Discuss the global roles and responsibilities of a newly qualified nurse The WritePass Journal

Discuss the global roles and responsibilities of a newly qualified nurse Introduction Discuss the global roles and responsibilities of a newly qualified nurse IntroductionDECISION MAKING PROCESSPatient Group Direction (PGD)When can PGDs be used?Which POMs can be supplied or administered under a PGD?How should PGDs be drawn up?Pharmacy Only (P) and General Sales List (GSL) MedicinesConclusion References:Related Introduction The aim of this assignment is to discuss the global roles and responsibilities of the newly qualified nurse. The exercise will begin by briefly looking at the transition from student to nurse and thereafter outlining the basic roles of the newly qualified nurse and try to fit them into appropriate professional skills. In addition, there will be a critical examination of two roles in more detail with one of them focusing on Patient Group Directions (PGD), and justify their importance. We will then look at some legal, professional and ethical considerations before making a conclusion on the future role development of the nurse. The NMC require a student nurse to demonstrate professional and ethical practice, be competent in care delivery and care management, and show personal and professional development in order to join the register (NMC, 2010). On becoming a qualified nurse, the expectations and dynamics of relationships changes fundamentally. Suddenly the newly qualified nurse is the one who must ‘know the answer’, whether it is a query from a patient, a carer, a work colleague or a student. The newly qualified nurse will encounter many challenging situations where she or he must lead care delivery. This includes dealing with care management within the team, dealing with patients/service users, dealing with other professionals, and dealing with the required needs of the whole workplace environment. These changes require a large shift from the experience of being a student and a mentored supervised learner, so it is essential that one is equipped with all the skills required to successfully make the transition. The newly qualified nurse must demonstrate they are fit to enter the NMC register and therefore be eligible to practice as a qualified nurse. In all cases, the newly qualified nurse is seen as: Provider of care Educator Counsellor Collaborator Researcher Change Agent Patient Advocate Manager The above are typically the roles of a newly qualified nurse which can be compressed into the NMC professional skills requirements listed below: Maintaining standards of care Making ethical and legal decisions Being accountable Teamworking Teaching others Being in charge. It is recognized that there is a certain amount of overlap in these professional skills and that some concepts cross all of them, in that there are no clear lines drawn where one skill ends and another starts. For the purpose of this analysis, we will look at the issue of making ethical and legal decisions and the Patient Group Direction. Decisions and actions are taken by nurses in the course of day-to-day practice. One would not usually consider each of the skills or concepts in isolation in relation to particular incidents but would make a decision based on the factors contributing to the situation. However, when analysing any situation, in the decisions made and the actions taken, some of the individual conceptual principles may be recognized and highlighted. For example, asking a member of staff to complete a task on your behalf is delegating. This fits neatly into leadership theory and also relates to aspects of accountability. Completing a health and safety audit in the work environment might relate to management theory and responsibility taken on. Completing a review of an individual’s care and setting goals for them in multidisciplinary meetings might relate to team working theory. Reporting of poor practices or environments might relate to aspects of accountability and maintaining standards of care. However, all of the above aspects could arise from analysing one situation where the nurse has to make decisions about a certain aspect of care management thus emphasizing the great importance of making ethical and legal decisions. DECISION MAKING PROCESS Nurses are problem solvers who use the nursing process as their tool. The chief goal of ethical decision-making process is to determine right and wrong in situations where clear demarcations are not apparent, and then search for the best answer. For a newly qualified nurse, the following will be a guide to making ethical decisions: State the Dilemma State dilemma clearly, determine whether the problem/decision involves the nurse or only the patient, focus attention on ethical principles and follow the client’s wishes first while considering the family input in case of unconsciousness. Collect and Analyze Data Know client’s and family’s wishes and all information about the problem. Keep abreast of any up to date legal and ethical issues; which may also overlap. Consider Choices of Action – Most ethical dilemmas have multiple solutions, some of which are more feasible than others. The more options that are identified, the more likely it is that an acceptable solution can be identified. It may require input from outside sources and other professionals such as Social workers etc. Make the Decision – The most difficult part of the process is making the decision, following through with the action, and then living with the consequences. Ethical dilemmas produce differences of opinion and not every one is pleased with the decision but it must be emphasized that client’s wishes always supercede the decision by health care providers but ideally, a collaborative decision is made by client, family, doctor and nurse thus producing fewer complications. Act – Once a course of action has been determined, the decision must be carried out. Implementing the decision usually involves collaboration with others. Evaluate – Unexpected outcomes are common in crisis situations that result in ethical dilemmas. It is important for decision makers to determine the impact an immediate decision may have on future ones. It is also important to consider whether a different course of action might have resulted in a better outcome. If the outcome accomplished its purpose, the ethical dilemma should be resolved and if the dilemma has not been resolved, additional deliberation is needed. Patient Group Direction (PGD) The legislation (Statutory Instrument, 200a) states that ‘Patient Group Direction means – in connection with the supply of a prescription only medicine a written direction relating to the supply and administration of a description or class of prescription only medicine or a written direction relating to the administration of a description or class of description only medicine, and which in the case of either is signed by a doctor and by a pharmacist; and relates to the supply and administration, or to administration, to persons generally (subject to any exclusions which may be set out in the Direction).’ In practice this means that a PGD, signed by a doctor and agreed by a pharmacist, can act as a direction to a nurse to supply and/or administer prescription-only medicines (POMs) to patients using their own assessment of patient need, without necessarily referring back to a doctor for an individual prescription. When can PGDs be used? The law is clear that the majority of care should be provided on an individual, patient-specific basis, and that the supply and administration of medicines under PGDs should be reserved for those situations where this offers an advantage for patient care (without compromising safety), and where it is consistent with appropriate professional relationships and accountability. The RCN interprets this to mean that PGDs should only be used to supply and/or administer POMs to homogeneous patient groups where presenting characteristics and requirements are sufficiently consistent for them to be included in the PGD e.g. infants and children requiring immunisation as part of a national programme. Which POMs can be supplied or administered under a PGD? PGDs can be used to supply and administer a wide range of POMs although there are currently legislative and ‘good practice’ restrictions in relation to controlled drugs, antimicrobials and black triangle drugs. Controlled drugs The use of controlled drugs continues to be regulated under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and associated regulations made under that Act. The Home Office has agreed to allow the supply and administration of substances on Schedule 4 (with the exclusion of anabolic steroids) and all substances on schedule 5 to be included in PGDs. Antimicrobials can be included within a PGD but consideration must be given to the risk of increased resistance within the general community. When seeking to draw up a PGD for antimicrobials, a local microbiologist should be involved and approval sought from the drug and therapeutics committee or equivalent. Black triangle drugs and medicines used outside the terms of the Summary of Product Characteristics Black triangle drugs (i.e. those recently licensed and subject to special reporting arrangements for adverse reactions) and medicines used outside the terms of the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) – sometimes called ‘off label use’ (for example, as used in some areas of specialist paediatric care) may be included in PGDs. Their use should be exceptional and justified by best clinical practice, and a direction should clearly describe the status of the products. How should PGDs be drawn up? The law (Statutory Instrument, 2000a) requires that PGDs should be drawn up by a pharmacist and the doctor who works with the nurses who will be using them. The relevant health authority should also ratify the PGD. In England, when PGDs are developed locally, HSC 2000/026 (NHSE, 2000) requires that a senior doctor and a senior pharmacist sign them off with authorisation from the appropriate health organisation, i.e. the trust, and that all nurses using the directions are specifically named within the PGD and signed by them. The RCN acknowledges this as good practice and recommends the following steps be taken throughout the UK. The NMC Standards for Medicines Management (2007) state that ‘the administration of drugs via PGDs may not be delegated and students cannot supply or administer under a PGD. Students would however be expected to understand the principles and be involved in the process (NMC 2007). Failure to ascertain that a PGD is the most appropriate route can lead to waste of valuable time and resource and place increased risk on delivery and quality of patient care. Anyone involved with PGDs (whether developing, authorising or practising under them) should understand the scope and limitations of PGDs as well as the wider context into which they fit to ensure safe, effective services for patients. Any extension to professional roles with regard to administration and supply of medicines must take into account the need to protect patient safety, ensure continuity of care and safeguard patient choice and convenience. It also has to be cost effective and bring demonstrable benefits to patient care. Any practice requiring a PGD that fails to comply with the criteria falls outside of the Law and could result in criminal prosecution under the Medicines Act. With regard to the written instruction required for the supply and administration of medicines by non-professionals, Medicines Matters (2006) (3) clarifies that a suitably trained non-professional member of staff can only administer medicines under a Patient Specific Direction (PSD). Medicine Matters (2006) states that: Patient Specific Direction is the traditional written instruction, from a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist independent prescriber, for medicines to be supplied or administered to a named patient. The majority of medicines are still supplied or administered using this process. There is nothing in legislation to prevent PSDs being used to administer medicines to several named patients e.g. on a clinic list. PSDs are a direct instruction and therefore do not require an assessment of the patient by the health care professional instructed to supply or administer the medicine. Pharmacy Only (P) and General Sales List (GSL) Medicines Medicines legislation states that a PGD is not required to administer a P or GSL medicine. The use of a simple protocol is advisable for best practice and from a governance perspective. All medicines administered must be recorded in the patients medical record. Where a GSL medicine is to be supplied it must be taken from lockable premises and supplied in a pre-pack which is fully labelled and meets the GSL requirements. A PGD will be necessary for the supply of P medicines by anyone other than a registered pharmacist. Recommend further advice to be sought from a pharmacist. (Ref: NPC PGDs 2004). For safe administration of drugs, the newly qualified nurse must give the right dose of the right drug to the right patient in the right route at the right time. When giving