Assessing Quality of Care in Kinship and Foster Family Care by Jill Assignment

Assessing Quality of Care in Kinship and Foster Family Care by Jill Duerr Berrick (2010) - Assignment Example Kinship care has gained increasing attention from practitioners, policymakers and researchers. The attention has been captivated by the large numbers of children being served in foster care by kin and the scarcity of information available about the rapidly growing arrangement for care† (Berrick, 1997, p.273). According to Mokgosi (1997, p.7), â€Å"placement with extended family or kinship is becoming widely used as an alternative placement. Many child welfare experts believe that children will be better served if their care is provided by family members within the community of origin rather than by strangers.† For, separation from distant family members may lead to the child’s disruption, if unattended. On the other hand, Berrick claims, â€Å"on a number of measures relating to the home environment, non-kin homes were rated as more safe† (1997, p.273). The author describes kin caregivers as â€Å"older than foster family parents and a group heavily repre sented by single women of color who are struggling themselves with limited incomes† (Berrick, 1997, p.273). Whilst foster family providers generally prepare for their new role as parents, kinship foster parents more often fall into older parenthood in response to a pressing family emergency. Trends in this data point to the need for further research in the field, that is, â€Å"the need for changes in policy and practice that might strengthen the kin and non-kin resources currently available to dependent children are also suggested† (Berrick, 1997, p.279). Although the study done by Berrick was designed to assess the quality in kin and non-kin homes, focus herein will be given on its quantitative aspect, that is to say, in terms of the empirical patterns found in the data collected, so as to explain the research phenomena with regards to its numerical data. The primary method used was survey research, which included interviews. The county staff drew a random sample of 1 23 kinship and 97 non-kin homes from their foster care databases. Herein, a simple random sampling method of analysis was implemented. â€Å"Sampling is a technical accounting device to rationalize the collection of information, to choose in an appropriate way the restricted set of objects, persons, events from which the actual information will be drawn† (Bless and Higson-Smith, 1995, p.85). In this study, the sample was restricted to those homes that included a child in care between 5 to 12 years of age. A letter describing the scope and purpose of the study was sent on all kin and non-kin providers. Providers were offered a $20.00 stipend for their participation. However, only fourteen kin (11%) and 11 non-kin (11%) providers responded to the request.  

The Bill in Legislation Requiring BSN within 10 Years of Graduating Assignment

The Bill in Legislation Requiring BSN within 10 Years of Graduating - Assignment Example Majority of New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA) members have voted to support this legislation at the March 31, 2006 meeting. In 1999, Harris Poll conducted a nationwide survey wherein the results indicated that 76 percent of the public think that nurses should have at least four years of undergraduate education for sufficient preparation. In 1978, the American Nurses Association (ANA) House of Delegates recommended that by 1985, the preparation for entry into professional practice would be a baccalaureate degree. This was seconded by their 1965 position paper that was inspired by the Comprehensive Nurse Training Act in 1964. This motivated reviews on nursing responsibilities, practice, and education. There are many reasons why different groups are pushing for the educational advancement of registered nurses. One major purpose is to promote professional behaviors. It is believed that this may promote a higher level of understanding the complexity of healthcare resources signi ficant in caring for patients. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, a study conducted by Linda Aiken and her colleagues concluded, â€Å"In hospitals with higher proportions of nurses educated at the baccalaureate level or higher, surgical patients experienced lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rate† (2003). ... Sufficient academic preparation helps nurses to be equitable with other fields in healthcare. In addition, proper education boosts evidence based practice which is handier in the nursing profession. This significance will then give way to professional collaboration. Schools will have more opportunities to partner with relevant industries. As a result, this bill will increase the qualification of faculty members. Those with bachelor’s degrees are expected to advance their schooling by pursuing master’s programs. As the requirement for students become more compelling, faculty standards have to be cultivated. These educational changes, ultimately seek for the enhancement of the nursing practice. This approach maintains its respect for all educational entries while addressing the evolving competencies required. For those with associate degrees, they may continue practicing while furthering their nursing education. For instance, a registered nurse with an associate degree ma y continue to work while finishing his bachelor’s degree. Currently, there are more schools working with other institutions to deliver innovative and flexible means. Hospitals and other kinds of healthcare facilities can also advance themselves with the promulgation of this bill. With more staff having distinguished education, an institution makes its chances higher to be accredited by the Magnet Recognition Program which is being supervised by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Health care facilities that receive this recognition pride themselves with outstanding patient care and nursing services. Sponsors The bill is being sponsored by Senator Stavisky and Assembly Member Morelle. These two legislators share common ground regarding their experience and emphasis on

