A Reflective Account of Exam Preparation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

A Reflective Account of Exam Preparation - Essay Example The first step in Gibbs Reflective Cycle is the evaluation of what happened in a situation. Due to a variety of reasons, I usually find that I am doing most of my reading at the time of exam preparation- that is the latter stages of the semester. Compared to the amount of course work, the amount of time I dedicate to the studies is to a large extent not enough. This results in a situation in which I am forced to cram in the last minute rush to cover the entire scope of the course work. Consequently, my exam preparation is riddled with pressure and anxiety and thus reduction in the effectiveness of studying. To remember what one reads, they should go through a process of association, visualization and concentration, which have to be repeated severally in order to get a perfect understanding and recall capacity. Association generally involves linking the items that need to be remembered together in particular fashions or relating them to some of the things you are comfortable with in terms of memory. Visualization complements association through creating images of the items you need to remember basing on things that are familiar to you. Optimal levels of concentration are required for effectiveness to be achieved in terms of recall capacity after studying. Finally, one is required to perform repetition of the association and visualization during study in order to internalize the concepts and ensure they will be able to remember them. Dedicating the least time for my reading is clearly not enough to allow myself to undertake all these steps in their entirety and as a result I am forced to adopt cramming as a last resort method of studying. This has the effect of lowering confidence and causing anxiety, which as shall be seen later does not augur well with the exam preparation. The environment in which I study also forms the context of the event. There is usually music in the background since I prefer studying in my room, besides a host of interferences that make it difficult to concentrate. Montrose (2009) reckons that one’s study space is critical to their ability to study effectively. It should first fit your preference, be without interruptions and be comfortable enough for study. I realize that my best study mode is in a quiet place and without interruptions, two things that my room does not offer. I usually have friends coming over and causing

Moving from organisational employment to self-employment Assignment

Moving from organisational employment to self-employment - Assignment Example Therefore, Deborah and Yasmin’s career could be described as internal, that is, subjectively constructed by the individuals themselves. For instance, in the case of Deborah, she envisioned a career that she would be able to attain professional growth and at the same time provide high-quality medical care and personal attention for her patients. However, after the hospitals became more focused on financial gains than on quality service provision for patients she became disheartened. As a result, she decided to start her own nursing home where she could practice what according to her is ‘real nursing’. Hence, her career decision was based on the feelings, opinion and perspective about the value for high-quality healthcare and personal attention for patients as opposed to business-like healthcare. Similarly, Yasmin did not actually plan where she would work or what she would do, but all she envisioned was a continuous career development process that would involve acq uiring knowledge, a range of skills and experiences, and the applying these to various employment contexts. This is why she got fed up with her position at the local authority when she realized that there was no room for development and enhancement of her career, for example, she felt marginalized and powerless to make any policy changes. Therefore, her decision to go enroll for Masters course and eventually start her own consultancy firm was all based on her feelings and opinion that as an employee of the local authority she was not gaining any professional growth and career achievements. Moreover, she felt deskilled instead of gaining a range of skills, and the reason according to her perspective was that the local authority was highly politicized. Question 2 Career anchor is an individual’s self concept that consists of his/her basic values, talents and abilities, and perception of needs and motives with regard to their career. Schein identified 8 career anchors, which are security, independence, technical-functional competence, entrepreneurial creativity, service to cause, general managerial competence, pure challenge, and finally, lifestyle (Schein, 1996). It is clear these career anchors to some extent apply to Yasmin and Deborah’s accounts. For example, Deborah’s career is driven by service/dedication to cause. This is because she is determined and believes in provision of quality healthcare service, as well as personal attention of patients. Thus, her career is fulfilled by helping and satisfying the needs of other people. Deborah’s career is also driven by independence/autonomy whereby she would prefer to work under her own steam and rules to attain career achievements. Likewise, Yasmin’s career is also driven by Schein’s career anchors to some extent, for example, she could be described as general managerial competence. This is because she is the kind of person who likes to deal with other people, thrives at responsibility and problem-solving. In addition, she values the concept of home-life balance, as well as personal time, thus, her career is driven by lifestyle career anchor. This can be clearly understood by her statement, â€Å"I mean there is work life, and there is the rest of your life, and there are your children† (Gallos, 1989, p.273). Question 3 Gallo’s quote resonates with Yasmin and Deborah’s story because it touches on several aspects that these women encountered during their career life.

