Personal Philosophy of Mental Health Nursing Essay

Each individual has their own personal philosophy of mental health nursing. Throughout this paper there will be facts, and my personal thoughts. This is including the following topics; mental health, mental illness, continuum of mental health/mental illness, defense mechanisms, therapeutic tools, and self-awareness in the nurse. The words mental health placed together creates a definition of a person’s psychological and well-being of emotions. Each person’s definition may vary, but it boils down to the same raw meaning (Townsend, M. 2014). Mental health is evaluated at each doctor’s visit without the patient even knowing why the nurse or physician are asking certain questions. It is important to know in which state the patient’s emotions and mental health status is for their own safety. Mental illness can vary from mild to severe cases, and can differ per illness. Anxiety, mood disorders, psychotic, and anorexia disorders are just a few classified as mental illnesses. There are early signs of mental illness that one could detect early enough to delay or get a better control on the illness. Withdrawal from others, heightened senses, no desire to have activities with others, extreme beliefs, nervousness, and appetite changes can be early signs of an illness. Many times it is the people surrounding the individual that notices a difference in their behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2014). Nobody will argue that mental health and mental illness are not closely related, they both talk about the persons mind, and the shape the mind is in. One can talk about mental health without mental illness being mentioned because everyone has mental health but not everyone has mental illness. Just the opposite for mental illness. It is not possible for one to say someone has a mental illness without stating their mental health status. Many people get these definitions confused. There are four phases of a therapeutic  nurse-patient relationship: pre-interaction phase, orientation/introductory period, working, and termination phase (Townsend, M. 2014). Rapport, empathy, trust, and respect and requirements for a productive therapeutic nursing-patient relationship. The nurse should build rapport and trust with the patient so they will feel comfortable with the nurse and be more likely to open up. The nurse can use many different communication techniques such as recognition, making observations, focusing, voicing doubt, and exploring just to name a few of the many therapeutic techniques. The nurse should avoid giving advice, probing, defending, or interpreting for the patient, this may cause the patient to shut down and all trust is gone (Bischko, D. 1998). In everyday life we use a wide variety of defense mechanisms to protect our feelings, deflect unwanted situations, and hide our inner thoughts and feelings. Suppression may be felt when one is voluntarily denying unwanted feelings such as losing one’s job and not caring if the bills will be paid. Displacement is when a person’s unwanted feelings are targeted toward a person, situation or object; if a person is upset they may take their anger out on an object and feel better once it is destroyed. Dissociation, idealization, splitting, projection, and denial are also common forms of defense mechanisms (Sommer, S., Johnson, J. 2013). Adaptation is when one can adapt to a situation over time and maladaptation is when adjustment to the situation is not adequate or appropriate. When someone’s mind is not in the best mental health, they may have issues with adaptation to situations or changes. A person with a healthy mind may have some issues coping with certain situations, and it could be assumed that one with a mental illness would have higher difficulty coping (Rippetow, P., Rogers, R. 2012). The nurse-patient relationship should be an interpersonal ongoing relationship to assist the patient in a continuous healing and growing, healthy life. It is the nurse’s duty to help and guide the patient in recovering and be at their highest potential. Nurses must use therapeutic techniques and approaches to influence the patient and keep a healthy  relationship (Therapeutic Communication, 2013). Nurses must have their own philosophy of nursing and know their own beliefs and know not to push their own beliefs of a patient. The nurse must be self-aware when dealing with any patient, especially one with a mental illness. These patients do not always understand personal boundaries and the nurse needs to make sure these boundaries and rules are followed. The nurse needs to know what a patients actions mean even if they are minuet and may not seem like much (Bischko, D. 1998). My idea of mental health is in which what state the person’s emotions, thoughts, and how it affects daily functions. Mental health is how one thinks, processes information and the actions in daily life. Anxiety, and stress are two major factors in everyday life and can affect ones mental health (Townsend, M. 2014). It is how each individual handles the stress of everyday life that can determines their mental health. I consider the individual feeling confident, comfortable in their own skin, hard workers, and ones who socialize are qualities that attribute to mental health. Respecting others and understanding that each person has their own mind and the right to make their own decisions is not always easy to deal with but it is a quality that one will need to survive in life. Self-respect, dealing with the disappointments in life, trusting others, and take responsibility are also important qualities. Mental illness is not different than any other illness or disease. It affects the body and makes it mandatory for medication to treat and if it goes untreated, it can cause damage to the body. Mental illness is not being able to handle everyday life such as stress, and can lead to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and depression. This illness can be treated by medication and therapy to help the patient cope and teach them how to handle and work through their issues (Townsend, M. 2014). When someone has a mental illness it is not easy for them to work through  even then smallest issues. The patient may resort to cutting their arms or any place on their body, take drugs, or drink alcohol. Sexual, mental, or physical abuse when someone was young could cause problems later in life and can affect their mental health and cause them to develop a mental illness (Townsend, M. 2014). Many people go undiagnosed with mental illness, it is more commonly treated now than it was a few years ago. Every person goes through a mental health continuum, it just depends on the mental health status on how the individual handles the situation. Each person can and will have issues in their life with difficulties but are able to manage the stress that comes along with it. Many people make jokes that they cannot handle their life and they are going crazy but this usually only lasts a short amount of time. Ones with a mental illness do not have short term stress, it is long term and they need outside help to handle the situation (Rippetow, P., Rogers, R. 2012). Freud talks about how childhood trauma, development, sexuality, talking therapy, and medication can affect ones mental health. Freud explains that when a child is sexually abused it can cause the child developmental issues. It leaves the child unable to cope with the guilt and shame, also it leaves the child angry and they may develop trust issues. Freud uses oral, anal, phallic, latency, and adolescent sexuality of phases of development. The individual must reach each phase and pass through the phase to grow and develop (Townsend, M. 2014). At one point and time, it was not acceptable for woman to have sexual thoughts or feelings. They were not allowed to express these feelings, and this could cause anxiety for the women. Freud believed that if the patient could talk to someone they were able to handle the anxiety and stress in their life better. The therapist would listen and help the individual move past their trauma that occurred in childhood. Medication has played a huge role in mental health over the years. Freud had predicted that one day medicine would be discovered, and would help individuals with a mental illness. Many medications have now been discovered to help people whom suffer with mental illness. Medications are able to help these persons to get back to their normal daily life (Seven Counties Services, 2014). Nurses knowing and learning from Freud allows a better  nurse-patient relationship. It allows the nurse to understand why a patient may feel the way they do and the nurse can better help the patient return to their life. A therapeutic model that I believe would impact me during my practice as a mental health nurse would be Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The top priority is the physiological needs of the patient, meaning the basic needs of life. Water, air, food, sleep, excretion, homeostasis and sex are the basic needs of life. When caring for any patient the nurse needs to make sure the patient has these basic needs of water, food, and air. Safety is making sure the patient is safe and secure. To the patient this could be security of their job, family, and health. Every individual needs that feeling of love and belonging by friends, family, and sexual intimacy. Self-esteem and confidence are very important but not as important as body homeostasis. The last level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is self-actualization such as morality, problem solving, and creativity. These are important to the patient but the least important for the nurse when caring for the patient (Townsend, M. 2014). The nurse needs to acquire a healthy nurse-patient relationship to help guide the patient to grow and heal. The nurse needs to build rapport, trust and empathy with each individual patient. The nurse needs to realize that each patient is different and not every patient requires the same techniques. The nurse needs to be open-minded and respect the patient’s morals, culture, religion, and beliefs. From creating a secure nurse-patient relationship the nurse will accomplish a better recovery for the patient and a better plan of care (Therapeutic Communication 2013). References American Psychiatric Association, (2014). Warning Signs of Mental Illness. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from www.psychiatry.org Bischko, D. (1998). The art of nursing: the client-nurse relationship as a therapeutic tool. Olympia, Washington. Retrieved September 19, 2014, from www.pubmed.gov Rippetow, P., Rogers, R. (2012). Effects of components of protection-motivation theory on adaptive and maladaptive coping with a health threat. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from www.psycnet.apa.org Seven Counties Services, 2014. Hope Happens Here: Mental Health in Older Adults. Retrieved September 21, 2014 from www.sevencounties.org Sommer, S., Johnson, J., Roberts, K., Redding, S. (2013). RN Mental Health Nursing-Foundations for Mental Health Nursing: Stress and Defense Mechanisms. P 29-32. Therapeutic Communication in Psychiatric Nursing. (2013). Retrieved September 21, 2014, from www.nursingplanet.com Townsend, M. (2014). Essentials of psychiatric mental health nursing: concepts of care in evidence-based practice. P. 3, 17-19. Philadelphia, PA.

