Gothic History and Origins

Gothic History and Origins The term Gothic was used in the Renaissance to describe certain types of art and architecture in the Middle Ages. This art was considered inferior, just as the Romans had held themselves superior to the barbarians. In the 18th century, the term Gothic morphed into a genre of literature that had elements of horror. In the late 20th century it morphed again into a style and subculture characterized by heavy eyeliner and all-black clothing. Originally, the Goths were one of the barbarian horseback riding groups that caused trouble for the Roman Empire. Ancient Source on the Goths The ancient Greeks considered the Goths to be Scythians. The name Scythian was used by the ancient historian, Herodotus (440 B.C.), to describe barbarians who lived on their horses north of the Black Sea and were likely not Goths. When the Goths came to live in the same area, they were considered Scythians because of their barbarian way of living. It is hard to know when the people we call Goths began to intrude on the Roman Empire. According to Michael Kulikowski, in Romes Gothic Wars, the first securely attested Gothic raid took place in 238 A.D. when Goths sacked Histria. In 249 they attacked Marcianople. A year later, under their king Cniva, they sacked several Balkan cities. In 251, Cniva routed Emperor Decius at Abrittus. The raids continued and moved from the Black Sea to the Aegean where the historian Dexippus successfully defended a besieged Athens against them. He later wrote about the Gothic Wars in his Scythica. Although most of Dexippus is lost, the historian Zosimus had access to his historical writing. By the end of the 260s, the Roman Empire was winning against the Goths. Medieval Source on the Goths The story of the Goths generally begins in Scandinavia, as is told by the historian, Jordanes, in his The Origin and Deeds of the Goths, chapter 4: IV (25) Now from this island of Scandza, as from a hive of races or a womb of nations, the Goths are said to have come forth long ago under their king, Berig by name. As soon as they disembarked from their ships and set foot on the land, they straightway gave their name to the place. And even to-day it is said to be called Gothiscandza. (26) Soon they moved from here to the abodes of the Ulmerugi, who then dwelt on the shores of Ocean, where they pitched camp, joined battle with them and drove them from their homes. Then they subdued their neighbors, the Vandals, and thus added to their victories. But when the number of the people increased greatly and Filimer, son of Gadaric, reigned as kingabout the fifth since Berighe decided that the army of the Goths with their families should move from that region. (27) In search of suitable homes and pleasant places they came to the land of Scythia, called Oium in that tongue. Here they were delighted with the great richness of the country, a nd it is said that when half the army had been brought over, the bridge whereby they had crossed the river fell in utter ruin, nor could anyone thereafter pass to or fro. For the place is said to be surrounded by quaking bogs and an encircling abyss, so that by this double obstacle nature has made it inaccessible. And even to-day one may hear in that neighborhood the lowing of cattle and may find traces of men, if we are to believe the stories of travellers, although we must grant that they hear these things from afar. Germans and Goths Kulikowski says the idea that the Goths were associated with the Scandinavians and therefore Germans had great appeal in the 19th century and were supported by the discovery of a linguistic relationship between the languages of the Goths and Germans. The idea that a language relationship implies an ethnic relationship was popular but doesnt bear out in practice. Kulikowski says the only evidence of a Gothic people from before the third century comes from Jordanes, whose word is suspect. Kulikowski on the Problems of Using Jordanes Jordanes wrote in the second half of the sixth century. He based his history on the no longer extant writing of a Roman nobleman named Cassiodorus whose work he had been asked to abridge. Jordanes did not have the history in front of him when he wrote, so how much was his own invention cant be ascertained. Much of Jordanes writing has been rejected as too fanciful, but the Scandinavian origin has been accepted. Kulikowski points to some of the far-fetched passages in Jordanes history to say that Jordanes is unreliable. Where some his reports are corroborated elsewhere, they can be used. Where there is no supporting evidence, we need other reasons for accepting. In the case of the so-called origins of the Goths, any supporting evidence comes from people using Jordanes as a source. Kulikowski also objects to using archaeological evidence as support because artifacts moved around and were traded. In addition, archaeologists have based their attribution of Gothic artifacts to Jordanes. If Kulikowski is right, we dont know where the Goths came from or where they were before their third-century excursions into the Roman Empire.

Finding Your Flow Structuring Writing Time to Maximize Productivity

Finding Your Flow Structuring Writing Time to Maximize Productivity Finding Your Flow: Structuring Writing Time to Maximize Productivity Writers from all over the globe will likely agree that writing time is precious. The big question, of course, is how to use that time wisely? How to make sure that you’re as efficient and creative as possible during your allotted hours? Every writing project has its own particular needs, but structuring writing time to maximize productivity saves you time while helping with finding your â€Å"flow.† Start with the big picture, then work your way down to the details; this is a great way to stay on point and make the most of those precious minutes. Follow this step-by-step system to get the most out of your writing process. Step One: Clarifying Your Topic It may seem obvious, but knowing what you’re writing about is essential for a productive process. Is your subject clear? Do you require a thesis off the top? Do you need to refine or adjust your first idea to provide a more active, engaging launching pad for the piece? Being sure your topic is sharp and compelling will save you time later. Building an outline for your piece can be useful even at this early stage. It helps bring your main idea into focus while identifying any weaknesses or gaps in your thinking. This step will also determine whether your current topic is strong enough to carry you through to a conclusion. Step Two: Collecting Your Ideas. Whether the project you are working on requires extensive research, or you’re just jotting down your thoughts, gather as many of these building blocks as you can before you start to write. This will help shape and focus your thinking, and it will increase your efficiency. Online resources are plentiful and easily accessed, but consider researching your facts the old-fashioned way, too: at a library. Where web searches can be cluttered, requiring painstaking sifting to find what you need, libraries are more organized. A library helps you get precisely what you need, with real live experts working to help you. They’re also terrific places to do your actual writing! Don’t be afraid to gather more research material than you think you need. Once you put pen to paper, having a deep pool of resources gives you room to grow your piece in surprising ways – it will also help you drop any ideas that aren’t panning out the way you’d hoped. Fill your arsenal with as many relevant concepts, facts, and arguments as you can before moving on to the next step. Step Three: Organizing Your Thoughts. If you haven’t already created your outline, now is the time. With your topic, theme or thesis as your starting place, take yourself step-by-step to your conclusion. If it’s a narrative, what’s the structure? How does the story unfold? If it’s a research paper, how could you best cover your topic? What are the salient pieces of information, and what’s the most unambiguous order in which to present them? If it’s an argument, how does it need to develop? Decide how you plan to argue your thesis, and how you’ll respond to potential counterarguments. Lay out the specific markers that will guide the direction of your piece, determining where the information you’ve collected fits in. Expand your outline by connecting your ideas and research to the appropriate points, and then assess their strengths. Is there any critical research you haven’t made room for in your outline? Do you require ideas or facts that you haven’t yet gathered? Make you have a robust and detailed outline before proceeding with your work. Step Four: Writing! This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. This is where all the groundwork you’ve laid will pay off at this point. You have a clear map to follow, with solid research to back up your ideas. The focused thinking you’ve done earlier equips you with the mental clarity you’ll need to find all the right words. At this point, set up your writing environment in whichever way works best for you. Do you prefer to work in quiet, or with background music? Are you more focused at home or the library? Will you need coffee or water? Consider whether you’ll require access to the internet for research or reference purposes. For some, a co-working environment provides inspiration and energy. Create an individualized work environment that is comfortable and conducive to focus. Have all of your preparatory work handy, so that you can access it and cross-reference if you need to. Make sure you have pens and paper available if you like to make notes and edits the old-fashioned way. Then, get to it! Don’t be discouraged if you struggle through those first few pages; developing your ideas and arguments in a clear, compelling way isn’t easy. However, the work done during the first three steps means that your energy will now be used in the best way possible – writing the piece that you want to write. You’ve reduced the likelihood of false starts, missing parts, and wasted drafts by preparing well. You have fertile ground in which to grow your best writing. Stick to your outline as best you can, but don’t be afraid to adjust as you go. In doing the actual writing, you’ll no doubt make discoveries that you couldn’t have predicted. However, even here, your thorough preparation will make it possible for you to add to, subtract from and modify your piece without becoming lost. Trust your homework and keep your guiding topic in mind. Once you’ve completed a draft, you’re ready for step five. Step Five: Editing and Proofing. There are online tools that can help immensely at this point. Hopefully, spelling and grammar features have been alerting you to errors as you write. Some people find this helpful; others find it distracting, as it can interrupt their flow. Remember that you can turn off these features if you prefer to wait until you’ve finished a draft before checking its technical accuracy. Regardless, proofing spelling and grammar is only a small part of the editing process. Before you buff that piece to a high shine, you need to be sure that it’s solidly built. Try to read your draft as though seeing it for the first time. Is it clear? Does it say what you intended it to? Do the arguments and images connect comprehensively? Is it convincing? Consider whether any points or ideas are underdeveloped. Look out for overly long sections that can unbalance the flow of the overall piece. Evaluate whether your writing takes the reader where you want to go. Once you’re happy with the structure and flow of your work, then use those technical tools to be sure you deliver the most polished and powerful piece possible. As you spend more time writing, you’ll undoubtedly discover what works best for you. In the meantime, use this basic structure to help maximize your time, and begin the of finding your flow! For any questions about your next writing project, call 1 (800) 573-0840 to speak to an expert at . Servicing a range of academic needs throughout Canada, we’re ready to help you put your best foot forward at school, or in the competitive international job market.

