Learning Disability Nurse Reflection

Learning Disability Nurse Reflection Summary reflection –Modules 5 9 Working as a learning disability nurse, poses a career fraught with many interesting and often frustrating challenges. However, this is a population that cannot be ignored or slighted medically just because they present with special needs (DOH 2001). Emerson et al. (2001) state that 2.5 – 3% of the population in the UK are among the learning disabled, with 30% of these individuals presenting with categorically severe or profound learning disabilities. Emerson et al. (2001) also tell us that frequently multiple learning disabilities present in the same individual, including physical and/or sensory impairments, physical or sensory disability and/or behavioural difficulties. The five modules presented an opportunity to explore various aspects of this specialty area and reflect on the experience on a module by module basis. The act of revisiting the individual reflection pieces to present the current summary essay allowed for not only intellectually experiencing what I wrote, but it also allowed me to re-experience each situation and gain a new appreciation for the patients I worked with, the teams I took part in, the pros and cons of each situation and what I have learned that will be immediately applicable to a real world work environment. Importance of reflection Driscoll and Teh (2001) tell us that practitioners can gain a stronger understanding about various interventions and protocols used, as well as reviewing the situation specifics of each incident, through the process of reflection. In particular, Foster (1985) stressed the importance of using a journal for purposes of written reflection on nursing practices and procedures in order to help clarify issues and make them more real and visual. Gardiner and Lawley (1995) believe that self awareness, one of the outcomes of nursing reflection, can enable staff to recognise the skills they employ and add meaning to their interactions with peers, team members and clients/patients. There were many positives and negatives I experienced on a module by module basis, but in summary, these will be presented thematically. Achievements Module Five offered the opportunity to gain insight into the lifestyle experienced by those with learning disabilities. Similarly, Module Seven provided much needed and interesting information on the role of special health needs observed in those with special needs. This enabled me to make a difference for a client with diabetes through the development of a health care action plan that included the client’s smoking cessation; something the social worker assigned to the case was no knowledgeable of. It was quite exciting to improve my communication skills throughout the five modules. For example, I was able to improve my rapport with other colleagues and various multidisciplinary healthcare professionals as well as clients as I achieved Module Nine communication based learning objectives. Godsell and Scarbrough (2006) comment communication skills are essential for healthcare practitioners. I believe they are even more critical for those working with the learning disabled. Another example was the ability to communicate effectively myself and help others, such as residential home management, communicate with a specific autistic client experiencing difficulty in choosing daily activities based on his disability. I was able to include this client in the decisions made which is critical to empowering the client with a sense of self. Similarly, during Module Five, I worked with a cerebral palsy client who was screaming due to discomfort; that was her mode of communication, which at th e time I failed to recognise, but upon reflection now know actions as well as words are important modes of communication for those with learning disabilities. Shortcomings In general, a major negative I encountered was feeling I was used as â€Å"the help† rather than as a student nurse during my placement. This limited my ability to contribute and to grow personally and professionally. This was particularly evident during Module Five. Similarly, during Module Eight I was faced with a situation creating a significant amount of stress with no stress management advice or training opportunities from which to learn how to effectively cope. Contrary to Davidson’s (2001) research, there were no in-house stress management training opportunities to take advantage of. There was a sharp discrepancy in Module Nine when reviewing the Valuing People (2001) discourse in relation to people with learning disabilities (PWLD) between what was written in the document and what I experienced at work; whereas the document stresses the rights inherent for all people be extended to PWLD, it was my experience that daily patients and clients were denied access to services due to budgetary measures rather than expressing interest in people’s rights to quality healthcare and a quality standard of life. Gates (2003) tells us those with learning disabilities have rights and should be encouraged to attain respect and reach their potential. Challenges/Learning opportunities One of the main challenges I experienced in the module series, particularly with Module Five, was relating theory to practice. However, through additional research and self motivated learning I was able to bridge the gap. I also experienced a number of personal and professional challenges that I believe helped me become a stronger person and future professional. For example, at the beginning of Module Six, my mentor informed me he would not be available to me. This was very frustrating and upsetting as I knew without the help of a mentor, it would be very difficult to achieve the specific learning objectives outlined. However, I was able to turn this situation into a positive by becoming an active contributor to my own educational process by learning, understanding and solving real life problems (Kaufman, Mann Jennet 2000). Similarly, in Module Nine, I found several of the teaching styles challenging, but that helped to develop my research skills and allow me to make contributions in the group and EBL sessions. This also helped to develop my learning and presentation skills. An additional challenge in Module Nine was situation I encountered when viewing a medication administration concern at work. While I informed my manager of the situation, the team had a negative reaction rather than positive which would have been consistent with concern over patient/client care. Thomas, Mason and Ford (2003) tell us it is difficult for workers to become whistleblowers, especially in situations related to patient/client care or maintaining standards of care. This was an even more difficult challenge for me as I was only a student with limited status in the work environment. This was similar to the situation I found myself in during Module Seven when the community care social worker appeared to be neglecting the client’s diabetes, which is inconsistent with the General Social Care Council (2002) code of practices. I felt I was caught in the middle being a student making suggestions and pointing out care inconsistencies. Through the increased communication skills I developed, I was able to participate with the social worker in the role Gates (2003) identified as a learning disability nurse educator and facilitate changes. In conclusion, through the combined effects of achieving the modules’ learning objectives, reflection on the positive and negative events as well as challenges I encountered throughout modules 5 – 9 have enhanced my skill development of working with the learning disabled, improved my problem solving skills, allowed for improved communicative ability both on interdisciplinary teams as well as working with learning or developmentally challenged persons. The added use of written reflection as a tool will further my ability to transfer these skills into practice in my future placement and allow me to be effective in my nursing capacity on day one of my engagement. References Davidson, J. 2001. Stress management: Minute 10 guide. New York: Macmillan, USA. Department of Health. 2001. Valuing People: A new strategy for learning disability for the 21st century. White Paper CM5086. Great Britain. Driscoll, J Teh, B. 2001. The potential of reflective practice to develop individual orthopaedic nurse practitioner and their practice. Journal of Orthopedic Nursing, 5, 95 – 103. Emerson, E, Hatton, C, Felce, D Murphy, A. 2001. Fundamental facts. London: The Foundation of People with a Learning Disability. Gates, B. 2004. Learning disabilities: Towards inclusion (4th ed). London: Churchill Livingstone. General Social Care Council. 2002. Code of Practice for Social Care Workers and Code of Practice for Employers of Social Care Workers. [Online]. Retrieved from: http://www.gscc.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8E693C62-9B17-48E1-A806-3F6F280354FD/0/CodesofPractice.doc [Accessed 20 September 2008]. Godsell, M Scarbrough, K. 2006. Improving communication for people with learning disabilities. Nursing Standards, 20(30), 58 – 68. Kaufman, DM, Mann, KV Jennet, P. 2000. Teaching and learning in medical education: How theory can inform practice. London: Association for the Study of Medical Education Monograph. Gardiner, A Lawley, K. 1995. Health and social care: Longman advanced GNVQ test and assessment guide. London: Longman Publishing Group. Thomas, A, Mason, L Ford, S. 2003. Care management in practice for the registered manager award: Essential reading for all care managers (2nd ed). Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers

The Effects Of Aids On South African Sport :: essays research papers

Mr President, Mrs Hummel, Mrs Green, Ladies and Gentlemen By 2010 one in every two 15 year old South Africans will be HIV positive†¦ An alarming fact, which will have devastating impacts on all aspects of South African life. The statistics for HIV in SA, no matter how they are presented are frightening. Currently in SA 4,2 Million people are HIV positive, that is a tenth of our population, more than any other country in the world. As AIDS is a very contentious issue at the moment in our country. I am sure you have all heard plenty on the topic of AIDS. So I am focusing my speech this evening on a different aspect on AIDS, but one that is very important, that of the effects of AIDS on Sport in South Africa, now and in the future We are a country very passionate about sport, and AIDS will greatly effect our sport, and will raise many a question, such as, What are the risks of blood-to-blood contraction? Are our Sporting first aid facilities adequate? And what actions have and will be taken by Sporting governing bodies such as SARFU? 2000 was a bad year for sport in SA in general, The Hansie Cronje scandal, a failed world cup soccer bid, disappointing Springbok performances, the sacking of Nick Mallet and to cap it all off, A Gold-less Sydney Olympic Games. Can you imagine in 10 years time, when only half our 15 year olds can play sport†¦ imagine a half strength springbok team taking on the might of an all black side, or a half strength cricket team, battling it out at the world cup, with the likes of Australia. At the moment SA is one of the superpowers of African and World sport, containing many key components to ensure lasting successes on the sports fields of the world. Our population is large and diverse enough to ensure large numbers of elite sportsmen and women proceed through the ranks, to superstar status. Our wonderful climate allows for all-year round participation. All these ingredients have allowed SA to achieve sporting excellence, and the potential for even greater things is huge. Yet the threat posed by AIDS is a formidable obstacle in the development of SA sport and will surely hinder the progress. It is estimated that by 2010, the life expectancy of South Africans will have dropped to a mere 40 years. This not only means less doctors, lawyers and teachers, but also a decline in sportsmen and women, sports psychologists, nutritionists and administrators.

