Rap music often carries important messages Essay

Rap music often carries important messages - Essay Example The song also mentions of suffering of children caught in between wars, high youth mortality, government and media deception and greed. Another popular rap song is "Runaway Love" by Ludacris featuring Mary J. Blige. The song is about the plight of young girls of age 9, 10 and 11. One is defiled by her mother’s prostitution client, the other loses her only friend in a shot out and the last one get pregnant at 11. These girls opt to run away from home which they compare with hell. This song end by giving encouragement to the girls that they are not alone. It exposes the suffering of the girl child from the ghetto through rap. Rap songs often carry important information even though they are highly associated with â€Å"thug† life. The song titled â€Å"Where is the Love† by Black Eyed Peas advocates for love in the society and addresses several socio-economic problems. â€Å"Runaway Love† by Ludacris featuring Mary J. Blige brings out the plight of the girl child living in low income areas. Therefore, rap songs should not be generally judged as upholding criminality since they often carry important

Examining Strategies For Improving Medication Administration Nursing Essay

Examining Strategies For Improving Medication Administration Nursing Essay Providing care for the patient is the responsibility of nurses. Nurses are the one who are close with patients. They are responsible and accountable to make sure that the treatments and needs of patient are fulfilled. Medication administration is a part of the nurses responsibility in order to make sure clients get the correct medication as supposed. Medication administration error is a universal health care concern.Thus the strategy in improving medication administration system is important to enhance safety. The administration of medication by nurses is the final step in a process that involves multiple steps carried out by a number of health professionals (medical practitioners, pharmacists and registered nurses). The accuracy, efficiency and safety of administration of medications rest primarily with nurses. Medication administration is an activity that is prone to errors, in part because of the development of new medical devices and new drug products that available to fulfill the demand in health care setting. Thus to prevent medication administration error, six rights should be main concern for the nurses in giving medication. There are many type of medical error that leads to injury and may jeopardize patients safety. According to Hughes and Ortiz (2005) the most common type of medical error that happen universally is medication error. Senior citizens are at the highest risk of being affected by this type of errors, since they are the largest consumers of medication (New Tech Media, 2006). However, this is especially true in regards to medication errors. A proper understanding of the contributing factors that increase medication errors is the first step toward preventing them. There are many factors, such as training deficiencies, undue time pressure, and nursing shortages that may have contribute to medication errors. The amount of nursing education and the years of nursing experience are two factors that may have relationship to medication errors. Due to the fact that nursing staff is a large cost to hospitals, these organizations are constantly trying to manage expenses. This is supported by Yang (2003 ) who states nursing professionals typically represent the largest employee group in hospitals, and have become a primary target for redesign measures. Consequently, medication errors are costly and seem to be proportional to the staffing of nurses. Since nurses make up such a large portion of the staff population, it is important to understand the incidents that influence behind these medication errors. These issues of medication errors were present even at the time when Benjamin Franklin founded Americas first hospital and he stated that patients ultimately suffer and die without good nursing care (Clarke, 2003). 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT Health care professionals work is hectic and stressful. All the heavy workload had causes the nurses to pay much less attention in giving proper medication administration to patients.I discovered during my clinical posting that sometimes the nurses tend to take for granted so as whether the patient did consume the medications given or not after leaving the medication on the patients bedside . Occasionally proper procedure was not followed by nurses for medication administration. It happens when the nurses just copy down the name of patient in a piece of paper during pass over the report , without rechecking in the patients medication administration record. This unintentional act sometimes will lead to medication administration error when bed of the patient is exchange with another patient or the patient has been transferred to the other ward or may be discharged from the hospital . There is also happen an error due to some of the nurses borrowing medication from another patients cart and administering an unlabelled medication or syringe. This improper practice will harm the patients and can cause medication administration errors. On the other cases, the nurses do not follow the correct time for medication administration. For instance, they just merely combine the medication that should be given at 4p.m with 6p.m. In that case, the effectiveness and toxicity of medication can be query. Thus, medication error can be some way again linked to an inconsistency applying the six rights of medication administration. Definition of terms Nurses A person educated and trained to care for the sick or disabled; One that serves as a nurturing or fostering influence or means (C.L.R James,2009 ) Working experience Work experience is the linking of a period of activity in a work setting (whether paid or voluntary) to the programme of study, irrespective of whether the work experience is an integral part of the programme of study(Harveyet al,2002) Incident Any other incident in which researcher is unsure about exposure potential. 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY Medication administration is a crucial part in nursing . Having a study concerning the incident of contributing factors that lead to medication error is important as this study creates awareness about the medication error and it consequences will affect patients safety. Such prevention methods could be taken to reduce the cases of medication error in hospital setting. Through this study, the management team of the hospital may take a serious action to solve the problem arised. Besides that, the nurses may realize the significance of medication administration process to overcome the factors that contribute to medication administration error. Furthermore, nurses need to perform their duty in ethical manner and obey the correct standard procedures as guided by the ministry of health. The function beyond the limit of nursing practice acts or ones ability is to endanger clients life will put the nurses open to malpractice suits such medication administration error. Therefore, it is crucial part for nurses to always be aware of entire the medication administration process in order to maintain the safety of the patient. 1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1.4.1 General Objective The general objective for this study is to provide reasons about incidence of factors that contribute to medication error among the nurses. This study also helps to determine the barrier towards medication error which can used as guidelines for the nurses to be more caution on certain situation during administering medication in the hope of facilitating improvements to medication administration processes. 1.4.2 Specific Objective The specific objectives of conducting this research are: 1) To identify the most factors which contribute to medication error 2) To indicate the relationship between working experience with all the contributing factors which potentially lead to medication error 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS What are the commonest factors that contributed to medication error perceived by nurses? Is there any relationship between working experience with all the contributing factors which potentially lead to medication error? 1.6 ADVANTAGES OF RESEARCH 1. This study able to provide reasons about factors that contribute to medication error among the nurses. 2. This study helps to determine the barrier towards medication error which can used as guidelines for the nurses to be more caution on certain situation during serving medication LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Nurses are the group of health care providers who are closest to the patients. They have a major responsibility in administration of medication for patients, particularly in the wards. The issue of medication administration error (MAE) within the acute-care setting has long been the focus of research. Since nurses are intimately involved in the delivery of medications and the final person who occupy the link on medication administration, thus they are accountable for the responsibilities in medication error. It is important for nurses to understand the factors that contributed to medication administration errors in view of the fact that the burden of reporting medication error falls heavily on nurses. Prevalence of medication error Medical errors harm an estimated 1.5 million people and kill several thousand each year in the United States of America (Joint Comission International ,2007).In Malaysia the Malaysian government does emphasize on the medication safety whereby the government encourages researchers to conduct research on medication safety (Institute for Health Systems Research ,2008). In view of the fact that the prevalance of medication administration error is increasing globally, the serious action should be taken to minize it from occur. Medication The oxford Concise Medical Dictionary stated that, medication is a substance that is administered by mouth, applied to the body, or introduced into the body for the purpose of treatment (p.417). Medication Administration In administration of medication, the nurses must follow several principles that have been set up to prevent medication administration error. While administering medication, the nurses should implement the Six Rights to make sure the effectiveness of the drug effects and gain improvement in treating the disease. The six rights are involved before, during and after giving the medication. According to Bennet (2008), the six rights of medication administration includes the following; right medication, right dose, right client, right route, right time and right documentation. It is a must for the nurses to follow the standard protocol outlined for the implementation of medication administration. Medication administration error An article from joint comission international (2007) stated that errors are common as medications are procured, prescribed, dispensed, administered, and monitored but, they occur most frequently during the prescribing and administering actions. Since, the parts of administering process are bound to nurses job, so that they are responsible for their action and conduct. Mayo et al (2004) found that some medication errors are not reported because nurses are afraid of the reaction they will receive from the Nurse Manager. Hence, the real incident of medication error that occurred cannot be measurable since the nurses do not take responsibility to report the incident. Medication usage is a multidisciplinary process, which begins with the doctors prescription, is followed by the review and provision of medications by a pharmacist, and ends with the preparation and administration of the medication to the patient by a nurse. Inadvertent errors or accidents are encountered if there is a break down at any stage in this process, which leads to overwhelming consequences for the patient and for the career of the healthcare professional (Gladstone 1995). The impact of medication errors can be devastating to the confidence and self-esteem of the healthcare professional. Consequently, healthcare professionals are unwilling and indisposed to report any medication error unless there is an obvious harm to the patient. Factors that contribute to medication error Nurses need to prioritize significant responsibilities for safe patient care. In this hectic and stressful environment, serious medication errors are appearing significantly as a basis for successful malpractice cases against nurses (Lilley et. al, 2005). Proper medication process and system analysis approach are the essential link in the prevention of medication errors from occurring in health care setting. Asim and Nagy ( 2007) in their study showed that there were statistically significant differences in responses across the participants years of experience and the current clinical working area about the medication error to occurred. Research done by Fu et al.(2007) showed that medical wards and intensive critical units are the commonest areas for medication error. Knowledge and practice Henry (2005) revealed that, most of the types of medication administration errors occurring are due to omission of dose, wrong doses. The other study done by Fu et al. (2007) showed the wrong dose is at the highest to occur. Undeniable to say that, most of the errors can occur when the nursing duty during medication administration is not taken seriously. In addition, medication error can occur due to nurse attitude who do not check whether the right patient received the right medication. Medication administration error can occur when the nurse failed to check the patients arm band with the patients medication administration record or calling the patient by name to make sure the right patient receiving the medication. According to (Nancy et.al 2003 ; Ulanimo et al, 2007) through their observations that had been done, they found that nurses were failing to compare the patients wristband with the medication administration record before giving the medication to the respected patient. Whats more, spelling errors and the similarities amongst the appearance different medication can cause confusing to the nurses. Unfamiliarity with drug medication such as new drug name with similar drug packing can cause medication administration error Fu et al (2007). The potential for medication errors will increase and leads to injury to the patient. Cases reported by FDA-Food and drug administration (2008); medication errors associated with Flomax and Volmax, Zantac and Zyrtec caused patient to suffer. For that reasons, unfamiliarity with the medication can cause the medication error to occur. Besides drug administration, there are other factors that lead to medication errors taking place such as interruptions while administering the medication. In the research done by Pape et al.