Ryanair customers service problems in 2013 Assignment

Ryanair customers service problems in 2013 - Assignment Example In the next step, the airline raised the weight limit for carry-on bags while also hiking fees for overweight checked baggage. In addition, there were hidden credit card charges, ?100 for amending a passenger name, taxes and fees to be paid with frequent delays and overall poor customer service (Hickman, 2009). Ryanair CEO is also known to call his passengers â€Å"stupid† and â€Å"idiot† if they do not print the boarding passes ahead of the flight (Independent Traveller, 2011). Apparently such remarks were prompted by a customer who complained of being charged 60 Euros for not having the boarding pass printed. The shareholders complained against the tarnished reputation of the airline after Ryanair refused to refund the fare of a dead passenger and after the CEO’s comments that he was not interested in â€Å"sob stories† when no refund came through (Bennett, 2013). The arrogance of executives is another factor that has affected service. Ineffective commu nication and poor marketing by Ryanair further aggravates the situation. Thus the issues that have severely affected customer service include hidden costs, low knowledge of the service staff, inadequate staff, and the rude and arrogant attitude of the executives. The factors that have driven the airline to undertake strategic restructuring include a warning that its profits could be lower than the lower end of its guidance. The biggest blow came when the brand was voted the worst of the 100 biggest brands in the UK (Eleftheriou-Smith, 2013). Restructuring has become essential as the airline envisages growth in its customer base from 80m to 110m over the next five years (Ryanair News, October 25, 2013). The methodology used for this report would be content analysis based on a qualitative approach which is a text analysis approach to analyse the data collected from the company website. This would enable to explore how the company intends to improve its relationship with customers. In 2013, Ryanair has decided to take certain steps towards better customer service including being â€Å"nice to customers† (Bennett, 2013). The CEO has decided to end the â€Å"macho† culture and accept the blame or responsibility for the abrupt culture in the organization that has affected customer service. These steps are geared to change the reputation of the airlines and retain customers. One of the first initiatives that Ryanair has taken is to introduce digital marketing strategy which it announced at its AGM. The airline is investing significantly in improving the website, the mobile platform and interaction with passengers using the social media (Ryanair News, September 20, 2013). Website Website would allow customers to enter their details and save them, thereby reducing booking time for all future bookings. This service known as â€Å"My Ryanair† would help them store their information and data securely on the Ryanair website for future ease of booking ( Ryanair News, October 30, 2013). However, this is expected to go live by December end. The recaptcha security feature was quite annoying which has been removed for individual customers starting October 1, 2013 (Ryanair News, September 20, 2013). It would continue to remain in place for high volume bookers, travel agents and screenscrapers. Removal of recaptcha will speed and simplify the booking process. This is aimed at deterring travel agents and other

Piracy in Somalia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Piracy in Somalia - Term Paper Example These pirates catch hold of the ships and take the travellers and crew as hostage. Subsequently they start asking for huge sums of money from the ship owners or the respective governments. Some such major incidents taking place in the recent past include; On 8th April 2009, the Maersk Alabama, a US container ship carrying food aid for Somalis, was attacked in the Indian Ocean. After some negotiations, the pirates let go the crew but held the ship's captain as hostage in one of the lifeboat on the high seas. Subsequently, the captain was rescued in a daring attack by US Navy on 12th April, killing all the hostages. This was said to be the first instance of holding a US captain as hostage (Sheikh and Guled, 2009). Some months back, Somali Pirates caught hold of 'MV Faina', on 23rd September 2008. A Ukrainian ship loaded with tanks and antiaircraft guns was held by these pirates for about five months and released it only on 6th February after receiving the ransom amount (Jones and McGreal, 2009). Since the ship was loaded with explosive material bound for Kenya, six US warships kept a continuous vigil on the warship to ensure that these arms are not siphoned off elsewhere. Somali pirates seized MV Sirius Star, a 300,000-ton, 1,000-foot-long Saudi oil tanker on 18th November 2008 and released it only after more than a month. MV Sirius Star is stated to the largest ship ever held hostage by sea-pirates. Loaded with more than two million barrels of oil worth $100m the ship was set free only after a ransom amount of $3 million was dropped on the ship through a parachute (NBC, 2009). Though we are just into the fourth month of the year 2009, but there have been more than 66 such attacks already by the Pirates (McCrummen and DeYoung, 2009). The manner in which these pirates are able to extract big money from the corporate world seems to suggest that it is one of the most thriving things ever happened to Somalia. After extracting money from the ships, these pirates go on partying and enjoying for many days, which in turn must have been helping the Somali economy. This raises the ethical question about the manner in which such practices are in a way being encouraged form within Somalia. After knowing about such acts of terror from these bandits on Somali waters, one would be tempted to think about ways and means to counter such heinous acts. No civil society would encourage such actions. But, in case of Somalia, things do not appear as straight and simple. There are people, particularly from Somalia who think that these pirates are resorting to such acts of piracy in retaliation to what they have suffered all this while at the hand of European and Western nations. This raises the ethical questions as to why these pirates are being encouraged by the civil society. To find an answer to this question we will have to take a look at the recent past. Somalia has been at war with itself, particularly during the late 1980s and 1990s. The country was ruled by Mohamed Siad Barre, with an iron hand from 1969 to 1991. As public resentment started growing against this dictator, he was thrown out of power in 1991 and thereafter the country went into lawlessness. Though UN led forces remained in Somalia for some time after that, but with the increasing incidents of a

