Critical Incident Analysis Essay Nursing Essay

Critical Incident Analysis Essay Nursing Essay A critical incident is an incident which has prompted reflection of the actions undertaken by all involved and being critical of those actions in order to learn and improve practice (Perry, 1997 cited by Elliott 2004). Therefore, a critical incident is personal to each individual and requires critical thinking skills; critical thinking skills utilise the ability to reflect in order to decide upon the best outcome (Norris and Ennis, 1989 cited by Fisher, 2011). When applying critical thinking, the nurse must consider their own emotions, values and beliefs to develop an objective conclusion (Price et al, 2010); the conclusion may contribute to an improved awareness of learning needs and self. Reflection may aid these developments. Reflection is the process of critically analysing practice to uncover underlying influences, motivations and knowledge (Taylor, 2000 cited by Hilliard, 2006:35); therefore the ability to critically analyse and reflect are intertwined and crucial for the nurse to be able to learn from and develop their own practice. To analyse the chosen critical incident I will be using Johns model of structured reflection (Palmer et al, 1994 cited by Jasper, 2003) implicitly throughout this essay. Johns model consists of five questions to prompt reflection, these include; description of the incident, reflection, factors which may have influenced the outcome, possible ways in which the situation may have been improved and resultant learning (Palmer et al, 1994 cited by Jasper, 2003). Learning is divided in five sub-categories of knowing, these incorporate; care delivery, personal emotions, ethical considerations, underpinning theory and how personal development has contributed to the outcome compared to past situations (Price et al, 2010). The sub-categories of knowing implicitly apply Brookfields (1987) components of critical thinking which consist of challenging assumptions, recognising the importance of learning, how a potentially biased attitude may hinder learning, and contemplating and analysing potential interventions (Rolfe et al, 2011). Johns model of structured reflection (Palmer et al, 1994 cited by Jasper, 2003) was chosen as different aspects of the situation can be critically reflected upon, including how the actions of others may have contributed to the outcome; the sub-categories of knowing allow a thorough exploration of the experience from a personal and professional perspective. The critical incident I have chosen occurred during placement within an adult community learning disability team. The learning disability nurse, Georgina, received a referral for a 36 year old gentleman named Christopher. Christopher has a moderate learning disability, Downs syndrome and currently resides within a large residential home. Christopher has no living family and communicates with the use of some signs. Staff reported that Christopher remains in bed throughout the day on a daily basis; whilst in bed Christopher will extract and smear faeces in his bed and on his bedroom walls. Georgina explained that other health care professionals have reported that the care provided is unsatisfactory. Georgina and I met with the new manager of the home to discuss issues the residential staff were experiencing and Christophers wellbeing. The manager explained that the staff had reacted to Christophers behaviours by locking him out of his bedroom and leaving his bed without any bed clothes on. Staff hoped this would prevent Christopher from remaining in his bed and smearing faeces. Christopher responded by entering other residents bedrooms, getting into their bed and smearing faeces in their bedroom. When Georgina and I met Christopher, he was lying in his bed with his back to the door, facing the wall. Christopher ignored all attempts of interaction and continued to face the wall. This experience was a critical incident for me as I allowed another individual to influence my opinion over a service prior to visiting; this resulted in me entering into the service with a biased, negative attitude. This may have been portrayed to the staff through my body language, facial expressions or tone of voice which would not be conducive to working with the staff to promote Christophers holistic wellbeing. This experience has highlighted the importance of working together with the staff to begin to improve the care provided to Christopher. Appearing judgemental and negative may contribute to reduced staff morale and possibly a negative attitude towards me and other professionals. When I started the learning disability nursing course I did not consider how my non verbal communication may be interpreted by other individuals and the impact of this. I have since become very aware of this and am fully aware of the need to appear objective and approachable. It is apparent from this critical incident that I need to become more aware of and in control of my non-verbal communication. Appearing objective, professional and approaching all situations with an open mind may contribute to a good, collaborative working environment to influence change to promote holistic health. The key processes for reflection from this experience include the potential reasons for Christophers behaviour, the impact this behaviour has had on staff, organisational issues and the importance of collaborative working. I will now go on to critically discuss Christophers behaviours, exploring the factors which may contribute to these. Prior to attributing Christophers behaviours to challenging behaviour, potential physical and psychological health issues, social and emotional causes should be ruled out (McSherry et al, 2012); best practice states physical and mental health needs should be maintained and improved in order to promote holistic wellbeing (DH 2007c). This may prevent diagnostic overshadowing from occurring. Diagnostic overshadowing occurs when behaviours are wrongly attributed to an individuals learning disability (Mencap, 2007); Christophers behaviours may be attributed to his moderate learning disability or Downs syndrome. As Christopher does not communicate verbally and is choosing not to engage with staff this will contribute to the difficulty of detecting a potentially treatable cause to Christopher remaining in his bedroom and evacuating and smearing faeces. The Department of Health aim to work with the appropriate professional bodies to include