The College Essay Yogurt Edition!

The College Essay Yogurt Edition! I think the college essay is a lot like froyo. It comes in a variety of flavors, you get to customize it, and experimenting with new flavors either yields blissful joy, or, sometimes, yucky disappointment. When I applied to college 2 years ago (2 years! Im old :( ), I wrote over a dozen unique essays to all the colleges I applied to (btw applying to 15 colleges not such a good idea. its tiring, it costs a ridiculous sum of money in application fees, counselors get mad at you for making them work so much =p, and you have to narrow your list down after you get the acceptance letters anyway). I didnt believe in the one size fit all approach when it came to the college essay, and so I strove to write an unique essay for the differing prompts that each college required (there were some exceptions I submitted my MIT essay for Columbia; I still applied via Common App for a couple schools so there were overlaps therebut for all additional essays I tried to tailor them individually). okok. enough rambling. =p 1. Froyo is meant for experimenting. So it is the same with the college essay. Ever walk into a shop with one of those glass cases with all the toppings laid out in a symphony of delicious colors? Sure, its safe to get strawberry (thats what I always get. XP) But why always get the same? College admission officers read upwards of tens of thousands of application essays in one application cycle, so how is your essay going to be different than the myriad of other competing essays? Too often, I notice students get caught in a rut when theyre writing the college essay. Many feel that there always needs to be a moral to the story, and so inevitably all essays end with some variant of these sentences: 1) I felt that I grew a lot from the adversity present in this situation and it really shaped who I am today, 2) Having spent all four years of high school doing this activity, I feel like it became an inseparable part of myself, 3) Having been through so many things and having all of the qualities described above, I feel like Im ready to tackle whatever will come my way. I feel like the most beautiful college essays are the essays that dont hand the reader its moral (or point so to speak) explicitly on a silver platter. The most compelling essays I feel are those that sufficiently paint the picture for the reader, and then leave him on his own to reach his own conclusions. Just look at the Mona Lisa did da Vinci write, in golden font at the base of the painting, Look at her enigmatic smile. Its beautiful!? But-but- you ask, Arent we trying to answer a question? If we dont conclude, how are they going know that I addressed the question? Throughout your years of schooling, the standard introduction-body-conclusion system is ingrained into your mind. You were trained to begin an essay with a well-defined introduction with a thesis sentence, proceed into the body with topic sentences for each individual paragraph, and close with a conclusion that restates the thesis. Works for APUSH essays works for research papers but the college essay? Boring. Yes most college essays will ask you to address a topic (like the MIT main essay) but dont approach it in the same way as you would with a research paper. A research paper is structured thus because youre trying to provide a well-organized collection of facts to a reader that may or may not be interested in what you have to say. With the college essay youre trying to convey a slice of your life, and thus you can take liberties in straying away from the conventional structure. Experiment with your writing style. Approach it differently from how you would typically start an essay. Write it and then at the end come back and ask yourself did I convey my point across effectively? If the answer is a resounding yes! congrats! But- how do you do that? Read on ;) (btw, strawberry-kiwi-mango = loveee. its tri-colored too! =p) 2. Marshmellow-butterscotch-blueberry-oreo-mango-pineapple-waffle? Not cute. Consider the following examples: At times, it appeared that we were surmounting an impassable obstacle. However, through the camaraderie and the solidarity of our aquatics team, we triumphed over our defeats and inevitably reached the pennant of victory. Back in July, my friends made fun of me when I told them that I was going to start a swimming team. Laughing, they told me to return to my math problems. Today, standing in the limelight, I look over at my teammates and cant help but marvel at how far weve come. Two sentences notice a difference? Which one draws you closer to the author? Its not surprising that you may find the second sentence to be a lot more down-to-earth. The simple reason is just because the sentence is conveying a narrative in an everyday tone, rather than adopting pedantic verbiage. Another problem that I see a lot in my peers back in the day when we were all applying to college is that people would try really hard to make themselves sound educated by trying to use all of these advanced vocabulary in their essays. Not satisfied with improved? Try ameliorated. Common sounds too simple? What about pedestrian? Often, their essays end up turning into a convoluted amalgam of abstruse discourse, confounding the audience in a valiant embellishment of protracted circumlocution. A note of caution here: Im not trying to say that you should tone down your writing if you use a lot of vocabulary in your writing but be careful of what the voice in your essay sounds like. Does it sound like you, or does it sound like someone thats trying too hard with a thesaurus? At the bottom line, the essay should be about you so dont be afraid of showing your own voice! (believe me an essay that tries too hard is very easy to spot) (Im going to segue into something cool that you can do with your essay here, but please dont solely use this test to measure how good your essay is! That is something no machine can tell you. Youve been warned. Click.) 