Nursing Informatics Essay Example

Nursing Informatics Essay NURSING INFORMATICS and the Foundation of Knowledge Introduction Nursing informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice (McGonigle, 2009). Most hospitals now utilize computer systems to track patient health information. The purpose of this paper is to show how a computerized system can help the health care worker provide the best care for the patient by utilizing available programs that when implemented will aide staff in detecting weight gain in a patient with a diagnosis of heart failure. Concept Map The patient comes to the unit where admission history information is gathered, vital signs obtained and a head to toe assessment is completed. The patient has a diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes which is currently be treated with medication and is now having signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF). Nurses may generate and record the data from their own observations or with the assistance of various devices. In this way, data (often qualitative data that cannot be traditionally measured) can be organized and processed (McGonigle 2009). More information is needed so the nurse logs onto the hospital computer system and checks the patient’s previous admission history, including previous vital signs, lab results, and any testing that has been completed in the past few months for comparison. She also reviews physician notes, dietary, and social services for education given related to diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes. The nurse sorts through useful information that pertains to the patient’s current condition and complaints. The nurse notes the patient has gained some weight, her blood pressure is higher than previous readings and her mother ecently died from complications of CHF. The computer system allows the nurse to see results along a linear time line during any specific time chosen. This gives the nurse a clear picture of trending. The data is interpreted, organized and structured into useful information (McGonigle, 2009). The knowledge the nurse has acquired during her educational years combined with life experience allows her to put the signs and symptoms together to formulate the next step of action. She knows that the patient meets common criteria for CHF; the patient has a diagnosis of diabetes and hypertension, is overweight, an older female, is aving fluid retention in the lower extremities, shortness of breath and noted crackles in the lungs. The nurse anticipates the doctor will order various labs to check current levels of lipids, enzymes, BNP, liver, kidney and thyroid function that will be used to compare against past results, stored in the computer system for easy access. The doctor may also order chest x-ray, echocardiogram, check ejection fraction, and EKG/ECG to verify suspected diagnosis. All results are entered into the computerized system by each area of discipline and transferred into the a review results â€Å"tab† for easy access. We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing Informatics specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing Informatics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Nursing Informatics specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The information gained from testing will be synthesized so that relationships are identified and formalized (McGonigle, 2009). All disciplines have access to patient testing results via the computerized charting system, to assist them in formulating a plan of care for the patient while in the hospital and upon discharge to home. Wisdom is sometimes thought of as the highest form of common sense resulting from accumulated knowledge or erudition (deep, thorough learning) or enlightenment (education that results in understanding and the dissemination of knowledge) (McGonigle, 2009). A plan of action is formulated at this point based in knowledge. Daily weights are ordered and recorded, IV or oral diuretics, cardiotonics, vasodilators, and/or angiotensin inhibitors are ordered from pharmacy and sent to the unit via a house wide tube system. Medications are administered to the patient and routine labs obtained to monitor patient reaction to interventions. Other disciplines dietary, physical therapy, respiratory, and social services will meet with the patient to discuss patient care plan. Education will be provided to the patient and family members in relation to decreasing isk factors and barriers for compliance. Patient will have access to a computer educational program called, EMMI Manager. It is a website that addresses a variety of diagnosis in common language. INNOVATIONS Background In today’s world of technology, it is imperative that health care facilities stay current with the ever changing electronic health record (EHR) systems. EHR a computer- based data warehouse or repository of information regarding the health status of a client, replacing the former paper based medical record; it is systematic documentation of a lient’s health status and health care in a secured digital format, meaning that it can be processed, stored, transmitted, and accessed by authorized interdisciplinary professionals for the purpose of supporting efficient, high quality health care across the client’s healthcare continuum (McGonigle, 2009). The one that is utilized in the IU Health care system is called Cerner. Cerner has consistently been ranked among the nation’s leading information technology providers and the company’s healthcare products have won numerous awards (Answers, 2012). It has layer after layer of programs and connective ites that are not, nor probably ever will be, fully utilized. It is possible to add task and warnings to the system to meet the needs of the hospital and staff. The EHR system helps move simple data into the information realm and converts it into usable knowledge based on the input which allows the system to send a pop-up notice directing the staff member to utilize their wisdom to notify the doctor because the patient’s condition has changed. Projected costs The Cerner system is currently in use but, any changes that are made to the system needs to be approved. In this instance a pop-up tab is requested by nursing that ill automatically alert the nurse of weight gain within specified parameters for the patient with heart failure (HF). An example of how it will work is, the patient is weighed daily and the program will keep a running total of any weight gained or lost and show the total based on a three and five day course that will signal a pop-up if the patient’s weight is 3 or more pounds in 3 days or more than 5 pounds in 5 days. The nurse will see the pop-up tab and notify the doctor, so an intervention, usually a diuretic can be administered. The floor nurses will bring their idea to the Unit Based Council (UBC) it is pproved and moves on to the Professional Nursing Council (PNC) for approval. It is then taken to the Clinical Information System (CIS) team. If they feel it is a worth while project they in turn take it to the IU Health board of directors for approval. P. Smith head of the CIS team claimed the basic cost for the added feature is approximately $9,600, broken down as follows; it will require 4 computer technicians working for approximately 48 man hours each at $50. 00 an hour, before it is available to use (personal communication, March 12, 2012). S. Holloway head of the Education epartment at the hospital added that the nurses will need to be in-serviced relating to its features and use. With approximately 2800 nurses using the system at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, it will require 15 minutes of individual training via a learning module system (LMS) to understand how to apply and utilize the tab for the designated patients. The average pay for nurses is $22. 