Stress is a world wide phenomenon of modern lifestyles

Stress is a world wide phenomenon of modern lifestyles Stress at work has become these days the headline of news papers and the talk of the day. It is a world wide phenomenon of modern lifestyles to which our island is not an exception. Various researches show that extreme job stress can harmfully affect the emotional and physical health of workers, which ultimately results in decreased productivity, less satisfaction, and less healthy workers. This chapter therefore serves as the foundation for the development of this study. In this chapter, the theoretical literature on organizational stress is examined. The main aim of this section is to go beyond a simple description of the literature so as to acquire an understanding of the topic in a theoretical context in order to better investigate the subject matter having direct applicability to my dissertation. 2.1 Definition of stress Stress is not necessarily something bad it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental. -Hans Selye (1956) Stress is an imprecise term that can be defined in different viewpoints. In fact, almost anything anyone can think of, pleasant or unpleasant has been described as a source of stress. Research in this particular area has followed several avenues. Hans Selye (1936), one of the founding fathers of stress research, defined stress as Stress   is   the   bodys   nonspecific   response   to   a demand   placed   on   it. He believed that most stressors are neutral, until, by our own thinking, we change them into negative effects or positive effects. Since then, further research has been conducted on the topic and ideas have moved on. Stress is now viewed as bad things, with a range of harmful effects. For Arnold and Feldman (1986), stress is defined as the reactions of individuals to new or threatening factors in their work environment. This definition implies that new situations often arise in our work surrounding, so stress is bound to occur. During the 1980, however, stress was considered as an unfavorable factor not only in physical and mental health, but in other areas of life as well. In the organizational environment, for example, stress was implicated in the deterioration of individual performance efficiency, which in turn, affected the overall performance of the organization (Gaines and Jerimer, 1983). Stress was also been linked to high personnel turnover in organizations (Bowers, 1983). The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on the other hand in 1991, defines stress as that which arises when the pressures placed upon an individual exceed the perceived capacity of that individual to cope. According to Trade Union Congress (TUC), stress occurs where demands made on individuals do not match the resources available or meet the individuals needs and motivation. Stress will arise if the workload is too large for the number of workers and time available. Equally, a boring or repetitive task which does not use the potential skills and experience of some individuals will cause them stress. In order to explore this topic further, some of the recent literature on the subject must be considered. It is probably useful to start by considering the legislation on the subject by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). In 2008, the HSE stated that stress is the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed upon them. According to research made by Mc Cromick (2005), stress is the relationship between the person and the environment that is appraised by the person as taxing or exceeding his or her resources and endangering well being. For Auerbach et al,(2007), stress refers to an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being. 2.1.1 Types of stress Stress can be of two types, good and bad. Most people believe that stress is always bad. Nothing can be far from the truth! A little stress is absolutely necessary for our survival in this highly competitive world! Thus, stress is classified into two groups namely: Eustress: The Good Stress Eustress is the good stress that helps us to improve our performance. A certain amount of positive stress keeps us pepped up to meet all challenges and is essential for our survival and progress in life. Distress: The Bad Stress Distress is a negative form of stress. This occurs when the mind and body is unable to cope with changes, and usually occurs when the norms are being deviated. They can be categorized into acute and chronic stress. Acute stress is severe. It lasts for a short period of time. On the other hand, chronic stress lasts over a long period of time. In Gestalt Therapy Verbatim (Real People Press, 1969), Perls proposes a more general definition, where stress is a manifestation of thinking about the future. According to Perls, there is no difference between good and bad stress. They are both created by thinking about the future. Moreover, French, Kast, and Rosenweing (1985) also emphasized the idea that stress itself is not necessarily bad. The term stress can be considered neutral with the words distress and eustress used for designating bad and good effects. They propose a model that defines an optimum range of stress in terms of its effect on performance. Stress levels below a minimum level result in decreased performance and rust-out. 2.2 Symptoms of