The individual, social, economic, legal or political factors

The war in Bosnia and the mines planted in some parts of Bosnia might also have impact on Ado current circumstances. In Bosnia during the war some mines were planted by people when they were running away from the war. This makes people to go only in areas where the mines have been cleared and to keep away from area the areas where the mines are still planted. (wikitravel 2008) This factor might be influencing Ado to move because of the danger associated with The landmines planted in some parts and the war in Bosnia.†¢ The wages given to Ado might also hinder his current circumstances. The wages might be too small to sustain his needs and the needs of his family, so by moving to Brisbane hotel in Australia he might get a better pay than what he is getting now. †¢ Ado might be interested in fulfilling his dream of working for the Brisbane Hotels given that they are one of the biggest five star hotels in the world, so that dream might be a driving force for him to move to Bris bane hotels.†¢ The â€Å"political temperature† in Australia (where Brisbane hotel are located) might be conducive compared to the one of Bosnia, this might also drive Ado to move away from Bosnia, because where the â€Å"political temperature† is cool business do thrive, hence the income of Ado is likely to increase because Brisbane hotel is located where the â€Å"political temperature† is cool, there is that strong belief that they are paying well compared to where Ado was previously working at in Bosnia.†¢ With war come insecurity, Ado might also be affected by the insecurity situation in Bosnia; this might make him to want to move away from Bosnia so that he can go to Brisbane hotels in Australia where the security is serene. †¢ Religion may also be a factor given that in Bosnia population Orthodox are 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, Protestant 4%, Muslim 44% while others are 6%, while in Australia over 70% are Christians, maybe Ado is a Christian a nd he doesn’t enjoying putting up in an area dominated by Muslims. 2.Strategies to use to help save Ado †¢ Ado will be helped in shipping his goods and other household items from Bosnia to Australia. †¢ I will enroll Ado for a cultural orientation program; this will benefit him because it will help him to make adjustment to the Australian culture. This will include habits of eating, eating joint, food eaten, understanding the local currency, his interaction with the other employees, among others. This will make Ado to familiarize himself with the culture and custom for the success of the Brisbane hotel.(Jossy. 1998) †¢ I will help him get a good school for his children. †¢ Ado, his family and his entire house hold will be insured just like other employees of Brisbane hotel, labor laws for foreigners working in Australia will have to be adhered with. †¢ Ado together with his family will be entitled to a return ticket to Bosnia once every year. †¢ I will take him through an orientation within the Brisbane hotel until he is familiar with the hotel operations †¢ I will show Ado some joints where Bosnians do meet.This will make him to be meeting his fellow Bosnians so as to make him not to fill home sick. †¢ I will take Ado for further induction training in management of hotels in Australia given that the way hotels in Bosnia operate might be slightly different from the way they operate Brisbane hotel in Australia. †¢ I will take Ado around the area so that he gets familiarizes him with the places around the hotel, this will make him not to get lost and probably he will fill at home while working for Brisbane hotel in Australia, which is far away from home.†¢ Ado will be entitled to a one month paid leave. †¢ I will also encourage him to enroll in English language classes so that he can know how to speak in English. 3. Productivity will be increased in the following ways: †¢ Given that Ado now knows English he will be communicating efficiently with the other staff, because he will be able to lead his junior efficiently. †¢ Productivity will also be increased because Ado will come with some new idea from restaurants in Bosnia which might not be in Brisbane in Australia.†¢ Productivity will be enhanced because the entire staff will be effective because of lack of communication barrier or cultural ignorance between Ado and the other people working for Brisbane Hotel. †¢ Productivity will also increase because Ado would have known Brisbane hotels environment well so he wont waste time looking up for places. †¢ Productivity will also increase because Ado will not be Home sick as such, because he will be meeting his fellow Bosnians in those places where I would have shown him. Lack of home sickness will make him concentrate fully at work.This will increase his productivity at Brisbane hotel. †¢ Ado will have familiarized himself with the culture and customs of the communities in which the hotel is situated this will make him fill part and parcel of the community, hence psychologically he will have settled. This will make him work efficiently hence increasing the production. †¢ Given that Ado will be given a month paid leave, it will give him the morale to work efficiently this will result in increase in productivity of Braisen Hotel in Australia.†¢ Given that Ado his insured he will have courage to work in odd places in order to keep the production going on efficiently. Reference Balderngen, l. (2002) new complete Executive manners. Gianneto, D. (2002) The Performance grid, Netscape press Himmelweit, S, . Simonetti, R. Trigg, A. , Microeconomics (2001) Cengage learning EMEA Window. C, employee in a new working environment, the journal of philosophy of Employees volume 12 page 21

Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective journal - Essay Example This chapter presents a transparent idea about gerontology and what it is all about. Starting from the etymology of the word to its recent purpose and development are discussed thoroughly and with sound evidences throughout the chapter. Chapter 1 of the book prepares its readers to understand the complexity and myth regarding aging. The evidences are skilfully derived and help to wipe out many common inhibitions regarding old age. The first chapter itself shows the path that the entire book deals with. Old age is nothing more than a passing phase of life and has its own delicacies and intricacies very much similar to any other phase of human life. The book is a psychological plethora and treasure house of academic research about the adulthood as a phase in human life. It systematically enables its readers to understand the subtleties of old age and the initiating chapter in this regard is very helping and thoughtful and renders a free passage, access to the entire volume generating elaborate and skilful interest. Chapter 2 of the book precisely deals with the troubles and major myths concerned with the problems of aging. The precise definition for the initiating period for adulthood is difficult. The chronological age for the adulthood varies from culture to culture. At places it is dependent on the activity and responsibility, an individual is bearing. At other places, it is guided by certain cultural complexities and inhibitions. The chapter is precisely concerned with the events that mark the transitional phases of life. Events which are responsible for marking the initiation of the adulthood, along with the concepts of love, Erikson’s Identity crisis, the concept of intimacy are some of the key concepts discussed in the chapter thoroughly. The chapter 2 of the book bearing the name â€Å"Young Adulthood:

Gifted and Talented Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gifted and Talented - Essay Example It was Francis Galton, who is credited with using the term â€Å"gifted† for these individuals (Ford, et al, 1996, p. 75). The perception amongst educators reveals that they remain critical of the ability of nonverbal tests to assess intelligence because it appears as a test for nonverbal students (students that cannot converse well). It is crucial that they understand that nonverbal tests can also measure of highlight intelligence (Distin, 2006, p. 85). More importantly, these tests provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their intelligence and ability without linking their ability to perform on the test to the influence of language, vocabulary, and academic exposure. Consider the example of musically, creatively, and spatially gifted students and other students who manifest a great deal of practical and creative intelligence (Ford, et al, 1996, p. 75). These students are less likely to demonstrate the same degree of command over the English language, grammar, voca bulary, and presentation, but the same does not translate into their non-giftedness. In fact, it remains the responsibility of educational institutions to identify and accommodate these students as well (Phillipson & McCann, 2007, p. 52). Nevertheless, it is important here to note that the inability of the tools employed at measuring giftedness to incorporate racial, income and ethnic differences. Even the first and the longest running longitudinal study concerning giftedness individuals, conducted by Lewis Terman, failed to take into account cultural differences amongst the diverse population. In fact, this also represents that despite all the claims of equality and equal opportunity, United States is still far from achieving the status of a colorblind society (Ford & Trotman, 2001, p. 237). Furthermore, Terman study on giftedness, which began in 1921, also highlights other critical factors about giftedness that it is not correlated with high achievements. Several studies and resea rches in the recent future have also confirmed this fact. Terman cherry-picked individuals for his study of gifted individuals and then continued to take deep interest within their lives (Pfeiffer, 2008, p. 97). He played the roles of a counselor, mentor, teacher, and friend for these people and did not hesitate to pull strings and write letters of recommendations for this student. The prime reason being that he wanted to ensure that these gifted students could live up to their potential. Interestingly enough, one of the most crucial conclusions derived from this study is the fact that achievement and giftedness are not correlated despite repeated attempts by Terman to influence the results of this sample (Ford, et al, 1996, p. 75). This finding is crucial to study multiculturalism within gifted students because there are many institutions, which factor the achievements and accomplishments of students to measure and identify their giftedness. Quite understandably, giftedness can all ow individuals to achieve more than the average student population; this causation is not a necessity (Phillipson & McCann, 2007, p. 52). In fact, the insistence of institutions on factoring achievements to measure giftedness has also played a critical role in excluding minority populations from gifted students. In most cases, these minority students belong from lower income class families, where they fail to gather the same level of resources to assist them in standing out of the crowd.

The End of Reading's Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The End of Reading's Analysis - Essay Example Trend states that, his daughter (Emily) is normal in every aspect but she is not good in reading and all this can be attributed to television programs and video games. She may catch up with her peers in terms of reading though it may take her quite a while as it is stated in the book. Trend has worked in various places that have given him exposure to research material on analysis of reading and visual studies. He worked for Journal of Media Arts and Cultural Criticism from 1980 to 1995, which deals in publishing of essays and articles through film studies, photographs and media theory. From the book it is apparent that there is a new type of illiteracy in America and people have resorted to blaming schools, the media too hasn’t been left behind in this blame game. From the book, End of Reading: Gutenberg to Grand Theft Auto, I am going to focus on the writer’s idea on The New American literacy, Blaming Schools, The media made me do it and Child development & human evolu tion so as to clearly show the importance of reading and how it has been affected over the passage of time. Analysis Right from the start the writer states about his daughter’s reluctance and inability to read well and that many other children are affected by the same problem, it is evident that there is some form of illiteracy. Furthermore statistics in the book state that one out of seven adults in America is incapable of reading a newspaper. It is clear that there is a new American illiteracy, where people do not know much as far as reading is concerned but prefer other mediums of learning. The Verbal SAT scores of the children in American schools have continued to dwindle over the decades that have passed. A researcher, Shieda White, states that most people have a difficulty in reading connected sentences or paragraphs. Many children would rather play video games and watch television than read a book. Reading has become torturous to many children in America since many att ribute it with difficulty. The amount of illiteracy is increasing in America, this problem is far from over since most of the people and organizations that can actually change it have resorted to blaming one another. Schools have turned into the main targets of those in search for someone to blame about the persisting problem. These learning institutions have been tirelessly trying to educate the children and make them more connected to the reading culture but the advancement in technology has failed them. Children no longer find books interesting as they would rather use computers, play video games and watch television. In the 90s some writer wrote books on the effects of computers, this when they were starting to crop up and whilst their popularity steadily increased, Marshall McLuhan and Raymond Williams are among the few who addressed the issue of technology in schools. Virtual community (1993) and Manual Castells’ The Information City (1989) are books that were written r ight after computers were introduced for personal use, they address how the computers were going to have effects on the society. If at all schools want to make learning effective then it is important that they use visual arts and introduce film studies. Some individual may not have what it takes to be good writers so they have to seek other means of expression. Leonardo Di Vinci is one person that can

The Hawthrone Effect Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Hawthrone Effect - Term Paper Example Regardless of how they act in a real life setting, they will change their behavior to match what is expected or assumed of the experiment. It is also possible for the researchers themselves to fall prey to the Hawthorne Effect to sway the results towards their own expectations. The significance of the Hawthorne Effect is that it causes the results of experiments to be inaccurate. If the subject is aware of the hypothesis of the experiment, they have all the information that they need to change their behavior to influence the direction of the experiment. However, if the subject is not being honest about their behavior, then the experiment risks being a failure and becomes a waste of time and effort. By implementing the Hawthorn Effect into an experiment, the subject is not allowing the researchers to understand a concept or specific behavior. One example of the Hawthorne Effect is if Chip Company One were conducting a taste test between their product and the product of a rival. If the researchers made it known which product was theirs, odds are the subjects of the experiment would automatically say that that product tasted the best. Another example is the famous experiment which coined the term Hawthorne Effect. The experiment involved seeing if lighting had an effect on the productivity of people working in a business.

