Amy Archer-Gilligan and Her Murder Factory

Amy Archer-Gilligan and Her Murder Factory Amy Archer-Gilligan (1901-1928) called Sister Amy by her patients, was known for her nurturing tonics and nutritional meals at her private nursing home in Windsor, Connecticut. That was until it was discovered that she had added arsenic to her recipe, resulting in the deaths of many of her patients and five husbands, all of whom had named her in their wills right before their untimely deaths. By the time the investigation was over, authorities believed that Amy Archer-Gilligan was responsible for more than 48 deaths. Sister Amys Nursing Home for the Elderly: In 1901, Amy and James Archer opened Sister Amys Nursing Home for the Elderly in Newington, Connecticut. Despite not having any real qualifications for taking care of the elderly, the couples nurturing and caring ways impressed their wealthy patrons.   The Archers had a simple business plan. Patrons would pay a thousand dollars upfront in exchange for a room in the home and Sister Amys personal care for the rest of their lives.  The home was such a success that in 1907 the couple opened Archer Home for the Elderly and Infirm, a new and more modern facility in Windsor, Connecticut. James Archer After the move, things began to take a turn for the worse. Healthy patients began to die without any recognizable cause other than possible old age. James Archer also died suddenly and the heart-broken Amy lifted her chin, dried her tears and headed to claim the insurance money on a life policy she had purchased on her husband in the weeks before his death. Michael Gilligan After James death, patients at the Archer Home began dying at an almost predictable rate, but the coroner, a close friend of the deceased James and his wife Amy, determined the deaths were due to natural causes of old age. Amy, in the meantime, met and married Michael Gilligan, a rich widower, who offered to help bankroll the Archer Home. Not long after the two wed, Gilligan also died suddenly from what coroner described as natural causes. However, before his death he did manage to have a will drawn, leaving all of his wealth to his precious wife, Amy. Suspicious Activity Relatives of the patients who died at the home began to suspect foul play after each discovered their loving parents, adored brothers, and cherished sisters, had forked over large sums of money to Sister Amy, right before their untimely deaths. Authorities were alerted and seeing the pattern of over 40 patients giving money, then dying, they raided the home and found bottles of arsenic tucked away in Amys pantry. The Dead Talk: Amy said she used the poison to kill rodents, but unconvinced, the police exhumed the bodies of several of the patients and discovered large amounts of arsenic in their systems, including that of her last husband, Michael Gilligan. Natural Causes: In 1916, Amy Archer-Gilligan, who was her mid-40s, was arrested and based on the decision by the states attorney, she was charged with a single murder. She was found guilty and sentenced to hang, but due to a legal technicality, her sentence was reversed. In the second trial, Gilligan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, only this time instead of facing the noose of rope, she was given a life sentence.   For years she was incarcerated at the state prison  until she was moved to a state mental institution in 1928, where, totally insane, she died of natural causes. Was Amy Archer-GilliganReallyInnocent? Some people believe that the evidence against Army was circumstantial and that she was innocent, and that the arsenic she had on hand was really for killing the rats.  As for the arsenic found in the bodies that were exhumed, it could have been due to the fact that from the Civil War until the early 1900s, arsenic was often used during the embalming process.

