Enhancing Orientation of Graduate Nurses

Enhancing Orientation of Graduate Nurses Introduction Graduate nurses have many learning needs as they enter into the nursing workforce and they must continue to improve on their basic learning skills and competencies while attempting to learn new complex nursing skills (Phillips, Kenny, Esterman, Smith, 2014). All areas of nursing present many challenges, therefore orientation to the area requires a tailored and holistic approach for new graduate nurses (Dyess Sherman, 2009). This paper will focus on enhancing orientation for graduate nurses. This paper will provide the readers with an analytical discussion of relevant literature as well as a clear rationale for the need to change and improve orientation for graduate nurses. A thorough detailed change management plan will be implemented using Lippitt’s seven steps of change. Furthermore, strategies for assessing outcomes will be discussed, outlining the success rate post implementation. Lastly, this paper will summarise and highlight the main issues for this change. Discussion Graduate nurses entering the nursing workforce are required to possess a wide variety of skills and up to date competencies in order to function as beginning professionals (MacDonald, 2014). The learning curve does not stop once a student has completed their Bachelor of Nursing Degree, in fact, it is just the start for graduate nurses with several issues that they need to face (MacDonald, 2014). These include nursing shortages, advancements in technology and an aging population with increased health care needs (MacDonald, 2014). The development of formal orientation programs in health care is critical in the recruitment and retention of nursing staff (Robitaille, 2013). Recent literature demonstrates that a comprehensive, well thought out program can reduce adjustment periods for novice nurses, minimise turnover and establish a solid foundation for a productive and lengthy career (Charleston, 2014). According to Charleston (2004), the main reason for orientation during the Graduate N urse Program are to enhance skills and knowledge in the new graduate, to facilitate the addition of theory and practice and to ease the new graduates’ transition from university life to the clinical setting (Charleston, 2014). According to Chestnutt and Everhart (2007), graduate nurses entering a clinical area must receive appropriate orientation that meets their required needs, provides exceptional support and communication with all health professionals (Chestnutt Everhart, 2007). Structural empowerment, being able to manage workload, fairness, organisational values and leadership are significantly related to job satisfaction, therefore making a graduate nurse more likely to not leave the nursing profession (Junttila, 2014). Orientation to a hospital or ward add to graduate nurses’ ability to perform duties, increase confidence, competence and job satisfaction. It also lowers the turnover rate and enhances the quality of nursing care, for example; decreasing medication errors (Junttila, 2014). Travele (2007) states, â€Å"An inexperienced nurse’s knowledge is theory based because he or she lacks the wisdom that defines an experienced nurse. Targeted education needs to be progressive to engage this computer-savvy generation in learning†. A useful way to simplify orientation and capitalise on educator resources, is to offer online courses. Therefore, this paper will provide a change management plan to implement a wiki (website) to improve orientation to new graduate nurses. This will allow graduate nurses to communicate and share information with other graduate nurses, as well as be able to access visual aids such as links on clinical procedures. This will enhance their knowledge, clinical skills and be able to socialise with others, which in turn, will make for an easier transition from university to the clinical setting. Rationale The reason for the initial promoting of change to improve orientation for all graduate nurses was feedback from current and previous graduate nurses from Holmesglen Hospital on their experience of when they were orientated to the hospital and their specific ward. A graduate nurse, reflecting back on her transition process during orientation provided a simple but powerful statement representative of her experience: â€Å"I thought, I’m an RN now, so I have to know the answers. I can’t say I’m a student anymore. I worry about not knowing enough, not knowing what to do. Should I do this, or should I do that? Did I miss anything? I feel like I’m walking a fine line.† (Rush, Adamack, Gordon, Lilly, Janke, 2013) Other statements from previous nurses included: â€Å"One day during orientation, I came onto the floor like I normally do. It was on my schedule to be on this floor with this person. So I go in there, and I take report on all my patients, and they call back and tell me you are going to the fifth floor tonight. It was four o’clock when I was told I had to switch floors and preceptors. I thought to myself, what are they doing? You are confusing me and screwing me up. It was very frustrating.† (Rush et al., 2013; St Clair, 2013) â€Å"The first few months were the hardest and the most stressful time for me, I was overwhelmed with so many resources during orientation, I didn’t know where to start.† (Phillips et al., 2014) To address these challenges, it is vital that graduate nurses are provided with a transition framework that facilitates their growth and the achievement of their potential. These studies described graduate nurses’ transition experiences as they were walking the fine line between student and nurse (Romyn et al., 2009). Change Management Plan To enable sustainable change, nurses need to take the lead in managing it (Davies, 2014). Lippitt’s phases can be used in nursing practice especially with the advancement in technology, the nature of healthcare organizations, and professional standards. Although we experience change every day, nurses have a difficult time embracing â€Å"planned† change. As presented in the discussion, the use of a wiki (website) can provide nurses with educational material, links to relevant websites on practical skills and procedures and it can provide a place to communicate with other nurses, preceptors, other graduate nurses, and the rest of the graduate team. The change management theory that will guide the implementation of the proposed project of improving orientation for graduate nurses will be outlined using Lippitt’s seven steps of change. 