PATIENT TO NURSE RATIO IN HOSPITALS Research Paper

PATIENT TO NURSE RATIO IN HOSPITALS - Research Paper Example The first group of subjects examined consisted of 2585 patients that had utilized mechanical ventilation following admission for pneumonia treatment or for more than two days irrespective of diagnosis made at the time of admission. The research subjects, categorized on the basis of varying staffing levels were taken into account during the study. Results from the study showed that 393 patients developed pneumonia out of the 1658 subjects that were in the secondary group. This amounted to a percentage of 23.7. In study groups with PNRs of 1:1, 2:1, 2.5:1, and 3:1 units with patient to nurse ratios of 1 to 1, 2 to 1, 2.5 to 1, and 3 to 1, the rates of pneumonia development were 9.3 percent, 25.7 percent, 18.7 percent and 24.2 percent in that order. Overall, the study showed that after adjustment for contradictory variables, PNRs of more than 1:1 were not associated with elevated risk for pneumonia linked to ventilator usage. The conclusion, therefore, was that even though a 1:1 ratio i s associated with a reduced risk of ventilator-linked pneumonia, adjustment of the variables reduces the significance of the difference. The second article under scrutiny is titled â€Å"Patient-to-Nurse Ratios and Outcomes of Moderately Preterm Infants† and is written by Profit et al. (2010). The research article begins by denoting that, in many spheres of medicine, increased PNRs are linked to improved patient outcomes. The authors are keen to note that the impact of nurse-staffing on health outcomes of preterm babies has not been addressed in research. This clearly identifies the research gap and justifies the study. The objective of the study, therefore, was to examine the influence of PNRs on the outcome of healthcare afforded to fairly preterm babies. In this study increase in nurse staffing was linked to a decline in the preterm infants’ weight gain each day. However, nurse-staffing in relation to the number of infants, as measured by the

A review of the literature exploring the user of NIV to treat Dissertation

A review of the literature exploring the user of NIV to treat exacerbation of COPD - Dissertation Example The main objective of this paper is to review what has been found by various studies on the survival challenges, quality of life and the compliance to NIV therapy by the users. Also, the paper will review literature on the effectiveness of the NIV treatment. Challenges on survival, Quality of life and compliance to NIV therapy According to the studies by Massimo, et al (2012, pp747), it was gathered that there are indications of early NIV positive pressure ventilation, which tend to increase the rate of survival. This was made in comparison with NIPPV. As such, NIV acts as a relief from challenges relating to survival rate in patients with high level of CO2 in their blood. A study by Pepin, et al (2008, pp360) indicates these challenges. According to the study, the challenges that these patients face are: fatigue, sleep patterns that are disturbed as well as breathlessness. The group also found out that NIV does not provide a prevention against weakening of the respiratory muscle tha t tend to progress. Acute exacerbations of a chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease better referred to as COPD, pose great challenge to the survival rate of a patient. In the periods that the patient is faced with worsening extremes, it adversely affects the patient’s health status. There is an escalating admission to hospitals and even rise of mortality rates (Angus, et al 2011, pp84). According to the studies by Fionnuala, et al (2007, pp60), it is approximated that the mortality rate of in-patient ranged from 4%-30%. The study goes on to indicate that patients that are admitted due to complications from acute Respiratory failure have a higher mortality rate. According to the study, the patients who are elderly and have co morbidities as well as those patients needing the ICU facilities were the most affected by the high mortality rate. According to the study by Monica, et al (2004, pp605), ventilation of the respiratory worsens to perfusion ratio and this result to a mechan ism in the hypoxemia occurrence. This happens when psychological dead space enlarges. It also occurs when there is a rise in the ventilation waste. In the study by Suzy (2012, pp61), it was identified that increased resistance of the airway as well as the need for high minute ventilation tend to result to a limitation on the expiratory flow. Still, the study found out that a dynamic hyperinflation, enlarged threshold of the aspiratory load as well as respiratory muscle dysfunction result to a feeling of fatigue in a patient. Plant and Elliott (2003) studied that a rapid pattern of breathing, which is somehow shallow, occurs. This is due to the respiratory system efforts towards maintenance of enough ventilation in the alveoli. This happens when the elastic, resistive and loads of aspiratory threshold are introduced to the weakened muscles of the respiratory system. However, irrespective of an increment in stimulus of the centers of the respiratory system as well as swings in the lar ge, negative intra-thoracic pressure, carbon dioxide is still retained and as such, acedemia occurs. Other studies by Rossi, et al (1995) and Ambrosino, et al (1997) established that severe COPD which is complicated by ARF, attain characteristics such as; right ventricular failure, encephalopathy as well as dyspnea and these pose as serious challenges to the survival of the patient. In regards to the studies by Eliott (2012, pp85), a vital intervening is advantageous to the patient with COPD is advisable. He suggested a clinical experience and this was an NIV treatment. Does NIV improve respiratory function or increase survival? A

28 Days Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

28 Days Final - Essay Example ound availability of more vegetarian options, fresh produce, as well as the growing culinary influence of lifestyles and cultures with plant-based diets, vegetarianism has become more accessible and appealing. Available data indicate that about eight million United States adults eat no poultry, fish, or meat. In addition, several million more have gotten rid of red meat but they are still consuming fish or chicken. Besides, close to two million people have become vegans; they have forgone animal flesh and animal-based products such as gelatin. Cheese, milk, and eggs (Davis 33). In today’s world, vegetarianism does not focus only on the potential nutritional deficiencies, but also entails consideration of a wide range of health, economic, and environmental benefits that relates to it. It is for this reason that I would like to be in the community of vegetarian and influence the society and my own life in positive ways. Before trying to become a vegetarian, I was fully aware that it might be a difficult endeavor. Nonetheless, I was determined to succeed in it and achieve the personal goals that I had set for myself. I adopted a number of strategies and followed a list of steps in trying to become a vegetarian. The first thing that I did was informing others about my intention to become a vegetarian. I particularly informed those close to me including my parents, siblings and friends. It is important to make those people around me aware of commitment of becoming a vegetarian. This is because they are the people who eat with me regularly and therefore they should be aware of my diet preferences and my commitment (Rice 26). While those close to me did not fully approve my attempt of becoming a vegetarian, they were supportive of my decision. I informed them of my decision to become a vegetarian was largely due to health, economical, and environmental reasons. However, I did not have any intention what soever to convert any of them towards my endeavor of becoming a

