Thursday, October 31, 2019

Agitation in long term care setting Research Paper

Agitation in long term care setting - Research Paper Example Agitation is one of the most critical issues in the long term care nursing homes across the world. Residents of such homes, due to a number of reasons, experience changes in their behavioral patterns involving agitation, distress and aggressiveness The second reason revolves around the resident nurse; dealing with agitated patients involves surviving verbal and sometimes physical abuse from the patients, which impacts negatively on nurse motivation and productivity (Zeller et al. 2009). According to the Nursing Times (2011), majority of nurses are not well prepared/trained to handle agitation. The overall impact is a threat to the quality of healthcare, hence underpinning the importance of the issue of agitation in the resident care setting. Background According to Zwicker and Fletcher (2009), agitated behavior in conditions such as dementia represents feelings and needs that are difficult to adequately verbalize. In frequent occasions, agitation is a result of an inability to commun icate needs by the long term care patient in an unpleasant environment or due to physical discomfort (Rabinowitz et al., 2005). Statistics indicate that agitation is a serious problem, with above 50% of patients in a community dwelling and above 70% of residents in nursing homes experiencing the condition. The most common manifestations of agitated behavior include physical agitation such as pacing, nervousness and repetitive movements, and verbal agitation such as complaining, using abusive language and screaming (Zwicker and Fletcher, 2009). ... Whereas this may cause discomfort in healthy individuals, the situation is worse among residents in nursing homes due to their underlying conditions, making it difficult for them to communicate. Hunger is another leading cause of agitation, with Erockson and Grove (2008) observing that Alzheimer’s patients may experience weight loss even with proper nutrition. Such patients may have abnormally high activity levels. Another important cause of agitation is the fear and disorientation among the residents in the long term care settings. For instance, dementia patients are often afraid while Alzheimer’s patients cannot recall the staff, facility, other patients and even themselves (DETP, 2001; Zieber et al., 2005). Medical causes of agitation also exist as most mental health patients may experience abrupt onset of delirium. Such cases may be due to infections such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia and colcystitis among others (Gerdner, Buckwalter and Hall, 2005). The ex ternal environment also plays a crucial part in triggering agitation in the long term care setting. Here, the nurse takes a central position in influencing triggers of agitation either positively or negatively. Changes in medication, creating an impersonal environment and certain aspects of care cause the patients to be agitated. Failure to adequately deal with the internal determinants of agitation also contributes to the condition (Erickson and Grove, 2008). Effects on Nurses Nurses in the long term care settings not only have to manage the causes and impacts of agitation on the patients, but also impacts on themselves. First, such patients can fall under the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Myself Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Myself - Essay Example I equally develop an optimistic approach towards problems because they allow one to be confident when addressing life experiences. Moreover, I am a well-organized person because I focus on aspects to accomplish before acting. I equally keep lists on each planned event. I have the capacity to prioritize my jobs to relieve any form of work related stress. In addition, I keep a calendar and mark the crucial dates for me to consider important appointments and meetings. This tendency has made my life simple because I can get rid of all unnecessary experiences that challenge my livelihood. Lastly, I am an interpersonal person who wants to attain some knowledge and ideas from other individuals. This is because I like interacting with other people effectively. This has helped me to understand the nature of people around me so that I can relate with them better. Moreover, I get involved in interpersonal communication to establish an identity with my counterparts and express my interpersonal need such as affection. This is because groups serve as resourceful approaches for making friends and creating

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Difference between aristotelian ethics and utilitarianism

Difference between aristotelian ethics and utilitarianism According to Aristotle, the ultimate human good is happiness, which is synonymous with virtuous activity and living well. Here virtue should be defined as excellence, or doing ones life-long activities well, in accordance with completing ones proper function. Aristotles notion of the proper function of mankind is described as the activity of the soul in conformity with virtue and principle, and is also what he considers to be the highest value. The moral criterion for completing ones proper function is to act in the same manner as a person of virtuous character. Man is not here simply to live, but is endowed with the faculty of reason and should exercise this capacity virtuously, as part of his proper function. Aristotle asserts that activity, especially right activity, is the function of man. Merely having the capacity to think rationally is not enough; rather, one must make use of this ability to determine whether or not the actions he wants to take are in conformity with excellenc e and virtue. Upon doing so, he is acting virtuously and must continue this course of action for his entire life in order to be person of good character and to complete his proper function. Aristotle defines The Good as being the object at which mans actions aim and goodâ€Å' as simply being the end of ones action. While he does not consider this form of The Good to be visible, the idea is very closely associated with the proper function of mankind. A proponent of teleology, Aristotle believes in a definite right way to act, as well as the existence of a universal order. Therefore, in order to complete ones proper function, one has to be the rightâ€Å' kind of person; specifically, he must be of moral, virtuous character for his actions to be considered good. Aristotle notes that it is not enough simply to do these virtuous activities, but one must purposefully complete such activities to truly perform his proper function. For man to be able to act virtuously, be moral, and achi eve supreme happiness, external goods are necessary. Such goods may be friends, wealth, and political power, though Aristotle also mentions that the lack of goods like good birth, good children, and beautyâ€Å' could spoil ultimate happiness (Aristotle, 21). Also important to Aristotle is the concept of a moral meanevery virtuous action is a mean between deficiency and excess, and he considers such extremes to be bad. Consider the following example: a lack of courage is associated with cowardice, while having too much courage leads to recklessnessneither of which would be seen as goodâ€Å' qualities. This moral mean is not universal, but relative to each individual. Associated with the idea of a moral mean is the importance Aristotle places on living a balanced life in which everything runs smoothly. Aristotle also addresses the concepts of pleasure and pain, and their association with happiness. As previously stated, happiness is identified as virtuous activity, as opposed to an emotion or feeling. While Aristotle does not believe that happiness is a feeling, he does recognize pleasure to be such. His concern with pleasure comes when man seems to be living solely for this feeling, for such a life is not virtuous. When man performs his proper function, he knows himself to be happy, and as a consequence, he feels pleasure for having done so. Aristotle does not think that this kind of pleasure is vulgar, but a natural result from leading a virtuous life. In his presentation of the doctrine of Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill bases the moral system on his observations of how people already behave in their daily lives. This process demonstrates the application of inductive ethics, which is the idea that observation and experience give knowledge of morality. If an innate moral sense does exist, according to Mill the best that this sense can do is tell us moral laws, but Utilitarianism is still necessary to decide how these laws should be applied. For Mill, the ultimate goal of man is the promotion of happiness, which he defines as the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain and recognizes to be an emotion. More specifically, the utilitarian tries to promote the general happiness of mankind, while simultaneously trying to pursue his own pleasure. These ideas lead to the General Happiness Principle, which holds to the concept that actions are right if they lead to increased happiness and decreased unhappiness, and wrong if they do the opposite. Man should always act so that society is improved, but should also be careful not to neglect himself in the process. Mill places importance on the consequences of ones actions, rather than on ones motivation for performing the actions. As long as promoting happiness is the end of the action, that action can be considered good and moral, even though ones motivation is frequently the hope of personal pleasure or gain. The doctrine of Utilitarianism is enforced by external and internal sanctions, as are all other moral systems. External sanctions are those outside of ones mind, such as the police or the opinion of the society in which one lives, which prevent one from completing certain actions. Therefore, the internal sanctions of mans actions come in the form of ones conscience and sense of duty. These sanctions are not intended to be the reasons for acting a certain way, but are protective mechanisms in case one performs an action as the result of poor judgment. Mill believes that character need not be considered when assessing the worth of ones actions; rather, one should take into account the character of another in his estimation of the worth of that person. An entire chapter of Mills work is devoted to justice. Mill describes justice as being natural and absolute, as well as a composite of several sentiments, namely vengeance, self-defense, and sympathy. Mill relates five characteristics of justice in his discussion. The first is the view that the violation of a persons legal rights is unjust. It then follows that the upholding of moral rights would be considered just. Receiving what one deservesor earning the consequences of ones actionsis the third characteristic, and for Mill the most crucial, as this concept presents the clearest conception of justice by the general population. The fourth attribute of justice is the accepted belief that breaking promises to others is an unjust action. Lastly, being impartial is admitted to be consistent with the notion of justice. Unjust actions require punishment because man has certain duties that must be performed, and justice is intended to ensure that each individual completes the actions for w hich they are responsible. Every individual has rights that they expect society to honor, and justice is necessary to uphold these rights and ensure the existence of a society in which the general happiness can be achieved. For these reasons, Mill believes that justice is the highest form of pleasure. Mill offers a proof for Utilitarianism with the following premises: (1) whatever is desired is a good; (2) each person desires his or her own happiness; (3) from the first two premises it follows that happiness is a good for every individual; (4) society consists of individuals; (5) one concludes from (3) and (4) that the aggregate good is equal to the sum of the good of each individual. Therefore, the social good is equal to the sum of the good of each individual in society. Mill arrives at his conclusion by using empirical observation, working from the ground up to build his argument. He notes that one can conclude that happiness is desirable because of the fact that people actually desire it, making happiness a good for every individual. Because society is made up of individuals, the social good is the sum of the good of each individual. Each premise is formulated from observation and experience, starting at the base and building upon these ideas, which demonstrates Mills empirica l formulation of the principle of Utilitarianism. Mill believes in the perfectibility of man and society through Utilitarianism, since its adherents would be striving for the good of all, continually aiming at higher morality. The utilitarian offers objections to Aristotelian Ethics, specifically in regard to Aristotles opinion of how to determine the nature of ones character and actions, as well as his treatment of the nature of pleasure and pain. A proponent of Utilitarianism questions Aristotles view of what constitutes a good or bad character, as well as his criteria for what makes actions good or bad. One recalls that for an act to be good, according to Aristotle, it must be performed in the manner in which a virtuous person would perform the action. In his definitions of bad acts and bad character, Aristotle uses each idea to define the other, presenting a circle that is not quite justified. He believes that a person of bad character is one that performs bad acts; however, he also believes that a bad act is one that comes from a bad character. Aristotle does provide several acts that are said to be absolutely wrong, and those who perform these acts are of bad character. However, no mention is made of actions that are absolutely rightAristotle merely states that actions taken by people of good character are right. The Utilitarian wonders how to define a good character if there exist no absolutely right actions that may be performed to provide a basis for what constitutes a good character. The notion of absolute rights and wrongs cannot be fairly used if only the absolute wrongs are taken into consideration when defining the nature of ones character. Another inconsistency found in Aristotles argument is when he allows that a virtuous person is capable of making a mistake, but can still be considered to be of good character, so long as the mistake is not so great that it cannot help but be noticed (Aristotle, 51). He does not agree that a person of bad character can do something good and have his action truly be considered good, which follows from his criteria for what constitutes good and bad actions. If one chose instead to focus on the consequences of a mans actions to determin e the goodness or badness of his actions, the character of this person could be more easily determined. An act ought to be considered good if it promotes pleasure and decreases pain, regardless of the character of the person who performs the act. Similarly, a bad act would be one that decreases happiness and promotes pain. Here, character is not a measure of the virtue of the action, but can be justly determined by observing the results of ones actions over time. Such is the view of the utilitarian. Also in question is Aristotles teleological view of mankind that is manifest in the presentation of his moral system. His espousal of the notion that man has a proper function and that there is a definite right way to do things demonstrates Aristotles support of teleology. In other words, the existence of a proper function of man is what causes one to act the way he doesin a manner striving to complete this proper function. In opposition to this viewpoint, the utilitarian doubts the existence of one right path for every individual to take in lifethe direction one chooses to follow ought to depend on the consequences of the actions that he desires to pursue. Aristotle believes that the reason man acts morally is because that is what he is supposed to do, simply because completing his proper function requires such action. The utilitarian, in favor of an empirical view of ethics, looks at what man obviously desires: happiness. Every individual has an interest in achieving and maintainin g his own happiness, as well as promoting the general happiness of society to a certain extent, so it follows that man would want to act in a way that increases pleasure and happiness, while lessening pain. By promoting the goodhappinesshe is acting virtuously. From this, one realizes that there are different kinds of happiness that can be desired; reaching these states of happiness necessarily requires all kinds of people (both so-called good and bad people) taking different actions. This admission indicates that there is not one right direction that can only be followed by the right kind of people, as Aristotle suggests. A crucial difference between Aristotelian ethics and Utilitarianism is the respective roles of pleasure and pain as they are related to right and wrong. Aristotle believes that pleasure and pain are subject to the criteria for right and wrong, whereas the utilitarian believes these feelings determine the criteria for right and wrong. The criteria Aristotle uses to determine the virtue (or lack thereof) of ones actions is whether or not the actions are those that a person of virtuous character would perform. One recalls that Aristotle believes that performing virtuous actions in accordance with ones proper function is synonymous with happiness. When one is completing his proper function he might feel pleasure as a consequence, but that is not his reason for choosing to act the way he does. Pleasure, then, would not be the desired end to ones actionsacting virtuously and completing ones proper function are the goals. However, if one accepts the view that happiness is what man most desi res, then he should see the importance of acting in a way that promotes pleasure and happiness. It would seem that right actions promote overall pleasure, for the person performing the action and often for others around him; therefore, one should choose to act in a way that promotes pleasure, as this is the right way to do things. In this manner, also, the utilitarian denounces Aristotles teleological view of the existence of humanity; clearly, man chooses actions that bring pleasure, for the purpose of attaining happiness. Utilitarianism can be considered to be practical moral system, as its ideas are based on observations of peoples actions and behavior in daily life. The inconsistencies found in Aristotles argumenthis method for defining a good or bad character, as well as the allowances he makes for one and not the othermake accepting his moral system difficult for the utilitarian. Also difficult to accept is Aristotles teleological view of a universal order and only one moral path to take, the existence of which is supposed to be the cause of our actions. Rather, it seems evident that the promotion of pleasure and diminishing of pain are the causes of human action; therefore, they are the determinants of right and wrong. Following the notion of empiricismaccepting that all knowledge originates in experienceallows one to logically conclude that because pleasure and happiness are things that everyone desires (the groundwork) people should act in a way that promotes happiness (the end).