3. The first and last spoonfuls are the sweetest. Sometimes I steal a bite of my friends froyo (instead of buying my own -____-| | |) cuz I think one spoonful with all the icy yogurt-tangy goodness is heaven enough. And so it is with the college essay. Consider your lead-in and your ending (namely, the first sentence and your last sentence, but more broadly, your first paragraph-ish and your last paragraph). When you took the SAT, you were probably exhorted to use an engaging opening sentence in your essay, since the graders will spend no more than a couple of minutes on your essay, and sometimes the opening sentence is the most important factor in luring the reader in. The college essay is very much the same way the adcoms have thousands of them to sort through, and a banal essay would probably begin with something like An experience that changed my life is Someone that I looked up to isbecause Be engaging, be active. Paint a picture for your audience. Personally, I liked telling stories in my essays. I nearly always began each essay with a short narrative, since it makes the lead-in a lot easier (you can basically just segue into whatever you want to talk about through the little story that youve laid out). As for the conclusion, my AP Literature teacher was fond of saying that a great essay always contains something at the end for the reader to think about. For example, classics in world literature rarely resolve their conflicts and plot in a single, sweeping chapter that encompasses everything that you possibly would like to know about with each and every character afterwards. Usually, classics end in such a way that give you pause after reading the last sentence of the last paragraph, and lets you consider the implications of the hundreds of pages that youve just read before. What does this mean? No happily ever after endings, no trite endings like joining the aquatics team had truly made me a new person. Some good things to consider though, are: offering the reader something to think about (doesnt have to be in the form of a direct question) or a tie-back to your beginning narrative (the second part of the story in your intro, for example I tend to utilize this pretty often drawing the reader back to the scene Ive painted in the beginning). Avoid unnecessary puns or wordplay, moralizing statements (I have truly discovered the meaning of courage), and lame witty comments at all cost, although for some odd reason Ive read dozens and dozens of SAT essays that end like this (through grading the exams for the SAT Prep program I direct). 4. Making great yogurt takes time. Did you know that because frozen yogurt melts and freezes much slower than ice cream because yogurt has a higher heat of fusion than milk? (!!! I was amazed when I discovered this) Take your time when you write your essay. Your essay should never be churned out hours before the application deadline in a desperate struggle to complete your application (although I was guilty of that for one essay). A well-written essay takes time to distill in the back of your mind, and cant be forced out by hours of sitting in front of Microsoft Word. Something I like to do when I have to write an essay is that Ill actually Scotch-tape the prompt on top of my desk as soon as its assigned, and just leave it there until I begin writing my essay. I also try to remember the gist of the prompt, and think about possible approaches and content during the down-times of my day (waiting for the bus, being bored in lecture, shopping at the supermarketetc.). Note that this kind of thinking isnt like okay-Im-going-to-sit-down-now-and-only-think-about-the-essay kind of thinking, but rather an ongoing process in the back of your mind. If you get used to thinking like this, you just automatically begin to process things in your mind all the time without meaning to do them. For example, my lead to the Stanford essay came to me when I was showering; Caltech, when I was walking to a convenience store. Now, if I have a particularly pestering pset question that eludes my attempts at trying to rationalize it, Ill store it in that thinking compartment i n the back of my brain and chances are Ill discover a new lead to doing the problem at some random time during the day. This is why a good essay takes time. Just like making good yogurt takes time for all the bacteria to happily multiply in warm milk. A brute-forced essay, like its counterpart in mathematical proofs, should be the last resort, simply because there is no elegance to it. Therefore, if you havent started thinking about your Regular Action essays, start now! You will thank yourself later :) 5. One word Passion. When it comes to writing to college essay, I think it really boils down to one word. Passion. The essay should almost be an extension of yourself what you like to do, your dreams, and what defined you as a person through high school. Speak to the audience. Paint a picture in words. Share with them what you really loved in high school, your ups and your downs what defines your life. I look at the college essay and I feel like its the only expressive part to the whole application that you get (well, aside from the interview). Its the only opportunity where you would be able to share with your readers a slice of your life away from mundane test scores, GPA, and lists of activities. Why not capitalize on this opportunity and really try hard to present who you really are? Write from your heart better yet, write with the energy and drive that is uniquely yours (I would write, write with your soul but I thought that sounded too cheesy. =p) FAQ that doesnt really fit anywhere else: Should I get my teachers/friends to proofread the essay? For my very first college essay, I asked two teachers to revise it for me, since it was omg-this-is-my-first-essay! Although I was grateful for the work of my teachers, my essay turned into 13 rewrites and a final product that sounded nearly nothing like me. After submitting that essay for my Early Decision school, I quickly trashed it and proceeded to write the ensuing Regular Actions completely from scratch. Upon finishing an essay, I usually proofread the completed essay 10 times over the course of three days or so (you shouldnt proofread the essay all in one sitting, since your tired brain probably will be fried and you will just end up skimming through the same mistakes). And thats it! Thus, I think its all up to you. Try asking an adult to read it and see what they feel, although I definitely do not think that you must have had an adult read it to make it a good essay. At times, you risk losing your original voice from over-editing. What about the essay prompts? I addressed the explanations above generally to the prompt of Tell us about an experience that shaped who you are or one of MITs essay prompts (Tell us about the world that you came from.). However, one important thing is to pay attention to the prompts of your college essays. Some colleges are very free and you can pretty much attach anything you want (when I applied Columbia and Harvard), while others are tailored and you have to answer their questions (Stanford, Caltech). If they ask for a specific response, be sure to address the prompt! (this is also the reason why I wrote so many different essays to each individual school). Word count? This is the old argument that I feel like no one can really address with the exception of the adcoms who would actually be reading your essays. I would go with the aged wisdom of following the instructions on the application essay. If they specifically ask you not to overdo it (like MIT), keeping it around 500 words seem reasonable. If they dont specify a word limit, then exercise your best judgment. Chances are that you should always be able to slim down your essay