The Cycle of Nursing Theory Essay Example for Free

The Cycle of Nursing Theory Essay Nursing cannot exist without theory, and the concepts that define those principles. Every intervention a nurse organizes is based off of theory, and revolves directly around the patient. The current practice used as a Registered Nurse in the emergency room setting is similar, but less complicated than that of an Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner. Emergency room nurses firstly ask the patient what their chief complaint is upon arrival. The chief complaint labels the patient, and gives them a triage level based on the amount of resources needed to intervene. The chief complaint (or illness) is the nurse’s focus of his/her practice. The nurse also takes into consideration the need to educate the patient and his or her own readiness to learn. All of these factors help reach the goal of making the patient â€Å"feel† better and regain health. Below is a model of how nurses in the emergency room revolve directly around the patient. Figure 1.1: Emergency Room Registered Nurse Conceptual Framework Making the decision to use this framework of nursing and theory helps organize the nurse and prioritize his/her actions. Without knowing the chief complaint, the nurse cannot treat. Furthermore, the nurse must ask the patient the reasoning for his visit in the emergency room today. Often, patients have many symptoms regarding their illness; nurses must prioritize which symptoms are most concerning, and ask the patient what his bothering him/her the most (i.e. headache versus shortness of breath). After learning what the patient has arr ived for, the nurse must start gathering data that relates to the patient’s chief complaint. For example, if the patient presents with shortness of breath, it is important to gather data such as: oxygen saturation, respiratory rate and effort, lung auscultation, presence of cough, and observing patient color. In addition to objective data, it is important to gather subjective data. This type of data includes: patient  symptoms, health history, and social history (such as smoking). Next, the nurse will implement her plan of care and intervene by: providing supplemental oxygen, if needed, elevate head of bed, and encourage the patient to breathe slowly if breathing appears to be labored or fast. After each intervention, the nurse must reassess the patient to see if his/her interventions worked; if not, the plan of care must be changed to improve patient status. Subsequently, the nurse must take into account the need to educate the patient and his/her ability and readiness to learn. If a patient is not ready to learn, it makes it difficult to for the nurse to teach and help reach the overall goal of restoring health. This cycle continues each time the patient gets ill; the nurse always forms her plan of care around the patient. For example, if a patient is mentally handicapped, the nurse might direct her education towards the patient’s caregiver to ensure the patient has the greatest success of reaching health. This conceptual framework is applicable to emergency room nurses’ practice because it is a constant cycle, organized, direct, and patient-focused. In the emergency room setting, it is vital that nurses are able to prioritize and organize symptoms and data. If a nurse forgets to obtain an oxygen saturation (in the data section), this can be life-threatening to the shortness of breath patient! Furthermore, nursing interventions are always tailored around the initial chief complaint and data gathered. It is a cycle that starts over each time a patient presents with an illness. Even though this framework is frequently utilized, there are many areas in which it could improve. What about a patient’s environment, social stability, and body’s response to the illness? In addition, there are no interrelationships noted on this model. There are many ways this framework could improve, be more in depth, and help reach goals by learning about other nursing theories and theorists. Nursing theorist Myra Estrin Levine goes into great depth on the relationships between nurse and patient, and the holistic view on healthcare. Levine had many roles as a nurse and was well educated; additionally, her views on nursing are broad and theoretical. Levine defined â€Å"three major concepts of the Conservation Model,† including: â€Å"(1) wholeness, (2) adaptation, and (3) con servation† (Alligood Tomey, 2010, p. 227). The current model shown in Figure 1.1 does not take into account the patient as a whole; it only takes into account particular parts  of the patient and current complaints/ailments. The current theory used by emergency room nurses (as explained above) could be greatly improved by understanding Levine’s major concepts, and how much environment alone can influence patients. This portion of the metaparadigm is defined as an â€Å"organismic response;† something nurses learn in anatomy and physiology classes, but often is forgotten when they begin practicing (Alligood Tomey, 2010, p. 228). This type of response is our autonomic