Using Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon Essay Example for Free

Using Daniel Keyes, Flowers for Algernon Essay Many feel that the mentally challenged are put through the many hardships of prejudice and maltreatment by people who lack the knowledge and understanding of their mental conditions. Usually what people dont know about, they consider strange or awkward and this is the case with the hardships of the mentally challenged. Prejudice, maltreatment and ignorance towards the mentally challenged are illustrated by the novel, Flowers for Algernon. In Flowers for Algernon, Charlie Gordon, being mentally challenged, goes through many experiences when he is pre judged by many people, especially those who claim to be his friends. These friends of his have the wrong ideas and wrong views when it comes to the mentally challenged. They believe that if an amputee has no limb then maybe a retard has no brain, which is completely irrelevant. Joe Carp said hey look Charlie had his operashun what did they do Charlie put some brains in (Keyes, 16) Just because someone is mentally challenged is no reason for believing that they are not capable of learning or doing anything and that is exactly what his friends and many others did to Charlie. I asked Joe Carp how he lerned to read and if I could lern to read to. He laffed like he always done when I said something funny and he says to me Charlie why waste your time they cant put any branes in where there aint none. (Keyes, 19) The hardships of prejudice that are faced by Charlie in his retarded state later change the way he looks at the world in general. Along with prejudice, Charlie, was also maltreated by his so-called friends and many other people, including his own mother. Rose, Charlies mother, wanted so much for Charlie to learn and become somebody in life and she did not want to accept that he was mentally challenged. This was not really helping him much. He is afraid to go there alone. He reaches up to her hand and sobs out: Toi-toi and she slaps his hand away. (Keyes, 55) Charlie was not only subjected to physical abuse and maltreatment but he also received emotional maltreatment from the people at the bakery by allowing Charlie to believe that he is one of their friends, but really is not treated as a friend should and is instead treated as the subject of their jokes. Then Frank Reilly said what did you do Charlie open a door the hard way. That made me laff. Their my friends and they really like me. (Keyes, 16) Maybe if Charlies mother and his fellow workers knew more about his conditions, then there may have been less maltreatment and abuse toward him. Maybe if everyone knew more about the conditions of the mentally challenged, then there may have been less subjection, for Charlie and other retarded people, to the many hardships the exist. It dont mean nothing, laughed Frank. It dont hurt him. He dont know any better. Do you, Charlie? (Keyes 42) Even his own mother did not really make much of an attempt at learning more about her sons conditions. She did not even want to see the truth of Charlies problems and thought that if he cannot do it, she had the right to disregard him. go to the washroom. Go by yourself. You know how to go. Cant you see he wants you to take him. (Keyes 53) At times she even tried to beat knowledge into him but instead of learning whatever it was his mother was teaching him, he was emotionally scarred. Its a pity to imagine that this could be happening anywhere and that it may not just be a story. In Conclusion, Flowers for Algernon helps demonstrate how the mentally challenged are judged and treated badly because of the lack of knowledge people have of them. The prejudice Charlie faces is mainly caused by is caused by ignorance people have of his conditions which eventually leads to his maltreatment. All people should take some time to think and learn more about what is happening and being done to make mentally challenged people go through the many hardships they go through.

Cultural differences in leadership

Cultural differences in leadership To what extent is leadership culturally dependent? Take a look at the following statements collected from interviews with different managers from different countries: The American people value two types of leaders. They search for empowerment from leaders who establish self-sufficiency governance and assign authority to subordinates. They also give high opinion to the confident, forceful, risk-taking and bold leader as personified by John Wayne. The Dutch puts high importance on egalitarianism and are doubtful about the significance of leadership. Words like manager and leader are seen to be dishonoured. If a father is in employment as a manager, Dutch children will not acknowledge this to their friends. Arabs adore and give veneration their leaders as long as they are in authority! Iranians search for supremacy and strength in their leaders. Malaysians imagine their leaders to act in a manner that is meek, reserved, and distinguished. The French value two types of leaders e.g. Mitterand and De Gaulle. Mitterand is an example of a harmonious builder, association former and successful negotiator. De Gaulle seen as an example of a strong charismatic and enigmatic leader. Given the quick expanding of globalization of firms and improved interdependencies among countries, the need for greater understanding of cultural pressures on leadership and managerial practices has never been higher. In recent times, managers of global organisations face stern and hastily altering in international competition. The up-and-coming drift in the direction of an international economic society is apparent and this 21st century we find ourselves in may just become called the global world (McFarland, Senen, Childress, 1993). The huge significance depended on the interaction and communication in todays business world which is becoming known as a global village makes it mandatory for multinational firms and their leaders to dig deeper to acquire the knowledge of other global leaders and their culture to be able to better interact and conduct lucrative business with them without offending their way of life. As national economies, political systems, cultures, technologies, res ources and industries increasingly converge perhaps to meld, perhaps to take shape in new forms global management skills and abilities become more important to all organizations. These skills will be diverse. (Parker, B. (2005) p. 24). The globalization of firms shows quite a few leadership and organizational challenges which the success of organisational leadership happens to be majorly dependent on for the success of international operations. There are essential limitations in conveying theories from one culture to the next. What is successful in a particular culture may not necessarily be as victorious or openly accepted in another culture. According to Triandis (1993), leadership researchers would be able to modify theories by exploring cultural dissimilarities as constraints of those theories. According to Northouses (2004) general definition of leadership Leadership is a process whereby a person influences a group of people to achieve a common goal. Organizational leadership can be described as the ability of a person to inspire, persuade, encourage and allow others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members (GLOBE PROJECT, 1997. Pg.5). In addition, the GLOBE PROJECT research (1997) views culture as being operationally defined by the use of measures reflecting two kinds of cultural manifestations: (a) the commonality (agreement) among members of collectives with respect to the psychological attributes specified above; and (b) the commonality of observed and reported practices of entities such as families, schools, work organizations, economic and legal systems, and political institutions. With the ever growing trend of globalization in todays world which is categorized by the never-ending growth of global trade and to a greater extent international mergers acquisitions, the necessity of knowing and having a better grasp of the different qualities of various cultures become s mandatory for individuals working in these conditions. A lot of the impending disagreements, inconsistencies and disturbances in international joint ventures are mainly a result of the lack of taking into account the cross-cultural differences when establishing the venture (Lichtenberger, B. et al., 1993). Apart from companies that have the intention or plan or already have merged or acquired companies from other countries, this understanding is very vital for companies which are located in other counties with the intent of doing business with other companies from different countries. When it comes to the stage of outsourcing and transferring of production products or plants, issues arise on the matter of deciding which particular manager will be the most appropriate to put in the national or regional branches of the firm. The cultural background of the manager and that of the firm would also be considered. The kind of manager that will be able to go about the operations of the fi rm with little or no distractions from the culture of the firm and its employees and also how effective leadership for the firm can be guaranteed are all issues that would be taken into consideration when choosing a suitable manager. With the help of a feasible framework to assist in conducting and directing cross-cultural leadership research, it is easier understood. Some of these frameworks would be discussed below. One of the many research carried out on cross-cultural issues in leadership includes the Globe Project. The prime researcher of GLOBE (the Global Leadership and Organizational Behaviour Effectiveness Research Project) is Robert J. House, along with numerous co-prime researchers and an international coordinating group. He directs a group of over 190 researchers from all over the globe in the study of the different types of networks of leadership, organizational culture and societal culture. Other dimensional frameworks include those by Hofstedes (1980), Schwartz (1999), Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961) Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997), Hofstede (1980, 2001) and those which were originated during the GLOBE study (e.g. House et al., 1999House and Hanges, Ruiz-Quintanilla, 1997;). According to Bass , B. M. et al, one of the major characteristics of a charismatic leader is having an enormous influence on its followers (Bass, B. M. et al. (1990) p. 184). The supervision and management of a charismatic leader will direct its followers to performing better as it increases their motivation and zeal to become more productive which in turn increases the power and authority the leader has over them therefore, charismatic leadership is extremely vital in the organizational context as well (Hwang, A. et al. (2005) p. 963). Charismatic leaders are often seen as very energetic and self-motivated individuals who offer motivation and encouragement, are enthusiastic about what is necessary and competent (De Vries, M. K. (1996) p. 486). Therefore, following a charismatic leader is not just obeying orders to satisfy the superior, it is more a conviction about the performance and the beliefs of the leader (Ladkin, D. (2006) p. 173). This implies that the influence of a charismatic leader is hig hly accepted by his followers. They do not follow the leader because they have to but do so because they feel a sense of loyalty and attraction towards the leader. Charismatic leaders are viewed to require strong emotional and social skills because of the need of an intimate communication with the subordinates and offering the inspiration needed for them (Grove, K. S. (2005) p. 258). The United States and Japan have been chosen as comparison cultures due to their highly divergent relevance for a broader understanding of communication phenomena in cultures. According to Hofstede (2001, pg 9), the United States is a highly individualistic culture. However Japan is a collectivistic culture. Japanese management and leadership styles have received extensive attention in both the scholarly and popular management literature in the United States (Hofstede, 2001, pg 9). Ochi (1981) suggested Theory Z due to the organizational management principles in Japanese firms. He suggested that most Japanese firms operations could be implemented by some of the American firms. Therefore, Japan is seen to have a similar culture to that of the United States for scholars examining leadership within organisations. Leadership in the United States is identified by recognising leaders functions in organisations and grouping the various kinds of leadership found into different leadership styles. For example, Yukl (2002) defines leadership as leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how it can be done effectively, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish the shared goalsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Leadership is treated as both a specialized role and a social influence process (Yukls 2002 pg. 5). Yukl (2002) also suggested that decision making is an important function for leaders. Therefore, the techniques which different leaders decide to engage in making decisions has been raised as a subject matter which has to be further investigated. A way of making efficient decisions by a leader is known as participatory leadership. Yukl (2002), also suggested that a lot of the functions of administrators and managers inc lude deciding executing decisions involving the different procedures needed to complete a particular task, choosing the right subordinates, finding solutions technical difficulties, deciding on which subordinate deserves a pay increase and so on. In addition, Indvik, 1986 proposed that supportive leadership has been proven to show that there is consistent strong positive connection between the subordinates satisfaction and the organisations commitment and also with fair to strong connections with the subordinates positions uncertainty and performance in the United States. The moderate masculinity and low power distance ratings for the United States culture are highly reflected in these findings. Directive leadership has also been a significant factor in most United States firms with some analysis made which showed strong positive associations determining the subordinates satisfaction and role ambiguity and moderate positive associations with the surbordinates performance (Podoff, Tudor, Schuler, 1983). Nevertheless, these findings are profoundly based on the characteristics of the firm and the individual. Kerr and Jermier (1978) argued that employees who are extremely skilled, knowledgeable and certified will need little or no directive leader role model to be able to carry out their responsibilities. As pointed out by Hofstede (1980) and Smith and Peterson (1988) the exceedingly high individualism trait found in the United States strongly relies on the participative management processes. Keys and Miller (1982) proposed that the reason for the effectiveness leadership style is due to the fact that their style of decision making has lead to inherent job contentment, dedication, allocation of decision making and increased levels of motivation. Ochi (1981) proposed that the Japanese culture is seen as a collectivistic culture. Therefore the