Prenatal and Post-Partum Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prenatal and Post-Partum Scenario - Essay Example Anxiety, fear and other intense emotions which are a part of stress cause exaggerated production of adrenaline which causes restriction of blood flow to the uterine area causing deprivation of adequate oxygen to the fetus. Thus stress can lead to premature delivery and its consequences. Stress in pregnancy also have long-term consequences like behavioural problems in childhood (Santrock, 2004). 3. The pregnant woman must undergo ultrasound examination for fetal anomalies between 18- 20 weeks of gestation. At this point of time, all organs are developed and it becomes easier to detect any obvious congenital anomalies through ultrasound at this stage. According to ecological theory, several biological and environmental factors affect the growth of the fetus and the child (Santrock, 2004). Thus a normal nutrition and a stress-free environment is essential for normal development of the fetus. 1. The child must be breast fed as much as possible. According to Freuds theory of development, infants are in the oral stage of development and derive gratification from sucking (Santrock, 2004). Derivation of such pleasure at this stage allows them to have satisfaction and facilitates growth and development. 2. The mother should shower affection on the child and not do any thing to harm the child. According to Eriksons first psychosocial stage, trust is developed at this stage and the infant sets stage for expectation that the world is a pleasant and goof place to live. the expectation which begins at this stage lasts life long. 3. The mother should allow the child to touch, feel and explore various things on his/her own. According to Pigets cognitive developmental theory, the first stage is the stage of sensorimotor stage during which time the infant develops and understanding of the world through coordination of various sensory experiences through various physical actions (Santrock,

Plato and Aristotle Essay Example for Free

Plato and Aristotle Essay 1. What are the major differences between Plato and Aristotle? Make sure you provide examples. Basically, Plato and Aristotle are highly different in their philosophical beliefs and their various teachings.   The main philosophy of Aristotle is to possess virtue in order to achieve the ultimate goal which is happiness. In order for people to possess virtue, he also believed that everything should be done in moderation only and not too sparse or too excessive. On the other hand, Plato used logic and dialogue as his main tools together with the aid of mathematics in order to arrive with rational conclusions so as to know the universal truth. Moreover, Aristotle strongly believed that acts of good must be habituated in order to become a virtue while Plato believed that merely knowing what is good is enough to be able to do good even without actually doing it. Another major difference between the two is their beliefs in metaphysics. Plato’s believed that there are higher or ideal forms that can only be acquired through knowledge while Aristotle believed that form and matter are inextricably bound and coexist. 2. Are you a Platonist or an Aristotelian? Provide specific examples to help illustrate your points. I am basically a Platonist simply because there are more of this teachings that are applicable today than Aristotle such as his theory of the universal ideal forms. For example, when looking for an ideal friend, that person I am searching for must possess the qualities that I desire. However, it is a well-known truth that there is no such thing as â€Å"perfect† or â€Å"ideal.† But since I know what an ideal friend is, I now have a pattern which I will use as a basis as I search for my ideal friend. I may not be able to find that person but I would definitely meet someone close to that, which is like the shadows that Plato described in the Allegory of the Cave. In addition, I know that the both the sky and a pair of blue jeans are both color blue. Although, in reality, they are not of the same color, I somehow have an idea of what blue is because it preexists in my mind.   Another reason that I also consider myself as a Platonist is because I do not believe in Aristotle’s idea that by possessing virtue, once can achieve happiness. For me, his belief is too idealistic, although his use of formal logic and scientific methods such as deduction and observation is still applicable today.

