Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Clinical Judgement Decision Making Nursing -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Clinical Judgement Decision Making Nursing? Answer: Introducation Decision making and judgment are significant facets of healthcare professionals identity and skills, including nurses. Decision making involves selecting a particular course of action to adhere to. Recent systematic and holistic approaches to the safety and quality of care provision have defined decision making as important non-technical skill. Nursing decision making, therefore, contributes in a significant management to the quality of care delivered. However, nurses can be presented with challenges while making decisions across the wide domain of this profession. Decision making models and theories act as analytical tools that when applied helps to solve complex situations for suitable decision making. Such models and theories guide the course of actions to be taken through a series of steps mostly involving intelligence activity, designing activity and choice activity. Some of the noteworthy decision making models and theories include intuition, information process theory, expecte d utility theory, cognitive continuum theory and social judgement theory. The present essay focuses on decision making in nursing practice in preparation for PEP (Professional Experience Placement). The essay discusses the three significant models and theories of decision making, namely Social Judgement theory, Information Process theory and Intuition that are commonly used in nursing practice. The paper critically analyses each of the theory and model by outlining the advantages and disadvantages of each. Further, inconsistencies, contradictions and complexities between the theories are highlighted. One theory/model is selected from the three that would be applied to nursing practice in PEP, and a clear rationale is provided to explain the selection. Examples from practice are provided to support the choice made. Connecting the theory to practice is an essential part of the paper. A comprehensive conclusion is provided at the end of the paper the summarises the key points discussed throughout the essay. According to Chinn and Kramer (2014) in a healthcare setting, nurses are repeatedly faced with a number of demands to engage in proper decision making for care delivery. The process of analysing the options and making a choice is the essence of decision making. Researchers view this process as a complex one and suggests that the complexity of decision making needs a strong knowledge base and access to information. The decisions that nurses take have a drastic impact on their effectiveness in clinical practice and influences patients live to a considerable extent. Knowledge about how to make proper decisions is thus of prime importance. Understanding the decision making process is a prerequisite for facilitating learning and development of skills in nursing education. Alligood (2014) in this regard highlighted that nursing students must develop a key understanding of the nursing decision-making models which serve as templates describing the process nurses are to use for reaching to de cisions. These models and theories are frameworks that break down the complex decision process into subcomponents which are validated. Three major models are put forth in this paper the Social Judgement theory, Information Process theory and Intuition. The first theory to be analysed in this context is the Social Judgement Theory that takes a noteworthy position in the discussion of nursing decision making process. Social Judgement theory is a self-persuasion theory that has developed during the past few decades on the basis of the research done by psychologist EgonBrunswik. The theory is a cognitive theory emphasising on the uncertainty inherent in the social, biological and physical environment, and the probabilistic nature of human judgement in such environment. As per this theory, a person is to weigh new idea and compare it with the present point of view for determining where the new idea must be placed on the attitude scale in the mind of the person. The theory has been denoted as the subconscious sorting out of concepts and ideas occurring at the instant of perception(Smith and Parker 2015). As outlined in this theory, judgement of human beings fall along the cognitive continuum with intuitive judgement at one extreme, the analytical judgement at another, and quasi-rational judgement in the mid-range. At one extreme, when there is certainty of information and when there are rules for applying it, the likelihood of events of the future is systematic. At the other end, information is uncertain and the number of possible outcomes increases. Under such a condition, there are no rules to govern the behaviour of the person, and cognition is intuitive (Adderley and Thompson 2015). As per the authors, most situations confronting healthcare professionals, including nurses present challenges that need both analytic and intuitive processes. On the basis of social judgement theory, a healthcare profesisonalsjudegment and decision making is reliant on the social environment. What is notable is that the social environment can be perceived from different dimensions. Thus, the impact of patient condition in a clinical scenario as an environmental truth caninfleucne the clinical decision making of the care giver. As opined by McEwen and Wills (2017) the only theory that considers bridging the normative and real-life judgment and decision making process is the social judgement theory. The theory evaluates quality in terms of accuracy. The theory views the process of decision making in terms of the social reality of the situation, and this aspect makes the theory highly suitable for clinical judgement. Accuracy is not always the most significant criterion against which quality of a judgement is to be assessed. For example, in case of clinical emergency situations, a judgment that is fast but effective might be better than the one which is accurate but slower. For instance, in case of leg ulcer management, since it is a chronic long-term condition, accuracy in care is of more importance. However, in case of a wound suffered, application of first aid is of more important than other accurate measures. Shaban (2015) however argued that a person using the social judgment theory might be influenced b y susceptible alternative interpretation of a situation. Some perceptions of an individual seem to be more clear, and these are often interpreted in an improper manner as ambiguous messages. Moreover, a person who is easy to persuade would demonstrate more openness to influences. Care professionals might be open to persuasion and inducement by other professionals regarding a subject that he is not aware about. This would have a negative impact on the care delivery. One example can be cited about the application of this theory in practice wherein the registered nurse had administered an incorrect medication to a patient. Upon understanding the mistake of the nurse she had taken initiative to report to the team leader. For ensuring safe care delivery and optimal patient outcomes, we had to check blood pressure for the patient at an interval of every 15 minutes for one hour for making sure that is fine. The nurse had applied social judgement theory by analysing the factors that had contributed to the poor outcomes of the patient. The nurse collected cues about the outcomes