systems Performance management system is a process in which companies focus on the performance of the employees and organization. Its a process to improve or build products or service to accomplish the companys mission and goals. Performance management system can include planning work, continually monitoring employees, setting expectations, rating performance, rewarding good performance, and developing performance. Performance management mainly consists of feedback, positive reinforcement, and measurement. Currently, the hospital has information systems for accounting and finance, human resources, customer relationship management, and knowledge management but doesnt have a performance management system in place. It has been recommended that a performance management system be put into place for the triage nurses and admissions receptionist to enhance employee engagement and performance. Enforcing a performance management system will allow the hospital to focus on employees job performance as well as manage them effectively for the business results the organization wants to see and achieve. The hospital will use integrated software to track employee  progress and from the results be able to narrow down what improvements need to be met by the employees, as well as the company. Management will be able to be more responsive and flexible to employee needs while communicating strategic goals, and documenting the communication process. Performance appraisals will also help with the organizational development. Performance appraisal is part of a system that seeks to motivate employees to maximum performance by evaluating the employees effort on the job, comparing it to standards, and using those results to help employees improve (DeCenzo, p. 244). Coaching will be provided from their manager, and performance feedback will be given based upon the coaching. Performance planning will also be relayed as part of the performance management system to establish goals and objectives so that no employee is unaware of what is expected of them as we implement the performance management system. Implementation of the performance management system at first will be on a short term basis while employees and management are getting use to the software. It will be carried out on a weekly base during each employees one on one with their manager, and results will be gathered and feedback will be given. From those results, the employee will receive praise or coaching on what they will need to improve on. The overall goal is to get all employees on the same page and work towards the companys goals while developing strong employees that will be an asset to the companys future. Job Evaluation Methods Job evaluations are used to evaluate an employee’s work and productivity. It not only helps to determine their performance, but it also helps to recognize accomplishments, it helps to determine if there are any future training opportunities and helps the employee develop new skills and set performance goals for the following year (DeCenzo, p. 132). There are two types of appraisals I would use to evaluate a Triage Nurse and an Admissions Receptionist. The first evaluation type would be Critical Incident method, and the second would be the Graphic Rating Scale. Critical Method job evaluation would be good for a Triage Nurse and an Admissions Receptionist because this evaluation is a task-focused based evaluation. Both of these jobs come in contact with clients, and they have certain tasks and procedures to follow with each client. Critical Method focuses on those tasks an employee has and how he or she performance those tasks. The evaluations are done mostly by the managers, by doing observations of the employees and gathering that information for the year. Critical Method job evaluations are very effective relationship building tool because it requires the manager to spend most of their time in the work area working, observing, and interacting with there in employees (DeCenzo, p. 251). This situation could be a disadvantage because your manager is most likely to be there every day and see everything that is going on, but if they are a good manager they are there to provide support and guidance. The Second Performance Job evaluation I would use to evaluate A Triage Nurse and an Admissions Receptionist would be the Graphic Rating Scale method because of the number of Nurses and Receptionist you will have; this will help to identify the very best and poor employees. This type of evaluation helps to separate employees into tiers. This separation can help determine which employees receive promotions or training (DeCenzo, p. 252). However; this evaluation does have disadvantages because it could become difficult to differentiate between employees who are placed in the average group. These employees could have several strengths, but their weaknesses play a role in their tier evaluation. For this method to be effective, the manager must communicate with each employee about their weaknesses and strengths. The result of this coaching session should result in the employee reaching a higher position on the graphic rating scale evaluation in the future. Compensation Plans The pay grade for the Triage Nurse at this particular hospital is a U7 that is a benchmarked position. The pay grade compensation amounts run from $53,400 to $76,200. The median range of this pay grade is $64,100. This pay grade leaves room for growth and advancement, but also can compensate a Triage Nurse who has more than five (5) years of experience which will still leave room for promotions within the pay grade for this position. There are promotional increases every year that this position can earn a total of 5% of the annual increase on the base salary. This bonus is determined on the overall individual performance of the employee. There are 2% increases on the base annual salary for an annual merit increase on top of the individual bonus program. The Admission Receptionist compensation has a lower pay grade  than the Triage Nurse. The pay grade is a U. The range of compensation is between $17,600 and $34,300. The median range of compensation for an employee with about five (5) years experience for an admission receptionist position is $22,800. There are promotional increases every year for this position that depends on individual performance. The highest percentage that can be earned is 3%. This position is eligible for merit increases every year at a 2% increase on the base salary. This position is benchmarked and cannot earn compensation over the pay grade. Importance of Benefits Plans In todays tough recruiting environment, simply providing a competitive salary will not be enough to attract top talent to the organization. Most prospective employees take the benefits package into consideration before accepting a job offer. A well-designed benefits program will increase the appeal of working for the organization, minimize turnover, increase morale, better job performance, and healthier employees. An organization that invests in a benefits program demonstrates to its staff members the length to which it is willing to invest in their future. A company that chooses to invest in its workforce proves the business is stable, that management and ownership believe in the ability of the business to succeed, and