Counseling Specializations and Multidisciplinary Terms Essay

This paper discusses the importance of collaboration within the different specializations of the counseling field. Two specializations, mental health counseling and addictions counseling are reviewed and are brought together to help a hypothetical 12 year old girl â€Å"Ashley† in her own education and problem-solving while in therapy. Counseling Specializations and Multidisciplinary Teams The counseling profession and all of its specializations and the related fields that came before, all emerged due to the inabilities for some individuals cope with life stresses. These individuals were seen as non-resilient. Newman (2012) explains the meaning of resilience as: individuals who exhibit positive outcomes in the face of serious threats to development. They may have experienced prolonged, severe poverty; they may have a parent with a serious mental illness; or they may have been exposed to ongoing abuse or violence. Faced with these and or other difficulties, resilient individuals show low levels of psychological symptoms and function effectively in the basic developmental tasks expected for their stage of life. (pg. 78). Individuals who could not conform to â€Å"normal† societal expectations and were often locked up in the name of keeping society safe. It didn’t matter if these individuals were alcoholics, drug addicts, manic depressives, traumatized Vets, schizophrenics, or someone who merely suffered a temporary situational ordeal; they were locked up for the safety of others Smith & Robinson (1995) explain how Clifford W. Beers’s published autobiography in 1908 raised public awareness by detailing his own inhumane treatment while in a mental health institution. In 1793 the definition of mental health care was extended to include liberty, equality, and fraternity by Philippe  Pinel who was the director of Bicetre, the largest mental hospital in Paris. Pinel believed that punishment was ineffective upholding the idea that patients need some degrees of normalcy in their lives. Brooks and Weikel promoted the idea of â€Å"nonmedical approaches† to psychotherapy and state that this was an important step to the characterization and progression of mental health care. The client-centered theory emphasized by Carl Rogers and Fritz Perls, also helped to pave the way for current wellness models used today. Addictions counseling seems to follow a similar model and is often categorized under the same umbrella as professional counseling, however, â€Å"it is recognized that the addictions counselor needs to have specialized knowledge about what clients experience that have addictions problems† (Page, R.C., & Bailey 1995 pg. 170). White (2004) asserts the advantages of mental health and addictions counselors who work together: As mental health professionals, we owe our clients who present with addictions no less in respect, support, or treatment than we would bestow upon any other client. The counseling relationship or therapeutic alliance is perceived to be central to achieving a positive outcome in all mental health counseling (Gelso & Fretz, 1992), and it is especially important that a positive relationship or therapeutic alliance be formed early in addictions counseling before the more difficult or challenging times (e.g., withdrawal symptoms, relapse) occur (pg.3) As an example, consider a team that successfully joins forces in order to help a 12 year old girl named â€Å"Ashley†. Ashley asks her school counselor to help her set up an appointment with a therapist named â€Å"Ms. Henning.† Ashley tells the school counselor that she is unable to concentrate on her schoolwork because she is depressed. She further explains that her mother just recently re-married, her step-dad has 2 kids, and she is not adjusting well to the situation. Ashley asks the school counselor to speak to her mother on her behalf because she is afraid to ask. The school counselor makes the call. Fortunately, the family has health insurance and mom is onboard because she has been concerned about Ashley for awhile now and was considering this possibility as well. The first meeting with Ms. Henning and Ashley goes well. Ashley explains that she misses her mom. Her mom is busy all the time. Her step-dad is nice but she misses her â€Å"real  dad† and her new siblings are â€Å"okay† but she gets really jealous sometimes. Ashley is specific and articulate when explaining her depression but says that it gets worse sometimes the day after she does drugs with her friends. Ms. Henning explains to Ashley everything that she knows about drugs and the adolescent brain but suggests that Ashley get more information from an AODA counselor. Ms. Henning also encourages Ashley to inform her mother of the drug use. Ashley agrees reluctantly but states that she would be more comfortable addressing this issue with mom while in session. Ms. Henning agrees to make the arrangements. This therapist realizes that this is one of her easier cases. The family has health care and seems supportive rather than angry and defensive. Ms. Henning continually reminds and comforts Ashley in the fact that this is her therapy and her choice and any suggestions that are made will be discussed first—there will be no surprises. One of Ms. Henning’s goals is to provide a â€Å"crisis plan† with the school counselor for Ashley in case Ashley needs additional support during the school day. Ms. Henning also wants Ashley to see an AODA counselor at least once a week (Mr. Marks), and will keep Mr. Marks up to date on what is happening in therapy while she implements his evaluations and suggestions. She has communicated this to him in a credulous manner. Ms. Henning also hopes to initiate family support for Ashley by teaching and encouraging family members to openly discuss the family changes, possible effects, and brain-storm potential solutions. Ms. Henning would like to include â€Å"real† Dad and new siblings, at some point, if feasible and appropriate to Ashley and her family. Ashley’s ability to understand her sadness and develop coping skills will be greatly increased with a team of family members, the therapist, the AODA counselor, the school counselor, or possibly a psychiatrist if it is suspected that medication might be needed. Ms. Henning is dedicated to keeping all team members informed beyond progress reports by scheduling group meetings with everyone involved once a month. She is dedicated to receiving and offering feedback at every turn throughout the duration of Ashley’s therapy and reiterates this frequently to every member on this â€Å"team† emphasizing the value and importance of each team member. She knows that one field (or specialization) cannot effectively handle it all. The significance of promoting team work and joining forces in the counseling field is also included in some college  counseling curriculums. McAllister, M., Morrissey, S., McAuliffe, D., Davidson, G., McConnell, H., & Reddy, P. (2011), present the importance of the cooperation of professionals within the field and how some students are required to reach outside of their own specialization (or discipline) to connect with those students who have chosen other disciplines in order to build an understanding and respect between specialties. These students are required to share their own POEM’s (philosophy, ontology, epistemology and methods) with students in specialties other than their own. Studies and research; on spirituality, the human body (especially the brain), pharmaceuticals, addictions, or how society, science, technology, or government and new laws can affect individuals, will continue to shatter preconceived ideas and current acceptable â€Å"norms† of life and society. Those who choose this field must keep up. Specializations and collaboration in counseling seems to be invaluable and necessary. References McAllister, M., Morrissey, S., McAuliffe, D., Davidson, G., McConnell, H., & Reddy, P. (2011). Teaching ideas for generating critical and constructive insights into well-functioning multidisciplinary mental health teams. The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education, and Practice, 6(3), 117-127. oi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17556221111171711 Merta, R. J. (2001). Addictions counseling. Counseling and Human Development, 33(5), 1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.library.capella.edu/docview/206851023?accountid=27965 Newman, N. &. (2014). Development through life a psychosocial approach. Stamford: Cengage. Page, R. C., & Bailey, J. B. (1995). Addictions Counseling Certification: An Emerging Counseling Specialty. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 74(2), 167-171. Smith, H. B., & Robinson, G. P. (1995). Mental Health Counseling: Past, Present, and Future. Journal Of Counseling & Development, 74(2), 158-162. White, W. (2004). The historical essence of addiction counseling. Counselor, 5(3), 43-48.

Vygotsky Learning Theory

Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky developed a learning theory for education based on one’s culture in the 1920s and 1930s. Even without a psychology background, he became fascinated by the subject. During his short life, he was influenced by the great social and political upheaval of the Marxist Revolution. After his death in 1934, his ideas were rejected by the U. S. S. R. and only resurfaced after the Cold War ended in 1991. Vygotsky’s theory has exceedingly influenced education in Russia and in other countries. Lev Vygotsky was born in Orsha, Western Russia, which is now Belarus in 1896.Vygotsky was born into a typical middle-class Jewish family and grew up in a predominantly Jewish town of Gomel, roughly four hundred miles from Moscow (Kouzlin, 1990). He studied and graduated law from the University of Moscow on a Jewish scholarship. After graduation, he prepared his first research project in the psychology field in 1925 with The Psychology of Art, which was not published un til the 1960s. Some time later, he became a psychologist working with Alexandar Luria and Alexei Leontiev (Gallagher, 1999). Lev Vygotsky’s socioculture theory begs to answer the question: What is culture and why is it important to a child’s learning.Dr. Diane Bukatko, psychology professor, says culture is â€Å"the many facets of the environment that humans have created and continue to produce. . . But even more importantly, culture includes language and the practices, values, and beliefs accumulated and communicated from one generation to the next† (Bukatko, 2004). Vygotsky’s theory places an emphasis on the learner’s culture. Vygotsky believed that the â€Å"child’s cognitive growth must be understood in the content of the culture in which he or she lives† (Bukatko, 2004).That is to say, he believed that a child is shaped by his or her own culture. Vygotsky believed that the social activity with â€Å"children, caregivers, peers, and tutors cultivate in them the particular skills and abilities their cultural group values† (Bukatko, 2004). This social activity is the backbone to his theory. Vygotsky had two main theories of cognitive development: the More Knowledgeable Other and the Zone of Proximal Development. The More Knowledgeable Other simply means that this is a person that has a higher understanding that the learner.This may be teacher to student or it can be student to student. Vygotsky’s other major theory, Zone of Proximal Development is the â€Å"span or disparity between what children are able to do without the assistance of others and what they are often able to accomplish by having someone more expect assist them at key points† (Bukatko, 2004). Vygotsky believed that the most effective instruction took place just slightly above the learner’s current ability. There was a study done in which children were asked which items of wooden furniture when into a doll house.Some children were allowed to play with their mother, the More Knowledgable Other, before they attempted it alone, while others were only allowed to do it by themselves. It was found that those who had previously worked with a More Knowledgable Other showed greatest improvement with their attempt than those who did not (McLeod, 2007). The most important of Vygotsky’s theories in regards to education is his Zone of Proximal Development. It gives the educator a scale defining what the learner is able to achieve with or without assistance and exactly at what level he or she can attain.Based on his ZPD, Vygotsky believed that play is a â€Å"vehicle for a child behaving more maturely than at other times† and in play â€Å"children can work at the top of their Zone of Proximal Development† (Vygotsky, 1978). Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development shows what a child can learn with assistance. This can be a great tool in the teacher’s proverbial toolbox. His t heories also gives a great understanding in children learning from each other and from the teacher based on the More Knowledgeable Other and sociocultural understanding.Language and thought is sometimes believed to develop together. A child knows what a cat is before he can actually say the word. If the parent asks the child where the cat is, the child is able to point and correctly label the cat (assuming they have a cat as a pet, of course). This is directly in opposition to his idea that the child must know the spoken word â€Å"cat† before the child learns the concept. Vygotsky also believed that one’s culture is the defining growth characteristic in language and development. However, his theory states little on biological factors.

