A&P Character Analysis

In the short story, â€Å"A & P,† John Updike’s character, Sammy, is a clerk at the A&P supermarket. His thoughts, language, and attitude throughout the story indicate he is a narrow-minded, cynical, typical teenager with a strong curiosity in the opposite sex and an extreme sense of detail. The A&P store is located right in the middle of a smaller type town, where everyone knew one another. He interprets one customer as being old, dull and unable to relate to young people only because the customer was elderly, is an example of being cynical. Sammy’s intensive opinions and interpretations proved his lack of knowledge outside the small town. For example, he is disrespectful in his thoughts towards the â€Å"A & P† customers, seeing them as â€Å"sheep† and â€Å"houseslaves. † This is the part that it becomes obvious that he does not care about the customers and is unhappy at his job. Sammy’s aspiration for Queenie, which begins simply as a young man’s attention in a pretty girl, ends up being why Sammy stood up to his boss and quit â€Å"A & P†. Sammy’s unhappiness with his job is shown throughout the whole story with his negative comments about the different people walking through the store. Sammy spoke of his manager having a very fine sense of observation, noting the manager didn’t like the way Sammy smiled. As the girls were leaving the store, Sammy had a vision of how happy he would be to be able to leave the store with them. Thinking quickly, Sammy decided to tell his boss he quit, saying in a loud like voice, hoping to be loud enough for the girls to hear him. After Sammy had said the words I quit there was no way to take back what he had said, it was a done deal, and he couldn’t back out from quitting now. Sammy quickly folded his apron laying it on the counter. Walking out to the parking lot, only to find the girls were gone. His effort of trying to be a hero to the girls by standing up to his boss was not a success. There here stood, in the parking lot, looking in the store window, wondering to himself if he had just made the right choice.

Blackberry Eating

The poem â€Å"Blackberry Eating† by Galway Kinnell is a short but effective example of how the use of the elements of poetry can evoke emotional reaction and the corresponding emotional experience in people. The poem starts out with a matter-of-factly account or story telling of a late September trip or errand to pick up â€Å"fat, overripe, icy, black blackberries to ear blackberries for breakfast†. While the first three lines directly expresses, herein, the author still makes use of stressed imagery.The color â€Å"black†, an apparent redundancy, is used to precede â€Å"blackberry† to produce or connote the image of the darkness or deepness of the fruit color, on top of the other qualities of fatness or big size and possible coldness and juicy stage of ripeness. â€Å"The stalks very prickly, a penalty they earn for knowing the black art of blackberry-making;† These next two and a half lines jumps into or introduces the level of figurative langu age. What initially seems a either an implied mystery or a misguided use of the pronoun â€Å"they† in referring to that entity knowledgeable on â€Å"the black art† is in fact metaphorical language.The prickly stalks obviously are not persons who practice the supposedly dark or secret art of blackberry-making. What the â€Å"penalty† element in the metaphor perhaps suggests is that the practitioner of the art earns a disadvantage, or a price to pay, when he or she holds the stalks to pick up the blackberries. These next words prompt the reader to think what the author is trying to tell: â€Å"and as I stand among them lifting the stalks to my mouth, the ripest berries fall almost unbidden to my tongue†¦. â€Å"But the next line provides the unequivocal clue: â€Å"as words sometimes do†¦. â€Å". Herein, it is revealed that the berries are compared to words, implying that blackberry-making is likened to making a craft or something with words. At t his point, the poem becomes clear, as metaphor is clearly replaced with the simile tool of the conjunction â€Å"as†. What makes this apparently simple, down-to-earth poem particularly appealing to read and listen to is the equally effective use of sound devices. A sort of metaphorical onomatopoeia is made use of in the next lines:â€Å"Certain peculiar words like strengths or squinched, many-lettered, one-syllabled lumps, which I squeeze, squinch open, and splurge well in the silent, startled, icy, black language†. As one reads or listens to these words of simile between creating prose and poetry or oration, it is as if one can almost hear the process of chewing and eating blackberries. In Blackberry Eating, rhythm, consonance or the repeated consonant sounds anywhere and alliteration or repeated initial consonants are obviously present, what with the multiple use of black by itself or as prefix: black blackberries, blackberries, blackberry-making.â€Å"S† is a lso alliterated several times with the words strengths, squeeze, splurge, silent, startled and the present and past forms of squinch. â€Å"I love to go out in late September among the fat, overripe, icy, black blackberries to eat blackberries for breakfast, the stalks very prickly, a penalty they earn for knowing the black art of blackberry-making†. As later revealed, the â€Å"tenor† in this part of poem, or what Galway Kinnell means, is the process involved in poetry composition.The author's use of the brambles and bramble fruit plant parts and the act of preparing and eating them suggest the creation or the composition of poetry. The words or lines actually used to that effect, technically called â€Å"vehicle†, constitute the metaphor or analogy. That the subject needs to go out (of his abode) to be able to procure the raw blackberry refers to the what the poet has to do in order to carry out the preliminary phase of composing his poem. As the time period o f â€Å"late September† is repeated at the end of the poem, the significance of this author's choice of the month becomes evident.The line â€Å"of blackberry-eating in late September† makes another use of sound device: the ber is repeated to create a rhythmic finale to the poem. A fusion of the style devices of literal and figurative language and sound devices, Kinnell's Blackberry Eating is an excellent piece of poetic genius. As Kinnell brings to the reader the pleasure, along with the efforts, of preparing and eating blackberries, the poem communicates how literature is akin to it. The total product is poetically narrative, metaphorically educational and a pleasure to read and hear.

Country analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Country analysis - Essay Example This allowed the fighters to plan and conduct an operation that literally shocked the world; the 9/11 incident. Although conspiracy theories that claim this incident to be an ‘inside job’ do exist; the ultimate outcome of the 9/11 incident was disastrous not only for Afghanistan, but many of its neighboring countries. This can also be attributed to the change that was witnessed after USSR disintegrated. Since the world became Unipolar, the US was free to conduct operations of choice in the region. Keeping in view the American disliking for the Soviet interference and its subsequent military action within Afghanistan to gain entry into the country, one can easily judge that the Americans were keen about establishing a presence in the Afghan region since decades. A clear display of power politics is evident in this case. However, the purpose of maintaining this presence remains unclear till this

Immediate and Continuing Care at the Surgical Department Essay

Immediate and Continuing Care at the Surgical Department - Essay Example During the post-surgical operation, part of my duty includes monitoring the patients for signs of shock, ensure that the patients’ surgical wound is free from infection, and manage the patients’ post-operative pain. At all times, surgical nurses should be able to deliver holistic care to the patients. It means that part of the duty of surgical nurses is to satisfy the pathophysiological, socio-economic, psychological and spiritual dimensions of healthcare. For this reason, it is equally important on the part of surgical nurses to carefully study and re-examine the health and socio-economic consequences of using a prolonged peripheral IV line and the possibility of generating avoidable infection out of using these devices. When I was assigned to care for Mr. Phillip, part of my duty was to regulate his IV line. While regulating his peripheral IV line, I started to wonder how often nurses should change their line to prevent the risk of IV line infection (ONE PROBLEM IDENT IFIED... Delete this part). Is it really safe to extend the patient’s peripheral IV catheter line for up to 96 hours? What does the NHS say about extending the patient’s peripheral IV catheter line from 72 to 96 hours? When exactly is the right time for surgical nurses to change the patients’ peripheral IV lines? To address these research questions, a literature review be conducted based on some peer-reviewed journals. Using search words and phrases like â€Å"health consequences of prolonged peripheral IV line journal†, â€Å"NHS peripheral IV line†, â€Å"hand washing IV line infection†, and â€Å"peripheral IV line 72 96 hours journal†, the researcher will gather evidenced-based journals directly from the databases of NCBI/Pubmed, Medline, and Pubmed Central. Based on the actual literature review, a proposed change will be highlighted in this study followed by describing its actual contribution to the nursing practice, the rational e underpinning the proposed change in patient care, alternative strategies and reasons underpinning the final choice of action, ways on how the proposed change in patient care can be evaluated, and its expected outcomes. Prior to the research study conclusion, the ethical and legal considerations behind the implementation of the proposed change will be tackled in details. Literature Review Intravenous catheterization is one of the most common invasive intravenous procedures being performed in patients who were admitted in a hospital. Basically, the main purpose of administering intravenous fluids on admitted patients is important in terms of promoting electrolyte balance in the human body, for rehydration purposes for patients who are dehydrated due to prolonged diarrhoea, to provide the patients with glucose (dextrose) to increase the body’s metabolism, and administration of water-soluble vitamins and other medications like antibiotics into intravenous line. (Morgan, Range, & Staton, 2007; Kozier et al., 2004, p. 1387). Since IV line insertion is invasive by nature, patients who are receiving IV fluids can be at risk of developing hospital-acquired infection. In most cases, the development of intravenous-related infection is related to the failure of health care professionals to apply a strict sterile technique when performing and managing the intravenous insertion and removal process (O’Grady et al., 2002).

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy Research Paper - 1

Current Events and U.S. Diplomacy - Research Paper Example A president’s foreign policy can be thoroughly diplomatic, while his military stance can play merely the role of a diplomatic apparatus. It is normally determined by the country’s economic, military, and sociopolitical statuses. Whereas a presidential doctrine is usually objective-oriented, the implement of this doctrine needs in-depth knowledge of and proper response to home economy, politics, military strength, etc. Simultaneously the president should have in-depth knowledge of and proper response to counterparty’s economy, politics, military strength, etc. During the developing stage of the Cold War in the first half of the 1960s, John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s foreign policy had been more diplomatic than his predecessor Dwight Eisenhower’s unyielding view about the US presence in the world politics. The diplomatic essence of the Kennedy Doctrine initially played a crucial role in building up the very premises –â€Å"Flexible Response to the I nternational Political Powers†, â€Å"Containment of Communism† and â€Å"Reversal of Soviet Progress in the West† –of the Kennedy Doctrine. ... In this regard Gaddis (2005) opined that also the failed CIA-backed military coup in Cuba, in spite of Kennedy’s promise to refrain from Cuban Affairs, provoked the president to be bold to pronounce the United States’ defensive stance regarding the Berlin issue and the diplomatic acknowledgement of the Soviet Union’s concern in Germany. (Gaddis, 2005, pp. 112-115) Kennedy’s policy for the â€Å"containment of communism† was essentially the legacy of Eisenhower and Truman’s foreign policy prerogatives. During the peak-hours of Cold War, Kennedy had no other choice but to follow his â€Å"White House predecessors† (Schweizer, 1994, pp. 65). Being panicked by the rapid communist advancement, both Truman and Eisenhower turned back to the country’s military strength -though they did not go into any direct war- to contain communism. As a result, superpowers involved into proxy wars in various geographical regions of interests. Nuclear arm race between the two main parties of the war, the USA and the Soviet Union, began as a response to the superpowers’ desire to overpower each other. During the period, the world experienced a worldwide regrouping of the countries into the US block and the Soviet bloc. This regrouping in the Soviet block was mainly based on the Marxist political ideology of Communism, whereas capitalism and democratic interests dominated the countries in the US block. This regroupings in both of the blocks often turned into expansionism and counter-expansionism. (Schweizer, 1994, pp. 69-74) The Soviet leadership’s expansionist desire to force Marxist ideals upon the rest of the earth panicked the wealthy capitalist west whose reaction to the communist expansionism eventually