it will attract the best talent to the organization (Mann, 2013). It becomes difficult for a company to make progress if it is forced to train new employees continuously because it cannot retain talent. When a business suffers from a high turnover rate, it is very difficult to build that cohesive team of veteran employees that lead the way. Often, offering a well-rounded benefits package will be the difference between an employee choosing to stay with the company or seek employment elsewhere. Providing employee benefits can better the morale of the workforce. By understanding the needs of the companys workforce and addressing those needs, it is very likely that employees will be more dedicated to the company and take their positions and performance more seriously. A business that demonstrates that it cares about their employees can increase loyalty and get better performance from its staff. Healthier employees can also be a benefit to the company as a result of offering these benefits. Providing a dental plan, medical plan, and sick leave helps employees maintain or better their  health. Offering paid sick leave keeps employees who may have a contagious illness from entering the workplace and infecting other staff members. Employees who have a medical and dental plan are more likely to obtain regular checkups resulting in fewer sick days (Mann, 2013). Based on the information presented, it is clear that differences exist between positions within the same organization. Some similarities may be salary increase percentages from one position to the next, but the pay scales are very different. There are many different methods to evaluate job performance and vary from company to company. Position structures also vary greatly from company to company as well. It is important to figure out what works for the specific type of company and the service or goods. No single way has been shown to be most effective for every company that is why it is important to tailor the structure and evaluation process to each companys needs. References DeCenzo, D. A. (2013). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (11th ed.). Saddle River, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Mann, N. (2013). Top 5 Reasons to offer Employee Benefits. Retrieved from http://businessbee.com

Personal Reflection Of A Nurse Nursing Essay

Personal Reflection Of A Nurse Nursing Essay My love and deep-rooted passion for nursing education enable me to serve my patients well. I must confess that I have always had a passion for helping my clients, managing health care plans, learning new things and a curiosity for investigating medical conditions. As a child, my dream of becoming effective health care provider is still alive up to these days and I am determined to pursue this dream by putting my plans into a reality. My background has prepared me for multiple, diverse challenges in communicating internationally, paying strong attention to detail, and in producing essential therapeutic communication. I earned my Emergency Room / Critical Care Technician Training Course at Florida Community College, Jacksonville, FL. I also gained additional courses in English, Math, Psychology, Spanish, Music, Earth Science, Sociology, Computer Concepts, and History at Three Rivers Community Technical College, Norwich, CT. My unique mix of previous work experience in health education and my current status in different health care institution enhance my skills, knowledge and personality in managing patients and communicating effectively. In the increasing demand for nurses worldwide, there is also apparently increase in the demand in training. There are current and projected shortages in many health professions, especially nurses. Factors that contribute to these shortages are varied and complex. Some of the contributing factors include the state of the economy; decreased interest and increased enrollment in the health professions. This shortage caused health care institution to hire nurses with not enough experience and lack competency in clinical field. Proper training and professional and clinical empowerment is very imperative. In my workplace, nursing education program have responsibility is the assurance of appropriate health care provider preparation to which it entrusts its patient in clinical practice. I have attended several trainings, workshops or programs that were properly planned and outlined to provide information and instruction in the principles of giving care and learning different skills, pedagogic al styles, and valid evaluation techniques. This increases my professional empowerment and autonomy in my workplace. These workshops and proper trainings imparted knowledge and skills essential for success in the clinical setting. I am embracing that knowledge and acquired skills in a familiar environment that provided me with an increased level of confidence and autonomy in the practice and educational development in my profession. I am fascinated whenever I encounter people who have their Nursing Degree when I was working in a hospital setting. I am always inspired by these people and I always told to myself that someday my dream of earning my own nursing degree will come in a reality. Currently Im on the process of achieving my Nursing degree. My limitless inspiration fuels my desire to gain more wisdom and knowledge in these fields. As peer health educator, some of the activities practiced in my educational setting is the provision of the most current information possible for the using the collaborative approaches. During the teaching session and actual learning practice, the provision of clear explanations of the pathophysiological condition and processes of human illness and injury integrating all information as vital component of clinical practice and evidenced based practice. I always emphasize the prioritization of diagnoses and interventions specific to altered responses to illnesses and disease conditions, providing case studies for each case so that we can envision the client as a person needing and requiring care and acquire knowledge regarding the specific case. I also learned how to foster critical thinking and decision making which very important for every health care professional in clinical practice. The Teaching sessions and discussions in clinical practice are very important because I learned how to maximize my learning through acquiring knowledge derived from the application of concepts and theories. I can actually discuss and clarify some information and clinical practices during these sessions. Helping one another in achieving proper knowledge and competency in nursing practice is also innate with this kind of forums. Focuses on diversity and demonstrate the contributing factors are also a necessary in improving my basic knowledge and application of nursing theories and principle. My education in different subject areas, as well as my strong decision-making, problem-solving, and action-driven leadership skills combined with my working experiences, makes me an excellent professional in the field I chose. Im looking forward to help building the society by educating people and developing their character through effective educator. My career interests include clinical/pharmaceutical research protocols for seizure, burn, HIV/AIDS