Nursing Shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nursing Shortage - Essay Example The shortage is everyone's problem and the solution will need to come from the federal government, the states, hospitals, professional organizations, and local medical institutions. The nursing shortage is a national crisis and any solution will need to have the support of the federal government. The Nurse Reinvestment Act of 2002 appropriated funds to aid in the recruitment and retention of nurses at all levels, but has seen budget cuts in recent years. The bill expires in 2007 and the Congress should reauthorize the bill and increase the funding from $150 million in 2007 to a minimum of $200 million in 2008. This is the level that had been recommended by the Nursing Organizations Alliance and many other members of the nursing community (Beu 1063). Known as Title VIII, it funds nursing grants, education, retention grants, loan repayment, scholarship programs, faculty loans, and diversity grants. An expansion of these programs is a necessary foundation for increasing the supply of qualified nurses. In addition to increasing the funding for Title VIII, the federal government also needs to make a legislated commitment to enhancing the educational infrastructure. In 2005, nearly 150,000 qualified nursing school applicants were turned away because there were too few places to train them (Cooper and Aiken 68S). This was due partly to a lack of faculty, but was also a result of a lack of facilities. This extends from the classroom into the clinical setting. Attracting new student nurses through scholarships and loan repayment programs can only be productive if they have quality programs to enter. The federal government should also set a policy on limiting immigrant nurses. Though there is a substantial pool of qualified nurses in developing countries, it may be counter-productive for the US to depend on this international resource. The US should pursue bilateral agreements with countries that have served as a major source of nurses. It is in the international ethical interest that the US does not deplete the nursing supply in the developing nations and leave them in a medical crisis. These agreements would also protect our nation's supply of nurses as the world becomes more mobile. Buchan warns us that though the US is currently the premier market for working nurses. " ... I think you will see some more nurses moving from your country to others, perhaps for reasons other than purely financial" (23S). By cooperating to keep the source countries at a healthy level, we can assure that this international resource will not run out. The State Responsibility While the federal government can stimulate the supply of nurses, it is up to the states and the institution of nursing to retain them. A survey by Lynn and Redman in 2006 reported that the two most important factors for nursing retention was an increase in pay and "a climate of retention in health care facilities" (685). The intangible climate that the nurses spoke of included team work, decreased workload, communications, and being a part of the staffing decision process. A policy of employee empowerment would reduce psychological burnout. Women who have traditionally made up the bulk of the nursing staff have been presented with opportunities in competing career areas. Hospitals and medical institutions need to reevaluate pay scales and working

Glorious Celebration Essay Example for Free

Glorious Celebration Essay Maya Angelou, born Marguerite Johnson, is regarded as one of the celebrated American writers alive. Besides writing a lot of memorable works, she is also the subject of other authors who have written a lot about her life and works. There is her biography written by two of her friends, Marcia Gillespie and Richard Long, along with her nephew Rosa Butler. Mary Jane Lupton writes a biography-cum-writer’s guide on Maya Angelou’s works. L. Patricia Kite also writes a similar book depicting her life story and so does Jill Egan who highlighted the trials Angelou went through but also the triumphs as well. In his work, Jeffrey Elliot compiled interviews made by several authors on Maya Angelou to create a verbal mosaic of the life and works of the writer. Lyman Hagen makes a critical analysis of her works and managed to find the â€Å"secret† behind the success of Angelou. Priscilla Ramsey makes a critical analysis of Angelou’s poems in a journal. Another analysis is made by William Sylvester. Carol Neubauer analyzes one of her works, The Heart of a Woman to understand the woman behind the words. Sidonie Ann Smith wrote an analysis of Angelou’s first work The Song of a Caged Bird which centers on self-acceptance. Gillespie, M. , Butler, R. J. and Long, R. A. (2008). Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration. New York: Doubleday. This biography was written by her friends Gillespie and Long with her nephew Butler. This was written and published in celebration of Angelou’s 80th birthday and as the title of the book suggests, it has been 80 glorious years of her life though it has had its ups and downs as the authors hold nothing back in relating the colorful life of one of America’s celebrated literary artists. The book covers the traumatic experience she had at a young age to the beginning of her literary talents during her adolescence; she ventured briefly into acting and took part in the civil rights movement, rubbing elbows with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X until the time she took part in the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. Though Angelou had a troubled youth, she moved on and it was through literature that she was able to pull through and used it as her vehicle to express happiness and optimism. Lupton, M. J. (1998). Maya Angelou: A Critical Companion. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Lupton provides a critical analysis of Angelou’s 5-volume autobiography. For each one, she provides an general overview, a background of the story. This would be followed by an analysis of various points of view like a narrative in the case of Heart of a Woman then describe the structure of the story where patterns are found. Then there is a plot development which focuses on revealing the character of the subject followed by a character development which reveals the character’s personality as the story develops. Then there is the thematic issues which identifies the theme of the story. This is followed by styles and literary devices which describes what devices were deployed by Angelou. This book would be a reliable guide to anyone who reads Angelou and needed a quick reference to its technical aspects besides the stories themselves. Kite, L. P. (2006). Maya Angelou. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications Company. This book is a biography of Angelou. The author touches on the personal aspects of Angelou’s life. She starts the story in 1993, the day Angelou recited a poem at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration and segues back to the day she was born and moving progressively to 1996. Her poems are mentioned here but not fully presented. This book caters mainly to elementary school students and serves as an ideal starter for anyone who appreciates poetry and will be surely inspired after reading Angelou’s story. Egan, J. (2009). Maya Angelou. A Creative and Courageous Voice. Pleasantsville, New York: Gareth Stevens Publishing. As the title suggests, this book mainly tackles the life and times of Maya Angelou. In the nine chapters of this book, Egan takes the reader on a journey covering the life and times of Angelou which is fraught with trials and tribulations but also of the courage to go one despite its presence. In the chapter â€Å"Finding Her Voice† was the start of Angelou’s literary career which was meant to be a form of therapy but later on became her calling. In the latter chapter, â€Å"A Glorious Legacy,† she turned to writing greeting cards for Hallmark not because she needed a job but for the love of writing and the celebration of life. Elliot, J. M. (Editor). (1989). Conversations with Maya Angelou. Jackson City: University of Mississippi Press. Elliot has compiled several interviews made by selected authors with Maya Angelou. Each interview or conversation tells the same story. It is about the triumph over adversity and her works serve as her vehicle of conveying that message. Angelou also clarified that her works are not exclusively dedicated to African-Americans though she lived through the turbulent times with them, but for all mankind. This book is ideal for scholars and students who wish to gain more insight to the woman behind remarkable works. Hagen, L. B. (1997). Heart of a Woman, Mind of a Writer and Soul of a Poet. Lanham Maryland: University Press of America. Hagen’s work is a critical analysis of the works of Maya Angelou. The first chapter is devoted to telling her life story. Chapter 2 reveals Angelou’s â€Å"secrets† to her very successful works which is the use of humor to offset the trying times she had gone through in her life instead of dwelling on the hurts of her past. The rest of the chapters makes an analysis of her works – her autobiographies and her poems as well as other aspects of Angelou’s multi-faceted life. These are purely analysis and do not give the full text of her works save for excerpts used in making the analyses. Ramsey, P. R. (1984). Transcendence: The Poetry of Maya Angelou. Current Bibliography on African Affairs 17 (2). 139-153. Priscilla Ramsey makes an in-depth analysis on the poems of Maya Angelou. Angelou’s poems are grounded on the reality of life as she has experienced them. Angelou uses her poems as a means to express her thoughts and sentiments not only about her own life but also the events that were unfolding around her from segregation to the civil rights movement. Angelou has practically employed every known literary device to be able to write elaborate poems that pretty much capture life the way she has seen it through her own eyes. Sylvester, W. (1995). Maya Angelou: An Overview. In T. Riggs (Editor) Contemporary Poets. New York: St. James Press. Sylvester gives an overall analysis of the poems of Maya Angelou. While doing so, he highlighted events in Angelou’s life which have had a profound influence on her, from William Shakespeare which she confessed was her â€Å"first love† to her involvement in the civil rights movement as an organizer working alongside Martin Luther King. Sylvester reveals that her poems are uniquely hers and are not imitations of other works as revealed with unique words she used. Neubauer, C. E. (1983). Displacement and Autobiographical Style in Maya Angelou’s Heart of a Woman. Black American Literature Forum 17 (3). 123-129. Neubauer makes an in-depth analysis of one of Angelou’s work Heart of a Woman which is more of an autobiography. Her starting point is the time she already reached adulthood, highlighting her different careers especially in one of the turbulent times not only of her life but to all black Americans for this was the civil rights movement. She uses her own life experience to mirror how â€Å"little people† felt. She provides a grassroots level view of the things happening in society here through her own eyes. She also compared and contrasted the styles of two of its prominent movers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, finding the latter more congenial. Smith, S. A. (1973) The Song of a Caged Bird: Maya Angelous Quest after Self-Acceptance. The Southern Humanities Review. 365-375. This is another analysis of a work by Maya Angelou. From the year, one can tell this is one of the earliest analysis made and this is â€Å"fresh† from the recent events of the previous decade where Angelou had been very active in the civil rights movement. But this story highlights the childhood of Angelou which was anything but happy. Her youth is a journey to freedom from â€Å"imprisonment† caused by misery and highlighted moments of struggle as she moved on until she finally attained the freedom she sought and it all boil down to self-acceptance. Angelou’s story is not a mere autobiography but also serves as a lesson in life where self-acceptance is the main theme and one of the keys to coping with life’s problems.