The role of the nurse in health promotion The WritePass Journal

The role of the nurse in health promotion Introduction The role of the nurse in health promotion IntroductionReference ListRelated Introduction This assignment proposes to discuss the role of the nurse in health promotion.   To facilitate the discussion in the delivery of primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health promotion, the health risk of tobacco smoking in relation to Lung Cancer has been chosen.   National policies will be explored in relation to smoking and how these influence the delivery of health promotion by the nurse.   The barriers to health promotion will be identified along with ways in which these may be overcome. The intention of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to achieve â€Å"Health for All† by the year 2000 was published in their Ottawa Charter, the outcome of which was to build healthy public policy, create supportive environments, strengthen communities, develop personal skills and reorient health services.   They identified key factors which can hinder or be conducive to health; political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, behavioural, and biological (WHO 1986). The current health agenda for the UK aims to improve the health of the population and reduce inequalities with particular emphasis on prevention and targeting the number of people who smoke (DH 2010). Inequalities in health have been extensively researched and although attempts have been made to overcome these, there is evidence to support that the divide between the rich and the poor still exists in society.   Marmot (2010) highlighted the lower social classes had the poorest health and identified social factors such as low income and deprivation as the root causes which affect health and well being.  Ã‚   Increased smoking levels were found to be more prevalent in this cohort.   Bilton et al (2002) suggests the environment an individual lives in can have an adverse effect on health in that it can influence patterns of behaviour.   For example, families living in poor housing conditions, in poverty or in an environment away from a social support network can suffer psychological stress; which in turn can prompt coping behaviours such as tobacco smoking (Blackburn 1991, Denny Earle 2005). Smoking is a modifiable risk factor to chronic disease such as Cancer of the Lung, with 90% of these cases being the result of smoking (Cancer Research UK 2009) it  Ã‚   is the single biggest preventable cause of premature death and illness and is more detrimental to the poorer in society.   Responsible for 80,000 lives per year, the huge financial burden on the NHS to treat illness associated with smoking is estimated at  £2.7 billion each year (DH 2010).   This illustrates the huge opportunity for public health to address the wider issues associated with inequalities and to target people who smoke.   Various White papers have demonstrated the Government’s commitment in reducing smoking figures and preventing uptake, both at individual and population levels, through health promotion activity, empowering individuals and enabling them to make healthier lifestyle choices (DH 2004, DH 2006, DH 2010). Health promotion is a complex activity and is difficult to define.   Davies and Macdowall (2006) describe health promotion as â€Å"any strategy or intervention that is designed to improve the health of individuals and its population†.  Ã‚   However perhaps one of the most recognised definitions is that of the World Health Organisation’s who describes health promotion as â€Å"a process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health (WHO 1986). If we look at this in relation to the nurse’s role in smoking cessation and giving advice to a patient, this can be seen as a positive concept in that with the availability of information together with support, the patient is then able to make an informed decision, thus creating empowerment and an element of self control.   Bright (1997) supports this notion suggesting that empowerment is created when accurate information and knowledgeable advice is given, thus aiding the development of personal skills and self esteem. A vital component of health promotion is health education which aims to change behaviour by providing people with the knowledge and skills they require to make healthier decisions and enable them to fulfil their potential.  Ã‚   Healthy Lives Healthy People (2010) highlight the vital role nurses play in the delivery of health promotion with particular attention on prevention at primary and secondary levels.  Ã‚   Nurses have a wealth of skills and knowledge and use this knowledge to empower people to make lifestyle changes and choices.   This encourages people to take charge of their own health and to increase feelings of personal autonomy (Christensen 2006).  Ã‚   Smoking is one of the biggest threats to public health, therefore nurses are in a prime position to help people to quit by offering encouragement, provide information and refer to smoking cessation services. There are various approaches to health promotion, each approach has a different aim but all share the same desired goal, to promote good health and prevent or avoid ill health (Peate 2006).   The medical approach contains three levels of prevention as highlighted by Naidoo and Wills (2000), primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Primary health promotion aims to reduce the exposure to the causes and risk factors of illness in order to prevent the onset of disease (Tones Green 2004).   In this respect it is the abstinence of smoking and preventing the uptake through health education and preventative measures.   One such model of prevention is that of Tannahill’s (1990) which consists of three overlapping circles; health education for example a nurse may be involved in the distribution of leaflets educating individuals or a wider community regarding health risks of smoking, prevention, aimed at reducing the exposure to children, for example, in 2007 the legal age for tobacco sales increased from age 16 to 18 years in an attempt to reduce the availability to young people and prevent them from starting to smoke (DH 2008),   health protection such as lobbying for a ban on smoking in public places. If we look at this in relation to the role of the school nurse, this is a positive step when implementing school policies such as no smoking on school premises for staff and visitors, as this legislation supports the nurse’s role when providing information regarding the legal aspects of smoking.  Ã‚   Research demonstrates that interventions are most effective when combined with strategies such as mass media and government legislation (Edwards 2010).  Ã‚   Having an awareness of such campaigns and legislation is essential to aid best practice and the nurse must ensure that knowledge and skills are regularly updated, a standard set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2008). Croghan Voogd (2009) identify the school nurse’s role as essential in the health and well-being of children in preventing smoking.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many people begin to smoke as children, the earlier smoking is initiated, the harder the habit is to break (ASH) and this unhealthy behaviour can advance into adulthood.  Ã‚   Current statistics illustrate that in 2009 6% of children aged 11-15 years were regular smokers (Office for National Statistics 2009).   These figures demonstrate the importance of prevention and intervention at an early stage as identified by the National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services (DH 2004).   Smith (2009) highlights the school nurse as being in an advantageous position to address issues such as smoking and suggests that by empowering children by providing support and advice, this will enable them to adopt healthy lifestyles. NICE (2010) suggest school based interventions to prevent children smoking aimed at improving self esteem and resisting peer pressure, with information on the legal, economic and social aspects of smoking and the harmful effects to health.  Ã‚   Walker et al (2006) argue self esteem is determined by childhood experiences and people with a low self esteem are more likely to conform to behaviours of other people.  Ã‚   This can be a potential barrier in the successful delivery of health promotion at this level, with young children exposed to pressure to conform; they are more likely to take up unhealthy behaviours such as smoking (Parrott 2004).  