Essay about The skills gap in Big Data analytics - 1486 Words

Our every day life has changed forever, thanks for the ubiquitous smart phones and technology dependent information age. We leave a trail of data while travelling, shopping, driveing, bloggin, and even voting. All of these activities leave a digital signature unique to us, which if analyzed can predict our next move. Similarly, a large set of data is being created each day by businesses, researchers and the World Wide Web. According to an estimate by the government, there are about 1.2 zettabytes (250 billion DVDs) of electronic data generated each year by everything from underground physics experiments and telescopes to retail transactions and Twitter posts (Mervis 22). This data growth has created a new challenge and opportunity. The†¦show more content†¦The type of inquiry varies by the type of the field of study and each field has its own approaches. A person who is in charge of the data inquiry is called a data scientist. The discipline of studying about data is calle d a data science. In the study published by Harvard business review, data scientist is labeled as â€Å"The Sexiest Job Of the 21st Century (Davenport 70).† It is a new field of study where analyzing a large set of data has become a key to the success of a business. Data science is applicable in almost every discipline where a large set of data is generated and consumed. In pure science, specifically astronomy and physics, Big Data analytics has long been used for finding undiscovered planet or unknown atomic particle in the accelerator labs. Other areas like Biology and Chemistry are still developing techniques for the Big Data Analytics. In the study the Big Challenges of Big Data Vivien Marx wrote, â€Å"Biologists are joining the big-data club. With the advent of high-throughput genomics, life scientists are starting to grapple with massive data sets, encountering challenges with handling, processing and moving information that were once the domain of astronomers and high-energy physicists† (Marx 255). The uneven level of Big Data analytics usage within the pure sciences signifies the need to produce new talents and the gap that exists today. In health care, hospitals and laboratories keep electronics health records (EHR), about their patient dataShow MoreRelatedData Analytics, An Integral Part Of Modern Audit Practices1202 Words   |  5 PagesData analytics in audit Introduction: It is interesting to know how modern technology has helped auditors to become efficient with respect to time and resources. Not only that, auditors of late have become heavily dependent on technology for their easy and efficiency. 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National Fabricators Free Essays

Key Events/Case Synopsis National Fabricators Inc. is a company that specializes in the manufacturing of lockers, school furniture, toilet partitions, steel shelving, and is now currently owned by Tom Kruger after buying out $75,000 of shares from shareholders in 1992. The industry is very competitive as costs are rising and prices being cut while the economy declines at the same time. We will write a custom essay sample on National Fabricators or any similar topic only for you Order Now As the president of National Fabricators, Tom Kruger needs to bring the company back on its feet in order to generate profits and reduce its losses of $480,315 and outstanding bank loans of $784,000. Tom Kruger also predicts that sales would fall as much as 10% during the 1994 fiscal year due to government cutbacks on medical and educational spending as well as a sluggish level of consumer confidence. Tom Kruger is now faced with trying to get a 60 day extension for his temporary line of credit in order to get the company to start making profits again. Problem Statement and Objectives To save the company, Tom Kruger needs to get an extension of 60 days on his temporary line of credit so that he can keep losses to a minimum and start generating more profits. At the same time, the economy is declining, competitors are setting low prices, and the government is cutting back on educational spending. Tom Kruger realizes that his plant is not being utilized at full capacity and most of the operations were being primarily financed on bank credit due to insufficient cash at hand. To address these problems, Tom Kruger is now planning on developing a new plant layout for efficiency as well as requesting a line of credit extension in order to finance debt. Situation Analysis Porters As we can see from the case, the metal industry is not an attractive industry because of high competition with low bids, unstable economy, high bargaining power of buyers, and high start up costs. Since the buyers have very little suppliers to choose from to do business with, it can be concluded that suppliers have bargaining power in this industry. Buyers on the other hand only have power when they are specialized at what they do and offer a very low price. Substitution is quite limited due to different specifications offered by the major companies. Barriers to entry on the other hand are very high due to the huge amount of capital needed to get a foot in to the industry. All in all competition is very high in this industry and one must bid aggressively in order to gain a contract. However, this is hard when everyone is giving their lowest bid. SWOT Analysis Overall, for National Fabricators the weaknesses outweigh the strengths for due to its failure towards managing both finance and operations for approximately 10 years. The threats also outweigh the opportunities mostly due the intense competition whcih provides a negative trend towards profits for National Fabricators within the industry. Strengths: †¢ The company has kept all of their old employees at the management level and this will allow them to keep stability while the company is under new ownership. †¢ With a strong sales team being compenstated on a commission basis, this will isnpire each employ to work harder to make and close sales; which in the long run will increase company profits. National Fabricator has contracts from purchaser who are very unlikely to default on their payables, because majority of them come from the government. †¢ Mr. Kruger, is well experienced for this position mostly due to his education and qualifications Weaknesses: †¢ The company lacks in a sufficient inventory management and cost management system, which impacts profits. †¢ With a deficiency of cash flow it forced the company to purc hase materials from more costly warehouses other than Steelmills which is cheaper, which inreturn had increased manufacturing cost. Inproper scheduling and status reporting for work in progress caused a major ineffectiveness on plant capacity use, which had openly increased operating cost and reduced net profits. Opportunities: †¢ Buying from the Steelmills will result in an increase of operating profit while costs are being decreased. †¢ The company has the opportunity to grow in various markets and aquire new customers such as malls, hotels, offices, and motels not only in Canada but as well as the United States. Threats: †¢ Tremendous price and wage competition in a recurring industry will lead to additional losses in profits. The highest risk for National Fabricators is the three companies which are dominating the industry that have the investment ability to control industry standards and requirements, which could lead to a decrease in profits. †¢ Due to the long term contracts from the government it is impacting the company’s cash flow in a negative trend. Historical Financial Analysis †¢ Sales fluctuate due to the frequently cyclic nature of the industry but they aim to remain above 3 million annually. †¢ In 1993 cost of goods sold being 90% of sales and 9. 6% gross profit of sales. Company’s lack of ability to manage inventory and lack of cash forced them to order from more expensive (12-15%more) warehouse than steel mills. †¢ Net profit margin has been negative and no major patterns over the 9 year period on net profit since the trend of the industry is based mostly on economic factors, and whether or not they secure contracts. Due to high percentage of COGS they are only left with a net profit of $980 or 0. 024% of sales in 1993. As a result, if the company lower the material cost, the profit margin will improve drastically. †¢ In 1984 current ratio went from 2. 07 to 1. 2 in 1993 which still is at an acceptable level, mainly due to the fact that operations were losing money in the past few years and there was a large cash drain on the company which resulted in the lowering of the current ratio. †¢ Operations were being financed by National Fabricators bank credit which resulted in outstanding bank loans of $784,000; this could cause ser ious problems on their credit rating from the local bank due to the worse intereage coverage ratio. †¢ Their average age of receivables in days is 78. 79 which had been steady around that number except in 1993 with 101 days mainly due to the holdback on large accounts. Since it is taking longer for them to convert accounts receivable into cash, the liquidity ability for the company is getting worse. | |1993 |1992 |1991 |1990 | |Liquidity | | | | | |Current Ratio |1. 12 |1. 34 |1. 32 |1. 58 | |Quick Ratio |0. 70 |0. 4 |0. 81 |0. 81 | |Profitability | | | | | |%Sales Growth |25. 7% |(17. 6%) |14. 4% | | |Gross Margin |9. 6% |10. 7% |7. 0% |7. 0% | |Net Margin |0. 02% |(1. 8%) |(5. 6%) |(6. %) | |Expenses/Sales |10. 0% |13. 3% |12. 8% |14. 1% | |ROE |0. 2% |(11. 4%) |(37. 8%) |(26. 3%) | |ROA |0. 04% |(4. 1%) |(12. 8%) |(11. 9%) | | | | | | | |Debt/Assets |75. % |64. 2% |66. 1% |54. 7% | |Debt/Equity |310. 4% |179. 4% |195. 0% |121. 2% | Recommendation and Analysis We have chosen to recommend alternative #1, which will focus on improving their profits because they will be reducing the cost of materials from purchasing directly from Steel Mills rather than buying from the warehouses. By doing so this will help them convince Confederation Bank. Purchasing from producers rather than the warehouses will significantly save us an approximate 12-15%. This can help drastically with their profits being made. Another way to improve profit is by increasing profit margins and to do so they need to cut the cost of materials, which will be approximately 68%. By having cut material cost by 13. 5% National Fabricators will have $314,600, which is the amount they saved from the materials and it would increase their gross profits by that amount. Having laid out this plan everything looks very convincing but there are a couple set backs, which need to be worked out. Delivery is three months once purchased from the producers directly rather than one-day delivery from the warehouses, this may cause problems for daily operations. National Fabricators now has to pay off their suppliers in 30 days payments. It used to be 60-90 days but the change requires the need for more cash on hand. Nationals Fabricators will require the financial support of Confederation Bank in order to solve these set backs that will take place if they don’t receive the help financial help they require. Being able to execute this plan we believe that National Fabricators would be able to convince the bank to extend the loan. This will benefit the company because not doing so will increase the financial problems. The reason being we didn’t choose alternative 2 was because it was just too risky and way too costly especially with the risk at hand. Yes it was to better their sales but factor in that their attempts to migrate in the U. S. market also have the risk of not being successful. Also the number of other companies already settled their will give a great competitive market and putting all this together would just show that there is much more risk at hand than reward. Exhibits and Analysis: Attached on next page How to cite National Fabricators, Essay examples

Business Economics Expanding Economic Prospects

Question: Discuss about the Business Economics for Expanding Economic Prospects. Answer: Introduction The present role of tourism in expanding economic prospects in developing countries presents a paradox. The tourism industry plays a potential leadership role in order to resolve the problem within the industry and the trade community as a whole. There are some broadly cited examples of individual tourism business enterprises as well as companies that collaborate with communities and as a result, they bring economic wealth to isolated areas. This mainly includes local business relationship that initiates for sourcing fresh products as well as crafts. Tourism and hospitality industry is a severely competitive, specialized as well as rapidly developing commercial sector (Mowforth Munt, 2015). Body Components of GDP As we know there are mainly four components of GDP that comprises of private consumption expenditure, investment expenditure, and government purchases of commodities and services as well as net exports. I have analyzed the fact that tourism and hospitality sector will help to add to the economic growth and development. This is mainly because, tourism and hospitality helps to drive foreign trade as well as it encourages investment. I have greatly examined that this industry has a positive impact on every component of GDP. Investment is stimulated by both domestic and global demand for tourism. This in turn drives the improvements of the infrastructures that benefit tourist collectively (Leimbach et al., 2015). I have realized that the growth of this sector will lead to development of bars, retail companies as well as other tourism related trade. The quality of life for local inhabitants will also improve, as they will be able to expand the alternatives accessible to them in their domestic community. I also require emphasizing on the improvement in net exports to the government. Philippines will enjoy higher net exports with a bigger outbound business travel market. Business travel is very important contributor to the financial system of nearly all countries, both developed and developing. Advances in trade mostly generate a broader economic benefit. Private consumption expenditure is also impacted in a positive manner as it generates total revenue that deals directly with visitor exports as well as individual spending of the government. The combined spending by the government that includes both local and regional government in the tourism industry is mainly to promote tourism, organization al services and other communal services (Roxas Chadee, 2013). I came across that with the introduction of the tourism and hospitality sector, the economy of Philippines is benefiting. The Philippines tourism and hospitality industry adds a total of P1.43 trillion to the domestic economy in the year 2015. It is equal to 10.6 percent of the gross domestic product of the country. The Philippines tourism and hospitality industry contributed to more than 1.3 million jobs in the year 2015. This figure mainly reflects service by hotels, airlines, restaurants and travel agents. I have also examined that the rate of employment in the tourism industry is likely to increase by 3.1 percent by the year 2017 and by 2.4 percent per year to 1.65 million employments by the year 2026 (Aguila Ragot, 2014). Direct, Indirect and Induced Contribution to Economic Growth Since Philippine is classified as a lower middle-income country by the World Bank, the government is seeking to increase the contribution to economic growth. The direct contribution of Tourism and Hospitality sector to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reflects the internal expenditure on tourism as well as the individual spending of the government. The direct involvement of Tourism and Hospitality sector to GDP is computed to be reliable with the output, as articulated in National Accounting of tourism characteristic sector. The tourism characteristic sector mainly includes hotels, airlines as well as travel agents and leisure and amusement services. The direct contribution to GDP is also measured from internal spending by netting out the purchases made by diverse tourism industries (Falk, 2016). In the year 2014, the direct contribution to GDP was PHP533.0 billion or 4.2 percent of GDP. On the other hand, in the year 2015 the direct contribution to GDP was PHP559.0 billion or 4.9 percent of GDP. The prepare that will presented to the government reflects that by the year 2025 the tourism and the hospitality sector will contribute to 5.6 percent pa to PHP964.0 billion or 4.4 percent of GDP. The indirect contribution to economic growth and development includes the GDP as well as jobs that is supported by tourism expenditure spending. This includes an imperative characteristic of both present and future movement that comprises investment activity that includes the purchase of new aircraft and manufacture of new hotels (Hettiarachchi, De Silva Sivashankar, 2015). The collective spending of government also contributes to GDP that helps the tourism industry in various ways. This is mainly because collective spending is made on behalf of the community at large that mostly comprises of tourism marketing as well as security services, promotion and aviation. The last indirect contribution to GDP is due to domestic procured of commodities as well as services by the sectors that are dealing straight with tourists. The induced contribution measures that contributes to economic growth and development that is sustained by the expenditure of those who are directly and circuitously engaged by the Tourism and Hospitality sector. The total contribution of the tourism industry reflected not only the economic activities of directly associated companies but also the wider consequences from investment. I analyzed that the total contribution by the industry is expected to increase by 6.6 percent and it is expected to augment by P2.6 trillion by the year 2026 (Ma rtins Veiga, 2014). Conclusion It can be concluded that investment is stimulated by both domestic and global demand for tourism. The direct involvement of Tourism and Hospitality sector to GDP is computed to be reliable with the output, as expressed in National Accounting of tourism trait sector. I have analyzed that tourism will drive foreign trade in Philippines that will advance the economic growth by lowering prices, generating economies of scale, permitting countries to focus on areas of competitive benefit, encouraging innovation and generating competition. It has also been concluded that the indirect contribution to economic growth and development includes the GDP as well as jobs that is supported by tourism expenditure spending. The Philippines recorded a 9.56 percent growth in foreign arrivals in the year 2013. Private consumption expenditure is also impacted in a positive manner as it generates total revenue that deals directly with visitor exports as well as individual spending of the government. I have also analyzed that in the year 2015 the Philippines tourism and hospitality industry contributed to more than 1.3 million jobs. References Aguila, G. M., Ragot, R. (2014). Ecotourism Industry in Ilijan Batangas City, Philippines: Assessing Its Effects as a Basis of Proposed Tourism Development Plan. Quarterly Journal of Business Studies, 1(1), 24-35. Falk, M. (2016). A gravity model of foreign direct investment in the hospitality industry. Tourism Management, 55, 225-237. Hettiarachchi, I. C., De Silva, D. A. M., Sivashankar, P. (2015). Human Resource Audit for the Sri Lankan Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Tourism, Leisure and Global Change, 2(1), 88-104. Leimbach, M., Kriegler, E., Roming, N., Schwanitz, J. (2015). Future growth patterns of world regionsA GDP scenario approach. Global Environmental Change. Martins, S., Veiga, F. J. (2014). Government size, composition of public expenditure, and economic development. International tax and public finance, 21(4), 578-597. Martins, S., Veiga, F. J. (2014). Government size, composition of public expenditure, and economic development. International tax and public finance, 21(4), 578-597 Mowforth, M., Munt, I. (2015). Tourism and sustainability: Development, globalisation and new tourism in the third world. Routledge. Roxas, B., Chadee, D. (2013). Effects of formal institutions on the performance of the tourism sector in the Philippines: The mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation. Tourism Management, 37, 1-12.