medications, the nurse needs to be aware of possible interactions between the patient’s different drugs. It is the nurse’s responsibility to protect the patient from harm. If they think the wrong drug or the wrong dose has been ordered, they must ask for help from the nurse or the doctor in charge. The newly qualified nurse needs to know the doses of the drug which are safe to administer. Sometimes the pharmacy gives out drugs in grams when the order specifies milligrams, or the other way around. They need to know how to convert these. It is important to know what types of dilemmas newly qualified nurses may face during their careers and how they may deal with it. It is also important for nurses to understand what malpractice is and how they may protect themselves from a malpractice suit. Firstly, it is important to understand the difference between law and ethics. Ethics examines the values and actions of people. Often times, there is no one right course of action when one is faced with an ethical dilemma. On the other hand, laws are binding rules of conduct. When laws are broken, it is punishable by an authority. There are four types of situations that pertain to law and ethics. The first would be an action that is both legal and ethical. An example of this would be a nurse carrying out appropriate doctors orders as ordered. A nurse may also be faced with an action that may be ethical but not legal, such as allowing a cancer patient to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes. The opposite may arise where an action may be legal but not ethical. Finally, an action may be neither legal nor ethical. For example, when a nurse makes a medication error and does not take responsibility to report to it appropriately. The right of service users to expect practitioners to act in their best interests is reinforced by professional codes of conduct and legislation such as the Mental Health Act. It is also reflected in equality of opportunity legislations such as the Sex Discrimination Act and the Race Relation Act, which aim to ensure that everybody has equal access to and is offered equal care by health and social care service. Patient’s right to confidentiality under statutory duties is stipulated in the Data Protection Act, Article 8 European Convention of Human Rights, Access to Personal Files Act 1987 and Access to Health Record Acts 1990. The code does require that nurses must disclose information if they believe someone may be at risk of harm in line with the law. As a nurse, respecting autonomy means you must effectively communicate with patients, be truthful, enable patients to make decisions freely, provide appropriate information and accept the patient’s preferences. Legally, patients must be given enough information to make a balanced judgement however we must be aware that if nurses fail to comply with the legal duty of disclosure, they could face a negligence claim. However, under the principle of therapeutic privilege they can legally withhold information that they think will harm the patient Some patients whether children or adults are unable either to make or to communicate their decisions therefore they lack (or have limited) capacity. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 that create and clarifies the common law on consent in England and Wales, affects everyone aged 16 and over, and provides a statutory framework to empower and protect people who may not be able to make some decisions for themselves. The moral justifications for acting without consent are the principles of beneficence (the duty to do good) and non-maleficence (the duty to do no harm). Paternalism is overriding someone’s autonomy because you think it is for their own good. However, it is justifiable if we can demonstrate that the patient is at risk of significant, preventable harm, or the action will probably prevent the harm, or the patient’s capacity for rational reflection is either absent or significantly impaired, or at a later time, it can be assumed that the patient will approve of the decision taken on his/her behalf, or the benefits to the patient of intervention outweigh the risks. Also, we live in a society where demands for accountability and taking responsibility are so commonplace that pinning the blame on someone or something has become almost a fad. The NHS’ culture of blame has developed basically because no one wants to be accountable or responsible for actions or omissions hence there are no longer any accidents or mistakes. Principles of beneficence and non-maleficence underpin the concept of fault – which lies at the heart of negligence law. Beneficence means that you must act in ways that benefit others (i.e. duty to care), and Non-maleficence means that you have a duty not to harm others nor subject them to risk of harm. Every nursing intervention that aims to benefit patients may at the same time also harm them. Sometimes the harm will be unavoidable or even intentional and at other times it can be unintentional and unexpected, therefore it is appropriate to think about the principles of non-maleficence and beneficence together in order to balance harm and benefits against each other. We can resolve this problem responsibility and accountability. These words are sometimes used interchangeably because they do overlap but in actual fact they do not mean the same thing. Being responsible can mean that it is your job or role to deal with something and/or that you have caused something to happen. Accountability on the other hand is about justifying your action or omissions and establishing whether there are good enough reasons for acting in the way you did. Even where the newly qualified nurse delegate tasks to others, such as nursing auxiliaries or care assistants she/he is accountable to the   patients through a duty of care, underpinned by a common-law duty to promote safety and efficiency, and legal responsibility through civil law, the employer as defined by your contract of employment, the profession as stated in the relevant codes of conduct and the public. Conclusion All newly qualified nurses were faced with assumptions from others that they should ‘know everything’. This was also a high expectation they had of themselves. In meeting the NMC standards of proficiency the nurse should have demonstrated the relevant knowledge and skills in order to practise in their relevant specialized fields. However, it is important to recognize that not every nurse knows everything about everything in their field, especially if they are practising in highly specialized fields. What they need is to be able to develop and adapt to changing situations. Therefore, for the nurse it is impossible to know everything, but they should have developed the skills to find out relevant information, reflect on it, and apply this to their practice. In essence they should have learned how to learn. There is a great deal to be learned once qualified, especially related to a nurse’s ‘new’ area of work and a good deal of the development needs to ta ke place ‘on the job’. References: Bach, S. Grant, A., 2009. Communication Interpersonal Skills for Nurses. Exeter: Learning Matters Ltd. Chitty, K. K., 2001. Professional Nursing: concepts challenges. 