Three Men in a Boat Essay Example for Free

Three Men in a Boat Essay The author, Jerome K. Jerome, was born in Walsall, Staffordshire, England, on 2nd May 1859. His early upbringing was done in London and he studied in Marylebone Grammar School at the age of 15, he lost both his parents and had to take up a job as a railway clerk. Later on he took up different vocations- school teacher, actor, journalist. In 1888 he married Georgina Henrietta Stanley. His first publication was ‘Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow’, followed by the famous ‘Three Men in a Boat’. He became famous both as a playwright and novelist. He also served in the French Red Cross during the First World War before his death on 14th June 1927. The theme The complete novel is based upon a boat-trip taken by three friends down the river Thames from Kingston to Oxford. I believe that it was supposed to be a travelogue but it turned out to be a hilarious account of a journey. The story turns out to be humorous due to the brief anecdotes given by the author of previous incidences, the three friends’ behaviors and the occasional humorous uplift given by the author’s dog. The plot The story begins by introducing George, Harris, Jerome and Montmorency, a fox-terrier. The men are spending an evening in Jeromes room, smoking and discussing illnesses they fancy they suffer from. They conclude they are all suffering from overwork and need a holiday. A stay in the country and a sea trip are both considered, then rejected (J. describes the bad experiences had by his brother-in-law and a friend on sea trips). Eventually, the three decide on a boating holiday, up the River Thames, from Kingston upon Thames to Oxford, during which theyll camp, notwithstanding Jeromes anecdotes regarding previous experiences with tents and camping stoves. They embark the following Saturday. George must go to work that morning (George goes to sleep at a bank from ten to four each day, except Saturdays, when they wake him up and put him outside at two) so Jerome and Harris make their way to Kingston by train. They are unable to find the correct train at Waterloo Station so they bribe a train driver to take his train to Kingston, where they collect their hired boat and start their journey. They meet George later, up-river at Weybridge. The remainder of the story relates their river journey and the incidents that occur. The book s original purpose as a guidebook is apparent as the narrator describes the passing landmarks and villages such as Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Church, Monkey Island, Magna Carta Island and Marlow, and muses upon historical associations of these places. However, he frequently digresses into funny anecdotes that range from the unreliability of barometers for weather forecasting to the difficulties that may be encountered when learning to play the Scottish bagpipe. The most frequent topics are river pastimes such as fishing and boating and the difficulties they present to the inexperienced and unwary. Character Sketches George- George is one of the two friends of the author and is a bank clerk by profession. He is an incredibly lazy and sluggish person and according to the author, George is very much able to take a nap at anytime, anywhere. He is not among the brightest of people and even his friends tend to think so. They are really taken for by surprise when George makes the sensible suggestion of taking the river trip. He always tries to grab an opportunity ofnot doing a particular work which shows his reluctance to work and determination to escape out of it. Harris- Harris is a vain fellow who pretends to be extremely hard working but usually pushes off the burden on other people. He is outspoken and does not hesitate to tell his friends what he thinks about them even if it may not be pleasant. For instance he outwardly tells George that his new blazer is utterly revolting and that he must not wear it around them (Harris and Jim). When Harris takes on a job he makes a huge fuss out of it like the narrator’s uncle Podger. It may not be anything majorly important but if Harris is going to do it; the world is surely going to know about it. He also thinks very highly of himself and his voice though his friends do not want him to even attempt singing. He is extremely fascinated by tombs and graveyards much to the author’s amazement and dislike. He is also quite short tempered and it is best to let him rant off his anger rather than try and talk to him about it. He would not mind a drink at any time of the day and enjoys the company of his friends. Jerome- Jerome is the narrator of the book. He is a young, single middle-class man living in London. He is fond of history and literature and spends much of his time daydreaming about the days when knights roamed the countryside of England. This daydreaming sometimes gets him into trouble when he does not pay suitable attention to what he is doing. Jerome, like his two friends on the boat trip, is a little vain and conceited, but he realizes it and pokes gentle fun at himself, his friends, and the habits of others like them through his anecdotes, where he and his friends are often the butt of ego-skewering jokes. Jerome has always been fond of boats, but prefers the old fashioned. The author (Jerome) quite often becomes philosophical and the draws comparisons between their journey and the journey of our life. Therefore we can conclude that he even has a romantic and poetic nature. Montmorency- Montmorency is the author’s dog that accompanied by him, George and Harris in their river trip. Montmorency looked like an angel sent to Earth in the form of a small Fox Terrier. He had a gentle noble expression which brought tears to the eyes of elderly folk. When Montmorency first arrived, the author thought that he would not live long. But, he soon changed his opinion about Montmorency when his true nature was exposed. The author had to pay for chickens Montmorency had killed and had to drag him out of hundreds of street fights. Once Montmorency killed the neighbours’ cat and on one occasion he had kept a man stuck in his own tool shed for about two hours. The authors gardener made money by betting on Montmorencys rat-killing skills. He liked to roam around and fight with dogs of a similar disreputable nature. Therefore, he enjoyed places like inns and pubs but not places such as damp boats and scenic places.