THE IMPACT OF PRINT MEDIA ON WOMEN'S EATING BEHAVIORS Essay

THE IMPACT OF PRINT MEDIA ON WOMEN'S EATING BEHAVIORS - Essay Example This paper examines the role of the print media to the formulation of particular women’s behaviors regarding the food consumption. Under this context, the women’s behavior on this particular issue is not analyzed in a one-factor basis but there has been an effort to refer to the particular elements of such a behavior to the level that the retrieval of data for their performance could be possible. The study begins with a general presentation of the phenomenon, the description of its elements, the possible reasons of its existence and an analysis of its definition in accordance with the issues related with it. On the other hand, the literature is presented in order to show the existed studies and the research that has been made so far regarding the issue under examination. At a next level, the problem is approached from a practical aspect through the presentation of a research method that could be helpful to the extraction of results regarding the current situation of the problem as it appears in society. In these terms, the data gathered using the proposed method, are analyzed in order to reveal the most important elements of the issue involved whereas a control of validity regarding any information offers a secure result (at least at the most possible level). The instruments that are going to be used for the realization of the above procedure are also presented in detail followed by a thorough examination of their suitability for the specific task. As a conclusion, the personal views on the problem are used in order to identify the interaction between the two major elements under examination (i.e. women and media) trying to highlight any important assumption that would possibly need further research. When examining the behavior of a person in the context of his/ her living environment, we have to consider all the parameters that can have an influence to his way of thinking and to his

BMW's Market Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

BMW's Market Strategy - Essay Example As such, BMW’s market strategy will be evaluated and analyzed for optimal performance. Pros and cons of BMW’s market strategy BMW has been a leading auto manufacturing company that has maintained its niche market leadership through strategic market plans. The target segmentation and highly creative advertising have been its major elements of success. BMW has introduced different variants of its luxury cars to cater to the different segments of the market. The selective target marketing has helped it to exploit the requirements of people coming from myriad backgrounds. With the evolving times, people’s purchase behaviour underwent dramatic changes. While initially social class represented the high end BMW cars, consumers’ changing demands, vis-a-vis design variety, size, price, and style choices became the major factors in buying decisions. BMW started with 3, 5, and 7 series that only varied in size and not design. But 1980s was distinct in its populace of baby boomers, yuppies, and other fast upcoming segments of the market; the representatives of these segments had money to flaunt and expected new products and services from manufacturers. ... Shultz (2001) strongly believes that it is the end-users who now control the markets rather than the marketers. The fast changing demography of increasing pluralistic society has significantly impacted the market strategy. The socio-psychological paradigms have emerged as crucial elements that influence buying decisions. Personal choices representing people’s changing social status and family compulsions have become important issues. Indeed, according to Assael (1998), family is considered to be the most important consumption and decision making unit. A big comfortable family sedan may be required by affluent families for their family outing, or sleek and sophisticated fast paced machine may be the choice of new breed of young turks. The BMW’s decision to develop more categories within its various series was, therefore, not only necessary but also an extremely important ingredient of its strategic plans. It helped to penetrate new market and maintain its competitive adv antage in the market. Moreover, consumption pattern and lifestyle are intrinsically linked to the changing cultural paradigms in the contemporary environment of rapid globalization. Ennis (2009) argues that culture impacts the changing lifestyle of people and, consequently, influences their consumption pattern of the product. It is especially true for persons who are the main decision makers and control the finances. Furthermore, Kotler, Brown et al. (2010) assert that in the contemporary environment of globalization, brand creation and brand equity hugely facilitate in maintaining competitive leverage as the products are same. The brand provides the customer with a quality product which satisfies his or her needs and establishes a market

Implications to Operations for Chryslers' Introduction of the Fiat Essay

Implications to Operations for Chryslers' Introduction of the Fiat - Essay Example Chrysler’s plants immediately began working on the new Italian models as part of the deal, and the United States treasury loaned the organization 4.7 billion dollars to begin the project. The Canadian government was also included in the contract and controls 10% of the company. Asa result, Fiat was owned up to 35% of its production, and the United Autoworkers Union owned 55%. The introduction of the Fiat 500 into the United States market was not expected to move adequate units and make a considerable effect on the 1.57 million-unit aim. The Fiat label will have its activities carried out in its individual amenities, making its novel subcompact make additional foot travel to contracts. Another implication of the merger on the operations of Chrysler is the introduction of improved models and the come back of the Fiat label in the United States, on top of new merger brands. The company plots on using up 68% more expenses on promotion and marketing the financial year. This develop ment was evident when Chrysler spent millions of dollars to come up with the longest commercial in Super-bowl history (Bennett, 2011). The renewal of Chrysler provides Fiat with a cushion for Italy’s decline and poor reputation caused by its chief executive. Marchionne's revitalization of the corporation has intensified the company’s anguish in the European markets (Bennett, 2011). In the United States, the dominating development and management assets of Chrysler group have left Fiat with old models. The position has made Italy’s biggest car producer become in need of traditionally unpredictable Chrysler profits. Chrysler might also have to report profits made prior to interest, duties and occasional items worth 1.18 billion dollars during the second half of 2011. In comparison with 629 million dollars from Fiat’s long-established activities, earnings from Ferrari and Maserati models were included in accordance with the standard approximations of six comp any analysts. Trading earnings for the United Chrysler group were consistent with Fiat’s findings from June. Such results were expected to arrive at 2.6 billion dollars by the end of the coming year. In 30 April 2009, Chrysler recorded and proclaimed a merger with Fiat, while filing for insolvency. Independently, the proclamation made the Financial Accountings Standards alter the â€Å"mark-to-market† accounting decree to offer commercial banks more discretion in reporting worth of capital. In Brazil alone, the Fiat group automobiles sustained its management status, delivering a sum of 761, 400 passenger cars and light commercial automobiles. These figures and position of the company will stand for a year-on rise of 1.6% of profits. When the market is taken as a whole market, Chrysler group merger with Fiat marketplace is developing 10.6%; FGA accomplished a 22.8% share of the year, which is a negative 1.7% of percentage points in the market share (Bennett, 2011). The revitalization at Chrysler has assisted Marchionne to triumph over financial speculators to his advantage and make a worldwide automobile group rivaling Volkswagen. The shares have decreased by 40% in the past three months. This was recorded as one of the worst performances in the Bloomberg European automobiles guides, behind France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen. The Chrysler group has been managed under three diverse leaders in the past four years,

Breaking a Gender Norm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Breaking a Gender Norm - Essay Example Since culture defines expectations of a man, a man wearing a dress goes against the norm and is viewed as feminine because of wearing a dress; although, men in west Africa wear overall dresses in official and unofficial occasions (jewa6961, 2011). College shows double standards between men and women because men feel the desire to exercise dominance for them to be accepted in society. Although I found it easy to violate the male norm of dressing, the feelings of violating the dressing norm in men in a public place is quite uncomfortable regardless of the fact that women are proud of their appearance. I felt the need to act in a way that would conceal my feelings in an attempt to avoid consequences associated with violation of the norm. I had a feeling of fear regarding the way the people around would receive the gender deviant behavior because I knew there would be social penalties because I was behaving in way that is incongruent to the norm regarding male dressing. Due to preferred male dominance in the country, dressing like a woman exposed me to the double standards in violating the male dressing norms; moreover, acting in this way made me feel like I managed to break away from standards set out by the society. By wearing a dress evoked stereotype judgment aimed at me due to the violation of expected genders norms associated with men dressing because dressing in men is essential in showing their masculinity. However, to a certain extent I felt that people could be embracing actions of deviance aimed at gender norms because some people showed signs of comfort even when I broke norms of men dressing. However, traits related to gender can vary in accordance with culture, gender norms being what is considered socially acceptable in all genders advocates strict adherence to the norms in each gender. By violating the dressing norm in men I developed feelings of being socially unpredictable, confusion regarding norms, undermined trust regarding

