A Psychological Review of The Yellow Wallpaper

Mental health problems surround each and every person, and it is up to each person to cope in their own ways, in order to reduce the pain that they may feel. Psychological criticisms look at the mind and the behaviors of the characters throughout the story. In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the protagonist suffers from mental health problems, and not only must cope with this, but must also cope with her husband and the environment he has placed her in to facilitate her rehabilitation. Gilman depicts a husband trying to cure his wife of her depression by letting her rest alone, however, this has the opposite effect by further exacerbating her illness and her psychosis. Her environment, with the yellow wallpaper, can be seen as the reason for this mental decline by looking at her illness, coping styles and the symbolism throughout the story. Gilman presents the protagonist as a woman whose mental health is declining throughout the entire story, and whose illness has developed into something far more serious than it was originally. Depression can be seen in the narrator’s case through journal entries such as, â€Å"I cry at nothing, I cry at everything† (491). Through the several mentions of a baby, and the narrator as being unable to care for this baby, it seems as though the hysteria to which her husband was referring could be due to postpartum depression. Although it makes the unnamed narrator nervous to not be able to take care of the baby, she eventually sees that it is far better this way, when she says â€Å"I never thought of it before, but it is lucky that John kept me here after all; I can stand it so much easier than a baby, you see† (489, 492). If the narrator’s illness began as a case of depression, it certainly develops into something far more serious. Through her journal entries, her hallucinations or visualizations of other women in the yellow wallpaper can be seen. â€Å"Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind, and sometimes only one, and she crawls around fast, and her crawling shakes it all over,† depicts the narrator as seeing women, not only in the wallpaper, but also outside in the garden (495). These hallucinations, along with her bvious preoccupation and obsessive nature towards the yellow wallpaper as the sole topic in her journal entries, can be seen as development into a case of schizophrenia. Freud’s theory of the personality being divided into the conscious and the subconscious mind can also be addressed within this story. Through the language Gilman uses when the narrator begins to tear down the paper, â€Å"I pulled and she shook. I shook and she pulled†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (4 96), the struggle between the conscious and subconscious can be seen. As well, the personification of the wallpaper through this language, such as when she is beginning to rip it down and â€Å"it enjoys it† and â€Å"shrieks† (496), can further demonstrate the psychosis to which the narrator is going into. Through Gilman’s use of plot and language, it is seen that the narrator’s mental health is declining every day even if she, or her husband, does not notice it; different coping styles are used in order to deal with this evident mental decline. From a psychological perspective, there are many coping mechanisms that can be used when dealing with mental health problems or issues, and in the story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† there are different views towards these different coping strategies. John, the narrator’s husband, believes that the narrator, suffering from â€Å"temporary nervous depression,† should be â€Å"forbidden to ‘work’,† while she believes that â€Å"congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me [her] good† (487, 488). There are also differences in the attitudes towards the narrator writing in her journal. For many people, writing or doing other creative activities, can be an excellent coping strategy, however, this is not what John thinks; as the narrator says; â€Å"he hates to have me write a word† (489). The unnamed protagonist writes despite the objections to her doing so, as it creates an outlet for her and â€Å"it would relieve the press of ideas and rest me† (490). Through this alone, the difference in coping styles can be seen. There is also a difference in how the husband and wife deal with the wife’s illness within themselves. Freud contended that there are many defense mechanisms that humans use to cope with their own problems, such as repression, regression, denial and suppression. Throughout the story, both the narrator and John use these defense mechanisms. At first, the narrator can be seen as displaying repression – there is no known reason for her to be sick, nor does she tell the readers any reason. John begins to treat his wife like a child of his own, instead of an adult woman, through his overprotective nature and words like â€Å"blessed little goose† and â€Å"little girl† (489, 492), which may be an example of regression. Near the end of the story, although the narrator is still suffering from the hallucinations, she expresses denial when she thinks she is â€Å"feeling so much better† (494) and her neurotic obsessions with the wallpaper can be attributed to her suppressing other facets of her life. Both John and his wife display many differences in coping styles when it comes to the narrator’s mental health problems, and this may prolong the illness; the symbolism in the story illustrates the problems that she is trying to cope with. Gilman’s use of symbolism throughout the story of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† depicts the problems that the narrator is trying to cope with. The narrator’s reaction to the color of the wallpaper can be interpreted as a symbol for her life, with her statement â€Å"no wonder the children hated it† (489); the hideous colored wallpaper being a symbol for her dreary and sad life. The wallpaper is very symbolic, even in terms of its design. First, the narrator describes the pattern after she studies the curves as they â€Å"suddenly commit suicide – plunge off in outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard-of contradictions† (489) which can symbolize her mental health destroying her and the contradictions she is facing in herself. By night, the pattern â€Å"becomes bars† and the â€Å"woman behind it is as plain as can be† (493). The bars allude to her feelings of entrapment in the room, the house, in her marriage with her overprotective husband, and even within her life. Even the plain woman behind the bars that the narrator sees can be seen as another manifestation of herself. The fact that the author decided to keep the narrator unnamed, may exemplify these feelings of unimportance or anonymity even further. Ultimately, when the narrator locks herself in the room to tear off the wallpaper yelling, â€Å"I’ve got out at last†¦and I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back! † (497), symbolizes her pursuit of freedom from the cage of her life. The symbolism that Gilman conveys throughout the story is a very important aspect when looking at the psychology of the protagonist, and the development of her mental health. Mental health problems are clearly evident for the protagonist in the story of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† and by looking at this illness, coping styles, and at the symbolism throughout the story, the development of these problems can be seen; while her husband is putting in his efforts to cure her of this problem by allowing her to rest, he is really worsening the issues. Each person has different ways of coping with issues that have been thrown at them, and it is up to each individual person to figure out what these coping strategies are, rather than being forced into certain methods. Mental health problems are ubiquitous, and coping styles for these problems are extremely diverse; but pain can be reduced, it just takes personal strength.