Romeo And Juliet Influence Essays - Characters In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo And Juliet Influence William Shakespeare, the English poet and playwright of the 16th -17th centuries, is known as the best dramatist in the world. He is also known as the best author who has written in the English language. He has written a lot of great plays and sonnets, which are read and admired by people all over the world. The reason for his popularity is his understanding of people and his ability to create the characters almost mirroring the real life situations, human feelings and behaviors. Shakespeare could understand the human character very deeply, therefore he could create characters beyond the time and place of his plays (The World Book Encyclopedia 17 345). One of his most popular plays is the tragedy Romeo and Juliet, talking about the tragic ending of the young love of two teenagers. It is considered the best play about love in the world. The story takes place in Verona, a city in Italy. Romeo and Juliet are two young teenagers who love each other indeed but can not realize their dreams because their families Montagues and Capulets are in a deadly feud. Romeo and Juliet get secretly married. After the wedding Romeo comes across the Juliets cousin Tybalt, who challenges him to a fight. But Romeo doesnt want to fight his new relative. Instead Romeos friend Mercutio fights Tybalt and gets killed. In revenge Romeo fights and kills Tybalt, for what he is expelled from the city. Meanwhile Juliets father forces her to marry his friend Paris. To escape this terrible situation, she asks Friar Lawrence for help, who gives her a drug that puts her in a deathlike sleep for two days. Romeo hears the bad news about Juliets death before he gets the message sent by Friar Lawrence and rushes to the tomb where Juliet was put. Life has no meaning for him anymore, so he takes a poison and dies near Juliets body. When Juliet awakens from the sleep, she sees her love dead and doesnt want to live anymore, so she stabs herself. Death of the two young lovers make the families understand that they must end their feud (The World Book Encyclopedia 17 358). At that time it was strongly believed that the true love always struck at first sight and in this play Romeo and Juliet fall in love from the first sight (Brian C). Some critics say that the idealized love of Romeo and Juliet is rooted on passionate sexuality. But to Elizabethans sexual desire was not antithetical to romance; it was the essence of romance (Brian C). Romeo and Juliet is based on a poem by an English author Arthur Brooke The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet ("The World Book Encyclopedia 17" 358). Some critics refer to this as one of the weak points of the play, saying that Shakespeare didnt write many original plots, he found what he was looking for ready in Arthur Brookes poem (Rowse 70). But thinking about the plays interesting plot, the beautiful language full of word-plays, different characters and at last the love theme which is the basic element that makes it so interesting, all these things completely make this and the other weak points and faults found by critics fade out. Many critics have also addressed the language of the play. Artificial language, used a lot in the play, was characteristic for the Elizabethan age ("The World Book Encyclopedia 17" 358). Elizabethans liked those long phrases and fast word-plays, which become simple conversations if retold in modern word interpretation (Brian C). But Shakespeare has used some simple language, characteristic for his later plays, too ("The World Book Encyclopedia 17" 358). Another thing we should keep in mind is that although the script pas been written for the performance, its read and understood easily (Brian C). There are a lot of elements and characteristics in the play that make it popular and successful. One of the points that gets critics attention is that despite the plays Italian setting, the language, customs and attitudes are generally English (Brian C). Another characteristic thing for the Elizabethan age is that there are no sudden and original plot turns. Elizabethans werent so interested in that, how the story was told was more important for them (Brian C). The good rhyming lines are much frequent in the play, which is another positive element (Rowse 68). Music and references to music are also used a lot in the play. In fact, musical elements in this play are greater than in any other

