A Reflection On My Learning Styles Education Essay

A Reflection On My Learning Styles Education Essay INTRODUCTION This reflective essay aims to draw reflection from experience acquired from the Learning from Practice and Reflection (LFPR) module studied at level 1. My own development during this period will be examined in addition to issues encountered in the progression of the event/activities endeavoured upon. In an attempt to demonstrate significant comprehension of my learning from experiences encountered during this process, emphasis would be made on the learning style(s) utilised and how these were examined and developed. My preferred and actual pursued roles will also be highlighted to show how I developed and/or changed behaviours. How I have managed to develop new and existing skills will be assessed and the extent to which I understand myself and my learning. Finally, I would evaluate the potential scope of improvements made and in need of being made by looking ahead in order to perceive how things would be done and what I would do differently resulting from lessons learnt from past experience. The aforementioned analysis will be well structured to cover the different stages (planning, implementation and evaluation) involved in the activity pursued, and will be made against a backdrop of theory and models that would be utilised and act as supporting evidence accumulated from the module. In doing so, one must also acknowledge the importance and relevance of such a topic due the wide scope it possesses to the extent of being applicable far and beyond this module, university life, but to greater dimensions at the peak of ones career. Learning styles, preferences and skills learnt and adopted could be further honed and tailored around ones expertise in order to maximise ones potential and capacity. This would prove crucial and particularly beneficial in areas where there is much at stake, not to mention the flexibility involved in its transferrable nature (the acquisition of transferrable skills such as organisational, decision making, communication, research, IT appropriate numeracy and group work) where its concept could be implemented in areas/situations of a less magnitude such as nurturing kids to adopt such learning techniques a an early age when starting a family or general everyday experiences. LITERATURE ON LEARNING STYLES/CYCLES PREFERENCES Honey and Mumford The process of learning has been found to be multi-dimensional as various schools of thought have come up with various theoretical models that conjure how people learn. Among the most renowned is Kolbs (1984 1995), who presented learning as a cycle; evolving on a constant basis. Viewing this one can easily reason perhaps why academics such as the likes of Kunzel(no-date) would argue from a psychological standpoint that learning is a journey or a lifelong process. The diagram below illustrates the Kolbs (1984; 1995) initial development of learning as a cycle: Subsequently deduced from the original cycle above is Honey and Mumfords (1992) learning cycle illustrated below: The second enhanced version seems to suggest that in every learning situation, the learning process involving the learner should move consciously through every stage of the cycle. However, this may be found contrary to practical reality and experience which show significant preferences for one or more of the stages over others and that not all learners are well grounded in all stages of the cycle. Although some learners may positively or negatively dislike one or some of the stages, there is nothing to prove or indicate that such preference systems make learners better or worse than one another. Relevant and directly aligned to each stage of the learning cycle, Honey and Mumford (1992) identified four different preferential methods in which people prefer to learn, namely; Activist, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist. People tend to operate in just one or in a combination of these modes depending on the degree of preferences, because rather than being fixed characteristics, these are assumed to be acquired characteristics adaptable either through evolved circumstances or at will. Additionally, it is said as mentioned by Honey and Mumford (1992), that ones managerial approach usually reflects ones learning style or vice versa. Honey and Mumford (1992) also found: Activists tend to prefer being proactively involved and dominated by imminent and new experiences with a philosophy of wanting to give a go at anything at least once. This consumes their days with activity and problems are usually tackled through brainstorming. Honey and Mumford (1992) also suggests that activists are busy looking for another activity once the short bursts of excitement from one has sedated. Apparently according to Honey and Mumford (1992), activists are bored with implementation and longer-term consolidation processes and are least productive in learning from passive situations centred on concept or theory that may include the likes of watching and listening to lectures or reading, but rather tend to thrive on and relish the challenge of new experiences. One may argue however, that this element of interest does in fact involve implementation however short-termist it may be, so perhaps it is long-term implementation that activist dislike, but can tolerate short-term as long as it serves their needs of interest and preferences. Activists also prefer not to review their learning achievements and opportunities and dislike situations requiring detailed preparation, solitary work or repetitive tasks. Reflectors prefer to stand back, listen, observe and ponder on experiences from various perspectives, and learn best when doing this. This process usually involves collecting information (either first-hand or from others) to be thoroughly thought through from every possible angle before coming to any definite conclusions, comments or actions. As a result, characteristics traits present in reflectors include postponing outcomes as long as possible; always exercising caution, whilst watching other people in action preferring to occupy a back seat in discussions and meetings, always thinking before speaking, adapting a low profile and possessing a slightly tolerant, distant and unruffled aura. Honey and Mumford (1992) suggests reflectors are weaker in learning when rushed into things without time to plan or with inadequate data, when pushed into role play duties like chairing a meeting. Theorists as learners enjoy analysing and synthesising; by combining