Is Doubt the Key to Knowledge Essay Example for Free

Is Doubt the Key to Knowledge Essay As a student currently taking the International Baccalaureate, I constantly question the differences between the several areas of knowledge which I study. In a period where technology shows constant developments which trigger new discoveries and establish new facts, a critical outlook is essential in order to assess the validity and limitations of knowledge claims that arise within these fields. The twenty-first century has been called the age of information, where individuals have the ability to communicate freely and where knowledge becomes increasingly accessible. This seems to create an environment where knowledge prospers freely, and where doubt is gradually becoming extinct. However, many still argue that this new age of information bombardment creates a false sensation of certainty, and a series of unsupported convictions. Almost all areas of knowledge have a particular way of achieving values of truth, when that is possible whatsoever. This is directly linked to the ways of knowing in Theory of Knowledge, (emotion, perception, language and reason) as well as through the methods each field uses in its attempts to explain something, or to reach truth. Furthermore, it is important to recognize the several â€Å"paradigm shifts†, as in the term first coined by Thomas Kuhn[1], that change the perception and methods through which we acquire and interpret knowledge, as well as our definition of truth. Scientific certainty derives from countless experimentations and observations, and many debate whether scientific truth can ever be reached. History, on the other hand, is rigorously based on personal experience and interpretation of individual accounts, which allows for partiality and bias. This essay aims to evaluate and distinguish these two areas of knowledge, as well as determine the possible legitimacy and certainty that can be obtained from the knowledge claims produced in each field. Historical analysis is one the most controversial areas of knowledge, possibly due its extremely ambiguous and uncertain nature. Historians may disagree over the causes and consequences of nearly any historical event. It is important to remember that history is based on paradigms. As a result, it s almost impossible to find a particular period in history which has not been marked by disputes between historians, attempting to determine what actually happened. Thomas Carlyle, a 19th century historian and teacher at the University of Edinburgh, once stated that â€Å"The history of the world is but the biography of great men†, an allusion to The Great Man Theory, one of the many paradigms that have bent the shape of historical analysis. If we take the Second World War as an example, it seems as if the historical context of the war is seen through the actions of men such as Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini and Winston Churchill. Another paradigm that can be observed in historical thought is the â€Å"Rise and Fall† concept, which tends to evaluate the history of empires and historical powers in terms of two phases: the ascent and decline. Examples of this paradigm can be found in many titles of history books: â€Å"The Rise and Fall of the Holy Roman Empire[2]†, â€Å"The Growth and Decline of the French Monarchy[3]†, â€Å"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich[4]†, amongst others. Furthermore, as we analyze the history of the Second World War, we also find correlations with another historical paradigm, best exemplified by the famous proverb: â€Å"History is written by the victor†. The argument proposed is quite clear; those who triumph at War and reach power will inevitably influence and determine the course of history. In order to better illustrate this claim, two extracts follow, concerning the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941; the first, a broadcast by Winston Churchill to the British people, and finally a speech given by Adolph Hitler in Berlin, proclaiming the invasion of the USSR: â€Å"At 4 oclock this morning Hitler attacked and invaded Russia. (†¦) A non-aggression treaty had been solemnly signed and was in force between the two countries. †¦) Then, suddenly, without declaration of war, German bombs rained down from the sky upon the Russian cities. (†¦) Hitler is a monster of wickedness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ [5] Winston Churchill, London, June 22 1941 â€Å"National Socialists! (†¦)The German people have never had hostile feelings toward the peoples of Russia ( ) Germany has never attempted to spread its National Socialist w orldview to Russia. Rather, the Jewish-Bolshevist rulers in Moscow have constantly attempted to subject us and the other European peoples to their rule. (†¦) which were particularly severe for Germans living in the affected nations. †¦) The purpose of this front is no longer the protection of the individual nations, but rather the safety of Europe, and therefore the salvation of everyone. May God help us in this battle. † Adolph Hitler, Berlin, June 25 1941[6] Analyzing both speeches, the difficulties of validating a historical account become quite evident, since there are always several perspectives concerning a specific historical event. As it relates to the ways of knowing, history is extremely dependent on perception and language, making it particularly hard for historians in hindsight to corroborate one account over the other and recognise its legitimacy. However, offering a personal perspective, I would most likely tend to support Churchill’s account of the 1941 Nazi occupation of the USSR. Yet, after exposing the uncertainties and ambiguity of historical knowledge, I begin to question whether or not my perception would differ, had Hitler and the Axis’ forces won the war. Unfortunately, it seems that would most likely be the case. Science is widely regarded as one of the most reliable fields of inquiry. When considering its potential for accurate and impartial conclusions, my initial response was to consider the scientific method the ideal, archetypal model of discovery. History seems simply too inseparable from human emotion and interpretation to produce a constantly indisputable account of facts, while science appears to be the most reliable and precise area of knowledge, solely based on rationality, empirical evidence and observable patterns. The scientific method, starting with a predicted