E-marketing and ICT in private hospitals in the United Kingdom Dissertation

E-marketing and ICT in private hospitals in the United Kingdom - Dissertation Example This research is an exploratory study on the capabilities of ICT by focusing on private hospitals of the UK. Large numbers of consumers are using the internet to extract health-related information. However, it is not known to what extent they effectively use the e-marketing platform of the private hospitals. Thus, with the aim to generate an in-depth view about the role of ICT in the private hospitals of UK, four objectives and two hypotheses were stated in Chapter I. After extensive literature review the theoretical framework was formed. This was a mix of qualitative and quantitative study with both primary and secondary data collection. Secondary data was collected through journals and websites and primary data was collected through survey questionnaires. Both the in-patients and the hospital staff were given the questionnaire. The study focused on one single hospital – The BMI Clementine Churchill Hospital. All the objectives of the study have been met. The first objective was to evaluate the current trends that accelerate the growth of using ICT in private hospitals. Proliferation of the internet technology and ICT, changes in consumer demand, the literacy levels of the consumers, and increase in consumer demand for health care, in addition to intense competition in the health care sector have led to acceleration in the growth of using ICT in private hospitals in the UK. ... Through the website the hospitals generate a large amount of consumer data which can be effectively used for enhancing their marketing efforts. No such evidence has been available through the study. Social media marketing too is not being used by private hospitals to understand consumer needs and wants. The third objective was to investigate the limitations of realising ICT in private hospitals. Their activities are limited to sending emails or offering online bookings. There is nothing to keep the visitors engaged once they visit the website. At the moment the consumer acceptance appears to be limited. Acceptance of technology is an attitudinal change that has to first come in the consumers. Thus, the onus for realising ICT in private hospitals rests with the hospitals as well as with the consumers. The fourth objective was to analyse critical issues surrounding the use of E-marketing in private hospitals. The first and foremost concern is the vast amount of medical information avai lable on the internet which can be misleading. Making online payments is another critical issue that impacts the acceptance of e-marketing. An e-platform can allow anyone to practice as a physician and this can be disastrous for the society. The privacy policies are yet to be addressed by the hospitals. Another critical issue is the concept of social media marketing. While it can help the hospitals to recognize consumer demands and needs it can also adversely impact hospital reputation. Since there is no control over the data posted and stored on the social media platforms, this could impact the reputation of the hospitals. The study concludes

Terrorism and Homeland Security Essay Example for Free

Terrorism and Homeland Security Essay Left-wing extremists are highly idealistic. Their primary objective is to reform or destroy an existing system and replace it with a new and just society. Left-wing extremists possess a belief system that is often interpreted as a fanatical devotion to Marxist ideology. As a result, they use the doctrines of class warfare or national liberation as a justification for political violence. For left-wing extremists, taking up arms is a form of struggle against a despotic system, class or government. In addition, they view themselves as the messianic saviors of the poor and the oppressed. Studies of Marxist movements in the 21st century has revealed that in order to bring about their desired social change, left-wing extremists adopt a â€Å"vanguard strategy† (p. 223). This approach operates on the premise that revolutionary conditions are the results of a generalized climate of change that was developed over time. Revolutionary conditions rarely occur spontaneously – only a committed and disciplined revolutionary movement has the capacity to come up with it. The revolutionary movement (usually composed of disaffected young educated elite) creates revolutionary conditions by raising the political consciousness of the exploited class or group. In the context of leftist extremism, â€Å"political consciousness† refers to the belief that revolution is the best alternative to the corrupt status quo. As soon as the desired revolutionary conditions are attained, the revolutionary movement sees to it that these are maintained. In the process, the revolutionary movement becomes the â€Å"vanguard† of the subjugated class or group. The former â€Å"saves† them from a repressive system, as well as â€Å"protects† them from it. An example that illustrates the â€Å"vanguard strategy† is the Russian Vanguard