Friday, October 25, 2019

William Faulkners A Rose For Emily Essay -- essays research papers

Rather than stating the true meaning of his works, William Faulkner generally uses symbolism to portray the depth of his tales. Throughout the story â€Å"A Rose For Emily,† time is a continuous theme that is portrayed through symbols. The past, present, and future are represented by different people, places, and things. One of which such symbols, the main character herself, represents the essence of the past through her father, her house, and her lover.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Historically, the Grierson name was one of the most respected names in Jefferson. Throughout his lifetime, Mr. Grierson played various roles in the community to further the reputation of his name and to earn his family a great deal of honor.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He also, however, had and air of superiority about him. His attitude toward women, as evident in the treatment of his daughter, reflects his old-fashioned ways and his inability, or his lack of desire, to move on into the future. Throughout Miss Emily’s childhood, her father believed that â€Å"none of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily.† Mr. Grierson did not allow his grown daughter, even at the age of thirty, to make her own decisions. Moreover, he did not feel it was her place to act on her own behalf. Miss Emily willingly accepted her role in the household. The name and the attitudes that Mr. Grierson passed on to his daughter Emily symbolically opposed the change that was going on around them.   Ã‚  Ã‚   ...

Thursday, October 24, 2019

A Letter to a Friend Who Is Going to Visit London

Hello, Caron! I heard you’re going to London these holidays! Oh, I must confess that you’re stealing the dream of my life! I’m getting a bit jealous because I still don’t have an opportunity to go there. But anyway, it’s great that you’ re (visiting/going to visit) this amazing country! And I’d like to advise you some places to visit as I spent a lot of time reading about this ancient city. As you know, London is divided into 32 boroughs and the City. From another hand it is divided into 4 main sections: the City, the West End, the East End and the South Bank. If you want to see the ancient edifices and to enjoy the beauty of history, you should go to the City. The City of London is the historical heart of London. This area was already a bustling trading post almost 2000 years ago, when it was a part of the Roman empire. Many of the irregular streets still follow the ancient Roman roads. Plenty of historic landmarks attest to the City's storied past. The most famous is the domed St. Paul's Cathedral, built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. And also you can find there the Guildhall, a beautiful early 15th century edifice that was reconstructed in the 17th century in a neo-Gothic style. And also you’ll enjoy the aspects of Royal Exchange Building and the Monument. But the City is not only about the ancient buildings. You’ll find there well-known modern building as the Lloyd's of London, designed by Richard Rogers, the architect of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. A more recent, but equally remarkable(Ð ½Ã µÃ ºÃ'€Ð °Ã' Ã ¸Ã ²Ã ¾:(( ) tower in the City is Barbican 30 St. Mary Axe, commonly known as the Gherkin. And if you want to go shopping, my advice is to go the West End of the city. The Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, where six streets come together. And don’t forget to visit my favorite Harrods. As they say, they have all goods for all the people from everywhere, but if they have money to pay. It’s a paradise for the shopaholics and for people that like exquisite things. I even heard that a baby-elephant was bought in Harrods for some well-known person. And if you come there at the sales season, you’ll have a great opportunity to buy everything at reduced prices. The South Bank of the site is a great modern cultural center where a great number of theatres, concert halls and art galleries are situated. And if you want to become a part of cultural life of London, you should go there and enjoy the plays, performances, exhibitions. So, the best advice I can give you is to enjoy this immaculate city, it’s culture and its’ beautiful traditions. Hello, Caron! I heard you’re going to London these holidays! Oh, I must confess that you’re stealing the dream of my life! I’m getting a bit jealous because I still don’t have an opportunity to go there. But anyway, it’s great that you’ re (visiting/going to visit) this amazing country! And I’d like to advise you some places to visit as I spent a lot of time reading about this ancient city. As you know, London is divided into 32 boroughs and the City. From another hand it is divided into 4 main sections: the City, the West End, the East End and the South Bank. If you want to see the ancient edifices and to enjoy the beauty of history, you should go to the City. The City of London is the historical heart of London. This area was already a bustling trading post almost 2000 years ago, when it was a part of the Roman empire. Many of the irregular streets still follow the ancient Roman roads. Plenty of historic landmarks attest to the City's storied past. The most famous is the domed St. Paul's Cathedral, built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. And also you can find there the Guildhall, a beautiful early 15th century edifice that was reconstructed in the 17th century in a neo-Gothic style. And also you’ll enjoy the aspects of Royal Exchange Building and the Monument. But the City is not only about the ancient buildings. You’ll find there well-known modern building as the Lloyd's of London, designed by Richard Rogers, the architect of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. A more recent, but equally remarkable(Ð ½Ã µÃ ºÃ'€Ð °Ã' Ã ¸Ã ²Ã ¾:(( ) tower in the City is Barbican 30 St. Mary Axe, commonly known as the Gherkin. And if you want to go shopping, my advice is to go the West End of the city. The Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, where six streets come together. And don’t forget to visit my favorite Harrods. As they say, they have all goods for all the people from everywhere, but if they have money to pay. It’s a paradise for the shopaholics and for people that like exquisite things. I even heard that a baby-elephant was bought in Harrods for some well-known person. And if you come there at the sales season, you’ll have a great opportunity to buy everything at reduced prices. The South Bank of the site is a great modern cultural center where a great number of theatres, concert halls and art galleries are situated. And if you want to become a part of cultural life of London, you should go there and enjoy the plays, performances, exhibitions. So, the best advice I can give you is to enjoy this immaculate city, it’s culture and its’ beautiful traditions. Hello, Caron! I heard you’re going to London these holidays! Oh, I must confess that you’re stealing the dream of my life! I’m getting a bit jealous because I still don’t have an opportunity to go there. But anyway, it’s great that you’ re (visiting/going to visit) this amazing country! And I’d like to advise you some places to visit as I spent a lot of time reading about this ancient city. As you know, London is divided into 32 boroughs and the City. From another hand it is divided into 4 main sections: the City, the West End, the East End and the South Bank. If you want to see the ancient edifices and to enjoy the beauty of history, you should go to the City. The City of London is the historical heart of London. This area was already a bustling trading post almost 2000 years ago, when it was a part of the Roman empire. Many of the irregular streets still follow the ancient Roman roads. Plenty of historic landmarks attest to the City's storied past. The most famous is the domed St. Paul's Cathedral, built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. And also you can find there the Guildhall, a beautiful early 15th century edifice that was reconstructed in the 17th century in a neo-Gothic style. And also you’ll enjoy the aspects of Royal Exchange Building and the Monument. But the City is not only about the ancient buildings. You’ll find there well-known modern building as the Lloyd's of London, designed by Richard Rogers, the architect of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. A more recent, but equally remarkable(Ð ½Ã µÃ ºÃ'€Ð °Ã' Ã ¸Ã ²Ã ¾:(( ) tower in the City is Barbican 30 St. Mary Axe, commonly known as the Gherkin. And if you want to go shopping, my advice is to go the West End of the city. The Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, where six streets come together. And don’t forget to visit my favorite Harrods. As they say, they have all goods for all the people from everywhere, but if they have money to pay. It’s a paradise for the shopaholics and for people that like exquisite things. I even heard that a baby-elephant was bought in Harrods for some well-known person. And if you come there at the sales season, you’ll have a great opportunity to buy everything at reduced prices. The South Bank of the site is a great modern cultural center where a great number of theatres, concert halls and art galleries are situated. And if you want to become a part of cultural life of London, you should go there and enjoy the plays, performances, exhibitions. So, the best advice I can give you is to enjoy this immaculate city, it’s culture and its’ beautiful traditions. Hello, Caron! I heard you’re going to London these holidays! Oh, I must confess that you’re stealing the dream of my life! I’m getting a bit jealous because I still don’t have an opportunity to go there. But anyway, it’s great that you’ re visitingthis amazing country! And I’d like to advise you some places to visit as I spent a lot of time reading about this ancient city. As you know, London is divided into 32 boroughs and the City. From another hand it is divided into 4 main sections: the City, the West End, the East End and the South Bank. If you want to see the ancient edifices and to enjoy the beauty of history, you should go to the City. The City of London is the historical heart of London. This area was already a bustling trading post almost 2000 years ago, when it was a part of the Roman empire. Many of the irregular streets still follow the ancient Roman roads. Plenty of historic landmarks attest to the City's storied past. The most famous is the domed St. Paul's Cathedral, built in the 17th century by Sir Christopher Wren. And also you can find there the Guildhall, a beautiful early 15th century edifice that was reconstructed in the 17th century in a neo-Gothic style. And also you’ll enjoy the aspects of Royal Exchange Building and the Monument. But the City is not only about the ancient buildings. You’ll find there well-known modern building as the Lloyd's of London, designed by Richard Rogers, the architect of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. A more recent, but equally remarkable tower in the City is Barbican 30 St. Mary Axe, commonly known as the Gherkin. And if you want to go shopping, my advice is to go the West End of the city. The Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, where six streets come together. And don’t forget to visit my favorite Harrods. As they say, they have all goods for all the people from everywhere, but if they have money to pay. It’s a paradise for the shopaholics and for people that like exquisite things. I even heard that a baby-elephant was bought in Harrods for some well-known person. And if you come there at the sales season, you’ll have a great opportunity to buy everything at reduced prices. The South Bank of the site is a great modern cultural center where a great number of theatres, concert halls and art galleries are situated. And if you want to become a part of cultural life of London, you should go there and enjoy the plays, performances, exhibitions. So, the best advice I can give you is to enjoy this immaculate city, it’s culture and its’ beautiful traditions.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Bowling for Columbine

