Health Care and Sample Portfolio free essay sample

My career as a university teacher has spanned 30 years including the past fifteen years as a faculty at the UTMB School of Nursing with a joint appointment at GSBS and previously, fifteen years as a faculty at the University Of Arizona School Of Nursing with an adjunct appointment at the School of Public Policy. From that vantage point, I have had the opportunity to teach and learn from hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students in nursing, medicine, allied health, philosophy, ethics, health policy, and other disciplines. My educational philosophy has evolved over time in response to my own experiences and growth as a teacher and clinician as well as continued interchange with students. My overriding philosophy is based on the belief that students are not â€Å"empty vessels† to be shaped by faculty, but rather that they come to the educational enterprise with a vast array of life experiences, knowledge, and skills that can be incorporated and translated into their professional health education. We will write a custom essay sample on Health Care and Sample Portfolio or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I believe that teachers, at their best, serve as guides and catalysts who engage students in critical thinking, reasoning, and dialogue about the core scientific, clinical and humanistic knowledge that is required for promoting health and healing among their patients and the multi-faceted roles of health professionals in that endeavor. I also believe that teaching- learning is a partnership between teacher and students and that it is synergistic. I have learned far more from students than I have probably ever imparted to them. I also believe that excellent teachers help establish an atmosphere in both classroom and clinical settings that promotes honesty and integrity and that encourages students to examine their own beliefs, knowledges and assumptions as well as invite constructive debate and feedback. It is important that health professional students, who will often practice as part of a team, learn to respect diverse opinions while at the same time learn to articulate their own perspectives and judgments. Students must also learn to take responsibility for their own lifelong learning as they enter the worlds of practice and education. Describe how you have prepared yourself for your role as a teacher, assessor, mentor and/or advisor. Revised 2010 Page 1 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. My doctoral education was in Biomedical Ethics and Public Health Policy and my master’s degree in Community Health and Political Science with a functional focus on teaching. I have drawn on both of these programs as a framework for developing courses and learning experiences that help students examine complex issues in health care ethics and public policy and develop strategies for helping to resolve those issues. One of the most significant ways that I enhanced my skill as a teacher was receiving one of the first Joseph P. Kennedy Fellowships in Bioethics for Faculty at Georgetown Univ. in the early 1980’s. This Fellowship was specifically focused on the preparation of nursing and medical school faculty in the newly emerging field of biomedical ethics. That educational experience shaped my efforts to help integrate biomedical ethics into nursing and other health-related curricula at the Univ. of Arizona and later at UTMB. I have continued to expand my knowledge about the teaching of ethics and humanities and clinical ethics consultation during the past several decades through participating in a large number of diverse educational workshops and conference programs sponsored by the Association for Bioethics, the Kennedy Center for Bioethics, the Hastings Center, and the American Society for Law, Medicine and Ethics. I have especially benefited from a series of intensive summer workshops designed for educators by the Kennedy Center for Bioethics. I have also focused a lot of effort on expanding my knowledge and skills related specifically to doctoral education in nursing including a series of intensive workshops with noted nurse consultants in the field of doctoral education while at Univ. of Arizona and at UTMB. In addition, I have regularly attended the annual National Assoc. of Doctoral Program meetings and the Academy of Nursing Science Meetings which regularly address graduate education issues and initiatives in nursing. Teaching/Assessment Activities For Teaching and Assessment activities, duplicate and complete this table for each separate activity you wish to present. In the Appendix, provide examples of work that support the scope, quality and dissemination of the activity, if available. Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year) Number and type of learners (e. g. , number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Revised 2010 Course in History and Philosophy of Science Core required course in doctoral program in Nursing Developer and primary teacher of Course 2002-present Fall semesters 15 weeks 3 hours per week in direct teaching and 5-6 hours per week in course preparation, student consultation, review of papers and projects Approx. 15 doctoral students course on campus and additional 5-6 students via teleconference at Stephen F. Austin Univ. In Nacogdoches Course is offered Fall and Summer semesters The goal of this course is to teach the students skills in critically examining the historical evolution of science and  comparative philosophical views of scientific Page 2 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Outcomes, and other indicators of quality Dissemination among the community of educators Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year) Number and type of learners (e. g., number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Outcomes, and other indicators of quality research in health care and nursing The overall course evaluations for this course during the past five years have consistently been very good as reflected in the following averages on a 5 point scale: (2002-4. 5; 2003-4. 6; 2004-4. 7; 2005—4. 7; 2006 –4. 6). Students have made many positive comments about how they have honed their critical analysis skills. I received SON Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award in 2002. Presentation of Approaches to Teaching of Philosophy of Science and Ethics to Students in Health Professions at Society of Bioethics Conference Oct. 2002 and 2005 Course in Ethics of Health Care and Research Required core course in doctoral program in Nursing Developer and primary teacher of Course 2002-present 3 hours per week in direct teaching and 5-6 hours per week in course preparation, student consultation, review of papers and projects Approx. 8-10 doctoral students on campus and additional 5-6 students via teleconference at Stephen F. Austin Univ. in Nacogdoches. The goal of this course is to help students develop skills in analyzing contemporary ethical dilemmas in  health care as well as in learning strategies to respond effectively to dilemmas. The course also teaches the students to critically analyze research related to ethical issues, eg. End of life care as well as to examine underlying ethical issues related to conducting research. e. g. informed consent. Course evaluations are consistently in the 4. 