Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Table of Contents Introduction Literature Studies Management of MDD Conclusion References Introduction MDD is a cluster of syndromes that comprises a mental disorder, which is marked by declined moods, followed by a decline in self-esteem and not being interested in pleasurable tasks. Its features involve a clinical course, marked by major depressive periods. These take like a fortnight, marked by low moods and displeasure. The condition is also referred to as major depression, unipolar depression and clinical depression.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The disorder is disabling and comprises an individual’s lifestyle and family, loss of appetite and sleep distractions, which compromises one’s health (Greden, 2001). The patients of this medical condition end up committing suicide. The reason as to why I chose the topic is because it affects my life and many people around me in school and at home. Having the condition has affected my lifestyle, school work, social life and has compromised my career since I lose pleasure in all activities. I even devalue life as I find my self contemplating on suicide during the phases of depression. MDD affects people differently with different symptoms such as weight loss, pessimism, feeling guilty, loss of concentration, insomnia or hypersomnia, sleeping disorders, fatigue, hopelessness, irritability, loss of self-worth, disinterest in life and in severe cases, delusions and hallucinations may result. The disorder affects more of females as compared to males (Deb Bhattacharjee, 2009). The occurrence of the disorder may be linked to other medical close to 20.0 % to 25.0% of patients with conditions related to cancer, prolonged pain, diabetes, stroke, hypothyroidism, medications e.g. sedatives as well as myocardial infarction, which worsens these conditions (Deb Bha ttacharjee, 2009). Health conditions that accompany MDD include drug abuse, panic, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and borderline personality disorder (Deb Bhattacharjee, 2009). Literature Studies According to one study dubbed the ‘epidemiology of Major Depressive Disorder’ aimed at determining the prevalence of MDD. The study design used face to face research in 48 homes in the U.S by interviewing individuals over eighteen years. From the study, the MDD prevalence for a lifetime was 16.2% and that over one year was 6.6% and stated to be â€Å"10.4% mild, 38.6% moderate, 38.0% severe, and 12.9% very severe† (Kessler et al, 2003).Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Role impairment showed 59.3% over a year where 51.6% of the cases sought medical attention and were being treated for MDD. Treatment proved enough f or 41.9% of the cases, adding up to 21.7% MDD treatment annually. The study concludes that MDD was a common condition with its distribution being extensive in the population. It is linked to severe symptoms and role impairment. There has been a rise in treating MDD, which offers hope for its management although lack of enough treatment is still a critical issue. The study maintains that â€Å"Emphasis on screening and expansion of treatment needs to be accompanied by a parallel emphasis on treatment quality improvement† (Kessler et al, 2003) Another study regarding MDD on 3,258 adults is presented. According to the study, â€Å"MDD was found to affect women more than men by a ratio of nearly 2 to 1. The lifetime prevalence rate for both sexes combined was 8.6%. The period prevalence rates for both sexes combined were 3.2% and 4.6%, for 6 mo and 1 yr, respectively. The age of onset for MDD showed a wide range, with over 75% of cases having an onset prior to age 30 yrs. The pr esence of a recurrent MDD was associated with an increased risk of substance abuse, panic disorder, and dysthymia, whereas a single MDD episode was not associated with increased comorbidity† (Spaner et al, 1994). The prevalence of MDD according to Culture, sex and age is obvious. Culture for instance affects the communication and experiences regarding MDD where it is mostly experienced as somatic in nature and not by guilt of low moods. Some complain of nerves as well as headaches particularly for Latinos as well as those from Mediterranean origin. Others complain of weakness or fatigue especially the Chinese and Asian people while other talk of heart problems such as those in the Middle East to refer to the depressive feeling. MDD occurs twice as many times as in adolescents and mature women as compared to adolescents and mature males (Deb Bhattacharjee, 2009). The prevalence of MDD is high for individuals aged 25 to 44 years of all genders and lower for those aged 65 and ab ove. Its onset may be at any age but is mostly notable during mid twenties.