Film Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Film Studies - Essay Example One of the reasons directors assemble movies from hundreds if not thousands of shots is because film cameras can hold only a limited amount of celluloid film, which is not enough for a feature-length motion picture. Importantly, narrative films compress time considerably by leaving out the boring parts of the stories. A long story could conceivably take exactly two hours to tell on film. To do this, a filmmaker is required to carve up the action into discrete shots and re-assemble them coherently to hold the audience’s visual interest.The simplest transition is the cut. A director films a shot(the basic unit of filmmaking) and has it developed. He/she films subsequent shots and have them developed as well. The director trims each shot down to the wanted length and attaches the strips of film together with a piece of tape. This implies that the director has cut from one shot to another using celluloid. The same effect can be created electronically with two shots taken in the vi deo without the need for a tape. Editing is a human activity, unlike the camera’s mechanical recording of images, editing is quite specifically a matter of active decision making the product of human choice. Cameras can only record while directors and editors cut out the unwanted parts. Other important transitions include the fade-in and fade-out; the iris-in and iris-out; the dissolve, and the wipe. However, these effects are mostly used as transitions from scene to scene or from the final shot of one scene to the first shot of the next scene.

Comparing Criminal Justice Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Comparing Criminal Justice Systems - Assignment Example As much as criminal justice systems of all countries seem to follow some universal devising justice and punishment, there are wide variations between countries in the ways that these approaches work. This is because of the differences in power of law enforcement, style of policing, limits of search and seizure, the doctrine of presumption innocence and the doctrine of reasonable doubt. Other factors that create differences among criminal justice systems across countries include protection of self-incrimination rights, exclusion rules and other intra-systematic processes in criminal justice, which are not valued and practiced in the same way in every country. In this report, a comparison of criminal justice systems, based on the cases of Amanda Knox and Michael Fay, two young U.S. citizens accused of crimes in other countries, illustrates the differences between the U.S. criminal justice system and those of Italy and Singapore. The Knox case is a murder case, which is about the murder of a British student, Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. During the time of the crime, all the occupants of the cottage had left to spend their night elsewhere apart from Meredith Kercher, who was to spend the night alone in the cottage. On the following day, Knox and her boyfriend, Rafaelle Sollecito, discovered that one of the windows of the cottage, where Meredith, Knox and others lived, had been broken. They called the police. The police forced the door to Kercher’s bedroom open and it was discovered that Kercher had been murdered. Knox and Rafaelle were accused of murdering Kercher because the deceased had refused to participate in a sex game. Knox’s boss was also accused on the same account, but he was released upon lack of evidence linking him to the crime. Forensic evidence led to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of Rudy Guede for murdering Meredith. On the other hand, Michael Fay was sentenced to four months imprisonment and six strokes of cane because

Airport Growth Data Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Airport Growth Data - Research Paper Example When compared with international or regional trends, one finds that these have been starkly drawn up with passenger traffic and the volume of flights coming in and going out of an airport. This is the reason why much success is indeed linked up with how airports grow over a period of time and showcase the real basis of national and international traffic (Teck & Wai, 2002). The growth has been consistent because airliners have come up; fleets expanded and overall productivity is being seen across the ranks. This is the reason why many airports are now bringing in more luxuries and facilities for their passengers on a constant basis. Planning essentially plays a very quintessential role at suggesting how successful initiatives are being drawn up within the ranks of the airports in the time and age of today (Pitt & Brown, 2001). This is the reason why many airports are doing their best to accommodate as many passengers and flights as

Analysis of three directors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Analysis of three directors - Essay Example Their work represents a gradual development of storytelling, starting with the deliberately shocking cut scenes of Rohmer’s new wave, which refuses to construct neat plot development from scene to scene, and moving on to a complex interplay of images in Antonioni and finally leading to a new kind of realism with Kieslowski. It would be wrong to see a direct linear relationship between these three directors, but each of them in their own way absorbed developments from the past in their own particular development of cinema. Eric Rohmer’s set of six films known as his Contes Moraux (Moral Tales), based on a set of short stories grouped together into novel form, mark a distinct point in the history of the cinema because they begin to assert a particular approach which is designed and delivered purely with cinema in mind. It departs from earlier theatrical types of presentation, in which directors used techniques borrowed from the stage, and from the literary tradition, based on the narrative and characterization techniques of novels, which aimed to turn famous literature into films. Theatre is a relatively artificial and static art form, bound by artificial unities of time and place, while film has the potential to explore more natural rhythms of real life. Techniques such as voice-overs to give underpin and fill out action were already well developed in film, but Rohmer used juxtaposition of different characters, for example the rather odd relationship between Adrien, Haydee and Daniel in la Coll ectionneuse, along with ironic commentary by the lead character to explore how the voiceover can introduce tension and irony into the film. Rohmer ventures into a mature and truly cinematic treatment of major moral issues through the lives of very ordinary middle class men and women. James Monaco notes that the first two films in the series, La Boulangà ¨re de Monceau and La Carrià ¨re de Suzanne are shorter, of poorer technical quality than the

God's Existence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

God's Existence - Essay Example Irrespective of religion, every child is told about the accountability to the God. The significance and objective of the whole world gyrate around this answerability. Apart from these thoughts other deliberations that persist encompass- existence of life on the planet is by chance and no one is held responsible to some inspirational life form or soul. People belonging to this view, however, believe in fun and joy as the chief essence of life. Thus, conventionally, four chief arguments related with the existence of God emerged, encompassing- (1) the cosmological argument; (2) the teleological argument; (3) the ontological argument; and (4) the moral law argument. The present article deals with the teleological argument. This is popularly known as "the argument from design" (Greek meaning, telos- design). According to this argument, the universe confirms the presence of complex life forms, from tiniest creatures to the biggest animals and plants; everything is in a perfect order and ar e inter-linked; moreover no one modulates these living beings but they are self-modulated in a perfectly controlled manner. The designer or creator has created the life forms in a simplistic manner and therefore, He must be a perfect and well co-ordinate planner to make this world run so smoothly, maintaining the harmonization, dexterity and a perfect balance of complex life forms. Thus there must be a premeditated and decree brainpower behind these synchronizations, thus a belief emerged that a force is certain beyond the nature and thus it is something supernatural! Intense understanding, perception, prudence, rationale, acumen and intention must be present in the mind of creator while designing the universe. Therefore, teleological arguments center around diverse reasonable associations between array, motif and creator and have pursued distinct levels of exactitude. According to William Paley, heavenly bodies wander with perfect accuracy in their fixed paths the orbits. Every liv ing organism possess a complex life form meeting various metabolic processes and their requirements every second. These intricacies just happen and it is solely the creation of God. Although these arguments could convince millions but in the present scenario of developing science, understanding about the evolution of life and various life forms, evolution of planets and the universe, forces behind each movement, theories, interpretations and explanations about the happenings taking place in the universe takes the teleological arguments to some different path. According to the present arguments, spotlight lies on the fact of "fine-tuning" of the universe to support life. This is an objection to the Paley’s view as the present opposition is based on the theory of evolution and hence they are less susceptible to assault. Evolution theory is capable of explaining the biological systems and design, the progression of evolution of life on the planet. Moreover it is now explained wh y only the planet Earth could get all the congenial conditions for life and no other planet in the solar system could get all the feasible conditions to promote life. On the contrary, if universe is designed there has to be a designer, the order and complexity of the universe could not convince many believers who firmly believe on the fact that there is a designer, the creator, the God, who has meticulously designed each and everything in the nature in a perfect and ordinate manner, which looks complicated otherwise and is not possible to create under the scientific environment, i.e. under laboratory conditions. It is true that the forces created artificially to create life could generate life under laboratory conditions but were not enough to convince the existence of life outside the laboratory condit

Problem Solving and Google Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving and Google Essay Outstanding opportunities for employees. Google is open for very talented and inspired people, and give best opportunity to be promoted in professional sphere. Example, Oleg, starting his career as an engineer become a leader of developing tools department team after only 8 months period. This is I think very motivating staff. Looking at google HRM site, everything brought so understandable, and impressively clear, I feel that Google knows distinctively what they want from their personnel and how attract people with best abilities. There pretty much attractive links, where I found about working at google, employees tell about why they love working in company. And there are very excellent stories about life at google and all other important info. Company has annual two day conference, where thousands of developers bring together and make a brainstorm the technology of tomorrow. The innovation strategy also is very impressive at google. Becoming the best searching engine in the world, they never stop paying attention to innovation for solving best world challenges. Noticing this it’s understandable how Scott had a long career with Google, as at have developing atmosphere. Compared to other giant companies’ sites, like Shell, Exxon, Microsoft etc., I see that they better deliver information and attract people to become a Googler. For example, teams and roles link design very compactly, and contains brief and excellent explanation of each titles. As Google wrote on their site, It’s really Cool. Telling about Google benefits the company says that they offer excellent social package, for keeping employees healthy, emotionally and financially better. This is of corse common for all great organizations, but the one thing I liked more is their program of travel without worries. Google states that â€Å"Googlers and their families are covered with travel insurance and emergency assistance even on pers onal vacations.† If this is true, this point will be one more magnetic force for increasing of applicants, who will love to work at Google. Noticing that even with more management, Google had a loose organization structure, finally people are self-motivated and  self-managed at every level. Each issue is done through a common mission, shared goals, personal responsibility. I think this helps to create the filling among all employees that they work and act as one big real family, and everybody has freedom. Also it should be noted about condition for new hires. Managers conduct a meeting with junior employees, and help them come up with ways to improve their jobs. This is a significant step up in organization of development of employees and in achieving right direction to professional goals, and respectively it will bring to more business expand. To sum up all above: Answer to Question 2: As recruiting is very important because the more applicants you have, the more selective the company should be. And Google says that over the past couple of years, they spent a lot of time making the hiring process as efficient as possible, reducing time-to-hire and increasing our communications to candidates. They state that they’re looking for smart, team-oriented people who can get things done. And the company makes interview with candidate by evolving four or five present employees. And there are 4 main criteria for successful candidates: leadership, role-related knowledge (strengths, passions, and skills in area of knowledge), how you think (problem solving abilities) and googleyness (ambitious, activean and collaborative). Several interviewer, and then independent committee will select candidates per interviewers feedbacks.