00 an hour which works out to a cost of $15,400 provided all of them stayed after their shift to complete the 15 minute LMS. The technical support and maintenance would be included in the current system contract personal communication, March 13, 2012). Projected Benefits This technology impacts the quality of care at the bedside by increasing response to a possible critical health value. A timely intervention to the patient may mean a difference in length of stay in the acute care setting. The projected benefits are an increase in positive outcomes to the patient wit h HF with fewer set backs. Stakeholders The biggest stakeholders are the nurses. By having a system in place to calculate weight gain on a continuing day by day bases, it reduces the time spent changing the ates and scrolling back and figuring the changes with paper and pencil from the values in the computer. The pop-up warning will assist the nurse by decreasing the chance of error related to miscalculations or oversights and notifying the doctor of changes sooner. Gaining the nurses buy-in is relatively easy, by pointing out the benefits they will gain by not having to take the time to figure the weight for three and five days every day. The nurses would be asked to participate in the build to offer suggestions as to where the tab will pop-up, on the task list or right on the screen where the weights are recorded. Evaluation The Heart Failure Team at the hospital has a subgroup that is monitoring patients with HF diagnosis who readmit for HF in less than 30 days. They discovered during a random chart check that 4 out of 36 patients in post acute care, had a weight gain greater than the set parameters and the doctor was not notified in a timely manner, to order a diuretic. The four patients were sent to cardiac care for treatment related to complications that could have been avoided with a timely administration of a diuretic. An increase in positive outcomes for HF patients would significantly increase our patient rust and satisfaction scores. The Heart Failure Team subgroup will continue to monitor timely notifications to doctors, of HF patients who have weight gain outside the parameters and report back to the Team on monthly bases to evaluate its effectiveness. The lead CIS nurse P. Smith also added that she is taking our idea a step further by checking into the possibility of the Cerner system being able to â€Å"shoot† a notice to the attending doctor via the Cerner system, letting him know that his patient has had a weight gain outside the set parameters. So if the nurse forgets or gets busy he will still be otified and can act on the changes (personal communication March 13, 2012). Competencies How Nursing Informatics competencies impact the use of technology for transforming data to wisdom. The concept map moves data to wisdom on a patient who presented with signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF). Heart failure is a serious medical condition where the heart does not pump blood around the body as well as it should. This means your blood can’t deliver enough oxygen and nourishment to your body to allow it to work normally. It also means that you can’t eliminate waste products roperly leading to a build up of fluid in your lungs and other parts of your body, such as your legs and abdomen (Heart Failure Matters, 2012). A build up of fluid increases weight and may indicate worsening of condition Data to Information Data is raw information gathered objectively without interpretation. (McGonigle, 2009). The data collected from the concept map is entered into the patient’s electronic health record (EHR) by the nurse. Being able to input data into the EHR correctly is imperative for patient safety and positive patient outcome. The nurse inputs vital signs, ssessments, medical history, and medication orders. The results of ordered patient testing example; chest x-ray, echocardiogram, lab results ordered is interred by the appropriate departments. All the data migrates to corresponding tabs in the patients EHR. Past medical history can also be found here, so if the patient leaves out information from previous visits, it is still available to the care giver. This is the essential information that must be available in a common data base to support patient care (QSEN, 2009). The nurse must be educated on the use of the EHR so she will be able to place meaning to all he information contained there and be able to pull that information upon request. Information to Knowledge Information is data that are interpreted, organized or structured. The data derived from direct care of an individual may then be complied across persons and aggregated for decision-making by nurses, nurse administrators, or other health processionals (McGonigle, 2009). Navigate the electronic health record (QSEN, 2009). By assessing the patient EHR the care giver can compare past values with present values. In a patient with CHF it is imperative that the patient be weighed accurately every day. The nurse eeds to know how to calibrate and zero out a free standing or bed scale for an accurate daily weight. This is just as important as knowing the patient should be weighed at the same time of day, wearing the same type of clothing or that the bed should contain the same amount of bedding for a more accurate weight. A weight gain of 2-3 lbs. per day or more than 5 lbs. in 5 days should be reported to the physician immediately as it could indicate a decrease in t he heart function. An alert feature that will notify the nurse of a weight gain, over the recommended period of time would assist the nurse in physician otification in a timely manner, leading to a more positive patient outcome. Knowledge to Wisdom Knowledge is information that has judgment applied to it or meaning extracted from it. Wisdom is knowledge applied in a practical way or translated into actions; uses knowledge and experience to heighten common sense and insight to exercise sound judgment in practical matters (McGonigle, 2009). Value technologies that support clinical decision-making, error prevention and care coordination (QSEN, 2009). The EHR is a form of technology that is invaluable to the health care field. All of the patient nformation is a click away for the care giver. The timeline side by side comparison for information necessary to make an informed decision related to patient care increases response time. Front line users are the first line of defense as to what types of programs could be added on to current systems to prevent errors, and should be included in meetings for system updates. Care coordination can be better utilized using the EHR when access to the system is so easy and all discipline notes migrate to the patient record. Conclusion The benefits of having a pop-up warning system, to alert the nurse when a atient has had a weight gain outside the set parameters, will increase efficiency related to doctor notification. When the doctor is notified sooner an intervention can be implemented sooner to improve patient outcome. Quicker intervention may lead to faster recovery, shorter hospital stay, improved quality of care, patient satisfaction, and reducing cost to patient and/or the insurance provider. With a growing focus on patient satisfaction, medical intervention that will support better patient outcomes and better care will improve patient satisfaction scores as they relate to direct nursing care and satisfaction with the doctors. All patients expect and deserve the best care every day. References Answers. com. Cerner Corporation, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012 from; http://www. answers. com/topic/cerner-corporation. Heart Failure Matters, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2012 from; http://www. heartfailurematters. org. McGonigle, D. Mastrian, K. , (2009). Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge (pp. 85,450, 459, 480). Sudbury, MA. Jones and Bartlett Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN), (2009). Quality and safety competencies. Retrieved March 1, 2012 from: http://www. QSEN. org/competencies.