6-5 point range. (2002-4. 6; 2003—4. 7; 2004—4. 7; 2005—4. 8; 2006— 4. 8) Students’ teams have developed outstanding critiques of ethical issues in health care and research and developed position papers in response to those issues. They have also developed a series of excellent PowerPoint presentations which have been shared with classmates as well as with faculty and clinicians at UTMB and other health facilities where many of the nursing doctoral students practice. One other significant indicator of the impact of this Revised 2010 Page 3 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Dissemination among the community of educators Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year) Number and type of learners (e. g. , number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Outcomes, and other indicators of quality course is that 10 doctoral students have developed and completed dissertation research that is related to ethical issues in health care. Wrote article Preparation of Doctoral Students in Identifying and Responding to Ethical Issues in Nursing Research: Advances in Nursing Science June 2003. Course in Health Policy This is a required course for all of the masters’ level students in the SON. Lead teacher 2002-present 3 hours per week in direct teaching and 5-6 hours per week in course preparation, student counseling, evaluating papers and projects This course has averaged approx. 40-50 students per semester including onsite and distance ed. students in Nacogdoches and Beaumont and is taught twice a year (approx. 100 students/year). One of the central goals of this course is to help nursing students in the Advanced Practitioner masters program develop abilities in critical analysis of the  context and process of policy development in health care; and development of skills that will help them engage in various stages of the policy process. Evaluations for this course over the past five years have been consistently high with average scores between 4. 5-5 on a 5 point scale. ( 2002—4. 5; 2003— 4. 6; 2004—4. 7; 2005—4. 6; 2006—4. 7). As part of the course, teams of students became involved in working with selected policy makers, e. g. legislators, Board of Nurse Examiners, and mayors to assess selected health policy issues, propose new strategies, and in some cases were involved in helping  implement selected policy at local and state levels. Dissemination among the Revised 2010 Many of the students’ comments on evaluations suggested that the course had spurred their interest in working more directly with various policy leaders as a strategic part of their professional role. Several of the students have become members of city councils in Santa Fe and Houston, members of School boards, etc. While I cannot claim responsibility for their actions, I do think the course served as a catalyst for some to become more involved in the policy arena. Article: Robinson, S. (2005) Integration of Health. Page 4 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. community of educators Policy in Curriculum for Advanced Practitioner Students published in Journal of Advanced Nurse Practitioners, vol 10, 55-60. Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year). Case Management Clinical Course This is a required clinical course for all senior nursing students Lead Clinical teacher Spring 2004, 2005, 2006 Teaching/ supervision of students in clinical sites for eight hours/day for two days per week during the semester 10-12 students per semester in each rotation Number and type of learners (e. g. , number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Outcomes, and other indicators of quality Dissemination among the community of educators Teaching/Assessment Activity Context of activity (school or department, format of activity) Description of role Duration of service (give years) Service quantity (e. g. , hours/semester or year) Revised 2010 This course provides students with an opportunity to assess and give care to elderly and disabled clients who are living in nursing homes, group homes, as well as some family settings. All of these clients are legally wards of the state and have guardians. I have worked with a local judge to integrate our students into her assessment of these patients. Student’s asses the patients and report back to the judge as well as make referrals to physicians and other health agencies. Students have consistently rated this clinical  experience as one of the most satisfying and challenging as reflected in their averaged course evaluations (2002—4. 8; 2003—4. 8; and 2004—4. 9 on 5 point scale) Presented this teaching approach to Health Law Teachers Conference June 2006; Also have shared the Case Management course approach and successes with several Family court judges in Texas who are interested in developing a similar program for follow-up of wards of the court. CE Program—Project Help Continuing Education Program in Health Care Ethics and Law Developed and Coordinated PROJECT HELP. A distance education initiative in health care ethics and  law for nurses and physicians in rural areas of Texas 2002-2005 5-6hrs/wk. during academic year Page 5 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Number and type of learners (e. g. , number per year, semester, term; undergrad or grad) Goals for the activity Outcomes, and other indicators of quality Dissemination among the community of educators Approx. 50 nurses and doctors per Fall and Spring  emesters took courses during 4 year period of grant(total of 400 students) This was a blended learning opportunity for nurses and physicians in rural and underserved areas of the state to receive continuing education courses in ethical-legal issues in Health Care using both teleconferencing and web-based methodologies Goals were to provide professional clinicians with skills in assessing and responding to ethical dilemmas in care of their patients as week as to provide them with updates and resource materials on current legal cases in medicine and nursing. As noted in educational materials section, materials  used in these CE programs are being developed for a web based course in health care ethics and law for health professionals across the country. Received the American Assoc. of University Women Teacher of Distinction Award for this educational project. 