and trauma. Presently, I handle various roles and responsibilities such as Emergency Room Technician, Critical Care Technician, Medical Assistant, Psychiatric Technician and Phlebotomist My clients and my dearest family helped and continually inspire me to pursue this career path further. They were my inspiration in practicing and teaching healthcare and wellness for several years and these experiences brought me bundles of wisdom and enough knowledge to face the challenges. Through the years of my education, I realized this profession requires patience and self confidence which is automatically injected to me when I decided to do so. My current position in various health care setting serves as effective training ground and career enhancement. I have enough experiences in providing basic and complex nursing care and procedures to all age groups and administering emergency medical care t o patients during emergency situations in the emergency trauma center. I enjoy delivering front-line interventions in acute and primary care in hospitals other health care settings, and perform basic health services as diagnosing and treating common acute diseases, illnesses and injuries with advanced degree on practicing the profession in clinical or educational settings, teaching theoretical and clinical knowledge, clinical skills and interventions and conducting research and study. I believed I was used as an instrument in developing my clients ability and maintaining their health. I believe this internship program will give me more opportunity to improve and sustain my competency. Programs related prevention, education, outreach enhance my interpersonal communication skills and willingness to support works to help individual patient recognize and modify their risk-taking behaviors. My education interventions are based on theories of social learning, community and peer support for incremental risk reduction and understanding of the disease process. My goal is to provide education strategy to increase and support prevention programs especially among the most vulnerable population groups and their environment. Improving general understanding of the public through encouraging protective individual behaviors will promote individual and collective vulnerability to any diseases. My personal and professional goal is to help reduce the risk of every individuals acquiring disease and to maintain patients wellbeing. My educational background, hard work, professionalism, and dedication to employer success have resulted in significant accolades and increased responsibilities. My superb organizational skills, firm understanding of nursing care, management, regulations, and awareness of the bottom line proved highly beneficial in my recent career. I had been teaching health care for several years. Teaching developed my character and enabled me to acquire knowledge necessary in molding my personality. The role of institutional organization and structure where I am currently employed would be to increase my ability, knowledge and skills in clinical setting and education. In short, nursing empowerment is the main objective. The need for empowerment and organizational orientation in the hospital setting is essential in sharing knowledge, training and supervising other nurses in actual situations. As health professional, tangible skills and knowledge in a hospital setting is very important in managing clients and supervising their needs. In general, my role is focused on providing effective, quality care. Hence setting personal goals and philosophy advances the means of preparing myself to supervise and educate my students and subordinates. In our workplace, emphases on these areas are well implemented and give me the room for improvement and increase my self confidence and empowerment. Skills, Knowledge and ability are very important part of health care personal traits and the main armor of every health care professional whenever facing in the battlefield of care management. Competency and Autonomy is essential. As part of the team, empowerment is vital and these three factors are the most important thing in hand before going to the battle. My ability is incorporated with decision making and critical thinking ability. When achieving the empowerment and my personal professional traits, change is very important, especially in behavior and attitude. Change requires adding new forces for change or removal of some of the existing factors that are at play in perpetuating the behavior. I participated in professional activities that aid in making the change that include imitation of role models and looking for personalized solutions through trial-and-error learning. My personal mission and vision are crafted toward this goal; especially in patient management and professional advantage. I have developed behavior toward work and patient that becomes habitual, which includes developing a new self-concept identity and establishing new interpersonal relationships. This personal competencies and experiences are applicable to all health care professionals in identifying problems because it addresses the changes required to achieve organizational goals. This concept is important because of its nature in terms of change process and behavioral approach method. Behavior, personal traits and knowledge can be addressed through the utilization of change. My career plans are centered in the future of developing my ability to self determination and freedom in choosing and implementing my own decisions free from deceit duress, constraints or coercion. This trait is also known as autonomy. I have developed this competency through professional independence and decision making skills with the aid of critical thinking ability. As nursing student, entering into a new environment not knowing what to expect is difficult. Yes, patient care is the same everywhere, but they must be comfortable with the environment they are placed in. Adaptation is crucial in the clinical arena. My goal in this area is to be familiarized in protocols through use of an orientation plan in hospital settings before my clinical experience may become a highly useful and an effective strategy in clinical education will be carried out. I become less apprehensive about the clinical environment and become more patient focused, therefore increasing the effectiveness of self empowerment and autonomy. This also provides me with the opportunity for role modeling as the patient maintains and develops standards of practice and competent care in a familiar environment. In my current learning environment, nursing managers and supervisors let nurses decide for their patient in a professional and proper way with accordance to protocols and policy o f the institution. I learned how to communicate effectively at all levels which is a common barrier in the implementation of change among health care in various settings. Communication practices were also addressed in order to identify and effectively set the goals. I also was lucky to be granted with the blessing of being able to work with some exceptional health care professionals that really cared for and about their clients; Health care professionals that would do everything in their abilities and power to make their patient feel better physically and emotionally. That is what