( 2005) ,it mentioned that conversations with other staff members and visitors or multi-tasking that occurs during medication preparation and administration can result in errors. Thus, the normal procedures for checking the six rights are easily neglected. So that, reducing unnecessary conversation and other distractions is an important aspect in administering medication safely to patients. Personal issues Abandon the six essential rights of administering the medication, are latent conditions evidenced to be a part of factors that contribute to medication error. Personal factors mentioned in connection with prescribing errors included physical and mental well being, skills, and knowledge. However, there are few associated factors that contributed to medication error to happen among nurses. The factors are time pressures, fatigue or exhaustion a part of nurses (Mayo et al; Ulanimo et al, 2007). Study by Nick Barber et al (2002), 18 interviewees reported that they had felt tired, hungry, or unwell, and that these factors might have contributed to the error. A considerable percentage of reported that they omitted to give medication or gave at the wrong time, and also indicated that other nurses gave incorrect medication or incorrectly administered treatments; practice issues which were related to the nursing shortage and causing moral distress (Marj.T Mrayyam,2011). Healy and McKay (2000) also found workload to be most significantly correlated with mood disturbance. However, Payne (2001) did not find a significant relationship between workload and burnout, although levels of burnout in her study were lower than in related studies. The reasons for this variation are unclear, but seem likely to include differences of stress hardiness (Simoni Paterson 1997), of coping mechanisms (Payne 2001), of age and experience (McNeese-Smith 2000) or of the level of social support in the workplace (Ceslowitz 1989, Morano 1993, Healy McKay 2000). Hospital setting and workload The terms hectic, hassly, and busier than average were used to describe workload. Sometimes, workloads made nurses change their usual practice to try and save time From the study, it was shown that, it is not only the practice itself that contribute to medication administration error but other external factors can also contributed to medication errors such understaffing, inexperience nurses, design deficiencies, and inadequate equipment while administering the medication( Carlton Bleggen, 2006). Nurses and workload is one of the major factors that should be considered .Most of the hospitals are lacking of nurses and this small issues will lead to big impact of nurses practice. Stordeur et al. (2001) attempted to rank stressors in order of severity of impact, the main ones being ranked as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ High workload, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Conflict with other nurses/physicians, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ experiencing a lack of clarity about tasks/goals, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ a head nurse who closely monitors the performance of staff in order to detect mistakes and to take corrective action. Lack of staff Staffing issues were also mentioned and included inadequate staffing, the effects of new or locum staff, and attending to another doctors patient. Providing cover for absent colleagues not only increased workload but also meant that care was being given for patients the doctor did not know. Several doctors drew the distinction between those patients whom they had admitted and knew throughout their stay, and those whom they had to take over for only part of their treatment. The most commonly used unit-level workload measure is the nurse-patient ratio( Pronovost PJ et al (2000). The nurse-patient ratio can be used to compare units and their patient outcomes in relation to nursing staffing. Previous research provides strong evidence that high nursing workloads at the unit level have a negative impact on patient outcomes (Olson V et al, 2004). Hospital nurse staffing is a matter of major concern because of the effects it can have on patient safety and quality of care. Nursing-sensitive outcomes are one indicator of quality of care and may be defined as variable patient or family caregiver state, condition, or perception responsive to nursing intervention (Needleman et al, 2003) Briefly, medication administration error should be avoided because direct results of the error can cause harm to the patient as well as increased health care costs. Moreover, indirect results include harm to nurses in terms of professional and personal status, confidence, and practice. Thus, to maintain the professionalism in delivering of care to the patient, medication administration process should take seriously among the nurses. In a 1999 study conducted by the Institute of Medicine, entitled To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, It is estimated that medication errors cause over 7,000 deaths annually. This chapter will explain on the research methodology of the study consist of research design, population, sample, setting and data-collection instrument. 2.1 Research design Research design is an overall plan for conducting study on order to answer the research questions (Polit et al; 2001: 67). The research designs signify the steps which will be used in conducting the research. According to Burns and Grove (2001:223) , research design is a guideline for the research process in order to achieve the intended result which will be the reflection of reality. Polit (1999:155) state that the research design will includes the most important decisions in research methodology that researcher makes in conducting the study. This study used cross-sectional; quantitative non-experimental correlation study using assisted-administered questionnaire to reveal the question incident of contributing factors that lead to medication error. 2.2 Population and sampling Population is an entire group of people that is interested to the researcher as define by Brink (1996:132-133).Burns and Grove (2001:366,810) define population as the whole set of individuals who meet the sampling criteria. A sample taken from population and it will include in the study which representing research population, if random sampling procedures has been adhere to. Random sampling would give every individual in the whole population the same and unbiased chance of participating in the study. Simple random sampling will be used in this study. The respondents are consisting of Registered Nurses in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang (HTAR) .The sample will be taken randomly from several discipline in HTAR. In order to get significant result, a sample size calculation formula has been used to determine the size of the sample for this study. Inclusion criteria for respondents are: Registered Nurse with Malaysia Nursing Board Understand Malay and English language and generally healthy. Have working experience at least 1 year. The participants are involves in direct patient care. Have an experience in administering the medication Exclusion criteria area: Unregistered nurses with Malaysia Nursing Board Have working experience less than 1 year Do not have an experience in administering medication 2.3 Research setting The study setting will be conducted in HTAR. The unit chosen is medical ward, surgical ward, Intensive Care Unit, Obstetrics and gynecology ward, Pediatrics ward, Emergency Department and orthopedic ward. HTAR is chosen because affordable cost and time constrain for me. 2.4 Study period Data collection February to April 2011 Data Processing/ analysing and writing up April to May 2011 Grantt Chart (refer to appendix ) First phase Screening for initial data from hospital record (secondary Data) in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Identify the discipline units to be study Second phase Pilot study done to confirm feasibility of the study Collection and analyzed the questionnaire Third phase Obtain consent from subject The data are collected by using questionnaire in order to obtain the information regarding the study Fourth phase Analyze the data collection and writing up 2.5 Data collection Dempsey and Dempsey (2000:195) define questionnaires is a paper and pencil data collection instrument filled in by the respondents for the purpose of the research study. Characteristics of questionnaires had been listed out by Gillham (2000: 5-8) as below: A questionnaire is less expensive than interview. A lot of sample can be taken within short period of time. Questionnaires can reduce cost of using telephone and travels thus it is also feasible to be used by researchers who have full time jobs. Questionnaires are an easy way to get more information within a limited period of time. Respondents able to complete the questionnaires at their own time without pressure. Anonymity can be guaranteed. Reassuring the respondents that no one will know any feedback from them. This aspect was deemed to be very important in this study as the respondents could be reassured that they could state their honest opinions about factors might contribute to medication error without fear that employer would take action to them if their knowledge level is low. The research contents will display out numbers, facts and figures .No names should be mentioned not even the researcher nor did the supervisor know who provided which answers for specific questions. No different questionnaires are distributed; all questionnaires are standardized to limit the bias. 2.5.1 Development of questionnaires The development of questionnaires was based on the literature review (Chapter 2) and other research instrument used in similar studies. The questionnaire is compiled and discussed by researcher and supervisor. Changes suggested were implemented. Most of the changing pertaining to rephrasing specific items so that each items had only issues to address rather than multiple issues. There is part of questionnaires that had been corrected and combined from previous study to ensure the objective of study answer. 2.5.2 Pilot Study Pilot study was done to determine feasibility of the instrument .This shows a trial administration of newly developed questionnaires in order to identify the potential -problem encountered by participant. Brink and Wood (1998:259; 373) explained that pre-testing enabled the researcher to interact with the participant similar but they were exclude from the real respondents participating in actual study. These ensure the researcher to predict what would happen to the main study regards to participation. Pilot study was conducted with five staff nurses with year of experience more than 1 at the same hospital but different target unit which they will not selected to participate in the actual study. No apparent problems were encountered during the completion of the questionnaires. 2.5.3 Structure of the questionnaires The questionnaire is conducted in Malay/English language and is assisted-administered questionnaire. The questionnaires will be distributed to the nurses in the unit by the researcher. The researcher needs to explain about the objectives, target population and significance of the study. Some of the respondents will answer the questions by themselves and some of them need assistance while answering the questionnaires. The data obtained will be statistically analyzed using SPSS software. An effective strategy for nurses will be formulated based on the findings. The questionnaire is distributed to the whole chosen unit consist of 30 registered nurses in HTAR. The questions based on a structured questionnaire that composed of three parts.(refer to the appendix) Part 1 that consists of demographic data : year of working experience Part 2 Question consists of six incident of contributing factors which potentially lead to medication error. Factor 1: This section using closed -ended question (dichotomous question) directed towards the knowledge regarding the process for medication administration. This questionnaire edited from study that had done by Raja Lexshimi R.G et al (2009). Factor 2-6: This section is questions regarding factors contribution to medication error edited from the result of study done by Fu et. al (2007) which categorized into five categories which using Likert scale. The respondents are asked to indicate how much the declarative statements given from each category will influence to contribute to medication error. Personal neglect Heavy workload Unfamiliarity with medication New staff Complicated order 2.6 Data Analysis To identify the level of knowledge among nurses towards serving medication .It is also to identify the most incident of contributing factors which lead to medication error. A significant value of 0.05 was used to test for significance for all statistical tests. The chi square analysis was performed to determine the association between incident of contributing factors and the years of experience. The data collected will be analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 18. 0. 2.7 Research Variable Dependent Variable In this study, the dependent variable is years of experience Independent Variable In this study, the independent variables are the 6 incident of contributing factors ; Knowledge, Personal Neglect, Heavy Workload, Unfamiliar Medication, Newly staff and Complicated order. 2.8 Validity and Variable According to Polit and Hungler (1999:418), validity is the degree to which an instrument measures what it is designed to measure. The content of the questionnaire is adapted from the previous survey and study that had been done. Moreover the questionnaire used will be reviewed by a philosophy doctors (PhD). 2.9 Ethical consideration Permission from HTAR will be obtained from hospital authority to conduct this research. Each participants who involve in this study will be given inform consent. Furthermore, before distributing the questionnaire, each participant will be explained about the purpose of the study and consent form was given to the participants. They are free to agree or decline their participation in the study at any time. All information obtained from the participants will be kept confidential. The participants took 15 to 30 minutes to answer the questionnaire and the researcher collected it back after finished answering. Polit and Hungler (1999: 131-134) revealed that researcher therefore need to exercise care that the rights of individuals and institution are safeguarded. Administer medication is an everyday activity in nursing practice and nurses should have enough knowledge in order to perform this important job. The finding of these study shows that nurses knowledge in serving medication is sufficient. Most of the f=29 (96.7%) registered nurses able to answer the questionnaire correctly automatically make knowledge as low incident that will contribute to medication error. Reflected from the result, King (2004) and Coombs et al have similar result which reported the same. Nurses have the knowledge but the knowledge is limited especially on drugs administration. 43.3% did not know the frequent recommended site for heparin injections is at the abdomen (Caffrey, 2003).Nurses should improved their knowledge and highlight on different route of administer medication. Gerry Helen (2003) reported that time-span of experience and level of professional education was linked with level of knowledge in the administration of medications. Having extra educational qualifications among nurses were found to have contributed to a improved knowledge of medications. However in this study, 26.7% nurses practice wrongly which they did not check the patients ID band prior administering medication. It is also surprise 23.3% nurses violate the practice by administering medication prepared by other nurses. Benners and others (2002) agree source of errors include delivering too much medication, missed doses; wrong route; and wrong medication deliver due to misidentification of client. Mattan (1998) revealed that administering medicine effectively was a aspect of practice but it lacked quality, which is due to poor knowledge in pharmacology and practice. Manias et al. (2004) indicated that nurses infatuated the necessary knowledge and skills in medication administration such as monitoring effects of medication, assessing and evaluating patients condition prior to medication administration. In many cases drug errors arise as a result of nurses failure to follow policy (Keill and Johnson, 1993). 2) Personal Neglect From the data analyse, 18 (60%) nurses show personal neglect is in the low incident contribute to medication error. Nevertheless 4(13.3%) nurses indicate in the middle of administering drug, there was interruptions by others. A new study shows that interrupting nurses while theyre nursing to patients medication needs increases the likelihood of error. As the number of distractions increases, so do the number of errors and the risk to patient safety.    According to the study reported in the April 26, 2010 issues of the  Archives of Internal Medicine, four interruptions in the route of a single drug administration doubled the likelihood that the patient would experience a major mishap. 26.7% nurses indicate that personal neglect as a medium indicator of medication error. 3)