Prescription Drug Abuse Amongst Teenagers Health And Social Care Essay

Prescription Drug Abuse Amongst Teenagers Health And Social Care Essay INTRODUCTION This project is designed to illustrate the effects of prescription and over the counter drug abuse. It will not only show a comparison between the effects of illicit drugs and prescription drugs but it will also serve to show the significance of the prevalence and effects of prescription drug abuse. There is an erroneous belief that because these are medicines, whether prescribed by physicians or over-the-counter, that they are safer, stated by Nora D. Volkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (Kheun, 2007). Teenagers and young adults have the concept that prescription or over the counter drugs are not harmful even if consumed in extreme doses. This is due to the fact that they are legal and are created and designed by pharmaceutical and medical professionals. This is quite contradictory because it has been noted by researchers (Ford Rivera 2008) that these drugs, when abused have very serious and even fatal consequences. Some of which include increased heart rate, hallucinations and other alterations in mental state. Though not highly publicized, these every day drugs such as Ritalin, OxyContin, Vicodin and Dexedrine can cause all of the aforementioned symptoms (Arkes Iguchi 2008). The effort of research in this area however, does not parallel the gravity of the problem and it has been noted by The International Narcotics Control Board that prescription drugs are about to become as much of a problem as illicit drugs (Zarcosta, 2008). Nevertheless, little or no research has been done in this field of prescription drug abuse and the seriousness of its effects as it relates to teens and young adults. With the research that this subject so rightfully deserves, all vulnerable persons (young persons, parents, teachers and health care providers) should become aware of the following: The types and examples of prescription drugs commonly abused. Ways in which these prescription drugs can be abused. Who is at a higher risk of prescription drug abuse? Signs and symptoms of prescription drug abuse. The consequential effects of abusing prescription drugs. Avenues in which one can seek help for this type of drug abuse. This projects intention therefore is to give enlightenment on all these areas, create awareness on the relevant and ubiquitous issue of prescription drug abuse and most importantly research the effects of prescription drug abuse. HYPOTHESIS Abuse of prescription drugs is as hazardous as the use of illicit drugs. RESEARCH DESIGN This research will take on both forms of qualitative and quantitative designs therefore it will be a mixed design. It will be qualitative in order to include statistics about the prevalence of prescription drug abuse. However it will quantitative in order to include reasons and effects of prescription drug abuse on young adults. LITERATURE REVIEW While rates of illicit drug abuse among teens in the Unites States continue to decline, abuse of prescription drugs in this age group is increasing at an alarmingly high rate. Recent anonymous survey results show that the one in every 10 high school seniors had used the painkiller Vicodin in the last year without a doctors orders (Arkes Iguchi,2008 as cited by Johnston, OMalley, Bachmen Schulenberg, 2004). Even though, there is research done on the prevalence, causes and risk factors associated with prescription drug abuse, there is a lack of information on the effects. The aim of this literature review is to provide sufficient information for researchers to conduct further research on the effects on the prescription drug abuse. This literature review will explain the following topic questions: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How prevalent is prescription drug abuse? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are the major causes/reasons of prescription drug abuse? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Who is at a higher risk? How prevalent is prescription drug abuse? The abuse of prescription drugs in the USA is a growing problem. Prescription drug abuse is as prevalent as the abuse of illicit drugs. There has been a significant rise in the nonmedical use of prescription drugs in the US over the past 15 years. In 2004, an estimate of 2.4 million Americans aged 12 years or older initiated prescription opioid abuse within the past year, which exceeded those who were abusing illegal drugs like cocaine ( 1 million) or marijuana ( 2.1 million) ( McCabe, S.E., West, B.T., Morales, M., Cranford, J.A., Boyd, C.J., 2007). The debate as to whether prescription drug abuse is as prevalent as illegal drug abuse is interesting and. The commonly abused prescription drugs are painkillers, sedatives, tranquilizers, opioids and stimulants (Levy, M.S., 2007). In the United States, the abuse of prescription drugs especially opioids is a major health concern. In 2005 a study was carried out and it was found out that approximately 227,000 Americans were abusing and highly dependent on illicit drugs like heroine whereas 1.5 million Americans abused and were highly dependent on prescription opioids (Wu, Li-Tzy, Blazer, D.G., Stitzer, M.L., Patkar, A.A., Blaine, J.D., 2008) Additionally, in 2006, it was established that the nonmedical use of prescription drugs especially pain relievers actually surpassed that of illicit drugs. (Wisley et al)There has also been an alarming increase in the number of deaths associated with accidental overdoses of prescription drugs compared to those of illegal drugs. Statistics state that in 2002 it was established that the number of fatal heroine poisonings increased by 12.4% while shockingly the number of fatal opioid analgesic poisonings increased by 91.2% in the same population (Wunsch, M.J., Nakamoto, K., Be honick, G., William, M., 2009). This information further concretes the fact that there is a drastic increase in prescription drug abuse. Statistics in 2001 reveal that approximately 3 million youths aged 12 to 17 and almost 7 million young adults aged 18 to 25 years had misused prescription drugs in their life-time. (Kelly, B.C., Parsons, J.T., 2007). In conclusion, prescription drug abuse is on an alarming increase amongst the youth. With this increase, come various causes that will influence one to begin abusing prescription drugs. Definitions 1. Prevalence- Existing very commonly 2. Abuse- Use of a drug to get pleasure, or to improve a persons performance of an activity, or because a person cannot stop using it. 3. Dependence- To need something all the time especially in order to continue existing or operating. 