The life of Harry Truman in the context of civil Right Era Essay

The life of Harry Truman in the context of civil Right Era - Essay Example This was the true picture as well as impression depicted by Harry Trumann in the context of Civil Right Era (Gardner, 2002). It is of crucial significance to note that Harry Truman led America in gaining victory over World War II. However, tied to this are several of my major impressions relevant to his life in the Civil Right Era. Harry Truman was a leader of dignity, in-depth understanding, humanness as well as vast of wisdom. This was so conspicuous in the way he made his decisions on the context of civil rights. He championed of equality rights for all Americans, including the Whites and the Blacks. This was quite impressive since it enabled for equal consideration of people regardless of race, ethnicity as well as socio-political classes (Truman Legacy Symposium and Geselbracht, 2007). In defiance to the issue of racial discrimination, Truman employed racial integration within the USA military. This was a clear indication that Truman was considerate and wise in decision-making. He considered the pains both the Whites and Blacks underwent in the wars, thereby championing for the spirit of inclusion an d equality amongst all the American citizens (Gardner, 2002). As a leader of humane character, Truman espoused in his campaigns that he believed in the spirit of brotherhood and unity amongst all people in the face of law. He stressed the fact that any form of racial, political, social or economic discrimination could likely cause a state of political unrest as well as insecurity (Truman Legacy Symposium and Geselbracht, 2007). Such could easily disrupt peace and safety to all the citizens. This is quite impressive of Truman since he showed that as a leader, he valued peace, safety and equality amongst all the

Education Business Partnership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Education Business Partnership - Essay Example Schools on the other hand supported the initiative unanimously. At the time of the bid, Newham was the most deprived local authority in England, and deprivation in three of the wards in the zone was worse than elsewhere in the Borough. Consequently the aim of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of partnership and the quality and impact on education in Newham. Burke J (1995) By establishing a strong working relationship with a wide range of partners. The business partners are committed to improving education in the area and also making a vital contribution to the zone's work. Schools are frequently working in clusters and as a result head teachers and governors are increasingly responsible for deciding how the zone's resources should be used. This has led to an increase in the number of initiatives, despite justifiable complaints from teachers that there are already too many. Although communications between clusters are not as good as they should be, attainment is improving at a better rate than elsewhere in the country, even if results remain well below national averages in external examinations for 16-year-olds. This improvement is, in part, the result of zone initiatives. Buss D (1995) Attendance is now close to the national average in primary schools and teachers are confident about the improvement in behavior that has been achieved substantially by the zone initiatives. At the secondary school attendance is improving, even among pupils with a history of persistent absenteeism. Green away D & Tuck J (undated) Professional development includes training in lesson observation, and this is improving the quality of teaching and learning in general. Attainment in ICT has improved because teachers are better trained and pupils have access to more and better equipment. At first the activities to promote social inclusion were unsuccessful but the new arrangements are having more impact. Modest expenditure on the arts has raised standards and improved pupils' attitudes to education. Zone support for its one secondary school has been substantial and helped move it out of special measures. Buss D (1995) Increased Enrolment Over recent years there has been a significant change in the population of the area, with a growth in the number of families of minority ethnic background and of refugees and asylum-seekers. One zone school, for example, has over 60 languages represented. At the same time there has been substantial regeneration, including a new exhibition centre and housing redevelopment, bringing with it a mix of residents. From the outset the zone included two nurseries, one infant, 16 primary, and one secondary school. Three of the primaries are church schools. A new primary school, Britannia Village, was added in June 2000, shortly after it opened. Burke J (1995 At the time of the bid three of the primary schools and the secondary school were in special measures and one primary school was judged by its inspection to have serious weaknesses. At the time of the inspection three different schools were in special measures and four had been judged to have serious weaknesses. When the zone started, attainment in its schools was below the national average but broadly in line with those in other LEA schools for pupils aged seven. At ages 11, 14 and 16 attainment was