Off-loading for the Prevention of Diabetic Foot Ulceration

Off-loading for the Prevention of Diabetic Foot Ulceration THE ROLE OF OFF-LOADING IN THE PREVENTION OF DIABETIC FOOT ULCERATION INTRODUCTION OF DIABETIC FOOT ULCER In the modern techno-world diabetic foot ulcer is the most common reason of lower extremity amputation which makes it highly essential that ulceration in the foot of a patient with Diabetes mellitus must be taken care of immediately or else it will lead to a more serious condition and the end result will be amputation of the leg. As stated in ‘The Lancet’ an early diagnosis is imminent as this condition has high chances of recurring even after the ulcer is treated but medical intervention can prevent amputation. Health care research has been neglecting the importance of planning and taking adequate prophylactic measures to prevent the onset of diabetic foot ulceration and treatment were being given based on clinical diagnosis and results but more importance was to be given to scientific facts and extensive studies were to be done to assess the root cause of the incidence of diabetic foot and timely measures were to be taken (1). Patients with diabetes have higher chances of getting hospitalized with foot problems and this can only be taken care of by a careful analysis by the family physician during the patients’ routine visits. Simple office tests such as the nylon filament test (2) can be performed in the office so that those patients in the risk category can be identified and prophylactic measures can be taken to prevent the ulcer from forming. This is a simple test wherein the feet are examined and the pressure is applied on certain pressure points in the feet and if the patient is not able to sense the pressure applied then he is considered at risk for developing an ulcer in the region and the doctor advises him to take extra care to prevent the ulcer from forming. In spite of seeking medical help diabetic foot ulcers often develop to more chronic conditions and lack of timely intervention to prevent this condition may lead to amputation of the lower extremities and at times may even be fatal. In a normal individual, when harmful pressure is applied on the feet making it difficult for the person to handle, then the brain sets off a pain alarm (1). But, in the case of diabetic patients, due to excessive nerve damage the sensation of pain is lost and an ulcer forms and this will be noticed only after it is too late to redeem. But, with the advent of technology and medical science off-loading helps in preventing further damages and one has to choose the right kind of off-loading modality that suit’s one’s purpose. Risk Factors for patients suffering from diabetic foot (2) 1. Nerve cell damage hence lack of pain sensation 2. Deformed foot and callus formation 3. Decreased sweating, dry, fissured skin 4. Obesity 5. Limited Joint mobility 6. Poor glucose control leading to unhealed wounds 7. Foot wear issues that can lead to skin breakdown and ulcers 8. History of foot ulcers PREVALENCE Studies conducted in the west of Ireland to assess the prevalence of diabetic foot complications show that almost 4.7% (Institute of Public health in Ireland, 2006) of the population is suffering from the debilitating disease called diabetes and out of which an increasing majority of patients are suffering from developing foot ulcers of which some of them have already undergone lower extremity amputation. Pilot studies conducted among a sizeable number of diabetes population in the west of Ireland shows that they have vascular insufficiency and have neural dysfunction in the feet. These data are to be treated with concern as these prevalent conditions are associated with increased risk of ulceration which left unattended will lead to more irreversible complications (Nather et al, 2008) (3). INCIDENCE The need of podiatric inputs in the field of diabetic foot study is necessary and for this pilot studies, researches, data cumulative study must be done to prevent incidence of diabetic foot complications in the Irish population. Pilot studies conducted on diabetic foot complications in the west of Ireland reveal that pedal neural dysfunction was detected in up to 30% of the screened population and vascular impairment in 17% of those screened (3). With timely intervention and prophylactic measures the case of diabetic foot ulcers can be controlled and with just an initial investment of podiatric clinics across the republic of Ireland the economic impact of growing incidence of diabetic foot ulcers and associated disorders that can lead to downfall of the healthcare system can be reduced and stabilized. COST In developed countries, health care resources account that diabetes-related complications are the most costly and studies conducted at St. James Hospital, Dublin reveal that the annual hospital expenditure on the treatment of diabetic foot ulceration amounted to 74,000 pounds (Smith et al., 2004). In an Irish healthcare setting, the cost of managing diabetic foot ulceration was studied and on screening of thirty patients who were admitted for diabetic foot complications it was revealed that out of the thirty, amputations were performed in eight of the patients and one died with a non-healing ulcer. The net hospital expenditure was 704,000 and an average of 23,489.63 per admission (4). IMPACT According to Dr. Canavan, almost 50% of the people with diabetes who undergo a lower limb amputation are of working age and that HSE was not channeling the financial and human resources in the health system effectively to tackle diabetes. The direct in-patient costs amount to â‚ ¬239 million (4) and this is estimated only for the hospital care and not for the cost of dressings or antibiotics. Taking all of these factors into account it has become of national economic importance to devise a national strategy to manage diabetes so that the healthcare resources need not be spent on preventable complications. Instead the financial resources must be channeled for setting up more diabetic management clinics with podiatric clinical settings