PGP Individual Use or Organizational Use an Example by

PGP: Individual Use or Organizational Use In order to answer the question of Is using an encrypted system like PGP a good idea of individuals and organizations? I need to first explain what PGP is. I would also like to present information pertaining to why PGP has been created, its purpose and another encryption system named S/MIME, which is PGPs current rival. Need essay sample on "PGP: Individual Use or Organizational Use" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed PGP or Pretty Good Privacy is a public-key encryption program. It uses three known algorithms to encrypt, sign, decrypt, and authenticate messages. It converts the digitally encoded message or signature into a format suitable for text transmission by use of `Radix-64. Because PGP operates with the use of asymmetric encryption `keys', only the intended recipient of the message may decrypt it. To use PGP, you must generate a pair of keys. One key is the public key; the other is the private key. The private key allows you to decrypt a message sent to you by some other user. To allow other users to encrypt a message intended only for you, you must provide them with a copy of your public key. A public key will not allow decryption of an encoded message. A special command issued to the PGP program begins a process of creating your own personalized pair of keys. You respond to the requests of PGP (to questions it asks) to generate those special keys for you. It will ask you for a pass phras e to allow the newly created private key to remain unusable by anyone but you. Additionally, PGP can be used to authenticate that a message was sent by the key holder of the message. By generating an electronic signature, the sender cannot deny that he sent the message. An example of this would be someone sending an email request for work to be performed and then later denying that he made the request. Certainly this could be a troubling situation for anyone who is in the business world. Most persons and companies like to get paid for their work. Upon receipt of the request, the sender's identity can be verified by using the sender's public key to confirm that the message was indeed sent by the party it appears to have come from. This feature certainly has some major benefits for the business world, which we will discuss in further into this paper. This is to be contrasted with S/MIME, which was developed by the IETF using classical Standards Organization processes, similar to PGP (Secure Multipurpose Internet Email Extensions). A new version of the MIME protocol that supports encryption of messages. S/MIME is based on RSA's public-key encryption technology. Specifies formatting non-ASCII messages so that they can be sent over the Internet. Many email clients now support MIME, which enables them to send and receive graphics, audio, and video files via the Internet mail system. There are many predefined MIME types, such as GIF graphics files and PostScript files. It is also possible to define your own MIME types. In addition to e-mail applications, Web browsers also support various MIME types. This enables the browser to display or output files that are not in HTML format. Now that I have explained what PGP is and how it works, let us identify the advantages and disadvantages it may have for either individual use or organizational use. PGP combines two encryption methods, the convenience of public-key encryption with the speed of conventional encryption. Its conventional encryption is about 100 to 1,000 times faster than public-key encryption, which solves the problem of slow encryption with symmetric algorithms. Public-key encryption provides a solution to key distribution and data transmission issues when using symmetric encryption. When used together, performance and key distribution are improved without any sacrifice in security. PGP is good hybrid solution; it ties together the advantages of public key and symmetric cryptography, while also providing a feasible solution to the disadvantages of both. PGP also has its disadvantages. Using PGP can be a complex process and its concept is often difficult for some people to grasp. In order to resolve this, people will require more training. Both parties must be able to use PGP, meaning it is impossible to use PGP unless people at both ends of the connection are capable of using some version of PGP. Though I read that PGP has resolved this by implementing a self-decrypting archive (SDA), which creates an executable file that uses conventional, symmetric encryption. Key management is a challenge at first within the program and can be a little awkward for users to learn. Again, providing users with more training will help resolve this issue. So now that I have informed you about the advantages and disadvantages PGP brings to the table, let us determine if the individual or the organization would best utilize this encryption method. From what we have learned, PGP is completely compatible with modern day email exchange. The individual user today already uses PGP, since it is the most common encryption standard. For organizations, PGP is definitely an option to consider, but today you will find the use of the above mentioned S/MIME encryption, due to its comparative maturity, support for centralized key management via x.509 certificate servers and widespread technical support. Works citied: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/ou/?p=89