Magnetic Tape Essay Example for Free

Magnetic Tape Essay Magnetic tape is a medium for magnetic recording, made of a thin magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip of plastic film. It was developed in Germany, based on magnetic wire recording. Devices that record and play back audio and video using magnetic tape are tape recorders and video tape recorders. A device that stores computer data on magnetic tape is a tape drivOver years, magnetic tape can suffer from deterioration called sticky-shed syndrome. Caused by absorption of moisture into the binder of the tape, it can render the tape unusable. Merits: Capacity * One of the key advantages of magnetic tape is its capacity for holding data. Magnetic tape was the first medium able to hold a feature-length movie on a small, inexpensive device, thus enabling the home video market of the 1980s. In addition, compact cassettes can hold music on both sides, giving them a 90-minute total playing time, which is even greater than most CDs. Editing * Magnetic tape is also easy to edit using a traditional linear-editing system. This can involve duplicating a portion of a tape to a master reel, or physically cutting the tape and attaching the desired portions together with glue, splicing cement or adhesive tape. Editing in this manner requires no special computer equipment and may be less expensive and/or easier to learn than nonlinear digital editing. DEMERITS: Generation Loss * One of the disadvantages of magnetic tape is generation loss, which refers to the fact that each successive copy of a tape loses quality compared to the original. This can make it difficult to use magnetic tape for editing-intensive projects, or when extremely high fidelity is important. Digital media, on the other hand, can be copied and reproduced indefinitely with no visible or audible difference between the original and any of its copies. Durability * Another problem with magnetic tape is its tendency to stretch out over time, causing the quality of the data to deteriorate. On old video tapes, this generally appears in the form of poor audio, and picture data can eventually suffer as well. Over time magnetic tape acquires a layer of magnetic debris from recording and playback heads, which may need to be cleaned periodically to continue functioning. Mechanical Complexity * The mechanical complexity needed to use magnetic tape is another disadvantage of the medium. Items like cassette and VHS tapes include two separate reels, as well as a mechanism for exposing a small portion of the tape inside a player or recording device. Reel-to-reel tape players use multiple motors and moving parts, each of which is susceptible to mechanical failure. In the realm of digital media, flash-based memory uses no moving parts, thus eliminating this problem. Advantages and Disadvantages of a USB Flash Drive February 27, 2012 Advantages and disadvantages Advantages Compared to hard drives, flash drives use little power, have no fragile moving parts, and for most capacities are small and light. Data stored on flash drives is impervious to mechanical shock, magnetic fields, scratches and dust. These properties make them suitable for transporting data from place to place and keeping the data readily at hand. Flash drives also store data densely compared to many removable media. In mid-2009, 256 GB drives became available, with the ability to hold many times more data than a DVD or even a Blu-ray disc,[2] Most personal computers support USB as of 2010. Flash drives implement the USB mass storage device class so that most modern operating systems can read and write to them without installing device drivers. The flash drives present a simple block-structured logical unit to the host operating system, hiding the individual complex implementation details of the various underlying flash memory devices. The operating system can use any file system or block addressing scheme. Some computers can boot up from flash drives. Specially manufactured flash drives are available that have a tough rubber or metal casing designed to be waterproof and virtually â€Å"unbreakable†. These flash drives retain their memory after being submerged in water, and even through a machine wash. Leaving such a flash drive out to dry completely before allowing current to run through it has been known to result in a working drive with no future problems. Channel Five‘s Gadget Show cooked one of these flash drives with propane, froze it with dry ice, submerged it in various acidic liquids, ran over it with a jeep and fired it against a wall with a mortar. A company specializing in recovering lost data from computer drives managed to recover all the data on the drive.[42] All data on the other removable storage devices tested, using optical or magnetic technologies, were destroyed. Disadvantages Main article: Flash memory#Limitations Like all flash memory devices, flash drives can sustain only a limited number of write and erase cycles before the drive fails.[43][unreliable source?][44] This should be a consideration when using a flash drive to run application software or an operating system. To address this, as well as space limitations, some developers have produced special versions of operating systems (such as Linux in Live USB)[45] or commonplace applications (such as Mozilla Firefox) designed to run from flash drives. These are typically optimized for size and configured to place temporary or intermediate files in the computer’s main RAM rather than store them temporarily on the flash drive. Most USB flash drives no longer include a write-protect mechanism, although a small number have a switch on the housing of the drive itself to keep the host computer from writing or modifying data on the drive. Write-protection makes a device suitable for repairing virus-contaminated host computers without risk o f infecting the USB flash drive itself. A write-locked SD card in a USB flash card reader adapter is an effective way to avoid any writes on the flash medium. The SD card as a WORM device has an essentially unlimited life. A drawback to the small size is that they are easily misplaced, left behind, or otherwise lost. This is a particular problem if the data they contain are sensitive (see data security). As a consequence, some manufacturers have added encryption hardware to their drives—although software encryption systems which can be used in conjunction with any mass storage medium achieve the same thing. Most drives can be attached to keychains, necklaces and lanyards. The USB plug is usually fitted with a removable and easily lost protective cap, or is retractable. USB flash drives are more expensive per unit of storage than large hard drives, but are less expensive in capacities of a few tens of gigabytes as of 2011 Maximum available capacity is increasing with time, but is less than larger hard drives. This balance is changing, but the rate of change is slowing.. Most USB based flash technology integrates a printed circuit board with a metal tip which is simply soldered on. As a result the stress point is where the two pieces join. Some manufacturers quality control does not ensure a proper solder temp further weakening the stress point. Since many Flash Drives stick out from a users laptop or PC they are likely to be bumped repeatedly in their life time and may break at the stress point. Most of the time a break at the stress point results in permanent damage to the printed circuit board where the joint is torn from the circuit. However, some manufacturers produce discreet flash drives that do not stick out and others use a solid metal uni-body that has no easily discernible stress point.