The Role of Nature in the poetry of William Wordsworth Essay -- Litera

In William Wordsworth’s poems, the role of nature plays a more reassuring and pivotal r ole within them. To Wordsworth’s poetry, interacting with nature represents the forces of the natural world. Throughout the three poems, Resolution and Independence, Tintern Abbey, and Michael, which will be discussed in this essay, nature is seen prominently as an everlasting- individual figure, which gives his audience as well as Wordsworth, himself, a sense of console. In all three poems, Wordsworth views nature and human beings as complementary elements of a sum of a whole, recognizing that humans are a sum of nature. Therefore, looking at the world as a soothing being of which he is a part of, Wordsworth looks at nature and sees the benevolence of the divinity aspects behind them. For Wordsworth, the world itself, in all its glory, can be a place of suffering, which surely occurs within the world; Wordsworth is still comforted with the belief that all things happen by the hands of the divinity and the just and divine order of nature, itself. In William Wordsworth’s poem, Resolution and Independence, Wordsworth describes the moods of the poem through the description of nature. The first appearance of the speaker, himself, is shown in (line 15); where he classifies himself as a traveler who has been seduced, as he states, â€Å"The pleasant season did my heart employ† (line 19). We see the traveler as a bright and joyful person as Wordsworth’s characteristics of nature as a means of description continues throughout the poem. As the poem progresses, the speaker’s attitude changes in (line 26), where he tells us that his mood is lowered. It is here that the speaker presents himself as â€Å"a happy child of earth† in (line 31); as once again Wordsworth... .../ Of the unfinished sheepfold may be seen / Besides the boisterous brook of Greenhead Ghyll,† showing the growth of human beings in relative notion to nature. William Wordsworth has respect and has great admiration for nature. This is quite evident in all three of his poems; the Resolution and Independence, Tintern Abbey and Michael in that, his philosophy on the divinity, immortality and innocence of humans are elucidated in his connection with nature. For Wordsworth, himself, nature has a spirit, a soul of its own, and to know is to experience nature with all of your senses. In all three of his poems there are many references to seeing, hearing and feeling his surroundings. He speaks of hills, the woods, the rivers and streams, and the fields. Wordsworth comprehends, in each of us, that there is a natural resemblance to ourselves and the background of nature.

