The Ability of Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ability of Critical Thinking - Essay Example According to the definition, critical thinking is the intellectual process of conceptualizing, analyzing and evaluating information gathered from observation, experience or communication (Mahwah, 1996, page 64, paragraph 4). In simple words, critical thinking is about involving the skilled judgment or observation of the situation into the decision-making process. Critical thinkers do not only make the decision based on what they think is the right choice, but they also evaluate the outcomes of their choice for positive and negative results. Critical thinking is about using knowledge and this ability cannot be developed hastily. The human brain is biologically set up to make sense of received information through summarising and reducing the amount of it. For example, an individual can decide that the unknown animal is a dog because the animal has physical similarities with dogs. Even though this example is simple, it does reflect the application of critical thinking skills to evaluate the situation and make the conclusion. In the workplace setting, required critical thinking skills are different. For example, one of my co-workers, Peter, was very different in terms of work values and ethics from all of the other employees including our supervisor. Even though his productivity has always been above average, he was labeled as lazy. My supervisor has informed the staff that there will be downsizing and one person has to leave our team. He has asked me to evaluate the performance of all team members and decide who should leave. The first person I have in mind was Peter, even though his productivity was above av erage, he has completed his job very slowly. Nevertheless, not Peter's name was on the top of the list I provided to my supervisor. If it was, my decision would lack critical thinking.  

Explore the Problems Behind Sexual Deviance, Violence, or Crime and Essay

Explore the Problems Behind Sexual Deviance, Violence, or Crime and Poverty - Essay Example Majority of the world’s population today has been living in the state of poverty. In fact, the 2009 World Bank has shown that almost three billion people around the world are earning less than two dollars and fifty cents a day and 1 billion children live in starvation. There are also more or less 30,000 people around the world who dies everyday because of no food to eat (Shah, 2009). There has been no record found showing the origin of the word poverty. Nevertheless, scholarly authors believed that this term became apparent first in biblical accounts claiming that the poor will always be near in God’s heart. It has also been classified into two, absolute and relative poverty (Byrns, n.d.). Absolute poverty is cited as the state wherein the people don’t have any of the basic necessities and are totally impoverished. On the other hand, relative poverty is likened to a situation in which the people have the basic necessities but were not enough to satisfy them. Nonetheless, this classification is measured after the determination of the country’s poverty line. The late Pope John Paul II has written that poverty is the main force in armed conflicts which gravely threatens peace and security (as cited in Frederick, 2009). Significantly, two economists stated that poverty as a concept has qualitative and quantitative dimensions (Mabughi & Selim, 2006). The qualitative aspect is evaluated in terms of the standard of living while the quantitative dimension is assessed by the level of consumption. Despite these varying ideas, the World Bank has introduced a comprehensive yet radical definition which became the guiding principle of understanding poverty in the international community. Such definition emphasized the importance of an active and purposeful action towards change from both the wealthy and poor sections of the society (World Bank, n.d.). An online movement to fight poverty enumerated its causes and consequences. The causes