4. Mentoring/Advising Activities For Mentoring and Advising activities, duplicate and complete this table for each mentoring/advising relationship you wish to present. Name of mentee or advisee Description of role as mentor/ advisor Purpose or goals of relationship Description of mentoring/advising process Current status of advisee Outcome(s) of relationship Documentation. Advisor to 15 doctoral students; and chair of 5 dissertation committees 2003-7 Provide guidance and consultation to students during progression through doctoral program To serve as a mentor and advisor through the dissertation process Meets with students frequently throughout semester to discuss and review progress on each phase of dissertation research through individual advising sessions and independent studies. Average of 3 hours per week for each doctoral student. Four of five students have completed and defended dissertation research and graduated; fifth student has defended research and will graduate in May, 2007. Students have successfully completed research and graduated. One student received Award for Outstanding Dissertation Research from GSBS in 2005. Three students have published results of dissertation research in peer-reviewed Nursing and other journals; One student has asked dissertation chair to coauthor article with him and article is in development. Use space below for descriptions of teaching accomplishments that either do not fit the other categories or fall outside the requested time frame but that are significant. Revised 2010 Page 6 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc.  are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. SECTION II: ENDURING EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS 1. Describe the goals or philosophy that guide your development of educational materials. I have had a long-term commitment to helping develop educational courses and resource materials in health care ethics, law, and policy for nursing students and practicing clinicians which can help them respond to the complex dilemmas that they may encounter in their practice. Part of the goal is to help them develop sustainable skills and knowledge that will promote their continued interest and self-education in health care ethics, law, and policy. To further this goal, I have helped develop several web-based continuing education courses as well as related articles and study guides for use by students in both formal academic and informal courses. 2. Describe how you have prepared yourself for your role as a developer of educational materials. During the past several decades I have continued to develop my knowledge of relevant content in ethics, law, and policy as well as further develop my skills in innovative teaching methods both as a faculty at the Univ. of Arizona , Georgetown Univ. , and as a faculty at UTMB. I have been especially interested in distance education modalities to help reach students and clinicians in rural and underserved areas of Texas and the Southwest and was one of the first faculty in the SON at UTMB to utilize teleconferencing to teach groups of masters and doctoral level students in a variety of multiple settings, e. g. Beaumont/Port Arthur, Victoria Nacogdoches, and Brownsville. I have attended a series of instructional methodology courses during the past decade which have focused on distance education strategies including teleconferencing and more recently web-based course development with an emphasis on real-time interactive components such as WIMBA. 3. Duplicate and complete this table for each enduring material you wish to present. It is best to list your materials in reverse chronological order, with the most recent one on top. In the Appendix, provide examples of work that support the scope, quality and dissemination of the activity, if available. Educational Material Revised 2010 Health Care Ethics and Law Course(web-based) CE program for nurse clinicians Page 7 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Description of material Role in development Goals or purpose of educational material Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact of this material . Dissemination among the community of educators Educational Material Description of material Role in development Goals or purpose of educational material Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact of this material . Dissemination among the community of educators Educational Material Description of material Revised 2010 A 12 module web -based program for nurses in ethics and law( available to nurses as a distance ed. ce program offered through the UTMB Office of Distance Education Technology Co-developer of program To facilitate clinicians in developing more advanced knowledge and skills in participating in effective resolution of ethical dilemmas in the workplace Grant funding to implement project secured from Kempner Fund, 1999-2004. Approx. 200 nurse clinicians from Texas and across the US to date who have taken the CE program. Their post-course evaluations rank the course high in skill and knowledge building and impact on their overall ability to analyze ethical issues and participate in patient-centered outcomes. Many nurses are able to use this course to meet BNE requirement for ethics continuing education. Course is widely available on the web and has received excellent reviews from American Journal of Nursing and Online Educator for high-quality content and teaching methods. Ethics in Contemporary Health Care Leadership Core course in new Leadership in Health Care Organizations Program for masters-level students – uses â€Å"blended† teaching methods including web based and onsite teaching approaches Co-developer of course This course was designed to assist nurses who are in management roles in health care organizations develop more advanced know ledges and skills related to ethical, legal, and regulatory dimensions of their leadership/managerial roles . Based on the positive evaluations 2005-average 4. 6; and 2006—4. 7 on 5 point scale) from the first two groups of students, this course has been expanded to  include a totally web-based distance education program for nurses in leadership roles around the US. Journal articles: Robinson, S. and Lindquist, J. Innovative Educational Programs in Ethics, Law, and Policy for Nurse Managers (2006) Journal of Nursing Education, vol. 10, 25-30. Educational Video in Health Care Ethics One hour educational video and related case materials workbook â€Å"Hard Choices at the End of Life† examining a series of current cases related to end of Page 8 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Role in development Goals or purpose of educational material Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact of this material. Dissemination among the community of educators life care and discussion of ethical-legal issues and decision-making strategies in clinical situations Served as content specialist to video producers Baxley Films, Chicago. Goal of videotape was to provide students and clinicians with mediated learning activity to assist them in examining and responding to complex end of life  ethical dilemmas in patient care Video purchased by est. 300 SONs, SOMs and clinical facilities across US. Producers have received several national video awards from AJN (2000); Golden Eagle , 2002; Video has been widely distributed in educational facilities and is currently in revision as a web-based educational program SECTION III: EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP 1. Describe the goals or philosophy that guide your educational leadership. I believe that I have a responsibility to assume an educational leadership role both in my academic institution but also at state and national levels. Nursing education is at a significant crossroads in its development as it tries to respond to the growing need for more clinical nurses and nurse faculty. Faculty must assume greater leadership roles in helping develop clinicians, teachers, and researchers that can respond to the needs of complex patients and community-based health issues. There is the need for leadership that helps us develop creative teaching strategies that reach diverse populations of learners in Texas and across the country. To that end, I