Of mice and men typicallity Comparison Essay

How typical is this passage of the ways in which Steinbeck uses detail to make readers think about events and characters? (27) This passage contains many techniques and figurative details typical of those Steinbeck has used throughout the novel Of Mice And Men. For example the use of light to suggest what is about to occur, reflecting the mood of the writing accompanying it completely. For example â€Å"sun streaks high†¦light†¦soft† has a very deep meaning, and goes along way to suggest what is to occur in the scene; with the height of the sun metaphorically showing the lateness of the hour for someone in the novel. Here it is almost certainly used to show what is to become of Lennie, with the light from the sun, the source of all life on earth fading and growing weak, implying metaphorically that his life is nearing its end; that his time at the ranch is about to be cut short, just as it had in every job that had preceded them. The use of natural imagery to show inevitability is not an unusual occurrence in this novel, with the â€Å"narrow beams of light† that are referred to here as â€Å"sun streaks† used earlier in this scene, during the discussion between Lennie and Curley’s wife used to portray prison bars, suggesting this time that it is impossible for her to escape her fate, that just like so many other times in this novel, death is inevitable. The way that Curley’s wife has been portrayed throughout this novel, as a flirt and trouble maker, is explored here in a very interesting way, with Steinbeck taking advantage of what had taken place to her to offer an element of alternate interpretation on her character; allowing her, through death, to tell her own story; a very different one to the one woven by the ranch hands. One the one hand how she was in life is stated obviously and with no hint of delicacy, the â€Å"meanness and ache†¦attention† that was apparently shown on her face offering a very simple look upon the superficial side of her character, but written in an ironically superficial style, allowing for the first time a hint at her true self to be displayed; a side that had by no means been explored before hand. In death, it seems that Steinbeck wanted to show how she could have been, how she and other women perhaps would be if not for the distraction, if not for the false sense of purpose installed in their heads by men. In death she is alone, alone with no need for the make up, the glamour or the sense that she is inadequate. When she has no one to impress, when there is no one left for her to aspire to or feel a need to impress she is â€Å"pretty and simple†, â€Å"sweet and young†, a far cry from the â€Å"jail bait† that she was referred to earlier in the novel. This viewpoint is one that was not offered by Steinbeck whilst she was alive, and so from that point of view this extract is highly atypical, and is the sole place in the novel that offers a chance to look upon women caught up in such situations as equally unfortunate and suppressed as the men that shared their fate. The briefness of this idea in the novel is deliberate, showing the discrimination women suffered from in the 1930’s – an idea explored consistently throughout this novel. The use of animalistic imagery is also highly typical of the novel, with the use of the â€Å"Shepard bitch† and the â€Å"pigeon† in this scene highly typical of the novel. Steinbeck uses these animals in a way as such to show that they appear to have a degree of intelligence, an ability to feel foreboding where as Lennie, who was also subjected to anthropomorphosis by Steinbeck, and yet had no power to see what was to occur, no power to leave when was necessary â€Å"the pigeon circled then flew out† , † the bitch†¦caught dead scent†¦scampered away†. In short lennie, despite all his characteristics, possesses less ability to asses a situation and its dangers than the simplest of animals. This is a confusing message, as he is presented with many animalistic qualities throughout the novel, however it is justifiable in that he is portrayed, crucially through metaphor as almost animalistic (â€Å"paw like hands†): He retains features and certain characteristics, and yet possesses none of the survival instinct, none of the ability to interpret a situation, no sense of flight and/or fight (shown by his need to be instructed to harm Curley in the barn († go on Lennie, fight back you crazy son of a bitch†)). He is innocent as the purest of animal, the simplest of minds, and yet this seemingly perfect existence has catastrophic effect on the lives of the two men – he is incompatible with human life, with society and as such he is tragically driven from it by the man who gave so much in an attempt to integrate him, his counterpart George. The demise of Lennie, the nature of it and the inevitability of such an occurrence are also highlighted through use of animals, giving more evidence to the typicality of this extract in comparison to the rest of the novel. Candys dog is slain by a third party, and the greatest regret of candy is that he did not take his own dogs life. The similarities between the fates of the dog and lennie are blinding and it is through this that it is made tragically evident what is to occur to lennie, and who it must be to do it: George must be the one to end his suffering, the one to send him to a better place, one where perhaps, he will be compatible. Steinbeck follows the conformations of descriptive writings with his work, and appeals to