Saturday, August 31, 2019

Reflective Essay

Hour w hen I first arrived Into the walls of Northwestern High School as a freshman, It was a new experience for me. Adapting to a new atmosphere was a big change In my life. From being use to Elementary, and Junior High Schools standards I had to critique my whole lifestyle. In doing this, I had to change the way I thought, my morals, values, timing, academics, and most of all my behavior. I can actually sit back and remember my first day of school like it was yesterday.Like trying to find my classes, finding a place to sit in the lunch room, wondering if I'm going to make any friends and the list goes on and on. This thing called â€Å"High School† was a new and major beginning in my life. After being adapted to the customs of this new school: like homework, essays, reports, and exams. My only stress relief was from extracurricular activities. I always look towards It being Like my little balm In Gilead. By growing up in a house of athletes, I always was Involved in some typ e of sport.Whether It be tennis, baseball, oddball, or even a game of amateur soccer, I was Just so grateful to be away from school work. As I still wander the halls of Northwestern, I often reflect back on my life, and how far I've come to this point that I'm at today. I can say that my work ethic never caught up until my junior year. That's when â€Å"life† really dawned on me. Over the past four years throughout High School I've learned that you shouldn't ask what the future holds because, you define it. You can control your destiny by the decisions you make, the manner in how you conduct yourself, and how you treat others.But, I can see the growth that I've achieved over the years. Not just my growth in school but as an individual. I no longer have the same goals as I once did; my standards and expectations are higher. In such a huge school where almost everyone knows everyone and their cousin, I can say that Eve made so many friends. Like my friends since the 9th Grade M s. Allan Williams a. K. A â€Å"Lana Pooh†, Chanted Fletcher, Kevin Chisholm, and Shannon Grant are Just a few whom Eve known almost the past four years. I can also that I've made quite a few enemies here and there to be honest.I rule can say that when you're trying to do your best, some people just get jealous which is saddens me but, I have to keep on rolling. My friends and I have gone through a lot of things emotionally, physically, and spiritually. But, we didn't let those things stop our determination to get through school. I can say Northwestern High School has provided me with leadership principles that I couldn't get anywhere else. From the social aspects of life, communication, mentoring, and guidance, these have put me in a position to where I can go into college with a ready and stable mind.I went from being Just â€Å"Anthony' to â€Å"Mr.. Anthony N. Houston† In Northwestern. I can't receive this type of recognition without thanking God first. I also hav e grown spiritually stronger while maturing In high school. Overall NEWS has equip and provided an ambiance which allowed me to transform from a boy Into a young man. Things that will be used in college but, most importantly in my future. Some things I might not come across in my following years nevertheless, I can say that Eve enjoyed every minute in high school.As a student, I have some regrets but, I let those be me a membranes, and my testimony. These few and short years have taught me a lot about myself, and the world around me. I know that these â€Å"once in a lifetime† experiences will never be forgotten and it will serve as a path to success in my near and great future. As for my fellow class mates, I wish you all the very best in the future. I hate to say goodbye on graduation day, so it'll Just be a simple â€Å"See you later† to keep us encouraged. I hope that their experiences will make them better and most of all wealthy in their future. Reflective essay I have been pursuing English as a subject consequently learning the importance of brainstorming, aspects of organizing prior to writing, revising and collaborating in writing. The subject has provided a gateway through which I have learnt the art of expressing myself, literature, grammar as well as the language Itself. However, this did not come without its challenges.English being my second language, it took me a while to learn the ropes and comprehend the language as well as writing it. The English subject has endowed me with organization skills in the art of essay writing through imparting the use of thesis statements, topic sentences, Introduction and conclusion paragraphs; as well as coherence techniques. Thesis statements are Introductory statements at the beginning of the essay with the information aimed at guiding the reader on what the essay is on and the scope it aims to cover.A topic sentence is found at the beginning of a paragraph and encompasses points to be covered In the entire body of the paragraph. I learnt the Important of coherence techniques In organizing as It ranges ideas into a logical and systematic order for example through the use of transitional terms as in the statement: The English language firstly teaches organization skills, secondly, grammar and finally sentence structure. In this case, transitional terms firstly, ‘secondly ‘and ‘finally' have been used for coherence.I was also able to learn how to use the introductory and conclusion sentences in writing; where I learnt that introduction sentences are used to introduce the stem ideas in an essay while a conclusion statement is used for providing a summary of all the ideas hat have been explained in the essay. Development skills were also Impacted whereby the use of specific details and use of explanation In stones as evidence to support the statements was learnt.The details and the evidence together with the examples provide a basis for the development of an id ea with the evidence being clearly Introduced and Its source being indicated. It may be followed up by an explanation or evaluative statement to further support the argument. As I participated in this class, I got a chance to sharpen my skills in the MALL citation quince that comprises in-text citation and bibliography. An example of in-text citation: Achilles is described as â€Å"wolf, a violator of every law of gods and men,† (Mallow, 58) with the work cited as Mallow.David. Ransom. Knops: Random House, 2009. Print. The use of quotations which are similar to the initial source of the statement can also be applied but should be attributed to the author though paraphrasing which can also be used involves putting a statement extract in your own words. The provision of credentials of experts cited Is also a necessity in the citations. Learning the subject gave me an opportunity to explore into other areas of research such as the internet.The website can be used as a source of current and up to date information. Use of website references ought to also be stated in the references Including the complete address for the site. The use local databases have also been helpful In providing access to reliable and verified scholarly articles and journals. As I look back on my graded essays, I realized that sentence grammar and 1 OFF The errors mostly appeared as sentence structures major comprising of run-on ententes.A run-on is a sentence comprising several main clauses that can stand as their own independent clauses but are strung together with improper punctuation appearing as a single sentence. An example: The student understood the presentation well (independent clause) the teacher was impressed (independent clause). The two can form a run-on statement: The student understood the presentation well the teacher was impressed. This can be corrected through the use of appropriate punctuation as: The student understood the presentation well. The teacher was impress ed.I am impressed that throughout my semester I have shown progressive improvement in eliminating the errors. I look forward to Joining the English IA class and I feel that I am ready to be successful in the class as it aims to enable students communicate effectively by emphasizing the importance of analytical reading and writing. I also believe that this class will enable me obtain different skills of writing from pre-writing, organizing, writing, revising and editing; all of which I have been introduced to in this class thus providing a solid foundation to learning English. Reflective Essay During the lessons taught in the past weeks, the most attention-grabbing topic covered to me was the four lenses temperament lesson. Taking the four color lenses test has made me see what type of temperament person I am and why I have been making some of the decisions I have. As my primary color being green, I now see that I am more abstract, independent, and research-oriented person. As I look at my other classmates, I also see how they act based on their lenses color.Knowing and realizing he different lenses colors, also gives me a basis on how to motivate the different temperaments. When dealing with an orange temperament I should expect to be challenged or debated. In which case I need to be flexible and adaptable so that tasked assigned can be accomplished. I think I can take this to my work center and understand why some of my subordinates act the way they do. Being mainly a green temperament, I am an independent thinker and don't accept things at face value which find me in a constant state of analysis to figure out how things work.Although being this type of temperament Is not a bad thing, I have also discover that I have a blind spot. Being that blue temperament is my blind spot, it makes me a little sightless to a person whose temperament are blue. These individuals are more sympathetic, sensitive, and compassionate. Recognizing and understanding what type of color lenses my subordinates fall under will give me a better comprehension on how to motivate the different temperaments and overall allow me makes the work environment more productive. Reflective Essay If I were to ask my subordinates what type of leader I am, they would probably say that I am a very task-oriented, down to business, pursue what I set out to do. Additionally, you would probably get some remarks about how I'm not afraid of the manual work and that I am always the first in and last out during the duty day. If you were to ask my supervisor about how I am as a follower, he would undoubtedly say that I'm dependable, goal oriented. He would say I'm a hard-worker and see through all tasks that I'm assigned, some of which may take some outside-the-box thinking.The leadership style I use is a mix of authoritarian and participative leadership. This is an effective style due to the nature of my work. If something has to be done quickly and without thought of others, I tend to be very authoritarian so they are able to focus on what actually needs to be done and not get caught up in trying to decide what the best course of action is. On the contrary, if there is time for decisio ns to be made, and, especially if the decision is one that will affect more than myself, I try and get input from everyone to get their thoughts. This this is the best way to get people to take a bit of ownership with it.I consider myself to be a good NCO. I am entrusted supervising and developing my subordinates. Although I consider myself a good NCO it does not mean I still don't have room for improvement. My supervisor can depend on me to do what needs to be done effectively. I ensure that the Job gets done in a timely and productive manner. I consider my task-oriented leadership a strength because it focuses me on the task at hand. It ensures that deadlines are met and jobs are completed. As far as my essence I see myself as being open minded, someone who wants to see the end result on any task. I always try to put 100 percent to everything I do. Reflective Essay By ensuring that we have a clear understanding of what we ant to achieve and how we will measure the success of the change† (â€Å"Implementation,† 2011, p. 1). The steps for implementing a policy. Plan Planning involves detailed research about what the policy is to accomplish and achieve. This happens on both the legislative side by creating a law that has beneficial and desired outcomes and on the organizational side by planning the responses the organization will make that are directly related to the policy.Having a solid understanding and a good plan in place is the first step for implementing a policy. Do The ‘Do' step of PADS involves design a plan to implement the policy into action. One key point is addressing the behaviors of the people who are likely to hold back or move away from the new policy and address them directly. There are always transformation, transition, and development stages to work through as part of the ‘Do' stage. Study In the study phase the results of the ‘Do' stage will be analyzed and measured for surprises, failures, successes, and consequences.In the study phase it is good to review the results and compare them to the predicted outcomes and establish modifications that will make the policy better from what was learned. Act In the ‘Act† stage you will take the information and data collected from the first three stages and make the appropriate changes. The policy may just need to be adapted with slight modifications. The policy may need to be adopted and changes made within the organization.The policy may need to be abandoned, completely changes and the PADS cycle started again. Role of major stakeholders in the process. The role of stakeholders is to participate in discussion that prioritize and describe the policy and how it is intended to be implemented. What can cause a policy to fail? A committee assignment can cause a policy to fail. If the committee has a Chair that does not suppor t the policy then it is likely to fail because it will not be put near the top of the agenda. Reflective Essay Katrina Wright Reflective Paper February 27, 2010 PDC-111 â€Å"Discovering Yourself† The topic â€Å"Discovering Yourself† was about the many different learning styles. This topic also was about how different individuals use various learning styles. My favorite assignments that I completed when this topic was covered are the Discovery Wheel and the Learning Style Inventory. The Discovery Wheel weighed strengthens and weaknesses of self- discovery, career planning, time, reading, notes, and tests. The Learning Style Inventory measured the importance of things From â€Å"Discovering Yourself† I gained knowledge about how to become a better learner and utilize the skills in school and in the workplace. I also feel this topic was beneficial because it taught me things I never knew about myself. I never realized that