of the drug administration and had come to the conclusion that incorrect drug delivery was the cause of poor patient outcome. The second theory that is to be analysed in the context of nursing decision making process is Information Process Theory which was first put forward by scholars Newell and Simon. The theory is a notable descriptive theory of human reasoning with postulates stating that human reasoning is the effect of the relationship existing between the tas environment and the problem solver. The theory provides an effective framework for the study of decision making involving the determination of a patient condition in a clinical scenario (Tiffen, Corbridge and Slimmer 2014). Dickison et al. (2016) opined that information processing originates basically from the science of cognition, focusing on the memory capacity, clustering of information into distinct and clearly recognisable patterns, analysing substitute choices and looking for resolutions to issues. Information is accessible to an individual from cue assessment and long-term memory, which then undergoes transformation into units. These unit s have the ability to undergo cognitive manipulation in short-term memory. In nursing field, suitable information processing can be used with verbal protocols to analyse major cognitive processes applicable in clinical decision making. Information processing thus is an enhanced and restored theoretical match for the ambiguity and dynamic decisions of nursing practice. Clinical problems in the nursing field are marked by the need of defining goals related to nursing diagnosis or assessment of patient condition. The problem solves, therefore, needs to consider the degree of information available at every stage of the decision making process. As per the information processing theory, the mental representation of a certain clinical problem created by an individual is referred to as problem space. The person analyses the length and breadth through the problem space by moving through the array of knowledge states. The pieces of information that a person has at different points in time determine the knowledge states. The decision making process can thus be denoted as the sequence of the marketing transformation of problem states till the goal is achieved. The professional must select one of the two types of operators for permitting the transformations; heuristics and algorithms. While heuristics is more like the rule of thumb, an algorithm is the set of protocol that is to be followed for allowing the appropriate solution (Cherry and Jacob 2016). Bacon, Lee and Mark (2015) explored the clinical decision making process of nurses in their research. The main findings of the research highlighted that nurses have a predisposition to corroborate clinical situations with colleagues who can guide with specific information. With the application of information processing theory in practice, nurses think ahead of clinical scenarios and situations and tend to adopt preventive strategies for combatting anticipated situations. This relates to the acknowledgement of similar situations and potential adverse events. Nurses can relate to such similar situations and act in an independent manner to apply decisions regarding interventions or patient assessment. Johansen and O'brien (2016) criticised the application of information processing theory in clinical practice by stating that the theoretical approach has the assumption that there lie restrictions to the volume of information that can be processed by a person at an instance, and decision making is the adaptation to these restrictions. Standing (2017) further highlighted the drawbacks of the information processing theory stating that hypotheses considered in due course might be incorrect, often leading to propositions that are inaccurate. The theory has been denoted as a quantitative approach that assumes that knowledge is accurate and available at the time of taking the decision. Nevertheless, in real life situations, decisions have an underpinning essence of uncertainty. For highlighting an example of how the theory can be applied to practice it is dicussed in here how a registered nurse had administered wrong medication to a patient and later realised that through information process theory of decision making process. The nurse had reported that she remembered that the drug that was delivered to the patient had been previously given by her to another patient in the past who had different medical problems. This information processing based on memory made her realise the mistake that had been done. For ensuring safe care delivery and optimal patient outcomes, blood pressure was checked for the patient at an interval of every 15 minutes for one hour. Acknowledgement of the fact that intuition takes a prominent place in clinical nursing practice has increased in the past three decades. The third theory that would be analysed in this paper is Intuition as applicable to nursing decision making process. Conventionally, nursing intuition has been associated with experience, pointing towards the use by an expert practitioner. In the present times, since demands are high for measurable evidence-based care, intuition has evolved in the way it is applied to decision making process, now known as an eminent element of judgement (Holm and Severinsson 2015). The intuition theory of decision making is primarily based on the somatic marker hypothesis. The hypothesis has the proposition that decision making is regulated by changes in somatic feeling and emotion hat includes signals from bioregulatory processes. A somatic state is defined as the non-conscious state wherein neural activation configurations occur due to the learned connection betwe en knowledge, memory and pattern recognition. The intuition theory is a cohesive and logical theory that is testable predictive and explanatory. Middleton-Green (2015) pinpointed that in a situation when a nurse has to make a decision, development of intuition creates a signal that aids in taking the proper decision. In case of intuition is not developed, the person analytically and cognitively appraises the scenario through the integration of conscious memory and pattern recognition for making the decision. Analytical decisions need sequential and logical thought processes. Blais (2015) suggested that intuition fundamentally involves reflection on experience, sense of subtle changes either qualitative or quantitative, feelings of knowing, and linking of perceptions from the past to foreseen future. Knowledge and perceptual awareness can enable a nurse to identify rich and important information applicable to the clinical scenario. Intuition also can help a nurse to understand a particular scenario as a whole, instead of an array of segmented tasks. As a result, there is no need of deliberate, incremental analysis of multiple isolated informative pieces. The end result is less time consumption and speedy decision making. Hassani, Abdi and Jalali (2016) linked nurses personal intuition with practice and research and suggested that intuition leads to expert practice as practitioners can offer their best to the patients in a care setting. The author further suggests that the intuition, speaking on a general basis, utilises the evidence of the highest order a fter analysing information from more than one sources. Intuition encompasses an unexpected realisation succeeding speedyassimilation of information, fostering appropriate decision making and enabling action