Hamlet Theme Analysis Essay Example for Free

Hamlet Theme Analysis Essay In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, the title character’s logical soliloquies, and over thinking of situations inhibit his abilities to act on his passions. It’s safe to say that Hamlet was a logical and reasonable person right from the start. In the society he was raised in most actions carried out through passion were considered taboo. Take jealousy, lust and vengeance for example; in the play all of these passions are put into satisfying action by the people surrounding Hamlet. Everyone but Hamlet makes a move based on emotion; Claudius murdered his brother for his crown, Gertrude quickly married Claudius, and Laertes takes revenge on Hamlet. The prince, instead, takes the path of thought and only allows himself to do what he makes himself believe is the most logical. In the beginning Hamlet is distressed. He feels no compassion for his new stepfather considering him â€Å"a little more than kin and less than kind† (I.ii.67), as Claudius is not a replacement for his father and Hamlet refuses to accept that. He most definitely does not stand for Claudius referring to him as ‘son.’ His relationship with his mother isn’t any better. Hamlet feels a strong resentment toward this whole marriage business and expresses his displeasure through riddles in court. â€Å"Ay, madam,† he says disdainfully toward his mother’s insistence that he stop mourning and that death is a common occurrence, â€Å"it is common† (I.ii 76). In Hamlet’s eyes she has betrayed his father by marrying so soon, in fact by re-marrying at all; especially to Claudius, the king’s brother. Claudius attempts to make it look like everyone is friends in the eyes of the court by trying to sympathize with Hamlet but ends up just telling him to suck it up and deal with his father’s death like a man. â€Å"Take it to heart? Fie! ‘tis a fault to heaven/A fault against the dead, a fault to nature† (I.ii 104). Hamlet’s mourning is not natural to his family much as their marriage is not natural to him. So when his new daddy dearest refuses to let him out of the country to go back to school Hamlet feels even more out of place because now, he can’t escape. In every soliloquy we hear from Hamlet there is talk of suicide. The most obvious of all, â€Å"to be or not to be, that is the question:† (III.i.63) Or earlier mention of self harm after the coronation of the new king. â€Å"Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d/His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter† (I.ii.134). However, Hamlet is a logical guy and he knows suicide would cause a big mess and besides, in the first soliloquy it is evident that Hamlet would rather be anywhere but Denmark, even the grave but he finds there are better things to be ranting about; like his mother’s remarriage. â€Å"O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason/Would have mourn’d longermarried with my uncle,/My father’s brother, but no more like my father/Than I to Hercules† (I.ii.154). Hamlet can’t find a single good thing to come out of this union and his opinion of his mother has been flipped onto its head. So he deals with an internal conflict; â€Å"But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue!†(I.ii.162), he can’t exactly go around telling everyone that his mother is a whore. She’s the queen and he the prince, it would be more trouble than it’s worth to go about making accusations especially since Claudius made it clear that he was weird for mou rning for so long. So, onward goes Hamlet’s little self/Claudius loathing party. Hamlet’s trusted friend Horatio tells him some very interesting news. Horatio tells Hamlet that his father’s ghost had been spotted in the courtyards and that it wouldn’t answer to anyone no matter what. Horatio believes that our young prince must see what this ghost has to offer. Hamlet is excited to say the least when the ghost appears â€Å"That I will speak to thee. I’ll call thee Hamlet,/King, father, royal Dane. O answer me!†(I.iv. 47). He follows the ghost and the ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius and that Hamlet must avenge him. He isn’t sure what to make of this ghost at first, how can Hamlet be absolutely positive the ghost isn’t lying or tricking him? After all, murder is a big order, he can’t dive head first into that pool of accusations without verification. Hamlet decides he will ‘act’ mad so to not draw attention to his plans to kill Claudius. This works for a while, no one suspects he knows of Claudius’ deed, not even Claudius himself. He definitely wouldn’t suspect the prince to come into his chambers and catch him while praying; which is exactly what happens. Hamlet is given his prey on a silver platter and decides against it. â€Å"Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;and now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven† (III.iii.76). A reasonable explanation as to why Hamlet didn’t kill Claudius is because he was scared. He was afraid to act on his passions thus, his mind gave him a reason not to do it; if he killed Claudius while the man repented, his soul would be unfailingly sent to heaven. However, this is not the case â€Å"That cannot be; since I am still possess’d/of those effects for which I did the murder†(III.iii.55). Claudius does not regret his decision, nor would he leave what he had gained through murder even for heaven. This hesitation revealed that Hamlet does not kill Claudius in the most logical and perfect time to do so because his passions had muddied his ability to think clearly. And so he continues with his ‘mad’ facade. Everyone has noticed the prince’s new attitude and his mother grows worried for his sanity. â€Å"Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended† (III.iv.9) If there is anything ‘crazy’ Hamlet has latched onto as a vehicle upon which to launch his insanity, it is any mention of his late father. Especially mention that he has somehow failed his father. The queen claims that Hamlet’s behavior has upset his father and shamed the family. But quick and clever Hamlet simply quips â€Å"Mother you have my father much offended†(III.iv.10). Gertrude is appalled by her son’s behavior and wants him to stop, but bringing up the late King Hamlet wasn’t the best way to go around that. As I’ve said, Hamlet is using any mention of his father’s death to flip the tables around and around and drive any serious conversation off course with puns and quips of his mother’s hasty remarriage. â€Å"Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue† (III.iv.11). â€Å"Go, go you question with a wicked tongue† (III.iv.12). At one point during the conversation between mother and son it is hard to determine where Hamlet’s insanity begins and his act of madness ends. We are given, throughout the entirety of the play, one single act of passion from Hamlet that was done to simply give a larger voice to his slip on sanity. His murder of Polonius. He feels no remorse for the act, although he believed it to be Claudius and states after his mother’s cries â€Å"A bloody deed. Almost as bad, good mother/as kill a king and marry with his brother† (III.iv.31). He continues â€Å"Peace! sit you down/and let me wring your heart;for so I shall,/if it be made of penetrable stuff;†(III.iv.38). Hamlet doesn’t feel sorry for his mother either. He could care less if she was disturbed by her son’s murder of Polonius, he was going to tell her that he was right and she was wrong and sinful and disgusting, because it fit with the appearance Hamlet was trying to portray. Hamlet allowed this one, small, passionate outburst for the potential sake of avenging his father but even smart, logical Hamlet couldn’t have predicted the consequences of this one act of passion because he didn’t give himself the time to think it over. He never would have thought that their father’s death would lead poor Ophelia to madness or that Laertes would be so spited by it, or that it would get around that Hamlet himself had committed the murder. But all of these things do happen and they happen because of Hamlet’s one moment of passion. The prince discovers why acting passionately is a bad thing for him; he’s just not good at it. He can’t judge when to, the whole ‘could kill him now but I’m not going to even if it’d be so freaking easy,’ thing with Claudius and the ‘I’m gonna stab the curtain and see what happens,’ moment when he murdered Polonius. After Polonius’ murder and the discovery by Laertes that his sister is beyond mental, Claudius approaches the boy and tells him he can help avenge his father’s death. Laertes listens and latches to Claudius’ every word â€Å"And where the offence is let the great axe fall./I pray you go with me† (IV.v.234). The end of act four introduces a bit of a mess. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were sent with Hamlet to see him killed in England, however, Hamlet is on his way back to Elsinore and Claudius is none too pleased. However, he quickly turns this information into a plan he can work with. He has Laertes swear allegiance to him â€Å"will you be ruled by me?† (IV.vii.63) and recruits the younger man into the ‘let’s kill Hamlet club.’ Thus, Hamlet finds himself in an unfortunate pickle. He had planned to kill Claudius and Laertes and they had planned to kill him, but Laertes acted sooner. Laertes let his passions guide his sword through Hamlet’s gut and Hamlet let logic lead him to the moment of his death; logic led by the very vengeance he had sworn for the former king. A passionate vengeance called upon to give Laertes strength to murder the prince. Hamlet’s ability to look at a situation and make a logical, well- thought out choice made him a strongly intelligent character. However his inability to act on passions or make a decisive decision drew him closer to death in every page. Had Hamlet acted on his earlier plans and ideas, he may not be dead.

Risk and Joint Ventures: Questions and Answers

Risk and Joint Ventures: Questions and Answers Table of Contents (Jump to) There are four types of international risks. Namely (a) Cross-cultural risk; (b) Country risk; (c) Currency risk and (d) commercial risk. Briefly describe each these risks. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of a joint-venture or strategic partnership. Why is air transportation and air express so widely used in exporting when ocean transportation is much cheaper? Entering a new market through licensing is generally the best strategy because market potentials can be tested with little or no investment. Comment. Briefly explain why has international trade in agricultural products been expanding at a slower rate than exports of manufacturing goods? A multinational firm needs to have complete control over its subsidiaries in order to make optimum use of its resources and compete most effectively. Comment. References There are four types of international risks. Namely (a) Cross-cultural risk; (b) Country risk; (c) Currency risk and (d) commercial risk. Briefly describe each these risks. Cross cultural risk: Cross cultural risk identifies the risk of adjustment of different two cultures. In international business sectors most of the time mangers send their skilled and intelligent employees to the foreign sectors so that they can play a vital role in the business purpose. But sometimes employees as well as manager fail to understand the local need and demand through their cultural pattern (Moore, 1983). Then they cannot adjust with their foreign environment. They may find food dissimilarity, life style problem and many others think. Country risk: Country risk is a term which is used to define the probable risk of investing in foreign country. In the field of international or global marketing company has to invest a lot of money in the foreign country. But some time the government or local people may go against the company. So in consequences the company has to scarify their profit or even investment. Mass riot or social and economical unrest of the country bring enormous loss. Currency risk: Currency risk is also popularly known as foreign exchange risk. In the sector of international marketing a fixed price is always set by the two sectors to import or export. But due to natural disasters and international pressure this fixed priced can be highly modified. So one of the two sides has to carry the loss. Domestic inflation and economic unrest will affect this sector badly. Commercial risk: Commercial risk is the uncertainty or the probability of the return of the investment in the foreign country. In the field of international business all companies forecast their probable rate of return or the profit so they can understand their future in the market (Pearson, 1987). But duo to political unrest, change in the consumers living stander and the modification of the government regulation may affect it badly. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of a joint-venture or strategic partnership. Advantage of the joint venture Joint venture is the recent innovative and effective way of get together of two companies. It provides a lot of facilities to both sides that’s why the number of joint venture companies is increasing day by day. It offers both company to use their innovation and technological advancement. It also provides opportunity to use others regional market place. So the number of consumers will increase. As innovative ideas are bring out more in this sectors proficiency can be achieved through new technological improvement (Hall, 1984). The joint venture helps both companies to use greater natural resources, and more expert employees. That will surely increase their production amount. It also offers to their partners to share their mutual risk. Another important advantage is being elastic in the market place.Any company can act to their consumers quickly and thoroughly through joint venture. Joint venture also helps to understand the new market quickly and easily. Disadvantage of joint venture: Some demerits are also associated with the joint venture production. It is very hard and nearly impossible to find a suitable partner for the joint venture. It takes too many time and efforts to find appropriate joint venture partner. Behind reasons of this problem may be a lot. Unclear aims of the joint venture section may be the first reason. Then all parties may not be interested to the aim. The aims of the joint venture have to be very corresponding otherwise no one will show interest. Disparity of the resources and the imbalance of the technological advancement are also effective reasons not to be a part of joint venture (Paakkunainen, 1992). Dissimilarity and the poor administration system also pave the discouragement of joint venture. Lack of thorough research and poor maintenance system are also responsible for this. Why is air transportation and air express so widely used in exporting when ocean transportation is much cheaper? Transportation is the biggest part of modern international business sectors. Quick response, cheap cost and the arrival power of remote area are the crucial factors of transportation sectors. Considering all other system it can be easily said air transportation system is used regularly and increasingly. The reasons behind this are many. Quick response is the most important and effective criterion in this sectors. All medical equipments and medicine are mostly transported through air express because of their call to reach necessity. Another important factor is remote area reaching power (Puffer, 1941). All electronic and perishable goods are transported by air express. It also carries the products time value and necessity. For quick response the customer can get the latest product and service so they prefer the new one rather than old one. So to grab new growing market most of the retailers like air express. So for fragile and luxury product air express is must. On the other hand sea transportations are cheap but so time consuming. And product like daily commodities and unnecessary product are transported through sea transportation. It takes three to four days for delivering some products on the other hand air express will take few hours to reach the place. Bad and unpredictable weather is another reason of decreasing s the use of sea transportation. Recently the pirates’ problem has increased in an alarming rate so merchandisers like air express over sea transportation (Bailey, 2009). It is very hard to trace the delivery in sea transportation which is another reason of discouraging sea shipment. Entering a new market through licensing is generally the best strategy because market potentials can be tested with little or no investment. Comment. Licensing is a widely used term in the field of international marketing. Specifically licensing is the process of granting application or permitting other party to use own intellectual property like logo, trademark, motto and some other brand name. The party who granted permission to use is called licensor and the other party who get the permission of using this property is known as licensee. Actually licensing is a good term for the new comer in the business sectors. Very few people trust the new comer in the international business sectors. So it is so tough for them to stay on business.Moreover new environment and new customers’ attitude take a tough test from the new comer (Sherman, 1999). So to explore the full recourse of the local environment and become popular in entering position licensing is the best process. Another important and crucial help to company is to pave the pipe to do business with readymade customer and with their trust.Licensing also helps his partner by proving the free advertising which can be very costly and ineffective. So automatically they will get new and potential customer to serve and get reputation. So all the way licensing provide critical facilities like present and future customer, free adverting and market goodwill with little or without any money cost. Briefly explain why has international trade in agricultural products been expanding at a slower rate than exports of manufacturing goods? In modern business sectors all products and services are included in international marketing. They can be divided in two categories. First may be agricultural products and the second can be manufacturing products. But comparing with manufacturing products, agricultural products are exported in a minimal rate. The main reasons behind this are the customers living pattern. Mainly agricultural products are the main base of their livelihood. They cannot easily change it. Or they are not interested to change it. So all their necessary livelihood things are produced by ones native country (Foley, 1999). And they are produced in a high amount. So they don’t need to import them from other country. And another reason of slow export ratio is that the agricultural products are not so suitable to store for a long transportation without using comical which is highly unhygienic for health. So no country wants to depend on others about their main agricultural food. They try to produce them a ll by themselves. Another reason may be profitable side. Agricultural products may not be so profitable for the exporter. It cost a lot to produce but the cost is nearly similar to the entire county throughout the world. Agricultural products take long time to be produced and need more space. On the other hand manufacturing products provide the competitive advantage to the manufacturer. They can be produced a lot if amount in short time by dent of improved technology. That can be produced after the export order and it take short time to deliver. They can be stored for a long time. And also their transportation facility is easy (Paul, 2008). So considering all those factors the manufacturing products get higher priority to export. A multinational firm needs to have complete control over its subsidiaries in order to make optimum use of its resources and compete most effectively. Comment. Multinational corporations (MNCs) are corporations found in one country but activate throughout the world with permanent amenities and workers in numerous countryside. A few types of multinational companies are Industrial corporations that produce goods and sell them in a variety of countries for example cars, electronics. So the main company is called parent company and the host company is called subsidiary company. Main company holds the authority to negotiate and implement power and the subsidiaries are bound to follow the rules. At the same time the subsidiaries company have to able to amplify their capability. But it is so important that parent company have to have full control over Subseries Company. Otherwise subsidiary companies will loss the power to produce the best. The host companies have to follow the host nation’s regulation and the profitability of the parents companies. So the full control over Subsidiaries Company will provide enough power to negotiate the hos t government. And some time the host country try to lure the parents company’s investment and authority so proper control over host help to stop this. Some time parent companies have to cut the extra staff and operating cost to maximize profitability. So without enough power no one can do it. And to explore the employees most talent and to train them the parent company need such power. (Tsurumi, 1977). So the parent companies always try to explore the best of the host country. They can use the natural resources best and can meet the all customers demand in a favorable way. References Bailey, G. (2009). Sea transportation. Pleasantville, NY: Gareth Stevens Pub. Foley, J. (1999). The global entrepreneur. Chicago, IL: Dearborn. Hall, R. (1984). The international joint venture. New York: Praeger. Moore, P. (1983). The business of risk. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]: Cambridge University Press. Paakkunainen, U. (1992). Joint venture decision. Helsinki: Helsingin Kauppakorkeakoulun Kuvalaitos. Paul, J. and Aserkar, R. (2008). Export import management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Pearson, C. (1987). Multinational corporations, environment, and the Third World. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Puffer, C. (1941). Air transportation. Philadelphia: Blakiston Co. Sherman, A. (1999). Franchising licensing. New York: AMACOM. Tsurumi, Y. and Graham, E. (1977). Multinational management. Cambridge, Mass.: Ballinger Pub. Co.