the issue of diagnostic overshadowing in training a nd standards (DH, 2007a). Sensory impairment may be a contributory factor to Christophers change in behaviour, as the behaviour may be providing sensory stimulation. Impairment of hearing in individuals with Downs syndrome may be due to a build up of wax in narrow ear canals or impairment of vision possibly due to cataract, or glaucoma (NHS, 2005). Christopher may be evacuating and smearing faeces due to being constipated; constipation, in comparison with the general population, is more common in individuals with a learning disability (RCN, 2006). Constipation could be masking an underactive thyroid which is more common in individuals who have Downs syndrome (RCN, 2006). Furthermore, dementia or depression may be wrongly attributed to hypothyroidism (NHS, 2005). Depression is more commonly diagnosed in individuals who have Downs syndrome (NHS, 2005); difficulties in problem solving, coping with stress, including limited opportunities to socialise and limited life experiences may contribute to this (McGillivray et al, 2007). Dementia is more prevalent amongst individuals who have Downs syndrome compared to the general population (The British Psychological Society, 2009). Best practice suggests that all individuals who have Downs syndrome should be screened for dementia from the age of thirty to ensure an appropriate baseline assessment is available (Turk et al, 2001 cited by The British Psychological Society, 2009). Christopher has not been screened for dementia, this is not mandatory and may not be part of routine screening locally. Social changes, including staffing changes, routine, environment or a traumatic experience should be considered. Christophers home is experiencing a high turnover of staff; it is possible that a particular member of staff whom Christopher had a good therapeutic relationship with has left, thus leaving Christopher to cope with a loss. By Christopher experiencing this loss regularly he may experience difficulties accepting new staff in the future. The process of investigating Christophers behaviours should incorporate a capacity assessment to determine Christophers ability to consent to a holistic health assessment, appropriate interventions and whether Christopher understands the implications associated with his behaviours. If it is decided that Christopher does not have capacity, the reasoning for this should be accurately documented, including all efforts to aid understanding, and reviewed regularly (MCA, 2007). Person centred planning should be followed if any decision is to be made on behalf of an individual who lacks capacity, this must be in their best interests (MCA, 2007). A best interests meeting will be required with an advocate present to support Christophers rights. It could be argued that Christopher has been deprived of his liberty by being locked out of his bedroom and receiving unsatisfactory, non-personalised care. The European Court of Human Rights stated that if an individual looses autonomy due to being su bject to continuous supervision and control then this could contribute to deprivation of liberty (MCA, 2007). Deprivation of liberty should only be considered to protect an individual from harm, if there is no less restrictive option of providing appropriate care (MCA DOL safeguards, 2008: CQC, 2011). Christopher may have been subjected to institutional abuse as there appears to be rigid daily routines focused around staff shift times and meal times and a need for training to improve staffs knowledge (DH, 2000). Although, had Christophers hygiene not been maintained that would be considered neglect, thus causing a dilemma for staff (DH, 2000). Within social care, issues such as a high turnover of staff, inadequate training and knowledge of health needs has led inconsistent care delivery due to staff being unaware of their role in health facilitation (DH, 2008). Valuing People Now (DH, 2009) acknowledges that people with a learning disability should receive annual health checks and have a health action plan, but not everyone has received this yet. Health checks are not undertaken systematically as they are not currently integrated into routine within primary care settings in England (Michael, 2008). If annual health checks are integrated into routine within primary care this may increase the number of individuals receiving them. Training on health requirements and health action plans may raise awareness of health needs amongst individuals with a learning disability. The residential staff have the responsibility to recognise ill health and ensure Christopher is able to access appropriate services (DRC, 2006); this may be difficult due to a high staff turnover. Staff may prefer to avoid Christopher possibly due to finding the evacuating and smearing of faeces unpleasant (Whittington et al, 2005). This may impact on the staffs emotional wellbeing and their willingness to implement interventions recommended by specialists (Tynan et al, 2002: Dudman et al, 2012). The Royal College of Nursing highlighted organisational factors which may impair the quality of care provided; these factors include ignorance and fear as a result of inadequate knowledge and training (Michael, 2008). A high staff turnover may affect the dynamics of the staffing team. The residential staff may be in the forming stage of Tuckmans model (1977, cited by Goodman et al, 2010) due to new staff, such as the manager. Therefore, the individuals within the staffing group may have been attempting to get to know the new staff members, whilst the new staff members may have been attempting to understand cliques and communication methods within the group (Goodman et al, 2010). The factors which may be preventing the group from developing into an effective team include morale, communication and a clear understanding of their group identity (Goodman et al, 2010). Effective leadership is essential if the staff are to perform efficiently; essential leadership qualities include having a commitment to provide high quality care with the ability to motivate others, this will involve optimism, risk taking, creativity, and strong morals (Bishop, 2009). For Christophers wellbeing to be promoted, care plans should be reviewed regularly to determine their effectiveness and appropriateness regarding Christophers dynamic needs (CQC, 2010). The results of a study undertaken by Adams et al (2006) showed that those with a high quality person centred plan