History of Childcare Essay Example for Free

History of Childcare Essay History of Childcare Institutions and Qualifications During this essay I will be outlining the history of childcare institutions and qualifications and how they have developed in relation to the needs of the country, family needs and society. I will be looking at the following occupations wet nurses, governesses, nannies and nursery nurses and how qualifications have developed within these roles. I shall them to the qualifications of the present day and how gender and social class have impacted on these professions. Also I shall consider how the curriculum content has changed to meet the demands of the ever changing role of the childcare worker and how it relates to my teaching practice currently and in the future. When focusing on childcare a fundamental starting point is considering the role of the wet nurse and why she was popular and in demand. Wet nursing can date back as far as Moses. When the princess found baby Moses floating down the Nile she asked Miriam to find a wet nurse. In Ancient Egypt poor women used to supplement their income by becoming wet nurses for the upper class citizens or mothers who could not produce enough milk. Contracts were drawn up between them to â€Å"ensure the wet nurse provided good milk; preventing the wet nurse from nursing other children, having sex, or becoming pregnant† (history-wet-nursing, 2011). In many cultures wet nurses were an ancient tradition, for example within the Chinese culture, before the Second World War, wet nursing was common practice. The Communists tried to outlaw the practice but in the 21st century it has become a status symbol and due to the melamine milk scandal this ancient profession has seen a revival. Wet nurses in China today must leave their own children, maintain a special diet, and undergo training in certain cases. Furthermore, if the babies that they nurse do not grow 20 grams each day, the wet nurses are fined by their employers. † (history-wet-nursing, 2011) During the Victorian era it was common place for the upper classes to employ a wet nurse as once more this was seen as a status symbol. Other reasons were that women of this era were usually married to authoritarian husbands who believed that breast feeding interfered with sex and the women themselves assumed that it would disfigure their breasts. Furthermore, during this time infant mortality was high and upper class families were encouraged to have large families to ensure the survival of an heir. Breast feeding provided a form of contraception and prevented ovulation thus, spacing out pregnancies. It wasn’t uncommon for babies to be sent to a wet nurse’s home for 18 to 24 months in order for the mother to become pregnant again. Often a wet nurse could be feeding many children including their own (sometimes to their detriment) and was either paid as well as a labourer or received nothing at all. Morisot, The Wet Nurse (1880) According to Valerie Fildes there were three types of wet nurses â€Å"the parish nurse who took in parish infants and was usually receiving poor relief herself; the nurses of the London Foundling Hospital who worked under the supervision of inspectors; the privately employed nurse, for whom wet-nursing was a significant and continuing occupation for which she received a good wage both in money and in kind: often she was cared for by her nurse-children in later life and received the occasional bequest from them. † (Fildes, 1988, p. 43) The qualities required for a wet nurse by the Victorians were worked out in enormous detail. She should have an attractive face, clear eyes, well made nose, red mouth, white teeth and a deep chest. The shape of her breasts was very important and their size shape and colour were all taken into account. She should also have a good personality, speak well, not be pregnant or desire the company of her husband. The reasons for these specific qualities were that it was thought that they would be transferred through the breast milk to the child (Fildes, 1988). By the middle of the 19th century wet nurses had virtually disappeared although isolated examples still existed (Churchill had a wet nurse). Surprisingly, wet nursing is making a reappearance in society today, there are wet nursing agencies where mothers can employ a wet nurse. Within society today, a woman may choose this option due to health reasons for example extreme illness or disease such as AIDS, an inability to produce breast milk or multiple births. What is more, this privilege is still confined to the upper and middle classes of society who have the means to pay. However, during the Victorian era this may have been seen as common practice but during this century it is quite often seen as a taboo subject,as pregnant mothers are given information about the benefits of breastfeeding from health professionals who actively encourage new mothers to conform with this practice. Alongside this there is the pressure from government initiative and more detailed research, that are changing the ideology of society thinking dismissing the Victorian idea of wet nursing as a status symbol. When comparing the person specification of the wet nurse in the 19th century to today’s wet nurses, it appears that there are some similarities such as being in good health, not smoking or consuming alcohol. Today, they are also vetted and tested for transferable diseases due to the fact more is understood about these by society and health professionals. Furthermore, wet nurses need to have a baby of a similar age in order for the milk to be of the right constitution and they would usually live or work in the employer’s home whereas previously they would have been taken to the wet nurses home. Following on from the wet nurse there is the emergence of nannies. The history of nannies can be traced back as far as the seventeenth century. The English nanny was an institution and was most popular during the 18th century. She is often portrayed in books and films as a kind, gentle woman who children adored; in fiction such as Jayne Eyre, Mary Poppins and more recently Nanny McFee. Before training developed nannies were often what were known as â€Å"gentlewomen† who had fallen on hard time and had to support themselves. They saw being a nanny as a solution to their predicament. Not all nannies were kind, some were extremely cruel. The nanny usually had a great deal of power and responsibility within the home; she had her own quarters to look after the children usually at the top of the house. The upper classes, employed nannies in order for them to continue their leisurely life style. Children at the time were also viewed as they should be â€Å"seen and not heard† and parents left it to the nanny to have total care and responsibility for their upbringing. Parents only spent a short time in the day with them accompanied by the nanny. The nanny would usually have a nursery maid to assist her who would do the menial tasks such as preparing meals and laundry. On the whole, nannies learned from other nannies and progression was usually nursery – maid, nursemaid or under nurse, sometimes a period of working as a second nanny, and then finally a nanny in her own right. In 1892 the first training college was set up by Emily Ward. She ran a school for young children in Norland Place and recognised the need for training. She was one of the earliest advocates of the Froebel system of teaching which was based on the approach â€Å"that all children are born good, and that to help them develop, adults need to provide the right environment and activities. These protect the child from learning bad habits of â€Å"evil tendencies†(Tassoni, 2006, p19). Emily Ward found that many of the students who went to her for training were not academic and found the Froebel examination too difficult despite her students being very practical and having a great love of children. Emily Ward recognised that if the students could be trained, not only would it benefit the children but would provide a new profession for girls of the educated classes. Students were charged a fee of thirty six pounds which covered six months training. The students were also expected to wear a uniform which Emily Ward thought would identify them as professionals and not have them mistaken for housemaids. This leads me to believe that originally the role the nanny was seen for women to earn a respectable living when they found themselves to be in a financial predicament rather than needing a formal qualification. However, during the latter stage of the 19th century the introduction of a formal qualification and fee for training transformed nanning into a profession, but still only allowed educated middle class, girls the opportunity. The students training was broken down into the following:- â€Å"Three fortnights for cooking, laundry, and domestic work, and six weeks spent in the Norland Place School, looking on at lessons, and giving help to the teachers. † (Gibbs, 1960, pg 178) Lectures given in the morning and the afternoons were spent exercising (walks in the fresh air), the evenings were for learning needlework. The second three months were spent in hospital training and the students were then given one month’s holiday before taking a post in a private family as a children’s nurse. If the employer was happy with the student she would continue for another three months and only then would the Norland Certificate be awarded. By today’s standards training was centred around domestic science rather than understanding the child and how they develop, which would confer with the ideology of woman’s role within society at that time as the traditional housewife. However, at a glance nanny’s of today are still required to fulfil domestic duties such as cooking and laundry but this is not curricular based but, has more emphasis on the development of the child. By 1904 the training changed slightly as it was realized that students needed to gain practical experience to do their