3rd ed. Pennsylvania: W. B. Saunders Company. Davis, M., 1988. Managing Care – Teaching Nurses Workbook. London: DLC South Bank Polytechnic. Dimond, B., 2008. Legal Aspects of Nursing. 5th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Dimond, B., 2009. Legal Aspects of Consent. 2nd ed. London: MA Healthcare Limited. Lancaster, J. Lancaster, W., 1982. The nurse as a change agent. Missouri: The C.V. Mosby Company. Nursing Midwifery Council, 2010. Standards for medicine management. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. Nursing Midwifery Council, 2010. The Code. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2010). Competencies for entry to the register (Online). Available at standards.nmc-uk.org   (Accessed March 18, 2011). Royal College of Nursing (2006). Patient Group Directions: Guidance and Information for Nurses. Londoon: RCN

Government Healthcare Pros and Cons

Government Healthcare Pros and Cons Government healthcare refers to government funding of healthcare services via direct payments to doctors, hospitals and other providers. In U.S. government healthcare, doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals are not employed by the government. Instead, they provide medical and health services, as normal, and are reimbursed by the government, just as insurance companies reimburse them for services. An example of a successful U.S. government healthcare program is Medicare, established in 1965 to provide health insurance for people aged 65 and over, or who meet other criteria such as disability. The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the world, democratic or non-democratic, without universal healthcare for all citizens provided by government-funded coverage. 50 Million Uninsured Americans in 2009 In mid-2009, Congress is working to reform U.S. healthcare insurance coverage which presently leaves more than 50 million men, women and children uninsured and without access to adequate medical and health services. All healthcare coverage, except for some low-income children and those covered by Medicare, is now provided only by insurance companies and other private-sector corporations. Private company insurers, though, have proven quite ineffective at controlling costs, and actively work to exclude healthcare coverage whenever feasible. Explains Ezra Klein at the Washington Post: The private insurance market is a mess. Its supposed to cover the sick and instead competes to insure the well. It employs platoons of adjusters whose sole job is to get out of paying for needed health care services that members thought were covered. In fact, multi-million bonuses are awarded annually to top healthcare executives as incentive to deny coverage to policy holders. As a result, in the United States today: Over a third of families living below the poverty line are uninsured. Hispanic Americans are more than twice as likely to be uninsured as white Americans while 21% of black Americans have no health insurance.More than 9 million children lack health insurance in America.Eighteen thousand people die each year because they are uninsured. Slate.com reported in 2007: The current system is increasingly inaccessible to many poor and lower-middle-class people... those lucky enough to have coverage are paying steadily more and/or receiving steadily fewer benefits. Latest Developments In mid-2009, several coalitions of Congressional Democrats are heatedly crafting competing healthcare insurance reform legislation. Republicans have generally not offered substantive healthcare reform legislation in 2009. President Obama has voiced support for universal healthcare coverage for all Americans which would be provided by selecting among various coverage options, including an option for government-funded healthcare (aka a public plan option or public option). However, the President has stayed safely on the political sidelines, thus far, forcing Congressional clashes, confusion, and setbacks in delivering on his campaign promise to make available a new national health plan to all Americans. Healthcare Packages Under Consideration Most Democrats in Congress support universal healthcare coverage for all Americans which offers various options for insurance providers, and includes a low-cost, government-funded healthcare option. Under the multi-option scenario, Americans satisfied with their present insurance can opt to keep their coverage. Americans dissatisfied, or without coverage, can opt for government-funded coverage. Republicans complain that the free-market competition offered by a lower-cost public-sector plan would cause private-sector insurance companies to cut their services, lose customers, would inhibit profitability, or go entirely out of business. Many progressive liberals and other Democrats believe strongly that the only fair, just U.S. healthcare delivery system would be a single payer system, such as Medicare, in which only low-cost government-funded healthcare coverage is provided to all Americans on an equal basis. Americans Favor Public Plan Option Per the Huffington Post about a June 2009 NBC/Wall Street Journal poll: ... 76 percent of respondents said it was either extremely or quite important to give people a choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance. Likewise, a New York Times/CBS News poll found that The national telephone survey, which was conducted from June 12 to 16, found that 72 percent of those questioned supported a government-administered insurance plan - something like Medicare for those under 65 - that would compete for customers with private insurers. Twenty percent said they were opposed. Background Democrat Harry Truman was the first U.S. President to urge Congress to legislate government healthcare coverage for all Americans. Per Healthcare Reform in America by Michael Kronenfield, President Franklin Roosevelt intended for Social Security to also incorporate healthcare coverage for seniors, but shied away for fear of alienating the American Medical Association. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Medicare program, which is a single payer, government healthcare plan. After signing the bill, President Johnson issued the first Medicare card to former President Harry Truman. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed his wife, well-versed attorney, Hillary Clinton, to head a commission charged with forging a massive reform of U.S. healthcare. After major political missteps by the Clintons and an effective, fear-mongering campaign by Republicans, the Clinton healthcare reform package was dead by Fall 1994. The Clinton administration never tried again to overhaul healthcare, and Republican President George Bush was ideologically opposed to all forms of government-funded social services. Healthcare reform was a top campaign issue among 2008 Democratic presidential candidates. Presidential candidate Barack Obama promised that he will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. See the entirety at Obama Campaign Promises: Health Care.    Pros of Government Healthcare Iconic American consumer advocate  Ralph Nader sums up the positives of government-funded healthcare  from the patients perspective: Free choice of doctor and hospital;No bills, no co-pays, no deductibles;No exclusions for  pre-existing conditions; you are insured from the day you are born;No bankruptcies due to  medical bills;No deaths due to lack of health insurance;Cheaper. Simpler. More affordable;Everybody in. Nobody out;Save taxpayers billions a year in bloated corporate administrative and executive compensation costs. Other important positives of government-funded healthcare include: 47 millions Americans lacked  healthcare insurance  coverage as of the 2008 presidential campaign season. Soaring unemployment since then have caused the the ranks of the uninsured to swell past 50 million in mid-2009.Mercifully, government-funded healthcare would provide access to  medical services  for all uninsured. And lower costs of government healthcare will cause insurance coverage to be significantly more accessible to millions of individuals and businesses.Doctors and other medical professionals can focus  on patient care, and no longer need to spend hundreds of wasted hours annually dealing with insurance companies.Patients, too, under government healthcare would never need to fritter inordinate amounts of frustrating time haggling with insurance companies. Cons of Government Healthcare Conservatives and libertarians oppose U.S. government healthcare mainly because they dont believe that its a proper role of government to provide social services to private citizens. Instead, conservatives believe that  healthcare coverage  should continue to be provided solely by private-sector for-profit insurance corporations or possibly by non-profit entities. In 2009, a handful of Congressional Republicans have suggested that perhaps the uninsured could obtain limited medical services via a  voucher system and tax credits for low-income families. Conservatives also contend that lower-cost government healthcare would impose too great of a  competitive advantage  against for-profit insurers. The  Wall Street Journal argues: In reality, equal competition between a public plan and private plans would be impossible. The public plan would inexorably crowd out private plans, leading to a single-payer system. From the patients perspective, negatives of government-funded healthcare could include: A decrease in flexibility for patients to freely choose from among the vast cornucopia of drugs,  treatment options, and surgical procedures offered today by higher-priced doctors and hospitals.Existing patient confidentiality standards, which would likely be diluted by centralized government info that would necessarily be maintained.Less potential doctors may opt to enter the medical profession due to decreased opportunities for highly compensated positions. Less doctors coupled with skyrocketing demand for doctors could lead to a shortage of medical professionals, and to longer waiting periods for appointments. Where It Stands As of late June 2009, the struggle to shape healthcare reform has only begun. The final form of successful healthcare reform legislation is anyones guess. The American Medical Association, which represents 29% of U.S. doctors, opposes any government insurance plan mainly because doctors  reimbursement rates  will be less than those from most private sector plans. Not all doctors oppose government-funded healthcare, though. Political Leaders on  Healthcare Reform On June 18, 2009, Speaker of the House  Nancy Pelosi told the press I have every confidence that we will have a public option coming out of the  House of Representatives  - that will be one that is actuarially sound, administratively self-sufficient, one that contributes as to competition, does not eliminate competition. Senate Finance Committee Chair  Max Baucus, a centrist Democrat, admitted to the press: I think a bill that passes the Senate will have some version of a public option. Moderate Blue Dog Democrats of the House say the public plan should occur only as a fallback, triggered if private insurers arent doing a good enough job on access and costs, per  Rob Kall at OpEd News. In contrast, Republican strategist and Bush advisor  Karl Rove recently penned a harshly dire  Wall Street Journal op-ed in which he warned that ... the public option is just phony. Its a bait-and-switch tactic... Defeating the public option should be a top priority for the GOP this year. Otherwise, our nation will be changed in damaging ways almost impossible to reverse. The  New York Times wisely summed up the debate  in a June 21, 2009 editorial: The debate is really over whether to open the door a crack for a new public plan to compete with the private plans. Most Democrats see this as an important element in any  health care reform, and so do we.