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Studies related to MDD have shown a broad rage of outcomes for the population assessment of the condition. The lifetime risk for MDD in population samples vary from 10.0% to 25.0% for males while the point prevalence of MDD in adult population samples varies from 2.0 to 3.0 % for males. MDD is 1.5 to 3 times greater for 1st degree relatives of patients with MDD as compared to the general population. Besides, it has been indicated that alcohol dependence is high in mature 1st degree relatives as well as a higher rate of hyperactivity disorder for children of patients with MDD (Deb Bhattacharjee, 2009). MDD has been attributed to various fatalities where approximately fifteen percent of patients end up committing suicide. Epidemiologi cal studies points that the fatalities of those aged over fifty five years with MDD have risen by four times in the recent years. Management of MDD Treatment of MDD may involve use of antidepressants such as Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or Serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Antipsychotic medications are recommended for the ones with severe psychotic symptoms. These drugs needs to be taken for an extensive period and may be combined with supplements like Lithium thyroid hormone for their efficiency of antidepressants, to prevent recurrence of the condition and avoid situations of treatment-resistant depression (Herrman, 2009). Additionally, talk therapy is very efficient and may involve counseling on one’s thoughts and behaviors. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one such procedure, which utilize the modeling of thoughts and feelings as reflected in the behavior of an individual. This method repels negative thoughts. Psychotherapy is essen tial in the understanding of the causes of the problem in relation to their behavior, thinking and feelings. Patients may also be put under Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) especially ones contemplating suicide in order to enhance their moods, for ones with treatment-resistant depression and ones those with psychotic symptoms. Besides, Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) utilizes magnetic pulses directed towards affected brain sections and may be done after carrying out an ECT (Greden, 2001). Conclusion The cause of MDD is not proven though many studies indicate it could result from chemical instability in the brain. This may be as a result of genetic predisposition and interaction with the environment. The factors that are known to trigger MDD include drug use, socio-economic constrains and medical conditions.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More MDD is known to result to several fatalities and therefore it requires to be managed through pharmacological or talk therapies. Open communication is also essential for patients to gain assistance before the disorder destroys a person completely. Such patients needs to be well monitored without being left alone, else they contemplate of suicide. References Deb, S. and Bhattacharjee, A. (2009). Mental Depression: The Silent Killer. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. Greden, J. F. (2001). Treatment of Recurrent Depression, Volume 20, Issue 5. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. Herrman, H., Maj, M, and Sartorius, N. (2009). Depressive Disorders. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Kessler, C. R. et al. (2003). â€Å"The epidemiology of Major Depressive Disorder: Results from Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R).† The Journal of the American Medical Association, 289(23):3095-3105. doi: 10.1001/jama.289.23.3095. Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/j ama/fullarticle/196765 Spaner, D., Bland, R. C. and Newman, S. C. (1994). â€Å"Major Depressive Disorder.† Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, Vol 89(376, Suppl), 7-15. doi: 10.1111/j.16000447.1994.tb05786.x. Retrieved from https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1994-25582-001 This research paper on Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) was written and submitted by user Noelle W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Bubble-ology essays

Bubble-ology essays Purpose: Which soap can make the biggest bubble? Hypothesis: If we use dawn soap and blow a bubble then it will be the biggest one out of all the soap. 3 different brands of dish washing soap- A, B, C 1. Mix 5ml soap solution A, 50ml of distilled water and 1 drop of glycerin into a 250ml beaker. Mix with a stirring rod. 2. Pour some but not all the soap solution on your lab table and use your hands to rub the soap on the table about 40 cm in diameter. 3. Take a straw and touch a small bubble on the surface and blow into the straw until the bubble pops. 4. With the tape measure the diameter of the ring that was left by the soap bubble. Record the diameter in cm on data sheet. 5. Repeat until you have done 3 trials. 6. Repeat the process for soap solution B and C. Repeat steps 1-5. 1. State what you think is the scientific problem being investigated in lab. The scientific problem being investigated in this lab I think is which soap can make the biggest bubble. 2. According to the data, which soap brand made the largest average bubble? Were your predictions correct? In my data it showed that the Ivory soap brand made the largest average bubble. My predictions were incorrect. 3. What conclusions can you make about the price of the soap and the size of the bubbles? What is the basis for your conclusions? Is there any correlation? I dont know how much each soap brand cost but I think that the more expensive the more larger the bubbles will be because the companies probably spend more money for ...