against the comprehensive patient's needs. Alligood (2017) criticised the application of intuition by highlighting that the same is not effective when a nurse does not have adequate personal wellbeing, thereby influencing patient assessment and care in a negative manner. The authors further argued that intuition is not considered as a valued method in practice and is often no considered as a legitimate element of decision making process since it is sole dependent on observer skills and not scientific evidence. Pretz and Folse (2011) gave a suitable example of how intuition can be beneficial for decision making process. The author cited a real-life example where a middle-aged male patient had walked through the entrance into the emergency department of the general hospital. The care staff fetched a wheelchair which the patient refused kindly to sit on, claiming that he was fine. He, however, seemed very pale and was sweating excessively. The nurses asked the patient to lie down for undergoing an examination and wanted to collect information about his symptoms. Mentioning that he was suffering from a stomach pain, he cited that the reason might be food poisoning. Since the pain had not improved after considerable time, the nurse performed an ECG and connected the cardiac monitor. Though the vital signs were normal, the nurse informed the cardiac arrest team. It was an intuition that the patient was about to suffer a cardiac arrest and after a short, while the patient indeed suffered arrest. When confronted the nurse could only explain that it was her instinct and perception that emerged instantaneously based on previous experiences and subject knowledge. At this juncture, it would be appropriate to provide an example of how intuition can be applied in decision making process. While on my previous placement the registered nurse had given wrong medication to a particular patient and upon realising the error she had informed it to the team leader. The registered nurse had reported that it was her intuition that made her realise the mistake that had been done. For ensuring safe care delivery and optimal patient outcomes, we had to check blood pressure for the patient at an interval of every 15 minutes for one hour for making sure that is fine. The decision making model of intuition had been applied in here. As the registered nurse had the intuition that an error had been committed, there was a chance of rectifying the issue. The strength of the intuition had urged the registred nurse to engage in critical thinking in addition to the regular duties. When a nurse believes in her intuition, subjective feelings get lined with objective sympt oms of patients, thereby enabling a comprehensive care plan. A Professional Experience Placement (PEP) plays an important role in the nursing education since it is valuable for preparing the nursing student to become a registered nurse, by expanding the skill and knowledge base. The chief aim of the PEP is to provide the nursing student with relevant real life experience that helps in the development of clinical skills and translation of theory into practice. A nurse is to demonstrate appropriate decision making skills, and in the present context, the decision making theory of intuition would be applied in the PEP. The main rationale is based on the research finding indicating that nurses tend to make fewer errors when intuition is applied in decision making process. Nurses intuition would act as a critical component in relation to patient care in PEP and guide in the nursing process. Intuition would be helpful in establishing connections of spiritual and physical relationships. The physical connection would involve two individuals, the patient and the nurse, and emphasise on non-verbal communication and body language patterns. Spiritual connections would be more abstract in nature and would involve the exchange of energy fields. A suitable combination of both physical connection and the spiritual relationship is essential for nursing practice (Traynor, Boland and Buus 2010). A rich pool of literature highlight that intuitive aspects are exhibited by nurses across all levels of expertise, and these aspects commences at an early point in their career, including clinical placements. Further, the aspects become stronger with time and developing skills. The research evidence contradicts the argument that intuition denigrates a nurses ability to take decisions (Melin?Johansson, Palmqvist and Rnnberg 2017). In PEP, a nurse would need to demonstrate proper utilisation of pattern recognition, gut feeling, understanding of similarities, common sense, tactic knowledge, rational considerations and skills to know how. Intuition can be applied alone or in combination with other decision making process, depending on the level of skills and task complexity. Nursing process entails establishing contact with patients and nurses applying intuition can establish a unique contact with the patient. This would help in examining the symptoms that are otherwise beyond the scope of assessment. Intuition, when applied about special patients, can permit recognition of logical reasons behind the patient condition. Personal qualities would be important for the development of intuition and nurses who are open and accessible would be more emotionally involved with patients. The nursing profession is truely a complex one, needing the members to apply the skills and knowledge in different clinical settings. Nurse s must define and understand intuition as the process of knowing something on an immediate basis that improves the clinical experience and informs decisions (Payne 2015). In conclusion, it can be stated that professional experience placement plays a key role in the professional career of a nurse wherein a nursing student is to demonstrate his competence and skill set. Decision making of nurses holds the potential to aid allocation of resources and promote health gain in a healthcare setting. Prevention of patient harm and enhancement of patient benefit is possible when a suitable decision making theory or model is applied by the nurse. The three most prominent theories of decision making models are Social Judgement theory, Information Process theory and Intuition. Critical analysis of the three models highlights that each one of these has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Drawing in evidence supporting the models, the intuition model would be applied in PEP in future. Intuition when applied in decision making process would help in taking appropriate decisions in relation to patient assessment and care delivery. The strength of a nurses intuitio n would urge the professional to do something beyond the regular duties and responsibilities. Intuition can be developed through strong critical thought and deep knowledge base. The distinct outcome is the establishment of caring relationships with the patient. Research points out that intuition has often been neglected by healthcare care settings as a prominent decision making tool, and nurses have been discouraged to apply the same. However, the evidence pool highlighting the suitability of intuition in application weighs more. Further study would help in expanding the knowledge base and indicating intuition as a hallmark of nursing knowledge. References Adderley, U.J. and Thompson, C., 2015. Community nurses judgement for the management of venous leg ulceration: A judgement analysis.International journal of nursing studies,52(1), pp.345-354. Alligood, M.R., 2017.Nursing Theorists and Their Work-E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. Bacon, C.T., Lee, S.Y.D. and Mark, B., 2015. The Relationship Between Work Complexity and Nurses Participation in Decision Making in Hospitals.Journal of Nursing Administration,45(4), pp.200-205. Blais, K., 2015.Professional nursing practice: Concepts and perspectives. Pearson. Cherry, B. and Jacob, S.R., 2016.Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, management. Elsevier Health Sciences. Chinn, P.L. and Kramer, M.K., 2014.Knowledge Development in Nursing-E-Book: Theory and Process. Elsevier Health Sciences. Dickison, P., Luo, X., Kim, D., Woo, A., Muntean, W. and Bergstrom, B., 2016. Assessing higher-order cognitive constructs by using an information-processing framework.Journal of Applied Testing Technology,17(1), pp.1-19. Hassani, P., Abdi, A. and Jalali, R., 2016. State of science,intuition in nursing practice: A systematic review study.Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR,10(2), p.JE07. Holm, A.L. and Severinsson, E., 2016. A Systematic Review of IntuitionA Way of Knowing in Clinical Nursing?.Open Journal of Nursing,6(05), p.412. Johansen, M.L. and O'brien, J.L., 2016, January. Decision making in nursing practice: a concept analysis. InNursing forum(Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 40-48). McEwen, M. and Wills, E.M., 2017.Theoretical basis for nursing. Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Melin?Johansson, C., Palmqvist, R. and Rnnberg, L., 2017. Clinical intuition in the nursing process and decision?makingA mixed studies review.Journal of clinical nursing. DOI: 10.1111/jocn.13814 Middleton-Green, L., 2015. Nursing intuition: the role of embodied awareness in end-of-life care.International journal of palliative nursing,21(6), pp.265-265. Payne, L.K., 2015. Toward a Theory of Intuitive DecisionMaking in Nursing.Nursing science quarterly,28(3), pp.223-228. Pretz, J.E. and Folse, V.N., 2011. Nursing experience and preference for intuition in decision making.Journal of clinical nursing,20(19?20), pp.2878-2889. Shaban, R., 2015. Theories of clinical judgment and decision-making: a review of the theoretical literature.Australasian Journal of Paramedicine,3(1). Smith, M.C. and Parker, M.E., 2015.Nursing theories and nursing practice. FA Davis. Standing, M., 2017.Clinical Judgement and Decision Making in Nursing. Learning Matters. Tiffen, J., Corbridge, S.J. and Slimmer, L., 2014. Enhancing clinical decision marketing: development of a contiguous definition and conceptual framework.Journal of Professional Nursing,30(5), pp.399-405. Traynor, M., Boland, M. and Buus, N., 2010. Autonomy, evidence and intuition: nurses and decision?making.Journal of advanced nursing,66(7), pp.1584-1591.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Reflective Statement on Professional Development †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Reflective Statement on Professional Development. Answer: Introduction: Hazard analysis refers to the process of identifying hazards, which arise from a particular environment or system and also encompasses documentation of unwanted consequences. One major aspect of hazard analysis is related to conducting an analysis of the potential causes that might create adverse effects (Wallace et al. 2014). On the other hand, safety training refers to the programs that are essential for making a workplace safer for most people. This often encompasses a range of training options that assist in bringing about improvements in safety practices, ensures compliance and reduces risks (Sacks, Perlman and Barak 2013). According to the data of Dub (2017) workplace is the place where an individual spent half of his life besides his home. There are several organizations that involve job roles, equipment and environment that has the capability to hamper ones health. Therefore the organizations should focus on workplace health and safety training so that the health, safety and wellbeing of the employees can be ensured. From the data of OSHA (2018), it is determined that construction site possess greatest amount of risk as maximum of the workplace accidents around the world are caused in construction sites. Hence, in this safety training procedure I decided to provide safety training to the management and supervisor staffs regarding construction safety course, Building construction safety supervisors course, framework safety course for supervisors, confined space safety assessors course and industrial first aid course. While including these safety training courses in the organizational setting, my primary professional objective was to provide the employees or staff of the construction site with proper training so that the employees can identify and respond to identified risks present within their workplace. Further, they become aware of the safety related rules and legislation so that in case of health risks they can protect their rights. Hence, the aim of this training was to provide complete knowledge regarding the workplace health and safety and factorial safety training courses to the construction site workers so that they can complete their tasks without any severe health risk and hazard. In the construction site, where I decided to provide safety training, more than 250 workers were involved with 10 on-site supervisors and 5 construction site managers. Prior to training I was clear with approach with the help of which I will be providing training to the supervisors and on site managers and for the purpose, I chose computer based training and interactive training. These two techniques were decided so that with the help of available data and pictorial demonstrations, an interactive session can be formed. Further, while providing the training, all the supervisors and managers were provided with a small questionnaire and were interviewed after the completion of the training so that data interpretation can be carried out (Robson et al. 2012). I prepared a presentation for the safety training management including topics such as safety and health policy, statutory requirements on safety, rules and responsibilities while creating a safe organization and management system. As this part comprised of several legislation and regulations, I contacted the workplace safety and health committee so that a constructive and effective session can be conducted. After the session with site managers, supervisors were also provided with interactive session by WHS committee and I provided them questionnaire so that their understanding can be assessed (Ismail, Doostdar and Harun 2012). Further, the supervisors were provided with techniques through which they can provide such information to the construction workers as disclosing adverse effects can affect their mental stability as well. They were asked to utilize the theory of hands on training technique to make the workers aware of the safety and health related issues they can face or facing at the construction site. All the activities that I included in the training purpose for safety related issue had specific implications. The training for supervisors and safety managers was inclusive of rules and regulations related data, demonstration of possible health risk and means to overcome those, whereas, the workers were provided with training by their supervisors so that the actions of the workers within the construction site can be controlled which can breach health and safety protocol of the construction site (Robson et al. 2012). I