Bloomington IN, and corn field Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Bloomington IN, and corn field - Research Paper Example ll therefore address culture and cultural centers in Bloomington Indiana and equally draw a relationship between Indiana University students and the corns in the neighborhood of Bloomington Indiana. Corn that refers to maize grain in the US was plant domestication by the indigenous people in Mesoamerica and specifically in Bloomington Indiana. Indeed, settlers, Tibets stopped at the fertile Whitewater Valley in 1800s to initiate the cornfields in Bloomington Indiana. Moreover, the Wayne County farmers, Tibets still embrace their traditions in course of their grain farming that include corn, soybeans, oats, wheat, and canola (Waynet Web). As such, culture and attached traditions are fundamental factors in the cornfields and in Bloomington Indiana where they are located. Indeed, even Indian university embraces this culture in its school curriculum. As such, where culture is a dominant aspect in Bloomington Indiana and the neighboring cornfields, it is only fair to analyze this culture. This culture is enshrined and preserved in Tibetan Cultural Center. Hence, culture as reserved in the Tibetan Cultural Center is a relevant topic in relation to Bloomington Indiana and the cornfiel ds. Corn farming is a cultural activity in Bloomington Indiana. Bloomington Indiana has been the only Tibetan Cultural Center in the United States since 1979. In addition, Bloomington Indiana hosts then Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling Tibetan Monastery that came to being in 1996. Dagom Gaden Tensung Ling Tibetan Monastery follows the Buddhas teachings as transmitted by the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It is thus significant in offering the Indiana community with diverse sources of cultural and educational programs applied in this society especially in the cornfields. Tibetan Cultural Center came up in the 1970’s courtesy of an Indiana University professor, Thubten J. Norbu. The main aim of the cultural centre was to preserve the memory and culture of Tibetans and bring awareness to the

The War of 1812 Essay Example for Free

The War of 1812 Essay The War of 1812 was an important event in American history because from the end of the war forward the United States was respected internationally as a nation. In essence, the United States would gain nothing from the War of 1812 after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, but what the United States would end the Native American threat on its westernmost borders, but also a new sense of nationalism would emerge. While the causes and effects are diverse in nature, the War of 1812 made a lasting impact on American history as being the event that taught the fledgling nation what it meant to be independent, and teaching it to be prepared militarily. One of the key elements that helped in the growing development of the United States military was the realization that the military was unprepared for the War of 1812. The United States was a new country and their military was not as prepared for a war. The primary soldiers were state militias who were untrained and not ready to see battle but as a new nation that hadnt had the time to create a strong military system, the United States had to use them if they were going to be able to fight the war. If the United States had had a better plan for the international situations that arose surrounding a nation the war may never have had to be fought. Communication was a problem as well as there were instances where it became sorely obvious how unprepared they were for this sort of situation. For example, by the time the United States entered into a declaration of war, the British had already rescinded the Order in Council. Also, when the war was ended two years later the bloodiest battle of the war would take place two weeks later because communication of the wars end did not reach the far south of the United States. The nation was unprepared to fight a war and unprepared to communicate during a war (The War of 1812). The War of 1812 had many effects on the United States. The war, which had begun as an issue involving maritime trade lines, became something even more close to home as the war turned against the Native Americans in the northern areas of the United States. The War Hawks, in fact, would get more than they could have hoped for with their victory on their own shores. This war also brought about a new sense of nationalism in the United States, a country fighting to prove its place in a world of established nations. The War of 1812 changed the face of American history for decades to come. Without this war there would have never been the type of American pride that is still felt by the average American today. The war also taught the United States a few things about their foreign policy and how to deal with international issues, and showed them how important it was to be militarily prepared for anything. The Native Americans of the northern part of the country were conquered and, while there was still bad feelings between the US and Great Britain it was nothing like it had been before.This war changed the landscape of the United States as well as its politics, making an impact that was felt for centuries. Works Cited Mintz, S. , comp. War of 1812. 2003. Digital History. 17 Mar. 2007 http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/historyonline/us10. cfm. Nelson, Rebecca, ed. The Handy History Answer Book. Detroit: Visible Ink, 1999. 99-101. The War of 1812. 2007. Wisconsin Historical Society. 17 Mar. 2007 http://www. wisconsinhistory. org/turningpoints/tp-010/.

