Nursing Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Portfolio - Essay Example Usually if a Pedro rating is not incorporated in the article, then a low score will be provided on the scale. I will make exceptions on some of the articles below. Article 1: The Efficacy of Nutrition and Lifestyle Approaches in the Treatment of Depression This article's treatment plan is somewhat believable. The criteria and eligibility of who is in this study is clear to some extent but not clear enough. This study uses random allocation to measure its results. There is no mention that it is a random study nor any indication is given of whether the participants are from different backgrounds or not (1 point). This study conceals allocation by not providing any detailed information on the participants (1 + 1 = 2 points). There is a comparability of the groups at baseline and the study is blind because we have an age range and a control vs noncontrol group (1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4 points). The therapists and assessors component is not fully satisfied because there is no mention of therapis t and their techniques included along with no indication of a well established person in charge of administering the treatment. It is a random list of items to deal with finding an alternative to medication for depression. The only followup here is that the participants have no way of curing depression. That would be considered enough of a followup because participants of the study are aware that this is not a cure but rather a possible solution to depression (5 points). In other words, little mention as to a followup study has been recorded. This study does not use enough statistical analysis to provide evidence of achieving its results. Three confident interval scores were used and that is not enough to prove that nutrition and lifestyle changes help. There is mention of point estimates on the mean however this does not provide enough evidence that the items they suggest help to benefit depression. This article is granted a Pedro rating of 5 which means it is fair. I could have go ne to 4 or 6 but I think 5 is more of a proper score. Any article with a score of 6 or above would be considered a worthy study. Overall this article gets a 2b rating. Article 2: Aspirin Use and Lung, Colon, and Breast Cancer: Incidence in a prospective study Random allocation and the concealment of this allocation is clear. We know who is in the study and we also know that it remains confidential. The study is believable and states clear demographics. Also the identities of the participants is secure (1 + 1 + 1 = 3 points). The comparision of groups at baseline is illustrated throughout the research because we are comparing those who take aspirin and get various types of cancer and those who do not. There is a follow up of results with a 12.4 year period (2 + 3 = 5 points). This article provides several charts and provides a lot of analysis on those who use aspirin and whether they are less likely to get cancer. They provide a lot of substantial evidence and use appropriate measure s to establish a list of results. The background on how they use these measures is also quite thoroughly investigated (5 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 8 points). Overall, this article has a Pedro rating of 8 which means that it is good in the presentation of experimental methods and it has a clear demonstration of its demographics. It is also easily conceivable that this research would have these results judging only on the presentation and the

Mystic Monk Coffee Essay Example for Free

Mystic Monk Coffee Essay The Wyoming Carmelite monastery was founded by Father Daniel Mary who lived as a Carmelite hermit in Minnesota before moving to Clark, Wyoming, to establish the new monastery. Soon after arriving in Wyoming, Father Daniel Mary had formed the vision of acquiring a new piece of land where he will be building a new monastery with accommodations for 30 monks. This new monastery that Father Daniel Mary has in vision will also be a retreat center for lay visitors, a Gothic Church, a convent for Carmelite nuns, and a hermitage. There were 13 monks dedicated to a life of prayer and worship in the Wyoming Carmelite monastery. Brother Elias, better known as Brother Java, was Mystic Monk Coffee’s master roaster; and ironically is not a coffee drinker. Mystic Monk Coffee had its own website that was responsible for the majority of their sales. Mystic Monk Coffee was also marketed on websites through the ShareASale participation program. A new larger roaster was quoted at $35,000. Father Daniel Mary had a set plan to maximize the potential of monastic opportunities, and realize his vision of buying the Irma Lake Ranch for $8.9 million dollars, and will be the location of the new monastery. Father Daniel Mary is fully aware of the challenge he has in front of him in order to acquire the Irma Lake Ranch. I believe Father Daniel Mary has set definite objectives and performance targets for achieving his goal and I believe that starts with him realizing that the cloistered monastic environment offered unique challenges to operating a business enterprise, but also provides opportunities that were not available to secular businesses. Father Daniel Mary used the word of mouth among loyal customers as a marketing tool in Catholic parishes across the United States. Father Daniel Mary is also fortunate to receive donations, a $250,000 one in particular; but there is also a group of local business owners that had formed the New Mount Carmel Foundation, which helps the monks raise funds. I believe that Mystic Monks Coffee is using the broad differentiation strategy because they are distinguishing that they are different from other coffee companies because of their strong religious background. Through religion the monks are able to market their coffee brand to other Catholic parishes throughout the United States. The monks are able to make $56,500 per month in their first year of operation through sales of coffee and accessories; but they only make a profit of 11 percent from all sales, which is $6,215 a month in revenue. That’s only about $75,000 in profit after their first year of operations. A larger revenue will be needed in order to purchase Irma Lake Ranch. So right now I believe that Father Daniel Mary has made great progress but he is still a long ways away from purchasing a $8.9 million piece of land. Father Daniel Mary resolved to develop an execution plan that would enable Mystic Monk Coffee to minimize the effect of its cloistered monastic constraints, maximize the potential of monastic opportunities, and realize his vision of buying the Irma Lake Ranch. I would consider this a winning strategy because through good faith Mystic Monk Coffee will maximize profits and be embraced by all Catholic parishes in America, and each parish will be able to spread the good word through risk-free marketing. My only recommendation to Father Daniel Mary would to recruit more monks, which will help with the growth of Mystic Monk Coffee. More monks equals more productivity.

Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Enhancing Social Skills

Effectiveness of Play Therapy in Enhancing Social Skills Effectiveness of Play Therapy in enhancing Social skills in Intellectually Disabled Children by Azka Tauqeer Asjad Abstract The present study was targeted to measure the effectiveness of play therapy in enhancing social skills in pre-diagnosed intellectually disabled children of mild and moderate level. The research was comprised of ten intellectually disabled children of mild and moderate level of ages 5-15 from Army Special Education Academy Rawalpindi. Social skills were considered as dependent variable, whereas play therapy as independent variable in this study. The method of this research was quasi, pretest-posttest type with an experimental and control group. Social Skills Checklist (Heather Thomas, 2013) was administered in pretest and posttest. It was hypothesized that play therapy on experimental group will be effective as it will produce significant positive results in enhancing social skills as compared to the control group. The analysis included paired sample t-test and findings were presented in tabulated form. The current study will help in understanding the use of play therapy to facilitate children with intellectual disability and it will bridge the gap between the mental health needs of exceptional children and the available services. Play therapy is a therapeutic process between the client and the therapist where the therapist uses play as a therapeutic intervention for solving the child’s emotional and social difficulties and for incorporating required skills and appropriate behavior (Association for Play Therapy). Play therapy acts as a mode of communication between the therapist and the child. This method is based on the assumption that play is a way of children making contact with their environment. Play therapy is to children what counseling and psychotherapy is to adults. Young children express themselves comfortably through play when they cannot through meaningful conversation. Therefore, play is an indirect way for therapists to understand and alter children’s perceptions, cognitions, and behaviors. Intellectual disability stands for impairments in overall mental abilities which affects adaptive functioning skills of three multiple domains or areas that arise during the passage of children’s development. Limitations should be present in comparison to other peoples of the same age, gender, and social-cultural upbringing. These individuals show difficulties perceiving and assimilating new informa ­tion, learning new things quickly and completely, applying knowledge and skills to solve new problems, thinking imaginatively and flexibly, and responding swiftly and correctly. The criteria identify three domains of adaptive function ­ing i.e. conceptual, social, and practical. Individuals with intellectual disability should show impair ­ment in at least one domain. The first one is conceptual domain that includes skills in language, reading, writing, mathematics, reasoning, knowledge and the ability to learn and remember information and skills. The second domain is social skills which includes interpersonal communication skills, empathy rules following, social adjustment, understanding others, making and maintaining friends. The last domain is Practical skills and it includes activities of daily living skills including personal care safety, home activities, school/work skills recreational activities and using money. (DSM V) In the case of children with intellectual disability, thorough training is required to integrate appropriate social behavior. If the intellectually disabled children are provided the opportunity to socialize with others during childhood, they will achieve social competency. Therefore training should be started very early (NIMH, 1990). Social development is multidimensional processes through which children gain competencies and the required social behavior that enable them to function in a social environment appropriately, in a way that is favorable to their welfare and to that of others as well. Social skills have been described in various terms. Eisenberg and Harris (1984) have defined it as developmentally related abilities that lead towards achieving the optimal level of social competence. According to Charon (1986), social skills are a composition of skills that enables us to interact, socialize and develop relationships with others. They are comprised of both verbal and non-verb al types of communication. According to American Psychological School Association (2012), schools are a source of enhancing and developing social skills. According to them, social skills stand for the acceptable set of behavior and etiquettes to behave and interact in the society and to refrain from the negative behaviors unacceptable in the community as a byproduct of these positive influences and interactions. If there are services provided in school environment where concern is focused by the counselor on the social skills and interpersonal development of the students, it can also boost the academic performance (McClelland, Morrison, Holmes, 2000). If the children achieved meaningful and positive interpersonal relationships in the elementary years i.e. 6-12 ages; they will have the ability to face the challenges of adolescence and perform much better in their social and academic lives (Feldman, 2014). Wlkinson and Carter (1982), author of the Social Skills Training Manual; included social behaviors which are: greeting behaviors such as hand shaking; smiling; hugging; saying: â€Å"Hi†; in communicating with others, maintaining eye contact and be at a reasonable distance. Inappropriate social behavior of intellectually disabled children may be due to their incorrect perception about their social environment and situations. They may be facing difficulties in understanding and identifying social relationships, misguiding others feelings and inability to understand the required social rules conformity. They may also be unable to understand different manners and ways of communicating with peers, adults and family (Kronick, 1983). Children express themselves freely in play therapy because it is a condition which does not lead to any serious consequences although it is fun and joyful. It helps the child in forgetting the frightening world and it provides a safe environment where risk can be taken and there can be no rules or social conformity and the child is independent from the real world (Skynner Cleese 1983:298). Play is not any artificial environment created by the therapist or experimenter; instead it is child’s natural world where they could be free from obstacles of daily life charades. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights states that play is an undeniable right for every child in 1989. The American Academy of Pediatrics published a white paper to commemorate the significance of play for the healthy growth and development of the children (Ginsberg, 2007). Play therapy provides a safe, nurturing and comfortable environment where children play out what they have experienced, their reactions and feelings about those experiences, what they need in their lives, and how they feel about themselves. Play is also use to teach new skills to the client. Therefore it is a complete therapeutic process. Play therapy is the most effective way as it makes the child feel safer. It is a place which is completely safe, a place where the child is accepted as the person he is. It is an active process where the child is allowed to be creative, make mistakes and be himself. Play is a mode of embracing new information and making it part of their personalities. Social Skills and Play Therapy Social skills stand for the ways which the child could in order to relate with others, to make new friends, to express their needs. It makes the child understand his boundaries, others feelings and needs and he learn cooperation. For the social skills to be developed completely, the child has to understand and be familiar with multiple actions and behaviors and be aware about the consequences. As stated by Landreth (2001), all children can gain positive behaviors and influences by engaging in a controlled play therapy where they are given the chance to exercise their social skills. Group play therapy could also benefit the child in refining new skills, accepting their social self and their peers, identifying their social capabilities and in achieving self-control (Landreth et al., 2005). Counseling provided at elementary level in the school setting help children in learning of new skills as well as in becoming aware and responsive of their customs, values and priorities (Gladding, 2011). Working along a small group who are experiencing the same difficulties enhance the abilities of students to work out their social, psychological and emotional challenges (Campbell Bowman, 1993). Functional skills are important for the intellectual disabled children to learn in the educational process as unlike to normal children who could adopt the required behaviors and skills through observation of their environment and daily experience. The curriculum of intellectually disabled children is planned by keeping in the view the importance of teaching daily life skills. Even the basic things such as putting nuts and bolts together are practiced by the children. The intellectual disabled children require direct training in specific activities and tasks lo learn generalization and to perform the tasks more regularly and easily (Narayan Kutty, 1998). Teaching the age appropriate social skills helps the child in acquiring the skills compulsory for living independently in the social community. The program for teaching such skills differs from the regular academic curriculum and it maximizes the self-esteem, independence and competence in daily life of the children (Heward, 2006). It is stated that a small group intervention can contribute positively in the process of developing social skills (Kayler Sherman, 2009). Group interventions provide the opportunity to develop and sustain relationships as well as enhance the personal characteristics that could influence accomplishment. It is a multidimensional, effective and efficient method of teaching new behaviors and skills (Akos Milsom, 2007). Theories of Intellectual Disability The intellectual disabled also progress through the same cognitive developmental stages defined by Piaget as their peers (Zigler, 1969). The only difference is that their cognitive stages develop much slower and their cognitive abilities cannot be compared with a non-disabled individual. An intellectual disabled individual cannot reach the mature level of cognitive functioning at any point. According to the various studies, intellectual disabled individuals will perform poor on cognitive tasks as compared to the control group of same mental age level. It was known was â€Å"mental-age lag† phenomena (Spitz, 1982). According to developmental theorists, children suffering from intellectual disability also experience the similar information restructuring as explained by Piaget, but their process is much slower as compared to the normal children. According to Anderson, Children with intellectual disability have slower speed of processing and this is the reason that they could understand information in chunks as compared to information in whole. The individuals with intellectual disability, whether they are children or adult, they will face deficits in intellectual abilities and knowledge processing in comparison to the individuals with same mental age. It means that intellectual disability has an enduring and lasting effect which cannot be reversed. The consequences of intellectual disability may differ from person to person as different abilities level present in people without any such difficulty. Approximately 90% of the intellectual disabled are at mild level and they only differ from normal population as they are much slower in learning new set of skills and information. Rest of the 10% will have complications in daily functioning and social skills (Gallagher et al., 2000). If they are diagnosed in early years and a proper individual educational plan is formulated according to their specific needs; they can become a supportive and contributing member of the society. Children with intellectual disability have the capability to learn things in the same 12 learning techniques as other normal children do, but due to their labeling and exclusion from normal education, they are often failed to see as learners. This is the lead reason which cause low literacy level in intellectual disabled population. The researcher conducted a meta-analysis of the researches on intellectual disability and learning in special education and only one of the research results pointed out that special education proved useful for children with intellectual disabilities. In the other researches, learning at home and normal institutions also seemed to benefit the intellectual disabled (Jackson, 1994).

