Pynchons Gravitys Rainbow Essay -- Pynchon Gravitys Rainbow Essays

Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow    Thomas Ruggles Pynchon was born in 1937 in Glen's Cove, New York. He is the author of V., The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's Rainbow, Slow Learner, Vineland, and Mason & Dixon. Nothing else is known of this author (not exactly true, but close enough to the truth to make that last blanket statement passable). He has attempted to veil himself in total obscurity and anonymity. For the most part, he has succeeded in this, save for a rare interview or two. In 1974 he received the National Book Award for Gravity's Rainbow. He would have been awarded The Pulitzer Prize as well, but his blatant disregard for narrative sequence led to a rift between the judges and the editorial board. Ultimately, the book was not selected. In fact, no book was chosen that year in the Fiction Category, the first (and only) time a work of fiction did not receive the award. The controversy that followed was considerable. Keeping this in mind, any attempt at an expurgated plot synopsis is laughable at be st, therefore will be somewhat refrained from. However, given the brevity of this paper, it is possible to address the setting(s), the chief protagonist, and some interpretations concerning the title of this book.    The setting is World War II, and England is being devastated by Hitler's revenge weapon, the V-2 rocket. In response to this, two organizations, ACHTUNG--Allied Clearing House, Technical Units, Northern Germany; and PISCES--Psychological Intelligence Schemes For Expediting Surrender, embark on a quest which will carry them across the world in order to find a solution for this dilemma. That's about as simple as it gets; a cursory analysis of this story is comparable to trying t... ...y) that pools all of these colors together. The colors could represent the varying aspects and cultures contained within the Human Race. The choices presented both in the title and in the story itself create a vast labyrinth, much in the way Borges conceives the workings of an elaborate universe.    This book is not for everyone. It is the most convoluted, non-linear, contradictory work of fiction I have ever encountered. It is also one of the most hysterical, challenging, harrowing, brilliant and beautiful. Pynchon clearly affirms Eliot's assertion that fiction and poetry must be difficult in order to capture the difficult modern world. Reading this work becomes a metaphor for examining life which exists on a disruptive continuum. From this book alone, Thomas Pynchon must be considered as one of the most important voices in 20th-Century literature.

REI Marketing Environment Worksheet Essay

1. Consumer incomes- As consumer incomes change the ability to sell non-essential goods is directly affected. REI sells non-essential goods. If consumer incomes are rising they will have discretionary income and REI should benefit. If Consumer incomes are flat or decreasing REI will see a negative impact on sales. 2. Inflation- Inflation is a measure of the decrease in the value of money. This means that if inflation is increasing it will take more money to purchase the same product. Again with REI they sell non-essential products and would be negatively affected by inflation. Inflation has not been a problem but it is predicted to be in the future so REI must factor this into their sales and marketing strategy. Global Economy How does the current global economy affect REI retail operations? 1. Since REI is not a global company they are less affected by the global economy. They are not immune however as the global downturn affects the U.S. economy as a whole. This in turn does have a secondary effect on REI. 2. Since the global economy directly affects the U.S. economy any downturn in the global economy is going to have a negative impact on the U.S. economy therefore having a secondary effect on REI. This would have the same effect as mentioned in the U.S. economy in part one. Legal and Regulatory Environment What types of legal and regulatory forces affect REI in the U.S.? 1.Federal, state and local regulations and agency’s affect REI as well as every other business. The Federal Trade Commission regulates competition to avoid unfair practices. The Consumer Protection Agency helps protect the  health and safety of consumers. Since REI has many private label products they must make sure that they are safe to avoid lawsuits and huge fines. 2. Since REI is a consumer Cooperative they also have some other regulations that govern how they manage their business. This does give them some tax advantages over the competition but may be a disadvantage when it comes to retained earnings and investments. Socio-Cultural Forces What types of social and culture trends affect REI? 1. REI has built its business on cultural trends. They are very environmentally friendly and very involved in special causes that relate to their business. They market to a special group of consumers that have similar believes and are willing to purchase products to support that believe. This is an example of Relationship Marketing and REI has been very successful with this strategy. 2. REI, according to their website hosted over 750 volunteer events to help the local community and environment. REI started in Seattle which is a perfect market for this type of approach. This market is very socially driven and willing to support companies that also have similar believes with the environment. This also may be a limiting factor when looking at future growth for REI. Especially is the economy takes a further downturn. Technological Forces What type of technology changes affect REI? 1. Changes in manufacturing techniques can have a huge impact. If similar products that REI sells become cheaper from a competitor due to technology advancements it has a direct impact on REI. They will either have to advance with the technology, change suppliers and/or manufacturing, or reduce price and margin to compete. Either way this is a threat to REI. 2. Another example of how technology can affect REI is simply in customer information. Who their customers are, the purchasing habits, personal information, disposable income etc†¦ A company that is tied into this data and uses it as a guide to their marketing strategy will have an advantage  over a company that does not. As a consumer coop REI has the ability to have a more complete data base than a non coop. Competitive forces are also a part of the marketing environment, and we will review those in this unit’s second assignment.