Human Resources Management Aspects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Human Resources Management Aspects - Essay Example Equal Employment Opportunities and affirmative action are terms that people commonly use in their daily lives without understanding their real meaning, the difference between them, and their application in human resource management. Equal employment opportunities and affirmative action are the principles that were set by the government and aim at ensuring fairness in workplaces since they prohibit any form of discrimination. I have seen people treat each other differently because of their different nationality, race, ethnicity, or gender. Learning this course was important since I now understand that Equal Employment Opportunity is a principle, which forbids discrimination of any type whether racial, gender based or ethic based, against any employee or persons seeking employment (Ulrich, 2005). Without this principle, it is obvious that the hiring process, promotions, access to professional development opportunities would be faced by prejudice. Learning what affirmative action is was another significant aspect in this unit. Affirmative Action is a remedy or a principle used to handle or address past cases of discrimination. Affirmative action thus ensures that organizations commit to overcome discrimination, which starts with addressing past discriminative actions and seek to eliminate all barriers that should limit or prevent professional development of any individual. The affirmative action was enacted to ensure organizations establish measures to improve the participation. of females, persons with disability as well as minority groups. For example, I have seen some organizations advertise certain jobs in women magazines to ensure that they increase the chances of women being the main applicants. It is not a new phenomenon to hear of cases where employees have been treated unjustly because of their race, marital status, disability, transgender status, sexuality, or other factors such as carer’s responsibilities. It was interesting learning that the above actions are unlawful. However, it is not a new phenomenon to hear of cases where an employer or manager who sacked an employee, for example, just because she was pregnant or because she or he was disabled and could not handle certain tasks. This is wrong since ones colour, gender or physicality does not demonstrate or even determine his or her capability. Everyone should thus be given equal opportunity to confirm their potential (Ulrich, 2005). EEO requires employers to avoid using selective criteria to offer jobs or promotions to certain groups of people particularly the minority. However, affirmative action is results oriented and is meant to correct underutilization of minority groups, which often result if employment, promotion, and career development opportunities are given equally without considering diversity. This course exposed me to the challenges faced by managers and supervisors during the hiring process since all their

An Organizational Ethical Dilemma Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

An Organizational Ethical Dilemma - Coursework Example A class action lawsuit was brought against Rite Aid by its employees because of the incurred losses in shareholdings and income due to the bookkeeping and accounting fraud ("Rite aid faces," 2003) The company’s reputation was severely hurt by this scandal and lost nearly a billion dollars in legal fees and in the shareholding settlement reached for the class action lawsuit. The company lost its good reputation and fell behind similar stores such as CVS and Walgreens ("Rite aid faces," 2003) The Ethical Issues There are several ethical issues that are illustrated in this particular incidence. The biggest issue is the breach of fairness. According to the book entitled â€Å"Managing Business Ethics,† a major aspect of ethics for most employees in an organization is the â€Å"climate of fairness† (Trevino, & Nelson, 2010). A climate of fairness involves all aspects of employee treatment such as â€Å"outcomes, processes, and interactions (Trevino, & Nelson, 2010). In order to be considered ethical, this climate of fairness cannot be breached. In this case, Rite Aid did not provide a fair work environment as employees were harmed in the all three of these key areas because of the fraudulent actions of several men. Instead, the company promoted a self-interest climate which is where â€Å"people protect their own interests above all and everyone is essentially out for themselves† (Trevino, & Nelson, 2010). Martin Grass and his accomplices placed their own greed above the good of the other employees and shareholders and ended up defrauding many of these people out of the money that they were entitled to ("Rite aid faces," 2003) Who is affected by the dilemma? The employees and shareholders were the individuals that were initially impacted by this ethical scandal due to the fact that they were the ones who lost out on the money they were owed. In order to rectify this situation, a class action lawsuit was filed and eventually the company h ad to pay out. The company was also affected by this dilemma as their reputation was ruined and they lost a lot of money because of the legal fees and profit loss. Finally, the customers are also affected because such a breach of ethics is going to change the perception of the organization. Customers likely felt that this was not a company they should trust. The fact that profit was impacted suggests that customers did not want to be associated with the store and its negative reputation. What are the possible consequences of specific and alternative actions (responses)? The company really did not have any other choice when it came to how they responded to this ethical dilemma. In order to save face in the long-term, they had to pay back the money to shareholders and employees. The only way to ensure that they were not ruined was to accept the short term consequences and respond appropriately. Had the company not responded appropriately, they might have been forced to go out of busin ess. Even with an appropriate reaction, Rite Aid lost billions and their stock plummeted to just a few dollars per stock in 2003("Company news; rite," 2003) What are the relevant obligations from your analysis of the dilemma? According to â€Å"Managing Business Ethics,† the obligations for a company â€Å"vary depending on the people involved and the roles they play (Trevino, & Nelson, 2010). For Rite Aid, the main obligation that they had was

The Nazi dictatorship in Germany Essay Example for Free