The one site that was immediately disregarded Essays

The one site that was immediately disregarded Essays The one site that was immediately disregarded Paper The one site that was immediately disregarded Paper To begin evaluating the available sources for a discussion of health care reform or socialized medicine, an internet search for organizations purporting to support health care reform was conducted. As expected, there were hundreds of to the topic. Below are four of the top 25 websites listed. Some are potentially interesting, but their information would need to be verified with additional sources because of the inherent bias in the site. One was completely unusable. The other three websites will be used as initial research â€Å"jumping off points† and will be supplemented by peer reviewed articles found in the J-STOR database of science and social science literary journals.   In addition, the American Medical Students Association has published a position paper explaining their call for socialized medicine which will be incorporated into my future research. The one site that was immediately disregarded as a potential source is called the â€Å"World Health Education Initiative†. At first this site is deceptively interesting, calling the American medical system the third leading cause of death in the United States and advocating reform in medical practices, insurance companies and health care delivery systems. It is only upon deeper inspection that one discovers that the â€Å"Initiative† is an effort to create an on-line medical school which replaces traditional medical educations. The site is operated by a company which creates online learning products and which argues that the reason health care costs are so high is that the cost of a medical education is so prohibitive. While at first this argument seems appealing, it loses it luster when the site’s author argues that the problem with medical schools is that they don’t teach doctors anything other than the ability to memorize information for tests. The site argues that medical education could be done online with few, if any, tests and that the cost savings for a medical education would then be reflected in costs of health care.   Aside from the fact that this website is clearly designed to promote business for the parent company, it is flawed in its logic. This website presumes that the cost of doctor education is the only factor driving rising health care costs. While this is certainly an issue, it is not the only one and quite possibly not the predominant one. In addition to initial education costs, doctors face the expenses of medical malpractice insurance and rapidly expanding technology expenses. Though not every doctor’s office will require the ability to offer patients a PET scan, every doctor does need to be equipped and medical technology is not inexpensive. In addition, like any business, doctor’s must factor basic overhead into their expenses and therefore into their prices.   Initiatives like HIPPA, the Health Information Privacy Protection Act, have cost medical professionals thousands to implement and that cost is ultimately passed on to the patient. This website fails to consider any of these other contributing factors. The second website considered is entitled â€Å"American Health Care Reform†. This site is strictly in favor of a one-payer health care system. I was not surprised to discover this, but found it interesting that the great majority of sites I visited looking for information about health care reform went immediately to the single-payer model. Like many others,   this site points to the world models, arguing that the United states is the only industrialized nation in the world without socialized medicine. This particular website seems useful as it includes anecdotal testimonials about problems with the current system and links to resources including Congressional hearings on the issue. It also has links to major news stories about health care innovation and reform across the country including California’s attempt to get health care for all Californians.   Though the bias in favor of a one-payer system is evident, it is at least a known bias and can be accounted for in the discussions. The third website reviewed was the â€Å"Alliance for health Care Reform†. This organization claims in its mission statement to be a non-profit, non-partisan look at the American health care system. The site calls the health care system â€Å"a work in progress† and regularly holds educational forums attempting to present a balanced view of the health care issues of the country and the potential solutions. The alliance claims to have no political agenda and does not lobby for a specific solution, according to the mission statement. This could be a very valuable resource for the upcoming discussion.   The site provides valuable links to current initiatives regarding health care reform and policy briefs which explain current situations and proposed solutions. Finally, I examined the website entitiled â€Å"health care Reform: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly†.   Initially, I was excited about this website as the author of the lead article is or was the director of the Georgia Public Policy Intitute and the academic bent to the website seemed to lend it credence. Then, I saw the date. The lead article was written 15 years ago. Though I think this site can provide some perspective on the length and continued cycles of the debate about health care reform in the United States,   I am inclined to believe that its data will have to be seriously updated or will be insignificant to a debate on the current status of health care in America and what needs to be done to fix it. I may still use this website as a starting point as it has good information from the time and may follow up to see what actions have resulted from the debate in 1992. There are many health care initiatives taking place in the United State right now. In Massachusetts, the state mandated that every adult have health insurance beginning July 1. In Illinois, the state has created a sort of single-payer cooperative with insurance companies to create the â€Å"All Kids† program, allegedly designed to ensure that all children have adequate health care coverage. In California, debate continues about the governor’s call to provide health care for all Californians.   I think one of the most interesting parts of this discussion of reform versus socialization will be to look at the varying attempts at reform and evaluate their successes.   WORKS CONSULTED â€Å"Alliance for Health Care Reform† allhealth.org/, July 17, 2007. â€Å"American Health Care Reform â€Å" http://americanhealthcarereform.org/index.html, July 17, 2007. â€Å"Health Care Reform: Attacking the Root Problem† World Health Education Initiative health-care-reform.net/index.htm, July 17, 2007. Tanner, Michael. â€Å"Healthcare Reform: The Good, the Bad and The Ugly.†   Cato Institute, November 24, 1992. cato.org/pubs/pas/pa184.html ,   July 17, 2007.

University dropout Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

University dropout - Essay Example n England had low level of dropout rates (Dearing, 1997; NAO, 2007), the recent data shows that there has been considerable increase in the university dropout rates with only 78.1% of students completing their degree. (Vignoles and Powdthavee, 2008) There are numerous studies contributing towards the cause of dropout while exploring the several aspects of the problems like intellectual, emotional, motivational, interpersonal and attitudinal characteristics. R.E. Pandey (1973) states that though there are several studies on the issue, continued research would enable us to serve at least four important purposes like giving additional reliability to the dominant factors found to the cause of dropout across geographical and social conditions, improve the effectiveness of psychological measurements, compare the findings between the old and new studies and provide up to date information to the educators and counsellors so that they can formulate strategy for the retention and withdrawal of students. A ‘dropout’ is an individual who does not complete or is not able to complete his or her education due to geographical, socio economic and political factors. The present paper attempts to understand the causes for the dropouts in universities by analysing the data gathered from London Metropolitan University. According to Higher Education Statistics Agency increasing number of students will dropout from the universities as more people go into higher education from the so-called non traditional backgrounds, who may be first time university goers, don’t have the experience of relatives and wider social networks to draw on. As per the data revealed from the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 7.4% students left after a year in 2007 as against 7.1% in 2006 which shows that there has been considerable increase in the university dropout rates. According to Gardner, (2007), there are at least 10,000 students who drop out of their degree courses because they feel

Long Term Investment Decisions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Long Term Investment Decisions - Assignment Example Therefore, this study aims at providing a sharp insight on why government regulations may or may not be needed in a market economy. Connectively, the study will put forth possible complexities that Wal-Mart Company may experience when conspiring self expansion strategy rather than a merger. In above connection, the study will put forth the possible forces that may emerge when creating a convergence between stock holders interest and as well as their impact on profitability of Wal-Mart company. 1. Explain why government regulation is or is not needed, citing the major reasons for government involvement in a market economy. Provide support for your explanation. There are various reasons why government regulation may be needed in a market economy among the reasons include; to protect consumers against exploitation by vendors via ensuring goods and services supplied meet health and quality standards (Rodine-Hardy, 2013). Government regulation may be needed to ensure that all business hav e been licensed in order to eliminate illegal business from being carried out. In above connection, government regulations may be needed in order to promote economic stability through application of fiscal and monetary policies (Rodine-Hardy, 2013). ... 2. Justify the rationale for the intervention of government in the market process in the U.S. The need for government intervention arose from the fact that there was an emergence of more powerful and bigger corporation in the United States, creating a need to for protecting small business against stiff and unfair competition (U.S. Department of State). Additionally, during 1930’s the united state experienced economic down turn that made its citizen to complain that capitalism had failed (U.S. Department of State). The citizens called for intervention from the united state government to remedy the situation. The united state government intervened by promoting economic growth, this further led to creation of employment opportunities (U.S. Department of State). Therefore, it can be scrutinized that government interventions is vital not only for individuals but also for the benefits of the entire market economy (U.S. Department of State). 3. Assume that the company’s is con sidering a merger. The possible merger currently faces some threats and that the industry decides on self-expansion as an alternative strategy, describe the additional complexities that would arise under this new scenario of expansion via capital projects. The additional complexities that Wal-Mart Company may experience through self- expansion (via capital projects) include: Financial complexities, whereby, venture capital firm may fail to finance Wal-Mart expansion plan if they perceive some level of intolerable risk (Amann, Maznevski & Steger, 2007). Additionally, Wal-Mart Company may experience hiring complexities when identifying qualified staffs to fill new positions created as a result of expansion (Amann,