According to Megan McArdle, â€Å"Since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shootings* across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii. Twenty-five of these mass shootings have occurred since 2006, and seven of them took place in 2012. † Violence in schools as well as the country is on the rise at an alarming rate, raising questions about gun control. After viewing the documentary Bowling for Columbine, I was intrigued. What follows is a summary of the documentary viewed and my thoughtful reaction.First, the shocking information and summary of school shootings and gun control must be understood. Throughout the documentary, shocking information on school shootings is shown. On April 20, 1999, the town of Littleton, Colorado was changed forever by the violent acts of two students at Columbine High School. According to the documentary, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold started their morning off by bowling at a local bowling alley. Harris a nd Klebold then proceeded to the high school equipped with ammunition and guns legally purchased at Kmart.Along with the firearms and ammunition, Harris and Klebold were dressed in long, black trench coats, earning them the name, â€Å"Trench Coat Mafia†. Once at the school, pipe bombs were set-off, ensuing mass chaos. Harris and Klebold then fired over 900 rounds of ammunition on students and teachers, killing 12 students and 2 teachers followed by committing suicide. After ignoring pleas, the National Rifle Society (NRA) held a pro-gun rally in Littleton, Colorado a mere Ten days after the school shooting at Columbine.Charleston Heston, NRA President, caused quite a stir when asked to leave and take his guns with saying, â€Å"you can pry them from my cold dead hands†. After Columbine, schools locked down on their students. Many schools enforced new uniform policies to ensure weapons could not be concealed in clothing or other places. Along with clothing options, the definition of weapons changed from guns and knives to paper, chicken strips, hair color, paperclips, kilts, and even finger pointing while saying ‘pow-pow’. Numerous things have been blamed for the violence that occurred at Columbine.Some of these things include music, video games, movies, race, the media, bullying, and in Littleton, Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest manufacturer of weapons and is responsible for many of the weapons used in wars. On April 20, 1999, President Clinton dropped the biggest assault on Kosovo the war had seen. Lockheed Martin built the majority of the bombs and missiles used. Columbine was not the first and sadly, not the last of school shootings and violence in America. Before the Columbine shooting, Timothy McVey, Terry Nichols, and James Nichols bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.James Nichols was the only member that was not convicted, although all of the planning and bomb construc tion was done on his organic farm in Decker, Michigan. Moore went to visit Nichols on his farm to interview him on his stance on gun control and the Oklahoma City Bombing. Nichols, along with Klebold and Harris, used the Anarchist Cookbook to make many of the bombs used in their acts of violence. When asked why not use words instead of violence, Nichols replied, â€Å"The pen is mightier than the sword. But you need to have a sword too if it doesn’t work†.Gun Control in America is a very controversial issue. While many states have laws against guns, Virgin, Utah mandates that all citizens must own a weapon. Every year, the United States has over 11,127 killings by guns, while German, France, Canada, U. K. , Australia, and Japan have a combined total of 973 killings per year. Many things such as divorce, poverty, violent music and video games, and a history of violent behavior in the United States have all been speculated as causes for school violence.While there have b een many things blamed as a cause for violence, statistics show that murders have decreased by 20% but the media coverage has gone up by 600%. Each night, the media portrays America as a scary place full of nightmares around every corner, ensuing fear and panic in the general public. In Canada, new coverage is more positive and viewers are not being pumped full of fear daily. While the factors are the same, the rates for violence are far fewer. There is a misconception that Canadians do not own guns, but each family has an average of 7 guns per household.With less fear and violence, it is common for Canadians to keep their doors unlock, a theory tested and proved to be true by Moore. Once again tragedy struck in Flint, Michigan on February 29, 2000, when 6-year-old Dedrick Owens shot and killed his classmate, Kayla Rolland. Flint, Michigan has close to 87% of people living below the poverty line and many are enrolled in the ‘Welfare to Work’ program. The welfare program has many single parents riding a bus for over an hour one-way to a minimum wage job, often leaving children unattended, being the case with Dedrick Owens.Left unsupervised, Owens was able to access a gun and bring it to school. Many people wanted Owens tried as an adult, although he was only 6 years old. Eight months after the shooting, Heston and the NRA arrived in Flint, Michigan for the â€Å"Get Out and Vote† campaign. Heston was criticized for, once again, showing up to a town of a recent school shooting. When interviewed by Moore, Heston became very upset and stopped the interview when asked why he comes to towns to hold rallies after school shootings. Next, my thoughtful reaction to the documentary along with questions.While I found the documentary to be very interesting, I feel that it focused too much on being a smear campaign towards the NRA and showed very little on Columbine, yet the title was Bowling for Columbine. Instead of conveying the severity of the massac re, Moore downplayed the situation by calling Harris and Klebold ‘boys’. By doing this, Moore made it seem as though Harris and Klebold did not understand what they were doing as well as making them seem more innocent. In reality, Klebold and Harris â€Å"had begun thinking about a large massacre as early as April 1998 – a full year before the actual event† (Rosenberg 1).Throughout the documentary, Moore creates a lot of false impressions, many of them being with Charleston Heston. For instance, Moore splices many of Heston’s speeches to make it seem as though he is a villain. One particular quote, â€Å"From my cold dead hands† was taken from a speech done one year later in South Carolina, not at the rally held 10 days after in Denver, Colorado shown in Bowling for Columbine. Moore also makes Heston seem like a racist when in fact, Heston worked with Martin Luther King Jr. in protests and helped break Hollywood’s color barrier (hardyl aw. net).Along with false impressions, I was left wondering where Moore got his statistics and information seeing as he listed no sources. According to Moore, in 2002 there were 11,127 deaths by guns in the United States when it is actually closer to 8,000 (Hardy 1). While the documentary had many things I did not agree with, there were a few that I appreciated. The film opened my eyes to the violence that goes on each day throughout the World. Gun control is a major issue that needs to be addressed, especially the issue of determining how people can obtain weapons and ammunition.At the end of the film, Moore and two survivors from Columbine get Kmart to stop selling weapons and bullets. Personally, I think this was the most honest and sincere part of the entire documentary. In conclusion, there are many things that I learned after viewing Bowling For Columbine. What followed was a summary of the documentary along with my thoughtful reactions. When asked what he would say to Harris and Klebold if he had the chance, Marylin Manson replied, â€Å"Nothing! I would listen, that’s what nobody did†. Perhaps violence in schools, as well as life, could be reduced if people just took the time to listen.Works Cited Hardy, David T. Bowling for Columbine. David T. Hardy, Apr. 2003. Web. 12 Mar 2013. McArdle, Megan. Department of Awful Statistics: Are Mass Shootings Really On the Rise? The Daily Beast, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. Rosenberg, Jennifer. Columbine Massacre. About, N. d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013 Bowling for Columbine According to Megan McArdle, â€Å"Since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shootings* across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii. Twenty-five of these mass shootings have occurred since 2006, and seven of them took place in 2012. † Violence in schools as well as the country is on the rise at an alarming rate, raising questions about gun control. After viewing the documentary Bowling for Columbine, I was intrigued. What follows is a summary of the documentary viewed and my thoughtful reaction.First, the shocking information and summary of school shootings and gun control must be understood. Throughout the documentary, shocking information on school shootings is shown. On April 20, 1999, the town of Littleton, Colorado was changed forever by the violent acts of two students at Columbine High School. According to the documentary, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold started their morning off by bowling at a local bowling alley. Harris a nd Klebold then proceeded to the high school equipped with ammunition and guns legally purchased at Kmart.Along with the firearms and ammunition, Harris and Klebold were dressed in long, black trench coats, earning them the name, â€Å"Trench Coat Mafia†. Once at the school, pipe bombs were set-off, ensuing mass chaos. Harris and Klebold then fired over 900 rounds of ammunition on students and teachers, killing 12 students and 2 teachers followed by committing suicide. After ignoring pleas, the National Rifle Society (NRA) held a pro-gun rally in Littleton, Colorado a mere Ten days after the school shooting at Columbine.Charleston Heston, NRA President, caused quite a stir when asked to leave and take his guns with saying, â€Å"you can pry them from my cold dead hands†. After Columbine, schools locked down on their students. Many schools enforced new uniform policies to ensure weapons could not be concealed in clothing or other places. Along with clothing options, the definition of weapons changed from guns and knives to paper, chicken strips, hair color, paperclips, kilts, and even finger pointing while saying ‘pow-pow’. Numerous things have been blamed for the violence that occurred at Columbine.Some of these things include music, video games, movies, race, the media, bullying, and in Littleton, Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest manufacturer of weapons and is responsible for many of the weapons used in wars. On April 20, 1999, President Clinton dropped the biggest assault on Kosovo the war had seen. Lockheed Martin built the majority of the bombs and missiles used. Columbine was not the first and sadly, not the last of school shootings and violence in America. Before the Columbine shooting, Timothy McVey, Terry Nichols, and James Nichols bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.James Nichols was the only member that was not convicted, although all of the planning and bomb construc tion was done on his organic farm in Decker, Michigan. Moore went to visit Nichols on his farm to interview him on his stance on gun control and the Oklahoma City Bombing. Nichols, along with Klebold and Harris, used the Anarchist Cookbook to make many of the bombs used in their acts of violence. When asked why not use words instead of violence, Nichols replied, â€Å"The pen is mightier than the sword. But you need to have a sword too if it doesn’t work†.Gun Control in America is a very controversial issue. While many states have laws against guns, Virgin, Utah mandates that all citizens must own a weapon. Every year, the United States has over 11,127 killings by guns, while German, France, Canada, U. K. , Australia, and Japan have a combined total of 973 killings per year. Many things such as divorce, poverty, violent music and video games, and a history of violent behavior in the United States have all been speculated as causes for school violence.While there have b een many things blamed as a cause for violence, statistics show that murders have decreased by 20% but the media coverage has gone up by 600%. Each night, the media portrays America as a scary place full of nightmares around every corner, ensuing fear and panic in the general public. In