of the Proletariat. Lenin and the Bolsheviks required the members of the Russian Communist Party to be the â€Å"vanguard of the proletariat† (p. 234). They were the â€Å"elite† who were expected to transform Russia into a Communist society by bringing about the revolution. They were to free the proletariat from the tyranny of the nobles by educating them on Marxist doctrines. Right-wing extremists, on the other hand, are very nostalgic. They affirm their superiority usually by looking back on past glories. In the process, right-wing extremists use these previous achievements as justifications for violence. For them, carnage is acceptable as long as it is used to maintain the purity of a religion, ethno-national group or an ideology. Right-wing extremists believe that they have the moral obligation to protect an ideal order that was â€Å"violated† or â€Å"destroyed† by â€Å"inferior† religious values or ethno-national interests. For them, the restoration of this ideal order is the only way to lasting peace and prosperity in society. Anyone who opposes must be eliminated through all possible means – even violence. Consequently, right-wing extremism is very prevalent in organizations that represent groups that have a distinctive identity, such as regional minorities and religious fundamentalists. Below are the common characteristics of right-wing organizations: a. Nationalism – The belief that only people of a specific nationality have the right to reside within a given country. Furthermore, these nationals likewise have the right to live in their country’s borders. b. Racism – The misconception that race is the main basis for all human traits and capabilities. c. Xenophobia – In the context of right-wing extremism, xenophobia is the fear of belief systems that deviate from the status quo. d. Antidemocracy – An aversion to the concept of pluralism in society. In order to achieve their goal homogeneity, right-wing extremists shun political activities that foster equality and democratic rule, such as popular elections. e. Strong State – Right-wing extremists advocate militarism under the guise of â€Å"protecting law and order. † For them, militarism is an effective means of eliminating â€Å"dissidents† (groups whom they deem â€Å"inferior†). References Martin, G. (2006). Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives and Issues (2nd ed. ). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Free Macbeth Essays: Sleep and Sleeplessness -- Macbeth essays

The Sleep and Sleeplessness Motif in Macbeth We have consciences that function to tell us the difference between right and wrong. If we have clear consciences, we usually possess the ability to sleep. But when our consciences are full of guilt, we experience a state of sleeplessness. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the sleep and sleeplessness motif to represent Macbeth's and Lady Macbeth's consciences and the effect Macbeth's conscience has on the country of Scotland. Lady Macbeth begins with an unrecognizable conscience. She explains to Macbeth that if she said she would kill her own child, she would rather do the deed than break her word to do so. As the play continues, however, Lady Macbeth begins to develop a conscience. After placing the daggers for Duncan's murder, she makes an excuse for not killing Duncan herself: "Had he not resembled / My father as he slept, I had done't" (2.2.12-13). These words introduce her conscience. Towards the end of the play, Lady Macbeth falls into a sleepless state, and this sleeplessness represents her guilt for her role in Duncan's death,...

What Is Your Definition of Leadership?

In my opinion, leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate people enough for them to be willing to participate and get involved towards the achievement of a common goal. I see leadership as a process which can be improved over time and experience, but only by someone who has some innate leadership competences. In determining what leadership means to me, I decided to analyse two different leadership cases. I will firstly discuss and analyse Nelson Mandela’s leadership style, which appeared to be mainly transformational.I will try to demonstrate how Nelson Mandela proved that leadership was a two-way process between the leader and his followers, and how crucial it is for a leader to be respected and admired by his followers in order for him to be effective. In addition, a leader needs to be trustworthy, passionate and devoted to achieving a shared objective. More importantly, a good leader will abandon his subordinates once he achieved a personal goal. Throughout this essa y, I will try to support my opinion being that, efficient leadership lies somewhere in between the trait and the style approaches whilst taking into account the situational approach.In my opinion, not everyone can be a leader, but if someone is meant to be one, leadership skills need to be learned and improved over time and adapted according to different situations. If not born a leader, one can only become one to a certain and limited extent, as we will see