Volunteering Reflective Essay

Volunteering Reflective Essay Audit Assessment As part of my degree I have been in Placement at Barnardos to help develop and acquire my knowledge, skills and values necessary to contribute effectively to the development of integrated practice. Barnardos believe every child no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through, ensuring their needs are met and their voices and views heard.(http://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/barnardos_today/what_we_believe.htm) Barnardos vision is of a world where no child is turned away, there main purpose is to transform the lives of the UKs most vulnerable children, reaching and helping children who are not heard and their needs unmet. Working in the community as a voluntary service they defend, safeguard and support children at key moments to change their lives for the better, fighting to change policy practice and public opinion. They are not a social service provision and endeavour to work alongside families providing early intervention, giving the family itself the tools themselves to prevent Social Service involvement later on through practical parenting skills, attachment approaches and nurturing skills. Families self-refer or are referred to the service by schools, social workers, health visitors, G. Ps and school nurses if they feel that the family has a need for support or guidance helping the family overcome and resolve things that they are struggling with or concerned about. The services provided can be grouped into CAPSM/ Nurture First Pre-birth- 5 years, Improved future (5-12years), which relates to families affected to Parental substance misuse, historically or ongoing. Early Years 0-5y support and mental health team. Attainment- School years P1-3, offering support to increase engagement and school performance. Kinship-support for families with children under the care of their family. Befriending- engagement with children whose families are already functioning with the service. The service is embedded with procedures and policies that have been delivered down from Scottish and UK legislations and Acts, such legislations stem down mostly from The United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child and The United Declaration of Human Rights. Acts include, Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, this new version of the act put a system in place to support children and young people and to help detect any problems at an early stage, rather than waiting until a child or young person reaches crisis point. The act also provides extra support for looked after young people in care to try to make sure they have the same opportunities as other children and young people. From this act staff and other agencies have become involved in a collaboratively producing a single childs plan for each child at a Team around the child (TATC) meeting, instead of one per agency. This plan covers the support the child receives, why and how long they will receive it. The service n ow, because of this act, will offer support and advice to children through to high schools Year 1, but due to funding not children aged 12+. Barnardos also constructs it policies and procedures, for example Adoption, Kinship care, Childrens hearings in line with this act, while offering support and advice on accessing the free childcare this act now delivers to 2 and 3 year olds. The Data Protection Act 1998 is another key legislation enshrined through the service right from the initial Staff Learning plan on the first day with Data Protection training, Safeguarding, IT training and is written through the policies and procedures instructing staff how to handle confidential data and personal details and the SSSCs Codes of Conduct. The act is set to change in 2017 and Barnardos are ready to adapt their procedures ready for this review. Other acts whose principles can be identified in the workings of the Barnardos include Equality Act 2010, Child Protection Act 1989, Health and Safety Act, Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act 2009. Steaming from these legislations the service incorporates the frameworks and approaches such as Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) which is a Scottish approach steaming from the UNCRC and Every Child Matters, which came about after the Victoria Climbie report (which also triggered changes to the Borders Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, Childrens Act 2004 and created the role of Childrens Commissioner). These approaches have moulded and shaped the training and practice found in Barnardos entrenching their values and mission statements. Barnardos embrace the attachment theory (Holmes, 1993, Ch. 3) delivering early intervention strategies such as Five to Thrive developed by Kate Cairns which is then fed down into parent groups and all contact with children, reinforcing the need for parents to nurture a child, co regulate using Dr Williams (2011) technique of Mindfulness to approach anxiety, stress and depression. To obtain a position at Barnardos you must possess either a HNC, HND (with or without an SVQ 3) or Degree relevant to the job in a range of social work, health, education or community development fields, or, for some posts, relevant experience. The job titles within the service include Project worker (Grades 1,2 and 3), Nurture facilitator, Attainment officer, Team Manager, Assistant Project worker, Childrens services manager, administration, volunteer co coordinator. In accordance to the Child Protection Act all employees must possess an Enhanced Disclosure and provide at least 2 references, one at least from a previous employer. Upon commencement of a position with in the service Health and Safety training and Safeguarding code of Conduct will be given on the first day along with the corporate safeguarding, child protection policy and professional boundaries policy. This initial training is to protect the individual and the service, acknowledging the role and boundaries of the job, health and safety in the building and while out with service users. The employee is given training on computer usage, private, professional email accounts to maintain confidentiality, During the following week, the employee will then be trained on Barnardos intranet Bhive to complete eLearning, Data Protection, Equality and Diversity, further Health and Safety training, Promoting Equality and Valuing Diversity at Work, Whistleblowing, Services Policy handbook, the Complaints Induction and Information Sharing Courses. This initial staff training must be completed in compliance with the Data Protection Act, Child Protection Act and the Equality and