Jonathan Larsons Influence On Musical Theatre Theatre Essay

Jonathan Larsons Influence On Musical Theatre Theatre Essay To demonstrate how a practitioner influenced the development of Musical Theatre, there will be an in depth analysis of Jonathan Larsons works Rent and Tick, TickBoom, which will show how his style influenced other modern practitioners that got some of their ideas based on his works and how his works were influenced by other practitioners in the beginning. Jonathan Larson was indeed a remarkable writer and composer who had his own stories to tell. Although his death came too early, his success can still be seen in his greatest work, the musical Rent and it may be said that As an artist, Jonathan Larsons discovered his passion for music following Elton John and Billy Joel, but it was musical theatre that caught his eye while his parents introduced him to the musical Fiddler on the Roof. As he later on said by himself, he always wanted to write music that could incorporate all of these influences. The path lead him to a four year drama major, but it was the composing that was his main interest and soon enough he started writing music for school productions. During his college years Jonathan Larson got in contract with the composer Stephen Sondheim, who was also his strongest musical theatre influence and later on his mentor. Sondheim told him later that Never the less he didnt go on as an actor and took a step into the composing world,he was still a struggling artist who spend years living his life working as a waiter just to pay his bills, while writing numerous theatrical pieces with a poor success story. With the musical Tick, TickBoom, which was an autobiographical work of Larsons life and was reflecting his alter ego, he finally got recognized, but still not the way he wanted to. As Siegel describes the show in New York times The songs and stories were half-funny and half-bitter tales of bad readings and waiting tables. He addressed his disappointment with putting the sho w of in 1994. But there was still no reason for him to give up, especially when he got into collaboration with Billy Aronson, a playwrighter who played around with the idea of updating Puccinis opera La Boheme. The project didnt get started until 1991, when Larson felt the need to tell the story about his friends who were diagnosed with AIDS. Larson stated himself while he was still alive and that truly represent the path that Rent went since the beginning of the show till this day. Many links between the big success of the show and Larsons death have been made during the time, but it is not said for sure that his death is the cause for such a big success of the musical Rent. The only thing that can be said for sure is, that the show is popular as the numerous amounts of awards that the show won present. , said by Wilson Jermaine Heredi, an actor of the original cast from Rent, shows that Rent really was a new era in theatre. Never before was there a musical telling a story about HI V infected people, drugs and homosexuals. The reviews for the show were well received, as reported in New York times. But it was the audience who gave Jonathan Larson a chance and made Rent to what it is today, an award winning musicals. A musical that is different to others, because it represents Even though Rent is a parallel to Puccinis 1896 opera La Boheme, Jonathan Larson took the idea and collaborated with Billy Areson and transformed it into a contemporary story that was never told before. The audience can get the chance to watch two pieces back-to back in a one repertoire and see the show not only as a good composers work but as an artistic creation. Artistic creation which illuminates Jonathan Larsons brilliance, never the less Rent owes a lot to Stephen Sondheims work. Not that he was reproducing his ideas in his style, There are many similarities to Stephen Sondheims work Company, but they show the extreme contrast. The setting was changed from Upper West side to the Lowe r East side, as well as the characters which are presented as a poverty line of multicultural young people that are homosexual, drug addicts or over the top minded. It can be said that the shows are similar in the way how Stephen Sondheim and Jonathan Larson presented New York and their ideas. Not only did Sondheims influence reflect in Jonathan Larsons Rent in the comparison to Company, but also his musical Sunday in the Park with George. Theres a common theme in both shows which demonstrate a central character that has went away from finishing something that is important forbidden personal relationship. Both shows describe that Never the less, nothing can take Larsons accomplishment away. He was a great composer and writer who was able to take Sondheims ideas and recreate them with his own style. This indicates how big of an impact Stephen Sondheim made on Larson. In an interview for New York Times, Stephen Sondheim later spoke about Jonathan Larson and said that a great musical t heatre composer . Stephen Sondheim as his mentor encouraged him while he was still alive to get involved with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Jonathan Larson described it as , but he appreciated the experience later, because it gave him a chance to meet new composers and that gave him more confidence in his work. At the point when he has later written more material he said Rent is classified as a rock musical, because of its rock influence. Examples of such musicals are Hair and Spring Awakening, which are both linked to Rent. It can be said that Hair was a big influence on Rent, because of the impact it made in that era, when people werent talking about drugs and hippies. Hair made a big statement at that time as did Rent. Both musicals told a story of confusion in each generation. Both works may be seen as generational anthems. Not because of the protest, but of its finally, youthful enthusiasm, even when the youth in question is at risk. Hair can be seen as a mile stone for Rent, which later impacted on Spring Awakening. Although Spring Awakening was already written in 1891 as a play, it s shocking story of acknowledgement of adolescent sexuality broke ground aesthetically, going beyond naturalism to presage expressionism. Since times have changed and today society is more open minded to the ethnological, sexual, and all other controversial aspects of human life, the effects of Spring Awakening as well as Rent have changed. In Spring Awakening the characters are still experiencing their awakening spring of sexuality and a couple of scenes might still surprise the audience, but in general todays community is more used to that on stage now. As Rent made theatrical history with transporting Puccinis La Boheme to New York, Spring Awakening made its own kind of history by putting a modern spin on a controversial play. It can be said that Rent had its influences and went on passing that to other musicals. Although Jonathan Larson didnt get the chance to witness the success of his lifes work, he left behind two remarkable musicals, which are both in subject matter unmistakable. Similaritys in Tick, tickBoom, especially in the characters, for which may seem they are sometimes show that Jonathan Larsons work had a deeper meaning and a thought of memories of his lost friends. As a composer his answer to the acknowledgement that he has just lost people that he loves was to write something in response. He later on said,Despite the fact that he never got the chance to see how his words and music inspired people, the musical Rent still goes on filling theatres with his story and the affect that he left behind may be seen in new works appearing on the stage. Jonathan Larson wanted to give all a lesson about how to go on in the time of great loss and not anything for granted.