Littlefield Technologies Simulation Game 2 strategy Share Essay

Littlefield Simulation 2 strategy: Littlefield Technologies Simulation Game 2 strategy Share 1 More Next Blog » Create Blog Sign In Littlefield Simulation 2 strategy Sunday, July 17, 2011 Littlefield Technologies Simulation Game 2 strategy Followers Join this site with Google Friend Connect Just went through this last semester. We ended up in first place even though we made a few minor mistakes. First a few links that helped us: There are no members yet. Be the first! http://archive.ite.journal.informs.org/Vol5No2/Miyaoka/ http://wordpress.shetgar.com/blog/?p=59 http://www.scribd.com/doc/51139499/Littlefield ­Simulation ­2 ­Report Already a member? Sign in Here is what we did: Pre ­Game Activities: The team met the Tuesday before class to examine the data  and discuss strategies. It was apparent that both Stations 1 and 3 were operating at full capacity, frequently hitting 100% utilization. Station 3 seemed more strained since it had higher queues (Mean=506, STD=498) than Station 1(Mean=187, STD=175). Since the average job lead time exceeded 2 days during days 43 through 46, inclusive, we thought it would be unprofitable to attempt to move to the $1,000 contracts. We discussed the options of altering the lot sizes, but decided that the extra setup time would only create more bottlenecks downstream. About Me Blog Archive HB ââ€" ¼ 2011 (1) View my complete profile ââ€" ¼ July (1) Littlefield Technologi es Simulation Game 2 strateg†¦ Stage 1: As a result of our analysis, the team’s initial actions included: 1. Leave the contracts at $750. 2. Change the reorder point to 3000 (possibly risking running out of stock). 3. Change the reorder quantity to 3600 kits. 4. Purchase a second machine for Station 3 as soon as our cash balance reached $137,000 ($100K + 37K). This strategy proved successful and after the second machine for Station 3 was purchased on Day 56 and the queue cleared, we were able to switch to the $1,000 contracts. We occasionally lost a few dollars for being a little late, but we always made more than we would have under the $750 contracts. Stage 2: The next goal was to save enough cash to purchase a machine for Station 1 so that we could switch to the $1,250 contracts. During the cash building stage, we made the inventory order quantity as high as we could afford, which was 6,900 kits at a purchase price of $70,000. When the 6,900 kits were delivered, we switched the order quantity back to 3,600 so that we could purchase a Station 1 machine as soon as our cash balance reached $127,000 ($90K + 37K). After 21 factory days, we were able to purchase the fourth machine for Station 1 and immediately moved to the $1,250 contracts. The average lead time declined to under a half a day during factory days 69 through 76. There was a substantial decline in arriving orders during the same time period. The team noticed the drop in lead time and regrets not having moved to the $1,250 contracts sooner. We lost $22,750 of potential revenue for not moving on the information sooner. On the other hand, orders are random and an early move could have backfired on us. Stage 3: During our preliminary meeting, the team discussed the possibility of purchasing a fifth machine for Station 1. We decided to wait and see if the loss of potential ea  rnings was sufficient to justify a $90 K purchase. We knew that if we were going to buy a fifth machine we should do it as soon as possible to maximize the return on investment. We calculated the loss of potential revenue as ($1,250 – actual average revenues * jobs completed). Our initial estimates showed a potential revenue loss of $266 per day, but within a few factory days the rate of potential loss rose to $419 per day. There is another consideration in the decision to purchase a fifth machine for Station 1. The title of the Littlefield Technologies game 2 is Customer Responsiveness. The title implies that we should be concerned about the consistency with which we deliver on our service level agreements (SLAs). The potential loss of $419 per day barely covers the $90,000 machine purchaseÍ ¾ however we were missing our SLAs 13 out of 15 days and the percent of potential revenues lost due to missing SLAs was 3%. We decided to purchase the fifth machine on Day 94 primarily to improve our customer responsiveness. This strategy did not perform as well as we had hoped. While our potential revenues lost declined to 1%, we were still missing our SLAs six out of seven days. Stage 4. During Stage 4, we explored job splitting as a solution to the SLA problem. First, we split jobs into two batch of 30 kits each. This strategy worked so well that we wondered why we hadn’t explored job splitting during Stage 2 or 3. We met our SLAs 12 out of 16 days and our percent of potential revenues lost declined to 0.4%. We calculated the setup times as a proportion of a

