Effects of Modern-Day Fascination with Celebrities Essay

Effects of Modern-Day Fascination with Celebrities - Essay Example To be more precise, celebrities make the society to throw away the cultural makeup. Hence, the community members put on a fake image that does not depict their own characters. Technology is the primary cause of these entire obsessions with celebrities. Teens glue themselves to the television; watching programs that makes them more interested in the lives of celebrities more than their own. Smartphones, on the other hand, provide updates about celebrities’ gossips every hour. Just to remember, the past week, everyone talk was all about the revealed story of Solange, Beyonce’s sister attacking Jay-Z while in an elevator (Sarah, 2014). Thus, the society read about it in the magazine, searched it on the internet, or heard it from friends. Most people obsession with celebrities can lead to cultural paradigm alterations. To some extent, the adjustments are real. A good example is of Michael Sam, the footballer who came out building the confidence of most of the young gay athl etes. He advanced the advocacy for gay marriages and promoted free to talk about their sexuality. On its negative side, the culture of celebrities and fascination with status and wealth make the average and poor people feel unworthy of the world. As a result, the mind of the young people growing up to find a place in the world is corrupted with no option but to become rich even through violence. In fact, some researchers claimed the existence of a growing disorder known as â€Å"Celebrity Worship Syndrome.† The disease is however not inclusive of personality disorder (Inglis, 2010).

The Changing Role of National oil companies in the international Dissertation

The Changing Role of National oil companies in the international energy Market - Dissertation Example Oil prices increased in recent years from about $20 to about $100 per barrel, thereby expanding profits for many national and international oil companies. With decreasing supply and increasing demands for oil, oil companies have been competing with each other to seek more substantive oil sources. The fact that majority of oil reserved are under government control is giving a major advantage for national oil companies on access to oil sources. Having control over these oil reserves has also brought about greater pressure for oil companies, mostly pressure in relation to their national roles and responsibilities, especially those which relate to supply and demand, globalization challenges, physical security, and international oil competition. 1.2 Background of the problem National oil companies are oil companies which are partially or wholly owned by national governments. Recent surveys from the United States Energy Information Administration indicate that about 52% of oil companies ar e nationally owned; and about 88% of oil reserved is controlled by national oil companies (Energy Information Administration, 2009). National oil companies (NOCs) have become dominant in recent years and in relation to international oil corporations, including ExxonMobil, BP, and Royal Dutch Shell, their dominance has gained much momentum. These NOCs have also increased their investments outside their borders. Some corporations have even abandoned their investments in various countries, as was the case for ExxonMobil abandoning its million dollar investments in the Orinoco basin in Venezuela (Mommer, 2001). This decision was caused by the breakdown of negotiations between the international oil companies on one side and President Hugo Chavez and Petroleos de Venezula (PDV) on the other (Kalicki and Goldwyn, 2005). Other international oil companies, including Total SA of France, Statoil of Norway, BP from Britain, and Chevron from the US agreed to raise the PDV share in the Orinoco pr ojects from 40% to 78% (Oil Daily, 2007). Under these conditions, ConocoPhillips found this decision very much unfavourable to their interests. The company was able to detect about 1.1 billion barrels of reserves from their interests in Venezuela and this represented about 10% of their total reserve holdings, and their Venezuela interests was equivalent to 4% of their total crude oil reserves (Oil Daily, 2007). ConocoPhillips suffered $4.5 billion dollar write-off under these conditions and was unable to meet its targets; as a result, its shares suffered a beating in the stock market (Oil Daily, 2007). On the part of Venezuela, PDV was able to increase its reserves and its production activities; as a result, it gained more power in the international oil market (Pirog, 2007). Venezuela has a major share in the crude oil imports of the US and their oil flow is not directly controlled by their government (Pirog, 2007). These conditions however, may not allow the crude oil market to fol low and be influenced by economic market dictates. The ranking of oil companies can be determined through various considerations. Various standards have to be used in order to evaluate the changing qualities of oil companies. In addition, investments in explorations and development are major considerations linking the present to the future, ensuring significant expansions for the company and preventing the depletion of reserves

