Ethical And Legal Issues In The Field Essay

Ethical And Legal Issues In The Field Essay As frontline health care professionals, nurses face various degrees of challenges and issues during the fulfillment of their duties. The constant pressure to quickly attend to the needs of many patients, while making sure that these services are provided to them efficiently, impels nurses to be always on alert for any issue which they may encounter. Handling ethical and legal issues is already being taught in the classroom and is being supplemented by practical application during internships. Studying ethics as a major concern for nurses supplements the already rigorous training they had undergone when studying the fields concepts themselves. However, new changes in legal and cultural aspects had led to new issues which are not traditionally being taught in nursing schools. For example, nurses may often face dilemmas pertaining to a patients (or his familys) decision to have his life terminated once it is apparent his medical condition is incurable. In addition, nurses also need to deal with maintaining their professional image while constantly interacting with their patients. Interpersonal-oriented careers such as nursing are often vulnerable to extra-professional relationships which may hamper the delivery of otherwise objective diagnosis of medical condition and of giving treatments. Previous researches have pointed out that nurses may take advantage of their roles as health care providers in seeking sexual favors from their patients in return for their quality of care provision. This researcher would like to focus in her study some of the most common ethical and legal issues which nurses face in their profession. She will discuss previous researchers pertaining to these issues. Finally, she will formulate her own conclusions based from the studies cited, supplemented by her own insights based from personal experiences as a nurse. Responsibility of Nurses As health care providers, nurses ethics are also influenced by the concepts of the Hippocratic Oath. Being placed within modern context, this oath stipulates that health care providers should do all they can in ensuring that their patients are treated well. At the same time, the Oath compels health care workers to act with finesse and avoid behaving in such ways as to besmirch their professions reputation. However, the complexities of modern health care has made it difficult to delineate which actions are ethically sound from the unethical. As shown in studies such as Fry and Jane-Johnstone (2002), the most common dilemmas in nursing at present involve: termination of treatment decisions, abortion, in vitro fertilization, surrogate motherhood, euthanasia and assisted suicide, allocation of scarce resources and treatment of disabled infants and the mentally retarded. As several cases had shown in the past years, handling these issues present no single, encompassing and correct respons e which is applicable to all situations. More complicated issues have even reached to the courts when the parties in a situation disagree with the legal validity of the decisions being made by nurses. Thomson, Melia and Boyd (2006) also point out that, in many cases, nurses do not have complete control over medical and health care decisions: Most nurses are unlikely to be directly responsible for decisions to terminate a pregnancy, terminate a treatment and in the allocation of medical resources. (emphasis by the authors). Yet, nurses are the first health care providers being approached by the kin of the patients involved in those treatment decisions. (Thomson, Melia and Boyd, 2006). As a result, nurses should have a deep grasp of legal and ethical issues so that they can respond accordingly for those issues. At the same time, students focusing about ethical issues in nursing should consider the degree of responsibility the nurse bears in handling patient care, viz-a-viz the doctor or head nurses over-all responsibility. Daly, Speedy and Jackson (2009) detail some legal aspects of health care which nurses must take into critical consideration. According to them, various laws have been made to regulate conduct and wrongdoing with regard to patient safety, nurses liability for civil and criminal negligence in mishandled patient care cases, regulation of patients freedom of movement, facilitating patient consent for their treatments, control over patient property and records, among others. Nurses face liability, in various degrees, if they fail to fully comply with these legal aspects. (Daly, Speedy and Jackson (2009) . Ethics in Nursing Clarifying the broad concepts of nursing ethics, Thomson, Melia and Boyd (2006) suggest students to initially define : a.) the concepts of care within the context of the nursing profession, b.) pointing out the importance of citing specific cases in resolving ethical issues and delineating the relationship between general moral rules and the specific moral decisions. In particular, the researchers point out that nurses should clearly delineate two contrasting demands in health care, namely: the sensitive regard for the unique needs of a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ with recognition of the demands of a particular circumstance and the general duty of care based on contractual and institutional duties and rules. This researcher believes it is important to discriminate between these two aspects of care since this will govern the level of professional relationship between the nurse and the patient. This is important in preventing this relationship from becoming too personal to the point that the nurse is unable to objectively fulfill his or her duties to the patient. In terms of using specific cases to help resolve legal and ethical issues (casuistry), the authors point out that this is helpful in guiding nurses to reach a decision based on previous cases. However, it is still important for them to make their own decisions based on the circumstances of a pa rticular situation. Related to this is the delineation of general moral principles with specific circumstances. This researcher believes that it is important to balance the two when considering a legally and ethically sensitive decision. Breaking away from precedents may cause ambiguity on how similar cases in the future will be handled. On the other hand, excessive reliance on casuistry may hamper nurses from making the correct and relevant decision on a specific situation. In making decisions, it is relevant to go back to the basic ethical concepts applicable to nursing. Finkelman and Kener (2009) detail these concepts as respecting the patients autonomy, practicing beneficence and justice to them, and being truthful to the patients and his/her kin. In sum, a nurse should be able to respect a patients decision to continue or cancel the treatment, even as he/she is able to give him the best care possible in line with the health care principles and the available diagnosis on the patients health. Applying these principles needs some decision-making skills on the nurses part. These skills primarily pertain to interpersonal skills, perceptiveness, moral deliberation and skilled know-how. Conclusion/Recommendation As this paper had shown, nurses face numerous and very challenging issues as they provide health care services to their patients. They need to deal not only with ethical considerations which are specific to nursing, but are now also including law. Based from this discussion, this student believes it is vital for nurses to deeply comprehend nursing ethics and their legal implications. The changing dynamics and needs of health care blur the lines in situations which traditionally require only black-and-white answers, so to speak. Adjusting to these changes requires nurses and nursing students to constantly review previous cases of health care-related problems while foreseeing possible new circumstances in future issues. This may be done during classes or even during review sessions. This situation also requires nurses to modify the way their deal with patients, especially those posing problems. The nurses firmly impose the rules if the patients start crossing the line beyond their welf are.