Communication Shc Essay

Parents and other adults who come into the school are more likely to give beneficial support if communication is strong and effective – this, in turn, benefit pupils. Communication takes many different forms, from talking to letters and memos; for a child care workers is very important to develop good communication skills so they can communicate effectively. WHY PEOPLE COMMUNICATE? There are many reasons why people communicate such as: * To give and receive information * To give and receive instructions Discuss a situation * Make a point or outline a concern * Express a need * Negotiate * Develop learning 1. 2 EXPLAIN HOW EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AFFECTS ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR WORK Effective communication is the key area for developing relationships with others and also covers many different forms of communication. It is a two-way process. The person communicating has to send the right message, but also needs to make sure that it is being correctly received and understood by the o ther person or people. Communication involves talking or verbal communication, and non-talking or non-verbal communication. To communicate effectively you will need to: * Be very clear about what you are trying to say * Ensure that the person you are talking to understands what you are saying to them * Showing respect and considering the other child’s or adult’s point of view * Have a rapport with the child or adult you are communicating with * Taking time to listen to others * Being clear on key points Maintaining a sense of humour (laughter can be a good icebreaker and is also a great way of relaxing and relieving stress) * Find opportunities to speak (some children lack confidence and need to be given a chance to warm-up first so that they feel able to do so) * Give eye contact and actively listen (if you look away or are busy doing something else, this gives the recipient the message that you are not really interested in what they are saying) * Use body language and facial expressions, an d be approachable(for example, with very young children, get down to their level) * React and comment on what they are saying (you may need to repeat back to pupils to check on your understanding * Be interested, responding and questioning to maintain conversation so that they can build up an understanding about how it works * The age of the child or young person ( children of different ages will require varying levels of attention) The benefits of good communication are: * Your relationship with the children * Your relationship with colleagues * Your relationship with parents 1. 3 EXPLAIN WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO OBSERVE AN INDIVIDUAL REACTIONS WHEN YOU ARE COMMUNICATING WITH THEM? When communicating with children or adults it is important to take account individuals feelings and what they want to say. You can do this by carefully observing a variety of reactions such as: * Facial expressions and eye contact * Body language: posture and actions or gestures which help to convey meaning * Tone of voice: this can alter the meaning of what has been said * Pauses * Turn taking * Take account of culture and context, such as where English is an additional language * Build a rapport by showing understanding, respect and honesty It is thought that more than 70% of messages are conveyed through non-verbal ways. NON-VERBAL REACTIONS Facial expressions They can be a way to find out how someone feels. Some facial expressions have the same meaning all over the world, but some cultures inhibit the expression of certain emotions, such as anger or disgust. EYE CONTACT People’s eyes can express a wide range of emotions. People may have intense eye contact because they are trying to understand you. However, some cultures or people may avoid eye contact when they do not understand or agree with you, want to avoid showing their feelings or fear negative feedback. Eye contact has five important functions in communications: 1. It regulates the flow of conversation 2. It controls intimacy in a relationship 3. It gives feedback 4. It express emotion 5. It informs both speaker and listener BODY LANGUAGE Your body language can often indicate your attitudes and emotions. If the person you are communicating with has arms crossed over their chest, this may indicate anger or tension (closed position = communication barrier) * If they lean forward with separated arms and legs, this communicat es warmth and friendliness (open communication) * Indifference to your communication may be expressed through shoulders shugs, raised arms, and outstretched hands * Clenched fists and hunching may convey anger * Slouched shoulders may convey a lack of confidence * A posture with the shoulders back in a relaxed position makes it more likely that others will view you as self-confident GESTURES It is important to learn to observe and understand as much as you can about gestures of the adults and children you are communicating with. * People often use gestures such as head and hand movements to reveal or conceal feelings. They can use them to add emphasis, to illustrate points, and to manage turn-taking * A nod may encourage others to continue talking. Some of these gestures may be used as part of a signed language – such as Makaton – or as an aid to verbal communication in a noisy environment, such a the floor of a busy factory. TOUCH It is one of our most basic forms of communication and it is associated with comfort. It is also a non-verbal communication. The amount of everyday touch which we will allow people to have with us is also culturally determined. VOICE TONE Paralanguage is the way in which language is spoken. By altering our tone of voice or changing its pitch, we can convey different emotions. An example of paralanguage is whispered speech. Paralanguage features include the tone of voice (such as flat or bright), the tempo (fast or slow), and the way in which we emphasise certain words. 2. 2 DEMONSTRATE COMMUNICATION METHODS Effective communication happens when the right method is used to send a message so it can be received and understood. Early years practitioners need to know about a range of communication methods. They should also be skilled at identifying the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of children and adults in the setting. Children and young people’s care settings are used by people from a diverse range of backgrounds who will want to communicate in different ways. Finding out about each individual’s language needs, wishes and preferences is an important part of your role. You can do this by: * asking parents whether their children have particular language or communication needs * reading reports and notes that provide information on a child’s * speech and language development, learning difficulties, disabilities (such as hearing or visual impairment) or physical conditions that affect communication abilities (for example, cleft palate) * being aware that an adult or child’s culture, ethnicity and nationality may affect their language preferences and needs * observing the children and adults who use your setting to see how they use their communication and language skills * asking your supervisor or mentor, senior staff and specialist professionals (such as speech and language therapists and SENCOs) for information, advice and support when communicating with children or adults who have special communication needs. You may need to communicate with adults (parents, work colleagues, visitors or other professionals) who have special communication needs as a result of a hearing or visual impairment, or because English is not their first language. Meeting an individual’s needs, wishes and preferences Talking is not the only way of communication with adults and children in a setting. There are different ways of communication that may be used during the day, such as: * telephone * email * video conferencing * letters * memos * sing language * interpreting 2. 3 HOW AND WHEN TO SEEK ADVICE ABOUT COMMUNICATION There may be situations in which you feel unsure about how you should communicate with a child or adult. Perhaps you will be aware that you are struggling to communicate effectively with somebody. In situations like these, you should seek advice and obtain support. You can do this by: * talking to your supervisor, mentor or line manager about the difficulty – ask for their advice about how to deal withthe problem * talking to communication or language support specialists (teachers, psychologists or speech and language therapists) who work at or spend time in your work setting. When to look for support * When you are anxious about approaching an individual * When you are not sure how to deal with a situation * When child uses another language * When you want to improve your relationship with an individual * When communication is not effective * When you feel communication is not effective If you want to learn how to communicate in a way such as signing or an individual’s home language * If you find out an adult or child has communication needs Where to look for support * Always talk first to the line manager, who may be able to advise you or work with you to seek support * Then she/he will advise you where to find support, and will probably be the person to find appropriate support if it is external * If you work in a children’s centre you are likely to have support services to help both children and adults develop their communication skills BE ABLE TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION Knowing about different barriers to effective communication will enable you to avoid potential difficulties and adapt your communication approach when this is necessary. Barriers to communicate are things that interfere with a person’s ability to send, receive or understand a message. These may be physical, organisational, personal, to do with language and culture or to do with the presentation of information. Attitudinal example Language and culture WAYS TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Barriers to communication can often be overcome, or at least reduced by making changes to the environment, adapting your approach or by using support services such as SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator). Adapting the environment Environmental changes might include: * replacing poor lighting with brighter lighting * reducing background noise or creating some quiet areas putting up multilingual posters and displaying signs clearly * fitting electronic devices such as induction loop systems for hearing-impaired people. Adapting your approach to communication In order to improve communication, early years practitioners can adapt their approa ch by: * making sure they can be seen clearly, facing both the light and the person they are talking to * making sure their mouth is visible when speaking * minimising background noise * using eyes, facial expressions and gestures to communicate as necessary and appropriate. Timing Speaking clearly and slowly, and repeating or rephrasing what you say can make communication more effective for some children and adults. The speed or pace of communication may need to be slower if a person has a hearing or visual impairment, a learning disability or is anxious and confused. It is also important to allow time for the person to digest your communication and to respond. This can mean making silences comfortable while the person works out how to reply. Using support services and specialist devices Early years practitioners should understand the language needs and communication preferences of the children and adults with whom they work. If a child or adult has difficulty communicating in English or has sensory impairments or disabilities that affect their communication skills, specialist communication support may be needed. Learning a few words of another person’s language or developing some basic sign language skills can really help an early years practitioner to establish a positive, supportive relationship with a child and their parents. HOW TO ENSURE THAT COMMUNICATION HAS BEEN UNDERSTOOD There are various ways that you can find out if your communication has been successful. If you can do this, it can help to solve any issues that arise and stop barriers from developing. Active listening Active listening involves paying close attention to what the other person is saying, while also noticing their non-verbal communication. People who are good at active listening also tend to be skilled at using minimal prompts. These are things like nods of the head, ‘Mm’ sounds and encouraging words like ‘Yes, I see’ or ‘Go on’. Skilful use of minimal prompts encourages the person you are communicating with to keep speaking or to say a little more. Clarifying or repeating You can ensure that your communication has been understood by clarifying (repeating back, summarising or rephrasing) aspects of what the person has said during the conversation. You could say something like, ‘Can I just check that you meant †¦? ’ or, ‘Do you mean †¦? ’ You should try not to clarify too often in a conversation as this will interrupt the speaker’s flow; it might also make them think you are ‘parroting’, which may appear insincere. 3. 4 SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND SUPPORT OR SERVICES FOR MORE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID): They give support to people with hearing and sight loss with agencies in different areas. Association of Sign Language Interpreters Qualified in sign language professionals help people who are hard of hearing to communicate. Royal National Institute for the Blind Agencies in different areas give visually impaired people support in communicating. Teaching Development Agency Have courses to support teaching assistants working with children in schools. Common Assessment Framework (CAF) Give practitioners a right to seek support in communicating with parents and children who have specific needs. Department of education The government website or your local authority website gives information about local agencies that will help to communicate with families from a variety of cultures and religions. BIBLIOGRAPHY Children & Young People’s workforce by Heinemann Pages 2-20 www. collinseducation. com/resources/hsclevel2chapter1. pdf Pages 1-15 PRESENTED BY MONICA BELALCAZAR INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION UNIT SHC 1. 2 CYPW L2 KNOWLEDGE TASK PART TWO 4. 1 WHAT IS CONFIDENTIALITY Confidentiality is not about keeping secrets; it is about protecting an individual’s right to privacy. You may obtain private, personal information from children or parents as part of your work role. As an early years practitioner you have a duty to: * keep personal information about children and families private * only share information about children and families with those who have a right to know or when a parent has given permission. Your workplace will have a confidentiality policy that sets out the rules and procedures on sharing confidential information. You should read this and make sure that you follow it in your practice. You may be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement as part of your employment contract. Again, you should have a clear understanding of what this means in practice. Cross reference with TDA 2. 2 assessment criteria 3. 5 4. 3 SITUATIONS WHERE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION MIGHT NEED TO BE PASSED ON There may be times when you have to reveal what you have been told, or have seen, to a more senior person at work or to an external organisation. A parent, child or colleague’s request that you maintain confidentiality can be overridden if: * what they say suggests that a child may be at risk of harm * they reveal information that can be used to protect another person from harm * a court or a statutory organisation, such as OFSTED, asks for specific information about a child. * If a child needs additional support from other professionals * If a child is suspected to be in a situation that risks their safety * If an adult has disclosed information that may raise concerns over their ability to carry out daily duties in your setting * If an outside body such as Ofsted requests to see an adult’s or child’s records When should you seek advice about confidentiality It is best to treat everything you learn about children and their families in your workplace as confidential information; it is advisable to check with your supervisor before you pass on confidential information. Similarly, it is always best to tell your supervisor if you receive any information that concerns you. If someone wants to tell you something ‘in confidence’, you should say that you may not be able to keep the information to yourself because part of your job involves safeguarding children’s welfare. It is then up to the person to decide whether to tell you or not. Always do this in an area where nobody else can overhear what you are saying. It is better to seek advice verbally rather than using communication such as email, which other adults could access. BIBLIOGRAPHY Children & Young People’s workforce by Heinemann Pages 2-20 www. collinseducation. com/resources/hsclevel2chapter1. pdf Pages 28-29