hypothesis, followed by an experiment, collection and interpretation of data, which ultimately leads to a conclusion which could be repeated by any other scientist, gives the impression of being the perfect â€Å"truth formula†. On the other hand, when looking at the progress of science over time, it is important to realize that, together with the other areas of knowledge, real certainty can never be achieved in science. Even when scientific models survive repeated testing which fail to disprove them, they cannot be universally accepted as truths, but only provisional truths that are simply given functional certainty. The Caloric Theory[7], introduced by Lavoisier, was once a commonly accepted theory that was discredited in the 19th century by the mechanical theory of heat introduced by Carnot[8], which later on evolved into the science of thermodynamics. This supports the claim that scientific â€Å"truths† only exist on their specific â€Å"scope of applicability†[9]: â€Å"Science progresses through trial and error, mostly error. Every new theory or law must be skeptically and rigorously tested before acceptance. Most fail, and are swept under the rug, even before publication. Others, like the luminiferous ether[10], flourish for a while, then their inadequacies accumulate till they are intolerable, and they are quietly abandoned when something better comes along. Such mistakes will be found out. Theres always someone who will delight in exposing them.  Science progresses by making mistakes, correcting the mistakes, then moving on to other matters. If we stopped making mistakes, scientific progress would stop. † [11] In conclusion, it seems that uncertainty will always be an indissoluble part of every area of knowledge. We can also conclude that historical and scientific knowledge have an incredibly different way of explaining and interpreting things, mostly due to the ways of knowing, or according to which filter each area of knowledge attempts to express their ideas, and draw conclusions. While many may argue that the main purpose of these areas of knowledge is to explain and generate answers, some would say that their aim is inquiry, and their purpose is to generate questions. If we analyze these fields in hindsight, it is hard to dispute the claim that what we now consider hard facts are simply theories waiting to be discredited by the progress of our existence. Although at first I found myself to be disappointed with my findings, I stand corrected. The pursuit of knowledge, the quest for truth, is a never ending cycle of discoveries, and most importantly rediscoveries. Once we are certain of anything, we kill this cycle, we close the book, and the entire process loses significance and context. In the human drive for knowledge and higher awareness, as in the questions that generate the angst and sorrow of human consciousness, there can never be an unquestionable truth, an indisputable answer, for certainty is an illusion.

Description And Examples Of Genetically Modified Organisms

Description And Examples Of Genetically Modified Organisms Genetically modified organism (GMO), organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the production of desired biological products. GMO has long been the practice to breed select individuals of a species to produce offspring of the desirable traits. It is used in conventional livestock production, crop farming and even pet breeding. In genetic modification, the mechanism used for creating a genetically modified organism is called the recombinant DNA technique. It involves combining strands of DNA from different sources to create a new DNA molecule that has a different combination of genes than that, which occurs naturally. There are some scientific methods included in producing GMOs, such as recombinant DNA technology and reproductive cloning. Recombinant DNA technology involves the insertion of one or more individual genes from an organism of one species into the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of another. On the other hand, reproductive cloning technology generates offspring that are genetically identical to the parent by the transfer of an entire donor nucleus into the enucleated cytoplasm of a host egg. The first animal produced using this cloning technique was a sheep named Dolly, born in 1996. Since then a number of other animals, including pigs, horses, and dogs, have been generated using reproductive cloning technology. Cisgenic organisms and transgenic organisms are the two classes of genetically modified organisms. Cisgenic organisms are genetically modified organisms that result from the combination of different strands of DNA, which all originates from the same, or very similar, species. The entire DNA used in the process comes from organisms that are very closely related, usually defined as organisms that are able to breed together. Transgenic organisms are genetically modified organisms that include DNA from two different species. Transgenic microorganisms are the most commonly created transgenic organisms. The simple DNA of bacteria lends itself to relatively straightforward recombinant DNA methods. GMOs produced through genetic technologies are playing a very important role in agriculture, medicine, research, and environmental management. Although GMOs have benefited human society, some disadvantages exist. Therefore, the production of GMOs remains a highly controversial topic in some countries. 2. Examples of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Many of our common crops, such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, and soybeans, are genetically modified. The majority of these crops were herbicide-resistant as well as insect-resistant, while the others may contain increased nutrients such as vitamins, produce yield earlier, or are able to survive weather extremes. Genetically modified tomatoes were introduced to the market in 1994, becoming the first commercially grown transgenic crop. They have longer shelf-life than the average tomatoes as they produces less of the substance that causes tomatoes to rot, so remains firm and fresh for a long time. In addition, transgenic corn is resistant to commercial herbicides such as glyphosate or glufosinate. It is also insect resistance by producing a poison, which kills harmful insects. Vitamin-enriched corn contains increased amount of vitamin A, vitamin C and folate compared to the normal corn. Another example of GMO is squash. Squash belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes pumpkins, gourds, zucchini, cucumbers and melons. Genetically modified squash have resistance to the common squash viruses, namely watermelon mosaic virus, zucchini yellow mosaic virus and cucumber mosaic virus. Other than crops, farm animals are also genetically modified to mature in a shorter time period to minimize expenses and increase profits for farmers, as well as to be resistant to certain diseases. For example, genetically modified cow is resistant to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease). One of the examples of increased growth rate in genetically modified animals is fish including salmon and carp. One-year-old salmon fish with growth hormone chimeric gene are able to grow as large as 13 times that of the non-transgenic salmons. Other than that, chicken that can produce eggs containing human proteins has been created by British by transferring DNA into the yolk of a fertilized chicken embryo. The proteins can be harvested and purified for treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis or cancer. 3. Advantages of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) In order to ensure an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GMO can meet this demand due to its special characteristics. Firstly, GMOs are pest resistance. Pests can cause large financial loss to the farmer. Pesticides that generally used by farmers are health hazarding and causes pollution. Pest resistance can reduce the use of pesticides. Thus, GMOs is healthier to eat and bring less pollution to the environment. Second, GMOs are herbicide and disease resistance. The control of weeds actually is not cost-effective because farmers have to spray large amount of herbicides on the weeds and care has to be taken to avoid the herbicides from harming the crops. Hence, GMOs are more cost-effective and easier to control the weeds and less concern is needed to cope with the diseases caused by viruses, fungi and bacteria. Thirdly, GMOs are drought tolerance/salinity tolerance. As the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly less arable places. Next, GMOs have better nutritional value. GMOs are incorporated with other additional vitamins and minerals. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A). Lastly, GMOs are also useful in pharmaceutical field. Medicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines. 4. Criticism Against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) There are several concerns that arise despite the advantages of GMO. The three fields of concern include environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concerns. One of the environmental hazards consists of gene transfer to non-targeted species. There is a possibility of genetically modified plants cross breeding with weeds to produce weeds to produce a new genetic strain of weeds known as Superweeds. Next concern is the reduced effectiveness of pesticides. The pesticides strains from GMO might be able to pass on to pest after consuming GMO; thus, causing pest to have the same resistant genes to pesticides. These pests are then termed Superpest. The human health risks also posed a major concern among people. The long-term side effects after consuming GMO are still unknown. There is still the question of whether the genetically modified strains are able to pass on to humans after consuming GMO. People are getting worried that the anti-bacterial strain in the GMO might be passed on to humans and cause a disruption in our immunity against certain types of bacteria. There is a possibility that introducing a new gene may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in prone individuals. In addition, there are also economic concerns involved. The cost involved in research and developing of GMOs are high. Many of these GMOs have been patented. Farmers from the third world countries are worried that the price of the patented GMOs would be raised so high that they would not be able to afford it. Furthermore, patent violation has been a growing concern to agribusinesses. Some companies have introduced suicide gene into plants. Suicide gene only allows plants to be viable for one season and the seeds produced after are sterile. Therefore, farmers have to buy fresh seeds every season and this causes an issue to the farmers from the third world countries. 5. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Malaysia Malaysia is among the 55 nations in favour of adopting international guidelines on labeling of all genetically modified food. Several genetically modified crops containing traits of value have been produced at the experimental stage. At the Malaysia Agricultural Research and Development institute, rice has been successfully modified to resist the Tungro virus and papayas manipulated to resist ring-spot virus infection and to have a prolonged shelf life. Other crop such as pineapples is manipulated to resist black heart, bananas and papayas for delayed ripening and chili for virus resistance. Malaysia is also developing genetically engineered oil palm with a focus on increasing value-added products from the palms such as high oleate and high stearate oil, nutraceuticals (vitamin A and vitamin E) biodiesel and bioplastics. Genetically modifying technology has been in introduced to assist the development of animal husbandry. Besides that, Malaysia has released 6,000 genetically modified mosquitoes designed to combat dengue fever at an uninhabited site in the central state of Pahang. The biotechnology sector faces a challenging future with increasing global competition. Malaysian government will, under the ninth Malaysia plan, implemented the strategic thrust of the national biotechnology policy, with the active participation of private sector. With the recognition as the worlds halal hub, and given importance attached to the biotechnology industry, Malaysia is poised to introduced biotechnology products with GM label and halal certification. 6. Conclusion In the future, there would be a wide range of crops that are resistant to pest, diseases, and herbicides. The crops would also be high in nutrition value to suit our body system and could be designed to accommodate whatever type of climate changes. The future of GMO is still yet far to go. GMO is a giant leap in the agricultural sector. It is now up to us to decide on how GMO should be used, whether for the good of mankind or the destruction of us all.

