Homelessness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Homelessness - Essay Example There are a number of factors that have contributed towards homelessness in the nation. The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), in this regard, identifies two dominant trends that have been responsible for the rise of homelessness: â€Å"a growing shortage of affordable rental housing and a simultaneous increase in poverty† (National Coalition for the Homeless, Why Are People Homeless?). Poverty and homelessness are interrelated as poor people very often are forced to sacrifice their desire for housing in order to meet other basic needs food, clothing and healthcare. Unemployment, unstable employment, low-wages, lack of affordable housing for the poor, excessive waiting lists for public housing, and decline in public assistance are other significant predictors for homelessness (NCH, Why Are People Homeless?). It is worthwhile to review the definition of homelessness and to identify the dominant demographic characteristics of homelessness in the nation. Homeless people are defined as â€Å"individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;† this definition takes into account people who share the housing of others; people who live in motels or camping grounds; people who are in emergency or transitional shelters; abandoned children who await foster care placement; and migratory children (NCH, Who is Homeless?). Reviewing the demographic characteristics 39% of the homeless population comprised of children below the age of 18 whereas 25% of the homeless were individuals in the age category of 25 to 34 (NCH, Who is Homeless?). Similarly, males were more likely to be homeless than females. However, homeless families with children have considerably increased in the past decade. Regarding the ethnicity of homelessness, African-Americans form the majority of the homel ess population (49%) followed by Caucasian (35%), Hispanic (23%), Native American (2%), and 1% of Asians (NCH, Who is Homeless?). It has also been observed by NCH that

Architectural Detailing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Architectural Detailing - Coursework Example This partnership will ensure that the Centre does meet its objectives and goals. Below is figure 1 of the plans for first and ground floors of the Centre: Shakespeare House Community Centre was established in the year 2007. After its establishment, the Centre strived to offer sustainable services because of the onset of the Credit emanating from the capital to the voluntary sector were terminated drastically. However, Shakespeare House was capable of leveraging the Centre to offer its finance via Centre-based services. There has been little improvement of the metropolis due to the funds invested. The insufficient funds made the Centre’s facilities develop gradually although organically (Allen & Rand, 2006). However, the underlying trustees have agreed on a new 5-year lease with the owners who predict a long-term utilization of the Centre by the community. Advancement Plan was adopted by Trustees of Shakespeare House Community Centre at the Trustee meeting offering a mandate for the construction of the mosque (Allen & Rand, 2006). The University of Sanford’s Council is committed to the project for the long-term. Moreover, the focus is mainly to ensure that the Centre provide high-quality complete services that replicate the requirements of the local Centre. The Kitchen within the old design has been altered from 29 m2 to 32 m2, which is adequate for the kitchen counters. Kitchen counters are to be fitted around the kitchen. The kitchen has to have a food storage room. The kitchen also has to have adequate space for the movement the kitchen staff. The new design garden is fitted with a walking path all around the house to enable guests to walk around the house quickly and easier for wheelchair users to go outside. The food growing area has a tool room for keeping the tools and equipment’s safe. The multipurpose space will have a new extinction of 106-m2 room. Three rooms will separate the multipurpose space. These three rooms will be next to

Brand Extension Essay Example for Free

Brand Extension Essay Brand extension is a marketing strategy according to which a company marketing a product or a service launches a new offering (product or service) that is related to the one of the existing brands of the company, but offers different benefits and/or targets a different segment. Organizations use this strategy to increase and leverage upon their brand equity. When a firm is introducing a new product, it has the following 3 choices on branding: 1. Developing a new brand for the new product 2. Using the existing brand for the new product 3. Combining the new brand and the existing brand The use of 2nd and 3rd strategy is referred to as brand extension. Brands may be classified as one of the following: Parent Brand: If an existing brand gives birth to a brand extension, it is referred to as parent brand. Sub Brand: When a new brand is combined with an existing brand, it is called as sub brand. Family Brand: If a parent brand has links with multiple brands through brand extensions then it is called as family brand. Brand Extension Dimensions There are a large number of ways in which brand extension can be accomplished. One of the vital differences is if the extension is in the same or different category of the product. Thus they can be classified as: vertical or horizontal extensions. Vertical extensions Vertical extensions refer to the introduction of a related brand in the same product category but having a different price and quality balance. Vertical extensions offer the firm a quickest way to leverage upon the core product’s equity. As an extension strategy, vertical extension is widely practiced in many industries. For example, within automobile industry, the various brand models attempt to offer different price-quality bundles to attract various market segments. Often a product is extended in an attempt to just gain more of the market share. Vertical extension direction New product introductions using vertical extensions can extend in 2 directions, upscale and downscale vertical extensions. The vertical brand extension is that type of new product introduction that seems to be carrying less risk and seemingly having more appeal to management. The new product which is being introduced is in the same category as the parent product; aims at a same market segment as the parent, and may or may not enjoy the same acceptance as the parent. Upscale vertical extensions Upscale extensions involve a new product introduction by the firm with higher price quality characteristics than the original product. Downscale vertical extensions It involves a new product introduction with lower price quality characteristics than the original. Downscale vertical extensions may target sampling to a new segment, and bring some gain in market share. Horizontal extensions Generally, horizontal brand extensions either use or extend an existing product’s name to a new product in the same product category or to a product category new to the organization. There are 2 types of horizontal extensions which differ in terms of their focus area. They are termed as line extensions and category extensions. Line Extensions All the customers differ in terms of their usage needs. The brand has to fill the market with variety of products as per the needs of the segments. If a parent brand is used to brand a new product that targets a new segment in the market within the same product category that was previously served by the parent brand, it is called as line extension. Line extension leads to the addition of a new and distinct flavour or ingredient to the category. It sometimes might also lead to a new application for the brand or an introduction of a different form or size. For example, Bisleri is the pioneering brand in category of mineral water. Originally, Bisleri started off with 1 ltr bottle. But recently, the brand has launched bottles of different sizes and quantities.