4. Prescription drugs- Also known as over-the-counter drugs. What are the major causes/reasons of prescription drug abuse? With the way you are brought up and other environments, one develops values that in turn influence personal choices. Even though most illegal drugs are easy to access (Califano, 2002 as cited by Finley, 2007), an increasing number of youth prefer to use prescription drugs for non-medicinal purposes. In an article by Youth Trade, 2005 (cited by Finley, 2007) Students in high schools and colleges are having pharming parties, where they shift responsibility for bringing the prescription drugs. This in-turn makes them appear cool and up-to-date with the times as another teen had explained once her school mates found out that she had prescription drugs. Some opt to use prescription drugs out of boredom, often times along with illegal drugs, with others choosing to use Ritalin as a stimulant because it works like caffeine. Others actually believe that since prescriptions drugs are safe to use under prescription, then it must be safe for them without doctors orders. In the case study by Finley (2007) as stated by Birhanemaskel (2005) prescription drugs do not have the give-away smell as marijuana, yet give the same effects; more youth prefer prescription drugs to get high. This thought is generally upheld by girls making them less prone to use marijuana. Also young females prefer to use prescription drugs because of the expectation that they would help them slim down thus fitting in better with the other girls (Monarch Avalon, 2005 as cited by Finley, 2007). In a study (Lankenau et al., 2007), participants gave stories of how their first experiences of non-medicinal use of prescription drugs. One man mentioned that his first prescription drug was Ritalin which he used to help him stay up so he could be able to study. He would then use Xanax to help him get to sleep. This all helped keep balance of his school, athletics and social life. Another student mentioned that he began using prescription drugs to get the same feeling of a heroin high by taking 2 Xanax pills and alcohol simultaneously when he was curbing his heroin addiction. Also, some admitted to using Adderall as they were cheap; each pill was about $0.90. Finley (2007) also suggested that having parents that use prescription drugs to help them get up in the morning could also encourage teenagers to recreationally use prescription drugs. By parents allowing teenagers to take cough syrups, for instance, and not inquire about shows ignorance and leniency which leaves the teenager t o believe there is nothing wrong with misuse of prescription drug abuse (Gavin, 2004). Even with these significant causes, some youth are at more attracted to prescription drugs than others. Who is at a higher risk? Teens themselves being very vulnerable to prescription drug abuse have certain factors which could put them at an even higher risk. These include teens: 1. A history substance abuse. The quest for more pleasure, diminished anxiety, the relaxation of time, quickening of insight, deepening mythic awareness are the major reasons why teens repeatedly use substances like illicit drugs and alcohol and before they realize, they get addicted. It becomes nearly impossible for them to live without getting high or feeling highly ecstatic. The addiction rises to an extent that they start to engage in illegal activities to obtain these substances. However, now they have found a new legal way to do this. As stated, prescription drugs are much easier to obtain and less expensive than other substances. Teens with a history of substance abuse use this as an advantage and now they have an easier means to get high. The annual study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, conducted by the University of Michigan, showed as many as one in every 14 high school seniors said they used cold medicine fairly recently to get high. A student, during a study that included an in-depth interview conducted by Lankenau, S.E. et.al said, [My mother] used to get a whole lot of [OxyContin] and she would just bring them home and Id see it all laid out. You take 20 milligrams and its like dope [heroin]. Its really like dope. 2. With Adverse childhood experiences. Adverse Childhood experiences are common and destructive. It includes abuse (physical, mental or sexual), neglect, domestic violence and other forms of serious and interrelated household dysfunction. They can determine the health and well-being of a person. The associated problems are painful to recognize and difficult to cope with. The study by Anda, R.A et.al shows a direct relationship between adverse childhood experiences and prescription drug abuse. Teens with adverse childhood experiences may have feelings of helplessness, chaos, and impermanence and may have problems self-regulating affective states. Thus, prescription drug abuse may serve as an avenue to escape or dissociate from the immediate emotional pain, anxiety, anger that likely accompany such experiences. 