What role does autonomy play in achieving a 'good death' Essay

What role does autonomy play in achieving a 'good death' - Essay Example â€Å"The main reason for the complex situation at the end of life is the development of life-sustaining technologies within the last fifty years† (Earle et al 2008, p.25). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of autonomy in achieving a ‘good death’. Hence, the concepts of autonomy and ‘good death’, along with their guiding principles and their application will be evaluated and illustrated. â€Å"The care of dying patients is a responsibility for families, healthcare professionals and society† (Jeffrey 2006, p.2). Most care support is provided by families and non-professional carers. To improve the care of dying patients it is essential to understand end-of-life issues and promote effective communication. Palliative care for patients with chronic, life-threatening diseases such as advanced cancer involves decision making. Professionals are required to include patients in decisions that affect their care, while explaining to the patients and their carers, the ethical issues involved. Patient autonomy is perceived as key to ‘good death’. However, Brown (2003) argues that patient’s autonomy or freedom of choice at the end of life care is not merely a matter of individual preference. Other important criteria that influence a patient’s autonomy are socioeconomic status, availability of services, cultural factors, emotional and relationship factors, along with the political and other aspects of care. The manner in which people are cared for at the end of their lives is one indicator of a civilised society. Recent medical advances can delay death as well as prolong the process of dying. These dynamics generate tension from which emerge ethical dilemmas requiring debate. Though the technological aspect of care increases progressively, the new concerns are regarding the neglect of the softer, psychological elements of care.

Discuss some of the key similarities and differences between orthodox Essay

Discuss some of the key similarities and differences between orthodox and naturopathic medicine. briefly evaluate circumstances when the use of one may be more - Essay Example According to Larson (2007, p. 1), alternative medicine represents any form of healing therapy outside the borders of orthodox medicine which uses pharmaceuticals, radiation, chemotherapy, and surgical procedures in its practice of healing the sick. Alternative medicine includes all forms of therapy from acupuncture to Zen Buddhism as potential pathways to health. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states that there four types of alternative medical systems which include Chinese medicine, ayurvedic medicine, naturopathy, and homeopathy. What separates naturopathy from the other types of alternative medicine is not only its beginnings, but also the basis on which health, disease and treatment is seen. While the other forms of alternative medicine have their roots in shamanism and spirituality, the beginnings of naturopathy can be traced back to the beginnings of orthodox medicine. Hippocrates, generally considered as the "Father of Medicine", is also considered to be a physician that practiced what was similar to naturopathic medicine. ... Although this does not correspond entirely to the principles of naturopathy, as it can be observed, the view that the health and disease is based in the balance of natural elements is the basis of most naturopathic beliefs. In order for the differences and similarities between orthodox and naturopathic medicine to be better evident, the six basic principles of naturopathic medicine should be reviewed. The first concept is the healing power of nature, which refers to connecting with nature, or the life force, which is constant, although ever changing. Connecting with nature involves getting outside yourself, getting beyond whatever health limitations are concerning you. Further, the healing power of nature involves a connection with this life force, taking some action, either through exercise or any physical activity, that connects us with life. Naturopathy involves taking an active role in your own health, becoming your own health maintenance organization, as opposed to approach of traditional medicine of prescription drugs. The second concept of naturopathy, identification and treatment of the cause of disease, focuses on eliminating the problem that is resulting in the illness. One common example can be given, as high blood pressure, and its treatment through conventional medicine. Diuretics are the most common treatment, however, if the root cause is obesity and sedentary lifestyle, then the use of diuretics but failure to address those contributing factors will have the end result of treating symptoms but not correcting the basic problem. Modern medicine, however, also is beginning to focus more on eliminating social and other underlying problems that cause diseases. One such example is Sweden's