Ã‚   The nurse can overcome this by working in partnership with teachers and other staff members to promote self-esteem by ensuring an environment conducive to learning, free from disruptive behaviour which promotes autonomy, motivation, problem solving skills and encourages self-worth (NICE 2009). Despite the well known health risks to tobacco smoking, unfortunately 1 in 5 individuals continue to smoke (DH 2010).   Whitehead (2001) cited in Davies (2006) argues the nurse must recognise and understand health related behaviour in order to promote health.   Therefore, when delivering health promotion the nurse needs to be aware of all the factors which can affect health, some of which can be beyond individual control.   Smoking cessation is one of the most important steps a person can make to improve their health and increase life expectancy, as smokers live on average 8 years less than non smokers (Roddy Ross 2007). Secondary prevention intends to shorten episodes of illness and prevent the progression of ill health through early diagnosis and treatment (Naidoo Wills 2000).   This can be directed towards the role of the practice nurse in a Primary Care setting, where patients attend for treatment and advice that have symptoms of illness or disease as a result of smoking, such as Bronchitis.   Nice guidelines (2006) recommend that all individuals who come into contact with health professionals should be advised to cease smoking, unless there are exceptional circumstances where this would not be appropriate, and for those who do not wish to stop, smoking status should be recorded and reviewed once a year.   It is therefore essential the nurse maintains accurate and up to date record keeping. Smoking cessation advice can be tailored to the specific individual and therefore it is important that the nurse has the knowledge and counselling skills for this to be effective.   The process of any nursing intervention is ultimately assessment, planning, implementing and evaluating (Yura Walsh 1978), this applies to all nurses in any given situation including health promotion.   One such method of smoking cessation which can be used as an assessment tool is known as the 5 ‘A’s approach, ‘ask, assess, advise, assist, arrange’ (Britton 2004).   â€Å"Ask† about tobacco use, for example how many cigarettes are smoked each day, and â€Å"assess† willingness and motivation to quit, taking a detailed history to assess addiction.  Ã‚   Objective data can be obtained using a Smokerlyser which measures Carbon Monoxide levels in expired air (Wells Lusignan 2003).   These simple devices can be used as a motivational tool to encourage cessat ion and abstinence.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Castledine (2007) suggests the principle of a good health promoter is to motivate people to enable them to make healthier choices; this is made possible by the ability to engage with individuals at all levels.   Individuals who are not motivated are unlikely to succeed (Naidoo Wills 2000).  Ã‚   â€Å"Advise† patients to stop smoking and reinforce the health benefits to quitting, â€Å"assist† the patient to stop, setting a quit date and discussing ways in which nicotine withdrawal can be overcome.   Being unable to cope with the physical symptoms of withdrawal can cause relapse and be a barrier to success, therefore it is essential the nurse possesses a good knowledge base of the products available to assist in reducing these symptoms if she is to persuade people to comply with treatment, such as the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).  Ã‚  Ã‚   NRT is useful in assisting people to stop smoking and has proved, in some in stances to double the success rate (Upton Thirlaway 2010).   NRT products are continually changed and updated; therefore the nurse must ensure she has the knowledge and skills to identify which products are available, the suitability, how it works and any potential side effects.   Identifying triggers and developing coping strategies is useful for maintenance of a new behaviour, measures such as substituting cigarettes for chewing gum and changing habits and routines are just some of the ways in which self control can be achieved (Ewles Simnett 1999).   Finally â€Å"arrange† a follow up, providing continual support and engagement. For patients who do not wish to stop smoking, advice should be given with encouragement to seek early medical treatment on detection of any signs and symptoms of disease.   Good communication skills are essential to the therapeutic relationship between the nurse and a patient and these must be used effectively by providing clear, accurate and up to date information.   The nurse should be an active listener and encourage the patient to talk, using open-ended questions helps demonstrate a willingness to listen, listening and showing concern for a patient’s condition demonstrates respect (Peate 2006).   The use of medical jargon and unfamiliar words can be a barrier to communication and should be avoided as these can affect a patients understanding.   Leaflets can reinforce information provided by the nurse and increase patient knowledge, however the nurse must ensure these are in a format and language the patient can understand.   Lack of literacy skills can prevent a patient reading and understanding the content of a leaflet, the nurse can assist with this by reading and explaining to them. To assist in the assessment process the nurse may utilise a model of behaviour such as Prochaska DiClemente’s stages of change model (1984).   This works on the assumption that individuals go through a number of stages in order to change behaviour, from pre -contemplation where a person has not considered a behaviour change, to maintenance, when a healthier lifestyle has been adopted by the new behaviour.  Ã‚   The stage a person is at will determine the intervention given by the nurse; therefore it is essential that an effective assessment takes place.   Walsh (2002) highlights patient motivation as central to success using this model, in that a patient will have more motivation; the more involved they are in planning the change. Despite the health promoting activities mentioned and the increasing public awareness of the health risks to smoking, there are people who continue to smoke and some further develop illness as a consequence.   Lung cancer has one of the lowest survival rates, and as little as 7% of men and 9% of women in England and Wales will live five years after diagnosis (Cancer Research UK 2011).   Acknowledging this, the governments â€Å"Cancer Plan† aimed to tackle and reform cancer care in England by raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer by investing in staff and extending the nurses role (DH 2000).   This involves further training and education for nurses to develop their skills and knowledge to enable them to provide the treatment and/or advice required.   This was succeeded by â€Å"Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer† the aim being to enable patients living with cancer a â€Å"healthy life as possible†.  Ã‚   The government pledged  £10.75 million into advertising a â€Å"signs and symptoms† campaign to raise awareness of the three cancers accounting for the most deaths, breast, bowel and lung, to encourage the public to seek early help on detection of any symptoms (DH 2011).   Currently no results are available on the effectiveness of this intervention due to its recent publication, however, one national policy that has had a positive effect on the health of individuals and the population is that of the â€Å"smoke-free England† policy implemented in 2007 prohibiting smoking in workplaces and enclosed public places.   Primarily this policy was enforced to protect the public from second hand smoke; however, on introduction of the law smoking cessation services saw an increase in demand by 20%, as smokers felt the environment was conducive to them being able to quit (DH 2008).   This policy also extended to hospital grounds, and the nurse must ensure a patient who smokes is aware of this on a dmission and use every opportunity possible to promote health. Tertiary prevention aims to halt the progression, or reduce the complications, of established disease by effective treatment or rehabilitation (Tones Green 2004).   A diagnosis of cancer can cause great distress and a patient may go through a whole host of emotions.   Naidoo and Wills (2000) suggest the aim of tertiary prevention is to reduce suffering and concerns helping people to cope with their illness.  Ã‚   The community nurses role has been identified as pivotal in providing support for patients and families living with cancer (DH 2000).   