Diversity Act as all Barnardos staff should be working in alignment with the Codes of Conduct and With Barnardos being registered with the Scottish Social. Inverclyde Council provide 3 mandatory training sessions on GIRFEC that staff must attend and Kate Cairns associates deliver Five to Thrive training which is the attachment ethos Barnardos is built on. Services employees must withhold the same values, principles and roles that the service depicts, adhere to the SSSC Code of Conduct with the service being registered and put the child first at all times. Reference Books Cairns, K. (2002). Attachment, trauma and resilience: Therapeutic caring for children. London: British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF). (Cairns, 2002) Holmes, J. (1993). John Bowlby and attachment theory. New York: Routledge (Holmes 1993, CH 3) Williams, M. J. G., Penman, D., Kabat-Zinn, J., Professor of Political Science Mark Williams (2011). Mindfulness: An eight-week plan for finding peace in a frantic world. New York, NY, United States: Rodale Books. (Williams, Penman, Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Political Science Mark Williams, 2011 p 46-89) Websites Barnardos BHive animation (2017, February 27). Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/103703202 Barnardos. (2017). UKs leading childrens charity. Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://barnardos.org.uk/ Borders, citizenship and immigration act 2009 UK parliament. (2009, July 20). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/borderscitizenshipandimmigrationhl.html Data protection. (2017, February 27). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.gov.uk/data-protection Equality, rights, S., updates, see all, Government Equalities Office, Equality and Human Rights Commission. (2015, June 16). Equality act 2010: Guidance. Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance Government, S., House, S. A., Road, R., ceu, 0131 556 8400. (2013, January 30). Additional support for learning. Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/welfare/ASL Government, S., House, S. A., Road, R., ceu, 0131 556 8400. (2017, February 27). Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://www.gov.scot/Topics/People/Young-People/gettingitright Health and safety at work etc act 1974 legislation explained. (2016, June 30). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm. Leonard, A. (2017). The children young people (Scotland) act. Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.cypcs.org.uk/policy/children-young-people-scotland-act SSSC codes of practice for social service workers and employers Scottish social services council. Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://www.sssc.uk.com/about-the-sssc/multimedia-library/publications/37-about-the-sssc/information-material/61-codes-of-practice/1020-sssc-codes-of-practice-for-social-service-workers-and-employers The UN Convention on the rights of the child tenth report of session 2002-03. (2002). Retrieved from https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt200203/jtselect/jtrights/117/117.pdf Universal declaration of human rights. Retrieved February 28, 2017, from http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html

Health care in the Amish culture

Health care in the Amish culture The religious and cultural beliefs of the Amish culture have led to variations in health care practices that are different from main stream American culture. The Amish have a health care belief system that includes traditional remedies passed from one generation to the next. Amish families are without health insurance and though concerned about paying medical expenses, most of the time the extended family, friends, and the church help pay for the expenses. For example if a female infant of the Amish family is in the hospital for an extended period of time the biological and extended family visit frequently and bring in their own food in bags. The grandmother and neighbors would gather the children in the hospital waiting room to feed and entertain them while the mother would visit her baby daughter in the neonatal care unit. The father would most likely visit on weekends. The family would speak Pennsylvania Dutch among themselves but use English in speaking with the health care provi ders. The children in the family are dressed like undersized replicas of their parents. They are in distinctive clothing that is subdued and devoid of any designs of flowers, figures or animals on the material. The little girls wear long dresses and head coverings, while the little boys wear trousers with suspenders. Some of the older boys wear broad-brimmed hats. All are very polite and well mannered. This Amish family appears to come from another time, another place. In an instant the Amish family came into another world, the world of high tech health care. One may well surmise the cultural shock of this encounter. AMISH HERITAGE The Amish are a conservative Protestant group who emerged after 1693 as a descendent of the Anabaptist movement that originated from Switzerland and spread to neighboring Germany. The Amish parted ways with the larger Anabaptist group, now known as the Mennonites, over a doctrinal dispute, (Hostetler 1993) and immigrated to America in the 17th 18th century after experiencing religious persecution in Europe. The diverse subgroups of the Amish Culture have distinctive beliefs, values, and behaviors). Today the Amish stand somewhere between the parent body, the Mennonites, and the four groups of Amish: Swartzentruber (ultra conservative), Andy Weaver (conservative), Old Order (conservative), and the New Order (less conservative). The New Order leads a more progressive path that diverged from the Old Order in 1968 (Blair Hurst 1997). The New Order of Amish attempts to balance distinctive rituals and practices against accommodations. Over time the Amish have adapted to some change but at their own pace. In various rural regions of the United States, especially in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, there are large settlements or communities of Amish families. About 75% of the estimated Amish total population of over 130,000 is concentrated in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In these areas good farmland can be purchased reasonably as agriculture is the main stay of their economy. Holmes County in Millersburg, Ohio has the largest population of Amish in the United States as compared to the more widely known areas of Amish settlements in Lancaster, Pennsylvania or Elkart, Indiana. The population in Holmes county is 38, 943 and about 18,000 of that are of Amish descent (Holmes County Chamber of Commerce 