Critical Thinking About Health And Medicine Nursing Essay

Critical Thinking About Health And Medicine Nursing Essay As defined by Michael Scriven and Richard Paul (1987), critical thinking is intellectual disciplined process of applying skills, concepts, analyzing, synthesizing , evaluation of information got by, observation, reasoning, experience, reflection, as a guidance towards an action. Edward Glaser (1941) defined critical thinking as an attitude of thinking towards solving problems that comes within the range of ones experience. Critical thinking is intellectual disciplined process of applying skills, concepts, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluation of information got by, observation, reasoning, experience, reflection, as guidance towards an action. Definitions Comparison The common things about the given definitions are, critical thinking leads toward achieving a certain goal. Also, one must have a problem and using the experience acquired, action is taken towards getting the solution. The differences between the definitions are, according to Michael Scriven and Richard Paul (1987), critical thinking is taken as an intellectual process while Edward Glaser (1941) portrays it as an attitude. The later also see as a way of solving a problem but the former say that it leads to taking the necessary action. The first definition also gives us a consistence way in which critical thinking works, but the second one just talk of range in which one is experienced. Definition that Suite Nursing Process A nurse should follow a careful and systematic process in executing his/her duty and thus the best suited definition is that of Michael Scriven and Richard Paul (1987). First nursing duty requires a lot of intellectual skills and discipline. This is because there is no room for mistakes. Once a mistake is done either through ignorance or through carelessness a life somewhere is lost. For a nurse, every detail offered by the sick person is very important. Thus analyzing each concepts and synthesizing the information given is equally important. This is because, if she/he is trying to diagnose a certain disease, fine details are required to ensure that the disease suffered is the one treated. For a nurse, before any action is taken clear observation is done. This is will always eliminate the idea of guess work because one is dealing with peoples life. Appropriate reasoning is required in nursing to ensure that required action in treatment is taken. This is enhanced by proper reflection and strong experience in the nursing field. Thus integrating all the required procedures as stipulated in the definition of critical thinking by Michael Scriven and Richard Paul (1987) the nurse in his/her full capacity will be able to execute duties fully. Definition of Critical Thinking and its Relevance in Clinical Decision Making Critical thinking is a strong concept acquired through the process of approaching an issue using systematic skills and experience attained by virtue of education, interaction, communication, observation and through analysis and accurate data correction and entry using appropriate facts towards attaining most appropriate solution. For a decision to be arrived in the nursing field one has to probe thoroughly and critically examine the information gotten before making the final decision. Taking a example of a nurse working in the Intensive Care Unit where the patient may be in coma and must be treated. The process of approaching such an issue requires a systematic skills and experience for an appropriate decision making. Such skills are adapted through critical thinking with the use of knowledge and existing facts when well interpreted. Practitioners in nursing must be accurate and precise in making decisions. They should always be lead by the virtue of listening; collecting appropriate data, analyzing it correctly and by the norms and intellectual standards of nursing gives a correct decision. In a hospital setting, there are always hustle and bustles. Patients entering and others leave. So, a nurse is required to be sane to be able to execute his/her duty. Thus without communicating to the fellow nurses, one my find it difficult to give correct information. So communication is vital to help judge once decision by comparing different ideas before giving a decision that you may not be well conversant with. Education is a very important aspect in critical thinking. Especially for a nurse, one should be well informed on type of disease patient is suffering from. Some diseases have very close symptoms thus without good knowledge, one is liable of making a mistake in arriving at decision on how to treat or prescribe medicine. The consequences of wrong prescription or treatment may lead to permanent personal damage or death. Thus, to perfect once degree of critical thinking, education is very important. In course of practicing clinical work, it is advisable also to attend different medical trainings and workshops that will act as refresher courses to refresh once critical thinking. Another very important issue is interaction. Once you interact with many people of similar profession, you get to acquire different ideas that you had not thought of. This will always boost your capability of judgment on issues. Interactions help one to broaden once mind and enhance once ability of making good decision. It is also a form of exposure that helps one to have extra experience from different broad minded people. Interaction may also be exposure to different disease diagnose and different patient. This gives one confidence in future to deal with the same ailment or patient of similar sickness with ease. Professional Development Strategies Plan To Improve Critical Thinking Skills When Making Clinical Decisions. Getting information is paramount in improving critical thinking. The information of those things that seem not to clear can be gotten from different clinical materials. One can read health and clinical journals, intellectual journals, go to clinical website or else hospital library. Most of the information is learnt from the environment we are in. for example, one has to analyze his/her environment to understand what is required of him/her or not. Different people have different likes and preferences. As a nurse you are either helping a doctor in surgery room, or attending patient in the hospital. Thus, one should always be guided by professional ethics as you try to analyze group influence. This will help you improve your critical thinking. To improve clinical critical thinking, one has to internalize intellectual standards required in nursing. Such things as accuracy in data collection, clarity in drugs prescription among others must always be on the finger tips. These qualities should be practiced on daily basis to make them part of life. As a nurse one should fight with once ego. This makes one to be bias in judging a certain scenario unconsciously. This may lead to making bad decisions. So practicing intellectual traits and admitting when you go wrong will make you go miles away as far as decision making is concerned.