and recruitment of diabetic specialists. The theoretical role of off-loading in the case of diabetes mellitus Since a diabetic patient has lost the sensation of pain it becomes difficult for the patient to identify a minor bruise that may develop into an ulcer. Pressure reduction or off-loading is essential for a patient who has just been treated for diabetic foot. Wound care is essential in case of diabetes effective management and off-loading or reducing the pressure plays a significant role in managing the healing process. There are various off-loading modalities such as the total-contact casts (TCC), removable cast walkers (RCW) and half shoes and studies have been conducted to compare the effectiveness to heal neuropathic foot ulcerations in diabetic individuals (5). Although less commonly used than RCW and half shoes the results reveal that TCC is better than the other two off-loading modalities and TCC heals comparatively higher number of wounds in a shorter duration of time (6). Customized therapeutic footwear is manufactured to suit the individual needs taking into account the defor mity and the pressure points. Published studies reveal that TCC are a better option compared to other modalities but clinical skill is essential for its application (7). But another factor that is to be taken into consideration is that removable cast walkers enable daily wound inspection and timely care for the wound which is difficult in the former modality. However, one can conclude that wounds on the posterior heal cannot be treated with TCC although it has significant healing percentage. The best feature of RCW is paradoxically its disadvantage (8). Since this is removable it has the disadvantage of forced adherence which is taken care of by TCC which makes it a better alternative to treat neuropathic foot. Evidence of Impact of off-loading High risk diabetic feet is often prone to deformities and offloading of these feet is essential to prevent its recurrence. Diabetic foot ulcer has high chances of recurring even after healing if proper care is not taken to prevent its occurrence. The diabetic feet has certain high risk locations and research on clinical trials by Arts et al. show that highest success rates were seen at previous ulceration areas and Charcot feet whereas forefoot deformities showed the lowest success rates. Studies comparing the effectiveness of RCW and instant TCC showed comparable results in the healing of foot ulcers. In this study it was concluded that a significantly higher proportion of people using the TCC healed faster when compared to those using the RCC. Pressure reduction using the advancement in medical technology will be the corner stones of treatment so that lower extremity amputations can be avoided (9). Discussion Studies reveal that Ireland has the minimum number of podiatrists and hence effective management of diabetes foot is not possible. Effective measures must be taken to ensure that more qualified medical professionals specializing in this field must be recruited and diabetic foot clinics are set up where clinical tests like nylon filament tests are conducted for patients during their routine check-up in order to ensure that they are not at risk and counseling must be provided to create their awareness about foot ulcers and the risk factors associated with lower extremity amputation. According to the present scenario the current national and international guidelines (NICE, 2004; IDF, 2009; SIGN, 2010) advise that diabetic patients must receive a comprehensive annual foot examination and this must be done on a regular basis. Conclusion A team approach by the family physician and relatives is essential to creating a general awareness for the patient to improve foot hygiene and nail care. In addition to this the patient must understand that routine checkups are necessary and the doctor must also perform frequent foot examinations during the routine visits. Early detection is the key to controlling the incidence of this condition and ensuring the medical practitioners take adequate measures to do a routine examination during every hospital visit. Effective management of diabetic foot ulceration has a positive economic impact on the Irish health care budget and the health care system must take preventive measures to provide prophylactic care to diabetic patients and effective measures to educate the patients about pedal hygiene and its importance. Taking into account the importance of podiatry input in effective management of diabetic foot the manpower deficit in the country of Ireland must be accounted for and fullâ⠂¬â€œtime podiatrists (90-100) must be assigned to the country to manage diabetes related complications. REFERENCES William JJ and Prof Keith JH. Diabetic foot Ulcers. The Lancet 2003; 361: 1545–51. David GA and Lawrence A.L. Diabetic Foot Ulcers: Prevention, Diagnosis and Classification. Am Fam Physician 1998; 57(6): 1325-32. Sarah et al. Prevalence of Diabetic foot complication in the West of Ireland: A pilot study. The Diabetic Foot Journal 2010; 13(2):82-91. Smith D, Cullen MJ and Nolan JJ. The cost of managing diabetic foot ulceration in an Irish hospital. Irish Journal of Medical Science 2004; 173(2): 89-92. Adler AI, Boyko EJ, Ahroni JH and Smith DJ. Lower-extremity amputation in diabetes. E independent effects of peripheral vascular disease, sensory neuropathy and foot ulcers. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/6/1019.full Gerit M, David A, Susie S. Standard, Appropriate, and Advanced Care and Medical Legal Considerations: Part one – Diabetic Foot Ulcerations. Wounds 2003:15(4) Armstrong DG, Lavery LA. Evidence-based options for offloading diabetic wounds. Clin Podiatr Med Surg 1998; 15:95-104 Stephanie W and David A. Managing the diabetic foot: treatment, wound care and off-loading techniques. Diabetes Voice 2005; 50 (Special Issue):29-32. Armstrong DG, Lavery LA, Wu S, Boulton AJ. Evaluation of removable and irremovable cast walkers in the healing of diabetic foot wounds: a randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care 2005; 28: 551-4.