1. Diagnoses of the problem. According to Lippitt et al. (2014), this stage involves a change agent that may notice that an intervention or change would benefit the system or person and offers assistance (Swansburg, 2014). A change agent is someone who acts as a catalyst for change (Swansburg, 2014). During this phase, there was formal and informal feedback from past and current graduate nurses about their experiences during orientation which prompted a need for change. The goals of the project would be a) enhance graduate nurses’ orientation to a clinical setting, b) support the new graduate nurses while improving their education and c) improving professional communication through information technology. This first stage of change would involve speaking to the Holmesglen educators and nurse managers to discuss how this change could be implemented into the orientation of new graduate nurses. Providing awareness, having adequate support and outlining the benefits that this project could offer to new graduates and staff would be the main focus of this phase. After the support and contribution of the key stakeholders, then the second stage of the change process can be established. 2. Assessing the motivation and capacity for the change Phase two will involve the change agent gaining the trust of the key stakeholders as well as anyone who will be involved within the nursing workforce in order to proceed with the project. If trust is not shown, then it becomes hard to influence any motivation for anything to change (Belcher Jones, 2009). An important part of this phase is to see how the group perceives the change agent and the motivation to the possible change. During this phase, it is important to approach it a sensitive and appropriate manner due to the fact that new graduate nurses will be excited to start their graduate nurse program but as well be scared about their career (Dyess Sherman, 2009; St Clair, 2013). The recipients of this project which are the graduate nurses, will hopefully want to gain the best possible orientation into their nursing workforce and take advantage of the resources that will be provided. However, there also can be a barrier because at this stage the graduate nurses will have potential overload of information that they have been giving in relation to their new nursing career. Therefore, it will be important to introduce the wiki (website) to their education and practice at a specific time. 3. Assessing the resources and motivation of the change agent Information must be collected regarding the situation in the workplace and why the project would benefit staff. One way to collect this information it to talk to other past and current graduate nurses on their experiences. If the motivation of new graduate nurses is there and they are willing to change the way in which orientations are run, then it makes it a lot easier for the change agent. A meeting to discuss what staff would like to present and offer within the website would be beneficial so that they feel that they are involved in the process of change. If a meeting were to be compulsory then, a presentation about â€Å"Wikis and website programs† and what they involve needs to be implemented. At some point during the presentation, it would be useful to provide the rationale behind the change and to state the benefits of its use. The one off meeting would be targeted towards new graduates but all staff can be present as they may want to access the website at some point in their career as well. All graduate nurses and other nurses all displayed an expression of interest in the meeting on the use of a website through formal and informal feedback. 4. Defining the progressive stages of change The fourth stage of planned change involves specifying the objectives of the change, charting out exactly how the change will be achieved, and the length of time you anticipate the plan will take (Daly, 2014). A pilot or trial period of the project also may be helpful at this point to allow for evaluation of the change, and to modify the plan if necessary (Daly, 2014). During this phase, the group will begin to formulate their ideas about the change. According to Lippitt et al. (2014), problems may arise in relation to motivation when the group starts to express intentions and actions towards the planned change (Swansburg, 2014). These problems can occur due to anxiety about the change or fear of failing the change (Daly, 2014). A trial procedure was offered involving the change which may help to alleviate symptoms such as anxiety and fear, therefore accepting the idea for change. In the development of a wiki (website), this will hopefully enhance orientation to graduate nurses. Once all staff members are aware of how the website can improve their practice and increase their knowledge, then hopefully they will be more willing to accept the change. 5. Ensuring the roles and responsibilities of the change agents are clear and understood Phase five involves choosing the appropriate role of the change agent. The role of the change agent during the change process is critical to the success of the plan (Davies, 2014). Failure to define the role of the change agent can result in confusion and a breakdown in communications (Davies, 2014). The change agent will ensure that all staff feel that they are well supported and encouraged to work towards actual efforts based on their intentions. The first step would be the actual creation of the website, followed by an active demonstration to the group that could be performed on the site. An example of a demonstration and activity that could be presented could be a link to a website where answers to clinical practice questions are found. This part would be very brief but most importantly informative in order to display simplicity to the work environment. Throughout the wiki, there could be links to clinical skills and techniques as well as up to date evidence based articles that will provide the best practice guidelines. Visual aids such as videos of procedures would also be very helpful for graduate nurses who may not get to experience assisting with a specific procedure during their orientation. These videos give the graduate nurses a visual aid so that when they are faced with this in their practice they at least have background knowledge and are able to visually recall what took place during the procedure even though they have not performed it on a patient. 