The National Labor Union Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The National Labor Union - Term Paper Example The workforce today has just become an instrument for these corporations to multiply their wealth. The workforce is being exploited by these corporations in all parts of the globe, sometimes as child labor, sometimes as human trafficking and sometimes as sweatshops. The workers working in sweatshops are subjected to miserable and dangerous working condition. Similarly they are deprived of their basic rights such to raise voice against the employers, demand higher wage or to have extensive breaks during the working hours. Here it can be observed that the conditions of utilitarianism are not satisfied as the greater number of people in this case the workers are subjected to hardships and sufferings (Oppapers.com, 2009). The workforces of big fishes like Nike and Walmart are subjected to perilous working conditions and are given qualms of excruciating pain and restless environment. These companies treat their workforce as an entity rather than human assets that need to be valued and tak en care of. To steady the ship and to assist the workforce in obtaining its due rights through proper channel Labor Unions all over the world work day in and day out to resolve spats and cases of injustice (Selig, 1994). Labor Unions try to offer defiance to the helpless and weak workforces and try to abate the hardships that they are subjected to in their working environments. Labor unions help workers voice their opinions out loud to the management to get what they deserve rather than acting as silent observers or machines. There is a number of Labor Unions that are found across the United States of America namely American Labor Party, Farmer Labor Party, US Labor Party etc. throughout the length of this assignment American Labor Party will be the focal point to be elaborated upon (Russel Saga Foundation, 2006). History Taking account of the blows that the capitalist system has made to the world in general including the classification of the people into socio economic classes, ali enation of workers from their intellectual and physical rights, the phenomenon of rich getting richer leading to ever greater miseries of the poor people and accumulation of the wealth in 2007 a voice was raised. This voice was established using the internet protocol bearing in mind the possibilities attached when it comes to the digital medium. The aim of this party is to get America back to where it used to be before the influence of other world powers over its economy like Europe. Bringing US back on track is elaborated by this Labor Union on its website as restoring the free market economy and transfer of wealth more to labor as compared to capital (American Labor Party, 2011). The American Labor Party provides the hapless and helpless labor of the US Companies to voice their opinions, raise their voices and participate in the democratic system of government to be a part of the system and get the things done correctly. The American Labor Party is an integrated platform that rais es ugly issues in the America Corporate sector by sharing blogs and articles and bringing important, unheard and attention gaining issues to limelight. This is where this party becomes unique and effective because it does not only provide a platform to speak to the unheard but on the other hand it also creates awareness among the people and the laborers

Operations Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Operations Management - Term Paper Example The outputs will be the various types of lighting products such as bulbs and light lambs. The main focus in measuring productivity will be on our total productivity in which case all inputs and outputs will be considered (U.S. Dept. of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014).     Measuring productivity will be important since it is the best way to know whether we are making progress or not. Essentially, when a manufacturing company wants to boost its competitiveness, it has to invest a significant amount of money in methods that attract production and office efficiencies. This usually calls for external consultants and cost accounting experts (Brynjolfsson, 1993). For this business, measuring productivity will not demand the help of external consultants. The main objectives of the manufacturing business are to create high demand through the manufacturing and distribution of quality lighting products to our customers, but we do not want to create extra expense doing this since the skills to achieve this goal are available. However, the high demand has to be met (Chew, 2015). This implies that our production has to meet the existing demand for our lighting products. To achieve this, we plan to come up with an effective way of monitoring our total productivity by measuring it.   To measure our business productivity, we intend to define our inputs and outputs by determining their economic value. In this regard, the business aims to look for highly qualified personnel to achieve the most efficient human resources possible.

Film Lost in Translation Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film Lost in Translation - Movie Review Example In fact, the movie clearly traffics in stereotypes, but it does depart from the Hollywood's tradition of Orientalism. However, in the narration film, there is not much complexity as According to several critics, Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning film Lost in Translation seems to depict the Japanese culture in an American way and there is essential distortion to several aspects of the modern Japanese culture all through the film. While the vast majority of critics give their thumbs up for this national hit, few critics of essential consideration voice interesting opinions to the contrary and criticize the film’s version of the Japanese culture. Whereas there is no question about the quality of the production, all the controversy concerning the film results from the way the Japanese culture is presented in the film. It is truly a very significant modern illustration of the concept of ‘Orientalism’ which Said held decades before. Thus, the two lead characters of t he movie are criticized as exemplifying the Americans abroad with a sense of superiority and shameless ignorance. There are some important critics of the movie who strongly argue that the movie is racist in some ways and many scenes in the film support such an argument. â€Å"Many of the jokes rely heavily on the stereotypes of Japanese, and seem to parade modern Japanese culture as something ridiculous†¦ Many scenes in the film do support this argument [i.e. the movie as racist]. For instance, Bob and Charlotte make fun of the inability of the Japanese people to distinguish R's and L's. If you consider the situation in reverse, you could perhaps see how offensive this might be to some Another scene at a Japanese restaurant, Bob takes advantage of the fact that the Japanese chef cannot understand English. He not only tells Charlotte to take one of her shoes off, but also yells condescendingly at the chef" (Suematsu). Therefore, one identifies, all through the film, several ins tances of the American way of viewing the Eastern culture, specifically the Japanese culture. Said's notion of 'Orientalism' helps one in understanding the American view of the Japanese culture and supports the important argument that the movie is racist in some ways. The ideas, cultures, and histories of the East are understood or studied in the West through configurations of power and there was an essential Western endeavor through which the Orient was created - or it caused, in the words of Said, the "Orientalized" concepts of the East. "The relationship between Occident and Orient is a relationship of power, of domination, of varying degrees of a complex hegemony" (Said 1978, P. 5). Lost in Translation can be significantly comprehended as making a major

Make Prejudice and Discrimination a Subject in School Essay Example for Free

Make Prejudice and Discrimination a Subject in School Essay Because of the immigration in the world and the great assimilation that are in progress prejudices and discrimination are more important than never before. People need to learn from young ages that it doesnt matter where you come from or what color your skin is, the only thing that matters is your personality and how you respond to other people. Yesterday, in Stockholm, I was talking to my cousin and she told me that I never should live in Tensta because, according to her, its a very dangerous place because it only lives criminals there. Personally Im sure that the majority of the people in Tensta are normal, nice people that never have done anything criminal its only her prejudices that say something different. I see every day how common prejudices are, my friends have prejudices, my family has prejudices and I, that see myself as a very prejudices free person, find sometimes that even I have some prejudices. Discrimination is unfortunately also common in our society. A while ago I read a study that professors at the Linnà © university in Kalmar had written and it showed that the majority of the companies in Sweden discriminated people with Arabic names. If there were two persons with exactly the same qualities and experience in the study, and one of them was named Martin Johansson and the other Abd al Hakim only the first would be called to an interview while the second would be sorted away immediately. But I think that it is easy to forget and that we have to remember that discrimination can work in every way white against black, black against white, men against women, women against men, and so on. Therefore I believe that we have to work for a society that is equal on every scale. I think that a way to solve the problem with prejudices and discrimination is to make it a main subject in school. In that way every kid in Sweden would get information about and be able to discus prejudices and discrimination every week from the age of 6 to 16. I believe that information and knowledge are the key to everything, and in this case the key to an equal society without prejudices and discrimination.