So Long A Letter by Mariama Ba and Blood Wedding by Frederico Garcia Lo

"So Long A Letter" by Mariama Ba and "Blood Wedding" by Frederico Garcia Lorca Thesis: Characters that cause immense pain to another, especially to their consorts, succumb to death in the texts So Long A Letter and Blood Wedding by Mariama Bà ¢ and Federico Garcà ­a Lorca respectively. Death is one aspect of life that prevents a person from being invincible. It is one of the inevitable occurrences that a man has to yield to. In the texts So Long A Letter and Blood Wedding by Mariama Bà ¢ and Federico Garcà ­a Lorca respectively, death is a poignant theme that has prevailed throughout the course of the text. The question is whether the deaths of characters in these texts are deserved, and devised by the authors due to the immense pain dispensed by these characters to their consorts. Firstly, So Long A Letter by Mariama Bà ¢ which is a letter cum diary from Ramatoulaye to her best friend Aissatou depicts the series of events that have taken place in the past, mainly portraying the lamentation of three women (Ramatoulaye, Aissatou and Jacqueline) due to their husbands’ lack of commitment. Moreover, this text outlines the Senegalese way of living and how the Muslim society accepts polygamy readily. As we read the text, we are introduced to Modou Fall, the husband to Ramatoulaye, who died of an unknown cause. In my opinion, his death was destined due to the everlasting pain he dispensed to his wife. This is because of his â€Å"abrupt decision to take a second wife† and his abandonment of his family. This was a very appalling situation as Modou walked out on Ramatoulaye and his twelve children to go and improve relations with a girl the age of his daughter. Although he married her committing polygamy which was sanc... ...trated mood the Mother is in since she has lost all her family members now including her ultimate hope of survival: her son, the Bridegroom. Accordingly, I perceive that the Bridegroom deserved to die as he dispensed pain and grief not only to the Bride but also to his mother. All in all, we have seen that the statement ‘characters that cause immense pain to another, especially to their consorts, succumb to death’ is apt. Moreover, it can be learnt form this piece of work that the consequence of the action you perform will be commensurate to the intensity of that action. Therefore, Modou Fall, Leonardo and the Bridegroom all deserved to succumb to death. Last but not the least, it can be noted that all the characters that cause immense pain to others in both the texts are the male characters while the recipients of such pain are the female characters.