though. If its really hard determining how much fluff you have in your essay, actually go through the entirely essay sentence by sentence and ask yourself, what is the connection of this sentence to the rest of the essay? do I really need it? Can you post your essay? In short, no. Be creative! I dont understand why people need sample essays while they are applying to college since the application essay should be completely and originally yours. How can you tailor someones dreams and writing styles to fit your own voice? Great links? Other questions? I thought that the College Boards guide to writing a good essay is really well-written. Something else that I forgot to mention above but College Board does is this! Dont Write a Resume Dont include information that is found elsewhere in the application. Your essay will end up sounding like an autobiography, travelogue, or laundry list. Yawn. Also, feel free to leave a message if you have other questions about the essay. Finally, what does this entry have to do with froyo? Nothing really. I really wanted to write a blog on how to write the essay but I had to use froyo to lure you in (if youre still reading this very, very lengthy blog at this point). To compensate, I guess Ill leave you with some visual icy goodness. =p On a side note, the bloggers are all getting together for froyo tomorrow! :)

Poverty And Mental Health Poverty Essay - 1340 Words

Poverty and Mental Health Poverty effects us all in society money can cause all different types of types of stress. Some of the subjects I will be going over is how mental illness can be a contributing factor to poverty, drug addictions and the solutions I believe would assist with these illnesses, and the employment opportunities that are effected by addictions and mental disorders. Sometimes this stress can lead to a mental disorder or in some cases addictions depending on how one manages financial stress. Stress can lead to mental disorders 30 to 40 percent of homeless people suffer from a mental illness. â€Å"Sociological research from as far back as the 1030`s has found that mental health of the lower class is worse than that of the higher class†(Faris and Dunham 1939; Srole et al 2011). 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Not only do they go without many necessities, they also face a tremendous amount of stress all the time. The amount of stress combined with the lack of necessities produces extreme health problems. Poor people have to deal with an unhealthy living environment that creates serious mental and physical health problems. EconomicRead MoreChild Poverty And Its Effects On Children s Adjustment1473 Words   |  6 PagesChild poverty is a major issue in the United States. Poverty can be associated with violence, abuse, malnutrition, problems with learning ability and school achievement and inadequate healthcare, which can negatively affect the developmental process of a child. Poverty indirectly impacts children’s adjustment and the ability to successfully adapt in the environment. This can affect the health of children and lead to psychological disorders. While it seems impossible to completely eliminate childhood

A State Of Good Mental Health Essay - 1662 Words

 ¬ LRADAC By Rosanna Hutto SN/MTC Midlands Technical College NUR 162 A04 Position Paper Being in a state of good mental health is more than simply the absence of a mental disorder, such as depression, mania, dissociative identity disorder, or anxiety. To be mentally healthy is to have a state of mind in which one is able to cope with the stresses of daily life, is able to be work and be productive, and realize his or her capabilities and potential. Simply put, mental health acts as the basis for an individual’s effective functioning and sense of well-being. The World Health Organization defines physical and mental health as: â€Å"A state of complex physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.† Despite cultural differences, many societies know the importance of good mental health. However, many still search for ways to promote mental health, which raises the question of, how can mental health be achieved? The treatment and prevention of mental illness can be difficult, and as with physical illness, no case or result is the same for everyone. Treatment varies for each illness, as well as for individual client needs and level of severity. With the numerous choices of treatment available today, people around the world have a greater chance at not only preventing or decreasing mental illness, but also the opportunity to enhance their mental health through the public health model of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.Show MoreRelatedInadequacy Of The United States Mental Health Care System1104 Words   |  5 Pagesthe United States Mental Health Care System: Barriers to Care According to the World Health Organization, mental illness will affect approximately 25% of people at some point in their life (â€Å"WHO Qualityrights†, n.d.). Despite that, the current mental health care system in the United States is inadequate. 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To Build or Not to Build Free Essays

In the summer of 2005, Hurricane Katrina unleashed what resulted in a widespread devastation wreaked on the city of New Orleans. New Orleans—the colorful, zealous Mississippi Delta city, home to world-renowned restaurants, jazz and blues’ clubs, and universities, saw many of its neighborhoods flooded, even washed away by Katrina’s strong waters that breached the barrier of its levees. The extent of this catastrophe has triggered fierce debate over how the city should be rebuilt; taking into consideration the city’s population shift, economic emergency, and continued below sea-level vulnerability. We will write a custom essay sample on To Build or Not to Build or any similar topic only for you Order Now Actually, there are some who think that the potential for a similar disaster in the future begs the question whether the city should be rebuilt at all. I personally believe that New Orleans deserves to be rebuilt. As stated before, the continued below sea-level vulnerability is one of the major issues taken into consideration when debating whether or not to rebuild the city. Some may argue that the river that flooded New Orleans is a savage, untamable beast; aloof and unappeasable, with no heart except for its own task (Document A). However, the city has fought its mighty river for generations. The river is simply part of the New Orleans heritage, and is simply nothing new to its residents. This river is the same river that helped impregnate and vitalize the soil of early settlers. The austere beauty of the river itself is in fact too grand to be forgotten; and too awe striking to be completely omitted from New Orleans’ history and then categorized into a monster whose damage is underserving of man’s