Succession Planning for SMEs in IT Industry

Succession Planning for SMEs in IT Industry Purpose This thesis is based on an investigation into succession planning in small to medium-size organisations within the Information Technology (IT) industry. The main area of research is centred on whether these organisations develop employees sufficiently to move into pivotal roles or whether they must continue to rely on external recruitment for senior positions. An additional question raised by the report is whether operating within the IT industry brings its own peculiarities. Methodology A survey, by means of postal questionnaire, was chosen as the means of collection of primary data. This questionnaire was distributed to human resource managers and officers operating within the IT industry. In addition to this data collection, use was made also of secondary archive survey data. Findings The findings of this report quite clearly show that, despite statements to the contrary, true succession planning exists in very few organisations. Succession planning theory and best practice are ignored to the extent that real top level commitment is hard to find and very little HR participation exists other than at operational level. Findings show that little has changed over the years in that whatever succession planning exists in organisations, it remain in the authority of senior management, operated by and for them. There is little evidence to show that this has been widened to include more junior levels within organisations. Notwithstanding the fact that succession planning exists within the senior ranks, there is little evidence to show that it actually works. External recruitment continues to be the norm and retention rates of senior personnel do not show any real benefit. The specific problems of lack of opportunity and resource, faced by small to medium-sized organisations, are exacerbated within the IT industry, which brings its own issues of employee high expectation and impatience. Introduction Succession Planning What is it? Definition: Succession planning is making sure that the organisation develops and keeps the right people for key jobs. .. More successfully, it defines the competencies needed for the future and develops them in everyone who has the capability. This provides a pool of talent from which successors to important jobs can be drawn. The Industrial Society (April 1997)[1] Staff turnover dictates that all organisations have a need to fill employee vacancies; key roles not excluded. Forward-looking organisations look beyond a basic recruitment process and understand the value of a system that identifies high potential in current employees, as well as recognising leadership gaps in the organisation. Having acknowledged these requirements, good organisations put in place a development structure that seeks to answer these needs. This complete process is known as Succession Planning. Of course, where such a process is part and parcel of everyday life in an organisation, most likely it is not restricted to the hierarchy of the company. An expected consequence of this situation is a culture of ongoing development of employees from top to bottom, leading to a continuous process of succession planning throughout the organisation. Succession Planning Why is it important? The brief that good leadership has a direct affect on organisational performance lies at the heart of the move towards succession planning. We live today in a fast-moving, high pressured, competitive society, where the slightest advantage may give a company a valuable aggressive edge. If a company is to grow and expand into new areas and markets, it is important that the organisation is built on a strong foundation. The best and strongest foundation for an organisation is a pool of capable, talented individuals, who have grown with the organisation; absorbing its knowledge and its culture, ready to move up through the company into pivotal leadership roles. Organisations that do not provide this home grown talent, and possibly lose valuable knowledge and expertise along the way, may have to seek replacements from outside; with this course of action runs the risk of recruiting the wrong person. This latter occurrence could be a disaster, particularly when a wrong choice is made at a senior level. This situation could lead to serious disruption in an organisation and, depending on the importance of the employee concerned, the result could be terminal decline. Research Aim Succession planning is seen as a crucial process by most major employing organisations (Hirsch 2000, p.ix)[2] The aim of this research is to establish whether, despite the perceived benefits of succession planning, most small to medium-sized organisations fail to nurture sufficient home-grown talent and have to look outside their own organisations to fill key senior positions. An alternative, but equally worrying situation is the appointment of individuals on the basis of class, length of service, family history, etc., without the developmental support. This situation certainly exists within the authors organisation at the present time. There is little, if any, work being done among the senior management team to develop the leadership skills of the successors to the principal roles; although it does appear that in the case of the primary position, the choice has been made! More importantly, this situation continues down throughout the organisation and, in many departments, it is difficult to see which individuals would have the qualities necessary to be able to stem into senior roles if the need arose. This state of affairs creates serious concerns for the direction and future of the organisation. All this exists in an organisation, which claims that a culture of development exists and, if questioned superficially, would be of the opinion that succession planning occurred. Strategy The research method chosen was data collection by means of postal questionnaires to be sent out to the HR Officers / Managers in small to medium-sized high tech companies / organisations in the UK and India private sector. Where necessary, the postal questionnaires are to be followed up with telephone reminders and completed via telephone calls or emails. Outline Structure Literature Review History of Succession Planning Historically, succession planning systems were the sole province of the upper echelons of male, class-dominated society. Whether or not this served society well is an arguable point; the fact that it existed in a class-ridden paternalistic age is not up for debate. The traditional model of succession planning, as identified in The Industrial Society (1997), is for the Board of identify, secretly, a list of two or three potential successors for the senior roles. According to Holbech, no more than two or three per cent of the workforce were deemed to have management or executive potential (Holbech, 2003)[3]. There are considerable, well-documented, drawbacks associated with this process for example, management may continue to choose clones of themselves, perpetuating a culture with a reluctance to change. Without fresh blood, bringing new ideas, organisations may begin to stagnate. The disadvantages brought about by this traditional model may be distilled down to two arguments; the organisation risks losing exceptional talent (with the associated consequences) and employees miss out on development and fail to fulfil their potential. Chris Watkin of Hay Group maintains that the roots of talent management can be found in the outsourcing of the pervious decade. (Carrington 2004)[4] The reduction of graduate recruitment schemes in the early 1990s meant organisations often did not have the right employees in place to move into the senior positions. This situation was fine for a while but, long-term, it proved to be very expensive and not to successful. (2004, p.26) Watkin also says that the recruitment slow-down that had occurred over the past couple of years has highlighted further the need for organisations to make more of their current employee talent. (ibid p.26) Certainly, within the authors industry (IT), the lack of available talent during this period has been a serious (and costly) concern. Definitely, it is cheaper to develop current employees than to buy-in expensive candidates with great potential but little knowledge of the Companys products and specific technologies. The CIPD (2004, p.1)[5] support this view by suggesting that maybe it was better to develop loyal employees who understood the organisation and its culture. According to Rothwell (2001, p.5)[6], one of the first writers to appreciate the need to plan was Henri Fayol (1916), whose fourteen points of management indicate that management has a responsibility to ensure the stability of tenure of personnel. Fayol also said that if the need were ignored, key positions would end up being filled by ill prepared people. The world is now a much different place than in Fayols time but the basic tenets of his thinking remain. According to the Corporate Leadership Council (CLC)[7], from 2000 to 2002, many organisations struggled in the difficult economic climate. Despite this, a number of companies continued to excel, sometimes surpassing their earnings expectations. The CLC believe that the reason for this was the quality of their senior executives; they were successful in creating a steady supply of talent at a time when others were failing to keep up. The CLC go on to say that this differentiation may hold the key to organisational success. (2004)[8] The situation prevailing within corporate management today, not surprisingly, puts Board management succession in the limelight. According to Carey and Ogden in Berger Berger, directors, as guardians of the interests of shareholders, naturally are concerned with the ongoing health and success of the corporate enterprise. Capable leadership is vital to this objective, which means that succession must be considered first and foremost and fundamentally a responsibility of the board. (2004 p.243) Despite this, the CLC found that only 20% of responding HR executives were satisfied with their top-management succession processes. Ram Charan thinks that this is simply inexcusable and goes on to say that a board that has been in place for six or seven years but does not have a pool of qualified candidates and a robust succession process is a failure. (2005, p.74)[9] Build Talent throughout the Organisation If an organisation is to be in a position to provide a continuous pool of talented employees from which the leaders of tomorrow must be chosen, it is important that the succession management process is not restricted to the senior level. There is a need to identify and coach potential throughout the organisation. Sisson and Storey thinks that training and development were the building blocks of a learning organisation and, according to many, the real key to developing competitive advantage. (2000, p.147)[10] According to Carey and Ogden, the familiar view of succession is around changing leadership at the top, one CEO[11] moves out of the corner office and other moves in. In reality, this is only a fraction of the whole organisational development picture. The most vital features of the leadership-development process take place beneath the top level, often not visible to people outside the organisation. (ibid, p.247) Obviously, a long-term goal of an organisation may be to extend the succession planning/ management process down through the organisational layers. Hirsch talk about devolved succession planning where local or functional managers are pro-active with regard to the development of successors for roles within their control. This may be extended in a more deliberate way with a result that although the corporate centre considers only the top levels, the bulk of the organisation follows suit. (2000, p.12)[12] A former Vice-President at General Electric commented, The act of creating a mentality of development within a company makes for more effective operations, even before the change takes place. People function better in a developmental mode. (ibid, p.248) Conger and Fulmer were of the opinion that succession planning and leadership development ought to be two sides of the same coin. They went on to ask that, if this were the case, why do many companies handle them as if they were completely separate issue? (2003, p.76)[13] Identifying possible successors, without the structured leadership development in place may lead to failure for the selected candidate and disaster for the organisation. More and more organisations, including very successful High Street retailers such as Tesco and Asda in UK and Pantaloon, K Raheja Group in India have a policy of promoting from within. According to Zneimer in Human Resources Magazine, Asda grooms its brightest talent for the time when they will step into the shoes of those currently sitting on the board or in the management tier just below. They are encouraged to enter a development programme that taps into the skills of external coaches and internal mentors. This ethos is encapsulated in Asdas Accelerated International Management (AIM) initiative, whereby those deemed to be ready are given top jobs abroad. (2004, p.34)[14] Surely, it cannot be an accident that successful companies have home-grown CEOs:- Tesco Sir Terry Leahy 25 years GlaxoSmithKline J P Carnier 14 years AstraZeneca Sir Tom McKillop 34 years BP Lord Browne 38 years Pantaloon India Kishore Biyani 22 years Source: Management Today, December 2003 (updated) in Zneimer (2004, p.37)[15] As Zneimer points out, the succession policies of Asda and Tesco contrast greatly with that of Marks Spencer, which has gone awry in recent years. Instead of continuing to grow their own, they have been spending a fortune on a revolving door CEO succession policy, which has resulted in a couple of very high profile failures. (2004, p.34)[16] This difference in fortunes highlights very well the benefits of a good succession management process. Ram Charan points out in the Harvard Business Review that, in Europe, 70% of outside CEOs, who departed in 2003 were forced to resign by their boards, as compared to 55% of insiders. In the US, these figures were 55% and 34%, respectively. (2005, p.74)[17] Management Commitments All of the theory and best practice covered in this report will come to nought if management commitment is not secured and followed through. Rothwell makes the point that a programme will be effective only when it has the support of its stakeholders; they must perform as well and own the process. (2001, p.116)[18] Lucy McGee quoted in People Management, the European head of HR at Matsushita observed, Without support from the CEO, you might as well not bother. (2004, p.49)[19] The DDI Study, Succession Management Practices, found that effective succession management systems are more likely to be found in organisations which, among other things, involve the CEO; have the support of senior management and involve line management in identifying candidates. The McKinsey study of the war for talent in corporate America, cited by Hirsch in Succession Planning Demystified, contends that with talent comes business success: You can win the war for talent but first you must elevate talent management to a burning corporate priority. According to a survey conducted by Consultancy Fairplace, as cited in Human Resources Magazine, talent management is not getting the funding it needs. In Human Resources Magazines opinion, this suggests a lack of commitment to