Stress Stress is defined by Ganster and Murphy (2000) as a form of strain provoked in response to situational demands labeled stressors which occur when jobs are simultaneously high in demands and low in control. Selye (1946) was the first to describe the phases that the body goes through in response to a threat. Selye defined the general adaptation syndrome, which states that the body passes through three stages. The first stage is an alarm reaction. This is typified by receiving a shock, at the time when the bodys defences are down followed by a counter-shock, when the defences are raised. All bodily systems work together to provide maximum energy for fight or flight. The second stage is resistance. If the stress continues, the body builds up a tolerance to its effect. The body becomes habituated to the effects of the stressor, however, the bodies adaptive energies are being used as a shield against the stressor. The third stage is exhaustion. If the stressor continues to act on the body, however, this acquired adaptation is eventually lost and a state of overloading is reached. Williams and Huber (1986) provide a comprehensive list of the symptoms of stress. These are constant fatigue, low energy level, recurring headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, chronically bad breath, sweaty hands or feet, dizziness, high blood pressure, pounding heart, constant inner tension, inability to sleep, temper outburst, hyperventilation, moodiness, irritability and restlessness, inability to concentrate, increased aggression, compulsive eating, chronic worrying, anxiety, inability to relax, excessive use of alcohol and excessive use of smoking. Furthermore, job stress can make people more susceptible to major illness. (Roseman and Friedman, 1971) 2.3 Causes of stress There are various causes of job stress, but whichever the cause, it is bound to fall into one of the two categories, namely individual causes or organizational causes. However, it is the interaction of the personality of the worker and the working conditions that create higher level of stress. It will be beyond the scope of this dissertation to name each and every causes of job stress as there are too many, so we will just list some of the major ones by regrouping them under each category. 2.3.1 Individual Causes An individual must perceive a stressor in order for it to have a blow on them, and peoples personalities determine how they will recognize something. Some people may see certain events as more stressful as others. An individual may experience the same situation differently; it all depends on their personalities. A shy person may experience more stress than an outgoing person. Therefore, differences in individual factors such as personality and coping style are most important in predicting whether certain job conditions will result in stress. Many researches have been done in this field which shows that there are personality variables such as Type A behavior and Type B behavior. Stress seems to be a factor in these personality types and specifically how a person responds to stress. According to Timothy and Moore (2001), Type A people are achievement oriented, irritable, impatient with delays, and seem to be always in a hurry. They are substantially involved, committed to their work and often neglects other aspect of their lives. This type of personality shows a tendency to suppress stress symptoms and fatigue because they think that illness might interfere with the completion of various important tasks. The relationship between Type A behavior and symptoms of stress is supported in a study of 236 managers in 12 different companies (Howard, Cunningham, and Rechnitzer, 1976). This showed that Type A behavior was associated in a significant way with high blood pressure and higher cholesterol levels. Individuals having Type A personalities are those who tend to create a lot of stress in their lives. In contrast to Type A, Type B people are less competitive, and more easy going. Robbins (1998) stated that Type B people are more relaxed with no sense of urgency or worry about time that is wasted. They often stop to reflect on and review performance or what they have been doing. They think of themselves and approach life more calmly. As such, they can deal more effectively with job stress. 2.3.2 Organizational Causes Although individual factors play a great role in causing stress, yet scientific evidence has shown that certain working conditions are stressful for most people. Stress affects people at work in many ways and the causes of stress are diverse. Studies by Cooper and Marshall (1978) into source of managerial stress identified an organizational boundary with the individual manager straddling that boundary and, in effect, endeavoring to cope with conflicting stressors created by external demands (the family) and internal demands (the organizations). This is depicted in Figure 2.1. The managers response may be affected by individual personality traits, his tolerance for ambiguity, his ability to cope with change, specific motivational factors and well-established behavioral patterns. Within the organization, a number of stressors can be present. These include those associated with: The job Role in the organization Career development Organizational structure and climate Relations within the organization On the other