Monday, January 27, 2020

Nursing Retention in South Africa

Nursing Retention in South Africa 2nd Paper Quantitative Research Title Mokoka,K.E., Ehlers, V.J. Oosthuizen, M.J. (2011). Factors influencing the retention of registered nurses in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Curationis, 34(1), 9. Retrieved from http://dx.doi. org/10.4102/curationis. v34i1.16 Introduction South African Nursing Council has predicted a critical nursing staff shortage within the country in the near future. This phenomena occurred as the number of nurse graduates has reduced by 42% over a period of 10 years. The authors carried out this exploratory descriptive quantitative study with the intention to investigate work related factors that influence nurses decision to stay with current employer. Questionnaires were posted to 536 registered nurses selected using random sampling method. Authors employed postal questionnaires as data collection instrument to targeted respondents with covering letters and stamped addressed return envelope. However, only 108 questionnaires returned where 73.1% of responded nurses expressed thoughts of leaving their job. Data analysis of this study employed quantitative descriptive procedures using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) tool. As a result, financial factors was the most important factor influencing nurses retention. Re commendations based on the results of this study made to the employers for implementation to reduce turnover and enhance retention. Data collection method will be discussed in this study. Data collection method Structured self report survey-based method was used by the authors in the data collection. Researchers have the options of face to face interview, phone interview, postal questionnaires and online (electronic) questionnaires. Since this cross sectional quantitative survey consisted of large number of sample to achieve generalization of the study, postal questionnaires as data collection instrument is favored (Stenhammar et al., 2011). In addition to that, Ashby et al. (2010) reported that postal questionnaires tool is frequently used for health services research. In fact, postal questionnaires approach used by researchers can be distributed throughout a wider geographic area thus increases the number of return samples. McDonald and Adam (2003) claimed that postal data collection received twice response rate than online method. Similarly, Shih and Fan (2007) reported that postal mail survey gives better response rate as compare to electronic mail after a review into 35 studies. Subsequently, high questionnaires response rate will ensure studys validity and avoid bias (Stenhammar et al., 2011). However, postal survey with incomplete questionnaires is excluded hence the occurrence of item-missing data reduce s data quality. Meanwhile, force function set up to ensure completion of questionnaire for online data is not possible for postal data. Indeed, Basi (1999) found that completion of data by online respondent is more than that of postal respondent. On the contrary, Stanton (1998) compared postal and online questionnaires and suggested that there were no differences in the item variability and amount of incomplete data. Even so, there were variety of findings in the studies that compare the postal and online methods (e.g. Buchanan,2003; Epstein et al., 2001; Lewis et al., 2009). As many researchers begin to recognize the impending trend where network interactions progressively gain popularity among the population, it is highly possible that electronic devices will play an active role in time. According to McDonald and Adam (2003), online technologies might include interactive television, handphones and 3D simulations touch screen devices. However in 1999, Dommeyer and Moriarty concluded that online data collection methods do not result in higher response levels and Cobanoglu et al. (2001) stated that postal survey was a common research method in year 2000. When exploring the social background of the participants, mail response samples showed conventional and introvert profiles. Whereas, the online response samples showed profile of technology savvy group (Schillewaert Meulemeester, 2005). Clearly, penetration of technologies and adaptation of users are other important factors to consider by researchers while referring to the social-demographics pattern of t he population. There were total of 89 questions in this study that may reduce the response rate significantly. Given the circumstances that nurses in the sample group have been busy at workplace and back home (handling household chore), they are less likely to participate in the study actively. In this case, question designs by researchers must be focused and short to extract required information and encourage participation. As pointed out in a pilot study carried out by Jepson et al. (2004) the threshold for questionnaire length on a favorable response rate was approximately 1000 words. In addition, Edwards et al. (2003) supported this hypothesis after the review of 251 relevant reports concluding that using shorter questionnaire increases response rate. In another word, questionnaire design is important to speed up returns. All things considered, novice researchers consider the use of questionnaires