PESTEL Viet Nam Analysis Essay Example for Free

PESTEL Viet Nam Analysis Essay A. Introduction of Viet Nam Vietnam is approximately 331688 km2 in area and occupied the eastern coast of the Southeast Asian peninsula. The northern part of the country part consists mostly of highlands and the Red River Delta. The south is divided into coastal lowlands and extensive forests. Because of differences in latitude and the marked variety of topographical relief, the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place. During the winter or dry season (November to April), the monsoon wind blowing from the northwest brings considerably moisture. Consequently the winter season in most parts of the country is dry. Major Vietnamese cities include Hanoi in the north, Da Nang in the mid coastal region, and Ho Chi Minh City (formally known as Saigon) to the south. Vietnam has considerable energy resources such as oil, gas and coal and its 41,000 km long waterways provide the basis for hydropower. The country is rich in minerals such as bauxite, iron ore, lead, gold, precious stones, tin, chromate, anthracite, granite, marble, clay, white sand and graphite. In addition, Vietnam has a considerable fresh and saltwater fauna, dense tropical forestry resources and it possesses great agricultural potential. The history of Vietnam, reference to the Geneva Accord signed in 1954. The accord ended French colonial rule, and the country was partitioned into the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, led by Ho Chi Minh and the Republic of Vietnam in the South. The capitals were Hanoi for the North and Saigon for the South. Fights led by Ho Chi Minh to unite the country started in 1959 and lasted until 1975. Hanoi became the capital of the country whilst Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City. Following reunification, the Vietnamese government’s initial plan was to manage the economy via methods of central planning. Based on experiences gained during the 1976-1980 five years plan, subsequent central plans introduced more relaxed policies with respect to agricultural collectives, State Owned Enterprises and allowed more scope for private initiatives. These measures were instrumental in elevating poverty.  Growth rates during the early 80’s were higher than during the 1976-1980 five year pl an, however it became evident that further policy shift were necessary to enable the Vietnam economy to perform closer to its potential. Economic reform was the key point of discussion at the Sixth National Party Congress held in December 1986. The process then initiated of moving from a centrally planned economy to an open, socialist-oriented and multi-sector market economy known as Doi Moi (renovation). In 1992, the National Assembly revised the post-unification constitution to better reflect the aspirations articulated in the Doi Moi process. Economic performance since 1986 has justified the policy of relaxation of central control, the challenge faced by Vietnam has been the maintenance of rapid economic growth and integration into the global economy. B. â€Å"P.E.S.T.L.E† REPORT ON VIET NAM 1. Politics The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a single-party state. Its current state constitution, which replaced the 1975 constitution in April 1992, asserts the central role of the Communist Party of Vietnam in all organs of government, politics and society. In 2011, Viet Nam held the 11th Congress of Vietnam Communist Party, in which happened the Election of the Party Central Committee for the new term. Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong was elected to be the General Secretary. After the Congress, there happened the fist Congress of the Parliament, term 13th, in which Mr. Nguyen Sinh Hung was elected to be the President of the Parliament, Mr. Truong Tan Sang the President of the Country, and Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung was elected to continue the position of Prime Minister. This Congress also issued 4 degrees: first, approving the State Budget, second, agreeing on the program of building laws and ordinances in2012, third, beginning the study of the amendments and supplements of the 1992 Constitution and establ ishing the revised draft of the 1992 Constitution, and finally, the degree on the issuance of certain additional tax measures to remove difficulties for enterprises and individuals, contributing to economic development in 2011. In 2011, the disputes over the East Sea was the main cause of some changes in relations between Vietnam and some important countries in the world, especially the  Vietnam China and Viet Nam U.S. Tension in the East Sea has escalated due to Chinas provocative acts in May, 2011. Then happened many anti-Chinese protests in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh city. In this context, the relation between Viet Nam and the U.S was proclaimed to be elevated to strategic partnership.4 And late 2011, the tensions in the Vietnam-China relations down to the visit by the senior officials of the two countries. In terms of politically domestic policy, the government kept a political stability, and showed some positive signs. For example, the freedom of the press seemed to be extended. In addition, the government was also more aware of its limitations and of the policy mistakes. Concretely, at the Fourth Conference of the Party Central Committee (XI), Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong said: ―Besides the achievements, the Party building work still has many limitations and shortcomings, weaknesses, even spanning multiple defects; these limitations would reduce peoples trust in the Party; if not corrected, they will be the challenge for leadership of the Party and the survival of the regime. 2. Economy The year of 2011 was important for the economy of Viet Nam because this is the first year in the latest Socio-Economic Development Strategy (2011-2020), with the goal of becoming an industrialized and modern economy by 2020. This strategy goes on to identify the country’s key priorities to meet this ambitious target: stabilize the economy, build world-class infrastructure, create a skilled labor force, and strengthen market-based institutions. According to Vietnam Development Report (VDR) 2012, meeting these aspirations will not be easy. In fact, the country has experienced bouts of macroeconomic turbulence in recent years—double-digit inflation, depreciating currency, capital flight, and loss of international reserves—eroding investor confidence. Besides, rapid growth has revealed new structural problems. The quality and sustainability of growth remain a source of concern, given the resource-intensive pattern of growth, high levels of environmental degradation, lack of diversification and value addition in exports, and the declining contribution of productivity to growth. Vietnam’s competitiveness is under threat because the power  generation has not kept pace with demand, logistical costs and real estate prices have climbed, and skill shortages are becoming more widespread. And these difficulties strongly existed in 2011. Concretely, the inflation in 2011 was 18.13%; the growth of GDP has slowed (5,89%). Domestic and international gold price gap increased. The Corruption index 2011 from Transparency International ranked Viet Nam at the position 112. This shows that Viet Nam has been faced one of the most difficult challenges of economic development. In terms of financial, according to the document of World Bank, in 2011, foreign direct investment inflows (to Viet Nam) continued at a steady pace, although new commitments declined. International reserves increased in the first half of the year while the Vietnamese dong benefitted from a period of relative calm. In the last quarter of the year, however, exchange rate fluctuations increased due to volatility in gold prices, deepening uncertainties and the seasonal increase in demand for foreign currency as the year end approaches. With approximate 9 billion U.S. dollars, the amount of money coming from overseas Vietnamese was one of the biggest sources of foreign currency in 2011. This amount is equivalent to the amount of FDI. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japanese are the countries that contributed the biggest investment to Viet Nam in 2011. Hai Duong, Ho Chi Minh city, and Ha Noi are three places that has been most invested in recent time. The sectors that most attract the attention of foreign investors are processing industry, electricity supply, and accommodation and dining service. However, according to the analysis of a chief economist, Dr. Allan Pham, though facing the difficulties as mentioned above, the economy is coming to a better prospect in 2012, especially with a certain success in the fight against inflation of the country (the inflation has been trending down since the 4th quarter of 2011). Following is the figure of the selected macro indicators of the economy in recent years: Key Indicators 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 GDP growth (%) 8.5 6.2 5.3 6.78 5.8 6.0 CPI (%) 12.6 23 6.52 11.75 18.0 12-14 Trade deficit (USD) 12.5 17.8 12.2 12.4 12.1 13.3 Exports (USD) 48.4 62.5 56.6 71.6 80.2 86.5 Imports (USD) 60.8 80.3 68.8 84.0 92.4 99.8 FDI commitments (USD) 21.3 66.5 21.5 18.6 15.0 18.0 FDI disbursement (USD) 8.0 11.5 10.0 11.0 12.0 12.5 Credit growth (%) 54 21 37.7 27.6 15 18 SBV Base rate 8.2 8.5 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 Deposit rate (%) 7.0-8.0 7.0-8.5 9.5-10.5 10.0- 11.0 14 12.0 Lending rate (%) 10.0-12.0 10-12.5 10.5-12 13.0-13.5 18-20 14-16 USD/VND (bank rate) 16,016 17,468 18,600 19,500 21,500 22,500 Foreign Affairs At present, Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with 168 countries, and it has economic and trading relations with about 165 countries. Vietnam joined the United Nations in 1977. Vietnam became an official member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1995, and has concluded a cooperation agreement with the European Community. Relationships with multi-national financial institutions such as the World Bank (WB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have been re-established. Viet Nam has been participating in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (â€Å"AFTA†) since 1996 and became a member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) in 1998. Vietnam became an official member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on 11 January 2007. In January 2008, the country started a two year term as an elected non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Vietnam signed the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the United Sta tes in 2000. Besides aspects of international trade, the BTA covers a variety of other areas, including intellectual property rights, trade in services, development of investment relations, business  facilitation and the obligation to ensure transparency of laws and regulations. The BTA essentially constitutes a commitment by both countries to open their markets to each other. Intellectual Property In recent years, the Government has taken various measures to increase the legal protection of intellectual property and has created an environment of respect for intellectual property as compared to other neighboring countries. Intellectual property rights are protected by the Civil Code (1995 and 2005), the Law on Intellectual Property (2005) and a host of subordinate legislation. Vietnam is a long-time signatory to the Paris Convention, the Madrid Agreement on International Trademark Registration, and the Patent Cooperation Treaty (â€Å"PCT†) and became a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization in 1976. On 27 June 1997, Vietnam entered into an Agreement on copyrights with the US. According to the Viet Nam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, Vietnam is under the obligation to adhere to the Berne Convention. The National Office of Intellectual Property (â€Å"NOIP†) is the authority responsible for the registration of industrial property and for the resolutio n of disputes with regard to industrial property in the first instance. Foreign organizations and individuals seeking to register their industrial ownership should file their applications through an authorized agent, who will transfer their application to the NOIP. The Office of Copyright Protection under the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has also been established and is responsible for the protection of copyright. Works may be registered with the Office of Copyright Protection; however, registration is not a prerequisite for copyright protection. Currently, patents are protected for a period of 20 years. A certificate of utility solutions may be granted for 10 years. A certificate of industrial design is granted for 5 years and may be renewed every 5 years. However, the total effective period of a certificate cannot exceed 15 years. Certificates of trademarks are granted for 10 years with no restrictions on the number of renewals. Investment Guarantees The Government of Vietnam guarantees fair treatment for investors. Capital and other legal assets of investors will not be expropriated or confiscated by law or administrative measures and businesses with foreign-invested  capital will not be nationalized. Foreign investors are allowed to remit abroad investment capital and profits, loan principal and interest, and other legal proceeds and assets. Expatriates working for businesses with foreign-invested capital or for a business cooperation contract are permitted to remit their income abroad. The Vietnam government respects intellectual and industrial property rights and the interests of foreign investors relating to technology transfers into Vietnam. Economic Risks Global Finance Crisis is the hottest issues that people discuss most in this few years. The global financial crisis that started from the United States raises a very broad impact to Vietnam. Inflation Inflation has been in double digits since 2007 and peaking at 28% in August 2008. The fiscal deficit accounted for 4.5-5% GDP in 2008 while trade deficit reached US$17.5 billion (or over 20% of GDP), a level that signals vulnerability to a sudden drop in external demand (Figure 2). A high rate of investment combined with a sizeable fiscal deficit resulted in rapid growth in aggregate demand in the first half of 2008. Massive capital inflows generated asset price inflation, especially in real estate and land prices. Export Decline Vietnamese exports have suffered the strongest negative impact. With economic problems in the US, EU and Japan, which together account for more than 60% of Vietnamese exports, Vietnam saw a significant decline in export revenues. Vietnam’s export revenues fell 6.5% in November 2008 and a further 24% drop in January 2009 (year-on-year) (Figure 3). Orders for manufactured exports including garments, footwear and furniture dropped quickly, while seafood5 producers are also under pressure. The decline of orders has caused great difficulties for exporting companies, many of them are at risk of closing down.6 Vietnamese exports’ growth is forecasted to decline from 30% in 2008 to 13% in 2009. Unemployment Unemployment has worsened. At February 28, 2009, 66,700 workers (out of 45 million workers) lost their jobs in 2008 with national unemployment rate of 4.65%. Thus, it is estimated that over 80,000 workers lost their jobs  nationwide in 2008. The latest forecast of Vietnam Labor and Employment Agency estimates the figure to hit 400,000 nationwide in 2009. Job cuts are rising especially in big cities11 with industrial, processing and exporting zones. The situation may worsen in 2009 with an unemployment rate of 5% and at a projected economic growth of 6.5%. High unemployment has already affected domestic demand and consumers’ sentiment in Vietnam, which are bearish in recent months. 