Business Plan Gold Gym Marketing Essay

Business Plan Gold Gym Marketing Essay Venturing into starting a Franchise is traditionally assured to yield a guaranteed Return of Investment than venturing into a fresh startup entity. Although Franchise itself is a business, it is considered as a way of doing business. It is believed by many that Mr. Albert Singer who was the founder of the Singer sewing machine, was the inventor and founder of the concept franchising. He was one of the earliest person known by most as being associated with the concept; however, the franchising really began long time before and has its roots dating all the way back to the Middle Ages (Blair Lafontaine 2005). As per the definition the work franchising is derived from ancient French which means holding a particular privilege or right. Over the years, franchising business models have been evolved and proven to result in high growth businesses. Although there are various large business entities in UK that offer franchising opportunities, only few business segments result in lucrative ROI. After analysing various business analysis reports and market survey statistics, I have identified fitness and wellness healthcare segment as highly futuristic franchise opportunity considering various factors including my current financial capabilities and business goals. Proposed Business Gold Gym Franchise Objective and Description As a fitness franchise of Gold Gym, we will provide an innovative health care, wellness and fitness services. The modern premises will be equipped with the state of the art fitness equipments and provide facilities such as steam bathing and swimming. The place of the business will be chosen in the heart of the town to provide fitness services to local community, besides outbeating the competition. Market Outline Summary In recent times people are getting more and more health conscious as they are more educated about health hazards involved due to unhealthy lifestyles, establishing a franchise business like Gold Gyms is very profitable as well as it can serve the local customers who want to avoid buying very expensive health equipments in their houses. It can in contributing to the society as healthy lifestyle would ensure less unwell people. As per a recently conducted market survey and the report by the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) and accumulated by leisure fitness market analysts, the UKs fitness and wellness business is a 4 billion GBP revenue industry and is seeing the fastest growth of its 20 year history with many more members eager to avail such services facilities than ever before. The comprehensive audit and the market intelligence report published by FIA covers national overviews of both the public and private sectors. Currently, 15 % of the total UKs population are members of a health club or government-owned fitness services and there is an untapped market potential of around 60% and its growing stably at 3 to 4 per cent an year. Besides this, the increased obesity risk levels are compelling large number of people approach fitness and wellness centres. (Fitness: freebie fitness, 2009) These factors clearly indicate that starting a fitness and wellness club or gym will yield a lucrative revenue and guaranteed profits. However, starting a gym franchise is a better idea rather than starting a own gym because of the following factors: Starting a own gym is very expensive and requires minimum of a million pounds investments because of increased equipment costs and the soaring rates of premises leasing. Building own brand (rather than running a franchise) requires higher upfront investment for marketting and brand building efforts that eventually impacts the customer acquisition rate. Employee training and management orientation is easy in a franchise. Investing in a franchise business is usually safer than venturing into a completely new startup due to proven business strategies. Business Model The primary source of revenue of the proposed business will be earned from the various types of memberships offered to the customers. Ideally the member ships will be offered at a predetermined price which would include certain benefits and services that the customer can avail. As the benefits increase the price of the membership would also increase. In the initial stages of the business, the proposed fitness franchise will earn revenues in the following streams: Membership Types 1. Basic memberships (without trainers) : Pricing will be between  £15 to  £25 and will vary time to time because of special promotional offers. Initially, it is proposed to set at  £15 per month. This would provide accesses to very basic facilities and services, ideally to attract the lower income group of people. 2. Gold memberships (with special guidance from trainers): This special membership pricing will be set between  £25 to  £45 because of seasonal-special offers and initially will be set at  £25 per month. This would include more number of facilities and services, more suitable for customers with a higher disposable income. Apart from the above mentioned standard monthly memberships, we will offer weekly and Pay as you go memberships as well which will target people looking for flexible paying options. Membership Duration Membership pricing will be offered attractive based on the following durations: 1. Monthly membership the payments would be taken on monthly basis 2. Weekly membership this will work on week on week basis 3. Pay and Use membership would be a prepaid service Target Customers Customers of varied types including individuals, groups and businesses will be targeted to acquire strong customer base. It is listed as below: 1. Individuals 2. Family group memberships will be offered at reduced fee pricing. 