The Piano Lesson Essay Example for Free

The Piano Lesson Essay The story of the piano originated from a time when slavery was highly practiced. This piano originally belonged to Joel Nolander, but was bought by Robert Sutter, Sutter’s grandfather. Although his wife adored the piano at first, she later changed her mind and wanted to have her slaves back. However, Joel Nolander refused. To console his wife, Sutter had Willis Boy come and engrave their images on the Piano. Willis on the other hand does not engrave his image and that of his mother on the Piano but also those of other family members. Thus a piano this family reminds them of the family members. It is a history of several generations that were ahead of them. The piano had on it the history of this family. But every generation in this family has its own perception of the piano. The grandfather of Boy Willis saw this as an instrument that kept their history. He was glad enough to record the story of his family on this piece of wood. However, his son Boy Charles strongly considered that since their images were on the piano which was owned by their slave master, they would never cease to be slaves. Therefore, the piano was a symbol of slavery and it a picture of slavery to them. He, together with his brothers Doaker and Wining Boy steals the piano which finally causes him to die. His wife Mama Ola would later clean the piano using her own hands until they bled probably in mourning of her husband (August, 11). On the other hand, there is a divided view between children of Boy Charles on the place the Piano holds in their lives. Berniece, the daughter of Boy Charles believes that the Piano is an important instrument in their lives since it defines who they. To paraphrase in her words, it defines their legacy. She considers the piano to be divine and would therefore want to keep in possession. Boy Willis on the other hand thinks that though the piano signifies a lot when it comes to history and legacy, it is not important than for a man to be able to have a sense of livelihood, being able to provide for himself and his family and owning something that will cause him to enjoy the same rights as a Whiteman. To him, money is important because it will enable him to buy land than having a piano that preserves the past legacy. He believes true legacy is having possession in this world. The piano too contributes greatly to the theme of music, money and ghosts. It contributes to the theme of money in that Boy Willis needs money and thinks that the best way to obtain some quick money is by selling the piano. He sees the piano as an opportunity to get money to buy Sutter’s piece of land. The piano too is an instrument of music and contributes greatly to the music theme. When Mama Ola wanted to communicate to the spirit of her late husband, she let Berniece play the piano and sing and she could hear her husband. When Boy Willis is attacked by the ghost of Sutter, Berniece again plays some music using the piano which brings back the spirits of their ancestors to fight for them. Playing of music on this piano has been a way to communicate to the ghosts. This is seen in Mama Ola’s life when she wanted to talk with the spirit of her husband, as well as in the life of the siblings when they were attacked by Sutter’s ghost. The ghost of Sutter too came back because Boy Willis wanted to sell the piano in order to buy his land. From all this we can learn that it is hand to get rid of our past. While we can be able to get over our past, we cannot forget. There are things that are like marks in our lives and we cannot get rid of them. La Belle Dame Sans Merci There are various elements of imagery that are portrayed in the poem La Belle Dame sans merci. Keats likens love to hurt. While he talks about how beautiful the woman he had met was, he describes her eyes as being wild. While he tried to love this woman, she wept. While the harvest time was over and winter was setting, he doesn’t sit at home to enjoy it but goes on wandering until he meets this woman. This poem has form also. Its form is steady flow with the first and the third line in seeming to be the longest while the second and fourth line in the stanza being a little bit shorter. The poem seems to flow in every stanza. There is also the element of allusion in this poem. In the last three stanzas, the writer compared himself to kings and princes who had met this woman in his dreams and the suffering they had gone through when they fell in love with this woman. The poem also has rhyme in it. All the stanzas have four lines. This maintains the flow of the poem. The last sentence in every stanza, though different from each other, is written in such a way that is has the same sounds. This poem portrays the pain human beings go through when after discovering something that may bring in a lot of happiness, soon realizes that they cannot keep it. For example, the knight thought he had discovered a woman to love only to wake up and find out that he is alone. In his dream too, he dreams about many others who have gone through the same agony, including kings and princes who have suffered because they could not keep their newly discovered love (Feats, Stanza 10 and 11). Works Cited August, Wilson. The Piano Lesson. New York, USA: Published by the Penguin Group. (1990). Keats, John. La Belle Dame sans merci. (1819).