spent more time participating in meaningful activities. Currently, Christopher does not participate in meaningful daytime activities; Valuing People Now (DH, 2009) stated that services should provide their staff with training on topics such as how to develop a person centred plan. When this does not happen or the quality of training is poor, factors relevant to Winterbourne View such as poor care planning and lack of meaningful daytime activities may contribute to a diminished wellbeing, neglect or institutional abuse (DH, 2012b). To promote Christophers holistic wellbeing, the residential staff may benefit from support and training. For the staff to be able to develop high quality care plans, they should develop a therapeutic relationship with Christopher to get to know him well (DH, 2007a). This may contribute to Christopher having his health needs understood and a healthy lifestyle promoted (DH, 2007a). By staff feeling valued and supported, this may reduce the high staff turnover and improve morale, leading to a more consistent, dignified approach to care. When dignity is promoted Christopher may feel valued and in control of decisions, compared to potentially feeling humiliated and devalued (RCN, 2010b). A learning disability nurse should provide relevant interventions and education such as supporting Christopher to be understood and supporting staff to communicate effectively with Christopher to establish coping strategies and ensure Christophers health is promoted (Sheerin, 2008: DH, 2007 c). Collaborative working between health and social care professionals is required to ensure Christophers needs are met (RCN, 2011). Primary healthcare professionals such as nurses and GPs should be able to implement and develop health action plans with the support of learning disability nurses (DH, 2008). Health action plans need to be outcome focused with monitoring of progress and achievements, monitoring is required to ensure good quality health action plans (DH, 2008). Good quality health action plans may support a key objective of Valuing People Now (DH, 2009) by facilitating appropriate healthcare for individuals who have a learning disability to live longer, healthier lives (DH, 2009). Annual health checks are not yet routine practice within primary care settings (Michael, 2008), but are thought to be an effective intervention in promoting the wellbeing of individuals with a learning disability (DH, 2007a). By introducing financial incentives for GP practices to undertake annual health checks, it is hoped this will encourage primary healthcare services to assess an individuals health and provide appropriate interventions (DH, 2007a). Alternatively, introducing penalties for each individual who is not offered a health check may be a more ethically sound incentive. However, the aim of everyone with a learning disability being registered with a GP and with a health action plan has been unsuccessful to date due to these aims not being built into the targets of mainstream, primary healthcare (DRC, 2006). Best practice states that the nurse should use their skills to train and influence mainstream health staff to support them in providing person-centred care (DH, 2007c). Recently, it has been acknowledged that changes to peoples lives require action at a local level, with local commissioners and providers working together, change of this scale, ambition and pace requires national leadership (DH, 2012c: 15). Collaborative working is critical to effectively adopt a proactive approach for improved holistic wellbeing and reduced health inequalities amongst individuals who have a learning disability (DH, 2006). Upon reflection, I entered into the service believing they were doing wrong which was impacting on Christophers wellbeing; I did not consider factors which contributed to the level of care being delivered. I should have dealt with this experience in an objective, professional manner and considered how my facial expressions and body language may be perceived by the staff; thus conforming to the NMC Code (2008) by being impartial. I should have considered how it would affect the staffs morale and potential for collaborative working had the staff picked up on my negativity. From this experience, I am more aware of the need to control my non-verbal communication which has been continually developed throughout the course and will continue to be developed through working with individuals who have a learning disability, their families, carers and other professionals. The importance of collaborative working with other health and social care professionals in order to promote the wellbeing of an individual has been highlighted. In the past I have taken a blinkered approach of working with the individual in order to promote their wellbeing, however, in this instance the service and staff have required support and education in order to promote Christophers wellbeing. This realisation will enable me to consider the bigger picture and factors which may be contributing to the situation prior to developing a conclusion; this will ensure I support those I care for to access appropriate services (NMC, 2008). In summary, Christophers needs are not currently being met; in order to meet Christophers needs collaborative working between the residential staff and appropriate professionals needs to occur. Working with Christophers home and staff may improve the standard of care being delivered and ultimately improve Christophers holistic wellbeing. Collaborative working at a local level is fundamental to begin to improve standards. Although, this will need to be monitored to ensure Christopher is receiving appropriate, person centred care. In conclusion, a critical incident prompts critical reflection in order to develop and learn from the experience (Perry, 1997 cited by Elliott 2004). This incident prompted reflection of my own actions, the actions of others, and the implications of those actions. The residential staff require support and education in order to improve their practice to benefit Christophers wellbeing. This will need to be monitored to ensure Christopher is treated in a dignified, person centred manner with his human rights promoted. My practice will continue to develop through using different reflective tools, maintaining a reflective portfolio and regular supervision in practice. This will ensure my practice is underpinned using the best available evidence to ensure I provide appropriate care and work collaboratively with other health and social care professionals to adopt a holistic, person centred approach. This will ensure I work within my level of competence and continue to conform to the NMC Cod e (2008) by upholding the reputation of learning disability nurses. (Word Count, 3000)

