A Personal Assessment Using Self-Assessment Inventories Essay

A Personal Assessment Using Self-Assessment Inventories - Essay Example It is better to accept those differences and use them towards my advantage (i.e. in coming up with better solution to problems) instead of imposing a rigid code of conduct. People with low tolerance to ambiguity also tend to make use of stereotypy, which I think is a negative way of analyzing people, ideas, or actions. My scores in the subscales reveal that the major source of intolerance for me is complexity, which is by far greater than my scores for novelty and insolubility. I do not fully agree with this result because I feel that I am comfortable with complexity. I feel the results for this subscale cannot be applied to all situations in my life as a formula, but I am not discounting the possibility that this may only mean that I am just less tolerant to ambiguity when the situation seems to be composed of elaborate and intricately interconnected parts. The Locus of Control test shows whether I believe the outcomes of my actions depend on what I do or on factors beyond my control. Since I got a low score (and indeed, it is even lower than the comparison data), this indicates that I have an internal rather than external control. I agree with this explanation and the test has been instrumental in making me realize that my attitude towards the forces responsible for the outcomes of my actions has been responsible for many of successes (as well as failures) in my life. I believe that blaming people other than yourself for your miseries is not only self-defeating, it hinders you to succeed and take control of your life. While I think luck does play some part on some people's success, I am not the type to sit around and wait for Lady Luck to call. I believe that the best way to succeed is to work for it-that way too, I can have control over the direction of my life. I believe that this attitude will lead me to become happier and more ful filled. Cognitive Styles The Cognitive Styles test has affirmed that I am an intuitive rather than a sensing person. My Intuition scores far outweigh that of my Sensation's, 7 to 1. This explains why I seem to prefer subjects that require complex and comprehensive understanding rather than those that appeal to the senses. I prefer to take in information through imagination rather than by details and facts. When perceiving my environment and gathering information, I prefer to explore different possibilities, rather than settle on a concrete set of rules. I now realize that this is the reason why I tend to do better in essay-type examinations rather than multiple choice/fill-in-the-blank type ones. I am also adept in finding symbolic representations in my surroundings-sometimes when I am walking my dog in the park, I will suddenly be struck with a sense of nostalgia-a single falling leaf can conjure poetic imagery in my mind. As to whether I am a thinking or feeling person, my test scores tied in both areas. Since I am male (and am therefore traditionally predisposed to being a thinker rather than a feeler), results suggest that I am more of a "feeler". I concur with this conclusion mainly because I feel that I am more in touch with my emotions than the average man. While it can

Examine Electronic Report Cards for HealthCare Essay

Examine Electronic Report Cards for HealthCare - Essay Example The Brigham and Women’s Hospital together with Massachusetts General Hospital have developed an electronic health report card that is used to evaluate the hospitals’ performances based on various factors and measures. The institutions under the umbrella name Partners HealthCare recognize the importance and benefits of electronic medical records (EMRs) over paper-based records.   The organization states that EMRs help in boosting patient safety, improving efficiency and managing chronic diseases (Partners Healthcare1 par 1). Some of the benefits of the electronic records include easy prevention of drug interactions and allergies as noted by Partners Healthcare (par 2). The records also are known to help in the saving of costs as drugs are prescribed by medical officers with cost being a factor in such considerations.One of the measures used by Partners HealthCare is Inpatient quality. According to the organization’s report card which considers inpatient quality, the institution performs exceptionally well in various areas. The organization rates itself as currently holding a high score of 96% in opening blocked arteries within a period of one and half hours (Partners Healthcare2 par 3). This is against a reference point of 90 percent. Furthermore, the organization boasts of having achieved a 99% score in delivering recommended care to patients suffering from heart attack against a similar reference point. Very closely related to the above factor, is the delivery of recommended care to patients with pneumonia.... The records also are known to help in the saving of costs as drugs are prescribed by medical officers with cost being a factor in such considerations. One of the measures used by Partners HealthCare is Inpatient quality. According to the organization’s report card which considers inpatient quality, the institution performs exceptionally well in various areas. The organization rates itself as currently holding a high score of 96% in opening blocked arteries within a period of one and half hours (Partners Healthcare2 par 3). This is against a reference point of 90 percent. Furthermore, the organization boasts of having achieved a 99% score in delivering recommended care to patients suffering from heart attack against a similar reference point. Very closely related to the above factor, is the delivery of recommended care to patients with pneumonia and heart failure with current scores of 96% and 98% respectively (Partners Healthcare2 par 3). The reference points for the two measu res are 95% and 96% respectively. Yet another factor that is considered when it comes to inpatient quality is the delivery of recommended care aimed at avoiding surgical infections. In this respect, Partners HealthCare has a current score of 97% which is at par with the reference point. The organization also boasts of having the capacity to help tobacco users overcome their addiction with a current score of 99% against a similar reference point (Partners Healthcare2 par 3). These are only but a few of the scores recorded by the healthcare institution as it offers a wide variety of services to inpatients. The high scores achieved by the different hospitals in maintaining inpatient quality include the use of modern technology and well trained staff. Patients