I needed to practice time management skills. I learned that I am a good career planner and a good note taker. I also learned that I must practice managing time and taking tests. I discovered that some people learn better by hearing, others by seeing, and others by doing. Additionally, I learned I am a visual learner. This topic means a lot to me because it helped me find myself. Discovering Yourself† has helped me be successful in college by showing me skills I need to practice. I can apply the knowledge I gained from the assignments completed on this topic to school and at work. I can apply what I learned from this chapter in school by acknowledging that I am a visual learner. For example, if something is said durin g a class lecture instead of relying on memory, I will write it down to better understand. I can apply practicing time management to the work field. For instance, if my boss says there is a meeting on the second Friday of every month, I would write it in a planner to help me better manage my time. Tests† The topic â€Å"Tests† was about how to become a better test taker and what to do before and during a test. This chapter covered memory techniques for taking test. Additionally, this topic was about why you should not cheat on tests. My favorite assignments that I completed in this chapter were journal entries16 and 18. In journal entry 16, I was instructed to look back on a time I had difficulties taking a test. In journal entry 18, I was instructed to make a list of excuses I make to avoid taking a test. From the chapter â€Å"Tests† I gained knowledge about how to become a better test taker. This topic was beneficial because I feel it entailed valuable information that is important for now and in the future. I learned that the key to mastering a test is study, study, study. I also was taught that if you are relaxed you retain text quickly and remember it more accurately. Furthermore, I learned to use mnemonic devices to remember things. This topic means a lot to me because it is important in everyday life. In my opinion, â€Å"Tests† will help me in college because it has taught me how to do well on test, which will improve my grades. I can apply the knowledge I gained from this chapter’s assignments to work and school. I can apply what I learned about being relaxed to work. For example, if I were given an assessment at work about what was covered at training; I would know to be calm so I could recall events the events at training. I can also apply mnemonic devices to work. For instance, if I was a grade school teacher I could use the mnemonic device Roy G. Biv to help children learn their colors. I can utilize mnemonic devices in school while taking a math test. I would use PEMDAS. (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) to remember the order of operations. â€Å"Time† The topic â€Å"Time† is about how to stop procrastination, organizing time, and managing time. It is also about how to use a long-term planner. My favorite assignments that I completed in this chapter were journal entry 8 and critical thinking exercise 14. Journal entry 8 instructed me to think about a time I waited until the last minute to complete an assignment and the repercussions of procrastination. Critical thinking 14 directed me to complete a planner for a whole week’s activity. From the chapter â€Å"Time† I gained knowledge on how to spend time productively. This chapter taught me not to procrastinate and to plan for future. This chapter was beneficial to me it had important information about how to use time. Time† means a lot to me because it taught me not to let life pass me by. I feel this chapter will help me succeed in college because it showed me the importance of planning, which will make planning to complete assignments easier. I can apply the knowledge I gained from this chapter’s assignments to work and school. I can apply not pro crastination to school. For example, if I were given an assignment two weeks before it was due I would do it in advance to ensure quality. I can also apply not procrastinating to work. For instance, if I wanted to become a police officer I would start getting in shape now to do well on the physical health test. Reflective Essay If I were to ask my subordinates what type of leader I am, they would probably say that I am a very task-oriented, down to business, pursue what I set out to do. Additionally, you would probably get some remarks about how I'm not afraid of the manual work and that I am always the first in and last out during the duty day. If you were to ask my supervisor about how I am as a follower, he would undoubtedly say that I'm dependable, goal oriented. He would say I'm a hard-worker and see through all tasks that I'm assigned, some of which may take some outside-the-box thinking.The leadership style I use is a mix of authoritarian and participative leadership. This is an effective style due to the nature of my work. If something has to be done quickly and without thought of others, I tend to be very authoritarian so they are able to focus on what actually needs to be done and not get caught up in trying to decide what the best course of action is. On the contrary, if there is time for decisio ns to be made, and, especially if the decision is one that will affect more than myself, I try and get input from everyone to get their thoughts. This this is the best way to get people to take a bit of ownership with it.I consider myself to be a good NCO. I am entrusted supervising and developing my subordinates. Although I consider myself a good NCO it does not mean I still don't have room for improvement. My supervisor can depend on me to do what needs to be done effectively. I ensure that the Job gets done in a timely and productive manner. I consider my task-oriented leadership a strength because it focuses me on the task at hand. It ensures that deadlines are met and jobs are completed. As far as my essence I see myself as being open minded, someone who wants to see the end result on any task. I always try to put 100 percent to everything I do. Reflective Essay A REFLECTIVE ESSAY This is a reflective essay based on a event which took place in a hospital setting. The aim of this essay is to explore how members of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) worked together and communicate with each other to achieve the best patients outcome. Reflection is an everyday process and is very personal matter. Jasper (2003) suggests that reflection is one of the key ways in which we can learn from our experiences. Reflective practice can be defined as process of making sense of events, situations and actions that occur in the workplace (Oelofsen, 2012). There are a different models of reflection.One of them is Johns (1994) model of reflection, this model is based on five cue questions: description, reflection, influencing factors, alternative strategies and learning. That enable practitioner to break down his/her experience. Gibbs (1988) is another common model of reflection which consists of six stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. The structure allows the reflection to be written in a clear way. In accordance with the NMC (2008) code of professional conduct, confidentiality should be maintain and all names will be anonymous.Ii this essay I will use Gibbs (1988) model as a guide for my reflection. The first stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection requires a description of event. On the beginning of one of my shifts, my mentor informed me that I can participate in Multidisciplinary Team meeting. A Multidisciplinary Team meeting is a meeting of the group of professions from one or more clinical disciplines who together make decision regarding recommended treatment of individual patients (NHS 2012). I work on the ward on which these meetings are held every day.On that day the meeting was attended by medical doctors, deputy sister, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, discharge coordinator, social worker and community nurse. Order of the meeting was as follows: at the outset a brief descript ion of the patient was given by deputy sister. Then one of the doctors presented the patient current medical situation. At the end the other members of the team have time to take voice. They discussed medical and social situation of each individual patient. The team focused on planning and reviewing patients' goals, they also made a joint decision about discharge plans and destinations.I was given the opportunity to observe multidisciplinary team members working together and participated in the discussion about patients whom I took care of. The second stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection is a discussion about my thoughts and feelings. My feelings at the time were mixed. I felt welcome and accepted within the MDT meeting. Many of the professionals who took part in the meeting,I knew from my daily work, and this made me feel comfortable. The MDT listened to my opinion and asked further questions. I always thought of myself as a confident person.However, when I stood and spoke in front of more qualified people then myself, my confidence vanished. I had no experience in speaking in front of large group and I was very nervous. For this reason my speech was not always consistent. In such a case, my mentor supported me and helped me by asking additional question that lead me to the right way. I found it very interesting to see how MDT cooperate and communicate well with each other . I am going to enter the third stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection which is evaluation.There are many positive aspects of the MDT meeting. One of them is that the health professionals of different specialities are working as a team to achieve the same goals. The team members have different skills and knowledge. Their roles and responsibilities vary and are based on their professional experience. Thurgood et al. (2011) suggests that this skill mix is one of the most important benefits of working in MDT. Works in a team allows to collect informations from all its members which ens ures that no important information about the patient will be ignored or missed.Another big advantage of these meetings is that they are carried out every day. According to Whyte et al. ((2007) the most frequently team members meet face to face and have the chance to discuss issues and work together, the better communication will be. However, if effective communication among the team is not achieved, errors may occur. It is the major disadvantages of the MDT. The National Patient Safety Agency (2007) communication difficulties identified as a main factor influencing patient outcomes.Stage four of Gibbs(1988) model is an analysis of the event. Communication is defined as a process that involves a meaningful exchange between at least two people to convey facts, needs, opinions, thoughts, feelings or other information through both verbal and non-verbal means, including face to face exchanges and the written word (DH 2010). For the MDT is important to effectively communicate with each ot her and overcome all communication barriers that may arise because poor communication among health professionals can negatively impact patient care.Atmosphere during the meeting was friendly and thank to this that all team members knew each other from daily meetings effective communication was easily achieved. However, there was a few problems. A noticeable issue was that medical abbreviation used by the doctor were not understood by others members of the team. This led to interruption of his speech to find out about their mining. This is mainly related to the fact that different health care workers have different training and education. Another factor who had significant influence on the MDT meeting and extended it was partially not updated handover from previous shift.The team had to correct the informations contained in it. In this case the handover missed its intended purpose because it was originally designed to transfer information concerning an individual patient with outstan ding task from the outgoing to the incoming teams (Farhan et al. 2012). I think that I did well by participating in this meeting. As a student but also as a front line worker I could learn a lot from other professionals and I was able to inform the members of the team about the patients, whom I looked after, progress.This is important because as a front line worker I interact more with patients during their hospital stay then any other health professional in the MDT ( Hamilton, Martin, 2007). If I had not given my opinion on the patients care, they could not benefit from the MDT as much as they did. Conclusion is the fifth stage of Gibbs (1988) cycle. The MDT give me the opportunity to work closely with other health professionals and better understanding their roles. I could clearly see that effective communication encourages collaboration, help prevent errors and can influence the success or failure of the patient care and treatment.This experience helped me to learn the importance of sharing of skills and professional experience with others for the benefit of patient outcomes. This will help me to work effectively with others team members in the future. This situation showed me straights and weaknesses in my communication skills. As communication is a key building the relationship with others I need to continuously develop this knowledge. I also realized that speaking in front of large group of people is hard for me and this is the area which I have to improve. The final stage of Gibbs(1988) model of reflection is action plan.If I find myself in this type of situation again I would be more confident in discussing about the patients and their needs. Communication is a skill that can be learned and continually improver (Webb, 2011). For this purpose I created an action plan that will help me to improved my this skills and gain self-confidence. The first objective in my action plan is to meet my mentor in order to discuses the whole situation and obtain feedbac k. The next point is to research further the appropriate literature to gain new informations and develop my knowledge.I also want to attend a conflict resolution study day to learn how to resolve conflicts. Communication with others can be challenging (Webb, 2011) and conflicts may arise at any time, not only between team members but also between health professionals and patients or their families. Summarizing, reflection on this experience allowed me to identify gaps in my knowledge and establish my own learning needs. Gibbs (1988) model of reflection given me the chance to explore my thoughts and feelings, analyse the situation and draw conclusion for the future. This essay also enabled me to connect theory and