Historical Development of the Early Childcare Essay

a) History and current status of childcare provision in Ireland During the early Twentieth century in Ireland there was a lack of job opportunities for women in the workforce. Women were still seen largely seen as the ‘stay at home figure’. Due to this environmental impact, children were cared for in their own homes mainly by their mothers. Therefore there was less of a demand in the Early Childcare Education sector. This ended when children started attending Primary school. During the latter part of the Twentieth century, during the times of the Celtic Tiger, the number of job opportunities for women in the workforce escalated. This resulted in an increase in urbanisation and a decrease in family support. For example: Families lived further apart from each other, and as a result, it did not make sense to leave the children with their grandmother or other family members due to financial restrictions such as the price of fuel, or time restrictions such as the length of time taken to leave the children from one  destination to the ot her. This lead to parents seeking the childminding services privately or within their local area. Statistics have shown that approximately 60% of children under six years of age attended a form of childcare service at this time. (Class Notes) There was a substantial increase in the demand for both private and community childcare services. In response to the rapidly increasing demand for childcare service, it was deemed necessary that an ‘Expert Working Group on Childcare’ was formed. The Expert Working Group came together and arranged a meeting to discuss ways to resolve the upcoming problems within the childcare services sector. They held discussions on how to make childcare services more readily available and accessible to families in Ireland. It was recognized at this point, that there was a need to develop a ‘National Strategy’ to assist them with the transformation of the current childcare services sector. Thus, a National Strategy was developed and was published in 1999. The National strategy recognized and contained the following principles: ‘The Needs and the rights of the child, Equality of access and participation, Diversity, Partnership and Quality’ (Class Notes Page 2) It also contained suggestions and advice on support for parents/guardians, Laws relating childcare, Qualifications, Employment, Planning and Co-ordination. In 2002, the Centre for Early childhood development and Education was established. This centre was set up to develop standards and to improve the childcare sector. The Centre for early Childhood Development and Education aimed to ensure that every childcare setting (whether it was a Full-time / Part-time service or a Public / Private service); met the criteria and quality standards that that were established by the Centre. The main objective of the Centre for Early childhood development and Education was to focus on improving more disadvantaged are as as well as the more advantaged areas so as to ensure that all areas within the childcare sector offered the same quality of services In 2006, ‘Siolta’ was launched. Siolta was set up to implement the first aim of the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education which was to develop the current standards within the childcare sector. This was called ‘The National Quality Framework for Early Education’. This ensured that there was support in improving quality across all childcare services which contained children from 0-6 years of age. Further to this, in 2009, a new scheme was introduced within the Childcare sector. The Early Childcare  Education scheme ‘Free pre-school place’ was formed. The free pre-school place enabled children within the age range of 3 years and 3 months and 4 years 6 months in September of the relevant year to engage in one free academic year within a full time or seasonal service. If a childcare service/ centre wanted to take part in the Early Childcare Education scheme, the criteria set out by Siolta had to be met and furthermore the Principles set by An Siolta would have to be implemented within their current childcare setting. It is important to recognize that this is the first time that Early childhood education has received any direct Universal funding. As a result of the free pre-school place initiative, the demand within the childcare sector continued to grow. (Siolta) More recent developments within the childcare sector include the introduction of a new initiative called ‘Aistear’, which was established by the Department of Education and Skills through NCCA in 2010. Aistear from the Irish word meaning ‘journey’, is of relevant importance to childcare settings where children from the ages of 0-6 years receive their care and education. Aistear works closely alongside Siolta and consists of an informal curriculum that contains twelve principles and themes that give guidance to the childcare worker. Aistear recognizes that education and care are not separate within the childcare sector and they aim to help children grow and develop independently.(Aistear) b) Current range of childcare provision in Ireland Six types of services that can be categorised under sessional and fulltime services are: Naà onraà  – A Naà onraà  is a sessional service. It organises and communicates with the playgroup through the medium of Irish, they recognise each child as individuals. The service doesn’t put pressure on children to speak Irish, they still encourage and support children either way. As the children are surrounded in Irish they will gradually pick up and learn the language in their own time. The service is recognised by Forbairt Naà onraà . Parent and toddler groups – This is a sessional service and is supported by Early Childhood Ireland. Parents and their children/toddlers meet in one area, often held in one of the parent houses who are taking part in the service. It gives children the opportunity to gain the experience of interacting with others, therefore promoting and developing the child’s social skills. It also gives parents the opportunity to intera ct with other  parents, gaining support of each other. Montessori pre-schools – The pre-school is usually privately run, it develops its curriculum around the methods of Dr Maria. The Montessori focuses mainly on the child’s educational development, its curriculum is therefore more practical based, isn’t fully focused on play. This action of purely practical based education may be scrutinised by certain individuals as it thought by some theorists that children should experience and develop through the experience of play at this young age. The pre-school functions on academic year and mainly cares for children from three to six years of age. Home and community playgroups – Home and community playgroups care for children within the age range of 2 and a half to five years of age, they operate in either a home or community basis. Home playgroups are generally privately funded where as community playgroups receive funding from the government, each service usually opens and runs for a period of three to four hours each day. The service highlights and develops children’s social and emotional learning through play. Crà ¨ches, Nurseries and Day care services – These services are recognised as a fulltime service and cater for children from the age of approximately three months to five years of age. They are open at a minimum of eight hours a day and usually provide a day-to-day curriculum. The services can be privately or publicly run, an increase in demand for these services greatly increased after the Free Pre-School Year was introduced. Each service provides the children attending the service with a hot meal and snacks during the duration of the day. Each service helps met the child’s safety, welfare and developmental needs. They also help children make the best of their abilities, whether that be through play or practical learning. Family Day Care – Children are looked after in the childminders home. There is no specific age group that Family Day Care caters for, they can cater for all different age groups at once in the same facility. The hours that the carer caters for the children is arranged between the child’s parent and the carer. The children become easily settled in this form of day care as they are only interacting and building a relationship with one adult with the service. The children are provided with snacks and possibly hot meals, depending on the length of time the child is attending the service. The service is supported and recognised by Childminding Ireland. c) Current range of roles in childcare support organisations and agencies Health Service Executive (HSE) – is the first service contacted when there is a serious concern involving a child safety or family issue , the Health Service Executive then has the responsibility of bringing services and agencies together to help resolve the concerned matter. The Health Service Executive provides services that helps protect and support children, parents/guardians and families. There are many roles within the Health Service Executive, they include: Family support worker – The Family support worker offers support and supplies services to family’s going through emotionally distressing times. The Family Support Worker tries to keep families remained together unless there is a family member deemed at serious risk if kept together. Some of the services that The Family Support Worker will supply to the family to try help resolve the issues are, â€Å"Parenting Skills, Confidence and Personal Development, Home Care management, Diet, Nutrition and Health Care, Budgeting and family Finance†. (Class notes page 4) Community Childcare Worker – The Community Childcare Worker works alongside professionals to give support to children who are in disadvantaged families, deemed at risk, deprived or in care. The Community Childcare Worker also helps children deal with or come to an understanding of why they are in that care home. Social Worker – works with problematic families and individuals, The Social Worker helps resolve problems in families whether that is emotional, behavioural or social problems. Social Workers also deal with problems such as child abuse, domestic violence, and adoption. Before removing children from their home and separating families social worker s have to prove that they have gave families every option possible, if the family /parents does not comply with any of the options, the matter continues to rise and the child/children are still recognised at risk then the case is taken to court and assessed by a Judge whether the child/children should be removed from the family home, thus action is seen as a last resort. Barnardos – Barnardos is Ireland’s biggest children’s charity. It is focused on working with children and families on, whether that be group work or one-on-one interaction. Barnardos help children make the best of their abilities when going through difficult situations, such as neglect, abuse,  or poverty. They provide a range of services to help families through distressing time’s i.e counselling, and bereavement help lines. Barnardos also protest against Government laws that