nervous system telling the body to have a â€Å"fight or flight† response. This fight or flight response to stress, illnesses, and a patient’s consciousness of what is happening around him/her can induce this response. Fight or flight can increase or decrease one’s heart rate, blood pressure, anxiety, and/or stress. This response is different in all persons, and can vary greatly depending on a person’s previous experiences and if they feel a â€Å"threat actually exists† (Alligood Tomey, 2010, p. 228). Other than the holistic approach to healthcare, Levine understood the importance of a nurse and patient relationship. Whether or not nurses and patients realize it, they are constantly util izing Levine’s conservation models. When taking care of several patients, nurses need to conserve on energy so that they do not get tired quickly. Often, things such as IV trays or kits are used to make it easier for nurses to conserve on energy (walk less) and complete tasks efficiently. In addition, when patients are sick, they must conserve on energy and rest so that the human body can fight off an illness. Conservations like this and of many different types are needed for both the nurse and patient. The conservation of structural integrity and personal integrity are utilized within each nurse and patient interaction. When a patient has a massive head trauma, for example, the nurse must keep his/her own personal integrity to protect the patient from increasing his/her own anxiety/stress; which would utilize more energy in the patient and decrease the body’s ability to heal. The nurse might be overcome with feelings when seeing a large amount of blood, but realizes that he/she must be well-informed of his/her non-verbal cues towards the patient. Personal integrity also includes the nurse putting importance on patient requests such as: do not resuscitate, HIPPA compliance, patient privacy, and educating the patient on procedures and interventions that are being done. With the head trauma patient, the nurse can maintain structural integrity by  holding pressure on the wound to prevent further blood loss. This type of nursing intervention can be life-saving, and prevent the patient from further deterioration. Conservation of energy, structural integrity, and personal integrity are crucial in all nursing interactions. Furthermore, it is the nurse’s responsibility to take into account and conserve social integrity as well. Society thrives on social well-being; additionally, Levine concluded that â€Å"health is socially determined† (Alligood Tomey, 2010, p. 229). When the nurse educates the patient in a fashion that makes the patient regain independence, this makes the patient increase personal integrity and become socially accepted in that he/she is regaining health. In society, people tend to define others by their illnesses. Whether it is cancer, obesity, limb amputation, or pregnancy, society will judge a person based on those health issues; moreover, the person will then be socially accepted or rejected. Part of the profession of a nurse is to help guide a patient’s family members and friends on how to perceive and react to that patient and his/her illness (youtube.com, 2011). Furthermore, it is important that the nurse improves a patient’s social integrity while in the hospital setting by proving social media and communication tools such as: magazines, television, newspapers, or telephone (University of the Philippines Open University [UPOU], 2011). This can help improve a patient’s self-estee m, and decrease the stress illnesses can create. Understanding the nurse-patient relationship and conservation models helps the nurse and patient succeed in regaining health within a patient. Simple models such as Figure 1.1 do not include the personal feelings of a patient or nurse, and how that can affect the overall result of a patient’s health/illness. Figure 1.2: Primary care nursing that utilizes Levine’s concepts of Conservation Model (Alligood and Tomey, 2010, p. 227) Levine’s conservation model explains what the primary care nurse has to take into account when assessing a patient (Fig 1.2). The nurse must base her care and decisions on the patient and his/her family. Figure 1.2 also helps explain the connection of a model to nursing metaparadigm; the well-being, person as a whole, education, and nursing aspects. In addition, seeing the  patient as a â€Å"whole† helps the primary care nurse remember to look at the patient’s overall health. This comprehensive assessment includes: clinical problems (body), psychological aspects (mind), and spiritual beliefs that may affect the plan of care. The interrelationships between wholeness, adaptation, and environment helps primary care nurses understand the bigger picture and how the advanced practice nurse can increase the outcome for the patient. â€Å"Adaptation† describes the patient’s variables that can affect the patient as a whole, or be affected by his/her envir onment. For example, a patient may increase in age, quit smoking, or increase in weight; these variables and/or variations in a patient can greatly change