have tried to provide leadership within my School in the integration of ethical, legal , and policy concepts within the curriculum for students at all levels and for the development of distance education courses for academic students as well as for clinicians who are already in practice. I have also assumed leadership roles in various nursing and bioethics organizations in helping advance national dialogue regarding curricula for nursing and medical students, ethics consultation services, and educational criteria for teachers in bioethics. Describe how you have prepared yourself for your educational leadership roles. Revised 2010 Page 9 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. I have taken a number of advanced courses at UT Austin and Univ. Colorado related to Innovation in Distance Education and have also continued to attend special courses/conferences sponsored by the Kennedy Center in Bioethics, Hastings Center for Ethics, and the Society for Ethics, Law, and Policy which provide advanced and updated content on current ethical-legal issues in Health Care. 3. Duplicate and complete this table for each leadership activity you wish to present. It is best to list your materials in reverse chronological order, with the most recent one on top. In the Appendix, provide examples of work that support the scope, quality and dissemination of the activity, if available. Activity Description of leadership role Duration of service (give years) Goals and/or initiatives Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact in this role. Revised 2010 Development of New Doctoral Program in Nursing One of the most substantial contributions that I have made to health science education has been to participate as a core member of the doctoral task force that was charged with developing and implementing a new and innovative PhD program in Nursing at UTMB as part of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The program was developed in response to a severe shortage of doctorally  prepared faculty in Texas and across the country. The program has a very strong focus on Health Promotion and Healing Among Vulnerable Populations and an emphasis on the students’ integration of those concepts into their future roles as teachers, clinicians, and researchers Member of Doctoral planning Task Force199497and program was implemented in Fall, 1997. The primary goal of this program was to prepare a cadre of doctorally-prepared nurse scholars who could assume faculty and/or clinical roles in Texas and the US The PhD program began in 1997 and has attracted a very ethnically diverse group of 60 doctoral students from Texas and many  other states as well as from India, China, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. Successful outcome measures of the program include the fact that many of the graduates of the program have or will become faculty in schools of nursing in Texas or the Southwest. In addition, many of the first and succeeding graduates have developed Page 10 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. programs of research that can potentially  impact the health and well-being of their patients/families and communities. Dissemination among the community of educators The evolution of this program with a major focus on Healing and Health Promotion with Vulnerable populations has been presented at sessions at the American Colleges of Nursing Annual Conference (2004) and an analysis of the program and its outcomes have been published in a peer-reviewed journal: Johnson, A. and Robinson, S. (2005) J. of Professional Nursing Education, Vol. 8, 15-20. Activity Description of leadership role American Association of Bioethics Chair Academic Curriculum Committee,  2003-05; Abstract Review Committee 19992001; 2006-07; Conference co-chair, 19992000 1998-current The goal of this organization is to provide dialogue and leadership among faculty teaching in ethics-law programs as well as clinical ethicists. I served on various taskforces and committees which have developed guidelines for proposed ethics-law curricula in schools of nursing, medicine, and allied health as well as proposed criteria and standards for clinical ethics consultation. The Society for Bioethics has published two monographs based on our committee recommendations :â€Å"Standards for Clinical Ethics Consultation† 2004  and â€Å"Proposed Curriculum in Health Care Ethics for a New Century† (2002) †which have been widely disseminated to Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health and Clinical Ethics Programs in the US. Duration of service (give years) Goals and/or initiatives Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact in this role. Dissemination among the community of educators Activity Description of leadership role Revised 2010 National Leadership Conference on Ethics, Law, and Policy in Health Care Chair of Planning Committee and Conference Page 11 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc.  are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy. Duration of service (give years) Goals and/or initiatives Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact in this role. Dissemination among the community of educators Activity Description of leadership role Duration of service (give years) Goals and/or initiatives Outcomes, accomplishments, and other indicators of quality of service or impact in this role. Dissemination among the community  of educators Revised 2010 2000-2001 Goal was to bring together national leaders in the field of nursing and medical ethics, law and public policy to examine the future directions of curricula, clinical consultation, and research/scholarship in the field and to examine cutting edge issues in health care ethics and law Evaluations from participants ranked the conference proceedings very high in terms of content and innovative strategies for incorporating ethics, law, and policy content into nursing and medical school curricula (average evaluations were 4. 7 on 5 point scale) I served as the co-editor of a published  monograph incorporating the major papers presented at the conference. Robinson, S. and Barton, W. (2001) Charting the Future of Ethics, Law, and Policy in Medical and Nursing Education. New York, Mosby Press. Texas Nurses Assoc. Ethics Council Served as Ethics Consultant to TNA in drafting organizational responses to proposed legislation regarding end of life issues and treatment of prisoners with mental and physical disabilities in TDCJ and providing testimony to Texas legislative committee hearings 1999-2003 Provide consultation to official nursing organization and legislative committees regarding complex ethical issues under  consideration Helped TNA draft four position papers on a series of proposed leg. Initiatives and also provided testimony to relevant leg. Committees. Language from position papers incorporated into revised bills and two passed Texas House and Senate Position papers distributed to Nursing and Medical communities as well as public through new releases; and acknowledgement of TNA role in Texas Page 12 of 13 Sample Portfolio: names, publications, etc. are fictional and designed to represent one type of portfolio that an Academy applicant could submit. Each sample portfolio is designed to meet the â€Å"standard† for admission into the Academy.