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Causes and Effects

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Causes and Effects Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is one of the most widespread, costly, and least understood of the many anxiety disorders. PTSD is a neurotic condition that is linked to stressors of traumatic events. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is normally a delayed response to the unpleasant effects of extreme events of a catastrophic nature (Rumyantseva Stepanov, 2008). Many people with this disorder experience a strong sensation of fear and may also feel of helpless. These feelings disturb the person’s perception of their own security (Dieperink, 2005). There has been interest for more than a century in the psychological and behavioral effects of trauma. However, the empirical research in this area is only about twenty-years old (Roy-Byrne, 2002). In this paper I will review three empirically supported articles simultaneously in effort to better describe how to diagnose this disease, manage its effects, and treat the patients. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder causes clinically significant severe emotional states in social, professional, or other important aspects of life. The diagnosis of PTSD requires the occurrence of a traumatic incident, so it is reasonable to suggest that the stressor, its duration, and its meaning should have considerable influences on the occurrence and clinical features of the long-term psychopathological response. It is important to establish the ordinary clinical features and differences of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to the different stressors. This is vital not only in the theoretical aspects, but also in the practical aspects (Rumyantseva Stepanov, 2008). Dieperink suggests the options to treat patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder could include exposure therapy, group psychotherapy, inpatient therapy, and individual therapy, among other. However, not everyone with PTSD would be a candidate for exposure therapy, although it is often considered an initial treatment for people with PTSD (Dieperink, 2005). According to Roy-Byrne, studies have not looked into the possible medications outside of benzodiazepines neuroleptics. None of the prior studies examined the differences between treatments within large mental health networks (Roy-Byrne, 2002). There have been relatively well researched studies in exposure therapy a number of medications. These studies have been found to be extremely effective in the treatment patients. However, it has been difficult to find a single therapy to be consistently successful for patients with PTSD. Dieperink says that the Food and Drug Administration has only approved two medications for the treatm ent of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Sertraline and Paroxetine. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are considered the first-line medication for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. To Better understand what constitutes effective treatment for patients with PTSD, one must take the first step to determine what is being done in PTSD studies at this time (Dieperink, 2005). The following is a study regarding workers in the Chernobyl disaster that were diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Rumyantseva and Stepanov studied the cases of a group of sixty-six patients regarding their involvement in combat actions and working in the post-Chernobyl atomic energy station clean-up. The test used several diagnostic methods including, structured clinical interviews, clinical PTSD diagnostic scales, and Gorovits scales for the self-evaluation of traumatic events. Thirty of the subjects were involved in combat actions and the other thirty-three were clean-up workers. The mean ages of the patients were 27  ± 2.8 years for the combatants and 43.7  ± 4.5 years for the clean-up workers. Combatant patients had incomplete higher education and corresponding training for military action. Most clean-up workers had higher education, though some had some mid-level specialist education. They were observed for 5 to 6 years and again 15 to 17 years after involvement in the stress situations. After 5–6 years after Chernobyl, the combatants had rare (1–2 times per month) episode s of minimal or moderate, controllable levels of distress in situations that reminded them of the event. Emphasis was placed on the features of the stress situations in both groups. Combatants had directly experienced a fear of being killed or wounded, horror of capture, torture, and humiliation. They were involved in battle and special operations and they had witnessed the deaths of many of their peers. Most combatants spent around six months in military action zones. The result was exceeded the individual’s exceeded their ability to cope. They were confronted with constant vigilance, perceptions of a hostile environment, and the need to make rapid responses to sources of threat. A completely