Free Essays on The Shining

The Shining Have you ever been so frightened of someone or something that it controls your thoughts and actions? When I was a small child, this â€Å"something† was the movie â€Å"The Shining†. With the director’s used of good actors and actresses, a vivid story line, and terrifying special effects, this movie frightens children, as well as adults alike. As the story unfolds, the main characters are a family of a father, mother, and young son. They have to stay in a huge hotel as caretakers, snowed in for the winter months. The father, Jack Torrance, can’t take the solidarity and ends up going crazy. His son, Danny, is also noticing dead people living in the house as ghosts. He has a special â€Å"sense† and only he can see and talk to these spirit people. These ghosts soon possess the child and his mother, Wendy, must shake him out of his trances. Jack becomes psycho at the end and attempts to kill his wife and son to live in the hotel with the spirits of the once living. When they arrived at the scary hotel, just the sight of it made my insides hurt. Large, empty hotels are very scary to me now. As the young boy wanders throughout the hotel, he stops and talks to these mysterious dead people that once inhabited the hotel. He was advised at the very beginning to stay out of room number 217. The child is led, of course, down the corridors to this room by spirit children every chance they could get. Since I was a child, this scared me because they were my age. The horrors in that hotel room are what scarred my abilities to take showers or be alone as a child. In this terrible, forbidden room, as the boy entered it, the floor was wet. The dead woman in the bathtub that attempts to strangle poor Danny has special effects makeup that is incredible. When Danny and Wendy are trying to escape the murderous Jack, I was terrified to see a wave of blood spew from the elevator. Everything looked and sounded believable in this movie; a key fa... Free Essays on The Shining Free Essays on The Shining The Shining Have you ever been so frightened of someone or something that it controls your thoughts and actions? When I was a small child, this â€Å"something† was the movie â€Å"The Shining†. With the director’s used of good actors and actresses, a vivid story line, and terrifying special effects, this movie frightens children, as well as adults alike. As the story unfolds, the main characters are a family of a father, mother, and young son. They have to stay in a huge hotel as caretakers, snowed in for the winter months. The father, Jack Torrance, can’t take the solidarity and ends up going crazy. His son, Danny, is also noticing dead people living in the house as ghosts. He has a special â€Å"sense† and only he can see and talk to these spirit people. These ghosts soon possess the child and his mother, Wendy, must shake him out of his trances. Jack becomes psycho at the end and attempts to kill his wife and son to live in the hotel with the spirits of the once living. When they arrived at the scary hotel, just the sight of it made my insides hurt. Large, empty hotels are very scary to me now. As the young boy wanders throughout the hotel, he stops and talks to these mysterious dead people that once inhabited the hotel. He was advised at the very beginning to stay out of room number 217. The child is led, of course, down the corridors to this room by spirit children every chance they could get. Since I was a child, this scared me because they were my age. The horrors in that hotel room are what scarred my abilities to take showers or be alone as a child. In this terrible, forbidden room, as the boy entered it, the floor was wet. The dead woman in the bathtub that attempts to strangle poor Danny has special effects makeup that is incredible. When Danny and Wendy are trying to escape the murderous Jack, I was terrified to see a wave of blood spew from the elevator. Everything looked and sounded believable in this movie; a key fa...