in Barack Obama’s case. President Obama first started as an acknowledged inspirational and passionate leader, who people admired, respected and wanted to join. However, a few years after his election, it seems like his glory days are behind him, and that he isn’t the leader he used to be anymore.It might appear that once he was elected president, and his personal goal has been achieved, Obama didn’t fight as hard for his subordinates as he did for his personal satisfaction. His lack of communication and insp irational speeches seem to have considerably damaged his reputation as a leader. It appears that Obama gave Americans too high hopes that he wasn’t able to keep up with and fulfil, creating a wave of disappointment among his supporters. It seems to me that Barack Obama was a great leader throughout his campaign, but that once elected, he was lacking some crucial leadership skills required as a President.In fact, one could argue that he wasn’t born a leader. In contrast to Nelson Mandela, he was only able to be a leader to a certain extent, his apogee being during his presidential campaign. By fighting vigorously against apartheid, Nelson Mandela rapidly became an iconic figure of resistance in South Africa, and was thereafter acknowledged as the most significant black leader South Africa had ever known. He devoted his life to fighting against racism and apartheid in South Africa and for peace.However his life objectives were not personal satisfactions, but satisfaction s of his supporters. He fought for their freedom and well-being before fighting for his own. In fact, he never compromised his political position even to regain his freedom. He could have backed down after being released from the Robben Island prison in 1990 (after 27 years of cruel imprisonment), after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 or even after becoming president in 1994. Yet he didn’t, and continued to fight for his people’s freedom and rights.Nelson Mandela has always demonstrated some legendary listening skills which are essential to being an efficient democratic leader. Indeed, he learned at a very young age from his guardian how listening to others was a vital skill in effective leadership. In fact, his guardian used to listen to everyone’s opinions first while remaining silent, before guiding the group to reach a consensus (Stengel, 1994). Therefore, one could argue that Mandela’s effective democratic or participative leadership styl e was greatly inspired by his childhood experience.Throughout his life as a leader, Nelson Mandela always encouraged people to share their ideas and opinions, to which he carefully listened before making the final decision. This way, he managed to get people to be more engaged and devoted to a particular cause, leading to higher productivity towards their goals’ achievement (Lewin, K. , Liippit, R. and White, R. K. 1939). Moreover, by entering the debate and being the last one to speak, he also gains a considerable advantage, as he is the one to close the argument.He also cultivated other leadership skills through his personal experience of being a cattle herder: â€Å"When you want to get a herd to move in a certain direction, you stand at the back with a stick. Then a few of the more energetic cattle move to the front and the rest of the cattle follow. You are really guiding them from behind. That is how a leader should do his work† (Stengel, 1994, Nelson Mandela: Th e making of a leader, Time Magazine, May 9th 1994). Thus, even before being in any position of leadership, Nelson Mandela revealed himself as a born leader.We can consequently assume that the Traits approach is relevant to efficient leadership. Indeed, Mandela seems to have been â€Å"born† with some essential traits that characterize a leader. Known as the â€Å"main-man† in South Africa, he was charismatic, influential, sociable, intelligent, alert, persistent, responsible, self-confident, and ready to assume the consequences of his decisions, as he did by going to jail. Thus Mandela innate leadership style clearly corresponds to Stogdill’s characteristics of the Traits approach (Stogdill, 1948).Moreover, Nelson Mandela was also widely accepted as a transformational leader, as he was able to inspire and motivate his supporters to work towards a common goal through the power and persuasiveness of his vision and personality. He strongly engaged with his follower s, and made them aware of what achieving a particular goal meant (Barbuto, 2005; Barnett, McCormick & Conners, 2001; Gellis, 2001). As James MacGregor Burns (1978) firstly introduced it, transformational leadership is when â€Å"leaders and followers maker each other to advance to a higher level of moral and motivation. † In addition, according to Bernard M.Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory (1985), transformational leaders are trusted, respected and admired by their followers. Thus, as Nelson Mandela clearly gathered trust, respect and admiration among his supporters, we can say that his leadership style also corresponded to the transformational one. In fact, Nelson Mandela didn’t sharpen his leadership skills from anywhere, he was a natural leader and his skills came intuitively. He was born a leader and refined his skills with the personal experiences he gained over the years, which enabled him to effectively adapt to various situations.He strongly bel ieved in consensus and knew how to empower his subordinates and motivate them to achieving a common objective. His legendary success as a leader was also mainly due to the fact that he was seen as approachable compassionate and honest. Yet, he was undeniably respected and admired for his courage, his wisdom and his determination. On the other hand, Barack Obama, whose presidential campaign aroused unrecorded enthusiasm, hope and inspiration, seems to have unexpectedly disappointed his followers once elected President of the United States of America.Indeed, during his campaign, Barack Obama astonished everyone with his unpredicted inspirational, passionate and enthusiastic speeches. Who doesn’t remember his â€Å"Yes we can† speech given in New Hampshire in 2008? At the time, it seemed like Obama had all it took to be a great leader, he had a strong charisma, was motivated, inspired and seeking to achieve a common goal, thus showing many aspects of a Transformational as well as Charismatic leader. However, soon after his election, his supporters found themselves disillusioned by their President’s leadership skills.They felt like his motivation and enthusiasm had faded away, and that he wasn’t the inspirational leader he used to be. Obama was effective as a leader during his campaign, at one place and time, but became unsuccessful as soon as the situation and the factors around him changed, due to his rigidity and inability to adapt to contextual changes. Thus, Obama can clearly be related to Fiedler’s Contingency theory, as he became ineffective as soon as the factors around him changed.Unlike Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama seems to be more of an educated leader, who cultivated most of his leadership skills from Columbia and Harvard universities, therefore embracing the style approach which suggests that his behaviour of leader is distinct from his personality. In fact, Obama never appeared as a â€Å"born† leader, with i nnate leadership skills, and had no particular leadership experience, when he became President. Critics of Barack Obama emphasize the fact that his lack of leadership has already been demonstrated in various scenarios.Most of his supporters criticize his lack of communication and his â€Å"invisibility†. They feel somehow deserted and let down by the man who not long ago, aroused their highest hopes. Even the Democrats now acknowledge his lack of presence â€Å"Dems say privately Obama is invisible, not a leader. † (Joe Scarborough, 2011). One would have thought that Barack Obama’s leadership skills would have had improved as he gained in experience as a President, yet it looks like his apogee as a leader what during his campaign and that since then the leadership part of him is disappearing.In fact, Barack Obama brought only a few, if any, leadership skills into his presidency, and has deceivingly developed none after almost 3 years of experience (Kelly OConnel l, 2011). As a President, Obama has espoused a delegating and passive leadership style, which wasn’t the best style to adopt in a period of deep crisis, when perseverance and prompt decision-making skills were required, thus clearly lacking some situational leadership skills (David Brooks, 2011). Barack Obama consequently appeared as the wrong man for the situation, and not the erson America needed, due to his lack of toughness, imagination and determination. The Presidential candidate who was known for his grand enthusiasm and his passion seems to have vanished to make room to a President who got overwhelmed by his job and ran out of ideas shortly after taking office (David Frum, 2011; David Brooks, 2011). It became vague in Obama’s supporters’ minds whether he was the â€Å"turnaround leader† America needed or not (Michael Watkins, Thursday January 22, 2009, â€Å"Can Obama lead the Great American Turnaround? Harvard business review). According to Mich ael Watkins, Obama demonstrated more Steward Attributes than Hero Attributes, which were vital considering the depth of the crisis. Undoubtedly, President Obama was more conservative, diplomatic and supportive than visionary, directive and charismatic. To conclude, we can say that the difference between Nelson Mandela’s and Barack Obama’s leadership style is striking.Nelson Mandela, can be acknowledged as a â€Å"born† leader who improved his leadership skills throughout his experience as a country’s leader, whereas Barack Obama tends to be more of an â€Å"educated† leader, who couldn’t keep up with his status’ expectations. One was able to adapt to situational changes and prove himself as a true leader fighting for his people when the other disappointed his followers by suddenly disappearing through a lack of communication and perseverance to achieve the set common goals, thus generating a common