different type of stress occurred in Chernobyl clean-up workers who had to deal with can be considered a prolonged traumatic event. The social-psychological consequences of this disaster were observed for 19 years. The catastrophe was an extraordinary event, the first of its type in hum an experience. As a result, Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was diagnosed in all the patients studied. When combatants were presented with real threats, flashbacks were seen. These flashbacks were mainly in â€Å"hypngagogic/hypnopompic states† or when they were intoxicated with alcohol. These flashbacks were of moderate intensity. Patients were able to maintain partial control of their actions by sustaining a link with the outside world. In their dreams, combatants saw many people that were unable to protect themselves, being captured, shooting, detonations, and others. They would often state that they were being surrounded and that the enemies were close. In the dreams, they would fire back with their guns but the bullets would come out of the barrel in slow motion. Also, the bullets did not fly or seem to come out of the barrel and fall. The patients considered these dreams as nightmarish. When they woke up, they struggled to get back to sleep. Many of the patients that were seeking medical help preferred to use alcohol to help them sleep. There were signs indicating difficu lties in concentrating or even maintaining minimal levels of attention in several combatants and virtually all clean-up workers. At the psychological level, most members of this group experienced increased symptoms and depression with feelings of fear, guilt, despair, impotence, hopelessness, and grief. The patients lacked trust in the help and treatment proposed for them, including psychotherapeutic treatment. They thought treatment was impossible and their condition was irreversible. Most people ultimately characterized themselves by the passive-aggressive social role of a victim. The main principle at the core of the treatment of patients with PTSD is the ability to recognize the priority of psychotherapy and the use of antidepressants with primarily anxiolytic effects and minimal side effects in small doses. Psychotherapy included a variety of psychotherapeutic approaches. Therapies used included psychological debriefing for individuals, evidence-based psychotherapy; cognitive behavioral therapy as a disclosure treatment and progressive desensitization, which must be done individually for patients of this group. There was a particular curiosity in the use of Coaxil in patients Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is associated with the establishment of its ability to change the neuroendocrine response to stress. It can prevent stress-induced behavioral and cognitive insufficiency in animals and corrects the responses of stress, not only weakening the stress-induced changes in the hypothalamus, but also assisting in the reversal of those changes. Preclinical and preliminary clinical data have shown evidence that Coaxil can be effective in the treatment of the specific and nonspecific symptoms of PTSD (Rumyantseva Stepanov, 2008). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a very complicated disease. Although scientists have come a long way in diagnosing and treating PTSD, it is clear that much more research may be needed to fully treat these patients. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is extremely widespread and has become very expensive to treat and manage. Ideally, we should be taking steps toward relieving the experience of fear and helpless in those affected with this disorder. It is reasonable to assume that patients with PTSD can be rehabilitated and live normal lives without the stressors associated with this condition. My reaction to writing this paper is a mixed one. I was a bit overwhelmed with the notion of having to read a published article in an area that I am unfamiliar with. However, after spending some time dissecting each one, I have developed and appreciation for the well written ones. These articles are very dense in information for their size and a lot can be learned from reading them. There are others that were a bit difficult to read and left me wanting to know more information than what was given. However, I learned a great deal from this assignment. I have a new appreciation for the complexities of this disorder and I have enjoyed reading the articles. References Rumyantseva, GM Stepanov, AL (2008). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Different Types of Stress (clinical features and treatment). Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, Vol. 38, No. 1. Dieperink, Erbes, Leskela, Kaloupek (2005). Comparison of Treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Three Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers. Military Medicine. Volume 170. Ray-Byrne, MD (2000). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Diagnosis, Management and Treatment. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 4.

