Theory practice gap Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Theory practice gap - Essay Example Consequently, the assumption that theory taught in class must directly apply in the nursing practice for it to be relevant can barely be termed as true. Nursing, therefore, cannot be viewed as a theory but rather as a practice. From the above observations, one would not term nursing theory as a science. This is because theory in nursing inadequately attempts to represent information that cannot be represented in theoretical form. While theorists propose that ‘nursing theories’ can be used by nurses to justify their interventions, it is important t consider that nursing is a dynamic field that cannot rely on theoretical knowledge for development. Nursing practice remains the most reliable source of knowledge for this discipline and as such, there is a need for change of the way nurses are trained, and are equipped with nursing skills. Unless this is done, students graduating from colleges will remain to find it difficult to familiarize with nursing

Business ethics nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Business ethics nature - Essay Example Numerous ethical problems have been identified in the article which impact on the business of multinationals in foreign nations. Besides, the article highlights the aspect of culture which can also have an impact on ethical business performance (Lau, 2013). The objective of the report is to discuss the article in brief regarding the essence of its topic and ethical aspects. The report also discusses the ways of resolving the identified issues of ethics and culture faced by people. An Overview of the Essence of the Article The article discusses about globalisation, cultural shock and significance of teaching business ethics. It is a common awareness that business and ethics are not companionable, due to this reason, business at times contributes to unethical manners of commercial activities. Several business scandals, in recent times, prove the fact that unethical business activities are prevalent in organisations. However, unethical activities have their own costs. Due to these inher ent costs, which are related with unethical business activities, this trend is gradually changing since executives distinguish that unethical business decisions have an influence on the goodwill of an organisation (Lau, 2013). The article also emphasised on teaching business ethics in universities. Ethics in this context is considered as a set of principles people use in order to determine whether their actions are good or bad. Every organisation faces certain ethical consequences. Ethical organisations attract quality employees and the prevailing ethical practices result in higher level of job satisfaction. It is a common fact that in the long run, ethical organisations can financially overtake unethical organisations (Lau, 2013). Discussion The article discusses about globalisation and the impact of culture on making adjustments in a foreign nation. Furthermore, the article also discusses about understanding the importance of business ethics in modern day business environment. In this context, it can be stated that globalisation is creating universal standards for commercial activities and these activities are becoming more demanding in multinational organisations. Since more multinational organisations are adopting these standards, it becomes ever more vital for every business to develop companywide core principles, standards of behaviour and relevant policies which are in tune with the world ethics and compliance environment (Dutton, 2011). The article states about cultural shock which is experienced by students who arrive in a foreign country for the purpose of study or for occupation. In a foreign nation, people require to make certain adjustments. In essence, cultural shock is common for every individual when they experience an unaccustomed mode of life in a new nation. To put in simple words, cultural shock is considered as a simple travel to other sort of life. In modern days, cultural shock plays vital part in intercultural communication and in assoc iated disciplines such as cross-culture education (Dutton, 2011). The multinational organisations have to predominately deal with the notion of cultural shock amid a number of their expatriate