the senses of the reader in order to create the desired effects. He did so during the scene of the murder, where the minutes running up to, and the time immediately thereafter containing no sound, only a deadly silence with not even an animal present to disturb the deathly silence. He does so here too by manipulating the effects of sound, and the constant of time, deliberately altering their behaviour perhaps with ironic motive; if only there had been people present outside to cause noise at the time of the murder, someone to hear her scream; if only there had been a possibility for time to stand still, for enough time to pass in the barn for George to come and rescue Lennie, as he has done so often before. The need to silence the noise outside, the omission of even a whimper from the puppies who were present in the barn suggests such a motive is possible, and that here, like in so many other places in the novel, the sound, or the lack of it, is highly relevant. Just as the â€Å"heron swooped silently† to catch the wriggling water snake, so here silence prevails, a silence that shows intention on Steinbecks part, tragedy on the part of Lennie and is a perfect reflection of the readers mindset in reading the scene; aware what was to occur there, perfectly capable of deducing from the many escalating signs that it was coming, and yet still silenced by the reality of something so innocent as Lennie committing such an atrocity. The use of sound and time then is not merely a typical feature this passage shares with the rest of the novel; it is an integral feature that naturally they all have in common.

Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks Essay Example

Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks Essay Example Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks Essay Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks Essay Caleb’s Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks, explores the relationship between Bethia Mayfield, the daughter of a Puritan European colonist, and Caleb, the son of a Wompanog chieftain, as well as Caleb’s journey from being a Native American to learning European customs and ultimately getting an education at Harvard. Throughout the novel, Bethia is drawn to Caleb and his native culture, despite being apprehensive at first. This is because it is such an alien world to her and, shown as being a naturally curious person, she wants to learn more. She eventually finds Caleb to be a blank canvas for her to spread her ideals upon and to teach, since he had no prior experience with European customs and religion. Bethia is very drawn to Caleb because European concepts of religion and culture are so new to him. She even describes him as, â€Å"unschooled†1, showing her acknowledgement of his lack of modern education. During the secret times of their friendship, he questions her about her religion, â€Å"Only one god. Strange, that you English, who gather about you so many things, are content with one and only. And so distant, up there in the sky†2. In response to this, Bethia doesn’t say anything, mostly because she, â€Å"hardly knew what to say to one so lost†3. This is the moment that Bethia really realizes how different Caleb’s culture is from hers, and feels the desire to take him under her wing and share with him what education she has managed to attain despite her gender-based setbacks. The next day, Bethia shares one of her favorite books with Caleb, â€Å"He made me smile, opening it upside down and back to front, but he touched the pages with the utmost care the godliest among us did not tough the Bible with such reverence as he showed to that small book†4. This interaction shows how pleased Bethia is with herself for introducing Caleb to this new concept and how amused she is at his lack of European knowledge. It also shows how Caleb is

Protein and Amino Acid Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Protein and Amino Acid - Essay Example A lack of amino acids in daily diet will have a greater impact on all cellular development, respiration, or renewal of cells would cease. In total there are only 22 amino acids that join together to form different proteins. In fact amino acid chains combine to form up to 55,000 different proteins, and each protein is used to produce the enzymes, neurotransmitters, and hormones that support normal growth and functioning of all organs, including the heart, brain, liver, intestine, kidneys, and sex organs (Vitaminstuff.com n. pag). Amino acids are categorized into two groups the essential amino acids that should be taken along with diet and non-essential amino acids that are produced by the body. The essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Non-essential amino acids are those that the body can manufacture from an available source of nitrogen and a carbon skeleton. The nonessential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine (Vitamin Supplements Guide n. pag). The benefits of taking amino acids as dietary supplements are many these include muscle protein maintenance, proper immune function, affecting neuronal activities in the brain, tissue repair acceleration after burn or trauma, protecting liver from toxic agents, pain relief

Overview of the Issue Presented in the News Article Essay

