My wonder years Essay Example for Free

My wonder years Essay I was so late that I almost slipped on the bridle path as I ran to catch my bus. I looked like an inhuman jumble sale. My clothes where so large on me they where either cast off Pavarotti uniform or designed for the supersized. My shoes had the clumpy factor that matched my entire look. Any 70s sad Dad having a mid life crisis would be proud to own them; they were loafers of another era. To add to physical insult I was very ungainly tall, skinny with big hands and feet a typical reject. I couldnt have stuck out more if I had YEAR 7-NEW MEAT imprinted on my forehead. The kids on my bus thought I was direct evidence that God has a sense of humor. The journey to school felt totally traumatizing, when I finally got off the bus I was so nervous my knees couldve beat James Stuart at a jitterbug dance off. To my relief there were a dozen other rather inconspicuous kids from my year that failed at being invisible by huddling under one tree. We followed the mass of students into the playground in attempts to find people we knew. As the bell sounded it wasnt hard to do-a tidal wave of tenth years swept over us, they left behind a large entourage of first years. A teacher rescued us from the window ridicule we where being subjected to-courtesy of every other year group. We got placed in our forms I knew absolutely no one! Our tutor looked as equally as nervous as us. He himself looked out of place, like he belonged to the hippie mud baths at Glastonbury not in a Science lab, with a bunch of kid strangers. Our first lesson was French-affreux! It was fairly simple but Madame Mao seemed rather too eager to make our lives a living hell. Her salive took out the front row with accompanied by ear piercing terrier like shrieks. Cooking was less exhausting but the smell of sunshine bars was beyond stomach turning, sulpher dioxide mixed with rotting flesh and hush puppys (I think in England theyre called Cornmeal fritters or battered cornmeal) would be understated. Lunch, if you classify the canteen food as edible was adequate. My new found friends and I walked through the school. Over 300 million people speak English you wouldnt think so if you were in a school playground. The language of teenagers seemed similar to that of a caveman. A lot of monosyllabic words making no sense at all. Speaking of language, teenagers are like Inuits they have fifty words to describe a variation of snow but not one word for just snow. (Reading Bill Bryson fills your head with unnecessary facts). Teenagers in the school seemed like that-there were plenty of cliques but no happy medium-there was no such thing as just a teenager. I was given little time to worry about where I would fit in as the third lesson approached. Geography-I am one of the many geographically confused that often end up asking for directions. Luckily it seemed to involve earthquakes-to which I was no stranger (Hong Kong provided me with first hand experience) rather than map reading. Finally Music, the less said about the boy that got his fingers stuck in a flute the better-and I thought I was accident prone! (I dont know whether it was due to first impressions but I no longer take any of the aforementioned subjects! ) The trip home was hardly a rollercoaster, yet somehow it still made me feel dizzy and a little dazed. The first day had confirmed my worst fears, that my childhood was O. V. E. R (alphabetical breakdown was so this year). I felt so maladjusted, even though I had made quite a lot of friends in the one day. There was and still is so much to take in! I went home 11 going on 15. I have changed tremendously as time has gone on, now that I am 15 going on 16; the 90s occasionally calls with its re-runs of Dawsons Creek. Pangs of nostalgia pass as the past brings me back to my childhood and 2003 my wonder year. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section. Download this essay Print Save Not the one? Search for

The State of Solar Power Policy And Incentives in Vermont Essay

The State of Solar Power Policy And Incentives in Vermont Vermont has become widely known as a progressive, even cutting-edge state in terms of its public policy. With two out of three of its Congressional delegation officially independent, a groundbreaking civil-unions law, and no fast-food franchises in its state capitol, perhaps that reputation is well-deserved. Energy; its generation, transmission, usage, and impacts upon the Earth, has arisen as a tempestuous, geo-political issue in the past few decades. As the petroleum era explodes (or should we say implodes?), the development and utilization of renewable energy sources has become vitally important for the survival of humanity and all the other species on our shared Earth. So then, how is the tiny green state of Vermont doing in terms of the development of solar energy, one of the central tenets of the renewable energy movement? What policies exist to help direct its agencies and organizations? What financial incentives are in place to encourage a homeowner to invest in solar techno logy and design? In one year, the equivalent of over 5 million kilowatt hours of solar energy hits each acre in Vt. (Vt. Solar Energy Guide, 1993) How well is the government of Vermont motivating people to stick something in front of all that energy? The main agency entrusted with renewable energy in Vt. is the Dept. of Public Service (D.P.S.) formerly headed up by Richard Sedano, now run by Davis O’Brien. This office works with many of the other groups in the state that push for the use of more solar power and other renewable energy sources. From the D.P.S. website we can read former governor Dean’s official Energy Initiative (Dec. 2001): It â€Å"is a long-term vision for Vermont that looks ... ...nd people wanting to help. Although there could always be more money waved around to persuade more people to invest in solar, the state of Vermont seems to be taking forward-thinking, yet cautious, stand in support of renewable energy. Bibliography Renewable Energy Resource Center www.rerc-vt.org Vt. Public Service Dept www.state.vt.us/psd Renewable Energy Vermont www.revermont.org Vt. Energy Investment Co. www.veic.org Burlington Electric Co. www.burlingtonelectric.com 10 % Challenge www.10percentchallenge.org Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy www.dsireusa.org Million Solar Roofs www.millionsloarroffs.com