Examination – Advantages & Disadvantage

Eating/Drinking: Establishment Name (egg. Lotus Restaurant) Type of establishment (Restaurant/Cafe/Bar/Pub/Tavern) Timings Dcord (interiors, theme, lighting, ambiance) Cuisine Served Conference/Banquet Rooms: Conference Rooms Room Size (square feet)Facilities Available (secretarial services, audio-visual equipment) Other Details: 24-hour front desk Air-condition public areas Airport transport- surcharge Airport transportation free Arcade/game room ATM/banking Audio-visual equipment Banquet facilities Bar/lounge Barbecue grill(s) Suitable for children Beauty Services Breakfast services Casino Catering Babysitting or child care Business center Cell phone rental Clubhouse Coffee shop or cafe Complimentary Newspapers Complimentary breakfast Computer rental Spa services nearby Spa services on site – Free Golf camps GardensConcierge Boating Dance performances Travel counter Swimming pool Library Safari Book Shop Night club Luggage storage Backup generator Jacuzzi Wedding services Tr anslation services Currency exchange Doorman Elevator/lift Exhibit space Express check-in/check-out Fireplace in lobby Fitness equipment Floor butler Front desk Full-service health spa Gift shops or newsstand Grocery Health club Internet access-complementary Internet access-dial-up Internet access-high-speed Internet access-surcharge Internet access-wireless Laundry facilities Limousine service available Marina on siteMassage-treatment room(s) Medical services Meeting room(s) small groups Microwave in lobby Multilingual staff Nightclub Number of floors Parking(free) Parking(secure) Parking(surcharge) Parking(valet) Parking garage Parking nearby Patio-property Picnic area Pool Table Poolside Bar Porter/bellhop Private beach Restaurant Room service Room service(24 hours) Room service(limited hours) Safe deposit box-front desk Sauna Secretarial services Security guard Shoe shine Shopping on site Ski shuttle Ski storage Ski-in/ski-out Smoke-free property Spa services on site. .

Explain what Jean-Paul Sartre meant by the statement “Man is condemned to be free”. Essay