Call money and commercial bill market

Call money and commercial bill market Global Financial Market As all the Financial Markets in India together form the Indian Financial Markets, all the Financial Markets of Asia together form the Asian Financial Markets; likewise all the Financial Markets of all the countries of the world together form the Global Financial Markets. Financial Markets deal with trading (buying and selling) of financial securities (stocks and bonds), commodities (valuable metals or food grains), and other exchangeable and valuable items at minimum transaction costs and market efficient prices. Financial Markets can be domestic or international. The Global Financial Markets work as a significant instrument for improved liquidity. Financial Markets can be categorized into six types: Capital Markets: Stock markets and Bond markets Commodity Markets Money Markets Derivatives Markets: Futures Markets Insurance Markets Foreign Exchange Markets The Financial Markets play a major role in the Global Economy because it helps businesses to raise capital (in capital markets), they facilitate transferring of risk (in derivative markets), and they help international trade (in currency markets) to prosper. The International Stock Markets form a major part of the Global Financial Markets. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange, which started operating in continuous trade in the earlier part of the 17th Century. Some of the Important Stock Exchanges of the world are: The New York Stock Exchange (merged with Euro next): The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is a stock exchange based in New York City, USA that was incorporated in 1817. In terms of dollar volume, it is the largest stock exchange in the world, and in terms of the number of companies listed it is the second largest stock exchange in the world. The NYSE is also known as the Big Board. The indexes used in the NYSE are the NYSE Composite Index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index. The NYSE functions under NYSE Euro next, the formation of which was the result of NYSEs merger with Archipelago Holdings and Euro next. Tokyo Stock Exchange: The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), incorporated in 1949, is located in Tokyo, Japan. In terms of monetary volume, The Tokyo Stock Exchange is the second largest stock exchange in the world, only next to New York Stock Exchange. The indexes used in the TSE are Nikkei 225, Topix, and J30. NASDAQ: The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, or NASDAQ, is an electronic stock market based in New York City, USA that was incorporated in 1971. The NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. is the owner and regulator of NASDAQ. The main index used in NASDAQ is the NASDAQ Composite. London Stock Exchange: Established in 1801, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) is one of the oldest and largest stock exchanges in the world. In terms of market capitalization, the London Stock Exchange was ranked 4th among all the other important stock exchanges in the world in March 2007. The London Stock Exchange is located in Paternoster Square near St. Pauls Cathedral, London. The stock market index of London Stock Exchange is the Footsie (FTSE). Euro next (merged with NYSE): Founded in 2000, Euro next N.V. is a pan-European Stock Exchange, which is based in Paris. In terms of market capitalization, Euro next ranks as the fifth largest stock exchange in the world. There was a merger of Euro next with the NYSE Group, which led to the formation of NYSE Euro next and it is the first global stock exchange. The main indexes used in Euro next are the Euro next 100 Index and the Next 150 Index. The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE): Located in Mumbai, India and founded in 1875, the Bombay Stock Exchange is the oldest stock exchange of Asia. The main index of BSE is called the BSE Sensex (Sensitive Index) or the BSE 30. In terms of volume of transactions, the BSE was ranked as one of the top five stock exchanges in the world in 2005. Some terms that are used in the Global Financial Markets are: Geek, a Quant Grim Nerd, a Quant Quant Big Swinging Dick Rocket Scientist White Knight Today equity research has become a specialized activity, although confined to a very small segment of the market. It would be a little early to consider equity research as an independent business segment, but at the same time it must be appreciated that the value of equity research is being felt by the market. This is an interesting stage in the growth and development of equity research, especially in a situation where the traditional individual investor is unwilling to pay for vital stock related information while the institutional investor is already paying for research reports. The phenomenal growth of the financial markets over the last quarter of a century has meant that the very character of investment has changed with ever larger scales of market capitalization. The emergence of the Fund Manager as a new value addition in investment related financial services is actually a part of the growth and development of the institutional investor. The fund managers sole objective is to ensure maximum returns for his clients whose money he invests working in tandem with research inputs. The fund manager and his client are a vital part of the institutional investment process sustained by an advanced and research driven approach to capital market investment. Equity research still has some time to develop as a sustainable business model, but like any other research activity it has its limitations in developing into a booming business. Institutional investors are willing to pay ever higher amounts for in-depth and precise research in accordance with their requirements. Some of the modes of equity research are: Fundamental Analysis Technical Analysis Securities Market Analysis Index Momentum Analysis Securities Momentum Analysis Securities Chart Analysis India N Financial Market India Financial market is one of the oldest in the world and is considered to be the fastest growing and best among all the markets of the emerging economies. The history of Indian capital markets dates back 200 years toward the end of the 18th century when India was under the rule of the East India Company. The financial market in India today is more developed than many other sectors because it was organized long before with the securities exchanges of Mumbai, Ahmadabad and Kolkata were established as early as the 19th century. By the early 1960s the total number of securities exchanges in India rose to eight, including Mumbai, Ahmadabad and Kolkata apart from Madras, Kanpur, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune. Today there are 21 regional securities exchanges in India in addition to the centralized NSE (National Stock Exchange) and OTCEI (Over the Counter Exchange of India). The corporate sector wasnt allowed into many industry segments, which were dominated by the state controlled public se ctor resulting in stagnation of the economy right up to the early 1990s. Thereafter when the Indian economy began ‘liberalizing and the controls began to be dismantled or eased out, the securities markets witnessed a flurry of IPOs that were launched. This resulted in many new companies across different industry segments to come up with newer products and services. A remarkable feature of the growth of the Indian economy in recent years has been the role played by its securities markets in assisting and fuelling that growth with money rose within the economy. This was in marked contrast to the initial phase of growth in many of the fast growing economies of East Asia that witnessed huge doses of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) spurring growth in their initial days of market decontrol. During this phase in India much of the organized sector has been affected by high growth as the financial markets played an all-inclusive role in sustaining financial resource mobilization. Many PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) that decided to offload part of their equity were also helped by the well-organized securities market in India. The launch of the NSE (National Stock Exchange) and the OTCEI (Over the Counter Exchange of India) during the mid 1990s by the government of India was meant to usher in an easier and more transparent form of trading in securities . The NSE was conceived as the market for trading in the securities of companies from the large-scale sector and the OTCEI for those from the small-scale sector. While the NSE has not just done well to grow and evolve into the virtual ‘backbone of capital markets in India the OTCEI struggled and is yet to show any sign of growth and development. The integration of IT into the capital market infrastructure has been particularly smooth in India due to the countrys world class IT industry. This has pushed up the operational efficiency of the Indian stock market to global standards and as a result the country has been able to capitalize on its high growth and attract foreign capital like never before. Potential Of India Financial Market India Financial Market helps in promoting the savings of the economy helping to adopt an effective channel to transmit various financial policies. The Indian financial sector is well-developed, competitive, efficient and integrated to face all shocks. In the India financial market there are various types of financial products whose prices are determined by the numerous buyers and sellers in the market. The other determinant factor of the prices of the financial products is the market forces of demand and supply. The various other types of Indian markets help in the functioning of the wide India financial sector. Features Of Financial Market In India: India Financial Indices BSE 30 Index, various sector indexes, stock quotes, Sensex charts, bond prices, foreign exchange, Rupee Dollar Chart Indian Financial market news Stock News Bombay Stock Exchange, BSE Sensex 30 index, SP CNX-Nifty, company information, issues on market capitalization, corporate earnings statements Fixed Income Corporate Bond Prices, Corporate Debt details, Debt trading activities, Interest Rates, Money Market, Government Securities, Public Sector Debt, External Debt Service Foreign Investment Foreign Debt Database composed by BIS, IMF, OECD, World Bank, Investments in India Abroad Global Equity Indexes Dow Jones Global indexes, Morgan Stanley Equity Indexes Currency Indexes FX Gold Chart Plotter, J. P. Morgan Currency Indexes National and Global Market Relations Mutual Funds Insurance Loans Forex and Bullion Indian Money Market AS PER RBI DEFINITIONS â€Å"A market for short terms financial assets that are close substitute for money, facilitates the exchange of money in primary and secondary market†. Indian money market was highly regulated and was characterized by limited number of participants. The limited variety and instruments were available. Interest rate on the instruments was under the regulation of Reserve Bank of India. The sincere efforts for developing the money market were made when the financial sector reforms were started by the government. Money markets are the markets for short-term, highly liquid debt securities. Examples of these include bankers acceptances, repos, negotiable certificates of deposit, and Treasury Bills with maturity of one year or less and often 30 days or less. Money market securities are generally very safe investments, which return relatively; low interest rate that is most appropriate for temporary cash storage or short term time needs. The National Stock Exchange, where the stocks of the largest Indian. Corporations are traded, is a prime example of a capital primary market. Regarding timing, there is no hard and fast rule on this, but when describing debt markets, short term generally means less than one year, intermediate term means one to five years, and long term means more than five years. The Nature Of Money Markets In this we define money markets broadly to include all financial instruments easily converted to means of payment that are used by governments, financial institutions and nonfinancial institutions for short-term funding or placements. By convention, we limit our scope to instruments of less than one year maturity. The most important function of a money market is to provide a means whereby economic units can quickly adjust through cash positions. For all economic units (business, households financial institutions or governments) the timing of cash inflows is rarely perfectly synchronized or predictable in the short run. In addition to facilitating the liquidity management of economic actors, money markets fulfill a number of additional economic functions: 1. Interest rates on money market instruments serve as reference rates for pricing all debt instruments; 2. Governments or central banks use money market instruments as tools at monetary policy; 3. Short-term interbank markets, finance longer-term lending when financial intermediaries transform maturities. Features Of Money Market It is a market purely for short-terms funds or financial assets called near money. It deals with financial assets having a maturity period less than one year only. In Money Market transaction cannot take place formal like stock exchange, only through oral communication, relevant document and written communication transaction can be done.   