Black Criminal Stereotypes and Racial Profiling Essay

Harper Lee vividly describes the immorality of racism and prejudice. Lee reveals the many racist practices that take place in a small town in Alabama. Jean Louise Finch who is referred to as â€Å"Scout†, shares many incidences that took place while she was growing up with her brother Jem and father Atticus. Tom Robinson is a character that is falsely accused of beating and raping a white woman and is found guilty. Atticus Finch who is not only a wonderful father to Scout and Jem, but also performs miracles in the courtroom as a remarkable lawyer for Maycomb county, is standing as Tom’s lawyer in the trial. Lee exposes the many racist and prejudice individuals through a specific character and that character is Tom Robinson. When Bob Ewell goes to testify he points at Tom and says â€Å"I seen that black n**** yonder ruttin on my Mayella† (pg. 173). Bob Ewell is portraying Tom to be an animal who has violated his daughter. Black Demps 2 Men were(are) usually portrayed in this manner because of the racist ideologies that ‘all black males are aggressive’ and ‘all black males are rapists’. Tom is an impoverished black male attending a trial, with an all-white jury because he was accused of raping a white woman, due to these things he is at an automatic risk of being announced guilty and denied any justice. Atticus takes the case to defend Tom, knowing he would be shamed for it, and looked down upon, as a white man in America. Even though evidence of Tom’s innocence was displayed to the jury, they still announced him guilty because of their racist and prejudice ideologies, instead of analyzing the factual evidence that was presented to them. Relationships between whites and blacks were forbidden so when Mayella became attracted to Tom she felt a sense of guilt. She knew that she would be looked down upon in the white community, which is why she did not hesitate to lie in court and to her self about the situation. â€Å"If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?† (lee, 259). Scout is beginning to see the hatred and the iniquitous way that people of color are being treated and she is beginning to think on her own and view the world and the way of life in a more mature manner. Demps 3 When Scout asks Atticus if he believes he will win the case he answers â€Å"Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win† (Lee, 101). In this quote, Atticus is referring to the racism and prejudice in general terms. He is saying that just because the world is set up a certain way doesn’t mean he has to follow the trends. African Americans have been considered to be less than a human for years and traditionally in a case like such, it does not go in the African Americans favor. So Atticus is saying just because it is traditionally more than likely that Tom won’t win, that does not mean that Atticus can’t try to help Tom. â€Å"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view†¦ Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.† (Lee, 321). Atticus’s ways of processing and analyzing certain situations are very admiring, he tends to think about all of the different perspectives in a situation before he takes any action or speaks any words. Harper Lee uses Atticus as a moral compass, he is seen as the opposer, being the â€Å"N***** lover† in this circumstance. †Mockingbirds don’t do one thing except making music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a Mockingbird.† (Lee,

Fourth Quarter English Interpretive Paper Essay

A Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt illustrates the adult life of Sir Thomas More. In this play, the Common Man portrays man and his vices and sins showing the ordinary man of every age, class, culture, and society. Bolt uses the Common Man in the roles of the steward, boatman, and jailor to show how man can easily sin. Common Man exhibits man’s immorality through the roles of the steward, boatman, and jailor, in A Man for All Seasons. Christian virtues are lacking in the Common Man’s role of the steward. The Common Man’s character, the steward, disrespects Rich by the snubbing manner of which he speaks to Rich. Likewise, when he spies on Thomas More he is being disloyal and dishonest. (pp. 40-42) Furthermore, the steward exhibits greediness by spying on More for Richard Rich, Thomas Cromwell, and Signor Chapuy in exchange for money. (pp.40-42) In addition, pride is conveyed towards Rich by the steward when he behaves as if he superior over Rich. (pp.104-105) Vices are seen in the steward’s behavior. The Common Man in the role of the boatman demonstrates a lack of morality. The boatman displays dishonesty when he tries to overcharge Thomas for his boat ride home. (p. 25) Likewise, he is being greedy as he wants more money than he should receive for giving Thomas a ride home. (p. 25) Moreover, his disobeyed the law by ignoring the fixed boat fares. (p. 25) The boatman’s actions are sinful. Lack of morals can be observed in the Common Man in the role of the Jailer. The vice of greed is seen by the Jailor when he is willing to accept fifty guineas from Cromwell in exchange for information about Thomas More. (p. 135) Likewise, the jailor is dishonest when he is willing to take anything that Thomas says and tell it to Cromwell to use as evidence against Thomas More in court. (pp. 135-136) Lack of charity is exhibited by the jailor when he does not allow Thomas’s family to visit Thomas at the jail. (pp. 145-146) The Common Man, as the jailor, displays vices. The role of the steward, boatman, and jailor played by the Common Man reveal the lack of mans morals in A Man for All Seasons. Disrespect, dishonesty, greed, pride, lack of charity, and disobedience are witnessed in the words and actions of the three characters. The vices represent the basic character of the Common Man who is every person in every age, class, race, and society. Bolt’s play, A Man for All Seasons instructs one to avoid sin and protect his morals and Christian faith. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Robert Bolt, The Man for All Seasons(New York, NY; Vintage International, 1990),pp. 4-5. All subsequent references will be noted in the text.