James Alan MCPherson- Personal Life

When one begins to look Into the life of James Alan McPherson you find a very common story among people of his time. Born In 1943 In the south, he lived during a time of segregation. He worked numerous odd Jobs while going to a Catholic school to help support his mother and siblings when his father developed a drinking problem and was jailed. McPherson felt that his father had abandoned his family and that it was his responsibility to help support them in his father's absence. His father had found it difficult to be licensed as an electrician even though he was a master electrician.Since he was a black man, he was repeatedly denied his license due to his race. McPherson left Georgia and continued to work at various Jobs as well as to continue his education. In 1 962 he was a server on the Great Northern Railroad while he attended school in Baltimore at Morgan State University. He graduated in 1965 from Morris Brown College. From there he went to Harvard Law School and University of Iowa. With his formal education completed he had Hue and Cry published In 1969. McPherson married and moved to San Francisco In 1974 to teach at the university ofSanta Cruz. He remained there for 2 years before moving on to teach at the university of Valhalla. Throughout his teaching career he continued to write and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1978. He was the first African-American to win the award. Rather than being excited and speaking to people about the award, he hid out and avoided people. He found no joy in the fact that he had won; instead he feared the reactions of his white counterparts. He was afraid their reactions since he was winning â€Å"their† award. In 1979 McPherson wife gave birth to a daughter, Rachel.He and his wife .NET through an unpleasant divorce. He tried to gain custody of his daughter through the courts but was not successful. During Earache's childhood visits, they would go to Disneyland and visit friends throughout the united States. During this tim e McPherson felt that he needed to spend his time parenting his daughter. During her childhood he TLD publish any works. Instead he worked behind the scenes. When Rachel started college he began to publish hills work again since he felt like he was free to do so. McPherson writing reflects the total of his life experiences.He is able to draw upon those experiences with segregation and the changes that he has seen through his lifetime. Works Cited Henry, DeWitt. â€Å"About James Alan McPherson. † 2012. Www. Shares. Org. 12 04 2014 . James Alan MCPherson- Personal Life By clansman When one begins to look into the life of James Alan McPherson you find a very common story among people of his time. Born in 1943 in the south, he lived during a and was Jailed. McPherson felt that his father had abandoned his family and that it continue his education. In 1962 he was a server on the Great Northern Railroad while f Iowa.With his formal education completed he had Hue and Cry published in 1969. McPherson married and moved to San Francisco in 1974 to teach at the University of University of Virginia. Throughout his teaching career he continued to write and won people. He found no Joy in the fact that he had won; instead he feared the reactions would go to Disneyland and visit friends throughout the United States. During this During her childhood he didn't publish any works. Instead he worked behind the scenes. When Rachel started college he began to publish his work again since he felt