Interventions Against Burnout in Mental Health Nursing

Interventions Against Burnout in Mental Health Nursing Are educational interventions effective in reducing the incidence of burnout among mental health nurses? A critical review of the literature Abstract Background There is much evidence to link burnout with mental health nursing, but limited empirical evidence that examines the impact of educational interventions on the incidence of burnout in mental health nurses. Aim The aim of this literature review was to critically evaluate the literature relating to educational interventions associated with burnout in mental health nursing using selective and comparative analysis Method The search strategy involved the use of several electronic databases, and a library search to access relevant journals. Search terms and inclusion/ exclusion criteria are identified. Evaluative criteria (Price 2003) were applied to a critical analysis of the literature. Findings There is limited empirical research in this area; some of it is predictive rather than evaluative. Conclusions Despite the paucity of information, there are some strong arguments for the use of educational interventions to reduce the incidence of burnout in mental health nurses. There are implications for further research to be carried out in this area. Background Burnout is defined as a state of emotional exhaustion, accompanied by a sense of low self- worth (Peveler et al 2000), lack of motivation and a physical as well as emotional, sense of ill- health (Malach-Pines 2005). It tends to involve an insidious process of cumulative stress (Morrisette 2002a). Burnout is most often associated with human- service (helping) professions (Ekstedt and Fagerberg 2005) and frequently, it is those who have a high level of commitment to their work, who are most at risk (van Dierendonck D et al 2005). There is much evidence within the literature that links mental health nursing with burnout ( Barling 2001; Coffey 1999; Duquette et al 1994; Edwards et al 2000; Fagin et al 1995; Happell et al 2003; Harper and Minghella 1997; Kipping 2000; Prosser et al 1999a; Onyett 1997; Wykes et al 1997). Although burnout is associated with different types of nursing (Nolan and Smojkis 2003); mental health nurses in particular, are reported to be at high risk (Nolan et al 1999; Thomsen et al 1999a). Suggested reasons for this high level of vulnerability to stress and burnout are that the profession attracts people who have a predisposition to mental health difficulties themselves (Guppy and Gutteridge 1991) and that working with people with severe mental illness is so stressful that a degree of transference can occur between the patient and health professional (particularly if the latter is inexperienced) (McLeod 1997). The stressors associated with mental health nursing are further compounded if certain factors are present, such as low self- esteem; conflicting demands of home- life, inadequate coping mechanisms (Thomsen et al 1999b) and a lack of job satisfaction, which is especially associated with hospital, rather than community nurses (Prosser et al 1999b). Many sources propose that burnout is preventable (Burnard P 1999; Figley C 2002; Jones 2003 ; Morrisette 2002b; Taormina and Law 2000). It is important therefore, to raise awareness of prevention strategies. It is possible that these could be incorporated into educational programmes and it is suggested that failure to do so can result in informally learned negative behaviours leading to maladaptive coping strategies (Thompson 2003). Aim The aim of this literature review is to critically evaluate the literature relating to educational interventions associated with burnout in mental health nursing using selective and comparative analysis. Method The search strategy involved the use of the Athens Access Management System in order to access such databases as The British Nursing Index, CINAHL, the Cochrane library, Evidence- based medicine (EBM) reviews, Embase psychiatry, internurse.com, Medline, Ovid, PsycINFO, Pubmed, ScienceDirect and TRIP database. The University library was also used in order to conduct a hand search of such relevant journals as The Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing; The International Journal of Mental Health Nursing; Mental Health Nursing; Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, Journal of Advanced Nursing; International Journal of Nursing Studies; Nurse Researcher and Nursing Research. The search terms and keywords used were: ‘burnout’ and ‘stress’ in combination with ‘mental health nursing’; ‘mental health nurses’; ‘nurses’ ‘education’; ‘nurse education’; ‘training’ (as it was found that this word was used quite a lot within the literature) and ‘prevention’. The search process highlighted the search terms that were most effective in accessing the relevant information using trial and error; otherwise referred to as a process of screening (Fink 2005a) The inclusion criteria were: papers dating back to 1990, the rationale being that a lot of work on burnout was conducted during the 1990’s; some of it in relation to mental health nursing, which is still being cited by published authors; research articles addressing the concepts of ‘stress’ and ‘burnout’ as they relate to ‘mental health nursing’; research articles linking ‘burnout’ with ‘nursing’, ‘prevention’ and ‘education’ as there is limited specific information on educational interventions to prevent burnout in mental health nursing, therefore some transferable principles were applied. For the same reason (shortage of specific information) research articles from other countries were not excluded. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included. Exclusion criteria were any papers published before 1990; any articles not written in the English language; any articles not specifically addressing stress and burnout and articles about stress and burnout that are not related to nursing. Evaluative criteria adapted from the framework developed by Price (2003) were broadly applied to a critical analysis of the literature. These criteria are: Do the papers address my question? Is the content accessible and comprehensible? Are the research results valid, reliable and authentic? Are there any gaps within the literature and Are there any competing perspectives/ contradictions within the literature? These criteria were supplemented by selective reference to sampling techniques used, strengths and weaknesses of the research designs, methods of data collection and analysis, ethical aspects and presentation issues (Fink 2005b). Findings A recurring theme that emerged from the literature in relation to burnout within the helping professions is the concept of emotional labour, and that education and training can help to make people more aware of this phenomenon and to develop strategies to manage it. Emotional labour is a form of dissonance when the practitioner feels under pressure not to display the emotions which are engendered by the nature of their work (Brotheridge and Grandey 2002). There are two levels of emotional labour; surface or deep acting (Ashkanasy et al 2006). Surface acting is when the practitioner adopts a behaviour that belies their true emotions whereas deep acting is when they struggle to feel the emotion that is expected of them. Mann and Cowburn (2005) conducted a study that aimed to increase understanding about the links between components of emotional labour and stress in mental health nursing. 