Precautionary Measures for Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

Precautionary Measures for Genetically Modified Foods Essay Genetically modified (GM) foods, a fairly recent development that came about from research in genetic engineering, pose a potential threat to human and environmental health. The basis of genetically modifying foods is the transferal of desirable genetic traits of plants to an agricultural crop. Genetic modification creates crops that are resistant to herbicides or can repel insects. Genetic modification also makes growing crops easier and allows for higher production rates. Anytime genetically altered crops are consumed by humans, the GM crops should be subjected to rigorous testing to assure that it is safe for human consumption and safe for the environment. When it comes to the environment and human safety, one cannot be too cautious. Some say that further safety testing of GM foods is not necessary because there is no evidence of GM foods being unsafe (Cockburn 2002). The truth is that the public does not yet trust that genetically modified foods are completely safe (Harlander 2002). The only way to convince the public that GM foods are safe and to create a market for GM foods is to perform further safety tests, such as a human study or controlled experiments. I propose that you fund this necessary and fundamental testing to ensure that GM foods are safe for the environment and for human consumption in order to help create a market for this life-improving product. Genetically modified crops were first commercially introduced in the United States in 1996; and by 2001 24% of the corn, 63% of the soybeans, and 64% of the cotton being grown in the U. S. were genetically modified varieties (Harlander 2002). Through genetic engineering, scientists have created varieties of crops that are insect-resistant, virus resistant, and herbicide tolerant. These qualities allow for improved yield and reduced use of potentially dangerous pesticides, as well as improved weed control reduced crop injury, reduction in foreign matter, reduced fuel use, and significant reduction in soil erosion. All of these consequences seem to be beneficial for the human race and the environment. It is important to prove to the public that GM foods are safe so that such a beneficial technology will not be under-utilized. In the United States, three government agencies are involved in the approval of genetically modified crops. These three agencies are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Harlander 2002). These agencies are responsible for ensuring that the GM crops are safe for the environment and for human consumption. More specifically, the USDA ensures that the GM crops are safe to grow, the EPA makes sure that the GM crops are safe for the environment, and the FDA ensures that the products are safe to eat (Harlander 2002). The three agencies put the genetically modified crops through rigorous environmental and food safety assessments before they can be commercialized. However, Susan Harlander reminds the scientific community an effective food safety evaluation system minimizes risk, but it is important to remember that food is not inherently safe (2002). Tampering with the genetics of a crop increases the possibility of that crop being dangerous to the environment or to human health. Bettie Sue Masters, PhD, states, All evidence to date indicates that any breeding technique that alters a plant or animal, whether by genetic engineering or other methods, has the potential to create unintended changes in the quality or amounts of food components that could harm health (qtd. in Panasevich 2004). It is highly likely that this lack of inherent safety is a reason why the public is so cautious about the acceptance of GM foods. The key to diminishing the publics fear of GM foods is to extend the safety evaluation process. Consumers have two main concerns about genetically modified foods: first, that GM foods are unsafe to eat; and second, that their cultivation will harm the environment (Gasson 2001). Currently the most widely used safety evaluation process is called substantial equivalence. Michael Gasson and Derek Burke discuss substantial equivalence: Substantial equivalence recognizes the fact that conventional foods have been eaten by many people over a long period of time and have an established and accepted level of safety. Genetic modification involves the introduction of a limited amount of change and substantial equivalence uses a comparative approach to reveal both intended and unintended differences between a genetically modified (GM) food and its conventional counterpart. (Gasson 2002) If the genetically modified food is substantially equivalent to, or similar to, its conventional counterpart, then it is generally regarded as safe. Thus far substantial equivalence has been effective, but as genetically modified foods become more and more complex there is no guarantee that this method will continue its success. More in-depth testing is required to ensure the safety of future GM foods. Genetically modified crops should be tested on living subjects in addition to applying the substantial equivalence method. Animals or human volunteers are essential in proving the safety of the genetically modified crops already approved by the FDA, EPA, and USDA, in addition to the GM crops to be introduced in the future. The risk of harm to a living being would be low as the GM food would have already passed the substantial equivalence test before being consumed. Long term testing would be able to prove that there are no mal-effects resulting from the consumption of GM foods. While long term testing may seem unappealing, it is a small price to pay for improving the quality of life for a nation. The publics concern extends beyond the effects of GM crops after human consumption all the way to GM crops effects on the environment. Many environmentalists as well as non-affiliated persons think that genetically modified crops have a negative effect on the environment. Traits meant only for agricultural crops can be transferred to other plants through pollination; traits, like being herbicide tolerant or virus-resistant, which would diminish natural and artificial checks and balances on plants (Guebert 2004). The best way to ensure that the GM crops will not harm the environment is to perform experiments and further safety assessments. Convincing the public that genetically modified crops are safe for the environment is pivotal towards creating a market for GM foods and in turn improving quality of life. The testing and assessing of the safety of GM foods that I propose will be divided into two categories: the safety of genetically modified crops for the environment; and the safety of GM foods for human consumption. The testing of the safety of GM crops for the environment must be performed under controlled conditions. Our testing will take place in a greenhouse, where any negative effects will be contained and kept away from the environment. All genetically modified crops would be tested for two factors: whether or not the trait is likely to be passed on to other plants; and what nutrients in the soil the GM crop depletes and how fast it does so. These two factors are essential in proving the safety of genetically modified crops for the environment. If a GM crop passed traits, such as herbicide tolerance or virus-resistance, on to other plant species, it could potentially change the ability of that species to survive and thrive and wreak havoc on the delicate balance of the ecosystem. This risk of upsetting the ecosystem frightens would-be GM food consumers from supporting the industry. In order to test the ability of the genetically modified crop to pass on its genes to another species of plant, it would be planted for two growing seasons in the presence of varying plant species found around the agricultural United States. The soil will be tested for nutrients before and after each growing season in order to keep track of the nutrient depletion rate. Any genetically modified crop that depleted the soil of essential nutrients at an abnormally fast rate would be rejected. A genetically modified crops failure to pass any of the tests or assessments would not be approved, thereby leaving no reason for the public to fear for the safety of the environment on account of the GM foods on the market. To test the safety of GM foods for human consumption, a comparative study must be performed. In order for the study to be effective and result in usable data, several hundred human volunteers will need to participate. The volunteers will be divided into two groups. The first group will be asked to incorporate a specific genetically modified food into their everyday diet. The second group will be asked to incorporate the conventional counterpart of the same GM food into their diet. The study will last for 2 months with the participants receiving weekly physicals to check for any changes in health. A change in negative change in health in a number participant from group one, the group consuming a GM food, would indicate that the genetically modified food is playing a role in the deterioration. The GM food in question would then either be taken off of the market or subjected to further testing, depending on the extent of the data acquired from the study. With this study in place, consumers would feel much more comfortable purchasing, and creating a market for, genetically modified foods. By proving that genetically modified foods are safe for human consumption and for the environment, we are proving to the public that there is no cause for fear. In the absence of fear, consumers will no longer object to buying GM foods resulting in a market for genetically modified foods. The increase in demand for GM foods will result in more research and development and bring advances in GM technology. Genetically modified foods have the potential to improve the quality of life of people all over the world, and it would be a shame to let this technology go to waste. If you give us this grant, there will be numerous benefits that can come from our work. Please consider the well-being of the people that will be helped by our work while you are making your decision. Thank you. Works Cited Cockburn A. Assuring the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods: the importance of an holistic, integrative approach. J Biotechnol. 2002; 98 (1): 79-106. Harlander SK. Safety assessments and public concern for genetically modified food products: the American view. Toxicol Pathol. 2002; 30 (1): 132-134. Gasson M, Burke D. Scientific perspectives on regulating the safety of genetically modified foods. Nat Rev Genet. 2001; 2 (3): 217-222. Guebert A, Cousins D. Welcome to the world of unintended consequences. Farmers Weekly 2004; 141 (9): 64. Panasevich CL. Risk assessment urged for genetically modified foods. Nations Health. 2004; 34 (7): 25.