repair. Normally when tourists or first-time residents come to New Orleans, they have a difficult time understanding the city. Even a prolonged stay brings no easy recognition or familiarity. New Orleans history of different cultures, ethnicities and traditions that can help explain the city’s atmosphere. You can say that diversity is birthed out of this bustling city’s loins. From jazz to rock and roll, Creole cooking, Mardi Gras, or the architecture of the French Quarter, all play as elements of New Orleans (Document B). All of these elements possess an astounding liveliness that has spoken to people around the world and shaped much of the best of what we think of still as American culture. Though many may argue that it is nearly impossible to recreate traditions that have been deracinated by the unfortunate inevitable, it is safe to say that it is not the St. Louis Cathedral, nor Jackson Square, nor King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band that makes the city the landmark that it is. It is the spirit of vigor and robustness that lies in the city streets that drives the indescribable, potent energy its visitors and residents feel daily. The same spirit that the people had was present as they confronted Katrina. Peering into the eye of the storm, this spirit faced the storm unafraid; knowing the storm would potentially consume their past and future, New Orleans’ present spirit is stronger than the storm (Document D). To the people who possess this type of spirit, having faith is an understatement. New Orleans should be rebuilt because its culture is more than just for the â€Å"tourists’ eye†. The city represents antiquity. It represents some sort of security. It represents home. Not only does the city represent home for many, it also has a present national commercial value. Its ports are continuously a pulse-point for commerce in Iowa and the rest of the country. Many argue that the levee system is ineffective, and will not be intact for possibly another twenty years or so. Therefore, why rebuild a city when there is a chance that another disaster will strike again, and there is nothing in the government’s economic interest to help prevent future predicaments? Document C) Yes—the opposing side holds a nearly infallible argument. However, one must consider the billions of dollars’ worth of work put into these ports. Yes, economically New Orleans is suffering. But the future of the nation’s economy as a whole can be in grave jeopardy if commerce is discontinued. New Orleans must be rebuilt. Shortage of ideas on how to rebuild the city is no issue; but rather the dedication to get it done. In closing, urban recove ry is more than just putting bricks and cement together, mortar and asphalt, or bytes and electricity. It is about reconstructing the innumerable social relations entrenched in schools, workplaces, childcare, arrangements, shops, places of worship, and places of play and recreation. It is not about restoring New Orleans’ authenticity. It is about preparing an atmosphere that is welcoming and accommodated enthusiastically to former residents (Document E). New Orleans may never look exactly the same ever again. But its people deserve to feel the way they first felt about the city when they first encountered it; and how can you place a price upon falling in love? How to cite To Build or Not to Build, Papers

Nurse to Patient Ratios

Question: Write an essay onNurse to Patient Ratios. Answer: Introduction In the medical field, Nurse to patient ratios is increasingly becoming a topic of concern, as much as many people are demanding for government intervention. Presently, "minimum staffing laws" is enacted only in California, while other states are yet to implement in their workplaces. According to Laschinger et al., (2014) similar laws were purposed in other countries but in vain as its implementation are refused by the hospitals. Several hospitals consider that such laws will be an extra financial burden depriving them of their flexibility to make necessary staff related decisions (Bernabeo Holmboe, 2013). In this essay, the author will discuss the issues related to nurse staffing ratios. The author will compare and contrast the expected behavior of nursing leaders and managers, about the issue. Further, the author will discuss the roles of the leader versus manager. Lastly, the author will present the personal approach that best fits to solve the selected issue. The arguments in the essay will be supported by the literature review. Nursing unions argue that hospitals recruit less number of nurses but admit a higher number of patients (Shekelle, 2013). Consequently, job burnout and stress are increasing among nurses, also, hampering patient safety (Aiken et al., 2012). According to the president of Michigan Nurses Association, Hospitals tend to be business as they focus more on the short-term bottom line (Naylor, 2012). It is not known whether legal intervention to tackle a shortage of nurses is the right approach or not. However, the leadership and management approaches to resolving the issue of inadequate nurse-to-patient ratios may be helpful in improving the consequences. Nursing management is a complicated task. Mangers need to monitor the hospital operations and at the same time ensure that the nurses play their role in such operations (Bernabeo Holmboe, 2013). It is the duty of the managers to make sure that the nurses are accurate in delivering their services and perform well in their job (Aiken et al., 2012). Shortage of nurses increases the chance of errors, which affects the hospital management (Shekelle, 2013). Increase in death rate is the major outcome of medical errors (Laschinger et al., 2014). Shortage of nurses reduces the care services for patients. The reports of Shekelle, (2013) reveal that approximately 1.6 million preventable healthcare errors occurs each year in the US, signifying one medical error per day per patient. Also, shortage of nurses also leads to ineffective communication with patients and their families in decision-making (Pham et al., 2012). Naylor, (2012) believes that it leads to failure in maintaining the patients dignity and respect. Several incidences were reported where nurses administered medication at the wrong time, sometimes gave the overdose of medicines, failed to assist patients in managing pain and were unavailable in the emergency wards (Shekelle, 2013). Increasing the severity of illness and death is associated with inadequate nurses for patient s (You et al., 2013). Such incidences discourage nurses, as they are highly responsible for patients safety (Pham et al., 2012). Comparison of Leadership and Manager Approach to the Issue Therefore, it is imperative for the hospital management to develop strategies to ensure both "quality and safety of healthcare services." There are some approaches to tackle low nurse-to-patient ratios. Managers