Reflection -contemporary policies mental health Essay

Reflection -contemporary policies mental health - Essay Example As opposed to other citizens, they are left without access to services, subjected to a life with poverty, and denied of the basic life opportunities (World Health Organisation 2010). Mental health policies in a country can go a long way to promote mental health and provide equitable services to all the population irrespective of regions through strategic planning, appropriate legislation, and intent to serve in order to deliver effective treatment, prevention programmes, and promotional activities. An orientation to human rights that consider people affected with mental health problems as consumers may serve this issue appropriately, but mental health policies must be reviewed and critically examined in order to find out the differences and gaps in services in different areas. A reflective process that critically examines the differences would lead to guidance to the policy makers so efficient policies may be in place (Fawcett & Karban, 2005). From the Australian perspective, the issue of mental health care and complexities associated with consequent care delivery should have been a smooth journey from theory to policy to practice, but the current inequities in mental health practice raises the question of critical reflection. It has been suggested by Fawcett et al. that somewhere the objects of attention have lost the links between practice and praxis, where the conceptual signposts are no longer being identified in certain areas. There has been a definite loss of connection between theory, practice, and policies, so the ideally suitable flexible and dynamic use of knowledge, skills, analysis is not occurring in a methodologically sound, effective, and uniform manner. However, it was not expected to be so. The 1992-98 National Mental Health Policy in Australia is a policy of reform in mental health care across all states and territories, and it was aligned