are advised to refer experts and literature on the similar study ( Drummond et al., 2007; Dunn et al., 2002; Marshall, 2004 ). Then again, traditional research method such as postal survey costs more as compared to online survey. Postal cost includes those of printing, preparing mail cover and two way postage (MacDonald Adam, 2003; Mehta Sivadas, 1995; Weibie Wallace, 1998). Moreover, to improve postal questionnaire response rates few measures were introduced for examples including pencils and erasers in the postage package, sending reminder in the form of text messages or electronic mail. For the study on cost effectiveness of including pencils and erasers, Aveyard et al. (2001) found that there was no benefit shown to set off the cost. Nevertheless, text messages as suggested can be conveniently implemented as a strategy to increase response rate by researchers because participants take shorter time to access text messages on phone than electronic mail ( Keding et al., 2016; Man et al., 2010). Conclusion Selection of data collection instrument is essential to enhance survey quality while taking into consideration the aspect of accuracy, cost and timeliness. Unfortunately, studies looking at comparative result among different data collection methods over the years has produced conflicting outcome (Weigold et al., 2013). In time, health care providers being the technologically sophisticated population may be able to provide higher response rate in web-based survey with the improvement of internet accessibility and successful technology adoption (Weible Wallace, 1998). On the whole, ongoing study is required to monitor the evolution of health care research so that the researchers can decide on the suitable method for their studies.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Night and Dawn †A Comparison of Elie Wisel’s writings Essay

Night and Dawn, both written by Elie Wiesel, are two books that have changed the way people view life and death. Night is a story of the Holocaust that occurs in the time frame of the mid-1900s. Elie, the author and the main character of Night, tells of the horrific years he spent in Germany’s concentration camps. During this time period, millions of Jewish people were shot by merciless Nazis. Dawn focuses on a young boy Elisha who is recruited into a terrorist organization after the Holocaust. He eventually finds himself caught in the middle of the war between the Jewish and the British fighting for freedom. Both of Wiesel’s stories involve poignant emotions. Night shows the reader the horror of being murdered. Similarly, Dawn is about the horror of murdering someone. It is interesting to note that in Night, the Jewish is in front of the gun; in Dawn, the Jewish man is behind a gun. Both situations contain the predominant emotion of fear. The two stories vary, but behind their covers, these stories deal with the same topic–cruel murder. Elie Wiesel deals with this topic through the characters, the character’s histories, and their similarities and differences. Elie Wiesel’s journey begins in Sighet where his family believed strongly in their religion. The Nazis have set the goal — genocide of the Jewish citizens. He is sent to a concentration camp in Germany where he must endure the harsh brutality of the Nazis. It is only at these concentration camps that Elie discovers the truth about himself. Dawn is about a scarred Jewish man Elisha who is recruited to join an extremist group that is fighting for their freedom against the English. One of the terrorist party members, David, is captured by the English during an operation of smuggling arms and is threatened to be killed for committing this crime. The Jewish freedom fighters suddenly become enraged and devise their own plan; The capture of their own hostage, Captain Dawson. The Jewish then plan to exchange the Captain for David. Elisha, who just joined the group, is then assigned his first task–the harsh mission of murdering the Captain. While Elisha may not have a physically painful task, he must endure the mental anguish that murder brings. Once the murdered, now the murderer. Wiesel utilizes the characters to emphasize his purposes. The two main characters in Night and Dawn, Elie and Elisha, share both similarities and differences. Elie keeps his feelings and his actions within his mind. His thoughts tell the story and provide readers with emotion. On the other hand, Elisha tends to act his thoughts out, which is the main reason that he joined the terrorist group. For example, Elie prays regularly in order to fuel his hope that one day he will find freedom; Elisha contrastingly kills and destructs out of his emotional and horrendous past. This they both lost their precious childhood at such an early age. Their childhood provides us with the chance to be naà ¯ve and more importantly, the chance to be innocent. Innocence is the only time in life, where you do not possess the knowledge to differentiate between right and wrong. Unfortunately, the main characters did not have the time to slowly explore maturity. Instead, they were forced into the scary and unstable life of adulthood ultimately leading Elie and Elisha down to the fork in the path. The two narrators try to convince themselves that their actions are helpful to society or to