comparison essays

comparison essays Human beings are helpless weeds drifting in a depthless sea of fate. We are mere rag dolls, thrown from birth, to the currents mercy. Life never happens on accident, every moment is precisely planned and plotted for every individual. Oedipus Rex, a man who was a true victim of fate, lived a life that was destined for self-destruction and pain. However, his story is one of heroism and tragedy, not because he was a puppet to the gods or fate, rather he freely chose to continue and accept his own destruction. He lived his life seemingly oblivious to fates pull, he murdered his father, married his mother, then surrendered to fates grand finale: death. One may ask how a life such as Oedipus could possibly be called heroic, and the answer is simple: although he was controlled by fate he did everything for his rights and honor. Thus, he may have been the man with the smoking gun, however, he didnt kill just for his own satisfaction or self loathing. He always had a purpose, if you will a reason to his rhyme. Fate was never a questionably subject for him. He accepted his destiny by placing his energy to aspects of his life he could control: his honor and quality of his own life. considering Oedipus situation, he lived life the best he could, and thats what makes him heroic. One may say that everyone is in control of their own futures which is a valid point. However, every decision made, every question asked, every question answered are all predestined by fate. Each experience is a road sign in lifes journey, there to guide us past those tricky forks in the road and dead ends that we find so challenging. Oedipus story makes one wonder if fate uses certain people as teaching devices, examples, or guide lines on how to not live life. Life is unscripted. Live it the best it can be lived, and never regret anything. Regrets are pointless because each experience is a lesson learn ...