Get Inspired By 21 Of The Best Content Marketing Examples In The Biz

Get Inspired By 21 Of The Best Content Marketing Examples In The Biz Content marketing has been around forever. *Fun fact* many accredit Benjamin Franklin as the first ever content marketer  when he published the yearly Poor Richard’s Almanack in 1732. Historical marketing fun facts aside, every marketer worth their salt has likely experimented with content marketing tactics. So much so, that the very concept might be starting to feel stale and overdone. But the stats speak for themselves, content marketing remains one of best tools in a marketers tool belt. Here’s what we know: 78% of consumers prefer getting to know a company through articles rather than ads. content marketing costs 62% less than traditional Marketing. Per dollar spent, content marketing generates approximately 3x more leads than traditional marketing. Companies that published 16+ blog posts per month got almost 3.5 times more traffic and 4.5 times more leads than companies that published zero to 4 monthly posts. 55% of marketers say blog content creation is their top inbound marketing priority. 47% of buyers viewed 3-5 pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep. Visual assets are the single biggest content contributor when it came to social media in 2017. After watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online. 53% of content marketers use interactive content in lead generation efforts. Lead generation, sales, and lead nurturing are the top three organizational objectives for content marketers. Sources:  https://www.lyfemarketing.com/blog/why-is-content-marketing-important/;  https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics #didyouknow that #contentmarketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing?If you’ve become disgruntled with the state of your own content marketing and are feeling less than inspired, you’ve come to the right place. We’re breaking down 21 of our favorite content marketing campaigns to get your creative juices flowing. Download Your Free Content Marketing Template Bundle First things first†¦ what do all these amazing content marketing examples have in common? They are expertly executed and distributed seamlessly. Are you prepared to do the same? It’s going to be  awfully hard to rock your killer content marketing campaign if your implementation and team coordination is a mess. Download our free content marketing template bundle. It contains everything you need†¦ A content plan template to help you measure and learn from your success. An Email Marketing template to distribute and communicate your new initiative. A blog calendar template to plan every post ahead of time in one place. Download your *FREE* #contentmarketing template bundle to make planning your next campaign a cinch.Get More Organized Than Ever With When you’re completely fed up with managing spreadsheets, sifting through countless emails, and all the time-consuming meetings just to get your marketing team on the same page, considering upgrading to . It’s the only way to get all your marketing organized in one place. Get a bird’s eye view of everything your team is working on; and collaborate, plan and execute your entire marketing strategy in one place. From social media promotion to blogging†¦ you can plan it all with . No more bouncing from tool-to-tool or hacking project management platforms that weren’t made for marketing teams. brings everything you need into one place. Table of Contents Charmin Nerd Wallet IKEA Facebook Make-a-Wish Babylist Primary ASOS Wistia Hershey's Bank of America Headspace Zillow Four Seasons Magazine Nike AirBnB Save the Food Blendtec Pandora Shopify Glossier

Should Iran be allowed to freely carry on with its nuclear programme Essay

Should Iran be allowed to freely carry on with its nuclear programme - Essay Example generally adopting a belligerent stance on this issue, and the US using IAEA as a tool to pressure Iran, it is contended that Iran should be allowed to carry on its peaceful nuclear program without the interference of the international community. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Iran is also a signatory, recognizes the inherent right of the signatories to â€Å"develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination† [emphasis added] in Article IV(1). Therefore, it can be said that not only is Iran within its rights to develop a peaceful nuclear program, but the US and the other international community, by their opposition to Iran’s nuclear program, are in direct violation of the NPT, specifically Article IV(2). Iran has admitted to enriching uranium at their nuclear research centers. It is worth noting that enriched uranium can be used for the production of both energy and nuclear weapons. Admitting that it is not possible to determine the exact use this enriched uranium will be put to, it is contended that Iran’s stated stance of developing a peaceful nuclear program should be taken at its face value, as, so far, there has been no concrete evidence given to contradict it. Nuclear energy would benefit Iran a great deal; it is a renewable source of energy, as opposed to oil and gas, both non-renewable energy resources. If Iran is allowed to carry out its nuclear energy production, it will, thus, save its oil and gas reserves for other more useful purposes (polymer and plastic production, for instance). Moreover, the negative impact of burning oil and gas on the environment and, by extension, human health, calls for looking into alternative sources of energy, one of which is nuclear energy. Though nuclear reactors also have problems, for instance, accidents that might occur therein and the storage and protection of nuclear waste, however, these are considered to be manageable. Lastly, the

Benefits of Flexibility Development Training Research Paper

Benefits of Flexibility Development Training - Research Paper Example An athlete can only develop his or her flexibility if he or she trains regularly. The primary purpose of training is that it helps the athlete move his or her joint via its complete range of motion. Flexibility is arguably the most highly adaptable fitness that helps the athlete improve his or motion in athletics activities. Past studies show that the more an athlete carries out flexibility programs in the training reduces the incidence of injuries ("Flexibility Exercises for Young Athletes-OrthoInfo - AAOS", 2017). This is due to the increased ability to move unimpeded via a broader range of motion. But it is worth to note that an athlete should not carry out an excessive or unstable range of motion during flexibility programs to avoid the likelihood of getting injured. If an athlete carries out appropriate flexibility training, he or she can become more in tune with his or body. Additionally, it helps an athlete form an active relaxation which can help improve both physical and men tal recovery.

