Personal Reflection Essay Example for Free

Personal Reflection Essay This reflection will discuss personal diffidence and how it has influenced my academic studies, including my practice within placement settings. Gibbs reflective cycle (Gibbs, 1998) has been utilised as it illustrates a clear structure for the process of reflection. To conclude this reflection will draw together the themes which have emerged and highlight a clear action for future learning that will be used in order to enhance my future practice. Within my previous occupation as a health care assistant I was subject to workplace bulling which was allowed to continue for an extensive period of time due to ineffective management of the situation. Vartia (2001, p. 68) suggests that one of the consequences for the targets of workplace bulling is a feeling of low self confidence. This is indeed true of myself; although this occurred prior to commencement of university, I perceive that I am diffident stemming from this experience. This diffidence has influenced my academic studies and my practice upon placement. Feelings: I feel that I find it challenging to settle down within new groups of people. Whilst on placement I feel it takes a significant amount of time to work within my fullest capacity within the team. Spouse (2008, p. 21) state that entering a new placement area can be a daunting experience; suggesting this may be because you are joining a team of strangers who already know each other. However I feel that my previous experience has heightened my apprehension and indeed Bach and Grant (2009) suggest past experience contributes to our attitudes and values and affects what we notice about other peoples behaviour and how we interpret it. Therefore I may unintentionally be vigilant for behaviour that represents past experience. I feel I become emotive when conflict arises both upon placement and within the university environment; therefore I have a tendency to avoid sources of conflict. Furthermore; although I am aware of the need to challenge poor practice witnessed and have done so within the past; it is something that I find particularly challenging and uncomfortable to deal with. I find it uncomfortable to challenge people because I perceive this as a negative source of conflict. I am somewhat afraid of the reactions this may evoke and the impact this could have on my working relationships within the team I am placed. Within my academic studies in the university learning environment specifically; this diffidence has manifested as an apprehension of speaking within groups. This is especially apparent when it is required to perform group presentations. Although my one to one communication and communication within familiar groups is of good quality, communication within unfamiliar groups can be hindered by this diffidence. I am concerned that if allowed to continue; diffidence could be detrimental to my future practice as a nurse. Hagbaghery et (2004) qualitative research findings suggest that nurses perceive competence and self confidence as the most important personal factors influencing nurses clinical decision making, therefore in order to enhance my future practice I feel that it is imperative that I overcome this. Evaluation: Upon evaluation of these feelings I perceive I have progressed and gained confidence thus far, however there is still margin for improvement. I feel that upon a recent eight week placement period whereby I moved across four placement settings; I had an abundance of practice within adapting and participating within new teams. Although I felt that transition across four settings somewhat hindered myself working to my fullest capacity; the positive aspect of this was that it facilitated gain in self confidence. Nash, Lemcke and Sacre (2008) suggest that initially when encountering a new workplace culture trying to be accepted within this new culture can be uncomforting and lead to feelings of inadequacy; however by the end of this eight week period I feel I gained a significant amount of self confidence and I felt confident with my ability to integrate into new teams effectively. Communication is the interaction with people and is at the core of nursing according to McCabe and Timmins (2006, p. 4), therefore I acknowledge that in order to work to my fullest capacity within the nursing profession it is imperative I overcome this apprehension of speaking within groups and performing presentations. I have reflected upon previous experiences within university; contrasting performing our first group presentation to a recent group presentation experience. I perceive a vast improvement however again there is still margin for improvement and gain in confidence. Brankenbridge and Blows (2008, p. 216) have highlighted that there are different ways in which you can challenge, constructive and destructive. Constructive challenges highlight alternatives and leave the person with something of which they can reflect upon, build upon and change. Destructive challenges are delivered in an unskilful fashion leaving the person who has been challenged feeling put down and bad and potentially could be a source of conflict and negative feeling. This is why in the past I have perceived challenging people in practice as a negative action, possibly due to lacking differentiation between destructive and constructive criticism. Analysis: Although I perceive myself as diffident upon analysis I am unaware of how others may perceive my self. According to Barber, McLaughlin and Wood (2009, p. 76) The Johari Window; Luft and Ingham (1955) can show us aspects of ourselves that we believe is how others perceive us, however they further suggest that these aspects may only be a small part of our ‘personality’ as a whole and not necessarily how others perceive ourselves. Which means although I perceive myself as diffident; others may not necessarily perceive my self in this manner and it is essentially necessary that I develop further self awareness. Barber, McLaughlin and Wood (2009, p. 76) perceive development of self awareness as crucial in highlighting how we view and respond to others and in turn how they view and respond to us. The National Health Service (NHS) Modernisation Agency Leadership Centre (2005) have corroborated this view by suggesting self awareness can assist with understanding ones own emotions and the impact of one’s behaviour on others. Therefore one of the many benefits of self awareness for myself may be understanding my colleagues, learning to relax, identifying my strengths and weaknesses and indentifying my own learning needs, Burnard (1997). I perceive assertiveness of which Siviter (2008, p. 116) defines as respecting the rights and feelings of others whilst standing up for yourself and your own rights as a necessary skill which will further facilitate a gain in self confidence. In order to be assertive it is necessary to possess the ability to express your feelings in a direct, open, honest and appropriate manner. Breckenbridge and Blows (2008, p. 217) further suggest that assertive communication is the key to successful relationships for patients, family, nurses and colleagues alike; therefore further development of my assertive communication skills will enhance my future practice and communication with staff, family and patients alike. Development of assertive communication skills may aid when and if the need arises in future practice to challenge colleague’s actions or the actions of people in general. Indeed Breckenridge and Blows (2008, p. 17) suggest assertiveness is a key feature within effective challenging and therefore is an essential skill of which is required to be developed. Assertiveness aids conveyance of important messages and helps individuals stand up for the rights of themselves and others; one example of such being advocacy. Advocacy is reflected within The code in full (Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008) who state that nurses must act as an advocate for those within their care. Therefore learning to be assertive is not a choice, it is a must if I am to live up to what is expected of me within my role as a student and future nurse. Conclusion and Action Plan: The challenge for the future is that I totally overcome this diffidence. I envisage being able to achieve by developing self awareness. I could develop self awareness by using a tool such as The Johari Window. Academically the challenge is to overcome apprehension regarding communication with unfamiliar groups of colleagues. I anticipate achieving this by taking more time to consider what I am going to before I begin and being prepared for situations where I am required to speak. With regard to performing presentations I will be prepared and rehearse what I am going to say in advance.