The World Is A Text Essay Example for Free

The World Is A Text Essay The introduction of Silverman and Raders The World is a Text states that: â€Å"We should think of our entire world as something that should be read† (Silverman Dean, Introduction). On my personal view, this means that we should think and analyze each event that happens in our daily lives. Critical thinking is necessary in order for us to understand the world as a whole and consider its inside (human factors) and outside (non-human factors). This involves the environment, development and sustainability of the world and the people in general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One real-life example of how I read the world recently is how fair treatment campaigns are done worldwide but still it remains as one of the biggest problem that we all face. Mixed-raced or pure, unfair treatments is an issue at home, office, schools and other places that truly brings an imprint of trauma to someone’s heart resulting to social division of people according to their race. The influence and impact of this issue causes people to change their individual character as a person just to belong in a group that results to behavioral risk problems, lack of self-esteem, social isolation and problems in family relationships. This racial difference is the root cause of the conflicts our world is experiencing now that is why it should be read and solved first. Diversity cannot be avoided but it can be applied in a positive manner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world is something that we should interpret.   In terms of social factors, each one of us must consider the different factors that may influence decision-making and the actions we take as values, beliefs and personal circumstances. There is a need to reconcile these diverse social aspects of human race to complete a firm global citizenship. Works Cited Silverman, Jonathan and Rader, Dean. The World is a Text: The Writing, Reading, and   Ã‚   Thinking   About Culture and Its Contexts (2nd Edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2005.