practice. Reflective Essay Katrina Wright Reflective Paper February 27, 2010 PDC-111 â€Å"Discovering Yourself† The topic â€Å"Discovering Yourself† was about the many different learning styles. This topic also was about how different individuals use various learning styles. My favorite assignments that I completed when this topic was covered are the Discovery Wheel and the Learning Style Inventory. The Discovery Wheel weighed strengthens and weaknesses of self- discovery, career planning, time, reading, notes, and tests. The Learning Style Inventory measured the importance of things From â€Å"Discovering Yourself† I gained knowledge about how to become a better learner and utilize the skills in school and in the workplace. I also feel this topic was beneficial because it taught me things I never knew about myself. I never realized that I needed to practice time management skills. I learned that I am a good career planner and a good note taker. I also learned that I must practice managing time and taking tests. I discovered that some people learn better by hearing, others by seeing, and others by doing. Additionally, I learned I am a visual learner. This topic means a lot to me because it helped me find myself. Discovering Yourself† has helped me be successful in college by showing me skills I need to practice. I can apply the knowledge I gained from the assignments completed on this topic to school and at work. I can apply what I learned from this chapter in school by acknowledging that I am a visual learner. For example, if something is said durin g a class lecture instead of relying on memory, I will write it down to better understand. I can apply practicing time management to the work field. For instance, if my boss says there is a meeting on the second Friday of every month, I would write it in a planner to help me better manage my time. Tests† The topic â€Å"Tests† was about how to become a better test taker and what to do before and during a test. This chapter covered memory techniques for taking test. Additionally, this topic was about why you should not cheat on tests. My favorite assignments that I completed in this chapter were journal entries16 and 18. In journal entry 16, I was instructed to look back on a time I had difficulties taking a test. In journal entry 18, I was instructed to make a list of excuses I make to avoid taking a test. From the chapter â€Å"Tests† I gained knowledge about how to become a better test taker. This topic was beneficial because I feel it entailed valuable information that is important for now and in the future. I learned that the key to mastering a test is study, study, study. I also was taught that if you are relaxed you retain text quickly and remember it more accurately. Furthermore, I learned to use mnemonic devices to remember things. This topic means a lot to me because it is important in everyday life. In my opinion, â€Å"Tests† will help me in college because it has taught me how to do well on test, which will improve my grades. I can apply the knowledge I gained from this chapter’s assignments to work and school. I can apply what I learned about being relaxed to work. For example, if I were given an assessment at work about what was covered at training; I would know to be calm so I could recall events the events at training. I can also apply mnemonic devices to work. For instance, if I was a grade school teacher I could use the mnemonic device Roy G. Biv to help children learn their colors. I can utilize mnemonic devices in school while taking a math test. I would use PEMDAS. (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) to remember the order of operations. â€Å"Time† The topic â€Å"Time† is about how to stop procrastination, organizing time, and managing time. It is also about how to use a long-term planner. My favorite assignments that I completed in this chapter were journal entry 8 and critical thinking exercise 14. Journal entry 8 instructed me to think about a time I waited until the last minute to complete an assignment and the repercussions of procrastination. Critical thinking 14 directed me to complete a planner for a whole week’s activity. From the chapter â€Å"Time† I gained knowledge on how to spend time productively. This chapter taught me not to procrastinate and to plan for future. This chapter was beneficial to me it had important information about how to use time. Time† means a lot to me because it taught me not to let life pass me by. I feel this chapter will help me succeed in college because it showed me the importance of planning, which will make planning to complete assignments easier. I can apply the knowledge I gained from this chapter’s assignments to work and school. I can apply not pro crastination to school. For example, if I were given an assignment two weeks before it was due I would do it in advance to ensure quality. I can also apply not procrastinating to work. For instance, if I wanted to become a police officer I would start getting in shape now to do well on the physical health test. Reflective Essay Katrina Wright Reflective Paper February 27, 2010 PDC-111 â€Å"Discovering Yourself† The topic â€Å"Discovering Yourself† was about the many different learning styles. This topic also was about how different individuals use various learning styles. My favorite assignments that I completed when this topic was covered are the Discovery Wheel and the Learning Style Inventory. The Discovery Wheel weighed strengthens and weaknesses of self- discovery, career planning, time, reading, notes, and tests. The Learning Style Inventory measured the importance of things From â€Å"Discovering Yourself† I gained knowledge about how to become a better learner and utilize the skills in school and in the workplace. I also feel this topic was beneficial because it taught me things I never knew about myself. I never realized that I needed to practice time management skills. I learned that I am a good career planner and a good note taker. I also learned that I must practice managing time and taking tests. I discovered that some people learn better by hearing, others by seeing, and others by doing. Additionally, I learned I am a visual learner. This topic means a lot to me because it helped me find myself. Discovering Yourself† has helped me be successful in college by showing me skills I need to practice. I can apply the knowledge I gained from the assignments completed on this topic to school and at work. I can apply what I learned from this chapter in school by acknowledging that I am a visual learner. For example, if something is said durin g a class lecture instead of relying on memory, I will write it down to better understand. I can apply practicing time management to the work field. For instance, if my boss says there is a meeting on the second Friday of every month, I would write it in a planner to help me better manage my time. Tests† The topic â€Å"Tests† was about how to become a better test taker and what to do before and during a test. This chapter covered memory techniques for taking test. Additionally, this topic was about why you should not cheat on tests. My favorite assignments that I completed in this chapter were journal entries16 and 18. In journal entry 16, I was instructed to look back on a time I had difficulties taking a test. In journal entry 18, I was instructed to make a list of excuses I make to avoid taking a test. From the chapter â€Å"Tests† I gained knowledge about how to become a better test taker. This topic was beneficial because I feel it entailed valuable information that is important for now and in the future. I learned that the key to mastering a test is study, study, study. I also was taught that if you are relaxed you retain text quickly and remember it more accurately. Furthermore, I learned to use mnemonic devices to remember things. This topic means a lot to me because it is important in everyday life. In my opinion, â€Å"Tests† will help me in college because it has taught me how to do well on test, which will improve my grades. I can apply the knowledge I gained from this chapter’s assignments to work and school. I can apply what I learned about being relaxed to work. For example, if I were given an assessment at work about what was covered at training; I would know to be calm so I could recall events the events at training. I can also apply mnemonic devices to work. For instance, if I was a grade school teacher I could use the mnemonic device Roy G. Biv to help children learn their colors. I can utilize mnemonic devices in school while taking a math test. I would use PEMDAS. (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) to remember the order of operations. â€Å"Time† The topic â€Å"Time† is about how to stop procrastination, organizing time, and managing time. It is also about how to use a long-term planner. My favorite assignments that I completed in this chapter were journal entry 8 and critical thinking exercise 14. Journal entry 8 instructed me to think about a time I waited until the last minute to complete an assignment and the repercussions of procrastination. Critical thinking 14 directed me to complete a planner for a whole week’s activity. From the chapter â€Å"Time† I gained knowledge on how to spend time productively. This chapter taught me not to procrastinate and to plan for future. This chapter was beneficial to me it had important information about how to use time. Time† means a lot to me because it taught me not to let life pass me by. I feel this chapter will help me succeed in college because it showed me the importance of planning, which will make planning to complete assignments easier. I can apply the knowledge I gained from this chapter’s assignments to work and school. I can apply not pro crastination to school. For example, if I were given an assignment two weeks before it was due I would do it in advance to ensure quality. I can also apply not procrastinating to work. For instance, if I wanted to become a police officer I would start getting in shape now to do well on the physical health test. Reflective Essay By ensuring that we have a clear understanding of what we ant to achieve and how we will measure the success of the change† (â€Å"Implementation,† 2011, p. 1). The steps for implementing a policy. Plan Planning involves detailed research about what the policy is to accomplish and achieve. This happens on both the legislative side by creating a law that has beneficial and desired outcomes and on the organizational side by planning the responses the organization will make that are directly related to the policy.Having a solid understanding and a good plan in place is the first step for implementing a policy. Do The ‘Do' step of PADS involves design a plan to implement the policy into action. One key point is addressing the behaviors of the people who are likely to hold back or move away from the new policy and address them directly. There are always transformation, transition, and development stages to work through as part of the ‘Do' stage. Study In the study phase the results of the ‘Do' stage will be analyzed and measured for surprises, failures, successes, and consequences.In the study phase it is good to review the results and compare them to the predicted outcomes and establish modifications that will make the policy better from what was learned. Act In the ‘Act† stage you will take the information and data collected from the first three stages and make the appropriate changes. The policy may just need to be adapted with slight modifications. The policy may need to be adopted and changes made within the organization.The policy may need to be abandoned, completely changes and the PADS cycle started again. Role of major stakeholders in the process. The role of stakeholders is to participate in discussion that prioritize and describe the policy and how it is intended to be implemented. What can cause a policy to fail? A committee assignment can cause a policy to fail. If the committee has a Chair that does not suppor t the policy then it is likely to fail because it will not be put near the top of the agenda. Reflective Essay A REFLECTIVE ESSAY This is a reflective essay based on a event which took place in a hospital setting. The aim of this essay is to explore how members of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) worked together and communicate with each other to achieve the best patients outcome. Reflection is an everyday process and is very personal matter. Jasper (2003) suggests that reflection is one of the key ways in which we can learn from our experiences. Reflective practice can be defined as process of making sense of events, situations and actions that occur in the workplace (Oelofsen, 2012). There are a different models of reflection.One of them is Johns (1994) model of reflection, this model is based on five cue questions: description, reflection, influencing factors, alternative strategies and learning. That enable practitioner to break down his/her experience. Gibbs (1988) is another common model of reflection which consists of six stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. The structure allows the reflection to be written in a clear way. In accordance with the NMC (2008) code of professional conduct, confidentiality should be maintain and all names will be anonymous.Ii this essay I will use Gibbs (1988) model as a guide for my reflection. The first stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection requires a description of event. On the beginning of one of my shifts, my mentor informed me that I can participate in Multidisciplinary Team meeting. A Multidisciplinary Team meeting is a meeting of the group of professions from one or more clinical disciplines who together make decision regarding recommended treatment of individual patients (NHS 2012). I work on the ward on which these meetings are held every day.On that day the meeting was attended by medical doctors, deputy sister, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, discharge coordinator, social worker and community nurse. Order of the meeting was as follows: at the outset a brief descript ion of the patient was given by deputy sister. Then one of the doctors presented the patient current medical situation. At the end the other members of the team have time to take voice. They discussed medical and social situation of each individual patient. The team focused on planning and reviewing patients' goals, they also made a joint decision about discharge plans and destinations.I was given the opportunity to observe multidisciplinary team members working together and participated in the discussion about patients whom I took care of. The second stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection is a discussion about my thoughts and feelings. My feelings