Television industry is experiencing significant growth Essays

Television industry is experiencing significant growth Essays Television industry is experiencing significant growth Paper Television industry is experiencing significant growth Paper CABLE TV OPERATORS. NTL group ltd. NTL group provides telecommunication and television services, including telephone, cable television and internet access. Its network reaches to 50% of the UK households. NTL is the first company to provide interactive television services which includes offering shopping, banking, gaming and entrainment facilities. Telewest Communications Plc. Telewest is the second largest broadband communications and media group in the UK, providing cable television, telephony and Internet access to around 1. 8 million homes. Flextech Telewests content division is the largest provider of basic channels to the UK pay television market. In May 2002 Telewest introduced enhanced TV programming in time for high-profile events, in conjunction with BBC and Channel 4. During the BBCs coverage of the World Cup, Telewest customers were able to enjoy a number of new interactive features, including a choice of video streams and the ability to listen to the usual commentary, the crowd or the Radio 5 live. Isle of Wight Cable and Telephone Company Ltd. Isle of Wight Cable and Telephone Company is the smallest of the UKs cable operators. It only employs 65 people and has a very limited area of operation: the Isle of Wight. The UK cable TV operators SWOT analysis. Both NTL and Telewest, being involved in the same type of television content distribution, have much in common in their SWOT analysis. Thus the analysis below represents the total cable television segment of the UK television industry. Strengths: The main strength of the UK TV industry cable operators is the versatility of services they offer, including telephone, home banking, video on demand, fast internet connections. They have greater possibilities for interactive television, comparing with BSkyB. Another important strength of the cable operators is that they transmit very quality pictures and offer a wide choice of programming. The later however is still less than that of BSkyB. With cable TV provider you dont have to put a satellite dish on you wall. Weaknesses: One major factor limiting the growth of cable television in the UK is the greater construction costs of the infrastructure: in the UK cable has to be laid underground and the costs of this are very high (Martin 2000 p. 35-36). Cable operators have very little programming of their own. They mostly rely on the programming provided by BSkyB and have to pay for the access to it. The high construction costs and the dependence on BSkyB for programming contribute to the higher level of prices of cable operators, comparing to the satellite service. The UK cable companies have limited possibilities in competition with BSkyB. According to Cable and Broadcasting Act 1984 cable operators not allowed to obtain exclusive rights to certain major national sporting events (Martin 2000, 35-36). Opportunities: As new services such as video on demand, multimedia and fast internet connections become a reality the versatility of the fibre-optic cable networks will become increasingly valuable. The satellite and terrestrial broadcasters will remain dependant on old copper-wire telephone technology for interactivity. In most cases BT will be acting as gatekeeper (Key Note 2002). Advertising, as a source of profit, havent been exploited so far by the cable operators, as they have limited programming. Developing their own content means a new source of profit for cable operators. Moreover they can use the time allocated to them by most program suppliers (aprox. 2 minutes per hour). A merger between Granada and Carlton presents more possibilities for cooperation between the UK content providers and Cable operators, as both parts have been strongly reliant on each other for the content and channels of distribution. This cooperation will give the companies more strength to withstand the satellite TV competition and expand in the market. Threats: The financial health of the cable operators is very dubious. Their net debts are nearly i 20bn. According to the information, provided by Key Note (2002), cable operators receive 50% percent of their revenues from telephone charges. These are, however. decreasing due to constraints by Oftel (the telecommunications regulator). This may present new financial difficulties to the cable operators. The UK digital terrestrial television operators SWOT analysis. The UK DTT operators include BBC, Channel Four, Five and ITV. The main owners of ITV are Granada and Carlton. The current merger between Granada and Carlton, will result in a new company ITV plc. All these companies are vertically integrated, which means that they are both the providers of content and its distributors. However with the development of satellite and cable television, their role as distributors of content becomes limited, as DTT becomes less and less popular. These companies now distribute their content through satellite and cable operators. They play a more important role as content providers now. Information on these companies can be found in The UK television content providers section of this report. BBCs profit comes from the license fee. Other free-to-air operators get their profit from advertising. Strengths: DTT is a free-to-air service, which means that you dont have to buy all the equipment, necessary for receiving cable and satellite service. DTT service is cheaper than that of satellite and cable operators. Weaknesses: Problems with reception may be experienced by subscribers to the DTT service. There is a very limited amount of programming on DTT service, comparing to that of cable and satellite operators. There are strong technical limitations for introducing interactive television. Though DTT service is cheaper, than that of satellite and cable broadcasters, the difference is not big. Monthly license fee is approximately i 9. 7. For just i 12. 50 a month you can subscribe for BSkyB package, which includes 102 channels, including some 90 free-to-air channels. This package will also offer some interactive services and a very high quality picture. Opportunities: The only opportunity for DTT is the extension of market. But it is very doubtful that the digital terrestrial television will be able to withstand the competition from cable and satellite operators, due to the weaknesses, described earlier and the threats (see next paragraph). Threats: The increasing popularity of interactive services presents a big threat for DTT, as most subscribers will go for BSkyB or NTL and Telewest packages. The fragmentation of advertising market means less advertising revenues for Channel Four, Film Four, Five, etc. The increasing competition from satellite and cable operators. The increasing quality and versatility of the content offered by the cable and satellite operators. The UK television content providers. Channel Owner Share Sky One UK Gold Sky Sports 1 ITV 2 CBeeBies UK Style Sky Sports 2 Nickelodeon Hallmark Sky Premier 1 BSkyB UKTV+ BSkyB Carlton (44%), Granada (56%) BBC UKTV+ BSkyB BSkyB (50%), Viacom (50%) Crown Entertainment Ltd. Sky 2. 8% 2. 5% 2. 1% 1. 8% 1. 2% 1. 2% 1. 0% 1. 0% 0. 9% 0. 9% Table 1. UK Multichannel TV: Most popular channels. Adopted from ITC the UK television market overview September 2003. The largest content provider in the UK television industry is currently BBC. The second position is occupied by Granada and the third by Carlton. The upcoming merger between Granada and Carlton will reshape the current situation in the UK TV content production market. BBC and ITV plc. (the new merged company) will occupy about 65% of the total turnover of the UK program supply market, with BBC and ITV plc. responsible for approximately 40% and 25% respectively. Sky is not included here, as much of its content is imported from the US. However, among the UK top ten channels on multichannel television (satellite and cable) the 2003 Sky occupies 5 positions (see table 1). The British Broadcasting Company (BBC). BBC was the first company to start broadcasting in the UK. Today it provides a wide range of programs and services. They include television, radio, national, local, childrens, educational, language and other services for key interest groups. The BBC is financed by a TV license paid by households. It does not have to serve the interests of advertisers, or produce a return for shareholders. The annual color TV license currently costs i 116. The license includes 8 national BBC television channels. ITV plc. ITV plc. will be a result of the merger between Granada Media plc. and Carlton Communications plc. As the merger havent been completed yet, the information in this report is given on Granada and Carlton separately. Granada Media Plc. Granada Media encompasses a range of terrestrial and non-terrestrial television businesses, including Granada Television, 25% of GMTV, 50% London News Network, 10,8% stake in BSkyB, etc. Granada Sky Broadcasting is the companys non-terrestrial joint venture with BskyB, offering various channels as part of the Sky multichannel package. Granada is a leading ITV franchise holder, ahead of Carlton communications. Carlton Communications Plc. Carlton is the second largest ITV franchise holder, accounting for around 40% of income in the commercial terrestrial sector. It has interests in commercial free-to-air and pay-TV content creation and media services. Carlton currently broadcasts to 26 million people. Channel 4. Channel 4 transmits across the whole of the UK, except some parts of Wales which are covered by the Welsh language S4C. It is available on all digital platforms as well as through conventional analogue transmission. It is publicly owned. Unlike the BBC, Channel 4 receives no public funding. It is funded entirely by its own commercial activities. Four gets 66% of its content from independent content providers. Five. Channel Five was established in 1997. It is very much alike Channel 4. It is publicly owned, but receives its profits mainly from advertisement. It is available from DTT, cable and satellite operators. In 2002 Five received 86% of its content from independent content providers. Independent production companies. Independent producers of content currently occupy about 38% of the market. They can distribute their content through BBC, ITV, Channel Four and Five. The proportions of independent producers on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five in 2002 were 25%, 30%, 66% and 86% respectively. The problem is that these channels only provide 6. 1% of the total content in multichannel homes. The figures for the terrestrial broadcasting are significantly higher, as they provide 74. 9% of content here. However the terrestrial broadcasting in the UK is only responsible for 14% of the UK television industry. Thus, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five provide 15. 6% (including the content of independent providers) of the total content in the UK television industry. According to the Broadcasting Act 1990 these companies have to give 25% of their broadcasting time to independent content suppliers. The proportions of independent content suppliers on this channels are currently higher, as it was already noted above. However, if these channels reduce it to the share, stated in the Act, the proportion of the independent producers in the total UK television content will only be 3. 9%. Independent production companies in the UK include: Talk Back Productions, Pearson Television, Jim Henson Productions, Planet 24, etc. The UK TV content providers SWOT analysis. Strengths: The UK content providers offer a big variety of quality content, which is able to compete with BSkyB. Weaknesses: The UK TV content providers are reliant on satellite and cable operators for distribution of their content. They only have control of digital terrestrial television, but this has little popularity today and its share is constantly declining (for more information see DTT SWOT analysis section). The failure of ITV Digital in May 2002 shows just how far behind the established pay-TV operators the traditional free-to-air broadcasters are. They have limited financial resources, comparing with BSkyB, which means that they have limited possibilities of acquiring rights for some content, such as major sporting events. Opportunities: The growth of the UK television market means there will be an increasing demand for quality programming. The merger between Granada and Carlton means they will be able to better compete with the content, provided by BSkyB. An interest of cable operators in the development of their own content presents more opportunities for close cooperation between the UK TV content providers, especially ITV plc. (a result of the merger between Granada and Carlton), and cable companies. This cooperation will give more strength to withstand the competition of BSkyB for both of them. Threats: A significant part of TV content in the UK is provided by BSkyB. Moreover BSkyB is able to distribute its content through both satellite and cable channels of distribution. The merger between Carlton and Granada is a threat to the smaller content providers, as it presents them a new, even stronger competitor. As the number of program hours transmitted continues to rise, the number of people viewing each hour of programming is diminishing. The effect of this is not an increase in average viewing hours; instead, each channel is left with an ever-smaller share of the audience. As a result marketers wont be able to reach a mass audience and will either start using a different medium or demand that the price of advertising airtime is reduced to reflect its reduced reach. The profiles and SWOT analyses of the main companies in the UK TV industry allow to see the complete picture of the current situation in the industry, the trends and forecast the near future. THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE UK TV INDUSTRY. The current situation in the UK TV industry is characterized by the following facts: There has been significant consolidation in the industry during the last decade and today it is dominated by several large companies, including BSkyB, BBC, ITV plc (the result of merger between Granada and Carlton), NTL and Telewest. BSkyB provides satellite television and has 59% percent in the UK multichannel TV market. It is a vertically integrated company and provides a significant share of the UK TV content. BSkyB is the mast financially healthy company in the UK TV industry. Most of its revenues come from subscription. NTL and Telewest provide cable services and account for the 26% of the market. They have a very limited programming of their own and are largely dependant on BSkyB and other content providers. BBC, Channel Four, Channel Five, Carlton, Granada traditionally broadcast their content through analog and digital terrestrial services. Analog will be stopped by the year 2010. Digital terrestrial is supposed to be a substitute for the analog terrestrial television, but it is rather unpopular now with only 14% of the multichannel television market, thus there is a move of terrestrial broadcasters into the non-terrestrial market. THE MAIN TRENDS IN THE UK TV INDUSTRY. Several trends can be outlined: There is an overall slowdown in the UK economy. There has been significant growth in the industry in the last decade and the growth is continuing (see the forecast of the future section for further details). The popularity of digital television is increasing (for more details see Growth section) while analog services are steadily moving to the end. The popularity of cable and satellite services is increasing, while digital terrestrial television is becoming less and less popular. The popularity of different interactive TV services is increasing. There is a move towards even further consolidation of the industry, which is vividly illustrated by the Granada Carlton merger. There is an audience fragmentation trend in the UK TV advertising market, caused be the increasing amounts of programming. THE FORECAST OF THE FUTURE OF THE UK TV INDUSTRY. Even though the average levels of yearly economy growth in the UK are currently rather slow and there is an overall economic slowdown, this most certainly wont affect the growth of television market in the UK, as consumers have come to rely heavily on multichannel television services for home entertainment. This means that it is unlikely to be discarded as part of domestic cost-cutting. Digital television will finally dislodge the analog service by the year 2010. According to the ITC (September 2003) forecast, the penetration of digital television should reach a figure between the 58% (in the lower scenario) and 78% (in the upper scenario) by the year 2007. The important question to answer, however, is which of the three rival formats satellite, cable and digital terrestrial will be the most successful in the long term. It is extremely difficult to answer that question with any degree of certainty. Digital terrestrial television will experience a number of significant threats. While the popularity of cable and satellite television will be growing, DTT wont be able to offer any competitive advantage. DTT has very limited possibilities in terms of interactive TV. The licence fee is not much cheaper then that of the satellite and cable operators, while the difference in the amount of content and the versatility of the services is obvious. The fact that there is no special equipment needed for receiving its services doesnt give a big advantage to DTT, as other companies offer most of the necessary equipment free. Moreover DTT service (except for BBC, which is funded by licence fee) will be strongly subject to the overall reduction of advertising fees, caused be the fragmentation of the TV advertising audience and the fact that advertisers will be willing to pay less as a result of the slow tempo of the economic growth in the country. The reduction of advertising profit wont strongly affect BSkyB and the cable operators, as cable operators have a very limited amount of their own programming, and BSkyB gets most 70% of its profits from subscriptions. On the contrary, the reduction of advertising profit will cause strong difficulties for independent content providers. The smaller of them are also presented by a threat of the merger between Granada and Carlton, as it will result in even a stronger competitor for them ITV plc. These two factors may lead to even further consolidation of the industry and there is a possibility for new mergers and acquisitions in the independent content production sector. Granada and Carlton, who have already once experienced a failure in with Digital Terrestrial Service, will more likely to concentrate their joined forces on cooperation with cable operators, rather than further development of DTT. Both the cable operators and ITV plc. (the company, resulting from the Granada Carlton merger) are interested in this type of cooperation. The reason for that is that ITV plc. doesnt have its channels of distribution (except for the ineffective and unprofitable Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting) and cable operators have a very limited amount of their own content, which presents the companies with a strong disadvantage towards BSkyB. This cooperation will lead to an increased pace of growth of cable operators. BSkyBs pace of growth will more likely to remain the same for approximately the next 3 years. The current Granada Carlton merger and the possible cooperation between ITV plc. and cable operators wont affect BSkyB much for the first 3 years, as it has many other advantages towards these companies, including the high variety of quality programming, cheap prices, etc. Moreover Granada and Carlton will need time to make use of their merger and the possible cooperation with cable operators. The future of the merger still remains uncertain. Though, according to the information provided by Standard Poors ComStock Inc. the shares of both Carlton and Granada have been rising in price since the merger was approved, their current level is still below the one in May 2002, when ITV digital collapsed. Since then the share prices of both companies have been steadily declining until the October 2003. The current advice by analysts is to hold the shares, rather than sell or buy, which means that the situation is rather uncertain. The advice for those, interested in BSkyBs shares is moderate buy, which means that there is some confidence in the growth of the company. The main disadvantage of BSkyB is little possibility for interactive services. These are however not really popular now, as many of them remain inconvenient (a person, who have ever tried writing an e-mail on the screen of his/her TV using his remote control will unlikely do it again).

Analysis of the Prejudice behind the Removal of Mexican American Lessons

Analysis of the Prejudice behind the Removal of Mexican American Lessons Freedom of speech is just one of the many rights we ensure as citizens of America. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, or so it’s said. Sadly, it seems as though that’s not always the case. In the instance of the ban of Mexican American Studies in Arizona, the opinion of those who didn’t fully understand the concept was taken over the students and teachers fighting for their rights to education as United States residents. The decision to ban the Mexican American Studies was a biased decision and it does not make America appear equal when it comes to racial identity. When these ethnic studies were officially banned, it constituted a form of oppression for the folks who were affected by this action. The teachers whom all the students in these classes looked up to were reassigned and the bond the students had built with each other and their teachers was taken away. For some, coming to school and learning about their own heritage was a life changing experience. â€Å"Providing students a way to interact with notions of identity, history and culture in an academic setting clearly improved the graduation rates of low income Hispanic students† (Ramos 1). It gave them hope that someday things would get better, and it even created a sense of belonging in today’s society. But the individuals who supported the ban did not take the time to actually experience what went on in these classes. â€Å"The state legislature contends that these programs are indoctrinating students with anti-American biases but there has been no such evidence to suppo rt this claim† (Ramos 1). They just assumed the teachers were giving Americans a bad name for how poorly they treated Mexican Americans in previous years and wanted these students to eventually â€Å"overthrow† the government. These assumptions were certainly not the intentions of the teachers, in fact the actual intentions were just to show the students they had rights as Mexican Americans and deserved to be treated equally. Forbidding these students to obtain knowledge about equality is definitely a form of oppression. America, as a whole, has a history of poor treatment for races or ethnicities other than white, and this forbidden Mexican American Studies ban in Arizona could be the foundation of additional bans around the country. If that begins to happen, it could cause a lot of controversy nation wide with Mexican Americans because it is preventing them from learning who they really are. â€Å"The Arizona ethnic studies ban has more to do with the politics of our countries changing demography and political power then they do with educational attainment and what is best for the future of the state† (Ramos 1). This makes America look like a racist country because its citizens are disposing of the opportunity to study the history of differing races. As one student stated, â€Å"America is full of people with different backgrounds. If learning ethnic studies is anti-American, then what does it truly mean to be American?† Regrettably, it appears to mean that Americans can be very judgm ental toward others not similar to them. It’s quite unfortunate that the definition of an American is questionable. The country is constantly changing, and those who are surrounded by it must adapt. At the core of the Ethnic Studies ban is fear; much is at stake for each side. The side opposing the education of these studies is prominently made up of white officials high up in the government. They are afraid of a prospective uprising of the Mexican Americans and what consequences that may cause. There are numerous points to be taken into consideration, such as government positions potentially taken over by Mexican Americans instead of the Caucasians currently holding the positions. These white officials undoubtedly mull over the idea of losing control of the government, so to avoid any possibility of this happening they took the easy way out and got rid of any threat they may have had. The ban was placed on courses that meet the following criteria: 1) â€Å"promote the overthrow of the United States government;† 2) â€Å"promote resentment toward a race or class of people;† 3) â€Å"are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group;† or 4) †Å"advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals† (Lee 1). This created a safety net for the opposing side by making sure no class like this would be taught again in Arizona. â€Å"The reality is the ethnic studies ban in Arizona is nothing more then a byproduct of a state legislature which has become adept at manufacturing crises in order to win elections† (Ramos 1). The sad reality of the situation is the fact that power is more important than the history of an entire race. The side attempting to save the Ethnic Studies assembled the Mexican American students and teachers who believed in the program and it’s success. They were fighting for their rights as American citizens for freedom of education. Not only that, but the future was at stake for almost all of these individuals. For the students, these classes kept their interest in school and education as a whole. Many anticipated graduating, going off to college, and eventually making a life for themselves. â€Å"A Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) analysis revealed the MAS programs improved the graduation rates of low income Hispanics† (Ramos 1). This shows that the curriculum immensely aided to the success of the teenagers taking the course. Without it, several of these adolescents could potentially lose interest in school and not persist with the plans they once had. It was very ironic when the new law stated â€Å"the legislature finds and declares that the public school pupils sh ould be taught to treat and value each other as individuals and not be taught to resent or hate other races or classes of people† because in their classrooms, they were all treated with dignity and respect and were taught that they had rights, too (Lee 1). Banning the Mexican American Studies is resent or hate toward the Mexican race, so the legislature is very hypocritical and unfair. The Mexican American Studies ban in Arizona was an unfortunate event for a multitude of Mexican American students and teachers. It removed so many opportunities for these people, and could potentially change the future for some. â€Å"Bottom line these programs help the educational attainment of those that need it. If there is a crisis, it is in the leadership of the Arizona State legislature, which has chosen to manufacture a controversy, when the focus should be on how best to educate Arizonas future workforce† (Ramos 1). Numerous controversies could occur and that would cause a great deal of problems. Equal rights should be dispersed for everyone living in the same region, no matter the ethnical differences.