Gerda Klein Essay -- Gerda Weissman Klein, Jewish Holocaust

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   During the Holocaust, Jewish people were submitted to the vilest and most inhumane conditions the world had ever seen. Their most basic freedoms were taken from them. At first, all they lost were items such as flour, eggs, sugar, and cocoa. Later, they were stripped of their land and businesses and separated according to their ability to be productive slaves to Hitler's Third Reich. Those that were deemed unfit were sent to slaughter houses. Entire families were torn apart, much like what happened to Gerda Weissman Klein's family. Despite watching her mother, father, and brother being taken from her, knowing that she would never see them again, she found the strength to survive three years in German labor camps through her family, friends, and her own strong will for survival. After Poland fell to German forces, all Jewish men of a certain age range were required to register. Klein brother Arthur was the first family member she lost when he was called to duty. e strong, they will need you. (p. 21) Those were Arthur last words to his little sister, and Klein took them very seriously. Even after she found herself separated from her family and imprisoned by the Nazis, Klein drew strength from Arthur plea. Klein parents were a major source of strength for her. They were who she looked to for guidance and support, especially after Germany invaded Poland. After the Nazis were in power and before she went away to labor camps, everything Klein did revolved around her ...

My Essay on War

Rishiv Chugh 9/24/12 4th period My Opinion On War War, it’s one of the biggest things to happen to the world ever since then human evolution. So my opinion on war? Well to me, war is good on one side, and a terrible thing on the other side. So why do I think it is both good and bad at the same time? I might as well tell you and give some brief explanations why. So to start off, I’ll tell you the pro’s of war. For one thing, if there was no war, for all we know, there just might be more chaos in the world.With no control, other countries could nuke or bomb us without us knowing. I’m just saying that even though war may be a bad thing, it may be the one thing that can save our loved country from being overruled from other countries. Now we don’t want that to happen. Now I’ll move on to the cons of war. So the most obvious con of war is the loss of many loved ones. Everyone knows that it can be pretty difficult to lost someone that you really lo ve.Just think about all the poor people that lost their lives just trying to fight for our country. We should appreciate how much these brave people do to save our country. I know I do. I guess that all I am saying is that there are many different consequences and advantages to war. It goes from saving our beloved country to people losing their lives. So, next time you think about this, think about the people that lost their lives protecting the country.

7 Fascinating Facts About Fungi