at the time were mixed. I felt welcome and accepted within the MDT meeting. Many of the professionals who took part in the meeting,I knew from my daily work, and this made me feel comfortable. The MDT listened to my opinion and asked further questions. I always thought of myself as a confident person.However, when I stood and spoke in front of more qualified people then myself, my confidence vanished. I had no experience in speaking in front of large group and I was very nervous. For this reason my speech was not always consistent. In such a case, my mentor supported me and helped me by asking additional question that lead me to the right way. I found it very interesting to see how MDT cooperate and communicate well with each other . I am going to enter the third stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection which is evaluation.There are many positive aspects of the MDT meeting. One of them is that the health professionals of different specialities are working as a team to achieve the same goals. The team members have different skills and knowledge. Their roles and responsibilities vary and are based on their professional experience. Thurgood et al. (2011) suggests that this skill mix is one of the most important benefits of working in MDT. Works in a team allows to collect informations from all its members which ens ures that no important information about the patient will be ignored or missed.Another big advantage of these meetings is that they are carried out every day. According to Whyte et al. ((2007) the most frequently team members meet face to face and have the chance to discuss issues and work together, the better communication will be. However, if effective communication among the team is not achieved, errors may occur. It is the major disadvantages of the MDT. The National Patient Safety Agency (2007) communication difficulties identified as a main factor influencing patient outcomes.Stage four of Gibbs(1988) model is an analysis of the event. Communication is defined as a process that involves a meaningful exchange between at least two people to convey facts, needs, opinions, thoughts, feelings or other information through both verbal and non-verbal means, including face to face exchanges and the written word (DH 2010). For the MDT is important to effectively communicate with each ot her and overcome all communication barriers that may arise because poor communication among health professionals can negatively impact patient care.Atmosphere during the meeting was friendly and thank to this that all team members knew each other from daily meetings effective communication was easily achieved. However, there was a few problems. A noticeable issue was that medical abbreviation used by the doctor were not understood by others members of the team. This led to interruption of his speech to find out about their mining. This is mainly related to the fact that different health care workers have different training and education. Another factor who had significant influence on the MDT meeting and extended it was partially not updated handover from previous shift.The team had to correct the informations contained in it. In this case the handover missed its intended purpose because it was originally designed to transfer information concerning an individual patient with outstan ding task from the outgoing to the incoming teams (Farhan et al. 2012). I think that I did well by participating in this meeting. As a student but also as a front line worker I could learn a lot from other professionals and I was able to inform the members of the team about the patients, whom I looked after, progress.This is important because as a front line worker I interact more with patients during their hospital stay then any other health professional in the MDT ( Hamilton, Martin, 2007). If I had not given my opinion on the patients care, they could not benefit from the MDT as much as they did. Conclusion is the fifth stage of Gibbs (1988) cycle. The MDT give me the opportunity to work closely with other health professionals and better understanding their roles. I could clearly see that effective communication encourages collaboration, help prevent errors and can influence the success or failure of the patient care and treatment.This experience helped me to learn the importance of sharing of skills and professional experience with others for the benefit of patient outcomes. This will help me to work effectively with others team members in the future. This situation showed me straights and weaknesses in my communication skills. As communication is a key building the relationship with others I need to continuously develop this knowledge. I also realized that speaking in front of large group of people is hard for me and this is the area which I have to improve. The final stage of Gibbs(1988) model of reflection is action plan.If I find myself in this type of situation again I would be more confident in discussing about the patients and their needs. Communication is a skill that can be learned and continually improver (Webb, 2011). For this purpose I created an action plan that will help me to improved my this skills and gain self-confidence. The first objective in my action plan is to meet my mentor in order to discuses the whole situation and obtain feedbac k. The next point is to research further the appropriate literature to gain new informations and develop my knowledge.I also want to attend a conflict resolution study day to learn how to resolve conflicts. Communication with others can be challenging (Webb, 2011) and conflicts may arise at any time, not only between team members but also between health professionals and patients or their families. Summarizing, reflection on this experience allowed me to identify gaps in my knowledge and establish my own learning needs. Gibbs (1988) model of reflection given me the chance to explore my thoughts and feelings, analyse the situation and draw conclusion for the future. This essay also enabled me to connect theory and practice. Reflective Essay A REFLECTIVE ESSAY This is a reflective essay based on a event which took place in a hospital setting. The aim of this essay is to explore how members of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) worked together and communicate with each other to achieve the best patients outcome. Reflection is an everyday process and is very personal matter. Jasper (2003) suggests that reflection is one of the key ways in which we can learn from our experiences. Reflective practice can be defined as process of making sense of events, situations and actions that occur in the workplace (Oelofsen, 2012). There are a different models of reflection.One of them is Johns (1994) model of reflection, this model is based on five cue questions: description, reflection, influencing factors, alternative strategies and learning. That enable practitioner to break down his/her experience. Gibbs (1988) is another common model of reflection which consists of six stages: description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion and action plan. The structure allows the reflection to be written in a clear way. In accordance with the NMC (2008) code of professional conduct, confidentiality should be maintain and all names will be anonymous.Ii this essay I will use Gibbs (1988) model as a guide for my reflection. The first stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection requires a description of event. On the beginning of one of my shifts, my mentor informed me that I can participate in Multidisciplinary Team meeting. A Multidisciplinary Team meeting is a meeting of the group of professions from one or more clinical disciplines who together make decision regarding recommended treatment of individual patients (NHS 2012). I work on the ward on which these meetings are held every day.On that day the meeting was attended by medical doctors, deputy sister, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, discharge coordinator, social worker and community nurse. Order of the meeting was as follows: at the outset a brief descript ion of the patient was given by deputy sister. Then one of the doctors presented the patient current medical situation. At the end the other members of the team have time to take voice. They discussed medical and social situation of each individual patient. The team focused on planning and reviewing patients' goals, they also made a joint decision about discharge plans and destinations.I was given the opportunity to observe multidisciplinary team members working together and participated in the discussion about patients whom I took care of. The second stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection is a discussion about my thoughts and feelings. My feelings at the time were mixed. I felt welcome and accepted within the MDT meeting. Many of the professionals who took part in the meeting,I knew from my daily work, and this made me feel comfortable. The MDT listened to my opinion and asked further questions. I always thought of myself as a confident person.However, when I stood and spoke in front of more qualified people then myself, my confidence vanished. I had no experience in speaking in front of large group and I was very nervous. For this reason my speech was not always consistent. In such a case, my mentor supported me and helped me by asking additional question that lead me to the right way. I found it very interesting to see how MDT cooperate and communicate well with each other . I am going to enter the third stage of Gibbs (1988) model of reflection which is evaluation.There are many positive aspects of the MDT meeting. One of them is that the health professionals of different specialities are working as a team to achieve the same goals. The team members have different skills and knowledge. Their roles and responsibilities vary and are based on their professional experience. Thurgood et al. (2011) suggests that this skill mix is one of the most important benefits of working in MDT. Works in a team allows to collect informations from all its members which ens ures that no important information about the patient will be ignored or missed.Another big advantage of these meetings is that they are carried out every day. According to Whyte et al. ((2007) the most frequently team members meet face to face and have the chance to discuss issues and work together, the better communication will be. However, if effective communication among the team is not achieved, errors may occur. It is the major disadvantages of the MDT. The National Patient Safety Agency (2007) communication difficulties identified as a main factor influencing patient outcomes.Stage four of Gibbs(1988) model is an analysis of the event. Communication is defined as a process that involves a meaningful exchange between at least two people to convey facts, needs, opinions, thoughts, feelings or other information through both verbal and non-verbal means, including face to face exchanges and the written word (DH 2010). For the MDT is important to effectively communicate with each ot her and overcome all communication barriers that may arise because poor communication among health professionals can negatively impact patient care.Atmosphere during the meeting was friendly and thank to this that all team members knew each other from daily meetings effective communication was easily achieved. However, there was a few problems. A noticeable issue was that medical abbreviation used by the doctor were not understood by others members of the team. This led to interruption of his speech to find out about their mining. This is mainly related to the fact that different health care workers have different training and education. Another factor who had significant influence on the MDT meeting and extended it was partially not updated handover from previous shift.The team had to correct the informations contained in it. In this case the handover missed its intended purpose because it was originally designed to transfer information concerning an individual patient with outstan ding task from the outgoing to the incoming teams (Farhan et al. 2012). I think that I did well by participating in this meeting. As a student but also as a front line worker I could learn a lot from other professionals and I was able to inform the members of the team about the patients, whom I looked after, progress.This is important because as a front line worker I interact more with patients during their hospital stay then any other health professional in the MDT ( Hamilton, Martin, 2007). If I had not given my opinion on the patients care, they could not benefit from the MDT as much as they did. Conclusion is the fifth stage of Gibbs (1988) cycle. The MDT give me the opportunity to work closely with other health professionals and better understanding their roles. I could clearly see that effective communication encourages collaboration, help prevent errors and can influence the success or failure of the patient care and treatment.This experience helped me to learn the importance of sharing of skills and professional experience with others for the benefit of patient outcomes. This will help me to work effectively with others team members in the future. This situation showed me straights and weaknesses in my communication skills. As communication is a key building the relationship with others I need to continuously develop this knowledge. I also realized that speaking in front of large group of people is hard for me and this is the area which I have to improve. The final stage of Gibbs(1988) model of reflection is action plan.If I find myself in this type of situation again I would be more confident in discussing about the patients and their needs. Communication is a skill that can be learned and continually improver (Webb, 2011). For this purpose I created an action plan that will help me to improved my this skills and gain self-confidence. The first objective in my action plan is to meet my mentor in order to discuses the whole situation and obtain feedbac k. The next point is to research further the appropriate literature to gain new informations and develop my knowledge.I also want to attend a conflict resolution study day to learn how to resolve conflicts. Communication with others can be challenging (Webb, 2011) and conflicts may arise at any time, not only between team members but also between health professionals and patients or their families. Summarizing, reflection on this experience allowed me to identify gaps in my knowledge and establish my own learning needs. Gibbs (1988) model of reflection given me the chance to explore my thoughts and feelings, analyse the situation and draw conclusion for the future. This essay also enabled me to connect theory and practice.