35 mental health nurses completed questionnaires which yielded information relating to 122 nurse- patient interactions. Three different published research instruments were integrated into the questionnaire; the Emotional Labour Scale, the Emotional Labour Inventory (both of which related more directly to nurse- patient interactions) and the Daily Stress inventory which addressed more general areas of stress. The use of tried- and- tested research instruments helps to ensure validity and reliability of the findings. Published research tools have often been refined several times, with the need to have excellent reliability and validity (Giles 2002). The data was analysed by using Pearsons correlations and multiple regression techniques. The researchers concluded that emotional labour is positively correlated with both the stress that arises from interactions with patients, as well as other sources of stress; that the impact of emotional labour is dependent upon the intensity of the interaction and the range of emotions experienced throughout the interaction, and that surface acting is a more important predictor of emotional labour than deep acting. Only one psychiatric unit was involved in the study with a relatively low response rate of 29%; low response rates can introduce bias and uncertainty into a study (Smeeth 2002). What constitutes a satisfactory response rate varies according to the nature of the research, however a 60% response rate might be considered to be ‘good’, and a 50% response rate to be adequate (Sim and Wright 2000); although many researchers accept that any response rate over 40% can yield meaningful results. The authors acknowledge that generalisability of the results is limited. Interestingly it was the non- cooperation of the unit in general that adversely af fected the response rate because of a lack of flexibility regarding access to respondents which influenced the methodology, in that it was not possible to obtain qualitative data relating to the lived experiences of mental health nurses in relation to emotional labour which might have been more meaningful, and an unwillingness to allow the researchers to follow- up non- responders. There is an implication here for nurses to become more research aware and for healthcare organisations to promote and support research- mindedness. The discussion and conclusion are interesting and relevant to the link between education and burnout in relation to mental health nursing. While acknowledging the limitations of the study, the authors do however stress that the findings have important implications for nurse education in that skills training for performing emotional work should be given a higher priority; that an increased focus be placed on facilitating self- awareness skills to enable mental health nurses to become more introspective about their feelings, so that they can develop effective techniques for dealing with them. However this study does not have the scope to be able to empirically demonstrate that educational interventions are effective in preventing burnout. The value of developing new educational strategies in relation to addressing emotional labour (in addition to other issues) for student mental health nurses was more clearly demonstrated by Turner et al (2004). The purpose of the study was to evaluate a pilot client attachment scheme for student mental health nurses. The rationale for client attachment is that it enables students to form therapeutic relationships with individual clients. This type of educational experience differs from the more traditional route of progressing through different placements. The methodology involved the use of semi- structured interviews to gain the perspectives of students (12), their supervisors (22) and clients (2). Although this is a small sample, the design was qualitative and a depth of meaningful information was obtainable, particularly from the students and the supervisors. The data was organised using thematic analysis, although this was not possible with the client data as there were only two clients and although they gave very positive feedback, the amount of information was very limited. Service user involvement in mental health research is a relatively new and developing concept (Telford and Faulkner 2004). This study is relevant to the discussion because it highlighted that different educational approaches can more effectively promote reflective skills among mental health nurses, which in turn can provide a tool for dealing with emotional labour. The researcher’s literature review revealed that many mental health student nurses report sources of stress as including not feeling part of a team, and dealing with distressing incidents involving clients. These factors lead to emotional containment, causing reduced motivation and increased stress. The client attachment scheme goes some way to addressing these issues by providing more continuity and increased supervision for mental health student nurses. Although the scope and generalisability of this study is limit ed, it flags up important indicators for changes to be made to the student nurse curriculum that will provide students with the skills to recognise and deal with, emotional labour, which should impact upon more effective stress management and prevention of burnout. Another study which concludes that changes should be made to the mental health student nurse curriculum in relation to stress management was conducted by Kilfedder et al (2001). They contend that previous studies on burnout in nursing contain several methodological inadequacies, and so set out to design a more theoretical study. The study sample was drawn from nurses employed in a Scottish National Health Service (NHS) Trust which provided both acute and continuing care mental health services in both hospital and community settings. 510 nurses returned questionnaires (a response rate of 48.8%). A total of 12 published measures were used, together with one purpose- designed measure which related to non- occupational stressors. The others related to such aspects as social support, occupational stress, burnout and coping strategies. As previously highlighted, the use of published measures can enhance reliability and validity. A range of statistical tests were used to analyse the data. H igh levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and burnout were reported and low levels of personal accomplishment. The researchers concluded that not only should a core part of the nursing curriculum be devoted to stress management and coping skills, but also that management training should incorporate leadership skills that facilitate stress management and that all nurses should be provided with training that equips them to develop coping mechanisms. Education is very much seen by the researchers as an essential part of a comprehensive approach to prevention, which should be emphasised more than the current tendency towards ‘picking up the pieces’ after the event. This study is quite complex which tends to affect its accessibility, however its findings have important implications for stress management in mental health nurses. Sharkey and Sharples (2003) evaluated a learning pack on risk management, developed for use with clinical mental health teams with emphasis on the impact the pack had on team members’ stress. The learning pack was made up of six sections, each one corresponding with a facilitator- led workshop. Participants were expected to carry out some reading and learning activities between workshops. Interestingly the authors identify two aspects of risk management that are potential stressors; the potential risks of the job such as dealing with violence and having to get to grips with the concept of risk management as a relatively new concept, and the systems involved. The researchers adopted a quasi- experimental approach, using pre and post measures, taken eight weeks before and after the learning intervention, in order to be able to measure any change in relation to work- related stress among the participants, as a result of following the educational programme. The researchers highlig hted difficulties with not being able to conduct a controlled experiment which might have affected the outcome, as it was not possible to be certain that any change was attributable to the educational intervention, as opposed to other factors. Sampling was self- selective which might also have affected the findings, as having volunteered; the participants indicated a level of motivation which could have impacted on the effectiveness of the learning programme. The sample (42) was drawn from two mental health locality teams, which included mental health nurses. The pre and post measures used were the Occupational Stress Indicator and the Healthcare- related Work Pressure Scale. Again, these are tried and tested published instruments, the use of which should contribute to the validity and reliability of the findings. These yield quantitative data which was analysed using descriptive statistics, the paired t -test and the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Once again, it might have been of valu e to combine