side of the organizational boundary is the organizations interface with the outside world. Here conflict can be created where there may be competition for an individuals time between the organization and his family, or between the organization and an individuals own particular interests or hobbies. Role in organization Role conflict/ambiguity Responsibility for people No participation in decision making etc.Figure 2.1 Sources of managerial stress Intrinsic to job Too much/too little work Poor physical conditions Time pressures Decision-making, etc Career development Over-promotion/under promotion Lack of job insecurity Thwarted ambition, etc. Individual Manager Personality Tolerance for ambiguity Ability to cope with change Motivation Behavioral pattern Organizational structure and climate Lack of effective consultation Restriction on behavior Office politics, etc Organizational boundary Relations within organization Poor relation with boss Poor relations with colleagues and subordinates Difficulties in delegating responsibility, etc. Organizational interface with outside Company versus family demands Company versus own interests, etc. Source: Cooper and Marshall (1978). Stress at work: Management and Prevention, p.23 TUC (2008) lists the main causes of stress as overwork, bullying, low job control and satisfaction, job insecurity, new ways of working, poor work organization and pace of work can all cause stress. Bhagat (1983) has reported that work performance can be seriously impaired by external stressors. There are many aspects of organizational life that can become external stressors. These include issues of structure, managements use of authority, monotony, a lack of opportunity of advancement, excessive responsibilities, ambiguous demands, value conflicts and unrealistic workloads. A persons non-working life (e.g., family, friends, health and financial situations) can also contain stressors that negatively impact job performance. According to Anderson (2002), work to family conflicts is also a predecessor which creates stress in employees of organization. According to McGrath (1978), adverse working conditions such as excessive noise, extreme temperatures, or overcrowding, can be a source of job-related stress. Reitz (1987), reports that workers on swing shifts experience more stress than other workers. Orth-Gomer (1986) concludes that when three shifts are used to provide around-the-clock production, major disturbances in people may be unavoidable. Arnold and Feldman (1986) emphasize the deleterious effects of role ambiguity, conflict, overload and underload. Role ambiguity is often the results of mergers, acquisitions and restructuring, where employees are unsure of their new responsibilities. According to Kahn and Byosiere (1992), role conflict concerns incompatible role expectations. Such conflict is related to conceptual differences between workers and different supervisors regarding the content or importance of required job tasks. This creates conflict: the commitment to a number of superiors versus the individuals values pertaining to the organizations requirements. Katz and Kahn (1978) states that role overload is frequently created by excessive time pressures, where stress increases as a deadline approaches, and then rapidly subsides. Today, role overload is understood to be distinct from role conflict. Role overload is related to number of sick days, feelings of anxiety, frustration, depression, decrease in self-confidence, job burnout, attention and concentration problems and work accidents. (Glisson et al., 2006; Kahn and Byosiere, 1992). Role underload is the result of an insufficient quantity, or an inadequate variety of work. Both overload and underload can re sult in low self-esteems and stress related symptoms. Moreover, poor interpersonal relationships are also a common source of stress in organizations. Arnold and Feldman (1986) cite three types of interpersonal relationships that can evoke a stress reaction namely: too much prolonged contact with other people, too much contact with people from other departments and an unfriendly or hostile organizational climate. Furthermore career related concerns such as job security and advancement are often source of stress. Holmes and Rahe (1967) constructed a scale of forty-three life events, and rated them according to the amount of stress they produce. The most notable feature of their instrument is that many positive life changes (i.e. marriage, divorce, Christmas, vacations etc.) are substantial sources of stress. Generally, stress appears to be a result of any change in ones daily routine. French, Kast, and Rosenweig (1985) believe that any situation that requires a behavioral adjustment is a source of stress. However, a situation that is stressful for one person might not be stressful for another. According to Parasuraman and Alutto (1984), older workers seem to be less strongly affected by stressful situations. Arnold and Feldman (1986) suggest that individuals with high self-esteem and a tolerance for ambiguity are less prone to stress-related illness. 