job and a small nursery was set up overseen by experienced children’s nurses with the students acting as under-nurses. This practice was highly regarded by employers when the students obtained posts, and is seen favourably and useful by employers today. By 1924 fees had risen to eighty pounds and the college expanded. During the Second World War the college and nursery evacuated to Devon, but many of the students gave up their training and joined the women’s services. After the war the college relocated to Chislehurst and students began training again. The course itself was extended from six months to twenty one months and included â€Å"domestic science, educations training, residential nursery training and a hospital nurse course. Students were also taught story-telling and games for the under-fives. (Gibbs, 1960, pg 180) Great emphasis was placed within the training on the needs of the small child, students gained experience of this from working in the nursery attached to the college and nursery schools and infant welfare centres outside of the college. An examination was also introduced at the end of the twenty one month’s the National Nursery Examination Board qualification or NNEB. However, the Norland Certific ate was only awarded to students who had completed one year’s satisfactory work in post which had been agreed by the Principal. Only two years were allowed from the end of training to obtain the full certificate. The college also encouraged students to stay in touch with them for at least three years after completing their certificate. They did this to ensure they could follow the career of each student and ensure that the standard of the college could be maintained. Norland nannies were well respected and there was a constant demand in private posts, nurseries and for posts as school matrons. Norland College was the first training college to open in 1892 and later other colleges began to appear. The Princess Christian Training College for Nursery Nurses opened in Manchester in 1901 under the direct patronage of the Princess Christian (third daughter of Queen Victoria). She suggested that instead of hospital training, a course of home nursing should be introduced. She also felt very strongly that a nurse should be forbidden to punish children herself. The need for training colleges was recognised by the Gentlewomen’s Employment Association (1891), Princess Christian was one of its patrons. Like the Norland College it provided employment for gentlewomen who needed to earn a living at a time when it was not generally acceptable. The Princess Christian College’s training duration was nine months unlike Norland’s six months and was hard and rigorous. Students had to be on duty at six and complete washing and cleaning before breakfast at seven. They had evening lectures and sewing after supper, no holidays and half a day off each week. The college also had testimonial books which recorded each nurse’s career, including a principal’s report and at the end of her training and a reference from her last employer. There is a stark contrast to the training that was provided in 1904 to the qualification we see today. Although there is still a strong emphasis on work based training the standard of the qualification is not as robust as in the 19th and early 20th century and this could be because students are being accepted onto courses with a required level of education and the demands of the role have changed. During the First World War The Princess Christian College ran into financial difficulties and in May 1918 closed. The college reopened again in 1919 in new premises but closed again at outbreak of the Second World War in order for children to be evacuated. After the war the college reopened and reorganised its syllabus and training to cover the changes in social conditions. Training was extended to eighteen months and covered the NNEB requirements (Gibbs, 1960). At the time Mary Ann Gibbs wrote her book â€Å"The Years of the Nannies† (1960) the fees for the eighteen month course at Princess Christian College was ? 270 for a resident student and ? 140 for a non-resident student. Bursaries and local authority grants were available for less well off students. The syllabus in 1960 included:- daily nursery work with babies and small children, instruction in the planning and preparation of infant diets, training in the milk kitchen, general cookery and nutrition, laundry and housewifery, needlework with design and care of children’s clothes, hygiene and physiology and the model nursery. † (Gibbs, 1960, Pg 190) The college awarded three certificates to students the first being a Probationers Certificate on completion of satisfactory training and a Nurse’s Certificate for two years satisfactory work, dating from the ranting of the Probationers Certificate. Finally, the student would be awarded The Special Certificate with Badge for three year’s satisfactory work, dating from the granting of the Nurse’s Certificate. After a student had completed her training she had quite a wide range of employment opportunities such as working as a nanny, working in day and residential nurseries, working with disabled children, school matron, nursery nurses on maternity wards and in passenger liner nurseries. A Night Nurse at The Princess Christian Training College Students who completed their training at the training colleges usually found employment through the college or through advertisements in women’s journals, or professional journals. One of those journals was â€Å"Nursery World† which was first launched in 1925 and is still used by our students today. The other was â€Å"The Lady† first published in 1885 which advertised many employment opportunities for nannies. Nannies are still very much in demand today, their role has changed in that they work closely with parents respecting their views and wishes and are more usually employed by working parents. They are required to be trained to Level 3 and most will have had experience with babies. In contrast, nannies back in the eighteenth century would always live with the family, whereas nannies now can live out. They also have the opportunity to work for families abroad and can command high salaries and additional benefits such as holidays and use of a car. [pic] Advertisements’ from Careers and Vocational Training 10th Edition The role of the nanny was important but you cannot overlook the role of the governess in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. She is portrayed in fiction as a lonely, somewhat stern figure yet many women entered this profession. She would have been a well educated middle-class woman who like the nanny had to provide a living for herself. In Victorian times women were seen as the responsibility of men her husband, father or brother. When they were unable to provide financially for her, working as a governess was seen as socially acceptable. There was a high demand for governesses in he Victorian era (despite the expansion of public school education for boys and public school for the masses) especially if they were competent in teaching math’s and science. â€Å"The census of 1851 showed that there were 24,770 governesses in England and Wales. † (Hudson, 1970, p45) The greatest qualification of the governess was having a good background fitting in with the correct social class. She was required to write a letter of application in order for the family to consider her suitability. Many families l isted subjects they required their governess to teach. â€Å"Wanted, a Governess, on Handsome Terms. Governess – a comfortable home, but without salary, is offered to any lady wishing for a situation as governess in a gentleman’s family, residing in the country, to instruct two little girls in music, drawing, and English; a thorough knowledge of the French language is required. †( Advertisement, The Times. (London: 27 June, 1845). The upper class families still continued to educate their children at home and it was down to the family to decide when their children would enter the school room. In order to ensure their employability they sought to improve their education and this lead them gaining a footing in higher education. During the nineteenth century, professional books and journals were printed for governesses to use. These were read among other teachers and concerned parents to share educational practices and lessons, and keep The Governess them informed of the changing educational reform in the Victorian era. In 1843 The Governesses’ Benevolent Institution was formed and it helped educate governesses and provided aid for retired or out of work governesses in and around London. It also provided a registry for governesses and families seeking a governess to place their information. This was similar to an employment agency today. Along with this and pressure from the governesses the institute expanded and included a college for governesses to study and improve their education. A donation from the Prince and Princess of Wales enabled funding for free night classes. The Queens College was founded in 1848 and its goal was to provide qualifications for governesses, it provided â€Å"Lectures for Ladies† from which at the end of study they received a Diploma. Almost all the lectures were given by men from Kings College, and older women known as â€Å"Lady Visitors† attended to act as chaperones to the female students. It is clear that despite considerable changes from the era of the wet nurse there is still a vast divide between what is considered beyond the realms of the woman as it is the man that is considered able to lecture in the core subjects whilst the woman is only expected to understand and deliver to her charges. The Queens college was seen as an institution offering higher education for women. In the last decade of the nineteenth century the Queens College and The House of Education developed a curriculum specifically for the training of governesses and this saw a drastic change in the profession of the governess. Families