the patient and/or treatments and interventions. A patient’s environment must be understood â€Å"both internally and externally† by the medical team (Alligood Tomey, 2010, p. 227). Again, this deals with the patient as a whole and is comparable to adaptation and a holistic plan of care. Knowing the environment that the patient resides in can affect his or her own health. If the patient doesn’t understand the notion that he/she is terminally ill, it may be difficult to explain the importance of a hospice program to the patient. Figure 1.3: Levine’s â€Å"Conservation Principles† and their interrelationships within a nurse and client connection (Alligood Tomey, 2010, p. 229). Levine also understood the nurse-patient relationship and how that can affect many areas within the ill-or-well patient. In this relationship, it is learned that nurses and patients often want to keep their integrity during any interaction. For example, a patient’s mother named Sarah brings her three-year-old daughter Claire in to the emergency room because Claire had a seizure at home. The patient is no longer having a seizure, and has been diagnosed with seizures over 1 year ago. Claire has a prescription for anti-seizure medicine, but her mother does not feel comfortable administering the medication; instead, Sarah brings Claire directly to the emergency room with each seizure occurrence. Now, Sarah is attempting to keep her own integrity by not having to administer anti-seizure medications in her daughter’s rectum in such a high stress situation. In addition, she wants Claire’s condition to be controlled in order for her to be accepted within the community. O n the other hand, the primary care nurse  practitioner must keep her personal integrity by not getting upset each time this patient visits the emergency room. It is the professional’s responsibility to re-educate Sarah on the plan of care, or tailor it towards the individual and family. This would be an opportune time to discuss other options for anti-seizure medicines, education on how to administer the current medication available, and give a referral to a neurologist. When tailoring the plan of care, Levine’s four conservations come into effect (Fig 1.3). The patient’s energy is utilized with each seizure activity, and possibly structural integrity—due to depletion of oxygenation to the brain and possible neuro deficits. The nurse tries to preserve personal integrity and educate the family of Claire in a way that is skilled and direct so that they may understand the concepts and accept the plan of care. Nursing interventions and education in situatio ns like this can be life-changing, and decrease stress for the patient’s family. It is important to remember that there are always assumptions made to any nursing model, but learning from that model is what is truly essential. Assumptions made to Levine’s conservation theory are that nursing interventions and implementation of those interventions can affect both the ill and/or well patient. Patients do not need to be ill in order to fit within the guidelines of conservation. Most patients feel compelled to be accepted, while maintaining personal authenticity (Fawcett, Schaefer, Moore, 1991). Moreover, the â€Å"environment† section of the model in Figure 1.2 can be falsely understood; that patients might only be able to learn in stress-free situations. Sometimes, stressful situation are where patients, families, and nurses learn best! Lastly, it appears that all human beings act in the same manner, and that patients and nurses alike utilize the same processes (UPOU, 2011). This cannot be true because all patients are diverse, and so are all nurses and primary care professionals. â€Å"Nursing intervention must be founded not only on scientific knowledge, but specifically on recognition of t he individual’s behavioral responses† (Cardwell, 2013). The response to nursing interventions and the â€Å"trial and error† processes are absent in the model (explained in Figure 1.2) of advanced practice nursing based on Levine’s theories. Advanced practice nurses are constantly intervening to improve the health and wellness of a patient; however, those interventions are not always successful. Furthermore, the advanced nurse practitioner  must modify her plan of care constantly. This type of framework of nursing is more of a cycle than a process. Holistic nursing is dedicated to the humanizing experience that the nurse can bring to the bedside, certain in her knowledge and skilled in her techniques, but sensitive and responsive to the person she finds there(Cardwell, 2013). In this phrase, Levine is summarizing the approach and goal of the advanced practice nurse practitioner. Advancing from the role of a registered nurse, primary care nurse practitioners increase their competence, knowledge, and skills. This increase in knowledge helps nurse practitioners in decision making, treatment options, and educating the patient. The primary function of the nurse practitioner is to educate patients across the lifespan, and help patients maintain health. Prevention is the best