BIBLIOGRAPHY Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

BIBLIOGRAPHY - Literature review Example Through provision of essential information, the affected individuals become empowered to administer self-medication and live healthy lives, despite being infected with the chronic condition. This document seeks to establish the process on management of the condition. Search strategy Searching for this information began with identification of the condition of focus, diabetes within the context of this search. Following the identification of the topic the specific focus of management of the condition was identified and the search began with the key words being ‘diabetes’ and ‘management’. Various relevant search engines were utilised in identifying relevant information, regarding the topic being searched. The search engines were able to narrow my search, through giving only the key words identified before beginning the online search. The topic dealt with management of diabetes; hence the key words for the search became, ‘management’ and ‘dia betes’. While many articles might be presented when searching for diabetes, narrowing into management brought a minimised are of focus. Being an academic report, various academic sources were identified, with the aim of getting most relevant academic sources for the task being undertaken. The academic sources normally present information which can assist students in learning about their research topics. These sources only contain information regarded as having academic value to users. The Google scholar was very helpful in providing relevant information used in researching on the topic of management of diabetes. This remains the most utilised search engine, which is always readily available within different locations. This search engine provides users with unlimited resources, and its utilisation gave me numerous related articles, which would enhance the quality of the information retrieved. Several online libraries were also accessed. These libraries provided journal article s published in different countries, and detailing commonly employed diabetes management techniques. The information being sought in these libraries sought to define the various methods which are applied in treatment of diabetes. The utilisation of the website meant that I could access many articles, published in different countries and journal within the shortest time possible. The online libraries are normally accessible from different global location, with the same information remaining accessible every time. These libraries significantly reduce the duration taken when researching on a specified topic, like the one identified by this research. The dictionaries also offer information regarding copyrighted material which cannot be accessed online. They give information on where the material can be accessed without any copyright breaching, like publisher details. This information significantly assisted me in getting the correct sources. Other than identifying the topics, article abst racts were immensely helpful in deciding the references to include within my search. While I came across many articles, the selection of many required perusing through the abstracts to determine the relevance of contained information. Through reading the abstracts, I was able to evaluate many articles before selecting the relevant ones towards my research topic. Some articles focused on various elements of the condition and failed to provide essential information towards management of the condition. Others offered vague

To what extent did French avant-garde groupings in the 1880s coalesce Essay

To what extent did French avant-garde groupings in the 1880s coalesce around exhibitions - Essay Example The phrase ‘modern art’ first used by Joris-Karl Huysmans in a book title to delineate the subject matter of several paintings represented in the book in1883. The Anglo-Irish novelist, George Moore followed this in this book, ‘Modern Painting’. It was about this time that the critic Theodore Duret, who used it of certain young painters, introduced the term avant-garde (Wood 1999, pp. 7-33). Subsequently, modernity became the focal point for artists and critics, alike. How Impressionism triggered avant-garde groupings The period of 1860-1880 witnessed an undeniable transformation in the aesthetic perspective as the focus of paintings shifted to the depiction of everyday reality and fashions (Wood 1999, p. 113). Determined to present illustrations of contemporary life in both, urban and rural areas, the Impressionists pioneered this change by creating snapshots of everyday life. The war developed new urgency and hope in the progressive artists born in the 1880 s. There was unanimity amongst the generation that Europe had been endowed a second chance; Salinger 1957, 117 Wood 1999, pp. 28 Wood 1999, p. 113 thereby, a new order should be established (Hungerford 1989). Impressionism, a revolutionary movement in painting followed by music, emerged at the end of the nineteenth century in France. Impressionist paintings can be traced back to the period of 1867-1886 to a party of artists with common approaches, philosophies, and methodologies in art (Huyghe 1973, p. 90). They tried to translate their observations into the paintings by attempting to recreate the manifold and animated results of sunlight and shadows from direct and reflected light. One of the most integral development out of this style was the reproduction of objects out of discrete flecks and dabs of matching or contrasting colours to evoke the broken-hued marvels and distinguishing hued created by sunlight and its reflections (Callen 1982, p. 187). Lastly, conventional formal com positions were replaced by more casual and less artificial disposition of depicted objects. The Impressionists in portraying landscapes, houses, trees, and even urban streets employed these novel-painting techniques (Callen 2000, p. 245). As the mid 1880s approached, the Impressionists began to dissolve as every painter craved to pursue his personal aesthetic interests and principles. Nonetheless, in its short-lived existence, it categorically revolutionized art, paving the way for postimpressionist artists like Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat to be free from all traditional western paintings and methodologies and interpretation of subject matter. Aftermath Impressionism was the first avant-garde in art, which paved the way for contemporary or modern art. Undeniably, the impressionists motivated novel Hungerford 1989, 73 Huyghe, 1973, 90 Callen, 1982, 187 Callen, 2000, 245 approaches, perspectives, notions amongst subsequent artists (Ward 1996, p. 168). It was the resu lt of their relentless struggle and perseverance, that the Salon’s official foothold in the world of art was questioned. Undoubtedly, painters such as Monet, Renoir, Pissaro, and Degas encouraged new art movements, for instance, Post-impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism (Rewald 1978, p. 312). In 1886, following the official death of Impressionists, post-impressionism was born. Before these movements, the Impressionis

American Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

American Civil War - Essay Example His ultimate goal in the campaign of 1864 was ostensibly the capture of the Confederate capital, Richmond. Every movement, position and counter attack was intended to push through the Confederate forces. Smaller Union forces under the command of Franz Siegel and Benjamin Butler attempted to carry out missions that were to cut off supplies and reinforcements from General Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. While capturing Richmond would have been a great leap towards ending the war, Grant admitted in his writings that this was actually a secondary goal. The primary objective of his campaign in the spring and summer of 1864 was to wage a war of attrition against the rebel troops. He wanted to wear them down, deplete their morale and break what remained of their allegiance to the cause of the Confederacy. While Grant ultimately failed in taking Richmond during the campaign, it could be argued that he did indeed cause a serious drop in morale among Confederate soldiers by causing high rates of attrition and displaying more tenacity to win battles than any Union commander had before him (Rickard 2006). The start of the campaign began with Grant traveling with Meade and the Army of the Potomac south, in an attempt to cross the Rapidan River and travel through the Wilderness. This Wilderness had been the scene of fierce fighting one year earlier that resulted in the retreat of the Union forces back across the river. Grant was hoping that he could push through the Wilderness before Lee was able to position his troops. Lee beat Grant to the Wilderness and the forces met amid the thick brush and tangles of the forest. Lee was successful in halting the Union advance, but Grant showed considerable determination by refusing to retreat back across the river. Instead, he withdrew from the Wilderness and tried to march around Lee’s army. Grant set his sights on obtaining control of a railroad junction near a village known as