Friday, August 30, 2019

How has technology over the years affected society today?

My essay will contain facts and answers about cell phones and if they are helping us or not and also how smart phones are actually making us stupid. It is getting bad, 37% of adults have admitted to being addicted to their smart phones while 60% of children and teens have admitted to being addicted to their smart phones. And Apple isn’t exactly helping with this. They have sold 33. 8 million I phones, 14. 1 million I pads and 4. 6 million Macs this quarter. In case you didn’t know a quarter in the business world is 4 months.And that’s just Apple alone, in the first three months of 2013 there have been an estimated 405 million cell phones sold with 216 million being smart phones and 189 million being regular cell phones. Smart phones, they have completely changed the way we communicate. We use them for everything entertainment, math, translation of languages, cameras, and even the Internet it really is mind blowing to think of what can be done with a Smartphone. H ave you ever heard someone say â€Å"there’s an app for that†? Well that’s because there is probably an app for just about everything.There are apps that your animals can play apps for your toddler and for your parents too. Whatever happened to cat toys, hot wheels and books? I mean honestly smart phones kill, how many lives would have been saved if we didn’t have smart phones how many lives could we have saved if we didn’t have that one app or internet connection? It’s also been worse since texting was made illegal because everyone try’s to hide it under the dashboard or god knows what other ways people try to hide phones, takes their eyes off the road and then veer and crash.It has got to the point where every part of daily life is run by our phones we use them to fall asleep wake up figure out what clothes we want to wear today and so on. Did you know sixty two percent of Americans admitted to relying on smartphones to get through their day? But on that note don’t get me wrong there are some advantages to smartphones like how they are a popular communication device, some apps are useful, the built in gps can get you out of some bad situations. it really just depends on the user it could be a 16 year old girl sending 30 texts a minute or it could be a 50 year old man taking 15 minutes to say what’s up.Which leads to another point of why old people shouldn’t use smartphones they set themselves up to be a danger to society if god wanted someone to take 15 minutes to say â€Å"hey† he would have given them a stutter. They need help most the time they use it, it would be simpler to own a regular phone that costs twenty dollars than have a three hundred or four hundred dollars. And when they do have smartphones they don’t use ninety percent of the apps or things like that when that’s what smartphones are for.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Comparison of the MLA and the APA Writing Formats Essay

Comparison of the MLA and the APA Writing Formats - Essay Example Several writing formats have been created to organize documents that have used other sources for research. Two popular formats are the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). The Modern Language Association was founded in 1833 as an advocacy organization for the study of literature and modern language. Its seat of origin is at the John Hopkins University (Georgia Southern University, n.d.). MLA is the format recommended for use in writings in the humanities (philosophy, history, literature and communication) (University of Massachussets Libraries, 1999). It is the writing format used by newsletter reporters, journalists, literature teachers, teachers in Linguistics and researchers in the fields of Mass Communicaiton and Media Studies (Georgia Southern State University, n.d.). On the other hand, The American Psychological Association was founded in 1892 in Clark University in Worchester, Massachusetts by 26 men. The university president at t hat time was G. Stanley Hall, a psychologist (Georgia Southern State University, n.d.). The association has endorsed a documentation style designed for many social science and related documents (Anthropology, Education, Liguistics, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology). It is used for writing medical reports, psychology papers, and researchers in the fields of Science, Criminal Justice and Economics, among others. Aside from the citation of sources, writing formats also have instructions for writing end-of-text references, headings, etc. This essay will focus on the writing of in-text citations. General Rules: Generally, in-text citations follow sentences of ideas that come from another source, enclosed in parenthesis. For APA, the author’s last name and the year of publication are indicated. For example: Dawson (2009) contends that people are motivated when they enjoy their work and have the strong drive to achieve the goals they set for themselves. It can also be wri tten in another way: People are motivated when they enjoy their work and have the strong drive to achieve the goals they set for themselves (Dawson, 2009). The general idea of this sentence was taken from a source authored by Dawson (his last name) which was published in 2009. The idea was paraphrased but the idea remains the same. Readers who want to read more about the original writings of Dawson from its source may check out the Reference list at the end of the document where the details of Dawson’s book or article is provided. In case a sentence or two was taken word for word from the source and written in the document, these should be within quotation marks followed by the a parenthetical in-text citation that includes the page number where it was taken. For example: â€Å"When workers are well-motivated, they become more productive and this translates to better business† (Dawson,2009, p. 13). Another way to write this is as follows: Dawson claims that â€Å"when workers are well-motivated, they become more productive and this translates to better business† (2009, p. 13). The author’s name is only written once in the sentence to avoid being redundant. The quoted sentence was taken from page 13 of Dawson’s book or article. Notice that the in-text-citation is outside the quotations but the punctuation comes after the close parenthesis of the citation. Similarly, for MLA, in-text citation