The Nazi dictatorship in Germany Essay How similar were the Nazi dictatorship in Germany and the Fascist dictatorship in Italy to 1939? The similarities and dissimilarities of the dictatorships in Germany and in Italy can be identified within 3 aspects: how the dictatorships were formed (took power), how they were run, can how they affected civilian life in Germany and Italy. This essay will offer comparisons in these aspects and come to a summary of the extent and nature of their similarity. Both dictatorships were popular dictatorships. Both parties exploited the surging Nationalism in Italy and Germany after WWI, and established popularity by propaganda, rhetoric and attracting promises, like Mussolinis continuation of Giolittis Risorgimento programme and Hitlers promise to overthrow the Versailles Treaty. Both parties exploited the weakness of rival political forces, that is, a lack of democratic tradition in both countries and thus a vulnerability to the influence of radical ideology. The appointment of Hitler by Hindenburg and that of Mussolini by King Victor Emmanuelle were both more of a compromise due to shortage of alternative than a positive victory on the other side. A common antipathy against Communism that pervaded in German and Italian society gave momentum to Nazi and Fascist rising. The use of terror was an effective factor for the emergence of both dictatorships. Hitlers Nazi brownshirts and Mussolinis squadrsiti both played important roles in eliminating their opponents. The minor difference in the Nazi and Fascist paths to power is most manifest in the influence of WWI. Germany was heavily scarred by the economic, military and political penalty as a consequence of her defeat. The common hatred and vigilance against other powers gave a negative cohesion to the national psychology, which was magnificently exploited by Hitler. While on the other hand, the appeal of Mussolinis policies was more of an ambitious imperial nature. The reigns of Nazi and Fascist dictatorships had more similarities than dissimilarities. Power was highly centralized and democracy suffered a complete destruction in both countries. The Reichstag fire in Germany and the issue of a formal decree banning all other political parties in Italy in 1926 destroyed the parliamentarian machinery completely in the two countries. Violence and intimidation continued to be in frequent use to combat opposition. The murder of Ernst Roehm by the SSs and the establishment of the Chamber of Fasces and Corporations imposed on the pseudo-democratic practice of corporatism in Italy were examples for this point. Fascist and Nazi dictatorships both attempted to solve the nations economic problems. Development of heavy industry and infrastructure in Germany and Italy during this period was impressive. Big businesses benefited immensely from Fascist and Nazi economic policies. This also limited the achievement of both dictatorships in dealing with economic difficulties: Nazi economy stayed heavily dependent on imports. Italian Northern-Southern imbalance stayed unsolved. A difference here is that Nazis made use of rearmament policy as a strong impetus for economic recovery. Foreign policies were instrumental in both countries in accumulating support for the dictatorships. Mussolinis victory in the Ethiopian wars brought him massive support. The Anchluss with Austria made brought Hitlers national image to a higher level. In short, both Nazi and Fascist dictatorships were extreme-right ideological rules that were enhanced by censorship and military terrorism. Their foreign policies were both aggressive and nationalistic, to confirm the greatness of the leadership. The major difference between Nazi and Fascist dictatorships was on their bearing on German and Italian societies. Though Italian Fascism initially provided a source of imitation for the formation of Nazism, but the extent to which it influenced the society was limited in contrast with Nazi society. Benedetto Croce with his outspoken antagonism towards fascism would certainly not have survived in Hitlers regime. Anti-Semitism was not as widely spread in Italian society. This is partly due to the uniqueness of stab in the back myth that Germanys failure in WWI entailed. Mussolinis personal image prevailed over his partys. The Fascist party hardly produced any powerful public personalities as Goebbels or Himmler. The presence of Church as a counterforce of the Fascist dictatorship was also a major difference between the two dictatorships. This limited Fascist control over civilian cultural, religious and intellectual life. Unlike Mussolini whose whole image was no much more than rhetoric and glamour, Hitler viewed himself as a profound intellectual thinker and substantially influenced social ideology through his thoughts like expressed in his lectures and Mein Kampff. The overall force that united Italian people was not the negative resistance and a lust for revenge like that Nazi society embodied, but a positive ambition of less depth and weight. Nazism is but a variant of fascism in a heterogeneous circumstance. The political and ideological natures of them are essentially of the same origin: the fin-de-sià ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½cle philosophies of Social Darwinism, Nietzschean humanism, and revolt against liberal democracy as a continuum of Marxist thoughts. Nazi dictatorship extended the social implantation of fascism because of Germanys different post-war circumstance and social constitution. The difference in the leaders personalities was in minor importance but it differed the practice of certain policies, for example Hitlers invigoration of Anti-Semitism.

Mcteague As A Social Commentary Essay -- essays research papers

Written in 1899, Frank Norris’ novel, McTeague serves as a view of societal factions of his time period. Norris illustrates the stratification of society in this San Francisco community by using the concept of Social Darwinism. He gives detailed accounts of the inner workings of society along with the emotions of the time. Through his characters, Norris shows the separation of classes and the greed that grew abundantly during the late 19th century. He also gives a grim picture of survival in his depiction of the theory of natural selection. In the first chapter, Norris paints a picture of a town setting. He describes Polk Street as â€Å"one of those cross streets peculiar to Western cities, situated in the heart of the residence quarter, but occupied by small trades people who lived in the rooms above their shops. There were corner drug stores with huge jars of red, yellow and green liquids in their windows, very brave and gay; stationers’ stores, where illustrated weeklies were tacked upon bulletin boards; barber shops with cigar stands in their vestibules; sad-looking plumbers; offices; cheap restaurants, in whose windows one saw piles of unopened oysters weighted down by cubes of ice, and china pigs and cows knee deep in layers of white beans.† In this paragraph, the reader gets a visual image of a town during the 19th century. Cozy, quaint and rather poor, this town exists as an example of any other town at this time. Also, in setting the activities of the time period, No...