Life on the Farm - 832 Words

Time passed quickly as it tends to do. The little Knoll-Mice kept in touch even as their paths took them to different places. It was years later, when the Oliver, Brianna and Timmy gathered at the farm. The time between the end of school and the start of something new was delightful stage in a young mouse’s life. It was Timmy’s last summer before college. For Oliver and Brianna, it was the time between college and a career. When their future was before them and everything seemed possible. Oliver arrived at the Goo-Cheese Farm and looked around. The old peach-basket shed had changed, but in some way, it had also remained the same. There were some of the old tools still hanging in the shed, but the old oak chest where they kept their money, was gone. Brianna used the chest to ship her clothes to college. Oliver could not believe how much could fit in it and the weight. Timmy refused to help carry it to the boat unless he had help from three other mice. Come September, it would be Timmy’s turn to use the chest. This would be his last summer before college. Timmy was changing the batteries in the tractor his mother bought from Mr. Rat to make the farm more efficient. The tractor was old, but nothing was new when came from the Unk Yard. Oliver went over to help Timmy lift a double-A battery onto the charger. â€Å"You won’t have to be doing this after college.† Timmy wiped his brow. â€Å"That’s not going to happen.† Oliver shook his head. â€Å"Still dont like school?† â€Å"That’s right,† saidShow MoreRelatedLife On The Gulledge Farm1834 Words   |  8 Pages Endurance Life on the Gulledge farm was hard- much harder than it had been living with her grandparents’, but there were also so very good times too; Charity was happy. 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Knowledge management is indispensable strategy today - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 1951 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Management Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? For some decades ago, in business world, many companies had been successfully operated, and of course, many were eradicated out of the game. we can easily predict that the former firms might have good managers to run their business effectively, or such firms might have the right choice of offering goods and services that have high demand at that period, or it may be other factors contributing to their success such as employees skills, effective cost production and so on. For the later firms, the outcomes of these unsuccessful ones might be resulted from being lack of effective managers, or because of wrong goods and services they were offering, and etc. Today business world, in order to have long-lasting survival, in addition to effective managers, cost effective production, good employees, and right product choices, firms have to maintain, store, and enhance what their managers and employees know such as experiences about setting effective and efficient plan f or their company and the way company is managed, understandings of customers , experiences about making products or services, and so on. In other words, knowledge of employees and staffs in the company must be maintained for the application of next generation. It is the truth that today firms are more focus on knowledge maintenance, especially in high technology industry in order to keep their position in the business world, and hence, knowledge management is one of the most important policy firms put it on priority among their goals and objectives. An in-depth analysis into this issue will provide you background of knowledge at different views, how knowledge management is performed in today business competitive industry, why it is important to entities, and its life cycle as well. Body Knowledge Suppose that two employees who have the same period working in a garment company but why their production is considerably different after a specific time? People may commonly an swer that it is due to the difference of their working skills, knowledge, and experiences. Of course, we can easily realize that employee who has high production would have better skills, knowledge and experiences compared with the remaining one. It will be profitable if all employees are high production ones. The truth is that the more skills, knowledge, and experience employees possess, the more value the company will be added. That is why knowledge management will somehow play a major role in the company strategy. To understand about knowledge management, we have to know what is the knowledge. Imaging that we know how to cook a bowl of Hue-style-beef noodle, (a traditional food in Hue city, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam), the method and the skills we cook are considered as our knowledge. Therefore, knowledge can be come from physical ones such as books, newspaper, magazines, and etc, and hence people can learn cooking from any teaching-cooking boob. Besides, knowledge also can be drawn from experiences of people. For example, a person does not learn cooking through a book, but from what he or she observes other cookers, and then he or she will have knowledge about cooking. To have more understanding about knowledge, lets us consider some views of knowledge. In Elias M. Award and Hassan M. Ghaziris view (2003), knowledge is defined as understanding gained through experience or study (1). For this definition, knowledge may come from familiarity with how to do a special work or also may draw from accumulating facts, procedures rules, or heuristics. It is also defined that knowledge is the process of translating information (such as data) and past experience into a meaningful set of relationships which are understood and applied by an individual (2) (Shelda Debowski, 2006). Looking at these two views, we can see that the formers view has a broader look and more succinct compared with the laters one despite of its short definition. As it has been menti oned above, knowledge can be drawn from experience and study as well, but the thing is that what will we name knowledge from experience, and knowledge from study, making it easy to have a closer look at knowledge . If we want to have an in-depth understanding about knowledge, we have to know it in details, and It will be more understandable for readers if knowledge can be categorized. That is the reason why knowledge experts from different countries have categorized knowledge into two common types, the tacit knowledge and the explicit knowledge. It is not difficult for us to understand about tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge. Tacit means to be silent, and hence it might not be spoken out, meaning that if a person has tacit knowledge, he or she might not be able to hand it over to other people by the means of communication, or writing description and the like. In other words, it is the knowledge we know but we do not realize we have known , and how we know it, thus we might n ot be able to make it understandable . For instance, knowing how to drive a bike is what tacit knowledge is about because it is very difficult to teach people driving via any writing description. Indeed, we all know about how to drive it but we cannot teach others step by step, or by writing the process of how to write a bike. This results in that no books teaching about bike driving are published in the world. Talking about explicit knowledge, we can realize that explicit means to be clear and