I hope to be able to do in the future: providing extraordinary care everyday. Maybe someday I can be a role model and inspiration to other people to strive for a higher level of competence just as those I look up to were for me. In pursuing this education, my purpose is to help patient achieve their wellbeing and achieving their maximum potentials. Developing the health care society serve as a deep challenge to study further and gain enough knowledge, more information about the life itself and definitely to be an effective and productive member of the society and furthermore, helping my peer to gain more knowledge. In my workplace and learning environment, superiors initiates the development of a clinical practice programs based on the goals or mission of the institution given to us. These development programs increases my professional autonomy, confidence, knowledge, skills and competency and allows me to understand the importance of my roles. The program helps me in my transition into different roles by assisting in understanding effective methods of delivering care to patients in the clinical setting. It stresses the importance of utilizing the nursing process in the care of individuals, families, and community by assessing the client health care status, planning with client or significant others the action based on identified needs and problems, implementing appropriate nursing interventions wholly compensatory, supportive and educative, modifying interventions and evaluating the results of nursing interventions accordingly based on criteria established. These criteria help me to produce co mpetent effective qualities and ability to sustain the demand for care in response to increasing numbers of patients. The utilization of my personal and professional process serves as guidelines in implementing my roles. I believe that the essence of my profession is having the possession of knowledge and competency in performing skills and interventions. It involves a combination of many disciplines, including aspects of biology and psychology to promote the restoration and maintenance of health in our clients. And at the end of the day, behind the vital signs and doctors order, what will count the most is how much you really cared. Yes- this caring which made this profession unique in the first place? The genuine reward of this work comes from the distinct gleam of the clients eyes every time we perform what we have sworn to do. Although it is sad fact that some nurses are quite amnesic to why they become nurses in the first place, the future nurses of today still, should rise and take the challenge of being real nurse. My late mother and my dearest family helped and continually inspiring me to study further. They were my inspiration in teaching for several years and these experiences brought me bundles of wisdom and enough knowledge to face the challenges. Through the years of my teaching, I realized this profession requires patience and self confidence which is automatically injected to me when I decided to do so. I believed I was used as an instrument in developing my peers ability and molding their character. That is why I did my very best and I gave whatever I may give to them. This profession gave me more opportunity to improve and sustain my competency. The years of experiences in hospital setting allowed me to possess  a substantial background to keep my ambitions alive. It has been very interesting and I find myself loving what I do as well as my patients. But amidst of these thing, I am not exempted in the test of hard work, motivation and challenge to be strong. These obstacles gave me a room to develop my full maturity, learn to become team player and to enhance my critical thinking ability. With this ability and character that I possess I was able to improve my own capability inside and outside the classroom and workplace. I am very proud to be able to share different aspects of my life that are not apparent from my professional and academic record. After being encouraged to continue my degree by both family and friends, I found that pursuing career and education are character-defining time in my professional and personal life, causing me to face different challenges such as personal and financial hardship and manage roles and responsibilities associated with work, school and family. I am very excited and enthusiastic about this coming year, I know I can face challenges because of the determination and motivation to achieve my goals and desired career. It would create and open a gateway of opportunities and I know I could achieve my dreams and I want to pursue my ambition in the field of nursing.

Essay --

Though the national public opinions on marijuana and the use of it have recently gained massive media attention, the question still largely remains: â€Å"Do the benefits of marijuana uses outweigh the potential risks associated with it?† The truth of the matter is that all of the negative attributes that would come along with its legalization and usage make one wonder why the nation is even deliberating on the subject. These main reasons clearly identify why marijuana should remain illegal. First, marijuana legalization poses a serious risk for the occurrence of an upswing in teen marijuana use. Secondly, marijuana poses countless health risks on individuals who use it. Finally, the benefits associated with marijuana use are minimal, to say the least, and therefore would do nothing more than allow people to get high at free will. Overall, even though marijuana has been heavily promoted through its own advocates as well as the media as a substance with a plethora of benefits, the legalization of the use of this drug would ultimately do more harm than good. It’s no secret that the media has heavily glamorized marijuana usage in recent times. Teens are watching as more and more states put marijuana legalization measures on their ballots. They are watching as states like Washington and Colorado legalize recreational marijuana use. Not to mention all the stars that glamorize drugs. Teens watch as stars they admire like Miley Cyrus openly proclaim their love for marijuana and getting stoned from it. (Rivera) Slogans like â€Å"Just Say No† are slowly fading from the minds of our nation’s teens. When teens watch things like this occur, it’s easy to see why they may want to begin using marijuana. The issue with this is that an upswing in teen ma... ...uana’s benefits probably do not outweigh its drawbacks, and therefore should remain illegal. Marijuana is and will remain a hot topic in American minds from years to come. Its legal status, though, is the situation at hand and the question remains: â€Å"Does the drug carry enough positive qualities to overcome all of its negative attributes?† The simple answer to that question is â€Å"no.† The drug poses a serious risk in an upswing of teen marijuana use, it has been proven to contain numerous health risks, and its benefits are so small and minimally-researched that likely the only â€Å"benefit† to come from its legalization is freedom for people to get stoned at their own discretion. To sum it up, marijuana is simply something that can do without legalizing. Keeping its status illegal will ultimately help keep our citizens from going down a road they certainly do not need to.