Thomas Jefferson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Thomas Jefferson - Essay Example The purpose of education is to enlighten and promote inquiry. Religion has an antithetical purpose. It closes the mind, discourages inquiry and promotes dogmatism. As Jefferson writes, the churchmen who taught him betrayed a deeper interest in "how many angels could dance on the head of a pin" while they should have taught their students "how to make that pin work better for mankind." The implication here is that religion in the classroom and churchmen as teachers will not promote investigative inquiry and may stifle students' natural curiosity. Jefferson advocates a practical approach to education, one which will teach students that which they need for their own intellectual maturation and that which the nation itself requires for its development and advancement. With that objective in mind, Jefferson first proposes "general diffusion of knowledge," as in the provision of public education to all citizens. Within the context of public education, the subjects which should be taught are reading, writing, arithmetic and history. Beyond the parameters of a curriculum whose goal is the promotion of numerical and linguistic literacy, Jefferson proposes that the more advanced, the more talented of the students receive a higher education at the expense of the taxpayers. The subjects which should be taught should be reflective of enlightenment and reason. These subjects are "anatomy, medicine, modern languages, and science." The selection of these subjects is predicated on Jefferson's belief that they promote practical and useful kn owledge. Opposed to the "tyranny of the traditional curriculum," Jefferson's education plan revolves around three core objectives. The first is the propagation of knowledge for the purposes of developing a literate, knowledgeable populace who is capable of constructively contributing to the nation's growth and advancement. The second is a more intensive and focused period of higher education, provided at the taxpayers' expense, to those who have displayed intellectual talent and who have the potential to constructively contribute to national advancement. The subjects that these students will be taught are practical, useful and determined by their inclinations. The third core principle upon which Jefferson's education plan is founded is the exclusion of religion from educational system in response to the "tyranny of religious dogma" and the extent to which it functions as an obstacle to the promotion of investigative inquiry, knowledge and critical thinking. It need be noted that despite the fact that Jefferson's own educational experience left much to be desired, his education was typical of his peers. At first, he was educated by his father and taught basic literacy and survival skills. Following that, he was educated in a family schoolhouse by both secular and teachers and churchmen. At this point, his education was traditional and focused on the classics. As he explains, fear was the primary motivator in his education; fear of being beaten by his teacher. Added to that, from Jefferson's perspective, his education, while typical of that of his contemporaries, was impractical. In commentary upon the stated, one may affirm the validity of Jefferson's evaluation of the educational system of his time. Besides diffusing knowledge, education is supposed to broaden the mind and contribute to the development

Visit to a place of worship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visit to a place of worship - Essay Example In this way we can ease our minds of anxiety, fear, and care. Although salvation does not depend on going to church, and a Bible is not necessary to get to heaven—a personal interest in Christ is the one thing needful; yet there is no denying that our edification in public worship depends greatly on the kind of prayers that are prayed. for what we require for our physical and spiritual well-being. It is true, as our Lord says, that our heavenly Father knows all our needs before we pray, but he likes to hear us ask him and turn to him with our petitions. The Bible teaches us that â€Å"every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning† (James 1:17). God is the source of every blessing and is unchanging and faithful. Since that is so, then it is clear that we must go to him for what we need, and we may go with confidence for he bids us come, and because we come in the name of his dear Son, Jesus Christ. The church main service started a little bit late than their usual time because there was a baptismal ceremony. For one to qualify to be Baptist in that church, one had to be born again and had to go for a three month course. The pastor said that those who brought their children to be baptised, they brought them as believers. The infants were baptised as the seed of godly parents, and the godparents and parents are exhorted, as believers, to pray that the child may be born again and encouraged to lay hold on the promises made. And as the child of believers, the infant when baptised, is pronounced â€Å"Regenerate†, and thanks are given for it. On that day, I realised that one of the delightful parts of worship is the singing of God’s praises. Praise is different from thanksgiving. We praise God for what he is, holy, almighty, gracious, merciful, wise, all-knowing. These are some of the attributes of God. We praise