now wanted to employ governesses with certificates and training in education rather than, be qualified solely by their family background. We must take into account that at this time education for girls was seen as less important and it was not until the 1900 that attitudes changed when girls started to enter public high school and boarding schools and this resulted in the decline of the governess. Governesses are still employed today but their role has changed. Today they need to hold a degree and at least two years experience as an educator. They may live with the family or live out. They usually have sole charge of the children’s education although in some cases they may just supplement the child’s education. This could be coaching a child to obtain their eleven plus, or providing additional help for specific subjects, or in all subjects, with the goal of preparing students to apply to and be accepted into good colleges. They may also be employed if a family moves to another country so that children can learn the language or maintain the education that correlates to their native country. The profession is still largely female orientated despite the pay and conditions being good. This could be due to several factors such as living in the employer’s home and societies view of a male in a governess role. The Second World War saw an increase in day nurseries as men went away and women were called upon to take over the work left to do at home. The Ministry of Health organised and supervised this provision. In view of this more nursery nurses needed to be trained and in January 1944 The National Nursery Examination Board was formed and they established an examination for all nursery nurses. The first examination was taken in 1946. The syllabus and training has changed considerably over the years, notably in 1965, the age range was extended to seven years of age, before this students trained to work with children up to five years. This decision was prompted by the increase use of classroom assistance in primary schools and the Plowden Report’s (1967) recommendation that nursery nurses should be used for this position. â€Å"In 1975 the Bullock Report, A Language for Life made the same recommendation that nursery nurses should be used as trained assistants and work alongside teachers in helping language development in young children. (Herrman, 1979, p. 21). After the Second World War provision that was put in place for childcare was not expanded further. This was partly due to men needing jobs that women had done in the war, and society’s view that women should be in the home looking after their children. The 1950’s saw the beginning of Playgroups, these were parent co-operatives formed in private homes or community halls. They started in order to fill the gap in nursery provision for three and four year olds. â€Å"In 1961 Belle Tutaev wrote to the Guardian offering help to anybody who wanted to start up a playgroup. She received letters from all over the country and playgroups burgeoned and grew. † (Dean, 2005, Pg 13) The Pre-School Playgroup Association (PPA) was set up in 1962, â€Å"the aims of the organisation at first were two-fold: mutual support for those running groups and also the lobbying of government to emphasise the importance of pre-school provision and to seek the withdrawal of Circular 8/60 which prevented state nursery expansion. † (PLA Factsheet) Playgroups relied heavily on voluntary staff and on mothers to provide play activities for the children. Many of these volunteers were untrained due to lack of funding. This restricted their work opportunities and workers were given little recognition. An additional reason for unqualified staff was that until the Children’s Act 1989 playgroups had little statutory guidance or regulation. Those playgroups that were affiliated with the PPA did have access to training (short courses in play work) if they were able to fund it. The PPA in 1991 established themselves as training providers under the National Council for Vocational Qualifications. Other childcare provision between 1946 and 1990 such as private nurseries and local authority nurseries continued to employ NNEB qualified staff or equivalent. In 1990 there were various childcare qualifications that students were able to study. The main qualifications for nursery nursing were the NNEB, BTEC National Diploma and the Certificate in Post-Qualifying Studies (CPQS). The NNEB being the longest established and well known was still a requirement for some posts but it did not give a valid entry into higher education. However, the BTEC National Diploma was thought to be more academic and allowed students to progress onto more advanced education and training being the equivalent of â€Å"A† Levels. When you look back at the history of the NNEB it was not set out to be a qualification that would allow progress to higher education although comparing it to today’s CACHE Level 3 Diploma it was a lot more rigorous. The selections of qualifications were many and in 1991 a system of National Accreditation was introduced to link qualifications. NVQ’s were introduced in 1991 in attempt to give experienced staff without a qualification a chance to achieve a Level 2 and 3. The NVQ syllabus involved students showing competence in the workplace through assessment whilst building a portfolio of knowledge evidence. This qualification in theory did fill a training gap but funding still remained an issue along with adults having to study around family commitments and also if they had the academic confidence to study. Due to the Start Right Report of 1991 by Bell in which he identified numerous routes into teaching, this was an attempt to provide a standardized route into comprehensive training and also of helping workers to progress through the qualification system. Up until 1999 qualifications remained unchanged in what were available and it left employers and students confused as to what qualification was at what level. In 1999 a new training framework was introduced (QCF) and this mapped out the levels of each qualification. This gave clear guidance for students, employers and training establishments to assess their current qualifications. In 2002 the new NVQ Level 4 was introduced *they were to provide a route for those working in senior management level or advanced practitioners† (Pugh,2001, P. 190) they were academically and practically demanding qualifications and carried 120 CATs points. This was a way of gaining entry to the Early Years Foundation Degree. In 1994 CACHE was established and merged with The National Nursery Education Board and The Council for Early Years Awards. In 2001 the National Association for Maternal and Child Welfare (NAMCW) merged with CACHE, and Her Majesty the Queen became the patron. CACHE at this point became the awarding body and offered various Childcare qualifications from Entry Level to NVQ 4. Since joining Canterbury College in February 2006 the qualifications have changed twice, with a third change is about to take place. The delivery of the courses has not changed in that students still attend placements and have to show competence. The only difference to the NNEB is that the students don’t work with children attached to the college. We have placement visitors that visit the student in their placement who assess their competence and report back to their course tutor. Level 3 students up until 2007 still had to sit an end of course exam in order to qualify as well as passing unit assignments. The qualification carried UCAS points to allow entry to university depending on the overall grade achieved. It was quite clear at the time that the grades students achieved were quite low and very few went onto university. I believe this to be for the following reasons (a) students were not properly assessed at interview and were on the wrong level of course, (b) there was a high level of turnover of staff which affected the teaching of the students and causing disaffection. There was also a big drop out rate. I remember well, my first day in the classroom, being bombarded with complaints. In 2007 CACHE reviewed the content of the syllabus as the previous syllabus was quite dated and childcare practice had changed considerably. The new syllabus carries the same format of placement and academic work and still continued to carry UCAS points. The grading of the assignments changed into a point system instead of the previous system of pass or refer. The students also have to complete a research task and a short seen scenario exam. This I feel has led to students achieving higher grades and more have gone onto university. The department has been running this Level 3 Diploma for the past three years but last year we were advised that the qualification would hange along with NVQ’s being discontinue. This has had a big impact on the department as a whole. The introduction of the Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young Peoples Workforce will be the only qualification available for students to study to become childcare workers. The delivery of the course is very much based on the NVQ delivery of observed assessment and a knowledge portfolio. We have started to run a pilot group for this new qualification an d it has involved various changes in the department and in the teaching. Students now have to be allocated an assessor who has an A1 qualification and students only attend three days a week every other week. Already, this has posed problems in that the course is designed to be taught holistically and not unit led as the previous qualifications. It is designed so that the assessor and tutor work closely together. This does not work in our department as assessors are constantly out observing students leaving little time for feedback to the tutor. This makes it very difficult to support students and ensure that they are progressing. However, we have recently been informed that due to the qualification not meeting the needs of the employers and students the