Is Digital Cash Something To Fear? Essay -- Digital Cash Money Essays

Is Digital Cash Something To Fear? I. INTRODUCTION In today's society, cash is quickly becoming obsolete. The vast majority of transactions can now be completed without cash. If a person has direct deposit, they can directly deposit their paycheck into their bank account. Using their home computer, that person can pay their monthly bills electronically by using a third-party bill paying system authorized by their bank. Credit cards, once reserved for major purchases, are now accepted at grocery stores, fast food restaurants, pay phones, and coffee shops. Debit cards are quickly replacing checks for many of our day-to-day purchases. There are quite a few transactions that cannot be completed with cash, including renting cars, many mail order purchases, and subscribing to an Internet service provider. In a typical day, cash is really only necessary for very small transactions, such as purchasing a morning paper, or buying a candy bar out of a vending machine. These "micro-transactions"{1} do not represent a significant enough exchange of value to cover the transactional costs of accepting credit or debit cards. A person still needs to carry enough cash for these micro-transactions. Currently, the way to get cash is to personally go to an automatic teller machine (ATM) for a withdrawal. "Digital cash,"{2} stored on "smart cards"{3} or personal computers, promises to make micro-transactions possible in both the everyday world and in cyberspace. II. IS DIGITAL CASH NECESSARY? The need for digital cash closely parallels the need for regular cash. Most people do not use regular cash to make major purchases. Carrying large amounts of cash can be very insecure. Carrying credit cards is more secure because, at least in th... ...urden on the bank to prove that a transaction was by the consumer. See Sandberg, supra note 3. {8} Compare the use of encryption technology in making a credit card purchase (see CyberCash, Six Steps of a Secure Internet Credit Card Payment (visited Oct. 5, 1977) <http://a.dn.cybercash.com/cybercash/shoppers/ stopsteps.html>), with the use of encryption in making a digital cash purchase, (see DigiCash, An Introduction to Ecash (visited Oct. 5, 1977) <http://www.digicash.com/ecash/docs/ease/ease(g).html>). {9} Of course, the consumer protection laws will limit the consumer's losses to $50. If the digital cash transmission was for a micro-transaction, a consumer would still prefer to lose 1Â ¢ to $50. {10} Jim Miller, E-money mini-FAQ (release 2.0) (visited Oct. 5, 1977) <http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/ emoneyfaq.html>. {11} Id. {12} Id.

Miracle Gro Lab Report

Miracle Gro Lab: Discussion and Conclusion The purpose of this lab was to determine which concentration of Miracle Gro was ideal for the germination of seeds. I hypothesized that the 1. 25% concentration of Miracle Gro would allow the plant to grow the fastest, unfortunately, my data does not support my hypothesis. According to the information we collected, the amount of concentration with the fastest speed and greatest height of growth was the 0% with plain tap water (control group).Two days after â€Å"planting,† my group measured the seed with the greatest rate of growth: 0% exhibited 2. 5 cm of growth, 1. 25% had 0. 9 cm, 2. 5% showed 1. 2 cm, 3. 75% displayed 0. 8 cm, and 5% had 0. 5cm of growth. As evidenced by the data collected, the height of the sprout decreases as the percent of concentration increases. We checked the growth of our mung bean seeds a second time and we observed the results: 0% exhibited 15 cm of growth showing signs of growth through its stalk, roots, and leaves. The 1. 5% and 2. 5% both grew 2 cm and began sprouting a stalk. The 3. 75% and 5% turned dark brown and appeared to have shrunk which are signs that the seed’s embryo is dead. The data did not match our expected data, because the Miracle Gro had some way prevented the imbibition of the seed which is why the 3. 75% and 5% died. Imbibition is a critical developmental process in seeds and our control group with only water demonstrated the most successful amount of growth. We experienced a number of errors in our experiment.Sources of error were human interaction, inaccurate measurements, and incorrectly handling the seeds and materials. In the future, these problems can be avoided by interfering with the plastic bags that contained the seeds, adding the most accurate amount of solute as possible, or making sure that we don’t crush the seeds or the towel that was inserted in the bag. Ideas for future experimentation would be to plant the seeds outside so that the sun would be used as the light source, testing different plant-growing solutions, and analyze the growth over a longer period of time.Overall, the seeds without the Miracle Gro proved to grow greater than those with added Miracle Gro. Compared to the varying concentrations, the height of growth increased as the percentage of concentration decreased. To apply this experiment to real life, average planters or farmers could be able to grow their plants without any added growth supplements and it’d prove to grow sufficiently, due to the fact that the controlled experiment contained the healthiest growth.