Zigbee: Overview and Analysis

Zigbee: Overview and Analysis Zigbee is a Ad-hoc networking technology for LR-WPAN,based on IEEE 802.15.4 standard that defines the PHY and Mac Layers for Zigbee. Intended for 2.45 Ghz , 868 MHz and 915 MHz Band. Low in cost, complexity power consumption as compared to competing technologies. Intended to network inexpensive Devices. Data rates touch 250Kbps for 2.45Ghz ,40 Kbps 915Mhz and 20Kbps for 868Mhz band. Origin Of Name ZigBee The domestic honeybee, a colonial insect, lives in a hive that contains a queen, a few male drones, and thousands of worker bees. The survival, success, and future of the colony is dependent upon continuous communication of vital information between every member of the colony. The technique that honey bees use to communicate new-found food sources to other members of the colony is referred to as the ZigBee Principle. Using this silent, but powerful communication system, whereby the bee dances in a zig-zag pattern, she is able to share information such as the location, distance, and direction of a newly discovered food source to her fellow colony members. Instinctively implementing the ZigBee Principle, bees around the world industriously sustain productive hives and foster future generations of colony members. Zigbee Architecture There are three areas of architectural responsibility in Zigbee engineering effort. They are The physical and MAC layers take full advantage of the physical radio specified by IEEE 802.15.4. The 802.15.4 specification describes a peer-to-peer radio using Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum. The specification also calls out the data rates, channelization, and modulation techniques to be employed. The Zigbee Alliance specifies the logical network, security, and application software, which are implemented in a firmware stack. It is the Zigbee stack that creates the mesh networking capability. Each microcontroller/RF chip combination requires its own Zigbee stack due to the differences in microcontrollers and RF chips. Typically, the Zigbee stack is included with either the microcontroller or RF chip. The stack may belong to the chip vendor, be provided by the chip vendor from a third party source, or be provided by a third party source for a specific microcontroller/RF chip combination. The application layer is defined by profiles, of which there are two types: public profiles are those certified by the Zigbee Alliance for interoperability purposes, and private profiles are for use in closed systems. A word about the Zigbee Alliance: The following discussion includes options that require access to intellectual property available only to members of the Zigbee Alliance. There are three types of membership; all companies that plan to release products incorporating Zigbee technology must become at least adopting members, an entry-level membership that provides such benefits as access to specifications and developer conferences/workshops. ZigBee/IEEE 802.15.4 General Characteristics: Dual PHY (2.4GHz and 868/915 MHz) Data rates of 250 kbps (@2.4 GHz), 40 kbps (@ 915 MHz), and 20 kbps (@868 MHz) Optimized for low duty-cycle applications ( CSMA-CA channel access Yields high throughput and low latency for low duty cycle devices like sensors and controls Low power (battery life multi-month to years) Multiple topologies: star, peer-to-peer, mesh Addressing space of up to: 18,450,000,000,000,000,000 devices (64 bit IEEEaddress)- 65,535 networks Optional guaranteed time slot for applications requiring low latency Fully hand-shaked protocol for transfer reliability Range: 50m typical (5-500m based on environment) Use Case Scenario: It is 4:00 a.m. on a farm in Iowa. Sensors distributed throughout the fields report the moisture content in the soil and humidity of the air. The staff on the farm uses this data to decide where and when to water for optimum effect. The information also serves as an early warning system for environmental issues such as frost. Precious resources are used more efficiently and productivity increases. The sensors distributed in the field are interconnected in a mesh network. If a sensor node goes down, the network is self-healing; the nodes are able to connect with one another dynamically, finding another route to stay connected within the network. Network Topologies: It support three types of topologies. They are: 1) Star topology 2) Mesh topology 3) Cluster tree topology Star Topology: In the star topology, the communication is established between devices and a single central controller, called the PAN coordinator. The PAN coordinator may be mains powered while the devices will most likely be battery powered. Applications that benefit from this topology include home automation, personal computer (PC) peripherals, toys and games. After an FFD is activated for the first time, it may establish its own network and become the PAN coordinator. Each start network chooses a PAN identifier, which is not currently used by any other network within the radio sphere of influence. This allows each star network to operate independently. Mesh Network: A key component of the ZigBee protocol is the ability to support mesh networks. In a mesh network, nodes are interconnected with other nodes so that at least two pathways connect each node. Connections between nodes are dynamically updated. In some cases, a partial mesh network is established with some of the nodes only connected to one other node. Mesh networks are decentralized in nature; each node is self-routing and able to connect to other nodes as needed. The characteristics of mesh topology and ad-hoc routing provide greater stability in changing conditions or failure at single nodes Cluster-tree Topology: Cluster-tree network is a special case of a peer-to-peer network in which most devices are FFDs and an RFD may connect to a cluster-tree network as a leave node at the end of a branch. Any of the FFD can act as a coordinator and provide synchronization services to other devices