intervention. Since nurse practitioners begin their careers as bedside registered nurses, advanced nurse practitioners agree with Levine’s â€Å"holistic approach to healthcare† and healing (Fawcett, Schaefer, Moore, 1991). In conclusion, primary care nurse practitioners can benefit from viewing the patient as a whole, while spending a large amount of time listening and educating the patient. No two patients, medical cases, or plan of care can be exactly the same. Nurse practitioners thrive because they spend time with their patients and getting to know their needs; this helps i ncrease patient success and healing. Nursing theory and the interrelationships between a patient’s conservation of energy, social integrity, structural integrity, and personal integrity are essential to the nurse practitioner. The increase of knowledge in the nurse practitioner helps him/her understand all aspects of the patient, and the most efficient way of approaching those patient needs. Levine once stated, â€Å"Confront reality of environment, and maintain well-being† (youtube.com, 2011) It is the purpose of a nurse practitioner to challenge the internal and external factors and environments distressing a patient, while providing resources and education to increase that patient’s health. The cycle and theories between nurses and patients will continue to transform and be challenged; it is the nurse practitioner’s role to put those theories into practice. References Alligood, M. R., Tomey, A. M. (2010). Nursing Theorists and Their Work (7th ed.). Retrieved from Cardwell, S. (2013). Copy of Myra Levine. Retrieved from http://prezi.com/uths961c5swr/copy-of-myra-levine/ Fawcett, J., Schaefer, Moore, K. (1991). Levine’s conservation model: a framework for nursing practice. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Co. University of the Philippines Open University. (2011). Nursing Theories. Retrieved from http://nursingtheories.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html You Tube. (2011). The Nurse Theorists Myra Levine Promo. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8tJUjDDKKw

Integumentary System Essay Functions and Maintenance

Integumentary System Essay Functions and Maintenance The integumentary system is made up of skin, hair, nails, and glands. It is the most visible organ system and one of the most complex. The integumentary system protects the body from the outside world and harmful substances. The word integument means a covering, and the skin of an organ, an average adult covers well over 3000 square inches of surface area of the body. The skin weighs about six pounds which is nearly twice the weight of the brain or liver. It receives approximately one third of all the blood circulating through the body. It participates in the dissipation of water through sweating and helps regulate our body temperatures. The functions of the integumentary system are sensation, protection, thermoregulation, and secretion. In sensation receptor sites in the skin detect changes in the eternal environment for temperature and pressure. Temperature receptors produce the sensations of hot and cold. Pressure receptor sites allow us to interpret excessive pressure that results in the sensation of pain when we get pinched. Protection of the skin is an elastic resistant covering. It prevents passage of harmful physical and chemical agents. The melanin produced by the melanocytes in the stratum germinatium protects us from the damaging ultraviolet rays of sunlight. Keratin, in abundance in this outer layer, waterproofs the body. Without it handling household chemicals, swimming in pool, or taking a shower would be disastrous to the underlying cells of the body. Excessive evaporation or loss of body fluids would result in dehydration and eventual death. Sebum serves a further protective function by keeping the skin and hair moist; dry skin would crack, allowing viruses and bacteria to enter. Even though the skin forms a protective barrier, it is still slightly permeable or allow certain substances to pass through it. Vitamins A,D,E, and K all pass through the skin and are absorbed in the capillaries of the dermis. Nails protect the exposed tips of fingers and toes from physical injury. Fingernails also, aid the fingers in picking up small objects. The hair protects the scalp from damaging ultraviolet radiation from the skin, cushions the head from physical blows and insulates the scalp to a degree. The protection afforded by melanin, however, is limited. Prolonged or excessive exposure to UV radiation eventually damages the skin. In thermoregulation the normal body temperature is maintained at approximately 98.6 F (37C). The heat regulating functions of the body are extremely important. If the internal temperature varies more than a few degrees from normal, life- threatening changes take place in the body. Temperature regulation is critical to our survival because changes in temperature affect the functioning of enzymes. When people get high fevers they can die because the heat of a fever destroys the enzymes by breaking up their chemical structure. Without