twentieth century essays

twentieth century essays The new generation of drivers have been an interesting symbol in the twentieth century , these new generation of drivers have best represented our revised American culture , not merely because of their impact on our culture but because they have changed our relationship to automobiles in our society . the new generation of drivers have a tendency to sacrifice responsibility for convenience .They have significantly changed our personal standards by accumulating driving violations . They spend too much time in the company of police officers writing tickets .these drivers seem to be missing a critical element that is relevant to the balancing of "social risk" the need to get there " with the need to take responsible precautions . But more importantly the new generation of drivers have changed the way people experienced travel . The new generation of drivers lack maturity and the willingness to analyze themselves as good responsible drivers . This grave mistake have slowly caused our roa ds to become dysfunctional . This has changed the concept of leisurely driving as a family activity . We have become a very mobile society and today our roads are thought of as killing highways . Now family outings are no longer designated on a so called " things to do " list . Today drivers convey a sense that any instances that occur on our roads are due to fate and are devoid of predictability " . These new generation drives seem to show more concern with having personalized relationships with their cars . It is apparent that the new generation of drivers lack the willingness to analyze themselves as a driver or understand that the loss of the rules of our roads create a devastating impact on all of society . It is obvious there is not likely to be any one " silver bullet " solution . There has been no orchestration of an ensemble of efforts to yield any results and a slow search for solutions . It is a fact that we have not well educated...

British Social Policy and the Second World War Essay

British Social Policy and the Second World War - Essay Example It was their belief that the government should be spending more time taking action than wasting its time on policy building. (Alcock, 2003, page 88) In 1942 Joseph Schumpeter proposed an idea that Britain's socialism was less ethically sound as compared to the rest of Europe's. He believed that the people did not consider social justice as an endowment but as their right. This in turn led the Britons to take an unappreciative approach to the policy makers and government as a whole. A couple of other reasons included that after the World War many people believed that they would soon lose their jobs and would emigrate to some other country such as South Africa. The state wished to build a sense of solidarity instead they were faced with a state of emergency. People believed that the government could have diverted the war and was ineffective in managing the state's affairs. The people took for granted society's business to support them when they were unemployed and to care for them in their old age. But observing the development of the English citizen's social rights it can be seen that this attitude had been prevailing since the 1 930s. An Example of a movement which signifies this phenomenon is the rebellion against the Unemployment Assistance Board in 1935. This signifies that the workers knew of their rights and what they deserved even before the war was on the horizon. So contributing the welfare movement to the war seems imprecise. (Glynn & Booth, 1996, pages 98-99). By 1939 the government had now undertaken the responsibility to keep peace throughout the state, provide protection to the people, provide for their education but now the added responsibility included providing economic welfare to all its citizens. This was harmful for the government as now they had to look after the actual deserving such as widows and retired citizens as well as the undeserving such as unemployed drunkards (Jacobs, 1993, page 46). The war helped implement military efficiency into the system of welfare but the system did exist even before the war. Many war time inventions became adapted into people's personal lives during that era. The transistor radio is one such gadget that became incorporated into people's households. Aside from the technical inventions, the social experiments also became popular in their implementation in everyday procedures. The medical profession benefited from the new techniques in managing the influx of patients and it became easier to manage large number of patients. Wars also recognize social weaknesses. Evacuating people from different regions of the country discovered potential transportation problems and terrible living conditions (Addison, 1975, page 32). Around 1940 Ernest Bevin proved to be a major influencer of the time. He was the Minister of Labour and most of his decisions were beneficial for the people working in the industrial sector. Recognizing how the people working should be given the proper atmosphere and work place environment he instigated many policies related to minimum wages in a step wise procedure implementing them in industry after industry. He believed that these measures would bring about a Social Revolution for the working class. But even he was unable to

Career Development of Muslim Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Career Development of Muslim Women - Essay Example The research design that is selected for the study is an exploratory research design, in order to understand the things deeply. As explained by Zechmeister et al., (1997) survey research represents a general approach to be used when the research design is implemented. Survey research is the method of gathering data from respondents thought to be representative of some population using an instrument composed of close structure or open-ended items (questions). It is one of the most dominant forms of data collection in the social sciences gives for the proficient collection of data over broad populations, agreeable to self-administration, administration in person, by telephone, via email, and on the internet. The primary data is to be collected by conducting field research that involves face to face interviews, surveys, questionnaires and focused group interviews. Primary research involves the use of primary data for the collection of data. Primary data are that information that is collected for the first time. The primary research will be especially useful since it will provide a guideline to the most current data available on this topic from Muslim women who are about to reach either supervisory or managerial positions and also from female who are about to enter the workforce. This will help to give an idea about what challenges they face and how they feel they will compare themselves with foreigners in the workplace. There are many advantages that have been identified in the use of the survey method.