knowledge and evidence Essay -- essays research papers fc

One definition of knowledge is true belief based on strong evidence. What makes evidence â€Å"strong† enough and how can this limit be established?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The making of knowledge is the process in which personal opinion is fortified by pragmatic evidence. It is to my belief that, evidence is a keystone in the justification of truth, because it is something solid and concrete. Significance of evidence is also magnified by our society as we develop. In major areas such as: scientific investigations, judicial examinations, historical assessments and many other field of knowledge, the value of creditable evidence are strongly advocated. While evidence is a strong factor in eliminating doubts of knowledge, different types of evidence can also affect the reliability of the truth claim which it supports. The fine line dividing valuable evidence and unreliable proof has since been drawn and debated over from the first schools of thoughts to today’s broad fields of knowledge. Likewise, I will also call upon my own experience and understanding to draw my own line in the grey vicinity of this spectrum.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before the declaration of my knowledge claims, I would like to clarify my understanding of evidence and its characteristics; which will be the foundation of this discussion. On a broad view, evidence can be identified as a fact-like assertion that proves or disproves  ¯ to a certain degree  ¯ a notion to be true, and trustworthy. On a closer examination, I realized, it is the evidence’s degree of relevance and authenticity that establishes its value and strength. Relevance, I believe, is the relationship which the evidence has with the theory that it is trying to uphold. As two things with strong connections tend to support each other, evidence with close relationship to the hypothesis, is also able to support the truth within that assumption. Authenticity, on the other hand, is the creditability of evidence. Only when the evidence is valid, will the knowledge that it is trying to justify be accurate. Furthermore, evidence’s strength also lies wi thin its objectivity and creditability. With less personal bias, evidence will be regarded as objective, therefore easier to admit universally. At the end, creditability finalizes strong evidence through the influence of trust. Even though strong evidence can stand as a fact of i... ... imperfection of evidence can only be minimized, but cannot be eliminate, this eventually will result in few controversies. As we find better ways of finding stronger knowledge, the frequency of the controversies will also decrease. Subsequently, I believe, relevance, authenticity, objectivity and creditability are all strong factors in the acquirement of strong evidence, which ultimately affects the validation of knowledge. With different situation and within different fields of study, the degree of these four factors that determines strong evidence may vary, because of the difference in how truth is viewed. In this essay, I have presented my own view and draw my own line which may incorporate my own personal predisposition, but I believe, parts of my mark will still remain on that spectrum as genuine knowledge. (1,560) Bibliography  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Committee On The Judiciary House of Representatives, Federal Rules of Evidence, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, 2001  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Evans, Colin: A Question of Evidence – The Casebook of Great Forensic Controversies, from Napoleon to O.J., John Wiley & Sons Inc., New Jersey, 2003