The Rise Of Christianity Essay -- Religion Christian Christianity

The rise of Christianity in philosophy One influential cult was based upon a mystical interpretation of Plato. Neo-Platonism was like a rational science that attempted to break down and describe every aspect of the divine essence and its relationship with the human soul. An Alexandrian Jew named Philo tried using Greek philosophy to interpret the Jewish scriptures. He wanted to unite the two traditions by suggesting that the Greek philosophers had been inspired by the same God who had revealed himself to the Jews. But only Christianity had the right combination of ingredients to appeal to both the masses and also eventually the ruling elite. Based on ancient scriptures, with a solid creation myth, its own collection of inspired writings, a convincing story about the appearance of God as a man (e.g. Jesus), a morality based upon personal maturity rather than harsh punishment, role models for both men and women, and a good organizational structure. Christianity was destined to grow to become the dominant religion. Greek philosophy was eventually extinguished by the hostility of Christianity towards other beliefs. Many of the followers of Greek philosophy were forced to move to Syria and other eastern countries to escape persecution by the Christian authorities. Many of the books they carried with them were translated into other languages. It would not be until the crusades, almost one thousand years later that Greek philosophy would be rediscovered by the Greek and Roman worlds. An early Church father, Augustine knew that Christianity was not compatible with science. For Christians, there was no need for new discoveries. Everything that mankind would ever need to know about God, nature, or humanity was to be found in the... ...d 330 BC. The teachings and beliefs of both the Greeks and the Romans posed a threat the Judaism belief system. All of Jesus' teachings were based solely on the Law. During the time of the Roman occupation, the Christian movement found it's way back into Rome and Greece, primarily through Saul of Tarsus (who re-named himself Paul the Apostle). Saul was a Jewish Pharisee who was converted to Christianity by a vision from God. The Chrisitan philosophy was summarized by Jesus himself when He said "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." and "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." (Matt. 22:37, 39) Sources Cited http://www.evolutionary-metaphysics.net/ancient_greek_philosophy.html http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/What_principle_Christianized_philosophical_issues http://www.rep.routledge.com/article/B078