Overview of the Issue Presented in the News Article - Essay Example The facility of child tax credit facilitates families to have certain amount of credit for all dependent children in against federal income tax. Moreover, the article describes that in the US, there are various sorts of programs which are initiated with the objective of assisting the poor. These programs include healthcare facilities as well as tax benefits for facilitating the people who are in need. These are the factors which are involved in the article with regard to poverty in the US (The Economist Newspaper Limited, 2012). Model or Economic Theory of Poverty The model or economic theory which is related with the issue i.e. poverty as depicted in the news article is as follows: Neo-classical Theory The model or economic theory of poverty which is related with the issue i.e. poverty in the news article is the neoclassical theory. The neoclassical theory states that income is distributed in accordance with the hard work as well as skills which are devoted by individuals. In this r espect, the people who are poor are considered to be lazy as well as to be lacking in terms of competencies to perform their activities in an efficient manner. Moreover, in accordance with this theory, wage structure is also determined to be a major factor for poverty. The wage structures of laborers are not sufficient in order to bear up the cost of living of the whole family. Moreover, the competencies of laborers assist in determining the wages to be offered. The laborers are paid according to their skills as well as abilities. Thus, this theory is also based on the concept of marginal productivity conceptions. The workers are required to devote significant time in work with the intention of acquiring... he model or economic theory of poverty which is related with the issue i.e. poverty in the news article is the neoclassical theory. The neoclassical theory states that income is distributed in accordance with the hard work as well as skills which are devoted by individuals. In this respect, the people who are poor are considered to be lazy as well as to be lacking in terms of competencies to perform their activities in an efficient manner. Moreover, in accordance with this theory, wage structure is also determined to be a major factor for poverty. The wage structures of laborers are not sufficient. Moreover, the competencies of laborers assist in determining the wages to be offered. The laborers are paid according to their skills as well as abilities. Thus, this theory is also based on the concept of marginal productivity conceptions. The workers are required to devote significant time in work with the intention of acquiring enough financial resources for supporting their families as well as meeting all their requirements in an effective manner. The neo-classical economic theory states as well as predicts the different causes of poverty which include the notion that individuals seek to improve their respective economic conditions without any consideration for other individuals. This signifies that individuals invest with the motive of improving their respective well-being. The poor people in this regard do not possess enough incentives for improving their financial positions.

Job Satisfaction in Pharmacy Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Satisfaction in Pharmacy - Personal Statement Example Through these changes, my attitude is constantly challenged to meet the tight aspects of the work by building on my inherent teamwork and unity and continuing to trust explicitly that my employers are here to support my endeavors 100% of the way. It is only up to me therefore to be accountable for the actions I exhibit in lieu to my job attitude. Furthermore, self-improvement is never a hindrance and continuing to learn through the various activities sponsored by the company to better me as employee should be a welcome respite from all the stress demands of the job. Learning and enjoying the job as a pharmacist should balance my work/life character as an employee. Being in PharmCare Express I should take advantage of the value-added experiences this company is eager to give me, their employee. As employees, it is our task then to currently emphasize what could happen if some of the techniques are adopted to address job-related issues instead of meeting it head-on with rumor mongering and other petty behavior We just might see a boost in morale on both sides of the counter. The workplace is where we spend half of our time everyday and enjoying our job can spell a world of difference especi

Personal Dilemma Paper Essay Example for Free

Personal Dilemma Paper Essay In February 2014, Baltimore Ravens player Ray Rice and his fiancà ©e Janay Palmer (now wife) were arrested, charged and later released in Atlantic City on what was called simple assault charges. The details were not clear at the time. However, what was known was that Rice and Palmer got into a some form of an altercation inside the Revel Casino. Rices lawyer stated in was just a minor physical altercation. Not long afterward video footage surfaced showing Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of an elevator. The Ravens organization as a whole defended Rice after he was arrested and reiterated he would continue to be the teams running back. Steve Bisciotti, the team owner, praised Rice and his good character and noted that Rice had no prior off-field trouble. The charges against Rice were elevated to aggravated assault after prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury. At that point, the charges were dropped against Palmer for simple assault (AP, 2014). Palmer stated she did not wish to proceed with prosecuting Rice. However, that