Battle of the Moms Essay -- Sociology, Motherhood, Working Mothers

â€Å"Motherhood has become a flash point for envy, resentment, and guilt because everyone struggles and envies what the other has† (nymag.com). There seems to always be a battle between working mothers and stay at home mothers, and the debate has always been controversial. Although there are many factors that differentiate children raised by a stay at home mother and a working mother, there is no right way on how to raise a child. The differences between both moms have both positive and negative characteristics but neither one can be said to be the correct way on raising a child. A â€Å"right way† does not exist. WHY WORKING MOTHERS WORK? â€Å"In the United States today, more than half of mothers with young children work, compared to 30% in the 1970’s† (American Academy of Pediatrics). Working mothers tend to work because they have been working since before they became a mom. They are so accustomed to their job that they decide to remain working after having a child. Others find that their families require two incomes or in some cases their income may be the sole source. Some research seems to persuade that the working mother is having detrimental effects on the child, however new research is showing no such result. INTRODUCTION TO BENEFITS OF A WORKING MOTHER While working mothers may be exhibiting excess stress on their decision to work outside the home any ill emotional and academic effects on their children seem to be nonexistent. In some situations it seems that children who pertain to working mothers actually benefit compared to those of non working mothers. Positive results that were found through studies show that mothers who work helped the family with economic conditions, consequently being able to avoid poverty and being ab... ...oms may choose to not work because of family roles they believe in. Many come from families who believe that the women should be a homemaker. According to society, mothers who stay at home for their children do not have a role that is truly essential (Fisanick 201). CONCLUSION Although according to studies, the status of a working mother or a stay at home mother does not determine a child’s academic ability, it seems as though parenting is an obsession. Both sides feel as though they are being judged by society and that they need to please the standards society is expecting from a mother. â€Å"We need someone to say: Do the best you can. There are no rules† in order for everyone to feel better about their own parenting style. â€Å"None of these parenting patterns is encoded in our DNA. â€Å"Mothering and Fathering are different all over the world† (newspaper article).