Communication Paper Essay

I would like to take this time in welcoming you to this presentation on communication marketing in health care. We will first be identifying different and most common communication used by consumers and health care providers, such as e-mail, a web-based forum, and/or electronic medical records just to name a few. We will also be discussing the benefits to the patients, an aspect relating to the values and importance of maintaining patient confidentiality when using these types of communication, some reasons that these types of communications are an effective way of communicating between consumers and their providers, how these types of communications may differ from others, and lastly, how might media and social networking change communication in health care today and years to come. Now, join with me as we discuss the different types and most common communication used by consumers and their health care providers. Many communication channels are used in healthcare, each with different properties. These channels may be synchronous or asynchronous, mobile or fixed, secure or no secure. Because of this, participants must decide which channel best suits the issue about which they need to communicate. Synchronous channels such as telephones and face-†to-†face meetings allow both parties to communicate at the same time, enabling information to flow freely in real time. Synchronous channels are ideal when discussing time-†sensitive issues and exchanging dense information. It is not always convenient, however, for a patient and physician to schedule time to communicate using synchronous channels because they can lead to delayed care, telephone tag, and frustration—when these channels fail to connect, some healthcare issues remain unaddressed. Yet, generally only pagers and synchronous communications are available for patient-†physician  communication. Asynchronous channels such as email, fax, and blogs enable each party to communicate when it is convenient. These channels may be used safely for issues that are no urgent or time-†sensitive. Because time is not a factor when using asynchronous channels, both patient and clinician can be more reflective in their messaging. Asynchronous channels, however, should not be used for medical emergencies or time-†sensitive issues. Another characteristic of communication channels is whether they are fixed (connected to a wire) or mobile. Thanks to advances in technology, many communication channels that were once fixed are now wireless, such as telephones and text messaging. Presenting new technologies is challenging when dealing with an industry entrenched in using the same telephone, fax, and pager systems for decades. Many problems in healthcare stem from the industry clinging to these outdated methods of communication, without understanding the benefits brought about by newer solutions. For example, electronic pagers, which have been abandoned by most industries, are still the core device for hospital communications. While physicians extensively use a mobile core phone outside the hospital, these phones are often banned from being used inside, despite evidence that in most areas of the hospital this technology is safe. Email is often discouraged for clinical communication for security reasons, and more advanced technologies such as instant messaging, videoconferencing, group teleconferencing, or web-†based collaboration are almost unheard of in clinical care—despite evidence that proves the effectiveness and safety of these technologies in healthcare. While physicians have found newer tools such as email useful, they are typically used only in limited situations and not commonly employed to communicate with patients. The reasons for physicians’ reluctance to use e-†communication with patients include concerns about malpractice litigation, fears of being barraged with emails, and the absence of a model that reimburses them for consulting with patients electronically. Communication in healthcare fails for many reasons: necessary personnel cannot be identified or located; they may not be available or may not respond in a timely manner; or the communication channel of choice may not be well suited to the task at hand— for example, e-†communication such as  email should not be used for time-†sensitive issues such as a patient having a heart attack, or in situations that require a dense exchange of information. Pagers, for instance, are more appropriate for time-†sensitive issues, while telephones, in-†person or videoconferencing meetings, or web-†based collaboration tools are more efficient options for exchanging dense information, such as detailed c ase reports. Because case reports require much discussion among physicians, using email only slows down the discussion process. With the ability to reduce costs, telemedicine has been shown to be such an effective medical practice in several instances that its growth and application in the health care industry have raised greatly. One of the reasons for patient satisfaction with telemedicine is a reduction in waiting time, travel time, and the time involved in arranging appointments. The absence of all these issues can facilitate health communication by eliminating many of the burdens involving in standard health care. There also some challenges to the patient privacy with web-based communication just as in a facility. Because multiple individuals in telemedicine communication, exposure of confidential records to all parties concerned becomes a threat to