enzymes, chemical reactions cannot occur, and our cellular machinery breaks down and death results. When external temperatures increase, blood vessels in the dermis dilate to bring more blood flow to the surface of the body from deeper tissue beneath. Eccrine glands play an important part in maintaining normal body temperature. When the temperature of the body rises due to physical exercise or environmental conditions, the hypothalamus sends signals to the eccrine glands to secrete sweat. When sweat evaporates on the skin surface it carries large amount of body heat with it and the skin surface cools. Because blood carries heat, blood flow is another regulator of body temperature. In secretion the skin produces two secretions: sebum and sweat. Sebum is secreted by the sebaceous glands. It helps prevent infection and maintains the texture and integrity of the skin. Sweat is produced by the sweat glands and is essential in the cooling process of the body. The skin is actively involved in the production of vitamin D. Vitamin D is necessary for our bodies because it stimulates the intake of calcium and phosphate in our intestines. Calcium is necessary for muscle contraction and bone development. Phosphorus is an essential part of aden osine triphosphate. The integumentary system is essential to the bodyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s homeostasis or ability to maintain the internal balance of its functions regardless of outside conditions. The skin is the largest and heaviest in the body. In an average adult, the skin covers about 21.5 square feet and accounts for approximately seven percent of body weight, or about eleven pounds. The skin has two principal layers: the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the thin, outer layer, and the dermis is the thick, inner layer. Beneath the dermis lies the subcutaneous layer or hypodermis, which is composed of adipose or fatty tissue. Although, not technically part of the skin, it does anchor the skin to the underlying muscles. The epidermis is made of stratified squamous epithelial tissue. Squamous cells are thin and flat like fish scales. Stratified simply means having two or more layers. The epidermis can be divided into four or five layers. Most important of these are the inner and outer layers. The inner or deepest cell layer is the only layer of the epidermis that receives nutrients. The cells of this layer called basal cells, are constantly dividing and creating new cells daily, which push the older cells toward the surface. Basal cells produce keratin, an extremely durable and water- resistant fibrous protein. Another type of cell found in the lower dermis is the melanocyte. Melanocytes produce melanin, a protein pigment that ranges in color from yellow to brown to black. The dermis, the second layer of skin lies between the epidermis and the subcutaneous layer. Hair, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands are all rooted in the dermis. Connective tissue forms the dermis. Bundles of elastic, and collagen fibrous blend into the connective tissue. These fibers provide the dermis strength and flexibility. The accessory structures of the integumentary system include hair, sweat and sebaceous glands. Epithelial membranes are composed of epithelial tissue and an underlying layer of specialized connective tissue. Roughly five million hairs cover the body of an average individual. About 100,000 of those hairs appear on the scalp. Hair shafts differ in size, shape, and color. Each individual hair is composed of three parts: the cuticle, the cortex, and the medulla. The outermost portion is the cuticle, which consists of several layers of overlapping scale like cells. The cortex is the principle portion of the hair. The middle or central part of the hair is called the medulla. The shaft is the visible portion of the hair. The shaft is the visible portion of the hair. The root is found in an epidermal tube called the hair follicle. The follicle is made up of an outer connective tissue sheath and an inner epithelial membrane continuous with the stratum germinatium. Nails are produced by nail f ollicles just as hair produced by hair follicles. Health fingernails grow about 0.04 inches per week, slightly faster than toenails. There are more than 2.5 million sweat glands and distributed over most surfaces of the human body. They are divided into two types: eccrine sweat glands and apocrine sweat glands. Eccrine glands produce sweat or perspiration, a clear secretion that is 99 percent water. An average individual losses 0.6 to 1.7 quarts of water every day through sweating. During rigorous physical activity or on a hot day, that amount could rise to 5.3 to 7.4 quarts. Apocrine glands are found in the armpits, around the nipples, and in the groin. Appocrine glands do not function until puberty. Sebaceous glands, also known as oil glands, are found in the dermis all over the body, except for the palms and soles. They secrete sebum, a mixture of lipids, proteins, and fragments of dead fat producing cells. Chemistry is important to the healing of burns