and converting distinct facts and observations into comprehensive logical theories. Theorists are said to learn best when presented with a concept theory, system or model irrespective of the potential distance from reality associated with such application. This philosophy relishes logic and rationality. Honey and Mumford (1992) state that theorists enjoy being intellectually challenged; preferring to work with structure, a clear purpose, and being allowed to: investigate associations and interrelationships question assumptions and logic analyse reasons and to generalise from deductions Theorists are said to usually think things through in a well structured and logical manner with high perfectionist tendencies; restless unless and until things fit well into a rational scheme or sequence. Characteristic of this learning preference is keen interest on principles, theories, models, assumptions and systems thinking, and detached, analytical and dedicated to rational objectivity in nature. Anything flippant, subjective in judgement, ambiguous and lateral in thinking, tend to be of discomfort to theorists, who are weaker in learning when: supposed to do something without clear purpose activities are unstructured and ambiguous emotion is emphasised faced with shallow activities subject supporting data is unavailable feeling out of tune with the rest of the group (Honey and Mumford, 1992). Pragmatists are more concerned with making things work on a practical reality by possessing a keen interest on implementing theories, ideas and/or techniques learnt (either recently or previously) to test if they work. This is a feat in slight contrast with reflectors and theorists. Pragmatists are said to positively (and perhaps proactively) search out new ideas and relish opportunities to experiment with applications. They enjoy getting on with things, making practical decisions and solving problems, and are confident and decisive when acting on ideas proving attractive. Pragmatists are also practical and down-to-earth in nature; responding as a challenge to problems and opportunities with a can do, there always a better way or an it is good if it works attitude. Such attitude can be easily perceived as positivist and optimist in mentality or way of thinking. Honey and Mumford (1992) suggests that pragmatists are best at learning when there is a clear link between their current job or (team) role and what is being learnt (the subject matter). They are said to enjoy exposure to processes or techniques clearly practical in nature with immediate relevance where there is a high probability for an opportunity to exist for implementation. As identified by Honey and Mumford (1992), points of weakness in learning with such preference are where there are no immediate rewards, benefits and/or relevance existing from learning activity and/or event(s). After completing Honey and Mumfords (1992) learning styles questionnaire, my highest and second highest score was against reflectors and theorists respectively. This indicated that strengths and learning preferences centred on those of reflectors and theorists and weaker in comparison to adapting traits of activists and pragmatists learning styles. Additionally, my personal results of Honey and Mumfords (1992) learning survey indicated that I preferred watching and thinking than doing and feeling; which effectively placed me in a philosophy category. This complemented the theorist style of learning more than the reflectors by suggesting that I preferred: to dwell on observations and pull thoughts into an integrated whole in a structured manner, logical reasoning, theories, projects and models, analogies, systems, case studies and lectures; courtesy of Clarke (2010). Equipped with this knowledge, placed me in a better convenient position to benefit from choosing the most suitable and adaptable learning techniques, experiences and opportunities at given activities/event(s)/tasks such as the group activity we embarked upon as on a module requirement. Additionally, there are options now available at least consciously where learning styles can be developed in order to expand the range skills available for learning purposes. Considering that by preference, with regards to the three main stages involved in any given task/activity/event (planning, implementation and evaluation), reflectors and theorists are more keen and productive in the planning and evaluation sides of things as opposed to activists and pragmatists implementation, it is of no surprise that I also enjoyed and performed better during these stages (planning and evaluation) of our group activity. Pragmatically speaking this does not suggest however, that Honey and Mumfords (1992) learning cycle theory was not at all contradicted or called into question at times in reality, as it would be quite naive to deem it flawless especially considering the wide dimension of learning styles preferences theory and literature out there. This criticism of Honey and Mumfords (1992) learning cycle matches Smiths (2001) fourth criticism of the cycle which outlines that the ideological sequences do not necessarily equate to reality. Among other criticisms by S mith (2001) worth mentioning is the fact that cultural conditions and experiences are not at all considered and acknowledged, not to mention the subjective perhaps pre-judgemental and weak empirical evidence it relies on for diagnosis. The overriding criticism of this learning cycle is Smiths (2001) sixth but not least criticism which quite rightly points out that the relationship between knowledge and learning processes is much more complex than Kolb (1984) and Honey and Mumford (1992) suggest. Emphasising this point is the Islamic principle and philosophy described so eloquently by Abdalati (1975) as; the truth and knowledge are not entirely confined to sensory knowledge or perception alone. This principle is so firmly rooted when pondered upon that it goes further to expose the fact that any view held or derived by an individual(s) without infallibility or divine revelation, is usually based on the rationalisation of ones own prejudices. LEARNING LOG These were noticed and considered upon critical reflection of critical incidents aided by the utilisation of a learning log which kept track of how I was managing my learning. Consciously and deliberately, time was taken out to focus on my performance during the course; as is the emphasis of this essay. The objective of this is to review thoughts that led to specific actions, outcomes, and lessons learnt from experience