3. Corporate memberships will be offered at reduced pricing. The proposed membership fee structures and the revenue projections have been described in the Financials and Projections section in the later part of the text below. Competitive Advantage The proposed fitness business centre will offer variety of advantages to outbeat the competition in the market. We will provide special memberships for people undergoing obesity treatment and special price caps to attract different age groups such as 35 to 49 and 28 to 34. Moreover, the proposed fitness centre will be in the heart of each town and within reachable distance from the nearby health services. Gym equipments in the facility will be made up of state of the art technology and will have electronic sensors and displays to accurately measure and monitor physical and health parameters. (More details of the equipments have been described in the Equipments Provision section). Multiple number of steam bath facilities and swimming pool facilities will be provided. Free car parking facility will be provided for limited number of hours. Competition In UK, at present, there are very few (less than 3) fitness chains are available in most places, apart from public facilities and many towns are yet to have a gym with sophisticated equipments and services delivery. Therefore, the competition for Golds Gym franchise is moderate and we have a clearly defined business model and strategy to outbeat the competition. Premises and Equipment The proposed gym premises will house various fitness and wellness facilities. There are mainly two different types of equipments which will be available in the proposed gym, firstly free weights and secondly high-tech machines. Free weights are a simple form of bodybuilding equipment with no real use of technology. They are generally cheaper and more easily available. They consist normally of things like barbells, dumbbells, bars, weight plates etc.   In the proposed gym, we will facilitate and provide the following equipments: The Barbell Which is a long iron bar that is around 4 and 7 feet long on which multiple weight plates can be placed as per the required weight. Weight Plates Weight plates mostly range from 500 gms to 75 kgs. They are usually made of iron as it is a heavy metal. Dum-bells A dumbbell is a shorter form of a barbell, generally 10 15 inches in length. Dumbbell exercises are performed with a dumbbell in each hand. Tricep Bar An oval shaped long bar which has 2 parallel placements for the hand. Although it is commonly called as a tricep bar, one can use it to workout other different parts of the body besides the triceps. EZ Curl Bar It is ideally designed for building the biceps triceps. It is much shorter then a barbell and has angled placements for the hands. It is very useful for building ones muscles from a variety of angles and for reducing the levels of stress (caused by weight) which a straight barbell normally can place on ones wrists. Benches This most common piece of equipment which is seen in every gym. There are mainly 3 different types of benches that are popular flat one, an inclined, and decline. Some high-tech benches are adjustable. Some bespoke benches have the facility of racks on one end which hold a barbell, while some benches dont have any such racks. The Arm-Blaster It is a 2 foot in length and 6 inch in width, very flat, curvy metal bar. It has a strap that goes from back of ones neck to grasp the metal bar is flat from corner to corner of your mid section. It works a lot like a preacher bench by eradicating any body momentum and allows the person using it to isolate the biceps. Stability Ball (Swiss Ball) All exercises that one would ideally do on a bench can also be done on the stability ball. The trainee can do a variety of exercises like bench press, shoulder press, dumbbell flies, lateral raises, pullovers, reverse crunches, so on and so forth. This is one of the best piece of equipment and is very popular with fitness conscious people. Abdominal Bench Is simply just a decline bench that is used for doing exercises that focus on the abdomen. It has rollers that a person can hook their feet into so that the person does not slide off the bench. Chin Up/pull up Bar The chin up or also known as a pull up bar is a iron bar that is either bolted on to a wall or any part of any exercise machine. Pull ups are good for working out the upper back, biceps, and forearms. Dip/Push ups Bars This is a set of two similar parallel bars. Dips is the best exercise for working the upper chest, shoulders, biceps and triceps. Leg Press Machine Most people believe that squats are the best overall exercise to build up the leg muscles. Most of the press machines are set on a 45 degree angle which provides excellent movement of legs. With the leg press the trainee can safely lift weights without having to worry about sliding or falling over. It gives less stress on the lower back which can help people with back problems and knees then squats. The Hack-Squat Machine This is a innovative variation of the traditional and popular barbell squat that is commonly used. This is excellent and very useful for developing the outer muscles of the thighs and for toning up. Leg Extension Machine This machine is ideally suitable for isolating the quadriceps muscles and focusing