previous qualification will continue running for at least another year while they review the course. In conclusion, childcare and qualification has developed in line with the needs of the family and society starting with the wet nurse through to nannies and governess. It has also developed in line with government policy and the social and economic needs of the country along with current thinking of child development at the time. Childcare roles have not disappeared but still exist in a modernised way as can be seen in the reappearance of the wet nurse. The status of childcare however still remains low and this is reflected in pay and conditions. Many nurseries still don’t pay above minimum wage or provide sick pay, and often only the minimum holiday requirement. Until this is addressed the status and moral of childcare workers will not rise. There is still a culture of thinking that â€Å"anyone can look after children† and it is still a predominantly female role despite campaigns to attract male candidates. The calibre of students that is seen during interviews are on the whole, students from lower class backgrounds which could have contributed to the introduction of EMA. The fact that students don’t have to pay fees for childcare courses and its workplace element, adds to the perception that they are easy courses. The college funding system makes it very difficult to decline students who we feel not appropriate to the course, and the system makes it difficult to withdraw students who prove to be unsuitable. This does not lead to providing the best possible care for young children. Significantly and in contrast to this is that to train as a Norland Nanny today requires a student to pay full fees and this only attracts the more affluent students who want to train in the profession. Also, to employ a Norland Nanny, is seen as a status symbol by families, thus highlighting social status despite it’s qualification being the same as achieved at college. The only difference being that the Norland Certificate is achieved at the end of the course on top of the qualification and seen as a â€Å"stamp of excellence† The old range of qualifications enabled students to access the qualification that best suited their learning and training needs such as on the job training or a full time college course. The new qualification does not take these needs into account. The new qualification does not fit with young students who have no experience. This is one of the issues that has been highlighted along with the course only being a year in duration. It is quite worrying that a sixteen year old could become a fully qualified level 3 in a supervisory position with only one year of training. There are also wider issues in that the government has reduced funding, (currently there is no funding for over nineteen’s) along with the demise of EMA, making access to college less accessible for less well off students which causes a social divide. The next year will provide interesting times in childcare qualifications and a review in our own department in the teaching and delivery will provide its own challenges in that e-learning is being introduced along with apprentiships. This will mean training in the use to technology as well as new assessment methods. Staff will have to adapt their delivery of lessons as well as developing a closer working partnership with assessors, which at the current time is fragmented. There will need to be changes in the current systems in place and this will no doubt cause frustration to some staff who find adapting to change difficult. On a more positive note the updating of skills for staff will only improve the range of teaching techniques available to them, hopefully providing better outcomes for students.

Ethical Dilemma During Community Nursing

Ethical Dilemma During Community Nursing This reflective account will discuss an ethical dilemma which arose during a placement within a community setting. To assist the reflection process, the Gibbs (1988) Reflective Cycle which encompasses 6 stages; description, thoughts and feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan will be used which will improve and strengthen my nursing skills by continuously learning from both good and bad experiences, and develop my self confidence in relation to caring for others (Siviter 2008). To comply with the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Conduct (NMC) (2008) and maintain confidentiality all names have been changed and therefore for the purpose of this reflection the patient will be referred to as Bob. Bob is a forty four year old man who has been receiving aggressive and invasive treatment for several months in the form of chemotherapy in an attempt to cure his Hodgkinsons lymphoma cancer. Throughout the treatment Bob remained positive that he would be able to put the worries behind him and live a normal life with his partner and teenage daughter. However, Bob was unable to control his body temperature, which was a possible sign the chemotherapy had not been successful and was offered further investigations to establish his prognosis. Whilst my mentor who is a Community Matron, was talking to Bob, his partner Sue took me to one side and asked me if the investigations revealed bad news would it be possible to withhold this information from Bob because she felt he would not be able to deal with a poor prognosis and would give up hope. Prior to Bobs original admission the possibility of f the chemotherapy failing was discussed but he refused to consider this was an option and was convinced the condition could be treated successfully. I explained to Sue that this situation was outside of my area of expertise but with her permission would discuss it with my mentor and ask her to contact Sue at a mutually convenient time to discuss further. My mentor contacted Sue and advised her that she would discuss the situation with Bobs Consultant once they had received the results of his tests. However, my mentor diplomatically informed Sue that she has no legal right to insist that information be kept from Robert (Dimond 2005). As expected Bobs test results concluded the chemotherapy treatment was unsuccessful. Considering what he knew of Bob, the consultant agreed it would be advantageous to withhold the diagnosis from him. Therefore it was agreed to discuss Bobs test results with his partner. Thoughts and feelings In the first instance I felt that the Consultant was ethically wrong to withhold the results of the investigations from Bob and not necessarily acting in his best interests. I felt that in order to ensure Bobs rights were protected and to give him the opportunity to be involved in his own plan of care he should be informed of the outcome of the tests. Bob had the capacity to consent and as during my placement would be acting as an advocate for him. I felt that if I was in Bobs position, I would want to know what the outcome of any investigations were and it did not seen right that the diagnosis would be documented in his records and his family and possibly friends around him would be aware of his diagnosis whilst he was kept in the dark. I felt that if we were to visit on a regular basis that I would feel very uncomfortable knowing something that had been kept from him and possibly have to lie to him or avoid answering directly when asked difficult questions. I also felt that his fam ily were taking away his freedom to make an informed choice about his forthcoming care. Analysis Evaluation Barbosa da Silva (2002) defines an ethical dilemma as: A situation where a person experiences a conflict where he or she is obliged to perform two or more duties, but realizes that whoever action he or she chooses will be an ethically wrong one. Kuupelomaki and Lauri (1998) and Roy and MacDonald (1998) agree that health professionals are faced with many ethical dilemmas when caring for terminally ill cancer patients and communicating the diagnosis and subsequently prognosis is one of the most common dilemmas experienced. Alexander et al (2001) state that it is not unusual for relatives to ask a Consultant to withhold information. Kenworthy et al (2002) say that these requests are made out of compassion and love. However, Rumbold (2002) disagrees and suggests it is often the relatives who are unable to cope and have difficulty in coming to terms with the impending prognosis. Dimond (2005) agrees and adds that withholding the truth can be harmful or lead to a conspiracy of silence but may be justifiable if it is in the patients best interest not to know. Buckman (1988) also appears to agree pointing out receiving bad news can have a negative and drastic effect on a patients view of their future. The mentor acted in the correct manner speaking to Bobs consultant and agreeing with him to withhold the diagnosis from the patient. Dimond (2005) states that Nurses have a duty to adhere to the Consultants decision even when they are in disagreement. The Consultant made a professional decision to discuss the diagnosis and prognosis with Bobs partner. Rumbold (2002) identifies it is the correct decision to give information to family members when it is deemed that it is not medically advisable to inform the patient. Although patients may insist on being told of their diagnosis Consultants have the power to withhold information, there is no clear right in law even if the patient is exercising their right under the Data Protection Act 1998 (Dimond 2005). However, Harris (1994) argues that for Consultants to act in such a way is paternalistic. Paternalism is when others believe they are acting in the individuals own best interests, whilst not affording them individual control over their own life, although concern for the individuals welfare is paramount, it omits respect for the individuals autonomy (Harris, 1994). However, Tingle and Cribb (2005), argue that there are two types of paternalism. Hard paternalism is acting on an individuals behalf because they feel qualified to do so, whereas soft