6. Maintaining the change through feedback, and group coordination The key to maintaining the change is keeping the lines of communication open (Davies, 2014). Frequent, ongoing discussions by staff regarding the change will need to continue as each step in the plan is implemented, evaluated, and revised as necessary. During the implementation of the project, the focus will be to target new graduate nurses entering the nursing profession to improve their orientation. If the project is well received, then the inclusion of the website into the orientation will be not only useful for graduate nurses but can also be beneficial for other employees entering the nursing profession with no prior experience/graduate program. It can also aid as a review system for existing staff that may want to access the visual aids or articles to review some procedures that they may not come across day to day. There will also be ongoing debriefs, where anonymous feedback forms will be distributed to all participants to ensure confidentiality. New graduates will also be informed of the change and will be asked to give feedback on the quality of the new change and the use of the website. According to Lippitt et all. (2014), â€Å"One critical factor in the stabilization of change is the spread or non-spread of change to neighbouring systems† (Swansburg, 2014). If the use of a website i in Holmesglen Hospital spreads from the target group of graduate nurses to other staff members, this would show that stabilisation of the intervention is occurring. 7. Gradually removing the change agents the relationship Phase seven involves termination by the change agent, leaving the system or the organization to maintain the change (Davies, 2014). All graduate nurse will be able to have ongoing involvement with the group and staff members as well as the other key stakeholders; nurse educators and nurse managers on the wiki. However, the goal of the wiki is that it becomes a way to contribute to discussions and share knowledge with the group. With ongoing use of the website, graduate nurses will become more comfortable using the website and will be more likely to interact and use it. Therefore, nurses will be able to contribute their knowledge and participate more readily to discussions. Strategies for measuring outcomes The reason why to measure change, is to monitor progress, identify the next steps, learn from the process for practice, monitor implementation and to identify whether the desired goals have been achieved (Bond, 2013). Some ways to measure this change will include using questionnaires and surveys which are quick and easy to gather data from people in a non-threatening way as well as observation by gathering accurate information about how the change is processing (Bond, 2013). Another strategy will include having monthly check-ins with the supervisors, nurse managers, and leaders to capture successes and challenges (Bond, 2013). Furthermore, using direct observation from an outsider to see if the change has been implemented correctly with a positive change (Bond, 2013). During this change, there should be a comparison of the new graduate nurses before using the website and after they finished their orientation, this will identify participant’s motivation, support and behaviour during and after the change. Interviewing the graduate nurses’ one on one as they will be able to provide feedback about the new change and insight of what needs to be changed. Once all of the feedback and data on how the change went, data analysis should be completed. This would be performed using a software on the computer. It would be able to determine any improvement since starting the change to the end of the change, and then, be able to improve for the new graduate nurses that will be coming through next year and the year after. Lastly, when measuring change, one must communicate, engage and reflect to ensure the change process is acceptable and sustainable (Bond, 2013). Summary and Conclusion Within this paper, a discussion was addressed to encourage staff involvement in the process and offer opportunities to enhance learning during the challenging time of orientation for new graduate nurses. Additionally, a rationale for why the change needs to be implemented was identified. Furthermore, Lippitt’s seven stages was used to implement the change. Lippitt’s seven stages of change closely aligns with the nursing process and is appropriate for a variety of settings to implement change. Being aware of the needs of staff members as well as the barriers to change that may be met is vital for moving this initiative change forward. With the implementation of this change, it may be a valuable learning opportunity for new graduate nurses that could improve and enhance their orientation experience and promote a smoother transition into the nursing profession.

Population of China and Gender Imbalance Essay

China’s one child policy was established by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1979 to limit China’s population growth. It was designated as a â€Å"temporary measure,† to limit couples to just one child. Those who fail to follow the law are subjected to fines, pressures to do abortion, and forced sterilization. In 1979, the Chinese government embarked on an ambitious program of market reform following the stagnation of the economy after the Cultural Revolution. At the time, China was home to a quarter of the world’s people, who were occupying just 7 percent of world’s arable land. Two thirds of the population was under the age of 30 years, and the baby boomers of the 1950s and 1960s were entering their reproductive years. The government saw strict population containment as essential to economic reform and to an improvement in living standards. So the one-child family policy was introduced. The policy consists of a set of regulations governing the approved size of Chinese families. These regulations include restrictions on family size, late marriage and childbearing, and the spacing of children (in cases in which second children are permitted). The State Family Planning Bureau sets the overall targets and policy direction. Family-planning committees at provincial and county levels devise local strategies for implementation. Despite its name, the one-child rule applies to a minority of the population; for urban residents and government employees, the policy is strictly enforced, with few exceptions. The exceptions include families in which the first child has a disability or both parents work in high-risk occupations (such as mining) or are themselves from one-child families (in some areas). The policy has been estimated to have reduced population growth in the country of 1. 