on leg muscles. Most trainees find this exercise useful for pre-exhausting their quadriceps or for warming up the knee joints (which are normally tight) before proceeding to do squats or leg press exercises. Calf Machines There are mainly 2 different types of calf machines, one is the standing calf raise and second is the seated calf raise. The former raise focuses the upper calf muscles (gastrocnemius) while the later is used to work out the lower calf muscles (soleus). Leg Curl Machine This machine is ideal hamstring exercises which is very popular with athletes. Some gyms nowadays may have a leg extension and leg curl machine built in together into one machine, to maximise utilisation of space Financials: Capital Funds and Budget Plan The capital investment and operational costs of the proposed business is as given below: (1) Short term part-investment: Angel investment of  £25,000 towards franchise fee. This includes employee(includes training and management staff) training and management orientation. Brochures, documents and other books and manuals such as fitness and wellness guides, marketing materials such as standard pamphlets. (2) Short term part-investment: Bank loan of  £30,000 towards premises rental and day to day maintenance for the first 12 months. (3) Short term: Angel investment of  £10,000 towards marketing and promotional expenses. (3) Short term: Bank loan of  £30,000 towards staff costs for first 12 months. Therefore, the capital cost of the business upon starting is  £95,000. This is raised as a combined collective-capital as described above in parts of Angel Investment of  £25,000 and  £10,000 in addition to the  £30,000 of bank loan. Financials: Cash flow and Forecast (Projections) The cash flow for day to day operations for the initial twelve months will be incurred from the capital investment as explained in the above section. As per the projections explained below, the break even point (of  £95,000) is expected to cross in the month of nine from the starting day of the business. Upon achieving the break even the excessive funds (as in the figures below) will be used partly for the operational cost and the rest will be accumulated as retained profits, which is estimated to be approximately  £25,000 (after achieving break even). The proposed membership fee will be between  £5 and  £49 for various services. The average monthly membership fee is proposed to be  £15 to ensure competitive advantage over other fitness centres. As a conservative estimate, the membership is expected to grow at 140% in the initial stages at averagely 25 new members a day. Therefore, the projected earnings over the period of initial 9 months ( £15x £25x £9) is around  £101,250 and the breakeven will be achieved in 7th month of starting the business. In a modern estimate (if promoted through freely available internet and ecommerce services), membership base is expected to grow at 265% in the initial stages and break even can be achieved quickly and steady flow of revenue can be ensured. Financials: Future Expansion Plans The long term investment capital funds of  £450,000 will be raised as mentioned below, to grow the business in steady pace for adding more number of gym equipments with advanced features. More facilities including 247 access to the gym will be offered: The long term investment funds will be raised as given below, (1). Listing the business in AIM-Cash shell list in association with external fund raising companies (Projected to raise around  £200,000). (2). Additional capital will be raised through low end venture capital firms to raise the capital of around  £225,000. The total of  £450,000 will be raised as explained above for expanding and ensuring the organic growth of the business. Marketing and Promotions Strategy In the total of  £10,000 allocated marketing budget the advertisement campaigns within the proposed budget will be carried out in co-operation with the parent Gold Gym entity with and estimated cost of  £3400. The printed pamphlets will be circulated to local community with special-seasonal offers as well as special membership offers. Low cost advertisements will be published for the budget of  £2500 in local community news magazines. Advertisement displays will be considered in the second phase of the business upon reaching breakeven point. Conclusion Fitness and wellness care is becoming essential part of life style. With fast life styles, stress full working conditions, growing competitions and unhealthy eating habits, many people have realised the importance of fitness and health to lead a quality life. More and more people are now keen to improve their fitness levels, some for feel good about themselves, some to look better and feel confident, and some to reduce mental stress levels. The brand of the Gold Gym is a proven and time tested that could result in increased customer base. Over the time gold gym has seen growth and succeeded in providing excellent fitness and health services. The brand name backed by the reputation makes gold gym franchise a low risk business model. In a traditional estimate, the proposed Gold Gym franchise is expected to cross break even in around 7 months and yield steady profits from 8th month onwards. Further to the 8th mark growth opportunities can emerge with market conditions improving disposab le income of individuals getting back to normal levels. After carefull evaluating all financial aspects and growth prospects we can conclude starting the Gold Gym franchise will be a lucrative and profitable business.