Transaction has to be conducted without the help of brokers. It is not a single homogeneous market, it comprises of several submarket like call money market, acceptance bill market. The components of Money Market are the commercial banks, acceptance houses NBFC (Non-banking financial companies). It is not a single market but a collection of markets for several instruments. It is a need-based market wherein the demand supply of money shape the market. Money market is basically over-the-phone market. Dealing in money market may be conductive with or without the help of brokers. It is a market for short-term financial assets that are close substitutes for money. Financial assets which can be converted into money with ease, speed, without loss with minimum transaction cost are regarded as close substitutes for money. The Major Players Of Money Market Reserve Bank of India SBI DFHI Ltd (Amalgamation of Discount Finance House in India and SBI in 2004) Acceptance Houses Commercial Banks, Co-operative Banks and Primary Dealers are allowed to borrow and lend. Specified All-India Financial Institutions, Mutual Funds, and certain specified entities are allowed to access to Call/Notice money market only as lenders Individuals, firms, companies, corporate bodies, trusts and institutions can purchase the treasury bills, CPs and CDs. Money Market Instruments Money market instruments take care of the borrowers short-term needs and render the required liquidity to the lenders. The varied types of India money market instruments are treasury bills, repurchase agreements, commercial papers, certificate of deposit, and bankers acceptance. Treasury Bills (T-Bills) Treasury bills were first issued by the Indian government in 1917. Treasury bills are short-term financial instruments that are issued by the Central Bank of the country. It is one of the safest money market instruments as it is void of market risks, though the return on investments is not that huge. Treasury bills are circulated by the primary as well as the secondary markets. The maturity periods for treasury bills are respectively 3-month, 6-month and 1-year. The price with which treasury bills are issued comes separate from that of the face value, and the face value is achieved upon maturity. On maturity, one gets the interest on the buy value as well. To be specific, the buy value is determined by a bidding process, that too in auctions. Repurchase Agreements Repurchase agreements are also called repos. Repos are short-term loans that buyers and sellers agree upon for selling and repurchasing. Repo transactions are allowed only among RBI-approved securities like state and central government securities, T-bills, PSU bonds, FI bonds and corporate bonds. Repurchase agreements, on the other hand, are sold off by sellers, held back with a promise to purchase them back at a certain price and that too would happen on a specific date. The same is the procedure with that of the buyer, who purchases the securities and other instruments and promises to sell them back to the seller at the same time. Commercial Papers Commercial papers are usually known as promissory notes which are unsecured and are generally issued by companies and financial institutions, at a discounted rate from their face value. The fixed maturity for commercial papers is 1 to 270 days. The purposes with which they are issued are for financing of inventories, accounts receivables, and settling short-term liabilities or loans. The return on commercial papers is always higher than that of T-bills. Companies which have a strong credit rating, usually issue CPs as they are not backed by collateral securities. Corporations issue CPs for raising working capital and they participate in active trade in the secondary market. It was in 1990 that Commercial papers were first issued in the Indian money market. Certificate of Deposit A certificate of deposit is a borrowing note for the short-term just similar to that of a promissory note. The bearer of a certificate of deposit receives interest. The maturity date, fixed rate of interest and a fixed value are the three components of a certificate of deposit. The term is generally between 3 months to 5 years. The funds cannot be withdrawn instantaneously on demand, but has the facility of being liquidated, if a certain amount of penalty is paid. The risk associated with certificate of deposit is higher and so is the return (compared to T-bills). It was in 1989 that the certificate of deposit was first brought into the Indian money market. Bankers Acceptance A bankers acceptance is also a short-term investment plan that comes from a company or a firm backed by a guarantee from the bank. This guarantee states that the buyer will pay the seller at a future date. One who draws the bill should have a sound credit rating. 90 days is the usual term for these instruments. The term for these instruments can also vary between 30 and 180 days. It is used as time draft to finance imports, exports. It depends on the economic trends and market situation that RBI takes a step forward to ease out the disparities in the market. Whenever there is a liquidity crunch, the RBI opts either to reduce the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) or infuse more money in the economic system. In a recent initiative, for overcoming the liquidity crunch in the Indian money market, the RBI infused more than Rs 75,000 crore along with reductions in the CRR. Call Money Market The call money market consists of overnight money and money at short notice for periods up to 14 days. It essentially serves the purpose of equilibrating the short-term liquidity position of banks. The call money market as a significant component of the money market possesses a few special characteristics:- (1) Call money is an instrument for ultra-short period management of funds and is easily reversible. (2) It is primarily a â€Å"telephone† market and is therefore, administratively convenient to manage for both borrowers and lender. (3) Being an instrument of liability management, it provides incremental funds and adds to the size of balance sheet of banks. From the macro-side, developed call money market helps to smoothen the fluctuations in the reserve-deposit rations of banks thereby contributing to the stability of the money-multiplier process. A stable money multiplier in turn serves as a reliable means of monetary regulation and policy guide. From the micro angle, short-run borrowing by banks improves the efficiency of funds management in two ways. One way, it enables banks to hold higher reserve-deposit ratio than would be possible otherwise. In another way, it allows some banks to permanently increase their pool of investible funds. Hence, active well-organized call money market improves the funds management practices of banks which in turn further their overall efficiency and profitability. The money market continued to remain orderly during Q2 of 2009-10. Reflecting the surplus liquidity conditions, the call rate hovered around the lower bound of the informal LAF corridor during the Q2 of 2009-10). The call rate averaged 3.25 per cent in Q2, which was marginally higher than 3.22 per cent in Q1.Interest rates in the collateralized segments of the money market the market repo and the collateralized borrowing and lending obligation moved in tandem with the call rate during Q2 but remained below the call rate. The weighted average interest rate in the collateralized segment of the money market marginally increased to 2.7 per cent during Q2 of 2009-10 from 2.4 per cent during Q1. Transaction volumes in CBLO and market repo segments continued to remain high during Q2 of 2009-10 reflecting the easy liquidity and active market conditions. Banks as a group are the major borrowers in the collateralized segment whereas mutual funds (MFs) continue to remain the single largest len der of funds in that segment. In fact, more than 75 per cent of the lending in the collateralized segment was contributed by the MFs in Q2, reflecting their continued enhanced lending capacity. The collateralized market remained the predominant segment of the money market, accounting for more than 80 per cent of the total volume in the money market in Q2. Source = http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_ViewBulletin.aspx?Id=10690#t56 Objective of call Money Market To provide a parking place to employ short  Ã‚   term surplus funds. To provide room for overcoming short term deficits. To enable the central bank to influence and regulate liquidity in the economy through its intervention in this market. To provide a reasonable access to users of short-term funds to meet their requirement quickly, adequately at reasonable cost. Importance of call Money Market Development of trade industry. Development of capital market. Smooth functioning of commercial banks. Effective central bank control. Formulation of suitable monetary policy. Non inflationary source of finance to government. To provide help to the industry and trade. some guidelines regarding call money market by r.b.i It may be recalled that in the annual policy Statement of April 2008, the intention to move towards a pure inter-bank call/notice money market by gradually phasing out non-bank participation was highlighted. Accordingly, in stage I, non-bank participants are allowed to lend, on average in a reporting fortnight, up to 85 per cent of their average daily lending during 2007-08. Subsequently, in the annual policy Statement of April 2008, it was stated that RBI would announce the date of effectiveness of stage II, wherein non-bank participants would be allowed to lend, on average in a reporting fortnight, up to 75 per cent of their average daily lending in call/notice market during 2007-08, depending on the date when NDS/CCIL becomes fully operational. In view of the encouraging developments in the functioning of NDS/CCIL, it is desirable to accelerate the progress of moving towards a pure inter-bank call/notice money market and facilitate further deepening of repo/term money market. Accordingly, it has been decided that effective from the fortnight beginning June 14, 2007, under stage II, non-bank participants would be allowed to lend, on average in a reporting fortnight, up to 75 per cent of their average daily lending in call/notice money market during 2007-08. However, in case a particular non-bank institution has genuine difficulty in deploying its excess liquidity, RBI may consider providing temporary permission to lend a higher amount in call/notice money market for a specific period on a case by case basis. To facilitate monitoring of your operations in call/notice money market on a daily basis, you are requested to continue to submit the daily return in time to the Principal Monetary Policy Adviser, MPD, RBI as per the extant practice. Current market rate = 2.10% 3.30% Commercial Bill Market Bills of exchange are negotiable instruments, drawn by the seller (drawer) of the goods on the buyer (drawee) of the goods for the value of the goods delivered. These bills are known as trade bills. Trade bills are called commercial bills when they are accepted by commercial banks. If the bill is payable at a future date and the seller needs money during the currency of the bill, he may approach his bank to discount the bill. The maturity proceeds or face value of a discounted bill from the drawee is received by the bank. If the bank needs funds during the currency of bill, it can rediscount the bill that has been already discounted by it in the commercial bill rediscount market at the available market discount rate. The RBI introduced the Bills Market scheme (BMS) in 1952 and the scheme was later modified into the New Bills Market Scheme (NBMS) in 1970. Under the scheme, commercial banks can rediscount the bills, which were originally discounted by them, with approved institutions. With the intention of reducing paper movements and in a bid to facilitate multiple rediscounting, the RBI introduced an instrument called Derivative Usance Promissory Notes (DUPN). Consequently, the need for the physical transfer of bills has been waived and the bank that originally discounts the bills only draws DUPN. These DUPNs are sold to investors in convenient lots of maturities (from 15 days up to 90 days) on the basis of genuine trade bills, discounted by the discounting bank. Commercial bill is a short term, negotiable, and self-liquidating instrument with low risk. It enhances he liability to make payment in a fixed date when goods are bought on credit. According to the Indian Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, bill or exchange is a written instrument containing an unconditional order, signed by the maker, directing to pay a certain amount of money only to a particular person, or to the bearer of the instrument. Bills of exchange are negotiable instruments drawn by the seller (drawer) on the buyer (drawee) or the value of the goods delivered to him. Such bills are called trade bills. When trade bills are accepted by commercial banks, they are called commercial bills. The bank discounts this bill by keeping a certain margin and credits the proceeds. Banks, when in need of money, can also get such bills rediscounted by financial institutions such as LIC, UTI, GIC, ICICI and IRBI. The maturity period of the bills varies from 30 days, 60 days or 90 days, depe nding on the credit extended in the industry. Characteristics Of Commercial Bill Securities offered to the public must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission according to the Securities Act of 1933. Registration requires extensive public disclosure, including issuing a prospectus on the offering. It is a time-consuming and expensive process. Most commercial paper is issued under Section 3(a) (3) of the 1933 Act which exempts from registration requirements short-term securities as long as they have certain characteristics. Commercial paper is typically a discount security (like Treasury bills): the investor purchases notes at less than face value and receives the face value at maturity. The difference between the purchase price and the face value, called the discount, is the interest received on the investment. Commercial paper is, occasionally, issued as an interest-bearing note (by request of investors). The investor pays the face value and, at maturity, receives the face value and accrued interest. All commercial paper interest rates are quoted on a discount basis. The exemption requirements have been a factor shaping the characteristics of the commercial paper market. The following are requirements for exemption: The maturity of commercial paper must be less than 270 days. In practice, most commercial paper has a maturity of between 5 and 45 days, with 30-35 days being the average maturity. Many issuers continuously roll over their commercial paper, financing a more-or-less constant amount of their assets using commercial paper. The nine-month maturity limit is not violated by the continuous rollover of notes, as long as the rollover is not automatic but is at the discretion of the issuer and the dealer. Many issuers will adjust the maturity of commercial paper to suit the requirements of an investor. That proceeds from commercial paper issues be used to finance current transactions, which include the funding of operating expenses and the funding of current assets such as receivables and inventories. Proceeds cannot be used to finance fixed assets, such as plant and equipment, on a permanent basis. A safekeeping agent hired by the investor held the certificates, until presented for payment at maturity. The settling of the transaction, (the exchange of funds for commercial paper first at issuance and then at redemption, occur in one day. On the day the commercial paper is issued and sold, the investor receives and pays for the notes and the issuer receives the proceeds. On the day of maturity, the investor presents the notes and receives payment. Commercial banks, in their role as issuing, paying, and clearing agents, facilitate the settling of commercial paper by carrying out the exchanges between issuer, investor, and dealer required to transfer commercial paper for funds. Types Of Commercial Bills: Commercial bill is an important tool finance credit sales. It may be a demand bill or a usance bill. A demand bill is payable on demand, that is immediately at sight or on presentation by the drawee. A usance bill is payable after a specified time. If the seller wishes to give sometime for payment, the bill would be payable at a future date. These bills can either be clean bills or documentary bills. In a clean bill, documents are enclosed and delivered against acceptance by drawee, after which it becomes clear. In the case of a documentary bill, documents are delivered against payment accepted by the drawee and documents of bill are filed by bankers till the bill is paid. Commercial bills can be inland bills or foreign bills. Inland bills must (1) be drawn or made in India and