Applications and ethics of genetic engineering and biotechnology Term Paper

Applications and ethics of genetic engineering and biotechnology - Term Paper Example Biotechnology traces its roots as early as two thousand years ago. In this depiction, commonly referred to as traditional biotechnology, practices of bread baking, alcohol brewing, food crops breeding were evident. However, the recent advancements in molecular biology have provided a new meaning to biotechnology. This is called modern biotechnology and has provided opportunities and challenges to the public. Modern biotechnology can bear significant impacts on the society and the entire world economy. A distinct example of modern biotechnology is genetic engineering (Keener, Thomas and Rekha 2011). Genetic engineering is defined as the process of transferring selected genes of interest between organisms. Additionally, it can refer to the modification of genes within organisms. It can be achieved by addition or deletion of a desired trait. It is through this technique that genetically modified crops or organisms, commonly referred to as transgenics are formed. It has been at the epicenter of public attention and concern to consumers with regards to ethical issues. The objective of this paper is to clearly elaborate the gains made by modern biotechnology in applications such as human gene therapy and genetically modified organisms. With equal measure, these paper discuses the ethical concerns surrounding biotechnological applications (Gifford, 2000). Research advancements in genetic engineering and biotechnology achieved over the last twenty years have had worldwide impacts in a number of ways. Generally, a larger percentage of the public has warmly embraced the technology. Furthermore, the same group has termed it as being beneficial with minimal challenge. However, there is a growing comprehension that new technologies harbor risks, costs and benefits. For example, in 2000 the U.S government increased its funding towards development of biotechnology and genetic engineering. This was a strategy to fight hunger in

Saudi and the western style education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Saudi and the western style education - Essay Example A lot of research has shown a greater effect of Saudi customs, laws, and traditions, on Saudi women than of the religion Islam. Since both religion and culture play a decisive role in the establishment of social practices in Saudi Arabia, one factor cannot be separated from the other as their function is mutual. Consideration of religion would distract the research from its focus. There is a variety of cultural beliefs and traditions that are observed by the different families and communities in Saudi Arabia. Predominantly tribal communities are more conservative in their traditions. This is evident in terms of segregation of sexes directed at reducing sexual temptation and maintaining chastity and modesty. Central regions in Saudi Arabia are more particular about enforcing strict laws related to sex segregation compared to the Eastern Province. Role of Saudi women is more determined by culture compared to tribal families’ tradition or religion. For instance, while Bahrain and Kuwait are Gulf countries comprising tribal families, the two countries do not place restrictions on women from participating in the public life just as Saudi Arabia does. It can thus be said that women’s status and their expected behavior is a consequence of Saudi Arabia’s unique culture. Although this strict segregation has prevailed in the universities, yet this trend has started to change gradually. High-walled universities admit female students who can freely walk around inside the campus. In fact, the primary function of these high walls is to provide the women with security and independence to move around freely. The first women’s university in Saudi Arabia was opened in 1979. Ever since, more universities have been opened for women, though women still have generally lesser educational choices than what are available to men. For example, women have to choose more restricted professions or majors

Johnson vetoed the first and second reconstruction acts Essay Example for Free

Johnson vetoed the first and second reconstruction acts Essay The impeachment of the 17th president of the United States, Andrew Johnson was a key event in the history of Reconstruction as well as in the history of our nation. In the spring and summer of 1864, it seemed unlikely that Abraham Lincoln was going to be reelected. Not only had the war been going rather badly for the Union, but a president had not been reelected in the past thirty years and it was almost understood that Lincoln would follow that form. One of the ways in which Lincoln helped himself to get elected, as well as planning for the time in which the North and South would need to be reconciled to each other, Andrew Johnson, representative from the border state of Tennessee was selected. Johnson was a Southerner but he hated with a passion, his countrymen from the south who left the Union and despised them. However, despite his hatred for the Southern aristocrats, which Johnson had blamed for the Civil War, he certainly was no friend to the African American and this apathy towards their plight would be seen in one veto after another. Johnson also vetoed the Freedman’s Bill which sought to ensure that the newly freed African Americans would have land and a chance to make a new life for them and to ease the transition from a life of slavery to one of freedom. All of the above mentioned, led to the first impeachment of an American President. The radical Republicans became increasingly frustrated at the rate in which President Johnson was vetoing everything that they had worked so hard to form as it was their goal to make sure that the Civil War was not fought in vain. President Johnson, in the minds of the Radical Republicans and an increasing number of other representatives in both Houses of Congress, started to see Johnson as the enemy. When President Johnson fired Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, it was seen as the last straw and impeachment procedures begun. However, even though Johnson escaped formal impeachment by a single vote, his hopes for a second term, and his first full term, vanished as he was now seen in league with the Southerners whom he had previously professed to hate. When Andrew Johnson was selected by President Lincoln as his running mate in the 1864 election, many Republicans, especially radical Republicans like Thurlow Weed and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, were very suspicious of Johnson’s motives as he was from Tennessee. Their fear left when Johnson expressed his hatred towards the aristocratic land owners of the South, whom he had faulted for the start of the war in the first place. However, suspicion soon returned when Johnson made his feelings know concerning the need for Reconstruction in the first place: â€Å"Those states have not gone out of the Union. Therefore reconstruction is unnecessary. † This would be a theme that Johnson would keep through his formal responses concerning his multiple vetoes. Johnson was either hopelessly optimistic about the plight of the African Americans in the South, apathetic, or purposely took on a mission to help the white farmers against what he considered the legislation of the reformers to be in aid of the black farmer over the white. When Congress met in December of 1865, the first time that both Houses had met since the death of President Lincoln, only Mississippi had failed to adopt the lenient measures that both President Lincoln and Johnson had put in place in order to ease the transition of the South back into the Union. When it was realized that the Southern legislations had placed African Americans in a sort of quasi slavery through the restrictive black codes, Radical Republicans were enraged and sough to instill within the southern states, a series of laws which would ensure and forever protect the rights of the African American as it was their legal rights that were to be protected, the Union had the ability to ensure that these rights were enforced by their military presence in the area and to make sure that the Civil War was not fought in vain. These were the motivations of the Radical Republicans and it soon became clear, that such goals were in direct conflict with the motivations of President Johnson. The trouble between Congress and President Johnson began in February of 1866 with the veto of the Freedman Bill. The original bill had been passed in March of 1865 and it was up for its yearly renewal. The bill called for the redistribution of land to the freedmen, provided schools for their children and set up courts which were reinforced by the military which ensured that these laws would be carried out. President Johnson did not see the need for such expenditures and called it too expensive and unconstitutional. â€Å" I share with Congress the strongest desire to secure to the freedmen the full enjoyment of their freedom and property and their entire independence and equality in making contracts for their labor, but the bill before me contains provisions which in my opinion are not warranted by the Constitution and are not well suited to accomplish the end in view. † Since then, it has become clear by historians that this was not the true motivation of President Johnson. â€Å"President Johnson sought to return African Americans to a state of the oppressive and restrictive black codes. In being an enemy of the large land owners of the South, he still was no friend to the African American. † Also, there seemed to be a sense of ignorance concerning the condition of the African American in these southern states. Upon closing his formal reply in this veto, President Johnson said: â€Å"It is hardly necessary for me to inform Congress that in my own judgment most of these states, so far, at least, as depends upon their own action, have already been fully restored and are to be deemed as entitled to enjoy their constitutional rights as members of the Union†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This would mean, and it would be a common theme that would be seen in many of President Johnson’s responses to repeated measures by Congress to expand or protect the rights of the African America, that President Johnson would not be aiding in any legislation which helped to protect the rights of the African American, despite his aforementioned statements. The next measure which put President Johnson at odds with the Congress was his veto of the 1866 Civil Rights Bill. The Civil Rights Bill was put in place as a reaction the oppressive Black Codes which the South had implemented in order to return African Americans to as close to their previous slavery conditions as possible. Within these codes, African Americans were given a curfew, were not allowed to carry guns, serve on a jury or congregate with other African Americans in a group to name a few of the provisions. The Civil Rights Bill would later be used as a stepping stone for the 14th amendment which said that all persons born in the United States are therefore citizens and as a result, are entitled to equal protection under the law. In his veto of the 1866 Civil Rights Bill, President Johnson stated: â€Å"This provision of the bill seems to be unnecessary, as adequate judicial remedies could be adopted to secure the desired end without invading the immunities of legislators, always important to be preserved in the interest of public liberty; without assailing the independence of the judiciary, always essential to the preservation of individual rights†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was believed by the Radical Republicans that such beliefs were not only overly optimistic and ignorant of the current situation in the South, they were simply wrong. The Congress would override Johnson’s veto on the Freedman’s Bill and sought to do the same here. However, President Johnson continued to veto every bill that dealt with Reconstruction and further alienated himself from both Houses of Congress. 1867 would not be a kind year in the Johnson Administration. On March 2nd of that year, President Johnson vetoed the first of two Reconstruction Acts that would be presented to him. The Reconstruction Bill stated that in order for the previous laws to be enforced within the Southern States, the South would be divided up into military districts and put under a type of martial law, depending upon the severity of those who ignored the law. Again, President Johnson vetoed the bill as he saw it to be unnecessary. â€Å"This is a bill passed by Congress in time of peace. There is not in any one of the states brought under its operation either war or insurrection. The laws of the states and of the Federal government are all in undisturbed and harmonious operation. † This certainly was not the case but it would seem to be out of the character of President Johnson if he ever recognized the grave state that the African Americans were under within the South. President Johnson seemed to be oblivious towards this fact and his voting record surely did reinforce this notion. In March of 1867, President Johnson would veto his second Reconstruction Act which provided for military commanders to reconstruct the Southern states into states which would recognize the rights of the African American by force if necessary. In his veto, President Johnson again stated the lack of need for such pieces of legislation. â€Å"The existing Constitution of the ten States conforms to the acknowledged standards of loyalty and republicanism. Indeed, if there are degrees in republican forms of government, their constitutions are more republican now than when these States, four of which were members of the original thirteen, first became members of the Union. † President Johnson will always assert a sort of â€Å"lassie faire† notion towards the South; a notion that is in direct conflict with the Republican majority in both the House and the Senate and especially with regards to the very vocal Radical Republicans. Throughout 1867, The House Judiciary Committee, further irritated by Johnson’s repeated vetoes, sought to find some illegal activity in which to possibly impeach the President. However, upon their investigation, there was no evidence in which to do this. However, later that year, on August 12, 1867, President Johnson removed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Stanton certainly was no friend of Johnson and there was no love loss between them. Stanton repeatedly undermined the President at every turn and President Johnson viewed Stanton as a hold over of the Lincoln Administration and not loyal to his administration. As a result of the firing, which was in violation of the Tenure of Office Act, eleven articles of impeachment were brought against the president. Ironically, it was this very law which President Johnson had vetoed earlier that year on March 2, 1867 in which he said: â€Å"The question, as Congress is well aware, is by no means a new one. That the power of removal is constitutionally vested in the President of the United States is a principle which has been not more distinctly declared by judicial authority and judicial commentators than it has been uniformly practiced upon by the legislative and executive departments of the Government. † President Johnson had overplayed his hand and formal articles of impeachment would be brought to him. On February 24, 1868, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Johnson. Congress. The formal reason was the firing of Stanton but in reality, President Johnson’s refusal to adhere to the political flow of Congress, which at that time, sought to regulate by force if necessary, the Southern states into submission on the issues of securing the rights of African Americans. However, a President could only be impeached if he was guilty of â€Å"high crimes and misdemeanors† as it states in the Constitution. Article I of the Impeachment document formally spelled out his charge of high crimes and misdemeanors: â€Å"That said Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, on the 21st day of February 1868, at Washington, in the District of Columbia, unmindful of the high duties of his office, of his oath of office, and of the requirement of the Constitution, that he should take care that the laws be faithfully executed, did unlawfully and in violation of the Constitution and laws of the United States of America issue an order in writing for the removal of Edwin Stanton from the office of Secretary for the Department of War†¦.. † The impeachment committee was made up of all Radical Republicans: Thaddeus Stevens, Benjamin Butler and James Wilson, the most notable of the cast. Johnson’s defense, as President Johnson was never present at the hearings, was Henry Stanberry, William Evarts and Benjamin Curtis as well as Jeremiah Black who would later resign from the hearings. On the first day of the trial Johnson’s defense team asked for a forty stay since they had not been given enough time to gather up their defense. The trial, which was processed over by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, a former member of President Lincoln’s cabinet, allowed a stay of only ten days. Another six day extension was voted upon by the Senate and granted. On March, 30, the trial began in which Benjamin Butler, former Union General, talked for three hours in which he lambasted the President for his violation of the Tenure of Office Act and the fact that even that the President had given orders to subordinates of General Grant before even allowing him to see and review them. The defense opened by stating that President Johnson had not violated the Tenure of Office Act with the firing of Secretary of War Stanton and that Stanton had tried everything in his power to undermined the President at every turn. Also, the fact that President Johnson had not reappointed Stanton meant that his office was not under the protection of the Tenure Act. The prosecution called other witnesses but in the end, proved unhelpful. The prosecution added further charges to the President. Article VIII stated: â€Å"That said Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, with intent unlawfully to control the disbursement of the moneys appropriated for the military service and for the Department of War, did unlawfully, and in violation of the Constitution of the United States of America, , and without the advice and consent of the Senate of the United States†¦ there being no vacancy in the office of Secretary for the Department of War, and with intent to violate and disregard the act aforesaid, then and there issue and deliver to one Lorenzo Thomas a letter of authority. The charges went further in order to prove that the firing of the Secretary of War was done with premedidation. Article IX states: â€Å"That said Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, unmindful of the high duties of his office and of his oath of office, on the 21st day of February, in the year of our Lord 1868, at Washington, in the District of Columbia, did unlawfully conspire with one Lorenzo Thomas, by force to seize, take, and possess the property of the United Sates in the Department of War, and then and there in the custody and charge of Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary for said Department, contrary to the provisions of an act entitled An act to define and punish certain conspiracies, approved July 31, 1861, and with intent to violate and disregard an act entitled An act regulating the tenure of certain civil offices, passed March 2, 1867, whereby said Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, did then and there commit a high crime in office. † It would also be the vocal opinions of the Radicals which helped the country to come to this stage in the first place. Charles Sumner stated that his objections with the President came from his many vetoes. † Andrew Johnson is the impersonation of the tyrannical Slave Power. In him it lives again. He is the lineal ancestor of John C. Calhoun and Jefferson Davis. And he gathers about him the same supporters. Original partisans of slavery North and South; habitual compromisers of great principles; maligners of the Declaration of Independence politicians without heart; lawyers, for whom a technicality is everything, and a promiscuous company who at every stage of the battle have set their faces against Equal Rights; these are his allies. It is the old troop of slavery, with a few recruits, ready as of old for violence cunning in device and heartless in quibble† Senator John Sherman voted to impeach the President because, he had abused his power and in his words: â€Å"Armed by the Constitution and the laws, with vast powers, he has neglected to protect loyal people in the rebel States, so that assassination is organized all over those States, as a political power to murder, banish and maltreat loyal people, and to destroy their property. All these he might have ascribed to alleged want of power, or to difference of opinion in questions of policy, and for these reasons no such charges were exhibited against him, though they affected the peace and safety of the nation. â€Å" However, there would be members of Congress which would come to his defense. One such member was William Fessenden who stated in his defense: â€Å"To the suggestion that popular opinion demands the conviction of the President o these charges, I reply that he is not now on trial before the people, but before the Senate. In the words of Lord Eldon, upon the trial of the Queen, I take no notice of what is passing out of doors, because I am supposed constitutionally not to be acquainted with it. And again, It is the duty of those on whom a judicial task is imposed to meet reproach and not court popularity. The people have not heard the evidence as we have heard it. † Lynman Trumble would also concur by stating in his formal decision: â€Å"What law does this record show the President to have violated? Is it the tenure of office act? I believe in the constitutionality of that act, and stand ready to punish its violators; but neither the removal of that faithful and efficient officer, Edwin M. Stanton, which I deeply regret, nor the ad interim designation of Lorenzo Thomas, were, as has been shown, forbidden by it. Is it the reconstruction acts? Whatever the facts may be, this record does not contain a particle of evidence of their violation. Is it the conspiracy act? No facts are shown to sustain such a charge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The trial had commenced and now a formal vote would be needed in order to either convict of acquit the President. In the end, senators who voted for his guilt numbered 35 and those for his innocence was 19 which was one shy of the necessary 2/3 vote needed from the senate. The Radical Republicans had gambled and lost and the zeal that the country had for Reconstruction, would eventually end with the Great Compromise of 1877. A quasi form of slavery would impede the African American from experiencing his equal treatment under the law and as a result, future laws which would be used. Jim Crow laws and grandfather clauses kept African Americans from the polls and placed their previous masters, as masters again. Also, the hopes that President Johnson had for reelection were gone and General Grant would follow him in two lackluster terms as President. It was a sad chapter for the President as well as the Presidency as a whole. Such events make historians wonder how the country would have been different had President Lincoln never been assassinated. Tempers among North and South might not have come to a head as they did and most accurately, African Americans would not have had to wait as long as they did for equal treatment under the law. The choice of Andrew Johnson for Vice President had consequences for the Union which could not have been seen when President Lincoln first appointed him as the Vice President in 1864. Only unhelpful speculation can possibly answer what the make up of this country and race relations for the forty years after the end of the Civil War would have looked like, had President Johnson, in the spirit of â€Å"malice towards none and charity for all. † Nobody will ever know. WORKS CITED Commanger, Henry Steele Documents of American History. New York: Century Press. 1947 Goodwin, Doris Kearns. Team of Rivals. New York: Simon Schuster 2006 Reconstruction and the Courts New York: PBS American Experience 2003 http://www. impeach-andrewjohnson. com/ Downloaded on June 5, 2007.