The World Health Organisation describe Palliative care as treatment to relieve, rather than cure, the symptoms caused by cancer,   and suggest palliative care can provide relief from physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems in over 90% of cancer patients (WHO 2011). Assessment and the provision of health education and information at this stage remains the same as that in secondary prevention, and it is not uncommon for the two to overlap.   Providing advice and education on symptom control may alleviate some of the symptoms the patient experiences,   for example breathlessness is a symptom of lung cancer (Lakasing Tester 2006), and relaxation techniques may reduce this (Cancer Research UK 2011), therefore the nurse may be involved in teaching these techniques to the patient and family members.   Continual smoking despite a lung cancer diagnosis can exacerbate shortness of breath and reduce survival rate (Roddy Ross 2007), therefore the nurse can use this opportunity to reinforce the risks of smoking.   However, the nurse must use her judgement effectively and be sensitive to the patient’s condition, as the willingness to learn and respond to teaching can be affected by emotional state (Walsh 2002).   Establishing effective pai n control is essential in the care of a cancer patient and this may involve discussion with the patients GP if medication needs adjusting.   A referral to specialist help lines such as those provided by Macmillan cancer support may be useful in assisting a patient and/or family to cope with cancer, these services can be accessed in person or by telephone.   These are just two examples of collaborative working and demonstrate the importance of inter-professional working. In conclusion, with the emphasis of health promotion concerning prevention of illness and disease, the role of the nurse is essential in raising awareness and providing education and advice to individuals to facilitate behaviour change. The complexities of health promotion indicate the extensive competences a nurse must possess to empower and motivate individuals.   However, governments also have a responsibility to promote and protect health and are pivotal in introducing national policy to build â€Å"healthy publics† and environments conducive to health. Reference List Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) no date (online) available at: ash.org.uk/pathfinder/young-people-and-tobacco.   Date accessed 9.2.11, 09.00am Bilton, T. Blackburn, C. (1991) Poverty and health: working with families. Bucks, Open University Press Bright, J. (1997) Health promotion in clinical practice: Targeting the health of the nation.   London, Bailliere Tindall Britton, J. (2004)   ABC of smoking cessation. Oxford, Blackwell publishing Cancer Research UK (2009) (online) available at: info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/smokingandtobacco/howdoweknow.   Date accessed 9.2.11, 10.20am Cancer Research UK (2011) (online) available at: cancerhelp.org.uk/type/lung-cancer/living/coping-with-breathlessness.   Date accessed 9.2.11, 10.30am Castledine, G. (2007) Don’t use the term ‘health promotion’ to promote health.   British Journal of Nursing. . Vol 16, issue 6, pp 375 Christensen, M. Hewitt-Taylor, J. (2006) Empowerment in nursing: Paternalism or maternalism. British Journal of Nursing, Vol 15, issue 13, pp 695-699 Croghan, E. Voogd, C. (2009) Time to employ more school nurses. British Journal of School Nurses, Vol 4, no 9, pp 421 Davies, M. Macdowall, W. (2006) Health Promotion Theory, Understanding Public Health.   London, Open University Press Denny, E. Earle, S. (2005) Sociology for Nurses.   Cambridge, Polity press, Department of Health (2000) The NHS Cancer Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform.   London, The Stationary office Department of Health (2004) Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier.   London, The Stationary Office Department of Health (2004) National Service Framework for children, young people and maternity services, London, The Stationary Office Department of Health (2006) Our Health, Our Care, Our Community: Investing in the future of community hospitals and services.   London, The stationary Office Department of Health (2008) Smoke-free England – One year on.   London, The Stationary Office Department of Health (2008) Consultation on the future of tobacco control.   London, The Stationary Office Department of Health (2010) Healthy Lives Healthy People.   London, The Stationary Office Department of Health (2011) Improving Outcomes: a strategy for cancer.   London, The Stationary Office Edwards, S. (2010) Smoking part 2: Preventing uptake among young people.   British Journal of School Nursing, vol 5 no 8, pp 384-387 Ewles, L. Simnett, I. (1999) Promoting Health A practical Guide. 4th edition, London, Bailliere Tindall Lakasing, E. Tester, M. (2006) How to manage Lung Cancer in primary Care.   Practice Nursing 2006, vol 17, no 1, pp 35-39 Marmot, M. (2010) Fair Society, Healthy Lives. (online) available at: marmotreview.org/assetlibrary/pdfs/reports/fairsociety/healthylives.pdf.   Date accessed 9.2.11, 11.00am Naidoo, J. Wills, J. (2000) Health Promotion: Foundations for Nursing practice, London, Bailliere Tindall National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2006) Brief interventions and referral for smoking cessation in primary care and other settings. (online) available at: nice.org/nicemedia/live/11375/31864/31864-pdf.   Date accessed 9.2.11, 09.20am National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2009) Social and emotional wellbeing in secondary education: guidance 20. (online) available at: nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/11991/45484/45484/pdf.   Date accessed 3.3.11, 09.00am National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2010) School-based interventions to prevent the uptake of smoking among children and young people, guidance 23.    (online)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   available   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   at: nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/12827/47582.pdf.   Date accessed 14.2.11, 11.30am Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) The code:standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives, (online) available at: nmc-uk.org/nurses-and-midwives/the-code/the-code-in-full.   Date accessed 9.2.11, 10.30am Office For National Statistics (ONS) (2009) Statistics on Smoking: England 2010. (online) available   Ã‚   at: ic.nhsuk/webfiles/publications/health%20and%20lifestyles/statistics-on-smoking-2010.pdf.   Date accessed 9.2.11, 13.20 Parrott, A. (2004) Understanding drugs and behaviour. Chichester, Wiley (online). Available at: netlibrary.com/Reader/.   Date accessed 25.5.11, 10.20am Peate, I. (2006) Becoming a nurse in the 21st Century, London, Wiley Publishing Prochaska, J O. DiClemente, C C (1984) The transtheoretical approach: crossing traditional boundaries of therapy. Dow Jones-Irwin, Homewood Roddy, E. Ross D. (2007) British Thoracic Society core competencies – Health professionals and tobacco. (online) available at: brit-thoracic.org.uk/clinical-information/smoking-smoking-cessation/smoking-education.aspx.   Date accessed 22.5.11, 20.30 Smith, F. (2009) School nursing in the UK: where are we now. British journal of School Nursing, vol 4, no 7, pp 351-352 Tannahill Tones, K. Green, J. (2004) Health Promotion planning and strategies.   London, Sage Upton, D. Thirlaway, K. (2010) Promoting Healthy Behaviour.   A practical guide for nursing and healthcare professionals. Essex, Pearson Education Ltd Walker, J. Payne, S. Smith, P. Jarrett, N. (2005) Psychology for nurses and the caring professions, 2nd edition, London, Open University Press Walsh, M. (2002) Watson’s Clinical Nursing and Related Sciences, 6th edition.   London, Bailliere Tindall Wells, S. De Lusignan, S. (2003) Does screening for loss of lung function help smokers give up?   British Journal of Nursing, vol 12, no 12, pp 744-750 Whitehead, D. As cited in Davies, K. (2006).   What is effective intervention? – using theories of health promotion.   British Journal of nursing, vol15, no 5, pp 252-256 World Health Organisation (WHO) (1986) Ottawa Charter. (online) available at: who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/ottawa-charter-hp.pdf.   Date accessed 11.12.10, 15.20 World Health Organisation (WHO) (2011) Cancer fact sheet No 297 (online) available at: who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/.   Date accessed 9.5.11, 10.30 Yura, D. Walsh, MB. (1978) Human needs and the nursing process. New York,   Appleton Century Crofts