Canada, new coverage is more positive and viewers are not being pumped full of fear daily. While the factors are the same, the rates for violence are far fewer. There is a misconception that Canadians do not own guns, but each family has an average of 7 guns per household.With less fear and violence, it is common for Canadians to keep their doors unlock, a theory tested and proved to be true by Moore. Once again tragedy struck in Flint, Michigan on February 29, 2000, when 6-year-old Dedrick Owens shot and killed his classmate, Kayla Rolland. Flint, Michigan has close to 87% of people living below the poverty line and many are enrolled in the ‘Welfare to Work’ program. The welfare program has many single parents riding a bus for over an hour one-way to a minimum wage job, often leaving children unattended, being the case with Dedrick Owens.Left unsupervised, Owens was able to access a gun and bring it to school. Many people wanted Owens tried as an adult, although he was only 6 years old. Eight months after the shooting, Heston and the NRA arrived in Flint, Michigan for the â€Å"Get Out and Vote† campaign. Heston was criticized for, once again, showing up to a town of a recent school shooting. When interviewed by Moore, Heston became very upset and stopped the interview when asked why he comes to towns to hold rallies after school shootings. Next, my thoughtful reaction to the documentary along with questions.While I found the documentary to be very interesting, I feel that it focused too much on being a smear campaign towards the NRA and showed very little on Columbine, yet the title was Bowling for Columbine. Instead of conveying the severity of the massac re, Moore downplayed the situation by calling Harris and Klebold ‘boys’. By doing this, Moore made it seem as though Harris and Klebold did not understand what they were doing as well as making them seem more innocent. In reality, Klebold and Harris â€Å"had begun thinking about a large massacre as early as April 1998 – a full year before the actual event† (Rosenberg 1).Throughout the documentary, Moore creates a lot of false impressions, many of them being with Charleston Heston. For instance, Moore splices many of Heston’s speeches to make it seem as though he is a villain. One particular quote, â€Å"From my cold dead hands† was taken from a speech done one year later in South Carolina, not at the rally held 10 days after in Denver, Colorado shown in Bowling for Columbine. Moore also makes Heston seem like a racist when in fact, Heston worked with Martin Luther King Jr. in protests and helped break Hollywood’s color barrier (hardyl aw. net).Along with false impressions, I was left wondering where Moore got his statistics and information seeing as he listed no sources. According to Moore, in 2002 there were 11,127 deaths by guns in the United States when it is actually closer to 8,000 (Hardy 1). While the documentary had many things I did not agree with, there were a few that I appreciated. The film opened my eyes to the violence that goes on each day throughout the World. Gun control is a major issue that needs to be addressed, especially the issue of determining how people can obtain weapons and ammunition.At the end of the film, Moore and two survivors from Columbine get Kmart to stop selling weapons and bullets. Personally, I think this was the most honest and sincere part of the entire documentary. In conclusion, there are many things that I learned after viewing Bowling For Columbine. What followed was a summary of the documentary along with my thoughtful reactions. When asked what he would say to Harris and Klebold if he had the chance, Marylin Manson replied, â€Å"Nothing! I would listen, that’s what nobody did†. Perhaps violence in schools, as well as life, could be reduced if people just took the time to listen.Works Cited Hardy, David T. Bowling for Columbine. David T. Hardy, Apr. 2003. Web. 12 Mar 2013. McArdle, Megan. Department of Awful Statistics: Are Mass Shootings Really On the Rise? The Daily Beast, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. Rosenberg, Jennifer. Columbine Massacre. About, N. d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013 Bowling for Columbine According to Megan McArdle, â€Å"Since 1982, there have been at least 62 mass shootings* across the country, with the killings unfolding in 30 states from Massachusetts to Hawaii. Twenty-five of these mass shootings have occurred since 2006, and seven of them took place in 2012. † Violence in schools as well as the country is on the rise at an alarming rate, raising questions about gun control. After viewing the documentary Bowling for Columbine, I was intrigued. What follows is a summary of the documentary viewed and my thoughtful reaction.First, the shocking information and summary of school shootings and gun control must be understood. Throughout the documentary, shocking information on school shootings is shown. On April 20, 1999, the town of Littleton, Colorado was changed forever by the violent acts of two students at Columbine High School. According to the documentary, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold started their morning off by bowling at a local bowling alley. Harris a nd Klebold then proceeded to the high school equipped with ammunition and guns legally purchased at Kmart.Along with the firearms and ammunition, Harris and Klebold were dressed in long, black trench coats, earning them the name, â€Å"Trench Coat Mafia†. Once at the school, pipe bombs were set-off, ensuing mass chaos. Harris and Klebold then fired over 900 rounds of ammunition on students and teachers, killing 12 students and 2 teachers followed by committing suicide. After ignoring pleas, the National Rifle Society (NRA) held a pro-gun rally in Littleton, Colorado a mere Ten days after the school shooting at Columbine.Charleston Heston, NRA President, caused quite a stir when asked to leave and take his guns with saying, â€Å"you can pry them from my cold dead hands†. After Columbine, schools locked down on their students. Many schools enforced new uniform policies to ensure weapons could not be concealed in clothing or other places. Along with clothing options, the definition of weapons changed from guns and knives to paper, chicken strips, hair color, paperclips, kilts, and even finger pointing while saying ‘pow-pow’. Numerous things have been blamed for the violence that occurred at Columbine.Some of these things include music, video games, movies, race, the media, bullying, and in Littleton, Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin is the world’s largest manufacturer of weapons and is responsible for many of the weapons used in wars. On April 20, 1999, President Clinton dropped the biggest assault on Kosovo the war had seen. Lockheed Martin built the majority of the bombs and missiles used. Columbine was not the first and sadly, not the last of school shootings and violence in America. Before the Columbine shooting, Timothy McVey, Terry Nichols, and James Nichols bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people.James Nichols was the only member that was not convicted, although all of the planning and bomb construc tion was done on his organic farm in Decker, Michigan. Moore went to visit Nichols on his farm to interview him on his stance on gun control and the Oklahoma City Bombing. Nichols, along with Klebold and Harris, used the Anarchist Cookbook to make many of the bombs used in their acts of violence. When asked why not use words instead of violence, Nichols replied, â€Å"The pen is mightier than the sword. But you need to have a sword too if it doesn’t work†.Gun Control in America is a very controversial issue. While many states have laws against guns, Virgin, Utah mandates that all citizens must own a weapon. Every year, the United States has over 11,127 killings by guns, while German, France, Canada, U. K. , Australia, and Japan have a combined total of 973 killings per year. Many things such as divorce, poverty, violent music and video games, and a history of violent behavior in the United States have all been speculated as causes for school violence.While there have b een many things blamed as a cause for violence, statistics show that murders have decreased by 20% but the media coverage has gone up by 600%. Each night, the media portrays America as a scary place full of nightmares around every corner, ensuing fear and panic in the general public. In Canada, new coverage is more positive and viewers are not being pumped full of fear daily. While the factors are the same, the rates for violence are far fewer. There is a misconception that Canadians do not own guns, but each family has an average of 7 guns per household.With less fear and violence, it is common for Canadians to keep their doors unlock, a theory tested and proved to be true by Moore. Once again tragedy struck in Flint, Michigan on February 29, 2000, when 6-year-old Dedrick Owens shot and killed his classmate, Kayla Rolland. Flint, Michigan has close to 87% of people living below the poverty line and many are enrolled in the ‘Welfare to Work’ program. The welfare program has many single parents riding a bus for over an hour one-way to a minimum wage job, often leaving children unattended, being the case with Dedrick Owens.Left unsupervised, Owens was able to access a gun and bring it to school. Many people wanted Owens tried as an adult, although he was only 6 years old. Eight months after the shooting, Heston and the NRA arrived in Flint, Michigan for the â€Å"Get Out and Vote† campaign. Heston was criticized for, once again, showing up to a town of a recent school shooting. When interviewed by Moore, Heston became very upset and stopped the interview when asked why he comes to towns to hold rallies after school shootings. Next, my thoughtful reaction to the documentary along with questions.While I found the documentary to be very interesting, I feel that it focused too much on being a smear campaign towards the NRA and showed very little on Columbine, yet the title was Bowling for Columbine. Instead of conveying the severity of the massac re, Moore downplayed the situation by calling Harris and Klebold ‘boys’. By doing this, Moore made it seem as though Harris and Klebold did not understand what they were doing as well as making them seem more innocent. In reality, Klebold and Harris â€Å"had begun thinking about a large massacre as early as April 1998 – a full year before the actual event† (Rosenberg 1).Throughout the documentary, Moore creates a lot of false impressions, many of them being with Charleston Heston. For instance, Moore splices many of Heston’s speeches to make it seem as though he is a villain. One particular quote, â€Å"From my cold dead hands† was taken from a speech done one year later in South Carolina, not at the rally held 10 days after in Denver, Colorado shown in Bowling for Columbine. Moore also makes Heston seem like a racist when in fact, Heston worked with Martin Luther King Jr. in protests and helped break Hollywood’s color barrier (hardyl aw. net).Along with false impressions, I was left wondering where Moore got his statistics and information seeing as he listed no sources. According to Moore, in 2002 there were 11,127 deaths by guns in the United States when it is actually closer to 8,000 (Hardy 1). While the documentary had many things I did not agree with, there were a few that I appreciated. The film opened my eyes to the violence that goes on each day throughout the World. Gun control is a major issue that needs to be addressed, especially the issue of determining how people can obtain weapons and ammunition.At the end of the film, Moore and two survivors from Columbine get Kmart to stop selling weapons and bullets. Personally, I think this was the most honest and sincere part of the entire documentary. In conclusion, there are many things that I learned after viewing Bowling For Columbine. What followed was a summary of the documentary along with my thoughtful reactions. When asked what he would say to Harris and Klebold if he had the chance, Marylin Manson replied, â€Å"Nothing! I would listen, that’s what nobody did†. Perhaps violence in schools, as well as life, could be reduced if people just took the time to listen.Works Cited Hardy, David T. Bowling for Columbine. David T. Hardy, Apr. 2003. Web. 12 Mar 2013. McArdle, Megan. Department of Awful Statistics: Are Mass Shootings Really On the Rise? The Daily Beast, 28 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013. Rosenberg, Jennifer. Columbine Massacre. About, N. d. Web. 12 Mar. 2013