Just Take Away Their Guns

In Willow's essay about gun control, the focus is on figuring out a way to remove Illegal guns from the street, and gang members to prevent more deaths of innocent people. Wilson focus's on how adding more restrictions in regards to purchasing a gun will not stop the mass murders, or even Illegal guns. So it is pointless to Increase the amount of gun control when It comes to purchasing guns legally.Although Wilson Is for less gun control, he does a very good Job of expressing each side of the arguments flaws, even his own. I personally don't see the need for guns In the home f Americans, but I will not be the person who Insists on removing all guns entirely, when I understand those that were obtained legally only use them for recreational use, not to murder and kill Innocent people. But something does need to be done about the Illegal guns, but the suggestions that Wilson makes In his essay, are very clear that they will never be come laws.He Is obviously poking fun at the gun contro l advocates by suggesting people walking down the street who fit the profile of someone who carries an illegal gun, be searched. It's a ludicrous idea, and not to mention illegal to profile anyone, based on looks alone. Clearly, Willow's suggestions are not legitimate ideas, but I think he is making these comments to prove the American people, especially gun control advocates its not as simple or black and white.Eliminating guns is only going to affect people who buy them legally, not those who obtain them illegally, so how will that prevent fewer murders? There isn't a simple answer and I understand that, I wish there was so the amount of people whom, as of lately, seem to be getting killed in mass shooting are suffering at the price of illegal fire arms. Its unfortunate and I agree, but I lack the ability to find a better solution. Just Take Away Their Guns In Willow's essay about gun control, the focus is on figuring out a way to remove Illegal guns from the street, and gang members to prevent more deaths of innocent people. Wilson focus's on how adding more restrictions in regards to purchasing a gun will not stop the mass murders, or even Illegal guns. So it is pointless to Increase the amount of gun control when It comes to purchasing guns legally.Although Wilson Is for less gun control, he does a very good Job of expressing each side of the arguments flaws, even his own. I personally don't see the need for guns In the home f Americans, but I will not be the person who Insists on removing all guns entirely, when I understand those that were obtained legally only use them for recreational use, not to murder and kill Innocent people. But something does need to be done about the Illegal guns, but the suggestions that Wilson makes In his essay, are very clear that they will never be come laws.He Is obviously poking fun at the gun contro l advocates by suggesting people walking down the street who fit the profile of someone who carries an illegal gun, be searched. It's a ludicrous idea, and not to mention illegal to profile anyone, based on looks alone. Clearly, Willow's suggestions are not legitimate ideas, but I think he is making these comments to prove the American people, especially gun control advocates its not as simple or black and white.Eliminating guns is only going to affect people who buy them legally, not those who obtain them illegally, so how will that prevent fewer murders? There isn't a simple answer and I understand that, I wish there was so the amount of people whom, as of lately, seem to be getting killed in mass shooting are suffering at the price of illegal fire arms. Its unfortunate and I agree, but I lack the ability to find a better solution.

Brainwashing & transforming

Brainwashing is the art of transforming a persons mind by putting together different types of attitudes. It is a sought of thought reform. Brainwashing is a sort of social influence on a person to try and change his way of thinking into somebody else’s viewpoint, without the assent of that person. Brainwashing can be achieved by either obliging or persuading the other person, to think in the line of the person who is brainwashing. To brainwash another person total segregation and belief of the subject is absolutely necessary.Brainwashing is usually undertaken in prisons, to change the mindset of the prisoners, and to help them think in a right manner, and to change their behaviour. The person who is brainwashing has to have the person to be brainwashed totally under his control, so much so that all the daily routines of the person are under the control of the person who is brainwashing. The person who is brainwashing influences the other person so much so that, the person†™s mind doesn’t work at all losing his complete identity.The brainwashing person than replaces the person’s mind with a different set of thoughts and behaviours. According to psychologists, brainwashing is possible under certain conditions, but while dealing with hardcore criminals or prisoners, it is necessary that they use physical abuse in order to see that these people are properly brainwashed. And to erase all their previous thoughts and identity, so that their mind will be fresh with a new set of attitudes after the brainwashing session, which helps them to improve their lifestyle, and lead a better life without going back to their criminal mannerisms.According to studies it is known that the effect of brainwashing is short term only, the original identity of the brainwashed person is totally not washed out, but it is hidden and once the present thoughts of the person stop working, the old identity comes out from hiding, and the person behaves in the same manne r as he used to previously. The results of brainwashing mostly are the same on every person irrespective of his culture, history and physical appearance.Some of the commonly used techniques in brainwashing are loneliness, as the people being brainwashed are isolated and not allowed to meet his friends or family members, insisting on agreement to certain demands which include matters such as clothing, food and money etc, the person is subjected to poignant blackmail, pressure, lenience occasionally, total control and criticism of the person being brainwashed to such an extent that the person doubts his own worth, and feels that everything he does is wrong.The person is reduced to such a wreck that he does not believe in himself. Brainwashing or mind control is used in many ways; it is used by many