Self-absorption in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays

Self-absorption in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚     Ã‚   The story Heart of Darkness is a study in the benefits , and setbacks, of self absorption. Through out the story there is a constant emphasis on the fact that self absorption will get you what you want and help you to survive. At the same time there is the constant moral objection. Almost the entire book is spent showing the positive aspects of self absorption. The life it will give you and the ability to keep that life going as long as possible. This type of thinking, however, can catch up to you in the end.    The lesson that self absorption is the means of self preservation is one that is taught to the reader, and more specifically to Marlow, gradually as the story progresses. The very first lesson in this thought process comes very early in the story. I occurs as Marlow is going over in his mind exactly how he came to get the opportunity to be a river steamer captain. It appears the Company had received news that one of their captains had been killed in a scuffle with the natives. This was my chance, and it made me the more anxious to go...However, through this glorious affair I got my appointment, before I had fairly begun to hope for it.(Conrad 13)    Right away Marlow begins to think about himself and what this mans death can bring to him. He describes the incident, and every now and then throws in a "The poor fellow" so that he is not completely devoid of any compassion. This is Marlow's introduction into the way of the successful person in the Ivory trade, or any business for that matter.    The next lesson that Marlow gets in self absorption he actually has provided for him. As he is riding the french ship down to the belgian congo there are several stops made to let off soldiers at various posts up and down the shore.    We pounded along, stopped, landed soldiers; went on, landed custom- house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God-forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag-pole lost in it; landed more soldiers to take care of the custom-house clerks, presumably. Some, I heard, got drowned in the surf; but whether they did or not, nobody seemed particularly to care. They were just flung out there, and on we Self-absorption in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness :: Heart Darkness essays Self-absorption in Heart of Darkness  Ã‚     Ã‚   The story Heart of Darkness is a study in the benefits , and setbacks, of self absorption. Through out the story there is a constant emphasis on the fact that self absorption will get you what you want and help you to survive. At the same time there is the constant moral objection. Almost the entire book is spent showing the positive aspects of self absorption. The life it will give you and the ability to keep that life going as long as possible. This type of thinking, however, can catch up to you in the end.    The lesson that self absorption is the means of self preservation is one that is taught to the reader, and more specifically to Marlow, gradually as the story progresses. The very first lesson in this thought process comes very early in the story. I occurs as Marlow is going over in his mind exactly how he came to get the opportunity to be a river steamer captain. It appears the Company had received news that one of their captains had been killed in a scuffle with the natives. This was my chance, and it made me the more anxious to go...However, through this glorious affair I got my appointment, before I had fairly begun to hope for it.(Conrad 13)    Right away Marlow begins to think about himself and what this mans death can bring to him. He describes the incident, and every now and then throws in a "The poor fellow" so that he is not completely devoid of any compassion. This is Marlow's introduction into the way of the successful person in the Ivory trade, or any business for that matter.    The next lesson that Marlow gets in self absorption he actually has provided for him. As he is riding the french ship down to the belgian congo there are several stops made to let off soldiers at various posts up and down the shore.    We pounded along, stopped, landed soldiers; went on, landed custom- house clerks to levy toll in what looked like a God-forsaken wilderness, with a tin shed and a flag-pole lost in it; landed more soldiers to take care of the custom-house clerks, presumably. Some, I heard, got drowned in the surf; but whether they did or not, nobody seemed particularly to care. They were just flung out there, and on we

Bad Writing Assignment(Intentional)

An Indiana supermarket has started the next trend in do-it-yourself grocery shopping – allowing customers not only to check themselves out. But also to let themselves in. On Thanksgiving night in Goshen, the locking mechanism on its front door was not checked by someone at the store. That resulted in a dozen customers entering the store and trying to shop despite a complete absence of store employees. Normally open 24 hours a day, the doors of the store were shut at 6 p. m. on Thanksgiving evening. Store manager, Sheila Donley, said. It seems the locks on the front doors must have failed, and instead of actually sleeping off their turkey dinners or getting an early head start on Black Friday, some loyal Kroger customers decided to pick up a few extra items. † Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open, Donley said, that may have deterred others who came earlier in the evening. About 10:15 p. m. , though, one customer decided the store lo oked open. And pulled the sliding front doors apart just as several other shoppers arrived. When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors, because all the lights were on inside, I just assumed the automatic opener had stopped working but I could still shop,† said, Goshen resident, Bill Terrell. â€Å"I looked for an employee to alert, I found no one and decided just to buy what I needed. † Several