3. Socio-Culture 3.1 Education Viet Nams population enjoys a relatively high standard of education. In fact, Confucian ethics has strongly influenced upon Vietnamese’s viewpoint of social values, and education has always been considered as one of the best values that a person should desire to achieve. Nowadays, education has been still considered as one of the most important issues that the country has to pay great attention. Recently, at the 11th Party Congress, the government is determined to develop a national education policy as one of the priorities of the country. As a result, the country has gained big success in education. Concretely, according to the 2009 Census results, there are only nearly four million people who have never attended school (5.0% of the total population aged 5 years and over) and as compared with the 1999 Census this number has decreased 5% (6.9 million people, account for 10.0% of population aged 5 and over). This shows the significant progress of Vietnam’s education sect or in minimizing the number of people who never go to school. The official figures also point out that the literacy rate for the population aged 15 years and over increased by 3.7% (from 90.3% in 1999 to 94.0% in 2009). The female literacy rate increased 4.9%, while the male literacy rate increased 2.2%, significantly narrowing the literacy rate gap between men and women. Ha Noi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City are three provinces having the highest literacy rate (97.9%) while Lai Chau has the lowest (59.4%). This data shows that the literacy rate was not only increased quite rapidly but also express successes of Vietnam’s gender equality work in the education sector.13 Certainly, besides such successes, Vietnamese education system also has faced many challenges,  including poor infrastructure, lack of equipment and teaching materials, low wages precipitating an acute shortage of skilled teachers and academic staff, a relatively poor linkage of higher education with research, production and employment, and some contradictions of the system. As the analysis of RFA, the situation of education in Viet Nam in 2011 had some notable points as following: There were three positive points of the education in Vietnam in 2011. The first point is the plan of reducing the load of textbooks from primary to secondary school of the Ministry of Education and Training. The second is the plan of achieving universal preschool education for children of 5 years old. In this plan, the Ministry of Education will build public kindergartens for children at age 5 in the mountainous areas; and the poor students will be exempt from tuition fees, with the plan of over 95% of children enroll in 2 sessions / day by 2015. And the third is the policy of training and vocational training in poor areas such as the Highlands. On the contrary, there were also many crucially negative points of the education in 2011. First of all, there was the imbalance in enrollment in universities and colleges between students with practical needs. The sectors of social sciences, agriculture, forestry and fishery were registered by only 2.5% of exam registration records (while Vie tnam has up to 70% of the population are farmers). And the sectors in demand such as business, tourism had to be encountered the difference between training and recruitment practices; and this leads to the fact that graduates get difficulty to find job. Secondly, teacher’s salary does not meet their living when inflation is high; and this leads to some problems: the teachers could not focus on their business as they had to find extra jobs, or to open extra classes. Thirdly, there has existed the problem of the degradation in social ethics of many students, due to lack of paying attention on humanity teaching, which can be proved by many cases of students committed violent guilty or crime. 3.2 Human Resource The national average population in 2011 estimated 87.84 million, up by 1.04% compared to 2010, including male population 43.47 million, (49.5%), and female population 44.37 million, (50.5%). Urban population is 26.88 million,  (30.6%); rural population is 60.96 million (69.4 %). According to the official report, the population structure by age in Vietnam is in a positive change. The population in the working age is 46,48 million, increased 0,12% compared to 2010. The proportion of workers in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries declined from 48.7% in 2010 to 48.0% in 2011; in industry and construction rose from 21.7% to 22.4%; and in the services maintained at 29.6%. The unemployment rate in the working age was 2.27% in 2011, of which the urban areas account for 3.6%, the rural areas 1.71%. This is the period of the country with advantages in labor force, also known as the demographic window period, which began in 2003 and may last from 30 to 50 years. This is considered as a bi g advantage for the industrialization and modernization of the country, if it takes advantage of the superiority Vietnamese on the labor force. 3.3 Traffic: Conditions And Problems Highway system The road system consists of over 200,000 km network including over 10,000 bridges. However road conditions are not ideal, less than half of the national highways have two lanes or more. In addition, road congestion is increasing in major cities. In recent years, the Government has mobilized a significantly large amount of capital to upgrade the highway system with financial support from international lending agencies. Railway The rail network consists of about 2,600 km of single–track line covering several routes. There are about 260 stations in the network. The longest and most important route is the Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City line, which stretches for 1,730 km. This line is now serviced by an express train, which makes the journey in approximately 29.5 hours. The lines connecting Vietnam to China were re-opened a few years ago. Inland Waterways Often overlooked by foreign investors, the inland waterway system offers a cheap and flexible mode of transport. Vietnam has more than 2,300 rivers and canals with total length of 198.000 km. Currently, the inland waterway has a system of over 61,000 km. The two major inland waterway systems serve as major transportation outlets. The first major inland waterway system is in  the Red River area in the north which stretches for approximately 2,500 km. Along this system there are five main ports, of which Hanoi is the largest. The second major inland waterway extends 4,500 km along the Mekong River and its tributaries in the South and boasts about 30 ports, including Ho Chi Minh City. The larger river vessels are tug-drawn barges. Official estimates put the fleet capacity at about 420,000 tons with speeds ranging from 2 to over 20 km an hour. Smaller, wooden barges are mostly privately owned. Ports Vietnam has eleven major seaports. Ho Chi Minh City serves most of the South and now boasts modern container loading facilities. Just a few hours’ drive from Hanoi, Hai Phong serves much of the North. Given the rapid rise in trade volume, increasing port capacity is a national priority. Airports and Civil Aviation There are three international airports: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang. Currently, the Government has significantly upgraded international airports to handle the increase in the volume of traffic associated with Vietnams invigorated economy. A new international terminal of the Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, capable of handling up to 10 million passengers a year was opened in December 2007. Noi Bai airport in Hanoi was upgraded, enlarged and completed for operation in 2002, construction of a second terminal is expected to start in October 2008 and completed in two years. Four new international airports are planned to be constructed in Phu Quoc, Dong Nai, Lao Cai and Quang Ninh provinces. Preparations for the new Long Thanh International Airport, 40 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City in Dong Nai province is underway. The airport is scheduled to open in 2010 and by 2015 it will be further expanded to reach an annual transportation capacity of 80 to 100 million passengers, becoming one of the biggest airports in the region. In addition, there are 16 other domestic airports around the country. Culture and Social Vietnam is a country located in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is a culturally rich country whose distinct history played a role in the development of the modern day state. Vietnamese practices of Confucianism and showing reverence towards ancestors are evidence of China’s historical influence on Vietnamese  society. Vietnam became an independent state in the tenth century but was colonized by the French in the mid 1800s. Vietnam gained independence in the mid twentieth century but still retains traces of French culture which are visible in the way people communicate verbally and nonverbally. Though Vietnam has struggled over the past century through colonial rule, the Vietnam War and recent economic upheavals, it is now rebuilding itself to be able to compete on a global scale. Having a comprehensive understanding of Vietnam’s unique cultural values and traditions can allow the company to develop strong and successful business relationships with Vietnamese counterparts. Language Vietnamese is the official language, although there are distinct northern, central and southern dialects and accents. It is a tonal language, with each syllable; there are six different tones that can be used, which change the definition and it often makes it difficult for foreigners to pick up the language. There are other languages spoken as well such as Chinese, Khmer, Cham and other languages spoken by tribes inhabiting the mountainous regions. Although there are some similarities to Southeast Asian languages, such as Chinese, Vietnamese is thought to be a separate language group, although a member of the Austro-Asiatic language family. In written form, Vietnamese uses the Roman alphabet and accent marks to show tones. This system of writing called â€Å"quoc ngu†, was created by Catholic missionaries in the 17th century to translate the scriptures. Eventually this system, particularly after World War I, replaced one using Chinese characters (chu nom), which had been the u nofficial written form used for centuries. Non-verbal communication For certain feelings, Vietnamese people favor non-verbal communication. Vietnamese do not express feeling of thankfulness of apology in verbal communication, but non-verbal through silence or a smile. The proper respectful behavior is to avoid eye contact when talking to person who is not equal status or of the same gender. The smile is another non-verbal symbol conveying the feeling of respect in Vietnamese culture. It is used as an expression of apology, or as expression of embarrassment. For the Vietnamese a smile is a proper response in most situation in which verbal expression is not necessary, or appropriate. Confucianism The teachings of Confucius influence the Vietnamese describe the position of the individual in Vietnamese society. Confucian teachings emphasize the importance of relationships, responsibility and obligation. This philosophy is still a vital component of Vietnamese society and is prevalent in Vietnamese business culture in conserving the harmony of the collective good. The basic tenets are based upon five different relationships: Ruler and subject Husband and wife Parents and children Brothers and sisters Friends Hierarchy As like other group-oriented societies, Vietnam hierarchical structures are very much based upon age and status. This derives from Confucianism, which emphasizes social order. Everyone is seen as having a distinct place and role within the hierarchical structure, be it the family or workplace. An obvious example is seen in social situations where the oldest person in a group is greeted or served first. Within the family the head would be responsible for making decisions and approving marriages. Therefore companies that want to invest in Vietnam are made sense to give more authority to local managers to control the subordinates. The organization structure can be designed as hierarchical, with power derived from prestige, force, and inheritance. Collectivism Vietnam is a collectivist society in which the needs of the group are often placed over the individual. Family and community concerns will almost always come before business or individual needs. Family in particular plays an important role in Vietnamese society. You will notice that close ties between extended families and communities can have a major influence on individual behavior and oftentimes there are multiple generations living under one roof. For this reason, the company of the investor can pay more attention to their employees’ family members for example provide free medical treatment, childcare leave, family trips, etc. This can increase the employees’ loyalty to the company. Besides, in order to increase efficiency of Vietnamese employees, the company should assign tasks to them by group rather than individual. Religion Religion in Vietnam is closely related to the history of Vietnam and most importantly the culture of Vietnam. The