directed. Therefore, such knowledge can be learned via academic and technical methods such as books, writings, chatting, communicating, and the like. A person knows how to cook through direction from a book is the explicit knowledge. In order to specify what is belong to tacit knowledge, and what is belong to explicit knowledge, we should realize characteristics each type of knowledge possesses. According to Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995)(3),tacit knowledge has the following characteristics : It is the knowledge used to create explicit knowledge. It is best communicated personally through dialogue and scenarios, with the use of metaphors. It is the knowledge embedded in the mind of human. And the explicit knowledges characteristics are listed as follow: It can be codified and digitized in books reports and so on. It can be retrieved and transmitted more easily than tacit knowledge. Professor Ikujiro Nonaka (2011), in an interview with Vietnam Economist Times, characterized tacit knowledge as subjective knowledge that is difficult to express in word and explicit knowledge as objective and rational knowledge that can be expressed in words (4). All of these characteristics, it is better for us to summarize that tacit knowledge is subjective (only existing in ones mind)and explicit is objective (exist outside ones mind as a real thing) and rational. Knowledge management Imaging that in a specified time, a manufacturing company possesses a very go od employees and staffs, and hence reaches low production cost, meaning that it will add more value to the firm because products are produced at a low cost by such employees. After two or three decades, most of those employees and staffs are retired according to employment rules, and new employees will be recruited into the company. Of course, these new employees are not good as those who have retired in terms of skills, and awareness of production process. As a result, the company will somehow face high production cost, reducing companys income, and that becomes a problem for that company. We can easy realize that it is the problem of knowledge management. If that company initially had knowledge management plan, the problem might not came. Knowledge management is about managing knowledge, especially in today companies, helping them maintain knowledge that their current employees, staffs, experts, and all managers possess in order to survive and to have positions in today competi tive market. According to Kimiz Dalkir (2005), knowledge management is the process of applying a systematic approach to the capture, structure, management, and dissemination of knowledge throughout an organization in order to faster, reuse best practices, and reduce costly rework from project to project(5. We can consider that knowledge management can be standard for companies that have the same industry, but the knowledge management approach in these companies might be different in terms of size, operational style, power of the company. Apple corporation is a manufacturing firm(producing cellular phones, Ipads, computers, and etc) that has more power than other companies having the same industry to run knowledge management effectively. That is the reason, the company publishes new generations of Iphone, Ipad in every year. For small companies, knowledge management might not be well operated, this may be because they do not have enough capital to use for knowledge management or may be due to their poor management style. The outcomes of effective knowledge management are quite considerable. It adds more value to companies, and helps companies keep its position in the competitive market. To improve knowledge management outcomes, one factor companies must consider is about their customers, and what customers need and what customers desire from the company will somehow contribute to companys advantages. Apple corporation has been aware about that factor, and hence, new features and favorite shape of Iphone are added to new generation, attracting customers to buy the new. Another factor companies should take a look at it is the product life cycle. If firms just concentrate on knowledge management but do not care about whether products they produce is out of date or not, the problem will come. Motorola corporation is an example, when become the global leader in pager market, leaders in the company effectively performed knowledge management strategy, and thus new generation of pagers was published, but the problem is that pagers was out of date due to advent of cell phones. Therefore, product life cycle consideration will in some ways contribute to the outcomes of knowledge management. Leaderships and skills needed to enhance knowledge management process Who will be important to knowledge management must be considered if we want our company have good knowledge management strategy installed. Managers are necessary to knowledge management plan in a company. They play a very vital role in supporting, implementing, and encouraging employees of their company. Both middle and top managers might have direct management of these employees. Knowledge management plan will be effectively and efficiently planned , if managers have good skills on planning and are aware of the importance on knowledge management. Besides, managers have to focus on knowledge management cycle in order to reach the best knowledge management strategy. According to Nonaka and Takeuchi(1995), there are four stages in the cycle of knowledge management. Managers should follow these stages. For example, the first stage managers can do is to gather personal skills of employees by the mean of socialization such as face to face communication. Managers should then convert these collected knowledge into meaningful ways that people can understand, that we call the process of externalization. Combination of these meaningful ways must be performed in order to reach a new form. The last stage is that managers have to encourage employees to extend the knowledge using their own tacit knowledge. If the four stages are well performed, the outcomes of knowledge management will be very considerable. Conclusion To sum up, knowledge management can be viewed as a new vital strategy of any entity in today competitive market as it adds more value to business and keep companys position in the future. That is the reason why many companies have concentrated on knowledge management. Footnotes: (1): Elias M. Award and Hassan M. Ghaziri, (2003), Knowledge Management, Prentice Hall. (2): Shelda Debowski, (2006), Knowledge Management, first edition, Sydney and Melbourne, John Wiley and Sons Australia. (3): Kimiz Dalkir (2005), Knowledge Management In Theory and Practice, Elsevier. (4): Ikujiro Nonaka ( April 2011), Drawing on Knowledge, Vietnam Economic Times, p.31. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Knowledge management is indispensable strategy today" essay for you Create order

Analysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues Essay

