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Eye on Ethics: Pattern Recognition Theory and Social Work Ethics
No full textSocial workers have come to understand that professional work often produces exceedingly complex moral and ethical challenges that demand keen insight, astute analysis, and skilled management. In some instances, social workers reach quick consensus about the most appropriate course of action. In the most challenging cases, however, thoughtful, principled, and earnest social workers who have a firm grasp of the pertinent facts may disagree about what is ethical. That is, reasonable minds may differ.
When I sort through complex ethical issues, often I find myself identifying key dilemmas, principles, and standards that were relevant in other cases I have encountered. One major advantage of experience in any line of work is that one can draw on lessons learned from accumulated precedents, other scenarios that required somewhat similar analysis. Although the fact pattern in other cases may differ somewhat, sometimes key elements resemble pertinent facts in a new situation. Researchers refer to this as pattern recognition
Eye on Ethics: Pushing the Ethics Envelope: The Role of \u27Satisficing\u27
No full textSatisficing is a decision-making strategy discussed in economics that aims for a satisfactory or adequate result, rather than the ideal or optimal solution. This is because in some circumstances, aiming for the optimal solution may not be feasible or even possible. Simon argued that rational choice is not always possible and that, at times, “psychological realism” is necessary. This is especially so in the face of what Simon calls “bounded rationality,” that is, situations where people have limited information and options and a finite amount of time in which to make a decision. Simon introduced the concept of satisficing primarily for application to the field of economics. However, the concept seems equally applicable to instances when social workers must make extraordinarily difficult ethical decisions with limited information, options, and time. In these circumstances, when social workers feel the push of the proverbial envelope, ethics-informed satisficing would seem to be the order of the day
The Effect of Focus of Attention on Performance by Second Year Band Students
Get PDFThis study tested the effect of the motor learning paradigm of internal and external focus of attention (FOA) with middle school band students. A total of 56 second-year band students (woodwinds n = 28; valved brass n = 18; trombones n = 10) practiced isochronous, alternating pitch patterns (e.g., eighth notes C–A–C–A–C–A–C) in three conditions: control (no FOA), internal (“think about your fingers”), and external (“think about your sound”). At retention testing approximately 24 hr later, students played each stimulus three times with no directed FOA. Performance trials were scored for the average duration of each pitch per trial, or evenness. No significant differences were found between conditions (control, internal, external) on Day 1 or Day 2 (p \u3e .05). Likewise, no significant differences were found within instrument groups from Day 1 to Day 2 (p \u3e .05). When evenness scores were examined at the level of the individual student, more woodwind and valved brass players benefited from the internal (fingers) FOA than from control or external conditions. Individual differences among trombone players were less pronounced, slightly favoring the external (sound) condition. Music teachers should consider implementing both internal and external FOAs with their beginning wind students
Lecture by Dr. Rosendo Brito: Pioneers of Capeverdean Literature March 25, 2019, Rhode Island College
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.ric.edu/iplws_lectures_interviews/1002/thumbnail.jp
The Perception of Incivility on Career Retention of New Graduate Nurses
Get PDFOver the past few decades, researchers have been exploring the cause and effects of incivility in the nursing profession. With the nursing shortage on the rise, organizations are focused on decreased retention rates and the impact on patient outcomes and organizational costs. In order to assess and evaluate the current literature on incivility toward new nurses and its’ impact on retention, an integrative review was conducted. The purpose of this project was to evaluate incivility toward new graduate nurses and the impact incivility has on career retention. The Theory of Planned Behaviour was the framework used to guide this review. The CINAHL database search revealed 26 articles; the PRISMA flow chart was used to document the search path. Five articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included articles were reviewed using Polit & Beck’s literature review; quantitative research and qualitative research report guidelines. A cross-literature analysis was then conducted to identify common themes and key findings. The review revealed that incivility continues to greatly influence new nurses’ intentions to leave their current positions and possibly the profession. The numbers of articles was limited but were of high quality and provided sound data that revealed the impact of incivility on new graduate nurses and their retention intentions. In conclusion, incivility is under-addressed and under-recognized as a cause of decreased job satisfaction and retention. Further research should evaluate the effectiveness of empowerment, education programs, zero tolerance, and behavioral accountability in decreasing the incidence and impact of incivility. Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) can role model and support nurses to be accountable for their behaviors and can teach team building skills to build a zero-tolerance civil work environment
Handgrip Strength of World Trade Center (WTC) Responders: The Role of Re-Experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms
Get PDFThis study sought to examine whether handgrip strength (HGS), a measure of muscle strength and a biomarker of aging, was associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a cohort of World Trade Center (WTC) responders at midlife. Methods : HGS was assessed utilizing a computer-assisted hand dynamometer administered to a consecutive sample of men and women (n = 2016) who participated in rescue and recovery efforts following theWorld Trade Center (WTC) attacks and subsequently attended monitoring appointments in Long Island, NY. PTSD symptom severity and depressive symptoms were assessed using the PTSD specific-trauma checklist (PCL-S) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). General linear models were used to examine the association of WTC-related PTSD with HGS after adjusting for confounders. Results : The sample was at midlife (mean age = 53.3) when assessed, and 91.3% were men. Nearly 10% of the sample had probable PTSD (PCL 44) with concomitant depression (PHQ 10), while 5.1% had probable PTSD without depression. Average HGS was 57.4 lbs. (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 56.6–58.1) among men and 36.1 lbs. (95% CI = 33.8–38.5) among women. Mean HGS of those with probable PTSD with concomitant depression was lower (45.9 lbs., 95% CI = 43.6–48.2) than responders with only PTSD (49.1 lbs., 95% CI = 46.0–52.4) and those without PTSD or depression (57.5 lbs., 95% CI = 56.2–57.8). Subdomain analyses of PTSD symptoms revealed that re-experiencing symptoms at enrollment (p = 0.003) was associated with lower HGS after adjusting for depressive symptoms and other confounders. Discussion : Results suggested that higher WTC-related PTSD symptom severity was associated with lower HGS. Results support ongoing work suggesting that PTSD may be associated with more rapid physical aging. The potential for developing interventions that might simultaneously improve physical and mental health in the aftermath of trauma may be considered