in order to be well equipped and informed for future practice; weaknesses could be developed and repeated mistakes avoided. From an enhanced version of the earliest known version of the renown proverb initiated by Julius Caesar,: experience is the teacher of all things, author Pliny the Elder in Naturalis Historia (A.D. 77) mentioned experience as the best teacher, which does emphasis the rationale behind such learning methods. When used critically, the technique of critical reflection can assist one to hone skills. The learning log; which in essence is a diary, a pro gress file or a journal of event/activities with short term reactions to activities, can significantly in the reflecting process. The learning log used during this module can be summarised into three main sections, these were: An actual log; this was a detailed/brief account of what happened Immediate Reactions to situation/activity A Rear View; looking back at what significant outcomes would I take away from event/activity, what lessons were learnt and if anything could have been done differently looking ahead for the future One of the most significant of critical incidents logged (courtesy of Gallagher (2010)) during our group activity within the period of this module was recording briefly that I had left my phone behind on the day we were supposed to be selling cupcakes at university and only realising it 15 minutes after leaving the house on my way to pick up the cakes from a group members house. My immediate reaction was one in rational non-panic mode; with less emotional attachment to the situation I assessed the fact that it was not at all imperative to have my as opposed to the imperativeness attached to actually having cupcakes for sale, being on time to secure a good spot and to allow enough time to plan ahead on the day to make sure everything was in order running smoothly than rushing into things with less thought; traits usually associated with lateness. So I decided not to go back for it and proceeded to my destination which was to a team-members house to pick up the cupcakes. This of course complemented a philosophy style of learning, with the only contradiction being that if philosophers due think things through logically and prefer structure, then surely there should have been provisional scope made in my thoughts to make sure I did not leave my phone behind especially in an important occasion as our big day as far as our group activity was concerned where communication could play crucial roles for organisational and logistical purposes. The counter argument to this would perhaps be acknowledging the fact that no man is perfect not even the best of philosophers not to mention a mere student and besides, surely not all group members would forget their phones; so in such terms this was not a deal breaking error that would seal ones fate, but was easily absorbable and offset by other more superseding factors. In the looking back section of this log, lessons learnt was to go that extra mile to prepare a little bit more; perhaps by making a shortlist of essentials and to dos and tick each one and I go along; this ensures all bases are covered in events leading to a big day/event/activity/occasion/meeting and so on. This is something I could do differently in the future in any role applicable. Overall, I rated my performance and confidence in this critical incident as 4. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING Subject to necessary changes a personal development plan (PDP) is most relevant to target driven job/role as highlighted by Honey and Mumford (1992) and is usually utilised for unexpected opportunities and/or weaknesses. To monitor ad record progress, a PDP also identifies areas in need of improvement. Set criteria/targets are usually individualistic and unique to individual performance. Overleaf is a copy of one among PDPs made during module, but this drew reference to the group activity: What I am going to do Open the sales of cupcakes by picking up cakes, setting up stall and begin selling the cakes and the documented accounting for sales Why I am going to do this My personal contribution as s a group member in an attempt to achieve success; a goal that unifies all group members as we are all in this together How I am going to do this Plan ahead, through structured and logical manner, logical and rational reasoning over the logistics involved with the delivering of the above target. Make sure estimated time of arrival is early, cakes are ready for pick up on time, use selling, numeric and bilingual skills to the best of my ability to close as many sales as possible When I am going to do this On the 21/03/11 When I will review the results /how I will know I was successful Post 21/03/11 Courtesy of Honey and Mumford (2006) Quite similar to a learning log to the extent that it extracts from ones learning log and appraisal documents, but perhaps more challenging, target driven and development orientated. A PDP would usually include dates, event/activity, achievement/results, interpretation of achievement/results against a benchmark, lessons learnt and any possible room for improvement or what could be done differently is under-achieving. OTHER RELEVANT MODELS: VAK Leite et al. (2009) highlights one of the most renowned classifications of the different kinds of learning styles is Flemings VAK also known as VARK which is an expanded version of neuro-linguistic programming models. As an abbreviation the VAK stands for: Visual learners; prefer seeing/thinking things through pictures, handouts, visual aids like PowerPoint slides and so on. Auditory learners; prefer learning by listening via lectures, tapes, discussions and so on. Kinesthetic learners; prefer learning by experience; actually doing on a physical dimension; be it experiments, moving, touching, and active exploration to name a few (Walter et al., 2009). Upon taking the VAK survey, Visual learning was revealed as my preferred learning style and my goal thereon was to focus on visual aids as a main source of learning in order to maximise my educational experience. However, to avoid getting too carried away with this model, it is hard not to recognise the fact that all three styles within VAK are required for effective learning in the pursuit of knowledge and experience as they are inter-related/-dependent and used more often than not interchangeably. Although it supplemented my other identified styles of learning (reflector/theorists/philosophy), my preference for visual aid for instance as a visual learner would still require