3 billion by as much as 300 million people over its first twenty years of existence. However, this rule has caused a bias against female infants; abortion, neglect, abandonment, and even infanticide have been known to occur to female infants. The use of IUDs, sterilization, and abortion are China’s most popular forms of birth control. However, over the past few years, China has provided more education and support for alternative birth control methods. This shift in focus on implementing this family planning policy was partly in reaction to what happened in 2007 when there were reports that in the southwestern Guangxi Autonomous Region of China, officials were forcing pregnant women without permission to give birth to have abortions and levying steep fines on families violating the law. As a result, riots broke out and some population control officials may have been killed. The result of such family planning policy has resulted in the disparate ratio of 114 males for every 100 females among babies from birth through children four years of age. Normally, 105 males are naturally born for every 100 females. When the Chinese government introduced the policy in 1979 to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems in China, authorities claim that the policy has prevented 250 million births from its implementation to 2000. However, the policy is controversial both within and outside China because of the manner in which the policy has been implemented, and because of concerns about negative economic and social consequences. The policy has been implicated in an increase in of forced abortions and female infanticide, and has been suggested as a possible cause behind China’s significant gender imbalance. Despite these negative reports, favorable feedback from this policy is heard from the families themselves. Since the introduction of the one-child policy, the total fertility rate in China has fallen from over two births per woman to approximately 1. 7 births today. In total, China estimates that it has three to four hundred million fewer people today, with the one-child policy, than it would have had otherwise. The reduction in the fertility rate and thus population growth has reduced the severity of problems that come with overpopulation, like epidemics, slums, overwhelmed social services (such as health, education, law enforcement), and strain on the ecosystem from abuse of fertile land and production of high volumes of waste. Another favorable feedback as a result of this policy is that it is reported that the focus of China on population control helps provide a better health service for women and a reduction in the risks of death and injury associated with pregnancy. Increased involvement of women in the labor force is also another positive feedback. Women have traditionally been the primary caregivers for children; however, with fewer children, they have more time to invest in their careers, increasing both their personal earnings and the national GDP. Another feedback that appeals to environmentalists is that, with the policy, there is decreased environmental impact. China’s one child policy has the indirect consequence of reducing China’s total ecological footprint and thus reducing strain on ecological resources. Despite these successes, however, the one-child only policy draws criticisms from many quarters. First, the one-child policy has been criticized by human rights advocacy groups and Western religious groups, including some evangelical Christians, as well as by pro-life advocates. Within China, criticism tends to be focused on potential social problems caused by the policy. A second type of criticism has come from those who acknowledge the challenges stemming from China’s high population growth but believe that less intrusive options could have achieved the same results over an extended period of time. One very important concern was the human rights factor. The one-child policy is challenged in principle and in practice over violating basic human rights. Reported abuses in its enforcement include bribery, coercion, forced sterilization, forced abortion, and possibly infanticide. Even though in 2002, China outlawed the use of physical force to make a woman submit to an abortion or sterilization, it is not entirely enforced. In the execution of the policy many local governments still demand abortions if the pregnancy violates local regulations. Some critics also point to the possible economic and emotional costs the policy may bring to the people. As the one-child policy begins to near its next generation, one adult child is left with having to provide support for his or her two parents and four grandparents. This leaves the older generation with more of a dependency on retirement funds or charity, rather than their children in order to have support. If a child cannot care for their parents and grandparents, or if that child cannot survive, the oldest generation could find itself destitute. Another social problem seen is when some parents may over-indulge their only-child. The media referred to the indulged children in one-child families as â€Å"little emperors†. Since the 1990s, some people worry this will result in a higher tendency toward poor social communication and cooperation skills among the new generation, as they have no siblings at home. One important focus among sociologists is the issue of gender imbalance. China, like many other Asian countries, has a long tradition of son preference. Many argue that the one-child policy induces many families to use selective abortion, abandon female infants, and even kill female infants under the influence of the son preference. Some families even kill or starve the female infant and then try again for a male child. The commonly accepted explanation for son preference is that sons in rural families may be thought to be more helpful in farm work. Sons are preferred as they provide the primary financial support for the parents in their retirement, and a son’s parents typically are better cared for than his wife’s. In addition, Chinese traditionally view that daughters, on their marriage, become primarily part of the groom’s family. Becaue of this gender bias the sex ratio at birth (between male and female births) in mainland China reached 117:100 in the year 2000, substantially higher than the natural baseline, which ranges between 103:100 and 107:100. It had risen from 108:100 in 1981 — at the boundary of the natural baseline — to 111:100 in 1990. According to a report by the State Population and Family Planning Commission, there will be 30 million more men than women in 2020, potentially leading to social instability. The correlation between the increase of sex ratio disparity on birth and the deployment of one child policy would appear to have been caused by the one-child policy.