other late-night shoppers gathered items and went to the self-checkout lanes, seemingly oblivious to the utter lack of employees. They realized something was wrong after seeing all registers closed, Terrell said. At some point, police were called.Puzzled by the situation, a call came from a customer or a neighbor concerned about the sudden activity. Police spokeswoman, Christy Samms said, â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry at all and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † She said it appeared the door’s locking mechanism had not completely engaged. At this point in time, Donley, called in by police, secured all of the entrances and sent the confused customers on their way – each with a voucher for $20 worth of Kroger-brand items on a upcoming future visit.The customers, taking it in stride, left without incident, Terrell said. â€Å"As foolish as we probably were to be out on Thanksgiving night, I guess it’s hard to complain about free food on our next trip,† he said. 1a. Original: Donley, called in by police†¦. 1b. Revision: At this point in time, Donley, called in by police†¦ (Concise Wording) 2a. Original: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry and apparently†¦. 2b. Revision: â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry at all and apparently†¦ (Unnecessary Filler) 3a.Original: †¦and apparently no one stole from the business. † 3b. Revision: †¦and apparently no one stole any items from the business. † (Unnecessary Filler) 4a. Original: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors failed†¦ 4b. Revision: â€Å"It seems the locks on the front doors must have stopped working†¦ (Concise wording) 5a. Original: â€Å"I could see a little space between the doors†¦ 5b. Revision: â€Å"When I arrived at the store I could see a little space between the doors†¦ (Long Lead Ins) 6a. The doors were not easy to slide open,†¦. 6b.Since the locking mechanism had failed the doors were not easy to slide open,.. (Long Lead Ins) 7a. †¦and instead of sleeping off†¦. 7b. †¦and instead of actually sleeping off†¦ (Needless Adverb) 8a. †¦brand items on a future visit. 8b. †¦brand items on a upcoming future visit. (Redundant Words) 9a. â€Å"There were no signs of forced entry†¦ 9b. â€Å"There were definitely no signs of forced entry†¦ (Needless Adverb) 10a. †¦or getting an early start on Black Friday†¦ 10b. †¦or getting an early head start on Black Friday†¦ (Redundant Words)

Study On A Series Of Investments Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1616 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Cause and effect essay Did you like this example? While participating in a portfolio simulation I was allowed to access $50,000 of virtual money and purchase numerous stocks and bonds from NYSE, AMEX, or NASDAQ. Through this simulation I am expecting to experience some gains and losses towards my portfolio and also gain some knowledge on numerous companies as well. Once initial trade began on August 31, 2010, bi-weekly trades were to be made up until November 2, 2010. From this records were kept and evaluated in the end. The overall look of my portfolio consisted of Apple (AAPL), Diamond Trust Series I (DIA), Goldman Sachs (GS), Teleflex Inc (TFX), Bank of America (BAC), Telecom Argentina S.A. (TEO), Coca Cola Company (KO), and Exxon (XOM). Apple Inc. The first company I choose was Apple Inc. it was formed in 1976 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California. As of September 2010, they have a total of 317 stores and 2555 of those are in the United States. They are a company that sells their products worldw ide so I choose them based on popularity. From week to week their stock prices continuously rose. I purchased the stock at $242.50 and sold it at $308.84. Based off the company name I believe the stock will continue to grow gradually in the near future. Results The overall performance of Apple stock gradually increased through time which caused my portfolio to grow. I originally purchased 80 shares in the begging at $242.50 and during my first trade I sold ten shares at $283.33. My overall investment in the begging was $16,975.00 and in the end I closed out with $21,618.80, so I had a gain of $4,643.80. I believe Apple was one of my best stocks in my portfolio and if I was able to start from scratch again I would keep all shares till the end of the project. Diamond Trust Series I The next company I choose was diamond trust Series I. DIAMONDS Trust, Series 1 wants to be an investors best friend. The company is one that wants to be the investors best friend. The company is sues diamonds, a tracking stock for the 30 corporations of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). It owns approximately 5.8 million shares of each of the 30 firms. The price of diamonds generally corresponds to fluctuations in the DJIA, which consists of such corporate giants as Exxon Mobil, IBM, 3M, and Procter Gamble. I choose this company because many people are collectors of some sort when it some to diamonds and they believe there money will grow rapidly when invested in them. Results The stocks overall outcome was a slight increase from begging to end. I bought 70 shares worth $137.25 and sold70 share at the end at $162.39. My begging investment totaled $9,607.50 and when I sold them I had earned $11,367.30. This left my portfolio with a gain of $1,759.80. I was very pleased with the results but when I had purchased the shares I believed it would grow more than it normally did. If done again I would change nothing with this stock, I would keep it till the end then sel l off at closing time. Goldman Sachs This company was founded in 1869 and its main head quarter is located in New York, NY. They provide investment banking, securities, and investment management services to corporations and financial institutions worldwide. They play roles as financial advisor, lender, investor and asset manager to their customers. This company is one that is usually mentioned when it comes to the stock market so