How is Marxism relevent to today's economy Essay

How is Marxism relevent to today's economy - Essay Example It is this 'owner' / 'worker' distinction that leads to alienation as the defining feature of the workers relationship to what she produces, and to 'legitimation' as the defining apparatus of the 'owner' for purposes of maintaining power. However, Marx views history as heading inevitably toward an actual conflict between the classes. He maintains in Capital, that capitalism is structurally defined in such a way that it will implode on itself – it is structurally determined to self-destruct. At this point in Marx's theory, he goes from a 'descriptive' approach to economics to a 'prescriptive' one. It will be argued that the value of Marx in a contemporary context is his descriptive rather than his prescriptive side. His prescriptive solution which is communism, challenges some of the most basic assumptions about equality and human rights. Toward a critique of this 'prescriptive' side of Marx, this analysis will close with some of the key criticisms of Marx leveled by the econom ist, and philosopher of history and science, Karl Popper from his work titled: The Open Society and its Enemies. Thus, while the descriptive side of Marx allows us to understand the nature of 'profit' and its role in creating and perpetuating exploitive relations, his prescription or solution to this situation will be presented as fundamentally limited. Marx's descriptive history of economics remains useful while his vision for what ought to replace the 'owner/worker' status quo will be challenged in this analysis. Without question, the developed or G7 nations are moving toward more open markets or ‘freer trade’. In Europe, both the common currency and the EEC are an example of this movement, and in North America, this is exemplified both in the North American Free Trade Agreement, but also the more recent push toward establishing the Multi-lateral Agreement on Investment [Moody 117ff.]. In general, the acceptance and legitimation of these policies, is premised on the i dea that less ‘regulation’ and less government involvement with the movement and investment of capital, will stimulate the economy and in turn, create more employment. It is argued that since the mid to late 1970’s, there has been a decline in the acceptance of Keynesian economics, a theory which maintains that the government should put money directly into the hands of individuals as a means of stimulating growth. By contrast, it is now ‘accepted’ practice that government intervention is an inadequate means of stimulating this forth of economic growth, and the following will explore, both the nature of the notion of free trade for the purposes of job growth, but more importantly, focus on the ‘type’ of jobs which are being created. It will be argued that as with any form of market economy, the relationship surrounding the means of production is the determining factor with respect to the ‘control’ of capital, and in turn, fre e trade merely entails a greater polarization between those on either side of this relationship surrounding the means of production. It is the relationship surrounding the means of production that makes Marx's Capital still relevant. One of the motivating factors for ‘free trade’, and especially in the context of North America, is the aim of improving the cost efficiency of both production and distribution. This is especially true in the area of manufacturing, and is documented by some scholars, the move to free trade is similarly and

Matisse The Artist Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Matisse The Artist - Essay Example The essay "Matisse The Artist" discusses Henri Matisse and his art. This master piece is more than inspiration and a rare discovery of just how human imagination can go. Use of color is critical in expressing the view of man on the natural setting. This painting of Matisse offers a lesson about the past of visual art and origin of civilization. In this case, the painting is a lesson to successive generation on what creativity can do in reforming the socio-economic and political ideologies. The work is a sign of well-thought out application of color tone to reflect the internal feelings of the artist and provoke the emotion of the audience. The balance of color and space offers a critical role in imparting knowledge on common man about the potential of our wild imaginations. It is evident that pictures speak a thousand words and this manifests itself in this painting. The iconic aspect of Matisse as far as precision and definition of art is concerned speaks for generations to come and hold key into opening opportunities and interests for aspiring painters and sculptors. This painting explores the history of painting and significance of visual impression derived from such in-depth mental adventure. The natural look from the purity of the colors provides fulfillment and invokes the spirit of desire for art. The anesthetic effect of the painting is notable and resonates the idea of Matisse in addressing the inner view of people on the beauty of life. It is worth to note a textural variation.