2002). Amish Mutual Network The Amish community has a very strong network of mutual support and assistance for its families. Amish barn raising is one example where several hundred men from many church districts gather to build a new barn. The Amish women plan and prepare the meals for the workers and take the food to the site. Smaller networks with projects called frolics occur when several neighbors and extended families and friends gather to help build a small building such as a shed or corn crib. Another example of Amish mutual aid is the harvesting of crops. A serious illness or accident brings an immediate response of both emotional and financial support from their community. In Holmes County, Ohio, for example, a cooperative effort by both Amish and non-Amish people resulted in the formation of the Rainbow of Hope Foundation. This foundation assists all families in the area with health care costs affecting infants and children. Bake sales, benefit auctions, and private donations assist in raising the needed funds. There is a genuine ritualistic response to human troubles in the Amish close knit family environment. Family Roles The Amish father is responsible for providing for his family through farm work or by employment in the local community. Many Amish men are working away from the farm with the declining availability of farmland. Many Amish men work as carpenters, masons or laborers in factories. Some have home based businesses such as furniture making, harness repair or the shoeing of horses. Amish culture teaches girls to serve and please others such as their parents, husbands and relatives. An Amish wife is identified by using her husbands name, eg. Eli Katie means Elis wife, Katie. The social life for an Amish woman is centered around church, funerals, quilting bees, baking, barn raising and frolics. Amish families usually have many children. Amish women raise on average seven children. On the family farm, parents and older siblings model work roles for the younger siblings. Children are an economic asset to the family as they assist with farm chores, gardening, mowing of lawns, housework or work i n a small family business. These activities involving children serve to strengthen family ties and promote survival of the Amish life-style. Genetics Intermarriage among the Amish culture has resulted in the presence of a large number of recessive disorders, many of which are unrecognized outside of the Amish population. Consanguinity (relatives marrying relatives) accounts for the transmission of these various disorders. When a group of individuals mates only among themselves allele (alternate form of a gene) frequencies may change as a result of chance sampling from a small pocket of a population. This change of allele frequency is termed genetic drift. The founder effect is a common type of this genetic drift. A founder effect is when a community of people have descended from a few founders and have their own collection of inherited disorders that are rare in other areas (Lewis 2001). Amish couples are not deterred from having more children when they have a child with a hereditary defect. An abnormal child is referred to as a special child and is accepted as Gods will (Julia 1996). http://dw.com.com/redir?tag=rbxira.2.a.10destU rl=http://www.cnet.com/b.gif CONCEPTION, PRENATAL CARE, AND BIRTH Babies are a welcomed gift in the Amish culture and are viewed as a gift from God. The Amish view fertility as a family and community gift. They nurture these children in preparation for eternal life (Purnell 1998). Most Amish couples do not use birth control to limit their family size, since it is believed that use of birth control would be interfering with Gods will. Therapeutic abortions, amniocentesis and other invasive prenatal diagnostic testing are also not acceptable. Amish folk wisdom is an integral part of their prenatal practices, for example: walking under a clothesline will result in a stillbirth or crawling through a window or under a table will cause the umbilical cord to be wrapped around the babys neck. Lamaze classes are usually held in a church close to the Amish community to ease transportation barriers. Prenatal care is started in the first trimester for a first pregnancy and much later for subsequent pregnancies if the mother has no problems. The distance to the doctor and cost of care can influence the number of prenatal visits and how soon prenatal care is started. Complications such as pregnancy induced hypertension and diabetes is low in the Amish culture most likely due to the well nourished state of the mother (Julia, 1996). Typically prenatal visits are scheduled every eight weeks, rather than every 4 weeks, during the first two trimesters to reduce the expenditures of money and time for prenatal care. Amish express their preference for prenatal care that promotes the use of nurse midwives, lay midwives, home deliveries, and limited use of high technology. The Amish desire culturally congruent and safe health care services. In preparation for childbirth a five week formula (5-W) is sometimes used in the last five weeks of pregnancy. It is thought that the herbs in this formula tone and calm the uterus, quiet the nerves, ease pain, and help make labor easier and on time. In addition, it has been known to help with menstrual disorders, morning sickness and hot flashes. The herbs included in this formula are: Red Rasberry Leaves: This herb has been used as an old friend to treat diarrhea, vomiting and the flu. It is used for similar purposes of relieving nausea and pain in labor. Red raspberry capsules and red raspberry teas are also used. Butchers Broom Root: This herb is used for hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and thrombosis. In addition, it is a diuretic, anti-inflammatory and improves circulation. This herb contains pseudo steroidal saponins which cause blood vessels to constrict and blood to thin. During the final months of pregnancy women may have circulatory problems such as varicose veins; therefore this herb is considered important. Black Cohosh Root: This is a hormonal herb. It has an estrogenic effect because it contains compounds which mimic the effects of estrogen; therefore it is contraindicated in the early stages of pregnancy as it could bring on premature labor. This herb has a nervine effect which relieves spastic muscles, dilates peripheral blood vessels and helps reduce blood pressure. These actions aid the uterus and other muscles during labor. The anti-cramping effect of black cohosh is thought to help reduce pain during delivery. Black cohosh is also used to treat menopausal and PMS symptoms and menstrual cramps. Because black cohosh may