Elderly Warned About Social Security Scams :: essays research papers

Elderly warned about Social Security scams WASHINGTON (AP) -- Elderly Americans should be careful about giving out their Social Security numbers, officials warned Tuesday after arresting a man who sent out letters offering an extra check to senior citizens who send back money or their bank account and Social Security numbers. "People should be really cautious about who they give their personal information to, especially their Social Security number," said Social Security Administration spokeswoman Cathy Noe. Special agents from the Social Security inspector general's office arrested Anthony David Williams, 32, in Phoenix Monday night. Williams is accused of misrepresenting himself as a government employee to defraud retirees and disabled Americans receiving Social Security benefits. He is charged with mail fraud. Calls to Phoenix phone numbers associated with Williams' businesses and to his lawyer on Tuesday were not immediately returned. Williams allegedly mailed out letters on a likeness of Social Security stationery, often following up with phone calls, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix. "According to our records you are entitled to receive an additional check from Social Security each month," one version of the letter said. "These extra income benefits could give you up to an additional $514 per month." Recipients were asked to send a "filing fee" of varying amounts up to $23, or to fill out a form including their Social Security and bank account numbers so the fee could be "automatically deducted." The mailings were signed by "Donald Jenkins" of the "Winning Advantage Program, SSI-SSA" -- an alias used by Williams, who is British but applied last year to become a permanent U.S. legal resident. Social Security recipients usually do get letters from the government when their benefits go up. Other legitimate mailings that people get from Social Security include a new statement of taxes paid and future benefits due, which every American worker over age 25 will receive by the end of next year. "But we never ask for money for a processing fee," said Noe. The federal government also does not normally ask for someone's Social Security number -- they already know it. Indeed, Social Security prints that number as an identifier on mailings about a person's benefits. Social Security numbers are the most widely used ID in the private sector as well -- requested on the forms people fill out for everything from college registrations to bank slips.

Values-Based Leadership Essay -- Transformational Leaders

Leadership Background Values-based leadership has a significant impact on the performance and the functioning of an organization. Boje,(2000) cites Burn’s (1978) theoretical work on transformational leadership basing his argument on Kohlberg’s moral development theory and Weber’s (1947) theory of leadership and authority. In his work, Boje, 2000 agrees with Burn’s that a moral value based leader, is the one who emphasizes social exchange between leader and follower in the form of the psychological and mutual needs contract driven by charisma, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation and inspirational motivation.(Homrig, 2001) The transcendent values of transformational leaders have great potential to promote performance beyond expectations and to effect enormous change on how the organization operates since they seek liberty, justice, equality and collective well being. It therefore appears that a transformational leadership is that kind of leadership that seeks to exploit the full potential of individuals through satisfaction of collective needs. While Weber’s theory (1947) is cited by Boje, (2000) as having several forms of leadership like charismatic, bureaucratic and traditional aspects, all co-exist together and change from the other occurs gradually. Even though the two theorists; Weber (1947) and Burn’s (1978) approaches leadership from different perspectives, Boje acknowledges that both of them share a similarity in their work in the sense that both see moral values as an important consideration in any form of leadership.( Boje, 2000). Transformational leaders inspire followers to achieve extraordinary outcomes by providing both meaning and understanding, questioning assumptions, refraining problems, and... ...e vision and mission of the company in order to align their goals with of the company. When Robert Eaton became the chairman in 1993 he involved company officers to develop the vision and the mission. Consequently, better communications, continuous training became part and puzzle of doing business in a new way. (Ashley, 1997) In conclusion, leadership is not only important to companies that operate on a global scale but to domestic firms as well. It’s clear that when a leader takes his or her rightful position as a leader change, performance and results manifest. Their values and beliefs become the guiding principles where ideas, imaginations and talents are shared by all. Such transformational leaders not only make their employees to follow them, but they help one another to grow, motivate raise the morale of achieving extraordinary outcomes with few resources.