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Risk Mitigation and Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk Mitigation and Planning - Essay Example Mitigation, according to Helmuth von Moltke (2004), is a type of long term, pre-disaster planning wherein sustained expenditures on structural as well as non-structural efforts are involved to reduce or eliminate future risks. In practice, mitigation plans and activities are usually medium to long term and since it is an example where thinking ahead pays off in the long run mitigation is the cornerstone of emergency management. It is related concepts of long-term planning such as: 1) reconstruction which means repair or rebuilding; and 2) preparedness which means getting ready or practicing to respond. In addition to that mitigation, based on Molte (2004), â€Å"means to lessen the effects or take action toward the building and putting together of certain structures as well as plans in order that the impact of any future disaster will be ameliorated or if possible, eliminated.† To change things for the better and impact can be understood as consequences, is the meaning of amel ioration. An emergency manager might do these simple mitigation activities, which includes the following: flood insurance promotion, urging structural redesigning of buildings, raising or moving homes from flood zones or make sure that appropriate building codes, within the certain communities are present. An assessment of the threats that the community is facing is involved in mitigation planning, such as terrorist attack, as well as an assessment of possible targets. However â€Å"terrorist mitigation is somewhat controversial phase, wherein it implies special plans and to supplement an all-hazards approach is needed in practices for terrorism† (Bullock et al., 2005). In addition to that, mitigation planning is an on going process, and to ensure proper preparedness continual reassessments is necessary. Some experts argued that there is a post-disaster mitigation. Moreover a pre-disaster mitigation ought to be called prevention. According to Alexander

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice - Essay Example It may also lead them avoid seeking care for fear of being exposed against their will. This could lead to serious consequences, for instance further injury or even death in certain instances. Secondly, breach of confidentiality could make a patient feel disrespected by the physicians or healthcare providers. The provisions of confidentiality provide for a means for the preservation of the patient’s privacy and autonomy rights. Therefore, breaching of confidentiality is similar to breaching the privacy and autonomy rights of an individual, which is unethical in healthcare. Thirdly, when healthcare providers or physicians enter into a relationship with patients, there must be fidelity that calls for respect for confidentiality that is developed implicitly and as required by the code of ethics that guides medical and healthcare practice for all health care professionals. This means that the healthcare professional has the obligation to keep the patient’s confidentiality to earn his or her trust and be able to provide the needed care for the patient. When healthcare professionals breach confidentiality, they break the trust and fidelity put upon them by the patients and act irresponsibly. This will therefore be unethical. Several ethical principles emphasize on the importance of confidentiality in healthcare provision. These principles include beneficence, Non-malfeasance, autonomy, justice and truthfulness. The principle of beneficence entails the compassion that health professionals should show towards patients. This means that health professionals must desire to do good and an aspect of this is to keep the patient confidentiality, as it is an important factor in patient advocacy. Non-malfeasance is also an important principle in the sense that it stipulates that health professionals should ensure the avoidance of harm as a core of medical oath and nursing ethics. Breaching patient confidentiality equals to malfeasance. The

Monday, August 26, 2019

Health Administarion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Health Administarion - Essay Example The rate of hiring or firing employees is also another indicator of the performance of the organization. Positive and encouraging feedback from both the clients and the stakeholders of the organization is an indicator of good performance in the organization. However, if the feedback is constantly marked by threats and disappointing remarks, it indicates something is not ok in the organization’s performance. Productivity outcome is mainly indicated through the profits and losses in an organization in a financial year. If the profits outride the losses, then it is an indicator that the organization is performing well. When the losses are more than the profits, then the company is not performing well. The productivity outcome should however not be based on only one financial year but several continuous ones. Finally, if no new clients are being recruited in the organization frequently or they keep on leaving the organization and seeking services and products of other organizations, then this is an indicator that something is wrong with the performance of that organization. If however new clients keep coming and the old ones are retained, then performance of the organization is

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The UK Motor Car Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The UK Motor Car Market - Essay Example The UK motor market is controlled by the factors in the macro-environment, which are not in the control of the companies, and also by factors in the microenvironment, which can be usually controlled by the companies. Both these macro and micro factors can be collected and assessed in a detailed manner through certain analytical tools. So, this report will first conduct a STEEPLE analysis of the UK motor car market, evaluating aspects, which are important to car manufacturing organizations. Then the report will focus on the microeconomic environment, discussing UK motor market from the perspective of the product, labor and competition, and finally ending with examples of how HRM is practiced in car manufacturing organizations in line with these macro and micro aspects. When viewed from a socio-cultural perspective, cars and other forms of automobiles in the UK market are maximally seen as status symbols and as products that will boost one's image. Although all cars are for transportation, certain brands will have a high price tag, due to their power, efficiency features, technology and importantly their brand name. However, due to a slowdown in economic growth, many people â€Å"are waking up to the fact that owning† a costly branded car is â€Å"not the status symbol that it was once perceived to be.† (Milmo 2011). So, people are not buying cars particularly high branded cars that frequently, and this socio-cultural aspect could also be one of the reasons, why UK car sales fell for the 13th consecutive month. (Milmo 2011). Technology Updating and incorporating new and efficient technologies is a key aspect of car manufacturing. The consumers all over the world including UK are not only demanding a lot of features and comfortable ride, but importantly fuel efficiency. So, the automobile companies are investing and have to keep on investing heavily in R&D, particularly for the development of fuel efficient options. If this trend continues, it is expected that by 2015, 25% of the vehicles will be high technology cars like Hybrids and cars that run on alternate fuels (Frost and Sullivan 2010). The figure below clearly shows that America and European countries including UK will be the major drivers behind it. Fig 1: (Frost and Sullivan 2010). Ecological Carbon-dioxide emission from automobiles is considered to be the biggest polluter, damaging the natural environment. Thus, the manufacturers in the UK motor market are looking for alternative green technologies. These technologies include hybridization, mor e efficient powertrains and alternative fuels, so that â€Å"tailpipe emissions have zero impact on air quality emissions by 2030-2050.† (â€Å"UK publishes roadmap†, 2011). Another reason for adopting this option is the depleting oil reserves. Political Number of emission norms, are being set by the UK government to address the environmental concerns, thus allowing the political machinery to play a role in the macroeconomic environment. Actually, the European countries on the whole have also been passing emission norms (Euro 5 and 6 being the current standards) which the car manufacturers have to comply with. In addition to emission norms, governments impact companies in UK motor market through laws relating to mileage per gallon and importantly passenger safety laws. Legal As an extension of its political role, UK government has stipulated legal requirements that need to be fulfilled while

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Labor Union Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Labor Union Relations - Essay Example One should believe that labor unions would not come into existence if the two-tier wage systems are kept at a safe distance from the shores of the organization. This is a classic case of understanding the employees’ perspectives where the main emphasis is on setting things right and thus making all the employees feel well with the operational policies and standard wage structures. However this hardly happens and the end result leads up to a good amount of problems for the two tiers, and in essence the employees and labors themselves who feel the pinch in the best of times. More than anything else, it is the resilience of the organization which is not easily digested by the labor unions which are against the dictum of having two-tier wage systems in place. This is something that does not go down well with the people at large within the aegis of an organization that has seriously adopted the incorporation of two tiers within its wage systems. The element of fairness or the lack thereof creeps into the equation for all the right reasons. The labor unions usually fight for the sake of having a wage system which is based on fairness and does not have any problems for all and sundry.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Strategic Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Strategic Marketing Plan - Essay Example In essence, a smart TV is more like a smartphone and a great deal superior to the â€Å"idiot box† it used to be called (Sinclair 2011a, 3; Sinclair 2011c, 3). This strategic marketing plan is prepared for Samsung TV, which is particularly geared toward the Australian market. Before this report proceeds to Samsung TV, it will discuss the SBU in general first. Samsung (2011) aims to position itself as a leader in â€Å"innovative technology, distinctive designs, and a dual focus on convenience and value.† From 2007 to 2010, Samsung Electronics experienced continued revenue growth (Businessweek, 2011). The company posted 2007 revenues of $84.49 billion, which increased by $48.14 billion by 2010. In 2010, Samsung made $132.626 billion in revenues (Businessweek, 2011). Gross profit also jumped from $23.695 billion in 2007 to $44.569 billion in 2010 (Businessweek, 2011). Samsung also enjoyed profitability ratios that are part of the top ones in the industry. Return on Assets is 6.83%, Return on Capital is 9.11%, and Return on Equity is 16.07% (Businessweek, 2011). Gross margin is 31.86% and EBITDA Margin is 16.81% (Businessweek, 2011). Samsung Electronics Australia was created in1987 as a sales and marketing auxiliary of Samsung Electronics (AO3 2011). Samsung Electronics Australia is composed of three divisions: â€Å"Consumer Electronics, Information Technology, and Telecommunications† (AO3 2011). Furthermore, Samsung Australia’s TV business unit is considered as a â€Å"key driver in the Samsung Set Business portfolio, along with the Mobile phone business† (Samsung 2011). The TV business has held a strong top position in the market share (Samsung 2011). LED TVs have led the growth in the TV business, while Samsung’s LCD and Plasma TVs are also industry leaders (Samsung 2011). This indicates that for Samsung Australia, Samsung TV is a strategic fit within the corporate structure, because it sustains the marketing of innovation and