earliest established religions in Vietnam were Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism (called the ‘triple religion’). These religions have been co-existing in the country for centuries and mixed well with the Vietnamese tradition of ancestor worship. This special mix explains why the Vietnamese people find it hard to say exactly which religion the belong to. They usually classify themselves as non-religious, despite visiting religious temples several times every year. At the year 2006, the major religious affiliations amongst Vietnam born people were Buddhism (58.6%), Catholics (22.1%), other (4.6%), and no religion (11.03%). From the data, we were found that Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism have greatly affected the Vietnamese’s behavior. The foreign investors should take note there are quite a large number of vegetarian in Vietnam, because of th e Buddhism religion. Food of Vietnamese Food is a very important part of Vietnamese culture. The Vietnamese not only enjoy eating but believe eating good food can bring harmony and closeness to the family and relationships. The types of foods are chosen to bring luck and these vary from province to province. Buying daily for fresh food is essential for all Vietnamese cooking. In general, Vietnamese people are not as concerned about nutrition as Westerner. They are more concerned with the quality of the foods. Concepts of Time Like most Asians, the Vietnamese have a more extended concept of time than that of most Americans. The agrarian nature of their traditional society focuses on seasons rather than days or weeks. And this tradition is reinforced by the Confucian tradition of respect for earlier generations. Americans measure time by the clock, Vietnamese by the monsoon. Although this is changing somewhat, Vietnamese can still be expected to take a longer view of time and be suspicious of the need for urgency in making decisions  or culminating a business deal. Patience remains the ultimate Confucian virtue in personal life as well as in business. Personal Relationships In Vietnam, propriety and courtesy play a major role in personal relationships. Vietnamese are generally more interpersonally formal than are Americans. This formality decreases the uncertainty surrounding interpersonal contacts in Vietnamese society and is carried over into the business realm for the same reasons. During initial meetings with Vietnamese officials, you can expect little real business to be accomplished. The Vietnamese will concentrate on getting to know youyour background, your expertise, your character. In their high-context communication culture, they will depend heavily on non-verbal clues to assess meaning. By becoming acquainted and establishing a personal relationship with you, they are merely trying to understand you better. Vietnamese society is comprised of an interconnected network of personal relationships, all of which carry obligations on both sides. These mutual obligations are the underpinnings of social order in Vietnam, so they are taken very serious ly. Americans need to understand and be sensitive to the serious nature of what may seem to them to be casual business relations. Failure to do so could easily result in a loss of trust or credibility, with obvious implications for longer-term relationships. 4. Technology In terms of technology, Viet Nam is a rapidly developing country. The year 2011 was the beginning of the strategic plan of economic and social development, period 2011-2020, in which infrastructural building is considered as one of main targets. With this plan, the country has been building many expressways and will let the local transport network be eventually upgraded to meet the requirements of rural industrialization and modernization, and connect itself with the national system. In addition, the above plan also includes a project which will work to narrow its scientific and technological gap with the world in some key fields by 2020. To launch this project, the Government will give top priority to enhancing the competence of scientists and related managers while encouraging the organization of training courses partnered with foreign competent partners. According to the project, the Government will focus on scientific and technological renovation to sharpen the competitive edge of local products and assisting businesses to purchase patents in some prioritized areas: biotechnology, information technology, new materials technology Nano technology , manufacturing technology and automation. 5. Legislation The communist party-controlled government of Vietnam has ruled under four state constitutions. The first was promulgated in 1946, the second in 1959, the third in 1980, and the current in 1992 (amended in 2001). Significantly, each bore the mark of its time. On paper, all these constitutions seem to establish a solid democracy. In fact, the purpose of the 1946 constitution was essentially to provide the communist regime with freedom of speech, the press, and assembly. The second constitution was explicitly communist in character. Its preamble described the Democratic Republic of Vietnam as a peoples democratic state led by the working class, and the document provided for a nominal separation of powers among legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. The 1980 Constitution concentrates power in a newly established Council of State much like the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, endowing it nominally with both legislative and executive powers. Many functions of the legi slature remain the same as under the 1959 document, but others have been transferred to the executive branch or assigned to both branches concurrently. The executive branch appears strengthened overall, having gained a second major executive body, the Council of State, and the importance of the National Assembly appears to have been reduced accordingly. The role of the Council of Ministers, while appearing on paper to have been subordinated to the new Council of State, in practice retained its former primacy. Having inherited the previous constitutions with substantial and basic changes, on the one hand, the 1992 Constitution continues reaffirming the basic principles in the constitutional history of Vietnam. First, it reiterates the target of socialist construction in Vietnam and the popular nature of the State. Second, the 1992 Constitution continues affirming the Communist Party of Vietnam’s leadership over the State and the society.  Third, it continues affirming the mechanism of State powers performed by the people through the National Assembly and the People’s Councils, the organization and operation of the State under the principle of concentrated powers; the concentration of State powers uniformly into the National Assembly with the division of responsibility among State bodies for the exercise of the legislative power, executive power and judicial power. On the other hand, the 1992 Constitution sees big changes: Vietnam decided to take economic renewal as the cent ral task, First, building the multi-sector and multi-ownership market economy along the socialist orientation. open-door policy and international economic integration. In reality, however, final authority on all matters rested with the Political Bureau; especially, the guarantees provided by the constitutions for freedom of speech, the press, and assembly has been never intended to be carried out. The constitutions eventually show its limitations since Vietnam has joined the stream of globalization, especially in the field of human rights and land-ownership law. In a report made public at the Conference on the Rule of law for human rights in the ASEAN region held by the Human Rights Resource Centre for ASEAN (HRRCA) in Jakarta, Indonesia on 30 April 2011, Mr. Vo Van Ai, President of Que Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam and the Vietnam Committee for Human Rights called on Vietnam to urgently reform its legal system and bring domestic legislation into line with international human rights laws. Mr. Vo Van Ai declared: ―36 years after the end of the Vietnam War, the rule of law exists only in theory in Vietnam. The government has incorporated human rights into its 1992 Constitution. Yet it has also adopted a whole arsenal of Laws, Decrees, Ordinances and Decisions which restrict or even nullify the exercise of these rights, in total violation of the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Vietnam adhered in 1982â€â€". At the beginning of the New Year 2012 (Jan 1, 2012), there happened The Tien Lang land withdrawal case: in Tien Lang district (on the outskirts of Haiphong, a port city east of Hanoi) a fish farmer, Doan Van Vuong, and his family had resisted a large force moving in to enforce an eviction order. With an improvised mine and muskets bought on the black market, they’d wounded two soldiers and four policemen, including the local police chief. Prime  Minister Nguyen Tan Dung himself had to meet the Haiphong City authorities to resolve the case; and finally came to the conclusion on Feb 2 that the Haiphong government was absolutely wrong in the case; and he ordered the Haiphong City authorities to review their wrong works as and repair the situation. This case is just one among so many cases that show matters association with the land law. And this shocked case has raised the question of reforming the land law, which has been ambiguously claimed by the constitution as ―land is possessed by the whole peopleâ€â€". Mr. Dang Hung Vo, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, comments that ―it’s possible to see the recent incident at Tien Lang as a climactic demonstration of the faults in our Land Law and how it is implemented at the local level. A good farmer, pure, simple and hardworking, who’s driven to defend his right to his land with home-made weapons – what misery! Everybody believes that there’s such a thing as justice and that the law ensures it. Certainly that’s what the farmers who built the fish ponds at Tien Lang believed. They went to the court expecting fair play, but the simple truths they understood proved elusive. The hopelessness of their situati on drove them to take desperate measures. As mentioned above, the 11th Congress of Vietnam Communist Party held in 2011 issued four degrees; and one of them is beginning the study of the amendments and supplements of the 1992 Constitution and establishing the revised draft of the 1992 Constitution. This is urgent and necessary for the development of the country. 6. Environment Viet Nam is blessed by the nature, with a great ecological and hydrological diversity. The country is made up of equatorial lowlands, high, temperate plateaus and cooler mountainous areas. It lies in the inter-tropical zone and local conditions vary from frosty winters in the far northern hills to the year-round subequatorial warmth of the Mekong Delta. At sea level, the mean annual temperature is about 27 °C in the south, falling to about 21 °C in the far north. Geographically, it stretches over 1600km (1000mi) along the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula; and has two main cultivated areas, that are the Red River Delta (15,000 sq km/5400 sq mi) in the north  and the Mekong Delta (60,000 sq km/23,400 sq mi) in the south. Vietnam also has diverse wildlife, with rare and precious fauna such as elephants, rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, black bear, snub-nosed monkey, crocodile and turtle. Forest area accounts for 2% of total forests in East Asia and Pacific. Fish catch is amon g the 10 highest countries in the world, with 1,451,800 tons per year. However, as the report of the World Bank on the environment in Viet Nam, ―Rapid economic growth in Vietnam over the last ten years, and its associated industrialization, urbanization, as well as increased exploitation of natural resources, has created significant pressures for the environment.â€â€"35 For example, the diverse wildlife is in precipitous decline because of the destruction of habitats, illegal hunting and pollution. In fact, Viet Nam Rhino was officially extinct in 2011. One of the most obvious examples for illustrating the environmental pollution is the phenomenon of getting narrowed of the lakes in Ha Noi. According to the Hanoi Construction Department, there are 111 ponds and lakes in Hanoi which cover a total area of 1165 hectares. The total area of lakes has decreased sharply during the urbanization, while a lot of them have disappeared. It is estimated that 80% of the lakesides have got polluted, 71% of lakes have suffered from pollution, 26% of the lakes still do not have embankments, while 8% of lakes have partial embankments. Environmentalists have called on to take urgent actions to protect the remaining lakes, or they would also disappear one day. Vietnam is among the countries that can be seriously affected by climate change. And the fact shows that the increasing deterioration of environmental conditions is emerging as a barrier to growth and development in recent years. In fact, according to the General Statistics Office, domestic natur al disasters occurred in 2011 has made 257 people dead and missing, 267 wounded; nearly 1.2 thousand houses collapsed and swept away; 391.8 thousand houses were submerged or damaged; more than 760 km of dykes, and the 680 km road motorized traffic bursts, landslides; 867 power poles broken or poured; nearly 54,000 hectares of rice and vegetables has been lost; more than 330,000 hectares of rice crops were flooded or damaged. Total value of damage caused by natural disasters in 2011 was estimated at over 10 trillion VND. Thus, this is really a big challenge of the country; and it needs a national and urgent action to prevent an ecological and hydrological catastrophe. C. BRIEF CONCLUSION With the aforementioned analysis of ―P.E.S.T.L.Eâ€â€", we see that in 2011, on the one hand, Viet Nam constantly attempted to keep its strategic plan of development, and also has obtained some important goals; on the other hand, the country had to face many difficulties and challenges which came both from outside and from inside. In my opinion, there are some main issues that the government should pay great attention in the coming years: reforming the education system, fighting against corruption (especially, promoting fiscal transparency and the public availability of economic data and information), reforming the state-owned sectors, amending laws, narrowing the gap between the Kinh, the Hoa and the ethnic minority groups, and improving environmental conditions.