the privacy of the patient. Additionally, even through medical doctors accept the obligation of maintaining their patients’ privacy rights, the other assisting parties involved in the telemedicine communication may not be held to the same standards (Turner, 2003). As a result of this risk to patients’ privacy rights, telemedicine has struggled to gain acceptance for the legal and medical communities (Sanders & Bashshur, 1995). However, again, as time progresses and this issue tackled by the medical and legal communities alike, solutions should be found to eliminate privacy risks to patients. Furthermore, these solutions should generate increased acceptance of telemedicine practices by all parties concerned and, likewise, should alleviate the fear and frequency of breached to patient privacy laws. In conclusion to the communication marketing in health care, we were able to identify the different types of communication such as e-mails, web-based and  medical records. We were able to point out some benefits and different aspects for the patients values and the importance in maintaining the patients confidentiality and the risks of safety in these types of communications. We were also able to understand the reasons as to how these types of communications are effective between the consumers and their providers and how they differ from other forms of communications as well. Thank you for your time and efforts in taking the time to better understand the communication through telemedicine present and future. References: http://www.uapd.com/wp-content/uploads/Telemedicine-Its-Effects-on-Health-Communication.pdf http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac79/docs/wp/Communication_Healthcare_WP_0724FINAL.pdf

Insourcing and Outsourcing of Companies

1-800-India Nations economic growths have rapidly emerged over the past decades. India is the leader in most global markets due to outsourcing white collar jobs. Workers in other countries like India do many different things such as tutoring, checking baggage, and x-rays for cheaper prices than here in the US, often with better results. Over half of the US jobs are going to India because of insourcing and outsourcing of companies. Majority of our customer service calls are being answered by foreign countries. Rwanda is one of the fastest growing places, due to outsourcing and have grown to 1. 6 million over the last decade. The secret is BPO. Many women have joined the work force and have become head of the households. BPO have tripled in size also have different workforces to chose from due to inexpensive educated labor such as insurance, customer service, and travel reservations. This workforce is cutting the cost of back office work by 50% from major companies in the US. BPO started with a hand full of people, today the numbers have grown to over 17,000 worldwide. This culture has learned to speak English in rapid numbers. The advancement of speaking many different languages gives India a huge advantage for American jobs. Many are becoming middle class and are changing the face of the country. Most of these workers are women. Doctors and other professionals have quit their jobs to work for 1-800-India. They are making more money now than they were making as doctors. Americans earn up to 10 times more than other countries but India are among the best paid groups. Before, India knew no value of the credit card but were thought to help Americans with their line of credit. These professionals take pride in customer care because this is their way to a good life. For every outsourcing job there are at least two more jobs created such as security and construction. Shopping has also become a way of life for the younger generation, being that they are paid more than their family have ever made. Many company workers work around the clock. The laws in India kept women from working nights. The outsourcing industry had to lobby the India government to change labor laws so women could work late shifts. The laws also made sure the women were picked up and dropped off back at home. They provided security while on duty. New jobs were created by transporting thousands of people 24 hours a day. This transportation company has become a big operation which has employed many people there. India still has hundreds of people below poverty lines. Working women stayed home and to support the immediate family. However, the first borne girl was seen as a burden to poor families in the India tradition. The father sees no value in the daughter’s education but except the son having an education. The girls would secretly work and pay for education, today they are the biggest support to their families. I believe this country does not want women to work simply because it takes focus off the households and by not educating women some how gives the power to the man. Moreover, women started educating themselves, started gaining confidence, and then dominated the workforce. Some India families who want their daughters to marry have to get approval from the mothers. The boyfriend must be of the same religious back ground and culture. Most marriages are arranged. India is one of the most married countries in the world. India communities live as normally as Americans. They are working communities juggling work, family, children, and school. Just remember the next time you call customer service you will know who you are talking to and hopefully will become more patient and understanding where our calls are coming from†¦

American who art thou?