2.4 Consequences of stress The impact stress has on employee performance is no less dramatic. Just as stress accumulates in our bodies, stress accumulates in organizations as well. At high levels, it destroys organizational climate, lowers organizational performance, and weakens organizational effectiveness. While Holmes and Rahe (1980) are concerned mainly with the physiological consequences of stress, there is a wide array of attitudes and behaviors that are affected by stress as well. The consequences of job stress on employee performance are as listed in the table below. Table 1.1 Consequences of Job Stress Consequences of Job Stress Physical Health Psychological Well-Being Performance Decision Making 2.4.1 Negative effects of stress on employee performance Stress within the organization cannot be overlooked. Anderson (2003) states that stress exists in every organization either big or small and the work places and organizations have become so much complex due to which it exists, work place stress has significant effects over the employees job performance. Stress does have a negative impact on employee performance. For instance, Pickering (2001) states that the consequences of stress in the workplace can be very varied and include high sickness, absence and staff turnover together with poor performance. In addition, stress has been frequently associated with industrial sabotage. Workers sometimes create mechanical failures on the assembly line to give themselves a break from the monotony and strain of their work. Job stress also has an impact on individual productivity. Rose (2003) claims that in every organization and at every level of management and workers an elevated average level of stress is to be found which mostly has an effect on employees job satisfaction. As will be seen in Figure 2.2, McGrath (1976) chartered out the job stress performance curve to explain how stress affects performance. Figure 2.2: Job Stress and performance P E High R F O R Moderate M A N C E Low Low Moderate High Source: McGrath, J.E. (1976). Handbook of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, p.1363 Figure 2.2 illustrates that as individuals start feeling more stress at work, their performance will increase. They are thrilled to take advantage of new opportunities or to deal with potential problems. In fact, they will be encouraged to work harder than when they are experiencing little or no stress. People will push themselves to their performance limits under moderate amounts of stress. However, as we can see from the above figure, if stress becomes too high or persists for a long period, performance begins to decrease. People suffer exhaustion; they can only work at a fever pitch for so long. The longer the stress lasts, the more their physical and emotional energy gets drained. Thus, it can be seen that the relationship between stress and performance is curvilinear. People perform best under moderate amounts of stress. According to McGrath (1976), stress also affects effective decision making. Employees who are highly stressed are more likely to procrastinate and to avoid having to make decisions. Moreover, employees who are under stress have difficulties to concentrate, they are not able to finish their tasks on time, they tend to commit mistakes in their work and often they forget important pieces of information. As a result, all these lead to degradation of employee performance. 2.4.2 Positive effects of stress on employee performance Despite the fact that stress has negative impacts on employee performance, it does have some positive effects as well. According to Suedfeld (1979), life would be very dull indeed if it were altogether devoid of challenges. He concluded that an intermediate level of stimulation and challenge tends to be optimal for most people. Second, stress may frequently promote personal growth. Stress must sometimes force employee to develop new skills, learn new insights, and acquire new strengths. Last but not the least, todays stress can inoculate us so that we are less affected by tomorrows stress. If stressful experience is moderate in intensity and does not overwhelm us, it may increase our subsequent stress tolerance. (Suedfeld, 1979) 2.5 Managing Stress Managers of organizations have a double perception of stress. They need to be aware of their own stress levels, as well as those of their subordinates. Most of the literature focuses on ways of reducing stress. However, a more appropriate approach might be to examine ways of optimizing stress. French, Kast, and Rosenzweig (1985) state that the challenge is to minimize distress and to maintain eustress. They point out that the conditions of organizational life create a series of paradoxes that demonstrates the need for balance and equilibrium. The role of management becomes one of maintaining an appropriate level of stress by providing an optimal environment, and by doing a good job in areas such as performance planning, role analysis, work redesign/job enrichment, continuing feedback, ecological considerations, and interpersonal skills training. 