Best Day of my Life Essay -- essays research papers personal narrative

Throughout life I have had many memorable events. The memorable times in my life vary from being the worst times in my life and some being the best, either way they have become milestones that will be remembered forever. The best day of my life was definitely the day that I received my drivers’ license. This day is one of the most memorable because of the feelings I had when I received it, the opportunities that were opened up for me and the long lasting benefits that I received from it that still exist today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Getting my drivers’ license was an intense feeling that I will never forget. Just knowing that I had a drivers’ license made me feel so free, as free as a bird flying in the open sky with no real place to go, just a desire to be free. I felt like I could do anything. I had new responsibilities like most adults, and I came to a realization that I had lived through one of the most important events in the process of growing up. This event opened up many possibilities for me such as interests in cars, driving skill improvement, and freedom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With my drivers’ license I could pick up my friends without my parents around, making the friend experience a whole lot better. I could go on dates without the embarrassment of my parents driving me. On any given day I could do anything I wanted because I could drive. I could feel the textures of the roads, smell the fresh air when my windows were down, see the beautiful terrain that I drove through and I could hear any type...

Care of the Malnourished Elderly Patient

Table of Contents Page numbers Abstract†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Chapter 1 / Introduction Origin of the Problem†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Significance or Importance of the Problem for Nursing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6-8 Problem Statement†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 Purpose of the Study†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Hypothesis- Null and Research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦.. 9 Definition of Terms.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9-10 Assumptions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦. 10 Chapte r II/Review of Literature Review of Literature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11-16 Chapter III/Methodology and Research Design Research Design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 17 Variables†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦17-18 Selection of Subjects and Research Setting†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 18-19 Data Collection Instruments †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â ‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦. 19 Statistical Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦. †¦. 20 Data Collection Procedure †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 20 Limitations†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 21 APPENDICESA. Request for Permission to Survey Participants†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦. 22 B. Nutritional Assessme nt Survey†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. †¦23-26 REFERENCES . †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦27-28 Chapter I. Introduction Origin of the Problem In our society, malnutrition and under-nutrition is a rising problem for the older adult population. Approximately 35%-85% of residents living in a long-term care facility, 60% of hospitalized older adults, and an estimate of 5%-10% of older adults living in community settings are malnourished (Maher and Eliadi, n. d. ).These statistics sadly show that hospitalized and long-term care patients are more likely to become under nourished compared to the elderly population in the community. According to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI, 2007), malnutrition ca n lead to serious or adverse health outcomes. Malnutrition has been linked to lengthy hospital stays with higher complications, morbidity, mortality, and frequent visits to their general practitioner (JBI, 2007). There are several risk factors (i. e. physical, psychosocial, social, and medical factors) that lead to malnutrition (Maher & Eliadi, n. . ). It is predicted that by 2030, the elderly population in the United States will double in size and exceed 70 million people. In light of these predictions, addressing the nutritional needs of the elderly will reach epic proportions and become a complex issue. Based on clinical observation, the signs and symptoms of malnutrition and under nutrition are often overlooked. Observing residents in a clinical setting at a local long- term health care facility precipitated our interest in this problem with malnutrition.The majority of elderly people living in care homes either have dementia, suffer from some form of physical disability, or hav e difficulty swallowing, which restricts them from adequately hydrating and nurturing themselves. With dementia, they usually do not remember how to eat or how to chew. With various physical disabilities, such as upper extremity contractures, their ability to feed themselves is often limited. In the event of swallowing difficulties, their food preference is often altered to prevent choking or aspiration.This often discourages them from eating due to the texture of the diet ordered. With the issues fore-stated, the residents often have to rely on the staff to assist them with meals. Caregivers often contribute to the problem of malnutrition because not enough time is devoted to assisting and supervising the residents to ensure they are eating properly. It is our job as caregivers to know the signs of malnutrition and risk factors that lead to malnutrition so that it can be detected and reported to the physician or dietitian early, before major problems occur.Various nutritional scree ning tools, assessment tools, studies, and research programs are available to help isolate and provide aggressive preventive treatment strategies for those at risk. The Nutritional Form for the Elderly (NUFFE), Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) are instrumental in detecting and providing interventions to decrease morbidity and mortality. These various studies help support the fact that malnutrition is overlooked, unrecognized, and left untreated by nurses and healthcare professionals.Other studies find that even though malnutrition was identified, no interventions were put into place to treat this growing concern. Significance of the Problem for Nursing In a hospital based setting, there are several different groups and departments that deal with patient care. These departments and groups consist of nutritionists, doctors, social workers and other disciplines. However, the nurses are ultimately responsible for the entire care of the patient throughout their stay.Nurses realize that many elderly patients come into the hospital undernourished or malnourished related to their being on a fixed income, having reduced access to food, having poor knowledge of nutrition, or being dependent on others for food preparation. These elderly patients sometimes have chronic illness such as depression, cancer, diabetes, renal failure, and cardiovascular disease that leads to malnutrition or under- nutrition (Briggs 2007). Under-nutrition is a wide spread problem that usually results in the elderly staying in the hospital longer related to a delay in recovery, more complications, and higher mortality rate.That is why it is important for nurses to do a detailed assessment upon admission to prevent these issues or problems. It is the nurse’s responsibility to gather all the background information about a patient during the assessment period. This will help to diagnose the nutritional status from the beginning of the pat ient’s care. Some of the information that is collected during this time, such as the patient’s mental status, allows the nursing team to identify if the patient is oriented or has problems with dementia.According to Briggs’ 2007 article, dementia is a common cause of under nutrition, as are the adverse effects of medications, such as digoxin and some anti-depressants. Antihistamines, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and lithium zinc deficiency can alter a patient’s taste and smell. For this reason, the nurse needs to collect a medication list that is current (Briggs 2007). During this process, nurses should ask questions that will reveal information about the patient’s medical history. This is done to identify possible diseases that have an effect on the patient’s nutritional status.Nurses should use all resources available to them after collecting data to assist with care of the patient. It is important for the nurse to know the po licies and procedures at the current hospital to consult specialists in order to improve patient care. This allows each department access to review the patient’s medical information and provide patient care as needed. Nurses are the primary caregivers for elderly patients in the hospital. When a malnourished patient is admitted nurses often develop plans of care to assist patients with improving their nutrition.Some of the ways that have been recommended are serving food at the appropriate temperature, providing food that is packed with nutrients, offering food that the patient enjoys eating, and giving oral supplements throughout the day to increase caloric intake. A good tip that nurses could use would be to always offer food or drinks when entering the patient’s room. From this research we know that poverty is one reason for malnutrition. When developing a plan of care for this patient the nurses can solicit the help of a social worker to help find resources to save money and provide food (Mayo Clinic, 2011).Malnutrition is a significant problem in nursing because it alters the type of care a nurse can provide. For instance, if a wound already exists, malnourished patients are at a higher risk for decreased wound healing. The nurse will then have to improve the nutritional status before proper wound healing can occur. The malnourished individual can become very weak and is thereby prone to falls. The impoverished elderly patient may not only be malnourished but have insufficient funds to purchase needed supplies, such as diabetic test strips and glucose monitoring systems.This could also lead to weakness and the development of further complications. Nurses need to ensure that daily weights and labs are obtained to track the progress of each patient. Malnutrition may seem secondary in nature, but it can grow into a monumental problem. Problem Statement Do registered nurses use evidence-based standards in the care of elderly hospitalized patient s who are undernourished? Purpose of Study The purpose of this study is to examine registered nurses usage of evidence-based standards in the care of undernourished elderly hospitalized patients.Hypothesis Research Hypothesis: Registered nurses use evidence-based standards in the care of undernourished elderly hospitalized patients. Null Hypothesis: Registered nurses do not use evidence-based standards in the care of undernourished elderly hospitalized patients. Definition of Terms For the purpose of this study, the following terms have been defined: 1. Undernourished- defined as an imbalance of nutrients caused by either an excess intake of nutrients or a nutritional deficit. (Maher & Eliadi, n. d. ) 2. Older Adults- Age 64 or older. Maher & Eliadi, n. d. ) 3. Associate Degree Registered Nurse- Registered nurses (RN’s) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members. Registered nurses must also become licensed by passing a national licensing examination. An associate degree is an academic degree awarded on satisfactory completion of a 2-year course of study, usually at a junior college. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012) (Elsevier, 2009) 4.Evidence-Based Practice- the use of scientific evidence, integrated with clinical experience and incorporating patient values and preferences in the practice of professional nursing care. (Houser, 2012, p. 12) 5. Hospital Setting- a health care facility that provides inpatient beds, continuous nursing services, and an organized medical staff. (Elsevier, 2009) Assumptions 1. If caregivers feed elderly patients, then the proper amount of the meal will be consumed. 2. Registered nurses help to prevent malnutrition in elderly patients. 3. The adequate amount of protein consumed in an elderly patient’s diet prevents malnourishment. . Registered nurses provide help with dietary interven tions of the undernourished. 5. If the proper screening tools are performed on admission, the elderly patient’s weight will improve. Summary People in this nation are living longer. As recognized throughout this research, malnutrition in the elderly patient is at an extremely high level. It is not only the nursing home patients experiencing undernourishment but the hospitalized elderly patients also. Malnutrition is prevalent throughout the elderly community. Through using evidence based practice tandards, malnutrition tools, and education strategies this dilemma can be improved. CHAPTER II. Review of the Literature Undernourishment has long been a prevalent problem among the elderly, especially in an acute-care setting. It has been a long-standing challenge for health-care providers to determine the most effective process for identifying those that are undernourished, at-risk for undernourishment, as well as intervening promptly and appropriately. A review of literature was done to examine registered nurses usage of evidence-based standards in the care of undernourished elderly hospitalized patients.Much of the literature supports the use of nutritional screenings to identify undernourished patients and reduce the number of those patients in the hospital setting. Undernourishment is often referred to as malnutrition. The effects of malnutrition, which is the inadequate consumption of essential nutrients, are very devastating to the health of an individual. As well-known among healthcare providers, inadequate nutrition can prolong wound healing, suppress the immune system, lead to increased length-of-stay, and increase the risk of mortality from comorbidities.The article entitled, â€Å"How well do nurses recognize malnutrition in elderly patients,† describes how well nurses are able to recognize the problem of undernourished patients and if care is being provided to these patients. There are numerous methods that can be used in determining if a patient is malnourished. In this study Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Body Mass Index (BMI), and a detailed questionnaire was used. The MNA is a simple, reliable, and well-validated tool used to determine a patient’s nutritional status.MNA gives a maximum of 30 points. A score of less than 17 indicates the patient is undernourished, while a MNA of 17-23. 5 shows a patient is at risk for malnutrition. BMI is another tool used in determining the status of a patient’s nutritional state. In this study a BMI of less than 20 is considered to be high risk for malnutrition. A questionnaire was given to nurses to determine daily routines related to nutritional care such as amount of food consumed at each meal, snacks between meals, and any oral nutritional supplements given.The study examined elderly patients in a long-term care unit in Helsinki City hospitals in Finland to determine if nurses are able to recognize undernourished patients and if adequate care was provided ( Suominen, Sandelin, Soini, & Pitkala, 2009). The above study included 1,043 elderly hospitalized patients for a two-week period. The nurses measured the BMI of patients as well as their MNA, but the nurses were not aware of the values to determine an undernourished state. In addition, the nurses were asked if they believed the patients were malnourished by simply marking yes or no.The nurses that performed the study participated in a 3-hour course to learn how to organize the study, assess the patients, and to complete the questionnaire (Suominen et al,. 2009). The results of the study, â€Å"How well do nurses recognize malnutrition in elderly patients,† revealed that malnutrition is not recognized by nurses and therefore results in the inability to provide evidence-based care to the patients. The results showed that 56. 7% were malnourished with an MNA