and coordinators. Only one of these coordinators however is the PAN coordinator. The PAN coordinator forms the first cluster by establishing itself as the cluster head CLH) with a cluster identifier (CID) of zero, choosing an unused PAN identifier, and broadcasting beacon frames to neighboring devices. A candidate device receiving a beacon frame may request to join the network at the CLH. If the PAN coordinator permits the device to join, it will add this new device as a child device in its neighbor list. The advantage of this clustered structure is the increased coverage area at the cost of increased message latency. SUCCESS FACTORS: Zigbee is a low cost wireless technology, data type support, ease of installation, reliable data transfer, short range operation and is has reasonable battery life. Zigbee operates on unlicensed band and in unrestricted geographical use global implementation. IEEE 802.15.4 protocol features: Master/slave topology Automatic network configuration Dynamic slave device addressing Virtual peer-to-peer links (pairing) Full handshaking for packet transfers Power management features Up to 254 (+ master) network nodes CSMA-CA channel access mechanism 15ms frame structure TDMA slots can be allocated 28kbps 250kbps data throughput Service discovery Low impact internet capability ZigBee Applications: Zigbee networks handle multiple traffic types with their own unique characteristics, including periodic data, intermittent data, and repetitive low latency data. The characteristics of each are as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Periodic data application defined rate (e.g. wireless sensor or meter). Data is typically handled using a beaconing system whereby the sensor wakes up at a set time and checks for the beacon from the PAN coordinator, it then requests to joint the network. If the coordinator accepts it, data is passed by the sensor before it goes to sleep again. This capability provides for very low duty cycles. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Intermittent data either application or external stimulus defined rate (e.g. Wireless light switch). Data can be handled in a beaconless system or disconnected. In disconnected operation, the device will only attach to the network when communications is required thus saving considerable energy. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Repetitive low latency data Allocations of time slots. (e.g. medical alerts and security systems). These applications may use the guaranteed time slot (GTS) capability when timeliness and critical data passage is required. GTS is a method of QoS that allows each device a specific duration of time as defined by the PAN coordinator in the Superframe to do whatever it requires without contention or latency. ZigBee networks are primarily intended for low duty cycle sensor networks ( procedures occur much faster than with a Bluetooth technology. Some examples where short-range, low-data, cheap wireless networks can be used are: Automatic Meter Reading provides the usage statistics for Power Management and Energy Conservation whether it is electric, natural gas, water or other utilities. Controlling the environment in HVAC systems. Lighting, temperature and other building controls help save utility usage and maintenance costs. Wireless monitoring and control systems remove expensive installation costs where wiring is difficult, extensive or part of a retrofit design. ZigBee network can help in collecting the information necessary for an effective Inventory and Logistics Management. In fleet management, vehicles can automatically transmit logged information or receive updates when inside the fleet yard. Various control and automation scenarios are possible both for homes and industries using cheap wireless communication including security systems and access control. ZigBee enables broad-based deployment of wireless networks with low-cost, low-power solutions. It provides the ability to run for years on inexpensive batteries for a host of monitoring applications: Lighting controls, AMR (Automatic Meter Reading), smoke and CO detectors, wireless telemetry, HVAC control, heating control, home security, Environmental controls, drapery and shade controls, etc. OUR IMPLEMENTATION- WIRELESS KEYBOARD Block Diagram Our implementation is divided into two sections: Transmitter and Receiver. Transmitter section: Transmitter Section consists of following: 1. Keyboard as input device 2. PS2 connector 3. Uniboard 4. Xbee Keyboard is connected to Uniboard through PS2 Connector.When a key is pressed the data is transmitted to UART0 at every falling edge of the clock pulse. PS2 Connectors data line is given to a port pin of ATMEGA128 and clock pin to the externel INT pin. Uniboard has the ATMega 128 MCU. It has two UARTs UART0,1. UART1 is directly connected to serial port via IC MAX232. Xbee is connected to the UART0 interface. MCU transmits data to UART0 and hence forwarded to Xbee. Receiver section: Receiver section comprises of following: 1. Zigbee 2. Uniboard 3. PC (gtkterm) as o/p device. Zigbee receives the data transmitted from zigbee on transmitter side using wireless communication and send it to UART0. Uniboard provides same functionality as Tx. When a frame is received at UART0, it is processed to extract the required data from the whole frame and decode data to its equivalent ASCII char . The character could be then either transmitted to UART1 via MAX232 and simultaneously display it to gtkterm or could be processed as user wants it to be. Conclusion: The ZigBee Standard enables the broad-based deployment of reliable wireless networks with low complexity, low cost solutions and provides the ability for a product to run for years on inexpensive primary batteries (for a typical monitoring application). It is also, of course, capable of inexpensively supporting robust mesh networking technologies ZigBee is all set to provide the consumers with ultimate flexibility, mobility, and ease of use by building