2.5.1 Overcoming stress at work According to Jick and Payne (1980), there are essentially three strategies for dealing with stress in organizations. The first strategy is to treat the symptoms, secondly change the person and thirdly remove the cause of stress. When a person is already suffering from the effects of stress, the first priority is to treat the symptoms. This includes both the identification of those suffering from excessive stress, as well as providing health-care and psychological counseling services. The second approach is to help individuals build stress management skills to make them less vulnerable to its effects. Examples would be teaching employees time management and relaxation techniques, or suggesting changes to ones diet or exercise. The third approach is to eliminate or reduce the environmental situation that is creating the stress. This would involve reducing environmental stressors such as noise and pollution, or modifying production schedules and work loads. Furthermore, some researchers have suggested that in order to prevent role conflict, organizations should function according to the classic organizational theory principle of unity of command, that is, the employee should be supervised by a single superior and work according to a single plan. According to Weisner (2003) and Rizzo et al. (1970), an organization which cares for its employees must spare them the cross-fire of two or more superiors who have incompatible work instructions and expectations. Organizational theory maintains that each role should have a particular array of tasks and areas of responsibility (Weisner, 2003). Clear definition of role requirements gives superiors license to expect employees to be responsible for performing their roles. But if employees are not aware of the role requirements and what is expected of them, they will hesitate to make decisions and will work by trial and error aiming to meet their superiors expectations (Rizzo et al., 1970). There are many other successful ways of dealing with stress. These include stress reduction workshops, tranquilizers, biofeedback, meditation, self-hypnosis, and a variety of other techniques designed to relax an individual. Programs that teach tolerance for ambiguity often report positive effects. One of the most promising is a health maintenance program that stresses the necessity of proper diet, exercise and sleep. Last but not the least, Katz and Kahn (1978) suggest that managers can create nurturing and supportive environments to help minimize job-related stress. Social support systems seem to be extremely effective in preventing or relieving the deleterious effects of stress. Friends and family can provide a nurturing environment that builds self-esteem, and make one less susceptible to stress. One study found that government white-collar workers who received support from their supervisors, peers, and subordinates experienced fewer physical symptoms of stress. (Arnold and Feldman, 1986) 2.6 Empirical Review Nowadays, call centers and BPOs are booming in a high speed that the people have to work for prolonged hours to maintain the standard of living and achieve their basic needs. So is the condition in the hospitals, colleges, textile and banking sector and lots of other places. In spite of having the modern technologies and facilities, people are feeling themselves to be work loaded and stressed. In this chapter, a broad brush approach, that is, attempting to cover all situations, conditions or instances, is adopted to examine the detailed empirical works necessary to verify or disprove the potential explanations that we tentatively identify concerning the impact of stress on employee performance. Empirically, substantial progress in this field of research has been made possible by Ko de Ruyter, Martin Wetzels and Richard Feinberg (2001), who conducted a research on Role stress in Call centers: Its effects on employee performance and satisfaction. Their study was conducted among call center employees of a large insurance provider in the Netherlands. According to their research, both role stress ambiguity and role stress conflict had a significant and negative relationship with job satisfaction. When role stress increased, job satisfaction decreased, which in turn influences job performance and turnover intention. Moreover, a spate of suicides at France Telecom has put the spotlight on workplace stress and the devastating impact it can have on employees performance. Research by Mark Tutton (2009), has found that there have been 24 suicides and 13 attempted suicides among France Telecoms 100,000 employees since the beginning of 2008. These cases of suicides were apparently because of stress at work. A thirty-one year old woman jumped to her death from her fifth floor office window after she was told her job was changing again.   A worker stabbed himself in the stomach during a staff meeting and a fifty-two year male killed himself and left behind a note saying.I am committing suicide because of my work at France Telecom. Employees of France Telecom have cited constant pressure to resign, impossible goals, frequent forced relocations and chaotic reorganization. Davey, DeBortoli, Parker, Smolkin (2003), in their typology analysis, regarding stress at work, revealed that stress is a widespread phenomenon among Canadian employees. They conducted their research in Watson Wyatt (which surveyed 180 organizations, representing more than 500,000 full-time Canadian employees). According to this survey, 79% of the respondents claimed that stress, anxiety and depression are the main cause of short-term disability and 73% of respondents claimed that these psychological disorders results in long-term disability. Moreover, the average length of stress-related absences is four times higher than for absences resulting from workplace accidents and occupational diseases.