Analyze Role Of Mentor Developing And Delivering Teaching Nursing Essay

Analyze Role Of Mentor Developing And Delivering Teaching Nursing Essay The role of the mentor in nursing is a crucial one and should not be undertaken lightly, it is a privilege with much responsibility, as the mentor is accountable for their own and their mentorees performance. It is a privilege as a professional nurse mentor to be able to help a student realize their potential and rewarding to see them putting the theory they have learned into practice and helping them get the most out of their placement. The role of the mentor cannot be over-emphasized; learning experience in the clinical setting ensures that the nurses and midwives of the future are fit to practice (RCN, 2007) and in this way the role is central to patient safety. Most registered nurses in the NHS will be expected to assume the role of mentor and with 50% of pre-registration nursing programs embedded in practice (RCN, 2007), with resources becoming less and less and the NHS becoming busier and busier, practice learning and mentoring play an increasingly important role. Mentorees nee d to be able to rely on the consistency, competency and superior knowledge and professionalism of the mentor to guide their learning, assess their competence and thus effectively act as gate keepers to the profession (Duffy, 2004) and as such is an extremely important role. The following essay will draw upon types of leadership to enhance the skills of the mentor and improve the relationship between the mentor and mentoree. The first question that needs addressing, is what is a mentor?. There exists many definitions, and the term mentoring has been used interchangeably with, preceptor, coach, supervisor and teacher (Morton-Cooper Palmer, 2000). Price (2004) defined it as an experienced professional friend, charged with the teaching, guidance and assessment of a learner in practice. The NMC considered it as, a mandatory requirement for pre-registration nursing and midwifery students (NMC, 2006a). Some have defined mentoring as essentially an evidence-based intervention that inspires confidence and innovation, and encourages continuous professional development, (Jakubic, 2004). In addition mentoring can be both informal and formal; informal mentoring is often used as an adjunct to the more formal process of supervision and is based on a agreed plan of action to help the mentor achieve realistic goals or address specific problem areas. Whereas formal mentoring involves a structured and time managed proces s with clearly set objectives to be realised in a timely manner (Tourigny Pilich, 2005). The role of the mentor primarily is to enable the student to understand the theory and its application in in the clinical context; the mentoree must learn to put theory and knowledge and be able to apply what they have learned to clinical practice. This process involves among others, assessing, evaluating and providing constructive feedback. It also involves assisting the mentoree in developing the ability to constructively reflect upon their practice and experiences and importantly be able to learn from this reflection (Schon, 1983). It is important to note that in order to facilitate reflection the mentor themselves must be able to self-reflect. The mentor must also have adequate knowledge and skills in order to integrate theory and practice effectively, (Eraut, 2004). The RCN (2007) in their toolkit for mentors draw attention to the obvious but crucial need for the mentors to be fit for effe ctive practice themselves and to have the depth and breadth of learning to be awarded a diploma or degree (RCN, 2007). The RCN also states that, a mentor is a role model and as such should be aware of their own practice and how it impacts the mentorees; the imitation of bad habits is not desirable. The mentor should be able to encourage, motivate and help the mentoree to improve skills and practice thereby increasing their confidence. It is also important that the mentor has the confidence in their own practice and knowledge in order for them to instill confidence in the mentorees. Mentors also need to have the experience and knowledge to identify learning points in practice, for example where something could have been done in a more productive manner or where an important mistake has been made; which is partly the reason for mentors being required to have at least one year experience post-registration. This can only really be achieved if the mentor has the interpersonal and communi cation skills required to build a professional relationship in which honest, objective and constructive feedback is received and given. It is also crucial for effective practice learning, that mentorees need time and attention from their mentors (the RCN, 2007, state that 40% of the time should be spent with the mentoree).Turner (2001) describes the pressures on clinical staff and the impact of high patient turnover resulting in little time to devote to the supervision of students; an issue that is exacerbated by the increasing demands on the available practice placements (Bennett 2003). This however is not set in stone as different people have different rates and styles of learning; what works for one does not necessarily work for all. The competent mentor should be able to discern the appropriate approach for each mentorees learning style and should not impose theire preferred way of learning and mentoring on the mentoree. Learning styles include; activists, those that are very active in their learning, reflectors, those that stand back and think over what they do and what others do, the theorists, they approach le arning from an almost empirical standpoint, they reject everything that does not have evidence and do not like subjectivity (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). The fourth style of learning (according to Honey Mumford, 2000) is that of the pragmatist; the pragmatist likes solving problems , likes to learn through trying new approaches and getting feedback, (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). Therefore if the mentoree has been identified as largely an activist then emphasis could be placed on learning through action, giving them new challenges often enough ensuring they do not get bored whilst making sure they learn and retain that learning, from each challenge and experience. It is down to the skills and competence of the mentor to detect the mentorees learning style and then tailor their learning plans, structures/ strategies to meet the needs of the mentoree. As well as interpersonal and professional leadership styles the mentor (and the mentoree) must both keep thorough records of the mentorees progress. Research has shown that innovation was taking place in practice based learning but it was not recognized because there was a lack of formal documentation (Aston et al, 2005). Effective and comprehensive records have to be completed so that the mentor can see how the mentoree is progressing and what they still need to work on. Similarly it is also important that the mentoree keeps thorough notes of what they should be doing, what they have found difficult and what they are still to do. A corollary to the need for thorough, comprehensive records is that of assessment which the mentor has to carry out; they must ensure that essential clinical skills are completed. To carry out a thorough assessment the mentor has to be sure what they want to measure and how measurement can be done, for example the mentor cannot asses most clinical skills by verbal communication alone, the mentoree must be observed in practice (perhaps asking patients if they thought their care was good). To be an effective mentor one must be able to evaluate which involves a number of skills, including observation, communication, confidence in ones own professional ability and knowledge. In the evaluation process