Intro to humanities test

Which term describes the line of kings under Charlemagne? Carolingian 2. ) During the High Middle Ages, the most important center for education became the University of Paris. True 3. ) Relics were sacred religious items that became an important aspect of spiritual and economic tradition for the Church. True 4. ) Which artist is credited as being responsible for bridging the gap between the Byzantine and Renaissance styles? Ghetto 5. ) Charles the Great created a system of education known as: The 5 says 6. The Haggis Sophia is the holy site where Charles the Great was crowned. False 7. ) The Great Schism began with the election of Pope Charlemagne. False 8. ) Who was the most influential Scholastic philosopher, influenced by Aristotle philosophy? 9. ) â€Å"Exodus† refers to the Old Testament story of Moses and literally means: going out 10. ) The Great Schism was a war between England and France, primarily about land disputes, which lasted for 116 years. False 1 1 .Patriarch was the author of both the Secretes and Canterbury Tales. False 12. ) The â€Å"Summary Theological† was written by which author? Aquinas 13. ) Dante was the author of which of the following? (select all that apply) Inferno, Divine Comedy, Paradises 14. ) The New Testament Greek term for â€Å"one who is anointed† Is â€Å"Christ. † True 15. ) Which of the following are examples of early Christian symbols/imagery? (select all that apply) Fish, Anchor, Olive branch 16.The Rule of Saint Benedict was established to regulate: the papacy 17. ) Chartres, Salisbury, and Notre Dame are examples of Gothic cathedrals. True 18. ) The Abbey of Saint Denis Is considered the first example of Gothic architecture True 19. ) Which of the following are examples of literary figures from the Middle Ages? Chauncey, Dante, Bursars 20. ) Which of the following are examples of Gothic architecture? Pointed arches, gargoyles, flying buttresses, stained glass

Symbolism in Big Two-Hearted River Essays

Symbolism in Big Two-Hearted River Essays Symbolism in Big Two-Hearted River Essay Symbolism in Big Two-Hearted River Essay Essay Topic: The Heart Goes Last Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Symbolism in Big Two-Hearted River The story, Big Twos of these include symbolism, paradox, metaphors, onomatopoeia, irony, and imagery among others (Brooke and Carpenter 15). In this story, the writer makes use of the various literary elements to piece together a convincing image in the reader’s mind, one such element used extensively by the writer being symbolism. When Nick, the main character, comes home from the war, he expects to gain peace in his home. However, he finds the whole place burnt down and the previously old familiar surroundings inexistent. â€Å"There was no town, nothing but the rails and the burned-over country†, (Hemmingway 253). The state of Nick’s home symbolizes the state of despair that is experienced by most war veterans when they return home after the war. Their emotional state is ruined and unstable showing a similarity to the demolished state of the place. The place is deserted when Nick gets home and throughout the story, he remains on his own. This can also be a symbolic sign to portray the feelings that soldiers have when coming back from war. Most soldiers go through painful ordeals, and it is impossible for any other person to relate to what they feel. Hence, the lonely picture shows their solitary emotions. Nick’s actions are also symbolic. Nick carries a large hiker’s bag on his back and purposely walks away from the road into the woods. He knows what he wants at this point and knows where he is headed. Even when he is tired, he presses on past a pine island towards a certain spot on the riverbank. â€Å"His muscles ached, and the day was hot, but Nick felt happy. He felt he had left everything behind, the need for thinking, the need to write, other needs. It was all back of him,† (Hemmingway 254). Symbolism is used here to represent freedom. The war is over, and there are no boundaries as to where he can or cannot go. There are no rules dictating the food that he can carry and which he cannot. He is also free to decide where to pitch his tent. This part of the story symbolizes the freedom soldiers experience once they get out of the war-torn areas where their every move is dictated. At the beginning, when Nick gets to his home area and goes to the river on the log bridge, he watches the big trout racing upstream. Nick picks up his backpack, walks up the road and turns heading towards the woods. He only takes short rests and even when he is tired, he continues walking. â€Å"He was tired and very hot, walking across the uneven, shade-less pine plain. At any time, he knew he could strike the river by turning off to his left† (Hemmingway 255). Once he arrives at the riverbed, he observes that the trout would race upstream and jump to the surface to catch insects, but after some time, they all settle and easily feed from downstream as the insects settle on the surface (Hemmingway 256). This is symbolic to Nick’s situation. Initially, he was troubled and needed peace of mind, which led to him to go into the woods and to the riverbed just as the trout have to race up the river and jump out to catch the insects. The situation where the trout later calm do wn downstream, and do not have to jump out of the water to catch insects is used to symbolize Nick’s situation. He finally begins to get the peace of mind that he was after; as he had reached the riverbank, he yearned for and embraced his freedom. However, Nick realizes that not all is lost, as the pine trees and the river still exist. Nature is often used for healing processes as a means to attain calm and peace from man-initiated troubles such as wars. Thus, Hemmingway uses nature in his plot to signify that Nick finds the peace he is looking for in the woods, regardless of the derelict state of the town. When he gets to the pool, looking at the trout moving up against the current in the stream gives Nick a renewed feeling. He gets an illusion of the peace he is in search of, the feeling that he once had before the war. This is explained in the quote â€Å"Nick’s heart tightened as the trout moved. He felt all the old feeling† (Hemmingway 253). In the story, Nick noticed that the grasshoppers were sooty black, in contrast to the grasshoppers that he remembered from his childhood. Those from his childhood were either black and yellow in color or black and red. Initially he did not pay attention, but once his mind settled down, he realized that they were black because of the soot from the fire that burnt down the town. The fire had occurred the previous year, but the grasshoppers were still sooty black. This is a form of symbolism since, wondering how long the effects of the past destruction would last on the grasshoppers could be alluded to wondering how long the effects of the war that Nick had just come from would last on him. â€Å"He realized that the fire must have come the year before, but the grasshoppers were all black now. He wondered how long they would stay that way†, (Hemmingway 254). The second part of the story talks about renewal and Nick finding the peace he sought. By being able to pitch his own tent and make his own fishing rod, Nick felt more like the man he should be. There were no rules to govern him or anyone to dictate to him what he was expected to do. This symbolizes a new beginning for him, and a chance to be his own man. â€Å"Nick felt awkward and professionally happy with all his equipment hanging from him†, (Hemmingway 260). In this part, he is enjoying himself, savoring the river’s feeling and fishing. While he throws in the hooks for the second catch after throwing the smaller fish back into the water, there is a great resistance as he hooks a big trout that is not willing to lose the battle. He struggles with it until he reels it. In the shallow waters near the swampy shores, he reels in yet another big trout. The two trout put up quite a fight before they are eventually captured. This struggle is a symbol of the struggle that Nick had gone through in his life. This is further emphasized in that the trout are both male. He does not fish for the small trout as by now he has recognized that bigger risks bring with them greater rewards. â€Å"Nick fought him against the current, letting him thump in the water against the spring of the rod. He shifted the rod to his left hand, worked the trout upstream, holding his weight, fighting on the rod, and then let him down into the net† (Hemmingway 263). In both parts of the story, the writer makes great use of symbolism. The story has a flow and compels the reader to think deeper into the meanings of the words. This makes it an interesting and educative read. Literary elements give a story more meaning as it is subject to various interpretations based on the person reading it. This makes it suitable for a diverse crowd. Hemingway masters the art making him one of the recognizable writers of his time. Work Cited Brooke, Stopford A, and George R. Carpenter. English Literature. New York: The Macmillan Co, 2000. Print. Hemingway, Ernest. The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. Simon Schuster, 1938. Print.