The Human Dive Reflex

The Human Dive Reflex INTRODUCTION: The dive reflex is portrayed as bradycardia caused by submerging an individuals head underwater. In diving vertebrates this occurs in a remarkable manner than compared to humans (Hurwitz Furedy 1986). A diving seal where baseline heart rate rises 100 beats to 10 beats per minute when diving would be an example of this (Hurwitz Furedy 1986). Bradycardia is stated as slow resting heart rate or pulse rate (Tortara Derrickson 2009). Accompanied bradycardia response to breath hold is advantageous for vertebrate as well as humans because it permits physiological processes to adjust to environmental change by redistributing blood flow from periphery (non-essential organs) to brain and other essential organs (Hurwitz et al 1986 Gooden 1994 ) The dive reflex depends on the autonomic control of the heart to begin proper responses, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) sends impulses through the cardiac accelerator nerve and starts release of norephrine which increases contractility and hear t rate. However parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) works through vagus nerves which end in heart decreasing contractility of the heart by decreasing rate of spontaneous depolarization (Tortara Derrickson 2009). Producing bradycardia response requires the sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system to work antagonistically (Hurwitz Furedy 1984). Dive reflex consists of two stimuli; the stimulation of facial receptors which are responsive to cold and wetness (pressure receptors), and the voluntary or involuntary termination of breathing or a decrease PO2 (Gooden 1994). Facial stimulus travels through the trigeminal to integrated respiratory centre and cardiovascular centre inside medulla oblongata. Inhibitory neural signals generated by facial receptors inhibits respiratory centre consequently triggers termination of respiratory muscles such as the diaphragm and intercostals causing reflex apnoea in order to inhibit aspiration of water (Hiebert Burch 2003). In a ddition, inhibition of respiratory centre stimulates cardiovascular centre and therefore increases parasympathetic activity via vagus nerve to start bradycardia , and as well stimulates sympathetic activity to vasoconstrict arterioles in limbs and non essential organs for instance the skin, intestines, and kidney causing them to rely on anaerobic conditions (Hiebert Burch 2003).This non essential organ vasoconstriction allows the redirection of blood flow to the brain and heart, this guards the brain from injury by supplying as much as oxygen that is needed , and reducing the brains requirement for oxygen by cooling (Hiebert Burch 2003).The decrease in PO2 is sensed by the arterial chemoreceptors from involuntary or voluntary breath hold , stimulates the cardiovascular centre to signal the SNS and PNS to complete the same antagonist functions completed in respiratory inhibition stimulus(Hiebert Burch 2003). Also the expected Bradycardia when simulating dive can be unsuccessful du e to emotional reasons such as fear, being distracted, being embarrassed, or in eagerness to submerge out of water could induce tachycardia response (Gooden 1994). In addition the experiments accomplished will show the stimulus in dive reflex and the physiological reasons behind those reflexes will be discussed. METHOD: First of all the investigation was accomplished using a subject seated on lab stool with the same posture, with their head down, and elbows resting on the bench. Chart 5 was setup and a finger transducer was connected to the subjects index finger. The subject sat quietly to rest heart rate and distractions were kept to smallest amount to avoid false recordings .The subjects palms were facing up to diminish finger movement as a result reducing signal dampening of finger transducer while recording . Prior to undertaking the diving experiments the subject practiced their breath hold; the subject took two deep breaths but not maximal breaths before holding their breath for 30 seconds. Every experiment lasted 1 and half minutes with recordings showing heart rate per min at: rest, 1st 15 seconds of breath hold, 2nd 15 seconds of breath hold, and recovery. For each dive stimulation, this was expected. Prior to the experiments it was noted not to force the subject from simulating a dive or b reath hold if they feel unpleasant doing so. The effect of diving was experimented on using different water temperatures, and snorkelling equipment. The water basin was positioned in front of the subject seated in appropriate posture staying motionless (it was furthermore important for the subject to remain motionless during the experiment as this triggered further signal dampening while recording heart rate) .the subject would take a deep breath and exhale to some extent and submerge their face in water up to cheeks, and yet again heart rate would be recorded for 30 seconds. These events were used for every breath hold dive simulation. For a more detailed method refer to MEDSCI 205 laboratory manual page 35-39. For the analysis of results % change in heart rate was calculated using the equation below: % change The above graph shows the percentage change in heart rate from the effect of apnoea caused by water temperature and pressure changes. The graph above shows the effect of apnoea only on heart rate of the subject which indicates that holding breath has a apparent change in heart rate compared to holding breath in cold water. The above