listening when benefitting from a PowerPoint presentation being presented by a lecturer unless one was deaf or chose to cover their ears and kinaesthetic element involved would be efforts and energy required to access it in the first place be it using a computer/laptop, jotting down notes or taking a walk into t he classroom again unless one was immobile or chose to be stationary. Emphasising this fact of objective criticism is the mere fact that losing any one of the imperative senses directly associate specifically with anyone of VAK classifications would equate to having a learning disability irrespective of what type of learner/learning preferences one is/has. BELBIN TEAM ROLES Source: XenerGie (no date) The above illustration outlines the nine different main team roles that people are scored on depending on how strongly they express behavioural characteristics of the nine roles, which are more or less self explanatory. The overall assessment process involved to derive such results is known as the Belbin Team Inventory or Belbin Self-Perception Inventory (SPI), which was instigated by Belbin (1981; 1994) to measure preference for the main roles. My SPI results indicated that my most natural roles (where I scored exceptionally high) were as: A Plant; described by Belbin (1981; 1994) as someone with bright ideas who prefers to work on his or her own and generates ideas without considering the practicality or considering others views and can be bored easily by others inputs. Plants are also described as weak at communicating with, learning from, or managing, other people. A Monitor Evaluator; Excellent in reasoning for solutions, views from a wider perspective when all options are considered, but similar to plants weaker at motivating, acknowledging, or facilitating others as rationality is favoured over emotions. A Completer Finisher; Possesses depth to efficiently assist a team to see task(s) through but with major emphasis on accuracy and perfection which can frustrate other practically minded members. Members feel safe by him although there still remains a tendency to annoy due to perfectionism characteristics. My results in totality with key for decipher and interpretation purposes are illustrated below: Courtesy of Belbin (1981; 1994) IM Implementer CO Co-ordinator SH Shaper PL Plant RI Resource Instigator ME Monitor Evaluator TW Team Worker CF Completer Finisher Very Low 0-5 0-3 0-3 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-3 0-1 Low 6-8 4-5 4-6 2-3 3 3-4 4-5 2-3 Mid-Range 9-12 6-9 7-14 4-7 4-7 5-9 6-10 4-8 High 13-15 10-13 15-18 8-9 8-10 10-11 11-13 9-10 Very High 16+ 14+ 19+ 10+ 11+ 12+ 14+ 11+ Courtesy of Belbin (1981; 1994) BELBIN SELF PERCEPTION INVENTORY EXERCISE DT360 From the results shown above, it is clear that absolute coordinating and team worker roles are best avoided as I had very low scores on them, although on average I am capable of assuming shaper and resource instigator roles with relative ease. Some may argue that a more objective and rational method of executing this model would have been to rank each statement in order of preference with the highest rank being made on a statement that best described ones behaviour/personality rather than being confined to 10 points where it is inevitable that some statements would be unaccounted for even though one may have a degree of response for them. Surely it would be fairer in distribution and unbiased if all statements were accounted for to some degree, although keeping the key hidden among the statements and not revealed until ones completed the survey does account to an extent for objectivity. The model can also seem quite daunting and complicated for participants with poor numeric skills; (as a total of 10 points has to be maintained for each number), to the extent that they may be easily confused, put off or end up providing a false reflection due to inaccuracies or poor calculations. Additionally, the fact that Belbin (1981; 1 994) defines an ideal team as consisting of 4 members and anything over this constitutes of a group. This implies that the model is best applicable to teams than groups, but in practicality teams in the workplace and in most cases than not are usually exceeding 4 members. The contradiction of this is that the total number of team roles being tested are 9 (far excessive than 4), although one may argue that depending on the overall goal/objective/activity/event at hand, it may not be an imperative to have all 9 roles present in your team, but perhaps the best/most suitable 4 selections from the 9 that would best serve the overall task at hand. JOHARI WINDOW Initiated by Luft and Ingham (1955), a Johari Window is usually used as a heuristic activity in an attempt to assist people to comprehend interpersonal relationships and communication much better and is seen as a cognitive psychological tool. In terms of input and facilitation, in comparison to the other models aforementioned, this model tends to be less individualist and more interactive (imperatively requiring others input). As revealed by Luft (1969), in practice, a list of 56 adjectives is provided (to both the subject and peers) and utilised by both in the same way but independently input (picking 5 or 6 adjectives), to describe the subjects personality, which are then sieved and mapped onto a grid similar to the one found below (relevant to myself and completed for this module): 2. BLIND SELF Warm Sympathetic Warm Proud Self-conscious OPEN SELF Happy Kind Nervous Adaptable Friendly Known to self Not known to self Known to others 3. UNKNOWN SELF Reflective Observant Logical Adaptable Organised 4. HIDDEN SELF Complex Independent Loving Modest Dignified Not known to others Handy (2000) describes this concept as a house with 4 rooms; moving in a clockwise direction: Room 1; represents traits of my personality that I share in common with peers in terms of awareness. These adjectives were selected by both me and peers. Room 2; represents traits of my personality that I am unaware of, but revealed by peers. These descriptions were selected by my peers only without my input. Room 3; represents traits of my personality that were oblivious to both me and my peers. These were in effect selected by the other aforementioned models revelations and indications; these adjectives that best described my found learning preferences/styles. Handy (2000) describes this room as the most mysterious where the unconscious or subconscious part of us noticed by neither ourselves nor others. Room 4; described as confidential; the part