Jean-Paul Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher and was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy. His major philosophical work, â€Å"Being and Nothingness† and his famous talk, â€Å"Existentialism is a Humanism†, is where he emphasised the statement â€Å"Man is condemned to be free†. The statement appears to be a juxtaposition of language because ‘freedom’ often has positive connotations while ‘condemned’ provides the opposite feeling. Sartre used the term ‘condemned’ as he believed we have no choice in the matter of being free, and being free (even if against our will) means we are responsible for all our actions. Being responsible for our actions – without having a choice about being free to choose – is a form of condemnation. Us having to accept full responsibility for our actions includes us not being able to blame those around us – such as family, teachers and the gov ernment – for our situation. In summary, man is condemned because â€Å"he did not create himself, yet is nevertheless at liberty, and from the moment that he is thrown into this world he is responsible for everything he does† (Kaufmann). In the face of this responsibility, many humans turn to religion. This allows us to feel answerable to a higher being. However, Sartre was not a believer in God; this could be because of the atrocities he witnessed first-hand during the Second World War while serving in the French army. His experiences taught him that â€Å"God is silent in the face of absurdity and horror. Because of this we are condemned to face life alone and with this comes absolute freedom and the chilling responsibility that comes with it.† If God truly doesn’t exist then our actions aren’t really limited by His prophecies, commandments and morals; God cannot legitimise our behaviour, or justify it, or cause it. We are ultimately responsible for our actions with no one to answe r because we have chosen them on our own, out of our freedom. Traditionally, freedom is seen as ‘good’. Sartre on the other hand describes freedom to be a kind of  burden because as God does not exist we are â€Å"without excuse† and we â€Å"can’t find anything to depend on†. Sartre illustrates his belief using the example of the paper cutter. When considering a paper cutter, we would assume that the creator had a plan (an essence) for it. Due to there being no creator of humans, we have no essence. This means that our actions and behaviour cannot be explained by referencing human nature, instead we are necessarily fully responsible for our actions. The essence or nature of a paper cutter is to cut paper; this is the purpose the maker of it had in mind. However, there was no maker or creator of human beings so we can’t refer to what we are meant to do. There is only what we choose to do. â€Å"We are left alone, without excuse.† To decide whether we are or are not â€Å"condemned to be free† it makes sense to decide whether our actions are truly free or if they may in fact be determined. Psychologists such as Sigmund Freud believe our early years have an impact on our future actions. Freud claimed that our moral actions are often caused by repressed or subconscious memories or feelings stemming from childhood. Also, B.F. Skinner said that we cannot be held morally responsible for behaviour determined by our psychological makeup because we could not have chosen to behave differently. Other thinkers, including Thomas Sowell, argue that our actions are in line with our social conditioning. We then follow a sociologically determined path set by our upbringing, education and social groups etc. Libertarianism has the major flaw of not taking into account our experiences when making decisions and when forming our morality. For instance, it is arguable that Sartre believed what he did because of the experiences he had during the war, not because of his freedom. Another valid argument is that genetics determine physical and behavioural aspects of humanity. All of these viewpoints state that humans are not free to choose and our lives and personalities are already determined (by our past experiences, psychological makeup, socialisation and genetics). There is truth in these theories and so they take credit away from Sartre’s belief that â€Å"man is condemned to be free† because they show that there are aspects of our lives where we aren’t free to choose. This means, in addition, that our responsibility is lessened somewhat as some of our actions are already determined for us. On the other hand, Sartre’s ideas are potentially credible. We have all had experiences where the need to choose between multiple actions has caused us emotional turmoil. It is  unlikely that in these s ituations we can avoid having to come to a decision. Although we are free to make this choice, we are in a way forced to make it. So, Sartre’s claim of humans being condemned or damned to be free does not appear so ludicrous. Even when we ask someone for assistance with an ethical dilemma it is not their answer that determines our solution and consequent action. It is our choice to ask them in the first place and usually we already know what they are going to say; we then decide whether to follow their advice. This again shows the extent of our freedom of choice and the lack of determining factors to suppress this ‘condemning’ freedom. In conclusion, Sartre examined the daunting nature of decision making and unlimited freedom. The moral responsibility we have in the case of absolute freedom is crippling and causes great despair. However, this approach could be incorrect because there are aspects of our lives and makeup that influence our behaviour. If an action is determined by factors outside our control, we may no t have the moral responsibility for it. From this viewpoint we are not condemned to freedom but it instead allows us some input into our behaviour and therefore our lives.

Information technology has improved society essays

Information technology has improved society essays The purpose of this essay is to prove that Information Technology (IT) has improved society. I will do this by showing ways that Information Technology has improved safety in society, through the prediction of possible dangers, and as a direct result prevention of injury and loss of life. Society in general is far too broad for the purpose of the essay and must be quantified. For this fact, I have chosen to only look at societies that I consider similar to the one that I live in. I will label them as first world, western societies. Society to me, and for what I believe to be generally accepted, is different groups of people living together. These groups may have different belief systems, values, tastes, religions and so forth, but they all share the same view of reality that determines what they believe to be right and wrong, proper or reprehensible. IT has enabled society to predict imminent disaster and to give enough warning to prevent injury and save lives. The prediction of danger improves safety by warning people who may be exposed to it, and giving emergency services time to prepare when it happens. Through implementation of early warning systems and the use of other IT such as telephone, television, radio and so forth, we are able to warn of the danger and evacuate people in the path of a storm, flood or fire, or warn people of the risk of a tornado. A good example of how IT could have been used to prevent a resulting disaster, was in 1972, Buffalo Creek, West Virginia. A burst dam resulted in a roaring flood, which killed people and destroyed buildings. (Sullivan Today with the use of IT, new methods have been implemented that would avert this kind of danger and resulting loss of life. Data from sensors is feed into computers to monitor water levels and vibrations in dam walls. Satellite images are used to forecast heavy rain that could result in the dam filling quickly. With the use of these...