graph represents the percentage change in heart rate due to the effects of temperature. Discussion: Investigating all data gathered from the experiments draw together the fact that bradycardia was observed in most of them. In table 3 the subject showed an increase in heart rate in snorkelling, the standard dive and holding breathing in warm water. As reviewed in the introduction the reason may be due anxiety or distractions which lead to the beginning of tachycardia (Gooden 1994). Snorkelling (shown on table 3) showed a noteworthy increase in heart rate instead of a bradycardia response, the fact that literature proposes on immersing face in water the body must begin reflex apnoea and diving bradycardia (Gooden 1994). Also in resting pulse 1st standard dive the 1st 15 seconds showed an increase in heart rate followed by significant decrease to 69.68 beats per min. The rapid decrease in the 2nd 15 seconds was due to the importance of the body adapting to retain oxygen reserve to supply vital organs (Hurwitz Furedy 1984). Analysing breathing in water with snorkel vs. Holding breath in cold water showed there were not such significant heart rate differences between the two experiments conducted .In breathing in water with a snorkel, there was a steady increase and decrease in heart rate from 7.9 % 16.1% change, but these heart rate measurements were in range if of resting pulse 55.82 beats per min measured at the start of the experiment. In comparison holding breath in cold water showed expected decrease in heart rate from resting pulse by 7.8% decrease in first 15 seconds to 16.6% decrease in second 15 seconds. This experiment shows that voluntary apnoea by itself causes bradycardia through the decreasing levels of PO2 which triggers arterial chemoreceptors ,that sends stimulating the cardiovascular centre to start appropriate responses via the parasympathetic and sympathetic pathways working destructively (Hurwitz Furedy 1984). Snorkelling showed a change in heart rate by 7.9 % and 16.1%, but the reaction was an increase in heart rate than a likely decrease as assumed in literature (Hiebert Burch 2003). Voluntary facial immersions in water according to literature should usually stimuli pressure receptors in face and obstruct respiratory muscles to begin reflex apnoea and in addition stimuli sympathetic to constrain blood flow and stimuli cardiovascular centre to begin bradycardia during the dive is model (Hiebert Burch 2003). Additionally the simulated dive with cold water demonstrated a likely bradycardia response with a decrease change in heart by 7.8% and 16.6% this implies that the sensitivity of cold wet receptors on the face can add to Bradycardia, in effort to reduce oxygen expenditure (Hiebert Burch 2003).While evaluating heart rate values obtained from snorkelling and breath hold in cold water, the experiment showed the stabilizer effects of cold water on decreasing the heart rate and that facia l immersion should show a Bradycardia response. (Hiebert Burch 2003) (Pauler, Pokorski, Honda, Ahn et al 1990. From the analysis of results it can be agreed upon that holding breath in warm water has to some level, less change in heart rate, in the first 15 seconds heart rate increased by 1.3% and decreased by 0.79% in second 15 seconds with a significant 13.1% increase in heart rate in recovery phase well over the normal resting pulse 62.0 beats per min a probable cause may have been anticipation to submerge out of water (Hiebert Burch 2003). Cold water, in comparison demonstrated the expected Bradycardia by illustrating significant change in heart rate from resting pulse by 7.8% in first 15 seconds to 12.3% in second 15 seconds, then restoring back to the resting pulse in the recovery phase. This experiment additionally confirmed that facial receptors are sensitive to cold and that immersion in cold water will constantly associate with a strong decrease in heart rate (Pauler, Pokorski, Honda, Ahn et al 1990). Also the variation in heart rate between warm water and cold water dive simulatio ns point out that cold water has additive effects on heart rate reduction by apnoea (Hiebert Burch 2003). Cold water demonstrated the majority of significant change in heart rate compared to other cues. The probable cause of this would be facial immersion in cold water, as this leads to reducing metabolic functions in an effort to lower the oxygen demand to peripheral tissue caused from hypoxia and tissue cooling (Hiebert Burch 2003). It has been stated by literature, that the higher the temperature the lower bradycardia responses expected the lower the temperature the higher the bradycardia responses expected (Gooden 1994). The second highest change in heart rate was shown in snorkelling which was not expected. The expected result was a small decrease in heart rate to explain pressure / wet receptors stimuli bradycardia (Hiebert Burch 2003).Holding breath in air showed the expected change in heart rate. The other cues experimented showed the added effects to breath hold will increase bradycardia compared to breath hold alone. Also warm water had showed small change in heart rate this pr oposed that it has little or no added effect to dive reflex response. Conclusion In conclusion in all cues experimented with breath hold and facial immersion a commencement bradycardia was observed this proposed that breath hold or apnoea plays an important role in the dive reflex. In addition facial immersion in cold water was established to be the most powerful stimulus of dive reflex.