talent management. (2004)[20] It is recognised that not all organisations, particularly those in the sector forming the target of this report, are able to fund succession management programmes along the lines of those underway at companies such as Asda and Tesco. Succession management, however, really need not cost a great deal of money. In fact, lack of support for this issue is not generally based on lack of budget but more a function of time. Without priority given to this issue, management keeps its focus on customer demands and is too busy reacting to business crises to give the necessary attention to the succession management process. A great deal of management fails to realise that by always focusing on the urgent (not on the important) instead of delegating, they are missing out on an important development process. Of course, there are numerous ways that a succession planning process may be set up and it is not necessary to include such expensive techniques as external executive coaching. Indeed, small to medium-sized companies may still manage to instil a culture of development without recourse to such methods. Combating The Lack of Support: Obtaining management commitment to a succession management programme will not come easily or quickly. HR professionals must be prepared to give time and effort to the task if they are to be successful. In order to succeed, it is important to demonstrate a need and develop a business case for succession management. Rothwell believes that a succession management programme will be successful only when it has the support of its stakeholders; indeed, in order for it to work they must own the process. (2001, p.116)[21] According to the Corporate Leadership Council, there are increased internal and external business trends, which are forcing companies to focus attention on succession management. Fig. 1 outlines current business trends that may be used to make a case for a succession management process. Where top management support is difficult to obtain, Rothwell suggests that the best strategy is to win over idea champions to support the cause. Ideally, such champions come from well-respected top managers who, possibly, have experienced work-related problems as a result of the lack of a successor to a critical role. (ibid, p.69) The Role of Human Resources If HR really is to contribute at a strategic level and take its place at the top table, it must rise to the challenge. Lance Richards, writing in Personnel Today, suggests this is the challenge of delivering the right people in the right place at the right time and at the right cost and goes on to say that HRs ability to do this could be the key to future organisational success. (2004, p.15)[22] Certainly, much has been written on the contribution that HR is able to make to business. Lucy McGee believes that HR must educate its organisations leaders to understand that business plans for growth and change simply dont stand up without a serious commitment of their time and energy to developing people. (2004, p.48)[23] The overwhelming considered opinion about the role of HR seems to be as a champion of the process, guiding rather than taking ownership. This view is in accord with the CIPD, which feels that, although succession planning needs to be owned by managers, led by the CEO, HR has a critical role in supporting and facilitating the process. (2004, p.5)[24] Conger and Fulmer are of the opinion that, although in most companies, HR is the primary owner of the succession planning and leadership development process, this is a mistake. They believe that, in order to be successful, these processes need multiple owners. It is only by active commitment from the top and not just gratuitous support which managers will sense this is a fundamental activity, which must be taken seriously. (2003, p.83)[25] Conger and fulmar also says that it is not realistic or desirable for the CEO and their executive teams to have sole responsibility. HR needs to be involved in order to bring with it the necessary time and expertise. (ibid, p.83) Certainly, Hirsch found that, although the general role of HR could be described as facilitator, the term really did not do justice to the range of activities carried out. Hirsch also says that a project conducted by the Careers Research Forum qualified facilitator in this context as shown in figure 2. HR as Facilitator Process designer: Advising on how information should be collected and collated. Framing agendas and questions. Process Manager / Facilitator: Direct personal involvement in making sure meetings happen and, on occasion, acting as referee in ensuring the discussion is wide-ranging and objective. Good and conscience: Looking further to the future; asking seriously difficult; questions; highlighting problems that executives may prefer not to see. Direct personal intervention as broker: Knowing people well enough to be able to suggest successors, candidates for vacancies; development opportunities for individuals and influencing executives to take these suggestions on board. Counsellor: Trusted to help executives talk through their issues and to help individuals work out their career directions. Information support: Maintaining quality information, which delivers a direct service when internal candidate search is required or more general questions are asked. Despite this general agreement concerning the important role of HR within the succession management process, the CMI survey found that it is rare for HR directors to have board-level influence. At the end of 2004, only 11 companies in the FTSE 100 had HR directors on their Boards. (CMI, 2005) A large number of organisations are looking now to management tools, some web-based, to assist in their succession management programmes and there is a plethora of talent management software systems on the market. Lance Richards argues, however, that we should pay no heed to the software salesman who offers elaborate, expensive packages they are nice but not required. HR should start the succession planning process, if only in a simple paper and pencil format sometimes, the first step is both the simplest and the hardest to make. Richards advice is not to dumb-down succession planning but to show that it can be done simply and without spending the GDP of Denmark in the process. (2004, p.15)[26] Succession Management Process So, where does all this opinion and theory brings us? Almost without exception, good practice points towards a formal succession planning process, at the heart of which lies leadership / employee development. According to Hirsch, succession planning sits inside a much wider set of resourcing and development processes, called succession management. Succession management encompasses links to business strategy, resourcing supply and demand, skills analysis, hiring processes and management development (including graduate and high-flyer programmes). (2000 p.ix)[27] Michael Liebeman in Rothwell supports this view; he feels that succession planning should not stand alone but should be paired with succession management, which assumes a more dynamic business environment. (2001, p.31)[28] For this view of succession management to be truly successful, it is vital that it be engrained in the culture of the organisation and functioning at all levels. Conger and Fulmer see this as a file-rule process, with the four subordinate rules resting on the fundamental rule of development. They believed that succession planning and leadership development are natural allies that share a fundament goal of getting the right skills in the right place. (2003, p79)[29] Implementing the Process Having secured management commitment, arguably the most difficult task of all, the next step is to implement the process. Identification When looking at a succession planning / management system for the first time, it is vital to establish the positions that the organisation wishes to include in the process. The selection of individuals may be linked to particular key posts or identified as having high potential. Conger and Fulmer suggested that by merging succession planning and leadership development into a single system, companies are able to take a long-term view of the process of preparing middle managers, even those below the director level, to become general managers. They suggested that these systems should focus on linchpin positions-roles that are essential to the long-term health of the organisation. (ibid, p79) Whatever the criteria, it is important that the process is tied in to business strategy and the risk posed by the loss of an incumbent is considered when reaching a decision. Composition of Team It is imperative that the composition of the succession planning / management team is such that sufficient weight is attached to the process to ensure its success. In addition to regular team members, most likely the CEO / MD, senior executives / managers and, preferably, HR, it may be a good idea from time to time to second interested parties. Not only will this provide valuable input into selection of candidates but also secure the assist in spreading commitment to the process throughout the organisation. Top level / company commitment and HR involvement are explored in more details in other areas of this report. Measure for Success Once the succession planning / management strategy is in place, it is important that the organisation puts measures in place in order to ensure that the system is operating efficiently and also to highlight any opportunities for improvement. Conger and Fulmer found that succession management systems were effective only when they reacted to changing requirements. They went on to say that none of the best-practice companies in their study expected that their succession management system would be able operate without modification for more than a year. (2003, p.84)[30] An additional important reason for monitoring the system is to demonstrate any success and, thereby, provide information to sustain management commitment. Retention Once an organisation has found its high performers and leaders of the future, it is important to retain these employees and to ensure not only that their aspirations are fulfilled but also that their talents are used to the best advantage of the organisation. Remember that just as organisations are interested in high performers, high performers are keen to be associated with organisations with a strong reputation. In the field of IT in particular, this reputation extends to cutting-edge technology and product development. Organisations need to hold the interest of these individuals if they are not to be lost to more attractive competitors. In addition to the attraction of personal development, one issue of major importance is the subject of recognition / reward and organisations need to give significant consideration to rewarding high performers. It may be necessary to look at alternative / additional methods of compensation, for example, stock options; performance-related bonus schemes; financial support for professional development. What is important is that high performers feel recognised and rewarded in relation to their perceived worth and at levels that are viewed as competitive in the marketplace. According to Susanna Mitterer of TMI, writing in People Management, Pay attention to how your incentive and bonus schemes are designed, making sure all means of reward are fair, consistent and transparent. (2004)[31] Time has moved on but the expectancy theory of Victor Vroom and notions of fairness expounded by Jacques and Adams still ring true today. Turnover Although it may be argued that some turnover is acceptable, even desirable, quite clearly excessive turnover is to be avoided. The cost to the organisation may be seen on many fronts and, in many cases, may not be recognised or considered. In addition to the oft-championed areas of recruitment, training, temporary / contractors costs, there are issues such as lost productivity, customer dissatisfaction and management time, as well as the very important area of loss of skills and knowledge, both explicit and tacit. This final issue, which is of particular significance in this report, is of vital importance to technology organisations, operating as they do in such a knowledge-rich environment. There are many reasons for voluntary turnover in an organisation and according to the CIPD survey, lack of development or career opportunities accounted for 37% of voluntary terminations in the UK. Additionally, 41% highlighted increased learning and development opportunities as a step taken specifically to address staff retention. Make it transparent It is important that the whole process is as transparent as possible. Conger and Fulmer were of the opinion that, although this was a sensitive issue to manage, it was the right view to take. They believed that, if employees knew what was expected of them to reach a particular level, they would be able to take the necessary action. Not making the process transparent and the criteria for inclusion absolutely clear, leads to misunderstandings, feelings of inequality and discontent. Lucy McGee, writing in People Management, believes that there is a genuine urgency at the moment for succession planning and that every manager must become a talent agent spotting, nurturing and lobbying for people with leadership potential and offers her 12-point guide. (2004, pp.48-49)[32] The Small / Medium-Size Business Viewpoint Although, as mentioned previously in this report, the smaller organisations often cannot afford to implement such practices as, for example, executive coaching, the basic principles of succession management remain open to all. Having said this, there are certain restrictions facing the smaller organisations. In addition to the likely limitations on cost, there are the obvious limited developmental opportunities, which could lead to possible difficulties in retention of able and ambitious employees. A consequence of this is the reduced pool of talent from which potential leaders may be drawn. The smaller organisation may also find its senior staff stretched in many different directions, which could lead to difficulty in obtaining commitment to the issue of succession management. Obtaining this commitment, and finding ways to mitigate the particular problems highlighted above, is a role to be embraced by HR. According to the Corporate Leadership Council, there are a number of imperatives and practices that the smaller organisation may consider to improve the situation, as shown in Figure 3. Although, quite clearly, these actions are to be advised in all situations, with regard to small organisations they become all the more relevant. The IT Viewpoint The IT industry in general is a very young, fast-moving and dynamic industry. A low average age, coupled with technical expertise, brings with it developmental and career aspirations that need to be satisfied and will wait for no man. It is important that Companies recognise this and form policies accordingly, in order that they are able to sustain the requirements for technical and career advancement. For this reason, a culture of ongoing development, whilst important and extremely desirable in all industries, takes on a more critical role in high technology organisations. It may be that the particular problems facing the smaller company are exacerbated when the company affected sits within the IT sector. Additionally, it could be argued that turnover rate within the IT industry takes on a slightly different hue. Turnover