Infectious Death Through Lack of Living in The Snows of Kilimanjaro by

Infectious Death Through Lack of Living in The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway The short story â€Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaro† by Ernest Hemingway gives a look into the life of a man facing death in the African savannah as a result of an infection. Exotic locales and predominate dialogue are common in Hemingway’s writings and are evident in â€Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaro† as well. â€Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaro† by Ernest Hemingway portrays the theme of death by use of specific narration, the protagonist’s, Harry’s, attitude, and symbolism. Throughout â€Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaro,† Hemingway uses the narration device of the flashback to provide a contrast to Harry’s present state and his life. The present state narration is composed mostly of dialogue and is devoid of Harry’s inner thoughts. The flashbacks are very similar to dreams and express Harry’s emotions and the way he lived life prior to his infectious state. These flashbacks are put into italics, whereas the present state of Harry is in plain type. It is at the end when this narration, writing and type style reveal Harry’s slipping mental state while he enters his death. The reader thinks when the plane comes and picks Harry up it is a â€Å"real-life† situation because of the lack of italicized type, but as the reader reads on it is evident that the rescue was materialized in Harry’s dream world. This meshing of flashback and present-time narration towards the end of Harry’s life shows how he has entere d his dream world, which in fact is his life, and he accepts his death. This blending of flashbacks also shows how a life not only includes experiences, such as Harry’s war experience and travel expeditions, but also includes death. Hemingway provides insight into his theme of death by use narration through flashbacks. Harry’s attitude towards death throughout the story reveals a lot about Harry’s character and opens up stereotypical ways one deals with death. He is calm and quite and does not request much and still wants his wife to be comfortable. His relaxed nature in his death is partly due to the fact he has been around it all the years of his life and his curiosity has been stifled. â€Å"For years [death] had obsessed him; but now it meant nothing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (255). His calm and quite state is also shown when he cites all he needs is a â€Å"whiskey-soda† (255). His need of alcohol in his dying state also contrasts him to... ...acted as a catalyst for Harry’s lost spirituality when after the war, he used them for whoring to forget about the terrible things he saw. Through Helen, Harry’s wife, Harry’s trust in women further vanishes through his artistic destruction through the wealth Helen has provided to him. This destruction of Harry caused by women, makes women death symbols, quite similar to the hyena. The last symbol Hemingway uses is Harry’s rotting leg itself. The rotting leg is a symbol for Harry’s rotting life. It is ironic that a man who has gone to war and has been trough many times of danger is dying because of a small thorn scratch he received while taking photographs in Africa. This irony and symbolism show Harry’s failures are literally and figuratively eating away at him. The use of symbols and their meanings portray the theme of death in â€Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaro†. Ernest Hemingway focuses on the theme of death I his short story â€Å"The Snows of Kilimanjaro† by using the devices of narration, attitude towards death and symbolism. With all these devices into account the reader can see Harry’s mental state and thoughts on death as well as what has led up to his spiritual and physical death.

Californias Promise Essays -- State Government, State Deficit

In the 1960’s California experienced reverence through the reputation of being a promising great state. The increasing population as well as the massive publicity, contributed in highlighting this notion. However, in 2011, California no longer holds the same reputation in the eyes of its residents. With a current state deficit of $25.4 Billion, many Californians believe that the state is hopeless and can no longer regain to its past stardom. Famed Historian, Kevin Starr argues that California has lost its promise entirely; however, California has not lost its promise entirely for the fact that California is still the eighth largest economy in the world. California is able to function even with a dysfunctional government and institutional structure. California still has the potential to recover its reputation as a great promising state. By tackling the state’s dilemma, we are able to understand why and how California lost its greatness. Once we analyze the core probl ems of the state, such as the initiative process, the state legislature, and misrepresentation of the public, we will have a better understanding of how to tackle the issue. First, an obvious problem of the state is the usage of the initiative process. Originally, it gave â€Å"Californians the power to propose constitutional amendments and law that fellow citizens will vote on without the legislature’s involvement (Van Vechten, 20).† However, today, special interest groups have used this process abusively. In fact, initiative campaigns became an industry of its own in California. According to Mathews and Mark, â€Å"in 1996, annual spending on initiative campaigns in California topped $140 million (Mathews and Mark, 68).† Special interests groups that are financially well o... ...tion of 38 million people, California still has the potential to be great. If in fact California lost its promise, the state would not have that large of a population nor would it have the eighth largest economy in world. The problem of California is in the structure of the legislature and the institutions and practices that it has. There are unchecked power given to the people through the initiative process and there are fundamental structural flaws in the state legislature. By addressing these problems and critically thinking what needs to be reformed, California can potentially get its old reputation. However, we must reform without unconsciously changing the right things in our state. If California just reforms in the same way it used to, the states’ future may be ruined. Innovative means of solution is needed in order to stir the state to the right direction.

Euthanasia Essay -- Euthanasia Essay

Euthanasia is the practice of ending a life to release an individual from suffering an incurable disease or intolerable pain. Having to lay in bed twenty-four hours a day is no way to live a life. People that suffer from a serious illness should have the right to die by euthanasia. In 1991, a national telephone survey was conducted which posed the question, â€Å"If you were terminally ill, what would you want for yourself?† Fifty-two percent of one thousand four in the US said that they’d consider assisted suicide or euthanasia. Among the reasons cited were that the people wouldn’t want to burden others, live in pain, or be dependent on machines. All Americans have the right to die because the Constitution grants us the right to privacy and the right to pursue happiness. People should have the right to take their lives if they are totally dependent on others or machines. Ones that depend on other people to care for them only feel like a burden. Being a burden to a loved one makes the sick feel even worse then they do already because of their illness. People that are alive only because of machines really don’t have a life. If they didn’t have machines, they’d be dead, so why aren’t they allowed to die? Americans have the rights that are in the Constitution. When dealing with euthanasia, people have to look at what Constitutional rights give people the right to die. Americans have the right to privacy. Privacy to ones body is a strong re...