A Precise Thought on Hunger by Charles Dickens Essay

Great Expectations was published in 1861 when the flowering of the Victorian Age had been at its height. During this period England was afflicted by many problems emanating from the changes in feudal economy that failed to withstand the invasion of growing industries, explosion of population ,emergence of slums, unbridled exploitation and the simmering discontent. The theme involves an unhappy childhood, guilt and imprisonment, ruthlessness of law, the corrupting power of money, and above all, human loneliness. These themes are worked out by means of contrasts and confrontations –the instinctive sense of justice versus the legal system; the outcast versus society; willed isolation against human commitment, inherited fortunes versus personal achievement. In one sense, it would be proper to call the novel a â€Å"snob’s progress† towards self-realisation. On reading the great novel â€Å"Great Expectations† I felt too sympathetic & pity for a little boy called â€Å"pip† by Charles Dickens. He,from his early childhood had to face and undergone through many circumstances and situations which as if made him stand strong later in his days. The opening description of the death of his brother and sister; To five little stone lozenges,each about a foot and had never taken them out in this state of existence. Gave us a vivid picture of Dickens close observation on the most vital utterance of life that is â€Å"food† and â€Å"death†. One can understand easily that it was Dickens extreme irritation that made him jot about the prior â€Å"call† of nature that was â€Å"sufferings†. According to Dickens food and human are correlated to eachother. Food/Hunger stands as an identity that makes us work hard so that the minimum bread of ours can be earned. It led us to the hard and harder aspects of life where while going through we come across the utter darkness that is the universal â€Å"truth and reality of mankind†. Then again the just word â€Å"hunger† teaches us to explore new ideas & makes us discover things which are buried in the oldest â€Å"urn lying beneath the earth†. The preconceived dogmas of life calls â€Å"hunger† as an object that just gave pain & screwed the deeper realism of the world’s â€Å"sob and wail†. It was Dickens who enhanced and inspired us to think on a word ‘hunger’ that is perhaps the most alarming agenda of life. I think it was â€Å"he† who only fingered us the point of utter grief that actually provided us with relief and became universal. Dickens projected the term â€Å"hunger† as the reality of humans and psychological civilisation that generally produced an energy /stimulus to work for the betterment of oneself that equally helped the others. According to me â€Å"hunger† produced a â€Å"juice ‘that provided us with strengths and topped ourself. Yes it gave pain but it also made us complete. One got an opportunity to move on and face things as it is. The portion where we came across the lines ; My thoughts strayed from that question as I looked disconsolately at the fire rose before me in the avenging coals. Also taught us the truth and the pain that directly came out from the expression of a little boy who has just came to this world not too early. He added the word â€Å"food† into a column that showed us that for him â€Å"food† is a material that is too hard to earn. As he is just a little one and have not come across the harsh reality of life ,don’t you think that he has unknowingly fallen into the so called â€Å"cradle† of ill desires. Was he not being drived into the bitter beliefs? His age was too little to be termed as a â€Å"sufferer†. Last but not the least I would like to conclude that very beautifully Dickens compared the two terms â€Å"Suffer† & â€Å"Hunger† together. As one(hunger) stands for an epistemology of knowledge ,desire,lust and longing and the other( suffer) stood for the ultimate thet can never be avoided nor ignored but has to be faced,as we the â€Å"mere human beings are a framed puppet in the hands of them,†The Almighty†. Thank you.