the mentor must be able to identify problem areas partly by observing the mentorees practice and also by the mentorees self reports and assessment. It is also incumbent on the mentoree to identify failing students; this is crucial as patient safety could potentially be at risk if the mentor fails to spot a failing mentoree (RCN, 2007). There are a number of actions that a mentor can take to identify a struggling student; for example if a mentoree does not respond to constructive feedback and fails to incorporate improvements suggested by the mentor, if they are inconsistent in the clinical practice, high absence rate, or is unable to organize or plan their time adequately (Maloney et al., 1997). Duffy (2004), in her study of nurses in Scotland, found that all mentors highlighted the need for the topic of failing nurses to be addressed in mentorship programs. Duffy goes on and state that; the literature supports the view that mentors feel ill prepared for their role and given that mentors are ill prepared for their role in failing students it is recommended that mentorship programs address the issue of accountability (Duffy, 2004). The next section draws upon leadership styles to help the mentor. Any individual mentor will also have their own particular approach, Bayley et al (2004) list them as; authoritarian, as the name suggests, democratic, developmental, and task-orientated. The task-orientated approach, again as the name suggests, may be the most appropriate for a mentoree who has been identified largely as a pragmatist. The mentor should be able to understand and identify different learning styles and must adapt their own approach to mentoring to suit the needs of the mentoree. Moreover, the more contemporary styles from the leadership literature of transformative and transactional leadership styles can be applied to mentoring. The transformational leader (mentor) does not always lead from the front but tends to delegate responsibility amongst their team, they spend much of their time communicating and are highly visible and accessible (Bayley, Chambers Donovan, 2004). This leader tends to focus more on the needs of the members and their wants; they try to involve all members to work together. The transformational leader is quite similar to the democratic style as both leaders value fellow team members and focus on empowering nurses (Bayley, Chamber Donovan, 2004). Transformational leaders are inspirational and easily motivate those under their leadership (Aarons, 2006); they go above and beyond exchanges and rewards which are inherent in transactional leadership styles (see below). The transformational leadership style is said by some to be best suited to close supervisory relationships, compared with more distant relationships (Aarons, 2006) and this close relationship may be typical of a supervisor-supervisee relationship and is also captured in the notion of first-level leaders (Priestland, 2005). Mentors can be thought of as first level leaders as they are functionally close to the mentoree, in the organizational setting and because of that are vitally important, (Aarons, 2006). Mentors work closely with their mentoree, the RCN (2007) in t heir guidance for mentoring stipulates spending 40% of the time working and observing the mentoring. This leadership style would be good for the mentor mentoree relationship as the mentor is inspirational, positive and innovative; inspiring new, creative ideas and fosters an open honest learning relationship. This is a type of leadership that allows a person to step away from their comfort zone, promotes a high level of openness and innovation, is externally open in the hope of developing a high level of discovery and competence; they embrace deep change in order to obtain meaning, purpose and vision. The transformational leader (mentor) according to Aarons (2006) is a leader that works towards a goal in order for both members to benefit (Aarons, 2006). This style although appropriate for the needs of the mentor-mentored context perhaps could benefit from the some of the principles from the transactional leadership style outlined below. The transactional leadership is orientated towards satisfying subordinates self interest through suitable transactions in the work environment, (Aarons, 2006 ). There is a clear structure with this leadership style and Aarons (2006) comments on it as being a give and take technique. Rewards are given for work that is done, the work is set for the members and recognition is given when the task is completed; in this way it would be applicable to the mentor-mentored as mentoring should have a clear structure and achievement should be rewarded, however failure should not be punished but recognized and learned from . The transformational leader is similar to the autocratic style as there are clear set tasks within set time frames, the task is order to be done by the leader and the members will follow orders in assurance they will be rewarded. Aspects of the transactional leadership coupled with the innovative and open transformational style may be the most appropriate style; providing bot h motivation, inspiration and structure and security. The new nurse has just stepped from a secure environment of university and now has to be able to control what is happening within their new clinical setting. Whilst structure and security are important for the mentoree it is also important that they feel they are able to speak freely, honestly and openly to their mentor; for example the mentor should encourage the student to ask questions and speak openly and honestly about their views on the progress, and the mentor should give praise where it is due, as suggested in the RCN Toolkit (2007).The new or student, nurse need to feel secure within the ward; they are new to the role within the team and have a need to be perceived as confident in what they are doing. The mentor is also responsible for the professional socialization of a new nurse in the clinical setting (Bulman Schultz, 2008). The need to fit in must be balanced with the need to perform. Professional socialization is s een to be a process in which a person acquires a professional identity, and thereby is accepted by others in the profession (Bulman Schultz, 2008). Having support from their mentor is vitally important when making the transition from student to qualified nurse; their experiences can help to set aside any worries and issues that are felt by the new nurse. The mentoree is on a journey with a steep learning curve and it is the role of the mentor to help the them navigate the problems and challenges and help transform them into learning experiences, therefore the mentor should be able to identify learning opportunities which step from student to staff nurse is a journey that involves many problems and uncomfortable situations, though these problems are what help the student to learn and develop. The mentor is an integral part of the learning and orientating process of the new nurse, not only do they explicitly teach and inform but they also play a large part in the implicit learning process; for example positive role modeling and practice under supervision of the mentor helps the mentoree to develop the processes of integrating the knowledge with the conditions under which that knowledge applies and the culture in which that knowledge is used. A key skill required of students is that they learn to integrate into the culture and communiti es of practice (Eraut 2003). Mentoring, in an increasingly stretched national health service, is becoming more and more important; if done effectively it can instill confidence and competence it can also ensure that the mentored are comfortable with their identities and competencies leading to the retention of good nurses who contribute in the effort and emphasis of maintaining nursing excellence in practice (Godfrey, Nelson, Purdy, 2004).