Critical Incident – Preconceived Ideas

No names are used in this writing to maintain patient confidentiality and conform to the data protection act 1998Critical incidents originated in the United States, Colonel John C Flannagan was a psychologist who worked closely with the Air Force and their procedures for reporting evidence concerning effective or ineffective behaviour within different situations (Ghaye 2006:64-65). Tripp (1993: 24-25) claims that â€Å"critical incidents appear to be ‘typical’ rather than critical at first sight, but are rendered critical through analysis†.Critical incidents can be either positive or negative; They â€Å"are usually experiences that make you consider the events that have happened to try to give them some sort of meaning† (Hannigan, 2001). Using a critical incident as a way of reflecting helps individuals identify practice that has been helpful or unhelpful in a situation. The value of a critical incident can differ from person to person; it is usually a per sonal experience with meaning to an individual, however critical incidents can be useful for a range of people for example, students, lecturers, service users and the general public.They give an insight into the feelings of the person writing and are often relatable to others. In appendix 1 I have described my critical incident. Following this I will explain the importance of a critical incident and the effect on practice, in particular how it has influenced my practice as a student nurse. This experience has greatly influenced my training in a number of ways. As a student nurse I believe it is hard to avoid having a preconceived judgement of a patient.After receiving a brief description of the patient’s diagnosis from my mentor, I believed this patient would possibly be frail and sedentary, laid in bed with a poor quality of life. However what I was greeted with was the total opposite. This is affected by the patient’s own judgement of her illness, often receiving a p rognosis such as this prompts a dramatic change in the patient’s lifestyle. It can be argued that this is the hardest part in ‘accepting’ a diagnosis is the need to change. ‘In accessing readiness to change, we need to look at the individual’s state’ (Broome 1998:31).If a particular patient is not ready to adapt their lifestyle it can become difficult for them to come to terms with their diagnosis. Patients unable to come to terms with their diagnosis or patients finding their illness difficult after a period of time are likely to suffer from depression or anxiety (Reid, et al 2011). However upon visiting this patient it was clear to me that this patient was able to accept her diagnosis and had readily accepted the challenge to adapt her lifestyle. To me this seemed like a phenomenal act for her to achieve in such a short space of time following the diagnosis.Communication is a key aspect of any type of care, in particular terminal care as the patient in question is likely to feel scared and anxious about their prognosis. There are a number of different reasons for this;â€Å"Including diagnosis and treatment of their disease, long-term physiological alterations, fears of relapse and death, dependence on caregivers, survivor guilt and negative effects on families†. (Groenwald et al 1992: 580)Communication should be an equal conversation that allows both the nurse and patient to include what they need to say.For a nurse it is important to listen to a patient as developing a therapeutic relationship will often make the patient feel more open to discussion about their feelings and concerns. The therapeutic relationship facilitates the ability for a patient to achieve their desired state of maximum health (Brooker, and Waugh, 2007:236; Kozier, et al 2012:95-97) Patients should be able to â€Å"freely express their beliefs, values and concerns in a non-judgemental and supportive way† (Barker 2010:31).A therapeut ic relationship is essential in developing trust between a patient and nurse and is fundamental for care with service users such as my patient. A therapeutic relationship can be described as â€Å"one that allows for the meeting of nursing needs to the mutual satisfaction of a nurse and patient† (McQueen 2000:9). This should reduce anxiety and may allow the patient to feel more comfortable in addressing any concerns surrounding the prognosis. This incident has made me think about the barriers to communication and the effects they can have on other staff members, patients and their families. Understanding the potential problems allows us to better understand how something might be able to work more efficiently† (Ellis 2011:88). There are a number of barriers to communication for example; physical barriers such as a door being closed, perceptual barriers for example going into a conversation thinking that the person isn’t going to understand or be interested in wha t you are going to say. Emotions can also be barriers to communication as well as cultural, gender, interpersonal and intellectual (Kozier et al 2012:46).I believe my patient may have had emotional barriers to communication with the nurse and myself. She had already accepted her diagnosis and her decision not to converse with us about her condition may indicate that it was difficult for her to discuss it with others, despite being comfortable with it herself. The fact that the patient was comfortable with her illness made me think about the definition of health. My patient had said she felt healthy and therefore to her, despite having an illness, she didn’t consider herself as ‘unhealthy’.The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes the definition of health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity† (WHO 1948; Kozier et al 2012:6) although this is the most commonly used definitio n for health, seeing this patient led me to review its significance. The patient I saw clearly didn’t view this definition to be the same as her meaning of health. Health differs for every individual, my patient felt well and therefore in her opinion she was healthy.It is understandable that she didn’t want to be continually reminded of her cancer, it was enough that her independence had been reduced due to the fact the nurses were coming into her home in the first place. My mentor and I decided to respect the patients wishes and allow her to come to us when she felt she would like to talk rather than forcing her to speak to us, we arranged to keep nurse interaction with this patient to a minimum so she could retain some ‘normality’ in her life. â€Å"Patients are made aware that they have the right to choose, accept or decline treatment and these decisions are respected and supported. (NICE Guidelines 2012) It was at this point I began to understand the value of concordance. McKinnon (2011:69) states â€Å"a partnership of equals on which care plan is negotiated†, concordance enables patients to not only make decisions about their care, but to work in parallel with the health care professionals towards a mutually agreed outcome. It could have been easy for my mentor to disregard the patient’s wishes and focus solely on her wound care and expect her to simply comply as the nurses are considered to be the experts, however her feelings were recognised and her autonomy wishes were responded to.My mentor displayed an excellent example of holistic care according to Linsley (2011:273), who states that nurses have to be aware of the social, environmental and psychological aspects of health and not just physical signs and symptoms of an illness. Before meeting this patient, I didn’t realise how daunting the experience of health care professionals can be, I had always wrongly presumed people would be happy to receive car e to make them feel better, however in this instance it has proved to me that not everyone has this view.It has enabled me to think about my role as a student nurse and it has made me reflect on so many different aspects of good nursing care, from communication and concordance to holistic care. Before my interaction with this patient, I didn’t understand just how important it was for patients to have their say. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had been the registered nurse in that situation, would I have been task orientated and wanted to get the job done rather than taking into consideration the patients wishes? As a first year student I am aware of my limitations and understand that I have a lot to learn.I thought about how I would feel if I was in the patient’s situation and of course I’d want to be involved in the decisions made concerning my care. The experience with this patient has enabled me to develop as a student nurse, and will inform my practic e throughout the whole of my career. Seeing first hand such a good example of concordance and holistic care from my mentor has given me a great platform to base my learning experiences on. References Barker, J (2010) Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Berman, A. Erb, G. Harvey, S. Kozier, B.Morgan-Samuel, H. and Snyder, S (2012) Fundamentals of Nursing: Concepts, process and practice. Harlow: Pearson. Broome, A. (1998) Managing Change. Hampshire: Macmillan Press Ltd. Ellis, P. (2010) Evidence-based practice In Nursing. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Ghaye, T. and Lillyman, S. (2006). Learning journals and Critical Incidents. 2nd ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Groenwald, S. Goodman, M. Hansen Frogge, M. and Henke Yarbro, C (eds. ) (1992) Comprehensive Cancer Nursing Review. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlet publishers Inc. Linsley, P. Kane, R. and Owen, S. eds) Nursing for Public Health: Promotion, Principles, and Practice, Oxford: University Press. McKinn on, J. (2011) ‘The nurse-patient relationship' in Linsley, P. Kane, R. and Owen, S. (eds) Nursing for Public Health: Promotion, Principles, and Practice, Oxford: University Press, pp. 64-74. McQueen A. (2000). Nurse-patient relationship and partnership in hospital care. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 9 (5): 723-731. Reid, A. Ercolano, E. Schwartz, P. and McCorkle, R (2011) ‘The Management of Anxiety and Knowledge of Serum CA-125 After an Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis. ‘Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing’ 15 (6), [online], Available from: http://web. ebscohost. com. proxy. library. lincoln. ac. uk/ehost/detail? sid=7e50352a-778c-4db4-be37-388bb618120d%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=c8h&AN=2011371794 [Accessed: 26th February 2013]. Tripp, D. (1993) Critical Incidents in Teaching, Developing Professional Judgement. Routledge: London. NICE Guidelines (2012) Supporting patient choice [online] National Health Service online. Availab le from http://www. nice. org. k/guidance/qualitystandards/patientexperience/SupportingPatientChoice. jsp [accessed 3rd February 2013]. Nursing Times (2004) Reflective thinking: turning a critical incident into a topic for research [online] London, Nursing Times online. Available from: http://www. nursingtimes. net/reflective-thinking-turning-a-critical-incident-into-a-topic-for-research/200145. article [Accessed 3rd february 2013]. World Health Organisation (1948) World Health Organisation Definition of Health [online] New York, World Health Organisation Online. Available from: http://www. ho. int/about/definition/en/print. html [Accessed 1st March 2013]. Bibliography Barker, J (2010) Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses. London. Sage Publications Ltd. Barrat, D, Wilson B, and Woollands, A (2012) Care planning A guide for nurses. Second edition. Harlow. Pearson Education Ltd. Benner, P. (1984) From Novice to Expert, Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice. Menlo Park Addiso n Wesley. Berman, A. Erb, G. Harvey, S. Kozier, B. Morgan-Samuel, H. and Snyder, S (2012) Fundamentals of Nursing: Concepts, process and practice. Harlow: Pearson.Brooker, C. and Waugh, A. (eds. ) (2007) Nursing Practice: Fundamentals of Holistic Care. Philadelphia: Elsevier. Broome, A. (1998) Managing Change. Hampshire: Macmillan Press Ltd. Ellis, P. (2010) Evidence-based practice In Nursing. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Ghaye, T and Lillyman, S. (2006). Learning journals and Critical Incidents. 2nd ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Groenwald, S. Goodman, M. Hansen Frogge, M. and Henke Yarbro, C (eds. ) (1992) Comprehensive Cancer Nursing Review. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlet publishers Inc. McQueen A. (2000).Nurse-patient relationship and partnership in hospital care. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 9 (5): 723-731. Tripp, D. (1993) Critical Incidents in Teaching, Developing Professional Judgement. Routledge London. (Appendix 1) During placement I have managed to gain experience with t erminal cancer patients. When you go into a patient’s house, I feel you can’t help but have a preconceived idea of the type of patient you are about to meet. I was surprised when visiting one patient, as I was told before I entered the home that the patient had terminal epithelial ovarian cancer. This type of ovarian cancer arises from a malignant transformation of the ovarian surface epithelium, how this transformation occurs is unknown. † (Groenwald et al, 1992: 466-467) When I met this patient I was unsure of what I would discover. I expected a woman that was going to appear physically ‘ill’ and I imagined her to be like all the other patients I had seen with terminal cancer. To my surprise we found her sitting in her conservatory reading the newspaper looking well, she was dressed appropriately and had her hair and makeup done.The patient seemed genuinely happy and didn’t meet any of the previous preconceptions I had when I was originally told about her. We were there to change a fluid bag from the patient’s abdomen and support the patient if she had any concerns about her illness. This is the only thing the nurses do for this patient, her partner, with some help from the Macmillan emergency care team complete the rest of her care. This patient had a persistent disease that couldn’t be controlled. She had previously been treated with chemotherapy to try and eliminate the cancer however this had been unsuccessful.The patient had then decided along with the healthcare professionals, to withdraw treatment and only accept pain relief and support. â€Å"The staging of ovarian cancer is based on surgical evaluation and forms the basis of subsequent therapy†. (Groenwald et al, 1992: 466-467) The district nurse has only just become involved in her care, currently she is 5 months into her diagnosis. When the nurse and I tried to speak to the patient about her illness and how she was feeling, she seemed re luctant to talk about it. The patient decided she felt well in herself and didn’t want to be reminded of her illness, she went on to explain that she had already