EU Environment Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

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Performance Related Production - Essay Example In order to accentuate production through employee performance, a company's management needs to develop a strong belief and determination among the leadership and worker-class, to accelerate progressive changes and create a difference. Only those with exceptional influence can change the way an organisation runs. Management must consider the criticality of a visible and active role taken by them to integrate policies of diversity and inclusion into every aspect of an organisation's operation and culture. Culture affects every employee of the organisation, whether it is a man or woman. It's imperative that any policy decision reach all concerned in the organisation; every individual of the organisation must feel a part of the scheme of things, for the welfare of the organisation. A healthy work environment goes a long way in instigating quality work. At the workplace, it is imperative for the management to introduce an increased and effective mode of cooperation between the men and women workers. One way of looking at it is by creating a better awareness of gender differences, building different leadership styles and flexible work/career patterns. Both men and women can use a variety of flexible work options to support family and personal needs, allowing them to achieve the goal of work/life balance, contributing to greater productivity. There are many number of business tactics, that can be employed to bring about operational changes to manage talent most effectively. Some tactics, most noticeable among them are: Identifying role models and establishing mentoring programmes Eliminating all bias-based company policies and procedures Providing equal opportunities, training and development for all Conducting workshops for employees to impress upon them the importance of diversity and inclusiveness to increase performance and production Though the above initiatives may sound simple, there is more to it, than meets the eye. The exercise needs the wholehearted support and sustained effort by all employees to make it a success (David Pappie, p.103, 2006). Performance is the cornerstone to success and productivity. Performance comes about through the wholehearted and sincere effort of employees of an organisation. This is possible only if the employees are kept happy and cared for. Strategies that favour employee retention, elicit competitive bonus schemes, and creates healthy work environment are pre-requisites for employee performance, culminating in higher production. A company's best asset is its people, so there is a good reason why the company needs to do what is right for them. A point of contention to performance and productivity is the way one works; the ability to work remotely, where enterprise convergence gains momentum. Organisations and structures have become more fluid. Mobility not just of the people involved, but their virtual working environment has become synonymous for productivity. For business bosses and their employees, a converged environment makes work location and distance irrelevant. The impetus to work for the benefit of the organisation must come