Comparison of Ifrs and Us Gaap Essay

Presents the key similarities and differences between IFRS and US GAAP, focusing on the differences commonly found in practice. It takes into account all standards published up to August 2007. IFRS Pocket Guide 2006 Provides a summary of the IFRS recognition and measurement requirements. Including currencies, assets, liabilities, equity, income, expenses, business combinations and interim financial statements. Understanding financial instruments – A guide to IAS 32, IAS 39 and IFRS 7 Comprehensive guidance on all aspects of the requirements for financial instruments accounting. Detailed explanations illustrated through worked examples and extracts from company reports. Contents Page Preface How to use this publication Summary of similarities and differences Accounting framework Financial statements Consolidated financial statements Business combinations Revenue recognition Expense recognition Assets Liabilities Equity Derivatives and hedging Other accounting and reporting topics Foreign currency translation Earnings per share Related-party disclosures Segment reporting Discontinued operations Post-balance-sheet events Interim financial reporting 3 4 12 13 20 25 30 34 39 50 58 59 62 62 63 64 65 67 67 68 69 Index Similarities and Differences – A comparison of IFRS and US GAAP – October 2007 Contents 1 Preface Preface One day we may not need to produce this publication because the world’s capital markets will be using one accounting framework, and there will be no need for a comparison between two sets of standards. However, there is much to do before this can become reality. The International Accounting Standards Board and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board have been committed to converging IFRS and US GAAP since the Norwalk Accord of 2002. Many commentators have called for convergence to simplify financial reporting and reduce the compliance burden for listed companies, especially those with stock market listings in more than one jurisdiction and those who participate in cross-border, capitalmarket transactions. A major step in the movement to one set of global accounting standards is the Securities and Exchange Commission’s 2007 proposal to drop the requirement for a US GAAP reconciliation by foreign private issuers that prepare their primary financial statements under full IFRS. Another significant step is the 2007 SEC Concepts Release on allowing domestic US registrants to use IFRS as an alternative to US GAAP. These potential changes, if they come to fruition, will significantly alter the international landscape of accounting. US capital-market participants have already started to show a much greater interest in IFRS, realising that it may replace US GAAP as the accounting language underlying future financial reporting and capital-market activity. This will not happen immediately.

How to Measure a Vessels Beam

When describing the hull of a vessel three basic measurements give a rough outline of the shape of the hull. These are Length, Beam, and Draft. What Is Beam? Beam is a measurement of a vessels width. It is always measured at the widest point because it is often used to determine if passage can be safely made near an obstacle. Beam is important in determining the handling characteristics of a ship design. A narrow beam hull will run fast but will not perform well in heavy waves because of the narrow cross section. A hull which has a wider beam will be less efficient in cutting through the water because of the larger mass of water that is being displaced. This larger mass also tends to roll less. Beam can also be measured at specific points on the hull like the pilot house or cargo area but these measurements will be designated with the names of these structures. The main measurement of beam is taken at the widest point of a vessel. Naval architects use length, beam, and draft measurements to shape a hull for a specific job by using the concept of Deadrise. The three main hull measurements along with deadrise give the hull a specific shape and handling characteristics. The Origin of Beam in Ships Origin of the word comes from early wooden ship design. The large timbers that sit on top of each rib as they extend up from the keel span the whole width of the ship for strength. On top of this was a deck made of smaller boards that also acted as the ceiling for the first level cabins. From the inside, the ship resembled a house with its floor beams and exposed underside floor decking. A common way to talk about a ship was by the size of her roof beams which would tell you how wide the vessel was and how that proportion related to her length and rig. You could tell everything about a ship from the dimension of this single element of construction. How Beams Are Used Today Today, in modern ship construction, wooden beams are replaced with steel boxes which are much wider than the beams. Wooden beams may have been as wide as a person, steel beams called torsion boxes which are as wide as twenty people are set across the hull. Once this is welded together the ship becomes much more rigid because of something called a stressed skin design which makes ships strong and light. Modern cars use the same idea and use the floor pan and body to make a stiff structure that doesnt need the weight of a heavy solid frame. Another benefit of a stressed skin design is a wide open interior. In wooden ships, two interior posts rose from the chine at each rib to help support the beam which made the interior cramped. In warships, these posts were used to lash down the cannons when they werent in use. They also held the hammocks which really were used on ships of the era The space below the deck was damp and only the lower ranked men slept there. Officers and the Master had better cabins with the junior officers in the bow and the Masters cabin at the stern and raised above the deck by one or more levels. Examples You may hear someone refer to a vessel as Beamy. This means that a vessel has a wide beam in proportion to her length.