How to do research project on management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

How to do research project on management - Essay Example There are numerous means of conducting qualitative research, methods such as focus groups, surveys as well as interviews. To facilitate the process of uncovering insightful findings, the author opts for a multi-method approach for a research strategy allowing for several methods of collecting the data. For the purpose of the study, surveys were used in conjunction with telephone interviews. To triangulate these primary data the author has also accessed the websites of the organizations for their core values, mission statements, messages and other secondary data as internal company records including organizational structures, annual reports etc. Such data can be â€Å"qualitatively analyzed† provided the â€Å"relevance to the study topic† is present. In designing surveys, it is important to establish the purpose of the survey and consider the key variables, which are being identified and how the data gathered will be analyzed. Having considered these aspects, 4 semi-str uctured descriptive questionnaires focusing on organizational culture, key HRM practices and two dimensions of work-related values were drawn up to facilitate the study. The questions were formed by employing relevance trees tactics keeping the focus on the key hypothesis being explored. The aim was to give proper direction to the research. The questionnaires were piloted with the aid of colleagues, so that the instruments clarity as well as effectiveness was assessed and adjustments were made to certain wording and removing technical jargon.

Nurses in Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nurses in Politics - Essay Example Public health care institutions are funded by the government that also formulate policies to govern them. Lois Capps plays a crucial role in policy setting and determination of budget in the health care sector. She understands the sector and can convince her colleagues on issues pertaining health to care. Having adequate knowledge in the health sector allows her to give a strong opinion in communities that require a professional in the field. Her experience in the field also allows her to give specific encounters that will help the other legislators understand the challenges patients and healthcare providers face in the facilities (Feldman, & Lewenson, 2000). Her contribution to successful Acts can be summed up into two major bills. The Nurse-managed Health Clinic Investment Act of 2009 and The School-Based Health Clinic Establishment Act of 2009. The two bills were cosponsored by Lois Capps and are meant to ensure that clinics run by advance practice nurses and school-based clinics to get funding from the government. Lois Capps was also a vocal supporter of the health care reform bill, which ensured Americans get access yet affordable health care (Mason, Leavitt, & Chaffee,

Comments and suggestions Essay Example for Free

Comments and suggestions Essay People at authorities from different branches may need to meet on a regular period. Travel cost for representatives is an additional expense which could be controlled by implementing an internet based intranet. This intranet must have chatting capability which can facilitate online conferences. Authorities no longer need to travel to the main office; instead they can set down in front of their computers, log on to the website and talk to each other like what they do in conventional conferences or meetings. This not only eliminates travel expense, but it also promotes confidence for each person participating the meeting or conferences. Because he is at the same location where he is assigned, he’ll be able to produce situational reports at real time when necessary, and seek previous documents that was not initially told to prepare but was necessary in the meeting proceedings. People who travel might accidentally leave some important documents behind which will only result to unsuccessful participation. File sharing through File Transfer Protocol (FTP) An FTP system included in the internet based intranet can address the problem to achieve fast and reliable file and information sharing among different branches. This is very beneficial in file sharing and retrieval. Company-specific reports generated by the different information management systems installed in different departments can be directed to its FTP system. In this manner, FYC can achieve an organized information storage system. A person authorized to collect reports from different branches no longer need to call all branches simultaneously because the reports can already be retrieved through the FTP system attached to the intranet. Plus, retrieval of these reports can be accessible within a matter of seconds depending on the speed of the internet connection and the size of the files to be retrieved. This type of collection of reports ensures consistency of shared information especially in situations where one form of data or information is required to be disseminated to all branches. All in all, this is an effective time management and communication system for FYC. The ability to post Schedules and Messages This will achieve standardized calendar systems for all branches of FYC. Messages and schedules posted on the site is 99% accurate and safe since you can be sure that this information comes from those persons who are authorized to post it. Posting of messages and schedules once is more reliable than disseminating information through phone calls since an information officer might not consistently disseminate the information at all times. All you have to do is just key-in the information that needs to be posted. Comments and suggestions from different addressee can be posted as a forum thread which will help the top management to address problems that had arising in connection with any communication.