I purchased the shares based on company name hoping my decision would lead to a profitable outcome. Results Overall performance of the company was a gradual increase and it was also one of my better choices in shares. I purchased 50 shares at $137.25, investing a total of $6,862.50. I held onto the shares until the end and sold them at $162.39, this gave me $8,119.50 at my closing date. It also earned my portfolio $1,257.00 as the overall profit. If started over I would probably buy more shares next time giving myself more room to trade. Tele flex Inc. Teleflex Incorporated is a diversified global company, well-known by a significant presence in healthcare, with businesses that also serve the aerospace and commercial markets. I choose this company because medical supplies are always going to be needed by clinics and hospitals and it was also something very different from my current decisions. I was not too sure on how my outcome would look like but I was curious so I went forthwith the situation. Results The overall performance was a slight increase. I originally purchase 150 shares at $49.79 putting my investment at $7,468.50. Throughout the trading periods I sold 50 shares on September 21, 2010 at $55.21. This sale earned my portfolio $2,760.50. I then sold 50 more shares on October 19, 2010 at $57.80, earning $2,890.00. The last 50 shares were held onto until the end and I ended up selling them at $56.55, earning $2,827.50. So my overall earnings for this particular stock was $8,487.00. In the end I was conte nt with my decisions made and I would probably do the same if the chance came around. Bank of America Bank of America Corporation is a financial holding company that provides banking and nonbanking financial services and products to individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses, and large corporations. These services are not only done within the United States but also internationally. Since Bank of American hasnt been around as long as the other companies in the stock market, I wasnt expecting too much out of them. Results The companys overall outcome was to my expecting. I originally purchased 200 shares at $13.21, investing a total of $2,642.00. Throughout the trading periods I sold 100 shares at $13.29 on October 5, 2010; this earned my portfolio $1,329.00, I held onto the remaining 100 shares till October 19, 2010 selling them at $13.29. In the end I earned $18.00 from my original investment. Even though I sold all the shares before my closing period I ke pt up with the stock and realized it was best that I sold the share when I did. The stock slowly snuck its way down in price, so even though my gain was at a minimum it is still better than a loss Telecom Argentina S.A. This company provides telephone services to residential and corporate customers in Argentina. It operates in two segments, Voice, Data, and Internet Services. Phone service and internet are very popular amongst individuals and moreover with corporations. These components are items that will always be used and upgrade within time. I choose this company because I thought it was something that is big not only in our country but around the world as well. I wasnt too sure on how the stocks would fluctuate but I didnt believe that they would decrease within my time period. Results My overall outcome with this company was ok for the most part with a slight increase. I bought 85 shares at $19.27, earning $1,637.95. It was not long before I sold off all my shares on September 21, 2010 at $20.50; this earned my portfolio $1,742.50. This gave me an overall gain of $104.55. If I was able to do it over I would hang on to this stock longer than what I normally did. I dont believe I gave it enough time to grow in my portfolio. It may not have been much in the end but Im curious to know where it would have gone. Coca Cola Company This company is known worldwide for their syrup beverages known as Coca Cola. The company manufactures, distributes, and markets this beverage every where you can think of. I choose this company based on popularity as well, but I did not purchase the share until September 21, 2010. Since the company is real big and they own other companies as well I expected the stocks to rise gradually. Results The ending results were not as high as I thought they would be. I purchased 50 shares at $57.88, investing $2,894.00. I held onto the shares until the end and sold them at $61.90. The sale earned $3,095.00, giving my po rtfolio a gain of $201.00. In between the share increased much less than I thought. I was guessing the increase would be much higher due to the company name itself and all the sub companies it owns. In the end I cannot complain about my outcome and if done again I would probably buy more shares. Exxon The last company I invested in was Exxon Mobile Corporation. This company deals with the exploration, production, transportation, and sale of crude oil and natural gas. It is also involved in the manufacturing, transportation, and sale of petroleum products. This company was also purchased at a later date of September 21, 2010. I choose this company sue to the fact that crude oil is one of the major resources of our country. I expected this corporations stock to increase but also decrease through the trading period. Results The end results I experienced were expected for the most part. I originally purchased 50 shares of the company at $61.79 bringing my investment to $3,08 9.50. I held the shares till the end and sold them at $67.33 earning $3,366.50. This gave my portfolio a gain of $277.00. I expected the stock to slightly decrease throughout my trading period due to world/political views but it didnt seem to happen. The shares increased gradually throughout my trading period giving my portfolio a gain when I was expecting a loss. Conclusion In the end my overall experience was relatively well. Though it took time to get the hang of the experience was very knowledgeable. My overall portfolio experienced many gains, some were major and some were slightly smaller than expected. Apple was my best choice in investing in and Bank of America was the worst choice of investment. The stock market is something we have no control over so when choosing what companies to invest in I learned that it is best if research is done on the company before putting your money on the line. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Study On A Series Of Investments Finance Essay" essay for you Create order