â€Å"I have lived to see the last warrior of the wise race of the Mohicans† laments Tamenund (Cooper 382) in the book Last of the Mohicans. The death of Uncas and Cora marks the end of the Mohican people. Chingachgook indeed outlived Uncas his son but he is now childless and his people will now pass into legend and song. Ironically, the people described by Cooper in his book are Mohicans (Britanica). But their names rightly belong to another tribe known as the Mohegan (Britanica). The adventures of Uncas shed light on the true meaning of American. An American is a truly difficult to define creature. The US constitution defines as; All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. (Section 1) US citizenship, for those who are not born with it, is surprisingly hard to acquire. Yet thousands of people from the third-world will try every year to gain entry. America is believed to be the land of milk and honey. Millions more would attempt to enter if they only had the means. All seek the freedom and liberty promised by the Statute of Liberty to the Huddled masses. Those who are not Natural Born American Citizens can aspire to receive visa to work in the States. If fortune smiles upon them they can be granted citizenship after proving themselves to be good law abiding people. This also in tales absorbing American Values and ethics although compared to other nations America has a high tolerance for those who thing out of the box and the non-conformists. Media can often be used to reinforce or even create a new identity for a people. For example, Nazi propaganda transformed the innocent Jews into the demons who were behind all the ills of the world. The book last of the Mohicans and the movie last of the Dogmen are examples, of how media can be used to form a country’s sense of identity. In the movie Last of the Dogmen, Lewis Gates pursues escaped convicts into the Montana countryside. All he recovers are a few scraps of cloth, some blood and an old fashioned Indian arrow. Despite the doubts of scientist, Gates believed that the there is a lost Indian tribe somewhere out there. Working on a hunch the Indian arrow leads him down a trail of pursuit of a lost tribe of Dog Soldiers. He eventually encounters the Dog soldiers and they believe him to be their foe. Upon his escape he essays to protect them from being discovered and polluted by civilization. In the movie the American was defined as a Native American, one of the Dog Soldiers whose ancestors once roamed the plains of America free and untamed by today’s mores. The noble savage is worthy of protection from the corrupting influence of mainstream society. By comparison the Last of the Mohicans is about a Mohican caught in the French-English war in Canada. The French are trying to overwhelm Fort William Henry with the aid of the Hurons and the Iroquis. Hawkeye is given the task of escorting the commanders two daughters to safety past the Indians. On the road they encounter Chingachgook and Uncas the last of the Mohicans in the region. The plot of Hawkeye’s guide is soon exposed the guide betrays the company and the two Mohicans agree to be their guides. In the forest, Hawkeye, the Mohicans and their charges face many perils including many Indians who are haunting the woods in search of them. One of the members of the group is wounded by a sniper and they are soon immobilized. The group hides in a cave but a flushed out by a much larger party of Hurons. Now prisoners of the Hurons they are granted a chance at freedom if Cora would but consider to marry Magua. Haughty Cora refuses and soon the enraged Magua decides that the entire party should just die. At that very moment, the Mohicans and Hawkeye attack rescuing the captives and slaughtering the Hurons. Magua escapes but the captives are now safe. Eventually they stop at an old building where a lot of Mohicans died and where Chingachgook and Hawkeye fought together. Soon they are finally within the fort’s walls and are safe. In the fort, Duncan wonders how the fort can hold off so many attackers. Their only hope is for Webb to arrive with reinforcements. Duncan is sent as an emissary to the French commander Montcalm. All this succeeds in doing is letting Duncan know that the Frech are aware of the dire plight of the English Fort. The commanders, Montcalm and Munro eventually meet and Montcalm hands Munro a letter detailing how Webb is unable to send reinforcement. He asks the English to surrender. Munro naturally abhors surrender, but upon hearing the generous terms offered by the Frenchman agrees to sign a treaty. Peace it seems is achieved. But not all are pleased with the accord. Magua is indignant in claiming that his warriors will have no scalps while the white men become friends. While the English are fleeing from Fort William Henry the Hurons attack killing many innocent people. Cora is found by Magua and again he asks for her to be his wife but again she refused. So Magua captures Alice instead. A rescue effort goes horribly wrong when Duncan, Uncas and Hawkeye go to the Huron Village. Uncas is caught and is at the mercy of the Huron. This time the rescue goes well as Duncan is able to rescue Uncas. After a side-trip among the Delaware who are overjoyed at seeing Uncas, a Mohican. Uncas prepares his forces to attack the Hurons. In the battle that follows Magua is killed, Cora is also killed but ere the battle is ended Uncas too dies. Oddly, enough Cooper’s view of Mohican Indian is wildly at variance with the movie version. Cooper’s Mohicans are musket carrying warrior who could fight equally well as the Europeans they traveled with. By comparison   Wyeth portrays Uncas with a dagger, a tomahawk, and a bow and arrow-weapons of precolonial warfare and the customary attributes of an Indian brave. Cooper’s Uncas suggests the complexity of the character's position as a conventionally educated, English-speaking American Indian, Wyeth generalizes and romanticizes the Indian hero's appearance. Wyeth’s version simply conforms to his understanding of American Indians, which was tightly bound to the ideal of an untamed wilderness. Hawkeye is the book’s consummate American, he is the friend of Chingchagook. In