qualitative with quantitative measures, in order to gain an understanding of the participants’ experience of stress; qualitative methods allow researchers to overcome the assumptions inherent in fixed- choice questionnaires, although these also have their value for example, in relation to information about prevalence (Cummings and Galambos 2004). All 42 participants completed the pre measures( although only 32 started the programme and 27 completed it) together with the post measures. It would have been interesting to identify why almost half of the original sample did not complete the programme; whether workload and/ or stress issues contributed to this level of attrition. However it was suggested that quite intensive time commitment was required to complete the programme which might have been an inhibitory factor and there could be implications for redesigning the programme so that it can be accessed more flexibly by participants. Responses were not broken down into professional groups- this also might have yielded some important differences. In relation to the Occupational Stress Indicator, comparing pre and post scores indicated that there was a general decrease in many sources of stress. Interestingly lower means at post measures were observed for the ‘job satisfaction’ subscale which indicated reduced satisfaction. The researchers suggest that this could be due to increased knowledge and expectations as a result of the learning intervention; whether this development could be a source of stress in itself is not speculated upon even though different studies have reported a relationship between stress and reduced job satisfaction (Koslowsky 1998). Scores for the Healthcare- related work pressure scale all show a lowering of item means at post measure. Overall the researchers concluded that the learning intervention brought about positive changes in relation to the work- related stress of the participants; in some cases the i mpact was significant. It is suggested that the ways in which educational interventions can bring about change is by enabling participants to gain knowledge and skills within the ‘safe’ environment of the classroom. A positive outcome of this study is that the learning pack has been modified, following feedback from the pre and post measures together with evaluations from the participants, and is now in use. Ewers et al (2002) evaluated the effect of Psychosocial Intervention Training (PSI), using a controlled experiment, in reducing burnout rates in mental health nurses working in secure units, having identified that this group is particularly at risk of developing clinical burnout syndrome. The hypothesis was that if nurses gained a better understanding of clients’ illnesses and develop more skills to be able to help clients, then they would experience lower levels of burnout within their clinical roles. A self- selecting sample of 20 volunteered to do the PSI course, but these met pre- set inclusion criteria and represented all grades of staff and all wards. 10 subjects were allocated to the experimental PSI group and 10 to the waiting list control group. Baseline measures of knowledge were taken, using a 30- item multiple choice questionnaire which had been used in previous studies; of attitudes, using a measure developed by one of the researchers and of burnout, using the Mas lach Burnout Inventory. It was not clarified whether the attitude measure had been tested for reliability and validity, whereas the other two measures are tried and tested. The experimental group received 20 days of PSI training. On completion of the course all subjects were asked to complete the measure of knowledge, attitudes and burnout. The facilitator had previously received advanced training in PSIs. The course includes both practical and theoretical assessment components and a minimum attendance of 80% was required. The data was analysed using Fisher Exact tests and t tests. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the knowledge scores for each group, with an increase in the knowledge of the experimental group. The same applied to the measurement of attitudes, which it is assumed (although not made clear by the authors) refers to an increase in positive attitudes for the experimental group. Again, the same applied to the burnout measure; this time the res ults are expressed more clearly in that the experimental group had moved in a positive direction along the subscales measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The limitations of this study are that the results might not be generalisable to other units; as only one unit was involved in the study wherein specific factors might exist that contribute to the development of burnout. As with the previous study, the self- selecting nature of the participants might indicate that they were more highly motivated and more responsive to change. However, while acknowledging the methodological weaknesses, the researchers conclude that the significantly positive changes in knowledge, attitudes and burnout measures of participants within the experimental group are indicative of the value of educational interventions in reducing the incidence of burnout among mental health nurses working within secure units. Ho (2007) describes a study which explored the value and meaning of a psychodynamic work discussion for mental health nurses, which is described as a method of working, learning and development in professional practice. A work discussion group can enable psychological and emotional containment for mental health nurses which can impact upon the prevention of burnout. While the work discussion group is a means of learning in itself, education about the psychodynamic processes involved is also necessary in order to unlock the potential of the group. A qualitative design was used in order to be able to explore the feelings, experiences and perceptions of the participants, which seems highly appropriate within a study of this kind. Data was collected from a focus group of 6 mental health nurses ranging from staff nurse to ward manager level. This is quite a small sample, however this is often more acceptable within qualitative research as depth rather than breadth of information is being sought. It is generally considered that the ideal composition of a focus group is between 6-12 people, however when the nature of the subject could be emotionally charged or sensitive, it is preferable to limit the size of the group to 5 or 6 (Polit and Beck 2004). The data was analysed using Bulmer’s framework, a technique derived from grounded theory in order to define meaning through focus groups. This article is quite complex but comprehension has been facilitated by the presentation, in tables and boxes, of the categories and themes within which the discussion was structured. The purpose of the focus group (which was not immediately made clear) was not to act as a work discussion group but to explore the potential for its value with mental health nurses, and the group appeared to be generally responsive to the concept. The author concludes that mental health nurses could benefit from this approach, but would need encouragement and education and that the use of the work d iscussion group could be integrated into nurse education. The researcher acknowledges that the potential use of this approach needs to be explored further, with larger samples from a wider area. Lee (2005) evaluated the effectiveness of a stress management training intervention for care assistants working in a residential home for the elderly; many of whom had dementia, having cited research which links caring for people with dementia with work- related stress. The study took place within one residential home. The training consisted of a three- day programme that aimed to create and maintain an effective work environment by managing stress and stressful situations. The researcher provides an outline of the course content but does not state how many participants there were or how she measured the effectiveness of the programme, despite including sections headed ‘methods’ and ‘findings’. She reports that the stress management training reduced the care assistants’ levels of stress and improved their ability to cope with potentially stressful situations. She also concluded that the age or experience of the