Management Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis Nursing Essay

Management Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis Nursing Essay Diabetes UK (2008) explains that Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) occurs when blood glucose levels are consistently high. When there is lack of glucose in the blood, the bodys cells use fat stores to acquire energy, this process produces an acid called ketones. As ketones are potentially harmful to the body, it tries to get rid of them by excreting them in the urine. If the level of ketones in the bloodstream continue to rise, ketoacidosis occurs whereby the blood turns acidic. as a consequence, patients may feel nauseous, have blurred vision and have very rapid breathing. Because people vomit, the body becomes dehydrated and it is harder for the body to flush out the ketones, if this happens and is left untreated, the patient will fall into a coma which can be fatal. As Daniel was suffering from a chest infection, he was at high risk of developing DKA as his body was releasing more glucose into the bloodstream and stop insulin from working efficiently, this is a triggered response to the infection (Moore, 2004). How is DKA managed? Kisiel and Marsons (2009) explore the regime which is usually carried out in hospitals faced with patients like Daniel. Firstly, a diagnosis of DKA would have been made alongside hypoglycaemia (high blood glucose levels). His urine would have been tested for ketones as standard regime. Arteirial blood gas measurement may also have been performed to demonstrate the level of acidity. A series of blood tests would have been taken to measure Daniels urea and creatinine levels (measures of kidney function), markers of infection would also have been measured such as white blood cell count. Fluid replacement would have been commenced, insulin administered and his potassium level would have also been monitored in the high dependency unit. What could have influenced Daniels rising BMs? It should be taken into consideration that Daniels rising blood sugar levels could be influenced by a number of factors and Jo should take these into account. Jo should check the equipment supplying Daniels insulin as it may be faulty or the pump may not be functioning correctly. She should also ensure that the line is properly connected to the cannula and that it is not leaking or that there is no blockage along the line, or that the cannula has not tissued. Daniels cannula site should be inspected on every shift to check for Phlebitis using the Visual Infusion Phelbitis score (VIP) in line with local policy. Nursing decisions Many factors could have contributed to both Jo and the Senior Nurses decisions and the decision made either way could impact on Daniels condition. If Jo had decided not to increase the insulin and the senior nurse had not increased it either, Daniel may have slipped back into a coma as his blood glucose levels had been rising over time. This would have led to more complications and could have been fatal. However, increasing the insulin may also have had a negative result for Daniel. As it was not prescribed, it may have been increased too much and the blood sugar level could be reduced to an unsafe level and he may suffer a hypoglycaemic episode. Although this is unlikely, it should be mentioned that the senior nurses decision to alter the prescription without it being prescribed was wrong. Accountability According to the NMCs code of professional conduct (2008), as a professional, you are personally accountable for actions and omissions in your practice and must always be able to justify your decisions. As the senior nurses made a decision to alter the insulin infusion without it being prescribed, she is personally accountable to what happens to that patient as a consequence of doing so. On the other hand, Jo is also accountable for her omissions so it could be seen that both of the nurses are responsible for what they do or dont do in this situation. The senior nurse may have thought she was acting in the best interests of the patient, following the NMC code of conduct standard à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Accountability is the fundamental aspect to professional practice (NMC 2008) and nurses need to be able to justify why they made any decision in practice. Nurses do make judgments based on a number of influences which include their professional knowledge/skills, evidence based practice and acting on the patients best interests. In this situation, the senior nurse may have been a nurse prescriber who had the authority to prescribe drugs from a limited group in the nurse prescribers formulary (McHale 2003). This would have allowed her to alter Daniels prescription without a doctor. She may also have had background knowledge of Daniels condition and thought the best decision to make was to change the insulin dose so that the patient would not have deteriorated further. The senior nurse should be working within her acquired job description which would have included expectations and limitations to what she was required to do as part of her job. Vicarious liability comes into mind in this instance; Richardson (2002) explains that as the employer is responsible for any torts which are committed by an employee during their employment. Torts are described as any legal wrongs for which the law provides a remedy. In this case, the senior nurse has preformed a tort and the person employing her is liable. As Jo was the nurse who was looking after Daniel that day, she also has responsibility to what happens to the patient whilst in her care. This raises the question of who actually is accountable for what happens to Daniel; the nurse looking after him or the nurse who performed the alteration. As it states that Jo is newly qualified, it can be assumed that she may need support from her peers. She would have had a supernumerary period, where she was allocated patients but support was there when she needed it. Also known as preceptorship, newly qualified nurses are accompanied by an experienced nurse who acts as a role model and resource (Ashurst 2008). If the senior nurse was Jos preceptor, she would not have been setting a good example to her. The NMC code of conduct states that you must work cooperatively within teams and respect the skills, expertise and contributions of your colleagues, the senor nurse was clearly not being cooperative with Jo and did not allow her to share her concerns. Castledine (1999) explains how newly qualified nurses are sometimes expected to fit into the system of the ward very quickly and in addition, adapt to a whole range of situations that they have never experienced before. Jo may have been feeling unsupported by her senior and her confiden ce may have been knocked due to the attitude and response of the senior nurse. Documentation As the senior nurse did change the prescription, it needs to be documented somewhere in line with the NMC code. In this situation it could be questioned who documents the alteration of the insulin and where in the nursing notes it should be written. Medication administration arguably carries the biggest risk for nurses (Elliot Liu 2010). This particular scenario could be described as a medication error as the change in prescription was not verified by a doctor. Elliot and Liu (2010) confirm the fact that nurses must only administer the dose prescribed by the medical officer, and that the nurse who administers the medication must sign the medication chart. It should also be documented in the nursing notes as well as signing the chart, and should include the reason for administration and the desired effect (Elliot Liu 2010). Woodrow (2007) stipulates that nurses should be aware of the legal responsibility of accuracy of documentation. So in this situation, the senior nurse should wri te in the nursing notes why she gave the unprescribed dose to Daniel, and Jo should comment why she did not, as well as outlining what happened. Incident Reporting Patient Safety Jo could think about writing an incident form in this situation to voice her concerns. The scenario could be seen as a near miss as the patient may well have suffered dire consequences from either of the decisions made by the nurses. The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurances Regulations (RIDDOR 1995) places a legal responsibility to employers, self employed people and people in control on premises, to report any dangerous occurrence/near miss (Ashurst 2007). Jo could include on the form that she was not happy with the senior nurses decision to alter the insulin pump, and therefore cover herself. By completing an incident report, Jo is following local and national policy and it could also bring to light other problems such as rushed transfers, doctor shortage and lack of support. RIDDOR coordinates its work with the NPSA. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) was formed in 2001 following two publications of patient safety in the NHS. These incorporated research conducted by Vincent et al (2001) which showed that 10% of patients admitted to hospital suffered some kind of patient safety incident. The NPSA has produced a guide to good practice called Seven Steps to Patient Safety (NPSA, 2003) Steps include; building a safer culture, leading and supporting your practice team, integrating your risk management activity, promoting reporting, involving and communicating with patients and the public, learning and sharing safety lessons and implementing solutions to prevent harm. Dimond (2002) explains how the NPSA aims to ensure that adverse events will be identified, reported, analyzed and recorded to make a change to local and national policies and procedures. Jo could refer to this guide and also make others aware of it and improve the patient safety of not only Daniel but every patient on the ward. Inter-professional Working There are several benefits of inter-professional working, the senior nurse and Jo should be aware of these in order to work together and provide effective care. Benefits of inter-professional working which were identified in a report by Cook et al (2001) showed that the team members had more confidence in their decision making as they had encouragement and support from their colleagues. This allowed team members to make better contributions to the overall service in which they were a part of, consequently providing a more effective service to the patients in their care. Jo would have increased her confidence in dealing with similar situations in the future if the senior nurse had spoke to her and answered her questions. There is a great deal of literature which discusses the barriers and difficulties associated with inter-professional collaboration. It should not be assumed that simply instructing professionals to work together will be sufficient to result in effective teams which provide improved services to their patients. A variety of barriers to interdisciplinary working exist that delay the developments of close collaborative working relationships. Hudson (2002) outlines some barriers to effective inter-professional working in terms of relationships between members of different professions such as nurse and doctors. One barrier that he notes is that the character of professional identity is such that where members of a certain profession have similar or shared values, perceptions and experiences, there will be more agreement between members of a profession than between members of different professions. This disagreement shapes inter-professional relationships, and is likely to cause problems wi thin multi-disciplinary team working. In Jos case, she could have bleeped the doctor herself and asked him about the prescription, but as mentioned if he was busy he may have been reluctant to take the call. The senior nurses reaction to Jo demonstrated the hierarchical struggle between a more senior nurse and a very junior member of staff. Although inter-professional working has much potential to enhance care, it can also produce tensions and concerns within the health care team (Peate 2006). It is also important to note that some barriers are organisational or structural such as merging or Trusts, relocation and withdrawal of services. In this scenario, the main barrier is that there are two different skill mixes with conflicting ideas. Irvine et al (2002) also consider some organisational difficulties and barriers to the effectiveness of inter-professional practice. They identify that differences in working hours may hinder the development of close working relationships between professionals. Also the time different professionals take to carry out particular work may cause difficulties. For example doctors may be making decisions regarding clients on a day-to-day basis whereas social workers need to undertake longer term casework to meet their clients needs. Also, financial constraints can influence the ability of a team to practice effective collaborative working. McCray notes that when budgets and resources are limited, the issue of who will pay for the intervention can also create tension within teams. Even if practitioners wish to work collaboratively, their managers may be less able to facilitate this due to budgeting constraints, and may therefore place restrictions on the amount of collaboration that can tak e place. Irvine et al (2002) considers that differing value systems between professions may also contribute to problems with the determining of priority of certain cases. The senior nurse may have decided that she would prioritise Daniels well-being over the values of Jo. Different professions or grades will see patients needs as being at different levels of importance as their aims and goals for the patient will be dissimilar. This can create problems and sources of conflict between different grades of nurses and some, such as the senior nurse may feel as though their patients needs are being ignored or devalued mainly in this situation by Jo or the doctor who is looking after Daniel. Hudson (2002) also explains that issues relating to professional status also have implications for inter-professional relationships. Health and social care professions in particular have very different levels of training, education and legal restriction. In this case, it seems that the senior nurse is devaluing Jos opinions and knowledge and sticking to her own. All the barriers discussed can create stress and tension between team members. Irvine et al (2002) state that professional structures are differentiated by demographics; the size of the occupations membership; gender composition; the class of origin of its members; educational attainment; status and the relative size and source of primary income. These differences are all quoted as barriers to inter-professional working. What have I learnt? By analysing this scenario I have learnt many attributes which contribute to effective patient care and working in a team.