minimic the action of estrogen, anyone who has had a cancer thats estrogen sensitive, such as breast, endometrial or ovarian, should avoid using it. Since this root contains a blood-thinner, it should not be taken with bloodthinning medications (such as coumadin or heparin). Dong Quai Root: The anti-inflammatory and diuretic effect of this herb is used for treating swelling prior to labor. During labor it eases smooth muscle contractions and gives a general sedative effect. This herb, in Chinese medicine, is considered a blood building tonic as it is high in iron, magnesium, and niacin. This Chinese herb is sometimes referred to as a female ginseng and is used extensively in China as a postpartum tonic. Squaw Vine Root: This herb is used to prepare the uterus for childbirth and is also used to speed up delivery and encourage regular contractions. It has an antispasmodic action. (Pederson, 1987; Willard, 1991; Tarr, 1984, Block, 1984). The Amish have no major taboos or requirements for labor and delivery. The women labor in soft pastel colored gowns. Men may be present and most husbands choose to be involved. Delivery may be at home with a midwife, at the birthing center, or at a hospital. VISITING THE AMISH COMMUNITY Their simple life style practices numerous social controls to avoid modernization. However, interaction with the outside world often occurs in the health care arena when an Amish person requires hospitalization for medical care. To better understand the Amish culture related to obstetrical care several nursing faculty visited an Amish Birthing Center in Indiana called the New Eden Care Center which is located in the beautiful countryside of Topeka, Indiana. An adaptation by the Amish to modern medical and nursing practices are the Amish Birthing Centers (Kreps Kreps 1997). This Amish Birthing Center was built in 1997, not from local, state, or federal government funds but from private subscriptions and donations mainly from the surrounding community. This facility is designed to be an alternative for those who prefer not going to the hospital for the delivery of their babies but who recognize the need for skilled care before, during, and after delivery. New Eden Care Center is a place where the physician or midwife can bring their patient for delivery in a more relaxed, home-like environment (Philosophy of New Eden Care Center). Since this facility provides services for the low risk population, all women are screened by their physician or nurse midwife before their arrival. Admission to the facility is opened to anyone upon recommendation and approval of their physician or nurse midwife. The need for this birthing center came from the fact that many of the people in the area are Amish and do not have commercial insurance or coverage for obstetrical car e. Thus the Amish prefer not to go to the hospital with its high cost. This center features a plain relaxing decor with no television sets or phones in the patients rooms, and no separate nursery or delivery room. Labor, delivery and postpartum care are all given in the patients room, better known as LDRP rooms. Newborn babies stay in the room with the mothers. Fees for the use of the New Eden Care Center cover current expenses, repairs, and maintenance of this facility. A flat fee is charged for the birth itself and 72 hours of care starting from the time of admission. There are additional fees for extra supplies such as PKU screening, intravenous solutions, and medications. The nurse midwives and physicians fees are separate from the birthing center fees. At times the fees are bartered for. For example, one of the nurse midwives had a new front porch put on her home to cover for her fee. In addition meats have been given for payments. Services of the birthing center included general nursing care, housekeeping, and meals brought in during the patients stay. Families bring in food for the delivering mother and often eat together in the large home-like kitchen area provided at the birthing center. The center includes 3 MSN prepared nurse midwives and 9 physicians. No prenatal classes are offered by the center but the classes are provided by a staff RN from the center at a nearby church. Prenatal care is provided by the midwives either at their offices, located at the center, or in the homes of their patients. Many of the mothers prefer coming to the midwives offices for the prenatal classes as they enjoy the private and quiet time. The care center provides hitching posts with special parking areas for the traditional horse and buggy as well as a barn for overnight lodging of the Amish horses. Since there are no phones in Amish homes, a red bag tied to a large hook placed on the top of the barn is used to signal neigh bors whenever additional help is needed in the center (cleaning and laundry). All of the midwives, upon request, will do home deliveries. Suction, oxygen, and IV equipment are a few of the supplies they routinely take with them. One of the midwives described her experience following a home delivery. It was a very foggy night and it took me awhile to get to the Amish home. It was well worth the difficult drive when following the delivery a great peace seemed to take over in the still of the night as I listened to the singing of the dad to the newborn, the creaking of the dads rocking chair, and the hum from the kerosene lantern. Where else could one hear such beautiful, peaceful sounds. Culture exerts a great influence on the prenatal family and determines the appropriate interventions to be given to provide competent nursing care. It is increasingly necessary to understand the cultural and behavioral patterns of the individuals whom we serve in our practices. Rapid growth of the Amish population and diverse geographical locations augment the probability that health care practitioners may care for Amish families. Health care practitioners can tailor their delivery of care for Amish families if they understand the Amish cultural practices and modify their services to keep it simple. This Amish Birthing Facility, New Eden Care Center, is an example of wonderful adaptation by the Amish people to modern nursing and medical practices while at the same time maintaining their values of simplicity, low cost and accommodation to the use of their horse and buggy. Here the Amish can remain separate from the wider English society while still interfacing with it when health care is involved in birthing babies. Obstetrical Amish health care can be of excellent quality, with licensed medical and nursing personnel, at a reduced cost to both the Amish and the English society. This is an important consideration in todays ever increasing health care costs.