of us known only to us and not others. These adjectives were selected by only me. The limitation with this window is that the number of adjectives does not always tally with what is required; and an uneven distribution of selections would have to be made more often than not; which may invalidate findings to an extent in terms of bias. However, this only tends to be an issue if a requirement is made to ensure an even distribution of adjectives across all 4 rooms is achieved. There is nothing to suggest in the theory that an uneven distribution across the rooms is unacceptable or invalid, rather the main emphasis is actually only made on an even independent selection of adjectives between subjects and peers. The problem with this is, if I did not select any adjective that matched my peers selection, would mean room 1 would remain empty. There is also some ambiguity on the frequency of selection required for each participant; is it confined to once or are multiple frequencies of selection allowed to offset such limitation? CONCLUSION PLANNING This was part of the group activity that I enjoyed the most and quite rightly so as indicated by the learning cycle/preferences models. I was proactively involved in this part of the session and my confidence in doing so was mostly thanks to completing most of the learning style/preferences models in precedence to the actual activity. I made the most of knowing where my learning preferences, strengths and skills lay by maximising my potential input/contribution to the group activity. Demonstrating traits of a reflector, theorist, plant, monitor evaluator, completer finisher, in a visually orientated dimension meant this role and stage of activity was performed naturally. One of my most productive and influential contributions at this stage of the activity was the highly imaginative idea to suggest that we considered raising money for charity as this seemed feasible under the circumstances considering our limited resources in terms of lack of funding (a concession from which the idea to submit a funding request stemmed from; although this attempt ultimately proved futile), and limited capacity to produce a lucrative venture under such confinements such as limited timeframes and manpower. Deciding on actually which charity (in this case red nose) to support/represent came from another team member. I must admit that I did not pay much interest or attention on the ins and outs involved in seeing through, although I was quite passionate about the idea. Moving forward perhaps I should develop my pragmatism on this aspect a bit further in order to be more specialised on hands-on experience. IMPLEMENTATION It is obvious that this was not my strongest point and as opposed to the brainstorming phase of the activity, I was not too much involved in this part of the procedure. My main input in this stage of the process was merely driving to picking up the cakes from a group members house (who happened to be more involved with liaising with the producer and negotiating on a price) setting up the stalls and a passive participation in selling on the day of sale. During this time I was better at observing spanners at work, how they work and generating ideas from gone wells and not gone wells. I was more committed to tracking our progress on sales projecting sales based on current sales ad how long we may be expected go on for. It was my idea that we always made sure we had spare change available, which required for each of us to bring coins along on the day. This highlighted preferred passion for the evaluation sides of things as similarly expressed for the planning stages. There is a lot that I have learnt from the implementation process and there is also a lot more to learn provided I am more involved in this stage, the realisation that theories do not always work in reality for instance would more easily verifiable and assessable. EVALUATION I did enjoy the evaluation stage other than the aspects of implementation involved in this process. My evaluation skills contributed toward the drive that was derived from projected findings on sales that led to us completing sales three hours ahead of schedule whilst generating a healthy profit of 64.5% and a total contribution of pou

Life on Mars as a human :: essays research papers

"PLANET MARS, POPULATION 13,000", says the sign at the entrance of Mars, a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" dot on the map of the solar system. It's a perfect story book planet: only six sets of traffic lights for our hover cars, a main street where you can say hello to any of the friendly, talkative beings nearby, lots of blazing rocks and a beautiful big canyon with an over-looking red sky. One thing a person from the planet would notice instantly, aside from the abundance of red rock and my planet's obsession with leaning buildings, is the fact that people of different races, other than green, stand out like flashing lights in a dark sky. See, the thing with Mars is the percentage of green beings is roughly 95 per cent. Don't get me wrong; in principle, there's nothing wrong with that. I'm just stating the facts. Given that my mother is Human and my father is from Uranus, however, I really stood out in Mars. For someone so physically and culturally distinctive, you may think that a small planet would be terrible to live in. But, for me, the experience was the total opposite. I never acknowledged my racial difference because no one else did. The only times I felt slightly out of place or uncomfortable was during discussions about different cultures at school. I'd always have this feeling that everyone was thinking about me and looking at me, wondering if I lived like the people we were discussing or not. To make myself feel better, I just thought of it as flattery. As their only real life subject, they could feel free to ask me questions. In my experience, being a minority is only a negative thing if you allow it to be. I didn't try to be someone I wasn't, so my race never did matter. Many people have blamed a lot of their problems on racism, stereotypes, and discrimination. Unfortunately, there are times when that is the reason. In some cases, however, people make it into a reason. They become so obsessed with the thought that anyone who is 'this' or 'that' is the problem. I have three words for them, just drop it. Stop making more problems, we already have enough. Sometimes the solar system would be better off colour blind. At times, I have been called an ‘apple,' green on the outside and white on the inside.