7 Fascinating Facts About Fungi What do you think of when you think of fungi? Do you think of the mold growing in your shower or mushrooms? Both are types of fungi as fungi can range from unicellular (yeasts and molds) to multicellular organisms (mushrooms) that contain spore-producing fruit bodies for reproduction. Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that are classified in their own Kingdom, called Fungi. The cell walls of fungi contain chitin, a polymer that is similar in structure to glucose from which it is derived. Unlike plants, fungi dont have chlorophyll so are not able to make their own food. Fungi typically acquire their nutrients/food by absorption. They release digestive enzymes into the environment that assist in this process. Fungi are very diverse and have even contributed to improvements in medicine. Lets explore seven interesting facts about fungi. 1) Fungi Can Cure Disease Many may be familiar with the antibiotic known as penicillin. Did you know that it was produced from a mold that is a fungus? Around 1929, a doctor in London, England wrote a paper on what he called penicillin which he had derived from the Penicillium notatum mold (now known as Penicillium chrysogenum). It had the ability to kill bacteria. His discovery and research started a chain of events that would lead to the development of many antibiotics that would save countless lives. Similarly, the antibiotic cyclosporine is a key immunosuppressant and is used in organ transplants. 2) Fungi Can Also Cause Disease Many diseases can also be caused by fungi. For example, while many associate ringworm with being caused by a worm, it is caused by a fungus. It gets its name from the circular shape of the rash produced. Athletes foot is another example of a disease caused by fungi. Many other diseases such as eye infections, valley fever, and Histoplasmosis are caused by Fungi. 3) Fungi Are Vital to the Environment Fungi play a key role in the cycle of nutrients in the environment. They are one of the main decomposers of dead organic matter. Without them, the leaves, dead trees, and other organic matter that build up in the forests wouldnt have their nutrients available for other plants to use. For example, nitrogen is a key component that is released when fungi decompose organic matter. 4) Fungi Can Last for a Long Time Depending on the conditions, many fungi, like mushrooms, can be dormant for extended periods of time. Some can sit dormant for years and even decades and still have the ability to grow under the right conditions. 5) Fungi Can Be Deadly Some fungi are toxic. Some are so toxic that they can cause instant death in animals and humans. Deadly fungi often contain a substance known as amatoxins. Amatoxins typically are very good at inhibiting RNA polymerase II. RNA polymerase II is a necessary enzyme involved in the production of a type of RNA called messenger RNA (mRNA). Messenger RNA plays an important role in DNA transcription and protein synthesis. Without RNA polymerase II, cell metabolism will stop and cell lysis occurs. 6) Fungi Can Be Used to Control Pests Some species of fungi are able to suppress the growth of insects and nematodes that may cause harm to agricultural crops. Typically the fungi that can have such impacts are part of the group called hyphomycetes. 7) A Fungus Is the Largest Living Organism on the Planet A fungus known as the honey mushroom is the largest living organism on the planet. It is believed to be about 2400 years old and covers over 2000 acres. Interestingly enough, it kills trees as it spreads. There you have it, seven interesting facts about fungi. There are many additional interesting facts about fungi that range from fungi being used to produce the citric acid used in many beverages to fungi being the cause for zombie ants. Some fungi are bioluminescent and can even glow in the dark. While scientists have classified many of the fungi in nature, it is estimated that there are vast numbers that remain unclassified so their potential uses are likely numerous.