did not keep the state of New Jersey from moving forward with prosecuting the case. Rice did not accept a plea deal that would keep him out of jail in exchange for going through anger management and the successful completion of probation. Instead, he decided to plead not guilty and apply for a first-time offender program that might remove any charges in as little as six-months. Under this program, Rice would need to keep out of any trouble and partake in counseling on a regular basis. Prosecutors did allow Rice into this program instead of going to trial. If he stays out of trouble and completes the 12-month program, his record will not reflect the case. Interestingly, this program is normally only used for non-violent and victimless crimes. Also, entry into the program has been granted in less than 1% of all domestic violence cases in the state of New Jersey (AP, 2014). The National Football League (NFL) claimed it had not seen any video of an altercation within the casino elevator. A law enforcement official stated the elevator video was sent to the NFL in April and he had proof in the form of a 12-second voicemail with a number within the NFL offices that confirmed the videos arrival. The league office denied ever receiving it. The league claims it requested the tape, but was denied. The Ravens also claimed not to have seen the video until it was released by TMZ (AP, 2014). Rice is basically assured of not going to jail, but was not able to keep the NFL commissioner from laying down a little justice of his own. He originally suspended Rice for a mere two games. This decision was met with considerable public outrage. Goodell had to admit that his initial punishment was wrong and beefed up the NFLs policy on domestic violence in reaction to the public outrage. The new policy would suspend a player six-games with no pay for a first offense, and lifetime banishment for a second offense. After seeing Rice knocking his wife unconscious, the Ravens terminated his contract. Allegedly, the team made this decision because Rice was not honest with them. Shortly after his release from the team, the league suspended him indefinitely. Since the league had previously suspended Rice (the initial two-games), the commissioner needed justification to indefinitely suspend him. The commissioner notified the Players Association that an indefinite suspension resulted from Rice telling them something different than what appeared on the video of him hitting Palmer. Contrary to the commissioners statements, there were several sources (including Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome) who stated that Rice was being truthful (McManus, 2014). By all accounts, Rice was known as a good guy. The commissioner said seeing the video changed everything. But, why? Everyone knew what happened before the video was released. Rice knocked out his then fiancà ©e in an elevator. Nothing changed before or after the video was released. Goodell stated they should have seen it earlier and should have pursued their own investigation more vigorously. That is true. So, why didnt they? The question still remains. Why would seeing the video change their minds about his punishment? Initially, it was only worth a two game suspension. Remember,  nothing changed. After the video was released, he is suspended indefinitely. Since this is his first offence, shouldnt he be suspended for only six games? Why should he lose his job and income. Wouldnt it be better of the NFL and the Ravens organization to help this man and his family instead of just tossing him away like trash? Rice was clearly tried and found guilty by the court of public opinion. It is amazing how fast we are as a society to be publicly correct, jump to conclusions, and show our willingness to take away a persons livelihood. References AP, (2014). Timeline of Key Events in the Ray Rice Case. Retrieved on 13 Sep 14 from http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/timeline-key-events-ray-rice-case-25441413 McManus, J. (2014). How the NFLs new domestic violence stance came to be. Retrieved on 13 Sep 14 from http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/11464303/how-nfl-new-domestic-violence-stance-came-be

Managerial delegation within nursing practice

Managerial delegation within nursing practice PREPARATION FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Part 1 The following assignment will discuss the importance of managerial delegation in practice. The learning outcomes I shall cover in this essay are to critically analyse the concepts of professional and inter-professional collaboration. I shall also demonstrate accountability and responsibility in managing the delivery of care. I shall also critically reflect upon my own strengths and weaknesses in relation to leadership qualities, management skills, communication skills and evidence based practice. All those aspects will be examined on the basis of a scenario. The scenario concerns a patient called Betty, who was due in for admission by police escort and I asked a qualified member of staff to undertake the admission. However it became apparent that the patient was drunk upon arrival for admission. I felt inexperienced to deal with this and I recognised the need to resort to policy, legal, ethical and safety issues surrounding my delegation and decision-making before the admission could proceed. I discovered that there was no policy in respect of admittance of a drunken patient. For that reason I recognised the need to seek