Air Force One Movie Review

Air Force one is movie released way back in 1997. It is about how a president was able to save himself, family, and allies from the people who hijacked his plane. In the world of terrorism, the USA president, James Marshall portrayed by Harrison Ford, takes a stand against evil and as a consequence his plane was hijacked by a group of terrorists lead by Ivan Korshunov portrayed by Gary Oldman. They want to negotiate and have their leader General Ivan Radek released from prison.The movie starts with some signs of terrorism and attacks of the president then when everything was amended and the president was on his way back to America with his family, secretaries, and his members. A group of terrorist who plans to hijack the plane disguised as press and was able to board the plan along with a spy who works with them. They started killing the escorts and security personnel of the president then declared them as hostage. The president immediately went to a secure emergency pod guided by hi s people but further into the story it was revealed that he didn’t leave the plane.He stayed there to save his fellow people and family. He then planned what to do to save them. He started by slowly killing each terrorist that goes down in the basement of the plane as he tries to connect to the white house to strategize on what to do and get help from the outside. And indeed he was successful and he was able to tell his team what to do and his team followed. There were a lot of fight scenes as he tries to win against the bad guys and despite of many obstacles he remained calmed, always thinking of the next step and never giving up hope.The president was indeed a remarkable leader because of how he handled the situation. He stayed in the plane which shows his selflessness and because he knows that if he stayed there the chances of having more people saved is higher. As he was thinking of ways to get out of the plane it showed his intelligence like in one of the scenes that he realized that he has to land the plane no matter what and to do that he has to drain the fuel. When that didn’t work when the plane was being refuelled mid air the plane dropped to a certain level and he was able to free the hostages by releasing them with parachutes.In the white house his members and the vice president was doing really well following his orders. The vice President Kathryn Bennett portrayed by Glenn Close was very loyal to the president and as a leader herself she stick to the rules that they don’t negotiate with terrorists and she believed in the president that the plan will work out. The president was able to establish direction, align people to understand strategies and accept their validity, he was able to motivate and inspire and in the end he was able to create change for the betterment of the nation.

Popular- Process Analysis Essay

Popularity. Everyone, admitting or not, craves the positive attention from their peers and classmates. To be desired by those surrounding oneself and accepted amongst others is an inevitable side effect to the complete high school experience. No one goes to school with a want to be the out casted and sociopathic seeming student who has little to no friends; it could be said practically that teenagers lust for popularity. While some enter their school years with instant desirability, there are ways to make a popular being of oneself.The first step to becoming popular is to lose every ounce of self respect one could possibly maintain; thus creating an appearance of vulnerability which is more appealing to the widely admired crowd. This is because the lack of self respect makes one come across as a more easily persuaded being which is exactly what certain groups would look for in a person; solely because it’s easier to add an attention craving zombie to their clique, as opposed t o someone who might actually stand for what they believe in.To quicken the effect of the first step one could simply give in and choose to agree or be willing to do whatever the desired clan asks or defines as cool. The aforementioned first step on the road to popularity may have but is not limited to these side effects: losing friendships, making regrettable mistakes, backhanded compliments, and loss of self confidence. Second on the journey to social inclination is kissing good grades goodbye!Popular people don’t have time for homework or extracurricular activities, and if one ever expects to reach that level of mass acceptance then grades should be forgotten or seen as extremely low importance. This way there will be plenty of class time to make jokes, a fool of oneself, and text friends. If time is managed wisely one could probably even make fun of their previous best friends and expose their weaknesses or insecurities to the rest of those with a more commonly craved repu tation. Bad grades and hurting old friends is entirely worth the fame though, isn’t it?Lastly, to complete the transformation of popularity, trash the old reputation. Sure, it’s likely to be seen as a total wreck by most at this point, however there are probably a few people with some faith things could go back to their old and innocent ways. It’s best to eliminate that idea from their head. A few ideas on how to do that are: be provocative, publically disrespect parents, show anti-school spirit, and get caught committing some illegal act (stealing and vandalism are always some good ones).This should ensure that everyone knows just how important and deserve to be talked about one has come to be. Never stop there though; once the steps have been completed, one should continue to do crazy stupid things that will make them hallway gossip for weeks to come! In conclusion, everyone just wants to be wanted. It’s known to nearly every kid in a public school syst em, and it’s not uncommon to see ones classmates do ridiculous things for the attention of their peers. Yes, it’s impossible not to feel a need for wanting and social acceptance, it’s only human.However, it is possible to not go overboard on the need for idolization by those surrounding us. Popularity, in all honesty, is a drug more addictive than heroin, and we’re all abusing the use of it. Whether one enters their years in a school system with the support and companionship of many, or as an outcast in a social dry spell, the acceptance and acknowledgement of others can be achieved through other ways that allow not changing oneself to match another’s standard definition of popular.