3. Homeless youth. A common stereotype of the homeless population is that they are all alcoholics or drug abusers. The truth is that a high percentage of homeless people do struggle with substance abuse but addictions should be viewed as illnesses and require a great deal of treatment, counseling and support to overcome. Substance abuse is both a cause and a result of homelessness, often arising after people lose their housing. (Substance abuse and homelessness, July 2009). People who are homeless often turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with their situations. They use substances in an attempt to attain temporary relief from their problems. With the increasing use/prevalence of prescription drug abuse over other substances, the homeless population is also starting to use more prescription drugs. Lankenau, S.E. et.al and Sander, B et.al proved a high percentage of prescription drug abuse among the homeless from their studies. In conclusion, there is a large number of youth abusing prescription drugs for various reasons. This number is rapidly increasing especially amongst the sample age with the major causes and risk factor highlighted above. The easy accessibility, inexpensiveness and the belief that prescription drugs are safe to use has resulted in the youth change their usual use of illicit drug to prescription drug as their means to get high, to fit in and in their struggle to balance their social and academic life . Even though, the youth themselves are a very prone population for prescription drug abuse, there are certain risk factors which make them more vulnerable. This includes a history of substance abuse, adverse childhood experiences and the homeless youth. Researchers around the world should consider the severity of this prevalence and its serious consequences. Further research needs to be conducted on the effects and ways to control and prevent prescription drug abuse. DATA GATHERING INSTRUMENT The following are the data gathering instruments that will be utilized in this project. Questionnaires: This will be a combined questionnaire which will contain a series of thirty (30) close ended and open ended questions. The questionnaire will be of a structured non disguised format in which the respondent will be informed of the purpose of collecting the information. The data will then be quantified. Interviews: These will consist of personal interviews which are discussions between an interviewer and an interviewee in order to obtain in-depth information about a particular issue or research question. The interviews will take the unstructured format. Focus Groups: This involves a group of participants who share their thoughts ideas and feelings on a specific topic. Hence the parents/guardians and the youth will be allowed this time to express themselves. Observations: This is a research method used to give an objective view on the verbal and nonverbal behaviors of the participants. Hence the interviewees will be observed by this method. DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE Surveying: The questionnaire will be distributed randomly to various educational institutions. The actual distribution of the questionnaires within the schools will be done by the school administration. They will have approximately one week to administer and collect all questionnaires which will then be collected by the relevant authorities. Interviews: Private interviews will be held with patients of selected Drug Addiction Rehab Centers at the center itself. Focus Groups: This will be held with the parents/guardians and health care providers of the patients. Observations: While they are interviewed the same patients will be observed by well reputed psychiatrists/psychologist through a one way mirror. Also the behaviors of the patients will be observed for approximately two weeks by the same psychiatrists/psychologists. APPROPRIATE SAMPLING TECHNIQUE In this project random sampling will be utilized. Six rehabilitation centers for substance abusers will be randomly selected. Sixteen individuals (eight males and eight females) within the age group of thirteen to eighteen (13-18) and sixteen individuals (eight males and eight females) within the age group of eighteen to twenty five (18-25) will be utilized. Eight schools will be randomly selected in which one hundred and sixty questionnaires will be distributed. Eighty will be distributed to students within the age group of 12-15 ( forty for females and forty for males). The remaining eighty will be distributed to students between the age group of 16-18(forty for females and forty for males). ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS With each research, there are several ethical considerations. The following is a list of the ethical concerns considered in this study: Before an individual becomes a participant, he/she will be fully informed of the aims, methods, harms, and benefits of the research: Each participant has the right to be fully informed about the research project in which he/she will be potentially participating, so that he/she has a full understanding of the project. If participants experiences any harm during the study, however, he/she will be compensated. The individual has the right of voluntary participation. Individuals will not be coerced to participate in the research project as participation will be strictly voluntary. This includes bribery offers, threatening or any kind of direct/ indirect pressures. He/she has the right to terminate his/her participation at any time. Participants will not be forced to continue with the project if he/she chooses to end his/her participation, neither will he/she be chastise for not continuing with the project. If the reason for terminating his/her is due to physical or psychological harm, participants will be compensated. The confidentiality of his/her responses. The information gathered will not be made available to any persons who are not directly involved in study. All the information will be kept in a vault in which only the primary investigator will know the combination. He/she remains anonymous throughout research: Participants will not be required to place their names on the questionnaires and if it is done, the questionnaire will be disregarded. The teenager will not be allowed to participate without his/her parents consent. Any youth who is under twenty one (21) will not be interviewed unless there is written consent from his/her parent. ANTICIPATED RESULTS The anticipated results of this research proposal are as follows: There will be a higher than expected prevalence of prescription drug abuse. It is just as easy to get addicted to prescription drugs as it is to get addicted to illicit drugs. The effects of prescription drug abuse can be as detrimental as the effects of illicit drug abuse. CONCLUSION The research project was aimed to discover the effects of prescription drug abuse and incorporated both qualitative and quantitative methods. The quantitative method consisted of questionnaires while the qualitative consisted of focus groups, interviews and observation methods. The sample would consist of students between the ages 13-18 and patients of rehabilitation centers ages 18-25. The delimitations of the project were the number of schools, the number of rehabilitation centers and the number of individuals from which information would be gathered. It would serve to bridge the gap of the insufficient research on the effects of prescription drug abuse and also as an informative tool to the society.