themselves. For example, Elisha says, â€Å"I’ll think of David too, I reflected. He’ll protect me. John Dawson may try to make me laugh, but I won’t do it. David will come to my rescue† (79). Elisha is trying to reassure himself that David, the Jewish hostage, is a good reason to murder the Captain. Similarly, Elie had many thoughts toward his commitment to God. When he finally questions his faith he claims, â€Å"I felt very strong. I was the accuser, God the accused† (65). As shown through these examples, throughout the novels, the reader is able to grasp and feel Wiesel’s thoughts and ideas by carefully observing and analyzing the characters of Elie and Elisha. Wiesel wrote Night in an attempt to leave the reader feeling as if he were a Jewish citizen during the time of the Holocaust. The author achieves this through his vivid descriptions and emotional family affairs, such as the time where Elie is separated from his family. When connecting with a character, one understands the character’s dilemmas, such as Elie’s questioning of his religious faith. In Dawn, Wiesel’s purpose was to make the reader see through the eyes of a murderer, and the difficulty of murdering without a reason in which he believes. Elisha struggles because he  cannot find the answer to the question within himself: â€Å"Why am I killing Captain Dawson?† Both stories try to make the reader empathize with the main character. Both Elie and Elisha have a difficult time living in Night and Dawn. The author exaggerates this in Dawn by using the phrase â€Å"Poor boy!† to describe Elisha. In Night, the author tried to gain sympathy for Eli e by putting him into painful situations. One event that represents this was the time where Elie was whipped by a Kapo, â€Å"He took his time between each stroke. Only the first ones really hurt me. I could hear him counting† (55). Going into more depth, Wiesel writes about how each character deals with his pain. Elie copes with loss through his belief in God and his strength; Elisha copes with his loss by communicating with apparitions of the people by which he has been influenced, and the people he has influenced. While making the readers sympathize with the main characters, Wiesel also uses both stories as important information that reflect on our past and our present. Night and Dawn serve as documentations that show readers some of the darkest moments in our history. In these two novels, the author compares the past to the present. While the audience reads this book, it may realize that we still face the same problems today as we did fifty years ago. Perhaps Wiesel wrote these books in attempt to change the future for the better of mankind. Even though there are many similarities between Night and Dawn, the books also have significant differences. Foremost, in Dawn, The tables have turned, and this time they are in control. Many times throughout Dawn, the terrorists say, â€Å"This is war,† in an attempt to give reason to the assassination of the English man. However, they are simply â€Å"putting on the field-gray uniform of the SS† (30). Perhaps the Nazis used this same excuse while brutally slaughtering thousands of Jewish people. The attacker must put himself in the victim’s shoes; likewise, the reader must put himself into the main character’s shoes. And although the tables have turned for the Jewish man, the reader can still relate to the main character because he is in his shoes. This slaughtering inevitably scars each victim. Of course, each character deals with his pain in a different way. In Night, Elie uses his thoughts to heal his wounds constructively. In Dawn, Elisha acts out his thoughts and seeks revenge destructively. A prime example that is  representative of Elie is the time when he sees the young boy that is being hung. At this event, a man asks, â€Å"Where is God now?† Elie then responds with the following thought: â€Å"Where is He? Here He is–He is hanging here on this gallows†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (62). However, Elie does not speak out; rather, he keeps his thoughts within himself. On the other hand, Elisha uses his instinct to guide him into sin. As Elisha bitterly states: I understood Gad’s bitterness; indeed I envied it. He was losing a friend, and it hurt. But when you lose a friend every day it doesn’t hurt so much. And I’d lost plenty of friends in my time; sometimes I thought of myself as a living graveyard. That was the real reason I followed Gad to Palestine and became a terrorist: I had no more friends to lose (35). This suggests that Elie has become totally numb to the idea of death. He has been set free to the burden of mourning. This is why Elisha does not cry or yell out in pain after he murders Captain Dawson. It is interesting to note that even though Elie and Elisha find themselves in similar situations, they each deal with their problems in their own unique ways. These two novels carry the same purpose–touching the hearts of the readers from their history, to their agonizing life during the Holocaust. In Dawn, Wiesel states that â€Å"War is like night†¦ It covers everything†. This statement proved true for both Elie and Elisha; however, the war did not give them the same view on life or of the Holocaust. Dawn and Night show the good and the bad that resulted from living in a painful past. Elie searches within himself to discover inner peace, even during such a painful period in his life. Similarly, Elisha also searches within himself but unlike Elie, he discovers extreme hatred. Dawn and Night are stunning novels that bring the reader into some of the most painful and agonizing scenario; this was what Wiesel desired–and he has been successful.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Managing Marine Resources Sustainably