feeling of abandonment.In my opinion , these two cases reinforce my proposition of a leader’s definition, as we clearly saw that leadership skills should be innate and improved through time to make an effective leader. Moreover, by observing Mandela’s and Obama’s leadership cases, we saw how an efficient leader must constantly motivate and inspire his followers to achieving a common objective that should be kept in mind and should remain the main focus of the leader as well as the followers.Clearly, without the support of his followers, a leader cannot achieve anything. Thus, as I suggested it, leadership is a two-way process in which the nurture of relationships between the two parties is essential, as recognized by Peter Northouse (2010). References: Barbuto, 2005; Barnett, McCormick & Conners, 2001; Gellis, 2001 Bass,B. M,(1985). Leadership and Performance. N. Y,: Free Press Brooks, David (June 28, 2011), Convener in Chief, The New York Times, N. Y edition pA23. Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. N. Y: Harper and Raw.Fiedler, F. E. (1967) A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness, New York: McGraw-Hill Frum, David (June 28th 2011), Obama is his own worst Enemy, http://www. frumforum. com/obama-is-his-own-worst-enemy, accessed the 07/01/12 Lewin, K. , Liippit, R. and White, R. K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created social climates. Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 271-301 Northouse, P. G. (2010), Leadership: theory and practice (5th edition) Thousand Oaks, Sage. OConnell, Kelly, Sunday, July 31, 2011 , www. canadafreepress. om â€Å"obama’s leadership style is classic liberalism: no vision+ utter incompetence = total failure† accessed the 05/01/12 Stengel, 1994, Nelson Mandela: The making of a leader, Time Magazine, May 9th 1994 Stogdill, R. M. , 1948. â€Å"Personal factors associated with leadership: A survey of the literature. † Journal of Psychology. 25: 35-71. Watkins, Michael (Thursday January 22nd, 2009), â€Å"Can Obama lead the Great American Turnaround? † Harvard business review, http://blogs. hbr. org/watkins/2009/01/the_great_american_turnaround. html, accessed the 07/02/12

Moral Theology of Health Care

Bioethics is a recently coined word. It comes from â€Å"bio† which means life and from â€Å"ethics† which is morality. Bioethics is that branch of Ethics which deals directly with the problems of life and dying, of health and of healing. It focuses attention to the need for a healthier world in accordance with the dictates of reason.As a health care provider, they are face with many ethical issues left and right. These issues sometimes question our integrity as humans with compassion and concern for others. They say that health care providers are sometimes called an accomplice whenever they have done an unlawful thing which is not legal for their chosen profession. Respect for persons, justice, and beneficence, autonomy has been a major workhorse in bioethical analysis over the past several decades.First, let us discuss the respect for persons, justice, beneficence and autonomy. This entails the dignity that we have as human beings. That as human, we have every right to do things and that we should be respected for it. We should respect individuals as well as their lives. As a health care provider, it is our duty to preserve life and not to destroy it. Health care providers often deal with critical situations where human life us at stake, both in the community and in particular health settings. Thus, it is very important that they understand and respect the sanctity of human life. During such situations they may be forced to decide whether or not to perform clinical procedures to preserve health and save the lives of people in a community.Abortion, we all know that Life is precious. It is our main concern and duty. Health is our personal responsibility. This requires that we adopt a style of life that fosters health. We owe it to our family and society to be healthy. The cost of health care is becoming expensive everyday. It is a crime of gross injustice when, because of our reckless habits, we force our family to suffer financial losses and ind ebtedness.But do we really care about the life which God has bestowed in us? Yes, certainly we do but there are some women choose to abort the life that is in them for some irrefutable reasons. Many agree to abortion depends to the circumstances but how about the women who just do not want to have kids? Is it reasonable that they just abort the â€Å"life† because they want to avoid responsibilities? Absolutely, not! Human life is sacred because conception, from the beginning, already involves the creative action of God.As human beings, we remain forever in a special relationship with the Creator. Human life is endowed with majesty and dignity which call forth for an equally dignified response. We owe human life respect and reverence. Such reverence, respect, and concern for life is a way of saying â€Å"yes† to God’s concern for human life in all its forms. In this complex world that we live in