Target Market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Target Market - Essay Example In order to respond to this issue, Mary Kay has representatives and consultants all around the world who are not only involved in research and development of new products but in the marketing and sales of the same. The brand identify of Mary Kay products has put it as a luxury brand that is known for standard and quality. The company’s own efforts are such that they try to brand each product as an individual brand that has to be taken care of with its own separate stream of marketing strategies. Like every cosmetic product, the motivation to use and buy is more psychological than material. People have the need to feel loved and appreciated and they like to adapt in a way that’s acceptable. The benefit of self-esteem with prestige is what Mary Kay sells. Of course, a brand will only sell on that basis when the message can be reflected in their product quality as well (Viverios & Negus, April 2009). Mary Kay enjoys exposure to a large customer base through its diversified brand and products range. It has a total of about 200 premium products that have been divided under 6 classes or categories, targets both men and women, is vertically well integrated and has a range of skin and hair care products sold as drugs and ailments too (Datamonitor, 2008). In 2008, Mary Kay was present in about 35 countries across the globe. Mary Kay exploits this advantage by having employed millions of independent beauty consultants around the world and having built a separate manufacturing plant in China to meet the needs of Asian customers (Bhattacharya & Prinyanka, 2008). As compared to its biggest competitor Avon and other competitors such as L’Oreal, companies that operate in a multinational and dynamic platform, Mary Kay lacks the ability to operate at such massive scales. While these companies have the ability to reach out customers in the farthest regions and

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Psychology, Theology, and Sprituality in Christian Counseling Essay Example for Free

Psychology, Theology, and Sprituality in Christian Counseling Essay In his conceptual book, Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (1996), McMinn presents a convincing presentation of a multitasking counselor who has developed a niche in the counseling world. New age Christian counselors have developed simultaneous skills that embark on the areas of psychology, theology, and spirituality. This begins our journey down the path of understanding how values and perspectives can be changed as a result of a well rounded, multitasking Christian counselor. With life illustrations and brief counseling scenarios throughout this book, McMinn (1996) provides the reader with an excellent working model of identifying and relating life experiences to Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality. The opposition of modern psychology and theology practices is delivering different contemporary messages concerning mental health. Psychologist Albert Ellis wrote, â€Å"The emotionally healthy individual should primarily be true to himself and not masochistically sacrifice himself for others.† Versus Christian spirituality that identifies and states in scripture that as individuals we are instructed to look out for the interest of others (Phil. 2:4) and to prefer one another in honor (Rom 12:10) (McMinn, 1996). As McMinn works through the concepts of integrating these three distinct disciplines, Christian counseling becomes more complex and multifaceted. Christian counselors set their eyes upon God with an individual’s spiritual growth and mental health in their mind. In addition to placing the pieces of a battered mental health condition focus to the forefront, their client’s eternity of life and knowledge of God is an important piece of the puzzle. A more detailed perspective of psychological and spiritual health, allows every individual to recognize their responsibility to God, to their family and friends and to themselves. As humans, we must understand and have a healthy awareness of brokenness to allow ourselves to experience grace and hope in the midst of our walk on this earth through life’s trials and tribulations with Jesus Christ. Integrating psychology, theology, and spirituality in addition to the niche of multitasking, all three disciplines in unison takes time, energy, loyalty, and dedication of the counseling profession. In the last two thirds of this book, McMinn uses prayer, scripture, sin, confession, forgiveness, and redemption to show us a glimpse of the counseling world. The problem with sin is that it separates us from God; the wonder of redemption is that individuals are brought back into relationship with God. (McMinn, 1996, p. 265). A redemptive Christian counselor has humility and compassion and experiences God’s grace with gratitude. Scripture yanks people out of the grips of sin as a redemptive God shines through. Those who deny sin see no need for spiritual redemption. Confession, allows us to acknowledge our sin and our desperate need for help and through the grace of God we receive forgiveness and experience redemption. Once our affections turn to God, our prayer will never be the same. Our lives will be completed changed and everlasting. â€Å"Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and do not forget all his benefits-who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the e agle’s†(Ps. 103:2-5). Response Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.† As I had struggled throughout my chaotic childhood dealing with the presence of alcohol, drugs, fighting, and uncertain living conditions in my circle of life, I developed the ability to discern which people were right for me in my life. My perception of family was skewed. At the age of 7, I lost my grandfather and life’s losses of my protectors continued until 2004 with the death of my first husband Dale. My life was over. My family was a mess. I had just started a new church and I wasn’t sure where God was in my life. My father in law, who preached my husband’s funeral, started providing Christian guidance and support as a lay counselor. We prayed and shared scripture together. At the age of 33, I learned the true meaning of prayer. I knew how to pray and I knew how humbled I had been in my prayers for Dale. In the kindness of his God filled heart, he taught me that humility allows us to see God’s word. As I study and read my Bible, I continue to learn the importance of a Christian family for support and guidance and the necessity to share the story of Jesus Christ. My father in law stepped out in faith to help turn my life around. Through his obedience, I work to help others who are hurting find the power of prayer and scripture in their times of heartache. Reflection As I read through Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling (McMinn, 1996), a highlighter was used to mark special passages I needed to keep in the forefront of this class. There are so many key notes to remember in the text, the book was turning a nice shade of yellow. Anyone who is starting out in the counseling field should be required to read this book. McMinn does an excellent job of showing the reader how to integrate our Christian faith and spirituality into the secular world with real life reflections. Christian counselors want to follow the will of God and McMinn provides the examples, guidance, and techniques on how to incorporate God into the counseling session. The major drawback with this work concerns the conclusion. Throughout the reading, it is apparent McMinn is preparing the counselor to learn the skill of multi-tasking. In two pages, McMinn summarizes the whole book. The most important part of integrating the three diverse areas of studies is profound enough for him to provide a greater level of detail to the new counselor concerning the background of multitasking. Success lies in the strategy that is used in multitasking these three distinct practices and beliefs. In dealing with the secular world, this skill is a necessity to bring all three disciplines together. Action I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. â€Å"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say; for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. (Matthew 10:16-20). God has given me back tenfold since the loss of my first husband. I have established myself as a praying respiratory therapist at UVA. As Jesus calls me into the counseling field, he is preparing me for the secular world. In my environment, people are at the lowest points of their lives. I use Gods calling on my heart and spirit to reach out in Christian love to these individuals and families. God places pastors, judges, professional basketball players, the rich, the homeless, the curable, the dying, in my path for a reason and a purpose. Life is simple when you are obedient. Go where God calls you. The people I come into contact with are not by accident. I minister to their hearts through their illness and time of need. I pray for God to give me the strength and the right words of his will to deliver to the sick and their families. I pray for each individual that crosses my path to find the love of Jesus Christ and meet him in heaven to spend an everlasting life with our father.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Valchromat Pros and Cons