Case study of continuing professional development

Case study of continuing professional development Within this assignment I will critically reflect on my clinical knowledge to date and consider my future development needs with a focus on my final management placement and future career as a registered nurse, and using the Gibbs model (appendix 1) as a framework will reflect upon my own learning experiences and achievements to date and write an annotated reflection highlighting my development needs from which I will formulate a Personal Development Plan. This undertaking demonstrates my commitment to the need for continuing professional development in order to enhance my knowledge, skills values and attitude needed for effective nursing practice (NMC Proficiency 4.1) and will address deficits in my knowledge and skills and identify any shortcomings within my own or others practice and help me cope with practice related issues experienced within my previous placements. I have chosen Gibbs reflective model as a basis for reflection as I feel it is easily understood and encourages a cl ear description of the situation, analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, conclusion and reflection upon the experience to consider a solution if the situation arose again (Brooker Nicol 2003). Gibbs model is useful for less experienced staff or students as it directs you and offers an easy framework to use, which supports the introduction of reflection and the transition from student to practitioner (Pearce, 2003). It has been advocated that reflective practices are a method of bridging the gap between nursing theory and practice, and as a tool to develop knowledge embedded in practice (Chong 2009). Furthermore in reflecting on the way we deliver care we can identify weaknesses, build on strengths and develop best practice (Johns 1996). However, there are those who are sceptical of the practice and the idea of reflection in nursing is ambiguous and confused and not based on discipline related evidence based research (Gustafsson et al 2007). Some studies however, have s hown a positive response from practitioners who have attributed reflective practice to changes in their practice (Paget 2000). In consideration of these views my approach to reflection as a means of recognizing strengths and weaknesses in my learning and practice to enable me to make positive changes to my future practice will be unbiased. Therefore my reflective account will include an open and honest description of what I have gained from the experience In conclusion, my main aim is to enhance my professional development by reflecting upon past education and clinical experience using the Nursing and Midwifery proficiencies as a benchmark. Furthermore by utilizing the reflective model I will not only identify my strengths and weaknesses but also recognize potential opportunities or threats which will enable me to prepare for my future development and alert me to any threats allowing me to overcome any difficulties I may encounter. Teekman (2000), states that throughout the literature it is well emphasized that reflective practice is an effective tool to reduce or eliminate the perceived theory-practice gap. I will therefore endeavour to utilize this exercise to transform my theoretical learning into evidence based practice. By doing this I can substantiate my claim to having knowledge of evidence based care to ensure safe practice (NMC Proficiency 2.5). Reflective Self-Assessment Gibbs (1988) model begins with asking the question What happened? and asks What were you feeling. This allows me to give an account of the events that occurred, and in order to add significance to the narrative I will relay my feelings about the event directly after explanation about the incident. During the course of my placement whilst working in an acute psychiatric in-patient ward I was delegated some responsibility for particular patients by senior members of staff. In addition I was often allowed to facilitate both group and one-to-one sessions supervised by a trained member of staff. However, due to other demands within the ward environment staff were often unable to run the groups and one-to-one sessions with the patients could often be time limited. However, on one particular day I was approached by a patient for whose care I was given responsibility He appeared very agitated and complained that over the previous few days he had become frustrated by the lack of attention he was been receiving from nursing care staff the lack of information he was being given in respect of his care. He also complained that he had been informed that he would have regular access to therapeutic groups and this was not happening. This patient had show a keenness to participate fully in his care to facilitate a quick recovery and discharge from the ward I was aware that staff had been busy but felt uneasy at his distress and afraid to tell him that staff had been too busy therefore unable to run the groups. In addition I did not feel confident enough to explain his treatment plan. I was quite annoyed though that he had not been consulted or involved in this previously, therefore I consulted with his named nurse voicing my concerns and asked if she could alleviate his concerns. (NMC Proficiency 2.6) was achieved by my articulating my own emotional and psychological responses to situations with colleagues in a professional manner. By also being aware of my own limitations at the time I achieved (NMC proficiency 1.1) by expressing my concerns for this particular patient. The nurse took him into a quiet room and in my presence explained the situation to him apologising for the apparent lack of attention he had received. She assured him that the therapeutic group would be commencing later that day and allowed him to vent his feelings and concerns about his care and anxieties about his illness. She reviewed his plan of care with him taking account of his wishes and desired outcomes. On listening to how she handled the session, I felt quite inadequate afterwards thinking I should have been able to deal with the situation as I was competent at formulating care plans. Following the session I decided to approach my mentor to ask to discuss the situation and we agreed that I would take the time to read through the Integrated Care Pathway of each patient under my care and become familiar with their use by suggested I attend and participate in multi-disciplinary meetings. By recognising this I was adhering to the code of professional conduct (NMC) 2008, to consult with a colleague when appropriate and work within the limits of my competence. Moreover, I achieved (NMC Proficiency 4.1) by demonstrating a commitment to the need for continuing professional development and personal supervision activities. In addition a multi-disciplinary meeting was arranged for the patient and his father and my mentor allowed me to co-ordinate this and provide feedback on his progress in order that I gain experience in multidisciplinary working. Prior to the meeting I scrutinized his ICP to familiarise myself with his situation and plan of care to enable me to identify his needs and achieved (NMC Proficiency 2.2) by providing relevant and current health information to the patient during the meeting. Rees et al, (2004) informs us that ICPs are tools which map out the pathway of clinical events and activities for all professionals involved in a specific patient group. The ICP helped clarify my roles and responsibilities as well as improve team working and communication. This enabled me to become more informed and also provide the patient with information on his plan of care which would be carried out throughout his journey from admission to discharge In attendance at the meeting were the Consultant Psychiatrist, Named Nurse, Pharmacist, Community Psychiatric Nurse, Occupational Therapist and myself. I provided feedback on the patients progress to the Consultant Psychiatrist and other team members, and highlighted the patients concerns about his treatment demonstrating (NMC proficiency 3.2) by working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary team members to enable the delivery of effective patient care, prior to the patient and his father attending. This provided the Consultant Psychiatrist with an overview of the patients mental health and progress to date. The patient and his father were then invited to attend the meeting the patient was given the opportunity to tell the Consultant Psychiatrist how he was feeling and discuss any issues he may have. He was also given the opportunity to talk about his prescribed medication and ask questions which were answered both by the doctor and pharmacist. The pharmacist also gave some advice about his present dose of prescribed medication making suggestions to the doctor about possible changes due to a complaint by the patient that he was experiencing stiffness in his legs. Despite being aware that I had the necessary information about the patients care, on occasion during feedback to the team I looked to my mentor to reassure me that the information I was imparting was accurate. The patient was allowed to discuss his involvement in therapeutic groups he had attended and their benefits. The patients father was also given the opportunity to ask any questions and voice any concerns he may have. Discussion between me, the consultant and patient provided clearer picture of the situation I and felt more at ease having further clarified the process of his care would be while on the ward. I felt more confident and satisfied that the patient was now more at ease and satisfied with his present care and was able to meet (NMC proficiency 2.4) by updating the patients plan of care following the meeting. The next stage Evaluation Gibbs model making sense of the situation and asks What was good or bad. I was pleased to see a positive outcome which was due to inclusion of the patient in his plan of care and collaboration within the multidisciplinary team meeting which alleviate the patients concerns. I was not happy at my own lack of confidence to initially deal with the clients concerns and the fact that the patient had to complain before being fully involved in his care. Having this awareness of my own emotions and of weaknesses in my practice and consulting with the patients named nurse assures me that I am managing myself, my practice and that recognizing my own abilities and limitations (NMC Proficiency 1.1) and resolving this by taking action to improve in this area of practice. In conclusion, stage five of the Gibbs (1988) model, I feel the more experience I gain in the ward environment and more I learn about ICPs I can improve patients quality of care and collaborating with other members of the multidisciplinary team I will gain knowledge and confidence to enable me to take that step from being a student to becoming a confident registered nurse and deal complex situations such as described above. In the final stage of Gibbs reflective model the question is asked If the situation arose what would I do? I will continue to utilize reflective practice to improve on my knowledge and skills and develop my Personal Development Plan to highlight gaps in my knowledge. I will use my personal development plan within my final placement to address my weakness and build on my strengths whilst seeking opportunities for further development taking account of any threats. Personal Development Plan I have chosen two areas which I feel are relevant to my future development needs namely Quality Assurance and Multidisciplinary/Agency team working. I will now take each area of developmental need and produce a personal development plan for each. What is it? NES (2007) explains that a personal development plan is another name for a plan of action which allows you to set personal goals and identify the best way to achieve them. I feel having a plan of action plan will keep me focussed on my learning objectives and allow me to keep track of my development as I progress in my career as a mental health nurse. In doing this I will continue to meet (NMC proficiency 4.2) by being a good role model, sharing my knowledge and experience with my colleagues to enhance their professional development. How is it important? One the recent requirements by the NHS is that all staff working in the NHS should have a professional development plan to ensure that staff continue their professional development and update their knowledge and skills (Kenworthy e al, 2001). In adhering to this I will be accomplishing (NMC proficiency 4.2). Department of Health (2004) state that it should prepare the individual to meet the requirements of their post, including the future interests of both the organization and the individual maintaining a balance between them to enable progression. This will be important when I am a registered nurse and there will be commitment to meet the requirements of my role. What are my objectives? Although both long and short term goals will be reviewed as your life moves forward, they guide you in making day-to-day more effectively (Ellis Hartlet, 2004). Furthermore, it is important to keep goals flexible and be willing to consider alternative goals and