practise in the Japanese organisations would be to put emphasis on collective responsibility and collective decision making. According to Hirokawa (1981), he used a communicative perspective to explain the Japanese firms style of participative leadership communication. Leaders in Japanese firms are meant to act as effective communicators in order for them to be fully understood and effective. Managers aid, persuade and assist the flow of information and knowledge between their members and this also leads to the effectiveness of the Japanese firms. Most leaders in Japanese organisations endeavour to sustain harmony within the firm and also adopt a bottom-up process of decision-making so that they are more accessible by their workers. The United States, as depicted by Hofstede (1980) is highly individualistic, medium on masculinity and low on power distance and uncertainty avoidance. Howell and Dorfman (1988) explained paternalism in the United States as medium while Confucianism in Japanese firms needs reverence and submission from subordinated to leaders who have in the past responded with highly paternalistic attitudes (Peter W. Dorfman et.al, 1997) The high achievement and high individualism motivations that characterizes United States employees are shown in rewards and retribution contingent on a persons performance (McClelland Boyatzis, 1982). Over and over again, affirmative effects for reliant reward behaviour in the United States has been proven by Podoff and his associates (1992). Showing concern for followers and getting engaged in their private lives is expected by managers in japanese firms therefore these organisation are exceedingly hierarchical and are firmly organized (Chen, 1995) Given the various leadership styles and differences and similarities between the United States and Japan, some recommendations on how to better achieve effective leadership between them from ( from the Japanese perspective) is discussed as follows. In affective cultures, such as the United States, leaders tend to exhibit their emotions. They reveal their thoughts verbally and non-verbally. Touching, gesturing and strong facial expressions are commonly used and their statements are made fluently and dramatically while in neutral cultures, such as Japan and China, leaders do not tend to show their emotions. They do not reveal what they are thing or feeling. Physical contact, gesturing or strong facial expressions are not used and their statements are mostly said in a monotonous voice. Some of the key factors that a Japanese Manager should keep in mind before venturing out to the U.s to lead a group of employees is that he should avoid a detached, ambiguous and cool demeanor as this will be perceived as a negative behavior. They should try and find out whose work and enthusiasm are being directed into which projects so that they are able to better appreciate the vigor and commitment the U.S employees have for these efforts towards their jobs. They should let people be emotional without personally becoming intimated by their behavior. These Japanese managers also have to work a bit on themselves as this is not just a one-way street. They should not put off stride when the employees create scenes and become hysterical; they should take some time out for sober reflection and not react on impulse. They should also keep in mind that the purpose of the business is typically focused on themselves as a person rather than the aim or purpose of the proposition that is being presented. In conclusion, as discussed above about the different leadership frameworks in which both countries fall into, it is quite clear that the differences out-weighs the similarities in their leadership styles. These differences need to be taken into consideration if an effective leadership is desired.

Application Of Theory In Pediatric Epilepsy Nursing Essay

Application Of Theory In Pediatric Epilepsy Nursing Essay Theories of nursing can be directly applied to nursing practice.   Middle range theories are especially important in caring for patients.   Recognizing that the theory of chronic sorrow is applicable to pediatric epilepsy patients is essential to the care of the child as well as their family.   The theory of chronic sorrow is related to periodic feelings of sadness that a person experiences due to a loss or chronic life dilemma.   The pertinence of chronic sorrow will be evaluated related to the nursing practice of pediatric epilepsy patients.   Pediatric epilepsy patients and their families face many ongoing problems which can trigger chronic sorrow at any given point in their lives.   A scenario surrounding the care of a pediatric epilepsy patient and their family will be discussed associated with the theory of chronic sorrow.   The nurse will learn from this paper the rationale behind applying nursing theories to their everyday nursing care. A Clinical Scenario in Pediatric Epilepsy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The middle range nursing theory of chronic sorrow is apparent in many patients and families affected by epilepsy.   Epilepsy is a relatively common diagnosis in the pediatric population.   Chronic sorrow can be triggered over and over again with new seizures, delay in development, treatments and the many restrictions on living life as normal children do.   Nursing care of a child and family experiencing the effects of epilepsy can be challenging.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An eleven year old female presented in the pediatric epilepsy monitoring unit for intractable epilepsy.   She had a diagnosis of epilepsy since the age of three months.   She also had secondary diagnoses of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and cognitive developmental delays.   Her family brought her to the hospital for a second opinion regarding treatment options for her intractable seizures.   The patient is an only child and lives at home with both of her biological parents.   The patients mother works outside the home and the father was a high school teacher but has made the choice to stay at home due to patients extensive needs and diagnosis.   The patient attends public school in a special needs classroom setting with other children with developmental disabilities.   She requires the use of a classroom aide due to her extreme behavioral outbursts.   Physical, occupational and speech therapies are provided for her while at s chool and she is reported as functioning at a twelve year old age level.   The parents revealed that the patient does not socialize well and most children are fearful of her due to her behavior.   They feel that she is challenging no matter what they do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During their stay the parents displayed behaviors of inappropriate coping and chronic sorrow.   They often described the patient as: A Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde.   She was observed to be pleasant at times, but had a short attention span.   Her behaviors could become disruptive and she had frequent outbursts.   She is dependent on others for assistance with hygiene due to frequent falls from seizures and inability to perform tasks on her own.   Her father also voiced that she had signs of regression over the last year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The family has never sought services or explored resources through any epilepsy foundation.   They have also never looked into any other community services such as the board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD), Wavier services or respite care.   The father reported that they have no choice but to try and cope through this lifelong disease.   