care assistants did not have an impact o n their stress levels or coping ability, which did not concur with the findings of a different study. This is a poorly written research article; the lack of detail reduces its value. However given the paucity of research related to educational interventions for mental health workers, it still adds to the existing body of knowledge. An interesting development is that the researcher subsequently contacted 21 residential homes and found that only 3 provided training interventions related to stress management. Conclusions An extensive review of the literature has revealed that there are gaps in the literature relating to educational interventions to reduce the incidence of burnout in mental health nurses; this finding is supported in a review by Edwards and Burnard (2003), who concluded that while there is evidence that stress is a problem for mental health nurses, research on interventions to address this, is insufficient. Many articles on this subject are literature reviews, drawing on broad- based research in related areas, with a definite lack of empirical studies, and these reviews have not been included here. It has been necessary to include studies which predict that educational interventions will reduce the incidence of burnout in mental health nurses as well as those which evaluate existing interventions (which are very few). There are implications for further research into this important area. However there are some interesting and valuable conclusions that can be drawn from the existing lit erature. A synthesis of this review of the literature yields the following outcomes: There is a link between emotional labour and burnout, and adopting strategies (including educational) to enable mental health nurses to recognise and deal with emotional labour (including self- awareness and reflective skills) should impact upon the prevention of burnout. Educational interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of burnout should take place both within pre registration programmes and as part of continuing professional development (CPD). Educational interventions are an important part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the incidence of burnout among mental health nurses. As well as focussing on stress management, educational interventions can also be used to enhance knowledge and skills (relating to for example, risk management and helping skills) which in turn, positively impact upon stress levels and coping skills. A range of educational approaches should be explored in relation to stress management, allowing for innovation and flexibility, to facilitate access for mental health nurses, who may feel inhibited by such factors as shift patterns, workload or lack of resources References Ashkanasy N, Zerbe W and Hartel E. Emotions in the Work Place: Research, Theory, and Practice. Quorum/ Greenwood. 2000. p. 16 Barling J. Drowning not waving: burnout and mental health nursing. Contemporary Nurse. 11(2-3) 2001 pp. 247-59. Brotheridge C and Grandey Emotional Labour and Burnout: comparing two perspectives of ‘people work’. Journal of Vocational Behaviour. 60 pp. 17-39. Burnard P Practical counselling and helping. Routledge. 1999. p. 115 Coffey M . Stress and burnout in forensic community mental health nurses: an investigation of its causes and effects. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 6(6) 1999. p. 433 Cummings S and Galambos C. Diversity and Aging in the Social Environment. Haworth press. 2004. p. 157. Duquette A, Kerouac S, Sandhu BK, Beaudet L. Factors related to nursing burnout: a review of empirical knowledge. Issues in Mental Health Nursing. 15(4) 1994 pp.337-58. Ewers P, Bradshaw T, McGovern J and Ewers B. Does training in psychosocial interventions reduce burnout rates in forensic nurses? Journal of Advanced Nursing 2002 37(5) pp. 470-476. Malach-Pines A. The Burnout Measure, Short Version. International Journal of Stress Management. Volume 12(1) 2005. pp. 78-88 Mann S and Cowburn J. Emotional labour and stress within mental health nursing. Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. 12(2) 2000 pp.154-162, Nolan P, Dallender J, Soares J, Thomsen S and Arnetz B. Violence in mental health care: the experiences of mental health nurses and psychiatrists. Journal of Advanced Nursing 30(4) 1999. p. 934 Nolan P and Smojkis M. The mental health of Nurses in the UK. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. 9. 2003. pp. 374-379. Prosser D, Johnson S, Kuipers E, Dunn G, Szmukler G, Reid Y, Bebbington P and Thornicroft G Mental health, burnout and job satisfaction in a longitudinal study of mental health staff. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 34 (6). 1999. pp. 295-300. Sharkey S and Sharples A. The impact on work-related stress of mental health teams following team-based learning on clinical risk management. Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. 2003 10(1) pp. 73-81 Sim J and Wright C. Research in Health Care: Concepts, Designs and Methods. Nelson Thornes 2000. p. 359. Smeeth L. Improving the response rates to questionnaires. BMJ 324 2002 pp. 1168-1169 Taormina R and Law C. Approaches to preventing burnout: the effects of personal stress management and organizational socialization. Journal of Nursing Management 8(2) 2000, pp. 89-99 Telford R and Faulkner A. Learning about service user involvement in mental health research. Journal of Mental Health. 13(6) pp. 549- 559. Thompson T. Handbook of health communication. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 2003. p. 356. Thomsen S, Soares, J, Nolan P, Dallender J and Arnetz B. Feelings of Professional Fulfilment and Exhaustion in Mental Health Personnel: The Importance of Organisational and Individual Factors. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 68 1999 pp.157-164 Turner L, Callaghan P, Eales S and Park A. Evaluating the introduction of a pilot clien

The Metamorphosis :: Example Personal Narratives

The Metamorphosis    When I look back over the past few years, I realize how much I've grown and changed.   I arrived at Harvard Boarding School without any idea of what to expect. I entered my second year of high school as an innocent thirteen year-old feeling about a thousand miles from home. My interests at the time were cars, planes, major league basketball, movies and tennis. Midway through my senior year at Harvard Boarding School, my interests have changed dramatically.    If there is one common occurrence that takes place for every single person in the diverse student body at Harvard Boarding School, it is that we all grow up much faster for having lived there. I do not know whether this speeding up of the maturing process is generally good or bad, but I definitely have benefited.    The classroom has become a whole different realm for me. Before, the teachers and students alike preached the importance of learning, but it was implicitly obvious that the most important concern was grades. At [school' s name] teachers genuinely believe that learning is the most importance objective and deeply encourage us to collaborate with each other and make use of all resources that we may find. In fact, in a certain class this year, my teacher assigned us to prepare every day of the week to discuss a certain book; there were only two requirements in this preparation- we had to maximize our sources, gleaning from everything and everyone in the school, but we were not allowed to actually look at the book. As a result, I know more about that book than any other that I have actually read. It is teaching methods such as this that ensure that we will learn more. Indeed, this matter of " thinking" has been one of the most important aspects of my experience. Whether in Physics or Engl ish, I' m required to approach every problem and idea independently and creatively rather than just regurgitate the teacher' s words. In discussion with fellow students both inside and outside of class, the complex thoughts flowing through everyone' s brain is evident.    However, I believe that the most important concepts that I have espoused in being independent of my parents for half of each year, deal with being a cosmopolitan person. The school' s faculty and students are conscious about keeping all of the kids' attention from being based on the school.