Should Elian Gonzalez Go Back To Cuba Or Stay In The United States? :: essays research papers

Should Elian Gonzalez go back to Cuba or stay in the United States? This seems to be the question drenching the media on a constant bases. Every newspaper, news broadcast, and magazine seem to have a story about Elian. Titles like â€Å"Elian’s Grandmothers are coming to the US†, seems kind of silly if you read the headline literally. I don’t mean to be cold but why do we care if Elian’s grandmother is coming to the US? Thousands of grandmas have come to the US everyday, but we don’t hear about them. The media has turned this dilemma into a circus. All that aside, the question and heated debate of whether or not Elian should stay still plagues us. Everyone seems to have an opinion on this subject. If you ask people casually what they think should happen, you will get very definite answers and plenty of information to back up there opinions. I have asked many colleagues and friends this question. I myself do not have the answer and do not think I am the one to judge. I have spoken to Cubans friends who say the conditions are so terrible over there that there is no way the boy should go back. They speak of old, decrepit, tiny homes with way to many people living in a single dwelling. They speak of a place that has little food and no milk for their children. I have been told of the conditions in the schools and their lack of proper facilities. These acquantenses tell me that Castro his controlling the boy’s father, monitoring his phone calls and making sure he tells everyone that he wants his boy to come home. They say he is not able to say what he really wants for fear of himself and family. For fear that Castro will take away the family’s food and shelter in Cuba. Over all, the general picture that has been painted is not pretty. The only thing not in debate is the fact that children their live a very different life from the majority of the children in the United States.On the other hand, there are the people that believe the child should be with his natural father. That where the child lives does not matter, what matters is whom the child is with. They say he has lost his mother and should not be taken away from his father.

Preparation for professional practice.