The father appeared to be somewhat gruff secondary to his interactions and responsiveness towards the patients behaviors.   He was then observed on the video monitoring system to threaten the patient by showing his fist to patient.   Her mother was then seen pushing his hand away and said for him not to do this because they were on camera.   It is unknown to why the father was doing this jester or if he was angry at the time, but no physical abuse was seen.   The nursing staff felt at this point that there were many coping concerns and spoke to the family regarding their frustrations.   Social work and child psychiatry were also consulted to evaluate this escalating situation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During this admission an extensive surgical workup was performed.   The patient was taken off of all antiepileptic medication so that a seizure could be recorded and observed on the electroencephalogram (EEG).   It was very difficult and emotional for the family to hope for a seizure to help the patients overall prognosis.   After several days of purposeful sleep deprivation the patient began to have seizure activity that escalated to the point of status epilepticus.   The seizures were able to be controlled on the unit with medical treatment and the patient was restarted on her antiepileptic medication.   After a week of extensive monitoring it was determined that she was able to be released home with her parents to come back for epilepsy surgery at a later date. The Theory of Chronic Sorrow   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The middle range theory of chronic sorrow is relevant to families of children inside the field of pediatric epilepsy.   They may experience many emotions upon identification of this medical problem and throughout its management.   Chronic sorrow can be defined as periodic recurrence of permanent, pervasive sadness or other grief-related feelings associated with ongoing disparity resulting from a loss experience (Peterson and Bredow, 2009, p.149). It can occur in the individual with the illness or with the caregivers and family (Dunning, 1999).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An experience of loss is usually a precursor usually to chronic sorrow. It may be a loss without a foreseeable end point. Examples of this could be: the birth of a disabled child or diagnosis of a chronic illness, or a more clearly defined loss event, such as the death of a loved one (Peterson and Bredow, 2009). A second precursor to chronic sorrow is considered to be disparity. A disparity is a gap between the current reality and the desired as a result of a loss experience (Peterson and Bredow, 2009, p. 149). A disparity happens when a patient or their family can not let go of the situation or the loss that has occurred. These can lead to recurring experiences of chronic sorrow. Trigger events can often bring about feelings of chronic sorrow.   A trigger event is defined as a situation, circumstance, or condition that brings the negative disparity resulting from the loss into focus, or exacerbates the disparity (Peterson and Bredow, 2009, p. 149).   This can depend on how often the patient has seizures and the affects that they have on the childs overall quality of life.   These events can also occur when the child has failed another medical intervention or is unable to accomplish an additional developmental milestone related to their chronic seizure activity.   One of the most frequent triggers of chronic sorrow in parents of small children with disabilities is the regression or absence of developmental milestones (Peterson and Bredow, 2009).   The trigger situations are usually unexpected and can appear at any given time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management methods for the theory of chronic sorrow are essential in the care of the child and their family.   The management of chronic sorrow involves two different types of intervention.   These types of management interventions are considered to be internal and external.   Internal intervention includes personal coping throughout an episode of chronic sorrow.   Different types of action oriented strategies are used to help the patient or family feel more in control of the situation that they are experiencing (Peterson and Bredow, 2009).   Internal management can be also gained from support groups or speaking to other individuals in similar situations. Interpersonal communication is another strategy of internal management that has been identified in helping someone deal with their chronic sorrow (Peterson and Bredow, 2009). External interventions are those received from a reliable healthcare member.   It is important for professionals to recognize that individuals who have experienced a significant loss may evidence the periodic recurrence of grief-related feelings, defined as chronic sorrow (Peterson and Bredow, 2009, p. 154).   Nurses can use this knowledge to provide support to those patients or families experiencing an episode of chronic sorrow or to those that may be have an episode impending. It is important to identify whether or not the individual has any internal management interventions. These interventions can then be assessed, strengthened, and supported (Peterson and Bredow, 2009). Chronic sorrow can affect any person and nobody is immune to feeling of a loss. The emotions raised by chronic sorrow can affect every individual differently. The middle range theory of chronic sorrow provides a framework for understanding the reactions of individuals to various loss situations and offers a new way of viewing the experience of bereavement (Peterson and Bredow, 2009, p. 151). It is important for the entire healthcare team, especially the nurses caring for these individuals, to be aware of the chronic sorrow and the concepts that define it as a theory. The middle range theory of chronic sorrow has a widespread application for nurses and others who strive to better understand individuals responses to loss and to define effective interventions for those experiencing chronic sorrow (Peterson and Bredow, 2009, p. 157). Application of Chronic Sorrow to Pediatric Epilepsy   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  When a child is first diagnosed with epilepsy, the entire family and support system can become overwhelmed.   Chronic epilepsy can consume the lives of all involved with the child.   The child and their caregivers have to be concerned with medications, treatments, specialty diets, ongoing tests and appointments.   The child and their family also have to be aware of activity restrictions and precautions when at home, school, or out in public.   This can become a lifelong balancing act.   The theory of chronic sorrow becomes important for nurses to fully understand the care of a child with epilepsy.   There are so many trigger events that can be experienced by these children and their families that this can become an issue that arises often. According to the literature, chronic sorrow is considered to be a normal response to an ongoing loss (Peterson and Bredow, 2009). In the article by Hobdell (2007), chronic sorrow was studied with children and families affected by epilepsy. Regardless of onset, patient age, or circumstances involved, chronic sorrow is an important variable to consider.   The eleven year old patient and family who were cared for in the pediatric epilepsy unit had many issues that indicated that they were experiencing chronic sorrow. Their struggle with chronic sorrow began at diagnosis. Contending with the diagnosis of epilepsy and acting to overcome the inherent problems associated with this medical condition form the basis for a parents ability to cope with the care of a child with epilepsy (Hobdell, 2007). This family waited years to be blessed with this child and they were now facing the biggest uphill battle of their lives. The course of a childs seizures, potential complications, and long-term prognosis are often unknown (Hobdell, 2007).   