50 Problem Words and Phrases

50 Problem Words and Phrases 50 Problem Words and Phrases 50 Problem Words and Phrases By Mark Nichol Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to conceive written communication. So many pairs or trios of words and phrases stymie us with their resemblance to each other. Here’s a quick guide to alleviate (or is it ameliorate?) your suffering: 1. a while / awhile: â€Å"A while† is a noun phrase; awhile is an adverb. 2. all together / altogether: All together now â€Å"We will refrain from using that two-word phrase to end sentences like this one altogether.† 3. amend / emend: To amend is to change; to emend is to correct. 4. amount / number: Amount refers to a mass (â€Å"The amount saved is considerable†); number refers to a quantity (â€Å"The number of dollars saved is considerable†). 5. between / among: The distinction is not whether you refer to two people or things or to three or more; it’s whether you refer to one thing and another or to a collective or undefined number â€Å"Walk among the trees,† but â€Å"Walk between two trees.† 6. biannual / biennial: Biannual means twice a year; biennial means once every two years. 7. bring / take: If it’s coming toward you, it’s being brought. If it’s headed away from you, it’s being taken. 8. compare to / compare with: â€Å"Comparing to† implies similarity alone; â€Å"compare with† implies contrast as well. 9. compliment / complement: To compliment is to praise; to complement is to complete. 10. comprise, consist of / compose, constitute: Comprise means â€Å"include,† so test by replacement â€Å"is included of† is nonsense, and so is â€Å"is comprised of.† The whole comprises the parts or consists of the parts, but the parts compose or constitute the whole. 11. connote / denote: To connote is to convey (â€Å"Air quotes connote skepticism or irony†); to denote is to specify (â€Å"A stop sign denotes the requirement to halt†). 12. continual / continuous: Continual events are frequently repeated, or intermittent. Continuous events are uninterrupted, or constant. 13. credible / credulous: To be credible is to be authoritative; to be credulous is to be gullible. 14. deserts / desserts: If you eat only cake, pie, ice cream, and the like, you eat just desserts. If you have it coming to you, you get your just deserts as well. (However, the connotation is negative, so hit the gym.) 15. different from / different than: The former phrase is preferred in formal writing; but â€Å"differently than† is always correct usage. 16. discreet / discrete: Discreet means â€Å"subtle†; discrete means â€Å"separate.† (â€Å"He discreetly reminded them of their discrete meanings.†) 17. each other / one another: â€Å"One another† is preferred in formal writing when more than two of something are being discussed. 18. economic / economical: Economic refers to the science of economics; economical suggests frugality. 19. elemental/elementary: What’s elemental is essential or integral to nature; what’s elementary is basic. 20. ensure / insure / assure: To ensure is to guarantee, to insure is to indemnify, and to assure is to comfort or convince. 21. epidemic / endemic / pandemic: An epidemic is the outbreak of disease in a limited place and time; an endemic disease is a recurring one peculiar to a place or population; a pandemic is pervasive over a wide geographical area. 22. forgo / forego: To forgo is to go without; to forego is to go before (and is generally used only in the forms foregoing and foregone, which are themselves rare). 23. gibe / jibe / jive: To gibe (soft g, as in gym) is to taunt or insult (though jibe is an alternate spelling), to jibe with is to coincide or fit, to jive is to deceive. 24. historic / historical: Something historic is remarkable for its impact on history; something historical is simply an event in history. 25. home in / hone in: To home in is to close in; to hone in is to confuse one word for another. (â€Å"Hone in† has no meaning.) 26. jealousy / envy: Jealousy is resentment; envy is covetousness. 27. lay / lie: Lay is transitive, associated with a direct object â€Å"Lay that pencil down.† â€Å"Yesterday, I laid that pencil down.† â€Å"That pencil has been laid down.† Lie is intransitive, not so associated â€Å"Lie down.† â€Å"Last night, I lay down.† â€Å"It was my plan to have lain down already. 28. leach / leech: To leach is to dissolve by percolation; to leech is to remove blood with a leech or to exhaust; as a noun, it means a parasitic worm or the human figurative equivalent, or the edge of a sail (also spelled leach). 29. libel / slander: Libel is written defamation; slander is the spoken equivalent. 30. may / might: May refers to factual or possible; might is appropriate for the hypothetical or counterfactual. 31. nauseous / nauseated: To be nauseous is to cause sickness. To be nauseated is to feel sick. 32. notable / noticeable / noteworthy: Something notable is worthy of note. Something noticeable is capable of being noticed. Noteworthy is a synonym of notable, though the former implies the unusual and the latter the commendable. 33. partly / partially: Partly means â€Å"in part†; partially means â€Å"incomplete† or, rarely, is an antonym for unfairly. 34. peak / pique: To peak is to reach the pinnacle; to pique is to arouse interest or to bother. 35. people / persons: People has assumed primacy; persons is reserved mostly as a synonym for bodies (â€Å"those belongings carried on their persons†). 36. persuade / convince: To persuade someone is to motivate them to do something; to convince someone is to lead them to understand or believe. 37. predominantly / predominately: Both forms are correct, but predominantly predominates. 38. purposely / purposefully: What’s done purposely is done on purpose; what’s done purposefully is done with a purpose. 39. regrettably / regretfully: Regrettably is a synonym for unfortunately; regretfully means just that full of regret. 40. repetitive / repetitious: Both terms have acquired a negative connotation, but the former retains a more neutral meaning. 41. sensual / sensuous: Sensual has an erotic connotation; sensuous refers more neutrally to what is pleasurable to the senses. 42. since / because: Informally, these terms are interchangeable, but in formal writing, since should be used only to refer to time. 43. stationary / stationery: To be stationary is to stand still; stationery refers to letter-writing materials. 44. that / which: That is used restrictively (â€Å"The pencil that is sharp† among more than one pencil, the one with that characteristic); which is employed nonrestrictively (â€Å"The pencil, which is sharp† one pencil alone, possessing that characteristic). The distinction is rarely observed other than in American English. 45. tortuous / torturous: A tortuous experience is a winding one; a torturous one is painful. 46. transcript / transcription: A transcript is a thing; a transcription is the process of creating it. 47. verbal / oral: Verbal refers to both written and spoken communication, but oral is useful for distinguishing the latter from the former. 48. while / although / whereas: Informally, while is a synonym for the other two terms, but in formal writing it should be reserved for temporal connotations. 49. wreak / wreck: These terms do not share etymological origin; you wreck a party, but you do so by wreaking havoc. 50. whether / if: Both words are correct in expressing a choice, but the former is more appropriate in formal writing (â€Å"I can’t decide whether to go†), whereas the latter is better reserved for reference to possibility or probability (â€Å"I’ll go if you do†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? 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