INTRODUCTION The aim of this essay is to critically analyse the professional roles of qualified nurses, their accountability, collaboration and their responsibilities when taking leadership and managerial roles at all points in their career. This essay will be structured in two parts;Part 1 will focus on the process of the service improvement plan during one of the author’s practice placements in an acute ward and refers to the recommended â€Å"change† which the author intends to implement. The plan for change is based on protecting patients’ mealtimes. First, brief definitions will be given and an exploration of the concepts of management and leadership will be undertaken. Part 2 of this easy will focus on the professional development of the author upon qualification as a staff nurse within a few months which will be discussed under the section on â€Å"delegation†. SMARTER theory has been identified in this easy as learning needs. In accordance with the Nursing an d Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2008) all names and places in this essay will be replaced with pseudonyms. PART 1 DEFINITION OF MANAGEMENT According to Huber (2010) management in the context of nursing has been identified as involving the use of delegated authority within formal organisational, settings, to co-ordinate, organise, direct and control responsible subordinates. In the same context, Mckimm and Held (2009) described management as the process of bringing together or working with individuals, groups and other resources to accomplish organisational goals. Scott and Caress (2005) view management as directing and controlling a group of individuals for the purpose of co-ordinating and harmonising those groups towards achieving goals. Tormey (2009) illustrated the distinguishing characteristics of management and leadership. (Cheery and Jacobs, 2005) state that a manager is one who is appointed to formal positions of organisational authority and uses legitimatised power to command, reward or punish the workforce. On the other hand, a leader is one who will be able to communicate, gain commitment, facilitate change an d achieve results through efficient and creative means, with his/her followers despite the absence of the formal position of power (Huber, 2010). Leaders seek the active involvement of those around them to achieve mutually agreed goals; leaders also seek the collective will of all involved, establishing contact with leading other clinicians (Hersey et al., 2001). Crevani et al. (2010) suggest that leadership is an adventure requiring a pioneering spirit and leadership skills and interpersonal skill which differs from person to person; Yoder-Wise (2011) states that the work of nurses is based on management; therefore, nurses require better leadership skills and management skills which are considered to be a major factor in improving direct person-centred interventions, achieve goals, objectives and decision making for quality care provision. In order to achieve the goals and objectives, managers of the organisation must be involved in the activities which include being able to analyse matters, establish objectives, formulate goals, plan strategies, communicate effectively, efficiently handle change, conflict, as well as evalua te the ever-changing situation situation (McCrimmon, 2011) . Rosener (1990) cited in Barker, 2009) identified two types of leadership which include transactional and transformational leadership. Bass (2008) suggests that transactional leader focuses on management tasks and will not identify the shared values of the team; however, the transactional approach is orientated and can be effective when meeting deadlines or in an emergency. Cummings et al. (2008) concluded that the transformational leader recognises her/his followers’ potential and takes active interest in them and their development. The transformational leader inspires, promotes excellence beyond mere task, encourages employees to become autonomous and solution focused, stimulates interest among followers to view work from a fresh perspective, generates an awareness of vision towards which the team is headed, develops followers to higher levels of ability and potential ((Rolfe, 2011). LEADERSHIP STYLES Hersey et al. (2001) on the other hand identified different leadership styles; however, for the purpose of this easy the author here will focus on three styles which include autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire. Hersey et al. further state that some people are able to combine the three styles of leadership and adopt a style to match the situation at hand. The autocratic leader is likely to make decisions on his or her own and give orders; this style can create antagonism and reliance which might hold back originality and advancement (Bass, 2008). Democratic leaders are more drawn towards relationships; they encourage group discussions and seek consensus where every decision made is agreed by the whole group (Hersey et al., 2001). This style of leadership may be slow because of every member of the group being considered; however, it is a favourite leadership style among the nursing profession (Grint, 2005). According to Hersey et al. (2001) the laissez-faire leadership style promo tes complete freedom and is known to allow events to take their own course; this is because there may never be a clear decision. Again Hersey et al. further state that there is no one style which is better than the others as they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. As specified previously, the situation will determine the styles to be used to achieve the goals (Hersey et al., 2001). IMPROVEMENT PLAN The improvement plan was formulated during the author’s recent practice placement in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) which provides intensive care management service for individuals who are disturbed and exhibiting extremely violent and aggressive behaviour. According to Allan (1988), any patient brought to this unit must be on section of the Mental Health Act (MHA, 1983), apart from the severity of an individual’s illness, in order to qualify for admission to the ward. During this placement, the author of this essay discovered that there had numerous and ongoing interruptions and arguments between some patients and staff during mealtimes. In addition, staff members who were supposed to assist during mealtimes frequently claimed to be â€Å"very busy†. This untenable situation prompted the author to suggest introducing â€Å"Protected Mealtimes† to the team. The rationale for choosing this improvement plan was because some of the patients on t hat ward were not encouraged or supported by staff member during mealtimes, mainly those elderly patients who were finding it very difficult to eat and drink unassisted. Many patients were on medication that was causing them serious side-effects such as dehydration and constipation, so they needed to be encouraged to have adequate and healthy dietary intake. The author therefore had a discussion with their mentor and other multidisciplinary team members regarding this issue and they all supported the need for a meeting to resolve the above issue. Initially, the author felt very nervous about introducing this new approach to the team members, due to lack of confidence and knowledge. The key point of the change was explained to all the patients. A proposal was put forward after the meeting regarding and defining the topic, namely â€Å"Protected Mealtimes† and the patients on the ward were given the opportunity to voice their own opinions on what they thought about the new proposal. The patients gave a positive verdict on the proposal. The National Catering and Nutrition Specification (2008) defined protected mealtimes as a period when all non-imperative activities and treatments must stop, in order to allow patients to eat and enjoy meals without being interrupted by any other activity on the ward. It should be a period during which staff members need to encourage the adequate consumption of dietary intake and provide an environment which is very conducive to eating and is friendly and hygienic. It is also a time when s taff members need to ensure that mealtimes are a pleasant and relaxing social experience for all patients (Royal College of Nursing, 2007). The author took on the role of a democratic leader which according to Hersey et al. (2001) looks more towards relationships which encourage group discussion, consensus and group decisions, rather than the leader alone making the decision when introducing change. According to Greenhalgh and Heath, 2010) therapeutic relationship, engagement, listening skills and effective communication skills played an important role during the meeting detailed above, because the team members, as well as the patients were all equally convinced that the issues raised by the author were pertinent and essential, in terms of the patients’ satisfaction. It was agreed in the meeting that, during mealtimes, there would be no drug round, no activities by occupational therapy staff, no visitors allowed on the ward during mealtimes, and no domestic work carried out. All the televisions would be switched off, dormitories, day rooms, shower rooms and activity rooms should be locked. All the staff members and patients on the ward must be present in the dinning area during mealtimes, in order to avoid distraction as advised by (RCN, 2007). The change was implemented within a few days of the meeting. Initially, it was not easy, but within a few days everybody on the ward adjusted. Moreover, some patients who normally isolated themselves from group activities on the ward now began to interact and engage well in conversation during mealtimes. Staff members were supporting/encouraging and showing compassion to all the patients, mainly some of the elderly patients, with good dietary intake which showed appropriate care for patients. Such change s had a significant effect on the provision of ward services. According to Age UK (2010), appropriate nutritional care for patients in the hospital is very important, because it decreases the risk of malnutrition, obesity and its associated complications. CHANGE MANAGEMENT According to Christie and Robinson (2009), it is essential to have a plan for how things will be accomplished when implementing a change in any clinical setting. Change management in a nursing setting means observing things that happen or are done differently for the benefit of the patients. Braine (2006) stressed that for a change to be implemented successfully, there must be an awareness of the need to change, a desire to support and participate in the change, the knowledge to change, the ability to implement the change and the resources to maintain the change. O’Connell et al. (2008) advised that as a change management model for protected mealtimes, simple implementation would focus on the need for nurses to engage, motivate and participate in the change. Allan (2007) identified three stages for the change process which include unfreeze, change and refreeze. Allan emphasised that during the unfreeze stage, a proposed change needs a clear aim, so that the individuals pl anning it will have no doubt why, know the rationale and the benefit will be explained to others. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2007b) has identified some barriers that hinder change management within the multidisciplinary team, many of which were evident in this particular example. These include the financial and political environment which can affect a professional’s ability and motivation to change. Garon (2012) concluded that a lack of awareness and understanding in an organisation’s nursing management theories have shown that the way in which an organisation is managed can affect nurses’ confidence to communicate the need for change. Maddock (2002) argued that the approaches to change and the proposal thereof may be ineffective unless individuals’ management strategies are put in place to develop leaders. ACCOUNTABILITY/ RESPONSIBILITY According to Marquis et al. (2009) one of the legal requirements of a registered nurse is accountability. Scrivener et al. (2011) identified that accountability involves the ability of the nurse to define every action he/she carries out. The (NMC, 2008) emphasised that accountability is seen as being of great importance and a qualified nurse is accountable for his/her own actions such as supervision, delegation, creative acts, intervention, assessing a situation or follow-up concerns. NMC (2008) further explained that the entire health care professionals are accountable and responsible for any action, error or omission made in practice. Huber (2006) states that as members of a multidisciplinary team, nurses must maintain their professional accountability. Nurses should also be able to use their communication skills to make complicated information understandable, explain choices, offer reassurance, look out for side-effects and liaise with medical colleagues about the subsequent prog ress of individuals with mental health problems (Garon, 2012). This was seen as a critical aspect of the operation here with regular reviews being planned to evaluate the success of the change and to amend the program where appropriate. Furthermore, if a nurse is meant to delegate care to another professional or support worker, she/he must delegate effectively and should be accountable for the appropriateness of the delegation. During one of the author’s practice placements in the acute ward, a newly qualified nurse delegated the task of security nurse to an agency staff who was very new on the ward. This agency staff let one of the patients out of the ward, not knowing that the patient was on level 1 observation restricted to the ward and the patient absconded from the unit. This resulted in an investigation which revealed that the newly qualified nurse did not delegate the task properly and did not communicate effectively. This raised the question of accountability and responsibility. The specifics of the nurse’s role are identified as being responsible for assessment, planning, the delivery of care and the evaluation of nursing care for their patients (NMC, 2008). According to RCN, 2011), nurses are accountable and responsible, on a daily basis, carrying out patient care most of the time and acting as care provider. Nurses have the responsibility for communicating the relevant information necessary for the patient to receive their full nursing care provision (NMC, 2008).(RCN, 1992) also states that with an increase in the level of responsibility and accountability, nurses need adequate training and competence to develop these changes. It is the responsibility of the nurses to make sure that patients are suitably dressed and eat their meals, while also managing their welfare rights and dealing with individuals’ psychological distresses; theses roles have to be carried out in conjunction with running organisational demands (RCN, 2011). INTER-PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION Orchard et al. (2005) described inter-professional collaboration as a combination of different professionals working together in a partnership in order to achieve common goals, establish a therapeutic relationship, showing respect for others and the skilled therapeutic use of self. On the other hand, inter-professional collaboration means the adoption of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working as the most effective route towards comprehensive mental healthcare (Audrey, 2003). However, Garon (2012) states that when talking about change in inter-professional collaborative team work, it is important to consider how staff members would need to be motivated to accept and welcome this change. It is also very important to select the right leader, which was a key advantage of this approach, to implement the change and involve all team members in the change process, as well as considering the safety of the patients, their comprehensive care and the stress the change might cause (NICE, 200 7b). CONCLUSION During this implementation of â€Å"Protected Mealtimes†, all the team members on the ward worked collaboratively, demonstrated excellent communication skills, showed motivation and were very enthusiastic and committed to the plan. Word count: 2,200.PART 2THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PDP) The purpose of writing this professional development plan is to think and reflect on a facet of the professional development experienced by the author during their three-year course. It will also enable the author to work efficiently and effectively in their areas of weakness and help to sustain areas of strength, as well as developing delegation skills in the nursing environment, upon qualification. In order to accomplish these goals, a plan utilising SMARTER theory (Specific, Measurable, Realistic, Timely, Ethical and Recorded/ Reflective (Appendix 1) is proposed. During the three years of nursing training, the author of this essay has utilised Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988), as a framework for reflection on day-to-day actions, strengths and weaknesses. According to Brechin (2000), reflection means not only thinking about a situation, but also using it as a form of systematic appraisal of the events that have occurred and as an examination of an individual’s ability to learn from the experience and influence future practice. During this placement in the acute ward, the author discovered that delegating duties to staff when co-ordinating shifts was a far more complex issue than originally anticipated. The RCN (2006) described delegation in nursing as a process of entrusting or allocating responsibility to another person who is seen as being able to carry out such a task. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) states that a nurse’s job cannot be completed or carried out without delegating some part of the care functions to others, as it is highly impossible to deliver total care for different patients with different care needs. Barr and Dowding (2008) in their research emphasised that delegation is a critical leadership skill that must be learned. This became evident when considering a situation which emerged when dealing with a violent patient in a ward environment. In order to delegate tasks relating to this individual it was necessary to use confidence, communication, courate, compassion, competence and care. On the whole this was doen relatively well by myself however it was found that the newly qualified staff nurse is more likely to be unfamiliar with the procedure delegated to him and this made communication a more vital so that guidance could be obtained. Having identified a weakness in the authors ability to delegate, this communication between the two parties in the case mentioned above was used as a clear example of how greater comfort from the process of delegation could be obtained. This would in turn improve confidence. By watching delegations within the ward environment it became apparent to the author that there were greater difficulties when the manager used the autocratic style and this often created hostility amongst other staff and may hinder creativity and improvement. This brought the manager’s delegation skills into question. There was also an increased danger that the more junior member of staff would find themselves unsupervised in an inappropriate and unacceptable way according to RCN (2011). This leadership style as described by Bass 2008 as creating difficulties. Where better delegation communication were used the author was much more comfortable with the delegation process as they were aware that the process would be used appropriately and would be successful. With this in mind the PDP going forward would focus on risk management and controlling the process without following an autocratic style which would lead to loss of control when delegating. CONCLUSION The author of this essay has learned from undertaking this assignment that delegation not only saves time, but is also an essential skill which a registered nurse must posses; it is also requires good leadership and is an important role for every nurse involved in health care delivery. Through this Personal Development Plan (PDP), personal areas of weakness have been identified which the author is currently striving very hard to correct. REFERENCE LISTS Allan, E., 2007. Change management for school nurse in Scotland. Nursing Standard. 