Against Animal Testing Essay -- Animal Rights

Animal testing has started long back in the ancient Greek times. Greek physician Galen dissected animals, this became known as vivisection, which he studied. Since then animal testing has long grew. Over the many years our people have been either against or with animal testing. Animal testing has been an issue that has been occurring for many years and will continue into our future. Over the years our culture has created organizations for people both sides of this topic trying to convince others to be choosing a side. We the people are now able to make our own decision on which side we want to be on. Animal testing is seen as useful reasons for medical experimentation due to animals being genetically similar to humans. Mice and rats are nearly identical to humans in their genetic components. Rodents make up 95% of the animals used in testing while the other 5% consist of monkeys, fish, birds, etc. Animal testing has been very important to our society, it has been a step in ensuring the safety of new pharmaceuticals and medical procedures. Journalist John Cook notes in the online magazine Salon, "There is virtually no new drug--from Viagra to Prozac to Claritin--that has been brought to market in recent decades without a large number of animals dying in the process." There have been many new vaccines and surgical procedures that have been derived from animal testing. Supports of animal testing agree with the practice, it has a positive impact of society. Supports also believe that without animal testing, researchers would have a difficult time learning the safety of drugs. Anima ls "are the best possible models we have short of humans, and experimenting on people is not acceptable," says Frankie Trull, the president of the Founda... ... References: Mason, Heather (5/25/04). Americans Unruffled by Animal Testing. Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing. Biever, Celeste (5/13/06). Can computer models replace animal testing? New Scientist, Vol. 190 Animal Testing. (2006, March 31). Issues & Controversies On File. Retrieved August 3, 2006, from Issues & Controversies @ FACTS.com database. Testing times, Animal experiments (6/10/06). The Economist (US).Retrieved August 3, 2006, from Health & Wellness. Animal Testing 101 (8/12/06). PETA Retrieved August 12, 2006 from Stop Animal Testing.com Animal testing (2006) The Humane Society of the United States .Retrieved August 20, 2006. The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique (1958). W.M.S. Russell and R.L. Burch Center For Alternatives To Animal Testing. The Johns Hopkins University 1997-2006.

How animal research has advanced the understanding of depression :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Animal models have made numerous progresses in the last century. This type of research has made a difference in the way we look at psychological issues such as depression. This paper is a review of the literature on animal models of depression. The issue of what advances have been made will be explored. The effects of serotonin on many issues have been studied. In this paper stress, learning, memory, brain derived neurotrophic factor, ovarian hormone withdrawal, and effects of certain drugs will be looked at. Let’s look at stress and serotonin first. Stress   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A study done by Grippo, Sullivan, Damjanoska and colleages (2004) shows that chronic mild stress provokes behavioral and physiological changes and may change serotonin receptor function in rats. In this study sixty four Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Half were male and the other half were female. The following stimuli were used as stressors which include:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Continuous light for 2 12 hour periods   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Forty degree tilt along vertical axis of cage for 6 hour period   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paired housing for a 16 hour period and 4 hour period   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Damp bedding with 300 mL water spilled on bedding for 16 hour period   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Water deprivation for 16 hour period   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Empty water bottle following 16 hour water deprivation for 1 hour   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stroboscopic light with 300 flashes a minute for a 6 hour period and 4 hour period   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White noise at approximately 90 dB for 4 hour period of continuous noise and a 3 hour period with random intermittent noise All the stressors were given over a period of one week, and randomly presented for 3 additional weeks for a total of 4 week trial. All the rats were injected with a receptor agonist and were decapitated 15 minutes after the injection for the trunk blood. The 4 week trial resulted in the rats showing signs of depression, and satisfied adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) responses to the receptor agonist. The trials also sparked a lack of pleasure in both male and female rats.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another studied related to stress was done by Gregus, Wintink, David and Lalynchik (2005). This study looked at corticosterone injections and stress and how this relates to depression. Sixty naà ¯ve Long-Evans male rats were used. The rats were randomly assigned to 4 groups and were given corticosterone injections (CORT), vehicle injections, repeated restraint stress and repeated handling. These treatments were given for 21 days. The CORT group and vehicle group were given injections at random times during the light and dark cycles.

Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being Essay

In Milan Kundera’s novel, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, the author uses plenty of literary elements to tie together his points in an effort to help readers understand the basic premise behind the work. Though there are plenty of literary themes that can be found throughout the work, the most important ones are the themes that Kundera uses, as well as the characters in the novel. By creatively using these things in his work, Kundera helps explain what might have otherwise been a fairly complex ideal. In addition, the author is able to tie these things together to create a measure of clarity for readers as they progress through the work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Theme is used in the novel to get across the basic ideas that the author is set on impressing into the reader. Since the novel relies mostly on ambiguous ideas to get across hard to find points, the utilization of different themes are critically important to the development of the story. As one might expect from the title of the work, Kundera uses lightness and the idea of weight as one of the primary themes throughout the book. Even in the title, one can see the dichotomy that exists. Lightness in itself is not something that should be too heavy to bear. Yet, the author is able to masterfully intertwine these two ideas to convey the point of his story. Through the entire work, the characters of the book are searching hard within themselves to find a solution to the primary question presented in the title. Their search for the important things in life is done in order to both find meaning and relieve themselves of some of the heaviness that their being light creates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another important theme that the author uses is politics. Though the characters carry on with their lives throughout the work, they are constantly linked to both each other and to their collective pasts by their underlying political beliefs. A good example of this can be found on page 123 of the novel, when Sabina receives word that the political situation in Prague has cost Tomas and Tereza their lives. The book reads, â€Å"She could not get over the news. The link to her past had been broken† (123). English expert Jay Braiman describes a literary theme as, â€Å"The main idea or message conveyed by the piece† (Braiman). It is clear in the story that the author uses both politics and the idea of weight as the main idea in the work. The desire to escape from the weight of life was something that drove each of the characters, while politics served as a main idea in trying all of the characters together.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Characters were the second literary element used by the author to create the work. Not only do the characters power the action, but they shed a little bit of light into the what the other characters were thinking. Simply having characters is not enough to establish something as an important literary element. As the author clearly understood, the characters must be used in the most efficient, useless way possible in order to help push the idea of the story forward. The characters in this novel are not just there for an arbitrary reason. Instead, they play an active role in the story in establishing the primary aspects of plot development. A Eugene Knight book review of the work talks to the importance of the characters by saying, â€Å"The very fact that they stay together and seem to find some degree of happiness illustrates that an acceptance of a relationship that falls well short of satisfying and fulfilling hopes, is possible† (Knight). One can easily see that the author used the literary element of characters to tie in the many themes that he utilized and help the reader understand the underlying conflict in Czechoslovakia at the time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, the book is a commentary on the reasons why people need people so much. This is a complex idea to establish, especially when one considers the fact that it is set against such a tough background. Kundera established his excellent work on the basis that his characters would do the talking for him. Instead of having to explain things to readers to get them to buy in to the main point of the book, he had characters live out their real life experiences to get across the points. Even more importantly than that, he was able to bring the characters closer to the themes that were so important to the author in this book. No one literary theme overtook the book or overpowered it. They all worked together in a sanctimonious harmony that not only told a story, but helped the reader interpret the story. The idea that a person who is too light could not bear that weight is a ridiculous one at first, but as the reader further understands the things that the characters are going through, they can begin to see how such a dichotomy can become quite a conundrum. Works Cited Braiman, Jay. Literary Devices. 2007. < http://mrbraiman.home.att.net/lit.htm> Knight, Eugene. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Review. < http://bookreviews.nabou.com/reviews/unbearable_lightness_kundera.html> Kundera, Milan. The Unbearable Lightness of Being. 4 May 2004. HarperCollins Publishing. Raudino, Guiseppe. Socialism and Arts. August 2007.