My Three Wants :: essays research papers

Abraham Maslow has made a distinction between needs and wants. A need is a basic human requirement. On the other hand, a want is a conscious desire for something. As for me, my wants are influenced by the aspirations of my heart! First, I want to attend college, Second, I want to build a Support Ministry, for hurting people, and I personally want to enjoy the splendor of life. At this point in my life these are the three wants that are most important to me. Certainly, attending college is something that I have always wanted to accomplish in life. Over the years I have become infatuated with a desire to achieve knowledge. Now as I re-enter the environment of education I look forward to every opportunity of learning, and I am excited about the virtually limitless possibilities that will be opened to me. While in college I want to do all that I can to improve myself, so that I will be able to help others. Besides, education is utterly useless if there's no one to share it with. Therefore, I want to use my education to help other people. One of the most painful pictures in this human life is to see the effect of a life devastated by physical or emotional pain. Therefore, I want to work as intensely as I can to build a Support Ministry for hurting people everywhere. I want to provide a place of comfort and support, but most of all I want to lend a listening ear. As I strive to reach these goals, it is important for me to continue my own personal journey to enjoy life to its fullest. I want to be committed to a life lived and guided by Christ. On the whole, it is my heartfelt desire to achieve my full potential in life, and to become all that God would have me to be. I am convinced that God has allowed me to live and put in me a want to be educated and a desire to build a support ministry to help others.

Barbara and Electra Case Study

Question(1):How might top management have done a better job changing Elektra Products into a new kind of organization? What might they do now to get the empowerment process back on track? Analysis of the case study Main issues – 1. Declining of Market shares 2. Few new product ideas or far between 3. Poor staff relationship 4. Low staff morale Weaknesses- 1. approach in change management 2. Organizational culture 3. creating problem solving team 4. the process of employee involvement and empowerment 5. the facilitation by Martin GriffinThe attempt to do staff empowerment is a nice try but it alone is not the complete solution for the root cause of the problems. In order to reach to the solution of all these issues, they have to find out what are the underlying causes of these issues. The newly hired Martin Griffin mentioned in the opening speech that â€Å"As we face increasing competition, we need new ideas, new energy and new spirit to make this company great. And the sourc e for this change is you—each one of you. † Though he mentioned that each of the staff is important, he failed to allow everyone actively participates and play important role in the program.He neglected the importance of each and everyone’s contribution and effort to the program. He should have made understand what does it means by employee involvement and empowerment; how it will help the company solves the issues and, the ways to do and requirements for the staff involvement and empowerment program. It was worsen when the main facilitator, Martin Griffin, had excused from the session at the time Barbara and team enthusiastically presented their innovative ideas to department heads. The facilitator also fails to aim what kind of outputs he expects at the end of the session.For the successful empowerment program, the organization structure and its enabling environment is very critical. Trust building is very important part of the program especially in this situat ion where staff relationship and morale is poor. It is not only important for the top management level but also the department heads or managers from all other departments are important to accept the concept of staff involvement and empowerment. As the company is on its way of changing to a new era, every staff will have different perspective of interest on how it will affect their current roles, responsibilities and job security.All of which are worth to take in consideration in managing the change process. The managers are not so sure why they require these changes as they have been doing well in the past and they believe they can do it again. On the other hand, every staff has a different management theory and surely they are not on the same page with other management staff or with the company’s current management. It is quite critical to ensure that every management staff equipped with relevant knowledge and skills that will contribute the company’s strategic goals .The staff must have a common understanding of the organizational value, culture, strategic goals and how the empowerment process will add on the success of the organization. Instead of creating problem solving team with managers selected by top management, allow all managers to voluntarily work as cross-functional teams and come up with innovative ideas and opinions. By doing so, each team will have a representative from each specialized departments who has his or her own perspective and issue on the ideas.Contribution from