Strategies to Prevent Child Injuries

Strategies to Prevent Child Injuries Table of Contents CHILDHOOD INJURIES Introduction The significance of child injury Health education strategies Strategy 1: to Educate the general public regarding risks of injury and the effective methods to avoid child injuries Strategy 2: to Develop new venues for imparting child injury awareness programs in schools, communities and professionals Strengths: Weaknesses: Social change strategies Strategy 1: Legislation and enforcement Strategy 2: modification of products Strengths: Weaknesses: Strategies that reflect either the medical, behavioral and/or empowerment Approach. Strategy 1: rehabilitation and Care Strategy 2: Health Care and Health Systems Strengths: Weaknesses: Recommendations for future health promotion Conclusion References CHILDHOOD INJURIES Introduction Urgent consideration is needed to handle the issue of child injuries over the world. There have been extensive shifts in the epidemiological examples of child demise; while incredible advancement has been made in counteracting infectious illnesses, the introduction of children and teenagers to the dangers of injury seem, by all accounts, to be increasing and will keep on doing so in the near future (Hyder, 2003). The global focus of children well being interventions’ has been on decreasing mortality of kids less than 5 years to accomplish the Millennium Development Goals. This has implied that the 5-18-year age bunch, in which injuries make up an incredible weight, has received less consideration. Without a doubt over the entire age range of children, the issue of child injuries is almost always absent from talks and is generally imperceptible in policies. In the December of 2008, WHO along with the United Nations Children’s Fund, published the first of its kind World report on child injury prevention, stressing the problem internationally (Sminkey, 2008). The significance of child injury Injury is a leading cause of death and misery among children aged one, and rises to become the main cause of demise among children in the age group of 10 to 19 years. Every year, nearly 950 000 young children less than 18 years of age die as a consequence of an injury. Almost 90% of these, i.e., around 830 000 die because of accidental injuries which is about the same count that pass away from measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus and polio consolidated (Meddings, 2011). A large portion of these accidental wounds is the aftereffect of street car accidents, drowns, burns, falls and poisoning, with the most noteworthy rates happening in low-wage and middle wage nations (Lewit Baker, 1995). The significance of child injury can be concealed by an emphasis on the significant concerns for mortality of young children who are under 5 years of age, which in many countries do not add to the injury. In fact, even in areas where deaths due to injuries are known to be under reported and child survival is decided basically by perinatal reasons, lower respiratory tract infections, measles, stomach ailments and malaria, child injury has an effect on death rates of kids under 5 years and includes a large extent of children passings after the age of 5 years (Smith Pless, 1994). In nations that have gained significant progress in wiping out or decreasing child deaths from different other reasons, nonetheless, child injury obviously arises as a major issue (Johnston, 2008). For instance, in high-salaried nations, accidental injuries represent about 40% of all young deaths, despite the fact that these nations for the most part have generously lower child injury casualty rates than low- and middle income nations. Health education strategies Instruction, development of skills and behavior modification programs for children and their parents ought to be consolidated as one part of a varied child injury avoidance system, yet ought not be utilized as stand-alone measures as there is no confirmation that this sort of project decreases risk of injury in the absence of any other safety measures. Strategy 1: to Educate the general public regarding risks of injury and the effective methods to avoid child injuries Education is an establishment to help, coach and guide parents, guardians, and organizations to settle on better decisions for childrens health and security. Formal training can prepare the general population with tools to diminish injuries to children. Also, along with increasing the knowledge aptitudes, child injury training can help parents, caregivers and the public make the fundamental moves to make more secure situations at home, at play, and even while the child is out on the roads. Knowledge about child injury avoidance can serve as a premise for enhancing safety gadgets and changing approach and practices in the communities at large. Actions that can be taken for this include- Integration of child injury prevention education into various efforts for child health promotion like- infant and early childhood programs. This can also be incorporated into maternal programs. General education to the decision makers of the society like the lawmakers, administration of the school and various business leaders should be provided about the burdens child injuries can have, the need for prevention, how it can save money and what are its health benefits publically. The knowledge imparted should be put to practice by making or strengthening associations with research organizations, individuals working in injury prevention and with all those working with children and their families directly. Textbooks, periodicals and newspapers should contain information regarding the importance of prevention of child injuries. Strategy 2: to Develop new venues for imparting child injury awareness programs in schools, communities and professionals Educational material regarding Child injury prevention should occupy an important place in educational curriculum and even in the training and practice to professionals. Prevention of Injury can be coordinated into numerous courses and settings and ought not be constrained to education on health and the promotion of safety. Education pertaining to child injury can take place in parenting classes, language training classes, vocational training, etc. to achieve this certain action can be taken like- Internship opportunities for child injury prevention can be established at agencies and other organizations are various levels –local, state and national level. Training modules on how child injury programs can be implemented should be developed. This should include evaluation, communication, risks and ways to advocate them. The internet and other technology should be used to improve the access to the training for child injury prevention. Training which pertains to child injury in fields like science, engineering, transportation and architecture should be provided. All mothers who are expecting and their families should be educated and trained in child injury and emergency response in case of an injury. Strengths: Education and training are a crosscutting strategy that can impact other facets of injury prevention. It is considered to have a more formal connection, with the plan to propel change. Child injury prevention training should be integrated into more extensive educational projects, creating powerful, instructive materials, cataloging and offering what works, and paying consideration on instructive needs and services at all levels from essential instruction to expert proceeding with training. Weaknesses: Not all people can be educated at once and this will require a continuous effort. Social change strategies Unplanned and Fast urbanization keeps on creating comps, casual urban settlements and slums, which pose as high dangers of child injuries all across the world. Motorization likewise influences child injury hazard. Streets have dependably been risky spots for children, yet the development rate of traffic, and the overall change in transport frameworks to the streets, implies that the issue is progressively squeezing (Executive summary: reducing childhood pedestrian injuries, 2002). Street injuries as of now are the main reason for death in the age group of 15–19 years and the second driving reason for death among children aged 10–14 year. Injuries and deaths from street car accidents are estimated to rise drastically over the world in the advancing decades (Chalmers, 2010). Ecological change might likewise have an effect on child injury rates. Young children can be presented to injury hazards either through an increase in extreme occasions that pose dangers straightforwardly, for example, flooding or mud streams, dry spells, rise in sea level, etc. Poor kids in low- and middle wage nations, who frequently stay in over burdened casual urban settlements or underestimated country zones, are particularly defenseless against the negative impacts of procedures, for example, urbanization, mechanization and ecological change (Gracey, 2003). These major worldwide techniques may have a huge impact on child injury study and preventive action, and child injury in a quickly changing world needs to be at the heart of future general health strategy and practice. Strategy 1: Legislation and enforcement Legislation obliging the utilization of protective equipments, for example, protective helmets, child traveler restrictions, safety belts, smoke cautions, and fencing around swimming pools can prompt expanded use of such gear and in this manner decrease the danger of injuries and their seriousness (Education and legislation are key to preventing child injuries, 2009). Compulsory standards for different products and services (e.g. Play area gear, security equipment, toys, furniture and handling) additionally indicate duty to safety for children and can decrease injury (Ramagoni, Shetty Hegde, 2007). To be successful, obviously, enactment and regulations must be implemented. As a rule the level of authorization decides the viability of these prevention measures. Strategy 2: modification of products Modification of items, for example, cooking stoves, lights, play area surfaces, furniture and decorations (e.g. Bunks, stairway railings) and adjustment of item package can act as successful prevention methods by decreasing the danger of injury, diminishing access to a risk and/or by lessening the severity of injury. The count of stairs, the direction in which windows open, and how galleries are planned are extremely critical cases (Martin, 2012). Child injuries can likewise be prevented by features, for example, low level handrails on stairs (Kim, 2008). Homes are regularly outlined with the needs of grownups as opposed to children as a top priority. Strengths: Society has a great role to play in the health of an individual. Individuals can make a great change in the degree of child injuries from trying to create a safe environment for children. Weaknesses: Increase in traffic influences how individuals use the road as pedestrians. Perhaps, the most important aspect related to child injuries is deprivation. The standard of living and the way it is distributed plays a vital role in peoples health. Strategies that reflect either the medical, behavioral and/or empowerment Approach. Safety of children as a general health concern has picked up momentum and a solid research establishment over the past decade (Child safety programs, 1982)s. To attain big gains up in the safety of children, prevention of child injuries information and practice should now be incorporated into standard child and juvenile health activities. From the health perspective of a child, this integration is vital, given the weight of child injuries. Such reconciliation is expected to overcome hindrances to kid damage aversion from the safety perspectives of children. Injury prevention must be incorporated in child wellbeing examination motivation and as a component of kid and juvenile health advancement and practice. A few steps may be taken to start this reconciliation. Strategy 1: rehabilitation and Care Improvement should me made in the quality and access of first aid and vital trauma care. Rehabilitation of the injured child is an important step to reduce the severity of injuries and their aftereffects. This will help to reduce the severity and frequency of disability related to injury and will improve outcomes for children with disability. Strategy 2: Health Care and Health Systems Medical services providers treat injuries, however, they are likewise accomplices in counteractive action through social insurance systems. While reacting to and treating injury, health care providers are basic for precisely reporting external reasons for wounds and injuries. Past the clinical setting, human health suppliers are sound promoters for child health and can encourage change in groups and families (Keyes, 1999). Strengths: Health care providers can educate and promote the prevention of child injuries, both at an individual level and at community level. Weaknesses: There are people living in the under-privileged sector who cannot reach out for the health service providers. The rate of child injuries in the poor socio economic class ig comparatively higher than the urban sector. Recommendations for future health promotion Both nonfatal and fatal injuries of children are expensive from numerous points of view. Notwithstanding the significant burden of death and handicap, injuries to children can likewise bring about generous financial expenses, including medical care facilities to the injured child and lost profitability for his or her guardians. The vision ought to be to anticipate injuries to children where they live, work, learn, play, and go by setting a national vital heading for moving from attention to the activity. This could be possible by illuminating activities cutting over all manifestations of youngster inadvertent damage and can be utilized to outline more particular activities by harm sort. this can be achieved by- Creating awareness about the degree, risks and effects of injuries in children as compared to other health issues. Drawing attention towards the ways of prevention of child injuries. Recommendations can be provided to increase the efforts for prevention of child injuries by improving data, research, education, communication and training. A plan of action should be outlined for organizing and then implementing child injury preventive actions. Conclusion Children have the privilege of health, a protected environment and protection from damage (Childrens Health And Health Care, 2007). Nations are obliged to take administrative, authoritative, social and instructive measures to guarantee the maximum extent of safety and development of the child. This commitment incorporates shielding children from injury. Unless the multi-sectoral activities depicted above are spread and executed in an auspicious way around the world, the weight of injury on childrens health and survival will rise and a percentage of the interest won through kid survival activities will be dissolved as children lose their lives and health to injury later in youth (Miller, Romano Spicer, 2000). The hindrances that at present thwart advances in prevention of child injury can be somewhat overcome by coordinating child injuries in the teenage and adult health motivation, both in arrangement and practically speaking (Alonge Hyder, 2013). On the other hand, advancement in child health will be constrained if child injuries-are not tended to methodically. References Alonge, O., Hyder, A. (2013). Reducing the global burden of childhood unintentional injuries. Archives Of Disease In Childhood, 99(1), 62-69. Chalmers, E. (2010). Review of child road injury prevention initiatives. Injury Prevention, 16(Supplement 1), A8-A9 Child safety programs. (1982). Journal Of Safety Research, 13(4), 177. Childrens Health And Health Care. (2007). Health Affairs, 26(2), 314-314. Education and legislation are key to preventing child injuries. (2009). Bulletin Of The World Health Organization, 87(5), 334-335. Executive summary: reducing childhood pedestrian injuries. (2002). Injury Prevention, 8(90001), 3i-8. Gracey, M. (2003). Child Health Implications of Worldwide Urbanization. Reviews On Environmental Health, 18(1). Hyder, A. (2003). Childhood injuries. Injury Prevention, 9(4), 292-292. Johnston, B. (2008). Child injury in the spotlight. Injury Prevention, 14(6), 345-345. Keyes, C. (1999). Communication and coordination of care among providers. International Journal For Quality In Health Care, 11(2), 169-170. Kim, K. (2008). Child Injury Prevention: Home Injuries and Bicycle Injuries. Journal Of The Korean Medical Association, 51(3), 230. Lewit, E., Baker, L. (1995). Unintentional Injuries. The Future Of Children, 5(1), 214. Martin, R. (2012). Product safetyso who is responsible?. Injury Prevention, 18(Supplement 1), A126-A126. Meddings, D. (2011). Child injury prevention and child survival. Injury Prevention, 17(3), 145-146. Miller, T., Romano, E., Spicer, R. (2000). The Cost of Childhood Unintentional Injuries and the Value of Prevention. The Future Of Children, 10(1), 137. Ramagoni, N., Shetty, Y., Hegde, A. (2007). Do Our Children Play Safe?. Journal Of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 31(3), 160-163. Sminkey, L. (2008). World report on child injury prevention. Injury Prevention, 14(1), 69-69. Smith, R., Pless, I. (1994). Preventing injuries in childhood. BMJ, 308(6940), 1312-13.