persons in different fields to their advantage. Parents use brainwashing on children, so that they can achieve a certain standing in social, personal and educational endeavours. While teach ers try to brainwash children in the classroom, so that they can have a clearer idea of what is being taught in class.Even hypnotizing a person is a sort of brainwashing or mind control, where in the person is taken to his subconscious state of mind, and made to believe that he is a completely changed person, by drilling into his mind different thoughts and behaviours that need to be replaced. Some people use fear or violence to brainwash a person, but this way of brainwashing is not right, as the brainwashed person cannot be controlled, because he will escape as soon as the brainwashing person leaves him.Some people might practice brainwashing to commit illegal activities like, they might brainwash or hypnotise a woman and try to rape or rob her. And some religious cults might try to brainwash people and force them into converting to a particular religion. Using brainwashing to commit such crimes should not be encouraged, and the effects of brainwashing should be used to change a p erson into a better human being. Brainwashing should be done to have control over a person’s mind, but not to put him out of control or doing such things which are not in his control.The Government authorities also use brainwashing to help them extract the truth from criminals by using shock treatments, lie detectors or narcotic analysis, which have an impact on their brain, by which they can find out if the criminal is telling the truth or not. To confound and weaken a person with the help of electronic equipment or chemicals is not controlling that person. Gaining control over a person who loses control over himself is not always the same.It is clear that the government authorities do not have control over anyone’s mind, and it is also clear that these authorities would do anything to gain control over a person’s mind. When a person physically abuses his wife on a daily basis, the wife who fears of violence does not reciprocate but bears her spouses tantrums a nd abuse, not because he has a control over her mind, but might be because she is totally dependent on her spouse. The wife doesn’t have any other choice, but to stay with her spouse. In other words the husband has reduced her chances in such a way that she cannot leave him.By staying on even after such battering, means that it is the wrong choice of the woman, but not the control her spouse has over her mind. Another method of brainwashing used by various religious missions is using love as a tool to control a person’s mind. These people make the person believe that they are the only people, who love them, and that they have faith in the person, and that the person should have faith in them. They try to convince the person to such a level that the person believes that even his family and friends are hurdles in his way to deliverance and attaining God’s faith.These people make the person so fearful that he believes that if he does not listen to them he might be punished, all this makes the person totally dependent on these people and he becomes obsessed. Guilt is also another strategy used by these people; they make the person feel so guilty that, he begins to believe that he is nothing without god and these people. They fill the person with so much contempt for him that he loses his ego, self esteem and his belief in himself. The person becomes completely reliant of these people that he is at the mercy of these people.Even psychiatrists follow such strategies to have the patient under their control. This strategy would help the psychiatrist in knowing the person even better, and this would help the doctor in curing the patient. When a person is under the spell of such people, these people might take the advantage of the situation and can try to rob the person of his whole property, when he is under their control. They might even make the person commit illegal activities on their behalf, which the person would come to know only after comin g to his senses.Under the control of such people a person can lose his wealth, his body and also his soul. Therefore brainwashing can be used for the good and the bad both. At sometimes it can help a person and other times it would completely ruin a person. Brainwashing is a very complex strategy; it is more of healing a person than a method. For example during the Korean War many US soldiers were brainwashed into communism. Brainwashing is such a technique which can break or make a man, it is a very complicated technique used by psychiatrists, religious missions, teachers, parents and the government authorities.This technique can be used to the full advantage, if it is understood properly and used in the right manner; it will give very good results and help people in solving their problems very effectively. When a person is brainwashed, he goes into a sort of trance and is completely in the control of the person who is brainwashing. The person is in such a situation that, he doesnà ¢â‚¬â„¢t remember any thing and his mind can be controlled by feeding some other thoughts, that he becomes a totally changed person after the brainwashing session.A person who is trying to brainwash another person, should be very smart and tactful when dealing with such situations, and he should have the power to make the other person believe him, then only he will have total control over the other person’s mind. On the whole brainwashing should be considered as an important and necessary strategy, and it should be employed by all and sundry wherever the necessity arises, but people should not take advantage of this strategy and should not try to use it for committing illegal activities.If used properly and effectively it could help cure so many people who are in depression and undergoing severe stress, it could help to make a convict a better person and help parents and teachers in guiding the children to better and bright futures. Brainwashing should be definitely used if a person can benefit and lose his depression and make him a better person. Works Cited Rober Todd Carroll, Mind Control (Brainwashing), The Skeptic’s Dictionary, 14 November 2007, . Julia Layton, How Brainwashing Works, How Stuff Works, 14 November 2007, . Julia Layton, How Brainwashing Works, Brainwashing Techiques, How Stuff Works, 14 November 2007, . Uzma Mazhar, Brainwashing Tactics in Domestic Violence, 14 November 2007, .