different expertise and background will provide the ideas reach wider scope and reality. Then, each team should discuss the ideas with other teams which may require some modification and negotiation process. If everyone satisfies with the ideas, the staff involvement will be improved and the ideas will become action. It is natural that someone could resist the ideas or changes made by others. But if they are put in a position to be part of a cross-functional tea m that needs to come up with an innovative idea, the discussion environment among the team will tend to be more constructive.In addition, since the company is to undergo a big change, the top management should have implemented a good change management strategy and plan. They should also prepare a communication strategy and plan to inform the staff accordingly. So that it will be clear what is going to happen, why, how and who will be responsible in the change process. The communication strategy and plan is also important as the staffs are very concerned with the change and restructuring process.If the staffs are not well communicated about the changes, the restructuring with many rumors will encourage the staff leaving the organization and looking for a new job which will be a lost the trained and skillful human resources of Elektra. Recommendation to top management in changing Elektra to a new kind of organization and to get back empowerment process on track: * Ensure all staff und erstands what are the vision, mission and strategic goals of Elektra. * Recruit or train staff to ensure the organization is equipped with necessary skills for change management. For eg.Hire a skillful and experienced facilitator who can give time and have a sound facilitation plan. A good facilitation plan must aim some specific objectives, processes of facilitation and expected results * Make sure that everyone understand what empowerment is and why it is important and how it will contribute to the vision, mission and long-term strategic goals * Remove the process of selected problem solving team in an attempt to change Elektra and instead make them voluntarily participate in the cross-functional team which includes representative from each department, different backgrounds etc. Facilitate the department heads/managers to address the underlying causes of each problems in their sector from their perspective and reflect their past experiences * Group the causes and brainstorm all th e managers what should they do to reach a solution to these problems so that they understand and practically involve in the change process * Create an organization structure that will encourage enabling environment and culture for the staff so that they can use their abilities and energies which can then lead to job satisfaction, motivation, commitment by employee. Implement a change management strategy and plan that will ensure the process is on track ( what, why, how and by who throughout the change process) and how it will be sustained. * Identify the transformation leadership team to steer the change and operational leadership team to manage the day-to-day deliverables. * Set a time frame for the change process to reach its goal as to ensure the urgency of the change and effectively response to the continuously evolving environment and available opportunities. * Make your strategy and plan be flexible, daptable, acceptable by all stakeholders and suitable for your company and op erational environment so that the plan will be realistically implemented. * Implement a communication strategy and plan to ensure staff received relevant information with regards to the changes which will reflect their interests. * Ensure that the road map and milestones are carefully prioritize and aligned to reach strategic goals so that the manager can monitor and manage the success or failure in each step towards the strategic goals. Set your operating values in trying to achieve the goals that employee understand what the organization expect and values what kinds of behavior and attitude. * Organize programs and trainings that could enhance the leadership, shared value, cooperate culture and trust building * Build capacity of the staff to gain necessary skills and knowledge in implementing staff involvement and empowerment program Questions (2): Can you think of ways Barbara could have avoided the problems her team faced in the meeting with department heads?The problems with th e department heads are due to the lack of cross-functional contribution, communication, mind-set, role and planning. It could be possible for Barbara to handle the situation by; Barbara and her team should have considered the impact of their ideas and possible response by concerned departments. If Barbara has carefully analyzed what could be the challenges of their ideas, she would have prepared for a back-up or contingency plan to negotiate the departmental heads. By this way her team will have full confident on their own ideas and the department heads will feel confident that the plan was crafted carefully.Barbara should open her mind by accepting for their active feedback with thanks as this is a good opportunity to turn the different department heads in the process. She should have faced the resistance and brought up the concern from each department heads. So that and she can start a cross-functional team to brainstorm the more realistic ideas looking from different perspective. Barbara should explain that the ideas shared by her team are only part of the solution to these problems within their scope and the team requires feedback and opinion in a wider scope from other departments.And before Martin Griffin leaves the workshop, she has to confirm with him that when will be the next workshop to hear feedback from Martin griffin about her team’s presentation. So that when the department heads resist and debate on the new ideas, she can note down the issues raised and let that the feedback from the department heads will be thoroughly discussed in next workshop. By doing so, the department heads will feel they also have a role in the process and Barbara got time to do a plan and consider possible solution