Probability of Union of 3 or More Sets

When two events are mutually exclusive, the probability of their union can be calculated with the addition rule. We know that for rolling a die, rolling a number greater than four or a number less than three are mutually exclusive events, with nothing in common. So to find the probability of this event, we simply add the probability that we roll a number greater than four to the probability that we roll a number less than three. In symbols, we have the following, where the capital P  denotes â€Å"probability of†: P(greater than four or less than three) P(greater than four) P(less than three) 2/6 2/6 4/6. If the events are not mutually exclusive, then we do not simply add the probabilities of the events together, but we need to subtract the probability of the intersection of the events. Given the events A and B: P(A U B) P(A) P(B) - P(A ∠© B). Here we account for the possibility of double-counting those elements that are in both A and B, and that is why we subtract the probability of the intersection. The question that arises from this is, â€Å"Why stop with two sets? What is the probability of the union of more than two sets?† Formula for Union of 3 Sets We will extend the above ideas to the situation where we have three sets, which we will denote A, B, and C. We will not assume anything more than this, so there is the possibility that the sets have a non-empty intersection. The goal will be to calculate the probability of the union of these three sets, or P (A U B U C). The above discussion for two sets still holds. We can add together the probabilities of the individual sets A, B, and C, but in doing this we have double-counted some elements. The elements in the intersection of A and B have been double counted as before, but now there are other elements that have potentially been counted twice. The elements in the intersection of A and C and in the intersection of B and C have now also been counted twice. So the probabilities of these intersections must also be subtracted. But have we subtracted too much? There is something new to consider that we did not have to be concerned about when there were only two sets. Just as any two sets can have an intersection, all three sets can also have an intersection. In trying to make sure that we did not double count anything, we have not counted at all those elements that show up in all three sets. So the probability of the intersection of all three sets must be added back in. Here is the formula that is derived from the above discussion: P (A U B U C) P(A) P(B) P(C) - P(A ∠© B) - P(A ∠© C) - P(B ∠© C) P(A ∠© B ∠© C) Example Involving 2 Dice To see the formula for the probability of the union of three sets, suppose we are playing a board game that involves rolling two dice. Due to the rules of the game, we need to get at least one of the die to be a two, three or four to win. What is the probability of this? We note that we are trying to calculate the probability of the union of three events: rolling at least one two, rolling at least one three, rolling at least one four. So we can use the above formula with the following probabilities: The probability of rolling a two is 11/36. The numerator here comes from the fact that there are six outcomes in which the first die is a two, six in which the second die is a two, and one outcome where both dice are twos. This gives us 6 6 - 1 11.The probability of rolling a three is 11/36, for the same reason as above.The probability of rolling a four is 11/36, for the same reason as above.The probability of rolling a two and a three is 2/36. Here we can simply list the possibilities, the two could come first or it could come second.The probability of rolling a two and a four is 2/36, for the same reason that probability of a two and a three is 2/36.The probability of rolling a two, three and a four is 0 because we are only rolling two dice and there is no way to get three numbers with two dice. We now use the formula and see that the probability of getting at least a two, a three or a four is 11/36 11/36 11/36 – 2/36 – 2/36 – 2/36 0 27/36. Formula for Probability of Union of 4 Sets The reason why the formula for the probability of the union of four sets has its form is similar to the reasoning for the formula for three sets. As the number of sets increases, the number of pairs, triples and so on increase as well. With four sets there are six pairwise intersections that must be subtracted, four triple intersections to add back in, and now a quadruple intersection that needs to be subtracted. Given four sets A, B, C and D, the formula for the union of these sets is as follows: P (A U B U C U D) P(A) P(B) P(C) P(D) - P(A ∠© B) - P(A ∠© C) - P(A ∠© D)- P(B ∠© C) - P(B ∠© D) - P(C ∠© D) P(A ∠© B ∠© C) P(A ∠© B ∠© D) P(A ∠© C ∠© D) P(B ∠© C ∠© D) - P(A ∠© B ∠© C ∠© D). Overall Pattern We could write formulas (that would look even scarier than the one above) for the probability of the union of more than four sets, but from studying the above formulas we should notice some patterns. These patterns hold to calculate unions of more than four sets. The probability of the union of any number of sets can be found as follows: Add the probabilities of the individual events.Subtract the probabilities of the intersections of every pair of events.Add the probabilities of the intersection of every set of three events.Subtract the probabilities of the intersection of every set of four events.Continue this process until the last probability is the probability of the intersection of the total number of sets that we started with.