This patient also faced diagnoses of ADHD and cognitive developmental delays seco ndary to her epilepsy. This family thought that the epilepsy was difficult enough, but they then had to try and cope with difficulties in every other aspect of their daughters life. This seems to be the time when their chronic sorrow intensified. The inevitable loss of the image of an ideal child, intensified by the diagnosis of a child with epilepsy, may initiate a mourning process that varies in intensity, rate, and duration (Hobdell, 2007). The diagnosis of epilepsy has affects on the entire family as well as the patient. The patients father felt as though he had to stay home to care for her seeing as she needed regular supervision and her mother could provide more monetarily. For parents who are working full time and caring for a child with chronic illness, the stressors related to managing work and caring responsibilities are magnified (Dunning, 1999). Her parents appeared to be involved, but were inappropriately reactive to episodic outbursts, which in turn seemed to increase the episodes. They were embarrassed that they were observed threatening the patient, but admittedly were not sure of how to effectively cope with the situation. Additional research has also examined adaptation, burden of care, and stigma as variables impacting stress and the ability to cope with the diagnosis of epilepsy (Hobdell, 2007). They blamed themselves for their daughters problems.   They explained that they tried to have a baby for ye ars.   After many unsuccessful pregnancies they believed that were blessed with this perfect angel.   When the patient started having seizures at the age of three months they were devastated and this is when the rollercoaster of their life began. Under these circumstances, it is common for parents to be reminded of the loss associated with the perfect child they once dreamed of or to experience an increased fear that their child may not be able to live the quality of life they once anticipated (Gordon, 2009). The diagnosis must initially be incorporated into daily life without it completely taking over (Hobdell, 2007). During the initial diagnosis of epilepsy the medical team explains the basics of what to expect, treatments, interventions for uncontrolled seizures, and safety precautions.   The nursing staff has a very important role with these patients and their families.   They can offer words of advice and examples of what others would do in a similar situation.   The nurses work hands on with these types of patients and families everyday and have a wealth of knowledge to help them feel that they are not alone.   Becoming accustomed to a new way of life can be very challenging.   Education is essential during the discharge process to help the family in being at ease with dealing with this new dilemma that they are facing.   Epilepsy can overpower a patient or familys independence.   Pediatric nursing is not only care of the children but care of the whole family (Dunning, 1999).   Nurses should effectively recognize matters of concern in families of children with epilepsy. This includes impending feelings of sorrow and their understanding and utilization of a variety of management and coping strategies. The capacity to promptly acquire this information may facilitate nurses in identifying families in need and put into action appropriate interventions. They must do this with the expectation of contributing to a more optimistic result for families of children with epilepsy. With an understanding of chronic sorrow, nurses can plan interventions that recognize it as a normal reaction, promote healthy adaptation, and provide empathetic support (Scornaienchi, 2003). Every aspect of the childs life must be addressed.   These issues include: home safety, personal care, school safety, driving, recreational activities, medical compliance, and social relationships. With the life-long issues that this child will face, they will need a significant amount of support from the nursing staff. Theories allow for the nursing staff to understand why a family feels the way they do and possible interventions in helping them cope with a difficult situation. The middle range nursing theory of chronic sorrow is applicable to any pediatric patient and their families dealing with the struggle of epilepsy. Adaptation occurs with both internal and external management. According to Gordons (2009) article, caregivers of patients found support from a variety of sources. The sources of support that this patient and family have are their extended family, friends, the nurses and other medical professionals. As nurses, our interventions should be listening to someone that is enduring chronic sorrow. Internal management differs in all individuals. Sometimes they do not want to reveal how they are feeling, especially to a complete stranger. Respecting the individuals internal management strategies will allow for the most positive results. Parents see strength and courage in their child and that alone gives them the strength they need (Gordon, 2009).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   External management of chronic sorrow is an intervention taken on by the patients nurses and other medical caregivers. When the nursing staff recognized that there were concerns regarding coping strategies they consulted the social work and child psychiatry teams for assistance.   Anticipatory guidance, support services, and community resources can be offered to these families (Dunning, 1999).   Nurses begin to build relationships with their patients and their families over the period of treatment.   During this time span, nurses may become aware of triggering events. Acting to prevent a triggering event or decreasing its capacity may suspend an episode of chronic sorrow.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The theory of chronic sorrow will be relevant throughout the ongoing treatment of the seizure activity. Sadly, in this field of pediatrics, many children and their families will have to manage with intractable epilepsy for the rest of their lives. In these cases, the family may have to suffer with chronic sorrow perpetually. When nurses have a thorough understanding of the theory of chronic sorrow, they will be able to provide more efficient support and help to diminish occurrences of chronic sorrow. Families who used effective adaptive strategies, such as methods to reduce the burden of illness, had a better quality of life (Scornaienchi, 2003). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The nursing theory of chronic sorrow is crucial in taking care of patients in the specialty of pediatric epilepsy.   This theory directly applies to pediatric epilepsy due it its uniqueness and lifelong effects that it has on the patient and all members of the family.   The approach that the nurse and medical team takes in caring for this patient can help them learn to cope with this ongoing medical problem.   It is crucial for healthcare professionals to realize that the emotional response to epilepsy may have a negative impact on the child or their family.   They may have difficulty in adapting or adjusting to life changes, as well as have trouble in effectively coping and working towards promoting quality of life.   Every encounter with the patient or their family should focus on positive adjustments.   Offering support to help relieve the burden of chronic sorrow can be very beneficial for them.   