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Essay Example for Free

Ethical Treatment of Prisoners Essay Ethical Treatment of Prisoners BY MeltssaoT People in society today have rules, regulations, and guidelines to follow in order to maintain freedom, safety, structure, and self-discipline. If any of these rules are broken, there are consequences to follow. It depends on the severity of the crime on what type of punishment or consequence is given to an individual. If the crime is severe enough the individual may be deprived of their rights, freedom of movement, and sent to prison for a duration of time. If one is sent to prison then the ethical treatment of prisoners rights must be taking into consideration and analyzed. A prisoner/inmate is a person that has committed a criminal offence and depending on their criminal history he or she may be put on probation or confined to a county Jail or state penitentiary. Once an individual gets behind those block walls their lives then tend to belong to the deputies, correctional officer or warden that is employed by that facility. Within the prison system there is a division of power that exists. This power can leave feelings of powerlessness and dependency in the prisoners. We all have heard stories of correction officers using their power of authority to abuse and psychologically harm the prisoner. For example a couple of months ago in the state that I live in there was an inmate who was locked up for a minor charge of failure to appear. He was waiting for his dinner this particular evening, and the deputy almost slammed the inmate finger in the door. Of course this escalade into a verbal altercation between the two, and from there a physical fight broke out. The deputy which outweighed the inmate by over 100 pounds picked up the inmate and slammed him on his head onto a concrete floor multiple times until the inmate was unconscious. The Jailhouse officials rush this inmate to the ospital in which he went into a coma, and eventually was placed on life support. The family of this inmate was faced with a difficult situation which was either remove him from life support or leave him there to waste a away. In the end the family made the decision to remove their love one from life support, and the deputy was behind a minor criminal matter the question is did he deserve to be treated less than a human being? Did he really deserve to die? Some people might argue the fact that because he was locked up then he deserved the treatment that he got and others might voice the difference. I personally say no, because this is still a life and even though he made a mistake there should have been a correct way to go about punishment for this inmate if he really had got out of order. When law abiding citizens and correctional officers look at prisoners, it does not matter what the crime was or how severe the punishment, a prisoner is a nobody. In the United States there are many people that may agree and have strong feelings when it comes to this statement. In ethics a utilitarian may say that human beings should focus on the potential rules of an action and determine what would happen if e or she follows the rules. Utilitarian theory states the moral worth of an action should be determined specifically by its usefulness in maximizing utility and minimizing negative utility. The world as a whole has a moral code on how people should conduct themselves, on what is right and wrong. The belief of the utilitarian theory can be used in prisons to help those that really want to be rehabilitated. I am not saying that this theory will work for all, but there are some men and women that deserve another chance in life. We have to realize that everyone makes mistakes n their life, some are worse than others, but in the end everyone still deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter what they may have done. I have heard stories about men that may have raped or killed a little child is sent to prison the correctional officers tend to sometime turn their heads and let the other inmates beat him or rape him until he is almost dead. I dont agree with the fact that he hurt a child but at the same time I dont think that its morally right that they allow the other inmates to Jeopardize what little bit of freedom that they may have behind hose prison walls either. The ethical solution to this is when you do have a child rapist sent to prison put those type of people in a area amongst themselves and maybe have counselors around where they can get a better understanding of this person sick mind because sometimes these people that do these type of things have had some type of trauma when they were a child. It is unethical to confine an individual to a correctional facility and expose this individual to danger. When you talk about ethics in prison, in the eyes of some that is either driving by hat facility yard every day or has never really been behind those thick masculine bars then one may say that these people are animals and they deserve to be behind those bars. Once behind those bars their life changes because they have to be told when to eat, when to sleep, when to walk and talk. If an inmate is not like by a correctional officer or if one does not follow order then they may be deprived of food or even yard time. Torture and beatings will not correct their behavior but will make them more aggressive so that choice is not the best. If any of these things should appen then this may lead to riots and in serious scenarios, killing of security guards. It is best to provide the basic needs such as food to the prisoners so that there is a harmonious reaction between the prisoner and the correction officer. The utilitarian would say that inmates should follow a morally right rule that would result in happiness in which once they are return to society they can determine what rules citizens. Learning positive rules will result to good behavior and a change of mind that life without freedom is something that one may not want to return to. In contrast..