Physics of Rock Climbing :: physics sport sports rock climbing

When thinking of rock climbing it is good to think of all aspects of climbing in terms of energy. While thinking of energy, remember basic geology and know that not all rocks are formed in the same way, in other words know what type of rock you are dealing with, it is good to think of the process of formation behind the type of rock you may be climbing. Understanding the formation process will drastically change the climbing technique used to climb that particular rock. Another aspect of energy that one should keep in mind is drastically changing your potential energy. Typically people climb along a vertical direction and move off of the surface of the earth using the rock to help them defy gravity. This can be an exhilarating experience, using ones own body to absorb the energy of the rock and change their potential energy. And last but not least not every human can undergo this change in energy without fall protection, because it is very probable that a foot may slip or a han d hold might come loose , a person will fall, and of course a rope is a spring when dealing with falling. Volcanic rocks provide a very easy climb, with lots of big pockets and foot placement for a begging climber. Usually these rocks have a very high friction coefficient making them seem easy to "stick" to. This young lad, is pressing the rock with his hands not really using a hold, instead using more friction. Here is an example of a rock made from harder material, with a lower friction coefficient, making the climbing a little more difficult, causing the climber to rely more on hand strength, rather than friction to move up the rock. This rock type is very popular among climbers today. This man is climbing using an open handed grip with his right hand ensuring him the most positive force on bigger holds. And last is sandstone, which is considered the most dangerous rock type to climb, due to low friction and easy to break. As you can see the this climber has the least amount of hand holds causing this climbers techinique to change in hand holds, she is using a closed grip with her hands ensuring the most positive force her fingers can exert on the rock. Those are not the only type of rock Physics of Rock Climbing :: physics sport sports rock climbing When thinking of rock climbing it is good to think of all aspects of climbing in terms of energy. While thinking of energy, remember basic geology and know that not all rocks are formed in the same way, in other words know what type of rock you are dealing with, it is good to think of the process of formation behind the type of rock you may be climbing. Understanding the formation process will drastically change the climbing technique used to climb that particular rock. Another aspect of energy that one should keep in mind is drastically changing your potential energy. Typically people climb along a vertical direction and move off of the surface of the earth using the rock to help them defy gravity. This can be an exhilarating experience, using ones own body to absorb the energy of the rock and change their potential energy. And last but not least not every human can undergo this change in energy without fall protection, because it is very probable that a foot may slip or a han d hold might come loose , a person will fall, and of course a rope is a spring when dealing with falling. Volcanic rocks provide a very easy climb, with lots of big pockets and foot placement for a begging climber. Usually these rocks have a very high friction coefficient making them seem easy to "stick" to. This young lad, is pressing the rock with his hands not really using a hold, instead using more friction. Here is an example of a rock made from harder material, with a lower friction coefficient, making the climbing a little more difficult, causing the climber to rely more on hand strength, rather than friction to move up the rock. This rock type is very popular among climbers today. This man is climbing using an open handed grip with his right hand ensuring him the most positive force on bigger holds. And last is sandstone, which is considered the most dangerous rock type to climb, due to low friction and easy to break. As you can see the this climber has the least amount of hand holds causing this climbers techinique to change in hand holds, she is using a closed grip with her hands ensuring the most positive force her fingers can exert on the rock. Those are not the only type of rock

Paper :: Essays Papers

Paper Since the recent terrorist attacks on the United States of America, politicians and policy makers are considering anti-terrorist legislation. This would include plans to implement a national identification card. The proposed national identification cards would include features such as magnetic stripes, holograms, and integrated circuits. â€Å"This magnetic stripe is expected soon to contain a digitized fingerprint, retina scan, voice print, and other biometric identifiers, and it will leave an electronic trail every time you use it†(1). I feel that since September 11, 2001, many Americans feel insecure and unsafe. Research done by the Pew Research Center shows that, â€Å"seven out of ten Americans favor a national-ID card program in which like the French system, the cards would have to be presented to the police upon demand†(2). In fact there are many developed countries that have a system of national ID cards such as: Germany, France, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It should also be noted that there are many developed countries that do not have such a system: United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, the Nordic countries, and Sweden. I think that the terrorist attack on the United States is unsettling. It makes you feel unsafe in your own country. I do not think that September 11 is a good reason for us to adapt a national ID card. Lori Cole, executive director of the Eagle Forum states, â€Å"We don’t want to see Congress pass something in a rush because everyone is fearful to get on an airplane right now† (3). I think that on February 20, 2002 Pramod Shrestha posted something on the discussion forum that was interesting about how national ID cards would combat terrorism, â€Å"Several countries including Hong Kong, Ma laysia, Singapore, Thailand and in most European countries have already issued National ID Card System, however, "no one has been able to identify any country where cards have deterred terrorists." If this is true then a national ID card system would not solve the problem it was proposed for. â€Å"National ID cards have long been advocated as a means to enhance national security, unmask potential terrorists, and guard against illegal immigrants† (4). In fact the chairman and CEO of Oracle recently advocated the national ID card system as a way to address airport security. I do not think that national ID cards will solve the problems that it proposes.