wireless intelligence and capabilities into every day devices. The mission of the ZigBee Working Group is to bring about the existence of a broad range of interoperable consumer devices by establishing open industry specifications for unlicensed, untethered peripheral, control and entertainment devices requiring the lowest cost and lowest power consumption communications between compliant devices anywhere in and around the home. Issues in Contemporary Nursing: Values and Ethics Issues in Contemporary Nursing: Values and Ethics Paul Monahan Nursing is a career that has spanned centuries with many of its foundations following rise of Christianity. Since then, there have been many different views and opinions of what nursing is and what it should and should not be by many different theorists and organisations. In this essay, I will explore this in a number of different ways, the first of which will be by discussing the definitions and core values of nursing, where I hope to outline some of the definitions from both theorists, and organisations such as the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) who outline the duties and responsibilities of registered nurses to ensure the safety of patients in their care. I will also address my own views of nursing as they stand now and through the course of this essay, hope to demonstrate how they have changed based on what I have learned through research and practice experience. Needless to say, the media has a significant role to play in the public perception of the nursing profession and I h ope to contrast the opinions expressed against my own views. Secondly, I also wish to discuss the NMC’s role in ensuring that nurses act professionally and ethically by looking at the code and key guidance for safe practice. The third point I will cover will focus on the many opportunities that nurses today can take advantage of, many of which include international travel which may not necessarily been possible when working in an acute hospital unit. Finally I will discuss contemporary issue in nursing which I have decided to discuss the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and their role it plays in ensuring that there is a high standard of care for all patients in all areas of healthcare. My goal for this essay is to expand on what I already know about nursing and learn more about the profession through experience and research. There have been many different theories surrounding the profession of nursing, as a result of these theories; there have been many different definitions formed by theorists and organisations alike. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has developed a definition which is built as a core with six defining characteristics. They defined nursing as â€Å"The use of clinical judgement in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death.† (RCN, ‘Defining Nursing’ 2003). The characteristics which follow this statement suggest that nurses should have a purpose, mode of intervention, a domain of practice, a focus towards the patient as a person, a value base which respects the dignity, autonomy and individuality of all persons, whether they are patients, relatives or colleagues and finally a commitment to working alon gside others, rather than as an individual. In reality, everybody has their own view of what nursing is and I feel that I am no exception. Before I started studying nursing, my previous experiences were shaped by the views of those around me, many of whom believed that being intelligent wasn’t necessarily important as being caring. I then started working as a healthcare assistant and found that there was so much more to nursing than just caring for patients, a nurse needed to have a vast amount of medical knowledge as well as being able to communicate well with other health professionals. However the media has had a significant role to play in shaping the public perception of nursing in today’s society. Tabloid newspapers in particular have done their part to change the public perception of nursing, often by focusing on isolated incidents of poor practice and through glamorising or sensationalising the facts with the journalist’s or editors own opinions in order to increase its commercial value whilst simultaneously lowering its factual merit in order to attempt to damage the reputation of the nursing profession and through that the reputations of many hard-working individuals that take pride in their work. In 2012, the National Health Service England (NHS England) published an informational leaflet entitled â€Å"Our Culture of Compassionate Care†. It outlined the 6 C’s. These 6 C’s are; Care: Which defines the work of healthcare services as patients expect high levels of care through every stage of their life; Compassion: this is by far one of the most important aspects of patient care. Treating patients with respect and dignity is an important part of their healthcare as they need to feel valued in order to recover quickly; Competence: This aspect means that everybody involved with a patients care should have the abilities in order to do their role and to care for the patient with their safety and health in mind; Co mmunication: Communication is central to the therapeutic relationship between carer and patient, there has a been a number of different definitions of patient-centred communication. A definition that I found to be most fitting for patient-centred communication is one used by Langwitz et al., in 1998. â€Å"Patient-centred communication is defined as communication that invites and encourages the patient to participate and negotiate in decision-making regarding their own care† (Langwitz et al., 1998, p.230); Courage: All healthcare professionals have to be able to do what is right for the patients that they care for, and to speak up when they have concerns about colleagues practice or competence; Commitment; A commitment to patients is the cornerstone of the NHS, in order to improve the quality of care, all healthcare