Psychological Affects of End-of-Life Care

As people approach the end of their lives, they with their families and their caregivers, face many tasks and decisions. They may be psychological, spiritual, or medical in nature, but all end-of-life choices and medical decisions have complex psychological components, ramifications, and consequences that have a significant impact on the suffering patients and their caregivers. Hospice is a special healthcare option for patients and families faced with a terminal illness. At Hospice there’s a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses social workers, bereavement counselors and volunteers that work together to address the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of each patient and family members (â€Å"Hospice†). The main focus of Hospice is to address the issues that are most important to the patients’ needs or wants at the end of his/her life. The term â€Å"Hospice† comes from medieval times when it referred to a place of shelter and rest for w eary or ill travelers on a long journey (Hospice).The name was first applied to specialized care for dying patients by Physician Dame Cicely Saunders, who began her work with the terminally ill in 1948 and eventually went on to create the first modern hospice—St. Christopher’s Hospice—in a residential suburb of London (National). Her lecture, given to medical students, nurses, social workers, and chaplains about the concept of holistic hospice care, included photos of terminally ill cancer patients and their families, showing the dramatic differences before and after the symptom control care. This later resulted in the development of hospice care as you know it today (National).Caregiving is associated with physical, psychological, and financial burdens. Hospice nurses perform many traditional nursing duties such as observing, assessing, and recording symptoms. They still work closely with physicians, administering medications and providing emotional support, al though psychologists do not have much of a presence in the hospice movement. Medications that hospice nurses administer and the symptoms they record are not intended to aid a patient in his or her recovery, but rather to make his or her remaining days as comfortable as possible (â€Å"Hospice†). Being a nurse of any kind is very difficult, but dealing every day with a dying patient requires an  extraordinary temperament, one that symbolizes great caring and patience (â€Å"Career†).It can be especially trying on nurses to attend patients who are as young as or younger than the nurse themselves are. Palliative care highlights the total well-being of the patient as well as that of loved ones and caregivers. The caregiver is there to listen, support, encourage, comfort and help the patient. Their goal is to prevent, treat, or eliminate discomfort whenever and, however it appears, never about giving up hope (â€Å"Career†). Every caregiver may be required to provi de a variety of care tasks including physical, emotional, and practical.Research shows that families find personal care to be the most physically and emotionally challenging aspect of caregiving. Emotional care involves listening, talking, reading, or playing music (Collins). Providing the kind and loving companionship that patient may need during the end-of-life process. Handling insurance and other legal matters, taking care of financial concerns such as paying bills, coordinating visits with loved ones, friends and hospice staff is all a part of practical care (Collins). Along with discussing and ensuring that all of the patients’ wishes are carried out if also the healthcare power of attorney (â€Å"What†). In 2009; 66 million Americans (3 in 10 U.S. Households) reported at least one person providing unpaid care as a family caregiver (Collins). Under Medicare, hospice is primarily a program of care delivered in a person’s home by a Medicare – approved hospice.Reasonable and necessary medical and support services for the management of a terminal illness are furnished under a plan-of-care established by the beneficiary’s attending physician and the hospice team (Berry13). Hospice care is available under Medicare only if: the patient is approved for Medicare Part A, the patient’s doctor and the hospice medical director certify that the patient is terminally ill with six months or less to live if the disease runs its expected course, the patient signs a statement choosing hospice care instead of standard Medicare benefits for the terminal illness, or the patient receives care from a Medicare-approved hospice program (â€Å"Hospice†).Hospice care can be provided by an agency or organization that is primarily engaged in furnishing services to terminally ill individuals and their families. To receive Medicare payment, the agency or organization must be approved by Medicare to provide hospice services (Berry15). App roval for hospice is required even if the agency or  organization is already approved by Medicare to provide other kinds of health services. Medicare pays the hospice directly at specified rates depending on the type of care given each day. The hospice can charge five percent of the reasonable cost, up to a maximum of five dollars, for each prescription for outpatient drugs or biological for pain relief and symptom management related to the terminal illness (Collins).When Medicare beneficiaries choose hospice care, they give up the right to standard Medicare benefits only for treatment of the terminal illness. If the patient, who must have Part A in order to use the Medicare hospice benefit, also has Medicare Part B, he or she can use all appropriate Medicare Part A and Part B benefits for the treatment of health problems unrelated to the terminal illness. When standard benefits are used, the patient is responsible for Medicare’s deductible and coinsurance amounts (Berry 14 ). All services required for treatment of the terminal illness must be provided by or through the hospice.If not through the hospice then Medicare will not pay for treatment for the terminal illness which is not for symptom management and pain control. If you receive care given by another healthcare provider that was not arranged by the patients’ hospice or if the patient is receiving duplicate care Medicare will no