Clash of Belief Systems in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay example

Clash of Belief Systems  in The Scarlet Letter  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Each person bases their judgment of others upon their own values or belief systems. These values or belief systems are influenced by experiences in the home and at school. The prevailing culture in an area has a tremendous impact on the belief systems of the child as well.   It is easy for a child to learn the difference between right and wrong, but they may fail to grasp the fact that the values they are taught are filtered through the belief systems of those who teach. Hawthorne judges the characters in The Scarlet Letter by using his own belief systems - drastically different from those of the Puritans. Instead of the stern, harsh values of the Puritans, Hawthorne sees life through the eyes of a Romantic. He judges each person accordingly, characterizing each person's sin as the pardonable sin of nature or the unpardonable sin of the human soul. One can infer, by the writing style, that Hawthorne is most forgiving to Hester. He writes about Hester with a feeling of compassion that the descriptions of the other characters lack. Hawthorne approves of Hetser's feeling, vitality, and thirst to overcome the iron shackles of binding society. He shows us that although Hester is not permitted to express her feelings verbally because of social persecution, there is no one that can restrain the thoughts of the human mind.   Hawthorne, being a romantic and man of nature himself, can relate to this. If one were to look up the human mating characteristics in a science book one might be shocked or surprised.   The human instinct is to have more than one partner not to stay loyal to one partn... ...rew emaciated his voice, still rich and sweet had a melancholy prophecy of decay in it he was often observed on a slight alarm or other sudden accident, to put his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then paleness, indicative of pain. (119)    Hawthorne is a romantic and has the personality of one. He is most forgiving to Hester because she is a Romantic person. She lives in a society many years before her time, but she is strong willed and fights society’s disdain to overcome her own sin. Hawthorne places Dimmsdale somewhere amidst the foggy middle, between these two characters. Dimmsdale is   there because he commits no direct sin. By not telling anyone of his secret sin he causes the pain for himself and Hester. He clearly characterizes Chilingworth as the least pardonable because he commits the sin of the heart, the soul, and of God.    Clash of Belief Systems in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Essay example Clash of Belief Systems  in The Scarlet Letter  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Each person bases their judgment of others upon their own values or belief systems. These values or belief systems are influenced by experiences in the home and at school. The prevailing culture in an area has a tremendous impact on the belief systems of the child as well.   It is easy for a child to learn the difference between right and wrong, but they may fail to grasp the fact that the values they are taught are filtered through the belief systems of those who teach. Hawthorne judges the characters in The Scarlet Letter by using his own belief systems - drastically different from those of the Puritans. Instead of the stern, harsh values of the Puritans, Hawthorne sees life through the eyes of a Romantic. He judges each person accordingly, characterizing each person's sin as the pardonable sin of nature or the unpardonable sin of the human soul. One can infer, by the writing style, that Hawthorne is most forgiving to Hester. He writes about Hester with a feeling of compassion that the descriptions of the other characters lack. Hawthorne approves of Hetser's feeling, vitality, and thirst to overcome the iron shackles of binding society. He shows us that although Hester is not permitted to express her feelings verbally because of social persecution, there is no one that can restrain the thoughts of the human mind.   Hawthorne, being a romantic and man of nature himself, can relate to this. If one were to look up the human mating characteristics in a science book one might be shocked or surprised.   The human instinct is to have more than one partner not to stay loyal to one partn... ...rew emaciated his voice, still rich and sweet had a melancholy prophecy of decay in it he was often observed on a slight alarm or other sudden accident, to put his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then paleness, indicative of pain. (119)    Hawthorne is a romantic and has the personality of one. He is most forgiving to Hester because she is a Romantic person. She lives in a society many years before her time, but she is strong willed and fights society’s disdain to overcome her own sin. Hawthorne places Dimmsdale somewhere amidst the foggy middle, between these two characters. Dimmsdale is   there because he commits no direct sin. By not telling anyone of his secret sin he causes the pain for himself and Hester. He clearly characterizes Chilingworth as the least pardonable because he commits the sin of the heart, the soul, and of God.   

The Concept of Bartering as Adapted by the Film In Time

The Concept of Bartering as Adapted by the Film In Time, and Its Implications. HAS 2013 Prices, Values, and Money Contents 1 Introduction of the characteristics of the genres thriller, action, and drama, making it fairly complex and capable of providing several different perspectives as well as various points of analysis, from the general plot to the greater cultural backgrounds. The film centers on the concept of time being utilized as the primary currency in a modernized world which is set a century ahead of the present.Due to intentional genetic engineering money is no longer available in the material form used in today's society, but has been replaced by time, which can be exchanged for other goods or forms of labor. The actual value of this new type of currency is undeniably not purely symbolic as is the case with today's form of money, but it is innately linked to the length of one's own lifetime. Precisely this linkage is what relates this financial concept to that of barterin g, and the adaptation of which will be the main topic – alongside with its societal implications – of this paper.Generally speaking the aim of this paper is to study a different conceptualization of exchange – regardless of its unrealistic possibility of enforceability – through an analysis of the concept of time being used as a substitute for money as presented in the film In Time, comparing it with the Aristotelian concept of bartering in an attempt to categorize and define the principles of this alternative form of exchange and its effect on the economy.Following this topic the paper will draw on Aristotle concept of liberality, which is also of importance within the film, inflation as such, and a short analysis of the social class system created by a fictional society run by time. These points should provide further understanding of today's system of exchange, hills enforcing a more creative and practical approach, ultimately highlighting negative and positive aspects of the current system. Time as Currency The film's concept of time runs as follows: from the age of 25 years onwards every individual is granted a lifetime of one further year, which begins to count down on their 25th birthday. From then on, the amount of time one has left to live depends on the acquisition of further time, or the expenditure which will inevitably thus ensue in Odder to purchase food and other necessary goods, such as clothes, housing, and electricity; time has become the universal currency.When a person's clock reaches O, that person dies immediately. The presence of sickness or other natural causes of death are not elaborated on within In Time. The currency of time as used in the film demands an exchange of a certain amount of time for other goods – and can even be exchanged for time itself at the bank in the form of a loan.Labor and services are paved for with time, and the wages allocated to different types of labor may be relationally c omparable to those used in today's society with regard to low-wage Jobs which require little to no education and gig-wage Jobs which usually require at least some sort of education and/or a certain degree of power, such as the Jobs of managers, professors, pilots, and doctors. Daily life and routines seem very much similar to today's system, with the exception of a higher death rate, however, even casinos and banks are shown