Critical Reflection Of Communication Personal Development Essay

Critical Reflection Of Communication Personal Development Essay In 2006, a patient named Robin became pregnant. In the 5th month of pregnancy, the patient began having trouble with diarrhoea and then developed a severe infection in her upper respiratory system. Robins obstetrician immediately hospitalized her and within 24, hours, Robin had a temperature of 105 degrees and was in preterm labour. Just before Christmas, Robin was diagnosed with Acute Viral Pneumonia. After getting permission from the doctor to go home for Christmas, Robin was back at the hospital 15 days later because she was in preterm labour yet again. It was then that Robin was introduced to a gastroenterologist who diagnosed her with Crohns Disease. Robin was immediately put on medications to try to save her and her unborn childs lives. On 3rd February, Robins contractions were five minutes apart but her due date was the 17th of March. Robin came to the hospital and within one hour, I performed an ultrasound on Robin, only to let her know that her unborn baby boy was no longer alive. After the funeral of her son, Robin was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in her inner thigh. Reflection: Interpersonal communication skills Listening is an active and basic process that involves not only taking the content of the person speaking by looking at their body language and listening to their words, but also being perceptive. Good listening skills are shown by attending behaviour that is practiced by establishing eye contact, maintain a relaxed posture and sending appropriate messages to the patient through gestures. Attending behaviour works well in that it encourages the patient to verbalise their feelings and ideas freely. During listening, the nurse paraphrases the words of the patient in fewer words so as to make sure that the nurse understood what the patient wants. Paraphrasing is an important part of listening because it exposes and clarifies any mixed or double messages sent when the patient fails to make a direct statement. The third part of listening is clarifying. Clarifying goes beyond paraphrasing with an intention of bringing vague material into sharper focus. Perception checking is an effective p art of ensuring accuracy of a communication because it is a method of giving and receiving feedback from the patient. When helping Robin, I can say that I had effective listening skills. I made a point of listening to what Robin told me and I made sure that when she was talking, I made her feel comfortable and showed that I was interested in what she was saying. Leading is a communication skill that encourages the patient to respond in an open communication so as to invite verbal expression. The helper slightly anticipates what the patient is thinking and where those thoughts are headed. In anticipating these thoughts, the nurse leads the patient so as to stimulate the communication. Leading encourages the patient to retain primary responsibility for the direction of the communication and helps them to be active in the process. Leading also encourages the patient to explore and elaborate on their feelings. One of the tools used in leading is using open questions that can be answered by more than just a yes or a no. Choosing appropriate questions lead to clarification for the patient. Another tool used in leading is by being indirect when leading the patient. Indirect leading keeps the responsibility of keeping the communication going on the patient. Indirect leading allows the patient to control the direction of the communication and protect their ideas. Direct leading on the other hand specifies a topic and the nurse uses suggestions to direct the patient. Direct leading is important in elaborating, clarifying and illustrating what the patient has been saying. In the case of a patient who has multiple problems or is vague, focussing is an important aspect that should be used in leading the communication. Focussing is a way that emphasizes on a certain idea or feeling and helps the patient get in touch with their feelings. I did not use leading skills when communicating with Robin and this is a skill I should in the future. I will enhance my abilities in leading skills by using open questions that will encourage the patients to share their ideas and feelings freely. Reflecting feelings, experience and content of the patient expresses that the nurse understands and wants to perceive the world as the patient does. Reflecting the patients feelings brings those feelings into clear awareness from the vague expressions that they were. Helping the patients to own their feelings is done by identifying both the obvious and subtle feelings that are hidden behind words. In reflecting experience, the nurse broadly observes the patients verbalised feelings and their nonverbal feelings. Like paraphrasing, reflecting content involved repeating the essential ideas of the patient in fewer and fresher words. When the patient is having difficulty in expressing an idea, reflecting content helps the nurse to clarify those ideas. During communication, reflecting helps the patient to recognise and express their feelings effectively. In communicating with Robin, I sounded monotonous and insincere when I began my reflection with saying, It seems you were very upset even after yelling for everyone to get out. In saying this I also said words that that Robin was unprepared for because they had too much depth of feeling. In future communication with patients, I should not read more interpretations into the statement than was intended, and I should use less monotonous words that sound sincere. Confronting the patients is intended to help them recognize what is going on or what the nurse infers is going on. A patient may feel threatened and anxious at first when they are confronted. However, the patient is also grateful for the honesty albeit direct expression that shows that the nurse cares. Confronting the patient presents feedback that is difficult to hear, and as such, the nurse should poses good timing to