longer fund in the patients’ healthcare (Berry14). When a patient is expected to live six months or less is when hospice is referred. Although many hospice patients have cancer as their primary diagnosis, hospice provides care to patients of all ages who are dealing with any potentially life-limiting illness, including Alzheimer’s, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dementia, and emphysema.Once the patient has been diagnosed and chooses hospice care, this can generally take place at home or as in-patient care. Hos pice neither prolongs life nor hastens death, but controls pain and discomfort allowing a person to live as fully and comfortably as possible during life’s final journey (â€Å"Career†). Pain control is one of the central goals of hospice care. Every person facing a serious illness hopes for as little pain as possible. Fortunately, with advances in modern medicine, physical suffering can now be almost entirely manages, and in some cases eliminated. From the legal standpoint, the federal guidelines regulating hospice require the hospice to make every reasonable effort to assure that the patient's pain is controlled (Berry3).Most state laws governing hospice  also make pain control a primary and required component of hospice care. The hospice Interdisciplinary Team and the hospice Registered Nurse case manager are focused on making sure the patient is comfortable. The Attending Physician who orders all medications should be focused on the same goal, and in many cases d oes see to it that the patient is kept comfortable. Unfortunately, for varying reasons, some physicians may not order the needed medications to adequately control the patient's pain (Berry4). In these cases, the hospice staff must intervene to protect the patient and make sure the patient gets what is needed to control pain.The hospice Medical Director, being a physician, has the authority to give medical orders and can intervene to provide the patient with the needed medications. In fact, the hospice Medical Director is required by law to make sure the patient's medical needs are met; these needs include medication for pain (Berry4). When dealing with patients and families in hospice care, the psychological and social needs of both patients and family members must be met in order to improve the quality of life throughout the dying process.Many caregivers and loved ones feel overwhelmed by the fact that end-of-life may be near for someone they love; you have to have realization that the patient is not going to get any better despite your best care. It may bring feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, grief and loss to the family of the patient (â€Å"What†). Ignoring feelings of depression, anxiety, confusion or delirium can be harmful†¦ Expressing can be freeing. 48 children and spousal caregivers of hospice patients and 36 controls were evaluated shortly before deaths of their loved ones and again at 2, 7, and 13 months after their deaths. All subjects were administered the Hamilton Raitina Scale for depression, symptom innovatory and the Texas Revised instrument of Grief (Dutton 30).Caring for a loved one who is nearing death can be important time of growth for caregivers. Experience can bring a deep sense of joy and satisfaction in having helped to make a loved one’s last days happier, and more peaceful. Studies indicate that the majority of patients would like their spiritual issues addressed. Spirituality has to do with respecting the inherent value and dignity of all patients. It is very important for the patients’ beliefs to be known to healthcare workers so the patient is not disrespected in any way by the healthcare worker (Karnes2). Patients tend to become more spiritually connected during end-of-life care because they are  nearing the end of their journey.Families are impacted emotionally and spiritually and will be grieving the loss of their lived one whereas their journey is beginning (Karnes6). When a loved one dies, mourning is an essential step in the healing process for those suffering the pain and confusion of loss (Karnes8). Counselors work with clients to validate the experience of grief, find the strength and coping skills, and eventually regain a sense of hope (Karnes7). While grief is very personal, there are many common experiences that accompany the death of a loved one.Talking with a counselor helps clients learn more about the natural process of grief and identify areas of strength and support, as well as areas of potential growth (Collins). Grief support group sessions provide the opportunity for people to meet others who are experiencing similar losses. Grief that accompanies the death of a loved one often comes in waves-and sometimes those waves arrive in the days and weeks that follow. At other times, it may be months-or even years- before the reality of the loss sinks in (Karnes11).Family members may also be grieving over the fact that financial issues may accompany them after their loved one passes. There is always help for any patient or family member in need. After learning more about Hospice and the care that they provide it’s more of a â€Å"safe haven† and a place of comfort for you or your loved ones that are passing. Many others would personally choose hospice as their end-of-life care.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein - 1179 Words