Literature Search on the effects of Overtime on Nursing staff

Literature Search on the effects of Overtime on Nursing staff PICO Question Numerous research studies have been completed in the last ten years linking higher nurse patient ratios to improved patient outcomes. A consequence of mandating nurse staffing levels is the use of mandatory and voluntary overtime which can lead to increased fatigue and adverse events. The use of overtime is not a solution to maintaining adequate nurse staffing levels and can have detrimental, unwanted consequences. The potential risk to nurses and patients must be explored through quality research. In an attempt to meet staffing ratios many organizations rely on the use of mandatory and voluntary overtime which leads to fatigue and adverse outcomes. P: Overtime I: Limit hours worked by RNs to 12 per 24 hours C: No limit on hours worked O: Decreased fatigue and adverse outcomes Search Strategies with Medline, CINAHL and Google Scholar Medline Using the Medline database the key words RN staffing and hour worked were entered. This resulted in 21,214 articles. To narrow this search the following limits were applied: publication years 2004-2009, English language, patient safety and medical errors. This resulted in 407 articles. To narrow to a manageable number of relevant articles the subheading of staffing: supply and distribution, and personnel staffing and scheduling were added to the previous search terms resulting in 26 current articles. A systematic review was completed using the terms RN staffing, overtime and patent safety, which provided similar results and articles. Final articles chosen were: International Experts Perspectives on the State of the Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes Literature by Van den Heede, et al published in the January 2007 issue of Journal of Nursing Scholarship and Correlates of medication error in hospitals by Wilkins and Shields published in the June 2008 issue of Health Reports. CINAHL Keywords entered into the CINAHL database included mandatory overtime in nursing and patient safety which resulted in 1,597 articles. By setting the parameters to articles published between 2004 and 2009 in the English language and adding the subheading of personnel staffing and scheduling and adverse outcomes a total of 31 articles were provided. Adding the subheading of quality of nursing care along with the keywords systematic review resulted in 17 final articles. The two articles chosen were: Nurse Staffing and Healthcare Outcomes: A systematic review of the International Research Evidence by Lankshear, Sheldon and Maynard published in the 2005 issue of Advances in Nursing Science and Factors Influencing the use of Registered Nurse Overtime in Hospitals, 1995-200 published by Berney, Needleman and Kovner in the second quarter 2005 issue of Journal of Nursing Scholarship. Google Scholar Keywords nurse staffing, medical errors, patient outcomes and hours worked were entered into the Google Scholar database. This search resulted in 1782 articles. Adding the parameters of articles published between 2004 and 2009 and medical, pharmacological and veterinary only yielded 442 articles. The addition of the terms mandatory overtime to the above selections resulted in 180 articles. Other variations of search terms did not yield less than 180 relevant articles. Many of these 180 articles were also found in the final Medline and CINAHL searches. The two chosen from this search included: The working hours of hospital staff nurses and patient safety published by Rogers et al in the July / August 2004 edition of Health Watch. The second article Scott et. al Effects of critical care nurses work hours on vigilance and patients safety published in the January 2006 issue of American Journal of Critical Care. Analysis of Articles from each Database Medline Analysis International Experts Perspectives on the State of the Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes Literature by Van den Heede et al., published in the fourth quarter 2007 issue of Journal of Nursing Scholarship is an article written to assess the variables used in research on nurse staffing and patient outcomes from the perspective of an international panel. A Delphi survey (November 2005-February 2006) of a selected expert panel from 10 countries consisting of 24 researchers specializing in nurse staffing and quality of care and 8 nurse administrators were sent a review of evidence related to 30 patient outcomes, 14 nurse staffing and 31 background variables and asked to rate the importance or usefulness of each variable for research on nurse staffing and patient outcomes. In subsequent rounds the group median, mode, frequencies, and earlier responses were sent to each respondent. The conclusions of this study provided a picture of the science on nurse staffing and patient outcomes researc h as of 2006. The findings showed a connection between human resource issues and healthcare quality based on empirical findings and opinion. While the article did focus on quality of care and nurse patient ratios, it did not provide relevant information regarding the effects of extended work hours on patient care outcomes. Correlates of medication error in hospitals by Wilkins and Shields published in the June 2008 issue of Health Reports examined associations between medication error and selected factors in the workplace of hospital employed registered nurses in Canada. Data was derived from the 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses in Canada who deliver direct care to hospital patients. Correlates of medication error were considered in bivariate and multivariate analyses. Multiple logistic regression modeling was used to examine medication error in relation to work organization and workplace environment, while controlling for personal factors, including nurses general and mental health, job satisfaction, education years of experience, and clinical area of employment. The results of this study showed that nearly one-fifth of nurses reported medication error involving patients had occurred occasionally or frequently in the past year. In the fully adjusted multivariate model, medication error was positively associated with working overtime, role overload, perceived staffing or resource inadequacy. Working a 12 hour shift, compared with shorter shifts was negatively associated with medication errors. This article provided relevant information pertaining to the initial PICO question of hours worked and adverse outcomes. CINAHL Analysis The 2005 issue of Advances in Nursing Science contained the article Nurse staffing and healthcare outcomes: A systematic review of international research evidence by Lankshear et. al. The authors performed a systematic review of the literature and policy analysis and conducted interviews with key researchers in the filed in both the Untied States and the United Kingdom. The goal was to retrieve research on nurse staffing and healthcare outcomes published since 1990. A combination of electronic databases, internet and organizational web sites, and contacted researchers were queried. For each relevant study data were extracted systematically using a predesigned table to describe the type and feature of the workforce, the setting, the outcomes, the methods used, the results found, the quality of the studies and the limitations. A formal