need to be strategic in determining the work environment and tactfully assign nurses for their work (You et al., 2013). Working schedule should be modified to decrease nurses burnout. Shekelle, (2013) recommends that to maintain the work efficiency; nurses must be provided with sufficient recovery time after attending a large number of patients and working longer shifts. It will ensure that the nurses are in a correct frame of mind before they enter into next shift. Leadership differs from management, and it plays a different role in health care setting. Any medical professional may have this quality irrespective of their position. Efficient leaders motivate people to accomplish both personal and organization's goals (Simons Leroy, 2013). They inspire others to stimulate them to work with full potential and bring out the best in them (Sherwood Zomorodi, 2014). Qualitative analysis was performed by Wong et al., (2013) and her associates, to determine the patient outcomes and its relation to nurses' motivation and nursing leadership models. To obtain reliable and valid results the researcher has performed the quality assessment of their methods also. Research findings showed a positive correlation between relational leadership style model and patient outcomes (Wong et al., 2013). Relational leadership is one of the approaches that can help leaders to resolve the issue of nurse staffing ratios (Naylor, 2012). This leadership is defined as process of people together attempting to accomplish change or make a difference to benefit the common good (Laschinger et al., 2014). This type of leadership is also called as inclusive type of leadership that has an additional quality to accept all viewpoints and backgrounds (Hutchinson Jackson, 2013). Nursing leaders can obtain feedback from nurses regarding their experiences due to nursing staff ratios using this approach. It can also include the involvement of nursing staff for better ideas to change the environment. Consequently, all the health personals are empowered to participate in a possible solution to obtain the common goal. My Personal Approach Given an opportunity, I would personally opt for Relational approach to solve this issue. As a leader, I would collaborate with everyone for decision making. In my past leadership experience, I had received successful results when I included other peoples ideas and opinions. I have always asked for feedback for self-evaluation. It encouraged me to correct my leadership direction. I never favored "authoritative leadership or micromanaging". In my approach to handling the issue of lower nursing staff, I will collect information about the areas that nurses enjoy in the organization. Based on the feedback, I would ensure that more patients and longer shifts in those areas are assigned to the nurses. On the other hand, less number of patients will be assigned to nurses in the areas they are uncomfortable with. To make the workplace more interesting for nurses, I will shuffle the schedules every alternate week. In any case, a nurse works for the longer shift due to an emergency, I will ens ure that he or she has sufficient recovery time before the start of next shift time. I am sure this will minimize and prevent the nurse's burnout. I believe that frustration in any work will never fetch positive results. The ultimate goal will be to maintain the work setting fun and joyous and keep up the nurses motivated and their spirit high up as motivated nurse makes a productive nurse." Conclusion When a large number of patients is assigned to the single nurse, it turns hectic for the nurses. Hospital environment with low nurse-to-patient ratios makes nurses more stressed. Also, patient's safety is highly compromised in a quest to fulfill the needs and demands of every patient. Therefore, managers and leaders in health care organizations often develop several strategies and approaches to ensure the quality and safety of care provided. However, the approaches vary from different management strategies and leadership styles. However, the best method to maintain working efficiency of nurses is by "keeping the environment interesting and motivating." It is necessary to involve nurses in decision-making because they are the ones who have a valuable perspective on the problem. Unfortunately, most hospitals fail to realize this aspect. References Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Sloane, D. M., Sochalski, J., Silber, J. H. (2002). Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction.Jama,288(16), 1987-1993. Aiken, L. H., Sermeus, W., Van den Heede, K., Sloane, D. M., Busse, R., McKee, M., ... Tishelman, C. (2012). Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: cross sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States.Bmj,344, e1717. Bernabeo, E., Holmboe, E. S. (2013). Patients, providers, and systems need to acquire a specific set of competencies to achieve truly patient-centered care.Health Affairs,32(2), 250-258. Hutchinson, M., Jackson, D. (2013). Relational leadership in nursing: towards a more critical interpretation.Nursing Inquiry,20(1), 11-22. Hutchinson, M., Jackson, D. (2013). Transformational leadership in nursing: towards a more critical interpretation.Nursing Inquiry,20(1), 11-22. Laschinger, H. K. S., Wong, C. A., Cummings, G. G., Grau, A. L. (2014). Resonant leadership and workplace empowerment: The value of positive organizational cultures in reducing workplace incivility.Nursing economics,32(1), 5. Naylor, M. D. (2012). Advancing high value transitional care: the central role of nursing and its leadership.Nursing administration quarterly,36(2), 115-126. Pham, J. C., Aswani, M. S., Rosen, M., Lee, H., Huddle, M., Weeks, K., Pronovost, P. J. (2012). Reducing medical errors and adverse events.Annual review of medicine,63, 447-463. Shekelle, P. G. (2013). Nursepatient ratios as a patient safety strategy: a systematic review.Annals of internal medicine,158(5_Part_2), 404-409. Sherwood, G., Zomorodi, M. (2014). A new mindset for quality and safety: The QSEN competencies redefine nurses roles in practice.Nephrology Nursing Journal,41(1), 15-22. Simons, T., Leroy, H. (2013). Issues in researching leadership in health care organizations.Leading in Health Care Organizations: Improving Safety, Satisfaction and Financial Performance (Advances in Health Care Management, Volume 14) Emerald Group Publishing Limited,14, 221-234. Wong, C. A., Cummings, G. G., Ducharme, L. (2013). The relationship between nursing leadership and patient outcomes: a systematic review update.Journal of nursing management,21(5), 709-724. You, L. M., Aiken, L. H., Sloane, D. M., Liu, K., He, G. P., Hu, Y., ... Shang, S. M. (2013). Hospital nursing, care quality, and patient satisfaction: cross-sectional surveys of nurses and patients in hospitals in China and Europe.International journal of nursing studies,50(2), 154-161.