The Emerging Issues in Healthcare Finance Essay Example for Free

The Emerging Issues in Healthcare Finance Essay A few decades back, healthcare financiers believed that managed care with capitation was the best policy tool that would help control the ever-increasing health care costs. Instead of focusing on healthcare quality, the administrators focused on the cost per month or per member and the provider organizations which competed for the market share. However, this has changed in the new century as new payment tools have emerged due to innovations in the healthcare marketplace. Currently, healthcare is considered in terms of quality and efficiency as far as purchase and delivery of healthcare are concerned. Capturing these key features of the current healthcare provision, the main objectives of ensuring quality and efficiency has led to the new concept dubbed pay-for-performance. In other literatures, P4P is known as value-based purchasing. P4P is a healthcare payment system that rewards physicians, hospitals and various healthcare providers for their efficiency in healthcare provision. Efficiency in this case is defined in terms of higher quality of healthcare at a relatively low cost (Wu, Nishimi, Kizer, 2005). However, defining quality can be very hard and challenging to most players in healthcare provision and financing. And as various players in healthcare – patients, providers and financiers, seek more direct and timely measures for quality and value, the government has quickly moved in to help set the standards. Through the CMS, the United States federal government has been able to come up with quality indicators (QIs), which are continuously being developed and refined (Rosenthal Richard, 2006). These measures for quality and value are currently available in various Web-based portals which the government hopes will increase consumer awareness. Patients are encouraged to compare facilities used by healthcare providers with those available in the Quality Indicator Web portals. Moreover, services and treatment by providers can also be evaluated against those available in the web showing standard quality measures. As the oversight body, the CMS as mandated by the federal government has established a provider quality reporting system for healthcare. Empowered by the 2006 Tax Relief and Health Care Act, the CMS has put in place the provider quality reporting initiative which rewards physicians and other providers who successfully report their set of quality measures. As a reward the government may recommend bonus payment which is subject to a cap equaling 1. 5 percent of the total amount of Medicare costs within the six months period of reporting (Wu, Nishimi, Kizer, 2005).. The public and private payers have welcomed the value-based performance as an answer to soaring healthcare costs and also a means of ensure quality service to patients. By 2005, about 75 percent of all United States companies had connected at least some of their employee’s pay to work performance and also in healthcare. Currently, over 100 pilot programs undertaken by private and public payers are underway. The current healthcare payment system may reward less-safe services because most insurance companies refuse to compensate for new services and practices intended to reduce errors. Again, the system may also encourage poor workmanship, as hospitals and physicians are allowed to charge additional services required when a patient is infected or injured in the hospital. Pay-for-performance however, tries to avert such loses and has received a lot of support from both public and private payers. American insurance companies hope to save a lot from this program (Rosenthal Richard, 2006).. The healthcare financiers would not only be allowed to pay for quality services by physicians and hospitals but would not be required pay for additional services for unintended consequences of treatment and care like injury in hospital, negligence during surgery and many others as defined by National Quality Forum (Leape Berwick, 2005). The current payers like the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Leapfrog Group have learnt from the pilot programs that pay-for-performance greatly affects the outcome and quality of any work and increases performance. These companies are very much optimistic that they would not only reduce cost of healthcare but also ensure that their members receive the best healthcare services. This initiative is expected to attract more private insurance companies to invest in healthcare with hope of increasing the profits and capital base. Many insurance companies may be to offer more comprehensive healthcare coverage to various people as they have would a large capital base due to reduced healthcare costs and therefore a lot to re-invest (Wu, Nishimi, Kizer, 2005). The primary goal of pay-for-performance according to policymakers is to increase quality in healthcare while at the same time reduced financial burden of care (Dudley, 2005). These positives are all pointing to the patients and insurance companies all agree that pay-for-performance would benefit the patients. However, as physicians argue, the P4P system may not be in the best interest of the patient. Insurance companies and other healthcare financiers would be the greatest winners if the pay-for-performance is fully implemented. With the CMS initiative that calls for elimination of payments for negative effects of any medical practices that lead to injuries, other illnesses or even death, other insurance companies that are also willing to undertake such initiative, stand to gain a lot from the P4P system. Considering that doctors may not be perfect all the times and some patients are known to develop new infections even when the best known practices are applied, the healthcare payers would be positively affected by this new payment system (Grossbart, 2006). Lessons from the Research Despite the good intentions of the value-based performance program, the government still faces one of the biggest challenges in its implementation. Implementation of P4P faces challenges of having everyone agree on the quality standards. The quality measures as defined earlier are objective indicators used to evaluate whether physicians are providing high quality healthcare. For example, a doctor may