Concept analysis Essay

The purpose of this paper is to expand the understanding of the concept of trust and its relation to the nursing profession as it functions as a whole. Trust is fundamental in all successful relationships from business to personal. Without trust there is no confidence to believe in what someone is telling or doing for you. Thousands of articles result from googling the word trust. Countless way to build trust in the workplace, with your loved ones, and in leadership are noted. Forbes magazine acknowledges the importance of trust in leadership and builds strategies based on trust to bring companies to higher profit levels and increased productivity (Horsager, 2012). Numerous polls on most trusted professions, place nursing in the top ten demonstrating the connection patients feel with nurses and their trust in them to have their best interest at hand (Wilson, 2012). According to Kahn (2013) â€Å"Nurses have ranked highest in honesty and ethics in America since Gallup began including the profession in the poll in 1999† (pp.2). The word trust is continually referenced throughout the ANA Code of Ethics as a basis for effective communication in all working and patient relationships. Trust is the groundwork for not only all nursing care but in any professional setting and without it relationships are compromised. So what is trust? Webster’s Dictionary defines trust the noun as the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something; a charge or duty imposed in faith or confidence or as a condition of some relationship something committed or entrusted to one to be used or cared for in the interest of another (Trust, 2014). According to Changing Minds, (2013) â€Å"trust is both and emotional and logical act. Emotionally, it is where you expose your vulnerabilities to people, but believing they will not take advantage of your openness. Logically, it is where you have assessed the probabilities of gain and loss, calculating expected and concluded that the person in question will behave in a predictable manner  (pp.1). Dinc & Gastmens, (2013) describe trust as â€Å"a belief that our good will be taken care of or as an attitude bound to time and space in which one relies with confidence on someone or something, and as a willingness to engage oneself in a relationship with an acceptance that vulnerability may arise† (p.502). â€Å"When we trust others we accept that they will act honestly and that we can depend on them to behave in a predictable way, and that they won’t abuse our trust (Getting Comfy, 2013). Our dependence on those we trust leaves us vulnerable and we are essentially accepting that area of vulnerability: Dinc & Gastmans (2011) states, â€Å"Where one depends on another’s good will, one is necessarily vulnerable to the limits of that good will, and gives others an opportunity t o harm when one trusts, and shows confidence that they will not take it† (p. 224). Horsager, (2012) discussed the concept of trust in the following statement: As a leader, you are trusted only to the degree that people believe in your ability. Be open and transparent. Keep people informed. People are often more concerned by what they do not know than what they do. Explain your decision making process and the rationale for your decisions. Admit when there are problems and make relevant information available† (pp.4). Studies revealed that patients have a pre-existing trust, due to previous experiences with health-care providers, and a confidence in the nursing profession due to their extensive education (Dinc & Gastmens, 2013). â€Å"Authenticity in nursing leadership is often described as the glue needed to hold together a healthy work environment† (Pross & Sherman, 2010, pp. ). The general population has an initial trust in our law enforcement agencies due to trus t in the government’s intense application and training process. As infants we learn basic trust or mistrust depending on how well nurtured we are by our parents. Mcleod, (2013) explains, â€Å"If the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable they will develop a sense of trust† (pp.2.). Stockbrokers are trusted with life savings to invest and make sound judgments because they have proven their ability to produce large returns. Pastors are trusted that the sermon they preach is from the Bible, and we have faith, and hope that the Bible is true. Marriages thrive or fail all based on the trust of each other in the relationship. There are many facets to what trust actually means for each situation but all require certain factors to achieve that trust. The nurse- patient relationship  requires several conditions to establish trust. According to Dinc & Gastmans (2013) â€Å"availability and accessibility of the nurse, feeling emotionally and physically safe, feeling at home and valued as an individual, feeling adequately informed, and respectful communication† (p.507). In the professional context of a nurse it begins with a reliance on skills that then has the opportunity to evolve as a relationship is established through communication and actions. Raeve, (2014) states, â€Å"Patients appear to trust in a nurse’s skills made manifest through her professional qualifications† (p.157). When we meet someone outside of this context we rarely have and immediate trust of them. Trust in the laymen’s definition is something that is earned, over time and experience of prior social interactions. It’s a confidence and knowing that our closest friends will not do us harm. This is where the nursing profession is unique in that trust is given where no time has been available to earn that type of trust. Mathias, Pullen & Richard (2010) articulated a deeper understanding of fostering trust with patients: â€Å"A therapeutic nurse-patient relationship is defined as a helping relationship that’s based on mutual trust and respect, the nurturing of faith and hope, being sensitive to self and others, and assisting with the gratification of your patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs through your knowledge an d skill† (p.4) In the nurse-patient relationship, trust is built mainly through our ability as well as demonstration of benevolence by providing care with their best interest in mind as well as open communication. Mathias, Pullen. & Richard (2010) listed the following as guidelines for nurses to establish trust with their patients: 1. Introduce yourself to your patient and use her name while talking with her. A handshake at your initial meeting is often a good way to quickly establish trust and respect. 2. Make sure your patient has privacy when you provide care. Be sure that her basic needs are met, including relieving pain or other sources of discomfort. 3. Actively listen to your patient. Make sure you understand her concerns by restating what she has verbalized. 4. Maintain eye contact. Remember, too much eye contact can be intimidating. Smile at intervals and nod your head as you and your patient engage in conversation. Speak calmly and slowly in terms that she can understand. Your voice inflection should say â€Å"I care about you.