a variety of pathways to one goal. Short-Term Goals By setting my short-term goals in two development areas I will enhance my knowledge of both Integrated Care Pathways and Multidisciplinary/Agency working and be more proactive in taking responsibility for specific leadership roles within the multidisciplinary team, as well as initiating individual Integrated Care Pathways. Consequently, in taking a leadership role, I will have accomplished (NMC proficiency 3.3) by delegating duties within the level of my responsibilities and taking responsibility for managing patient Integrated Care Pathways. More specifically I will identify my short-term objectives within the 2 areas: Integrated Care Pathways -By the end of my management placement I will have a better understanding of Integrated Care Pathways. I will have completed an ICP document for a specific patient, which will enable me to guide the patient through the nursing process from assessment to discharge competently and confidently. Lastly, I will have learned the concept of variances used to measure the quality of patient care. Multidisciplinary/Agency working within my management placement, I will have acquired good knowledge of multidisciplinary/Agency working and be able to competently participate in multi-disciplinary meetings. I will be competent in facilitating multidisciplinary team meetings and have the ability to effectively communicate with members of the multi-disciplinary team. Finally I will have knowledge of any barriers to multi-disciplinary working. Medium and Long-term Goals I will meet both Medium Term and Long Term Goals by procuring employment within a nursing profession (preferably with the National Health Service), and once accomplished my aims will be to develop my practice from a novice practitioner and become an accomplished expert knowledgeable practitioner fulfilling the requirements of my job profile within the Knowledge and Skills Framework. By participating in continuous professional development, achieved by setting objectives within my Personal Development Plan I will have met all (NMC proficiencies) as I will have attained my NMC registration. How am I going to meet my objectives and why? Objectives are short-term, direct and rapidly testable (Kerry, 2002). In practice, objectives must be specific and often state the new ability that the learner is seeking to acquire for instance, new knowledge, a practical skill or an attitude. My short-term objectives are to address my weaknesses within both my development areas and this can be achieved by setting these as a priority and focussing on these within my next practice placement. In order for me to meet my objectives within my personal development plan I will arrange regular review with my mentor to gain feedback from supervision and to review my learning contract to see how I am progressing. Integrated Care Pathways Through self-directed study and utilising all resources within the ward I hope to enhance my knowledge on integrated care pathways and how it is implemented within the ward setting to improve quality of care for patients. Scottish Executive (2003) highlights that under the new mental health act any treatment given to patients should include meaningful involvement by the patient and carers. Furthermore by being involved in all aspects of the nursing process from assessment to discharge I aim to be more involved in the patients journey through the integrated care pathway and empower the patient to participate throughout their journey on the ward. A well as this, by having responsibility for my own case load I will be able to improve my confidence and be more assertive in making clinical judgements and my decision making skills. I will continue to ensure that my practice is evidence based by continually updated my theoretical knowledge by self-study utilizing relevant academic literatur e. Multi-disciplinary/Agency Working My aim is to improve my collaborative working skills by interacting with other members of the team and identifying what skills each member brings to the team to meet the patients needs. Beer, et al (2008) states that multi-disciplinary teams can be effective if there is good communication between themselves and other teams and shared goals. I aim to participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings and give feedback on my patients progress to enable me improve my communication skills, and also participate in joint working with all members of the team on the ward on a daily basis to enable me to become more assertive and a productive team member. It will be important to ensure that the patient is also involved in decisions that affect them. In addition to joint consultation between the multidisciplinary team I am aware of the importance in involvement of the patient in their care for example, by involving them in the process of single shared assessment and care planning. Claire Cox (20 03) highlight the importance of those providing services to explore the experiences, preferences and opinions of service users when assessing their health and social care needs. Finally, Regular consultation with my mentor will assist me in identifying my strengths and areas which he/she may feel I need to develop in with regards to collaborative working. My Future Development Needs Area of development for Integrated Care Pathways The purpose of Integrated Care Pathways has been defined in various ways within the literature. Quality Improvement Scotland (2007) highlights the quality assurance aspect indicating that ICP standards will support service improvements in relation to the process of care and outcomes for individuals. It also specifies the patients anticipated clinical care pathway and co-ordinates necessary tasks in management of patient care (Chew et al 2007). No matter how it is defined, the outcome for the patient is to improve their quality care through managing the process of care appropriately. The purpose of Integrated Care Pathways has been defined in different ways within the literature. Caring for patients is an essential part of the nurses work, and the quality of the care can be dependent on how far the nurse has come, in his/her professional development (Gustafsson, 2004). My experience of Integrated Care Pathways during my training has been limited; therefore I require improving my knowledge and skills in undertaking and documenting a comprehensive, systematic and accurate nursing assessment of physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of patients. This will entail further enhancing my knowledge within the requirements of (NMC proficiency 2.3) as part of my development needs. ICPs have not been implemented within any of my placements in the community or long term ward settings. However, an Integrated Pathway for admission and discharge has been employed within an acute ward setting where I was placed. This has been implemented to standardize practice acros s every psychiatric admission ward within Lanarkshire (Kent Chalmers 2006), and to facilitate better co-ordination of discharge planning and facilitate continuity of treatment in the community (NHS Lanarkshire 2007). Quality Improvement Scotland (2007) highlights the quality assurance aspect indicating that ICP standards will support service improvements in relation to the process or care and outcomes for individuals. Area of development for Multi-Disciplinary Working Multidisciplinary working is the cornerstone of caring for patients within both a community and hospital setting. I have observed multi-professional collaboration and this seemed a very effective way of providing the best treatment available for patients. Cook et al (2001) identified from several studies that team working enhanced communication channels between different professionals resulting in better co-ordination of care, more timely access to services, and the provision of a more holistic approach to care. This was my experience when I was involved in the Multi-disciplinary meeting within the acute admission ward. Decision making within the team was enhanced by involvement of the nursing, medical, pharmacist, client and carer which resulted in a more holistic approach to the patients care thus improving the quality of care provided. This enabled me to accomplish (NMC proficiency 2.8) by demonstrating that by effective collaboration with the multidisciplinary team I was able to adapt the patients nursing care plan to meet his individual need. However, I am aware that I have had limited experience of working autonomously within the multidisciplinary team and intend to take the opportunity as a management student with delegated responsibility to enhance my knowledge and experience of joint working. In particular I will ensure that I take a lead role in multidisciplinary review meetings as a named nurse. However, I will ensure that I have adequate supervision from my mentor and other senior nursing staff to enable me to perform the role to the level of my responsibilities. Evaluation Weaver (2008) states that SWOT is an effective tool for reflection of a persons values, interests, priorities and effectiveness of their practice by means of self-evaluation. It has also been identified as an effective way of recognizing an individuals strengths and weaknesses, and examining the opportunities and threats that a person encounters (Pearce 2007). This therefore is an effective tool to evaluate a Personal Development Plan. Makinson (2001) highlights that by preparing a personal SWOT it helps to identify and analyse the current situation, the relevant features, circumstances and resources applicable to a personal development plan Amar (2003) suggests that the outcomes of learning and the process of learning can be evaluated by identifying learning needs using questionnaires, clinical audit, and patient satisfaction questionnaires. Rucker (2003) stresses the importance of timely feedback as a requisite for effective professional development. For both development areas namely Integrated Care Pathways and Multidisciplinary working I will utilize feedback from my mentor within the ward. However (Mumford 1998) highlights that although a mentor can enhance the acquisition of knowledge this will be dependent on their own level of knowledge. I will therefore supplement this by utilizing the knowledge base of other members of staff I encounter within my next placement area achieving (NMC proficiency 4.1 and 4.2) by sharing my knowledge and experience and identifying any deficiencies in my practice and seeking guidance on this. This would be achieved by ensuring that my NMC learning objectives were achieved and by ensu ring that my mentor was aware of the Personal Developed Plan in (Appendix 3). I will also utilize verbal feedback from the patient as I would be limited in respect of using questionnaires due my student status, time limitations and possible ethical issues. However, in the long term I would hope to utilize this method as a qualified practitioner to ensure that I was achieving my objectives with regard to the quality of patient care. I will also continue to utilize self-reflection as a means of improving my practice ensuring that I continue to set continuous achievable goals using the SMART framework. Annotation List 4.1 By the development of a personal development plan I identified weaknesses in my practice and demonstrated a commitment to the need for continuing professional development. 2.5 By linking theory to practice and reflecting on my own practice has enabled me develop my skills and evidence base to ensure I carry out safe practice with my patients. 2.6 Consulting with the patients named nurse about my concerns demonstrated that I identified and articulated my own emotional and psychological responses to situations with colleagues in a professional manner. Recognising my own abilities and limitations by carrying out practice in accordance with the code of professional conduct and consulting with a registered nurse when I felt the patient was not receiving the best quality of care. 2.2 By scrutinizing the patients ICP I was able to promote his health and well being throughout the meeting. 2.4 By updating the patients plan of care accordingly I had established priorities of care in partnership with the patient within the framework of informed consent. 3.2 demonstrated knowledge of effective inter-professional working by participation in the multi-disciplinary meeting presenting feedback on the patients health status. 4.2 By sharing my knowledge and skills with my colleagues and utilising my personal development plan to contribute to a climate conducive to learning. 3.3 By taking on a leadership role within my management placement, having responsibility for my own case load, I will be able to delegate duties to others, as appropriate, ensuring they are supervised and monitored. 2.3 By utilising the ICPs within the acute setting I was placed I was able to identify the physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the patient, document clinical data and take appropriate action. 2.8 By participating in the multi-disciplinary meeting I demonstrated sound clinical judgement and was able to adapt nursing care to meet the patients individual needs.