Rock Ideology

Does popular music equate to commercial success? Is mass appeal enough to describe popular music? The answers to these questions may not come in handy. Oftentimes, what are considered to be popular music are the ones that are often played in the radio or promoted through various television shows and programs. Record sales and concert attendance are also important factors in determining (popular music). Yet, if one has to take a closer look, the above-given considerations can be summed up in achieving commercial triumph. However, for experts, there is a thing line that demarcates popular music from those that have emerged victorious from the economy of music making. Through the years, various musical genres have emerged. Their existence can be attributed for several reasons. First, music goes through a series of changes and transformations. Each and every generation of musicians and artists are on a constant experiment on how to create new sounds that can possible exceed the expectations of their predecessors. The other reason stems from the fact that the audience’s musical needs vary from time to time. Like food, music is a media commodity that must be constantly consumed by its specific target market or audience. But the moment wherein the peaks of satiety levels have been already reached, there is a strong tendency for an individual to look or crave for another media commodity that can attend to his or her demands. If music is viewed both as a commodity and a form of expression, then there is no doubt that being popular is also relative to being commercially triumphant. However, this generic notion tends to abolish music’s true meaning, essence, value and social significance. Commercial success, if such will be used as framework for what accounts as popular music stripped off the latter’s intrinsic and intangible characteristics and features. Each musical genre goes through such concerns. Musicians and artists alike are trapped within the norms of creating music for profit and at the same time maintaining their musical integrity and artistry. With regards to categorizing popular music, it is apparent that Rock and Roll often finds itself as the center of argument between music scholars and expert. Many Rock and Roll bands have managed to become commercially efficient, yet some stress that the lack of musical authenticity deprives them from being considered as popular music. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that there are some Rock and Roll bands which have remained popular only to a few selective audiences, their commercial appeal is not highlighted, yet they are often tagged as popular music. This discussion aims to tackle how Rock and Roll struggles to balance its profit-based orientation and at the same time preserve the pure and unadulterated nature of its music. The paper will also deal with rock ideology, its effect on the music’s fan base and youth culture and on the overall nature of Rock and Roll per se. Rockin the Youth Culture Beebe, Fullbrook and Saunders (2002) explained that Rock and Roll and youth culture are interrelated to each other. The two readily share a special relationship. Rock and Roll is the youth and the youth is Rock and Roll. The two seem to find it hard to be separated from each other. For one reason, a number of youth groups are able to relate to the themes perpetuated by Rock and Roll. The music became the youth’s language in articulating their own concerns and issues that cannot be overtly expressed through direct communication or confrontational scenarios. As Epstein (1998) emphasized, rock music played an important role within many youth subcultural groups wherein musical tastes and preferences provide a sense of belongingness and togetherness. Rock and Roll allowed these youngsters to relate and identify themselves to the youth’s basic needs and demands (Epstein, 1998). Gillet (1996) explained that Rock music is able to provide pleasure—the kind of satisfaction that no other musical genres can provide. But of course, this is something that extends beyond entertainment purposes. Through co-optation, as Grossberg (1997) maintains, the intersection of youth culture and Rock and Roll is preserved and sustained. Rock and Roll and Popular Music Kellog (2003) discussed that popular music is a representation or reflection of the cultural facets of society wherein it emanates. He added that the evolution of Rock and Roll is heavily influenced by the post-war era. In a time wherein a nation is trying to recover from war’s damages, the seemingly antagonistic and hostile nature of rock and roll would not really come as a surprise. It is not uncommon for such music to tackle social dilemmas that are experienced by the community. This is most especially felt during the times wherein Rock and Roll is on the process of growth and development. In Latin America for example, rock music functioned for propaganda purposes (Hernandez, L’Hoeste   & Zolov, 2004). Going back, it can be seen that such music is not merely used for entertainment activities. To give pleasure and at the same time take into consideration society’s critical issues transformed rock music into something that is revolutionary in nature. Commercially Popular Sterns (2001) emphasized that Rock and Roll is â€Å"eminently commercial.† The glitter and glamour that is associated with it is a concrete sign of a consumer-oriented music. There is the desire to garner mass appeal which is nonetheless avoided by those individuals that belong to the counter-culture (Sterns, 2001). Placing too much importance on form over substance makes Rock music prone to being a â€Å"consumer item (Sterns, 2001).† However, Hernandez, L’Hoeste and Zolov (2004) mentioned that under the circumstances wherein Rock music strayed from entertainment function, Rock and Roll as popular music has now differentiated itself from music that are commercially produced, this is of course in reference to the Latin American Rock music scene. Rock as popular music in contrast to rock as consumer item can be differentiated into four different ways. The latter’s differences are deeply characterized by its content and social function. First of all, rock as popular music possesses â€Å"intrinsic intent† which is to promote awareness to social and political issues (Hernandez, L’Hoeste & Zolov, 2004). Secondly, it breaks free from â€Å"bodily gratifications, wherein Rock is produced as something worth listening since it embodies the Pan Latin-American dream (Hernandez, L’Hoeste & Zolov, 2004). The lat but definitely not the least is that Rock has revolutionized the term â€Å"popular† wherein it previously refer to music created via the use of indigenous instruments (Hernandez, L’Hoeste & Zolov, 2004). In the meantime, going against commerciality, most especially as for the case of Rock and Roll bands may seem too complicated. This stems from the fact that these musicians earn their bread and butter from this industry. Yet, in as much as musical authenticity and artistry is concerned in popular music, Marshall (2005) explained that popular music must adhere to the canons of music making in the Romantic period. During those times, music creation was focused on maintaining the â€Å"truth† in artist and music’s intention, regardless of whether it would be socially accepted or not by many (Marshall, 2005). Rock Ideology In order to preserve authenticity in rock music, may bands have successfully practiced the so-called rock ideology (Frith, 2007). Rock ideology purports that the music has an exclusive   fan base or community that highlights their individualistic approach and orientations (Frith, 2007). This is in stark contrast to pop icons and celebrities whose popularities are attained through excessive media hype and exaggeration. In other words, rock to maintain its ideology must create music that is not present in other genres and would cater to a specific set of audience. In this aspect, rock and roll is famous but its scope and coverage is far by more limited and narrow. It can be categorized as popular music but only within smaller groups, compared to music that follows a certain kind of formula. Once and for all, rock as popular music is something that cannot be readily digested and appreciated by everybody else. And so through following its ideological threshold, the genre qualifies into the context of popular music—something that is worth listening and packed with cultural and social significance. References Beebe, R.; Fullbrook, D and Saunders, B. (2002) Rock Over the Edge: Transformation in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Popular Music Culture.   USA: Duke University Press Epstein, J. (1998). Youth Culture: Identity in a Postmodern World. Massachusetts:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blackwell Publishing Frith, S. (2007). Taking Popular Music Seriously: Selected Essays. Hampshire, England:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ashgate Publishing Gillett, C. (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll. USA: Da Capo Press Grossberg, L. (1997). Dancing in Spite of Myself: Essays on Popular Culture. USA: Duke   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   University Press Hernandez, D; L’Hoeste, H and Zolov, E. (2004). Rockin’ Las Americas: The Global Politics   Ã‚   of Rock in Latin/o America. Pittsbyurgh, USA: University of Pittsburgh Press Kellog, W. (2003). American History The Easy Way. New York: Barron’s Online Bookstore Marshall, L. (2005). Bootlegging: Romanticism and Copyright in the Music Industry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   London: Sage Publications Sterns, P (2001). Consumerism in World History: The Global Transformation of Desire. London: Routledge