Jack The Ripper Essay -- Papers

Jack The Ripper 1. From looking at the newspaper article on source A, I can determine the following information regarding the murder of Polly Nichols. Firstly, I can ascertain that it was the second of the Whitechapel murders. I can draw this conclusion from the first few words 'the two murders which have so startled London'. The second point we can learn from this article is that the killer had no apparent motive for the killings, supposedly because money wasn't missing from his victims; 'no adequate motive in the shape of plunder can be traced'. Also, the article tells us that the victims have been 'the poorest of the poor' Even though these pieces of information are product of the media, they appear to be true, as there would be no need for the newspaper to sensationalise such facts. The source also suggests the killer is a 'demented being', due to the 'extraordinary violence' exhibited in each of his murders. Finally, the source makes reference to the 'excess of effort' used by the killer 2. The report of Dr. Frederick Blackwell on the body of Elizabeth Stride supports the coroner's report on source B when it states that 'in the neck, there was a long incision which commenced on the left side, two and a half inches below the jaw, cutting the windpipe completely in two'. This account supports source B which states; 'there are no meaningless cuts' and that 'the injuries have been made by someone with considerable anatomical skill' obviously because the killer knew where to reach the windpipe. The extract also supports source A where it talks about the 'extraordinary violence'. However, source C contradicts source A when ... ... that a disgruntled customer of one of the local Jewish craftsmen's shops may have just written this graffiti to express his anger. The only thing linking this graffiti to the Eddowes murder was a tiny piece of Eddowes's apron found nearby. Source A mentions the victims being 'the poorest of the poor'. This is important, as maybe the police weren't worried as much about the poor people. Also this suggests that the killings may have been in hard to reach places for the police. Source B mentions the 'anatomical skill and knowledge' required to carry out such murders. Maybe such a man could also have enough knowledge to be able to out wit the police. Source F, the leaflet is another reminder of the police effort to stop the Ripper getting away, but it could also have let the Ripper know of the police involvement too much. Jack The Ripper Essay -- Papers Jack The Ripper 1. From looking at the newspaper article on source A, I can determine the following information regarding the murder of Polly Nichols. Firstly, I can ascertain that it was the second of the Whitechapel murders. I can draw this conclusion from the first few words 'the two murders which have so startled London'. The second point we can learn from this article is that the killer had no apparent motive for the killings, supposedly because money wasn't missing from his victims; 'no adequate motive in the shape of plunder can be traced'. Also, the article tells us that the victims have been 'the poorest of the poor' Even though these pieces of information are product of the media, they appear to be true, as there would be no need for the newspaper to sensationalise such facts. The source also suggests the killer is a 'demented being', due to the 'extraordinary violence' exhibited in each of his murders. Finally, the source makes reference to the 'excess of effort' used by the killer 2. The report of Dr. Frederick Blackwell on the body of Elizabeth Stride supports the coroner's report on source B when it states that 'in the neck, there was a long incision which commenced on the left side, two and a half inches below the jaw, cutting the windpipe completely in two'. This account supports source B which states; 'there are no meaningless cuts' and that 'the injuries have been made by someone with considerable anatomical skill' obviously because the killer knew where to reach the windpipe. The extract also supports source A where it talks about the 'extraordinary violence'. However, source C contradicts source A when ... ... that a disgruntled customer of one of the local Jewish craftsmen's shops may have just written this graffiti to express his anger. The only thing linking this graffiti to the Eddowes murder was a tiny piece of Eddowes's apron found nearby. Source A mentions the victims being 'the poorest of the poor'. This is important, as maybe the police weren't worried as much about the poor people. Also this suggests that the killings may have been in hard to reach places for the police. Source B mentions the 'anatomical skill and knowledge' required to carry out such murders. Maybe such a man could also have enough knowledge to be able to out wit the police. Source F, the leaflet is another reminder of the police effort to stop the Ripper getting away, but it could also have let the Ripper know of the police involvement too much.