paternalism is about making decisions on behalf of the individual whilst they are unable to exercise their own autonomy and feel they are doing so in the best interests of the patient. My feelings were that Robert had a right to know the truth about his diagnosis, this is identified by Tingle and Cribb (2005) as a deontological position, whereby obligations and duties to tell the truth overrides the justification of behavior, even when that action can be justified to be in the best interests of the patients. The principles of beneficence (promote goodness) and non-malifience (cause no harm) are fundamental ethical principles surrounding the decision to tell or not to tell a patient the truth regarding their diagnosis (Alexander, Fawcett, Runciman, 2001). Rumbold (2002) identifies that health professionals should act according to the principles of beneficence and non-malifience, and states that withholding information or telling a lie is unethical and denies the individual autonomy. Rumbold (2002) argues that autonomy enables the individual to think, decide, and make decisions freely and independently based on information given. Nevertheless I felt that Bob could not be autonomous when he did not know the truth regarding his diagnosis and thus denying him the right to make informed decisions surrounding his death. Although my values and beliefs differed from the Consultants, I was aware that I had to uphold his decision. Essentially, the consultant has clinical responsibility for patients Rumbold (2002). However, Kenworthy, Snowley and Gilling (2002) state that professionals who override an individuals autonomy for doing good a dilemma exists. A dilemma can be described as a variance between personal beliefs, feelings and principles where different answers to a situation exists, although several courses of action may be taken each can be morally justified (Royal College of Nursing, 2000). Essentially the courses of action that could have been taken for Bob were to tell the truth or not, both positions could be morally justified, to tell the truth would enable Robert to be autonomous, however withholding the truth prevents Robert losing hope. Saunders (1991) however argues that healthcare professionals need to question whose needs they are seeking to meet. This is supported by McCarthy (1996) who states that healthcare professionals have a tendency to assume they know what there patients needs are. This made me feel that the Consultant and my mentor were colluding with Roberts wife and subsequently they were meeting her needs by withholding information thus ignoring Robertss right to be autonomous. I therefore found that I was involved in a personal ethical dilemma related to veracity (truth telling) honesty and withholding information (Begley and Blackwood, 2000). Fry and Johnstone (2002) believe the principle of veracity lies with the individual not to deceive or tell a lie therefore tell the truth to others. Research in to truth telling and patient diagnosis carried out by Sullivan (2001) suggests that ninety-nine per cent of patients want to be informed of their diagnosis and felt that Doctors had an obligation to tell them the truth. However, ten Have and Clark (2002) argue that when diagnosis is imparted abruptly it can provoke denial, impair adaptation and psychologically harm the patient. McGuigan (1999) states that it is difficult to predict how patients will react to bad news, she suggests that the procedure for news should be slow, this then enables the patient time to absorb information given. I believed that Robert had a right to know and felt that we would not be unduly harming him by informing him of his diagnosis. Anxiety, fear of death are all obvious signs when patients face life threatening illness Mason (2002). This is supported by Golds (2004) research who identifies that patients rarely suffer greater anxiety, depression, sadness, or despair on being informed of their diagnosis. Open honesty is encouraged by McGuigan (1999) who believes that as a result of being informed patients have a greater trust in the healthcare professionals treating them and are able to communicate more effectively with relatives and healthcare professionals as a result. This is agreed by Seale (1997) who advocates that an open awareness of diagnosis affords the individual to have control over circumstances surrounding their death. I had been reflecting over the situation and realised it was too complex for me to handle therefore I sought guidance from my mentor. Although she would normally take a deontological position, she informed me that she was taking a utilitarian position in this case therefore acting within the principle of beneficience (do good) and acting in the best interests of Robert. Tingle and Cribb (2005) state that individuals who act on the principle of utilitarianism are acting in a way which yields the greatest happiness to all parties concerned regardless of the motives for taking these actions. My mentor and I also reflected on the conversation she had with Roberts wife prior to his test results. It was felt that Robert was currently in denial and telling him of his diagnosis could potentially harm him, he may lose all hope therefore she was adhering to the principle of non-malificence (prevent harm). Research carried out by Kubler-Ross (1969) (although an old reference it is still used today in Kenworthy, Snowley, Gilling, 2002), identified denial as being the first stage of adjustment to the prospect of death by patients, she believes that individuals deny the reality of the situation and are unable to face up to the prospect of death. She also argues that it is the retreat in to denial that isolates the individual and as a consequence, communication is compromised between patients and healthcare professionals. Kubler-Rosss research has been endorsed by Buckman (1988) research however he suggests that patients go through reactions as opposed to stages. Nonetheless, Evans and Walsh (2002) identify that it is often the healthcare professionals feelings of helplessness with the situation that leads them to believe that patients who hope for a cure are in denial of their disease. Nevertheless, Kenworthy, Snowley, Gilling (2002) argue that it would be unethical and damaging to forc e a patient in to facing the truth about their diagnosis. I therefore realised that it would be unethical and be detrimental to force Robert to face the truth about his diagnosis, if we took away his hope of a cure we would only leave him with fear. Mason (2002) believes that in terminal illness hope and fear are synonymous to each other if hope is taken away patients are only left with fear. She also states that a patients hope is fundamental and something to be protected. This is supported by Buckley and Herth (2004) who identify that hope of a cure in terminal illness is immeasurable. In addition, Mason (2002) argues that hope is an individuals right and even in the final stages of death patients hold on to hope. Conclusion Reflecting back we had not actually lied to Robert as I had once presumed, although he was aware that further tests had been carried out he had never enquired about the results. I believe that if I were ever faced with this type of situation again I would be more conscious of my patient feelings, listening and hearing what they are saying, thereby my approach would be more holistic rather than clinical. By analysing my decisions I realise that I was blinkered and had stuck rigidly to the NMC (2004), not fully appreciating that the NMC (2004) has policies and parameters for which a registered nurse can work within, which enables a nurse to be proactive and use their professional judgement (Seedhouse, 1998). Next time I would not be judgemental but look at the surrounding issues related to decision making. I had condemned the Consultant and my mentor for their decision and believed they were acting paternalistic, however I realise their decisions were based on their knowledge of Robert in addition to their experience and expertise. Benner (1984) suggests that an expert has the expertise and principles from which to make informed decisions based on their experience, training and practice which enables the expert to be holistic in their approach to patient care of which the novice has yet to gain and develop. Reflecting over my decisions and feelings made me realise that I was a complete novice. This is supported by Benner (1984) (in Baillie 2001), who states that novices have no basis from which to apply their principles it is only in a clinical setting that experience can be gained, however novice can also be applied to nurses working in unfamiliar surroundings. I now believe that I was guilty of paternalism believing my own beliefs and values were right. I had assumed that Robert needed to know of his diagnosis if he was to be autonomous. To conclude I now realise that in terminal illness it can be question of when to inform the patient of bad news. I believe that Robert was clearly not ready to accept the truth at that time therefore withholding information had been the right decision. Arguably Robert was autonomous, it was his decision to hope for a cure therefore it would have been unethical and morally wrong to take that away. However, the circumstances surrounding this decision could only be applied to Roberts situation. I believe that as a Nurse I will be involved in ethical dilemmas again however I feel that now I my decisions will be based on each unique patient recognising their own individual needs and wants. By using the Gibbs (1988) reflective framework cycle it has enabled me to analyse, question, move forward, learn and make sense of my actions. I am now aware that reflection is a continual learning process in nursing. Rather than condemn myself where I think I have failed I have been able to turn it in to a positive learning experience and apply this newly gained knowledge in to my future practices Action Plan

Immoral behaviour: Punishable Under Law?