The Light of Sight essays

The Light of Sight essays In this universe there are many thing that we cannot explain. Among these many things is light. Light, as far as we know, come in different wavelengths and the size of the wavelength determine what type of light it is. The middle wavelength lights are what gives us the seven basic colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Beside these visible lights there are the lights that cannot be seen by the human eye. These invisible lights can be grouped into two other groups the long waves and short waves. The first group of waves is the longer wavelength of light including infrared and radio waves. Radio waves, the longest wavelengths, alternate and can be volatile. Arthur C. Clarke said in the essay "The Light of Common Day" that since radio waves fluctuate so much no animal has ever been able to sense them. He goes on to say that if you had an eye big enough to see radio waves your eyes would be millions of times larger than a normal eye. The next longest wave is the infrared light waves. Infrared light is used nowadays to see in the night. Special goggles are designed to pick up infrared light making it possible to see at night. The next group of light waves are the shorter waves of ultraviolet and x-rays. Ultraviolet light, sometimes referred to as UV, is right next to violet and is just beyond sight. UV light is what causes sunburns and can be very painful. In Arthur C. Clarks essay it states that even though UV light is not visible the retina of the human eye reacts powerfully to it. He compare the human eye to a camera and says that a good camera need may types of lenses made out of different types of glass to take a good picture. The human eye has only one lens and cannot possible see UV light. The last type of light is the x-ray. The x-ray is the smallest wave and is used in the medical field greatly to take pictures through flesh of bones. Even though x-rays are very useful they can be very...

Second Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Second - Personal Statement Example His parents took him to there. After just a week, Tom was able to perfectly create some unique designs using his laptop. With patience, the college teachers helped Tom to expand his skills and knowledge. It did not take long, when tom started creating several designs. Within a year, Tom was designing very effective program like Photoshop and illustrator. After his college time, Tom took his time and embarked on a mission to create variety of programs that he hoped to market in foreign countries. Tom’s dream came true. Within a period of four months after college, he succeeded to create two effective programs i.e. a Photoshop and an illustrator. These two programs he had created opened his ways. He contacted a very popular company in our city which agreed to adopt his illustrator program in their operations. Later after sealing that deal, Tom embarked on a mission to achieve his dream of marketing his work in foreign countries. He contacted Lam Tra Company in UAE and shared his work with them. This has given Tom who was initially a cripple, an international reputation. When I learned of Tom’s success last summer when I visited them, I felt ashamed. I began working on my talents .I joined my sister and his friend who had started a new company, and they were working on their first cartoon project. They allowed me to serve as a marketing manager, a role I have played perfectly since my first day of

Marketing in Global Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing in Global Financial Crisis - Essay Example The global value proposition reveals the insights achieved from extensive global research into consumers' existing, as well as potential requirements, in addition to the business's leadership statement. It explains the emotional  and practical advantages to customers and motives why the company will deliver. The value proposition will help significantly in differentiating from the competitors. Rather than being identified as offering everything for everyone, the business will be identified as the world’s strongest economic society (Simchi-Levi, p. 183, 2010). The long-term brand policy, along with brand structural design, pursues a one-brand vision, and promoted by the brand communication and campaigns. Consumers gain knowledge from experience whether the assurance behind a brand is factual or bogus, especially in times of global financial crisis. The global financial crisis has called for a number of strong points that can assist to differentiate a company for its stakehold ers. For this purpose, companies should implement an innovative communication approach that will meet the requirement to change the position and revitalize the brand. The innovative communication policy should leverages on this strength: it produces a new sort of discussion with the consumers and is even more open as well as transparent than before. Well-known brands keep developing their brand identity to progress with the times, constantly keeping the most identifiable components. That way they continue to look fresh and advanced, securing brand stability at the same time. The redesign reveals the brand policy with respect to the different prerequisites of the local... This paper stresses that traders are increasingly launching low cost ranges into their superstore’s shelves. The private-label merchandise is turning out to be a smart substitute to the cost responsive customer in times of global financial crisis. In a recent survey, 61 percent of customers said they were switching to inexpensive grocery brands in the financial crisis and approximately one-third of them said that they would carry on to buy low-priced grocery items even when the financial recession is finished. The author of the essay declares that the global financial crisis has a considerable impact on the way customers shop for groceries. With the purpose of getting the best value for their condensed earnings, customers are shopping around for the top bargains and increasingly dividing their grocery spending across at least four different sellers. For businesses, long-term policies may be the most important factor to brand success. When customers come out of the tough times, they may intentionally choose not to change all of their new practices and revert. An increasing number of customers are looking around for a bargain to shop, and this was obvious in a number of studies. This report makes a conclusion that marketing is struggling to meet the challenge of different communities. The majority of customers rely on the opinion of acquaintances and strangers more than official marketing.