be required to test the A1C levels in diabetic patients four times annually as a quality standard measure. In a pay-for-performance system, physicians who reach this threshold would be compensated appropriately. However, many health providers challenge such indicators by arguing that medical practice is not only an art but also a science and therefore setting up checklists as well as treatment algorithms would be a great disservice to the patients. Again, it is quite common to hear about physicians disagreeing with one another on the appropriate course of medication and treatment that should be adopted by the patients with similar diagnosis and the same medical histories. Therefore if the pay-for-performance system is to be successfully implemented, such disagreements would have to be ironed out first (Grossbart, 2006). It would be quite hard to say the specific impacts of the P4P system in the future as it is still undergoing pilot implementation. Nevertheless, because pay-for-performance is basically focusing on how doctors, hospitals and other various healthcare providers are compensated for their work, an individual patient may not be affected greatly in terms of costs. In the long run if the pay-for-performance is fully and successfully implemented, the greatest beneficiary would be the patient who would receive healthcare at a reduced cost. However, whether the quality of health care would improve quality or not is matter still debated.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Emilys Strength in Knights Tale Essay

Emily's Strength in Chaucer's The Knight's Tale This passeth yeer by yeer and day by day, Till it fill ones, in a morwe of May, that Emelye, that fairer was to sene Than is the lylie upon his stalke grene, And fressher than the May with floures newe - For with the rose colour stroof hire hewe, I noot which was the fyner of hem two- (1033-1039) Thus is Emily, the least often discussed of the four central characters in the Knight's Tale, described upon her first important entrance in the tale, when the knights initially view her in all of her loveliness. This description of Emily fits in with the common criticism that she is more a symbol of the beauty and goodness that chivalric nature desires than an actual character with thoughts, actions and emotions of her own (Donaldson 49). However, although Emily does lack an individual nature and depth of mind, she still has a certain power and dynamic nature about her that is unusual for a woman in the time period during which Chaucer wrote her story (Spearing 43). Through her prayers to Diana asking to remain chaste, some may argue that Emily is, once again, merely reacting to an event, rather than having thoughts of her own (Donaldson 49). A stronger point, however, is made in regards to her heritage as an Amazon woman. Rather than remain in keeping with the popular sentiments of the day and be completely submissive to men, Emily is showing her inherited reluctance to become a subordinate creature (Spearing 43). She is thereby exhibiting a rare bit of strength and showing us that she has power in more ways than one. Often, Emily is said to be a con... ...creature with whom they are faced. In conclusion, this tale, especially through its use of Emily, the rhetorical, perfect, but still strong, symbol, tells us more about ourselves and our lives than a similar story with true, individual characters could. By using these ultimate examples, each reader is able to see the truth behind them and, therefore, learn a bit about life and the actions which people take. Although Emily is a symbol, she still exhibits a marvelous quality of strength, regardless of her lack of individuality. Works Cited Benson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Cooper, Helen. The Structure of The Canterbury Tales. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1983. Donaldson, E. Talbot. Speaking of Chaucer. New York: Norton, 1970. Spearing, A.C. Chaucer: The Knight's Tale. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995.

Howard Zinn Chapter 13 Analysis Essay

Zinn opens chapter with the recognition that â€Å"war and jingoism might postpone, but could not fully suppress, the class anger that came from the realities of ordinary life†. Despite the brief interlude that momentarily quelled class conflict, the issues at home had never been resolved and resurfaced with a vengeance. More and more writers were writing from a Socialist mindset: Upton Sinclair published The Jungle in 1906, as a commentary on Chicago’s meatpacking industry. In writing the book, Sinclair was influenced by writers like Jack London, a Socialist who had grown up in poverty in the Bay Area. London publish The Iron Heel in 1906, warning Americans about fascism and indicts the capitalist system† In the face of the facts that modern man lives more wretchedly than the cave-man, and that his producing power is a thousand times greater than that of the cave-man, no other conclusion is possible than that the capitalist class has mismanaged criminally and sel fishly mismanaged†. Even an exiled Henry James condemned the U.S. when he visited in 1904. The corrupt actions of the American government and business elite were on the lips of activists, writers, and artists around the world Socialism couldn’t help but spread. One of the most notable labor incidents in this era occurred at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. New York had more than 500 garment factories, mostly staffed by women, and the conditions in all were equally as deplorable. In the winter of 1909, women at the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. organized a strike, they were doubtful that many more than 3,000 women would turn out with the cold weather and not all the factories participating, but more than 20,000 showed up. The recently organized Ladies Garment Workers Union was growing by the thousand every day. The strike went on through the winter, despite police, arrests, scabs and prison.