Breast Cancer Speech

Breast Cancer The topic of cancer is a very sensitive one. Cancer is a disease of which in many cases is fatal and has affected the lives of many and sadly will continue to affect the lives of many more. I chose to explore the topic of breast cancer because it is one of personal interest to me. This topic interests me for various reasons but mainly because breast cancer is most prone to and extremely common in women of all ages and I myself am a young woman growing up in society. As shown in recent statistics———————–.I also wanted to make others aware of the harsh reality of breast cancer and expose them to some of the true emotions experienced by the victims and their loved ones. My I. A. is based on how a woman’s life is affected by being diagnoses with breast cancer. It explores the emotional impact on her and the way in which she handles this difficult time in her life. It also shows the support given to her by her be st friend who goes through this difficult time with her. Just as in the story many women are being diagnosed with breast cancer everyday and as said before, unfortunately it is extremely prominent and common in females.Dying of Breast Cancer in the 1800sCancer not only affects the lives of the patient but also their many loved ones or anyone close to them for that matter. It is a disease which can affect the emotional, social and financial well being of an individual. When an individual is diagnosed with breast cancer or any cancer at all their lives and lifestyles can change drastically over a short period of time. These changes are usually for the worst. It may take a lot of time together with love and support to restore lives back to their normal order or as close to it as possible.Some of the difficulties experienced in writing about this topic were being able to capture actual emotions of a cancer patient and the effects on their loved ones. While it was almost extremely easy t o think of some of the possible emotional effects of cancer, it was a difficult task to actually transfer their emotions to paper. I was able to overcome this difficulty by reading actual articles written by real cancer victims on the internet. By reading their articles I was able to internalize and better understand some of their emotions. With this being said, the internet was my main source of information.I visited sites which contained both fictional and factual articles on cancer patients. The internet was a great source because I was able to pull both recent and dated information and even future estimated statistics. My other sources where books written about breast cancer patients. Those too were good sources because they provided great facts and true emotions. In general all sources used seemed to be extremely reliable as they provided information written by experts and they provided statistics from many researches which were all fairly dated. In conclusion, breast cancer is a topic of great interest to me because of its effects on women.Although there were some difficulties experienced in expressing the real emotion of breast cancer patients, I was able to overcome that with the use of reliable sources and information. I have personally been able to learn a great deal from the exploration of this topic. I am now aware of the reality of this disease and the tragedy it brings to a family. As a young woman growing up in society I will try my best to prevent the contraction of this disease in any way possible and I hope that readers both locally and internationally, will assist in the promotion in breast cancer awareness and education.

Argumentative Capital Punishme essays

Argumentative Capital Punishme essays A pregnant wife was brutally beaten, raped, and left for dead. The unborn baby did not survive the trauma. The wife recovered after a long coma, at which time she identified her husband as the attacker, not withstanding his claim that he was out getting some fast food for them. The police closed the investigation despite the fact that the circumstances of the attack were similar to the activities of a serial killer who was active in the area. The husband was convicted and received a fifteen-years-to-life sentence for second-degree murder for the death of the unborn child. After serving16 years, as a result of police reviewing unsolved cases, DNA collaboration, and the confession of the actual serial murderer, the husband was exonerated. Everyone involved in the prosecution process (wife, police, prosecutor) sincerely believed they had the guilty party. But, they were wrong! Examples of police officers prematurely closing cases (noted above) or designing identification procedures in such a way as to prejudice decisions of the witnesses. In other cases prosecutors fail to provide defense attorneys with crucial information or resist the implications of scientific evidence gained after trial that could lead to the reversal of a conviction. There are convictions resulting from biased or incompetent forensic science. In the area of defense attorneys, they are under funded, overworked, or lazy. Such attorneys miss facts, do not investigate thoroughly, and often are hampered by limited resources. Last week the 100th death-row inmate found to be wrongfully convicted since capital punishment was restored in 1977 was freed from an Arizona prison. Most wrongfully accused are exonerated, as a result of emerging DNA technology, there was biological evidence that could be used to prove a wrongful conviction. But, what about the tens of thousands of cases where bio logical evidence is not a factor? The same system was active in investigating,...