Childhood Obesity Essay -- Health Care, Diseases

"Today, about one in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese; nearly triple the rate from 1983. With good reason, childhood obesity is now the Number 1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking. If current trends continue, today’s kids could be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents" (Clinton, para. 3 2011). Children may not understand the complexities of food intake or obesity but they continue to be affected by the issue. The reality is that if a parent enables their kids to make poor eating choices as children; they will struggle as adults to make the right eating choices. Many factors contribute to childhood obesity but the major factors are living sedentary lifestyles along with poor nutrition and over consumption of fatty foods. Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English language defines obese as excessively fat; corpulent (bulkiness or largeness of body); overweight. According Charles Stuart Platkin, PhD, (2009) the child's Body Mass Index (BMI)-the number calculated from a person's weight and height- provides a reliable indicator of body fatness. A person's body fat percentage is the total weight of the person's fat divided by the person's weight and consists of essential body fat and storage body fat. A child’s BMI is calculated to asses there weight to make sure children are healthy at there current status. Based on research from the American Heart Association (2011) 23.4 million children ages two to nineteen are overweight and obese. 12.3 million of those children are males and 11.1 million are females. There is no debate about whether childhood obesity is a problem in the United States. The debate should begin with ackno... ...mputer or playing video games" (Childhood Obesity, 2011, p. 1) Considering a child is in school for approximately six to seven hours a day and is playing video games or watching TV four to five hours a day there is very little time left for physical activity that often gets neglected. Obesity often appears with children who consume far more calories than they can burn off. . It would take an averaged sized person, running at a pace of 10 minutes per mile, one hour to burn off all 620 calories consumed in the mighty mcnugget meal at McDonald’s. (Natural bodybuilding, 2011) Kids nowadays prefer watching SpongeBob Square Pants or nickelodeons cartoon network verse taking part in outdoor activities. An easy resolution in avoiding obesity issues among young children is to make time everyday for active activities and limit the amount of time the child sit stationery.