and the froming of melanin and melanocytes. Melanin produces pigment and melanocytes are responsible for producing skin color. The three types of membranes are cutaneous, serous, and mucous. The cutaneous membrane is the primary organ of the integumentary system. It is one of the most important and certainly one of the largest and most visible organs. In most individuals the skin composes some sixteen percent of the body weight. The serous membrane is composed of two distinct layers of tissue. Serous membrane secrete a thin, watery fluid that helps reduce friction and serves as a lubricant when organs rules against one another, and against the walls of the cavities that contain them. Mucous membranes are epithelial membranes that line body surfaces opening directly to the exterior. There are three types of burns, first degree, second degree and third degree burns. Burns are injuries to tissues caused by intense heat, electricity, UV, radiation, or certain chemicals. When skin is burned and cells are destroyed, the body readily loses its precious supply of fluids. Dehydration can follow, leading to a shutdown of the kidneys, a life threatening condition. Infection is the leading cause of death in burn victims. First- degree burns occur when only the epidermis is damaged. Sunburns are usually first- degree burns. These minor burns are usually not serious and heal within a few days. Second- degree burns occur when the epidermis and the upper region of the dermis are damaged. In second- degree burns blisters may form and take longer to heal. In third- degree burns the skins is destroyed. Often skin grafting is necessary for third- degree burns. Third- degree burns take weeks to heal and will leave permanent scarring. In the current research on anti- aging treatments is on anti- aging. Research has taught us that by using components that are already found in the skin can help restore youth. We have yet to see the long term effects of some anti- aging products such as Botox and Restylane. In certain treatments can help to restore the skin of anti- aging. Botox is injected into the skin to treat severe underarm sweating. When medicines used on the skin do not work well enough. Restylane use hyaluronic acid to replace lost volumes and restore youthful skin contains to smooth away, moderate to severe facial wrinkles, and folds such as the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth.

Jim Morrison Essay -- Religion, Culture, Elvis

I preface this paper by a consideration of why Jim Morrison can be discussed within the discourse of religious studies. I suggest four possibilities. The first is the place of religion in late modernity; that is, as individualized, subjectivated and deinstitutionalized. These factors contribute to the circumstances under which Morrison may be understood in religious terms because of the conditions they create. Religion may be deinstitutionalized (Luckmann 1967; Bibby 1990), but people are still religious (Chaves 1994). This enables religion to exist in other ways; one way is through dead celebrity. In an article entitled â€Å"Is Elvis a God? Cult, Culture, Questions of Method,† John Frow (1998, 208-209), after discussing the apparent failure of the secularization thesis,1 remarks, â€Å" . . . religious sentiment . . . has migrated into many strange and unexpected places, from New Age trinketry to manga movies to the cult of the famous dead . . . we need to take religion ser iously in all its dimensions because of its centrality in the modern world.† Further, religion as individualized and subjectivated (Hervieu-Là ©ger 2000) allows people to create their own systems of meaning and transcendence. Dead celebrity, using Morrison as an exemplar, is one system. The second possibility follows from the first. Regarding the changing nature of religion in the 1960s, religious studies scholar, Gail Hamner (2003, 447), wrote that â€Å"popular culture became subject to deification or at least spiritualization.† Although this paper does not intend to provide an account of the process by which some celebrities were sacralized in the twentieth century, it should be noted that literature on the subject does exist. A seminal work, in this regard, is The Work o... ... supplemented by relevant scholarly literature and popular biographies of Morrison. It is with these four possibilities, religion in late modernity, scholarship on religion and celebrity, the way we think of, and define religion, and Riddell (2008), that I consider Jim Morrison and religion. There is a paucity of academic literature on Jim Morrison, yet a reasonable amount of popular literature, which I am engaging in my evaluation. Scholarship on dead celebrity fandom has progressed in the last decade; however, in 1998, John Frow (1998, 200) claimed that â€Å"we lack almost completely the tools to make sense of [the process by which dead celebrities are sacralized].† My hope is that by outlining the role of Morrison in self-propagating his own myth, combined with a posthumous documentation of this process, I will contribute to literature on dead celebrity fandom.