Modified Biogeography Based Optimization

Modified Biogeography Based Optimization Modified Biogeography Based Optimization and enhanced simulated annealing on Travelling Tournament problem. Abstract: This paper shows the implementation of Modified BBO and Extended BBO on Travelling Tournament Problem. We modified the migration step of BBO by using probabilistic measures into it. Conventional BBO is used to solve deterministic problems but when we are dealing with real world problems which are non deterministic Conventional BBO failed to achieve the desired/expected results. Modified BBO is able to handle non deterministic problems which occurs in TTP and considered it as noise. The physical significance of noise in our modified solution is any existing parameter which can affect the fitness of the habitat. We also implemented various models of Extended BBO (Linear and Non linear models) on TTP to achieve desirable results. In this paper we compare the performance of our modified BBO to conventional BBO on TTP problem and compare results with previous methodologies. Introduction BBO is Global optimization method which represents organism distribution in our biological system in terms of mathematical model .BBO is an evolutionary algorithm whose working principle is based upon migration mechanisms of species from one habitat to other depending upon the fitness of the habitat which are favorable to them .The habitat which have high HSI (high suitability index ) have high value of species count .Therefore habitat which have high value of HSI have high emigrating rate; it is ready to send its SIV to other habitat, while the habitat having low value of HSI have low value of species count and their immigrating rate is high ;that is it as ready to accept species towards itself .HSI of a habitat can be affected on the basis of SIV (suitability index variables) which are independent variables. The above diagram illustrates the basic mechanism and relation between immigration curve and emigration curve. Here I is maximum Immigration rate, E is maximum emigration rate, is equilibrium number of species, is emigration rate and is Immigration rate. Modified BBO for TTP: Firstly the question arises why there is need of Modification of BBO .We are dealing with biological issues which are dynamic in nature so we have to modified our solution which can take care all dynamic constraints of nature. Let we have two habitats and .These habitats have their fitness’s as and .Let noise involved in two habitats are and .Due to affect of noise the measured fitness is instead of .If we consider has more fitness than ,and let n1 has huge value than n2 and both high value than and .Therefore the overall fitness becomes: 1.1 1.2 Therefore HB1 accepts the SIV from HB2 as condition of BBO gets satisfied as immigrating habitat fitness is less than emigrating habitat. But population of HB1 is already high due to its high HSI because its fitness is more if don’t consider noise .this immigration should not be done .The BBO migration procedure will corrupted .That’s why we need to modify it. In order to calculate the uncertainties, we use the concept of noisy BBO[]. U= 1.4 E= +1.5 U = 1.6 Where U is the uncertainty of the state estimate, m is the estimated fitness, z is the measured fitness, is the variance of the process noise, and is the variance of the observation noise. The uncertainty and the estimated fitness are the values from the previous iteration step before the most recent fitness measurement is updated. The process noise is assumed to be zero, therefore the uncertainty U is only related and . U = 1.7 U = 1.8 Because 0, now +1 > 1. Therefore +1 .With each step in the Kalman algorithm, the uncertainty U will be reduced according to and . Small value of uncertainty leads to high accuracy of estimated fitness. If limit tends to infinity, than Kalman filter gives an estimate value of the fitness which is equal to the real value. Proposed Modified BBO algorithm: Select habitat with the Probability . If is selected For j=1 to n Select with the probability. If is selected Use rand (0, 1) to select SIV from the habitat and pass it through Modification phases. Choose the best feasible solution based on optimal selection from the output of three Modification Phases. Replace selected SIV with End of if End End of if The above Algorithm solves all the issues that is related with Deterministic Problems. We Map this approach to different variants of BBO that can be classified as its Models. Equations used : The above equation is generalization of Baye’s rule. Probability of a habitat with fitness after accepting a selected SIV greater than fitness given that. is simply equal to where P(switch) is given by : When x > y we obtain: if x The PDF of p is as follows The PDF of q is as follows. In the Modification step we talked about three ways by which we can increase the performance of BBO. These three ways can be described as: No-reevaluation phase: In this phase we have two Habitats as immigrating habitat and act as emigrating habitat. We consider two instances of as and Firstly is going to accept optimal SIV from and then accept another best suitable SIV from and after that their performance get measured on the probabilistic measures as: = Immigrating Habitat Re-evaluation: () Emigrating habitat Re-evaluation: () From the above phases we choose the best option for the immigration step. Secondly we Map this Modification approach to all the variants of Extended BBO and implement it on TTP problem. We Modified the Immigration step and apply this Modification to all the linear and non linear Models of BBO to check whether we are able to achieve the optimal results or not. We Test our algorithm to obtain various results which provide optimal solution for TTP problem. We also apply efficient simulated annealing in order to refine our solution obtained so far. We use this technique after we produced the Schedule, so that we can optimize our solution. Efficient Simulated Annealing is applied to schedule after these five moves: 1. Swap Homes(S, 2. Swap rounds(S, 3. Swap Teams(S, 4. Partial Swap Rounds(S, 5. Partial Swap Teams(S, After these Simulated algorithm is applied on the schedule which is obtained after implementation of above moves in order to obtain best feasible schedule. The cost objective function is used in order to calculate the best feasible schedules Results of implementation of our Modified algorithm for TTP Performance comparison of best feasible cost produced by linear and non linear-models

Human Genome Project :: essays research papers

Human Genome Project   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Scientists are taking medical technology to new heights as they race to map all of the genes in our body. There are about 100,000, in the 23 chromosomes of the human body. In doing this they hope that they can understand the basis of the genes and maybe even develop methods of treating certain genetic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Muscular Dystrophy. The scientists identify the DNA sequence of someone with the disease and then compare it to a person without the disease. By doing this they can recognize which gene is abnormal and causes the disease. This entire process is called the â€Å"Human Genome Project† and is being done in more than 200 laboratories, with more and more labs joining each year. Most of these labs are located in France and the United States. The project started in 1990 and was predicted to take 15 years and cost $3 billion. It costs the United States about $200 million per year. The $200 million per year has only covered abou t 60% of the annual need. This has created some funding problems for the project. On the brighter side the project has made huge steps in gene mapping and continues to improve every year.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Researchers have successfully located the gene and the DNA sequence that causes Huntington’s Disease. It is located on Chromosome 4. Scientists have created a genetic test, which can determine whether someone carries these genes or DNA pattern. Every child of someone with Huntington’s Disease has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene, which then inevitably leads to the disease. Because of the high amounts of money it costs for treatment of this disease insurance companies see this test as an opportunity to screen potential clients for the probability of such diseases. This would allow them to deny certain people insurance if they are at high risk. This puts the people being screen in a position where they might not be able to receive treatment for their illnesses because they won’t be able to get insurance. This is morally wrong and also violates the patients right to privacy. This information must be safeguarded from insurance companies so they will not be able to discriminate against someone with â€Å"bad genes†. These actions also bring up several ethical questions. â€Å"Does genetic testing constitute an invasion of privacy, and would it cause discrimination against those born with genetic deficiencies?