affect children and their way of living e.g. child benefit cuts. d) Six National Childcare organisations Barnardos – Barnardos is Ireland’s biggest children’s charity, it is mainly focused on working with children and families. Barnardos provide a range of services to help assist and support families through distressing times, they also help children make the best of their abilities whilst going through or have gone through difficult times e.g. neglect. Childminding Ireland- is a registered Charity and was created in 1986. It was created by a small group of childminders that further grew into a bigger organisation. The organisation promotes home-based childcare. Forbairt Naà onraà  Teoranta – is a voluntary organisation which supports education and care for children from birth who are brought up in Irish. St.Nicholas Montessori Society of Ireland – Provide opportunities for Montessori teachers to further their profession. They also offer help, support and give guidance for Montessori teachers. The Irish Society for the prevention of Children’s Cruelty – Provide a 24hour support service for children who are going through a difficult situations. States that id high quality childcare service wants to keep their service high quality, then the service must ensure that there is good child protection within the facility. The organisation also recognises children are individuals and therefore the child’s right s and values should be supported. Border Counties Childcare Network – Is a network that services in counties such as Monaghan, Meath, Louth, Cavan, Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim in helping deliver a childhood service of high quality. LO4: Clear explanation the rights of the child in the context of an ECCE setting. A) Examine the UN convention on the Rights of the Child. The UN convention on the Rights of the Child has 54 articles. These  fifty-four articles are a written list of the different types of the child’s rights, if those rights are intentionally broken it is seen as breaking the law. The UN convention on the Rights of the child can be broken into four broad areas, these four areas are – Survival, Development, Protection and Participation. Survival – The child has a right to life and the right to the basic requirements to survive life e.g. food, water, shelter, clothing, medical aid. Development – The child has a right to education, religion, play, develop the identification of right and wrong and leisure. The child also has the right to be provided with a safe environment to develop these skills and knowledge. Protection – The child has the right to be protected against abuse and neglect. If a child has come in interference with and suffered from abuse then the child has the right to some form of counselling to come to an understanding and overcome the traumatic situation. Participation – The child has the right to join organisations e.g. clubs, groups, freedom of expression and speech. Standard 1: Right of the child. â€Å"Ensuring that each child’s rights are met, requires that she/he is enabled to exercise choice and to use initiative as an active participant and partner in her/his own development and learning.† (Siolta page 13) Component 1.1 – Choice for the child Practitioners could put component 1.1 into practice at meal time. By giving the child the options at meal time, this could be achieved by giving the child the choice of two different meals therefore enabling the child to make its own choices. If a child decides they do not want to eat at meal time the practitioner should respect the child’s decision. By having different utensils available at meal time e.g. chopsticks, this provides choice for the child. The child can then make the choice on what they want to eat there meal with. Component 1.2 – Use initiative A practitioners could put component 1.2 into practice with a child from twelve – thirty-six months by providing the opportunity of letting the child out on its coat independently, enabling the child to zip or button  the coat. The practitioner should talk the child through the process, encourage the child as she/he is trying to overcome and accomplish the task and support the child if he/she comes into difficulty. Component 1.3 – active participants A practitioner could put component 1.3 into practice with a child from birth to eighteen months by viably communicating. While/when the practitioner is changing the child’s nappy he/she could viably communicate to the child and make eye contact whilst changing its nappy. The practitioner could also sing nursery rhymes and act out movements to the child e.g. three little pigs, touching the child’s toes whilst singing the rhyme. This makes the child feel comfortable and an active participant throughout the activity. LO2: Detained description of the qualifications and experience needed for work associated with one occupation in the ECCE sector. a) Outline legislations, policies, practices and procedures pertaining to ECCE provision. Childcare Act 1991 Provides asset of rules relating to children/young adults under the age of eighteen in Ireland, it governs the care and protection of children in Ireland. (Classnotes) Due to this legislation the Health Service Executive has a mandatory duty to promote and protect the wellbeing of all children under this act. Children who are being abused or at risk, this Act allows those children to be removed or be placed under the care of the Health Service Executive. In relation to preschool services the Act is consulted with when rules and regulations are being drawn up for the supervision of children of pre-school services. Under the Act the pre-school carers have a responsibility and duty to implement safety and wellbeing of children under their pre-school setting. If the pre-school carer has concern for a child’s safety health it is their responsibility to notify the Health Service Executive. If a new pre-school setting is being set up or is intending to set up the local Health Service Executive must be notified. The Health Service Executive then has a duty to inspect the pre-school setting to  ensure the health and safety standards of the setting are being met. The rules and regulations drawn up from the Act must be strictly followed by the practitioners. Childcare (preschool services) Regulations 2006 The regulation outlines the standards that a preschool setting of any form must put/have in place before it can commence e.g. all forms of health, safety and welfare of the setting must be put in place to ensure full safety of the child is being met. It is the Health Service Executive’s duty for inspecting and giving a report of information on pre-schools of any sort or kind who care for children from the age of zero-six years of age. The regulation is arranged in six parts – thirty-three regulations and can be broadly covered over the following areas: â€Å"Health, welfare and development of the child Notification and inspection by the Health Service Executive Record keeping Standard of premises and facilities General administration† (class notes) Policies and procedures must be drawn up and developed from these points. Children First 1999 Children First was first made available in the year 1999 but was later replaced with Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011. The general rule of the document was left unchanged but acknowledges past inspections and reports and feedback, due to this the document had been edited to set out distinctive guidelines that individual roles should take is concerned for a child’s health, safety and welfare. Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2011 main aims are to ensure children’s health safety and welfare are being constantly met. That society are aware that they should not assume but should report any concerns regarding a child’s health and safety and realise that it is their responsibility to put this action into place. The legislation provides advise/support for parents/guardians in regards to their role as a parent/carer. Inspections made by the ‘Department of Education and Science’ will take place through-out schools of all sorts to  reinforce and ensure that the new legislation is being enforced. Siolta Siolta is made up of twelve principals, sixteen standard and seventy-five components. The twelve principals provide the base of the frame work. Without the principals the components wouldn’t be able to be put in place. The principals give direction for childcare workers on how they should carry out their work in an Early Childhood Care and Education environment, how to interact and communicate with children and fillies, how subjects should be taught and how the services that the childcare worker works in should be organised. The twelve principles contain: Equality – is a necessary aspect to have in a childcare setting, it is essential every child feels equal. Diversity- Every childcare setting should recognise that each child comes from very different backgrounds. It is the childcares settings responsibility to confirm that they understand, respect and accommodate this with visual aids e.g. posters, dolls from different ethnic backgrounds, chopsticks in the home area ec t. Environment- The physical layout of the setting should be organised to meet, encourage and develop the child’s abilities so the child can reach their full potential. Welfare- The child’s health, safety and welfare is essential and should be met as much as it possibly can be e.g. if a child has chicken pock’s, that child should be removed to a room where no other children are present the child’s parents should be contacted and the child shouldn’t return until it has cleared to prevent it infecting other children. The role of the adult- The adult working in the setting has a responsibility to make sure the child is making the most of their experience and are reaching full potential while in that adults company. Teamwork-Good communication and respect should be shown and practised in settings between the various workers in the setting. If there isn’t respect among workers, there won’t be good teamwork skills therefore the children present in that company will pick up on the negative energy and put what they have picked up on into practice. Pedagogy- The study and theory of the methods and principals of teaching should be put in place in early childhood care and education through holistic play, as this is the most appropriate method of learning for children of that age range. Play-Should be promoted, as it is an essential part in a child’s development  whether that be physical or theory learning. Sioltas sixteen standards are essential and necessary in services as it give guidance for workers within the service, IT gives guidance on how to act, provide and develop services with the setting. The standards contain various elements such as the various elements such as the child’s rights to the legislation and regulation. It’s from the sanders that the seventy-five components are made up. The components help meet the standard. Without the sixteen standards and seventy-five components the knowledge of the twelve principals wouldn’t be able to be put in place as effectively. Siolta was created to improve the way childcare is