Through the Emergency Room and on to Medical School Essays -- Medicine

Through the Emergency Room and on to Medical School    Thirty years ago when my parents left behind a comfortable life in South America to pursue opportunities that would truly change their lives, they had no idea they would be foreshadowing the recent events of my life. After working for two years as an engineer, I have realized something that I had suspected all along: I do not belong in the world of business or engineering. I need to be in a profession in which I can establish unique relationships with people by having a positive impact on their lives.    Oddly enough, my relationship with medicine began at an early age, as a twelve year old asthmatic, living in a house with two dogs (that I insisted on having). As a result, whenever I got sick, my respiratory situation was quick to decline, which inevitably led to frequent trips to the local emergency room. In one particular situation, I was admitted to the ICU with a pnuemothorax. While I do not recall the names of the doctors or nurses who cared for me over the next several days, I have come to recognize that their anonymous efforts may very well have saved my life. Naturally, this is not something immediately recognized as a child, but there is no doubt that I was walking a thin line between life and death.    As I got older, I started working at jobs where I had a lot of interaction with people. While attending the university, I worked as a Lifeguard Instructor, a Swim Instructor, and a CPR/First Aide Instructor. In these capacities, I touched the lives of other people in a positive manner, but I had yet to link this with a possible career in medicine. I believe this stemmed from three factors. First, nobody in my family was involved in the hea... ...ithdraw from school in the Fall of 1994. Since then, I have regained control of my financial situation, and I have resumed working on my Bachelor of Science in Biology . My current goal is to finish my Biology degree prior to the start of medical school in the Fall of 1996.    For the first time in my academic and professional career, I am sincerely interested and excited about what is yet to come. This is not to imply that I am displeased with the amount of time it took me to make the decision to pursue medical school After all, there are many people who never end up in a satisfying career. I believe my past experiences are propelling me forward with a sense of enthusiasm and conviction which will translate into the formation of a competent and humane doctor. Perhaps, someday, I will be the anonymous face that helps a twelve year old boy in his time of need.

The Importance of Arts Education Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Edu

The Importance of Arts Education Jane Alexander, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), once said, â€Å"Many children are missing out on something which gives their education context, gives their lives depth and meaning, and prepares them to be the future workforce.† This â€Å"something† that she spoke of is music and art education. Unfortunately, she is entirely correct. We are currently seeing in our country a dramatic cut in arts education curriculum in our public schools due to the limited amount of both time and funding. In many cases budget cutbacks mean arts education cutbacks. This limited amount of resources often forces administrators to place a value on the various subject areas. There is always a demand for greater concentration upon the traditional basics: English, math, science, and history. There is also a new focus on computer competency and a renewed focus on the need for foreign language education. Add to this health education, family life educati on, industrial arts education, AIDS education, home economics, physical education, and business education and one begins to wonder where arts education fits in. â€Å"Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts.† This is the opening statement of â€Å"The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of Principles,† a document from the nation’s ten most important educational organizations. The basic message is that music and art programs in the schools help our kids and communities in real and substantial ways. There is an abundant amount of facts and information that supports this statement. The benefits of arts education can be narrowed down into 4 basic categories: success in developing intelligence, success in ... ...ls. There is so much that can be gained from arts education. It is imperative that music and art education remains in public schools. Because, even though it has been said many times before, the fact remains that the arts enrich us all. @â€Å"Arts education opens doors that help children pass from school in to the world around them – a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes the arts.† –Gerald Ford, former President of the United States of America @â€Å"The arts are about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and, by studying the arts in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives and experience the world from a new perspective.† –Bill Clinton, former President of the United States of America

Melting Glaciers are Devastating for Wetlands Essay example -- Geology

Melting Glaciers: Great News for Titanic, Devastating for Wetlands Overview This essay is dedicated to the importance of wetlands and the impending danger of rising sea levels due to global warming. Historically we humans have taken for granted the numerous vital roles played by wetlands in our ecosystem and viewed them only as unpleasant and undesirable. So we have destroyed much of our wetlands, and now that we finally see how important they are we are going to lose what little wetlands remain to rising sea levels. What are wetlands? Wetlands are, quite simply wet lands. The word â€Å"wetlands† is the collective term for marshes, swamps, bogs, and similar areas. Here in Florida, wetlands are quite abundant. They can also be found in nearly every county and climactic zone in the United States. However, more than half of America's wetlands have been destroyed by man and his historically negative view of the vital waters. In general, wetlands are not very pleasant to humans to be around. Not only do they lack the beauty and grandeur of lakes, oceans and waterfalls, but they are also home to mosquitoes, flies, unpleasant odors and disease. Furthermore, wetlands tend to cover a large area that would be desirable to developers and farmers. Thus, wetlands were popularly and quickly drained and converted to farmlands or filled for housing developments and industrial facilities. Also, flood control levees and navigation channels have prevented fresh water, nutrients and sediment from reaching wetlands. This has converted many to open water. Some wetlands were even used as dumping sites for the disposal of household and industrial wastes! Today, both scientists and the government recognize the ma... ..., enhanced sedimentation, and enhanced peat formation. These measures must be taken seriously and immediately before we and our animals are paying the horrible price for our own irresponsibility! Back to Contents Resources Information from the following articles and web sites was used in writing this site: EPA Global Warming Site http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/ Facts About Wetlands http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/ facts.html GLY 1073 Electronic Tutor http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ NASA Fact Sheets http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/service/gallery/ fact_sheets/earthsci/green.htm Titus, J.G., Sea Level Rise and Wetland Loss: An Overview http:// www.epa.gov/oppeoee1/globalwarming/reports/pubs/ sealevel/index.html Wetland Processes and Values http://h2osparc.wq.ncsu.edu/info/ wetlands/funval.html Melting Glaciers are Devastating for Wetlands Essay example -- Geology Melting Glaciers: Great News for Titanic, Devastating for Wetlands Overview This essay is dedicated to the importance of wetlands and the impending danger of rising sea levels due to global warming. Historically we humans have taken for granted the numerous vital roles played by wetlands in our ecosystem and viewed them only as unpleasant and undesirable. So we have destroyed much of our wetlands, and now that we finally see how important they are we are going to lose what little wetlands remain to rising sea levels. What are wetlands? Wetlands are, quite simply wet lands. The word â€Å"wetlands† is the collective term for marshes, swamps, bogs, and similar areas. Here in Florida, wetlands are quite abundant. They can also be found in nearly every county and climactic zone in the United States. However, more than half of America's wetlands have been destroyed by man and his historically negative view of the vital waters. In general, wetlands are not very pleasant to humans to be around. Not only do they lack the beauty and grandeur of lakes, oceans and waterfalls, but they are also home to mosquitoes, flies, unpleasant odors and disease. Furthermore, wetlands tend to cover a large area that would be desirable to developers and farmers. Thus, wetlands were popularly and quickly drained and converted to farmlands or filled for housing developments and industrial facilities. Also, flood control levees and navigation channels have prevented fresh water, nutrients and sediment from reaching wetlands. This has converted many to open water. Some wetlands were even used as dumping sites for the disposal of household and industrial wastes! Today, both scientists and the government recognize the ma... ..., enhanced sedimentation, and enhanced peat formation. These measures must be taken seriously and immediately before we and our animals are paying the horrible price for our own irresponsibility! Back to Contents Resources Information from the following articles and web sites was used in writing this site: EPA Global Warming Site http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/ Facts About Wetlands http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/ facts.html GLY 1073 Electronic Tutor http://ess.geology.ufl.edu/ NASA Fact Sheets http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/service/gallery/ fact_sheets/earthsci/green.htm Titus, J.G., Sea Level Rise and Wetland Loss: An Overview http:// www.epa.gov/oppeoee1/globalwarming/reports/pubs/ sealevel/index.html Wetland Processes and Values http://h2osparc.wq.ncsu.edu/info/ wetlands/funval.html

What part does competition play in people’s daily life

What part does competition play in people's daily lives? Playing sports is a necessary habit in everyone's ordinary life. Playing sports not only Improves our health and wellbeing but It also teaches us important lessons of our dally lives. Tennis, Cricket, Football and Basketball are kinds of sports which require more physical ability while chess and poker are the types of sports that require more mental skills. Different sports teach us many lessons of life while keeping us healthy and active.Playing sports not only conditions the body, but also builds social skills, confidence and skills required In everyday living. Take playing basketball for example, In order to play. You must learn how to dribble the ball, how to shoot and most Importantly. How to pass the ball to your team mate with success. This builds teamwork by showing that working together will achieve much more than working alone. When playing sport, the results may not be as important as the experience you would have ga ined, which will greatly influence your life quality and the way you handle things.Sport caches us basic principles of daily life which are required to succeed in a job too. Passing the ball to a team mate to win as a team is like working with your colleagues to succeed at work, shooting a goal is like doing your part for the team and dribbling the ball past the opposition is like overcoming hurdles you will face in your life. Sports that require more mental skills such as chess and poker teach you logical thinking and how to keep a calm mind in difficult situations that arise in life. In chess for example, you must carefully plan every move to outsmart your opponent.When here is an intense situation, you can't afford to be nervous or anxious, you must have a calm mind and make decisions on how to tackle the problem. The same goes for real life. Winning in sports gives you an abundance of confidence which inspires you to keep playing and makes you feel good about yourself. Yet losin g helps too, It makes you set a goal and work towards it similarly to life, this could be getting a certain award or winning a competition. Playing sports like chess and poker teach you to make plans at every step and prepare for the Incidences that occur at every moment wrought life.Sport Is the most interesting way of learning. Sometimes we learn greatly from It even without even noticing It. It does have some negatives such as Injuries but these are greatly overpowered by the benefits. It Is a great preparation for your future life while obviously keeping you fit and healthy. BY toadied improves our health and wellbeing but it also teaches us important lessons of our daily lives. Tennis, Cricket, Football and Basketball are kinds of sports which require and skills required in everyday living.Take playing basketball for example, in order to lay, you must learn how to dribble the ball, how to shoot and most importantly, how teaches us basic principles of daily life which are requir ed to succeed in a Job too. To keep playing and makes you feel good about yourself. Yet losing helps too, it makes make plans at every step and prepare for the incidences that occur at every moment Sport is the most interesting way of learning. Sometimes we learn greatly from it even without even noticing it. It does have some negatives such as injuries but these are greatly overpowered by the benefits. It is a great preparation for your future life