Essay about The Destructive Nature of Technology - 2066 Words

From that first day that man discovered fire, the human race has continued its never-ending search to accomplish tasks in the most expedient manner possible. Society has decided that technology can be used to solve most of its immediate problems. This quest has brought us many useful things such as the telephone, the automobile, the oven, the CD player, etc. and has made living a little more enjoyable. If that were all, there would be no need to even mention these facts other than to advertise them. However, these so-called technological advances have also placed many hindrances on our daily life. Probably the most immediately important of these technological mishaps was the invention of the computer. Computer programmers and†¦show more content†¦Here is where stupidity enters and money vanishes. It should be obvious that a salesman or manufacturer is going to try to get their customers to purchase the most expensive computer considering that it is their job. What most people do not realize is that not every component that is purchased along with a computer is completely necessary. People could save so much money by simply asking to have those excess components removed. People too often feel the need to keep up with the Jones. For many people, having the latest technology is a big ego boost, because most ...entertainment technology brings status and prestige..., even if nobody knows its true purpose. The problem is that most people, especially young adults, ...cannot imagine a world without PCs [Personal Computers] sprinkled across desktops, laps, palms, eyes, and everywhere else. Ken Pohlmann enlightens us to this in is article The X-tronic Generationi. In the article, Pohlmann explains that many have become heavily dependent upon the use of technology to run the lives. This sad situation also applies to businesses. After the money has disappeared and stupidity has made its home, top executives, who generally only have a degree in business and not computers, decide to hire information technology (IT or information systems (IS)) professionals toShow MoreRelatedAlthough each classification of natural disaster is capable of creating catastrophic destruction, I700 Words   |  3 PagesAlthough each classification of natural disaster is capable of creating catastrophic destruction, I feel that the destruction resulting from the accumulated factors that are responsible for Tsunamis have a potential destructive force far greater than other singular forces of nature on their own; Furthermore, due to the densely populated urbanized regions in high-risk zones the potential impact on humans form Tsunamis is elevated in comparison with other phenomenas which may occur with little impactRead MoreThe Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury Essay example1547 Words   |  7 Pagesthe new rocket technology and space exploration, and created for the readers, the possible outcomes as technology took over the lives of humans. In The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury first started with how the people on Mars lived peacefully with their environment, and allowed technology to better their lives, but not control their lives. Then in the middle section of the short stories collections, Bradbury described Earthman destructive disregard for harmony between nature and technology, which endsRead MoreThe Anxieties Of Modernity In Frankenstein And Dracula981 Words   |  4 Pagesworld science and technology versus old world spirituality and faith. This manifests predominantly as the old traditional values of Europe contrasting with the rapid and modern changes within England which provides a point of contention between the two worlds. Therefore, within this essay I will argue that both Frankenstein and Dracula were written to negotiate the anxieties of modernity; however the former uses science and technology as a representation of the destructive nature of the modern worldRead MoreThe Human Of Human Beings1142 Words   |  5 Pagessocial structures in spite of evolutionary heritage. Humans have been successful in every habitat on the planet, and this is due to technology and the adaptation to form it to the needs and desires of the human species. Author Michael Bess writes a provocative article about how human beings are already cyborgs, due to the enculturation, enskilment and adaptation of technologies of the human species (Bess 2008). The term cyborg is defined as â€Å"a person whose physiological functioning is aided by or dependentRead MoreFarenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury1068 Words   |  4 Pagesambiguity of fire’s symbolism in Fahrenheit 451, as Montag’s mental transformation and relationship to society changes his understanding of fire; believing first that fire is simply a destructive force, to slowly understanding t he comforting and unifying nature of fire. Bradbury first portrays fire as a destructive force, starting his novel with Montag burning books. With the brainwashed mindset of his society, â€Å"it was [Montag’s] pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, toRead MoreThe Tempest, By William Shakespeare1343 Words   |  6 Pagesparallel many other works relating to technology, nature, or both. One of the most obvious parallels is, of course, to Shakespeare s The Tempest, the story of a man stranded on an island which he has single-handedly brought under his control through the use of magic. Indeed, the characters, plot, and lesson of Forbidden Planet mirror almost exactly those of The Tempest, with the exception that where The Tempest employs magic, Forbidden Planet utilizes technology. At this point, it is usefulRead MoreArgumentative Essay On The Hot Zone706 Words   |  3 Pagesthe world. Main Arguments of the Book: Throughout this nonfiction novel, the power of nature is an ever-present argument. The virus Ebola, which came from nature itself, represents a power at its purest and most destructive time. No matter how much technology humans had, or how much the human race has done to protect itself against this virus, Ebola has always found a way to infect the human race. With technology upgrades, the Ebola virus has taught itself to use the human innovation for its own goodRead MoreSymbolism : Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury1144 Words   |  5 Pagesshort story-Fahrenheit 451 (Fenton). Fahrenheit 451 is a science fiction artistic work of literature that makes use of symbols in the reflection of the humanity journey revived in a dystopian society ruled by the inception of technology. Symbols hailing from nature and technology portray assessment (bleak) of human temperament in satisfying natural desires with constructions by men. The most used symbols include the River, Phoenix and the Mirror con veying slavishly technological servitude. Most of theRead MoreRelationship between Art and Technology in 1960s1670 Words   |  7 Pagesage. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 prompted a new interest in the world of the machine, yet the artistic approach to technology differed from the Futurist and Constructivist precedent. Technology did not hold utopian potential; rather the artists of the 1960s adopted varied approaches, ranging from sheer admiration to fearful pessimism. However, by the end of the 1960s technology became closely associated with the American war effort. The negativity that developed in response resulted in the technologicalRead MoreKurt Vonnegut’s Novel Cat’s Cradle Essay1588 Words   |  7 Pagescreation of man. Unfortunately for all the mud, some of the mud decided that the only thing missing in life was a way to end it. Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Cat’s Cradle takes a satirical look at the shortsightedness and hubris in man’s appro ach to new technology. In the novel, one of the designers of the bomb that fell on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Dr. Felix Hoenikker, invents a way for military commanders to solidify muddy battlefields into a hard surface, perfect for crossings by tanks and soldiers. The

Artificial Intelligence in Project Management free essay sample

The teds developed have been different expert systems, knowledge-based systems and neural networks, each designed to offer decision support to a specific type of problem. This paper will describe a small segment of these tools, as the paper will only focus on the latest and probably the most promising technology: neural networks. Only neural networks based on simple, standard software (Brainmaker Professional from California Scientific Software) for standard PC’s affordable to industry and easy to use by the project manager himself will be covered.The paper will give a short introduction to the technology, describe in some detail an application for analyzing polluted sites and based also on further cases from practice finally offer some general conclusions on the potential to the construction industry of this kind of technology. The human brain is made up of billions of cells called neurons. Each of these ceils is like a very small computer with extremely limited capacity y et connected together, these cells form the most intelligent system known. We will write a custom essay sample on Artificial Intelligence in Project Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Neural networks area class of computer systems formed from simulated neurons, connected to each other in a network simulating the way, that we believe the brain’s neurons are connected. The networks in this study are based on the so called feedforward, backpropagation algorithm. In this algorithm learning is simulated in much the same way, as we think people learn, by examples and repetition association. It is not programmed by rules etc, but it is trained . that is, when the network sees an input A, or something like it, it responds with output B, or something like it.

Addressing Medication Errors Occurring in Nursing

Question: Discuss about the Addressing Medication Errors Occurring in Nursing. Answer: Introduction In any healthcare scenario, the process of achieving effective therapeutic outcomes depends on various factors like treatment process, patient safety, communication, nursing care, drug interventions etc. (Fletcher, Fletcher Fletcher, 2012). Any kind of minor or major mistake in any of these factors can lead to drastic loss of patient health and healthcare organisation. Out of these factors drug intervention or medication is the most fundamental requirement to achieve treatment. Any kind of mistake or negligence in drug intervention process can result in direct side effect on patients health (Grove, Burns Gray, 2014). According to Raban Westbrook (2014), medication error is reported to be a reason for thousands of demises and millions of hospitalisation globally. Hence, fixation of any medication error becomes a fundamental requirement in healthcare scenario. The medication administration and management is one of the fundamental nursing roles that critically depend on the nursing skills and knowledge. The nursing staffs have the responsibility to administrate, monitor and manage the drug intervention for hospitalised patients. Therefore, continuous observance, alertness and approaches are required in healthcare scenario to avoid the potential chances of medical error (Grove, Burns Gray, 2014). According to Unver, Tastan Akbayrak (2012) studies the proper definition for medication error is any avoidable incident that risks to incongruous medication use causing or leading patient harm, although being under the control of medical professional, carer or consumer. The medication error incidences are related to healthcare products, medical practices, medical prescriptions, procedures, nursing practices, product labelling, compounding, distribution, education, dispensing, monitoring, utilisation and communication. Any kind of negligence in these events can lead to medication errors. Therefore, adopting best possible strategies to avoid this medication error in healthcare scenario is one of the major priority concerns (Fletcher, Fletcher Fletcher, 2012). As a registered nurse, it is been noticed in my clinical scenario that issue of medication error is gaining a possible position where around 60% risk event in hospital occur due to medication negligences in the nursing care unit. Some of the most common factors related to these medication errors are new staff, insufficient training, incorrect administration technique, prescription errors (incorrect dosage), expired medication usage, wrong patient identification, and preparation errors (mixing incorrect multiple medications, dose calculation errors). These factorial causes of medication error indicate nursing medication negligence in the clinical scenario. Therefore, it is critically required to minimise these events and manage medication error to improve medical care facility provided by nursing care unit. This Quality Improvement Project is specifically designed to manage this issue of medication error in healthcare scenario. The various negligences and issues in nursing care will be addressed as per the quality improvement process provided in this project to get a control over events of medication error in the organisation. Statement of problem or clinical question The medication errors described above are clearly indicating the lack of knowledge, calibre and guidance provided to the nursing staff of the hospital. The administration, prescription and preparation errors directly specify the issue in nursing skills and practice. Therefore, this quality improvement project will work to improve the nursing skills by providing a Short-term Periodic Training (STPT) Program that will acknowledge the staff about different strategies to avoid