taught, organised, carried out and viewed in the Early Childhood Care and Education settings who cater for children from the age range of birth to six years of age. It â€Å"defines, assess and supports† these improvements. Early Childhood Care and Education settings and services taking part in the free school year must implement Siolta, making more demand for the service. (siolta) Aistear Aistear, was established by the Department of Education and Skills through NCCA in 2010. Aistear from the Irish word meaning ‘journey’, is of relevant importance to childcare settings where children from the ages of 0-6 years receive their care and education. Aistear works closely alongside Siolta and consists of an informal curriculum that contains twelve principles and themes that give guidance to the childcare worker. Aistear recognizes that education and care are not separate within the childcare sector and they aim to help children grow and develop independently. (Aistear) The manager The manager is required to have a minimum level 7/8 qualification in childcare, they have to manage the day-to-day routine of the preschool setting, ensuring that the developmental needs, safety and wellbeing of each individual child are being met. The manager may also be required to work unsocial hours and must attend to relevant meetings. The manager also has the responsibility to ensure the child protection policy is being implemented within the setting, recording and concerns and also ensuring high sanders of safety are being maintained at all times. (Class notes) The Childcare assistant The Childcare assistant is required to have a minimum of a level 5 qualification in childcare and previous experience is required. They assist in the day-to-day organisation and preparation of the childcare setting. The Childcare assistant must maintain all personal information of the individual children as confidential and at times have to work unsocial hours. The assistant must ensure the children within their care are receiving high standards of care, safety and wellbeing whilst also ensuring the developmental need of the children are being met accurately. The Childcare Assistant will have to at times participate in fundraising activities, special events and outings. They must strictly follow the Child Protection policy and report any concerns. (class notes) The Playgroup Leader The Playgroup Leader is required to have a minimum of a level 5 qualification in childcare and previous experience in childcare is required. The Playgroup Leader is required to manage the day-to-day routine of the playgroup. The playgroup leader has the responsibility to ensure the safety, wellbeing and developmental needs of the children are being continually being met. They must keep all personal information regarding the children within the service, children’s family and staff strictly confidential. Must strictly follow and promote the Child Protection Policy, ensuring high standers of hygiene and quality are being promoted within the setting. Organise regular meetings with parents throughout the year. Must regularly carry out appraisal on the staff’s performance, make sure all staff and volunteers have guard vetting. Must try to obtain good staff more and show respect to other staff members. Special Needs Assistant A Special Needs Assistant must have a minimum level5 qualification in childcare. Must ensure that all personal information regarding children or staff they work with remains confidently then it should be reported. Must strictly follow the Child Protection Act and make sure the developmental needs of the child are being met. The assists are recruited to help assist  and support children with special needs or difficult behaviour problems in schools. The assistants engage regularly with the parents of the special needs child, they also participate in fundraising activities, special events and outings to further help the child or children with special needs. Montessori teacher Must have a minimum level5 qualification in childcare. Must strictly follow the Child Protection Act and make sure the developmental needs of the child are being met, ensuring high standards of hygiene and quality are being promoted within the setting. A Montessori has the responsibly to provide opportunities for children so they can figure out how to do something for themselves. Must observe children within the setting and comment on their development. They provide challenging tasks for the children, so they make the best of their abilities. Organise meetings with the parents throughout the year. Detailed description of the qualifications and experience needed for work associated with on occupation in the ECCE sector. One occupation in the Early Child Care and Education sector I have chose to further evaluate on is the pre-school manager. The pre-school manager has many roles and responsibilities such as: Being strictly confidential within and outside the Early Childhood Care and Education setting in relaxation to keeping personal information about the children, their family and also the staff. Ensuring when planned activities are taking place that each individual child’s developmental needs are being met. Making sure that every area and all facilities of the Early Childhood Care and Education setting are being met to Sioltas standards. Has the role of preparing and creating curriculum plans for the staff to carry out in the Early Childhood Care and Education setting. Making sure that there is good staff morale, resolving any issues that arise promptly and effectively Making sure that there the Child Protection policy is being promoted and that the policy is being firmly stuck to. If any concerns are arisen then the manager must document and record this. Organise meetings with parents throughout the year to inform them and discuss such things as the child’s progression and also  adhering to any concerns raised by the parents. It is also a role and responsibility of the manager to prepare and organise special event and outings for the children attending the Early Childhood Care and Education setting. ( class notes) The preschool manager must have a minimum qualification of level of seven/eight in childcare.This qualification can be obtained in most IT’s. The duration of study that it would take to obtain this would be approximately three to four years depending on the level of qualification. To then further become a pre-school manager the level of experience the individual would need to have would depend on the Early Childhood Care and Education setting. Generally the minimum experience needed by the individual would be approximately two – four years. It would be appropriate that the individual had experience as a supervisor before becoming a pre-school manager. Employment and Career Opportunities in Childcare Funding that is made available to state to childcare services, such as the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme, the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme / Free Pre-School year and Community Childcare Solovention scheme make the option of childcare services more appealing and therefore increase the demand for childcare services. As a result of the increased demand for childcare services, the demand for employment opportunities also increases. The Early Childhood care and Education Scheme / Free Pre-school year (FPSY) was introduced in 2009. The scheme recognized the importance of qualifications within the childcare sector and as a result it introduced a minimum qualifications standard for pre-school leaders. An important feature of the scheme is that it offers more funding for better qualified staff and because of this feature it can increase or decrease an individual’s employment opportunities e.g. if an individual applied for a particular position in which the state requires the potential employee to hold a Level 7 qualification, and the candidate did not hold a Level 7 qualification,  that candidate will most likely not get the position as a result as their employment would not benefit the pre-school. The Community Childcare Subvention Scheme is a support scheme that was set up to aid and support non-profit childcare services/centres. This scheme does not support profit childcare services. The schemes main focus is to help the non-profit childcare services. This scheme allows non-profit childcare services to provide their services at a lower rate, which enables children with disadvantaged parents the opportunity to attend childcare services. Each Community based service that takes part in the Community Childcare scheme, has the responsibility to make a guideline available of the different rates for each type of service that they offer to parents. There are four types of fee rates available; and the parent/guardian will be offered the rate depending on what price band or category they fall into based on their individual financial situation. This scheme enables more access to all types of parents and therefore increases the demand for childcare services and effectively increases employment opportunities. Special Needs Assistant – Due to the downturn in the Irish Economy, there have been substantial cuts in Special Needs Assistants. It has been revealed that approximately 1200 Special needs assistant positions will be cut in the near future. (Class notes) If this happens, there will be a sharp decrease in the amount of employment opportunities available within the childcare sector. It is also thought that as a result of the cuts, individuals that currently hold a Level 7/8 qualification may not be willing to apply for job opportunities that become available due to the poor pay conditions and low status of the childcare positions. Progression of qualifications within the childcare sector e.g. achieving a Level 5 and progressing to a Level 6, Level 7 and Level 8 qualification is becoming more important to childcare workers to help them increase their employment opportunities. The better the qualification that a childcare worker obtains means they have a higher chance of securing employment within the childcare sector. E.g. If an advertisement is published in a newspaper for a childcare position, and an individual that holds a Level 5 applies  while also an individual what holds a Level 8 qualification also applies, the individual with the higher qualification i.e. the Level 8 qualification, will have a higher chance of getting the position. After obtaining a Level 8 qualification i.e. A Degree in childcare, which is generally obtained over a three year period, there is a career opportunity to continue to study towards a Primary school teaching qualification. A further two years of study in Teacher training is also required before obtaining a qualification as a Primary school teacher. After achieving a minimum of a Level 7/8 qualification, there is also the opportunity to become a manager within a childcare setting. An individual seeking to further their career or who wishes to pursue a career in management would also need sufficient experience within the early childcare and education setting to secure a higher position. This career opportunity can only become available for the individual if they have obtained a Level 7/8 qualification.