meta-analysis of the results was not able to be conducted due to the studies reporting different outcomes and use of different measure of staffing and w ays of summarizing the association between staffing and outcome. Instead, a qualitative synthesis to explore patterns in the data and possible explanations for inconsistencies such as study design, analysis, context and setting was used. The systematic review found that many of the studies were of poor quality, using data from only one unit or hospital or failing to control for case mix variations. Overall, there was found to be accumulating evidence of a relationship between nurse staffing, especially higher skill mix, and patient outcomes. However, the estimates of the nurse staffing effects are likely to be unreliable. There is emerging evidence of a curvilinear relationship that suggests that the cost effectiveness of using registered nurse levels as a quality improvement tool will gradually become less cost effective. This article addressed staffing issues and quality of care but focused little on the issue of increased work hours of nurses and patient care outcomes. Factors Influencing the Use of Registered Nurse Overtime in Hospital, 1995-2000 by Berney et al published in the second quarter 2005 issue of Journal of Nursing Scholarship, aimed to assess nurse overtime in acute care general hospitals and the factors that influenced overtime among various hospitals. Staffing data from 1995-2000 from 193 acute general hospitals in New York State were used to examine hospital characteristics to determine whether they were associated with nurse overtime. The study concluded that hospitals varied dramatically in their overtime use. Some categories, for example Government owned, used little overtime indicating that management can find substitutes for overtime to meet fluctuating staffing needs. Unionized hospitals worked slightly more overtime than did nurses in nonunionized hospitals. The finding that hospitals with similar characteristics varied greatly in their number of overtime hours also supported this conclusion. Statistical analysis was complete d with bivariate associations between nurse overtime and each hospital characteristic and independent nursing variables. The article provided valuable information on the various uses of overtime by hospitals, but did not specifically address the correlation between hours worked and adverse events. Google Scholar The July 2004 issue of Health Watch contained an article by Rogers et al, The working hours of hospital staff nurses and patient safety. A letter explaining the study and eligibility criteria was mailed to a random nationwide sample of 4,320 members of the American Nurses Association during the winter of 2002. 1.725 nurses expressed interest by returning the completed demographic questionnaire. The final sample consisted of 393 registered nurses working full time as unit based hospital staff nurses. Logbooks were completed by these participants who revealed they usually worked longer than originally schedule and that 40% of 5,317 work shifts logged exceeded 12 hours. The risk of making an error were increased when shifts were longer than 12 hours, nurses worked overtime, or when they worked more than 40 hours per week. The data from demographic questionnaires and logbooks were then summarized using descriptive statistics and frequency tables. The long and unpredictable hours document ed suggest a link between poor working conditions and treats to patient safety. This article provided relevant information pertaining to the initial PICO question. Scott et. al published Effects of Critical Care nurses work hours on vigilance and patients safety in the January 2006 issue of American Journal of Critical Care. The objectives were to describe the work patterns of critical care nurses, determine if an association existed between the occurrence of errors and the hours worked, and explore whether these work hours have adverse effects on the nurses vigilance. Data were obtained from a random sample of critical care nurses in the Untied States. Nurses eligible for the study were mailed two 14 day logbooks to fill out. Information collected included the hours worked, the time of day worked, overtime hours, days off and sleep wake patterns. On days worked, the respondents completed all work related questions and questions about difficulties in remained awake while on duty. The 502 respondents consistently worked longer than scheduled and for extended periods. Longer work duration increased the risk of errors and near errors and decreased nurses vigilance. The findings support the Institute of Medicine recommendations to minimize the use of 12 hours shifts and limit work hours to no more than 12 consecutive hours during a 24 hour period. This article contained information pertinent to the original PICO question. Article best addressing PICO Question Effects of Critical Care Nurses Work Hours on Vigilance and Patients Safety (Scott et. al., 2006) and Correlates of Medication Errors in Hospitals (Wilkins Shields, 2008) were found to be two articles that provided quality information regarding nursing hours worked and adverse patient outcomes. While the use of subjective measure of drowsiness, self report of errors and the relatively small sample of nurses used in the studies may limit the generalize-ability of the findings, the anonymity provided lends to more truthful responses. The methods allowed the nurses to disclose information that might have been unattainable if the use of standard categories for error reporting had been used. Although 12 hour shifts are popular among nurses, the findings in this study are congruent with previous reports that recommend minimizing the use of 12 hour shifts or at least limiting nurses work hours to more than 12 consecutive hours during a 24 hour period. Experience and extensive research in o ther industries has shown that accident rates increase when workers work 12 hours or longer. However, research pertaining to nurses has been relatively recent and data on accidents in healthcare facilities are not widely available. Conclusion Each database provided relevant articles containing research on the issue of the number hours worked by nurses and the effect of hours worked on patient care outcomes. Keywords nursing hours worked and patient outcomes delivered a large number of results. The methods to narrow results by placing additional parameters can be used across all databases. While there are minute differences among databases, basic search skills are universal by utilizing keywords developed in the PICO question. The final articles chosen provided data on the effects of hours worked by nurses and the potential effect on patient outcomes. While the articles addressed the limitations of the studies, the methods, data analysis and results were presented in a logical, reproducible format. The issue of the effects of long work hours has been studied extensively in other industries, such as air traffic controllers, leading to changes in work environment. Further research needs to be completed in the area of nursing regarding the effects of the long hours. These articles provide a solid basis for other researchers to build upon. The use of nursing informatics can provide databases with universal quality measures to provide more consistent, reliable data across healthcare facilities.