chapter three of the Indian’s struggle for identity is first given shape. He was of unmixed blood and his tribe is the grandfather of nations. In the past his people fought the Iroquis, who were now mercenaries at the employ of the French, However, now the tribe is depleted and only Uncas his son remains of the Mohicans. Uncas and Chingchagook are firmly with the English as they are prepared to die fighting the Iroquis. Also in this chapter is the interplay of ideas and beliefs between Chingchagook and Hawkeye. This would later be an important ideal of Americans. The free exchange of ideas and belief or the so called Marketplace of ideas. Another example of the struggle was the discrimination Cora Munro suffered as opposed to the respect that Alice Munro received. Both were the daughters of a prominent military commander but because of Cora’s skin color and heritage she is looked down upon. Although later in the story she would fall in love with Uncas. An American is one who can identify with the values and morals of the American people in General. It is the question of what those values are that is problematic. One of the first defining events of being an American was Declaration of independence. As written by Thomas Jefferson the American people believed that â€Å"All men are created free and equal under God†. Previous to the declaration, Americans were still very much under the heel of the primitive feudal system they inherited from the British. The King, three thousand miles away ruled their lives by fiat. His lords and nobles ran roughshod over his subjects. This same struggle for equality is seen when Chingchagook and Hawkeye are discussing the differences between the English and the Mohicans. Another related event was the Civil war. The ideal of free and equal was put to the test. Till then it was a hypocrisy, the US claimed that its people lived in equality. Yet in the Southern States nearly 1/3 of all people were slaves who had no civil and political rights. The black man was a slave unfitting even of the title man, he toiled in the cotton plantations endlessly providing wealth for the arrogant white masters. Tens of Thousands would die before the African-American could take part and received citizenship in the country. An example, of this discrimination is when Cora rejects Magua’s offer to be his wife. In exchange for the freedom of the thralls. Still Cora refuses because even if she was a Quadroon she still held herself better than the filthy Indian Magua. However, even with the Emancipation declaration, the â€Å"black man† was still relegated to a second class citizen. It was not until Martin Luther King Jr. came forth daring violence and persecution in order end the discrimination and bigotry that plagued African Americans in the south. The struggle for equality can also been seen in the desire of Magua to be wed to Cora where Cora constantly refuses him because of his inferior stock. In the past, there were laws in place, particularly in the south, which prevented a black person from marrying a white person. Manifest Destiny, that doctrine that said that America should expand to the Pacific and beyond was another important even that helped change the American Identity. The Expansion to the west would come at the expense of Mexicans and Indians who would lose their lands. In that point of history a great influx of Irish, Germans and other European immigrants came to America to seek the freedom promised by the Statute of liberty. They were soon welded into the American people and brought their work ethic and industry to the increase the vigor of the rising Hercules that was the Union. The World Wars are another defining event in American History because the US having gained prominence among nations was now ready to take its place among the stars. America sent legions of its finest youths to go forth and fight in Europe and Asia for the defense of the weak and innocent against those who would oppress them. The same way Uncas was willing to endanger himself for the sake of foreigners he barely knew. The American identity remains vague and hard to define. Literature and other media can help express and expound it. But ultimately it must shine forth from the heart of every American Citizen. Simply, put an American is one who lives and breathes the American ideals. In a sense Hawkeye was an American because he respected the views of those who were not in concurrence with his. He also fought hard for the protection of the weak and innocent. Finally, he was a true friend to his allies. Works Cited Cooper, James The Last of the Mohicans. Edwards Brothers Inc 2006 Ed â€Å":Mohican† (history), Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 2007, webpage: EB-Mohicans. (Last accessed 11 Dec 2007) â€Å"Mohegan † (history), Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 2007, webpage: EB-Mahican. (Last accessed 11 Dec 2007) U.S. Constitution. Micheals, Joel B â€Å"The Last of the Dogmen† 8 Sept 1995 WYETH'S NOBLE SAVAGE Sep/Oct 2007. Vol. 28, Iss. 5; pg. 23, 1 pgs

Automobile collision with serious injury

Nurses have for many years been awarded the top ranking in opinion polls about which occupations are most trusted by the general public. Some people might opine that nursing duties only relate to clinical settings and they tend to focus only nurse-patient relationship. Duties of the nurse exist only within the parameters of the hospital. Some might even argue that such intervention in roadside emergencies can get a nurse into legal complications. But then, nursing is a profession that the public depend on for support and care especially in emergency situations. Historically, nurses have been associated with emergency responses. In early times, even though nurses were not as much educated and trained as the nurses of today, they offered their nursing services with great dedication and motivation. They were known for their self-sacrificing nature and offering a human touch that says â€Å"I care.