Explain the Role of the First World War in the Decline and Fall of the Romanov Dynasty

Explain the role of the First World War in the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty The role of the first world in the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty has been contended debated. Russia’s lack of resources and preparation can be seen to attribute to the fall of the dynasty as lack of items such as bread and coal ked to contention amongst Russia’s people. Also contributing was Tsar Nicholas II’s lack of military experience and ability to use military force to crush the civilian protests that were occurring in Petrograd, Russia’s capital city. The generals of the military along with the Duma used the protests to their advantage to force the abdication of the Tsar and strengthen Russia’s’ war effort. However, Russia’s turbulent past of political and social turmoil also contributed to the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty. The lack of preparation on Russia’s behalf before the First World War began was an integral factor leading to the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty. For a war on a large scale, that being the First World War Russia’s lack of preparation severely crippled its efforts in the war with as many of 1 million of its soldiers departing for the eastern front without necessities such as Rifles or boots. In the circumstances when soldiers were equipped with weapons they were often stuck without the necessary ammunition to fire them, this would foreshadow the humiliating losses Russia would suffer in the months to come with battles such as Tannenburg costing the Russian army as many as 230,000 dead soldiers and many more captured by the forces of the Kaiser. Russia’s second army under the command of General Rennenkampf executed a retreat after the demise of the other half of Russian forces and whilst this was skilful 1. million men met death on the eastern front, if not from the enemy then the crippling lack of food and starvation that faced most soldiers of the Russian army. The news of these defeats did not fall on deaf ears back in the cities of Russia causing great discontent amongst the proletariat and intelligentsia alike, Russia already had a poor war records with a humiliation during the Crimean war at the hands of the Turkish and the recent Russo-Japanese war in 1905 b oth disgraceful defeats on Russia’s behalf. With news now that these losses were being bettered on the eastern front it caused a questioning of Russia’s autocracy, the Dynasty of the Romanov family. The liberal school of thought on the fall of the Romanovs greatly highlights the significance of the First World War on the fall of the autocracy and believe if the war was averted so to would be the fall of the Romanovs. Therefore it can be safely asserted that the liberal school of thought elucidates that the lack of preparation by Russia in response to the First World War contributed greatly to the eclectic nature of the Romanov Dynasty and its eventual decline and fall. The lack of military experience by Tsar Nicholas II as well as the disobedience of the Russian military is more or less of significant importance to the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty. From an early age Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov was not groomed to be a traditional Tsar, his father Alexander III saw his son as a weak link to the Dynasty and unfit to rule because of his weak personality and mind, those of the liberal school of thought agree entirely with this stating â€Å"the weakness in the character of Nicholas†¦ ontributing to the fall of the Romanov Dynasty. † With little to no training in being the supreme autocrat of Russia it is a wonder that Tsar Nicholas thought it wise to personally take the role of the commader in chief with no military experience as well, for the Russian people this was a risky move seeing as how the last war Nicholas had spear-headed led to a loss of hundreds of kilometres of trans-siberian railway and the colony of Korea in the R usso-Japanese war. Thus upon the start of the First World War despite a surge of patriotism from the Russian people when the Russian Army performed consistently badly Tsar Nicholas was seen to be the cause. Already being investigated as a potential spy due to his marriage to the tsarina who hailed from Germany , the poor performance of Russia during the World War which was under Tsar Nicholas’ command is seen by the Liberal School as crippling to the intergrity and upkeep of Russias’ Autocracy and the Dynasty of the Romanov Family. Worse still was Nicholas’ leadership of Russia during the time of the war, being unable to disband civilian riots in the capital of Petrograd and by refusing offers from the Duma at first during the February/March revolution secured his abdication which was forced upon him by the military and the Duma cementing the lack of loyalty Nicholas’ cabinet had to him as a result of his poor leadership and military inexperience, which can be attributed to the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty. Furthermore the civilian protests in Russia as a reaction to the catalyst of the First World War were yet another reason as to the fall of the Romanov Family and their dynasty. Russias history of disgruntled peasants and proletariat provides a bleak foreshadow to the reaction the general public had towards the poor performance Russia turned in during the First World War and the lack of necessities such as food and coal that they had to fore-go due to poor preparation. It cannot be denied the crucial role that civilian riots had in the fall of the Romanov Dynasty, these riots can be traced to the 23rd of February 1917 as an English woman named Sybil