Professional Standards and Institutional Ethics in Nursing

Professional Standards and Institutional Ethics in Nursing Holly Bolick Case One Unfortunately, abuse in health care exists, especially in nursing homes. With that being said, all health care personnel must be aware of the possible signs of abuse and educated on what to do when a case like this one presents itself. Mrs. Lewis absolutely acted correctly and was bound by law to report her findings. There are federal and state laws that demand health care workers report noted violence or abuse against vulnerable populations to a specific state agency, like Adult Protective Services (CPH Associates, 2017, para. 1). When Mrs. Lewis became a nurse, she made an oath to do no harm and all of the actions that she took were her ultimate duty. She was correct to go over the head of her administrator and hire a lawyer in order to ethically take care of this issue. Employer retaliation is never acceptable and he must be held liable. In the event that Mrs. Lewis could not afford a lawyer, she could have went to Human Resources (HR) to report the complaint. If HR fails to fix the issue or the administrator fails to admit his offense, she should take the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or another state employment agency (Guerin, 2017, para. 11). When one chooses to do the right thing, there are always avenues that can be taken to ensure he or she is protected and the issue is handled. One could call Mrs. Lewis a whistleblower in this case. The Occupational and Safety Health Administration enforces a multitude of whistleblower protection laws that include anti-retaliation provisions that protect employees from being fired or punished for issuing complaints or exercising given rights (USDOL, 2017, para. 1). The law protects whistleblowers, but the individual must report incidents within a specified time and give detailed descriptions of the retaliation effort.In this case, the art of intimidation as utilized by Mrs. Lewis lawyer is necessary in order to protect patients. The lawyer needed to threaten the hospital with possible exposure and penalties if they did not ethical comply. This case is not only about the hospital and its workers doing the right thing, but primarily about the safety of the patients and justice for those that have already been wronged. Intimidation is not always a bad thing, but can be utilized to bring about positive change. Power is always going to exist in health care, therefore it must be considered. Power is intended to be a good thing that brings about order, direction, compliance, and a myriad of other necessary qualities. Unfortunately, power can be abused. Even so, power must be respected and understood in health care in order to generate a successful environment with satisfied customers. Mrs. Lewis took the right course of action in this case. Her actions were ethical and legal and hopefully ended with patients being cared for properly. Health care is about the customers patients. Patient care must be quality and their well-being must come first. Mrs. Lewis was looking out for the best interest of the patients at Shady Rest and her actions were ethically sound and necessary. Case Two Staffing is quickly becoming a continual issue in hospital facilities. This problem cannot be denied in conjunction with the increasing nursing shortage in the United States. Nurses and aides are being spread thin amongst an increasing insured society. In reality, the primary function of the hospital is to provide optimal quality care to all patients. In order to do this, staffing ratios must be appropriate. Mrs. Allesfertig was correct to pull trained nurses from other units to staff the ICU. Dr. Bestknabe was also correct to halt admissions to the ICU until staffing kinks were worked out on a permanent basis. Both took the course of action that ensured patients received adequate, safe, and timely care and nursing thresholds were respected. For example, take an ICU nurse that has four patients. Three patients are on a ventilator and septic. One patient is receiving blood products and being dialyzed, while receiving Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP). All four patients require vital signs at least every thirty minutes, turning every two hours, intravenous pushes of sedating medications, and so on. One ICU nurse cannot and should not be taking care of four patients this critical. It is not safe for the patient nor the nurse. Medication errors are more likely to be made, key findings are often missed, and patient injury is more likely to occur. In addition to these firsthand experiences, there have been studies completed that connect better staffing with lower mortality rates and lower nurse burnout rates (Burling, 2010, para. 1). The new staffing policy that is created should allow nurses to have the authority to make judgments based on nurse to patient ratios. There should be a nurse float pool available when there are callouts or an influx of patients. If there are not enough staff to take care of the patient load, patients would have to be moved to other units or hospitals. This is quite unfortunate, but necessary in order for patients to be taken care of safely. In addition, the American Nurses Association encourages a policy that empowers nurses to be in control of staffing plans based on day-to-day changes in resources and patients (ANA, 2016, para. 5). While policies are necessary and vital to the success of any organization, professional judgement must always be used. There must always exist some leeway in order to be flexible with things changing on a daily basis. Patient care must be held in the highest regard, therefore all decisions made must be in their best interest. When patients are not properly cared for, legal and ethical ramifications can occur. References ANA. (2016). Nurse Staffing. Retrieved January 12, 2017, from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/State/Legislative-Agenda-Reports/State-StaffingPlansRatios Burling, S. (2010, April 20). More nurses, less death: The Philadelphia Inquirer on Penns nurse staffing ratio study. Retrieved January 12, 2017, from http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/news/2010/apr/20_more_nurses.html CPH Associates. (2017). NURSES AND MANDATORY REPORTING LAWS. Retrieved January 10, 2017, from http://www.cphins.com/nurses-and-mandatory-reporting-laws/ Guerin, L. (2017). Workplace Retaliation: What Are Your Rights? Retrieved January 10, 2017, from https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/workplace-retaliation-employee-rights-30217.html United States Department of Labor [USDOL]. (2017). Worker Protections. Retrieved January 10, 2017, from https://www.whistleblowers.gov/wb_filing_time_limits.html