The Complex Issue of Gun Control Essays - 2738 Words

Taking into account of the recent shooting sprees, the gun control debate has started again. However, people have contemplated: â€Å"Why does America need gun laws† and â€Å"Why are so many states disagreeing about the restrictions that need to be put in place for civilians looking to purchase firearms.† The reasoning for such contemplation is that the fluxuating strictness of gun laws have led to several incidences within states that have strict gun laws due to the fact that the perpetrators of these incidences have purchased their firearms either from black markets, or states where the severity of gun control is at minimal levels. One of the most important aspects of the debate centered on gun legislature is the distribution of illegal†¦show more content†¦Constitution. These laws would happen to fluxuate between lenient and strict depending on the current events of a specific country or nation. Determining a person’s stability is by analyzing their mental condition through a series of tests that either permits or deny the purchase of a single firearm to the civilian in question. Having experiences with unstable feelings and emotions over trivial things would cause someone to fail one of the tests, thus sabotaging their mental stability and branding them unstable. However if a person has not suffered a mental illness, nor overwhelming stress that leads to mental instability, the person will be considered stable enough to purchase a firearm. Law-abiding is the status of a civilian who whole heartedly complies with the laws of a governing body. It is obvious that when a civilian doesn’t want to break the law, he or she would want to remain as safe as possible. This description would typically apply to everyday workers such as store clerks, lawyers, and even security guards who understand and abide by the laws of a specific state and even the laws of the entire country. A felon is a citizen who has committed a crime that is classified as a felony and is found guilty of the said felony in the court of law. Notable crimes that can be described as a felony include burglary, robbery, kidnapping, assault and most notably murder. Such crimes are punishable by imprisonment and/or the death penalty depending onShow MoreRelatedGuns and Elections: The Politics of Gun Control Essay1214 Words   |  5 PagesIn the book Guns, Gun Control, and Elections: The Politics and Policy of Firearms, Wilson discusses the complex issue of gun control and the many debates and controversies regarding the issue. Many people throughout the United States feel it is the right as a citizen in the United States to own a weapon, and the government should have no say in the matter. 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