MBA Admissions Essays - Beyond the Curve -- MBA College Admissions Ess

MBA Admissions Essays - Beyond the Curve    Having worked in a constantly evolving sector of the economy, I realize the value of an MBA weighs heavily on a program's commitment to staying ahead of the curve.   Although the classic lecture format has undeniable value, I believe for an MBA program to truly further my career, it must have something more. My career path has exposed me to many different aspects of the business world and I believe an MBA program should likewise consist of a myriad of course work and experiences. Since an MBA program will provide the building blocks for my career, I view an innovative and modern approach to learning as a necessity. Looking at traditional MBA programs that consist of marketing/finance/accounting fundamentals, I find the approach at your program to be much more expansive. Supplementing these essential classes with core courses in communications, organizational processes, and strategic management, makes your program broader than any other MBA program.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Innovation at Sloan doesn't stop with the core courses, since managerial...

The Knowing Psychical Body :: Psychology Psychological Papers

The Knowing Psychical Body ABSTRACT: By offering four epistemological structures as guidelines, I will review the relationships as described by Freud between internal and external perceptions, conversion, and over-determination. In doing so, I have speculated that a second preconscious dynamic should be recognized as functioning within this system, namely the psychical body. The activity of this preconscious psychical body promises to resolve the aporias that arise in Freud's work concerning the role of internal perceptions in the processes of conversion and over-determination. In the end, I show that the positing of an imaginary, psychical body is the means by which the arguably intuitive, internal perceptions which Freud at times refers to as sensations and feelings are expressed according to the logic of imagination. The unconscious has access to a wealth of knowledge, and it is not expressed in a form we have come to expect truth to be in, i.e. following rational logic. But rather, it is a direction, an unconscious motion, that can be described to be more of an affect than a statement and is epistemologically the function of intuition resulting from a repressed logic. In the end, I show that the positing of a psychical body is the means by which, the arguably intuitive, internal perceptions that Freud at times refers to as sensations and feelings are expressed according to a repressed logic. First I will outline four possible ways of knowing. The first two belong to the realm of reason and, I will argue, occur at the level of a well-defined ego. Within the parameters of reason, one finds the mode of knowing which is common and well-known, that of rational, scientific, observation which concerns itself with moving bodies and their respective interaction within the realm of the visible in the sense employed by Merleau-Ponty. The second mode is what is known as abstract, rational, thinking, and here the individual is interested in the interaction of abstract bodies. The force behind this method of knowing resides in the abstracted bodies, which are extrapolations of what one once observed in the first mode of knowing. With regard to the two modes of rational knowledge, we see the individual observing the interaction of a plurality of bodies, for rationality operates on the assumption that the smallest number is two, (1) that is, rational logic are based on a binary system. Within this realm, all comparisons and observations need to be performed under standardized, regulated conditions, i.

The NASA Haughton-Mars Project. :: essays research papers

The NASA Haughton-Mars Project. A thousand miles or so from the Earth's North pole lies our planet's largest uninhabited island, Devon Island. Devon Island is the largest uninhabited island on Earth, with a surface area of approximately 66,800 km2. Its geology presents two major provinces: a thick (presently ~ 1.3 km) subhorizontal sequence of Paleozoic (Cambrian to Devonian) marine sedimentary rocks dominated by carbonates (dolomite and limestone) forming part of the Arctic Platform; and a Precambrian crystalline (gneissic) basement lying unconformably under the stack of marine sediments, forming part of the Canadian Shield. The Paleozoic sediments present a gentle dip of approximately 4Â ° towards the west. The flat-topped plateau characterizing much of Devon Island's surface is an old erosional surface (peneplain) exposing sediments of increasing age towards the east. Devon Island is home to one of the highest-latitude impact structures known on Earth, Haughton Crater. At 20 kilometers in diameter the crater fo rmed 23 million years ago, at the beginning of the Miocene, when an asteroid or a comet collided with our planet. Little imagination is required to believe oneself on Mars when exploring Devon Island. Many features and sites there are strikingly reminiscent of the Martian landscape, from barren rocky blockfields to intricate valley networks, from precipitous winding canyons to recent gully systems on their slopes. We come here to understand whether this resemblance is merely a coincidence or whether there are common underlying causes. Did some of the processes that shaped Devon Island also operate on Mars? The object that struck Devon Island was perhaps 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) in diameter. Coming in at cosmic speeds, the impactor delivered a pulse of energy equivalent to 100 million kilotons of TNT. In so doing, it produced a blinding flash of light followed by a monumental air blast that flattened the surroundings, obliterating almost all life several hundred kilometers around. As the impactor itself blended into the target rocks and vanished as a superheated gas, a colossal shock wave expanded into the subsurface. Rocks were crushed, melted, vaporized, and ejected. Soon, a gaping crater 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) wide and 1.7 kilometers (1 mile) deep appeared, only to shallow out moments later as its unstable walls collapsed inwards. As the dust cleared, a smoldering hole filled with a vast pool of chunky molten carbonates appeared. Haughton Crater was born. Early research efforts at Haughton focused on studies of the crater itself with investigations into a possible Mars analog angle remaining unexplored.

Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Comparison Essay

Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne were two of America’s finest Romantic writers. These two writers have stood the test of time and are read as much today if not more than they were in their own time. The major reason that both author’s were as popular as they are is because of the fact that they delved into the human mind to create their psychological literature. Edgar Allan Poe’s life spanned from eighteen nine until nineteen forty-nine, the years that were the beginning of the Romantic Movement. Poe was considered an educated man for his time. He attended the University of Virginia and West Point. Since West Point is a military school, he no doubt studied psychology because one who would be a commander in the army would need to know about the way the enemy thinks. Poe did not use this knowledge as a military officer, but used it to create excellent psychological terror in literature. During a time when the arts focused on the supernatural, Poe looked to the character’s own mind to provide terror. The narrator of The Tell-Tale Heart is so terrified by his guilt that he reveals the murder he has committed to the authorities, as does the narrator of The Black Cat. In the famous short story The Cask of Amontillado, the reader experienced the terror of one’s condemnation to be walled up in a small cellar room to die and to have the time to think about what is to happen in total darkness and isolation. The Fall of the House of Usher also leaves the narrator completely terrified, not because of his safety, but because of the information that his mind must process and the knowledge that he may begin to suffer from the same madness that Roderick Usher is doomed to endure. Nathaniel Hawthorne was also an expert in delving into the deepest regions of a character’s mind. The Scarlet Letter, one of Hawthorne’s best works is about a woman who must wear a scarlet A because she is an adulterer. The town minister is the man who is also responsible for the sin. However, because he is a male and cannot get pregnant, the community does not know of his guilt. Instead he punishes himself much more than his female counterpart until the sin takes on a supernatural quality. It does so only through the guilt that he must endure. The Minister’s Black Veil is about another minister who physically punishes himself for a psychological sin that he has committed. This penance has bothered the congregation to the point that they isolate the minister. Again, it is their psychological fear and guilt that is their terror. Hawthorne, in his attempt to prove that all are sinners and that all wrestle with good and evil in their minds, proves his point in Young Goodman Brown. In this short story, a young man must decide whether to sell his soul to become a successful man or to remain free. The resolution of the story is that the horrid scene the young man had witness the night before was only a dream, yet he is not sure that it took place in his mind or if it was real. Reality and what one perceived as reality was something that Hawthorne was a master. Both Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne made use of the human mind as an instrument a person’s demise rather than actions. They understood the power of the human mind even though they did not know what we do today. They are shining examples of psychological literature as an instrument of terror and guilt. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Minister’s Black Veil. 1836 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Pocket. 2004. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. 1835 Poe, Edgar Allan. The Black Cat. 1843. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Cask of Amontillado. 1846 Poe, Edgar Allan. The Fall of the House of Usher. 1839 Poe, Edgar Allan. The Tell-Tale Heart. 1843