guidance from more experienced team members as patient safety was a concern. The good part of this experience was that I felt supported by more experienced staff members. After discussions, I felt that the admission was manageable and would not cause any safety issues in respect of patient care. I changed my decision and asked the qualified staff member to orientate the patient to the ward. Rather than asking the nursing assistant who I felt did not have the theoretical knowledge of substance misuse or appropriate skills to deal competently with the situation on this occasion. I could have refused the admission due to lack of policy guidance and if the situation arose again, I would judge the situation on its risk to patient safety and care. This scenario shows that during the course of a workday, a nurse makes decisions of many kinds, these are not trivial decisions; they involve a patient’s well-being, so it is important that as a nurse my decisions are good ones. I believe my PDP has helped me identify weaknesses as learning needs, enabling me to address these areas during practice, gaining more skills and benefiting my nursing career, patients and prospective employers. Some nurses criticise PDP’s for negatively highlighting areas of poor performance (Wilson et al 2009), others believe they positively acknowledge the nurses strengths and constructively recognise areas of improveme nt (Evans 2003). Policy changes and changes in nursing practice (The NHS Plan 2000, National Service Framework for Older People 1999, Making A Difference 1999, NMC 2002) means the nurses role has changed. The nurse needs to delegate tasks to enable all the daily tasks to be completed. Actually the above scenario contains aspects of leadership, management and delegation. It would therefore be important to examine those aspects and look at the differences between them. In a transformational style, one identifies a problem, and works collaboratively with other staff to find a solution. There is an element of unpredictability as well, which empowers the nurse for the future (Faugier et al 2002). Leadership goes also with authority, influence and power (Jooste, 2004). Influence plays a more important role as a leader should be able to motivate, negotiate, and persuade instead of simply wielding power. This influence is to model by example, to build caring relationships, and mentor by instruction (Jooste, 2004). Leadership goes also along with management, but confusion prevails about these two notions (Marquis et al 2009). The differences lie in the roles of the leader and a manager as made clear by (Hughes et al 2006) in the following distinctions: â€Å"managers administer, leaders innovate; managers maintain, leaders develop; managers control, leaders inspire; managers have a short-term view, leaders have a long-term view; managers ask how and when , leaders ask what and why; managers initiate, leaders originate; managers accept the status quo, leaders challenge it.† Managerial delegation is one aspect nurses have to very careful about. As a matter of fact, delegation is the turning over of both authority and responsibility for doing work duties to a subordinate, but additionally explaining the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of a selected job, whilst leaving the ‘how’ up to the subordinates (Coburn et al 2006). It is â€Å"is the process by which you (the delegator) allocate clinical or non-clinical treatment or care to a competent person (the delegate). You will remain responsible for the overall management of the service user, and accountable for your decision to delegate. You will not be accountable for the decisions and actions of the delegate† (Wales (NLIAH), 2010). This brings about a new level of professional decision-making and the nurse as a person with managerial skills and deleg ation (Thomas et al 2009). As part of my management placement I would learn of my managerial and delegation duties for the day during handover when I would identify what tasks needed doing. Following this I would check the ward diary and the doctor’s book to see what tasks I needed to delegate to ensure that all the patients were cared for safely. Evidence suggests, many student nurses and newly qualified nurses feel unskilled at delegation due to limited educational training and inexperience in the work place (Johnson et al 2006). On placement I felt ill prepared to delegate to staff members for these reasons, however I recognised that the best way to develop this skill would be through experiential learning. Delegation is a skill, which (Johnson et al 2006) argues is better acquired through experiential learning than lectures. (Kolb 1984) describes the experiential learning cycle as experience, reflection, generalising and planning. (Simon et al 2009) and (Parsons 2009) argue that delegation should not be purely experiential as research suggests educational sessions have resulted in knowledge and confidence for decision-making (Conger 1993). Making a Difference (DOH 1999) supports both views, as do I. I found it hard to determine what can and should be delegated in case I compromised patient care. I over came this by using a theoretical framework alongside experiential learning. I critically analysed two frameworks. The first being the Four Rights of Delegation: Right task, Right person, Right communication and Right feedback (Hansten et al 2004). The second model was (Conger’s 1993); it is called delegation Decision-making Model, which addresses three areas, task