The More Convincing Theory Of Justice

The More Convincing Theory Of Justice Justice has always been a major subject for debates and exploration among philosophers and for centuries. Plato and Aristotle, the two most important philosophers of Western civilisation are the earliest to investigate different dimensions of justice and develope their own theories respectively. Before a closer examination of their concepts, one must first define the term. Justice is defined as just behaviour or treatment and the quality of being fair and reasonable.  [1]  In the following essay, both the Platonic and Aristotelian theory of justice in the state and individual will be discussed and their possible law will also be analysed to achieve an objective conclusion on whose theory is more convincing. Plato (427 BC-347 BC) is one of the founding figures of Western philosophy and is well-known for his work The Republic, in which he noted the qualities of an ideal state and a just individual by presenting his theory of justice through the words of Socrates. Platos aim of The Republic is to explain that we have to be just in all circumstances, for being just is always in our best interest. Through describing the perfectly functioning state, it is obvious that Plato supports the system of rigid social hierarchy. This is seen through his assertion that cooperation amongst citizens of different classes to serve the common good is the key to achieve a successful state and thus attain social justice. The wants of individuals are therefore fulfilled when each citizen performs their duty for which he or she is best suited, eventually bringing the greatest happiness for all its citizens. Moreover he views justice, wisdom, bravery and moderation as the four essential virtues that enable a cit y to flourish.. Plato opines that wise and rational citizens ought to be the rulers of the city. Whereas those who are strong, and therefore best at physically demanding activities, should make up the auxiliary class with the virtue of courage to defend the city against enemies. Those who are good at natural crafts such as: farming, trading, mining should have the virtue of moderation and exercise their duty to satiate the requirements of the society. Finally, in order to achieve social justice, each citizen has to carry out their own functions in the society and not to attempt in meddling with the work of another. On the other hand, justice of an individual according to Plato is achieved when each part of their soul performs its proper function, with the result that the individual attains psychological harmony.  [2]  This allows a person to be content and complete, without any desire to perform unjust actions. Aristotle (384 BC- 322BC), a student of Plato and one of the the founder of modern Western ideology, holds different views on the subject of justice. According to his famous work The Nicomachean Ethics, there are two distinct forms of justice lawfulness [universal justice] and equality [particular justice]. Aristotle argues that that laws, which include ethical virtue aim either at the common good of the state or those in authority, therefore, it promotes and protect happiness of the political community.  [3]  He further pointed out that in a correct constitution, justice promotes the common advantages of all citizens but in a deviant constitution, it only promotes advantages to oligarch and the wealthy ruling class. Equality, on the other hand, involves three specific forms of justice that affect common advantages of the society distributive, corrective and commutative justice. The first form of justice involves in distributing common assets in a just proportion among people i n accordance with their merits, while the second form amends any previous unjust transaction between citizens to restore fairness. Lastly, commutative justice is found in communities of exchange, where citizens transact in equal terms. In addition, Aristotle places a strong emphasis on the close connection between constitution and justice as he states all constitutions are a form of justice, for [a constitution is] a community, and everything common is established through justice.  [4]  According to his work The Politics, justice is being referred to as the communal virtue, which presents itself in the most perfect form of community, i.e. The political community. Justice in this sense is aimed at concerning the goods of others and is the most perfect form. Having explained both Platos and Aristotles respective theories of justice it is evident that Plato pursues the construction of a Utopian city state with emphasis on inner personal development as a contributing member of society, whereas the latter is more pragmatic and grounded in reality. Plato uses dialogues and point-counterpoints as argumentation to clarify his principle of justice in The Republic, yet, the definition of justice throughout the whole book is ambiguous as Plato never defines the term clearly. Therefore, while he stimulates readers thinking on what is just and unjust, it is Aristotle who elucidates how. Critics argue that Platos theory of justice has nothing to do with the ordinary understanding of the term, which is to act with some regard for the good of others. Rachel Singpurwalla substantiates this, asserting that Plato caanot assuage our worries about justice by giving an account of it that ignores this essential other regarding aspect of justice.  [5]  Moreover, Plato emphasized inner personal relations rather than interpersonal relations as he stated, its [justices] real concern is not with external actions, but with a mans inward self, his true concern and interest (Plato 161) .  [6]  In fact it is the connection with others in the society that defines the ordinary sense of justice. For that reason when comparing Platoà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s concept of justice with a typical understanding of it, the former only provides us a reason to have a just soul, but fails to address the reasons to give the good to others. Furthermore, Platos theory is self-contradictory. The aim of The Republic is to show that justice is always in our best interest. However, individuals with just and rational souls ought to be the Guardians in his ideal functioning society. These philosophers rule the city simply because it is their duty and it is just to do so. They must fully dedicate themselves, sacrificing personal ambitious, family life and personal properties to promote welfare of the state. In this context, it does seem that a just individual sacrifices his/her self-interest for the common good. On the basis of this, Plato failed to explain why people should be just as it is not always in our best interests, contradicting the purpose of writing his book. In Platos ideal state the submission and subordination of personal desire are seen as essential in the construction of a successful society. The interests and rights of the individual citizen are largely overlooked, especially the bottom of the social class and slaves. While in contemporary society, where we are taught that everyone is equal, Platos rigid social hierarchy system and the disregard of social rights may not be accepted by everyone. Platoà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s ideal social system is emblematic of low class mobility and overlooks the dissent that would be caused by keeping the lower classes and slaves in their position- with minimal prospects. Finally, Platos theory of justice is too idealistic and is almost inapplicable to modern society while the idea of the just individual is unattainable to many. If a theory was neither applicative nor achievable, then it is unconvincing for people to follow. In contrast, Aristotle approaches the subject of justice systematically and provides classification of his theory to help understanding his theory, although some argue that different people may have various interpretation of his specific forms of particular justice. For instance, people may disagree on the correct proportion when distributing common assets among social groups. This problem arises not because of Aristotles defective analysis of particular justice, but rather the different value inputs into the system. His theory of justice can also be applied to different classes in the society. The practice constitution and law provides a fair framework of interests and rights for individuals, as well as safeguards citizens basic rights and happiness. As a result, when comparing Platoà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s idealistic concept with Aristotles empirical model of justice, people will have more confidence in the latter, a society which bounded and safeguarded by just laws Essentially, it will be argue that Aristotles theory of justice is more convincing not only because it is applicable to every social class and the contemporary society, but most importantly, it allows citizens to pursue their values and realise their highest nature, providing them a higher degree of satisfaction and achieving a good life. Platos theory is therefore, comparatively philosophical and idealistic, neglecting the general interests and rights of citizens. (1450 words)