was surprised from the response of the safety training as maximum of the workers were responsive and interactive in the session and took active part in the training session. Further, while providing training to the managers and supervisors, they accepted the data and were curious regarding the techniques and interventions through which such incidents can be minimized. While discussing the strength and weaknesses of the approach, I should include the fact that maximum of the workers and supervisors at the construction site was able to answer the health and safety related questionnaire. The strength of the approach was proper distribution and medium of training (Phillips 2016). Inclusion of workplace safety and health committee in the process was beneficial as they approach the site managers with their data and were able to answer all the possible questions so that clarity and understanding of the process can be maintained. However, there were few weaknesses of the approach, supervisors were asked to provide training to the onsite workers right after their own training session, hence, they forgot to include several aspects of safety such as penalty and fine system and safe work procedure, hence, in the process the training to workers lacked completion. However, despite being several flaws, I was satisfied with the approach as it was able to provide an idea regarding workplace health and safety in workplace (McCaughey et al. 2013). On the other hand, my thinking, my working pattern and planning of the training process also had several strengths and weaknesses. I was able to differentiate the roles and subjects upon which training will be provided to supervisors, managers and workers as they dominate in those sections. Therefore, the scope of the training enhanced. Further, my training division lacked connection and unity as training was provided with different means to workers, site managers and supervisors. Hence, it could have affected the mental state of the workers as they were not provided with the data and statistics of workplace health and safety related accidents (McCaughey et al. 2013). According to several research studies, hazard analysis is an essential procedure that needs to be implemented at all workplaces owing to high prevalence of workplace incidents that are undesired or unplanned and often create barriers in the completion of a particular task (Dokas, Feehan and Imran 2013). Hence, I decided to conduct a hazard analysis at the construction site, in order to assess the potential risks. Therefore, I recognized the need to identifying the underlying risk factors in the operating environment that could result in major malfunctions or failures. The major activities that I conducted for risk assessment at the workplace included recording and monitoring the rates of known hazard, identification of the hazards that were related to use of different chemicals or use of electrical equipments, followed by introduction of new works or processes. Furthermore, my activities also included conducting an inspection of the technical competencies that were displayed by the m anagement and workers. The primary objective of my risk assessment activity was related to creating provisions at the construction site, for providing appropriate means that would facilitate in identification of potential hazards. In addition, I also wanted to manage the workplace hazards in a feasible way that would eliminate chances of accidents or injuries at the workplace and make all the workers adhere to the safety policies. The primary approach that I had implemented at the construction site was to convince the authorities to assign a risk assessment committee, which was comprised of supervisors, managers, personnel, and technicians. This approach was taken owing to the fact that it would provide assistance to fulfill the major oversight responsibilities required for risk management and strategic planning of the company (Potts et al. 2014). Furthermore, the committee would also help in recommending necessary risk assessment procedures that would help the company in the long run. I also focused on identifying the major kinds of hazards that were prevalent in the company and had taken a toll on the safety of the workers. Hence, identification of major hazards that might arise, before a construction work commenced was imperative (Bahn 2013). I also emphasised on recognizing new hazards at the workplace that were related to use of particular chemicals, or other equipments. Moreover, I also emphasized on eva luating the technical competency and training levels of the workers in order to gain a deeper understanding of their skills that might be required, if they encounter any hazardous events. I realized that while eight supervisors were well aware of the skills they need to display in order to reduce chances of workplace hazards, the workers were most often exposed to environment that increased their likelihood of getting affected. While recording known hazards that were already present in the workplace, I received help from the members of the risk assessment committee. They helped me to conduct a thorough investigation of the hazards that the workers were frequently exposed to such as, use of asbestos, handling solvents and flammable gases, working in confined places, and operating heavy mechanical instruments. The committee members also provided adequate assistance in recording new hazards that the workers might be exposed to. Furthermore, the supervisors also helped me record the aforementioned risk factors. Additional help was received from three site managers and two supervisors regarding inspecting or investigating skills of the people responsible for risk analysis. Moreover, two project managers also helped me in the conduction of risk analysis, before a work commenced at the site. My activities helped me determine that the likelihood of occurrence of workplace hazards was frequent at the construction site. This indicated that the working conditions were unsafe and the workers were exposed to use of asbestos, flammable objects and heavy mechanical instruments quite frequently. I identified that there was moderate severity of the hazards, which most commonly resulted in burns (57), sprains (43), lacerations (31) and minor fractures (44), among 175 workers in past five years. Thus, the observations helped me use the risk assessment matrix that gave a score of high risk, based on the likelihood and severity. Hence, the objective of identifying risks of hazards at the workplace was adequately met. Major strengths of the approaches lie in the facts that they were successful in gaining a deeper understanding of the undesirable accidents or incidents that frequently deteriorate the health condition of the workers, and also helped in determining the true magnitude of the extent to which the hazards could affect health (Zhang et al. 2015). Failure to determine whether the company provided appropriate health coverage for the employees was a weakness (Siqueira et al. 2014). In future, there is a need to recommend alternatives for high risk operations in order to reduce the severity and likelihood of occurrence of occupational health hazards (Rankin et al. 2014). My strength was related to the fact that I could convince the board members of the risk assessment committee to conduct an evaluation of the hazards that the workers were exposed to on a regular basis. This helped me in conducting the risk analysis in a suitable manner and also assisted me to