such medication error while dealing with patients in the hospital. This nursing training program is safe and specifically developed to improve nursing practice within the short duration of time to improve medical care. Project Aim The aim of this quality improvement project will be to implement Short-term Periodic Training Program (STPT program) to overcome nursing issues and mishandling that are increasing the risk of medication errors in healthcare scenario of selected organisation. Relevance of project to clinical practice The medication error is always considered to be a major clinical issue because it directly affects the patient safety and treatment process. Any kind of minor negligence in medication process is prone to develop major clinical consequences (Fletcher, Fletcher Fletcher, 2012). This project will help to decrease the risk cases occurring due to medication errors caused by mishandling and negligences of nursing staff in the healthcare organisation. The Short-term Nursing Program will work to overcome the identified factors leading to the medication error in nursing care unit causing high risk to patient safety. Hence, this quality improvement intervention will help to overcome the medication error harming medical care process. Review literature Nursing and medication error The establishment of patient safety and health betterment is the very first priority of quality healthcare services management. There are various faults and errors that lead to the imbalance in quality outcomes where medication error holds a top most position. After doctors prescribe a medicine the major role players are the nurses whose fundamental work is to manage the treatment of their patient (Grove, Burns Gray, 2014). According to a recent study related to Medication Safety in Australia provided by Chiang et al. (2010) the faults in nursing administration leads to 70% medication errors. Faults like wrong dose, wrong rate, wrong volume or dose incompatibility were reason of 90% medication error in nursing care unit resulting in surgical requirement, long patient stay and permanent health defects in the patients. Unver, Tastan, Akbayrak (2012) studied the causes of medication error as per nurses viewpoint where the findings indicated more than ten leading factors of medication error responded by paediatric nurses. The major once were stress (70%), burnout (45%), complicated prescription (30%), unfamiliar medicines (40%), work pressure (35%), knowledge deficiencies (20%), and lack of facilities (4%). Further, in a survey studied by Pham et al. (2012) indicated that majority of nursing staff is not aware of the correct form of medication error. Only 20% nurses mentioned medication error as the wrong dose, incorrect time of dose, and wrong mode of transmission and wrong administration process. However, rest 80% of nurses mentioned medication error as lack of documentation and reporting as the medication error. Hence, this literature indicated a lack of proper nursing education that detects the wrong perceptions of nurses about medication error. Role of nursing education and training in medication error Kalisch Aebersold (2010) indicated that nursing experience and education is one of the critical factors that is directly linked to medication error. The less experienced and skilled nurses cause 50% of medication errors that includes wrong patient, incorrect dilution calculations, incorrect dosage, incorrect administration and improper reporting. Seys et al. (2012) supported by indicating that nave nurses are generally not able to recognise their medication error as well as they lack proper knowledge in warrant reporting. This indicates a lack in professional training system of the healthcare organisation. In the study of Sears, Goldsworthy Goodman (2010) related to nurses viewpoint on medication error, it is clearly indicated that lack of pharmacological knowledge is a major reason for medication error as per viewpoint of 237 professional nurses. Hence, this directly indicates a requirement of improved training intervention in nursing practice. Chhabra et al. (2012) studied in a survey that 80% of new nurses commit medication error in first six months of their nursing practice where 70% remained unreported by them and 10% caused serious health hazards to the patient. Successful strategies and programs to address medication errors committed by nurses There are different strategies and programs implemented at various organisations in a different manner to cope up with the medication error. Agyemang While (2010) Opine the use of different strategies to avoid three major causes that are knowledge gaps, performance lapse, and failure of the safety system of medication. The strategies of MEDMARX program are described below: - Implementation of health record reviewing process Patient and clinician education Bar-code medicine management Reviewing the medication reporting format Computerised medical entry Further, Mueller et al. (2012) studied that E-learning is the most contemporary form of nursing education with the help of which nurses can get instant solutions for their issue related to medication process. This e-learning strategy helped to improve pharmaceutical knowledge and dosage calculation for nurses. The E-learning facility is new to nursing practices but possesses potential positive outcomes. Seys et al. (2012) studied the use of one nursing education program named as SCRIPT study that was developed to improve the issues like unreadable prescriptions, improper antibiotics documentation, and poor communication leading to medication error. The SCRIPT abbreviation was used in a manner to detail educational message about the program that indicated, S: Senior doctor cross-check, C: Check allergies, R: wRite indications for antibiotics, I: (Initial Date) of charting medicine in parenthesis, P: PRINT and sign your name, T: Appropriate Targets for infusions in the nursing practice . The post education results indicated a decrease in prescription error, dose infusions and communication errors. Mohammad et al. (2010) studied an Evidence-based quality improvement program (IQ program) used in hospitals of sixteen states where 30% of 616 critical care hospitals participated in program implementation. The findings indicated that project was successful in improving medication quality and safety in 90% of hospitals. The program used five strategies that are maintaining skilled nursing and pharmacist staff, use of pharmacological reconciliation techniques, implementing technological softwares (telehealth), improving nurse workflow and improving cultural defects in the organisation. Kwan et al. (2013) indicated that reviewing and updating service techniques with education and training on the periodic basis is effective to refine the nursing staff as per dwelling issues and problems in healthcare. This periodic training program can help to