Immoral behaviour: Punishable Under Law? In this essay I will look at behaviours and acts that are considered immoral by the general population and whether they are liable to be punished by the law. It will focus on moral principles and its affects and views on society. I will focus on key immoral behaviours and actions that are legalised or criminalised differently to the UK and see whether certain legislations have help to shape the view on morality of the public or whether it is the publics attitudes that have changed the laws. For example it is immoral as well as unkind to walk by a person in need, on the continent this is known as the Bystander law whereby if there is a person in danger where you could be of assistance and do not help and that individual dies then you could be liable for prosecution. This law does not exist in the UK; which suggests that although an obvious immoral action or behaviour, is still legal. Before addressing this statement, a primary question must be asked: What is morality? Morality is defined by Strawson (1961) as rules or principles governing human behaviour which apply universally within a community or class; it is a code of behaviour that is innate and classified by a higher being. Morality is how groups of individuals interact with each other to create a society in which everyone can live freely and amicably. Breaking these rules set by this higher figure is doing wrong and thus being immoral so creating and environment with a lack of harmony or unity. There is also a definition of morality based on the norms and values set by a religion or individual that must be adhered to. Catholicism for example believes that God is the Supreme Being that has set down the rules and regulations of life within the Ten Commandments. Followers of this religion believe that breaking any of these Ten Commandments would deem you a sinner and be sent to purgatory at death. In the light of religious morality, should an individual breaking these moral codes be punishable under criminal law? However, it is evident that many moral codes either from an innate or religious background are enshrined within the Law, be it Civil or Criminal. The Harm Principle states that an activity cannot be criminalised simply because it is regarded as immoral Herring (2008: 28) Many however, have argued with this prospect in relation to the interests of society. Fox hunting is a widely acclaimed debate; with activists stating that it is immoral to purposely kill an animal for recreation and the hunters stating it is natures hierarchy. However aside from these two main view points, is another in terms of Social immorality, whereby allowing this crude sport diminishes society, creating a less civilised one which condones barbarianism. Lord Devlin has argued that the state can use the criminal law to protect a society from losing its sense of unity and solidarity; thus an immoral act should be punishable if it is in the best interests of society and the people in it. Throughout the last century, laws have changed and acts have been passed to keep up with the changing moral compass of society and to keep in conjunction with human rights. The Suicide Act of 1961 is an important legislation that has help to shape the Criminal Law we have today. Before this Act was passed, a person who committed suicide would not receive the life policy necessary. After the abolition of suicide as a crime, any life insurance payment would be made as long as the policy had been taken out 1 year prior to the death. This act came about due to the changing attitudes of society on Suicide. Homosexuality is another moral offence that was once criminalised under UK law but now isnt. The Homosexuality Act of 1967 stated that homosexuality was legal as long as the participating individuals were over the age of 21, had provided full consent and was in the privacy of their own homes. This change came about, again due to new societal beliefs, and evidence provided by the Wolfend en Report. The report found that homosexuality was not a disease and did comply with full and able mental health. Both homosexuality and suicide are still considered widely immoral by religious sectors and individuals committing either of these acts should be punished by criminal law as well as on a spiritual basis by religious Super- beings. In accordance to Lord Devlin and Societal morality, neither of these actions is creating chaos in society, so should not be criminalised. Religious morality has very specific regulations that are generally followed by those that practice that religion, an individual who is not of that religion or who is not religious in any shape or form should not be punished under their rules. An act that is harmless to society such as homosexuality should not be given an imprisonment sentence because it does not follow the regulations set by Allah or God. From when these deeds were illegal pre 1960 to now the 21st century, there has been greater knowledge and acceptance by society, and the individuals outlook is no longer confined to religious beliefs. A highly ethical as well as moral topic that is not criminalised under any form of the law is Abortion. A mother may legally choose to abort her unborn child up to week 24 of the pregnancy as long as it has been signed off by two doctors. The Abortion Act of 1967 did not legalise abortion but merely create a defence for those wishing to have one. This act has been updated once through out the years, bringing the maximum limit down from 28 weeks to 24 weeks. Legally, a foetus inside the stomach is not yet deemed a child or a human being until he/she is born and thus can be protected under the Law. Under social morals, abortion is not immoral; it is the decision of a mother up to 6 months of pregnancy as to whether she wants to terminate. The guidelines state that abortion can be carried through regardless of the mothers or childs health whether it is good or bad, and it has to be done in a qualified and suitable establishment. In terms of religious morality, the termination of life is murder. As soon as the egg turns into a foetus life has began and terminating it prematurely and unnaturally should be criminalised. There are statistics to show that at 23 weeks, 44 of 283 children survived and at 24 weeks 198 of 474 of babies survived. Of the 201,173 abortions in England and Wales in 2006, 1,262 were at 22 weeks or more. A study at University College London Hospital found that only 33% of babies born between 22 and 25 weeks survived in 1980 whereas ten years later there is 71% of survival (Kirkup 2008). Two major questions that need to be asked is should abortion be under any form of the law e.g. civil law and if so, should it be criminalised. In my opinion, this immoral act should firstly be punishable under criminal law as well as civil law, whether an individual holds any sort of belief on this topic; it is immoral to murder an unborn child up to 6 months of pregnancy because they dont want it. The law should be changed to firstly lower the maximum abortion l imit to the 1st trimester, secondly to only allow abortion up to 6 months if either the mothers or childs health is in serious danger, and thirdly any individual not complying with these regulations to be punished under a criminal law. Moving on are actions that are considered immoral and wrong by the majority of any population that are punishable under civil law but not under criminal law in the UK. Adultery is an example of this, whereby it can be used for grounds of divorce but in Europe is a not ground for imprisonment or any other form of punishment. From a piece in the British Journal of Sociology, it shows that many British females have strong views on infidelity believing that it is immoral to cheat on her spouse. Even with these strong beliefs, the majority of the females with this view have had at least one adulterous liaison. In the US however, 94% of Americans disapprove of adultery. In the US, adultery is punishable under criminal law, an individual found guilty of infidelity can get up to two years of imprisonment. In many Muslim countries however, the price of infidelity is far greater, where women are stoned to death if caught cheating on their husbands. If adultery were criminalised the percentage of individuals committing the knowingly immoral act may decrease, thus providing a more harmonious and moral society. Adultery is a widely acclaimed immoral act that needs to be punished as not only does it breaks the sacred bonds between husband and wife but also dissipates the meaning of marriage in society. Torture is deemed immoral and in fact is illegal. Anyone proved guilty in any country of the world will be subject to imprisonment of over 18 months. The focus of this immorality is the difference between Sado masochism and the torture performed by individuals or groups of individuals at Guantanamo Bay prison. There seems to be no consistency in how torture seems to be punished under the same law. Kelman (2005:8) states that torture is considered illegal and immoral by the international community; that it is a crime under the U.N. Convention against Torture which has been adopted by the General Assembly in 1984. Even though this law seems to be clear, any official in the Guantanamo Bay prison torturing a terrorist suspect is not punished under the law, whereby a group of individuals are imprisoned for being Sado-Masochists in the privacy of their own home; seen in Reg V Brown. An article in the New York Review, written by Anthony Lewis shows evidence from a draft report to the Secret ary of Defence which states that Americans who torture captives can escape punishment if they can prove they did not have an intent to cause sever physical or mental pain or suffering (Lewis 2004). Looking at this quotation in relation to the Reg V Brown case where the defendants willingly participated in the commission of acts of violence against each other, including genital torture, for sexual pleasure which stimulated the giving and receiving of pain. Here the so called torture received was consensual, and all acts were performed private locations, yet were still convicted of Actual Bodily Harm contrary to Section 47 and Unlawful Wounding contrary to Section 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. Both torture for sexual pleasure and torture as an interrogation technique are immoral yet are not treated similarly in terms of the law. Officers who treat suspects in such a vile way should be imprisoned for Actual Bodily Harm as there is intent to harm and Unlawful Wounding just as the males who were Sado masochists. It is difficult to state whether all widely immoral issues should be punishable under the criminal law; however what we have found is that certain actions such as adultery and abortion are criminalised in other countries around the world apart from the UK and the view of the public regarding its moral status is different to those of the British. It is evident to state that actions that are solely immoral in the eyes of a religious person cannot be and should not be punishable as it does not protect the individuals human rights and individual decisions. From this account we have seen that even immoral as well as illegal acts for example torture are not punishable in the same degree according to who the participating figures are. Before asking the question: should all immoral acts be punishable, the punishment for the already illegal and also immoral actions needs to be consistent and fair.