The American Civil War :: American History

The American Civil War The incident that began the Civil War involved the demand for the surrender of Fort Sumter, in Charleston, South Carolina. On April 11, 1861, Brigadier General Pierre G. T. Beauregard requested that the fort be surrendered. The Federal commander, Major Robert Anderson, refused. On April 12, 1861, Captain George S. James fired the first shot of the war from a Confederate artillery battery. Artillery exchanges continued through April 13, when terms of capitulation were finally agreed to. The fort was evacuated by steamer on April 14. The following day Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for 75,000 militia to serve for ninety days to put down "combinations too powerful to be suppressed" by the ordinary mechanism of government. The Civil War had begun. (Schroeder, 2005) The proclamation by Lincoln served to polarize the yet uncommitted states into action. Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Tennessee severed their ties with the Union, unwilling to supply troops to fight against their sister Southern states. The border states of Maryland, Missouri, and Kentucky, while providing soldiers to both armies, were kept under Federal control. (Basler, 2005) The numbers did not look good for the newly created Confederacy. Eleven states had left the Union; twenty-two remained. The population of the Confederate states was about nine million, almost one-third of who were slaves. The Union states could count twenty-two million individuals and had a steady stream of immigrants. The South had only two main east-west railroad lines and limited ability to manufacture locomotives or rolling stock. Most of the known deposits of coal, iron ore and copper were in the North, together with about 92% of the country's industrial capacity. The Navy remained loyal to the Union and most of the merchant shipping was Northern-owned. If the South was to achieve victory, it would be against long odds. (Nofi, 2001) Albert Sidney Johnston, who was regarded by many as the South's finest general, arrived to take command of the Western Department in mid-September, 1861. He could hardly have been pleased with the situation he found. He counted only 20,000 troops, most raw and ill-equipped, between the Appalachian Mountains to the east and the Mississippi River. In the Trans-Mississippi Theater, despite a Confederate victory at Wilson's Creek, Missouri on August 10, 1861, Southern Generals Price and McCulloch exhibited a lack of cooperation which only vaguely suggested they were on the same side. (Flachmeier, 2005) To correct these shortcomings, General Johnston immediately appealed for more troops and appointed Major General Earl Van Dorn as the ranking general over both Price and McCulloch as the new year of 1862 rolled in.

Jenna’s Kitchen Essay

Low moral/ low productivity. †¢ Didn’t listen to Judi’s recommendation of not listening. Main Problem: †¢ top managements push to save money by moving from there downtown location to a warehouse, lowered status of employees -made job less prestigious -no longer a better company to work for than their competitors. †¢ Low conceptual skills from management -they didn’t see the big picture to foresee how the move would effect the corporate culture of employees/ morale. Solutions: Top management needs to weigh as well as see value of motivation plus jod satisfaction high productivity and attaining loyalty of employee’s/ low turnover. Tried to solve the low moral with pay increase which leads to less money saved from move plus little change in moral: â€Å"pay increase only provides short term change and not true motivation. † (Introduction into Business pg 284 half way down. ) †¢ What does provide motivation: pay increase according to performance not general increase. Effective ways to motivate and increase morale: increased responsibility, recognition, new more prestigious job title, reoccurring meetings to hear what employees need. †¢ Hear issues †¢ involve employees in creating objectives. †¢ Incentives, gift cards to downtown restaurants, weekly monthly lunches, using flex times to make jobs more appealing. †¢ Cons- incentives will cost company in the short term †¢ more time in team equals less time for working. Managers will have to be trained to give more recognition to work with employee’s †¢ might loose employee’s end up saving money from move. Solutions: †¢ higher level of conceptual skills for top management ie. Learn from mistakes. †¢ Self manage work teams, job enrichment, incentives at the new location. †¢ Implement meetings for top management to reevaluate direction company is headed and to understand the consequences of not listening to regional management and cost cutting. †¢ First line manager training to boost moral/motivation of the workers and increase productivity

French Government essays

French Government essays The modern French government is run very much like the government of the United States. France is a democratic republic that is divided into three branches, the Executive branch, the Legislative branch, and the Judicial branch. The Legislative branch is made up of the Parliament, which like the United States Congress, is divided into two houses. Those being the Senate and the National Assembly. The National Assembly has 577 members and is the more powerful of the two houses, while the Senate has 319 members in this somewhat less influential house. This branch is in charge of passing and repealing laws. The Judicial branch is in charge of the courts, and criminal trials. As in the United States there is the Executive branch, which is headed by the President and Prime Minister. This branch is in charge of carrying out laws and The French government is quite unique, in that during times of a national emergency, such as a war, the President of France has the authority to assume The Local government is divided into twenty-two regions, that are further divided into ninety-five departements, which are again divided into smaller arrondissements which are then divided into communes. There are approximately 36,500 communes in France. The communes are run by mayors appointed by local An interesting fact about the French government, is that we get the expressionsof a left-wing party and a right-wing party from the French Revolution, because at the National Assembly, the radicals would sit on the left, and the ...