in the film and seemingly fulfill the same function they do today.One's time status – which is comparable to the bank balance of today – is constantly on display in the individual scenes, making it easy for by-passers to inform themselves of one another's wealth, lest he or she should wear long sleeves or another type of clothing capable of hiding the numbers from view. For example, in the scene in which Will Salsa and Sylvia Weiss swim in the dark the watch presents the only source of light along with the lighting from the mansion, which in itself shares an innate connection with time through its immense worth (see figure 1).The only three obvious differences between the way time is used and the way money is used today lies in the following: firstly, the country has been manually divided into ‘time zones', the crossing of which itself costs time – travel today only raises costs in question of transportation. Secondly, the fact that time is constantly being spent by an individual – somewhat unintentionally – Just by being alive, whereas money on the other hand retains its value and can only be spent intentionally, and thirdly, that there seems to be no form of taxation or even individual fortune tracking.The government is, however, keen on surveillance, which becomes evident through the large amount of cameras which are situated seemingly everywhere, and through monitors which convey the proportional distribution of time – therefore wealth – throughout the United States; the main purpo se of this is to ensure that wealth continues to follow the geographical pattern which was dictated by the government, so that the very wealthy time zones continue to harbor the largest proportion of the country's wealth, while the poorer areas share very little wealth between them.The film focuses on two specific time zones: the very wealthy New Greenwich – home of the Weiss family, and the poorer Dayton – home of the Salsa family, which illustrates the extreme social discrepancies achieved through differences in wealth. Bartering The concept of bartering is constantly being revised and today means a form of exchange where a good or certain form of labor is exchanged for another good or certain form of labor, whereby both of the goods or the labor in question are separable from their possessors and carry palpable value – usually in terms of their use and quality – as in, for example, the exchange of berries for milk and vice versa; both of these goods ar e subject to intrinsic value, the primary one being the function of satiating and sustaining a human being.According to Aristotle, however, the concept of bartering carries a slightly different meaning. Firstly, Aristotle differentiates between types of property according to how hose are acquired, for example through hunting, or agricultural processes.These acquisitions demand time, which may be reduced by level of skill, therefore it is only logical that individuals should first and foremost pursue tasks for which they possess the required skills, basic required goods, or geographical advantages – for example a hunter living near a forest with a large quantity of game, or a wheat farmer with a sufficient amount of land available to him – and then exchange the in – excess acquired – good for a good which is more difficult or more important for the man in question to obtain.The value of each good is measured individually by each of the partners or group of individuals with the same interest partaking in the exchange, Shoes may be exchanged for a house, cattle for horses, eggs for wood, harvest labor for bread, and so on and so forth. Essentially the value of each good is constantly being revised, there is no one form of currency, money in today's form does not exist, a central market is not existent, and the government – should there be some sort of government present – has no impact on bartering as such. 4 Time as Currency in Association with BarteringAs mentioned above, the currency of time within the film In Time carries an intrinsic value – that of being capable of influencing the length of one's life. Money in the material form used today does not have as acute an influence on the length of one's life apart from its use in acquiring medicine or food from another human being, however, time too must pay for these goods nit the film. Following the traditional concept of bartering, man-made products or labor are exchanged for other man-made products or labor, however, time, as such, can be classed as neither f the two.Time is universally granted and – although man cannot alter time itself, he can – in this specific setting – gain more of it, or lose some or all of it, thereby ‘bartering' with his own life. At this point it may also be relevant to acknowledge the circumstance of time being an infinite concept in terms of gaining, and yet, it is certainly possible to be deprived of any time at all – by society, by oneself, or by the greater powers of the universe, leading to immediate death.The fact that time is, however, the only globally accepted currency – currency eyeing a theoretic opposition to the concept of bartering, is somewhat of a negation of the possibility of seeing this system as a form of bartering. In bartering the changeability of a good or of labor is subject to the interest another has in it, and whether or not the individual †“ or group of individuals – is capable of exchanging this for a good or for labor of their own which is of interest to the partner of exchange.In a typical bartering society there would be no primary or main good available for transfer, and certainly none by which value could be measured in any form, as time r the dollar can. Goods would be dependent on the separate circumstances of each individual, and their values would be subject to constant revisal. Currency as such is defined as being a system of money in general use in a particular country (Oxford English Dictionary, 2013).Aristotle intense occupation with the concept of slavery amongst men can, however, not be analyzed via the film, as slavery in its original form does not play a role, because modern human rights forbid inequality among mankind. The population of Dayton is indeed, to a certain extent, enslaved to the government, as he government regulates inflation and thereby death rates, and due to governmental â⠂¬Ëœtime keepers' – comparable to rope-men in contemporary societies – who are empowered to relieve individuals of time should they be accused of having acquired it without sufficient rights, or in case of other criminal allegations.Prisons are naturally impossible institutions in poorer societies run by time, as inmates would not be capable of earning enough time to keep themselves alive during their stay without further work, which instead leads them to inevitable death. Aristotle coins the term ‘liberality' in regard to money, describing a liberal man as one who is neither â€Å"acquisitive nor retentive of money, but is ready to part with it, and does not value it for himself, but only with a view to giving† (Aristotle. The Ethics of Aristotle. Trans. J. Thomson. England: Penguin Books, 1953. Print. ).In Time portrays protagonist Will Salsa as becoming somewhat of a liberal man. Toward the end of the film's development, he and Sylvia Weiss – dau ghter of one of the richest men in the world at the time – abide by the Robin Hood principle, which souses on the redistribution of wealth in order to reduce economic inequality. The most fascinating aspect here, is that the ‘wealth' in question is far more life-giving, than money in the standard form, which certainly buys food, however, the human being is capable of living for far longer without food than without ‘time' as portrayed in the film itself.Strictly speaking this means that an extreme form of liberality is achieved through the disregard Salsa and Weiss show in relation to the value of their own retention of time, and the selflessness they are capable of embodying, even at such high costs. The film's opening scene introduces Salsa as being confined state by – as is later revealed – the constant need to find more and more time in order to prolong his life, putting him in a metaphorical ongoing fight for life.The scene shows Salsa from a med ium close-up, standing behind a barred window and looking outside (see figure 2), before switching to a medium longest inside the room, which is almost completely dark save for the backlogging coming in through the window, again emphasizing the confinement Salsa must endure while wistfully looking out of the window in yearning for freedom (see figure 3). Freedom is, however, of course not available to Salsa. He is physically free to leave his apartment at any given time, but he will never be able to