gain a deeper understanding of the risk factors that lead to occupational health hazards. However, the fact that I evaluated the technical skills and competencies of only the people responsible for risk analysis was my weakness, as all workers should demonstrate adequate skills to combat such incidents. I can improve this by conducting an interview of individual workers to determine their skills that are imperative in reducing chances of workplace hazards. I should also increase awareness of the workers regarding the basic amenities that they are entitled to, if any such incident occurs in future. While concluding the assignment, it should be mentioned that construction site was chosen for the risk assessment and safety training procedure as in this particular construction site, more than 175 workers were having injuring and the risk at the site was very high. Further, they were unaware of the health and safety issues, their rights and regulations regarding it. Therefore, with the help of Workplace health and safety committee, such training related to health and safety and risk assessment of identified hazards were conducted. This ensures that safe work culture can be established and after studying the possible incidences, a dynamic organization free from hazardous risk and safety issues can be created. References Bahn, S., 2013. Workplace hazard identification and management: The case of an underground mining operation.Safety science,57, pp.129-137. Dokas, I.M., Feehan, J. and Imran, S., 2013. EWaSAP: An early warning sign identification approach based on a systemic hazard analysis.Safety science,58, pp.11-26. Dub, D. 2017.This is how much time you spend on work emails every day, according to a Canadian survey. [online] Global News. Available at: https://globalnews.ca/news/3395457/this-is-how-much-time-you-spend-on-work-emails-every-day-according-to-a-canadian-survey/ [Accessed 16 Apr. 2018]. Ismail, Z., Doostdar, S. and Harun, Z., 2012. Factors influencing the implementation of a safety management system for construction sites.Safety science,50(3), pp.418-423. McCaughey, D., DelliFraine, J.L., McGhan, G. and Bruning, N.S., 2013. The negative effects of workplace injury and illness on workplace safety climate perceptions and health care worker outcomes.Safety science,51(1), pp.138-147. OSHA 2018.Commonly Used Statistics | Occupational Safety and Health Administration. [online] Osha.gov. Available at: https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html [Accessed 16 Apr. 2018]. Phillips, J.P., 2016. Workplace violence against health care workers in the United States.New England journal of medicine,374(17), pp.1661-1669. Potts, H.W., Anderson, J.E., Colligan, L., Leach, P., Davis, S. and Berman, J., 2014. Assessing the validity of prospective hazard analysis methods: a comparison of two techniques.BMC health services research,14(1), p.41. Rankin, A., Lundberg, J., Woltjer, R., Rollenhagen, C. and Hollnagel, E., 2014. Resilience in everyday operations: a framework for analyzing adaptations in high-risk work.Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making,8(1), pp.78-97. Robson, L.S., Stephenson, C.M., Schulte, P.A., Amick III, B.C., Irvin, E.L., Eggerth, D.E., Chan, S., Bielecky, A.R., Wang, A.M., Heidotting, T.L. and Peters, R.H., 2012. A systematic review of the effectiveness of occupational health and safety training.Scandinavian journal of work, environment health, pp.193-208. Sacks, R., Perlman, A. and Barak, R., 2013. Construction safety training using immersive virtual reality.Construction Management and Economics,31(9), pp.1005-1017. Siqueira, C.E., Gaydos, M., Monforton, C., Slatin, C., Borkowski, L., Dooley, P., Liebman, A., Rosenberg, E., Shor, G. and Keifer, M., 2014. Effects of social, economic, and labor policies on occupational health disparities.American journal of industrial medicine,57(5), pp.557-572. Wallace, C.A., Holyoak, L., Powell, S.C. and Dykes, F.C., 2014. HACCPthe difficulty with hazard analysis.Food Control,35(1), pp.233-240. Zhang, S., Sulankivi, K., Kiviniemi, M., Romo, I., Eastman, C.M. and Teizer, J., 2015. BIM-based fall hazard identification and prevention in construction safety planning.Safety science,72, pp.31-45.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Writing A Sample Literature Analysis Essay Outline

Writing A Sample Literature Analysis Essay OutlineA sample literature analysis essay outline is your key to knowledge. Having an outline alone won't get you where you want to go in life. It takes practice, effort, and a willingness to learn more so that you can get the answers you need to see the whole picture.An outline is simply a written representation of your goals, but with varying emphases and motives. They are a good idea for writers and other people who want to have a thorough understanding of what they are writing about before they begin to write the rest of the piece. The purpose of an outline is to provide insight into what the writer thinks their topic is about and what they want to accomplish with it.No one can write an outline or even understand its purpose without practicing on a sample outline. After all, it would be impossible to write an outline of something that you've never read or heard of. In order to become skilled at doing an outline, you must be able to under stand what it's about before you begin to write. The words and ideas that will show up in the outline are not necessarily the only ones you'll hear or see, and often times, they are a work in progress, meaning that the ideas you see may change before the outline is finished.Even though it is difficult to expect anyone to know the entire meaning of a topic from only reading or hearing the word or words that show up in the outline, most people can spot the main idea or theme of a piece fairly quickly. Remember, a person's mind works by associating images and thoughts. Without the images, it would be impossible to grasp the whole meaning of the topic.So let's take a look at the basic outline format. It is simply a formal outline that provides the writer with the direction and frame of reference for the article. It also gives a nice overview of the topic, so that the writer has a good overview of the overall subject matter, as well as the idea of how it should be presented.When an outli ne is done, it is important to write it down, especially if one is unsure about what should be said. You should put down the first paragraph of the article and use that to outline the rest of the article. That way, when you write the rest of the article, you will know what type of things you should address or avoid. It is a good way to brainstorm the best way to start writing the rest of the article, if needed.This will help when you are trying to decide what words or phrases should go where in the article. You can decide to write about a certain niche or subject, so that the piece would fit the theme. Or, you could choose to write about different types of foods, so that the article will be able to fit into a number of categories. Regardless of which you choose, just keep in mind that an outline is a great way to get the ideas down on paper.An essay outline is a great tool for anyone who is going to write an essay or writing any type of composition. They are a guide through the writ ing process and an outline can help a lot of writers get the direction and focus that they need. All you have to do is practice the outline, and soon enough, you will be able to write an outline that works for you.