Disneyland Essay examples -- Disney Amusement Parks essays research pa

Disneyland   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The greatest place on the face of the earth is Disneyland. Nowhere else has the magic that a day at Disneyland possesses. From my childhood to my adulthood, I have never experienced a day at Disneyland that didn't put enough joy in my heart to far exceed the admission price. Rides, shops, shows, and characters. These are just a few of the many great aspects of a wonderful place called Disneyland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disneyland has always been a very special place to me. My parents took my family there for the first time when I was about three. To this day I still remember shaking Mickey Mouse's hand, giving Goofy a hug, and meeting all of the rest of my favorite Disney characters. It was a truly euphoric experience to meet stars of all my favorite cartoons that I so loyall...

Prejudice :: essays research papers

Prejudice In Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The world that we live in today, although improving, is tainted with cruelty and hatred toward different races. Personally, I have never considered myself to be racist. Growing up attending predominately white catholic schools, though, really sheltered me from any type of diversity. Between first and twelfth grade, I could count on one hand how many African-Americans I knew. Living in a society like this, I had a tremendous culture shock upon enrolling at the University of Cincinnati. I have now realized that when making judgments on people, you need to do so with closed eyes, blocking out any types of stereotypes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Upon coming to the University of Cincinnati, I knew that it would be a dramatic change to be around such a diverse group of people, but I never expected what was coming up next. While checking in at the front desk of my dorm, I noticed there were two names on my room assignment that I didn’t recognize. While unpacking my clothes, the door opens and my other two roommates, which happened to be black, walked in. at first I felt a little uncomfortable, but I was alright because I still had three of my friend moving in soon. As I talked to my two new roommates, I found out that they both went to inner-city schools within ten minutes of mine. As the day went on and I kept getting to know them, we began to get along better. I now consider them to be two my best friends here. This experience has taught me to never judge a book by its cover.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whether it is from watching B.