Education in Private and Public Schools Essay

Over the past years, there has been lots of interest among the policy makers to compare private and public elementary and secondary schools in the United States. In a sense, both private and public schools follow the same general goals set out in 1979. These goals as Sizer pointed out are expected to serve equally well both the American’s public and private elementary and high school (p. 349). These goals according to Sizer aimed to develop the students’ fundamental scholastic capacity and to make them competitive and responsible individual. Both the private and public are expected to come up with this end, and to touch most aspects of an adolescent’s existence, mind, body, values and career. Generally, as reported by Teresa Mendez in her article said that private schools had performed very satisfactory during the latest Standardized Test for scoring higher than public school. This report summarized the concept that private schools are getting more professional in performing their jobs. This report is very significant since America has set educational policies that are common for both public and private schools. Sizer had stated in his book â€Å"What High School Is† that despite America’s multi-diverse culture and decentralized school government, most schools across America are common in terms of vision or goals related to academic achievements of students. However, as one will look into Sizer’s discussion of similar circumstances and scenario inside a high school in California, he or she can notice some problems regarding students’ attitude and behavior inside and outside the classroom. In particular Sizer portrayed this concept through Mark who is a student who is bored and uninterested with school requirements. On the other hand, there are teachers and staffs who are busy with work and mindful of responsibility at home. These two parties are both elements that comprise education and yet, it seems that the academic goals or vision are not emphasized. This is because; Mark being a recipient of the knowledge appeared to be passive and stubborn since knowledge is somehow undesirable on his view, while teachers and staff are not good mover or instruments of those knowledge. This concept presented by Sizer is common in America, and he seems trying to reconcile the educational goals with proper implementation by adapting some changes in terms of school policy. To better understand this, it is important to analyze the school system in America and how it tries to meet the present needs of the educational system of America, as well as its impact to the existing scenario in most schools. Given the same objective, we can expect less difference although we may expect much similarity between public and private high school education. But studies conducted by the National Center for Education Statistic showed that there are many differences in the public and private education. They explained that although the central goal of education is the same with public and private but both can freely choose objectives and goals related to what has been set up by the government (p. 7). This means that, each school has freedom to set objectives and goal, yet, all of them should match the overall goals of the central government. These goals are directed towards the fundamental academic achievements, career and economic competence, citizenship and civil responsibility, aesthetic awareness and cultural diversity of the students (Sizer, p. 349 – 350). In general, education in America as they view it should cater to the growth and development of individual for the country’s fundamental advancement whether in public or in private schools. It is evident in most schools in America that even though, private and public schools follow through same principles in terms of educational system, and yet, they are differ in many ways from curriculum to policies. The findings of the study done by the National Center for Education Statistic reveals that majority of the public school have curriculum with emphasis on basic literacy and reading skills as their most important goal, while private schools chose to put priority on religious development of their students (p. 8). However, other results of analysis and studies of NCES showed that faculties in public schools are more professional than those in the private school as public school uses a full range of professional living requirements. The article published by the NCES entitled â€Å"Teacher Professionalization and Teacher Commitment: A Multilevel Analysis† noted that teachers in public school are required to have a substantive training in areas of specialization, complete accredited training program, and passage of examination (p. 25). Whereas teachers in private schools, the report appears to be less professional on many ways (p. 25). The report also cited that there is more turnover of teachers in private schools than in public schools. This indicates that public school have more stable teaching force than the private school as public school teachers are receiving much higher salaries which is one of the important factor for teacher to stay in their work. Aside from that, the article noted that private school teachers receive inferior salaries that cause high turn over on the part of private schools. Thus, the report shows that despite the privileges and benefits received by teachers in public school, these teachers have shown lesser commitment as compared to teachers in private schools. In comparison, neophyte teachers from private and public school have greater commitment than those in senior level or those teachers receiving higher salary (p. 26-27). Other factors associated with increase in commitment in teachers according to study are: high-end-of career salary and individual autonomy for teachers. The professionalization and commitment of teachers affect so much the credibility of education imparted to students. Policies implemented in the school system certainly affect the general performance of the school. The goal which the school is heading have influenced not only on the teachers but among the student as well. Roelande Hofman said that studies have shown that private schools have a positive effect on academic achievement (p. 119). Hofman pointed out that private school have the freedom to the kind of students they want to enroll and kick out students who display behavior that violates their own set of rules. Because of this autonomy, it gives the private school authority to reject or to accept students which the public school had only limited autonomy (p. 19). On students and parents preference, private school seemed to attract more because of selection policy. Hofman noted that in public school, the diversity of students’ background as the individual characteristic of students home environment affect with the school. It means that the behavior and conduct of students in school affects the general performance of the school in the areas of character and conduct as Sizer has portrayed in his book, many of the students seemed to have lost appetite to seriously search and acquire knowledge through schooling. In fact, students’ activities inside the campus appeared to be unmonitored by the school authorities as students can transact illegal drugs inside the school premises. Whereas in private school, students activities are daily monitored and any unacceptable manner or any violation of the given rules would easily be met with either warning or punishment. The issue is that the student feels more responsible to study well as they carry in themselves the pride that they there among other students like them who are truly sincere in their study. In general, it appears that though the teachers in the public school have a much better salaries and benefit systems and are more stable in their position compared to their peers in the private schools, yet private school teachers are more committed in their work than teachers in the public school. Second, the policy and goals and vision seem to work well in the private school despite of the fact that teachers in the public school are more professional and more trained and more fitted to work because of the specialization in the field they are handling. Third, that despite of the fact that teachers in private school are less qualified in the position given the requirements required for a public school teacher, yet private school appeared to be preferential choice of parents and students for one more reason disciplined. The similarities between public and private have been quite obvious in the levels of commitment of female teachers than their male counterpart. Both the public and private teachers reflect that female teachers are slightly committed than their male counter part. The article cited that those who are more experienced teachers have less commitment than those new ones which is the same with the private schools. Aside from this, there was not much given similarities between the public and private school. In fact, some authors were even exaggerated to express that what is between public and private are distinct difference in all aspect. Thus, the similarities given were limited only in comparison of male and female teacher in the public as well as in the private school.