graduate1 essays

graduate1 essays The American animation The Simpsons is now in its 10th season as a show in its own right. It was created by Matt Groening as shorts for the Tracy Ullman Show and was bought by the Fox Network, which began screening it as half-hour shows in 1989. Initially its success was restricted to the 9-16 year old age group, and for animation there is nothing remarkable about this. Its success grew quickly and it is now popular in many countries with many different audiences. "In the 1990s we are seeing dramatic transformations in media industries and media cultures. In geographical terms, these transformations may be seen in the shift from national to global media." The Simpsons can be seen as both a remarkable piece of global culture and as a hugely successful piece of global television. (One need only look on an Internet search engine to discover that there are literally millions of Simpsons fan-sites around the world.). The Simpsons themselves are a simple family in a small town in Middle Am erica called Springfield. They are: Homer (loyal but stupid father), Marge (dissatisfied, trapped housewife/mother), Bart (rebellious son), Lisa (unappreciated genius daughter), and Maggie (silent baby). The show also revolves around a number of other of the townsfolk, such as Mr Burns (Homer's miserly boss), Smithers (Burns's loving assistant), Apu (Indian shop owner), Principal Skinner and Moe (owner of the local bar). There are a number of reasons why we cannot simply view The Simpsons as a cartoon like any other. The rules and conventions that it follows are far more those of television or cinema than those of animation. The humour within The Simpsons exists on many different levels ranging from the obvious to the subtle, from the literary to the movie reference, and beyond. But most importantly we must consider the show's ability to make significant social comment, on general issues of culture and society, but more specifically on television, film and ...

Research Articles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Articles - Essay Example Qualitative evaluation based on ethnographic method at two suburban high schools. The setting for the study is two suburban school (Gance-Cleveland 2004 p.380). Children are persuaded to share the details of the problems in the family in a trusting and supportive environment and by creating a less stigmatizing and more positive environment for the participants. The research was approved by IRB (Institutional review board) and prior permission was obtained from cofacilitators, administrators and students for each interview. The anonymity of the participant was safeguarded in theoretical sampling in focus groups through by using code numbers in the data (Gance-Cleveland 2004 p.382). Patients were reviewed from an academic health center. Inclusion criteria are used with a face to face interview prior to the hospitalization and the measurement of pain through various methods preoperatively and post operatively (Ridge & Goodson 2000 p.71). The sample size constituted various numbers of participants for each study. The size of the sample seems to be adequate considering the age and probability of the hip replacement surgery. The study was conducted in an academic health centre ((Ridge & Goodson 2000 p.72). Five data collection instruments were used. They are Functional Status Index, Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale, Health Assessment Questionnaire, Sickness Impact Profile and Index of Well Being. The data was collected once before the surgery and twice after the surgery (Ridge & Goodson 2000 p.72) The ethical rights of the patients was safeguarded during the research since it is evident that patients were not forced to participate and even participants who dropped during the course of the research were not included in the final analysis ((Ridge & Goodson 2000 p.74). The research was conducted in a written format through the selection of statements in outcome measurement instrument that reduces the changes of bias in the data. The sampling

EUROPEAN LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

EUROPEAN LAW - Essay Example idity and the legal basis of the said directives.2 The manufacturers invoked the principles of subsidiarity, proportionality, right to property and the right to conduct economic activity under Articles 28 and 30 EC and the European Convention Human Rights Protocol, which specify provisions on basic right to property and the right to conduct economic activity freely. The claimants also invoked infraction of Article 253 EC also referred to as the duty to give reasons. Furthermore, the manufacturers of food supplement also challenged Articles 3, 4(1) and 15 (b) of the EC rulings, which state that only food supplements which comply with aforesaid directives may be sold within the European Community and the vitamins and minerals specified under the directives may be utilised. The directive further stated that effective August 1, 2005, products which did not comply with the directives should be prohibited.3 The court has dealt with these issues in the past as for instance in the case of Sw edish Match and Arnold Andre4 and has made its decisions based on the judgments brought forth on that particular case. The EC Directives define ‘food supplements’ as products or items whose purpose is to supplement the daily diet, foodstuffs which contain concentrated nutrients or materials having nutritional or physiological results. These supplements are either marketed in isolation or come in dosage forms, which include capsules, tablets or pills. One of the disputed directives state that only ‘vitamins and minerals’ specified ‘in the forms listed in Annex I and in the forms listed in Annex II maybe used for the manufacture of food supplement5. The court riling and the EC directives likewise invoked treaties signed by the member states of the EC. The Directive provided in Article 15 also affirmed that ‘Member States shall bring into the force of laws’ and other aforesaid stipulations needed to abide by the Directive6. The manufacturers of health foods asked the courts