Reducing feelings of guilt related to chronic sorrow can help facilitate adjustment between the patient and their family.   This all can allow for positive change in the lives of pediatric epilepsy patients and their families.   It has been found that little research has been done regarding chronic sorrow related to pediatric epilepsy and that it needs to be more thoroughly explored.   It should be determined whether intervention should be initiated at diagnosis with appropriate support and ongoing educational intervention.   Timeliness of intervention  may have a more positive impact on the child and their family in regards to perceptions of epilepsy and quality of life. Appendix   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In preparation for researching literature related to the theory of chronic sorrow and pediatric epilepsy I decided the best place to start was Kent State Universitys library homepage.   I formulated a plan ahead of time as to what kind of information was important to my search.   Precious time can be lost  from going into a search unsure of what information to look for.   I then went into the research database and found that the search engine EBSCO Host would allow me to search CINAHL, Medline Plus, and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition at the same time.   I first narrowed my search by the term chronic sorrow which revealed one-hundred and thirteen articles.   I then narrowed my search further by adding in pediatric epilepsy which yielded one result.   I switched that term to just pediatrics due to only one article available for review and I was then able to view twenty articles.   From the results page I narrowed the articles to those that are less than 10 years old.   This process was essential in finding the exact information that I needed and left me with seventeen pertinent articles.   Many articles that I found would be important to my literature review were not available in full text.   Several of the articles were available through the Ohio Link, but due to time and distance factors to the college I found that I could access some of them directly from searching for them in Google Scholar.  Ã‚  Ã‚   I found this to be the most time efficient way to access the information I needed in my literature review.   I chose just the most appropriate articles available on my topic.   I did this by reading through the abstract to determine whether they would have any relevant information.   After reading through the abstracts, it was seen whether or not they would be beneficial to my literature review.  Ã‚   In doing this entire process I found four articles that were most appropriate in the literature revie w of pediatric patients suffering from chronic sorrow.

How pH Affects the Break Down of Starch by the Enzyme Amylase Essay

How pH Affects the Break Down of Starch by the Enzyme Amylase Hypothesis: The optimum pH for the reaction of starch with amylase is pH 7. PH values lower or higher than this value will result in a slower rate of reaction. Amylase works in the range pH 3 to pH 11. Biological Knowledge ==================== PH changes affect the structure of an enzyme molecule and therefore affect its ability to bind with its substrate molecules. Changes in pH affect the ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds that hold the enzyme together, which naturally affects the rate of reaction of the enzyme with the substrate. On top if this, the hydrogen ions neutralise the negative charges of the R groups in the active site so that the substrate and the active site do not attract and therefore do not react. The optimum pH for most enzymes is pH7. In the body, amylase works mainly in the small intestines, where the acidity from the stomach has been neutralised by the hydrogencarbonate ions in the pancreatic juices secreted by the pancreas. Therefore, it follows that if amylase were adapted well to the surroundings which it is found most commonly at, it would work best in neutral conditions, which is pH 7. To allow for fluctuations in pH, amylase would need to work from around pH 3 to pH 11. Apparatus Apparatus Reason/Reference to pilot study Colorimeter Values can be obtained measuring the breakdown of starch, instead of just the colour when the iodine solution is added. If not much starch is broken down, iodine will colour it blue/black so a low % Transmission will be obtained. If a large volume of starch broken down, iodi... ...ially used 3 cm ³ of distilled water with 3 drops of iodine. It then occurred to me that this was inaccurate, as amylase solution is cloudy. Therefore, I blanked it with 2 cm ³ water, 1 cm ³ amylase and 3 drops of iodine. I decided to experiment with pHs within the range pH 2 to pH7, as I discovered that pH 4 is the optimum pH, instead of my predicted pH7. Risk Assessment  · Wear goggles to protect eyes from iodine solution  · If spilt on clothes or skin, wash with water to prevent harm to the body  · Keep iodine bottle away from edge of table to prevent injury from broken glassware Ethical Implications The amylase solution is taken from an animal. The owner of the animal must permit this act. The animal's body must be paid respect when the enzymes are removed so must therefore be treated carefully.

Hattin: Trapping a Victory :: European Europe History

Hattin: Trapping a Victory On June 26, 1187, the Muslim Sultan Saladin crossed the river Jordan with 20,000 of his followers - an army consisting of roughly 12,000 light horsemen and a number of footmen to a location south of the Sea of Galilee where he and his men encamped. They had been ravaging the nearby countryside in hopes of provoking a Christian attack, but had been unsuccessful. The Frankish Christians led by King Guy in Jerusalem had also mobilized their own army and camped at the spring at Saffuriyah . Marshall W. Baldwin says that the Franks too had an army 20,000 strong, but it was different in composition. The "Latins", as they are called, were a cavalry of 1,200 heavily armored knights, 3,500 lightly armored, mounted sergeants, several thousand foot soldiers, as well as a large number of native auxiliaries as mounted bowmen . Between the two great forces (the largest memorable, Christian gathering in years) lay an arid terrain; the hot summer sun made travel extremely difficult, especially for large numbers. One could easily expect fatigue, dehydration, and low morale when venturing to the east of Saffuriyah until reaching the Sea of Galilee. Strategists of each side knew the consequences of traveling across the region and so, "the waiting game" was played to see who would be the one to be provoked into a trap through the valleys. Although Saladin had unified large sections of the Muslim world, his army was still not a standing one. The crusaders counted on the fact that Saladin would have trouble holding his army together for a long period of time because his soldiers were not full-time warriors. Many were also tradesmen or farmers that easily disbanded when there was no action to get back home . Saladin knew his situation and continually harassed the area of Tiberias in failed attempts to provoke the Christians into leaving Saffuriyah, until he decided on July, 2 to besiege the city itself. He moved the majority of his troops to the high ground west of Tiberias. From this location, the Muslims could block entrance to the city while still accessing water supplies from the Sea of Galilee through the eastern side of the ridge. Tiberias was poorly fortified and Saladin's well - supplied forces had no trouble entering its walls. Residents of the city took refuge in the citadel, including the wife of Count Raymond of Tripoli who urgently sent west for help.