Diversity management programs Essay

Diversity in the workplace is an important aspect of the workplace, which if not followed, could lead to a society that doesn’t have respect for different cultures. It is important to develop diversity management programs, were aspects of diversity such as religion, different cultures due to outsourcing, age, women and single parents, disabled team members, flexible work hours, are discussed which will lead to redesigning jobs to better fit the individual. When developing a conceptual framework for such programs to be implemented, it is important to view how lack of diversity in the workplace has affected other countries around the world besides America. According to Begum (2005), social care organizations in the United Kingdom are affected greatly by lack of diversity amongst there staff. Information, in the United Kingdom, is not distributed fairly to the population, is distributed on a socio economic basis. It is important for social care organizations to become diverse in their workforce, if they are to embody the essence of the communities that they serve. Studies have indicated that gender and culture diversity create barriers to effective interactions and hinder employee performance (Managerial Issues, 2000). When outlining a possible course of action to take when implementing diversity management programs within employee workforces, we could include information on how lack of diversity in the workplace has affected countries like the United Kingdom. People tend to feel more comfortable working in groups with people who share their ideals and beliefs, which is something I think we are all guilty of at times. I think it is important when outlining the possible courses of action to take when implementing diversity management programs, that employees share their different ideals and beliefs in an open environment. I think that employees sharing their different ideals and beliefs help the workforce grow, and the company they work for as well. Michael Bird (2007), a college professor at De Vry University in South Florida, has implemented a diversity management program in which he has developed a five step program in order to ensure that his team succeeds. Michael’s five step program required, these students to one, understand and define diversity, to understand the organization’s value and necessities, effectively manage the resistance towards, evaluate our overall team’s performance, and last of all use the experiences shared to improve or groups management techniques. Flex management should be implemented in order to ensure that people feel like they are assets to the company, and are taken care of properly. During the development of a conceptual framework for a diversity management program, teambuilding exercises have proven to be the most effective. It is important for the employees to have different cultural backgrounds and different beliefs, in order that they may share those with the corporation in which they work. I think that when different cultures, different peoples with different ideas and beliefs, come together and share their ideas, truly inventive things can take place within the corporations they work in. America is a melting pot of different cultures and beliefs, which is what makes our country unique and truly produces unique individuals, tolerant of other people’s beliefs, with truly innovative ideas. One great way to go about instituting diversity management programs within the workplace would be to organize groups within the workplace that shared similar beliefs, and have them share their beliefs as a whole, and attempt to implement any new ideas obtained. The next step after instituting diversity management programs is to organize employees that share the same ideals, and discuss their shared ideals, and find common ground. In order for the employees participating in a diversity management group to share their ideas and implement them on a level on which they all agree, it is important that the employees learn to work together and respect each other’s ideals. With a proper management support, workers can have the proper training in order to train our employees to be more culturally sensitive. It is important that management is effective in their approach to dealing with culturally diverse issues. By training our employees and diversity management, they will benefit greatly. Although most of these successful companies the United States show’s significant efforts to include people with disabilities in a diverse workforce, there is still room for improvement. I hope that by implementing this diversity management program within the workplace, policies can be enforced specifying what is meant by diversity, in terms of race or gender, and also provide more information pertaining to those employees that have disabilities. With everybody’s help, we can be certain that we can implement this new diversity management program within the workplace, and that this program will be a success.

Harley Davidson’s Customer-centered supply Chain Essay

1. How whoremaster Harley Davidson merc buy the farmise and sales, force play interact with its purchasing force-out to promote strengthen the offer drawstring and remediate client loyalty? To further strengthen the tote up concatenation and purify client loyalty. Harley Davidson merchandise and sales force must interact with its purchasing military group to integrate the return kitchen range from supplier of raw temporals and complicateting the harvesting delivered into the hand of pulmonary tuberculosisr at the right cartridge holder, represent and quality user adopt it.Harley integrate private road must focuses on flock, sue and technology to improve supply chain phylogenesis by enhance quality, stamp down cost and improve deli very prison term to make legitimate every phase of supply chain clutches their object and satisfy customer consider and wants. pack The Supply chain procession effort submits participation from entirely Harley harvest-tideions such as marketing, sales, supplier, engineers, transporter and another(prenominal) involver with Harley. All of them must accommodate the knowledge nearly customer quest and wants.Marketing and sales military force must hand a beloved knowledge slightly customer need and wants. This is to ensure the best information privy be transferred to purchasing personnel for make purchasing material that push aside cortege customers need and wants. Harley marketing and sales personnel make a community marketing they dont comely move a motorcycle just besides selling an ownership experience. Harley Davidson delivers social rank in a community, arranges adventure tours and sells a modus vivendi for the Harley purchaser, it can be concluded nitty-gritty product far exceeds the motorcycle.All activities atomic number 18 to make sure the marketing and sales personnel kumpulkan data about the customer need and want, and easy transfer to purchasing personnel to make development about the material. Marketing and sales personnel likewise must make market- tooshied assets, such as strong branding, strong customer base and strong partner networks, when product development from the customers information database launches the b are-assed product introduction.It result process cite firm performance and greater misfortune of success, as customers are more ordain to try a revolutionary go from a strong brand. This supply chain development with enhance quality, annul cost and improve delivery beat can easily be make if the people in the Harley