Valchromat Pros and Cons This is our report on our exploration of a manufactured board known as Valchromat. Valchromat is a unique and high quality wood fibre board that is coloured throughout. There is another product similar to it called Fibracolour but this does not match up to the many qualities of Valchromat which we will explore later. We have chosen this topic for several reasons. It is interesting and unheard of to many people while it also relates to two of our learning outcomes in that it is a versatile material that can be used in furniture construction and that it can be used as an architectural woodworking component. A brief description of Valchromat It comes in 8 colours and 7 different thicknesses. Valchromat is made from forest waste, residue from timber mills and recycled pine.http://www.valchromatsa.com/pics/product/10.jpghttp://www.valchromatsa.com/pics/product/1.jpghttp://www.valchromatsa.com/pics/product/8.jpghttp://www.valchromatsa.com/pics/product/6.jpghttp://www.valchromatsa.com/pics/product/4.jpghttp://www.valchromatsa.com/pics/product/16.jpghttp://www.valchromatsa.com/pics/product/12.jpg Its manufacturing process is extremely environmentally friendly. Its production site has zero carbon Emissions. It is manufactured using organic dyes and a specially formed binding resin that ensure exceptional physical and mechanical characteristics while keeping a natural appearance. It is also approved by the British Standards association for safe use in the manufacture of childrens toys.http://www.valchromatsa.com/pics/product/14.jpg It sounds like the perfect manufactured board but can it really be that good? Brief History Of Valchromat Valchromat was created in the research department of valbopan in Portugal as they wanted to improve and develop new and existing wood related products. There was a gap in the market that called for a product combining colour and the features that could already be found in manufactured boards. It was first introduced in Paris in 1998 at the Aprofal fair where it won the technological innovation prise and the display prise. It then hit the market in 1999 through distribution channels in France Switzerland and Belgium. Over the past 30 years MDF has never been completely accepted by specialists as an adequate product for different finishes and decorative processes. Valchromat has broken this taboo. Valchromat is apparently 30 % stronger and more stable than MDF board and can be completely moisture resistant with the right finish. It also increases the lifespan of tools due to a lubricant agent in its composition. But if Valchromat contains all these qualities, then surely most other manufactured boards will also? Manufacturing of Valchromat The wood pigments and glues are carefully selected. The wood is peeled from the bark and torn into small chips. Then the chips are run through a powerful magnet to remove 99% of metals. They are then washed to remove 80 90% of sand which according to the manufactures will reduce the wear and tear on tools. The chips are then sorted into similar sizes and steam cooked. This makes the chips soft and eaier to isolate the fibres. The organic pigments and glue are then added to the fibres. When this mixture has dried the valchromat is pressed in a large press forming large sized sheets. It is then cut to size and assessed in quality control. Properties of Valchromat The Advantages and Disadvantages Valchromat has many advantages above standard MDF. These include strength, wear and tear, machining, environmental and health aspects, variety and finish choices. Strength: During processing special resins are added to the wood fibres bonding them together causing Valchromat to be 30% stronger than ordinary MDF. Due to the strength of Valchromat it can be used in areas of construction requiring high strength material such as, counter tops, table tops, ceilings and walls. Standard MDF would be unsuitable in some cases of these areas of construction as bowing over a large span can be an issue. Wear and tear: Unlike standard MDF, Valchromat is soaked all the way through with organic colour die allowing scratches difficult to detect. Sanding and re-lacquering is all that is required to bring Valchromat panels back to their finished state. Machining: Contained in the special wood fibre bonding resin used in Valchromat is an organic base chemical called melamine. This chemical has lubricated properties which allow the blades of cutting tools to glide through the wood free from friction. It has been verified that blades of cutting tools used for cutting only Valchromat have a life span of four times longer than blades used for cutting standard MDF. Environmental and health aspects: Valchromat is an environmental friendly non-toxic substance made from recycled pine wood and mill waste. Valchromat panels are manufactured using waste wood such as branches and chips from softwood forests. In using waste wood Valchromat helps to sustain forests and minimize carbon emissions given off from felling machinery. Also the carcinogenic odorless chemical gas known as formaldehyde which is found in the wood fibre bonding resin used in standard MDF is absent in Valchromat where a special organic non- toxic wood fibre bonding resin is used allowing Valchomat safe to be used in the manufacture of kids toys. Valchromat also use the same colour dye used in fabric. This dye is organic and non-toxic. Finishing choices All finishes such as lacquer, wax, oil, fire retardant and glossy will give an immense finish when applied to Valchromat. Valchromat is set to take the place of MDF as the standard manufactured panel board used in furniture construction due to its superior strength, moisture resistance and adaptability. Valchromat can take just about any finish required unlike MDF and it surpasses most standard required for furniture construction. http://www.iscsupply.com/id172.html Standards ValchromatÂÂ ® is classified E1 (very low formaldehyde) and has been approved by the British Standards Association for the safe use in the manufacture of childrens toys. http://www.valchromatsa.com/product/index.html Valchromat holds many certificates aswell as their own extremely high standards SGS Certificate Factory production Control certificate Conformity Declaration Certificate Uses of Valchromat Valchromat is leading the field in manufactured boards. It is mostly used in high end furniture construction at the moment but is sure to work its way down to the small workshop because of its superiority to other manufactured boards. Valchromat is used by the leading designers and manufacturers in the furniture industry. Its adaptability means it is used for different furniture projects from table tops, kitchens, Bathrooms, shelving, wall cladding and other things. Valchromat has won numerous awards and has been on show in many prestiges exhibitions. Tent London will host a dramatic pop up cafe bar pavilion designed by award-winning London design studio, Vonsung. From 23-26 September 2010, visitors to Tent London will have the opportunity to experience Vonsungs striking pop-up cafe bar. Commissioned by Tent London the pavilion will provide a unique dining and bar space for the duration of the event. A fast build, the primary structure will be constructed from materials loaned from Vonsungs existing project sites. The cladding material, which will encase the floor and ceiling, is Bolon, a world leader in woven vinyl material. The walls will be ValchromatÂÂ ®, an innovative, award-winning engineered coloured wood, used by architects, designers and decorators. The whole structure will be illuminated by both skylight and dramatic indoor lighting, forming shadows and silhouettes, it will create a compelling feature within Tent Londons design event. http://tentlondon.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html Interlam is one of the leading manufacturers of carved wooden panels and one of its main materials is Valchromat alongside other materials. INTERLAMÂÂ ® was established in 1985 as an Italian High pressure laminate distributor.ÂÂ   Over the past 23 years we have grown to become a leading manufacturer of sculpted wall panels and expanded our line of architectural components.ÂÂ   INTERLAMÂÂ ® is a designer and manufacturer of high-end SCULPTED WALL PANELS,ÂÂ  CARVED WALL PANELS, DECORATIVE WALL PANELS, ORNAMENTAL WALL PANELS and components based in the United States and exporting to all corners of the globe. The cornerstone of our business is creating and supplying products to the AD community that add significant value to their individual projects. Water resistant, Ecological and Strong; just some of the words used to describe Valchromat from Interlam. Valchromat uses Special resins that are added to the wood fibre during processing which bonds the fibre together. This causes Valchromat to be 30% stronger than standard MDF. Add to that the fact that Valchromat can be used as. Walls, cabinets, seating, tables, ceilings, counters, and general millwork as well as counter tops, table tops, store fronts, and high moisture areas. http://www.interlam-design.com/Products.cfm The TazCorporation is a another major user of Valchromat in furniture manufacture for both local and international markets Valchromat was created to address the need to overcome the limitation of the existing wood fibre materials in the marketplace. For a few decades, MDF has never really been accepted by specialists as an adequate product for different finishes and decorative purposes. Valchromat has broken this convention by introducing a new aesthetic concept of its own while complying with the chemical and mechanical specifications of the MDF. In addition, Valchromat has been awarded for its significant technical innovation ever since its introduction in the Approfal Fair, Paris in 1998. The material has since undergone different industrial tests before its full-fledge distribution in Europe in 1999. Future Possibilities At the moment the future of Valchromat looks very healthy. With new designs available with every advancement in technology. It is already used in Kitchens, Bathrooms, and many other household rooms and offices and is making serious inroads in the childrens toys industry. Whatever route furniture construction takes in the next few years Valchromat is bound to be a part of it for a long time When it comes to choosing the best kind of fibreboard there are many options from LMF, MDF, HDF and now valchromat.http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQ_K-zGBck77HtTSqEp_vF27qWscAnGc_PWYB80vx1wTD0RWrhRQ The most frequently used fibreboard from knowledge would be MDF (medium density fibre). Its method of manufacture is simple, softwood wood fibres glued under heat and pressure. It has a lot of advantages over solid wood as very little shrinkage and expansion occurs. It is available in large sheets 84 and 95, its Dense, flat, stiff, free of knots, grain not distinguished and very easily machined such as cutting, drilling, filed etc. It can be finished with a variety of solutions such as water based paints, oils, varnishes, lacquers or it can even be laminated. Paint Oil Varnish Lacquer Laminate Along with the advantages of MDF there are also disadvantages, because MDF contains a large amount of glue, this cause blunting to tooling very quickly. Probably the main disadvantage would be the health risks caused by the dust produced from MDF, this is because the fibres are bonded together with formaldehyde resins. Formaldehyde is a toxic chemical and is continuously being released from MDF unless sealed, which can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and mucous membrane. It can also cause irritation to the skin and is cancerous. A new product on the market now is valchromat. It is based on the same principles as MDF but in many ways it is much better. Valchromat unlike MDF is moisture resistant and is recommended to be used in areas with high moisture and humidity, where as MDF will tend to swell and expand when in contact with moisture. The wood fibres come from forest waste and there is no formaldehyde added to the product which makes this product non-toxic and more environmentally friendly unlike its rival MDF. Valchromat is available in a variety of colours due to organic dyes being infused into the wood fibres, these dyes penetrate the wood fibres so that the colours are uniform throughout the board. The dye is also resistant to fading when exposed to UV rays from artificial light. These dyes are non toxic, and they are similar to dyes used in fabrics. Special resins are used to bond the fibres together which along with the organic dyes, make valchromat 30% stronger than standard MDF. Because valchromat comes in coloured panels it is ready for production without the need to be painted, finishes maybe added to deepen the colour of the panel such as lacquer, varnish etc. HDF (high density fibreboard) is another form of fibreboard and in many ways it is much better than MDF. It is manufactured using similar principles as MDF, wood fibres glued together under heat and pressure except, HDF is made from exploded wood fibres and is put under much more pressure than MDF produce a higher quality board. Is HDF a better solution than valchromat? In terms of strength and density . . . . . . . . . . . .Yes, as HDF is 75% denser than MDF (depending on manufacturer), where as valchromat is only 30% denser than MDF. In terms of resistance to moisture and environmental impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No, HDF incorporates the same moisture problems and dangers as MDF, moisture causes the panel to swell and expand, and danger through formaldehyde which can cause health problem such as cancer. Conclusion From doing this report we have definitely met the two learning outcomes stated in the introduction. Valchromat is without a doubt a versatile woodworking material and can be used for many architectural components. We also feel that valchromat , even though it is so versatile, it still would not be our choice for certain jobs like making jigs and other practical items. We have already decided to use it ourselves in some project at some stage in our woodworking careers.