ensure that the patient is ready for honest feedback. Sometimes I find it hard to confront patients. In Robins case, I was finding it hard to understand and deal with her. I know that confronting the patient is one of the crucial skills that I must poses. I must recognize my feelings as the nurse and share those feelings with the patient. I must be able to involve myself in self-reflection as a form of confrontation. I believe that by practicing, training and observing others, I can develop my confronting skills. Using interpretation helps the patient to see their problems in new ways. Unlike paraphrasing where the patients frame of reference is maintained, in interpreting, the nurse offers the patient a new frame of reference. The nurse adds his or her own meaning to the patients basic meaning. When the nurse adds on to the basic message from the patient, and the patient understands the new idea, then communication is accelerated. Interpreting is useful in helping the patient get a broader perception their feelings. Interpretation is a communication skill that I used with Robin. While talking to Robin, she mentioned that she felt that the nurses around her were angels who lit her fire up in a time when she needed much encouragement. I told Robin that the way I saw it, she could join also become a nurse. Due to the Crohns disease, Robin could only live a stress-free life. However, after living the hospital, the first thing that Robin did was to go to Upper Valley Joint Vocational School where she applied for pre-requisite classes in the Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) program. Robin graduated in November 2009 and has been working in the nursing profession since then. The most important thing that a nurse can do for the patient is sharing simple facts. Informing is a communication skill that is integrated with giving advice. Under some circumstances, where advice giving does not foster dependency and is not arrogant, giving advice can be helpful to the patient. Communication through informing gives the patient a recommended course of action that the nurse has experience with. Through giving suggestions, the patient can decide the course of action that he or she will take. Crisis situations where the patient has to adjust to a readjustment in life are an appropriate situation for giving the patient advice. In Robins case, after she had a stillbirth, I advised her to take her time with her son, Benjamin. I encouraged Robin to spend as much time as she wanted holding the five pound fifteen ounce baby boy. As much as Robin did not want to, I took pictures of robin and Benjamin for the memory album. I knew that that was the best albeit hardest thing ro bin had ever done. Summarising skills involve paying attention to what, how, why, when and the effect of what the patient said. After communicating with a patient, the nurse should try to gather all the ideas and feeling expressed in one statement. Summarising is important in that it gives the patient awareness of progress in exploring ides and feelings, problem solving and learning. In summarising, the communication ends in a natural note that clears a way for new ideas and clarifies scattered ideas. Patients also gain confidence in that the nurse was attentive to them throughout the conversation. The nurse can use summarising as a means to check the accuracy of the ideas and feelings that were communicated by the patient. When communicating with Robin, I did not use summarising skills. In future communications, I should use the ideas from the patients to make a summary of the statements made. Instead of making the summary myself, I could ask the patient to summarize the themes, agreements and plans m ade during the communication. Enablers and impediments to interpersonal communication While communicating with Robin, the physical environment did not pose as an obstacle. However, my discomfort as a nurse was an obstacle when communicating with Robin. This discomfort originated from death and dying in general. I dealt with this discomfort by thinking that it was not my responsibility to communicate with Robin about hospice care and prognosis. My desire to maintain positive thoughts in Robin and her parents was also an obstacle. I would put off discussions about Robins possibility of a stillbirth until I felt that Robin and her parents could handle that conversation. In the future, I will initiate communication on prognosis and hospice care without thinking it is too much trouble. I will also control fear that emerges after telling the patient bad news. The patient can also be an obstacle to effective communication when he or she is unwilling to accept prognosis or hospice care. This unwillingness that was evident in Robins case is ascribed to her non-acceptance of he r sons death and her diagnosis with Crohns disease. In helping with Robins acceptance, I encouraged her by letting her know that I would be there to help her and listened to her. Because this worked well, I will continue being an encouraging factor for future patients. Cultural and social issues did not act as an obstacle while I was communicating with Robin. During Christmas, Robin when home to celebrate the holiday with her family, and when she was admitted back a few days later, I gave Robin a Christmas present that facilitated communication. Conclusion and recommendation Nurses play an important role in communicating with patients because they are always in close contact. A nurse-patient relationship is improved by communication and as such, having effective communication skills is an important factor and a priority for every nurse. I must develop my skills further in leading, confronting and summarising by participating in training activities. By participating in learning activities, I can develop strategies and acquire new skills as well as effectively employ those skills. Another strategy I will use is practicing key skills with actors and simulated patients because I will be able to control the nature and complexity of the task. Lastly, I must use the communication skills acquired in practice.