Online Game Addiction Essay

Online game addiction is no longer just a worry of an American-chubby-child’s mother, but the worry of many parents in Cambodia and other less affluent countries. Recently, more teenage Cambodians were addicted to online games, in order to satisfy their fantasy of being heroes or warriors. Cambodian teens would rather eat less or even skip meals just to save money for the online games. Other than spending money, they also wasted their time. According to Chheng Roth Donior, a Cambodian teen, he normally spends three to five hours a day in internet cafes, even under the threat of his mother. It might have sounded strange to you, since Cambodia is not a wealthy country and most of the urban teens do not have internet at home, and why would they be addicted to online games? One of the reasons is more and more internet cafes have opened up, and Web access is growing rapidly these years. Another reason would be the teenagers in fact do not know they’re addicted to the online games or its harmful effects. The consequence of online game addiction could be serious, for example, last year in South Korea, a man died after playing online games for five days straight. For sure, the teenagers would waste all their money and time on those internet cafes. They would have less incentive to work or study since the satisfaction gained from the games is far more than those they could gain in their daily lives. It would also harm the gamers’ health (e. g. with poorer eyesight and less exercise) and would lower their face to face communication skills. Later, they may not be able to distinguish between the reality and the created world. Teenagers are the future of the country, measures must be taken as soon as possible to curb the addiction. First, promotion from the government is very crucial. The teenagers may not understand the harmful effects of online game addictions, government should advertise the harmful effect and possible consequences through mass media, i. e. TV advertisements, news paper, radio etc. Posters should also posted in school, streets and especially the internet cafes, just like a warning note must also included on the package of cigarettes. For why the teenagers would addict to online games, is that they could gain a sense of satisfaction by beating down their created enemies. Therefore, the teachers and parents of the teenagers should help them build their confidence, like giving them chances to develop their talents. For example, school can provide more Extra-curriculum activities for them afterschool. They should also help the teenagers to identify their dreams and targets, assuring them that nothing is impossible and encourage them to fight for their dreams through talks and lessons. Then they would not stick to the computer screens, instead, they would work very hard on their dreams. On their ways towards their goals, parents and teachers should give supports and advice to them. Third, government should set up clinics to help the gamers overcome their internet addictions, just like what China and South Korea did. The clinics should provide counseling and information about online game addiction, this could help those people who had already addicted to online games. Lastly, education is always the last resort of most problems. Schools and parents have the responsibility in teaching the teens about the harmful effects of online game addiction. They should educate the students or their children starting from their childhood. Schools can hold more talks on the issue in order to make sure that they receive related information. If we do not cope with the problem as soon as possible, the situation would become more complicated and serious. The solutions I suggested above would definitely help dealing with the problem, and I hope the situation would be improved soon.