† Nursing history is replete with examples of nurses who have knowingly incurred great risk in order to care for those in need of nursing or to contribute to the advancement of health science. In the United States, the Civil War is cited regularly for the role of volunteer nurses and for the stimulus it gave Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross, which she eventually accomplished in 1881 (Williams, 2003). That humane touch has been characteristic of the nursing profession. The first plank of the Code for Nurses states â€Å"The nurse provides services with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the client, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.† This central axiom of respect for persons directs the profession (ANA, 1994). The nurse is not at liberty to abandon those in need of nursing care. According to Gebbie and Qureshi (2006), â€Å"The fundamental goal of nursing, to assist individuals to their highest possible level of functioning in the face of health and illness challenges, is never more needed than under emergency conditions†. This means, a registered nurse is obligated to attend to the wounded person in a roadside emergency. According to the Code for Nurses, nurses may morally refuse to participate in care, but only on the grounds of either client advocacy or moral objection to a specific type of intervention. As applied to nursing, a moral obligation exists for the nurse if the following four criteria are present: The client is at significant risk of harm, loss, or damage if the nurse does not assist; The nurse’s intervention or care is directly relevant to preventing harm; The nurse’s care will probably prevent harm, loss, or damage to the client; The benefit the client will gain outweighs any harm the nurse might incur and does not present more than an acceptable risk to the nurse (ANA, 2006). In the case of the roadside accident, the victims need to be attended to by a healthcare professional. Prompt medical attention by the RN can make a difference between life and death. Moreover, there is no personal risk. Hence there is a moral obligation on the part of the nurse to attend to the vi ctims. Society has come to rely on nursing and to expect that it will rise to the health demands of virtually any occasion. The only problem registered nurses encounter during such roadside interventions is that they may be forced to take decisions beyond those they are qualified for. But then, they can be protected by the Good Samaritan Doctrine which is a legal principle that prevents a rescuer who has voluntarily helped a victim in distress from being successfully sued for ‘wrongdoing.’ The purpose of this doctrine is to prevent people from refusing to help for fear of legal repercussions if they make mistakes in treatment (Neumann, 2005). The practice of the professional nurse extends beyond the confines of the immediate setting where the nurse practices to the broader environment (AU, 2006). According to a survey of many nurses all respondents claimed to have medical assistance and would do so again, but about half of them would not do so unconditionally. However, no respondent has experienced legal complications from providing medical help though they had â€Å"heard† or â€Å"read† of such cases. Thus, it is the moral obligation of a registered nurse to help any accident victim in an emergency situation. Critique of Journal Article: Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. in the article titled â€Å"A Historical Challenge: Nurses and Emergencies† (September 30, 2006) reviews the beginning of emergency nursing as a specialty. The authors also discuss the 21st century expectations about nursing during unexpected disaster situations and various nursing roles related to emergency care. The article is detailed and has many links to related articles. The article says that both paid and volunteer nurses have played a huge role historically in fighting epidemics, HIV and AIDS. Later, nurses became known for their wartime services. By the middle 20th century, emergency rooms came into being. Today, emergency care has become a nursing specialty. The authors then point to the growth of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Rescue Committee. The role of the nurses in local public health emergencies is highlighted. The authors conclude that nurses have been key players during various emergency situations in the past. In the future, any kind of emergency in the community can impact the public’s health and nurses are needed for prevention, surveillance and response of every type. At the end of the 20th century, national thinking about emergency preparedness led to two important developments: identification of the key competencies needed for effective emergency response, and increased attention to planning for and practicing emergency response. The authors point out that it was necessary for nursing to identify the core abilities needed to become a part of an emergency response team and perform well. Therefore the UG nursing curriculum was adapted by the International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education (INCMCE) to assure communities that their professional nurses were competent to respond when needed. The article includes tables that list the competencies for public health workers, and the currently available emergency response competency sets applicable to nursing and the sources from which these data can be accessed in their entirety. Today, it has been recognized that there needs to be an inter-agency, interdisciplinary response, and that nearly all emergencies have potential health consequences. The authors conclude that nurses will continue to be key players in the local and national level emergency response as we move through the 21st century and that the fundamental goal of nursing, to assist individuals to their highest possible level of functioning in the face of health and illness challenges, is never more needed than under emergency conditions. The article is written in chronological sequence and is highly informative. The authors discuss present day trends in detail in the context of the terrorists attack on the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina. The included tables and references prove to be very useful in understanding the competency sets needed for emergency responses. This article underlines the need for competency in emergency response. This means nurses should be given better basic and continuing education and should be trained to meet such emergency situations through hospitals, public health centers, and community drills. Bibliography: Internet Sources: U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses. Occupational Handbook. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm AU (2006). School of Nursing: Our Philosophy. http://www.nursing.auburn.edu/about-us/our-philosophy.html Williams, Robyn (2003). ABC Radio National Broadcast: The Ethics of Nursing in the Third Reich. Adelaide Institute. http://www.adelaideinstitute.org/Holocaust/nursing.htm Print and Journal Sources: Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. (September 30, 2006) â€Å"A Historical Challenge: Nurses and Emergencies†OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. #11 No. #3, Manuscript 1. Available: www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic31/tpc31_1.htm ANA (1994). Ethics and Human Rights Position Statements. Risk versus Responsibility in Providing Nursing Care. http://www.nursingworld.org/readroom/position/ethics/etrisk.htm ANA (2005). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Center for Ethics and Human Rights. http://www.ana.org/ethics/code/protected_nwcoe303.htm Neumann, Karl (2005). Are you a Good Samaritan. News Share. Nov/Dec 2005. http://www.istm.org/publications/news_share/200512/samaritan.aspx Automobile collision with serious injury Nurses have for many years been awarded the top ranking in opinion polls about which occupations are most trusted by the general public. Some people might opine that nursing duties only relate to clinical settings and they tend to focus only nurse-patient relationship. Duties of the nurse exist only within the parameters of the hospital. Some might even argue that such intervention in roadside emergencies can get a nurse into legal complications. But then, nursing is a profession that the public depend on for support and care especially in emergency situations. Historically, nurses have been associated with emergency responses. In early times, even though nurses were not as much educated and trained as the nurses of today, they offered their nursing services with great dedication and motivation. They were known for their self-sacrificing nature and offering a human touch that says â€Å"I care.† Nursing history is replete with examples of nurses who have knowingly incurred great risk in order to care for those in need of nursing or to contribute to the advancement of health science. In the United States, the Civil War is cited regularly for the role of volunteer nurses and for the stimulus it gave Clara Barton to organize the American Red Cross, which she eventually accomplished in 1881 (Williams, 2003). That humane touch has been characteristic of the nursing profession. The first plank of the Code for Nurses states â€Å"The nurse provides services with respect for human dignity and the uniqueness of the client, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems.† This central axiom of respect for persons directs the profession (ANA, 1994). The nurse is not at liberty to abandon those in need of nursing care. According to Gebbie and Qureshi (2006), â€Å"The fundamental goal of nursing, to assist individuals to their highest possible level of functioning in the face of health and illness challenges, is never more needed than under emergency conditions†. This means, a registered nurse is obligated to attend to the wounded person in a roadside emergency. According to the Code for Nurses, nurses may morally refuse to participate in care, but only on the grounds of either client advocacy or moral objection to a specific type of intervention. As applied to nursing, a moral obligation exists for the nurse if the following four criteria are present: The client is at significant risk of harm, loss, or damage if the nurse does not assist; The nurse’s intervention or care is directly relevant to preventing harm; The nurse’s care will probably prevent harm, loss, or damage to the client; The benefit the client will gain outweighs any harm the nurse might incur and does not present more than an acceptable risk to the nurse (ANA, 2006). In the case of the roadside accident, the victims need to be attended to by a healthcare professional. Prompt medical attention by the RN can make a difference between life and death. Moreover, there is no personal risk. Hence there is a moral obligation on the part of the nurse to attend to the vi ctims. Society has come to rely on nursing and to expect that it will rise to the health demands of virtually any occasion. The only problem registered nurses encounter during such roadside interventions is that they may be forced to take decisions beyond those they are qualified for. But then, they can be protected by the Good Samaritan Doctrine which is a legal principle that prevents a rescuer who has voluntarily helped a victim in distress from being successfully sued for ‘wrongdoing.’ The purpose of this doctrine is to prevent people from refusing to help for fear of legal repercussions if they make mistakes in treatment (Neumann, 2005). The practice of the professional nurse extends beyond the confines of the immediate setting where the nurse practices to the broader environment (AU, 2006). According to a survey of many nurses all respondents claimed to have medical assistance and would do so again, but about half of them would not do so unconditionally. However, no respondent has experienced legal complications from providing medical help though they had â€Å"heard† or â€Å"read† of such cases. Thus, it is the moral obligation of a registered nurse to help any accident victim in an emergency situation. Critique of Journal Article: Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. in the article titled â€Å"A Historical Challenge: Nurses and Emergencies† (September 30, 2006) reviews the beginning of emergency nursing as a specialty. The authors also discuss the 21st century expectations about nursing during unexpected disaster situations and various nursing roles related to emergency care. The article