My Nursing Journey and My Personal Philosophy of Nursing Essay

Introduction My journey to nursing began with my personal healthcare experience, and has continued to evolve since entering the nursing program at State University. My personal philosophy of nursing is related my life experience and my personal philosophy of life. Using reflection-on-action, I have begun to understand the influences that have lead me to nursing. I discovered client and family centered care to be an important quality when I look at the influential nurses in my life. To develop a positive therapeutic nurse-client relationship, nurses must integrate all 5 dimensions of the therapeutic nurse-client relationship into their practice (CNO, 2006). When it comes to providing client-centered care, the dimensions of trust, empathy and respect are particularly important (CNO, 2006). Illness can be a traumatic experience for patients and their families, and it is important to be empathetic to the patient’s needs, while still trusting the patient to be an expert in their illness and car e. Client Centered Care Client centered care is what creates the foundation for the therapeutic nurse-client relationships. The Registered Nursing Association of Ontario (RNAO) recommends that nurses embrace the values of respect, human dignity, client as expert, and clients as leaders, to foster patient centered care (RNAO, 2002). A study done at Coventry University found that there were serious implications to care that was not family-center. Effective communication plays a large role in how the care is perceived by families and patients. It is extremely important for clients to receive constant and continual information from their healthcare professionals (Beckwitt, 2014). Relaying critical, sensitive information is difficult, but when t... ... Stories. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://stellabrunermethven.com/ Methven, M. (n.d.). Stella Joy. Thinking About Death. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://stellabrunermethven.com/ Miller, E. T. (2014). Why Passion Counts!. Rehabilitation Nursing, 39(2), 61. doi:10.1002/rnj.158 Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. (2002). Best Practice Guideline. Client Centered Cared. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/client-centred-care. Siviter, B. (2014). A culture where compassion is the expectation. Primary Health Care, 24(2), 16. Sullivan, P. (n.d.). Team Finn. Battles Are About How You Live. Retrieved March 18, 2014 from http://www.teamfinn.com/about-team-finn/battles-are-about-how-you-live/ Whitman, B., & Rose, W. (2003). Using art to express a personal philosophy of nursing. Nurse Educator, 28(4), 166-169.

Free Essays on Invisible Man: Plot/Character Analysis/Themes :: Invisible Man Essays

Invisible Man: Short Plot/Character Analysis/Themes Invisible Man, written in 1952 by Ralph Ellison, documents a young black man's struggle to find identity in an inequitable and manipulative society. During the course of this struggle, he learns many valuable lessons, both about society and himself, through his experiences. The story begins with the narrator recounting his memories of his grandfather. The most remarkable, and eventually the most haunting, of these is his memory of his grandfather's last words in which he claims to have been a traitor to his own people and urges his son to "overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open." These words remain imprinted in the narrator's mind throughout the book, although he never fully understands their meaning. His grandfather's words eventually serve as catalyst for his subsequent disillusionments, the first of which occurs directly after he graduates from high school. At this time, the narrator is invited to give a speech at a gathering of the town's leading white citizens. The speech he is planning to give expresses the view that humility is the essence of progress. Subconsciously, the words of his grandfather prevent him from truly believing the thesis of his own speech, but he gives it anyway. Instead of being shown respect for his work, however, he is humiliated by being made to fight blind-folded against other young black men, and then being shocked by an electrified rug. He pretends not to be angered by these events, yet his true feelings escape him for a moment when, while he is reading his speech, he accidentally says "Social equality," instead of "Social responsibility." After he finishes his speech, he is awarded a new briefcase. Inside the briefcase is a scholarship to the state Negro College. That night he has a dream in which his grandfather tells him to open the briefcase and read what is in the envelope. He finds that it says "To Wh om It May Concern, Keep This Nigger-Boy Running." Unfortunately, he is still too disillusioned to grasp the meaning of his grandfather's warnings. During his Junior year at college, the narrator drives for Mr. Norton, one of the college founders that is visiting the campus. During the drive, Mr. Norton tells the narrator that he is his destiny.