The American Dream in Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essay -- Great Gat

The American Dream in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby The 1920's were a time of parties, drinking and having nothing but fun. Many aspired to be rich and prosperous and longed to be a part of the upper class. Although this was the dream for many Americans of this time, it seemed almost impossible to become a part of this social class unless born into it. Even those who worked hard to become successful and support themselves and their families were not accepted into this elite group of men and women, despite the fact that they too most likely had everything. This was a running theme of this decade and only a few people knew how impossible this dream was. Although some could accomplish rising to the top, they still could not achieve true happiness. F. Scott Fitzgerald was one of these wise people and in The Great Gatsby he satirizes the American Dream by creating characters from new money, old money and the working class, who all fail miserably in achieving life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The new money of the New York area mostly settled in West Egg, Long Island. This is where Nick Carraway, the narrator of the story, and Jay Gatsby live. Gatsby is a self-made man who "sprang from his Platonic conception of himself" (95). Nick describes him as a man invented like that which a "seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end" (95). This idea of a self-made man was very popular in this era. Many people, especially from the lower social classes, wanted more than anything to become rich and part of the upper society. In Gatsby's case, his motivation is Daisy, a girl from Louisville with whom he fell in love. When Gatsby realized that he wasn't good enough for her because s... ...ly belongs. She can never truly leave this place and what's even more ironic, she is killed by what she craves acceptance from and longs to be apart of, the aristocracy. Society during the 1920's was masked by drinking, parties and extravagant wastefulness of money, but underneath there was misery throughout all the classes. Despite the variety of income, inheritance and economics, "there was no difference between men, in intelligence or race, so profound as the difference between the sick and the well" and many men of this time were sick with depression (118). Fitzgerald makes it seem as though it was practically impossible to be happy during these times as no one could get what he or she really wanted. He describes this era in a cynical way but is historically accurate, and effectively depicts the misery of the decade and the failure to achieve the American Dream.