Synthesis of Guernica

During the Spanish Civil War, a small Basque village was bombed by German troops. In April of 1937, Pablo Picasso paid tribute to the bombing by creating the painting, Guernica, which showed a horrible scene of corpses and disaster stricken community. In 1985, a replication of Guernica was donated to the United Nations headquarters in New York and was â€Å"hung outside in the Security Council chamber. † In February of 2003, councilmen gathered at the UN in order to hear US Secretary of State Colin Powell build the American case for war against Iraq.Before the procedure could begin, however, the replication was covered with â€Å"a blue curtain and flags of the council’s member countries,† under the notion that it â€Å"was simply a matter of creating a more effective backdrop for the television cameras. † Off the record, some UN officials believe that â€Å"the United States leaned on UN officials to cover the tapestry, rather than have it in the backgro und while Powell or other US diplomats argued for war on Iraq. † This situation relates directly to George Orwell’s 1984.The covering of Guernica is similar to the censorship Orwell condemns in 1984. (Source 4:Walsh) In 1984, everything was censored and citizens were not allowed to think for themselves. Their government, the Party, regulated every aspect of life, from working to sleeping. Everyone was under their control. Even children were taught to censor the things their parents did or said. The government also dictated what was seen in the media, which is how Guernica connects to 1984. The theme of the painting, Guernica, is war.To have this graphic tribute to the loss of innocent lives as the background for one’s speech justifying war is questionable. Just as the Party censored the media in 1984, UN officials were censoring what the public was seeing here. Why would they allow a painting that shows death, heartache, and loss to be the first thing the public saw? This would make the public question the motives of those speaking and make them wonder what there ulterior motives were for waging war against Iraq.If the Guernica would have remained the backdrop for the Secretary of State Colin Powell, the US would have been questioned by not only its citizens, but those of other countries also. When questioned, the US would have lost supporters and cooperation from its sister countries. This would have eventually led to bad relations between countries, which would have affected everyone greatly. In the end, politics is nothing more than a popularity contest.

Individual Diversity and Organizational Behavior

Individual Diversity and Organizational Behavior Understanding individual diversity is a difficult and challenging task. It has led to many researches, studies, arguments, and dialogues between philosophers and intellectuals. Unfortunately, an induced definition or understanding of individual diversity has not been presented and is still warranted.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Diversity and Organizational Behavior specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The demographic variations in the workforce, alterations in organizational structures, and competitive business landscape have all contributed to the element of diversity (both inherent and acquired) in the workforce and has made it customary in contemporary organizations. This paper is aimed to discuss the magnitude of individual diversity and how it has a direct impact on the organizational behavior by providing different examples. Moreover, after presenting a thorough understanding of diversity various org anizational practices have been discussed which could help to enhance business operations and organizational behavior. Individual diversity can be explained as the distinctiveness or the presence of characteristics which are different from each other. In any organizational setup, diversity is witnessed at every level from tasks groups / junior employees to board of directors. It is argued that individual diversity in any organizational setup affects the outcomes of organizations; it reduces employee turnover and increases the performance. Outlining the approach through which the distinctive orientation of individuals both in minority and majority affects groups’ working and operational outcome of companies. This activates the relational identity distinctiveness and can result in eithers benefits or disadvantages based on the management of issues (Kinicki, 2008). At times individuals encounter issues and challenges in group settings. Communication is an important aspect of man aging diversity, which generates negative outcomes in case of poor communication within organizations. Individuals belonging to different cultures often encounter issues of language barriers and lack of interaction with their team members. Some of the issues related to communication diversity include differences in individual perspectives, cultural backgrounds and understanding, knowledge, and designation levels. All these issues are countered in a diversified organization (Tosi Pilati, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To deal with the issue of diversity, effective management is very essential. Some individuals add to inherent diversity while others have acquired diversity. Factors such as age, ethnicity, race, sex and capabilities fall under inherent diversity; while on the other hand, location, income, education, seniority and marital statuses fall under a cquired diversity. In order to diminish the issues of communication managers and leaders should hold different interactive sessions for the workforce so that they get to know each other and communicate with each other. The leaders should directly communicate and sort out issues of members, which will increase productivity and boost employees’ morale (Kinicki, 2008). It depends on managers and executives how they handle diversity and how they formulate effective strategies, which can yield positivity out of the diversity. In almost every organization, executives and team members have diverse background either inherent or acquired. However, individual identities, which are commonly observed, are mainly from differences in race and gender; while differences in physical capabilities and designations contribute to another form of diversity, which is witnessed at large in present organizations. The differences in background and gender help in generation of knowledge, ideas, and bet ter solutions to problems, however, differences in seniority in the workforce often has negative consequences on team members. In this regard, senior employees should work with the team, and they should encourage other members and treat them equally to overcome differences (Weiss, 2001). Organizations at present are becoming more diverse. This is because of the growing competition and globalization. Many MNCs, which operate across borders, hire individuals, who are culturally diverse which generates both inherent and acquired diversity. Moreover, organizations are increasingly adopting diversity because of its enormous benefits, which overcome problems. Individual diversity offers many opportunities and is very beneficial for both employees and organizations. Its benefits include increased productivity, better understanding and approach towards problems, better decision making, interactions, effective marketing and many more.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Diversity and Organizational Behavior specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It allows companies to compete in the international market (Kinicki, 2008). Keeping these in view companies like Microsoft and many others are employee highly diverse workforce (Tosi Pilati, 2011). In order to avoid the shortfalls of individual diversity, managers and executives should understand and handle diversity on a broader context. They can make teams by putting together diverse individuals so that they interact more and share ideas. The teams should be small so that they can do the subtasks more efficiently. Ignoring the stereotype, individuals should be allowed to adopt roles and they should be observed and monitored by managers (Weiss, 2001). Another practice is the diversity training of employees through which the organization can manage diversity. Such trainings are conducted to increase awareness among the workforce regarding differences in cultu ral backgrounds, skills and knowledge. Moreover, such trainings also decrease chances of violating each other rights on the basis of race, gender or different backgrounds or levels (Kinicki, 2008). Thus, individual diversity has more benefits and advantages which can overcome its disadvantages, and definitely provides a productive, potential, and competitive edge to the organization. The need is to understand diversity thoroughly and to efficiently manage it through effective approaches and strategies so that better outcomes such as increased productivity and healthy working environment are guaranteed. Reference List Kinicki, A. (2008). Organizational Behavior: Key Concepts, Skills Best Practices. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions. Tosi, H. L., Pilati, M. (2011). Managing Organizational Behavior: Individuals, Teams, Organization and Management. Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Weiss, J. W. (2001). Organizational behavior and change: managing diversity, cross-cultural dynamics, and ethics. Boston: South-Western College Pub.