buy custom A Mothers and Infants Center essay

buy custom A Mothers and Infants Center essay "Healthy and Happy Moms for Healthy and Happy Kids (HHM4HHK), will be the name of a community based mother and infant care centre in Nairobi City. The centre will be providing counseling, nutritional education, basic medical checkups, provision of food supplements, and infant rearing education to mothers, especially from the slums and suburbs in Nairobi city. It is anticipated that from the provision of the above services, mothers will be healthy and happy hence giving birth to healthy and jubilant infants. Parasitic diseases, malnutrition, infections and risk associated to giving birth like; low birth weight, inadequate mothers blood, and lack of knowledge, are the major factors threatening the child survival. This problem is abundant in developing countries like Kenya and worse among people living below the poverty line like the slam dwellers in Nairobi. A substantial amount of nutritious foods are commonly available in town which might be beneficial to pregnant mothers. Never the less, in the slums we have poor of the poorest who cannot afford basic nutrients required by pregnant women and even lack the basic knowledge on the same. There is an 87% chance of survival of children with mothers who understand the nutritive content and its importance during pregnancy and use the knowledge (Mora J. Nestel P, 2000). It is therefore necessary to provide necessary nutritive care to expectant mothers for realization of the Millennium Development Goal 4 of reducing child mortality rate especially in developing countries like Kenya. Goal 1; To reduce the level of malnutrition among expectant mothers and infants. Objective 1.1; To impart knowledge to mothers in Nairobi on health and nutrition. Objective 1.2; To help mothers in Nairobi in application of nutritional and health information gained Objective 1.3; To provide nutritional supplements to mothers in Nairobi Slums for them and their infants Objective 1.4; To impart knowledge to mothers on how to evaluate change in the health of their children and take necessary actions. Objective 1.5; To conduct basic medical checkup tests for expectant mothers Goal 2; To effectively use volunteers in helping the community to learn. Objective 2.1; To recruit undergraduate students (20) from Universities in Nairobi City as volunteers of HHM4HHK project. Objective 2.2; To offer training to the volunteers on health and nutritional nformation for mothers and young children as well as adult education teaching methods. Objective 2.3; To sent the volunteers in the community to educate local mothers There will be two groups of clientele in the implementation of this project. The primary clientele are the expectant mothers and mothers with young children living in Nairobi city especially in the slums. This clientele group will enable realization of Goal 1. The second clientele group will facilitate realization of Goal 2 which are the university students acting as volunteers for the project. To achieve the set goals and objectives, a Centre within the city will be established from where information on health and nutritional value for expectant mothers and young children will be provided, Training of volunteers will take place, provision of food supplements to expectant mothers and to mothers for their infants will be done and basic health checkups for expectant mothers will be done. The volunteers will undergo four week training before being sent to the field. This training will impart them with knowledge in health and nutritional information on expectant mothers and of young children as well as adult education teaching skills. Five best trainees will undergo an advanced training in nutritional counseling techniques. These five will be placed in the HHM4HHK Centre to extent their skills to needy mothers. The other volunteers will be sent in Nairobi slums to conduct civic education on subject areas they would have learned. Each field volunteer will be expected to meet at least 4 community groups, especially women, per month for 6 months. They will be mandated to provide monthly reports on topics covered and issues arising from their project activities. On the other hand, the volunteers in the Centre will keep records on the clients they would have seen and counseled and follow up with the clients to ensure adherence to the recommendations made from the counseling sessions. In addition, a Dissemination Plan and a Documentation plan will be developed to ensure systematic collection, analysis, storage and reporting of information on the implementation of the project. It is imperative to note that the project will have full time management staff in order to achieve the set goals and objectives. These include; Project Director; Responsible for overseeing the project implementation and development. Centre Coordinator; Responsible for running the Centre and developing links with other partners as well as supervising the other employees. Volunteer Coordinator; Responsible for recruiting the volunteers and supervising their work. Medical Nurse; Carrying out the relevant medical checkups in pregnant women. Available Resources A building provided by the community 4 computers 1 Photocopier 2 Printers 4 office desks with chairs Needed resources with their cost and justifications Personnel; This project will require the 4 mentioned fulltime staff, 20 volunteers and 5 part time employees. They will be responsible in ensuring effective implementation of the project. The estimated cost for their remuneration/allowance is $ 50,000.00 per annum. Food supplements; They will be given to needy mothers within the target area thus providing the needed nutrients for expectant mothers and young children. The cost of these supplements is $ 15,000 per annum. Office equipments; More office equipments will be needed to be used by the volunteers who will be counseling mothers. They will cost about $ 10,000. Medical testing kits for pregnant women; This will be used by the nurse in checkup of expectant mothers. They will cost $ 12,000 per annum. Training materials; The volunteers will use flip charts, brochures, fliers, banners and resource books among others in their community outreach training activities. They will cost about $ 5,000. The total budget cost of this project will be $ 100,000.00 per annum. Evaluation plan Two evaluation strategies have been designed for use in this project i.e. formative and summative. Formative Evaluation will be done through open-ended questionnaires and interviews. Students and mothers will be asked question regarding to the project which will include; topics covered during training and counseling, feedback on the topics, recommendations and attractiveness of the project. A project evaluator will be contracted and will meet regularly with all stakeholders. Quarterly reports will be made from the process. Summative Evaluation will initiate the project by collection of the baseline data on assess of nutrition knowledge and food by expectant mothers and infants. Same analysis will be done after every 6 months. In addition details and the number of mothers checked in the Centre will be kept and analyzed quarterly. An annual report will be provided with both formative and summative findings. Buy custom A Mothers and Infants Center essay

Innovation, Sustainability and the Human Race essays

Innovation, Sustainability and the Human Race essays Since the beginning of evolution, humans have been creating innovative ways to simplify life. From the discovery of fire to modern advances in technology, the main objective was to simplify adversity in life. Although modern advances in technology have proven advantageous, few people take the time to review what affect this imposes on the environment and planet, specifically the consumption, and production of material resources. With modern technology, and conclusive data from extensive research, a person must wonder why America does not take a stronger initiative to protect the environment. By conserving natural resources this will aid in maximizing and improving future ecosystem opportunities. It is detrimental to future generations and livelihood to take measures to protect natural resources. If America does not make current changes to do so, future generations will be at risk, potentially leaving these generations in depletion of natural resources. In relation to human consumption, Americans have a tendency to consume in excess. Farm lands, for example, have been overly consumed for industrial and commercial objectives. As stated by Professor Reid Ewing, Lands most suitable for growing crops also tend to be most suitable for growing houses, (Turk & Bensel, 2011, p. 11). Land lost for the purpose of expansion or the distribution of urban or suburban areas into undeveloped lands is known as sprawl. Sprawl poses numerous environmental issues. The development of a natural environment damages natural beauty and sabotages landscaping. This also enhances the threat of water and air pollution to the environment. Sprawl developments are designed in a manner requiring use of automobiles. This requires increased fuel consumption, increases air pollution, and the emission of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for change in climate, (Turk & Bensel, 2011). As land transforms into shopping malls, developments, and buildi...

Profile of Camarasaurus

Profile of Camarasaurus True heavyweights like Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus get all the press, but pound for pound, the most common sauropod of late Jurassic North America was Camarasaurus. This medium-sized plant-eater, which weighed only about 20 tons (compared to near 100 tons for the largest sauropods and titanosaurs), is believed to have roamed the western plains in sizable herds, and its juveniles, aged and ailing were probably a prime source of food for the hungry theropods of its day (the most likely antagonist being Allosaurus). Name: Camarasaurus (Greek for chambered lizard); pronounced cam-AH-rah-SORE-us Habitat: Plains of North America Historical Period: Late Jurassic (150-145 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 60 feet long and 20 tons Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Large, boxy skull; hollow vertebrae; single claw on front feet Paleontologists believe that Camarasaurus subsisted on more challenging fare than its larger sauropod cousins since its teeth were adapted to slicing and shredding especially tough vegetation. Like other plant-eating dinosaurs, Camarasaurus may also have swallowed small stonescalled gastrolithsto help grind down food in its massive gut, though direct evidence for this is lacking. (By the way, this dinosaurs name, Greek for chambered lizard, refers not to the stomach of Camarasaurus but to its head, which contained numerous large openings that probably served some kind of cooling function.) Does the unusual prevalence of Camarasaurus specimens (especially in the stretch of the Morrison Formation spanning Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah) mean that this sauropod vastly outnumbered its more famous relatives? Not necessarily: for one thing, just because a given dinosaur happens to persist in the fossil record speaks more about the vagaries of the preservation process than the size of its population. On the other hand, it only makes sense that the western U.S. could support a larger population of medium-sized sauropods, compared to smaller herds of 50- and 75-ton behemoths, so Camarasaurus may well have outnumbered the likes Apatosaurus and Diplodocus. The first fossil specimens of Camarasaurus were discovered in Colorado, in 1877, and quickly purchased by the famous American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope (who was probably afraid that his arch-rival Othniel C. Marsh would beat him to the prize). It was Cope who had the honor of naming Camarasaurus, but that didnt prevent Marsh from bestowing the genus name Morosaurus on some very similar specimens he discovered later (and which turned out to be synonymous with the already-named Camarasaurus, which is why you wont find Morosaurus on any modern lists of dinosaurs). Interestingly, the profusion of Camarasaurus fossils has allowed paleontologists to investigate this dinosaurs pathologythe various diseases, ailments, wounds and contusions that all dinosaurs suffered at one time or another during the Mesozoic Era. For example, one pelvic bone bears evidence of an Allosaurus bite mark (its not known whether or not this individual survived this attack), and another fossil shows possible signs of arthritis (which may or may not, as in human beings, have been an indication that this dinosaur reached old age).