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

7 Terms with the Root -Vore

7 Terms with the Root -Vore 7 Terms with the Root â€Å"-Vore† 7 Terms with the Root â€Å"-Vore† By Mark Nichol Are you a locavore? Probably not it’s still a fringe movement but you should know what it means, even if you do not consider yourself a member of the class. A discussion of locavore and six related words follows: 1. Locavore The term was coined in 2005 by a group of San Franciscans who launched the website Locavore.com to spread the word about the conservationist concept of striving to restrict one’s diet to foods and ingredients produced locally. (Some locavores quantify the range as anywhere within a one-hundred-mile radius, but most are not exact in their limits.) Locavore is based on other words in which the -vore root appears (the root word is from the Latin term vorare, meaning â€Å"to devour†): 2. Carnivore A carnivore is a person or animal (or a plant) that eats meat; the prefix is from the Latin word for â€Å"flesh.† Other words sharing the root are carnal, meaning â€Å"of the flesh† and connoting sexual matters, and carnage, which comes from the Latin word carnaticum, meaning â€Å"tribute of flesh† and referring originally to the bodies of slain animals or people but now usually referring to slaughter in general. Interestingly, these words are also etymologically related to carnival, which stems from an Italian term, carnelevare, meaning â€Å"removal of meat.† (Carnival referred originally to a celebration before Lent, during a period when Catholics were prohibited from eating meat.) 3. Herbivore An herbivore is an animal that eats vegetable matter; the Latin root from which the prefix herb- and herb and other words based on it are derived, herba, means plant.† Human herbivores are generally referred to as vegetarians; if they refrain from eating anything derived from animals, from dairy products to gelatin, they are called vegans. Terms of further refinement are â€Å"lacto-ovo vegetarian,† for a person who eschews rather than chews meat but does consume milk and eggs (the root lac- means â€Å"milk† seen in lactate and lactic and ovo-, the root of oval, refers to eggs) and â€Å"lacto-ovo-pesco vegetarian,† or, more simply, pescetarian, for one who eats fish but not meat. (The root pesc-, from the Latin term piscis, means â€Å"fish.†) 4. Insectivore This self-explanatory term (insect is from the Latin term insecare, â€Å"to cut into,† and is related to incisive, scissors, and the like) is nearly synonymous with entomophage (from the Latin elements ento-, meaning â€Å"insect,† and -phage, meaning â€Å"eating†), though the latter term primarily refers to human practitioners. 5. Omnivore An omnivore is something that eats both meat and plants (and often fish but not necessarily insects); omni- seen also in omniscient and omnipresent means â€Å"all.† 6. Piscivore A piscivore, also called an ichthyophage (ichthy means â€Å"fish†), eats fish, though, like most other groups classified here, the term refers to the primary type of diet and does not imply exclusivity. 7. Voracious Voracious, synonymous with ravenous or insatiable, means â€Å"having a great appetite† or refers to intense greediness or eagerness. The noun form is voracity. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowTime Words: Era, Epoch, and Eon10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

Monday, October 21, 2019

James West and the Invention of the Microphone

James West and the Invention of the Microphone James Edward West, Ph.D., was a Bell Laboratories Fellow at Lucent Technologies where he specialized in electro, physical and architectural acoustics. He retired in 2001 after dedicated more than 40 years to the company. He then took a position as a research professor with Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering.   Born in Prince Edward County, Virginia on February 10, 1931, West attended Temple University and interned at Bell Labs during his summer breaks. Upon his graduation in 1957, he joined Bell Labs and began work in electroacoustics, physical acoustics, and architectural acoustics. In conjunction with Gerhard Sessler, West patented the electret microphone in 1964 while working at Bell Laboratories. West’s Research   Wests research in the early 1960s led to the development of the foil electret transducers for sound recording and voice communication that are used in 90 percent all microphones built today. These electrets are also at the heart of most telephones now being manufactured. The new microphone became widely used because of its high performance, accuracy, and reliability. It also cost little to produce, and it was small and light weight. The electret transducer began as the result of an accident, like many notable inventions. West was fooling around with a radio – he loved taking things apart and putting them back together as a child, or at least attempting to put them back together. In this instance, he became acquainted with electricity, something that would fascinate him for years.   West’s Microphone   James West joined forces with Sessler while he was at Bell. Their goal was to develop a compact, sensitive microphone that wouldn’t cost a fortune to produce. They completed development of their electret microphone in 1962 – it worked on the basis of the electret transducers they had developed – and they began production of the device in 1969. Their invention became the standard of the industry. The vast majority of microphones used today in everything from baby monitors and hearing aids to telephones, camcorders and tape recorders all use Bell’s technology. James West holds 47 U.S. patents and more than 200 foreign patents on microphones and techniques for making polymer ​foil electrets. He has authored more than 100 papers and has contributed to books on acoustics, solid-state physics, and material science. He has received numerous awards, including the Golden Torch Award in 1998 sponsored by the National Society of Black Engineers, and the Lewis Howard Latimer Light Switch and Socket Award in 1989. He was chosen New Jersey Inventor of the Year in 1995 and was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 1999. He was appointed president of the Acoustical Society of American in 1997 and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Both James  West and Gerhard Sessler were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1999.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Australian Surging Housing Prices