History of French Cuisine from Conventional to Extraordinary Essay

Derived from the French language, bon appetit has been a familiar saying known around the world. Meaning good appetite or enjoy your meal, bon appetit exemplifies the French culture. The French have been known for centuries of elegant and exquisite cuisine especially gourmet desserts. Located in Western Europe between Italy and Spain, France has been a hotspot of enriched ancient culture. France flourished into a tourist location which ignited a change in France’s commercial kitchens. Chefs were obliged to create dishes that appealed to a growing audience. French cuisine has evolved extensively over the centuries. However, centuries of bliss and creativity was dampened with years of anguish and turmoil, when Germany occupied France during the Second World War. France’s once plentiful food supply quickly turned scarce. This forced cooks to utilize new substitutions for ingredients and start practical meal planning. The hardships the French cuisine faced during 1940-1944 simultaneously changed the French lifestyle. Modern French food now embodies simplicity yet class; rustic yet modern. Once having everything then being stripped away to nothing, France needed to rebuild a cuisine embracing the past, present, and future. Therefore beginning from World War II to modern day, French cuisine has experienced many changes whereby impacting French culture. An adversary of Germany, France sustained a significant setback when Germany took control. Prior to the German occupation, French food was known has haute or grande cuisine. Traditional haute cuisine is highly noted all around the world. The food is well known due to the immense amount of preparation and presentation that goes into each dish. Precision plays a crucial role in creating an exquisite haute meal (Franklin). However, haute cuisine ceased to exist under German occupation and subsequent food shortages. Lines were long in front of French shops as people hoped to purchase depleted foods and staple products. Burdened with these difficulties, the French government instituted food charts and tickets which were to be exchanged for French staples. Items such as butter, bread, and meat were being rationed. Traditional cuisine then became obsolete due to citizens skimping on spices and decorations. Although the government tried to provide food subsidies, hunger still existed affecting the youth in urban areas. With the absence of standard foods normally seen in their diet, the French people searched for new European dietary substitutes (Beaufort). They ate unusual vegetables, such as Swedish turnip and Jerusalem artichoke. Products such as sugar were replaced by alternatives such as saccharin. In lieu of coffee, toasted barley mixed with chicory became the beverage of choice (â€Å"French Classics†). Scams and trickery got the best of people who were desperate for a meal during this time. Some people utilized the black market. There people could sell food without government tickets. Resulting in the prices being extremely high. Counterfeit food tickets were also in circulation. Along with the black market there was also direct buying from farmers in the countryside. The above activities carried the risk of fines and punishments as they were strictly prohibited by the government. In remote country villages vegetable gardens, the availability of milk products, and illicit animal slaughtering provided better survival for the people verses those living in the large cities (Beaufort). Wine played a key role during World War II as well. Wine is commonly consumed during festive occasions it has been utilized during war as well. Over the years, wine has made an unusual appearance on the battlefield. Commanders have allowed their troops to consume wine on the front lines hoping for an increase in performance and moral. During World War II, the combination of wine and war played out in a heartfelt way. The French army did everything in their power to keep their wine and their national identity out of the hands of the invading German forces (â€Å"Saving†). Although, the German forces did invade France, the consumption of wine on the frontline gave hope to the French soldiers that traditional French culture was being preserved during and after the war. The liberation of France began on June 6th, 1944. The Allied forces put forth into to action their plan, D-Day which was the invasion of France. After World War II, tourism signaled a new beginning for French cuisine. Tourism introduced the demand for haute cuisine at a reasonable price. Japanese, Middle Easterners, British, Americans, and even French travelers were yearning for new food experiences. French chefs were now determined to start a new style of cooking, one that would keep some traditional recipes but implement new ones. New cuisine was a counteraction to the classic haute cuisine (Franklin). New cuisine or Nouvelle was the answer that chefs from all parts of the world were looking for. Nouvelle cuisine had several characteristics. For example it was important that high quality and fresh products were utilized for cooking. The chefs would travel to markets every morning and look for the freshest products. These new and improved cooks would not fathom the idea of using any product that was not absolutely fresh or needed preservatives. Chefs simplified menu cards deleting a long list of dishes. Smaller quantities and choices meant no leftovers guaranteeing freshness. Chefs were looking for quality and became more attracted by unfamiliar products. Foreign influences prevailed and chefs began to use exotic products from Asia, North Africa and Italy (â€Å"Nouvelle Cuisine†). In new cuisine recipes, fewer ingredients were used to enhance purity and light sauces substituted creamy, thick ones. Flexible preparation methods and more experimentation with non-traditional flavors allowed new cuisine to become popular (Franklin). Fortunately, this new cooking style is said to be less fattening. Chefs used limited meat in new recipes which stems from the shortage of meat during World War II. It is perfect for those seeking a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, the new cuisine was prepared with lighter ingredients such as herbs, quality butter, lemon juice, and vinegar. This flexible and less expensive cuisine mainstreamed into restaurants and other eateries (Beaufort). One byproduct of the new cuisine is the menu de degustation or tasting menu that was offered in many restaurants. Achieving notoriety, diners were eager to sample all of the dishes of the new cuisine. Each member in a group had the opportunity to order a different appetizer, main course, and dessert. Tasting menus gave the diners the convenience to experience many varieties. Another byproduct of new cuisine is the choice of a la carte. It is a menu in which the patron makes individual selections from various menu categories and each item is priced separately. Serving single portions was seen as a rare new talent to chefs (Olver). The French culture was launched and savored by people around the world. World War II impacted French living for the better by reevaluating French values and introducing new French cuisine ideas. French cuisine influenced other cultures as well and many countries adapted new French cooking methods. Throughout the centuries, France was noted for its grandiose and eccentric lifestyle. Rich foods and lavish feasts were an integral part of the France culture. Chefs prepared French cuisine with the finest ingredients. Wine was served and enjoyed at every meal. Food was plentiful for all. All of this changed rapidly with the German Invasion in 1940. A ravaged and war torn country left the French people forced to explore new and less expensive ways to provide meals solely for survival. Yet, despite the devastation and hardship the French citizens endured, they utilized these cost effective measures and the importation of ingredients into the development of the nouvelle cuisine. Tasting menus and ala carte menus, not to mention exquisite appetizers and desserts, created the ultimate dining experience enjoyed by patrons. Thus emerged the world renowned and delectable French cuisine that is so popular today.