Sabmiller Sources of Finance

SABMiller should combine those 4 sources of finance: retained profit, issuing shares, bond, debenture and bank loans. Each source of finance has its own advantages and disadvantages: †¢ Retained profit: When SABMiller use retained profit, it do not have to pay any brokerage fees. Retained profit is also flexible and simple. The manager can use this source of finance for different purposes. Because retained profit belong to the whole company, not any individual so there is no dilution of control. Furthermore, ‘all profit from investment belong to shareholders’.However, using retained pro fit could decrease the possibility to pay and paying high dividends to shareholders. †¢ Bank loans: As a new company enters Vietnamese market, SABMiller needs a large sum of capital to bulid its offices, equipments, raw material and invest in potential projects to earn more profit for its first stage of development. Therefore, borrow money from banks is a very suitable source of finance because they can provide a large amount of money. But asking for a loan from banks is so risky. When the company borrow money from banks, it must pay enough interest on time and the interest rate may be very high.Before lending the firm money, banks would look at SABMiller’s characters, ability to pay back, purpose of the loan, the amount of the loan, the repayment terms of the loan and secutity. If the business did not pay back the interest on time, it is nearly impossible for it to borrow money again. †¢ Issuing shares: It could be a long term source of finance when SABMiller is listed in stock market. If the firm has nice reputation and work well, it will motivate more shareholders to buy the shares, so SABMiller could raise a large sum of capital.Moreover, when the company issues share, it is more difficult for SABMiller to lose ownership and have takeover risk. But as well as its advantages, issuing shares also has many limitations. If there is a reduction on in a shareholder’s percentage of controlling a company, the dilution of control will appear. The cost involved may be high, such as floatation cost, brokerage fees, underwritten fees, administrative fees, legal. Furthermore, issuing shares is so adventurous and risky because if the performance of the company go down, the price of shares will decrease, even it might be very low.The business can have backrupt trouble when the price of share go down too much. When SABMiller cannot repay the debt to creditors, it will lead to backruptcy. †¢ Issuing bonds and debentures: These sources of finance could be used in long term. The company could have a less expensive loan from its creditor. However, debenture stock have to compete with gilts to draft investors. And because debenture stock has higher risk, ‘company debentures must generally offer a higher rate of interest than the interest rate of gilts’. Unless the business pay their debt on time, it will lose its assets and money.