Grey described the riots start as â€Å"a poor woman entered a bread shop†¦ and asked for bread. She was told there was none. On leaving the shop, seeing bread in the window she broke the window and took it. This simple act of taking bread was the turning point in civilian protests and the birth itself of the Russian Revolution, soon the streets of Petrograd were littered with protestors and the Duma refused the Tsar’s orders to disband the protests via the military, many of whom defected to the protestors to avoid being sent to the Eastern front. The food supplies in most cities were dire and the Russian economy was inflated to the point that most farmers refused to sell their wares in exchange for money. Prominent Russian industry such as the Pulitov Steelworks also closed due to a lack of finance and raw materials meaning 90,000 proletariat now had no jobs and no direction in society, which inevitably leads to protesting. Therefore it can be easily drawn that the protests that occurred with the civilians in Russia played an integral role in the decline and fall of teh Romanov Dynasty. Moreover Russia’s parliament, the Duma in conjunction with the Russian military officials many of whom were related to Tsar Nicholas himself used the First World War as a medium to force the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and attempt to govern Russia as a democracy. After the events of bloody Sunday in 1905 Tsar Nicholas II faced a dilemma, millions of Russians crying for change and challenging his power and the power of the autocracy. It was in these circumstances the ‘October Manifesto’ was issued to the people in hopes of tying down threats of insurrection amongst the people, the manifesto granted Russia a parliament that was so closely linked with the Tsar it had no purpose essentially. However, during the failures that followed Nicholas in the First World War the Duma was essentially in power in the capital city of Petrograd with the Tsar stranded at a military base in Tsarkoe Selo, finally reaching the peak of insurrection the Duma with the support of the Tsar’s trusted generals established a provisional government that attempted to repair the damage the war and Nicholas had caused. To the tsar this was an ct of insubordination and military force was demanded to shut the Duma down, this was not the case. The military had lost faith in Nicholas, fearing he was disadvantaging Russia in their efforts against germany, it was then clear what must be done; under desperation from the war and the people the Duma and the military requested Tsar Nicholas abdicate his power from the throne, in its stead would be a government running on elections in replica of England. Another role the Duma played was their facilitation in the civilian riots occurring with some Cossacks, guards supposedly loyal to the tsar assuring protestors â€Å"don’t worry we won’t shoot you† and the guard of the royal family abandoning their posts. The quintessential role then of the Duma and Military as a result of the first world war in the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty cannot be denied. However, when studying the decline and fall of the Romanov dynasty other schools of thought have differing opinions as to the significance of the War in the fall of the Romanovs. The revisionist school argues that the pre-existing and unresolved issues of Russia’s past greatly contributed to the decline and fall of the Romanov dynasty. Historian Sheila Fitzpatrick believes that even prior to the war Russia was in an unstable place, both socially and politically as she states â€Å"The autocracy’s situation was precarious on the eve of the First World War. Issues such as the massacre of bloody Sunday were still contemporary issues for the Tsar and the autocracy, with labels such as ‘Bloody Nicholas’ becoming household names, the activities of various revolutionary groups such as Vladimir Lenin’s Bolshevik party and the opposing Mensheviks of Leon Trotsky whilst fore-runners for change in Russian society both set a precarious scene during 20th century Russia, often trying to ignite crowds or events into protests or revolutions. These often took the form of Assassinations with targets including Prime Minister Petr Stolypin often upsetting the established order and descending society into complete chaos. It can be seen then that the revisionists make a strong argument as to why the Romanovs would have fallen even in the absence of the First World War. The contention does not rest there though, the living conditions of a vast majority of Russian society was also believed to be a contributing factor as to the decline and fall of the Romanovs, during the industrial revolution the conditions faced by the new class; ‘the proletariat’ or workers were seen to be inhumane, they were cramped into mall living areas, malnourished, exposed to dangerous work, shot at and payed incredibly poor amounts of money to ensure this cycle continued, they also made up over 90% of Russia’s population. It is easy to see then that a large amount of society exposed to these conditions for the betterment of others would eventually lead to a revolution en mass which is what revisionists, amongst other things believe would have been equally if not more significant than the First World War in the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty. All in all despite contention the role of the First World War in the decline and fall of the Romanov Dynasty can be seen as pivotal to some as Russia’s lack of preparation, poor leadership, riots and leaders were all influenced by the great war but is debated amongst others due to other factors such as; conditions faced by the working class, the autcracys weakened position and revolutionary groups.