Terrorism - Analysis of Pan Am 103 and the Tokyo Subway :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Lessons from Pan Am 103 and the Tokyo Subway      Ã‚   ABSTRACT: Terrorists were very active long before September 11. This essay reviews the 1988 downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland and the March 1995 gas attack in the Tokyo subway. The results of these terrorist acts, who carried them out, how they were carried out, and what can be done in the future to prevent such incidents from happening again are all investigated.    On December 21, 1988 the world was shocked as a Boeing 747 Pan American Airlines flight from London's Heathrow Airport to New York City crashed in a fiery ball due to a terrorist-placed bomb in the forward luggage compartment. After the explosion the plane proceeded to break up into three different parts. The wings broke off separately, as did the main fuselage, and the first-class/cockpit area. All 259 people on-board, from twenty-one different countries, died, as well as eleven people of the town of Lockerbie, Scotland, where the plane was downed.    In a remarkably short amount of time after the crash hundreds of people were on the scene doing the initial investigative work that would eventually lead to finding the crash's cause as well as the perpetrators of the offense. Over one thousand police officers were dispensed on to the scene, over six hundred military personnel, morticians from the Royal Air Force, and teams of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S. State Department, the Federal Aviation Agency, the Boeing Company, and Pratt and Whitney. These people started surveying a land area that was seemingly too large to negotiate, 845 square miles. The United States also moved some of their extremely sophisticated spy satellites over southern Scotland to give the investigating teams high-resolution reconnaissance photographs of the area being searched.    The investigators were able to figure out fairly quickly that what brought down Flight 103 was a bomb, as it had all of the tell-tale signs, including no emergency or distress calls prior to the crash. The bomb had been concealed inside a Toshiba radio, which was placed inside a hard-sided Samsonite suitcase that had been designated as an unaccompanied bag. The suitcase had been transferred from an Air Malta feeder flight out of Valletta.    By June of 1990, six months after the