Beauty: Wish and Jane Martin Essay

The play â€Å"Beauty† by Jane Martin was a great play as in it tells you of how there are some people out there that are not satisfied with whom or what they have. And wish to be someone else or have what someone else has. And the magic a Genie can bring to give them their wishes and let them see how it feels to change places with the person you admire most. Like the saying â€Å"the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.† The conflict that was going on in the play was between two women, Carla and Bethany. Bethany was the first to come forward with her feelings of inadequacies and wishing she was more like Carla. She then brings these feelings forward to Carla, who states her wish to be more like Bethany. Carla was beautiful and not too brainy, but care free with her life. Bethany was a not so beautiful woman but had a great head on her shoulders, and took life more seriously than Carla. Once Bethany and Carla brought forward their feelings about wishing they were the other, they had decided to make a wish with the Genie in the bottle that Bethany had found on the beach earlier that day. I believe at this time is where the rising action reaches its climax. The women make their wish to the genie, who then changes each one into the other. The women are now the other. They are stunned and happy at the same time. It was now time to live each other’s lives. Life went on for a few very long years with the women living each other’s lives. They then met up again. They had not been happy being the other. They missed who they had been. When Bethany had been Carla she found her new looks and less than intellectual ways had made people look at her differently, and not in a good way. Carla had seen that being as intelligent as Bethany was a double edged sword as well, not being very attractive and smart usually left you rather lonely and never considered the center of the males attention. I believe that before they met up and while they had lived one another’s lives is when the falling action began. I believe the falling action was them discovering that they should have appreciated who they were more before they had made this wish. The techniques that were used in the play was in how it was written and played out in a way that showed you important information and meaning in a very short amount of time by having the genie found and the wishes being known and acted on immediately, then showing them living each other’s lives and then them coming together to undo what they had done. This play accomplishes the meaning and the thought behind it by making you think from the very beginning what the actors were trying to portray to us and pushed right through to the actions that were going to take place and what would come of these actions. And lastly, the final thought on how their original feelings had changed and how they then were changed back into themselves, and tell of how they appreciated more now of who they had always been and didn’t want to be anyone else. Although the play is only ten minutes long, the events that happen in those ten minutes makes you see and maybe appreciate a little bit more of what you have and how changing places with someone else that you think you envy for whatever reason, may not be the way to go. Although it was only a ten minute play, during that ten minutes you were able to see what the women were feeling and what it was they had desired. It showed what their own insecurities about themselves were and the envy toward the others life and who they were. It’s amazing that Jane Martin could right all this and have it come across so clearly in a ten minute play. Jane Martin put the women that were total opposites together as friends and then she was able to show each ones strengths and weaknesses. As a whole person, they probably would have been Wonder Woman, each of them had a strength the other didn’t have and a weakness that the other didn’t have. But, when they were together as friends they completed each other. 1. The conflicts that were present were the two women who had wished to be the other and not satisfied with who they were as themselves. 2. The rising action was when the girls make their wish to change places with the genie. 3. The falling action begins toward the end of the years they spent being one another and seeing what the other’s life was like. 4. The techniques that were used to move the actions along were having the play begin with finding the genie and the fast way the women got into stating how they had wished to be the other and then showing how much they disliked being the other and meeting up and letting the other know their dislikes in having being the other and how they wished to be themselves again, and then making the wish to change back. The quickness of each spoken and acted out emotion and the clarity of what was being said and felt made this play able to be done in a ten minute time without taking anything away from what was coming across to the audience.

Jack London: The Law of LIfe Essay

LALAJack London: The Law of Life Culture is the expression of our nature on how we live, interact, believe, where we gain our knowledge, and it also distinguishes people from another in divergent societies. The culture of Native Americans is so history rich and storied cultured that it cannot be easily misinterpreted by anyone that is foreign of their way of life. In â€Å"The Law of Life,† Jack London describes the culture of the Native Americans and their proclivity towards life as it revolves around Naturalism and The Survival of the Fittest. We can describe â€Å"The Law of Life† as the circle of life. The circle of life begins when a man is born and ends with his or her death. â€Å"Koskoosh thinks of the leaves turning in autumn from green to brown, of young girls that grow more and more attractive until they find a man, raise children and slowly grow ugly by age and labor (London, 389).† The cycle of life and death is always indisputable in life. Death is a natural cycle as is birth; the distinction is how death occurs and affects a living creature. In the â€Å"Law of Life,† by Jack London, the law becomes acceptable to the tribe due to the nature of their survival in the harsh conditions in the artic regions. For example, deep and heavy snow may make it harder for hunters to bring back food for the tribe, or animals may go into hibernation to keep their young safe when they are vulnerable. Whenever necessities are scarce, the tribe migrates from one area to another for food, shelter, medicine, livable weather conditions, move to habitats that are more hospitable, and the elderly and disability people are left alone so that they will not be a hindrance on the migration and the survival of the tribe. The availability of food and water can change throughout the year. When I first read Jack London’s short story â€Å"The Law of Life† for my assigned literature reading for English class, I was deeply impressed by Jack London’s writing style. Jack London’s sense of observation made his stories deeply realistic as if they were happening right before us as if we were in the characters shoes; therefore, the entire story gave us a mouth full of food for thought of what could possibly develop next. Jack London’s short story was based around how Naturalism affects everyone in their lives. Naturalism plays a magnificent part on the tribes that are faced to whatever situations in life that their heredity, social conditions, and environment prepare them to encounter. â€Å"Naturalism in literature is explained as an attempt to be true to nature by not writing unrealistic stories about what life is like (Weegy).† Naturalistic writers try to show that man’s existence, is determined by things over which he has no control over and about which he can exercise little by if he has any choice. Man can only do nothing to prevent nature from taking a certain course; however, man does have the ability, to create protection from inclement weather, by way of: shelter, clothing, and supplies. Man is equal with all life and nature. We all eat, sleep, live, and eventually die. Many of Jack London’s stories talk about the constant struggle of surviving and staying alive. As discussed in class, nature doesn’t care who you are or where you come from; it is something that is continual and non-stopping. Man and the environment are both together in the struggle to compete for life. The aim is survival. Darwin’s Theory of the big fish that eats up the small fish, explains The Survival of the Fittest. Man and environment are both confronted between infinite, irrational Mother Nature and irrational human beings. The arctic region weather is harsh and endless. In the horrid, cold weather, the man act like the wild animal; however, the wild animals live a less troublesome life of what the tribe members have to encounter. For example, the animals survive exceptionally by their natural instincts by avoiding any type of danger. Man usually is fated to death when they cannot support the tribe any longer. After death, man became part of the nature and joined the endless and everlasting process of nature. Unfortunately, an older man named Koskoosh is strongly affected by naturalism. He is slowly growing older and is losing his ability to keep up with the tribe as the days go by. The seasons are changing and therefore, the tribe has to migrate for food and Koskoosh is too impaired to make the trip and he may hold his family back. He understands that those who are weak, old and are not able to take care of themselves must move on with their lives and give up a place to the healthier and younger, livin g human beings. Koskoosh knows what is in store for him since he has disabilities and won’t be able to benefit the tribe. He sits aside observing the tribe pack up making sure he isn’t a burden to them while they prepare for migrating. In the distance he listens to his granddaughter give commands to break camp. He only wishes for her to at least say goodbye to him. â€Å"Life calls her, and the duties of life, not  death†. Koskoosh understands that if she slows down to visit with him it will jeopardize the health of the tribe, because they must follow the caribou. Koskoosh can also hear the cries of little Koo-tee who in his mind is a fretful child, and not over strong.† â€Å"He feels as though the child would die soon, again he is internally enforcing to himself that death will come to everyone (London, 389-390).† Despite the law, he still somewhat anticipates for an exception to himself since his son is the leader of the tribe. â€Å"He hears a soft footstep o f a moccasin in the snow, and then feels a hand rest on his head. His son, the current chief, has come to say good-bye. Not all sons do this for their fathers, and Koskoosh is quietly grateful and proud. The son asks, â€Å"Is it well with you?† The people have left, the son explains, and they are moving quickly because they have not eaten well for some time. Koskoosh assures him that all is well, that he knows he is old and near death, and that he is ready. He compares his life to that of â€Å"last year’s leaf, clinging lightly to the stem. The first breath that blows and I fall. My voice is become like an old woman’s. My eyes no longer show me the way of my feet, and my feet are heavy, and I am tired. It is well (London, 890).† â€Å"The son walks away, and now Koskoosh is truly alone. He reaches out his hand to check his woodpile and thinks about how the fire will slowly die out, and he will slowly freeze to death (Overview).† Koskoosh is expected to freeze to death, most likely, to starve, or to be killed and eaten by animal predators. It was a continuing tradition that he could not prevent. â€Å"It was easy,† Koskoosh thinks, all men must die (Overview).† It is the law of life. To abandon the weak was not only understandable but it was helpful to the existence of the whole tribe. While he did not complain about his fate, he became sympathetic to other living beings that were abandoned when the group agreed that they were no longer needed in the tribe; however, in his childhood he would not have given a second thought on l eaving an old tribe member behind to fend for him or herself. â€Å"He remembered how he had abandoned his own father on an upper reach of the Klondike one winter, the winter before the missionary came with his talk-books and his box of medicines (London 392)†. Left in the frozen weather where the snow and whole land is covered by an endless blanket of snow, he recalls doing the same thing to his father decades ago, throwing him away like a piece of trash. In his final moments, Koskoosh commemorates of a time when he was young with a  friend, Zing-ha, and witnessed a moose fall down and fight his way back to standing ground where the moose succeeded in stomping one of the wolves to death. The moose fought until it was exhausted and overpowered by the pack of wolves. Koskoosh concludes that nature did not embrace whether a man lived or died; the continuing of the species was all that was to be substantive in â€Å"the law of life†. All things have a certain task to maintain in life, and all things after completing this task must die. The moose which fought to the very end is a symbol of foreshadowing of what happens to all living creatures; that all men must die and that this is what life is supposed to be. While recapping those memories of when he was younger, he feels the cold, wet nose of the wolf on his bare, cold skin. His mind flashes back to the wounded, bloody moose from long ago that was taken down by the same creature. This time, more horrific memories are being brought up in his mind. The blood, the big yellow eyes and the barbed fangs of the pack, and the way they enclosed slowly on the moose, slowly easing up on their prey until the opportunity came to attack. His instinct for survival was to maneuver a flaming branch at the wolf to make him back away. The wolf retreats, but calls out to his pack, and suddenly there are many wolves gathered around Koskoosh in a pack. Koskoosh remembers the moose, remembers that death will come whether he fights against it or not. As content with death as he seemed to be, he is now fighting for his life, knowing he’s about to die. Koskoosh finally realizes what he is doing and that he probably really doesn’t stand a chance. â⠂¬Å"What did it matter after all?† â€Å"Was it not the law of life?† â€Å"Why should I cling to life (London, 394)?† He then drops the stick into the snow and rests his tired head on his knees and waits for death to take him. In conclusion, all human beings eventually face eternal rest regardless of our cultures; it is the irrevocable of death. It is impossible to change or turn back life; it is like a river, no one can stop its flow. This is unfortunate, but nature is unforgiving, powerful, and knows no compassion. Koskoosh goes through his memories of his own life’s trials and misfortunes to try and give him an understanding of why he is sacrificing his life as an individual. He believes we are all going to face death and we will always strive to survive, no matter the odds in our favor. Works Cited Main Theme of â€Å"The Law of Life†. Weegy. 19 March 2013. http://www.weegy.com/home.aspx?ConversationId=70DA70B3. â€Å"Overview: ‘The Law of Life’.† Short Stories for Students. Ed. Sara Constantakis. Vol. 35. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Apr. 2013. London, Jack. â€Å"The Law of Life.† The Bedford Anthology of American Literature Vol 2. ‘Ed’ 2008. Susan Belasco and Linck Johnson. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. Pp. 388-394.