Behavior & Teams

The reading made me realize that group and teams alike have their own purposes. However, I could not help but notice that teams have more advantages as compared to a group. I believe that every teams starts out as a group and after some time they would then on develop into a team. Being a team is necessary if one needs to truly develop and flourish.I realized that people or organizations would have better use of a team than a group especially since in a team there could be no room for someone who does not wish to participate (in contrast to a group wherein a person could just sit around doing nothing at all).The reading also made me realize that in an organization there is both a team and a group. The group should do everything in their power to develop themselves into a team. In a group the individual importance of a person is minimized since Person A could still do Person B’s job even if Person B does not appear in a meeting. In contrast, a team could not operate without one of their members since a team was developed based on their own personal expertise which in turn could better ensure their success.The presence of dependence and independence makes a team something far better and more useful in an organization especially since in a team everyone could meet in the middle and discuss their own ideas which one could not do in a group since only one person has the power to decide (the leader). The reading also made me realize the importance of sensing the needs of others. In professional situations, sensing is very important so that one would be able to gauge the needs of the teams and resolve the conflicts in the process.After sensing what the problems or the issues may be I should then move on to diagnose what is to be done to resolve the issue and I could better do that by opening the issues in the team. By doing a constructive criticism or the like each member of the team could then move on to contribute what is to be done to better the team’ s position. We could also tell each other where one went wrong in order to ascertain that such things would never happen again.This is one of the most successful plans there could be in ensuring the harmony in a team which could address everyone’s need. References: Mackin, D. (2007). The Difference Between A Team And A Group [Electronic Version] from http://www. sideroad. com/Team_Building/difference-between-team-and-group. html. Williams, N. (2000). The Top 10 Key Differences Between a Team of Individuals and a Group of Individuals [Electronic Version] from http://topten. org/public/AE/AE244. html.

Influences On My Art in 2190 essays

Influences On My Art in 2190 essays Artists in this century have a long and rich, and problematic heritage on which to draw. As an artist I have been influenced by others before me and by the world around me. The technology that has been introduced into art is both a problem and a challenge for artists as it changes the meaning of what art is and could be. World events, the fourth world war and the failure of science and reason as the main tools of modern thought - all these factors have influenced and inspired me in the way I practice and One of the most important revelations that have inspired my work is the non-dualistic artistic school, which has recently come into prominence. It is not well-known that this movement had its origins hundreds of years ago in the early twentieth century. Possibly the greatest influence on myself and many other artists has been the radical changes in the political and philosophical structures of the modern world. I refer particularly to the reaction to the new world order after world amalgamation. My earliest influences, which still inspire me today, are old- fashioned, even primitive artists. This did not endear me to the techno- wizards and virtual art simulators of our time. However, I was impressed with the early twentieth century artists like Picasso and Braque and by the surrealists like Max Ernst. Although their methods were by our standards somewhat primitive, their work laid the foundations for our modern These artists were the first to move away from art as representation and follow, intuitively then, a feeling that art was more than just decoration or social comment. They instinctively showed through their work that they felt that art was a form of thinking and an evolution in human consciousness. Artists like Max Ernst are only now being understood in his u...