The surging housing prices in Australia is spearheaded by the acceleration in the Sydney Australian, the largest as well as the most expensive market. As reflected in the most recent Home Value Index by CoreLogic RP Data, the capital city has its housing prices surging by 1.6 percent in May. This shot in housing prices left the rise over the first five months of the year at five percent (Draper 2000). The medium dwelling price in Australia across the nation pegs at $580,000. The trend has shown no slowdown but has rather bucked the anticipation from the various parties early in the year that prices of houses were due to deteriorating. The surging price is a clear manifestation of the high rise construction booms beginning to influence the values of the apartments (Karantonis and Janet Ge 2007). A greater proportion of the price surging evolved from free prices that lurched 1.8 percent thereby overwhelming a smaller 0.1 percent rise in units. The strong 3.1 percent growth in Sydney that accounted for the gains witnessed in May that took median dwelling price to $782,000. The past quarter saw the prices in Sydney jumping by a record 6.6 percent leaving the gain over the previous year at 13.1 percent. The prices of housing outside Sydney in all capital except Perth recorded gains of between 0.1- and 2.5 percent (Duca, Muellbauer and Murphy 2010). Despite being far below the pace witnessed in Sydney over the same period, there was a thirteen percent price surging by May 2015, and this was the fasted annual pace across Australia. The price leaped by 0.1 percent in Brisbane while it shot 0.7 percent in Darwin. In Canberra and Hobart, the surging were 2.2 percent and 2.5 percent in that order. Perth which is the most exposed capital to the mining sector fortunes and it went on record as the single capital to have recorded a decrease in the prices of the housing of 2.7 percent. Since May 2012, Australian Housing prices have increased by 36.6 percent with Sydney recording a surging of 57.5%, the steepest rise over the period (Rahman 2008). The record in Sydney showed that it outpaced gains of 18.5% and 39.4% for Brisbane and Melbourne respectively that took third and second spots.  Ã‚   From the above table, the monthly, annual, as well as quarterly changes in the prices of house crossways Australia's capital besides the current median value per city, have been revealed. It has been suggested by Lawless, the leader of research at CoreLogic that a rise in investor operations ahead of the federal election probably accounted or hastening in property prices in Sydney in May. It has been noted that the degree to which the investors fuel the recent outpouring in Sydney home value is challenging to quantify (Rahman 2008). Nevertheless, the data from housing finance to March demonstrated that investors have been trending upward since hitting the latest trough in November 2015 at 42.9 percent as a proportion of the whole new mortgage mitments. Data drawn from March indicates that investors currently entail 47.6 percent of the whole new mortgage obligations that is the highest proportional reading since August 2015 (Rahman 2008).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Other factors that have led to surging prices include short-term factors (interest rates, investment demand, and economic climate) institutional factors (financial deregulation as well as innovation, land supply as well as land-use planning system and government taxes, levies as well as charges). Long term factors include demography, wealth effects and economic growth. The Australian government can embrace various macroeconomic factors to guarantee housing affordability to the young generation. It has been shown that government taxes, charges, and levies account for the surges in housing prices (Rahman 2008). The government imposes taxes, levies a well as charges at all levels in Australia on the urban land development and development. Investors, therefore, face such costs as developer levies, stamp duty on both transfer and sale of land as well as land tax alongside GST on new house construction as well as renovation of the existing houses. The government can subsidize the housing sectors through reduction of these costs to ensure that developers do pass these burden to the eventual housing prices. This will reduce the ‘total indirect task take’ which is noted to be above $124,000 in Sydney and over $88,000 in Melbourne. Without this, this cost will add up to a remarkable ponent of prices of house and hence the lack of affordability of the housing for the young generation (Rahman 2008). Both land prices and affordability correlate with the price of land that is determined by the developed urban land supply. The supply of residential land is influenced by the cost of development, the land development industry structure, and rules as well as the effectiveness of the land-use planning system (Ge and Williams 2015). The government has the power to control land uses which impact on both availability of developed land as well as the related cost of such lands. Since it takes quite some time to bring the underdeveloped land into mercial use besides the lags cost by government regulation on land use which decreases the short-term responsiveness of land supply to immediate land demand pressure, there is a need for the government to waive or reduce the lag (Draper 2000). Reducing this land would mean that the inelastic short-term price of supply is eliminated. Accordingly, since it the short-term price inelasticity of supply is an accelerator of price surging, its removal wil l result in affordable housing prices for the young generation (Oster and Miller 2005).    The government can also respond to increase in housing prices through interest manipulations. This is because for a given level of price, the rates of interest means reduced mortgages repayments. With a reduction in repayment, developers have increased the opportunity of borrowing at any repayment to- i e ratio. The effect of this would be a rise in the demand, and hence housing prices increase ceteris paribus. Conversely, a surged rate of interest will ease the demand (Bourassa, Hendershott and Murphy 2001). The effect would be either stagnating prices, a moderate rise in price or declining prices depending on the aggregated influence of other factors. The government should control the prices of the housing by ensuring a high but stable interest rate so as to eliminate the influence that nominal mortgage rate of interest has on real house price surging both in the short- and long-term. This action will try to weaken the lasting effect that lower rates of interest have had on prices rise in the previous years that are still being felt to date through hiked housing price in the country (Bourassa and Hendershott 2005). The government can also make sure that housing is affordable by controlling the wealth effect. Every society perceives housing as a central store of wealth. It is acknowledged that gross housing assets account for over 50% of the total personal wealth in Australia. Owner occupier, as well as landlord-investors, have a feeling of wealth when the prices of the existing houses are hiking (wealth effect) resulting in a rise in consumption spending (Bewley, Dvornak and Livera 2004). Accordingly, the aggregate demand and hence economic growth results in support of the increasing prices of the house via a self-reinforcing cycle. The current surging in prices have resulted from this and hence the government must not allow this to continue into the future. The government should curb the wealth effect by ensuring that prices of the existing housing do not shoot (Badcock 2009). The government needs to make sure that cases of decreased supply of affordable private rental housing, dwindling suppl y of social housing as well as prolonged time consumed to release new land are eliminated since all these are an essential recipe for lurching house prices in Australia. The stamp duty concession, grant and cash assistance to the occupants by Federal Government First Home Owners are only but costly failures as they have perpetuated increase in expensive houses (Badcock 2004). These policies have failed as they only work on the ‘demand side’ of the housing market with no precise and significant rise in the supply of affordable housing. The government must focus on affordability policies that tend to increase housing supply especially low-cost housing. Reduction of the duration taken to bring land and housing to market must receive particular attention henceforth. The desirable land supply a panied by proper transport facilities and infrastructure alongside the affordable rental housing supply has to be enhanced. The government must give support to the marginal purchasers via appropriate assistance to dwell in their homes (Ahearne et al. 2005). The government needs to develop a national affordable housing strategy that will be helpful in the reduction of housing stress alongside housing crises in Australia.   Ahearne, A.G., Ammer, J., Doyle, B.M., Kole, L.S. and Martin, R.F., 2005. House prices and monetary policy: A cross-country study. International finance discussion papers, 841. Badcock, B., 2004. ‘Snakes or Ladders?’: The Housing Market and Wealth Distribution in Australia. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 18(4), pp.609-627. Badcock, B., 2009. An Australian view of the rent gap hypothesis. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 79(1), pp.125-145. Bewley, R., Dvornak, N. and Livera, V., 2004. House price spirals: Where the buck starts. mSec, monwealth Bank, Sydney. Bourassa, S.C. and Hendershott, P.H., 2005. Australian capital city real house prices, 1979–1993. Australian Economic Review, 28(3), pp.16-26. Bourassa, S.C., Hendershott, P.H. and Murphy, J., 2001. Further evidence on the existence of housing market bubbles. Journal of Property Research, 18(1), pp.1-19. Draper, D.A.G., 2000. Rent control and the efficiency of the housing market. Duca, J.V., Muellbauer, J. and Murphy, A., 2010. Housing markets and the financial crisis of 2007–2009: lessons for the future. Journal of Financial Stability, 6(4), pp.203-217. Ge, X.J. and Williams, B., 2015. House Price Determinants in Sydney (No. eres2015-230). European Real Estate Society (ERES). Karantonis, A. and Janet Ge, X., 2007. An empirical study of the determinants of Sydney’s dwelling price. Pacific Rim Property Research Journal, 13(4), pp.493-509. Oster, A. and Miller, P.W., 2005. House Prices-Drivers and Links to the Broader Economy: Rational or Irrational Exuberance. [Department of] Economics, University of Western Australia. Rahman, M.M., 2008. Australian housing market: causes and effects of rising price. In Proceedings of the 37th Australian Conference of Economists (ACE 2008). Economic Society of Australia (Queensland).  