Political Socialization Essay

Have you ever thought about why you have the political beliefs and values you do? Where did they come from? Are they simply your own ideas and experiences or have you been influenced by others in your thinking? This process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs and attitudes is called political socialization. In another words, Political socialization is a concept where the study of the developmental processes by which children and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes and behaviors. What people think and how they come to think it is of critical importance to the stability of the government. The beliefs and values of the people are the basis for a society’s political culture and that culture defines the parameters of political life and governments? action. There are many agents that influence in one degree or another individual’s political socialization. Factors such as: family, friends, teachers, media, religion, race, gender, age and geography all influence us in one way or another during our childhood years. By now you should know that most political opinions are formed during childhood and many political ideas are passed down from parents to their children through them expressing their beliefs. When I was growing up I formed many opinions and attitudes due to the fact my parents were feeling that way. Growing up during in early/mid 1990? s in Bosnia wasn? t easy. With a country in a full scale war people were looking for help. A country that just few years earlier hosted and showed the world a great Winter Olympic Games was in need of help, but no one answered. People started forming their own opinions and theories about the world that has turned their back on them, including my parents. There was very limited access of what was happening in the world available to the people. I can clearly remember trying to figure out what is happening on my own and listening to my parents and trying to form something out of it. I lived in Sarajevo, where it was impossible to get in or out the city for the first year or so. Even with the United Nations present in the city I always asked myself why don? t they end this? To this day, questions always reappear in my mind about the international polices and innerving in a war when so many people are dying. How many lives does it take before the world powers and the most honored world governments sit down and a peace treaty is signed? For me this experience made me establish my own opinions about government and political views. With my parents constantly debating about who started the war, why aren? t the Americans coming, where is the humanitarian aid and many other questions concerning government policies, made me favor what my parents were saying and agree with them. By 1995, most of the fighting has stopped and siege was over and school back in session. Now, more views were formed to enforce what I been hearing at home, but as well some made me look at things in a different as well. I started to develop my own thoughts that have been flooded with so much hate during my childhood. Schools played a really influential agent, after the family, due to the extended exposure to a variety of political beliefs. My friends and teachers, both respected sources of information in one way or another made me look at the world in a different way. I always to this date keep asking myself some of the same questions my parents debated about. I just can? t let it go. Why did so many people get shot, murdered, raped and killed in Srebrenica? In a U. N safe zone, but it still happened. School thought us the history and not to forget. With school back in session, so was the television, newspaper and other sources of mass media. Media took over and attempted to reshape what we all have experienced in the previews five years for the benefit of their own profit. Foreign investors came in and took advantage of others need at a very cheap cost. I remember, first commercial on the national television was about the new mall what was to replace the shelled down Olympic village and the new president was going to be at ceremony. New lottery game was advertised everywhere with faces of political party members. It like nothing has happening the year before. Another factors started to surface with me. Did a religion cause this terrible war? With so much talk about genocide and ethnic cleansing, religion was being though in school. At that time it was unbelievably hard to form your own opinions with so much information being fed to you by the mass media and government policies. Today, I look back to everything that has happened and how did I come to the thoughts and opinions I have about politics. Family was a primary influence in the development of my political orientation, mainly due to constant relationship between my parents and I. Schools became a source to enforce what I been hearing at home. Then Mass Media took over and tried to paint a picture of functions as a political information-giver to adolescents and young children. With placing political figures in everyday life and association with political parties, I can only imagine what their goal was. The earliest socialization I believed is the deepest one because i favored with what parents have been going along with. Their political party favor and mine today however now that I am old enough and been influenced by a different culture I am beginning to rethink many views on our world today.

RN to BSN Program Nursing Students Discuss Financial Payoffs of Higher Education 2019

Does earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) lead to significant increases in salary? The answer, it seems, is not so simple. RN to BSN Program Students Share Their Opinions 36 Registered Nurses (RNs) enrolled in an RN to BSN program. shared their thoughts on the matter. Most responders agreed that there is little difference in pay between a diploma, Associate Degree (AD), and BSN nurse in the same position. However, many students predicted they would see more money in the bank after graduation. RN to BSN Program Credentials Pay Survey responders reported that earning a BSN leads to more promotion opportunities, which translates into higher pay. Students expected to be more marketable to potential employers at the completion of the RN to BSN program. Many also predicted a future that will involve more distinctive pay differences between diploma, AD, and BSN nursing professionals. .u6521ab4ab67486a4fec5757e9d8c4747 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u6521ab4ab67486a4fec5757e9d8c4747:active, .u6521ab4ab67486a4fec5757e9d8c4747:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u6521ab4ab67486a4fec5757e9d8c4747 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u6521ab4ab67486a4fec5757e9d8c4747 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u6521ab4ab67486a4fec5757e9d8c4747 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u6521ab4ab67486a4fec5757e9d8c4747:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Washington Colleges and Universities Pursuing Online and Campus Based Education in WashingtonBeyond Money: RN to BSN Program Students Discover Personal Satisfaction The majority of RN to BSN program students cited personal satisfaction as more important than salary increases. Money should never be the motivation