MANAGING MARINE RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY 8/17/2011 Sanie Joel V. Cagoco Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 ARTICLE SUMMARY Eutrophication is a syndrome of ecosystem responses to human activities that fertilize water bodies with nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P), often leading to changes in animal and plant populations and degradation of water and habitat quality. Nitrogen and phosphorous are essential components of structural proteins, enzymes, cell membranes, nucleic acids and molecules that capture and utilize light and chemical energy to support life. The biologically available forms of Nitrogen and Phosphorous are present at low concentrations in pristine lakes, rivers, estuaries and in vast regions of the upper ocean. The natural resources of the sea are extremely valuable and, for the most part, are renewable. If properly managed, they should provide continuing returns into the future without diminishing their productivity. Yet, for many of these resources, including those of importance to industries such as ? shing and tourism, ef? ient management and sustainable exploitation have been the exception rather than the rule. Resources have been depleted and have collapsed due to over-exploitation, with severe economic and social consequences for the humans relying on them. Increasing demand for ocean resources due to population growth and economic expansion has raised concern about the sustainability of the ocean resources and amenities that contribute to the well-being of people around the globe. Highly productive fisheries have collapsed, marine and coastal habitats have been Eutrophication was first evident in lakes and rivers as they became choked with excessive growth of rooted plants and floating algal scums, prompting intense study in the 1960’s – 70’s and culmination in the scientific basis for banning phosphate detergents and upgrading sewage treatment to reduce wastewater Nitrogen and Phosphorous discharges to inland waters. lost or degraded, and carbon dioxide from fossil fuels is changing the climate and some of the basic properties of the marine environment. These stresses increase the urgency of developing sustainable practices for activities in the ocean. Of the ocean's renewable resources, fish are probably the most pressing concern to people around the world. The sustainability of the ocean's fisheries is essential for the well-being of people in both developing and industrialized nations, through markets that range from local to global in scale. Seafood is the major source of protein for more than 1 billion people internationally, while about 44 million depend on fishing or fish farming for their livelihood. Because seafood provides an immediate connection between the ocean and people, we discuss fish production in terms of managing the wild harvest and developing sustainable quaculture practices. (Susan Roberts and Kenneth Brink) 1 Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 Common to most definitions of sustainability is the concept of using renewable resources without jeopardizing their availability for use by future generations. Sustainable means different things to different people, and notably has been a point of contention in fisheries management. The 1992 UN Convention on Biological Diversity defined sustainable use as ? the use of components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to long-term decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining its otential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations. Fisheries management involves regulating when, where, how, and how much fishermen are allowed to harvest to ensure that there will be fish in the future. It draws on fisheries science in order to find ways to protect fishery resources so sustainable exploitation is possible. Modern fisheries management is often referred to as a governmental system of appropriate management rules based on defined objectives and a mix of management means to implement the rules, which are put in place by a system of monitoring control and surveillance. Thru Fishery management, oceans would be fished and farmed to protect long-term production, not to generate the highest short-term cash flow. Market prices for catches would rise and fall within a predictable and profitable range, which would reward fairly the boat owners’ investments and crews’ labor. Fishing families would earn stable, year-round wages, and their coastal communities would thrive on these fishing wages and income generated by supporting businesses. Consumers would have stable supplies of high-quality local seafood. An armistice would end the debilitating wars between fishermen and environmentalists; government regulators would make quick realistic decisions; and