† 5. Maintain professional  boundaries. Some patients need more therapeutic touch, such as hand-holding and hugging, than others and some patients prefer no touching. Always respect different cultures (pp.2). Common phrases containing the concept trust includes: trust and obey, in God we trust, trust is a two way street and trust your instincts. After analyzing all the uses of the concept of trust and what they have in common, I came up with the following critical attributes: Belief in ability and effectiveness to do something Genuine care and consideration for the best interest of all parties Interests are considered and respected Integrity displayed through consistency of action. Model case A patient is being admitted for an outpatient surgery, the nurse enters and introduces herself, tells her how long she has been a nurse and explains the process of what she will be doing. She then explains what will come throughout the surgical process from admission to recovery (belief in ability and effectiveness to do something). As the medication list is reviewed the nurse notices that the patient has a medication that is contraindicated with another she is taking and discusses this with the patient. The patient then expresses that she has been having side effects that she did not realize were from those the mix of medications. She thanks the nurse for noticing the mix up and states she feels so grateful to have her as her nurse today (genuine care and consideration). The nurse tell the patient she has to shave the groin area for the procedure. The patient appears somewhat apprehensive, so as the nurse pulls the curtain she explains what she will be doing and uses a towel to cove r exposed areas as she works (privacy and respect). The surgical bath is prepared as the nurse walks the patient through the process. The patient is a little more comfortable this time and as she is given a towel to cover exposed areas, she is more helpful as the nurse washes (consistency of action). Next the nurse must start the IV, the patient expressed her concern that the last time she was poked multiple times and that no one would listen to her when she told them the best placement. The nurse acknowledges this information and thanks her. She proceeds to look at the placement the patient prefers  and informs her that she will place the IV there. As she finishes up she explains to the patient that although sometimes we can go where you prefer , that it’s not always possible but to always speak up to the nurses because it is helpful (interests are considered and respected). Contrary Case A patient is waiting in the ER bay, the nurse walks in offering no introduction but hands the patient a gown stating, â€Å"put this on only underwear on underneath.† At the same time the nurse starts with a rush of questioning while the patient gets up to pull the curtain herself (no privacy or respect). The patient tries to describe her symptoms and the pain she is in but the nurse cuts her off mid-sentence and tells her to just tell the doctor when he arrives, she is only here to get a history, vitals and start fluids (no genuine care or consideration). The patient inquires as to how long the nurse has been practicing to which the nurse replies, â€Å"awhile† (No belief in ability). The nurse then begins to look at patients arm to look for IV placement, the patient tells the nurse easiest placement usually is from past experiences. The nurse tells the patient she hates when people try to tell her how to do her job (interests are not considered or respected). The nurs e then walks away and tells the patient she will be back to which a different nurse returns to continue the admission (no consistency of action). Borderline Case A patient is waiting for nurse to give her medications. The nurse comes in on time as always with the medications (consistency of action). The nurse remembers to bring in the patients favorite juice to take the pills down with (interests are considered). The patient tells the nurse she needs to use the bedside commode first so the nurse closes the door and tells the patient to push the call light once she has finished (privacy and respect). The nurse returns prepares to give the patient an injection but when the patient asks exactly what the injection is for the nurse does not know and simply responds, â€Å"it’s just something the doctor wants you to have.† The nurse then calls another nurse to verify where the shot should be given, all the while the patient is now concerned that the nurse should not be  administering the medication (no belief in ability or effectiveness to do something). Concepts related to trust: Integrity Benevolence Credibility Confidence Veracity Invented Case A boy spots a rainbow in the sky and is filled with excitement because if he finds the end he knows a pot of gold is waiting for him. The boy tells his best friend who has a special map that he drew just for this occasion and gives it to him to follow (belief in ability and effectiveness). The best friends tells him he wants to go to, that he has always dreamed of this day and so the boy invites him to come along (interests are considered). The two set off on their way to find the end of the rainbow and encounter a fork in the road. The boy admits he has no sense of direction and that every time his best friend chooses which way to go they end up in the right place (consistency of action). Together they decide to go right and before they know it they are at the end of the rainbow. As they approach a leprechaun appears and asks the boys to turn around so they won’t see where he hides the gold, the boys oblige and the leprechaun returns with a pot of gold (privacy and respect). Illegitimate Case An illegitimate use of the term â€Å"trust† Definition: Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing. Use: â€Å"Trust me, I know what I’m doing.† Antecedents Consistency Integrity Communication Competence Consequences of Trust Commitment Cooperation Therapeutic relationships Respect Conflict Resolution In conclusion, the concept of trust remains a broad concept as a whole however it is better defined as it relates to each circumstance. Trust is continually evolving in the nurse patient relationship and as we become more educated and socially and emotionally aware, we are better able to assess the context of and redefine the way trust is established for that moment. Knowing the basics of building trust is just a stepping stone to becoming better leaders within our profession as we apply the skills across the continuum from patients to co-workers and other health professionals. References Changing Minds. (2013). What is Trust? Retrieved March 8, 2014 from: http://changingminds.org/explanations/trust/what_is_trust.htm Dinc, L., & Gastmans, C. (2011). Trust and trustworthiness in nursing: an argument-based literature review. Academic Journal, 19 (3), 223-237.doi:10.1111/j.1440-1800.2011.00582.x Dinà §, L., & Gastmans, C. (2013). Trust in nurse–patient relationships: A literature review, 20 (5), 501-516. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0969733012468463 Getting Comfy. (2013). Why Trust is the Foundation of Leadership. Retrieved March 5, 2014 from: http://gettingcomfy.com/2013/12/21/ Horsager, D. (2012). You Can’t Be a Great Leader Without Trust. Here’s How You Build It. Retrieved March 3, 2014 from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2012/10/24/you-cant-be-a-great-leader-without-trust-heres-how-you-build-it/ Kahn, J. (2013). Nurses Are the Most Trusted Professionals in America. Retrieved March 5, 2014 from://healthpopuli.com/2013/12/16/ nurses-are-the-most-trusted-professionals-in-america/ Mathias, T., & Pullen, R. (2010). Fostering therapeutic nurse-patient relationships. Nursing Made Incredibly Easy, 8(3), 4.doi:

The Power Of Expectancy Effects On Cognitive Performance

The Power of Expectancy Effects on Cognitive Performance Abstract Expectancy and placebo effects on cognitive performance haven’t been well studied. A 2 (‘Salvia’, Placebo) x 2 (Congruent, Incongruent) mixed experimental design was adopted to determine the role of expectancy in receiving a salvia capsule on selective attention. Olken, Flegal and Zajdel (2008) found that the expectation of receiving salvia can improve cognitive performance. In the current study, 102 second year undergraduate psychology students were allocated to the placebo condition and the ‘salvia’ condition. In the salvia condition, it was predicted that participants would expect that they were receiving salvia which would thus improve their cognitive performance which would lead them to perform better on the selective attention task than those in the placebo condition. Results showed that participants in the Salvia condition had significantly faster reaction times than the placebo condition both in congruent and incongruent conditions which sugg ests that expectancy plays a significant role in the mediation of the placebo effect and can thus improve cognitive performance supporting Olken, Fiegal and Zajdel (2008) findings. Introduction According to expectancy theory, the placebo effect is mediated directly by conscious expectation (Amanzio 2001). This is due to the psychosocial factors that are associated with the context of the treatment such as environmental cues which suggests what the treatmentShow MoreRelatedGroup Decision-Making, Leadership, Influence and Power: Illustrations from the Film ‚Äà º12 Angry Men‚Äà ¹1048 Words   |  5 PagesLeadership, Influence and Power: Illustrations from the Film â€Å"12 Angry Men† Stephen Pulla 804 859 874 BMGT 310 April 20, 2012 Victor Rosochalsky â€Å"The cognitive evaluation theory is contradictory to reinforcement and expectancy theories† There are three motivation theories that will help increase an individual’s motivation to perform better at certain tasks. The three theories of motivation are the Expectancy theory, the ReinforcementRead MoreCom 530 Week 3 Organizational Communication Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pagesevents that leads the human society while in emergency crisis. The American Red Cross has the ability to mobilize the power of volunteers as well as the generosity of donors. 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