Frankenstein and Robert Walton free essay sample

Dangerous Knowledge—An Analytical Essay on â€Å"Frankenstein† The pursuit of discovery and knowledge are thrilling aspects of human achievement, but can also be very dangerous if not handled correctly. In Mary Shelley’s â€Å"Frankenstein,† Shelley portrays these two aspects of accomplishment as dangerous, destructive, and even fateful. Shelley begins her novel with an ambitious seafarer named Robert Walton. Walton is determined to reach the North Pole, where he may â€Å"tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man† (6). During his journey, he writes constantly to his sister, Margaret Saville. Unfortunately, due to the laws of nature, sheets of impassable ice enclosing on their ship soon interrupt Walton’s mission. Trapped, Walton meets Victor Frankenstein, another ambitious man who has been traveling by a dog-drawn sledge across the ice. Frankenstein is emaciated and sick from the cold, and Walton takes him aboard ship. Walton helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the creature that Frankenstein created. We will write a custom essay sample on Frankenstein and Robert Walton or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Shelley’s novel â€Å"Frankenstein,† Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the creature are portrayed with parallels and contrasts regarding their ambition for intellectual pursuit and glory—performing acts of great destruction, selfishness, and conceit. Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein are portrayed with parallels concerning their ambitiousness while causing fatal consequences. To begin with, Walton and Frankenstein are lonely—longing for friendship. At the beginning of the novel, Walton is desperate for a friend. In one of his letters to his sister, Walton says that when he does bathe in the joy of success, â€Å"there will be none to participate my joy† (8). Walton longs for a man with â€Å"tastes [are] like my own† (8). Frankenstein longs for a friend by creating his creature, which he hopes will â€Å"bless [me] as his creator and source† (34). Frankenstein wants to create his creature not only for companionship, but also for glory and godliness. Second, they are both guilty of hubris, which is extreme arrogance. Walton states in his letter to his sister that one of his goals for traveling to the Arctic is so that he can bring glory to his name; Victor hopes for the same for himself while creating his creature. Both men, because of their hubris, put others lives in danger unnecessarily. Finally, both thirst for discovery and knowledge and want to be the first who discover their goals while defying the laws of nature. Walton attempts to surpass previous human explorations by endeavoring to reach the North Pole. When he goes out to sea, however, he gets caught in a situation that he cannot escape. He and his crew are stuck between impenetrable sheets of ice, that close in on his ship day by day. Likewise, Frankenstein has a somewhat similar experience. Frankenstein possesses the knowledge of bringing the dead back to life. However, when he becomes utterly obsessed with his discovery, he does not know what to do when his creation comes alive. He flees from his apartment—leaving his creature in isolation, feeling unloved and misunderstood. Be that as it may, Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein have contrasts regarding their ambition for discovery and knowledge. First, in the beginning of the novel, Walton feels irresolute about his journey, although he wishes to persist. In another one of his letters to his sister, Walton says that he â€Å"dare not expect such success† (10), yet he cannot even look on the â€Å"reverse of the picture† (10). Walton is even doubtful that he will receive his sister’s letters, yet he wants her to â€Å"write to [me] by every opportunity† (10). On the other hand, Frankenstein is not doubtful or vacillating about outcomes at all. Right when his interest is initiated, he forms a strong determination, and does not stop working towards his goal or doubt himself until he reaches it. No matter how much he isolates and shuns his family, friends, and surroundings, a â€Å"resistless and almost frantic impulse† (35) urges him forward. Second, at the end of the novel, Frankenstein’s â€Å"fate is nearly fulfilled† (17), while Walton’s journey is only beginning. Frankenstein fulfilled his destiny and made his creation despite his suffering and misfortunes. However, his influence on Walton is paradoxical. One moment, Frankenstein exhorts Walton’s almost-mutinous men to not stray from their path courageously, regardless of danger. The next, he serves as an abject example of the dangers of heedless scientific ambition. Walton serves as a foil to Victor, either not obsessive enough to risk almost-certain death or not courageous enough to allow his passion to drive him. Walton ultimately draws back from his treacherous mission and returns to England, having learned from Victor’s example how destructive the thirst for knowledge can be. Finally, Robert Walton and the creature are portrayed with parallels that regard their ambition for discovery and knowledge—eventually leading to destruction. Both feel that they do not fit into society, and therefore feel that they have to change something in order to fit in. In the opening letters, Walton doubts himself in finding a real friend, even among â€Å"merchants and seamen† (9). Therefore, he makes an effort to be accepted. Walton voluntarily endures â€Å"cold, famine, thirst, and want of sleep† (7) while devoting his nights to the â€Å"study of mathematics, the theory of medicine, and†¦physical science† (7). Although Walton is appointed a high position in his ship by the captain, he is still in longing for a true friend. Likewise, the creature is not able to fit into society. With his eight-foot-tall presence, â€Å"watery eyes, †¦[his] shriveled complexion, and straight black lips† (37), he is outcast from society and shunned. Therefore, he tries to make himself fit by learning the French language, observing the culture of â€Å"humans†, and reading great novels such as Paradise Lost and the Lives of Plutarch. However, after reading and studying, he is rejected by society simply because of his appearance.