court dockets would be empty of head-of-the-pin fisheries cases Many different strategies have been proposed to make fisheries more sustainable. A few of these approaches, which could be pursued in concert, are described here: (a) adopting more conservative catch limits, (b) changing the economic incentives of the fishing industry, and (c) enhancing the demand for sustainable products. An ecosystem is the basic functional unit in ecology, as it includes both organisms and their abiotic environment. No organism can exist without the environment. Ecosystem represents the highest level of ecological integration which is energy based. A pond, a lake, a coral reef, part of any field and a laboratory culture can be some of the examples of ecosystems. Thus an ecosystem is 2 Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 defined as a specific unit of all the organisms occupying a given area which interacts with the physical environment producing distinct trophic structure, biotic diversity and material cycling. Aquaculture, also known as aqua farming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and Growing our own seafood through aquaculture can provide part of the solution to a major saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments. The wild capture fisheries are only one part of the seafood industry. The largest growth in seafood production since 1990 has been in aquaculture, which currently accounts for about one-third of the world’s total fish and shell harvest. Aquaculture is expected to increase in importance as the demand for seafood increases. ecological catastrophe – overharvesting of the world’s marine life – while contributing to the global supply of healthy seafood. In aquaculture, there is also the option of farming herbivores instead of carnivores. This typically means culturing filter-feeding shellfish such as mussels, clams, and oysters. These species do not require fish feeds – they are mostly herbivores that consume phytoplankton in the water and their culture can be beneficial in areas prone to phytoplankton blooms and eutrophication. However, some of the other concerns about aquaculture also apply to the culture of these mollusks including the effects of aquaculture operations on marine habitats and resident species. ARTICLE’S RELATIONSHIP TO PHILIPPINE ENVIRONTMENTAL CONDITION AND IT’S AGENCIES CONCERNED The country’s main environmental institution is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). It was created in 1987 by Executive Order No. 192, which consolidated several government agencies performing environmental functions. The DENR is primarily responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the country’s environment and natural resources, specifically forest and grazing lands, mineral resources, and lands of the public domain, as well as the licensing and regulation of all natural resources. 3 Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 Apart from the DENR, there are other national government agencies involved in environmental management. The major ones include the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health (DOH), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR), and Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) (the last two, in connection with watershed areas and reservations supporting hydroelectric power generation and geothermal fields, respectively). Moreover, even agencies not traditionally associated with environmental functions, such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), have been given environmental management roles under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Given the country’s poor fiscal position, limited financial resources is a problem that the DENR and other agencies with environmental management functions share with the rest of the bureaucracy. To address the environmental sector’s financial needs despite this limitation, reforms are necessary in both demand and supply sides. Progress has been made in terms of the institutional arrangements in the Philippines in addressing marine resources sustainably but the present situation requires a comprehensive strategy that will enable the country to effectively chart a more sustainable future. The establishment of a clear institutional mechanism by which the challenge of managing marine resources can be addressed is necessary. Ambiguities in the government institutions tasked to deal with marine resources issues must be eliminated. The highest priority however is to adopt and implement a strategic framework which should guide the Philippine response in managing our marine resources. CONCLUSION If aquaculture is to fulfill its great promise, however, governments and citizens alike must be vigilant. Short-term economic considerations will make it all too easy for marine aquaculture to slip into the ecologically harmful methods of large-scale, intensive livestock production increasingly adopted on land. Despite some recent improvements, experience to date with commercial salmon farming is not encouraging in this regard. The most popular farmed species among consumers in developed countries tend to be carnivores, creating an additional challenge to sustainability. Forms of 4 Managing Marine Resources Sustainably 2011 aquaculture that