analysis, problem identification and selecting the right team member for the job. However I rejected Conger’s model, as I perceived it as being flawed for the fact that it does not include feedback. Each time a task was delegated the staff member was asked to give feedback, so when they had completed their task, a written record documenting what had occurred, this way I could be sure that the patient had received the care needed. This written record can be confirmation that the task delegated has been started and finish to the instruction which I had delegated to the delegate. Any difficulties during the task which the delegate acknowledges can be further examined and future recommendations can be put in place for future practice (Warner 2008). To delegate successfully the student nurse needs to develop an understanding of team members’ job descriptions, job expectations and skills training; otherwise patient care could suffer (Thomas et al 2009). Nurses must be very careful when delegating someone, and they have to keep in mind that there are accountable. Perhaps the best way to understand this issue would be to quote from the (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2008) on what it says about the delegator’s accountability: â€Å"If the nurse or midwife is delegating care to another professional, health care support staff, carer or relative, they must delegate effectively and are accountable for the appropriateness of the delegation. The Code requires that nurses and midwives must: establish that anyone they delegate to be able to carry out their instructions; confirm that the outcome of any delega ted task meets required standards and make sure that everyone they are responsible for is supervised and supported (Tomey et al 2009). I reflected upon the above experiences via self-reflection, peer and clinical supervision with my mentor. I decided that communicating more effectively to staff members was crucial to my ability to delegate better. I believed that my good communication skills were invaluable to me when learning how to delegate. (Parkman et al 2004) states that â€Å"effective communication is a fundamental asset to successful delegation†. Evidence has shown that good communication skills by the student nurse will enable them to be more successful in delegating resulting in higher levels of job satisfaction as it empowers all team members (Parsons et al 2009). Using (Gibbs Reflective Cycle 1988) to reflect and evaluate my delegation experiences and in turns the quality of care provided for patients has helped me to become more self aware in my actions. (Cook 20 01) states that â€Å"when the student nurse becomes aware of these things, it impacts positively on the quality of care, therapeutic communication and relationship with the patient† (Cook 2000). I have learnt that there are barriers to reflection. (Newell et al 2008) and (Jones et al 2008), criticize the idea of reflection arguing that it is a flawed process due to an inaccurate recall of memory and hindsight bias. (Richardson et al 2002) argues that it theorise actions in hindsight therefore devaluing the skill of responding intuitively to a patient. As such this could affect the quality of care given to the patient. But as with everything new challenges will always occur. One such challenge which can occur on a daily basis is when one of my delegation requests is contested due to a conflict of personalities. These conflicts of personalities can be shown in many ways such as ageism and gender. The older delegatee can sometimes show a condescending demeanour and display a pa tronizing superior attitude and a reticent to taking tasks from a younger newly qualified nurse. It is hard for the newly qualified nurse to point out any mistakes to someone older with many years of experience (Nursing Times 2011). Equally it is difficult when allocating a task to a member of staff who resents being told what to do by the opposite sex. When these barriers occur it is of great value for me to reflect on my practical and theoretical skills learned. With these skills learned, I know I have the confidence to meet any challenges and incidences which I can expect to meet on a daily basis. In general, as a newly qualified nurse giving delegation tasks, the nurse has to display strength in his/her personality (Doyle et al 2006). Any frailty within the newly qualified nurse’s character will soon be exposed by the delegate and advantages can be taken. Such advantages could include taking short cuts in the tasks delegated, or giving the task to someone else without fir stly notifying the delegator. In conclusion I feel I have grown personally, professionally and evidence of this can be seen through the achievement of NMC (2002) outcome competencies, PPS, witness statements, portfolio, profile, reflection, peer and clinical supervision. I feel that I have faced up to this challenging task and whilst learning to some degree through trial and error, I feel have succeeded in gaining delegation skills, because I have combined communication skills, theory and practice, with safe practice as my priority. Part 2 PREPARATION FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Part Two Drug Management For part two, I will be using a personal development plan (PDP). By using my personal development plan coupled with the smarter framework I will have a greater chance to envisage my personal development plan. The SMARTER framework will be used in order to judge the components of my goals. See: Appendix 1 I shall focus on one part of my PDP, which I feel less confident in and that is my medication administration skills, coupled with my NHS trust’s policy on their Principles of Safe Administration of Medicines. I shall suggest ways in which I can overcome problems I have in this area. My strengths and weaknesses can be seen in appendix 5. See: Appendix 5 Some nurses criticise PDP’s for negatively highlighting areas of poor performance (Wilson 2002), others believe they positively acknowledge the nurses strengths and constructively recognise areas of improvement (Evans 2003). I believe my PDP has helped me identify weaknesses as learning needs, enabling me to address these areas during practice, gaining more skills and benefiting my nursing career, patients and prospective employer. The contents of my PDP include the prioritisation of 5 key areas for improvement, which I feel I need further knowledge and learning about, these areas are: Drug Management, IT, administration, Chairing meetings and infection control. I have set a 3 months goal in order to improve my knowledge and understanding of these areas of deficit. The way for me to achieve my goals could include such ways as Reading professional journals like British Medical Journal, Nursing standard and Nursing times, couching by IPT members, shadowing and learning form the professionals, ward resources and using the hospitals own nursing library. For an outline of my PDP please see: Appendix 2 As well as a PDP it is important that I maintain a reflective Diary, noting important events relevant for further investigation. See: Appendix 3 I have always been apprehensive when the time comes to administer the medication. I had read and heard so many bad incidents in the press and TV when fatalities had occurred due to incorrect medication being administered. Because of these fears, I have always tried to include within my PDP any incidents or information concerning the administration of medications. I am aware that each NHS trust has their own policies on the safe administration of medications. While researching the policies of my local trust, I came upon the following policies which I feel will be beneficial to improving my knowledge on the safe administration of drugs. Registered nurses in exercising their professional accountability in the safe administration of drugs must comply with the 10 R’s as listed in the trusts drugs Policy (East London NHS) See: Appendix 4 A prescribed medicine is the most frequently provided treatment for patients in the NHS and although standards for medicines prescribing, dispensing and administration are high in this country, mistakes do occur (DoH, 2004). There has been growing awareness of the causes of medicines incidents. The publication of ‘An Organisation with a Memory’ (DoH, 2000) demonstrated the government’s commitment to improving the safety of patient care with the clear aim to reduce the number of incidents of serious medicines incidents by 40 %, (Courtenay et al 2009). As a result of these facts and the government initiatives it is essential that the Trust has a supportive and clear process to improve the practice of the administration of medicines. In their review of Medicines Management, the Healthcare Commissions (State of Healthcare 2007) reported that trusts need appropriate controls to ensure that medicines-related risks are minimised (Healthcare Commission 2007). The report f rom the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), ‘Safety in doses: medicines safety incidents in the NHS’ (NPSA, 2007) outlining seven key actions for trusts to implement to improve patient safety and improve staff skills and competencies. The Nurse and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards for Medicine Management (NMC, 2007) encourage the immediate reporting of incidents. In order for registered nurses to keep their registration the NMC has compiled a test called (Prep) post registration education and practice. In order for nurses to achieve success in this test they must show that they have completed 35 hours of learning in relationship to the area of practice for every 3 years. The newly registered nurse must keep a (PPP) personal professional profile which will record their ongoing learning achievements (NMC) 2. The purpose of a (PPP) is so that the nurse can have a record of their achievements and it can be a source of reference. TheNursingandMidwiferyCouncil,thenursinggoverningbody,expectsall Nursesto:acknowledgeanylimitsofpersonalknowledge, skills and take steps to remedy any relevant deficits to meet the needs of patients (NMC scope of Professional Practice). AspartoftheNMCrequirementsforregistration,allnursesarerequiredtokeepa Professionalportfolio.Thisrecordslearningandskillacquisitionandintegrationof thisprofessionaldevelopmentintopractice.InspectionofthisportfoliodocumentcanberequestedbytheNMCatanytime,asthisprovidesevidenceofmeetingprofessionalstandards. Having set my learning need as drug management, within 6 months I shall do all I can to achieve proficiency in the administration of drugs. I am fully aware of the complexities of drug administration such as, the 10 R’s which I mentioned above, new medications coming on stream, old drugs being disused or superseded and contraindicated where certain combinations of medication is not advisable, the list can go on and on. As a nurse managing drugs I know there is no room for guessing when drugs are concerned, I know the only way is the right way when lives are at risk. 1