A Book Report on “Heat” By Mike Lupika Essay

Sportswriter named Mike Lupika intelligently wrote a piece of story that proves life is still beautiful despite the heartbreaks and difficulties. The author also portrays a story that illuminates the truth that a person’s talent is special and must be developed by the one who was gifted as such. The social behavior displayed in the book is very degrading that some of the male characters in the book including their adult friends lied to the authorities (â€Å"Heat†). However, the interesting and notable parts of the fiction are those that mentioned fast food like Mc Donald and those drink and clothing brands that were mentioned in the book. According to Common Sense Media Website, the book entitled â€Å"Heat† has 220 pages and published by Penguin Putnam, Incorporated (â€Å"Heat†). The book is also published last April 16, 2006 and its genre is fiction about sports (â€Å"Heat†). There are many things that can be learned in the book like surviving in a difficult life, ethical standards like honesty, and developing a gift or talent that only a few lucky people can have in this world. Moreover, the book entitled â€Å"Heat† is a story about a boy who is so talented in the field of baseball sports. The story of Michael who is a 12 year-old pitcher tells about being poor and orphaned but with positive attitude in life. The story revolves around the hopes of Michael’s father that his son could play with the Little League World Series. Michael’s difficulties worsened when he was accused by a player and a rival coach that the disclosure of his age was fabricated (â€Å"Heat†). As a result, Michael was suspended from playing baseball after it was divulged and alleged that he was older that he mentioned in his profile as a player. However, Michael was able to face all these problems positively by being cheerful and well-adjusted. Works Cited â€Å"Heat†. 2008. Common Sense Media Website. 8 September 2008 < http://www. commonsensemedia. org/book-reviews/Heat. html