to the issues so as to move forward the process.Questions (3): If you were Barbara Russell, what would you do now? Why? If I were Barbara Russell, I will work out to keep motivate my team. I will appreciate the team for their effort and contribution to ward the company. I will make sure the team understands that for our ideas to be stronger, more realistic and practical for all of us, we need to look our ideas from various aspects as we have experienced that various departments have their own issues on our ideas.So, in order to successfully implement our ideas, we need collaboration and commitment from all other departments that we must find ways to solve the concerns of other departments. As working within our own team will limit our expertise and other resources, we require contribution of expertise from different sectors. We must find out a way to get support and collaboration from different departments. I will encourage my team to revisit our ideas, gather information from all departments, try to open our mind to accept, and respect the others’ perspective and ideas.I will discuss with Top management and Martin griffin about our team’s ideas, several issues raised by the department heads. I will reflect my experi ence during the presentation of our team’s ideas, expectation of other staff, feeling and concerns of other departments. I will discuss ways to allow all departments to work together as a whole and discuss what specific strategy and plan should we implement to manage the change process to ensure achievement of our strategic goals.

Professional ethical dilemma paper Essay

The dilemma I went through had something to do with integrity, friendship, and professionalism. I was in a quite major project with a classmate, let us call him JK, and my classmate was financially supportive of the project. I am not very close to JK, but we are nice to each other and he has beautiful insights. However, he refused or made excuses when it was his turn to get down to work. I feel that it was just plain laziness, but finds it hard to point it out to him straight out. Needless to say, I was doing all the work and he was just sharing on some expenses. For instance, he would buy the food when we have to work on the project and just sleep through most of the project while I do all the work. He felt that his financial contributions will suffice to be counted in the project, and it was hard to decide what steps to take because I want to remain a helpful and nice classmate while teaching him the value of hard work. Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking at the issue, there is really no difference of power between the people involved—me and JK. We were classmates, and so we are equals. Despite his repeated offers for financial contributions, I also cannot say that he is financially superior than me. The issue was the cooperation between the two of us to successfully complete the project. We were touching on each otherÅ› values because he was loosing his integrity, honesty, and sense of cooperation. When the teacher asks for updates, he pretends to be very cooperative when in reality he has not even written a single page for the project. The problem is that when I tell the teacher that he has not been cooperating he will fail the subject—the project is his last hope. Yet if I do not speak up he will get a grade he does not deserve, taking credits that actually belong to me. Outcomes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I decided to talk to JK about the problem. I told him that I do not need his money, and that what I need is his actual work as contribution to the project. I specified to him that I need pages to be done, edited, and proofread. I pointed out to him that I need ideas, insights, analyses, and that I need the extra hand for all that work. I ended by telling him that if he cannot do that, I can do the project all by myself and just tell the teacher that he is no longer part of the project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fearing that he will loose his last chance to pass the subject, he started cooperating. I gave him a copy of the whole work that we have done so far, and he promised to catch up. I realized it was hard for him, and that he is not a fan of writing either. I realized it was the reason why he diverted his contribution to giving money. Discovering this, I delegated him to writing the drafts and doing the research, while I typed, constructed paragraphs, edited, and proofread.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the end, I saved myself from gaining an enemy—which is what me and JK will most likely end up if I told the teacher about him, and I also saved JK from failing the subject. I would say that I also saved the teacher from the extra work of minding JKÅ› attitude, and re-educating him. Going back to myself, I also became aware that nothing is impossible with communication. Sure, JK did not become the perfect partner after we talked. Yet, it became easier for me and him to work for the completion of the project. Post-Course Views   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Looking at the topics and lessons that the course have covered and taught me, I would say that given another situation similar to this professional ethical dilemma, I will still do the same action that I did. It was unethical that I did not tell the teacher, but I had other plans. I initiated to solve the problem, talked JK out of it, and we solved the problem and completed the project between ourselves. Yet if JK did not respond to the signals and warnings I sent, and it happened now, I will choose to speak to the teacher and push JK out of the project. It was the right thing—the ethical thing—to do as it keeps me honest with the teacher, myself, and JK. It also teaches him a valuable lesson about hard work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Having learned professionalism, ethics, and other values at work, I would say that it is easier now to make ethical and morally right choices. Because I am older and wiser now, I know that it is no longer too hard for me to speak up and correct others’ mistakes.