Developmental Psychology and Trust Versus Mistrust

| St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community CollegeAssociate Degree ProgrammeMID-SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS 2013| COURSE TITLE: Developmental PsychologyCOURSE CODE: PSY202SEMESTER: 2 (SAMPLE TEST)DATE: Wednesday 6st March 2013 TIME: 11:00 amDURATION: 2 hours INSTRUCTIONS: | | This paper consists of eight (8) pages and three (3) sections: Section A: Twenty (20) multiple choice questions worth a total of 20 marks. Section B: Ten (10) matching questions worth a total of 10 marks. Students should attempt ALL questions in this section. Write your answers on the writing paper provided.Section C: Nine (9) short answer questions worth a total of 30 marks. ALL QUESTIONS ARE COMPULSORY SECTION A: Multiple-choice questions Instructions for Section AAnswer ALL questions in this section. Record your choice on your answer sheet (eg 1. D ). | 1. The study of changes in behaviour from conception to death encompasses a. gerontology b. thanatology c. developmental psychology d. social psychology 2. A resear cher creates a situation on a school playground in which children are excluded one by one from a group game by the teacher so that their emotional reactions can be studied. What kind of research method is this? a. tructured observation b. case study c. experiment d. correlational study 3. Which research strategy simultaneously compares individuals of different ages? a. cross-sectional b. longitudinal c. experimental d. correlational 4. According to __________, all children pass through a series of distinct stages in their intellectual development. a. Piaget b. Bloom c. Watson d. Harlow 5. Which psychologist contended that â€Å"trust versus mistrust† is the first psychological stage? a. Jean Piaget b. Erik Erikson c. Sigmund Freud d. Lev Vygotsky 6. Preoperational means that a child cannot yet perform: a. reversible mental actions. b. symbolic thinking. . intuitive reasoning. d. mental representation of an unseen object. 7. According to Bronfenbrenner's theory, the macrosyste m is __________. a. the patterning of environmental events and transitions over the life course b. the culture in which individuals live c. involved when experiences in another social setting influence what the individual experiences in an immediate context d. the overarching system which includes all of these factors and more 8. Harlow's finding that baby monkeys prefer a terrycloth surrogate mother to a wire mother demonstrates the importance of a. imprinting or critical periods b. contact comfort c. cceptance d. good nutrition 9. When we say a child's thinking is less abstract than an adult's, we mean that a. children use more examples and generalizations. b. children use more principles, but require fewer generalizations. c. children use fewer generalizations, categories, and principles. d. adults base their understanding of the world more on particular examples and tangible sensations 10. Joey is watching a horse race. He knows that his dog at home has four legs, a tail, and fu r. When he sees the horses, he shouts out â€Å"Doggies. † Joey is demonstrating a. assimilation b. accommodation c. conservation d. irreversibility 11.Emily, who has brown eyes, has one dominant gene and one recessive gene. When we describe her actual genetic makeup, we are describing her __________. a. DNA b. genotype c. reaction range d. gametes 12. Humans have __________ pairs of chromosomes. a. 46 b. 23 c. 2 d. an undetermined number of 13. The sex chromosomes of females are ______ and the sex chromosomes of males are ______. a. YY, XX b. XX, XY c. XY, XX d. XX, Y 14. The component of a chromosome that controls heredity is ____. a. proteins b. histones c. DNA d. RNA 15. The stage of prenatal development in which the neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord is the a.Germinal Stage b. Embryonic Stage c. Fetal Stage d. Fetus Stage 16. Which layer of embryonic cells eventually becomes the circulatory system, bones, and muscle? a. endoderm b. mesoderm c. ectoderm d . blastocyst 17. You leave your child with a babysitter. When you return, your child ignores you. Your child's behavior indicates a(n) __________ attachment. a. securely attached b. secure-avoidant c. insecure-avoidant d. insecure-ambivalent 18. Teratogens are those agents which: a. Adversely affect development b. Support development c. Improve development d. Have no effect on development 19. Which reflex normally persists longest after birth? . Babinski b. Grasping c. Moro d. Rooting 20. Which of the following is NOT considered a primitive reflex? a. Babinski b. rooting c. palmar grasping d. stepping SECTION B: Matching questions Instructions for Section BFor each question, match the appropriate item in Column II with its associated word/phrase in Column I. Record your choice on your answer sheet (e. g. , 1. A). An answer may only be used once. | Column I| Column II| 1. Trust versus mistrust| a. the process by which a schema is changed, modified, or created anew in order to underst and something new in the environment| 2.Assimilation| b. â€Å"Stealing is wrong because it is against the law. †| 3. Oedipus complex| c. infants are totally dependent on others in their environment to meet their needs| 4. Bioecological model| d. in the female, an unconscious sexual urge for the father | 5. Preconventional level of reasoning| e. biology and environment interact to produce development| 6. Accommodation| f. in the male, an unconscious sexual urge for the mother| 7. Chronosystem| g. children motivated to take the first step, to start something on their own and to be ambitious| 8.Conventional level of reasoning| h. It is wrong to take the moneybecause you may get caught and then punished| 9. Initiative versus guilt| i. the process by which an existing schema is used to understand something new in the environment| 10. Electra complex| j. the idea that changes in peopleand their environments occur in a time frame and unfold in particular patterns or sequences over a person’s lifetime| SECTION C: Short answer questions Instructions for Section CAnswer all questions in this section. Record your answer on your answer sheet with the number and sub-section clearly labelled. 1) Distinguish between cognitive and physical development. [3] 2) Describe the types of research designs used in developmental psychology. [3] 3) Outline TWO nurture factors that can influence the developmental process. [4] 4) Sometimes inherited defects can produce chromosomal abnormalities. a) What are chromosomal abnormalities? [2] b) State TWO characteristic features of a person with Down syndrome. [2] c) Give an example of another chromosomal abnormality and what it entails. [3] 5) Briefly outline what happens in fetal period of prenatal development. [3] ) List THREE important motor milestone displayed by infants in their first year. [3] 7) According to Piaget, newborns lack an understanding of object permanence a) At what stage of cognitive development do infants d evelop object permanence? [1] b) What must infants master or acquire in order to understand object permanence? [2] 8) Differentiate between separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. [3] 9) In the strange situation procedure, a baby who clings to the mother while she is present and who shows extreme distress when the mother leaves would be exhibiting which style of attachment? END OF TEST