Education Through My Eyes :: Philosophy of Education Statement Teaching Essays

Education Through My Eyes What is education? More than that, what should education be? Education is the process of teaching and learning. It should be fun for both teacher and pupil. Education should be embraced with eagerness and the teacher and student should be able to reverse roles; one learning from the other. I want to be part of this process. My desire is to change at least one life. I want to see the look of amazement on the face of a child who has just learned his/her ABC’s or who has said a nursery rhythm for the first time. My class room will be decorated with knowledge. Walls colored by the rainbow, rugs lined with the alphabet. Each desk would have a special number and the bulletin board would be decorated by the seasons and holidays or the drawings made by my students they colored with pride. I would arrange desks so that my students can participate in cooperative learning as much as possible. I do not want calculators used in my class, they take away from the learning experience. At least once a week, I would pick a subject and have each group tell the rest of the class what they have learned about it. I believe that there has to be some type of authority in a classroom, however, that authority can not be abused. My rules will be easy to follow: 1) Have materials ready for class; 2) Do not disrupt class; 3) Do not talk while the teacher is talking; 4) Keep your hands to yourself; 5) No food or drinks in class unless there is enough for everyone. There will be rewards for the student who has the fewest violations of these rules. Discipline, I believe should be administered according to the severity of the crime, with the most severe being sent to the principal for action. I believe that a teacher should be a leader, a role model. A teacher should be the students friend, who cares not only about making sure students learn, but makes sure the students aren’t starving for food or attention.

Growing Up In A Single-Parent Family Essay -- Single Parent Family Pap

Growing Up In A Single-Parent Family With the divorce rate as high as it is, more and more children are growing up in single-parent families. Ideally, it is better for children to live with their mom and dad happily married; however, children who grow up in single-parent households can still be well- adjusted children, teenagers, and adults. Although there are always exceptions to every rule, for the most part, children who grow up in single-parent working households are more mature, realistic and independent. First, in a single-parent working family, children tend to be more mature. The children are more mature because they often have to be responsible for themselves. For example, if their mom or dad has to work late, or if they work evenings, the children are in control of when to do their homework or even in some cases when to go to bed. Also, children in this environment or situation sometimes have to be responsible for taking care of their brother, sister or other close relatives. For example, they have to be re...