Dickens employs a rich variety of settings and characters to embody :: English Literature

Dickens employs a rich variety of settings and characters to embody the continual struggle between darkness and light central to his novel Great Expectations. Examine how the author has captured this symbolic battle â€Å"Great Expectations† By Charles Dickens Dickens employs a rich variety of settings and characters to embody the continual struggle between darkness and light central to his novel Great Expectations. Examine how the author has captured this symbolic battle, and how it has been dramatically linked to Pip’s ever-changing fortunes. Dickens captures the symbolic battle between the darkness and the light by employing a wide diversity of settings and characters to represent the ever-changing situations that Pip is in. The characters are always correlated to the background to convey the lessons that Dickens wants to show and he uses the characters to (more or less) tell the story, which gives the novel an almost theatrical, feel like the backgrounds are painted to suit the event. The author makes it easy for us to imagine the setting which creates these very dramatic, colourful backdrops in our imagination, by creating the mood and the atmosphere of the book. A continual question that is kept throughout the story is whether Pip’s aggressive side has anything to do with his working class background and how uneducated he is? As the reader we can only conclude this question right at the end of the novel, when Pip essentially aspires to his â€Å"Great Expectations† and his new status. Pip has two sides to his ever-changing character, a good side and a bad side which is very much influenced by where he is or what is happening. It becomes clear as the novel progresses that whenever Pip is with Mr Joe Gargery his, loving, kind side is always brought out. Joe is always linked to the brighter side of nature, a man who never thinks or talks ill of anyone. It is Joe’s influence and presence that is evidently replicated upon Pip in this quote â€Å"There I stood, for minutes, looking at Joe, already at work with a glow of health and strength upon his face that made it show as if the bright sun of the life in store for him were shining on it.† Whereas whenever Pip is in the company of Miss Havisham who is forever linked to darkness, death and decay †I saw Miss Havisham going along it in a ghostly manner, making a low cry†, â€Å"She sat, corpse-like† we are given the impression that Pip becomes torn between the two different worlds. This is due to the fact there is this bright star, Estella who brings light into

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a book about a boy named Harry Potter who is a wizard. Its setting is in London, which is where Harry lives. The time element is supposed to be present day, but it is a fiction book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harry has spent all summer waiting to hear news about Lord Voldemort, a evil wizard that Harry saw return the year before, but nobody believes him. One evening after listening to news ,he decides to go for a walk. He then sees his cousin, who he lives with and hates. They then get in a fight and Harry pulls out his wand and at that exact moment two dementors attack them. Dudley thinks Harry is attacking him so he punches Harry. Harry then heroically saves them both by producing a patronus and driving away the dementors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They get back home and Harry gets a letter from the Ministry of Magic that says because he used magic he is expelled (Harry is underage and underage wizards aren't supposed to use magic). He is horrified. He can't believe he was expelled. Hogwarts was the only good thing in his life. He then gets another letter that says he isn't expelled but that he has to go to a hearing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Harry's friends here about him being expelled they are speechless. Hermoine just can't understand why he might be expelled when he saved Dudley. She is aghast. Ron is stupefied.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harry goes to the hearing and is cleared, but there is a new teacher at Hogwarts that makes Harry's life miserable. Her name is Professor Umbridge. She was one of the people at Harry's hearing that said he was guilty. She is really rude to Harry. She gives him detention and makes him write lines with a quill that scratches whatever you write into your hand and uses your blood as ink. She also takes away Harry's privilege of playing Quidditch ever again. Somehow Harry gets through it all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The climax is when Harry goes to the Ministry of Magic to rescue his godfather, Sirius, but Sirius isn't there. There are some people there though. They are the Deatheaters, Lord Voldemort's loyal servants. There is then a big fight where the Deatheaters try to steal a prophecy from Harry. Then Lord Voldemort himself arrives after the prophecy was smashed. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix :: essays research papers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a book about a boy named Harry Potter who is a wizard. Its setting is in London, which is where Harry lives. The time element is supposed to be present day, but it is a fiction book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harry has spent all summer waiting to hear news about Lord Voldemort, a evil wizard that Harry saw return the year before, but nobody believes him. One evening after listening to news ,he decides to go for a walk. He then sees his cousin, who he lives with and hates. They then get in a fight and Harry pulls out his wand and at that exact moment two dementors attack them. Dudley thinks Harry is attacking him so he punches Harry. Harry then heroically saves them both by producing a patronus and driving away the dementors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They get back home and Harry gets a letter from the Ministry of Magic that says because he used magic he is expelled (Harry is underage and underage wizards aren't supposed to use magic). He is horrified. He can't believe he was expelled. Hogwarts was the only good thing in his life. He then gets another letter that says he isn't expelled but that he has to go to a hearing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Harry's friends here about him being expelled they are speechless. Hermoine just can't understand why he might be expelled when he saved Dudley. She is aghast. Ron is stupefied.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Harry goes to the hearing and is cleared, but there is a new teacher at Hogwarts that makes Harry's life miserable. Her name is Professor Umbridge. She was one of the people at Harry's hearing that said he was guilty. She is really rude to Harry. She gives him detention and makes him write lines with a quill that scratches whatever you write into your hand and uses your blood as ink. She also takes away Harry's privilege of playing Quidditch ever again. Somehow Harry gets through it all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The climax is when Harry goes to the Ministry of Magic to rescue his godfather, Sirius, but Sirius isn't there. There are some people there though. They are the Deatheaters, Lord Voldemort's loyal servants. There is then a big fight where the Deatheaters try to steal a prophecy from Harry. Then Lord Voldemort himself arrives after the prophecy was smashed.