Research Paper Rough Essay

When reading a book, do you ever feel like you have already read a plot like this before? Do you sometimes wonder if you have even read this book already? There are very similar patterns in writing books and producing movies. There are also very similar characters in these books and movies. One type of storyline in particular is the bildungsroman plot. This is the coming to age novel. Bildungsroman books trace back to Germany in the early 1900’s (Cengage). A bildungsroman story generally contains a protagonist who learns and grows as time progresses. This growth can be physical or moral. There are many stories containing this plot. An author tries to send a message out to the reader about life and how you can change. The question is, do all bildungsroman novels have the same outcome? I think that protagonists in bildungsroman stories all have a similar, successful turnout at the end of the story. In this growth novel, there are many things that affect the protagonist. The main character is generally affected most by peers. The people around them can change the way they act, think, and appear. An example of that would be Joe Dirt. This comedy is about a young boy (David Spade) searching for his parents that left him in the Grand Canyon when he was little. During his search, he comes across a wide variety of people that help him along the way. After the long journey, he comes to realize that his family isn’t missing, but they are right there in front of him. He learns that his friends are the ones that truly care for him. One emotion that can heavily affect growth in a bildungsroman novel is love. Love is present in some form in almost every bildungsroman book or movie. Forrest Gump is a great example of how love can direct the outcome of a movie. When Forrest was young, he met a young girl on a bus to school named Jenny. As soon as he met her he said, â€Å"She was the most beautiful girl I ever did saw† (Groom). As time progressed, He and Jenny are separated by war, fame, fortune, drugs, and political movements of the 60’s. All this still could not keep them apart because of the love they shared for each other. Gump’s decisions in many parts of the movie are motivated by his passion for Jenny. He soon reunites with Jenny and marries her. This shows that love can almost take over the character and form it to work with the person he or she loves. The antagonist can also form the main character. Generally, the antagonist is trying to stop the protagonist from growing in a bildungsroman novel. A fine example of this would be Harry Potter. Harry is a young wizard who is notoriously known for surviving a deadly spell casted by the most evil wizard ever. Harry lives his whole life trying to discover more and more about Voldemort. As he learns more, he starts dealing with issues that lead him up to killing Voldemort. Voldemort tries to kill Harry in several different attempts. He uses trickery, persuasion, and built up rage in Harry. Harry learns many things along his journey at Hogwarts. He builds his beliefs and values around his constant battle between good and evil. This shows how strong an antagonist can affect a bildungsroman plot. Lastly, setting can affect the way a character will think or act. Huck Finn was a young boy who lived in the South in a time of slavery among African Americans. He is a true red neck who floats up the Mississippi River on a raft. He comes across all types of people on his journey. The setting affects this book so much because the fact the he lives in the south during the slave era shows how he treats black people along the way. He is faced with many problems, and uses his knowledge of his surroundings to get him out of them. My first example for a bildungsroman story is Ender’s Game. Ender is a young boy who joins a school that train young children to fight. He is training to fight against a group of aliens that look almost like insects. Ender was taken in, and he was supposedly the chosen one. He had constant arguments with the people in his battalion, and he even got into a few fights. Ender was bullied when he was the â€Å"new guy† (Maximus), and then slowly became more respected as he became a hardened soldier. The way Ender learned was very different from a lot of archetypal bildungsroman characters. Generally, the protagonist will learn from other people. Ender learned from other people, but developed his own style based on trial and error. Ender proved to be very smart and was rewarded highly for it. He made his own moves for combat and were proven very effective on the battlefield. This book was very different because it didn’t use a common plot for bildungsroman. It focused less on character development, and more on character outcome. A bildungsroman book generally focuses more on development. At the end of the book, Ender finds out that the acclaimed killer of an enemy is actually harmless. They are being attacked without reason, and all of Ender’s practice sessions were actually real battles. It turns out the antagonist wasn’t truly a bad species. They were just looking for a place to survive. Ender learns a lot from the fighting and why he is doing it. This book is a good example of peers affecting the main character in the sense that they were falsely leading him. Ender was lead to kill when killing wasn’t necessary. Although he did form himself through lies made by the government, he still learned about life and what war is truly about. The next book I want to focus on is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by legendary author Mark Twain. Mark Twain is a realist writer who shows how it really was back in a time of corruption and slavery (Pool 1). Many people condemn Twain calling him a racist and a bigot, but little do they know he is trying to convey a message from a realistic point of view, rather than a romanticized point of view. Huck Finn is a country boy who gets fed up with life at home and decides to run away and live life on the Mississippi. He takes his friend Jim along with him. The complicated thing about it is the fact that Jim is black. If someone spots Jim, they will turn him in as a runaway or even kill him. Huck uses his skills of being a great con artist to get him out of many situations. Huck learns from the way people act, the way they look, and where they are from to work them. This all has to do with setting. For example, when he meets the Grangerfords, he knows the are way classier and richer than him. He uses this to assume they don’t have much street smarts. He comes across all sorts of people, and he has to retain information about the people, the land, and the personalities to continue on with his journey. The antagonist in this novel is really a person in particular. It is more a group of people throughout the book. Anyone that remains a threat to Huck and Jim would be considered an antagonist. The outcome of this book kind of lets the reader continue the story. They drop it off and