We Are What We Eat

I have interviewed 2 of my family members, my mother and father about their identity and their favorite food. My father said,† I am a Honoring of course, although I born in China, I have grown up and lived in Hong Kong for 30 years. † He came to Hong Kong from Shanghai, China to study secondary school when he was 13 years old. The poor policy and living environment in China are the main reasons he do not think he is a Chinese, he lived in a dirty village and did not have chance to study when he had lived in Mainland.Besides, his favorite food is rice because he loves the warm feeling inside belly after eating rice and it is quite cheap. My mother is a born and raised Honoring, however, she said that she thought she is a Chinese as Hong Kong is a part of China. I was quite shocked after hearing her answer. She is a typical Honoring, lived In a small public house with many family members and studied very hard every day when she was young.China can stabilize and facilitate H ong Kong is the main reason she think that she Is a Chinese. Her favorite food Is noodles since she do not like to chew many times inside the mouth and she like to eat some hot and cooked food when having meals. In fact, after the discussion with my parents, I found that their choice of favorite DOD is different, but there still Include similarity Inside. Both of their choice of food Is Chinese traditional food and they also quite popular In Hong Kong nowadays.Thus, I agree with the saying of ‘we are what we eat'. From the two Interviews above, It Is obvious to link up their Identity and values and their favor of the food. Their birthplace and growing place affect a lot of this favor of food. As they are In the same generation and similar birthplace, they are both favorite In some Chinese traditional food. Even though they are In different genders and personalities.

English Class Reflection Paper Essay

It’s hard to believe that my amazing journey in English 104 is coming to an end. The journey has been so much more enjoyable than I initially expected. I have tried to avoid taking English 104 numerous times because reading and writing have not been my strong points. Each time I attempted to take this course, I dropped it due to a particular instructor style, or a boring set of literary materials. This time around was different, as I set my goal to obtain my bachelor degree in Business Administration by the end of this summer. Therefore, I was determined to force my way through this class no matter what challenges I had to endure. To my pleasant surprise, this class was much better than the others. I felt the information and learning come much easier. I enjoyed the class materials and the professor did a very good job responding in earnest to my submissions. Because of the much better experience, I truly believe I have become a better writer and a better critical thinker. Through the discussion board and the professor‘s guidance of our writing assignments, I have improved my analytical skills as well as developed a greater organizational skills. The discussion board was an important tool in developing my understanding of different aspects of the literature reviewed in this course. This new discussion format allowed me to read other students contributions on the same topic, as well as Professor Duclos-Yourdon’s direct and prompts for a deeper analysis. For example, in week five discussion three, we discussed Sister James‘ character, as I said â€Å"Father Flynn offers reasonable explanation about the situation and his involvement with Donald and Sister James’ doubt is appeased. This shows that Sister James is easily persuaded and has no eager to actively seek the truth on her own†(Vickery DB) Following my thread, Kimberly raised a very interesting question by adding, â€Å"who is the real criminal in this play Is it Father Flynn with what reported or is it Sister Aloysius as she manipulates Sister James for her own benefit?†(Voss DB) Through engaging discussion with students on a regular basis, I was able to develop a more detailed understanding of literature work. Additionally, alternative views helped me to incorporate logic and critical thought into my arguments. As a result, I am better equipped to gather necessary information to begin writing my assignments. Professor Duclos-Yourdon’s guidance was crucial in helping me develop my critical thinking skills. Our first literary analysis essay was the most difficult one for me in this course as I had not written an academic paper in nearly ten years. I decided to write my first paper on â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and wanted to submit my rough draft for initial feedback. For fear of not achieving the minimum 1000 word requirement, I began to construct random ideas in my paper, as the professor commented, â€Å"Your argument should stay focused on the story. These larger implications can be raised in the conclusion if they come naturally from your argument.†(Dulcos Essay1) Later, she suggested, â€Å"To develop this argument, you could first write a paragraph establishing the wallpaper as a symbol for entrapment (as you have done). Move from there to the narrator’s loss of individuality, and finally explore the narrator’s transformation into this shadow woman.