workers should be committed to providing the best care that they are able to provide to their patients. Main Point 2 – Professional Ethical Nursing Ethics is a topic that carries a vast amount of study and debate. It can also become a framework within which we live our day to day lives. There has also been a lot of study in the area of professional ethics for nurses with many organisations and regulators such as the NMC publishing ethical standards for all nurses to follow. These ethical standards influence areas such as training and development for nurses and student nurses, best practice for patient care and ensuring that patients receive high quality care from all service providers. The NMC is the regulator for nurses and midwives in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Their role is to protect the wellbeing and health of the public, set the standards or training, education, training, conduct and performance so that nurses and midwives can deliver a high level of care throughout their careers. They also have processes in place to investigate cases of misconduct against nurses and midwives who fall short of their standards (Nursing Midwifery Council 2011). The code has 17 categories split across 4 chapters. These focus on areas such as maintaining patient trust, person focused care, promoting good health, providing a high standard of care and to be open and honest as to uphold the reputation of your profession. In order to be ethical and professional at all times, nurses learn and follow the code in all areas of practice. Safeguarding vulnerable people is another issue that nurses face in regards to acting professionally, the department of health defines a vulnerable adult as a person â€Å"Who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation† (No Secrets: Guidance on Developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. 2000). It is important that nurses are appropriately trained to spot signs of abuse and that they are aware of the procedures set out by their trust for reporting concerns about patient safety in an appropriate manner. The Safeguarding Adults Boards of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex outlined a policy in June 2007 which was updated in 2013 for anybody working in a health or social care setting. It lays out the seven differ ent categories of abuse and the signs of each, as well as stressing that a person may not experience only one type of abuse and that there can be cross overs between the categories based on an individual incident. It also outlines what staff can do if they receive a disclosure of abuse from a service user. Main Point 3 – Values Personhood Main Point 4 – Contemporary Issues in Nursing The Care Quality Commission make sure that all hospitals, care homes, dental and general practices and other care services in England provide the people who use them with safe, effective and high-quality care and encourage these services to make improvements in care (Care Quality Commission, 2014). They do this by setting standards that all people have a right to expect when they are in receipt of care; they also inspect and regulate care services and register care services that are able to meet these standards whilst outlining improvements that need to be made in cases of an institution not meeting quality and safety standards; they are able to investigate claims made against care services made by care users or members of the public and take appropriate action if these claims are based on truth; they also assess and rate the quality of care services which gives members of the public a choice in choosing high quality care based on their needs. The also publish a report to Parliament on an annual basis outlining how resources in the healthcare sector are being used in order to allow Parliament to make decisions of future expenditure in healthcare. There are five national standards that all care services must meet in order to be registered with the CQC. These standards are vital to the provision of high quality care so they are central areas that are covered when the CQC performs an inspection. These standards are as follows: You should expect to be respected, involved in your care and support, and told what’s happening at every stage. This means that a patient should always be kept informed of any changes in their care plan and that the opinions and views of the patient should be considered and respected when making medical decisions; You should expect care, treatment and support that meets your needs. This means that care workers should fill out appropriate risk assessments and ensure that patients dietary preferences are clearly noted in order to create a care plan that is appropriate for the patient; You should expect to be safe. This means that all staff must respect their patients beliefs and rights, it also means that the patient should be cared for in areas that are clean and that they will receive their prescribed medication when they need it, staff should also make sure equipment used on patients, such as hoists, are well maintained and safe for use on patients; You should expect to be cared for by staff with the right skills to do their jobs properly which means that any care staff that a patient requires are sufficiently trained in their role and that students under their instruction are sufficiently supervised during patient contact. And you should expect your care provider to routinely check the quality of their services; this ensures that patient care is of high quality and that all other standards are maintained by a care service. The CQC also performs unannounced inspections of care services in order to ensure that patients are receiving the highest level of care at all times. By registering these services, the CQC assures the public that they will receive the best possible care; they also provide copies of their inspection reports online for members of the public to read in order to inform them of the quality of care provided by a service that they may be going to use. Conclusion In conclusion, I have learnt about some of the definitions and core values of the nursing profession, I have also looked at the Nursing and Midwifery Council and their role in ensuring that all nurses work professionally and within their scope of practice. I have also explored my own views of nursing and how these views contrast to the public perception of nursing that is displayed in the media. I looked at the NMC’s code for nurses and midwives and the importance of recognising safeguarding concerns and how policy and legislation can guide nurses to report safeguarding concerns in an appropriate manner. References / Bibliography Clark, J., Denton, S., Burns, J., Rawstorne, D., Warrington, E., Kitson, A., Beacock, C., Kenison, L., Scott, C., Belgrave, J. and Salmon, A. (2003).Defining Nursing. 