Necessity of Nursing

The Necessity of Nursing Assistants to Improve the Quality of Patient Care Introduction The quality of care received by patients is of fundamental importance to healthcare organizations. A well-documented happening that has Impacted health care settings across the world Is the nursing shortage (Tasks. 2003). Due to the current nursing shortage, it is often difficult for nurses to provide all the care patients need. According to Quality (2005), by reason of this shortage of Registered Nurse (RAN) staff, there are many less-complex tasks that Urns can delegate to Nursing Assistants (NAs).This allows Urns to concentrate on more complex nursing tasks. Improving the patients' overall quality of care. Nursing Assistants fulfill an important role in today's health care industry. Problem Analysis The Nurse Executive of a 125-bed health care facility believes that the facility needs more NAs to improve patient care. This belief was brought on by Physical Therapists noting that many patients a re not ambulating or sitting up as often as they should. Nursing Assistants are fundamental to the daily routine in all healthcare facilities, and therefore an Increase in their numbers would lad In solving this dilemma Quality, 2005).According to the American Nurses Association, delegation of tasks must be based on the state's nurse practice act, as well as the individual skills of the person that the task is being delegated. The current situation of needing additional caregivers to lad In patients ambulating and sitting up would be an optimal opportunity to employ NAs to assist with this less complex task (Quality, 2005). Additionally, because Medicare and Medicaid payments are declining, employing NAs to assist patients is a cost-effective way to provide quality care.There is a significant cost savings in employing NAs, rather than hiring additional Urns, or Physical Therapists. The average Nurse Assistant salary ranges from $21 ,620 to $24,260, while Urns and Physical Therapists salary ranges from $49,600 to $59,521 (Quality, 2005). Higher acuity and rehabilitative needs of patients, along with increased life expectancy and the amount of people older that 65, establishes an obvious demand for NAs. This demand will only Increase as the baby boomers reach the age of 65 (Pennington, Congo. ; Magical, 2007).According to Whittle, Robinson, Henderson, ; Anderson (2005), elders are prone to experience an overall national decline in activities of daily living. The current problem being a need for additional staff to assist with patients requiring ambulation and sitting up must be addressed. Inability to provide quality care results in increased length of stay. As well as increased discharges to nursing homes (Whittle, et al. , 2005) When adequately trained, educated, and appropriately supervised, lower paid, non-professional staff tofu can greatly relieve the burden on Physical Therapists and Urns.This allows Urns and Physical Therapists to adequately provide pati ent care requiring their professional bevel of skill and education (Tasks, 2003). As a consequence of this current situation an efficient and effective plan must be brought into action. Strategies A possible strategy to immediately manage this current patient care situation on an interim basis until a permanent plan can be implemented would be to redistribute the workload of the NAs currently working. Currently the average AN spends most of their time changing linens and bathing.Giving approximately eight to ten baths and changing linens each day leaves little time for assisting patient with activities of daily living, specifically sitting up and ambulating. This writer suggests giving patients a bath and changing linens every other day, unless soiled. Partial baths are to be given on the off days. All patients will receive daily face, hand, and perinea care; male patients will be shaved daily (Whittle, et al. , 2005). The hospital patient advocate can develop a patient information flyer to be provided to all patients describing the new practices and purpose for them.The NAs would assist patients with sitting three times daily, preferable at meal times. Not only does this simulate a routine, it facilitates the digestive process and decreases the risk of aspiration. Additionally, NAs will ambulate patients according to the recommendations of the Physical Therapist and document the distance of ambulation; working with patients daily to increase this distance over the course of their hospital stay. Whittle et al. (2005), performed research on elders similar to the suggestion of the writer.Their research found that the presence of having NAs available to assist with sitting up and ambulating patients would be highly supported by Physical Therapists and Urns. Additionally, they received no complaints from patients about the decreased frequency of bathing. Possible positive patient outcomes are decreased length of stay and fewer discharges to nursing homes. Moreover , their research revealed that AN turnover decreased from 175% in 2000 to in 2004 (Whittle, et al. , 2005).A potential strategy of increasing the amount of NAs on a long-term scale is to implement measures to develop the skills of the non-professional staff. Investing the time and cost to educate and develop the internal resources of the facility will increase the capabilities of the AN. Additionally, employees are likely to experience higher levels of Job satisfaction. Healthcare organizations often have untapped sources of non-professional employees that would appreciate the opportunity to invest in their personal growth and education by enrolling in a facility provided training program.Increasing the level of NAs staffed and providing the quality of care all patients deserve will improve the overall morale of the facility. Further, patients will have a perception of increased quality of their hospital experience (Tasks, 2003). Budget Proposal Increasing the AN staffing is necessa ry for this facility. By increasing AN staff rather than Urns or Physical Therapists, it offers a dramatic savings to the facility. The alarm of a AN ranges from $21,620 to $24,260. The salary of Urns and Physical Therapists ranges from $49,600 to $59,521. This offers the facility a savings of $27,980 to $35,261.Basically this facility could hire two, possible three, NAs for the amount of one RAN, or Physical Therapists (Pennington, Congo, ; Magical, 2007). Due to the decrease of Medicare and Medicaid payments and allotted days of OSP tall stay; employing NAs could assist in more efficient recovery to patients Shortening the length of patient stays will decrease the usage of resources, therefore offering additional cost savings (Whittle, et al. 2005). For example, if a Medicare patient stays longer than the allotted time of the DRAG code, the facility is responsible for those costs (H.Mills, personal communication, November 10, 2008). For this reason, it is important to ensure that patients are discharged within their recommended hospital stay allowance, while still providing optimal care. Implementation of a facility training program would require a great amount of planning and effort. The hospital education department could use their resources to train the staff interested in assisting with the program. Additionally, once the AN students received this training they could be mentored by skilled and educated NAs during a four week proprietorship.Allowing nurse assistant students to train offers additional help to the patients as well as cost savings to the facility. If the starting salary of a AN is $21 ,620, over the course of a four week proprietorship, one student, training 20 hours each week, offers the facility cost savings of approximately $831. 54. By using the resources already within the facility, there is no additional cost. The only cost to the facility would be that of books for the students and supplies for the training. The cost of 15 Nursing Ass istant books at $41. 95 would be $629. 25 (M.Richards, personal communication, November 5, 2008). These books could be signed out to the students and returned at the end of their class. The average cost of supplies used for training is $125. 00 (P. Step, personal communication, November 5, 2008). This cost could be a fee required for students to pay to be in the training program. Other than the cost of books this training program would not cost the facility an extreme amount of money and would greatly benefit the overall care received by patients, which should be the focus of all health care organizations.