Factors Influencing Unemployment Essay

According to economists, employment and unemployment results when the supply and demand for human resources or labour is out of balance. Supply and demand are influenced by a range of forces that are the result of the interaction of economic, structural and policy factors. Economic Factors Economic factors affect both the supply and demand sides of labour. Demand for goods and services stimulate production which, in turn, generates employment. The resulting demand for workers affects the supply side as more workers are attracted to a vibrant labour market. The market never reaches this ideal state of balance due to a number of factors. Business cycles  ¾ Agreement among economists is rare, but they do agree that market-driven economies move in cycles and it is during the dips that unemployment may result. The cause of cycles is not as clear, but it is generally agreed that it is a function of supply and demand. Industrial adjustment  ¾ Production may move from high wage countries to low wage countries, from old inefficient facilities to newer ones, and these leave a trail of unemployed workers. Not enough jobs  ¾ Shifts in the world economy affect job availability. Not enough jobs to go around can result from a declining manufacturing sector, a growing service sector, changing consumption patterns, technological developments, or third world competition. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost in manufacturing and goods producing industries in Canada, while at the same time numerous jobs have been created in the technology and service sectors. Unfortunately, the creation of new jobs does not always make up for lost jobs, particularly when jobs overall move to low-wage countries. Structural factors Factors such as the aging of the population, labour force participation rates, migration patters, skills available/demanded, environmental regulations, technological change and the rate of job changes all the number of unemployed. A growing labour supply  ¾ Since 1981, Canada’s labour supply has grown more than anytime in its history. Women, persons with disabilities and Native peoples entered the labour force in growing numbers. Imbalance between skill supply and demand  ¾ This results in structural unemployment. People may not be able to take advantage of job opportunities because they lack the skills needed for the jobs available in their area. The matching of skills in demand with those available is a common and persistent cause of unemployment. Education and training  ¾ Companies continually complain that the literacy levels of the work force do not meet the skill needs of the economy. As Canada shifts to a more knowledge-based economy, the availability of jobs for those without high levels of education will shrink. Movement between jobs  ¾ Called frictional unemployment; this phenomenon simply refers to people who switch jobs. While they are between jobs, they are considered unemployed. Seasonal lay-off  ¾ People get laid off in seasonal occupations such as resource industries, construction, tourism and fisheries. Canada is particularly affected by this due to the nature of our economy. Cost of production and productivity  ¾ Low productivity may result from obsolete plant and equipment, high cost of labour per unit, high transportation costs, bad management, and high taxes. The value of the Canadian dollar relative to other currencies, particularly the US dollar, also has a major impact on the business costs and competitiveness. Technological changes  ¾ Increased automation may result in a decreased demand for labour. It can also result in skill redundancy where the original workers do not have the technological skills necessary in the new types of occupations. On the positive side, technological change can result in new products, new markets, or increased productivity. Internal migration  ¾ Rural to urban migration can increase unemployment until the moving people find jobs. Policy Factors Government policies continue to be used to affect the economic outcomes such as the rate of inflation, deficit levels, and international trade. This all affects employment levels. Interest rate and exchange rate policies  ¾ High interest rates to combat inflation increase the cost of doing business and increase the cost of financing the government deficits. This may lead to unemployment. The exchange rate policy of keeping the dollar artificially high may make Canadian products less competitive.

A Nuclear Family Vacation

Putin’s Russia is, and may never be ready to open its doors completely to the rest of the world, just yet.   When the hand of welcome is that of the United States’, Russia is wary.   While both countries have pledged cooperation to promote mutual interests, the two have remained passive and obviously lacked sincerity.Take the case of the US-funded Sarov Technopark, where the Russian nuclear scientists and their western partners will do their research and conduct their tests.   The joint project was to ensure that the scientists would not work for the terrorists.   Five years after groundbreaking in 2000, US representatives have not gained access to the facility, which was supposed to be an open zone.   The Russians gave the Americans a runaround, before finally turning down the request for a visit.The Russians are highly security-conscious and infinitely protective of their talents, skills, and expertise.   They cordoned off sensitive sites or closed sites a nd never allowed anyone through.   Analysts understood the attitude.Russia would not want their experts on weapons of mass destruction to gain outside contact.   While this may not have been acceptable to the US-Russian partnership, the Russians appeared to have a point as far sparing nothing for reason of security.   The Russians would rather err on the side of caution.The US foreign policy had not been encouraging either.   They showed no visible signs that the US pursued these initiatives with the same enthusiasm as before.   The US led allied forces in the Gulf, Afghanistan, and in Iraq.   It will stop at nothing to oppose the use of weapons of mass destruction.What seemed to be a strong alliance between the US and Russia against the proliferation of nuclear technology had not progressed beyond take off.   Where has it gone wrong?   We will never know, as Russia would not provide the answer and the US would not even ask the question.