for returning to school, said a 25-year-old student. RN to BSN program credentials come with higher rewards, such as being a better patient advocate and agent of change. Another student viewed higher education as a duty to the profession of nursing. Completing an RN to BSN program promotes higher education for nurses, which elevates the field to a position of higher respect. For more information about completing an RN to BSN program, prospective students are encouraged to fill out an information request form from the school of their choice. Additional nursing resources are also available through College-Pages.com, the leading education and career resource website. Related ArticlesOnline BSN Program Do Employers Differentiate between ADN and BSN NursesBachelor Degree in Business Focus Business Career Options with an Emphasis in FinanceOnline and Campus Based Education in North CarolinaOnline Nursing Class Programs Employment in Long-Term Care Expected to GrowWhy College Students FailEducational Psychology Academic-Minded Psychology Students Wanted in the Field of Educational Psychology .u5a2e558105bff717cceebc5c82d92810 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u5a2e558105bff717cceebc5c82d92810:active, .u5a2e558105bff717cceebc5c82d92810:hover { opacity: 1; transiti on: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u5a2e558105bff717cceebc5c82d92810 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u5a2e558105bff717cceebc5c82d92810 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u5a2e558105bff717cceebc5c82d92810 .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u5a2e558105bff717cceebc5c82d92810:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ How to Start Your Own Accounting Business

Descriptive Essay I Say Hello - 964 Words

You say 㠁•ã‚ˆã â€ Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€°. I say Hello. When I was eight-years-old I despised change, no matter what it was or how â€Å"good† the transition would be. Some would even comment that when it came to change, I was a prude child. However, the day that changed my life was when my parents said in the most optimistic tone that.â€Å"We are moving to the United States!† These words were my greatest undoing and the thought of leaving never crossed my mind ever. I remember being speechless and wanting to cry, but could not bring myself to. I wanted to stay in Tokyo, Japan, in the dark-wooden, two story house with tatami floors, and the sliding doors that were connected to each room, because it held the most precious memories of hide-and-go-seek to playing sumo matches against my cousins. However, my older sister bawled and begged my parents. To let us stay in Japan and that they could go. But my parents wanted all of us to stick together because family sticks to gether no matter what for the good in the worst of times. I remember trying to stay strong, just like Anpanman even though deep down I wanted to throw a fit because I hated change. My last day at school for me was something I cherished and remembered, even to this day because having to attend an all-girl school from preschool to third grade was something that I had conformed to, the fun classes that I had enjoyed like playing the violin to kanji writing, and deep down I was sad having to leave behind the friends that I had known sinceShow MoreRelatedNananna1497 Words   |  6 Pages– two of the original six teams. Bowling describes the evolution of professional hockey from a game with a tremendous amount of tradition to one that has become a commercialized, violent, glitzy, and â€Å"Americanized† spectacle (237). 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The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison Essay example

Jeffrey Reiman, author of The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison, first published his book in 1979; it is now in its sixth edition, and he has continued to revise it as he keeps up on criminal justice statistics and other trends in the system. Reiman originally wrote his book after teaching for seven years at the School of Justice (formerly the Center for the Administration of Justice), which is a multidisciplinary, criminal justice education program at American University in Washington, D.C. He drew heavily from what he had learned from his colleagues at that university. Reiman is the William Fraser McDowell Professor of Philosophy at American University, where he has taught since 1970. He has written numerous books on political†¦show more content†¦The decline in violent crime is more attributable to demographic changes than to enforcement efforts. Most of the decline in crime results from forces beyond the control of the criminal justice systems. 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Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry Essay Example For Students

Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry Essay Life Cycle Analysis of the Fashion Industry BY caracal Industrial Ecology Practices in the Fashion Industry Introduction The industrial revolution in the sass brought a paradigm shift to the way humans interacted with the environment. The increased capability of producing and manufacturing on a large scale, the rise of multiple industries, growing demand and proliferation of hedonistic consumption patterns, has created a culture of surplus, want and waste. (Fallacy-Companion, 2012) From an environmental point of view, this resource hungry trend is unsustainable and has detrimental ecological impacts, such as pollution and climate change. These problems have highlighted the consequence of our insatiable demand for resources and the need to rethink current practices and thoughts in order to maintain current living standards and ensure future growth. The ideas of environmental management, industrial ecology and ecological footprint have been proposed to allow for a meticulous look to the products that we manufacture and use, with emphasis on measuring the ecological impacts in hopes of reducing them. A multitude of tools have since been created to measure efficiency in hopes to highlight areas for improvement, of which the ISO standard and Life cycle assessment are part of. Undoubtedly, many companies have adopted life cycle analysis (LLC) in order to assess and reduce their products impact on the environment. The fashion industry, at its core, is based on the notion of continual consumption of the new and the discard of the old, especially with new seasonal lines coming out every 3 months. The industry celebrates creativity with the continuous turnover of trends, leading to the premature product replacement and fashion obsolescence. This constant change has major negative environmental and social impacts, particularly on those at the bottom of the supply chain. Ellwood et al, 2006; Whether and Leastwise, 2008) Moreover, delicates production, often all over the world, is commonly practiced in line with the competitive advantages of different locales (such as low-cost labor, less stringent standards/regulations, strength in technology etc). Studies of Ellwood et al (2006), Madsen et al (2007) and Fletcher (2008) have highlighted issues of apparel waste as the majority of textile waste are not recycled or reuse but usually ends up in landfills. In this report, Nikkei Inc. And Levi Strauss Co. Are chosen as case studies of