Several dialectics are at play in James Baldwin’s short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† including a dialectic between the narrator and his beloved brother Sonny involving their opposing responses to the sense of oppression and limitation that arises from living in Harlem. This dialectic and its resolution closely parallel Baldwin’s masterful use of Blues, Jazz, and Gospel music. We follow the narrator and his brother Sonny as they traverse the complexities of their individual and interconnected Harlem lives. Each shoulders the challenge of attempting to understand one another, as well as living in a segregated and oppressed society. The narrator in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is a black man living out his life in semi-comfortable obscurity within the deteriorating society of Harlem sometime in the late ‘40’s or early to mid ‘50’s. The title character â€Å"Sonny† is the narrator’s brother, a Jazz pianist who is coping with a heroin addiction and a coming off a recent stint in prison for possession of narcotics. At issue between the brothers is differing philosophies about how best to live: the narrator is sworn to be his brother’s protector and life supporter, yet he struggles to believe that Sonny’s life as a musician will be successful, fearing that it will inevitably lead Sonny back to heroi n use and death. The narrator doesn’t understand his brother’s career goals and he hopes that—much as he himself has done—Sonny will leave his musical aspirations behind and carve out a responsible lifeShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues 916 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwin’s story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† tells the tale of two African-American brothers trying to survive in 1950s America. Both struggle with darkness in their lives, from drugs to bottling up emotions. The following sources were found Literature Research Center’s website. Each of the four sources will be evaluated for the quality of their information, as well as their usefulness on the topic of darkness in â€Å" â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†. Flibbert, Joseph. Sonny s Blues: Overview. Reference Guide to ShortRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues 933 Words   |  4 Pagesstory. Blues is a genre of music that is often used to express a sad mood. The contradictory lives of the two brothers contribute to the theme of being safe and take risks. In this story, James Baldwin writes about two brothers who were raised together. As time passed, they separated from one another and lived completely different lives. â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin addresses the themes of finding comfort in music, dangers of addiction and the suffering of two brothers. First, Baldwin uses theRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues 1578 Words   |  7 PagesJames Baldwin’s short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† was a great tale of the struggles shared between two brothers in Harlem in 1957. This story is about two African American brothers who, unfortunately, grew apart as the aged. The plot shows the struggles the two brothers faced as they grew up in Harlem, and in return, the two drastically different paths they perused. James Baldwin was an African American who grew up in Harlem in the 1930s and 40s. Baldwin was the oldest of nine children, and grew upRead MoreAnalysis Of Sonny s Blue By James Baldwin Essay1004 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Sonny’s Blue† by James Baldwin is a story about two brothers who grew up in poverty. One brother went on to become a teacher, while the other pursued his dreams to become a musician and finds himself in prison due to drug use. The story begins with the narrator find ing out about Sonny’s arrest. It’s easy to see his shock and almost disbelief. It takes the narrator a while to write to Sonny, but eventually he does, and they regain communication with one another after over a year of silence. Sonny is releasedRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues 1366 Words   |  6 Pagesand dark ultimately guides Sonny and the narrator in their journey to overcome their internal struggles. In the short story Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses darkness and light to show struggles and, transformation as both brothers teeter between the different shades of the blues, using music as a way to bring them both to redemption. Often times, when light is used in stories, readers can very easily relate the idea to happiness and following the right path. Baldwin uses light to illustrate whatRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues 995 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwin presents an emotional journey through Harlem in the 1950’s with his short story, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† From the beginning, the story is in medias res when the unnamed narrator is informed of bad news concerning his younger, troubled brother, Sonny. Throughout the story there is an ocean of emotions witnessed between these two brothers as they battle hardships from their past and present time. The setting plays an important role in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† to an extent where it is practically a characterRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues Essay1154 Words   |  5 Pagesntroduction: James Baldwin, author of Sonny s Blues, once said, I grew up with music...much more than with any other language. In a way, the music I grew up with saved my life (Session 3 Inquiry: Rudolfo Anaya and James Baldwin, 2015).   Blues becomes Sonny s drug and his addiction to it his salvation.       Even though the adults refrain from lamenting their sufferings directly to the children and telling them about the darkness, the child-narrator still intimates its marks in their facesRead MoreAnalysis Of `` Sonny s Blue `` By James Baldwin1474 Words   |  6 Pages Music can be the lead to freedom from darkness. The story â€Å"Sonny’s Blue† by James Baldwin takes places in Harlem around the 1950’s. The story is about two brothers. One of the brothers is the narrator of the story whose name is unknown. The narrator tells the story of the struggles in Harlem but mainly the struggles of his brother with drugs, and his passion for jazz music. Through out the story the narrator avoids giving a sense of his own struggles with himself. However, in the end the readerRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny Blues 1753 Words   |  8 Pagesiniquity, gloom, or without light. In the short novel Sonny Blues by James Baldwin, the word â€Å"darkness† ap peared frequently throughout the reading. I think the significance of darkness of this particular situation of this book that Baldwin is trying to present is fear and suffering. It shows how the characters are in the state of panic and fear, of the situation they are in and all the sufferings they have to go through. Connecting the Baldwin to the novel, Harlem; where the story takes place isRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues 1292 Words   |  6 Pages James Baldwin was raised in poverty in Harlem where, at the age of fourteen, he became a preacher in the Fireside Pentecostal Church. After high school he decided to become a writer and with the help of the black American expatriate writer Richard Wright, won a grant that enabled him to move to Paris, where he lived most of his remaining years. He wrote a variety of novels mostly about the intellectual trials of black men in a white, racist society and homosexual themes. James Baldwin wrote â€Å"Sonny’s

Compare and Contrast Old and New Imperialism free essay sample