fully accede to achieve it and indirectly improve customer loyalty. Process Harley-Davidson is known for delivering a consistently high quality product. There are a number of different areas in the process that affect their quality, starting with product formulate.They work to design quality into the products they develop, and they do this by dint of a concurrent compliment methodology, which is very specific for twain product development and the input that they get on design from marketing and sales people, engineers, manufacturing people, and suppliers. They involve everyone in the early stages, and everyone effectively designs products together to suite customer need and wants and indirectly improves customer loyalty. Technology.Fast information from marketing and sales personnel is heavy, so Harley use communication technology via web introduction to transform customer acquire habits through their dealer and supply chain have for their demand on material. It makes all the material came to factory just in succession and safe a lot of bullion. honest in time inventory was driving force of Harley quality-improvement program. As they operate with raze inventories, it becomes essential that all inventories are practicable and it all have to be a good one.Harley-Davidson could non compete on price against the Japanese motorcycle producers, so it had to establi sh other market determine and improve quality. Harley had to change from a social club which dictated what its customers could have to strategies based on direct input from customers. A marketing philosophy was developed based on the customers desires, ga in that locationd through surveys, interviews and focus groups. For deterrent warning Harley image promotes a mystique appearance, individualism, the feeling of ride free, and the pride of owning a legend.Harley customer dealing give a free 1-year membership to the Harley Owners Group (HOG), which was developed in 1983 as a program to keep people active with their Harley and community advertising campaign. 2. What is the determination of technology in Harleys supply chain? What additional uses of technology can you identify that might be useable to Harley focus on dealer and net customer? The social function of technology in Harley is to cut on communication and administrative time via their department, suppliers, dealers and customers.Harley use Harley-Davidson Suppliers Network (www. hdsn.com), the admission with web base technology to let all department, suppliers and dealer view purchasing ball club, inventory and material information order in real time. This should make Harley buying system more efficient, reducing time and reducing the amount of inventory in plant in other worth(predicate) it enhance quality, reduce cost and improve delivery time. From the technology Harley can easily identified which dealer have a problem from their database. The company implemented a program to concentrate on dower its dealers develop the up-to-date trading skills they need to sell motorcycles more effectively.The headquarters sponsored teaching programs that call Harley-Davidson University via this technology. The dealers are considered to be moving in partners and the headquarters plays an active role in developing programs, financing improvements, implementing support and way consultants. The deal ers in addition invest their own money into these programs which allows them to feel like apart of the company. Harley-Davidson treats the dealers not only as partners, but excessively as customers.Harley has developed a very effective marketing strategy, but it is the trading of manufacturing to produce high quality and tested motorcycles. 3. Some of Harleys suppliers also supply key Harley competitors. How can Harley be sure these suppliers will not share agonistical information with its competitors? How important is trust amidst suppliers and business vendees? Global business surroundings has become more unstable, supplier dialogues have taken important untested role on helping improve corporeal competitiveness. The goal of most supplier negotiations instantly is no longer just to get the lowest price.It is also to find new and innovative ways to meet a wide variety of business challenges, a great deal by tapping into the knowledge and expertise of the supplier comm unity and a good relationship. Harley can be sure their suppliers will not share competitive information with competitors on 3reasons. i. Harley is foc utilize on building side by side(predicate) relationships with suppliers. The company does not use contracts but has instead begun to use the master supply bargain (MSA).The MSA is a list of guidelines for the relationship, rules to follow, and resolutions should problems arise, used with ?strategic suppliers with whom they anticipate having long-term relationships. Harley is just beginning to formalize the process of certifying suppliers as strategic, the cycle maker has such relationships with about 250 of its 350 suppliers. These suppliers command special attention from Harley and are invited quarterly for business planning meetings (BP). bps are thematically organized meetings intentional to help supplier understand Harleys strategic issues. They give suppliers an opportunity to issue input and feedback, as well as coordinat e on new projects. strategic suppliers are brought in early to the design phase.They are brought in house, and many withal have desks at Harleys Capitol bait research and design facility. Their input is solicited at the idea phase so that there do not have to be many revisions during the development process. They are also kept informed of the latest Harley strategies through a company newsletter, Harley World. ii. Supplier trouble & Procurement Strategies of Wisconsin OEMs- Instead of purchasing all the separate for its brake systems and then collection them in-house Harley would purchase an assembly that it would integrate with other purchased assemblies.Now, entrance into the Harley supply base will increasingly be secured through monomania of the technologies and capabilities to build whole systems. Even if a supplier still supplies discrete parts directly to Harley, they will increasingly need to be able to apply new processes to those parts in order to uphold doing busine ss with the company, and new suppliers are added one-year as Harley pursues new technological capacities. iii. Suppliers have opportunity to have direct business buyer with full effort to help them to meet demands through its continuous improvement team.Harley good relationship makes them think doubly to share competitive information with its competitors. For example Unisource Com. Supplier to Harley has grown from RM1. 5million in 1998 to betwixt RM15-20million on 2001. This opportunity is like a gold mine to let go and broke master supply agreement that they have promise. Trust between suppliers and business buyer have advantage and harm i. Trust between suppliers and buyers generates significant benefits including prompt better performance and reducing negotiation time ii.Breaking apart, a sure buyer-supplier relationship can be a significant barrier to entry for competitors. iii. The nix side of trust is that it can wile you to opportunities that arise outside establishe d relationships The important of trust depend on both relationship, are those relationship have the intent to help each other to reach their objective. If yes the trust is most important amour between supplier and business buyer in other word they must have win-win situation.