today, abortion and contraception are two of the most hotly- debate d issues. They pose a serious moral challenge particularly to medical practitioners and health service providers who are supposed to preserve and protect human life.Thus a thorough understanding of these issues is necessary to arrive at logical and moral solutions. Still the fact remains that neither abortion nor contraception are desirable in human society. Their prevention should be a shared task that rises above the debates on the morality of abortion or contraception. The sanctity of human life demands that it must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of a conception. From the first moment of her existence, a human being already possesses the rights of a person and that as health care providers we should greatly respect, among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being.This alienable right must be recognized and respected by civil society, political authority and health care professionals. Abortion destroys life and violates the right to life. As such it is morally evil and it should not be in any way legalized and liberally permitted in the laws and constitution of the nation as well as in the ethics of the health care professionals.Euthanasia is one of the most debatable issues of our society today. Many disagree with this practice but others say that it is the only way of ending the agony of the patient. So if this issue is still argued, in what circumstance it becomes right? Euthanasia is the killing, for reasons of mercy, of a person who is suffering from an incurable illness or hopeless injury. Euthanasia is an ancient concept that has in the past been an acceptable practice in certain societies; for example, in ancient Greece. In modern times, however, euthanasia is generally considered murder by the law and also is most of the world’s organized religions.Passive, or negative, euthanasia does not involve the act of killing. It consists of the withdrawal of, or the deliberate failure to initiate, life-sustaining tre atment in hopeless initiate, life-sustaining treatment in hopeless cases. Instead of being kept alive for days or weeks through various kinds of machines and drugs, the patient is simply allowed to die.Moreover, â€Å"euthanasia† derives from the Greek words Eu which means good and Thanatos which means death. It etymologically signifies â€Å"good health,† a pleasant and gentle death without awful suffering. Euthanasia may be defined as an action or omission that by its very nature, or in the intention, causes death, for the purpose of eliminating whatever pain.Furthermore, the issue of death has become more complicated than it is used to be because of ethical conflict. The moral issue of euthanasia revolves around the preservation of human dignity in death even to the individual’s last breath. This issue has both its positive and negative sides.The positive argument states that euthanasia aims to preserve human dignity until death. Not only does one have a duty to preserve life but one also has the right to die with dignity. To die with dignity means that one should be better than to go on living with an incurable and distressing sickness.The negative argument, on the other hand, declares that euthanasia erodes human dignity because it means cowardliness in the face of pain and suffering. People who have faced the realities of life with courage die with dignity.Whereas the positive side insists that mercy killing preserves human dignity, the negative side claims the opposite since the act hastens the death of an individual. Furthermore, others consider euthanasia to be morally wrong because it is intentional killing which opposes the natural moral law or the natural inclination to preserve life. They even argue that euthanasia may be performed for self-interest or other consequences. Also, doctors and other health care professionals may be tempted not to do their best to save the patient. They may resort not to do their best to save the p atient. They may resort to euthanasia as an easy way out and simply disregard any other alternatives.Physician assisted suicide is the type of suicide assisted by a physician. The physician prescribes or administers a drug that could lead the patient to death. One way to distinguish between euthanasia and assisted suicide is to look at the last act, the act by which death occurred.Using this distinction, if a third party performed the last act that intentionally caused a patient’s death, euthanasia occurred. For example, giving a patient a lethal injection or pulling a plastic bag over her head to suffocate her would be considered euthanasia.On the other hand, if the person who died performed the last act, assisted suicide took place. Thus it is assisted suicide if a person swallowed an overdose of drugs provided by a doctor for the purpose of casing death. It is also assisted suicide if a patient pushed a switch to trigger a fatal injection after the doctor inserted an intra venous needle into the patient’s vein. A lot of people think that assisted suicide is needed so patients