Diabetes Knowledge of Critical Care Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project
Get PDFDiabetes mellitus continues to become more prevalent in the United States, with approximately 1.5 million new cases diagnosed each year (ADA, 2018). Nurses play a key role in providing education to diabetic patients on the management of this disease. This encompasses a multitude of topics such as diabetic medications, treatments, and lifestyle choices that ultimately may aid in decreased morbidity and mortality otherwise associated with the disease and its co-morbidities. However, nurses’ own perceived diabetes knowledge has been found to be overestimated when compared to actual nursing knowledge (Alotaibi, Ghlizadeh, Al-Ganmi & Perry, 2017; Wakefield & Wilson, 2014). Research also illustrates that the actual knowledge of diabetes care is suboptimal, and educational programs specifically tailored to diabetes management knowledge result in an improvement from pre-test scores with subsequent retention of the materials presented (Moattari, Moosavinasab, Dabaghmanesh, & SarifSanaiey, 2014; Sweeney, Kenny and Schubert, 2013). The following literature review appraises current practice in diabetes management and evaluates literature regarding actual knowledge of nurses caring for inpatient diabetics. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine whether the implementation of a diabetic education program improves nurses’ knowledge in the medical management, treatment, and care of the adult critical care patient with hyperglycemia. Results demonstrated variability in baseline knowledge and overall significant improvement in scores which validated the need for this program and may indicate a need to focus future educational programs on the care of the patient with diabetes
Education Shapes the Mind, bu What Shapes Education? A Comparative Study of First-Generation vs Non-First-Generation Students
Get PDFThis research paper examines in depth the relationship between educational attainment in first-generation college students vs. non-first-generation college students. It analyzes how one’s educational attainment level is affected by changes in selected demographic and socioeconomic factors in the United States. This study further analyzes if differences in earnings among the two groups post collegiate education persist. Using the 2015 and 2017 data obtained from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, the proposed hypotheses are tested with the Linear Probability model and the Binomial Logit model to answer which demographic factors impact educational attainment of each group of students, as well as the standard wage equation, estimated using the Ordinary Least Squares regression to investigate wage differentials.
The empirical results on the analysis of socioeconomic impacts on educational attainment find that first-generation college students are 23-27% less likely to obtain a bachelor’s degree than non-first-generation college students. Further, an additional higher level of achievement in parental educational attainment in non-first-generation students nearly doubles the likelihood that an individual in that group will obtain a bachelor’s degree, as compared to those first-generation students. The empirical results also find that race, gender, and ethnicity are of the most influential variables in this study. The empirical analysis of earnings differential among first-generation and non-first-generation college students finds first-generation bachelor’s degree holders earn 14.1% less than non-first-generation bachelor’s degree holders. In order to improve the first-generation student educational attainment rate, several policies could be considered such as financial compensation, further academic support, and involving families throughout the college process more. In terms of improving the wage differences within the two groups, further advanced degree is beneficial, as well as selecting higher-paying majors, improving job search skills via campus career centers, increasing communication skills and professional networks (public speaking, internships), and increase in alumni connection whilst in college (via alumni office on campus)
Relationship Between Financial Markets and Natural Disasters in the US
Get PDFThe objective of this study is to find out how different sectors of the market, as defined by the Bloomberg Industry Classification Standard (BICS), react before and after different natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and tornados. Public cross sectional and time series data from NOAA, Unisys Weather, and the USGS were collected, in order to build a data set that could be used for this study. OLS regressions, as well as fixed effects regressions were used to achieve the results. Among the major findings is a highly significant upward reaction in the returns of the energy sector when property damage from a tornado occurs
Perceived Barriers to Discussing End of Life Care Planning
Get PDFAdvance care planning (ACP) related to end of life (EOL) care is an often neglected area in primary care. Nurse care managers (NCM’s) are in a unique position to initiate earlier conversations about illness management and patient preferences regarding end of life so patients have the opportunity to make choices and have their wish known while they are still cognitively independent. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to identify barriers to discussions about end of life care with patients in clinical practice. Six NCM’s participated in two focus groups to identify perceived barriers for end of life care discussions and to identify potential solutions to those barriers. Barriers identified included: patient/family factors, organizational factors, and provider related factors. NCM solutions identified included patient related interventions such as normalizing and routinizing EOL/ACP discussion reviewing choices at all ages annually. Organizational solutions recommended include making EOL care discussions a quality measure and training all office staff to support culture change. Provider related recommendations included providers completing their own advance directive as a way to lead the way for patients. Implications for education, practice, policy, and research are identified