Roman Construction

The ancient Romans were known for their brilliant engineering that have  stood the test of time. They were brilliantly manufactured to make the ancient Romans  more comfortable. Most of the inventions were improvements of older engineering ideas,  inventions, and concepts. The Romans improved the recipe of cement, which was  invented in Egypt, and created concrete. The Romans were greatly influenced by theGreek and the Estrusan.The construction and technology for bringing running water into the cities  were invented in the East. The construction of roads, were common then as it is now.  The Romans improved the design and perfected the construction so well it is used today.  The three examples I choose to write about Roman Engineering are first the Roman  aqueduct.   This construction was used to supply water to the people in the city. The  aqueduct is one of the most brilliant engineering constructions in the ancient world.It set a standard that has not been equal ed Centuries after the fall of Rome.  Many of the cities in Rome, today still use the aqueducts to supply water for the city.  The aqueduct is estimated to be between 40 and a little over 500km in length. It is  29miles (47) km; above ground because most Roman aqueducts ran beneath the surface  of the ground. To build underground makes the water disease free as well as helped the  aqueducts from being attacked by enemies.The Roman aqueducts were sophistically built and remarkably thinly  technically standard. It has a gradient of only 34cm per km, lowering 17m vertically with  its entire length of 50km. Largely powered by gravity, it moves large amounts of 6  million gallons of water a day. The combined aqueducts in Rome supplied around  1million cubic meters which supplied 30 million gallons to the city each day. This is  great engineering feat has not been equaled until the 19th Century.The construction of the Roman aqueducts is the use of Chorobates. The  Ch orobates used in this engineering were used to level terrain before construction. The  Chorobates was a wooden object that was supported by four legs. It had a flat broad top  with an engraved half circle. The half circle was filled with water to make the angle  which there is no water will be measured.The Groma is another tool used in the construction of the aqueduct. It  was used to measure right angles. It consisted of stones that hung off four sticks and was  perpendicular to one another. Distant objects marked out against the group of stones are  placed horizontally. There were nine aqueducts built, in ancient Rome supplying 38  million gallons a day to Rome.  A second example of Roman engineering is the Roman roads. These   roads were an essential to the growth of Rome because they supplied the Roman Empire  to move enemies in War. They were also created to hinder the enemies organizing to  attack Rome. The road, in its greatness was 85,000 km containing 372 links. The  Romans became adept at constructing the roads for political, military and commercial  reasons.The roads were long and important for the stability and expansion of the Roman Empire.   The Roman Roads were built first with Roman Army builders who  cleaned the ground of trees and rocks. They then build a trench where the road was  going to be laid and then filled it with large rocks. They put the large stones, pebbles,  cement and also sand and packed it down making a firm base. They added a layer of  cement that was mixed with broken tiles, paving stones creating the surface of the road.The stones were cut to fit tightly together. They placed kerbstones at the side  of the road to hold the paving stones and create a channel were the water can run.  The third example of Roman engineering, are Roman Bridges. The Romans  were first to build these bridges and make them long lasting. The Roman bridges were  built with stones with an Arch as its basic s tructure. The Romans used a new form of  cement called concrete to build the bridge. The Bridges were built in 142 BC, and was  named the Ponte Rotto.It is the oldest Roman stone bridge built in Rome. The Roman Bridge  characteristics are many they are 5 meters wide. Many have a slope and lean slightly.  Roman bridges have rustic work. The Roman Bridges stonework has a changing stretcher  as well as header courses which consist of a layer of square stones that are laid  horizontally. The end faces outwards, in the next layer of square stones.  The stones are connected with dovetail joint or with metal bars.  Indentions found in the stones were created by the gripping tools used for the  workers to hold onto.   The Romans also used tools such as slaves to move building  blocks of stones as well as levers and pulleys. They used chisels, concrete, plumb bob, a  bronze square, bronze dividers, and bronze foot ruler to build the bridges and the  powerful, and mi ghty city of Rome.Works CitedRoman Architecture- http://www.iol.ie/~coolmine/typ/romans/archie2.htmlThe Roman’s Page.Mark Warner, 2007-Roman Roads-The Downs FM; The amazing podcastOf the downs CE Primary School-Teaching Ideas; Subject: History. http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/history/romanrd.htmChris Trueman; The History of Ancient Rome- History learning site; http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_engineering.htmChris Trueman; Roman Roads-The History of Ancient Rome-History learning site; http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_roads.htm