Platos Views on the Technology of Writing Essay -- Expository History

Plato's Views on the Technology of Writing In the book Phaedrus Plato offers a lot of criticism for a writing technology that not many of us would ever think as writing technology, let alone criticize it. This writing technology is none other than writing itself. When people think of writing technology they mostly think of the printing press, the computer, the typewriter and such. Yet no one stops to think of writing. Writing has had such a major impact on society that who would ever think that the one of the greatest minds of all time opposed it. Plato was not just a crazy old man afraid of change; his criticism can still be applied today. For many people, writing has always been around. It’s hard to picture life without writing, books, reading, but at one point all there was was rhetoric. People would entertain themselves not by picking up a book by Jane Austen or Shakespeare. They would go to listen to people give speeches. This is what Plato was used to, and when writing came along he resisted the idea that this new invention, writing, could be good for people. First, Plato thought that writing would be bad for peoples’ memories. He thought writing would encourage forgetfulness and that people would rely too much on writing as a means of recollection. In Phaedrus Socrates points this out to Phaedrus by telling him a story about the Egyptian king Thamus and Theuth an inventor of many arts. â€Å" For this invention of yours will create forgetfulness in the learners’ souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves† (Plato 87-88). Plato used the character of Thamus to express his own concerns a... ...ted to, Phaedrus could change his speech. Authors don’t really have that luxury. Once a book is in print, they can’t change their mind. For example, say a critic says that an author’s introduction was horrible and should be rewritten. The author doesn’t get the chance to rewrite the introduction. Chances are there are already multiple copies of the book in the bookstores or libraries. As it can be seen, even though Plato brought up these critiques along time ago they can still be applied to life today. As it turns out Plato was not crazy after all, but was able to see the flaws in writing that still plague it today. In addition, these critiques he brought up can also be applied to other forms of writing technology. Works Cited: LaRocque, Paula. â€Å"Language and Lost Credibility†. The Quill. Nov. 1999: 38 Plato. Phaedrus. New York: Dover, 1993.

Decline in Black Admissions to Universities :: essays research papers

If you are a student at an HBCU, looking around your classroom or on the yard hoping to see a familiar brown face is probably never an issue, but for students at colleges and universities where African American enrollment is now steadily declining, it is definitely a concern. Larissa Lincoln, a senior sociology major at the University of Washington knows what it is like to feel alienated or alone on campus. â€Å"Sometimes when I’m in a lecture there will be 200 people and I can count about six or seven black students. Its very noticeable walking around that there is not enough blacks being admitted to college.† After the 2003 Supreme Court decision that required schools like the University of Michigan to change their admittance procedure and evaluate students not based on their minority status, but individually, Michigan is now reporting the smallest class of African American freshmen in 15 years. Many state universities in California, Georgia and much of the Midwest have also noticed a significant decline when it comes to admitting blacks. Enrollment for freshmen at the University of Georgia was down by 26 percent, 29 percent for Ohio State and 32 percent at the University of Illinois’ Urbana-Champaign. While there is no single explanation for the low numbers, a few factors should be taken into consideration. According to Jason S. Mironov, President of the University of Michigan’s student body, the process for getting accepted to Michigan has become more challenging. â€Å"The application became significantly harder. Unless you were absolutely sure you wanted to go to Michigan, many students were reluctant to spend a great deal of time with the application.† Rising tuition costs also play a role in discouraging lower-income students from applying and out-of-state fee’s for many schools seem almost unattainable for many students. Affirmative action laws also have their place in the decline of black students, many students feel that if it weren’t for affirmative action or other guidelines set to help minorities, then they would not consider applying to more prestigious schools.