†(Duclos Essay1) These comments resonated with me and gave me great ideas on the direction I wanted to take the paper. I began to interpret the evidence in a deeper way and rethought my thesis statement to be more focused. Moreover, I deleted the unnecessary paragraphs, reorganized my ideas and supported with factual evidence. As a result, the comments I received from Professor Duclos-Yourdon were so insightful it helped not only develop confidence, but also resulted in a perfect grade. With the additional practice of literary analysis in this course, I conclude that writing is a lot like mathematic. Like mathematics, where there is a specific formula to follow to get a result, so there is also a formula in literary analysis to construct an organized essay. I learn in my previous English class that an essay consists of some very basic elements, for example, an introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusion. It all sounds really easy, but without following some formula, the result wanders and is difficult to follow. What helped me in this course was learning to break paragraph down into more detail. For example, the topic sentence should clearly tell the reader what the paragraph will explore. Then, simple lead in sentences should be followed by evidence from the literature work. Finally, I complete the prograph with my own interpretation of the evidence. It’s a pretty straight forward method and I can relate to it more as I love formulas. So every time I got baffled, I think of my paper as this giant math equation to solve. Taking these baby steps has helped me in completing all my assignments without feeling defeated. Finally, I realize the importance of taking English classes during the first two years of one’s college career because it prepares a person to communicate well in written words as well as spoken. Although I waited till the final year of college to take this course, the analytical, writing, and organizational skills I learned will benefit me for many years to come. I am looking forward to utilizing these newfound skills in my next career opportunity as well as graduate school. Work Cited Duclos-Yourdon, Melissa. Vickery_ Essay# 1. May 13, 2012 Vickery, Susie. Discussion# 3 Sister James. May. 29, 2012 Voss, Kimberly. Discussion# 3 Sister James. May 31, 2012

Nurses In Nursing Care - 1381 Words

Current Nursing Care Nurses play a major role in caring for clients, especially those with dementia. They are the ones who often connected with the clients on a day-to-day basis and the one who can recognize any changes in behaviors that may display early signs of dementia. Nurses also partake in promoting the ceaseless safety of the clients and work to improve their quality of life. With an expanding predominance of dementia, adequate training is imperative for early detection. Since dementia often progresses slowly, to diagnose the disease in its early stages can be difficult. However, prompt intervention and treatment have been shown to help slow the effect of dementia and delay the cognitive decline and retain mental function. The†¦show more content†¦This brief cognitive test commonly used for complaints of problems with memory or other mental abilities. It often used to distinguish early signs of dementia and help assess its progression and severity. The test consists of a series of questi ons and tests, each of which scores points if answered correctly. A client who received a score of 23 or lowers out of 30 questions are considered cognitively impaired and need attention (â€Å"The MMSE test†, 2017). There are numerous safety risks associated with dementia due to the cognitive incapacities that encompass this diagnosis. Surprisingly, these threats increment amid hospitalization due to inadequate treatment, incorrect interventions, lack of training, and discrimination. These insufficiencies frequently result in an expanded risk for falls, delirium, and many other complications related to the geriatric syndrome. However, nurses can maintain a strategic distance from these issues by conducting though appraisals upon admission. It is important for nurses to ensure that they are implementing the correct interventions that are the slightest prohibitive and individualized for the client (George et al., 2013). 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Because of this, nurses have a fundamental role in the transformation of the nation s rapidly changing health care environment. To achieve this role, the IOM addressed several key recommendations to serve as a guide to the direction of the future of nursing (InstituteRead MoreAffordable Care Act ( Aca ) Shift American Health Care1090 Words   |  5 PagesAffordable Care Act (ACA) shift American health care system.The Institue of Medicine (IOM) report recommends the future of nursing are one of the important workforces leading the change. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) sponsored the Initiative on the Future of Nursing (IFN) research in America (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of... n.d.). In this essay, the student will discuss the IOM report on the IFN leading healthcare system r eform. And Acknowledge the significanceRead MoreThe Connection of Nursing with Feminism Essay1616 Words   |  7 Pages Throughout the years, the practice of American nursing has gone through extensive significant changes. Nursing evolved from an unrecognizable profession to a recognizable and respectable career choice for women. After World War II, nurses had to transition from working in private homes to working in public hospitals. There was a dire need for nurses in the hospitals because of the different communicable diseases that were around. In addition, â€Å"the rise of feminism in the 1960’s influenced public