New Imperialism of the late 19th and early 20th centuries compared to Old Imperialism of the 16th and 17th centuries. Imperialism is the spread of control over territories across the globe. The Industrial Revolution and interests in nationalism created a new period of imperialism around 1750. Old imperialism lasted from 1450- 1750, but imperialism alone remained until 1914. Old imperialism and new imperialism shared the same basic concept of controlling and utilizing foreign countries. Old imperialism focused mainly on systems of trade while new imperialism took bolder steps to overtaking nations. Old Imperialism was the period from 1450-1750 -Powers were motivated by â€Å"gold, glory, and God† -Gold referred to the wealth (precious metals and valuable merchandise) that the newly discovered lands promised to deliver -Glory described the pride a monarch of Europe felt in laying claim to new land -Gospel was a reference to the desire of European powers to bring heathens to Christ Old Imperialism was driven by Mercantilism-is the economic doctrine in which government control of foreign trade is of paramount importance for ensuring the prosperity and military security of the state. We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and Contrast Old and New Imperialism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In particular, it demands a positive balance of trade. New Imperialism took place from 1750-1914 -colonial expansion adopted by Europe’s powers and later Japan and the United States -During the 19th and early 20th centuries expansion took place from the French conquest of Algeria until WW1 -This period is distinguished by an unprecedented pursuit of overseas territorial acquisitions -The Berlin Conference -organized by Bismark to provide for a more orderly conquest of Africa Old Imperialism was the period from 1450-1750, in which powers were motivated by â€Å"gold, glory, and God†. Political power was controlled by central governments while leaders were busy trying to increase their power. National wealth was widely viewed as holder of power. In old Imperialism, Europeans focused on a cash and carry system, where they purchased goods from native merchants who brought the goods they produced. This led to a focus on a trading system because Europeans didn’t want to take on territorial responsibilities. During the Old imperialism era, Europeans set up trading posts, ports, and docks. These trading centers benefited the places the mother country was supplying too. They had objectives to protect their trading centers in native places and none to obtain territories in them. Europe’s trade within and between native lands led to cultural diversity which may have caused a small breach in unity. However, the old Imperialism era ended due to high costs in taking over territories and too much time to supply the mother country. There was no time to build up a superior, organized, skilled army for anyone. Also, due to the Industrial Revolution there was now a faster more efficient way to create and manufacture products. Throughout Western Europe, political authority was completely controlled by central governments, while leaders, such as Isabela I, were busy with the concept of how to increase the power of the state. National wealth was widely viewed as the groundwork of national power, governmental controls soon dominated nearly all of the states domestic economy. The start of Old Imperialism was based on the military and naval power and the underlining motive was essentially capitalistic. It began with sea explorations of the Spanish and Portuguese in the second half of the 15th century. Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal actually set up a School of Exploration for that very purpose. Commercial companies were sponsored and financed with military and naval expeditions frequently sent out after them to ensure political control of oversea territories. Eventually, great colonial empires were established by the various naval forces of Europe. Success was determined based on strategy and military power, as well as religious, social, and economic justifications. Early in the 17th century, the Netherlands consisted of the highest ranking naval force; overtaking much of Portugal and creating establishments on the coasts of North and South Americas. France eventually created colonies in North and South America as well. Although Portugal and France started early with imperialism, England wasn’t far behind. England, and then the United Kingdom, ended up creating the most colonies, ranging from North and South Americas to Africa and India. On July 4, 1776, the Thirteen Colonies signed the Declaration of Independence, became the United States, a sovereign nation, and was no longer under control by the British. Some people consider this the downfall in Britain’s imperial lusts. Portugal and Spain ended up dropping out of the imperial race soon thereafter. Began in 1880’s in Africa; earlier in Asia -In 1800 Europeans controlled about 7% of the world’s territory; by 1914, they controlled 84% -Europeans colonized Africa and Asia by using military force to take control of local governments, exploiting local economies for raw materials required by Europe’s growing industry and imposing Western values to benefit the â€Å"backwards† colonies -Britain’s control of Egypt in the 1880’s became the model for the â€Å"New Imperialism† Major causes for the imperialist impulse Search for new markets and raw materials. The industrial revolution created a surplus of goods; capitalists sought new markets for goods -New markets often proved elusive since colonial peoples were usually too poor to purchase European goods New military and naval bases to protect one’s interests against other European powers -Britain concerned by French German land grabs in 1880’s -Increased tensions between the â€Å"haves† (Britain) and the â€Å"have not’s† (Germany Italy) who came in late to the imperialistic competition -Ideology: nationalism and Social Darwinism †Survival of the fittest† ideology (Herbert Spencer) rationalized the conquest of weak countries by stronger more civilized ones -†White Man’s Burden†: racist and patronizing view that preached that the â€Å"superior† Westerners had an obligation to bring their culture to â€Å"uncivilized† peoples in other parts of the world Berlin conference 1884-85: established the â€Å"ru les† for conquest in Africa Provisions: No imperial power could claim a territory in Africa unless it effectively controlled that territory; and Slavery and the slave trade in Africa was terminated -Sought to prevent international conflicts between European nations over the issue of imperialism -Sponsored by German chancellor Bismark Jules Ferry; as result â€Å"scramble for Africa† was on The â€Å"Scramble for Africa† -In 1880, Europeans controlled 10 % of Africa; by 1914, controlled all except Liberia Ethiopia -Began in 1870’s when Belgium took control of the Congo The British Empire in Africa -Sudan. Kitchener defeated Sudanese tribesman and killed 11,000 (with machine guns) while only 28 Britons died French Empire in Africa -Algeria- Since 1830, the French had controlled Algeria in North Africa; The attack on French shipping by Barbary pirates was used as a pretext for conquest; Algeria remained under French control until the early 1960s Germany- Since Germany wasn’t unified until 1871, it was late to the imperialist game compared to Britain and France Italy- Italy was the last of the European powers to participate in the scramble for Africa -Eritrea on the Red Sea coast became Italy’s first colony in Africa in the 188s -In 1896, Italian forces were defeated trying to take Ethiopia -Italy became the first European country to suffer a defeat by Africans.