Nature Nurture Essays

Nature Nurture Essays Nature Nurture Essay Nature Nurture Essay Is a childs development influenced primarily by genetics and biological predisposition? Or, could the majority of influence be found in the childs environment? This nature/nurture question is possibly one of the oldest theories debated in psychology (Bee, 2004). Today, it is commonly accepted that most aspects of a childs development are a product of the interaction of both nurture and nature (Bee). Both sides of the nature/nurture argument present compelling evidence of how each factor impacts development. It is no longer a question of whether it is nature or nurture, which influence development, but more importantly in what ways, and to what extent. The Impact of Nature on Development Nature, which is also known as heredity, is the genetic code you are born with. It is passed on to you from your parents. Some examples of nature or heredity could be your height, behavior, and IQ just to name a few. The issue of nature having a great impact on a childs development can be illustrated in the studies of twins. Flanagan (2002) explored the Minnesota study in which a set of twins was raised separately. In one case, a set of identical twins was raised apart, known as the Jim twins. They did not meet until they were almost forty and had many similarities even though they were raised apart. There was no real explanation for all their similarities except that nature must play a crucial role in development. The Minnesota twin study concluded that on multiple measures of personality and temperament, occupational and leisure-time interests and social attitudes, mono-zygotic twins reared apart are about as similar as are mono-zygotic twins reared together (Flanagan). This is a prime example that nature plays a significant role in our development. Another example of nature is the study of adopted babies. Families with adopted children share the same environment, but not the same genetic code (Flanagan, 2002). The Texas Adoption Project found little similarity between adopted children and their siblings, and greater similarity between adopted children and their biological parents (Flanagan). This example also shows how important the role of nature plays on a childs development. Knowing that nature plays a role in a childs development, educators can use this to determine possible disabilities. For example, if two parents have a reading disability, it is more likely that their child may develop a reading disability as well. It gives teachers a heads up on what to look out for. This can help educators be proactive and intervene at earlier ages. The Impact of Nurture on Development The influence of a persons environment on their behavior is a very commonly accepted factor. The question is how much can the environment affect the behavior and abilities of a person. Some basic factors such as nutrition can be shown to have an important influence on the abilities of a person. It has also been demonstrated that fears, through the experiences of children, can be learned. Most importantly, some behaviors, if not learned from the environment, will never develop. Environment plays a significant role in development as humans. When considering a persons environment in influencing ability, nutrition plays an important example. In one study, a group of children were given vitamin and mineral supplements for eight months. They were given intelligence tests before and after the eight-month treatment. The result was improvements in scores as compared to another group whom we not given vitamin and mineral supplements (Nature vs. Nurture, 2001). The results suggest that environment plays a role in the intellectual ability of people. It is not an illogical leap to understand this will probably extend to physical abilities as well. Another example of environmental influences in the behavior of people comes from a study done to an infant of 11 months. The infant was subjected to a terrible noise whenever he attempted to touch a white rat in the room with him. The child later displayed fear whenever he came in contact with anything white or furry (Nature vs. Nurture, 2001). A last example of environmental influences in behavior comes from France in 1799. A boy of 12 or 13 was found running with wolves. When he was discovered he was brought back into society. He never developed as a normal human and had tremendous difficulties in society (Nature vs. Nurture, 2001). This suggests that much of what we consider human behavior is socially learned. While no one would suggest that nurture is the only factor that needs to be considered in discussing behavior, it is definitely a significant factor in how we behave as humans. By ignoring the environment, we would miss a large part of what shapes and guides us in life. In conclusion, both sides of the nature/nurture debate present evidence which supports its impact on development. Studies have shown that heredity is a major factor in developmental similarities among twins raised separately (Flanagan 2002). Studies have also shown that nutrition plays a significant role in cognitive development (Nature vs. Nurture, 2001). Most experts agree that most aspects of a childs development are a product of the interaction of both nurture and nature (Bee, 2004). Interestingly, in recent years, new technology has enabled scientists to gain a deeper understanding of the genetic component of development, increasing interest on this side of the debate (Bee). Although no longer an all or nothing issue, the extent to which nature and nurture affect development will likely be debated for years to come. References Bee, Helen (2004). Child and adolescent development (Section 1, pp. 3). Retrieved July 28, 2004, from University of Phoenix website: www. myresource. phoenix. edu Flanagan, C. (2002). Nature and nurture: why are siblings so different? Psychology Review, 8(3), 23. Retrieved July 28, 2004, from the InfoTrac Database. Nature vs. Nurture (2001). Planet Papers. Retrieved July 28, 2004, from the World Wide Web: planetpapers. com/Assets/3492. php