Self-Contained Classrooms

Self-Contained Classrooms Self-contained classrooms are classrooms specifically designated for children with disabilities. Self-contained programs are usually indicated for children with more serious disabilities who may not be able to participate in general education programs at all. These disabilities include autism, emotional disturbances, severe intellectual disabilities, multiple handicaps and children with serious or fragile medical conditions.  Students assigned to these programs have often been assigned to less restrictive (see LRE) environments and have failed to succeed, or they started in targeted programs designed to help them succeed. Requirements LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) is the legal concept found in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that requires schools to place children with disabilities most like the settings where their general education peers will be taught. School districts are required to offer a full continuum of placements from the most restrictive (self-contained) to the least restrictive (full inclusion.) Placements should be made in the best interest of the children rather than the convenience of the school. Students placed in self-contained classrooms should be spending some time in the general education environment, if only for lunch.  The goal of an effective self-contained program is to increase the amount of time that the student spends in the general education environment.  Often students in self-contained programs go to specials art, music, physical education or humanities, and participate with the support of classroom para-professionals.  Students in programs for children with emotional disturbances usually spend part of their day on an expanding basis in the appropriate grade level class.  Their academics may be supervised by the general education teacher while they receive support from their special education teacher in managing difficult or challenging behaviors.  Often, in the course of a successful year, the student may move from self-contained to a less restrictive setting, such as resource or even consult. The only placement more restrictive than a self-contained classroom is a residential placement, where students are in a facility that is as much treatment as it is education. Some districts have special schools made up of only self-contained classrooms, which might be considered halfway between self-contained and residential since the schools are not close to students homes. Other Names Self-contained settings, Self-contained programs Example: Due to Emilys anxiety and self-injurious behavior, her IEP team decided that a self-contained classroom for students with Emotional Disturbances would be the best place to keep her safe.

Customer Service at Nordstrom Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Customer Service at Nordstrom - Case Study Example The habitual ways that are encompassed in the theory can be illustrated in two entities namely cooperativeness and assertiveness. The dimension gave rise to five different styles of conflict management. These styles are accommodation, competition, collaboration, compromising and avoiding. These styles are essential in the life of human beings. People need to adopt them so as to live in harmony with each other in the society.   The approach of Nordstrom to the management of customer relationship and service is a crucial way of defusing or preventing possible conflict situation. Customers have varying preference and needs. The Nordstrom’s approach involves the provision of personalized and customized services to every customer. This ensures that the organization is addressing the unique necessities of individual customers thereby avoiding probable conflict situations. Customers are normal people with names, independent as well as rational. They understand what they specifically looking for from any organization. They hence need to be attended to person rather than generally, with respect and honesty. Listening to and addressing the complaints of customers makes the customers feel respected. The organization understands that returning money to their customers once they demand it demonstrates the respect of the customer’s intelligence as well as their choices.   The Nordstrom approach enhances customer’s experience. Each time a customer interacts with the organization, they gain a particular experience. They may leave the organization feeling either valued or exploited by the organization. The approach involves listening to customers and responding appropriately to their needs as well as complaints (Bolman & Deal, 2013).  

Critical analysis of an issue(s)from the course Assignment

Critical analysis of an issue(s)from the course - Assignment Example As the world has become a global village, it revolutionizes the trend of the whole globe. Business is dispersing over the seas. It gradually dimities the boundaries and bring the people closer to each other. Globalization also requires the expansion of multinational organizations. To achieve better results, it is also necessary to understand the culture of people of different races. Culture has impact on communication also. Globalization has also certain effects on our personal world that will be discussed later in this paper. Globalization has increased the impact of cultural values and issues on people. Culture is defined as norm, values, believes behaviors and attitudes of certain group of people; community etc. These behaviors may vary from person to person depending on their costumes, languages, thoughts and perceptions. When the people belonging from different races interact with each other, an impact of cross culture issues seems to appear. This usually happens in multinational organizations where employees are brought from all around the world. The interaction between different cultures may lead to some cross cultural issues. Most of the times, the issue appears between eastern cultures and western cultures. In this paper we will enlighten such issues (Caetano, 2001). Another feature that is brought in by globalization is increasing technological advancements. Technology is the synthetic enhancement of human power. It makes us stronger and smarter. It is the technology that brings human beings from Stone Age to this modern era. Actually technology is the fact due to which world has become global village. It has increased the efficiency of business. It is the mean which provides luxurious life to the people and modifies the living standard. But it is confined to some people; it is observed that with the development of technology, unemployment is also increasing. In