overcome the hold that the financial system has on him – at least not legally, but this he has yet to discover. Inflation The ability – and strongly pronounced desire – to acquire more and more time inevitably leads to higher life expectancies, and therefore also overpopulation. The government has come up with a solution to this problem: inflation. Through inflation individuals with little time on them are subject to a higher mortality risk, and this is owe the popul ation is regulated, so as to avoid an increase in societal problems, such as a heightened crime rate, lack of food, water, or medicine, sanitary issues, etc.The effects of inflation in poverty stricken areas are illustrated in one of the scenes at the very beginning, during which the mother of the protagonist dies on her way home because she does not have enough time available to her to pay for the inflated bus fares. It is, however, important to note that, although inflation takes place in the same way it does in today's society, the currency itself, I. E. Mime, is not affected by inflation as such: physically an hour of time remains the same amount of a person's lifetime, the only change in worth comes from the good being acquired by time, which then costs more.At the same time this circumstance underlines the lack of individualizing existent within the film, the effect of which is achieved by the apparent stereotypical disrespect which the lower classes are confronted with and de aths which occur on the streets of the poorer time zones, people being so used to seeing these corpses that they no longer pay heed to their presence and have mingle accepted the irrelevance of their lives in the social system.Inflation is not possible in standard bartering as conceptualized by Aristotle. A commodity's value is determined by its degree of desirability, and so in times of famine edible goods are naturally more highly valued than, for example, in times of good harvest. This point further distances the concept of time as currency from being a form of bartering as it is made clear that inflation of time prices is very much determined and arranged by the government as is perspective's needed, not as is natural. Influence on Social Class The lower classes tend to have little more than a few hours on their clocks, which means that affected individuals must move fast, are far more susceptible to crime due to the instinctive incessant need to survive, are prone to resorting to the vulgar sport of ‘fighting' each other for time in front of an audience, and are subject to more casualties than the higher classes with more time on them are.Social mobility is fairly limited, especially in the poorer time zones, as the search for more time plays an acute role in the search for a partner, however limited this time may be through he constant need to work more. Aristotle describes slaves as being strong enough to absolve the menial duties life presents mankind with, while the freemen are useless for physical labor, but useful for many other purposes of civic life.This can easily be related to the correlation between the upper and lower classes in the film, where the lower classes work in factories or on the streets doing manual labor and producing goods for the upper classes which they can hardly afford themselves, while the upper classes either busy themselves with tasks – if at all – which demand brain power of a stable financial Asia, all the while exploiting the lower classes. Sylvia view on the clock and time as the sole form of exchange available is as follows: â€Å"The clock does no one any good.The poor die and the rich don't really know how to live. We can live forever if we don't do anything stupid. Doesn't that scare you? † (In Time. Dir. Andrew Niccole. Twentieth Century Fox. 2012. Film. ) This describes two of the main issues with which society is presented: the fear and thus ensuing motivation of sudden death, as well as the lack of motivation one may encounter on owning a large amount of time, for there is then of course no longer a need to work ND yet these individuals have so much time that they no longer know how they may occupy themselves. Film Analysis In Time incorporates a combination of many different types of scenes, ranging from dark to light, hectic to slow, extreme close ups to extreme longest, all of which work together to help emphasize the extremity of using time as currency, as we ll as traumatizing and detailing its effects on society.As mentioned above, the clock displayed on the forearm of each and every individual within the movie is often used keeping the audience's perspective constant and attentive to the ‘bigger picture', which the film conveys, as is the case in the swimming scene with Salsa and Well, where the viewer is reminded not to lose himself in the comparatively rather banal romantics, but to stay alert and capable of interpretation on a larger level. The lack of individualism in this type of society is also illustrated.From the first scene onwards – in which Salsa is shown looking outside through the bars of a window – the clammy and fearful atmosphere driven by survival instinct alone without any visually explained causes is constantly reinforced, for example in the scene in which Will Salsa' mother dies in the middle of an empty road from no hysterical cause, or the moment in which the man who gives Salsa over a hundred years simply seems to fall off a bridge filmed from an extreme longest, making the viewer feel all the more helpless and emotionally affected. Conclusion Time is not merely a medium of exchange in the way money is, it is a good or service, which can be directly exchanged for other goods. Therefore, it is essentially distantly related to Aristotle concept of bartering, consequentially combining the traditional concept of exchange with the less modern and, in today's society, rarely enforced concept of bartering.However, one distinct difference lies in the fact that the society Aristotle focused on was to force individuals to be responsible for acquiring their goods individually, whereas in the modern society presented by the film organized work and an advanced market are the predominant themes in which individuals are far from producing their own goods directly. The use of time as the only legally recognized currency ultimately intertwines the length of one's life with the material quality of life itself – what can man physically acquire and how much of it?This adds the component of natural survival instinct to the motivation for finding and keeping work, and has the distinct effect of eliminating unemployment in cases of poverty. The effect this has on crime rates is most likely ambiguous, as the sanctions which a criminal would face are almost certainly life threatening, and yet, if one's life is in danger due to lack of time, he or she is far more likely to commit an illegal act in order to acquire more time than otherwise.These points make this financial system far more interesting on a societal level than anthropometry systems, as society's thinking is deeply affected by a more acute occupation with life itself and the inevitable death, the proximity of which is by far more dependent on one's way of life – how much time is spent working, where and as what, with whom one chooses to spend time, etc.Status seems to play a rather large role in t he upper classes, even more so than in today's society, as it seems that lack of status is greeted with disrespect, as is demonstrated by the waitress at the hotel in which Will Salsa has breakfast, by her comment on the speed at which he moves. Naturally, if one has a very large amount of time there is less of a need to move fast – quite on the contrary, moving slowly is somewhat of a prerequisite to avoid having too little to do with so much time.An analysis of this concept allows for the realization that the current financial concept of money can be comparatively seen as lacking in certain fields. Firstly, the to the fact that the motivation to work is not as high as it is in the film – sanctions would be needed in order to increase the motivation. Secondly, the film highlights the extreme differences in between different social classes, which promotes inequality where it should not – a reevaluation of proportional taxation a integrated living areas could pro vide possible improvements.Thirdly, liberality is naturally a more common phenomenon in the current society than in the film's society, as there is less at stake, and inflation is mainly influenced by governmental regulations and has far less to do with the availability of a good or service. Through the replacement of money with time a new form of financial system is introduced, which is loosely related to the concept of bartering.