21, (42) 35-39. Allan, E., 1988. Planning a psychiatric intensive care unit. Intensive Care for people with serious mental illness. Hospital and Community Psychiatric, Vol- 39. Bass, B.M., 2008. The Bass Handbook of leadership: Theory, Research and Managerial Applications. 4th ed. New York: Free Press. Bass, B.M., and Avolio, B.J., 1994. Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. London: Sage. Braine, M., 2006. Clinical governance: applying theory to practice. Nursing Standard. 20, (20) 56-65. Brechin, A., 2000. Introducing critical practice. In Brechin, A., Brown, H. Eby, M., eds. Clinical practice in Health and Social Care. London: Sage Cummings, J., 2012. Developing a Vision and Strategy for Nursing, Midwifery and Care- Givers, tinyurl. Com/c89xe4x [Last accessed: May 2 2012]. Cherry, B., and Jacobs, S., 2995. Contemporary Nursing: Issues trends and management. 3rd ed. Elsevier: Health Science. Christie, P., and Robinson, H., 2009. Using a communication framework at handover to boost patient outcomes. Nursing Times, 105,(47) 13-15. Crevani, L.,Lindgren, M., Packendororff, J., 2010. Leadership, not leaders: on the study of leadership as practices and interactions. Scadinavavian Journal of Management. 26 (1)77-86. Cummings, G., Lee, H., Macgregor, T., 2008. Factors contributing to nursing leadership: a systematic review. Journal of Health Services. Research and Policy. 13(4) 240-248. Department of Health, 2008. Code of Practice: Mental Health Act 1983. London: DoH. Doran, G.T., 1981. There’s SMART way to write management’s goals and objectives. Management Review. 70, (11) 35-36. Food in Hospitals National Catering and Nutrition Specification, 2008. [Last accessed on 30 May 2013]. Garon, M., 2012. Speaking up, being heard: registered nurse’ perceptions of workplace communication. Journal of Nursing Management. 56, (2) 35-39. Green, T., Heath, I., 2010. Measuring Relationship. London: The King’s Fund. Gibbs, G., 1988. Learning by doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford Further Education: Oxford. Hersey, P., Blanchard, K.H., and Johnson, D.E., 2001. Management of organizational behaviours: leading human resources. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice- Hall. Huber, D.L., 2010. Leadership and nursing care management.4th ed. Maryland Heights: Saunders Elsevier. Huber, D.L., 2006. Leadership and Nursing Care Management. 3rd ed. Lowa. The University of Lowa: The University of Lowa. Maddock, S., 2002. Making modernisation work: new narratives change strategies and people management in the public sector. International Journal of public Sector Management. 15, (1) 13-43. Marquis, B.L., and Huston, C.J., 2009. Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and applications. 6th ed. London: Wolters Kluwer Health/ Lippincott William and Wilkins. McConnell, C.R., 2007. The effective Health care Supervisor. 6th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlet Publishers. McKimm, J., and Held, S., 2009. The Emergency of Leadership Theory: From the Twentieth to the Twentieth-First Century. In: McKimm, J., and Phillips, K., eds. 2009. Leadership and Management in Integrated Services. Exeter: Learning Matters. Ch1. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, 2007b. How to change practice. London: NICE. National Institute for Innovation and Improvement, 2013. NHS Change Model: Our Shared Purpose. Tinyurl, com/bwefn79 [Last accessed: May 2 2013]. National Patient Safety Agency 2007.Protected Mealtimes review – Findings and Recommendations Report. Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008. The Code: Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nursing and Midwives. London: NMC. O’Connell, B., Macdonald, K., and Kelly, C., 2008.Nursing handover: time change. Contemporary Nurse. 30 (1) 2-11 Creating a Culture for Interdisciplinary. Orchard, C.A., Curran, V., Kabene, S., 2005. Creating a Culture for Interdisciplinary. Collaborative Professional Practice. Medical Education. Rolfe, P., 2011. Transformational leadership theory: What every leader needs to know. Nurse Leader. 9, (2) 54-57 Royal College of Nursing. 2012b Health and Social Care Act 2012. Tinyurl.com/HealthSocialCareAct2012 [Last accessed May 9 2013]. Royal College of Nursing, 2011. Accountability and Delegation: What you need to know. Royal Collage of Nursing. London: RNC. Rosener, J.B., 1990. Ways women lead. Harvard Business Review. In Barker, P., 2009. Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. The Craft of Caring. 2nd ed. London: Hodder Arnold. Scrivener, R., 2011. Accountability and Responsibility: Principles of Nursing Practice. Nursing Standard, 25, (29) 35-36. Scott, L., and Caress, A.L., 2005. Shared governance and shared leadership: meeting the challenges of implementation. Journal of Nursing Management, 13(1) 4-12. Tomey, A.M., 2009. Guide to nursing management and leadership. 8th ed. St Louis, MO: Mosby/ Elsevier. Yoder-Wise, P., 2011. Leading and Managing in Nursing. 5th ed. St Louis: Elsevier Mosby. APPENDIX- 1 S.M A.R.T.E.R PLAN SPECIFICSWithin six months of the preceptor-ship course, there will be a need to build better confidence that will improve communication skills which will support the author in their nursing career. MEASURABLEHow can one ascertain that the intended outcomes have been achievedThe learning outcomes will be gained via the professionals consultants, occupational therapist, staff nurses and preceptor-ship mentor involved. The author is confident that these professionals have the necessary assertive skills that will help achieve the desired learning outcomes. AchievableThe intention is to attend training courses, discuss any difficulties experienced with the preceptor-ship mentor or manager of the ward or any member of staff, and integrate the proposal as advice. REALISTICWithin three months of completion of the nursing course, it is anticipated that the author will be able to demonstrate effective leadership, delegating tasks properly, and entrusting responsibility to a person who is perc eived as being able to carry out these tasks by utilising one’s newly gained assertiveness skills. TIMELY Within three months of registration, an evaluation of achievements will be carried out and competencies will be examined frequently by the preceptor-ship mentor. The aim is to be constantly monitored by members of the team and to reflect upon performance and the impact of these actions. If there are any obstacles to achieving these goals or any concern from the team about the author’s approach, these issues will be discussed with the preceptor-ship mentor or ward manager, as this will facilitate the development of ongoing skills. ETHICALBeing knowledgeable about ethical issues such as social and cultural, rights, confidentiality and being aware of how this might impact on one’s practice. As a nurse there is a need to ensure that the patient’s autonomy is respected. RECORDED/REFLECTIVEReflection on personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), on a regular basis. Appendix 2 – SWOT Analysis MY STRENGTHS The SWOT analysis has helped me to develop, maintain a learning environment in which both education and lifelong learning are seen as integral to clinical setting, to work and focus on the goals and strategies, enable me to grab the opportunities I would love to achieve and work very hard to reduce my weakness and increase my strength. With the aid of SWOT analysis, I have been able to identify my strength as being a good team player, good listener, a good communicator and interacting well with my colleagues and patients. Showing compassion to my patients and having the ability to work under pressure. I like taking the lead and I am always happy when people appreciate me, it makes me happy and also motivates me. MY WEAKNESS I identify my weakness as being easily distracted, tending to carry out many tasks at a time and I am always fearful of making mistakes. I also felt that there are some areas I lack leadership skills such as being a good delegator because Barr and Dowding (2008) in their research emphasised that delegation is a critical leadership skill that must be learned. I find it complex to delegate duties when coordinating shifts. OPPORTUNITIES My opportunities are to update my knowledge in relation to the new pre-registration courses which include existing educational, personal and professional career development within the establishment. During this my practice placement I also had the opportunity to learn and share ideas with my colleagues, had the opportunity for questioning and giving feedback. THREATS My threatsare whilst on this practice placement, I found some areas very stressful. I discovered that some of the mentors were unfamiliar with the new- pre registration programme and unaware of the needs of the nursing students in relation to the learning opportunities or activities . Appendix 3 Service Improvement Activity – Notification Form Student Details Student SID Number: 0820968 Details of student pledge on which the proposed improvement is based. I must treat individuals kindly and considerately. I will provide a high standard of practice and care at all times. I will respect individuals’ confidentiality. I must show compassion and unconditional positive regard to my clients. I must disclose information, if I believe some one may be at risk of harming him/her self in line with the law of the country in which I am practising. I must listen to individual in my care and respond to their concerns and preferences. Details of proposed service improvement project/activity: The service improvement initiative is to facilitate Protecting Patient Meal Time in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The purpose of this service improvement is to help and manage mealtimes without unnecessary and avoidable interruptions. Mealtimes are not only a vehicle to provide patients with adequate nutrition, but also provide an opportunity to support social interaction amongst patients. Reason for development: During my practice placement in the PICU. I discovered that there have been a lot of interruptions and argument between some patients and staff during meal time and also staff members who supposed to assist during meal time always claimed to be very busy. This made me choose to introduce to the team about â€Å"Protected Mealtimes†. This development is to support those patients who were finding it very difficult to eat or drink. Time spent on the project/activity: The service improvement lasted for the period four weeks because I first and foremost had the meeting with the multidisciplinary team members before introducing the change to the patients. Resources used: National Health Service (NHS boarder) Evidence on topic relating Protecting Meal Time Information from in the internet. Policy and regulation from the trust Text book Some information from dietician. Who will be involved? The ward consultant My mentor as a nursing staff, Occupational therapist staff Support worker The ward manager The dietician Myself( a student nurse) Future plans: The future plans are for me to distribute leaflets to the other professionals for them to read it in the internet and be awareness of the protecting meal time. Date discussed with clinical staff in placement area: Preparation for Professional Practice.? Introduction Whilst on the unit I became concerned when I noticed some service users were being discharged without proper education on how to manage their self-medication regime. This concerned me as it appeared to be a vicious cycle as I witnessed some service users being discharged without having a proper follow-up education on self-medication – which in certain cases led to non-adherence to their medication which consequently sometimes led to their relapse. For this cycle to be broken, I have realised that a proper education system, which would entail simple terminologies or understandable statements for service users to understand and learn how to manage their self-medication regime, should be put in place. Accordingly, this assignment will explain management and leadership styles related to a service improvement in the clinical area where I commenced my management placement. Applying management and leadership theory to practice, I will explain the reasons for my actions and will identify my strengths and weaknesses in terms of my leadership and management skills used whilst on placement. Adhering to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (2008) and general good confidentiality prudence, all names and places mentioned in this assignment have been changed to a pseudonym. ?Leadership Styles & Management? In the mental health nursing profession, the management role cannot be averted, whether it is in managing a unit or improving services. Management is widely considered to be concerned with controlling, organising, planning, and problem-solving (Kotter, 1996 cited in King’s Fund, 2011). Yoder-Wise (2007) goes further on this point and states that management is concerned with the work of any individual who guides others through a series of routines, procedures or predefined practice guidelines. Moreover, leadership like management, has become a pivotal component of National Health Service (NHS) policy. This policy has on the most part been driven by the rising expectations of citizens who are now demanding to see an improvement in the quality of the services given to the service users and their families. Although management and leadership are somewhat different, both actions tend to overlap each other in terms of governing employees and organisation. Foster (2001) points out that management depends solely on the manager’s understanding of working with people of different backgrounds, having a good perception of situations and being able to aspire. On the other hand, leadership is an even more critical requirement within the NHS setting; this enables clinicians to demonstrate their leadership skills at all stages in health care provision and in new changes of services. Barker (2003), identifies leadership is a role of importance, emphasing that the role of a leader is dependent on his orher effective interpersonal skills. Oliver (2006) elucidates further by providing a list of qualities that are generally considered to define leadership, asserting that leaders must be capable of exploring personal and team motives and beliefs that can bring about change or perceived vision of success. Ellis and Hartley (2005) in agreement with Oliver (2006), state that leaders carry out this process by being ethical, respecting values, educate, motivate and direct the followers towards their objectives and goals. Consequently, leadership is required to be much more than just mere management skills that require â€Å"getting the job done† (King’s Fund, 2011 what page?). Over time, it has been posited that individuals are born either natural leaders or that they learn the qualities that are necessary for effective leadership roles (Hawkins &Thornton, 2002; Austin et al., 2003). There are a number of leadership styles but I will now focus on the main types. Autocratic leadership styles can range from benevolent to very rigid (Likert, 1967). In extremis, the use of authoritarian leadership, communications and activities can occur in a closed system. Autocratic leaders are considered to make all the decisions themselves and allow subordinates no influence in the decision-making processes (Grohar-Murray & Dicroce 1997). They will exercise their power, sometimes coupled with coercion, and are indifferent to personal needs of their subordinates’. Failure to meet such leaders’ goals can result in punishment. Autocratic leaders are known to be insistent, firm, self-assured and dominating, be it with or without actual intent.Such leaders feel little confidence or trust in their workers and as such, workers will fear theses leaders, whom they will feel have little in common. McGregor (1960) has produced what is perhaps considered the most famous description of such attitudes assumed by autocratic leaders; stating thatsuch a style of leadership excludes subordinates from the process of decision making and will assign work without consulting subordinates or knowing their inclinations and desires. The leader is in complete control and gives no room for subordinates to participate or offer opinions no matter how it may benefit (Daniels, 2004). Contrary to the autocratic style, democratic leadership involves the leader allowing employees to participate in decision making and at the same time provides guidance and direction (Anne, 1992). The most important finding arising from this work is that this leadership behaviour directly influences the climate and productivity of employees (Anna, 1992). A second important theme is that overall, the democratic leadership style has been known to be one of the most successful approaches because as initially stated, it allows employees to participate in decision making while at the same time supports, guides and counsels the followership (Anna, 1992.) However, critics have stated that on the basis of production, things move at a slower pace and this may lead to frustration amongst employees, especially those who tend to work faster in decision making process (Marquis, 2000). Notwithstanding, this democratic leadership still produces a high quality input from employees. This leadership builds trust amongst leaders and employees which then produces a cooperative team working relationship and builds high morale in the work environment. Accordingly, the democratic leadership approach should therefore not be used enough when urgent decision making matters arise, for example; decisions on issues of staffing, budgeting etc. In this situation it is more effective if a senior management makes the decision as this would be swift and the cost would be less as the business of any organisation cannot afford to make mistakes. Here, it is demonstrated how different leadership styles are required for different tasks and how in some positions certain leadership styles are more appropriate. The laissez-faire leadership is at the extreme opposite end of the spectrum from autocratic styles of leadership. Under a laissez-faire style of leadership the attitude is one of both permissiveness or ultra-liberalism in which there is a lack of control or centeral direction. . Thus, in different situations the same leader avertedly can use leadership of different styles. If a leader manages to combines all the leadership styles that have been mentioned than it is known as a situational leadership style. A situational leader adjusts styles of functioning depending on a particular position at that point of time and this is said to be another effective leadership style (Murthy 2005). This can be attributed to the Path-Goal theory approach. The Path-Goal theory supports the situational theory as it gives emphasises on the same leader using different types of leadership approach (Murthy, 2005). This