General Knowledge in Criminal Justice

Every country is governed by a set of laws designed to maintain order within it. There are laws that govern the political relations with its citizens while there are also laws that regulate the civil rights of its citizens. There are a set of rules that define what acts or omissions are considered felonies or offenses and prescribes punishment for violations of these rules. The latter is called the criminal justice system of a country. This criminal justice system is manifested by the enactment of penal laws of the state. Penal laws define what acts are considered crime and determine the proper penalty for its commission. Because of the enactment of penal laws, each state is able to enforce and maintain law and order within its jurisdiction. Society is a complex structure which does not simply function harmoniously by accident. There must be a conscious effort on the part of the state to regulate the behavior of its members. It is because of this reason that the system of punishment was institutionalized and legitimized in our society. Punishment is the action taken by the State for every violation of its laws. Punishment can be considered as a response by the society to any offense or felony committed against it. It may range from the deprivation of liberty of the convicted individual or the payment of fine for the reparation of injury caused. The deprivation of liberty can last from several days or it may extend to several years depending on the nature of the crime committed. If the crime however is heinous capital punishment may be imposed. Classical Theory There are many theories on which our criminal justice system is based. One of the foundations for imposition of the criminal justice system is the Classical Theory. It attempts to give an explanation on the root cause of crime for the purpose of controlling it or preventing it from happening. It argues that man is by nature a moral creature with a free will. This free will gives him the capacity to choose between right and wrong. When man performs an act, the assumption is that the same is a rational and conscious decision arising from a careful calculation of its possible consequences. It is to be presumed that the doer of the act has carefully weighed the consequences of his action so that he will achieve his end-goal which is to maximize pleasure and to minimize pain. Thus, when a person engages in deviant behavior and commits a crime it is to be presumed that he voluntarily and willfully committed it after a careful calculation of both the benefits and risks of its commission. Crime is therefore a product of rational and conscious choice deliberately performed by an individual and not the result of the external forces surrounding him. There are those who hold that crime is a social and natural phenomenon as contradistinguished from the Classical Theory. According to the Positivist Theory, man at times is subdued by a strange and morbid phenomenon which constrains and impels him to do wrong. Though man is by nature good, there are forces around him that makes him commit a wrongful act. Thus, contrary to the Classical School, crime is not a product of a rational and conscious decision that results from carefully weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the act rather it results from interplay of social and external forces that heavily influence the individual. It is because of this reason that the criminal justice system should not be a mere function of strict and inflexible application of the abstract principles of law. Rather, it is the task of the judge to take into consideration such other facts and circumstances that attend the commission of the crime. Retributivism Theory There are those who adhere to the Retributivism Theory. According to this theory, punishment is allowed, whether it is imprisonment or death, because the convicted prisoner deserves it. This is otherwise known as the doctrine of ‘just desert’ which is founded on the ‘eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth† philosophy. When an injury is done to another, an unfair situation is created between the offender and the victim. The imposition of punishment against the wrongdoer removes the unfair advantage and restores the balance. (Anthony Duff, Sec 5) In essence, this theory states that certain actions in the society that are injurious to other people will merit the imposition of imprisonment. When these acts are done willfully and voluntarily by any individual then it is but proper that he be punished for his acts to restore the moral balance and address the moral culpability which are essential in restoring harmony in the society. (Deligitimizing Retribution†2) UtilitarianTheory On the other hand, there are those who believe in the Utilitarian Theory. It argues that state- sanctioned punishment is justified because of its utility. Based on the principle of utility, acts are pursued depending on the desirability of its consequences. If punishment will most likely produce the greatest balance of happiness over unhappiness then the punishment is justified. But if there are other options that would produce a greater balance of happiness over unhappiness, then that option should be chosen and punishment is unjustified. Kevin Murtagh, Sec 1a) In simpler terms, the idea is if we are to weigh the positive effects of punishment as against its negative effects and the positive effects outweighs the negative ones then that punishment has to be imposed. This theory somewhat looks forward and considers the consequences of punishment to the society. Unlike the Retributivist theory which focuses on the benefits to the victim, in Utilitarian Theory the oth er members of the society is considered to benefit from the imprisonment of the convicted prisoner. Deterrence Theory. For example, capital punishment is considered beneficial for the society because it deters the commission of more crimes by other persons. Under the Deterrence Theory, the imposition of the criminal justice system sends a strong message that it is tough on crime. Once a convicted prisoner is imprisoned or sentenced to death it is as if we are saying to the rest of the society that this will happen to those who will violate our laws. It is also an open declaration that there is a war against crime and that any violation of its laws will be seriously dealt with by the state. Once society sees that the violation of a law will have serious consequences to the wrong-doers then this will have a positive effect to the society by deterring criminality. Incapacitation Theory According to Incapacitation Theory, society is also benefited from the imprisonment of the convicted prisoner because it incapacitates him from further committing crimes and reduces recidivism rate. (Lynch and Sabol) Experience shows that those who have previously committed crimes are more likely to commit another crime. There is no more effective way of incapacitating the offender except by removing them from the society. Thus, in the case of imposition of death penalty, a person who is sentenced to death can no longer commit further crimes because he is permanently incapacitated to perform the same. The society is also benefited when wrong-doers are incarcerated or sentenced to death. We also prevent the possibility of these people escaping from prison and committing further crimes. (Thoughts on the Death Penalty p 2) The purpose of this is the protection of the other members of the society. Restorative Justice Theory The Restorative Justice theory is another aspect of the Utilitarian Theory which gives emphasis on the restoration of the criminal offender as one of the purposes of criminal justice system. It seeks to promote the objective of restoring the offender to the mainstream society by making him perform community service, requiring reimbursement and other worthwhile activities while in prison. This is based on the theory that a criminal offender is a socially sick individual. The other members of the society have the moral obligation to give aid and assistance to them.