Repentance and stubbornness A hero is someone who remains seen in literature as a person with great courage and strength, yet though not always the case. The hero usually takes risk for the greater good. The Romantic hero becomes a type of literary idol with different morals. They are passionate about what they love, becoming obsessed with their newfound passion and become determined to perfect at what they do. They eventually become tragically doomed through creating their own individual moral codes by struggling with their internal battles within their minds. Mary Shelley presents us the first persona of a romantic hero through Victor Frankenstein in her book Frankenstein. Shelley fabricates Victor as the main narrator throughout the†¦show more content†¦Because of shooting the albatross, and cursing it with death the Mariner be came cursed with watching his entire crew die right in front of him. The Ancient Mariner describes the scene as being â€Å"cursed with his eye † referring back to how he was the one who doomed all of his crewmates to a horrible death yet his punishment of life in death is much worse (Coleridge428). Victor and the Mariner both realized creating their own moral code eventually made them carry a heavy burden, which they could never live down. The path of sin that both Victor and the Ancient Mariner both took led them into a path of isolation, yet both had different reactions to their solitude, although both felt a sense of misery and of isolation they both felt different views on being alone. Victor on one hand, wanted to be alone he felt as if he told anyone about his ingenious ideas they would think he was crazy. Instead of being called out of being a torturous human he would have rather â€Å"banished myself forever a friendless outcast,† because he did not want to hear how wrong he was for creating life (Shelley141). Although, before when he had a sane moment, he realized he wanted company because everyone he loved was dead. Victor spoke of how â€Å"none relieved [him] from oppression,† (Shelley121). He felt when he knew he became tragically doomed, foreshadowing his ultimate pursuit for theShow MoreRelatedMary Shelleys Frankenstein1689 Words   |  7 PagesGreat Expectations Fathers and Son, Frankenstein. The novel I have chosen to discuss is Frankenstein. Written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is classified as a gothic novel, however, Shelly uses both realist and non-realist techniques. I will be looking at her reasons for writing the novel and what influenced her, as well as the realist and non-realist techniques used. I will be looking at some of the contemporary social issues that affected Shelley’s life at the time she wrote her novelRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Feminism1429 Words   |  6 PagesRobert Youshock Prof. Matthew Gerber HIST 1012 10/19/18 Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Feminism before it was mainstream? Writing a paper on the topic of Frankenstein days before Halloween might give you the wrong idea- lets clear something up straight away Frankenstein is the doctor not the monster and the monster doesn’t have a name (which we later learn is mildly important to the story). You see, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is arguably a story of creation, murder, love, and learning amongst manyRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay929 Words   |  4 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein The characterization of Victor’s creature, the monster, in the movie although somewhat dramatically different from Mary Shelley’s portrayal in the novel Frankenstein also had its similarities. 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ThisRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1622 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein Nineteen-year-old Mary Shelley didn’t know when she began it that her â€Å"ghost story† would become an enduring part of classic literature. Frankenstein is an admirable work simply for its captivating plot. To the careful reader, however, Shelley’s tale offers complex insights into human experience. The reader identifies with all of the major characters and is left to heed or ignore the cautions that their situations provide. Shelley uses the second person narrativeRead MoreEssay on Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1643 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein In 1818 a novel was written that tingled people’s minds and thrilled literary critics alike. Frankenstein was an instant success and sold more copies than any book had before. The immediate success of the book can be attributed to the spine-tingling horror of the plot, and the strong embedded ethical message. Although her name did not come originally attached to the text, Mary Shelley had written a masterpiece that would live on for centuries. Read MoreEvil in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1462 Words   |  6 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein is very much a commentary on the Enlightenment and its failure to tame the human condition through reason. The human condition can be defined as the unique features which mold a human being. The creature is undoubtedly a victim of this predicament. He grapples with the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, the inevitability of isolation, and the awareness of the inescapability of death. These qualities and his ceaseless stalking of hisRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pages Mary Shelley wrote the book Frankenstein sometime in the 1810s. She was born in London in 1797 (Biography). Her mother was an author of prime literary stock who was trying to encourage women to pursue their ideas and strive to earn the status as equals. The Scientific and Industrial Revolutions that were taking place around Mary Shelley certainly influ enced her while she was writing the book. The creation of machines and experiments at the time made people wonder what the limit of human technologyRead MoreMary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay846 Words   |  4 Pages Shelley’s Frankenstein does an excellent job at demonstrating the ideas and accomplishments of the enlightenment period. Shelly expresses these ideas and thoughts through the character of Victor Frankenstein who is an aspiring scientist seeking an intellectual challenge. Victor Frankenstein live s his hometown of Geneva and leaves in quest of a valued education in Ingolstadt. When Victor arrives at college he is lonely and finds himself in a new world in which he lives by himself. He than meetsRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay753 Words   |  4 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein An outsider is someone who is not a member of a particular circle or group of people He/She is isolated (separated) from other people and regarded as being different such as people looking, dressing, acting or talk differently. Outsiders have always been around and always will exist! Because society (i.e. - those who are not outsiders) like someone to pick on to make themselves feel better or superior. Outsiders are treated in various ways, sometimes people