will not be forced to remain alive by being â€Å"hooked up† to machines. There are laws that permit patients or their surrogates to withhold or withdraw unwanted medical treatment even if that increases the likelihood that the patient will die. Thus, no one needs to be hooked up to machines against his or her will.Neither the law nor the medical ethics requires that â€Å"everything be done† to keep a person alive. Insistence, against the patient’s whishes, that death be postponed by every means available is contrary to law and practice. It is also cruel and inhuman.There comes a time when continued attempts to cure are no longer compassionate, wise or medically wound. On such situations, hospice, including in- home hospice care, can be of great help. That is the time when all efforts should be directed at making the patient’s remaining time co mfortable. Then, all interventions should be directed to the alleviation of pain and other symptoms as well as to the provision of emotional and spiritual support for both the patient and the patient’s loved ones.Medicine is at the service of life. Since the beginning medical practitioners have struggled to conserve health, alleviate suffering and as much as they can, prolong life. Nobody escapes death, as death as inevitable. It is a fearful reality. However, acceptance of death would â€Å"perhaps be easier and more meaningful if one lives life to the fullest and strive to give meaning to his/ her existence.’Today, the span of human life has considerably lengthened than during the past decades, thanks to significant achievements in the medical field. However, life will remain a journey and man will continue his pilgrimage towards his final destiny. Surely, man will reach a point when neither the physician nor modern medicine can do more for him. As one poet states: â€Å"It is sheer madness of a man to cling to his life when God wills that he die.† Nurses play a vital role in a patient’s struggle against illness. Are nurses allowed to cut the thread of life when the weight of pain, suffering and hopelessness has become too heavy for the patient to bear? Can we â€Å"plan† for our death, just as we plan for our future?While health providers strive to render the best care for patients, situations arise when the patients themselves demand for assistance to have their lives ended. During such situations, health care providers and medical practitioners are expected to act morally and justify their stand.Reference:Drane, James F. Clinical Bioethics. Kansas City: Sheed & Ward, 1994. Higgins, Gregory C. Where do you stand? New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1995. Hughes, Gerald J. Authority in Morals. London: Heythrop Monographs, 1978. Kippley, John & Sheila Kippley. The Art of Natural Family Planning. Cincinnati: The Couple of Couple Lea gue International, Inc. 1975..

Causes of Car Accidents Essays

Causes of Car Accidents Essays Causes of Car Accidents Essay Causes of Car Accidents Essay (NHTSA, auto-accident-resource. com). Among the car accidents, the teenage group is the only age group who is number of deaths is increasing instead of decreasing. Also, all the people are exposed to risk and actually every one of them has got car accident at least once that could have been easily prevented. There are many reasons car accidents happen such as drunken drivers, using cellular phones while driving, and teenage drivers. First reason is drinking and driving which is the leading cause of car accidents. Over 1. 1 million drivers were arrested in 2010 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics, (Federal Bureau of Investigation, â€Å"Crime in the United States: 2010†, madd. org). Also,† drunk driving costs the United States $132 billion a year , (NHTS FARS data, 2012, madd. org). Driving while intoxicated is dangerous, because drinking increases your inhibitions and self-confidence but lower s your driving performance. In other words, alcohol impairs the decision-making ability of the brain. For example, when people get drunk, they do not even think they are drunk. They may feel like they can do anything. But they cannot. Many accidents occur because of drinking. These accidents involve mostly one car, but other people can be killed by drunk drivers. People have to be educated about drinking and driving, so they do not kill themselves or innocent people on the road. Second reason, using cell phones while driving causes car accidents. According to the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, 2,600 people died in 2004 and 330,000 more were injured while using cell phones just before an accident. doityourself. com). When a cell phone is used while driving, it distracts the attention of the driver, leading to car accidents. While using a cell phone many people tend to miss traffic signals, because they are not really concentrating on driving. The process of dialing or answering the phone can make them lose control of the vehicle as well. Even though the driver is looking at the road, he or she can easily get distracted by the conversation. This can result in fatal