Friday, October 18, 2019

Contemporary Issue Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contemporary Issue Analysis - Assignment Example ecific stages of education, and what they should be capable of doing, irrespective of socio-economic status, and other factors that contribute to inequality. It ensures equality and quality in education. Considering this description and the purpose of standardization to achieve appropriate outcomes, standardization of the curriculum is good. Standardization of the curriculum can happen at different levels, that is, at national, state, district and school levels. There is however standardization of the curriculum to fit all, which is not appropriate considering the current U.S education system. Standardization of the curriculum to fit all in this case refers to the current proposed national standards that are getting renewed as a way to reform the education system. This discussion provides reasons why the K-12 curriculum should not be standardized at the national levels. It explains the importance of standardization of the curriculum which supports standardization at state, district, and school levels, but argues against standardization to fit all. Standardization of the curriculum is good because it is a working framework for the teachers. There are different layers of standardization of the curriculum, for example, there are curriculum standards at the state level which specify the skills and content that the children are supposed to acquire at specific grades. There are standardized curricula at the local levels which are more specific, for example, that students in grade six should be taught about a specific disease’ management because of its prevalence in the district (Kendall, 2011). Standardization is important because it provides an effective way of learning; there are goals which guide the teachers, the students and the students in nurturing the society into what they want it to be. It is also beneficial to different populations; as described above, there are standardizations at different levels. It can, therefore, benefit the state, the districts, the

Humanities Ethics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Humanities Ethics - Coursework Example Application of this understanding is equally to restate that human sexuality is to exhibit divine purpose that justifies why it is immoral to engage in sexual activities without the slightest intention and obligation to deliver the finality of the act. In other words, sexual activities are only mandated to be used for purposes of procreation. This one and the only end desire as evinced by the moral discourses. It is explained that only people in marriage that have the absolute authority of giving birth to offspring. Reproduction is essential in human life for the extensions of lineage (White 264). The family owns the moral objective ensuring that human beings multiply to fill the world as stated in the bible. The declaration does not however provide adequate information on giving birth to offspring outside the wedlock, but rather offers a poignant illustration on the danger of having children outside binding relationships that are sanctioned and approved by the society. For instance, if premarital sex can be used to raise offspring then there is a huge possibility that the family as a unit and a value will crumble (White 263). There will be immoral binding between such couples hence families will disappear and no one would take care of children. Sexual activities must therefore be for purposes of achieving the moral finality bestowed upon such an act, and this finality is procreation or reproduction. Other sexual engagements like homosexuality, pre-marital sex, masturbation are immoral since they do not possess any bit of the sexual moral teleology. They are meant simply for entertainment and recreation hence not justified by a moral discourse. There is no form explanation that can support sexual engagements outside marriage since they are not only valid for such important engagements b9ut most of them lack the ability to do so. It is immoral and unjustified by any available moral discourse. They do not meet the expectation of sexual activities as important and divine act given by the most high. 2. Explain the two sides of the debate regarding homosexual marriage and traditional heterosexual marriage, citing arguments both for and against. Which side appears to carry the weightiest arguments? Why? In a balance of acts, the society has undergone extremely severe changes. Many issues have not only cropped up, but they have delivered with them â€Å"moral justifications† for the respective acts. A huge proliferation of sexual acts has made the society succumb to a state of confusion. Many people are engaging in sexual activities such as homosexuality and masturbations. Homosexuality has gone to an extent of being integrated and accepted as a normal sexual act, hence people engaging in such kind of sexual activities should not be demonized or punished. In one way, this reasoning may be right because all human beings have the natural rights and freedom. They also have the constitutional right of liberty hence things that they do in thei r private lives should not be used against them as long as such acts do not affect others or those around them (White 274). On the other hand, these acts beat the logics of sexual morality. They do not see sexual engagements as unique phenomenon that is only entitled to provide the medium of reproduction or procreation. They defy the holiness that the religious moral emphasize in many occasions. Most of the religious mor

Metro Newspaper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Metro Newspaper - Assignment Example This will be done using strategic model for analysis that includes: SWOT and PEST, Scenario Planning, Bowman's Strategy Clock, Boston Consulting Group Matrix, Potential Generic Strategy and finally Critical Success Factor Analysis. Metro Newspaper has grown international to a number of countries. They showed a significant growth initially in terms of readership but this began to fall later in the years. Metro was launched in 1995 by Kinnevik group with an intention of finding a lucrative niche in a market which was not dominated. Metro Newspaper will be analysed using strategic models of analysis such as SWOT and PEST, scenario planning and finally critical success factor analysis. SWOT analysis to gauges the degree of fit between the organisation's strategies and its environment, and to suggest ways in which the organisation can profit from strengths and opportunities and shield itself against weaknesses and threats.1 Whereas SWOT analysis measures a Metro Newspaper business unit, PEST analysis measures its market as it is a framework for reviewing a situation. It is normally used to review a strategy or direction of a company. In PEST analysis, Metro Newspaper should have considered its environment before commencing a marketing process. All aspects of planning in an organisation should have been done by collecting facts in the environmental analysis which should have been done continuously. For the case of Metro Newspaper, they used PEST analysis to understand the market growth because they were aware that Metro free morning newspaper had become very popular and it continued to grow steadily. It is still due to PEST analysis that Metro newspaper came to understand that they launched Kinnevik products with an intention of finding a lucrative niche in a market where rivalry was unlimited. Through PEST analysis, the Metro Times Group was set up by Kinnevik group in 1988 after doing a feasibility study and they became pioneers in the Scandinavian media market. They started a television and media ventures and for them to achieve they organisational goals they assessed the market and obtained benefits from coordination of advertising sales, production, customer services and cross promotion. Due to the fact that Metro newspaper was marketing its products international, they were considering the state of a trading economy in both short and long terms. They indeed considered the level of inflation and employment level per capita, the long term prospects for the economy and the interest rates. The socio cultural factor is also an important factor that Metro newspaper considered while going internationally. The socio cultural factors include the attitude the foreign country would have toward their products, if the language barrier would have any impact in the diffusion of their products in the market and also the population demography. Metro Newspaper considered these socio cultural factors because they ensure they engaged the local people in their firm and also target the young generation in the newspaper by

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Whole foods SWAT analysis organization design class Essay

Whole foods SWAT analysis organization design class - Essay Example The explicit set of core values underscore the commitment of Whole Foods personnel in delivering foods that abide by the highest quality standards and adhere to compliance with the following: organic farming, seafood sustainability, animal welfare standards, caring for communities, and whole trade guarantee (Whole Foods Market: Mission & Values); The financial success of Whole Foods over the last five years, as measured by its net income figure had been on the uptrend, from $49.68 million in December 31, 2009 up to $146.00 million in the same period in 2012; which is indicative of a 194% growth rate of the three-year period (Whole Foods Market Net Income Quarterly); The management team and leaders of Whole Foods have continued to stir the company towards success through a proactive stance in leadership, strategies design and implementation, as well as in applying the most effective management styles. Likewise, it was evident that the management team has consistently provided appropriate motivation, rewards, and incentives for all its personnel to accord them professional growth and continuous development; Has always and consistently been recognized by Fortune among the 100 Best Companies to Work For (Whole Foods Market) for 16 consecutive years; attesting to the high job satisfaction and exemplary motivation accorded by the management to all of its personnel. Although the organization has manifested steady and continuous growth in strategic store locations, it could be deduced that the locations are confined to three main areas: the USA, Canada and the UK; as such, there is a lack of market expansion and exposure to other international markets; Since the ingredients are all natural and organic, the prices of their products are relatively more expensive than other traditional food items and therefore, the target market is limited to the middle-to-higher income groups. Whole Foods is continually looking for strategic store locations, and it

Health Care and Transportation in Germany from a Cultural Perspective Research Paper

Health Care and Transportation in Germany from a Cultural Perspective - Research Paper Example Moreover, the elderly are given preference when it comes to treatment as they are they perceived to be more delicate. They believe that an individual’s health is of utter importance and paramedics must be professional enough in handling health-related cases. What’s more, a Drogerie or â€Å"drug store† does not sell medicines or drugs; it is more of a mart for detergents, toiletries, and beauty products. Since Germans are health conscious and value prevention more than cure, consumption of biskost (biologically-grown foods), natural foods, vitamins, herbal teas and health foods are encouraged (Wiltenburg, 182). They can be purchased from a Bioladen (small shops that stock highly nutritious foods rich in vitamins and other minerals) at reasonable prices. When one is in need of cure, recovery, or preventive medicine, they should visit a Kurort (a pharmacy in the American context; it stocks common drugs but the prescription is given). Germany enjoys a high level of healthcare with high life expectancy and low infant mortality rates. While working in Germany, one must comprehend the mix of the private and public health insurance (Expatica, N. pg). Employees are allowed to hold both private and public health insurance covers but must display the aptitude and capability to meet the cost of both covers. To obtain a residence visa, foreign inhabitants must provide substantiation of being under a public health insurance coverage. Noteworthy, Germany operates a government-sponsored â€Å"sickness fund† called Krankenkasse which provides coverage against most predominant ailments in the country, and employees are expected to subscribe to this fund and contribute accordingly (Herb, 2). All employees, whether insiders or outsiders are expected to honour contributions since violation is criminalized and indictable. Similarly, while Americans are familiar with pharmacies, managers in Germany are required to operate or be linked to an Apotheker which does not only provide drugs such as aspirin but also provides a considerable help to employees with a disorder (Herb, 2).  Ã‚  