is detailed and has many links to related articles. The article says that both paid and volunteer nurses have played a huge role historically in fighting epidemics, HIV and AIDS. Later, nurses became known for their wartime services. By the middle 20th century, emergency rooms came into being. Today, emergency care has become a nursing specialty. The authors then point to the growth of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Rescue Committee. The role of the nurses in local public health emergencies is highlighted. The authors conclude that nurses have been key players during various emergency situations in the past. In the future, any kind of emergency in the community can impact the public’s health and nurses are needed for prevention, surveillance and response of every type. At the end of the 20th century, national thinking about emergency preparedness led to two important developments: identification of the key competencies needed for effective emergency response, and increased attention to planning for and practicing emergency response. The authors point out that it was necessary for nursing to identify the core abilities needed to become a part of an emergency response team and perform well. Therefore the UG nursing curriculum was adapted by the International Nursing Coalition for Mass Casualty Education (INCMCE) to assure communities that their professional nurses were competent to respond when needed. The article includes tables that list the competencies for public health workers, and the currently available emergency response competency sets applicable to nursing and the sources from which these data can be accessed in their entirety. Today, it has been recognized that there needs to be an inter-agency, interdisciplinary response, and that nearly all emergencies have potential health consequences. The authors conclude that nurses will continue to be key players in the local and national level emergency response as we move through the 21st century and that the fundamental goal of nursing, to assist individuals to their highest possible level of functioning in the face of health and illness challenges, is never more needed than under emergency conditions. The article is written in chronological sequence and is highly informative. The authors discuss present day trends in detail in the context of the terrorists attack on the World Trade Center and Hurricane Katrina. The included tables and references prove to be very useful in understanding the competency sets needed for emergency responses. This article underlines the need for competency in emergency response. This means nurses should be given better basic and continuing education and should be trained to meet such emergency situations through hospitals, public health centers, and community drills. Bibliography: Internet Sources: U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Registered Nurses. Occupational Handbook. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos083.htm AU (2006). School of Nursing: Our Philosophy. http://www.nursing.auburn.edu/about-us/our-philosophy.html Williams, Robyn (2003). ABC Radio National Broadcast: The Ethics of Nursing in the Third Reich. Adelaide Institute. http://www.adelaideinstitute.org/Holocaust/nursing.htm Print and Journal Sources: Gebbie, K., Qureshi, K. (September 30, 2006) â€Å"A Historical Challenge: Nurses and Emergencies†OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. #11 No. #3, Manuscript 1. Available: www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic31/tpc31_1.htm ANA (1994). Ethics and Human Rights Position Statements. Risk versus Responsibility in Providing Nursing Care. http://www.nursingworld.org/readroom/position/ethics/etrisk.htm ANA (2005). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Center for Ethics and Human Rights. http://www.ana.org/ethics/code/protected_nwcoe303.htm Neumann, Karl (2005). Are you a Good Samaritan. News Share. Nov/Dec 2005. http://www.istm.org/publications/news_share/200512/samaritan.aspx

Incentive Program for Retention of Employees Research Proposal

Incentive Program for Retention of Employees - Research Proposal Example Replacing a staff worker is apparently costly; on top of that, a company’s reputation is also threatened. As it is, nobody feels self-assured when dealing with a business firm that is incapable of keeping their employees intact. It implies volatility, mediocre management and lack of effectual planning. Notwithstanding the reasons why a worker leaves his/her job, more often than not the employee departs with a sour taste in their mouth. Such reaction and sensitivity are taken with them – together with the skills they learned and accumulated and these sentiments are frequently repeated to future employers and within their personal network. Evidently, losing knowledgeable and competent individuals can smash up a company’s reputation for years to come. Finally, continuous high turnover generates strife and psychological instability within a workforce, for one, positions made vacant create bigger workloads for other staff workers, workloads which are usually outside o f their position profiles or job descriptions. This sense of shakiness and aggravation can trigger work log jams which correspondingly slow down productivity. More importantly, workers’ lack of faith in an organization increases when they see their co-workers depart and such will definitely influence productivity work levels in implausibly depressing ways (Lake, 2000, pp. 65-72; Smith, 2000, p. 22). There is a considerable economic effect when an organization loses any of its vital workers, especially with the knowledge that is lost with the employee’s departure. It will become notably more important in the years ahead to be aware of the commitment of individuals to an organization, as well as the organization’s need to produce an environment where one would be willing to stay. In essence, it is imperative for organizations to either create an intellectual capital environment where the diffusion of knowledge come about right through the system or keep on losing significant individual knowledge that has been built up during the length of service.