Memory Skills Essay

Memory refers to a mental process that is used to gain, gather, and recover information. The information that is stored in our memory with the help of our senses will be processed by numerous systems all through our brain, and it will be accumulated for later use (Mason, 2003-2006). Gordon and Berger (2003) said that there are two basic kinds of memory: ordinary and intelligent memory. Ordinary memory is remembering specific names of people, time, place, locations of certain things, and things to be done. It is comparatively fragile for it stores information for a few minutes, and that information will soon be forgotten. Thus, it is what fails when we can’t remember something. We are able to recognize it when it works and when it doesn’t because it is a conscious process. On the contrary, intelligent memory is remembering how to do things. It serves as an aid for us to make everyday decisions, and it is the memory that makes us think critically. It enables us to solve p roblems, to enjoy a good joke, and to boost our creativity. Unlike ordinary memory, intelligent memory is an unconscious process that is why most of us find it hard to use and develop it. (Gordon & Berger, 2003; Radford, 2003) Why do we forget things? Forgetting important and useful stuffs is indeed disappointing. Although our brain can store vast number of memories, we still tend to forget things and find them difficult to retrieve. For instance, sometimes we can’t remember the names of people we just met. Perhaps, this is because we are not paying attention. A lack of focus on something important is probably the reason why we fail to store information into our brain. If we really concentrate on something, forgetting will not happen. (Turkington, 2003) Moreover, we fail to remember information because of memory interventions. Sometimes, the acquired information doesn’t just vanish; it can become deteriorated. The memories that are similar can interfere with each other. For example, the memories of two events that happened in the same place become combined together; as a result, our brain become bewildered, and we tend to have memory lapses. Additionally, as we get older, losing brain cells and connections will happen. The specific cells, where numerous memories are stored, will eventually die as part of aging; and thus, the stored memories will be lost and forgotten. (Eastaway, 2004) Can we make our memory stronger? Having bad or weak memory skills is perhaps one of the major problems that we encounter in our daily lives. In fact, it is absolutely frustrating to have memory lapses and not having to recall certain things. Nonetheless, there are memory aids and techniques that can strengthen our memory skill, and they can help us to have a better and healthy memory. Despite the fact that memory lapses is inescapable, memory treatments and methods can somehow sharpen our memory skills. Some of us might think that these memory-boosting techniques are not accurate and are not effective, but it is. They find it that way maybe because they are really not into deep-learning, and they do not focus on what they’re trying to learn. As a matter of fact, remembering is a learned skill, and it can be improved whenever we want to. Since practicing, exerting efforts, and being patient are part of learning, it is substantial for us to do these techniques for a betterment of our memory. (Turnkington, 2003; Eastaway, 2004) To strengthen and sharpen our memory skills, we must pay attention, associate, visualize, and be physically and mentally fit. If we learn all of these techniques, we will certainly make our brain healthy and build a stronger memory. (Turnkington, 2003; Eastaway, 2004) MEMORY IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES Pay Attention Turkington (2003) stated that paying attention is actually one of the most important things in our lives, and it is a great help in improving our memory skills. Each and every one of us has the ability to pay attention to one thing; it’s just that, some of us fail to stay away from distractions. As part of this strategy, we have to determine first what our priorities are. It is essential to distinguish which things are worth giving attention to and which can be get rid of. Distractions are everywhere, and they prevent us from doing the things that need to be done. So we must avoid distractions and ignore all unimportant things in order to complete a certain task and to avoid forgetting. With this in mind, we shouldn’t be disturbed by irrelevant things around us because with fewer distractions, it is easier for our mind to focus and work faster. In enhancing our ability to pay attention, we really need to focus consciously. If we can’t focus, we will not remember what we are trying to learn. Moreover, we tend to procrastinate which is not good. For this reason, we need to do the important things now while we still have plenty of time. It’s simple, if we can avoid procrastinating, we won’t forget anything. In addition to that, we can only concentrate on one thing at any time. Even though we can multi-task, it is still impossible for us to handle different tasks at the same time especially when they both require mental process. Absolutely, we can’t give our full attention to those; as a result, we absorb nothing. Another way that hinders our ability to pay attention is being absent-minded. For instance, when we are about to go to specific place to get something, we suddenly forget what is it that we want to get in the first place. It is commonly happening to us because we sometimes are absent-minded. To cure absentmindedness, we have to be aware of what we are doing. Once we are aware of it, the next thing that we have to do is concentrate on what we are doing. Of course, we need to focus our mind on our task and be alert all the time. Also, finding motivation and getting inspired help us to sustain our concentration. Being motivated gives us enough energy to accomplish our tasks. It helps us to make our brain work properly. Also, it will broaden our mental perspective if we focus on the positive things that motivate us. With an inspiration, we can easily manage distractions, and we can be able to stay focused. Keep in mind that paying attention is a conscious part of our lives (Turkington, 2003; Eastaway, 2004; Gordon & Berger; 2003). Associate In order to enhance our ability to pay attention and to remember, we need to create mental connections between our sensations, ideas, and memories. Meaning, we have to make associations for us to remember properly. We all know that memorizing huge amount of information can be a nerve-wracking task. The tendency to forget that information is very high because our brain doesn’t work well at recalling huge amount of information. We cannot deny the fact that the names of certain people, places, and things are hard to recall. However, there are strategies that we can do for us to be able to remember. Using some mnemonic devices like acrostic, acronym, and method of Loci can help us to improve our attention and memory skills as well. (Eastaway, 2004; Turkington, 2003; Levy, 2006; Smith & Robinson; 2012; Buzan, 2003) Turkington (2003) mentioned that when using acrostics, we can make a sentence in which the first letter of each word serves as an antecedent of what we want to remember. For instance, we use the sentence â€Å"My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos† to remember the eight planets such as Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. With this sentence, it is easier for us to remember the planets in a chronological order. Another device that we can use is acronym wherein we can make a word from the first letters of the words that we need to remember. In detail, we use â€Å"ROY G. BIV† to memorize the sequence of colors in the light spectrum such as Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. We can also use the acronym â€Å"MCL† for us to remember the school of Malayan Colleges Laguna easily. Also, placing what we want to retrieve in a familiar location can help us to remember well. This is called method of loci. If we want to recall specific items or people, we have to associate them with places that we know well. It is easier for us to remember things when our memories are associated with places. For example, we may need to buy the list of items that we need in our houses. To remember them, first, we need to visualize our own house (which is very familiar to us), after that, we imagine ourselves walking through the rooms and examining each of them. As we walk through them, we begin to recall the things that we lack of. With this, we can easily remember the items that we need to buy. Notice that in this technique, it has always something to do with places. This method is more effective for kinesthetic learners. These mnemonic devices help to increase our memory and ability to recall information. Since most of our work involves memorization, it makes sense to use these mnemonic devices so that it will be easy for us to recall information when we need it. It is important for us to know that our ability to remember varies. Some of us think that using acrostics is easier to remember. Some think it is better to use acronyms. This proves that we have different style in terms of recalling information. The only key to using mnemonics is to choose a type of mnemonic that is best for us. (Eastaway, 2004; Turkington, 2003; Levy, 2006; Smith & Robinson; 2012) Visualize After making associations, the next thing we have to do is to improve it. We can develop our ability to associate by visualizing. Turkington (2003) claimed that visualization is a way of making mental picture of things. We create pictures in our mind to see their colors, shapes, and form. It is often referred to as a clear and deep imagining. Each and every one of us has a gift of creative imagination. The only problem is, some of us don’t know how to use and improve it properly. We need to widen our imagination for us to focus and associate consciously. To be able to do this, it is important for us to accept new challenges, to ask questions, and to develop our interests. It would be better for our brain to explore new ideas especially when it challenges us to think critically. That is to say, we have to look into something that is strange to us. Exploring different new ideas will help us to have a creative imagination. It lets us use our whole brain, and that’s good. If we refuse to try something new, and if we choose to do something that we’ve already know, it will not exercise our brain. We won’t be able to develop our creative mind if we keep on focusing on the same activity that is already familiar to us. Whereas when we accept new challenges that takes some mental effort, it will expand our knowledge and develop a good memory. As we explore new ideas, it is substantial to involve ourselves in our reading. Visualization must always be present in our reading. As we read, we should imagine ourselves in the place we are reading about or imagine ourselves doing what we are studying. In this way, it is easier for us to make inferences, and thus, we can actually widen our creative imagination. Also, we should be not afraid to ask multiple questions and be curious about everything in this world. It will help us to expand our imagination because it gives us the opportunity to gain more knowledge. In fact, it would be better if we learn about the amazing wonders here on earth. It is essential to not take everything for granted because if we don’t grab the opportunity to explore them, we will not be able to come up with our own ideas which are very helpful in widening our imagination. Additionally, it will improve our creativity and critical thinking skills. Being curious helps us to become open-minded towards new ideas and information which we can use when we need them. (Turkington, 2003; Smith & Robinson, 2012) It is also important to develop our interests. As we start to expand our concrete interests, we desire to reach a permanent goal. We should continue to learn more about the things that we are interested in. If something doesn’t work for us; then, we should try another course of movement. With this in mind, we have to have a sense of enthusiasm which will allow us to be more interested about something. Therefore, we will be more likely to continue this, and we will have more experiences which are beneficial to us. In exploring new ideas, it should absolutely be challenging and at the same time, enjoying. Instead of expecting them to be just a waste of time or insignificant to us, we should be anticipating that these new ideas will be full of enjoyment. As a matter of fact, this will help our brain to process properly. This is a real sense of enthusiasm that we should have. Furthermore, as we involve ourselves with new ideas and challenges, we should think of how to spot favorable circumstances for improvements. With this intention, we should be a good observer. Being a good observer plays an important role in associating and visualizing. Of course, the reason why we expand our curiosity is to find the answers to our questions. To be able to find them, we should do an observation. It is important to understand the things around us because the more we observe them, the more we will conceive them. (Turkington, 2003; Smith & Robinson, 2012; Eastaway, 2004) Be physically and mentally fit For us to be able to pay attention, associate, and visualize well, we should be physically and mentally fit. Doing physical and mental exercises will help us to sharpen and strengthen our memory skills. Physical exercise is important to us for it maintains physical fitness and overall health. It is good for our brain because it gives us more energy, increases blood supply and growth hormones, and abates the chances of memory decay. We all know that we cannot avoid tiredness. It hinders our brain to function well. The best way to make it function properly is to have a deep sleep. Exercising daily helps us to relax our muscles and get to sleep which will serve as an aid for us to be able to recall information and to make our brain perform well. Also, regular exercises help us to reduce stress. It is a fact that all of us have stresses that contribute to memory problems. Being physically fit helps us to relieve stress. It improves our mood, and it keeps us from anxieties that make us wo rry too much. Specifically, it increases our confidence which enables us to manage stress. (Latham, 2006; Eastaway, 2004) In addition, it is beneficial for our brain to perform mental tasks because it develops our critical thinking skills. If we really want to sharpen our memory, we need to involve ourselves in different mental activities. We can play chess, scrabble, and card games like jigsaw puzzles or bridge. These mental activities can help us to think logically; thus, it will definitely boost our memory skills. The logical puzzle like soduko, for instance, helps us to think critically. It trains our mind to process different kinds of information, details, images and techniques at a fast speed. As we do the strategies in this puzzle, it helps us to build neural connections into our brain which will help us to sharpen our memory. (Moore, 2006) The most important of all, it is essential to have a good diet for it also help our memory to be alert and active. We should make sure that all vitamins that we need are in our diet. With a good diet, we will be able to concentrate fully and to store and retrieve information. There are specific foods that are healthy to our brain, and they will strengthen our memory. To make our memory stronger, we should consider the following: * Fishes contains good fats, and they are rich in Omega-3. Eastaway (2004) stated that foods that contain Omega-3 are good for our brain. They prevent us from having Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, if we really want to have a good diet, we should eat oily fishes such as Salmon, Tuna, Halibut, Trout, Mackerel, Sardines, and Herring. * We must avoid eating too much food that contains calories and saturated fats. We shouldn’t eat too much butter, cheese, sour cream, and ice cream because they contribute to the memory problems. Nevertheless, it is healthier for our brain to eat foods that are rich in unsaturated fats because they improve brain’s learning process, and they abate the risk of having damage to our brain. (Eastaway, 2004; Smith & Robinson, 2012; Moore, 2006) * We should eat more fruits and vegetables because they are rich in Antioxidants which are beneficial to our brain. It protects our brain cells for the possible damage that may happen in our brain. (Eastaway, 2004; Smith & Robinson, 2012; Moore, 2006) * We should eat foods that are rich in Carbohydrates for they help our brain to function and perform well. They make our mind alert and active, and thus it is easier for us to retrieve information. (Eastaway, 2004; Smith & Robinson, 2012; Moore, 2006 ) CONCLUSION Given these points, we should now understand that our memories are our important assets that we should take care of. Knowing how our memories work and how they fail sometimes, we should keep in mind that we have to develop them. We should keep in mind that the ability to remember quickly is very important in our lives. We should also realize that forgetting is a natural part of how our brains work. It is true that our abilities to remember get worse as we get older. However, we don’t have to worry too much because it is possible for us to strengthen and sharpen our memory skills. All we need to do is to practice improving our attention, association, and visualization. For us to be able to improve them, we should also be healthy, physically and mentally. It should now be clear to us that paying attention, making associations, and visualizing play important roles in improving our memory skills. They are actually the three keys to have a better memory because they are the sources of all of our insights, learning, communications, and connections with others. (Eastaway, 2004) Also, it is better for us to understand that we cannot do these strategies successfully unless we learn them. Of course, it takes time to learn. If we really want to achieve something, we have to dedicate ourselves to it. We have to give our time and full attention to it. Learn to practice, and practice to learn. Keep in mind that our memories are priceless, and we cannot replace them whenever they fail to function. We really have to protect our memories in order to make them healthier. In short, we have to train our brain to gain. References Buzan, T. (2003). Master your memory: more inspiring ways to increase the power of your memory, focus, and creativity. London: BBC Worldwide Limited. Eastaway, R. (2004). How to remember: a practical guide to memory and recall. Great Britain: Bookmarque Ltd, Croydon, Surrey. Gordon, B. & Berger, L. (2003). Intelligent memory: a prescription for improving your memory. New York: Penguin Group. Latham, C. (2006). Physical and Mental Exercise. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2006/11/07/physical-and-mental-exercise/ Levy, J. (2006). Train your brain: The complete mental workout for a fit and agile mind. London: New Holand Publishers. Mason, D. J (2003-2006). The Memory Workbook. Retrieved November 26, 2012 from http://www.memorydr.com/memory.htm Moore, G. (2006). The 10-minute brain workout: Brain training tips, logic tests, and puzzles to exercise your mind. Great Britain: Michael O’ Mara Books Limited