Saturday, April 11, 2020

Romulus, Between Shades of Gray and the Kite Runner free essay sample

An individual’s interaction with others and the world around them can enrich or limit their experience of belonging The base for an individual’s experience of belonging begins with the tempestuous walk we undertake throughout our life. Through our cold days of solitude we long to reach the sunlight which will thaw the chill of isolation. Most achieve this goal easily, creating a network of relationships and solidifying their place in the world. However, for others, this journey endeavoured only ends in tragedy and regret. Through the novels of Romulus, My Father, Between Shades of Gray and The Kite Runner, we see the ramifications of the pursuit of acceptance, safety and the right to be content. Through Romulus My Father, the withdrawal of Christina highlights the negative effects of her inability to belong. She becomes deeply depressed, and her isolation and inability to function in her new home diminishes her self-acceptance. We will write a custom essay sample on Romulus, Between Shades of Gray and the Kite Runner or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although she attempts to connect with Raimond and Romulus, her efforts fail. She cannot belong even to her own family. He reached into the bag and threw a piece of wood at our shins, walking away before we could say anything. The character of Elena Vilkiene, the protagonist’s mother plays the role of the hero throughout the novel. Even though she has been detained in a work camp, being abused and degraded, she still finds compassion for those around her. Her kindness toward a soldier in the camp contributes to her enriched sense of belonging. The soldier, Nikolai Kretzky, has no choice but to treat them this way. She finds a sense of belonging through this, that although they are on different sides, they share the same circumstances. With the use of repetition, Ruta Sepetys conveys these feelings of hope and kind-heartedness breaking the coldness of isolation. â€Å"They lifted my dress. Nikolai came. He shooed the others off. He drove me the rest of the way Nikolai was punished for it. I think that’s why he is here Think of what your father would say. A wrongdoing doesn’t give us the right to do wrong. You know that. † The wood becomes a great Motif throughout the novel, connecting the need for survival and cooperation. He goes through a torment himself, trying to fit in with the people he despises. His own personal moral battles affect him, and this leads to his low perception of himself. He struggles with where he belongs. Kretzky took a step closer, reaching to help mother. Loathing purged from my mouth. â€Å"Get away from her! Stay away. I hate you. Do you hear me? I HATE YOU! † Kretzky stared at mother. â€Å"Me too,† he said. He walked away Through The Kite Runner, the protagonist Amir finds himself unable to find his identity. His own personal context is the blame, with the escape of himself and his father to America instilling the changes to his personal identity. He returns to Afghanistan to find his friend Hassan, and this event leads him to the knowledge that his once close friend (who was also his slave) is actually his half brother. He battles with the grief of his own actions towards Hassan, his rejection and desertion of him as being unforgivable and sets out to alter this by finding and saving Hassan’s son, his nephew. This is shown through personification of the sun and its role in showing Hassan’s purity and compassion. I looked at the round face in the Polaroid again, the way the sun fell on it. My brothers face. Our actions, the relationships we form and the individuals we meet all enrich and limit our sense of belonging, leading us towards darkness and towards the light. Without this road, however, we would not know change and ultimately, we would never know regret. Belonging becomes the product of our struggle for independence and protection, and I believe that just by attempting to live life fully, we belong. Without regret, there would be no change, without change, there would be no future and without belonging, there would be no happiness in the world.

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Role of Bank Capital Essays

Role of Bank Capital Essays Role of Bank Capital Essay Role of Bank Capital Essay Introduction The main aim of this report is to identify the key roles played by bank capital in the banking business. This report briefly outlines the main functions of bank capital and takes a brief look at the benefits of bank capital to the bank and the banking industry. It is hoped that from reading this paper a general understanding of the roles of bank capital in the banking business can be gained. Bank Capital A banks capital also known as equity is the margin by which creditors are covered if the banks assets were liquidated. A bank must hold enough capital to protect lenders and depositors from losses and also allow the bank to meet its customer requirements. Banks must maintain capital levels equal with the amount of risks assumed and hold enough to weather severe and considerably long financial storms. Roles of Bank Capital Banks are susceptible to many forms of systematic risk which at times can evolve into industrial crisis. The risks they face include credit risk, market risk, business risk and interest rate risk to name a few. And bank capital plays an essential role in the absorption of losses related to these risks. Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk that an obligator will not make future interest payments or principle repayments when due and is the main risk faced by banks, considering how large global financial markets are and the proportion of transactions that may be at risk. Credit risk tends to vary with the business cycle as initial rapid expansion results in falling spreads, and a decline in credit widening spreads with banks being hit by large loses as the spread widens. Banks are taking on more diverse forms of lending including direct finance, margin lending, over the counter derivatives transactions with the high number of potential defaults in these areas exposing them to large amounts of counterparty risk. There is also credit risk involved with futures brokerage involving intermediaries and the substantial credit risks from settling foreign exchange contracts which are often underestimated. Credit risk also may exist in credit derivatives and asset securitization transactions. To protect themselves banks need to identify the type of credit risk correctly, price it accurately and maintain adequately high amounts of capital in both good times and bad times. Market Risk Capital also protects banks against market risk. This is the risk associated with the movements and volatility in market prices which can cause large swings in bank profitability. Continuous changes in technology and market creativity are resulting in ever changing financial products and market risks making evident a relationship between markets that we had previously thought of as unrelated. These unpredictable changes require banks to maintain strong capital levels especially with the period a bank has to alter its risk profile becoming shorter due to greater competition. Business Risk Capital also provides a cushion against exposures to elements that can impact on the firms’ activities and may result in the bank losing ground relative to its competitors or failing to earn a market rate of return. Bank capital is a crucial aid in relation to operational risk which may result in loss by a bank of its critical business operations due to a disaster such as loss of a communications system which can lead to fraud or processing errors. With the continuing diversification of banking, the growing concentration of the crucial payments, the fast pace of financial innovation and settlements, the importance of operational risk is rising and bank capital becoming more crucial in this area. Liquidity Liquidity is the ability to fund increases in assets and meet obligations as they become due. Banks still play a crucial role as liquidity providers in the global economy especially during market shocks or economic turbulence. Adequate bank capital helps reduces liquidity risk, that is, the risk that many depositors will request withdrawals beyond available funds. Banks have managed the general expected liquidity demands since the beginning of the banking business with occasional mismatches exposing banks to interest rate risk, which is the risk that the bank will become unprofitable if rising interest rates force it to pay relatively more on its deposits than it eceives on its loans. Normally this risk can also be managed easily by hedging interest rate changes by the use of derivative instruments. However