Organization transformation Essay

The need for a change is almost there on a daily basis in corporations. This is accentuated by particularly by the advent of new technology like the internet and new management methods and new technologies (Wallace, 2007). This brings in new ways of doing jobs within the company and thus the workers are affected. Companies which initially used to have the traditional organization model have increasingly adopted they are better and more efficient and modern transformed organizational models. An organization provides a mean of utilizing individual capabilities within a team to accomplish what cannot be achieved by the aggregate attempts of team members working in isolation. The aims of forming corporations and organizations are to deliver goods or services to consumers in a way that at the conclusion of the deal profits and not losses can be realized. Organizational change is geared at achieving this and thus winning the hearts and minds of the target population while concurrently bringing about a changed behavior and work culture to the partakers. In response to this Organizational transformation, roles, skills, job descriptions and structure of the workforce need to be re-designed. The Southwest Gas Corporation Such a company that has embraced organizational change from the traditional one to the modern organization transformation is the southern gas corporation of Nevada. Having realized that all organizations and corporations are unique due to unique environment in which they operate and their mode and ways of operations they should be structured to accommodate unique problems and opportunities Southwest Gas Corporation is a company engaged in the business of purchasing, distributing and transporting natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers in Nevada state of the southwestern United States. The Gas Corporation has employed about 2,500 workers who serve at least 1. 8million customers in Arizona, Nevada and parts of California states. The company is an investor owned utility whose shares are traded in the New York Stock Exchange and the pacific stock exchange (South West Gas Corporation, 2007). The company has been implementing a five year organizational transformation with an aim of offering better services to the customers and improving the quality of he workers. With respect to transformation certain areas should be prioritized for instance in redefining the business model, integrating acquisitions, building infrastructure, reframing markets and managing talents. The southern gas corporation has taken comprehensive plan to change from the traditional to the transformed organizational model studies done on this company indicated that a positive correlation between the working conditions and the productivity of the workers exists . the results of the studies revealed that innate forces of human behavior may have a greater influence on organizations than do mechanistic incentive systems. In response to that study southern gas corporation have done an almost complete overhaul in areas to do with transport, billing, the accounting system, meter reading systems and the whole organization structure of the company since 2002. Effects Having undergone the organizational change to a more better and modern one saw a number of transformations in the work force. Every member of the workforce was subjected to month long refreshment training as a way of crating a new working atmosphere and as a way of orientating them to the new working tools. The remuneration package was revised to increase the morale of the workers. On the part of the infrastructure the offices and other working areas were renovated. The total reorganization of the offices this was to cater for the psychological aspect of the workers The Organizations adopted a vertical division of labor practice involving the administrators then below them the managers and supervisors and lastly at the base we have the workers. The principal function of top level administrators or executives generally is to plan long-term strategy and administer the middle managers whose work is to guide the day to day activities of the corporations and oversee implementation of the top level strategy. Low-level supervisors and laborers put the made strategy into action and carry out the immediate tasks needed to keep the corporation running. Thus, the South west gas corporation has become a formal with reference to the extent of formalization of rules that have been adopted within the organization structure. In formal organizations, a mild impersonal relationship between the workers and the company is viewed as the best environment suitable for achievements of organization’s objectives by the managerial staff. Here subordinates duties more clearly defined and workforce with different applicable skills are dispensed duties to their areas of specialization in the corporation. It is the duties of workers at the bottom level to perform the essential duties of the corporation with supervisory assistance from the managers. Subordinate staff deals generally with supply and production chain of the corporation . The managerial needs of the whole business process is overseen by the higher cadre staff that includes the supervisors and the administrators. Two important implications into the change in the organization procedure there was equity due to just fair and impartial treatment of all workers, the organization was more orderly since employees were arranged where they would be of most value to the corporation. Initiative was fostered by encouraging the employees to act on their own. Similarly the employees cultivated more attributes and etiquettes (South West Gas Corporation, 2007). Motivation should come from different incentives rather than letting monetary rewards be the sole motivators. The spirit of comradeship among the workers fostered devotion to a common cause. The behavioral change by the managers that allowed greater latitudes stimulated the workers. In general, transformation made workers to become more productive. Having been provided with the best working conditions the workers employees have become capable of effective self-direction yielding self-actualization and this was among the biggest rewards that organizations has provided to its employees. Similar the shares of the southern gas company at the New York stock exchange gained value. Use of improved service delivery systems for instance the better gas safety management systems reduced the number of gas accident cases recorded prior to the five year period. Due to a liberalized approach towards the workers in the by the management they were able to create their labour organization to looks for their own interests, thus enhancing growth of the labour union organizations. This amounted to increase in vocal power of the workers to demand their rights. Conclusion In the world today organizations are operating in an increasingly complex platform. Changing multiple dimensions and high rates globalization trends and the implications of the post-industrial information age are driving these corporations to revolutinalize themselves (Wallace, 2007). The end product of this transformation is a successful company with competent work force. However, organizational transformation should not stop with the end of the project duration. During the benefit realizations stage of the lifecycle, emphasis should be continued on the need to encourage the workers and the community to adapt to the new ways of working and get the most from the system change.

Study drugs aflevering

Is the world (we) teaching the children always to strive for more? Is it never enough? Can you always do better? Should you do everything to achieve you best? What is the limit? For many of students the pressure of high scores, the parents expectations (or what the students think is the parents expectations) are enough to drive them towards the ‘Study Drugs'. Fellow students probably have told them about the benefit of the drugs. Its easier to take a pill and carry on like a freight train, than studying at a normal rate.According to most users, you can study for hours without getting tired and without losing focus on the assignment. You can use nights instead of days etc. According to Martha J. Farad, director at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the university of Pennsylvania, up to 25 percent of students on some college campuses has used these drugs from February 2008 to February 2009. The price can go from AS to 25$ a pill, depending whether is near exams week or not. The main concern is, that most don't know or talk about the down side of the abuse.I don't know which side effect is worst, addiction, hart deceases or psychosis. According to the website: http://www. Otherworldly. Org/ druggists/rattail. HTML Rattail is called names like the poor man's cocaine and Diet Coke. They have made a brochure that explains about the side effects of the abuse. For example in 2004 Rattail was involved in an estimated 3,601 hospital emergency department visits. The conclusion is never use drugs as an easy way through your problems (at work, school or sports).The side effects are prohibitive. Personally will never try drugs. My father is a drug addict. Even though he's a recovering addict, I still remember the side effects of the drugs as well of the side effects of his detect. He took heroin and drugs like that Sometimes that made him hyperactive and it was very embarrassing when we were among family and rends, but it also made him very lethargic and lazy and he just laid on the couch out of contact with the rest of the world.