regularly update healthcare services as per the changing environmental complex situations. Outline of project procedure and Dissemination of findings This Quality Improvement research proposal will work to rectify the on-going medication errors that clearly highlight a lack of pharmaceutical knowledge, skills and training in the nursing staff of the organisation. The identified issue are insufficient training, incorrect administration technique, prescription errors (incorrect dosage), expired medication usage, wrong patient identification, and preparation errors (mixing incorrect multiple medications, dose calculation errors) that are leading to medication error establishment. Therefore, to overcome these factors that dwell medication error a Short-term Periodic Training Program (STPT) will be proposed in this project that will help to overcome these issues in the clinical scenario. This STPT will be a short-term 5 days training that will be provided to nursing staff of organisation in every six months to address the identified medication errors. As per the detected causes of medication error, this STPT will be designed and modified in every 6 month period by the experts to upgrade the nursing education and knowledge to cope up with changing healthcare environment and to address the medication errors for medical care improvement. This STPT program will involve an array of five strategies where each strategy will be guided to nurses on each day of the program. These strategies will be produced as per the identified medication error and mistakes in healthcare functionality. The establishment of STPT program will help to achieve equilibrium to manage the regular issues in medication services as well as the program will work to regularly upgrade the skills, education and knowledge of nursing staff within the organisation. Hence, this intervention will provide a regular process to control the medication complexity and establish the proper working environment. This quality improvement intervention will be planned using PDSA approach to regularly analyse the outcomes of this program. According to Nakayama et al. (2010) P-plan, D-do, S-study and A-act is a cycle that helps to analyse the impact of any trail or change in particular scenario. The planning phase involves the planning of change, do phase involves the implementation of change, study phase is accessing or studying the outcomes of change, and act phase involve determining the modification required in next change cycle. PDSA is considered as the ideal model of improvement. Figure 1: PDSA approach for quality improvement (Source: Nakayama et al. 2010, p. 337) In this project, PDSA cycle will be used to implement and test the effect of STPT program for addressing medication error. The below provided is the PDSA design and processes that will lead to development and evaluation of quality improvement program STPT for addressing the medication error in the present clinical scenario. P-Plan Team assembly Creating aim statement Determining the current approach Identifying the potential solutions For the planning phase, the required authorities that include management committee, medical specialists, senior nursing staff and senior pharmacist will be invited to attend a meeting where the medication issues identified will be discussed in details. The aim statement will be to educate nursing staff as per the identified medication error causes in the clinical scenario. The issues will be identifies using the baseline performance audit and health information data of the involved patients. As per the discussion, possible solutions or strategies will be identified to manage these issues. As the current issues are lack of pharmaceutical knowledge, skills and training in nursing staff the proposed training and education strategies are: - Educating about five rights of medication administration that are the right drug, right patient, right time, right route and right dosage. Educating about reconciliation procedures Educating about e-learning process to improve knowledge Educating about process to documenting medication information and reporting medication error Guiding about the use of drug guide and suggesting to carry it all the time (Jones Treiber, 2010). D-Do Analyse the improvement theory Initiate the STPT program intervention Collect the data to analyse Document the collected information The education program will be conducted with complete medical, pharmaceutical and surgical nursing staff. The program process will be carried for five days (2 hours) where each day a particular strategy will be taught by nursing teachers to the staff using audio-visual presentations. The education program will be designed as time efficient and simple. After the completion of the program a feedback form will be generated that is required to be filled by each participant of the program. This feedback data will help to analyse the effectiveness of program among audiences. After the completion of the educational program, a post-intervention will be checked for next five-week to detect the improvements in medication errors. S-Study Studying and analysing the collected data Identifying the errors and improvements In this phase of PDSA analysis, the collected feedback and audit information will be analysed to detect the improvement in medication error factors, mortality and serious hospitalisation, and impact on nursing staff for the implemented STPT program. A-Act Re-analysing the STPT program strategies Establishing future strategies Improving errors in plan This phase of PDSA cycle is to re-examine the error in program development and implementing the possible solution for mistakes detected as per analysis. The modifications will be made in program education strategies in the next STPT program as per the identified medication errors in clinical functionality. As per this quality improvement project of implementing a Short-term periodic training program to overcome medication error in organisation, it is expected that findings will demonstrate a clear decrease in the medication error events and improvement in patient safety. The PDSA approach applied for quality improvement development and analysis allows reviewing the program strategy in every periodic repetition of STPT program. Hence, this technique can be modified as per post education intervention outcomes using PDSA model of quality improvement. References Fletcher, R. H., Fletcher, S. W., Fletcher, G. S. (2012).Clinical epidemiology: the essentials. Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Grove, S. K., Burns, N., Gray, J. R. (2014).Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice. Elsevier Health Sciences. Agyemang, R. E. O., While, A. (2010). Medication errors: types, causes and impact on nursing practice.British journal of Nursing,19(6). Chhabra, P. T., Rattinger, G. 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