† In more than three hundred shops, workers won their demands. Women now became officials in the union. However, the conditions of the factories themselves did not change all that much, and on the afternoon of March 25, 1911, a fire broke out at the TS Company on the 8th-9th floors too high for fire ladders to reach. The factory doors had also been locked to manage workers, which was against the law. In fact, TS Co. broke several safety codes, ultimately causing their female employees to be trapped and burned to death†146 Triangle workers, mostly women, were burned or crushed to death†. These were not the only tragedies† in the year 1904, 27,000 workers were killed on the job†. Millions of workers toiled in dangerous conditions to fatten bank accounts of the wealthy. Zinn keeps the starting numbers coming: â€Å"In 1914, 35,000 workers were killed in industrial accidents and 700,000 injured. The women’s movement of the time was an interesting one, with women often divided between suffragism and socialism. Many women were skeptical of the suffrage movement and spoke out on other issues. Margaret Sanger was one of the first women to speak out about birth control† No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her own body. No woman can call herself free until she can choose conscientiously whether she will or will not be a mother†. Emma Goldman believed the suffrage movement to be a waste of time, noting, â€Å"Every inch of ground has gained has been through constant fight, a ceaseless struggle for self-assertion, and not through suffrage. Her development, her freedom, her independence, must come from and through her only that, and not the ballot, will set women free†. Helen Keller also believed in this â€Å"struggle outside the ballot box† these women wanted something more immediate and direct than the vote. This is an issue with I am constantly torn. There is something so simple and almost beautiful in a people voting and deciding as a group can’t we just vote our way to utopia? However, when you think about the politics behind what even ends up on a ballot, you can start to feel powerless, and the vote meaningless; I understand why these women would want to fight for something greater. Zinn touches on demands and protests to end child labor, before moving on to the deteriorating situation for blacks across the nation, or what he calls â€Å"the low point†. Blacks were being beaten, lynched, murdered and the government sat by and did nothing. But what surprised me is that â€Å"the Socialist party did not go much out of its way to act on the race question† either. One member wrote about Debs, â€Å"he always insisted on absolute equality. But he failed to accept the view that special measures were sometimes needed to achieve this equality†. Ah, the early disc ussion of affirmative action and the thought that after century of oppression, laws would just make things equal. Blacks began to use this momentous period to organize as well, and formed the National afro-American Council, as well as the National Association for Colored Women. W.E.B. DuBois had just written The Souls of Black Folk and called black leaders together for a conference near Niagara Falls–the start of the â€Å"Niagara Movement.† These leaders called for a much more radical and revolutionary approach, attacking the moderate ideas of men like Booker T. Washington. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed after a race riot in Springfield, IL in 1910, but whites dominated the leadership. The NAACP focused mainly on legal action and education, but DuBois, one of the officers, championed the notion that â€Å"Persistent manly agitation is the way to liberty†. It’s interesting to note that this was the start of the nation’s â€Å"Progressive Period† a time when new amendments and laws were being passed all t he time. However, these laws didn’t necessarily benefit blacks, women, labor organizations, or Socialists; they were more a response to the shifting social tide what doesn’t bend, breaks, and right? As Zinn notes, â€Å"it was a reluctant reform, aimed at quieting the popular risings, not making fundamental changes†. In addition to numerous food, drug, and safety regulations, the nation witnessed the 16th Amendment graduated income tax and 17th Amendment election of Senators by popular vote. However, these reforms were less about actual social change and more a necessary response to growing social agitation in order to create â€Å"a middle-class cushion for class conflict†¦an attempt by the system to adjust to changing conditions in order to achieve more stability. Zinn quotes Harold Faulkner: ‘Through rules with impersonal sanctions, it sought continuity and predictability in a world of endless change. It assigned far greater power to government†¦and it encouraged the centralization of authority†. What happened was the emergence of â€Å"political capitalism,† in which â€Å"businessmen took firmer control of the political system because the private economy was not efficient enough to forestall protest from below. The businessmen were not opposed to the new reforms; they initiated them, pushed them, to stabilize the capitalist system in a time of uncertainty and trouble†. No longer did we have a government throwing the occasional big bone to business, but a government that was bent over a chair, pants around the ankles with big business. Zinn closes his chapter focusing on the idea that â€Å"much of the intense activity for Progressive reform was intended to head off. ’The Rising Tide of Socialism† and zooms in on one key event: the Colorado Coal Strike which began in September 1910 and culminated in the Ludlow Massacre of April 1914. 11,000 miners worked for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation. When a union organizer was murdered, the workers began to strike in protest of low pay, dangerous conditions and â€Å"feudal domination.† Immediately, the miners were evicted from their shacks and forced to live in tent colonies in nearby hills. Gunmen hired by Rockefeller interests raided the colonies and were eventually joined by the National Guard. The strikers held out through the winter of 1913-1914 and it became clear that only drastic measures would break the strike. So, on April 20th a machine gun attack was opened on the tents, and the strikers fired back. The Guards set fire to the tents, burning some people to death. Eventually federal troops were brought in to restore order, but only after 26 men, women, and children had lost their lives. It was clear once again that unrest at home would not stop, so the government, once again, looked outside its borders for a distraction.