accidents. Third reason of accidents on the road is teenage drivers. â€Å"2,739 teenagers died in car accidents in the United States during 2008 , (drivesteady. com). Some teenagers cause fatal accidents, because of immaturity and lack of experience. Teenagers are very impulsive. Although not intending to hurt anyone, they sometimes drive very aggressively. It is not difficult to find teenagers driving with one hand on the steering wheel, seat pushed back, and with loud music playing. In traffic they go wild, trying to seek attention. They underestimate the risk of what they are doing. All these acts result in serious consequences on the road. Many accidents of young drivers result from their own mistakes. In conclusion, many people do not realize that being intoxicated while driving, using cellular phones and teenage drivers may bring serious injuries to everybody. Some people may enjoy drinking without care until they get into car accident, which can even result in the deaths of many innocent people. The car accidents caused by these problems are really serious but preventable. If everybody tries to eliminate these problems by following the rules of the road, driving can be less dangerous, and we will not waste time on car accidents. REFERENCES: 1- ( auto-accident-resource. com/statistics. html). 2- ( madd. org/statistics/). 3- ( madd. org/drunk-driving/about/drunk-driving-statistics. html). 4- ( doityourself. com/stry/driving-safety-tips-statistics-on-deaths-by

buy custom Risk Factors of CKD essay

buy custom Risk Factors of CKD essay Diabetes The risk of suffering from kidney disease increases with the length of time one has had diabetes. High blood pressure (hypertension) - One of the kidneys functions is to regulate blood volume, which is an important factor in hypertension. Drug use, overuse of pain killers and allergic reactions to antibiotics may cause kidney inflammation that can lead to kidney failure. Macroalbuminaria A simple test can detect abnormal amounts of albumin in urine. These abnormal amounts increase vulnerability to chronic kidney disease. Low HDL cholesterol The good HDL cholesterol is more significant than total cholesterol, although high total cholesterol is also a risk factor. Trauma/accident, some surgeries and certain radio-contrast dyes that doctors use to monitor blood flow can damage the kidneys or reduce blood flow to the kidneys, causing acute kidney failure. Sometimes acute kidney failure will get better, but it may lead to CKD. Family history of kidney disease- individuals from families that have a medical history of any kidney disease are at a high risk of suffering. Premature Birth About one in five very premature infants (less han 32 weeks gestation) may have calcium deposits in the kidney nephrons. This condition is termed as nephrocalcinosis. Sometimes, individuals with this condition may go on to develop kidney problems later in life. Age-The highest risk factor is living to be more than 60 years old. This is because kidney functioning is greatly reduced in older people. Inflammation- C-Reactive protein is an important biomarker of inflammation. A test result of 12.8 mg/dl was identified as the highest risk, while a result of 0.21 was the lowest risk. Low income- just like any other health issue, low income earners are at higher risk because of poor access to health facilities. Race/ethnicity-According to study, Non-Hispanic whites have the highest risk, followed by non-Hispanic blacks. Mexican Americans have the lowest risk. Periodontal status Any stage of gum disease is a risk factor. Other diseases like systematic lupus erythematosus, sickle cell anemia, cancer, AIDS, hepatitis C, and congestive heart failure According to a certain study, a non-Hispanic white over the age of 60 with high blood pressure, high C-creative protein, and high albumin in the urine has a 72% probability of chronic kidney diisease. Someone with all the risk factors has a 98% probability. Symptoms of chronic kidney disease Changes in urination: color, contents, frequency of urination and the amount of urine. Swelling in the event of kidney failure, excretory substances including extra fluids accumulate in various body parts. This causes the body parts to swell. Other symptoms include: loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, skin rashes/itching, metallic taste in the mouth/ammonia breath, dizziness and lack of concentration, leg/flank pains, shortness of breath, a feeling of coldness, high blood pressure, chest and bone pains. Prevention and medication Chronic kidney disease can be managed with diet annual check-ups. It is mostly prevented by treating the risk factors and any other disease whose symptoms are observed. Proper lifestyle like avoiding smoking, eating low fat food, and regular exercises are also necessary. Therapy (ACEi or ARB) are used in the early stages of the disease. Its goal is to halt or slow down progression to stage 5. During advance stages of the disease, dialysis or a kidney transplant should be done so as to rescue the situation. Buy custom Risk Factors of CKD essay