Exploring Racial Segregation in Holly Hills

Exploring Racial Segregation in Holly Hills Free Online Research Papers De facto racial segregation is a common practice in the United States today. The civil right movement fought to abolish this practice. Winning its first of many legal victories in 1952 with the Brown vs. Board of Education Case, the Supreme Court’s ruling required the segregation of schools to be phased out â€Å"with all deliberate speed†. (Desmond, Emirbayer, 2010) This Vague suggestion allowed public schools to take their time carrying out the court order. This in turn caused a backlash that can still be felt today. Due to property covenants and the discriminatory practice of redlining minority populations are currently severely concentrated in almost every city in America. According to the King county census (http://www5.kingcounty.gov/KCCensus/), Washington state is home to 5,894,121 people, 1,737,034 of those people live in King County and 75.7% are Caucasian, only 5.5% of those people are of Hispanic/Latino descent. I have gone looking for them and found the largest concentration of our Hispanic population in census tract 218.0.The block group that contains tract 218.0 consists of a 36.1% to 41.5% Hispanic population. Tract 218.0 runs along the king county/Snohomish county border, between NE Bothell and NW Woodinville. In the middle of this tract is a neighborhood named Holly Hills. I will explore this neighborhood and as a comparison I will explore a neighborhood that the 2000 census finds to contain a pradomately Caucasian population but first let’s explore Holly hills. As I walked through the Holly Hills community I quickly realized it was a neighborhood that consisted of entirely manufactured homes. I started my expedition at the community club house. This was a modest building in the center of the neighborhood that the residents, or anyone for that matter, could rent out for events and the homeowners association used it for events, like the pot luck they are going to be having next week. On one side of the club house is a gated pool and on the other is a large grass field and a diminutive playground with mix matched play systems. You could tell some of the structures where recently upgraded while others were relatively older. The playground was occupied by what appeared to be a family, possibly a biracial couple, playing with their children. Aside from than this family, I saw about twenty other people, of many different races, on my walk through this neighborhood on a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon. The residents that I did see seemed to be m iddle class, although on the lower end of the middle class, economic spectrum. I would say seven of the twenty people I saw appeared to be of Hispanic descent, about 8 were Caucasian, three were Asian, and one was native American and semmed friendly and some even waved as I strolled through their neighborhood taking pictures. While walking a snaking route through this community’s pot hole riddled streets I noticed that there were a lot of homes for sale, at least one on each block. This is one of the few manufactured home communities where you own the land as well as the home. The median price of homes here is $202,375 and the average home is 1393 sq. ft. that is a cost of $124 per sq. ft. (Reed A. May 16, 2010) As far as I can tell this area appears to be in the process of gentrification, wealthier individuals are beginning to move in to this neighborhood that was previously only inhabited by lower income families (Desmond, Emirbayer, 2010), with this abundance of homes for sale at such reasonable prices I wonder what this neighborhood will look like in a year from now. The closest school to this neighborhood is the K-6 school, Woodin Elementary. Woodin is in the Northshore School District and is the only school in the district that offers a bilingual educational program. According to Jill Crivello, the principal at Woodin elementary, the dual language program is open to both native English speaking students and native Spanish speaking students. This program is beneficial to both types of students in three ways. First, it helps develop cognitive abilities due to the fact that bilingual students execute better divergent thinking, pattern recognition, and problem solving skills. It also benefits the students in a socio-cultural aspect since adeptness in two languages allows students to widen their world views by interacting with peers who are fluent in the â€Å"target† language, and students are exposed to apposite social convections of language. Lastly this program opens up economic opportunities as bilingual individuals are in a higher deman d in the employment arena. (Crivello J. 2010 May 14) This program was also the reason that Northshore School District won the 2005 Diversity award during the WSSDA annual conference in Seattle. (http://wssda.org/wssda/WebForms/ EnUs/News /2005/20051122_divawards.asp) This elementary school is the only school in this district with a large enough Hispanic population to execute the dual language program properly. As a comparison I also researched another school in this district, Hollywood Hill elementary, this schools population is predominantly, 84.4%, Caucasian, and located in the affluent neighborhood where the school gets its name from, Hollywood Hills. When comparing schools there is not much of a difference in WASL test scores yet poignant differences can be seen on almost every