the fashion industry for their efforts o apply LLC to their products. Life Cycle Assessment and IS014040 The International Organization for Standardization (SO) is an organization that aims to promote worldwide standards for proprietary, industrial and commercial purposes. SO, 2013) The ISO 14000 series is a family of standards that related to environmental management, which aims to help organizations measure and minimize operations that will negatively affect the environment and comply with environmental regulations and audits required in the country of operation. For example, the ISO 14001 is integral to the European Unions CEO-Management and Audit Scheme (AMASS). AMASS, 2011) Before the development of the ISO 14000 series, most organizations had to rely on internal environmental management systems that made comparisons between companies difficult. The ISO 14040 standard focuses on Life Cycle Assessment. LLC is a technique to assess environment impacts associated with all the stages of a products life from its raw material extraction to its processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair, recycle and disposal. It is believed to encompass a larger scope of environmental concerns as the compiled inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases includes the attention impacts associated with the identified inputs and releases, which can then be interpreted to help make informed decisions and build corporate environmental strategies. EPA, 2013) The method is most often used for the pinpointing potential for process improvements by assessing environmental impacts associated with all stages of a products life. (Securing Mueller, 2008) ISO 14040 standards shows how the LLC is to be carried out in four distinct phases as seen in Figure 1 before. Before any LLC can be carried out, an explicit goal and scope of the study, inclusive of technical details, has to be defined. This can then serve as a reference to guide the subsequent work. The functional unit, system boundaries, assumptions and limitations as well as the impact categories are identified and set in this first phase. The life cycle inventory analysis will then carry on from phase one by creating an inventory of all flows (input and output) between the stages of a product system, inclusive of all activities in the relevant supply chain and gives a clear picture of the system boundaries. Only when this is complete can the life cycle impact assessment be carried out. This is the most complex stage of the process as it aims to evaluate he significance of potential environmental impacts and calculate the input and output from the inventory. At the end of the assessment, the information gathered is evaluated and the assessment is objectively assessed before the identification of significant issues and problems, its evaluation and limitations are put forth. Figure 1 : The 4 phases of LLC (http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/ File:PhasesOfLifeCycleAnalysis. Eng) Current Context and Trends Environmental Management has progressed significantly over the years with regulations becoming more stringent and accountability expectations higher. Figure taken from Penmans (1999) report shows a simple evolution of environmental policies and their primary characteristics from the sass to present, whereby attitudes towards the environment have changes from merely managing the problem in the early days to one that is more actively involved in trying to prevent problems. Figure 2: Evolution of environmental management (Seaman, 1999) Within the industry and companies, Lamming ; Hampton (1996) stresses the need for companies to engage in environmental management as public pressure is and will continue to be a major factor. In their study, 75% of customers state that they would consider a Meanys environmental reputation when purchasing and 80% of those would be willing to pay a premium for an environmentally friendlier product. Although there are limitations to their study, in that the sentiment may only be shared by the European community of consumers, there is a trend whereby consumers are becoming more green conscious. Hawked et al (1999) in the book Natural Capitalism also calls for companies to embrace a new industrialism that will create profits and jobs while saving the environment, through the creation of a closed-loop supply chain that will generate more value and profit. By aggressive recycling, there is the potential of reducing up to 90% of energy and materials consumption. Although individual organizations are recognizing the need and their responsibility to address environmental and sustainability issues, there remains a lack of systematic and coordinated effort across the board. At a larger and general scale, there has been an increase of government level interest and engagement to transition sustainability at the firm and facility level, to one that is more holistic and encompasses production sustainability throughout the value chain. Golden et al, 2011) President Obama issued Executive Order 13514 in 2009 that requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, obtain 50% diversion rates of solid waste, pursue opportunities with vendors to reduce greenhouse gas (GOGH) emissions, ensure procurement preferences for energy-efficient products, and reduce consumption of paper with low recycled content. Likewise the Securities Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission are driving the use of sustainable product design and supply chains by the i ssuance of directives and interpretive guidance. Golden et al, 2011) Since the fiasco of sweatshop labor in the sass, leading to public outcry and clash on the fashion industry, there has been unison of calls for greater accountability. (Whether and Leastwise, 2008; Clownish et al, 2012) Especially in an industry where the consumers are the largest stakeholders; public opinion is crucial and highly influential. This helps the environmental cause when more consumers become green conscious and demand for a smaller ecological footprint. There is a need to cater to these consumers and for companies to set themselves apart from their competitors. Kumar Amalgamate, 2006) Environmental consciousness has been worked into the corporate social responsibility (CAR) of many companies and increasingly, in the fashion industry, CEO-fashion is trying to capture a larger share of the mainstream market with fashionable and environmental apparel. Regions, 2006) There is also the emergence of industr y consortia such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the Sustainability Consortium (TTS) and the Outdoor Industry Association (IA), all of which are multi-stakeholder organizations that are suited for establishing standardized metrics for regulation. A Changing Industry: Motion Picture Special Effect EssayFigure 10, taken from Nikkei. Com (2013) shows the corporate overview of the company in 2013. Part of the business strategy of the company for 2013 is to pursue growth that is sustainable, profitable, capital efficient and brand enhancing, whereby environmental responsibility is inbuilt into the companys goals, vision and culture. (Nikkei, 2013) It is important to note that Nikkei was a main target for unfair labor practices in the sass which greatly affected its public image. Since then, much have been done to