The Washington Monument Essay -- Architecture Monuments Construction E

The Washington Monument The Washington Monument, a memorial structure designed and constructed in the nineteenth century, signifies an important tribute to the prestigious role and achievements of our nation’s founding father. Ideas for such a monument first arose in 1783, by which time â€Å"the fame George Washington, Commanding General and first President of the United States, was assured in the pantheon of statesmen of the world† (1). It was during this year that the Continental Congress proposed an â€Å"equestrian statue† in honor of â€Å"Washington’s services and his unique role in the founding of the new Republic† (1). Despite the project’s popularity with the public, however, little action was taken following the suggestion until after the former president’s death in late 1799; and, even then, debate ensued as to the design and methods of funding. When construction finally began fifty years later, more negotiations developed within a wide range of aspects. Engineers argued over site location and an adequate foundation. Finances waned due to non-congressional funding, the nationwide Panic of 1837, and a general loss of faith in the project’s organizational capability. The sole supplier of marble struggled to meet the extensive demands of material needed in the latter part of construction. Political opposition (by the Know-Nothing Party) to the acceptance of foreign aid in funding the project led to radical events (namely, theft and seizure) that slowed progress for several years. And the Civil War resulted in the halt of construction altogether, creating two separat e building phases as the country dealt with internal turmoil. More important than the variety of obstacles these issues pr... ...ew York City. On each side of the capstone, the official record for the construction of the monument was engraved. â€Å"†¦The west face of the capstone read, â€Å"Corner Stone laid on bed of foundation, July 4, 1848. First stone at height of 152 feet laid August 7, 1880. Capstone set December 6, 1884; and the east face read â€Å"LAUS DEO (Ch. 5).† Both the north and south faces of the stone named the commission members and the key men involved in the completion of the Washington Monument. In conclusion, the lengthy process involved in constructing the Washington Monument was one that, despite its difficulties and setbacks, has achieved the project’s initial goal: the impressive structure stands in the Nation’s Capital as â€Å"a memorial †¦ worthy of the memory of George Washington. Works Cited: 1) http://www.nps.gov/wamo/history 2.) http://tourofdc.org

Communication in Marriage Essay

Marriage is a beautiful thing, but at times can be very challenging. Making a commitment and keeping it takes a lot of work and patience. One reason that a marriage may face a problem is due to the lack of communication. At certain times women may need someone to hear them out whereas on the other hand men want someone to give them advice and support. In â€Å"His Talk, Her Talk† by Joyce Maynard, the author introduces us to her marriage and communication between her and her husband. In the other article â€Å"Man to Man, Women to Women† by Mark A. Sherman and Adelaide Haas, talks more about how men talk more directly and women think, and watch what they say. In â€Å"His Talk, Her Talk† by Joyce Maynard, she gives us an outlook on her marriage and the way she communicates with her husband. Maynard states that the opposite sexes are usually excluded from the conversation, such as the idea that there is a thing as â€Å"men’s talk† or â€Å"women’s talk† (Maynard 31). Men and women usually divide into two groups when there is a party or any sort of gathering. Immediately we redistributed ourselves which was a shame (Maynard 31). This tends to happen often and one may wonder as to why? Why can’t men and women have a long conversation about certain subject that both are interested in? Some women may argue that speaking to another woman, their point will be taken a lot more seriously whereas men tend to disregard the entire point altogether. Men like to have more simple straight forward conversation that gets to the point. Women are more verbal and they like to express themselves and detail their conv ersations. In the article â€Å"Man to Man, Women to Woman† by Mark A. Sherman and Adelaide Haas, the authors use a questionnaires, interviews, and observations to see how different types of genders communicate. Herman and Haas, in their research tested one hundred sixty-six women and 110 men, ranging in age from seventeen to 80, returned a questionnaire asking how often they discussed each of 22 topics with friends of the same sex (Herman and Haas 33). Women’s topic tends to be closer to the self and more emotional than men’s (Sherman and Haas 33). This does not mean that men do not have emotional talks; it just takes a right person to bring it out of them. As stated in the article men can be good listeners, as well as women can give direct advice (Sherman and Haas 33). Communication is key to any happy relationship whether it may be a marriage, girlfriends or just male companionship, women and men due indeed complete each other. When a woman is full of emotions, the man is always there to comfort her. Men tend to bottle up their emotions and they know that they can open up to a woman for emotional support. The first article â€Å"His Talk, Her Talk† by Joyce Maynard, was acknowledgement of her own personal life, whereas the second article â€Å"Man to Man, Woman to Woman† by Sherman and Haas, was based on the questionnaire and observation of other women and men and how they communicate. I would recommend the article â€Å"Man to Man, Women to Women† by Sherman and Haas, because it is well written, explaining the core problems that men and women have in their communication between one another. Citation Maynard, Joyce, †His Talk, Her Talk† Text and Contexts: A Contemporary Approach to College Writing. Ed. William S. Robinson et al. Boston Wadsworth, 2009. Print Sherman, Mark and Haas, Adelaide. â€Å" Man to Man, Woman to Woman† Text and Contexts: A Contemporary Approach to College Writing. Ed. William S. Robinson et al. Boston Wadsworth, 2009. Print