theory was developed to examine the method in which leaders encourage their employees to achieve set goals (Murthy, 2005). It is important for leaders to have a sense of maturity to their staff as this approach builds a less task focused approach and into a relationship focused orientated (Forster, 2001). According to McGuire & Kennerly (2006) transactional leadership is a technique of leading an organisation through routine transactions such as rewards and discipline that are applied to the task after getting accomplished. Thus, it is almost completely based on the transactions that are conducted between the leader and the subordinate staff members because it is grounded on a theory that such workers can be and are motivated by rewards and discipline. A transactional leader will generally not look ahead whilst strategically guiding an organisation to a position of market leadership; instead such leaders are exclusively concerned with making sure everything flows smoothly (McGuire & Kennerly, 2006). The attributes of transactional leadership is that the nurse leader has authority over the employee by following organisation policies and regulation. Employees comply and follow directives and rewards are given in form of salary. This style of leadership essentially identifies itself repe atedly with the autocratic approach of the leader often responsible for creating staff commitment and building staff morale, as well as utilising intellectual stimulation and consideration of others. For this leadership approach to be effective, the leader depends on the loyalty of the employees (Marriner-Tomey, 2004). With all these styles of leadership and management now considered. I will now utilise these to analyse and explain my self-medication observations and theory. ?Self-medication Information? As discussed this assignment is focussed on improving the method in which self-medication information is carried out with service users. The reason for this decision is to promote self-medication management and help reduce the rate of non-compliance in medication and relapse. This approach will support service users as well as improve their knowledge of medication and it will prepare them for a healthy discharge. Information on self-administration of medicines is incredibly useful as it enables service users to manage their intake and promote their adherence to medication. The NMC Guidelines for the Administration of Medicines (2002a) states that the NMC supports self-administration of medicines and medicine administration carried out by carers, whenever appropriate. However, the safety and storage arrangements must be considered when necessary procedure is put in place. The nurse in charge therefore must carry out a decision on the basis of professional conduct that adheres with the NMC Code of Proffesional Conduct (2008), as the nurse would be accountable for their informed decision and omissions. When administering medication or supporting servicesto users who oversee their own self-medication regime the nurse must exercise their professional judgement and use effective skills and follow trust policy and regulations. Self-medication, where appropriate, is supported by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in the document ‘Standards for Medicines Management’ (2007). It is apparent that the process of self-medication has made clear that it can help make service users become more familiar, confident and have better self-esteem by managing their own medication regime. The opportunity for service users to learn about medication through health education will ultimately improve their medication concordance before and after discharge. According to Nicklos (2010), change management is a methodical way of dealing with a change, both from the view of the organisation and on to the individual. Although an ambiguous term, change management has at least three different aspects, including bu; adapting to change to an area of professional practice, controlling change, and effecting change. A proactive approach to dealing with such change is undeniably at the core of all three of these aspects. Fred (2010), goes even further to state that change does not always come from within organisations but could be from legislation or current national guidelines which have been passed as a law and become enforced making it mandatory.. Changes to services and organisation may impact on the position, role and even the status of individuals and therefore can test levels of self-confidence as well as confidence in others. Change requires new clinical responsibilities, time for training and development and require openness to different ways of doing things and as such requires letting go of a previous practice. Such challenges make the planning of the change process a prerequisite for success (Michele, 2010). Accordingly, it is vital to comprehend the importance of change management as it gives a both positive and negative picture of what a change can bring. When I was thinking of my service user initiatives I had to consider some things such as time, as this allowed me to see if my change was realistic. My placement was on a rehabilitation unit where the recovery star tool was used to support service users in identifying their needs. Using the recovery ladder of change, a course of action was set in place to support service users care plan. The purpose of the rehabilitation unit was based on a form of rehabilitation that focused on helping service users to recover lost skills in coping with the demands of everyday lives. In the management of their medication in the rehabilitation unit, the nurses in charge are there to support and guide the service users in knowing what they are taking and when they should take their medication. By supporting and guiding service users to self-manage their medication improves both independence and helps them for forthcoming discharge. Before self-administration starts for service users, qualified nursing staff, or preferably pharmacist, should educate when, how and what is needed to be done. There are three stages at which service users can come to managing their medication. Stage 1 involves medications being stored in the medicine cabinet and at the right time the nurse in charge opening the cabinet and prompting service user to take their medication.At stage 2 the nurse in charge is accountable and responsible for the safe storage of the medication cupboard. During administration of medication the service user will ask the nurse in charge to open medication cupboard without prompting. The service user would then administer the medication under the supervision of the nurse in charge. Stage 3 would then be when the service user accepts full responsibility for managing the storage and administration of their medications. The nurse in charge then assesses and observes the service user’s verbal response and medication compliance. Once there is full clarity and positive observations of the service user’s self-medication management, they can get discharged back into the community. A problem I faced was how I would actually communicate this change to staff in the unit. To communicate is a transactional action where is sharing of ideas, beliefs and knowledge (Sen, 2007). Effective communication is an important skill all leaders should have because in a way of introducing something new and if done properly, it can allow staff to accept and receive change. Communication also gives room for staff for feedback and criticism (Sen, 2007). Another essential practice in a care setting is collaborative working. This allows professional to share their decisions and opinions (David et al, 1996). Within a team their views and shared ideas are important in an event of proposing change. In this assignment I have come to understand that the roles of leaders and managers is not merely just about giving orders but requires vital skills in communication, behaviour and approach to produce positive result. I requires telling people what to do but also making sure that it is within their competency level and realistic, is necessary for an effective working environment NMC (2008). My identified weakness was in the area of delegation as I needed to be more assertive. This is a skill that I hope to improve in my career as qualified mental health nurse. Professional Development Plan In this assignment, I will reflect on my weakness in terms of delegation which was an area in which I had to develop. Delegation has been defined as â€Å"the process by which responsibility and authority for promoting a task (function, activity, or decision is transferred to another individual who accepts that authority† (Sullivan & Decker, 2009, p135). However, Marquis & Huston (2009) have also defined it simply as getting work done through others. Regardless, it is worth noting that responsibility and accountability are not and do not mean the same thing. Whilst a delegator is entirely accountable to the task, the delegate will also be accountable to the delegator for the responsibilities assumed (American Nurses Association (ANA) and National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) (2005), cited in Gopee & Galloway, 2009; Sullivan & Decker, 2009). The Nursing and Midwifery Council expects all nurses to â€Å"acknowledge any limits of personal knowledge and skill and take steps to remedy any relevant deficits in order effectively and appropriately to meet the needs to service users and clients† (NMC, 2005). Yoder-Wise (2011) notes thatif delegation is to occur, there should be mutual acceptance between both the delegator, who has the accountability, and delegate, who assumes the responsibility for performing the tasks and is consequently empowered (Sullivan & Decker, 2009). However, Sullivan & Decker have clarified that while responsibility is an obligation to successfully completing a task, accountability also means accepting the overall outcome – whether it be failure or success – of the task. Further, illustrating this, Yoder-Wise (2011) explains that when two registered nurses work are to work together sharing a task, then delegation does not occur. It is also important to explain that tasks can only delegate tasks for which we are responsible (Sullivan & Decker, 2009; Yoder-Wise, 2011). Sullivan & Decker have also noted that, once a delegate gains confidence, they become motivated and as such will begin to see their morale boosted to actively take on new challenges. They also expand add that although delegation can be learned, it essentially promotes teamwork and improves efficiency. Applying this to nursing, it is stressed that appropriate level of supervision has to be put in place to the delegate to ensure that tasks that have been delegated are completed effectively and safely (NMC, 2008b). The best interest of the patient should always be the overriding consideration when delegating tasks rather than saving time or money (Royal College of Nursing, 2011). Delegation has increasingly become an essential aspect of nursing in the United Kingdom because of staff shortages and high turnover in the face of ever-mounting demand for a variety of skills in health care (Curtis & Nicholl, 2004). With regard to my clinical management placement experience, I found I was less assertive when instructed by my mentor to delegate tasks as part of my learning. I freely admit that my timidity stemmed from being raised in a foreign country and as such the I felt intimated when delegating. As English is not my native language there have been occasions when some of my colleagues, and even fellow students at university, have informed me that they are indeed unable to understand my accent. I realise that this is unacceptable because I am expected – and will be required – to be clear, concise and detailed when describing the objective, limits, expectations and outcome of the tasks to my delegates (Currie, 2008; Sullivan & Decker, 2009). Moreover, as a student nurse, I have often felt intimidated when delegating tasks to other staff who I considered to be better informed, better qualified and more experienced in nursing than me. Indeed, such fears were confirmed when, during one shift recently, whereI attempted to delegate a task (see Appendix 2). This is an area that I intend to improve upon. Reference Barker, M.A. 1992. Transformational Nursing Leadership: A vision for the future. Thompson Publisher. London. Currie, P. (2008) â€Å"Ask the experts: Delegation considerations for nursing practice†, in Critical Care Nurse, 28(5), (pp27-28) Curtis, E. & Nicholl, H. (2004) â€Å"Delegation: A key function of nursing†, in Nursing Management, 11(8), (pp26-31) Department of Health (2000) The NHS Plan: A Plan for Investment. A Plan for Reform, London: The Stationery Office Department of Health (2001) NHS Leadership Qualities Framework, Available [online] at: http://www.dhleadershipqualities.nhs.uk [Accessed March 20 2013] Department of Health (2008) High Quality Care for All – NHS Next Stage, Available [online] at:http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liverconsultations/DH_085812[Accessed 20 March 2013] Ellis, J.R and Hartley, C.L., 2004. Nursing in today’s world trends, issues & management 8th edition: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Faugier, J. & Woolnough, H. (2002) â€Å"National nursing leadership programme†, in Mental Health Practice, 6 (3): (pp28-34) Gopee, N. & Galloway, J. (2009) Leadership and Management in Healthcare, London: Sage Hersey, P., Blanchard, K.H. & Johnson, D.E. (2001) Management of Organisational Behaviours: Leading Human Resources, (8th edn), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Huston, C., 2006. Professional Issues in Nursing. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. USA. Huber, D.L. (2006) Leadership and Nursing Care Management, (4th edn), Maryland Heights: Saunders Elsevier King’s Fund (2011) â€Å"The future of leadership and management in the NHS: No more heroes† Report from The King’s Fund Commission on Leadership and Management in the NHS Lambert, R. & Githens-Mazer, J. (2010) Islamophobia and the Anti-Muslim Hate Crime: UK Case Studies 2010, Exeter: University of Exeter Marquis, B.L. & Houston, C.J., 2000. Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing. 3rd edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins publishers. USA. Norman, I. &, Ryrie, I., 2009 Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing: A Textbook of Principles, Berkshire: Open University Press/McGraw-hill Education Nursing and Midwifery Council. 2002a. The Code of Professional Conduct. London: NMC. Nursing and Midwifery Council. 2008. The Code of Professional Conduct: Standards for conduct, performance and ethics- Protecting the public through professional standards. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council; 2009. http://www.nmc-uk.org. Oliver, S. (2006) â€Å"Leadership in health care†, in Musculoskelet Care 4(1), (pp38-47) Royal College of Nursing (2011) â€Å"Accountability and delegation: What you need to know†, Available [online] at: http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/361907/Accountability_HCA_leaflet_A5_final.pdf [Accessed November 15 3012] Sullivan, E.J. & Decker, P.J. (2009) Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing, (7th edn.), London: Pearson International Edition Yoder-Wise, P.S., 2007. Leading and Managing in Nursing 4th edition. USA. Mosby Inc. Yoder-Wise, P.S. (2011) Leading and Managing in Nursing, (5th edn), St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby. http://education.exeter.ac.uk/dll/studyskills/harvard_referencing.htm Use this link to learn how to Harvard reference properly. Your referencing is inconsistent and you need to list pages when quoting or referring to a specific point. As a general rule though, the main trick with referencing is continuity, so make sure your references and bibliography are consistent. Appendix 1: SMART Goal Delegation skills development Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time To prioritise all my tasks and manage time effectively and efficiently in all shifts.Commuting between London and the university has taught me the value of time management. Time management will enable me to carry out other tasks and achieve goals. More to the point, time management will provide me with personal organisation and self-discipline, as recommended by Yoder-Wise (2011) Time management will be measurable as I will be able to identify whether the tasks set out on a specific shift have been successfully completed on time whenever I’m taking over handover from night shift team members.Prioritisation is achievable by use of my diary which will contain all the tasks that need to be completed by the end of the day. Furthermore, prioritising will help me schedule tasks in the order of urgency. This will leave me room to tackle emergency situations that arise during the shift.Prioritisation is realistic because I realise that as a newly-qualified my responsibility will be to ensure that the shift runs smoothly. My diary will also be helpful as it will keep me reminded of the tasks I have to carry out and those which are still pending. In the case of pending tasks, being organised will give me sufficient time to involve staff who will be doing the next shift staff to complete them.Prioritising is an ongoing skill that I will have to keep learning during the first six months of qualifying and for the rest of my nursing career. Confidence and assertiveness while delegating tasks to other members of staff.Once a delegated task has been successfully completed and goals achieved confidence in allocating tasks to members of staff will have worked for me. By receiving feedback and constructive criticism from members of staff once they have successfully accomplished the delegated tasks. Being organised and maintaining a therapeutic relationship with fellow members of staff will increase my feelings of certainty that the shift will run smoothly relationship with staff.At the start of every shift I will allocate tasks to members of staff who have the competence, knowledge, time and willingness to carry them out and complete them. This is realistic because it will be my responsibility to manage shifts on the ward once I qualify. It will also be my duty to allocate or delegate tasks to members of staff. Likewise, during handover, I will ensure that I brief incoming staff on how the shift went and what remains to be done when they will be on shift.Based on my experience, so far, I’m very hopeful that I will achieve this goal within six months after I qualify. Appendix 2. Service Improvement Activity- Notification Form Contact Details Student SID Number: 0914451 Details of service improvement project/activity Service user Rehabilitation unit managing self medication. Reason for development To improve independent skills in managing medication for patients in rehabilitation centre so as to reduce the risk of relapse and to provide person centred care as well as empowering the service users. Time spent on project activity The time spent on self medication informative project was about six weeks. Resources used The Trust policy, The risk assessment form, The patient consent form, The patient withdrawal form, self- administration monitoring form (stages), self- administration patient record chart. Who was involved Nursing staff, doctors (MDT), Pharmacist , student (myself) and the service users. Future plans To review the self- administration if it is effective at a set time. Nurses involved in supervision of the programme must be registered nurses. Date discussed with clinical staff in placement area: (seen and agreed by my mentor Lorna Newton). And discussed with my IBL Facilitator Justin Nathan.