make it sound like Huck runs away again. We can assume that he ran away again for more adventures in his travels. My third example for a bildungsroman novel is Great Expectations. Great Expectations would probably be considered a canon for bildungsroman novels. The intricate writing and detailed storyline makes it a great novel for character development (Kogan). This book is about a young boy named Pip who goes from a lower class family to learn how to become a true gentleman in a high end English family. Pip meets nearly sixty people along his journey, and learns from everyone. The characters he meet are very interesting because some of them he learns from in a positive way, and others in a negative. Dickens focused on peers rather than setting and love, although they both play there respective parts in this book. Setting is shown when contrasting the poor lifestyle to that of the rich English lifestyle. Pip must learn to cope from on both spectrums of housing. Love also plays a key role because he develops feelings for a girl he is housing with. Although he likes her, love doesn’t steer his decision making like it does for most protagonists. The antagonist in this book is being held down by society and not making a name for himself. He learns to break free of the bonds of society and become a gentleman. At the end of this book, Pip is much older and now a hard working gentleman who is in the mercantile firm. All the people in his life ended up impacting his life greatly and for the better of things. My next example is the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. This is a very predominant series read by millions of people. It is one of the most famous series of the twenty-first century. Although it is highly recognized as a critically acclaimed series, it is often over looked as a true character development novel. Harry is a young boy who learns he is a wizard and enrolls in a wizard school. What Harry does not know tis the fact that he is one of the most famous wizards ever. He is the only person to ever survive an unforgivable curse. As Harry goes through school at Hogwarts, he uncovers some of the most dark and horrible secrets about the past. He finds out about his family, his enemy, and his school and there dark pasts. Harry tries to break free of this unknown past but keeps coming back in grueling ways. Harry comes face to face with Voldemort many times, and he becomes enslaved to the battle between the two. Harry learns from all the trials and tribulations that lead up to the killing of Voldemort. Unlike Ender’s Game, Harry Potter is focused more on journey than destiny. My last and favorite example is Forrest Gump. This movie is widely considered the greatest work of character development. This book expresses all the themes of a bildungsroman plot into one movie. It shows how love, setting, and antagonist can all affect the outcome of a person. Forrest Gump is a mentally challenged boy who experiences more difficulties than the average human. He plays All-American Football, he fights in Vietnam, He meets the president multiple times, he deals with racism, he owns a multi-million dollar company and more. Love directs Forrest in a way like no other. His path goes off course multiple times in search of his true love, Jenny. Setting plays a big role because of the problems in the 60’s. Things like the drug movement, the sex revolution, racism, war, and an economic crisis made Forrest Gump a true American. The antagonist of this movie is not a person. The antagonist is merely separation. Separation from Jenny is the whole point of Forrest’s great journey. Through this journey we can understand what being alive is all about and living in the pursuit of happiness. With all these in mind, we can draw conclusions that bildungsroman novels have not really veered from the path since they were invented. They all have similar plots and outcomes. They all have to do with pursuit of happiness and reaching the goal. All of the examples I have mentioned all reached their goals. It is a trend for bildungsroman novels to reach their goals and to succeed in the end. Although, this is a trend, it does not mean it is true for all of them. Some books leave a failure at the end in an attempt to show the reader maybe life isn’t all about searching. Protagonists basically all have the same flawed characteristics that make them possible to develop. If they were perfect, they wouldn’t have any goals to reach. They wouldn’t search for a purpose in life. I think as readers we enjoy a flawed character because it is easier for us to relate to them. We enjoy reading these types of books because they almost help us decide how we want to carry out our lives and live as an individual. Works Cited â€Å"The Bildungsroman in Nineteenth-Century Literature.† Enotes.com. Enotes.com. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"Forrest Gump’s Amazing And Colorful Tale.† Orlando Sentinel. 22 Dec. 1996. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"A Great `Expectations`.† Chicago Tribune. 07 July 1989. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. . â€Å"The Little-known Dark Side Of Ender’s Game.† Fabius Maximus. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. . Pool, Bob. â€Å"Commercialism Sold Huck Finn Character down the River, Twain Scholar Says.† Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. .

Standards & Discipline: “Discipline” Video Case Study

Facilitator: Watching the video twice often ensures that participants are prepared to discuss the issues. Remember that SSG John Diem volunteered to share this story and served admirably and heroically in combat. Video summary: John Diem discusses the importance of discipline within the unit and the individual. â€Å"Just because you are overseas does not mean you do not continue to follow rules/standards/disciplines. You may not understand the reasoning behind these rules, but as professionals, you are expected to enforce and adhere to them. Length: 2:59 ? SSG Diem says, â€Å"When you allow your lack of understanding of these rules to become how you lead Soldiers and you allow yourself to discount them, that’s when you start having a negative effect. † o What should a leader do when they don’t understand Army rules & standards? o Have your group write down and discuss when they’ve enforced a particular standard. ? Diem says, â€Å"So I don’t exp ect lieutenants, sergeants, privates, even staff-sergeants to understand all of these rules. But I think the Army has the right to expect them to enforce them. † o What do you think of this statement? o How can a leader use their military expertise to learn rules in order to enforce them? o Ask the group to share what impact a leader’s misunderstanding of rules or SOPs had on them as a subordinate? ? Diem also said, of upholding standards, â€Å"You have to find when to ease up on that and (when to) harshly enforce it. † o How can â€Å"easing up† on a standard affect the performance of duties?