Bracero Program

The Bracero Program The Bracero Program was a temporary contract labor program initiated in 1942 by the United States and Mexico. Designed originally to bring a experienced Mexican agricultural laborers to harvest sugar beets in Stockton, California, but soon spread to most of the United States and to the railroad industry. Although the railroad program ended in 1945, after World War II the agricultural program continued until 1964. Originally, the program was designed to protect the illegal migrant workers against the exploitation by American farmers. However, it was criticized and was viewed as a failure from the humanitarian point of view. Workers in the Bracero Program continued to face struggles with the United States and Mexican governments. Many workers did not receive the mandatory savings accounts that were legally guaranteed to them upon conclusion of their contracts to work in the United States. In many states, specifically Texas, the local governments and authorities also took advantage of the workers. Graft and corruption on both sides of the border enriched many Mexican officials as well as unethical â€Å"coyote† freelancers in the United States who promised contracts in Texas for the unsuspecting Bracero. † reported by The Handbook of Texas Online (Handbook of Texas Online, s. v. , 2001. ) Because of the abuse of authoritative power, such as perfunctory arrest for petty causes, and obvious discrimination, Mexico excluded Texas was excluded from the labor-exchange program. Wages paid to legal contracted braceros were low. As well, these workers often encountered poor substandard living conditions. Many braceros left contracted work to return to home or to find better paying jobs. These braceros became known as â€Å"wetbacks. Farmers and ranchers became dependent on a low-cost, docile, illegal labor force. The search for jobs began to move the illegal immigrants farther north into Texas and California. However, there were still many braceros that continued to work under contract and work as law-abiding members of the community. The program became a political issue for the Americans. The United States wielded the power of negotiations with both the Mexican government and the Mexican people. Mexico lost all real bargaining power in the 1950’s. Along with opposition from Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the United States determined that the program was no longer vital to the American’s; it discontinued the program in 1964. Chavez and Huerta fought the program because it undermined American workers and exploited the migrant workers. Nothing says it more obvious than the account from Walt Edwards (as cited in Dillin, 2006), When we caught illegal aliens on farms and ranches, the farmer or rancher would often call and complain [to officials in El Paso]. And depending on how politically connected they were, there would be political intervention. That is how we got into this mess we are in now. (Dillin, John, 2006) By the end of the program, farm labor unions began to form which eventually led to the abolishment of laws stating it was illegal to organize farm labor. This lead the way to the grape strikes in California and the boycotts in stores, lead by Filipino farm workers. After the first strike several various organizations began to form and led similar movements around the country. Through the 1960s to the 1980s, Cesar Chavez was a major inspiration to such movements and organizations. One of the most notable protests was when Chavez and the UFW marched from the Coachella Valley to the Mexican border to protest grower’s use of illegal aliens as strikebreakers and replacement workers. References Bracero Program. Bracero Program in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved on July 29, 2007, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bracero_program. Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez in Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved on July 29, 2007, from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/C%C3%A9sar_Ch%C3%A1vez. Dillin, John. (2006, July 06). How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossing from Mexico. [Electronic version. ] Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved on July 29, 2007, from http://www. csmonitor. com/2006/0706/p09s01-coop. html. Handbook of Texas Online, s. v.. (2001, June 6). Operation Wetback. Retrieved on July 29, 2007, from http://www. tsha. utexas. edu/handbood/online/articles/OO/pqo1_print. html