other aspect of the schools dynamics. Hollywood Hill elementary has a much smaller student base, resulting in a smaller teacher/student ratio and 64.4% of the teachers hold a master’s degree. (http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/SideBySide.aspx?schoolId=1631Org Typed=4reportLevel=SchoolorgLinkId=) As I explored the surrounding Neighborhood I noticed obvious differences between this neighborhood and the Holly Hills neighborhood. Let me elaborate, The Hollywood Hills neighborhood is in census tract 323.2 and the residents here are 92.6% Caucasian. (http://www5.kingcounty.gov/KCCensus/), Unlike the previous neighborhood I could not walk around to explore Hollywood Hills due to the fact that the houses in this neighborhood are on extremely large lots of land surrounded by woods and there were few sidewalks and no safe way to walk on the street. The houses where very large and the yards where meticulously landscaped. I noticed a few houses that were for sale and discovered that the median price of a home in this area is $875,492 with the average sq. footage of a home being 3,282, that equals out to $235.84 per Sq. ft. (Reed A. May 16, 2010) I did not see any people on the street, walking around, or any children playing on the playground. I cannot say for sure if their where no chi ldren present at, what appeared to be, the community park, I was unable to tell due to the fact that the park was behind a locked iron fence and the play equipment was far enough from the street that recognizing individuals was nearly impossible. During a time when most families would be home eating dinner I noticed an absence of cars in driveways or on the streets. Everything seemed very sterile, devoid of all neighborly interaction, and to be completely honest I was extremely uncomfortable driving around this community. On the outskirts of this neighborhood I did come across an equestrian center that was offering riding lessons to the public. The individuals present in front of the welcoming center where friendly and cordial. They were willing to talk to me about the neighborhood and described it as a pleasant place to live, where everyone minded their own business. As I wandered through out the two neighborhoods I noticed divergences, other than the exceedingly obvious economic differences. Disparate from the Holly Hills neighborhood, Hollywood Hills showed no displays promoting community events and was lacking the appearance of what I would consider social interactions. I also noticed that the Holly Hills neighborhood had access to public transit, King County Metro stops where prevalent, where the Hollywood Hills neighborhood lacked any form of public transportation. This can be explained by the need for public transit if one was to assume that the residents in Hollywood Hills probably do not need to take the bus. In both neighborhoods I observed vehicles driving on the residential roads and noticed a minor difference in the quality of personal transportation. In Holly Hills the vehicles were slightly older, less expensive models that where considerably more economically friendly like Honda, Toyota, and Mitsubishi. Whereas in Hollywood Hills they were newer luxury models like Porsche, Lexus, and Mercedes they were also predominately SUV’s and therefore less eco-friendly. As I look back on my exploration into racial segregation I am left with many questions. I don’t understand why anyone would chose to live in a neighborhood that was entirely lacking any sense of community. With wealth do you also acquire a taste for social isolation? If so, I don’t think I will aspire to obtain the title of affluent. I enjoy the friendly relations I have with my neighbors and if given the choice would rather have that then a huge home and an overabundance of resources any day. The Hollywood Hills housing development is an unequivocal example of how racial segregation makes close-knit communities and any true sense of humanity impossible. The residents in the Holly Hills community seemed to have achieved a reasonable form of racial integration, a melding of separate cultural elements into a balanced community. America’s racial segregation is still exceedingly prevalent, however I am hopeful that one day will overcome the misery that racial dominat ion perpetuates, it is an unnecessary wall put up between neighbors and the loss of a piece of our humanity. Resources Crivello, J. (2010 May 14) Personal Interview. Principal of Woodin Elementary Desmond, M, Emirbayer, M. (2010) Racial domination, racial progress: the sociology of race in America. New York, NY: McGraw Hill. King County (2000) King County Census Data: Tracts and Blocks. Retrieved May 15, 2010, from http://www5.kingcounty.gov/KCCensus/ OSPI (2009) Office of superintendent of public instruction Washington state report card. Retrieved May 18, 2010 from http://reportcard.ospi.k12.wa.us/SideBySide.aspx? schoolId=1631OrgTypeId=4reportLevel=SchoolorgLinkId= Reed, A. (2010, May 16) Personal Interview. Windermere real estate agent of Redmond. WSSDA (2010) Northshore and Shelton school districts receive WSSDA Diversity Awards. Retrieved May 18, 2010, from http://wssda.org/wssda/WebForms/En-Us/News/2005/20051122_divawards.asp Research Papers on Exploring Racial Segregation in Holly HillsComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoHip-Hop is ArtPETSTEL analysis of IndiaThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesQuebec and CanadaTrailblazing by Eric Anderson