Pyramids and Ziggurats

Pyramids and ziggurats both provide archeologists with a great deal of information about the ancient cultures that constructed them. When comparing The Great Pyramids of Egypt with The Ziggurats of Mesopotamia and the Mesoamerican Pyramids, the differences between them are more apparent than the similarities that they share. The structures only appear to be similar. Both have the general form of a pyramid. Some other similarities shared by these structures can be interpreted from a religious context of those who had them erected and what role they served for the society.Among the differences are their usage, how they were decorated, their designs, and the materials used in their construction. The Egyptian pyramids were built as the final resting place for the pharaoh. It was also where the Pharaohs possessions were kept for him to enjoy in the afterlife. What has been found inside of these tremendous pyramids are precise layouts. For example, page 51 in our first book shows a diagram of the pyramid and inside each of them is a narrow shaft that extends from the deepest chamber to the outside. Coincidentally it is aligned with the North Star.The Great Pyramids are quite interesting. The stones are so tight that you cannot even put a knife in between the stones. It makes you think how could this be possible? It makes you think how did these pyramids get built? Some might say that they were moved on wooden sleds, but it is quite hard to imagine how they constructed something on this scale. While it is true that the forced labor of war prisoners was a common practice at the time, most people agree that the humongous labor force used in building the pyramids consisted of workers from throughout Egypt as it states in our book.Another interesting fact is that they are also perfectly square and they are aligned almost precisely with a compass. So really the main purposes of these pyramids were to have a resting place for their Pharaohs as they entered the afterlife. Th e pyramids of Mesoamerica also had their dead buried inside just as the Maya had done as mentioned in Book III on page 105. Unlike the Ancient Egyptian pyramids, these pyramids are better known for serving as altars or bearers of sacrificial offerings. Like the ancientEgyptians, the early civilizations of Mesoamerica were involved in agriculture and their lives depended on how successful the harvest is. Because of this, both the Mayans and the Aztecs preformed human sacrifice as part of agricultural renewal. The temples had a long stair-stepped design that shows their purpose. The stepped design isn’t the only difference from the pyramids of ancient Egypt, but it was also the function they served in the society. These were temples to gods, and each one had a staircase topped with a temple.The Mesoamerican pyramids were the heart and center of the city and community. Its main focus was to serve as religious ceremonies and civic ceremonies unlike the Egyptians which had their p yramids away from the villages. The Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan was designed to represent certain astronomical events providing a link between the culture and the universe. If you look at the Pyramid of the Sun compared to the pyramids in Egypt, it is exactly the same size in terms of base as the great pyramid, but its height is roughly half the size of the great pyramids.It is actually more similar to the Mesopotamian Ziggurats than the Ancient Egyptians Pyramids. Ziggurats are a lot like the Mesoamerican pyramids, with their stair-stepped shape and temple tops. But ziggurats were not places of worship to the Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians that built them, they were the gods’ actual homes. In fact, only the priests could enter. And while South American pyramids have long staircases, ziggurats have ramps and steps. Many ziggurats also had seven tiers, representing the seven known planets or the seven heavens.For the most part, the ziggurats that still exist can b e found mainly in Iran and Iraq. Ziggurats and pyramids do greatly differ with function and purpose. As I had stated, Pyramids were thought to be the final resting places of the pharaohs. Ziggurats, however, were built to house the gods. Because of this, only special priests were allowed to go inside the ziggurats. Ziggurats also function as a retreat spot for the priest in case of a flood at the ground level. It also is a complete temple with dwelling places, storages, and courtyards.Zigguratss have steps and ramps with its sides receding. They pyramids have a long stretch of staircases as the Mesoamerican pyramids demonstrated and smoother sides, as the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids showed. The Ziggurats do lack internal chambers unlike the Egyptian Pyramids. The Ziggurats have seven layers that represent the seven planets of heaven. Studying these ancient structures gives us a chance to take a look at the past. It is amazing how these feats of engineering survived this long.Because o f this, we are able to look at the civilizations that built them and how they incorporated these structures into their society. For Ancient Egyptians, it was for the deceased pharaohs as they made their journey to the afterlife. For the Mesoamericans, it was for religious purposes and agricultural renewal. And last for the Mesopotamians, it served as a house where the gods lived. These structures were a representation of the whole universe to these people. It is hard to compare with anything that we have now.

Dead Man Walikng essays

Dead Man Walikng essays In Tim Robbins Dead Man Walking we are introduced to a caring nun, Sister Helen Prejean, who receives a desperate letter from a death row inmate, Matthew Ponsulate, trying to find help to avoid execution for murder. The audience becomes enveloped in their story as we are shown, over the course of the time until the convict's death, the troubling issues and emotions with which Sister Prejean is faced. She becomes empathetic and agrees to become this mans spiritual advisor until the day of his execution. As the days continue to count down, we join the characters in their desperate attempt to receive a stay of execution from the court. Throughout their struggle we also become aware of discontent coming from the parents of the victims. They are absolutely outraged at the idea that a nun would be protecting such a monster. Despite their views, she continues to reach out to Matthew and assist him on his way to salvation. In the end, she must decide how she will deal with the paradox of car ing for the condemned man while at the same time understanding the hideousness of his crimes. The characters and setting of this play were among some of the most unique I have seen in onstage performances. The simplicity of the props and background is what I feel made it so interesting. They allowed the audience to more intensely focus on the characters and the action of the play without being too distracted by fancy backdrops or extravagant lighting. There was also a fantastic use of film throughout the production. On the prison-like backdrops, scenes were flashed from the brutal crime, gradually revealing the truth about the events that had occurred. This gave the audience an omniscient role in the play. The characters themselves, I thought, were portrayed in a manner such that one could truly connect with their feelings and intentions. In the case of Sister Prejean, the audience could easily recognize that she had nothing but the best of ...