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Metro Newspaper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Metro Newspaper - Assignment Example This will be done using strategic model for analysis that includes: SWOT and PEST, Scenario Planning, Bowman's Strategy Clock, Boston Consulting Group Matrix, Potential Generic Strategy and finally Critical Success Factor Analysis. Metro Newspaper has grown international to a number of countries. They showed a significant growth initially in terms of readership but this began to fall later in the years. Metro was launched in 1995 by Kinnevik group with an intention of finding a lucrative niche in a market which was not dominated. Metro Newspaper will be analysed using strategic models of analysis such as SWOT and PEST, scenario planning and finally critical success factor analysis. SWOT analysis to gauges the degree of fit between the organisation's strategies and its environment, and to suggest ways in which the organisation can profit from strengths and opportunities and shield itself against weaknesses and threats.1 Whereas SWOT analysis measures a Metro Newspaper business unit, PEST analysis measures its market as it is a framework for reviewing a situation. It is normally used to review a strategy or direction of a company. In PEST analysis, Metro Newspaper should have considered its environment before commencing a marketing process. All aspects of planning in an organisation should have been done by collecting facts in the environmental analysis which should have been done continuously. For the case of Metro Newspaper, they used PEST analysis to understand the market growth because they were aware that Metro free morning newspaper had become very popular and it continued to grow steadily. It is still due to PEST analysis that Metro newspaper came to understand that they launched Kinnevik products with an intention of finding a lucrative niche in a market where rivalry was unlimited. Through PEST analysis, the Metro Times Group was set up by Kinnevik group in 1988 after doing a feasibility study and they became pioneers in the Scandinavian media market. They started a television and media ventures and for them to achieve they organisational goals they assessed the market and obtained benefits from coordination of advertising sales, production, customer services and cross promotion. Due to the fact that Metro newspaper was marketing its products international, they were considering the state of a trading economy in both short and long terms. They indeed considered the level of inflation and employment level per capita, the long term prospects for the economy and the interest rates. The socio cultural factor is also an important factor that Metro newspaper considered while going internationally. The socio cultural factors include the attitude the foreign country would have toward their products, if the language barrier would have any impact in the diffusion of their products in the market and also the population demography. Metro Newspaper considered these socio cultural factors because they ensure they engaged the local people in their firm and also target the young generation in the newspaper by

Health Care and Transportation in Germany from a Cultural Perspective Research Paper

Health Care and Transportation in Germany from a Cultural Perspective - Research Paper Example Moreover, the elderly are given preference when it comes to treatment as they are they perceived to be more delicate. They believe that an individual’s health is of utter importance and paramedics must be professional enough in handling health-related cases. What’s more, a Drogerie or â€Å"drug store† does not sell medicines or drugs; it is more of a mart for detergents, toiletries, and beauty products. Since Germans are health conscious and value prevention more than cure, consumption of biskost (biologically-grown foods), natural foods, vitamins, herbal teas and health foods are encouraged (Wiltenburg, 182). They can be purchased from a Bioladen (small shops that stock highly nutritious foods rich in vitamins and other minerals) at reasonable prices. When one is in need of cure, recovery, or preventive medicine, they should visit a Kurort (a pharmacy in the American context; it stocks common drugs but the prescription is given). Germany enjoys a high level of healthcare with high life expectancy and low infant mortality rates. While working in Germany, one must comprehend the mix of the private and public health insurance (Expatica, N. pg). Employees are allowed to hold both private and public health insurance covers but must display the aptitude and capability to meet the cost of both covers. To obtain a residence visa, foreign inhabitants must provide substantiation of being under a public health insurance coverage. Noteworthy, Germany operates a government-sponsored â€Å"sickness fund† called Krankenkasse which provides coverage against most predominant ailments in the country, and employees are expected to subscribe to this fund and contribute accordingly (Herb, 2). All employees, whether insiders or outsiders are expected to honour contributions since violation is criminalized and indictable. Similarly, while Americans are familiar with pharmacies, managers in Germany are required to operate or be linked to an Apotheker which does not only provide drugs such as aspirin but also provides a considerable help to employees with a disorder (Herb, 2).  Ã‚  

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Cirque Du Soleil Assignment Essay Example for Free

Cirque Du Soleil Assignment Essay 1. What are Cirque’s product and strategy? The cirque product is a circ show without animals, the main features of this show are: clowns, acrobats and gymnasts. The difference between Cirque du soleil and other circs is that the first one tries to make the show unforgettable by adding music specially composed for each show and also an elaborated â€Å"attrezzo† (lights and scenario). The Strategy that Cirque used is a blue ocean strategy, this strategy consist in creating a new industry from an existing one, so they reinvented the circus so we can say that they create a new industry. 2. How has Cirque structured and supported its casts to deliver superior performance? The Cirque tried to support each member of the cast when talking about habits and culture of each member. They tried to make it easier to each member to be in the road in every tour. Also, the management tries to give what artist asks, for example in the case there is a clown that explains that the clown section wanted a specific professor and the cirque hired him to teach the section of the clowns. With children they try to be as careful as possible, and they try to make a good environment to them. 3. What is the role of marketing? Since the Cirque du soleil is defined as a â€Å"luxury good†, definition that the same company states, the marketing role here is to sustain this category. What marketing has to do is to follow the same strategy that has followed in the entire Cirque’s history, promote the Cirque as a unique and astonishing show and make customers show fans. The marketing strategy objective should be that each customer that goes to see a Cirque du Soleil show return to the next show every three years, even if the ticket is expensive. 4. Regarding innovation and creativity, what are the important ideas that emerge from this case? Name them and develop them. We can say that Cirque du Soleil has been innovative and that its creativity has no limits, since every new show is different than the one before. Each customer can go several times in his or her life to see Cirque’s shows and it will find different things in every new one. So we can say that Cirque du soleil has creativity and innovation. 5. What are the challenges to Cirque’s continued growth and/or diversification? The challenges are to diversify in other types of products, also that the industry is turning more a business than an artistic industry and the owners do not want this to happen. Another challenge is that competition in this market is growing, and this means that Cirque du Soleil needs to be more creative than ever in order to maintain its customers.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Knowledge Of Nursing Watsons Theory Of Human Caring Nursing Essay

Knowledge Of Nursing Watsons Theory Of Human Caring Nursing Essay The improvements in health care system have placed a burden on the nurses workload and responsibilities. Along with this burden, nurses have often disregarded their caring attitude when faced with taxing situations. Jean Watson, famous for her Theory of Human Caring, wants the nurses to learn to cope with the complexities arising in every circumstance and to find ways of preserving their caring practice. The aims of this paper are the following: to utilize the synthesized literature regarding Jean Watsons theory in order to evaluate its relevance to my personal experience. To utilize the theory to guide client-centered care and provide its implications to my future nursing practice. Literature Review Jean Watson views caring as the most valuable attribute nursing has to offer to humanity, yet caring has received less emphasis than other aspects of nursing over time (Watson, 2006). She believes that the disease might be cured but illness would still remain because without caring, health is not fully attained (Watson, 2006). Caring is the essence of nursing and it connotes responsiveness between the nurse and the patient (Watson, 2006). The ten carative factors, transpersonal caring relationship and the caring occasion constitute the elements of the Theory of Human Caring (Watson, 2006). In a study done by Ryan (2005) states that the nurses who were involved in her research have all agreed that they adopted and enact the caring theory in their everyday practice despite the obstacles that envelops them. The common theme found in the articles and was also emphasized in the theory are the use of effective communication and the nurses caring moments spent with the patients (Watson, 200 6). Watson defined caring moments contact between patient and the nurse and the impact of the nurse to the patient that can produce a threatening or secure environment (Watson, 2006). Clarke (2009) also believes that these moments transform both the patient and nurse and binds them together. However, Hau (2004) opposed this by stating that the quality time spent in practicing holistic care is often unnecessary and unappreciated by other patients. She further stated that accurate nursing assessments, competent technical skills and abundance of medical resources are the main factors that facilitate the patients speedy treatment and discharge (Hau, 2004). However, Christiaens, Abegglen Rowley (2008) believes that it is a fact that a number of physical symptoms rooted from mental/emotional/spiritual problems and improvements in quality of life are gained from it is through an effective holistic, client-focused caring that will improve their quality of life. To further confirm this beli ef, a comprehensive meta-analysis of 130 studies done conducted by Kristine Swanson (1999) reported that patients who received an effective holistic care have improved emotional-spiritual well being, decrease hospital costs, and an increase in trust relationships as opposed to those who did not receive quality holistic care who experienced decreased healing, vulnerability and lingering bad memories. Critical Analysis Based on the literature gathered, Sharon, the nurse who was a part of my personal experience demonstrated an exceptional application of Jean Watsons theory in her practice. According to Watson, health cannot be fully attained without caring and my experience was an example of an excellent holistic care in combination with competent technical nursing skills. Sharon attended to my post-operative state by providing me her presence and prompt responses to my non-verbal cues. Sharons caring impact made a huge difference to my emotional well being which resulted to an overall positive impression during my hospital stay. I felt empowered despite my non-verbal condition because I knew my concerns were being responded to and I felt secured while I was under her care. Watson believes that the theory of caring is an endorsement of professional nursing identity and what Sharon demonstrated throughout my care is what embodies the nursing profession. The theory could be used not only by nurses tha t are working in a hospital setting but also in places faced with oppression, natural disasters, poverty and injustice. Watsons theory emphasizes the humanistic aspects of nursing in combination with scientific knowledge, so it can be also applied in research by finding ways on how to deliver nursing care efficiently and in means that is acceptable to the patient. It guides the nurse to go beyond the application of technical nursing skills and show more concern towards the subjective and deeper meaning of the patient towards his/her health situation. Integration of the theory in my future nursing practice will assist in managing my priorities in order to spend uninterrupted time with my patients and pay attention to their fears or concerns regarding their care. It will aid in removing my biases and accepting the patient as unique individual regardless of their physical appearance, socioeconomic status, emotional needs or level of compliance. Lastly, it will remind me that every pati ent needs my unconditional support, positivity and encouragement to facilitate a faster recovery of not only the physical aspect of their stay but also the emotional/spiritual as it is a factor that will improve their quality of life. Conclusion The Theory of Human Caring can give language to what was before just thoughts and ideas regarding nursing. It guides nurses so that they can see, learn and express their own unique role in health care. Moreover, this theory shall bring the nurses to a realization that we need to transcend ourselves from a state that views nursing not as a job, but as a gratifying profession-a life-giving, life-receiving career for a lifetime of growth and learning.