manage such risks of which being a pioneer of sustainable practices is seen as integral to its environmental risk. There are no official accounts off published LLC according to the ISO 14040 standards, done on a Nikkei product. However, this is common as most companies may not necessarily want to publicity reveal its LLC. Nikkei however, in its sustainability reports, follows similar steps in qualifying its environmental impacts. In this case study, I will attempt to frame their goals and targets in the context of a traditional LLC. Figure 10: Corporate overview of Nikkei Inc (Nikkei, 2013) Shift towards Sustainable Business and Innovation (Phase 1 2) To support Nines strategic evolution and transition to sustainable business models, the Sustainable Business and Innovation (SUB;l) was set up with its mission to enable Nikkei to thrive in a sustainable economy. A matrix structure was step up to integrate retail, logistics and information technology well so as to foster new platforms and forms of collaboration. Nines value chain has also been re-envisioned to be a closed loop cycle. Figure 11 shows the distilled seven fundamental stages of the new value chain- plan, design, make, move, sell, use and reuse. (Nikkei, 2013) As dated before. Nikkei remains vague on the factors that are considered in their corporation and production processes that contribute to their environmental impact. In their release of public information, Nikkei uses a tool called the Material Assessment Tool (MAT) and analyses the life cycle of raw materials used in production. Henderson et al, 2009) The MAT allows Nikkei to view the impacts from the materials used across four categories: Chemistry, Energy/CA equivalence, Water/Land use and Waste with a total LLC score given. (See Figure 12) (Nikkei Considered Design, 2010) Products that are more sustainable would score higher on the MAT score. Figure 13 shows a snapshot of the different materials that go into the pr shoe. Figure 1 1: Overview of the Nikkei value chain ( Nikkei, 2013) Figure 12: Material Assessment Tool used by Nikkei (Nikkei, 2013) adduction of a Figure 13: Materials in a typical shoe (http://www. Lodestars. Net/bookings/copy-of- Semifinal-Presentation) Charting Progress and Changes in Environmental Impacts (Phase 3, 4 and beyond) Since the drive towards being more accountable started in the late sass, Nikkei has been tracking its progress based on its metrics in their corporate reports. Figure 14 ND 15 shows where the company is at with regard to meeting their 2011 targets set in 2009, where most objectives are largely on track. Figure 16 how implementing energy management strategies in retail stores in North America has allowed Nikkei to save 3. Million Kiss of electricity while giving a 20% return on investment, the partnership of how being environmentally conscious can help with operational savings. Nikkei has started a code of conduct for its suppliers to meet, to reduce their environmental impact, according to their MAT schem e. Suppliers are ranked and encouraged to improve on their operations, while their research and development am have been constantly looking into the development of lighter shoes and apparel in their new product design that utilizes less raw materials and more recycled materials. Nikkei also tried to reduce its waste by redesigning its packaging to use less material in its shoebox experiment (Figure 17). Although the results were not very successful, Nikkei continues to revamp and work on developing a sturdy prototype while reducing waste. Nikkei have also started several consumer-targeted initiative such as reuse-a-shoe campaign whereby old shoes are collected and dissembled to e reused in the manufacturing process, increasing recycling and lessening the dependency on raw materials. (Nikkei, 2013) Nikkei promises to commit to their environmental goals and work towards have a truly closed loop supply chain. However, Figure 18 shows that there is still much unaccounted areas in Nines internal assessment and much of their initiatives are focused on the American market. With a company who has great global presence, there is still much to be done, environmentally, in other markets. Figure 14: Progress in sustainable business models (http://www. Nikkei. Com/ creator/content/PDF/documents/en-useful-report. UDF) Figure 1 5: Progress in climate change targets (http://www. Nikkei. Com/creator/ content/PDF/documents/en-useful-report. UDF) Figure 16: Results of energy management systems on retail stores (Nikkei, 2013) Figure 17: Nikkei shoebox experiment (Nikkei, 2013) Figure 18: Nikkei Climate and Energy reporting landscape and roadman (http:// www. Incompressibility. Com/report/uploads/files/ NIKKEI_Len_ClimateEnergyLandscapeRoadmap. PDF) Evaluation of Levies and Nikkei Nikkei and Levies both belong to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) whose aim is to create an apparel and footwear index f or the industry, to 1 . Understand and quantify sustainability impacts of apparel and footwear products, 2. Reduce redundancy in measuring sustainability for the industry, 3. Drive business value through reducing risk and uncovering inefficiency and 4. Create a common meaner to communicate sustainability to stakeholders. (SAC, 2013) The SAC was formally launched in 2011 and its sustainable apparel index allows apparel retailers and brands to compare the performance of their upstream supply chain through a unified method and metrics. Their LLC is based on the AI_EGO CEO-index, Nines environmental design tool and SACs social and labor indicators for the manufacturing phase. There have been several criticisms of this tool as being too qualitative and the version that is being developed now is current designed to be more quantitative, life-cycle oriented. (Golden et al, 2011) The original intent of choosing these two companies was to highlight how environmental tools can be useful in such a wasteful industry such as fashion. In releasing that they both were part of the same industry consortium, whose aim was to provide a basis of comparison, I had assumed that there would be the possibility to have a clear comparison after evaluating both companies. However, further research did not yield any significant or comparable set of data or reports. In fact, the SAC website would redirect the user back to the sustainability pages of the individual companies. The fact that these two companies belong to the same industry consortium and yet cannot be compared, show the great limitation of LLC and current environmental management strategies. There are too many requirements and considerations in engaging in a holistic LLC and companies tend not to divulge too much information on their supply chains. As such, it is difficult to ensure that hey did not overlook particular flows in their operational process. On the other hand, it is heartening to see both companies engaging in similar trends to engage their customers to be part of the recycling and green process of returning Sears/ shoes back to the retailers so that they can be reused and/or recycled. Moreover, there seems to be a great sense of commitment by both companies towards corporate social responsibility and environmental accountability whereby active steps are being taken to reduce the environmental impact of the company, their facilities and their products.