Beginning Psychology Essay

Beginning Psychology Essay Beginning Psychology Essay 1. Define "psychology." - The scientific study of mind and behavior. 2. Explain why using intuition about everyday behavior is insufficient for completely understanding the causes of behavior. - There are a variety of biases that often influence our perceptions and lead us to make the wrong conclusions. 3. What are empirical methods? What is the scientific method? How do the two relate? Empirical method is a way to collect and organize data and draw conclusions, like trial and error. Scientific method is one form of empirical. Scientific method is set rules and procedures that scientists use to conduct empirical methods. 4. Name the three levels of explanation (perspectives) in psychology, and the process underlying each one. Give an example of each related to success in college. Lower – biological / A person born to very intelligent parents would be more likely to be successful in college. Middle – interpersonal / A parent can teach their child how important it is to study and encourage good grades. Higher – cultural / Other countries are more aggressive with teaching and how much time children spend at school and have higher expectations from their students. 5. List and define the four challenges of studying psychology. Individual differences – Each person is unique. One person could go into a deep depression after losing a loved one while another grieves and moves on displaying only slight symptoms of depression. Multiply determined – There is rarely just one reason for certain human behavior (violence, child abuse). Linked causes – The causes of certain behaviors are often linked so that is it difficult or impossible to decipher which reason has the most effect. Unconscious processes - Reasons we are unaware of, one example is repressed memories. 6. List and define the five most important questions that psychologists address. Nature vs. nurture – The difference between what is inherited (genes) and our environment. Free will vs. determinism – The difference between having control over one’s own actions or more influenced by factors out of one’s control. Accuracy vs. inaccuracy – The determination that people have the ability to make good decision when those decisions could actually be effected by personal preferences and biases. Conscious vs. unconscious processing – to be aware of what is causing our actions as opposed to being unaware of why we sometimes act the way we do. Differences vs. similarities – Are there differences between men and women? Differences because of culture or ethnicity? Or are we all basically the same? 7. What is structuralism, developed by Wundt? What method did structuralists use to study the mind? What were the limitations of that method? What are the two â€Å"firsts† accredited to structuralists? Structuralism is the study of the conscious psychological elements. Structuralists used introspection, participants explained their experiences while completing tasks. The limitations were that instances where participants could not explain how they came up with answers for a simple math problem, the unconscious process. The realization of the unconscious process was one â€Å"first†. Another â€Å"first† was that Wundt discovered it took a person longer to report a stimulus rather than just respond to it. 8. What is functionalism, developed by James? What field of psychology developed out of functionalism? What is the major imitation of that field? Functionalism was to figure out why animals and humans develop particular psychological aspects. The field of evolutionary psychology developed from functionalism. Its major limitation is that we cannot predict which psychological characteristics our ancestors possessed. 9. What is the field of psychology that Freud developed? What is the general influence of this approach? What central ideas from that field are still important to psychology today? The field Freud developed was psychodynamic

Sub Prime Lending Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sub Prime Lending - Essay Example This led to a subsequent boom in housing markets in all most all parts of the world. Requirement for possessing ones' own house in the US was further fuelled by a normal liberalisation of approval standards for contributing to the growth of "teaser" loans. These loans came with relatively low primary repayment charges. Ultimately this led to the speeding up of financial conceptions which has made it possible for mortgage financing to be more easily accessible. In this dissertation we are going to examine the growth of the sub prime lending industry, and will also discus the viability of a business model for lenders. Keeping in mind the current credit crunch and sub-prime lending particularly mortgage lending; we believe that this research will attempt to lay the foundation on future research as to what may be done to rectify financial institutions in the United Kingdom. We would like to discuss the rise and fall of sub prime lending from home owners perspective also. Sub prime mortgages can be defined as residential loans that are not conforming to the Criteria for prime mortgages and so their probability of full repayment is low. This assessment is normally made according to the score and record credit of the borrower, the mortgage loan to value (LTV), and debt service to income service ratio. The advantages of sub prime lending, is that it offers homeowners who in real sense, cannot afford real estate nor do they get an opportunity for creating wealth. However, some critics of sub prime lending have argued that this benefit comes at a bigger cost, given that borrowers of sub prime loans are usually charged excessive rates which eventually fix them in default. The cost of borrower associated with a sub prime lending is normally driven by two factors, down payment and credit history requirements (Kennedy 2008 pp.12-18). In mid 1990, the country witnessed a residential real estate lending boom, with the sub prime lending expanding at a faster rate. The wall street journal reported in 2001 that the number of outstanding sub prime mortgage had tripled. According to the housing department the sub prime lending industry has grown from thirty five million in 1994 to six hundred and fifty. There are many factors that have contributed to this growth such as: increase in risk based pricing facilitated by some advances in technology, deregulation of the banking industry and an increase in capital that has been made possible by security. However, the growth is mainly attributed to an increase in security. Securitisation refers to the pooling of loans to make securities which are then sold to the secondary market. Securitisation gives lenders an excess capital that will normally not be available to make any additional loans. The legislative deregulation entrenched by government in the banking industry has also fuelled the growth of sub prime lending industry (Army 2003 pp. 124-134). The last two years (2007, 2008) are the years that are surely to be remembered as a years of turbulence, change and difficulty. The world banking systems have received trillions of funding because of the weight of their innovation. The worlds' largest economies have gone into recession with the value of the UK pound going below the value of Euro for the first time. The once vibrant credit

Does Health Policy assist in combating some of the health problems in Essay - 1

Does Health Policy assist in combating some of the health problems in United KINGDOM(DEMENTIA POLICY IN UK) - Essay Example Looking at these alarming statistics, it can be noted that incidences of dementia will only continue to grow. Attention needs to be paid to the ways in which it can become an item of national priority with comprehensible plans being laid out for public spending and service development. Dementia is most commonly found in old people, it is said that 1 in 5 people over 80 have some form of dementia while in those over the age of 65, only 1 in 20 seem to be affected (PSSRU, 2007). However, this is not to say that it cannot occur in young people, in UK, a growing number of younger populations are showing early signs of dementia. While no, one, clear factor has been identified as a cause of dementia, it is said that genetic background, lifestyle, age and medical history could lead to the initiation of dementia. The way each individual experiences dementia depends a lot on their physical upkeep, emotional quotient and family support. However, being a progressive disorder, its symptoms eventually become more rigorous as time passes. There are many varieties of dementia and they are classified depending on the different ways in which the infections affect the brain. In this paper we discuss the four major types of dementia that affect the UK population: 2. Vascular dementia is always found in persons who have suffered a stroke (it could be a single stroke or a series of small strokes). This dementia takes form when the oxygen supply to the brain fails following a stroke and brain cells die (Alzheimers Society,