1st ed. [ebook] London: Royal College of Nursing. Available at: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/78569/001998.pdf [Accessed 25 Apr. 2014]. Cqc.org.uk, (2014).Care Quality Commission | Homepage. [online] Available at: http://www.cqc.org.uk/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2014]. Langwitz, W., Eich, P., Kiss, A. and Wossmer, B. (1998). Improving Communication Skills-A Randomized Controlled Behaviorally Oriented Intervention Study for Residents in Internal Medicine.Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, [online] 60(3), pp.268-276. Available at: http://journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/Fulltext/1998/05000/Improving_Communication_Skills_A_Randomized.9.aspx [Accessed 25 Apr. 2014]. McCabe, C., Timmins, F. and Campling, J. (2006).Communication skills for nursing practice. 1st ed. Basingstoke [England]: Palgrave Macmillan. National Health Service England, (2012).Our Culture of Compassionate Care. NHS England. No Secrets: Guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. (2000). 1st ed. [ebook] London: Department of Health, pp.9-10. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/194272/No_secrets__guidance_on_developing_and_implementing_multi-agency_policies_and_procedures_to_protect_vulnerable_adults_from_abuse.pdf [Accessed 26 Apr. 2014]. Sussex Multi-Agency Policy and Procedures for Safeguarding Adults at Risk. (2007). 2nd ed. [ebook] Brighton Hove Safeguarding Adults Board, East Sussex Safeguarding Adults at Risk, West Sussex Adults Safeguarding Board. Available at: http://pansussexadultssafeguarding.proceduresonline.com/pdf/pdf_copy/Full copy Sussex Multi Agency Policy and Procedures.pdf [Accessed 26 Apr. 2014]. The NMC Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for conduct, performance and ethics. (2004). 2nd ed. London: Nursing Midwifery Council. Torjesen, I. (2008). Acting for Vulnerable Adults.The Nursing Tumes. [online] Available at: http://www.nursingtimes.net/acting-for-vulnerable-adults/1732771.article [Accessed 26 Apr. 2014]. Wheldon, J. (2005). Nurses too busy to care for dying patients.Daily Mail. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-356403/Nurses-busy-care-dying-patients.html [Accessed 25 Apr. 2014]. Bibliography 1

Popular culture Essay

Reg Mombassa and Keith Haring are two well-known artists who both represent the pop-art movement. Keith Haring began producing art in New York in 1980 by drawing on subway advertising boards. He felt that this was a good way for him to be able to express his work to the public. New Zealand born Chris O’Doherty has been producing pop-art under the name of Reg Mombassa since about 1980. His earliest works became famous on the t-shirts of a well known Australian surf brand, Mambo. Haring’s â€Å"Best Buddies†, produced in 1990, is very simple, two-dimensional and brightly coloured. Made from a silkscreen print, its simplicity is intended to attract attention and instantly convey the message that friendship is good. The figures have no obvious sex or race, which puts forward the message that friendship is for anyone and everyone. In contrast, Mombassa’s interpretation of the biblical scene of â€Å"The Temptation† is highly detailed with strong colours, and conveys many complex messages. The most obvious message is that of today’s temptation of material objects, represented by the toaster, and the violence and crime for solving society’s problems, which is represented by the gun. This ‘Garden of Eden’ is set in Australia’s outback, showing that Mombassa’s main influence is Australian society. Each artwork is conveying its own strong social comment, and presenting it in different ways. Haring has used bright, bold colours and dark lines to put forward the message of the vitality of friendship, through two unidentifiable abstract figures. This means that Haring has left the responder to decide what race and sex the figures are, reinforcing the point that these factors are not important when choosing your friends. This is in comparison with Mombassa’s detailed image of a well known biblical scene, using strong colours and a slightly more realistic overall picture. The simplicity of Haring’s artwork conveys the social message instantly,  where as Mombassa’s artwork requires the responder to study and analyse the detail and hidden messages behind the image. Haring created his simple artwork for the fast-paced lifestyle for the general public in the city New York. The image is easy and quick to absorb and therefore is more greatly appreciated by the busy day-to-day viewers. The more leisurely lifestyle of Australia in the nineties was able to take time to appreciate the complexity of Mombassa’s detailed artwork. Due to this, it was easier for the public to deconstruct the many messages hidden throughout the artwork. Both artists have been able to reach the masses through t-shirts and other publicly exposed works and have become well accepted by the general public. Their work has served to influence many people with the message that they portray and have become part of every day life. Their art has been worn on t-shirts by people all over the world for decades.