unanticipated system wide shocks result in a greater demand for liquidity and are far more difficult to deal with. At such times significant liquidity demands emerge from both a banks asset and the liability side. Refinancing short-term debt in the money markets is liabili ty related and off-balance-sheet exposures can unexpectedly come onto the assets side of the balance sheet. Therefore a bank must be prepared when there is a market wide scramble for liquidity and be able to manage funding challenges and unplanned asset expansions simultaneously by having sufficient bank capital. Promote economic growth A strongly capitalized banking sector also is better able to promote innovation, whether in the form of new products, new services or new distribution channels. Banks do not just hold capital to overcome distress, but also because it provides them with financial flexibility. Banks with a strong capital base can take advantage of growth opportunities. A strong banking sector made up of banks with strong capital bases, is better able to supply credit to businesses and fund investment opportunities that promise to encourage growth, create employment and contribute to a stronger economy. On the other hand a weak banking sector with banks unable to function effectively as risk intermediaries inevitably leads to inadequate credit and liquidity in financial markets and to banks that are unable to help boost the productivity of the economy. Clearly this has a grave social impact given the importance of credit and liquidity to the overall economy. Benefits of strong bank capitalization Well capitalized banks will be able to continue with there normal lending practices in the event of an economic shock and will not be forced to reduce their asset base. As well as this they are able to assist weaker banks through the provision of deposit insurance premiums. Sufficient excess capital reserves enable banks to enter into large ventures without having to raise new capital. Banks are not inclined to take on numerous high risk borrowers purely for the potential benefit of high returns as they are not desperately seeking profits to increase their capital base. Excess capital holds the benefit of avoiding high financing costs. An example would be a bank having to pay a high rate of interest on loans from other banks if the banks excess capital reserves are found to be insufficient. With fast-paced technological change predominately in the information systems area well capitalized banks are cushion from the enormous costs of, for example total system upgrades. Finally a banks reputation will suffer if the bank finds it difficult to meet the regulatory body’s capital requirements. Large banks wish to keep their good ratings and therefore have considerable high capital reserves because rating agencies make demands regarding the banks excess capital reserves as a condition for a high rating Conclusion The role of capital is to act as a buffer against future unexpected and even relatively remote losses that a bank may incur and be a source of liquidity. Because banks can both create demand deposits and provide credit they act as shock absorbers during times of turbulence providing safety to risk weary investors and liquidity to borrowers. The dramatic effects of weak banking systems can be seen in both developed and developing economies and the repercussions these have had on financial markets everywhere. Each occasion is a reminder of the need for strongly capitalized financial institutions. References Viney C 2007, McGrath’s Financial Institutions, Instruments and Markets, McGraw- Hill Mehta D, Fung H 2004, International Bank Management, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK Bacon F, Tai S, Shin, Suk H, Garg R 2004, Basics of Financial Management, Copley Publishing Company, Action, MA Berger A N, Herring R J, Szego G P 1995, The role of capital in financial institutions, Journal of Banking and Finance 19, Nos. 3-4. Diamond, Douglas W, Rajan R G 2000, A Theory of Bank Capital, The Journal of Finance, Vol. LV, no. 6

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Individual Behavior and Performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual Behavior and Performance - Essay Example The annual feedback on the work of each of the employees is required from the manager, for to define, whether the current position of the worker is right for him. Performance appraisal is used for to evaluate, whether the employees labor is worth of the money the company spends on him, and whether he is used rationally in the company. Performance appraisal defines whether the workers performs his tasks fully, whether he is suitable for the type of work he is doing, it evaluates the quality of his work. It is the tool that lets the administration see which of the employees deserves the promotion or/and a pay rise, and which one has to be fired because of the incompetence or the poor quality of work. The characteristic feature of aviation is that there the team work is of vital importance. For to satisfy the clients, the plane's crew has to work together, aiming the same goals. Thus, the performance appraisal of the crew is also conducted, apart from the personal performance appraisal. The task of the manager, which performs performance appraisal, is to define the list of the employees goals, and chores, and then evaluate the quality of fulfilling the chores, and to define, whether the worker reached the goal that were set before him. ... They consider the individual performance appraisal to be the most effective and significant, and make their conclusions about the best place for the person in the company guided by them, forgetting that even the best worker will lower the productivity of the group he is employed in case his team work skills are poor. Performance appraisal is quite a complicated managerial technique; it requires the deep knowledge in business, management, and some other social sciences. But interpreting the results of the appraisal, deciding what should be done for to improve them, or what is the best position for the worker, requires the background in psychology of the relationships on the workplaces, and the motivation strategies. The performance appraisal techniques foresee the existence of the form, which is the same for every worker. These forms usually don't consider the existence of the individual differences, the peculiarities of the each worker. Thus when making a conclusion considering the performance of every employee, the manager has to consider his individual features, and define, what should be done to improve his/her performance. The goal each manager follows is to increase the productivity of his employees. The authors of the book Creating Workplace Community: Motivation Solutions, Ideas and Philosophies for Motivating Ourselves and Other, note, that Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation. Thus it is vital to motivate the workers for to reach the maximum productivity. John Marshall Reeve offers several techniques for motivating the employees: Positive reinforcement / high expectations Effective discipline and punishment Treating

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Should international marriage be banned Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Should international marriage be banned - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the recent past, international marriage has received increased attention both from the perspective of theory and due to the practical concern. Several urgent policy issues have come up due to the emerging trends of international marriages. International marriage is for people who have an adventurer’s heart. International marriages require its participants to have a different view of the world. These people need to go contrary to established behavior patterns. In addition, International marriages present an opportunity for diversity and exploration of two or more different cultures and traditions. Despite these benefits, international marriages have problems that are absent if couples are from the same nation. Due to this, international marriages need to be discouraged and even banned to avoid the occurrence of such problems. The present research has identified that cultural differences present several challenges for internati onal marriages. Every society  around  the world has its distinct and unique culture and value system. These differences in culture and value systems present simple routine differences. If people marry from the same country, there are high chances that they will have the same cultures and share in these unique value systems. Thus, there would be reduced uneasiness in the marriage resulting due to culture shock and the need to adopt the value system of either party.