consume more fish than they produce cannot assist society in addressing the global problem of wild fisheries depletion. As we look forward over a century, it is clear that human impacts will continue, but that the nature and form of those impacts will surely change. New approaches are being developed to help balance the uses of coastal and marine environments, including no consumptive ecosystem services such as erosion control, biological carbon sequestration, recreation and tourism. Continued investments in research and strategic, long-term planning can help to ensure that future generations will have an opportunity to experience and enjoy the ocean and its many resources. The responsible use of the planet’s resources to meet the needs of society for healthful food is a goal universally supported by those across the spectrum of the aquaculture debate. All human activities have an effect on the environment, but in these early years of the 21st century, we are increasingly realizing that we have trod too heavily on the planet. Unsustainable consumption patterns, particularly in developed countries, are leading to global ecological disruption and rapid depletion of both renewable and nonrenewable resources. It is in this context that the future of aquaculture must be determined. Growing our own seafood through aquaculture can provide part of the solution to a major ecological catastrophe—overharvesting of the world’s marine life—while contributing to the global supply of healthy seafood. About the article’s authors: S. J. Roberts is the director of the Ocean Studies Board at the National Research Council where she has worked since 1998. She received her B. S. in zoology from Duke University and Ph. D. in marine biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She has undertaken research on fish physiology, symbiosis, and developmental biology. At the National Research Council, she has conducted many studies on marine resource issues such as marine protected areas, ecosystem effects of fishing, and endangered species. K. H. Brink is a physical oceanographer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where he has worked since 1980. He was educated at Cornell (B. S. ) and Yale (Ph. D. ). His research concentrates on currents over the continental shelf, and their implications. His service as President of The Oceanography Society, and as Chair of the National Research Council's Ocean Studies Board, have involved him in a range of practical concerns about the ocean. 5

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Essay on Bryons Childe Harolds Pilgrimage the Byronic...

Bryons Childe Harolds Pilgrimage: The Byronic Hero Boozer English 11/4/95 In Byrons poem, Childe Harolds Pilgrimage the main character is portrayed as a dark brooding man, who doesnt like society and wants to escape from the world because of his discontent with it. Through the poem we see the strong resemblance the Byronic hero has to many of todays popular characters, such as Batman. In the third stanza of the poem we learn that Childe Harold is the product of a long line of nobility. Ã’Childe Harold, was he hight-but whence his name and lineage long.Ó Bruce Wayne who is Batman is too the product of an extremely wealthy family. As with Bruce Wayne, Childe Harold is bothered by his family†¦show more content†¦Ãƒâ€™ Had sighed to many but though he loved but one, and that loved one, alas could neer be his.Ó This woman as explained in the passage is the only woman that Childe Harold will think about. Although he has had the chance for many others one woman will always win his affection. The one problem with this love is that the woman for whom he strives can never be his. In Bruce Waynes case Michelle Pheifer is the woman whom he loves. Although he would do anything for her she never seems to show a great interest toward him. Every time he seems to have the chance to win her over something intervenes, and his chance is taken away. Out of his disgust and discontent with society Childe Harold leaves to find another way of à ¿ life. Ã’And een for change of scene would seek the shades below. The Childe departed from his fathers hall.Ó He flees the society and place in which he lives to seek something better in nature. Bruce Wayne as well leaves the protection of his extravagant life to become something other than himself. Both these characters escape in hope to find something more fulfilling and interesting than the society that they are forced to live. Although this is a good reason for leaving both men have a secret past that they care not to share with others. This past may be the reason for their discontent and unrest. We are told of Childe Harolds secretive past in stanza eight.Show MoreRelated Bryons childe Harolds Pilgrimage: The Byronic Hero Essay991 Words   |  4 Pages Bryons quot;Childe Harolds Pilgrimagequot;: The Byronic Hero In Byrons poem, quot;Childe Harolds Pilgrimagequot; the main character is portrayed as a dark brooding man, who doesnt like society and wants to escape from the world because of his discontent with it. Through the poem we see the strong resemblance the Byronic hero has to many of todays popular characters, such as Batman. In the third stanza of the poem we learn that Childe Harold is the product of a long line of nobility