The Relationship Between Structure Mentoring Programs

The issue of new graduate nurse retention remains a challenge in many healthcare facilities. More than 50% of new graduate nurses leave their first employment in less than a year (North, Johnson, Knotts & Whelan 2006). Because new recruits are often faced with a variety of stressors in their beginning practice it is clear that a structured mentoring program could be of immense value. Such a program would provide technical and emotional support to nurses and so ease their transition into the unit culture. This article provides a critical review of the literature on mentoring, especially the impact that structured mentoring programs have on the retention rates of new graduate nurses. In the first section I will explore the nature of mentorship within the nursing discipline. I will discuss the functions of a formal mentoring program and the chief characteristics of the mentor: mentee relationship. In the second section I will provide a critical review of the literature concerning the relationship between mentoring programs and increased nurse retention rates. The third section explores common pitfalls that subsume in a dysfunctional mentoring program. Finally recommendations to organisations are proposed based on the review findings. Introduction Graduating from a nursing school is a considerable achievement. New graduates eagerly anticipate their first position in the ‘real world’. The issue however of new graduate nurse retention continues to be a grave concern in many healthcare facilities. It was reported that more than 50% of new graduate nurses leave their first employment in less than a year (North, Johnson, Knotts & Whelan 2006). New recruits are often faced with a variety of stressors associated with beginning practice. It is clear therefore, that a structured mentoring program which provides technical and emotional support to new nurses may be one of the best retention strategies for nurse administrators. This article provides a critical review of the literature on mentoring, with an emphasis on the impact that structured mentoring programs have on nursing retention rates. The first section sets up mentoring concepts and processes as identified in the literature. The second section will provide a critical eview of the literature on the relationship between structured mentoring programs and the nursing retention rate. The third section explores common pitfalls that subsume in a dysfunctional mentoring program. The final section makes recommendations to organisations regarding a successful mentoring program. Significance New nurse graduates have many employment options. They can choose not to work in settings where they are not supported and often they take that option. Common themes emerging from the literature show that many new nurses lack both confidence and a sense of competence (Oermann & Garvin 2002). They are afraid of making mistakes; they complain of an unsupportive environment; and of being obliged to work with ‘difficult’ colleagues (Oermann & Garvin 2002). A lack of recognition of their work as well as difficult shift-work schedules have also been identified as sources of distress (McVicar 2003). It is a sad fact that one out of every three nurses under 30 years plans to leave during his or her first year of employment (Nelson, Godfrey & Purdy 2004). The cost of such high levels of unnecessary nurse turnover is significant (Halfer, Graf & Sullivan 2008). More significantly the resulting deficit of nursing personnel inevitably affects the quality of patient care in hospitals and can compromise patient safety (Leners, Wilson, Connor & Fenton 2006). In response to the critical issue of nursing retention, hospital managements have been urged to address the issue by developing a more congenial work environment. However, it is noticeable that mentoring initiatives are still not integrated into many healthcare organisations, despite a plethora of literature relating this with positive outcomes. Literature search Relevant studies were identified by searching the following electronic databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Ovid and ProQuest. The keywords or their combinations have been utilised in the searching process. These include: mentorship, preceptorship, new graduate nurses, personnel retention, and personnel recruitment. Other literature was identified through searching the bibliographies of studies found through electronic searches, including the World Wide Web, Google Scholar and library data systems. Inclusion criteria included discussion/ opinion papers and articles/materials written in English. There were no particular discipline restrictions and there were also no specific date restrictions. Articles that were published after 1999 were sought. The retrieved articles were reviewed and selected based on these criteria: the relationship between formal mentoring programs and personnel retention; benefits of mentoring; new graduate transition; and possible pitfalls of mentoring. Literature review What is mentoring? There is a substantial body of literature which deals with mentoring and preceptoring as discrete functions (Block, Claffey, Korow & McCaffrey 2005; Kelly 1994). To date however, the two terms continue to be used interchangeably or synonymously (Block et al. 2005). It is useful to draw some distinctions between them. Preceptorship is understood as an organised orientation program in which the nurse preceptor facilitates the integration of new staff into role responsibilities in the clinical setting for a limited period of time (Greene & Puetzer 2002). This relationship is often viewed as one-sided and patriarchal (Leners et al. 006). In contrast, mentorship is a reciprocal relationship established between two nurses â€Å"on the basis of respect and compatible personality with the common goal of guiding the nurse toward personal and professional growth† (Block et al. 2005:134). The relationship often occurs over a much longer period, depending on whether the agreed-upon goals have been achieved (Andrews & Wallis 1999). Stated simply, the features of mentorship as distinct from other supporting roles in clinical settings include a strong repertoire of helper functions, reciprocal sharing and a relatively longer duration (Morton-Cooper & Palmer 2000). Characteristics of the relationship Mentorship primarily involves a mentor and a mentee in a one-to-one relationship (Latham, Hogan & Ringl 2008). This relationship is characterised by a process of enabling, cultivating, and empowering a less experienced practitioner within the work environment (Morton-Cooper & Palmer 2000). In this longitudinal relationship, both mentors and mentees assume their own responsibilities and obligations in achieving either organisational or personal goals (Latham et al. 2008). In this relationship, a mentor is recognised as a wiser and more experienced practitioner, who possesses certain ‘personal’ and ‘professional’ attributes such as good interpersonal skills, self-confidence, flexibility, knowledge, and an interest in professional growth (Kane-Urrabazo 2006:193; Andrews & Wallis 1999:204; Morton-Cooper & Palmer 2000). Personal attributes that have been identified as important factors to success also include good listening skills, the ability to facilitate learning and being comfortable in giving feedback (Sherrod, Roberts & Little 2008; Woodrow 1994). The literature refers to the nurse being mentored as a ‘mentee’, ‘protege’, ‘learner’, or ‘mentoree’ (Zucker, Coss, Williams, Bloodworth, Lynn, Denker & Gibbs 2006; Hunter 2002). Referred to here simply as â€Å"the mentee† she or he can be any nurse at a distinctive stage of his/her profession (Leners et al. 2006). The characteristics of a mentee that allow a functional mentorship to flourish include honesty; the capacity to take responsibility; being ready and available for feedback; following through on decisions, having a strong self-identity and a willingness to learn (Wagner & Seymour 2007; Sherrod et al. 008). Structured mentoring program Various structures of formal mentoring programs are available across institutions (Latham et al. 2008). Broadly speaking, the structure of a mentoring program contains several stages of strategic planning (Latham et al. 2008). Initially the focus is on: establishing objectives and measurable outcomes, role delineation for mentors and mentees, establishment of criteria for involvement in mentorship and the construction of a supportive system and a surveillance system of the mentor-mentee team (Latham et al. 2008). Those parties who are involved in this formal relationship are required to fulfil pre-determined aims, objectives and outcomes as identified by their respective supporting organisations (McCloughen, O'Brien & Jackson 2006). The second stage in which the program is implemented involves the selection of suitable mentors, the recruitment of mentees, (on both a voluntary or involuntary basis) and mentor preparation (Latham et al. 2008). Final stages include an evaluation through reflection and feedback by mentors and mentees, to determine whether specific objectives and measurable outcomes have been achieved (Latham et al. 008). The program duration may last one year or even longer (Morton-Cooper & Palmer 2000). Structured mentoring programs and retention success In this session, several issues regarding structured mentoring program and retention success will be addressed. First, we must ask what mentoring functions are important to retention success? Second: to what extent or in what way does mentoring contribute to the retention of new graduate nurses? Each of these questions is considered in the following section. Benefits of mentoring programs Mentoring has been shown to provide a beneficial effect on a proteges’ job satisfaction levels and willingness to remain in an organisation (Fleig-Palmer 2009). One aspect of the mentoring relationship is the passing of knowledge from a more experienced staff (mentor) to a less experienced staff (protege) (Heartfield, Gibson, Chesterman & Tagg 2005). Research suggests that by the absorption via socialisation of specific skills to proteges is positively related to personal learning in the workplace (Sherrod et al. 2008). This component is akin to preceptorship which also includes skill-development (Sherrod et al. 2008) and is widely accepted as a crucial orientation to new graduate nurses. Literature has linked preceptorship to a high level of satisfaction together with successful retention (Almada, Carafoli, Flattery, French & McNamara 2004; Lee, Tzeng, Lin and Yeh 2009). Anecdotal evidence shows that new graduates after completing the preceptorship program tend to seek more support, a fact which in itself would imply a strong need for good mentoring programs. A second aspect of the mentoring relationship is the psycho-social support the mentor may provide to a mentee: support which enhances his or her sense of competence and confidence (Heartfield et al. 2005). Recent findings from a longitudinal study suggest that mentoring fosters organisational retention rates through the establishment of emotional connections between mentor and mentee, by contributing to higher level of commitment to the organisation (Beecroft, Dorey & Wenten 2007). A substantial body of literature also supports the notion that mentorship initiatives can help new recruits transiting into the unit culture (Leners et al. 006). Positive environments can be created through frequent interaction, communication and relational caring between different generations of co-workers (Latham et al. 2008). Such interactions can help new nurses transcend the generations, norms and values differences in a unit (Latham et al. 2008). It also can aid a new recruit in getting in touch with overt or covert culture within the practice environment (Morrow 2008). Ultimately, better patient outcomes can be achieved, which in turn can increase nurses’ satisfaction (Leners et al. 2006). Many studies show that individuals who were mentored report higher levels of job satisfaction (Halfer et al. 2008; Krugman, Bretschneider, Horn, Krsek, Moutafis & Smith 2006; Faron & Poeltler 2007). An abundance of research studies indicates that organisations who implement mentoring programs show a consistent decrease in turn-over rate of new nurses (Hurst & Koplin-Baucum 2003; Greene & Puetzer 2002; Halfer & Graf 2006; Halfer et al. 2008; Zucker et al. 2006; Persaud 2008). Similar results are also evident in other disciplines such as Medicine, Pharmacy and Academia (Cohn, Bethancourt & Simington 2009; Sambunjak, Straus & Marusic 2006). One report in particular highlights the benefits of mentoring. A study from the southern United States by Zucker and co-workers (2006) was done to determine the impact of an 18-month mentoring program on nurse retention in five hospitals. Prior to commencement of the program, participants completed a personality profile, to ensure successful pairing (Zucker et al. 2006). This program included topics such as communication and conflict resolution skills, co-operative learning and time-management (Zuker et al. 006)– all subjects which are normally not covered in conventional orientation programs. At the end of the program, both parties reported that the mentoring relationship increased their knowledge and helped them become ‘better people’ and ‘better colleagues’ (Zucker et al. 2006). Higher levels of protege satisfaction were directly translated into increased retention. In this case, the increase was 16% (Zucker et al. 2006). Given that the high turnover rate of new recruits, mentoring program yield a significance of cost-saving to healthcare system. Research methodology/measurement issues Admittedly, strict evidence for an improved retention rate is hampered by the small sample size of these programs (Hamilton, Murray, Lindholm & Myers 1989; Faron & Poelter 2007). Atkin and William (1995) argue that findings which result from such small purposive studies cannot be generalised. Despite numerous studies therefore which show that retention rates increase with the application of a mentorship program (Block et al. 2005), it is still difficult to draw a firm conclusion on the direct causal relationship between mentoring programs and the attained retention level. This is due to the limited amount of information provided with respect to evaluation tools, sample size, mentor styles as well as the lack of a comparison group in the available studies (Gagliardi, Perrier, Webster, Leslie, Bell, Levinson, Rotstein, Tourangeau, Morrison, Silver & Straus 2009; Greene & Puetzer 2002; Hurst & Koplin-Baucum 2003). In addition, the outcomes of these studies may be affected by: differences that exist in a mentor-mentee relationship; the program’s aim and function; and the frequency of interaction between mentor and mentee (Jacobi 1991; Beecroft et al. 2007). Lack of strong quantitative data may prevent the establishment of a positive colleration between mentoring programs and retention rates. Furthermore it can be argued that retention strategies such as mentorship (which are deemed appropriate in one hospital) may not work in another (Jacobi 1991). Atkin and William (1995) point out that the findings might only show that mentors and mentees’ experience during mentorship was relatively new to them. In spite of all critiques, no one however has doubted the overall value that mentoring programs have for mentees, mentors as well as for organisations (Block et al. 2005). The existing mentoring studies on nursing which are linked to retention rates include cross-sectional and longitudinal components (Halfer et al. 2008). In contrast, empirical studies with correlational design, contain data which are only collected for a single point of the study and are subject to a limited amount of participants (Caine 1989; Fagan & Fagan 1982). Quasi-experimental design is therefore recommended (Jacobi 1991). In such studies data is collected from a group of participants who receive mentoring programs together with another non-receiving group, at multiple points throughout the study (Jacobi 1991). Until today, it is not known how long the mentorship effect takes to emerge, in this instance, nor how long it will last (Jacobi 1991). Pure experimental research has value in determining the relationship between mentoring and retention of new graduates (Jacobi 1991) but not many current studies can afford to adopt such a strict approach to measuring the cause and effect of mentoring programs and retention rates. Pitfalls of a structured mentoring program Despite numerous of benefits gained from a mentoring relationship, the desired outcome such as retention not always achieved. Several types of problems that might occur in mentoring include:- Selection of mentors A number of authors note that inequity in the selection of mentors can be problematic to the success of a mentoring program (Greene & Puetzer 2002; Andrews & Wallis 1999). Andrews and Wallis (1999:206) state that ‘some of the nurses are not mentors by choice’, as they dare not reject their selection by the nursing manager. The mentor selection criteria have not been made clear and explicit (Andrews & Wallis 1999). Sometimes, an experienced staff nurse does not have the attributes to become a good mentor (Greene & Puetzer 2002). Indeed, selection of the mentor should be subject not to seniority but to the mentor’s â€Å"availability, interpersonal skills, clinical knowledge, and teaching experience† (Greene & Puetzer 2002:69). An optional basis may also be used (Atkin & William 1995). An inadequate mentor who lacks strong values, or good personal and professional attributes and who exhibits unwarranted behaviours can be a liability (Kane-Urrabazo 2006). Such behaviours can include negative feedback or a lack of respect towards the mentee and can result in decreased self-esteem in the new recruit (Kane-Urrabazo 2006; Woodrow 1994). These behaviours are also known as ‘joy stealing’ (Heinrich 2007, cited in Driscoll 2009:8). The consequence of this will be frustration for either or both mentor and mentee (Kane-Urrabazo 2006). Poor mentoring can drive the newly employed staff away (Kane-Urrabazo 2006; Woodrow 1994). It is therefore imperative that a formalised selection criteria for mentors should be identified. Compatibility Many proteges complain of being enmeshed in a dysfunctional relationship with their mentor (Feldman 1999). This is likely to occur if there is ‘forced matching’ when a less experienced nurse is assigned to be with a mentor pre-selected from experienced staff nurses (Morton-Cooper & Palmer 2000:46). Given the closed relationship between mentor and mentee, there is a risk of this relationship becoming destructive (Woodrow 1994). Empirical studies have identified this issue (Fenske 1986). Common themes that emerge are: failure of the mentor or mentee to maintain confidentiality of private information, mentee abuse of the relationship in which the mentor’s resources are exploited for personal advantage, mentor abuse of the enthusiasm and goodwill of the mentee by making use of his/her as a personal helper or assistant (Hunter 2002). Eventually varying degrees of injurious consequences to mentor, mentee and organisation can develop if not properly monitored (Feldman 1999). The literature has identified that mentees would have better opportunities for growth if mentees were able to select the mentors (Woodrow 1994). Opposition to this suggests that matching is not as important as meeting regularly for a successful mentoring relationship (Beecroft, Santner, Lacy, Kunzman & Dorey 2006). Training for mentors Undoubtedly, a mentor is the key person in the success of a mentoring relationship. However, several studies have shown that most mentors feel deficient in their role as mentor because their training consisted of learning â€Å"on the job†, and by â€Å"watching how other people do it† (Andrews & Wallis 1999:205-206). There are some institutions providing formal mentor training to guide the mentor along (Hurst & Koplin-Baucum 2003). An evaluation study done by Jinks and Williams in 1994 (cited in Andrews & Wallis 1999:205) found those who undertake a formal course with exams felt significantly more able to undertake the role. A formal mentoring course commonly would examine the phases in mentorship, recognising different adult learning styles and personality traits, provide techniques in dealing with conflict and effectively help to manage the relationship with the mentee (Hurst & Koplin-Baucum 2003; Block et al. 00. In spite of these improvements, the majority of the course content was still perceived as inadequate by mentors’ (Andrews & Wallis 1999). Additionally, those who had left school for a significant period of time, might feel the lack of a theoretical background leading to doubts as to whether they possess sufficient preparation to be a mentor (Andrews & Wallis 1999). Woodrow (1994:813) argues that the ideal of mentorship might be undermined by ‘token mentorship’, in which mentors are unable to perform true mentor functions. Recommendation It is important for hospital managers who prepare and support nurses as mentors to develop a greater understanding of mentoring from the mentor’s perspective (Atkin & Williams 1995). Andrews and Wallis (1999:206) argue that mentors’ gain invaluable skills and satisfaction from their work but this often tends to be â€Å"intrinsic† and is internalised. Several authors believe that administrative support through financial compensation, staffing and schedule flexibility, title and leadership recognition can act as motivators for experienced staff (Greene & Puetzer 2002). Such measures would make mentors more likely to commit and sustain in this longitudinal relationship (Greene & Puetzer 2002). In addition, on-going mentor support through a mentor-support group may be helpful in maintaining the momentum (Latham et al. 2008). Latham et al. (2008) had further examined a university-hospital partnership mentoring program. The program included a component of mentor support as part of the program follow-up. It offered an opportunity for mentors to vent about the difficulties they were facing, and share the successful experiences in the mentorship. A mentor support group can clearly help management to monitor the mentorship progress and develop a strategy to tackle emerging problems (Latham et al. 2008). Conclusion It is important that healthcare organisations not continue to take the nurse retention issue lightly. The provision of an effective mentoring program structure is the appropriate response. This is essential in helping clinical entry nurses make a smooth transition into the working environment and at the same time benefit experienced nurses to achieve a higher level of professional development. Such a program can also help the organisation transcend a multitude of problems by creating a positive environment where every staff member may enjoy working. In order for an effective mentoring program to be carried out, organisations must: allocate sufficiently experienced staff to act as mentors; provide flexible staffing and scheduling; give quality training to mentors; and support the mentors through various means by title recognition, wage adjustment and support groups. In turn the program can help organisations increase retention and reduce turn-over for nurses, particularly new graduate staff. It can thus achieve better patient outcomes and increase nurse’s job satisfaction. By providing a structured mentoring program for new nurses’ career development and advancement, we can help to improve the longevity of active nursing careers and also help to alleviate the problem of current nurses’ retention.