Pediatric Care Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Pediatric Care Plan - Research Paper Example 592). In this case, the patient’s manifestations are fever, productive cough, diarrhea, and poor appetite—all can be attributed to ALL and the ongoing chemotherapy. Explicitly, these infectious diseases have high chances of recurring. Specifically, recurrent fever can be the result of decreased function of WBC and rapid metabolism due to the deterioration of leukemic cells from chemotherapeutic agents (Huether & McCance, 2005, p. 592). Furthermore, leukemia affects blood cells, and many vital organs are affected with the changes in metabolism, oxygen supply and demand, and overall organ function (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2006, p. 898). In fact, leukemic cells are likely to cause infiltrations to other organs, further causing lymphadenopathy, inflammation, and neoplasms (Conter et al., 2004). This is notable in this patient who also has a history of neoplasm. Generally, the care and management for this patient demands conservative administration of medications (esp. antib iotics) and responsible monitoring of drug reactions and incompatibilities. As in this case, the patient has a history of allergies from numerous medications (Dimetapp, Pseudoephedrine). This condition, in turn, affects not only the patient but the whole family in terms of financial and emotional challenge. Day 1: Skin is pale and cool to touch, especially on areas around the mouth, face, palm creases, and in the nail beds. There is a thin film of sweat on the patient’s forehead, axillaries, and neck areas. Rashes are noted on the trunk and upper arms. Patient is complaining of mild itchiness on his chest and abdomen. Minor scratches around the trunk with varying degrees of healing are observed. Petechiae are noted on the lower legs and feet. Eyes: The eyes are symmetrical in appearance. The conjunctivae are pale. PERRLA noted. Eyes are not icteric. Patient reports no blurring of vision, or any

Right and Wrong Ethics Philosophy

Right and Wrong Ethics Philosophy In everyday life, we are always faced with the task of determining whether certain actions are right or wrong. Ethics can thus be defined as a branch of philosophy that addresses issues of morality. Ethics is also referred to as moral philosophy. Moral philosophy is the systematic study of the nature of morality (Furrow 1). Questions involving such concepts as good and evil, right and wrong, vice and virtue are addressed in this systematic study. Such questions include; what I ought to do in a certain situation? How I ought to live? Ethics is a coherent discipline in philosophy that strives to answer some practical questions that form a basis of establishing the guiding principles and values of an individual or society. Gensler (3) outlines two major branches of moral philosophy or ethics namely: Metaethics is the branch that attempts to study the nature and the methodology of moral judgments. Questions to be addressed under this branch include; what do good and ought mean? Are there moral truths and how can we justify or rationally defend beliefs about right or wrong? A metaethical view of morality has two parts; one part is concerned with the nature of moral judgments which is often the definition of good, the other part is about the methodology usually outlining how to select moral principles. Gensler (3) states that normative ethics studies principles about how to live. It asks questions like; what are the basic principles of right and wrong? What are the basic human rights? And is abortion right or wrong? Normative ethics is further classified into two levels; normative theory which looks for the very general moral principles and applied normative ethics which studies moral questions about specific areas like abortion, lying, euthanasia and surrogacy. Why study ethics? The study of ethics and more specifically the development of major ethical theories can be traced back to the Ancient Greek philosophy propounded by such philosophers as Aristotle and Socrates. In the modern life, ethics has captured the attention of various philosophers in diverse fields who are progressing in an attempt to answer various questions that are raised by the contemporary moral issues. Thus some of the reasons for studying ethics include; The study of ethics deepens our reflection on the ultimate questions of life. This reflection helps an individual to understand himself or herself better regarding the principles of some pertinent issues in life. Gensler (4) argues that if you have not wrestled with some of lifes deeper questions, then you are not a well-educated person. Ethics enables an individual to be an all-rounded person in life. The study of moral philosophy can help us to think better about morality. Some issues arise especially in the modern world and individuals are faced with ultimate questions on the moral basis of those issues such as abortion. For instance individuals adopt different approaches in dealing with the issue of abortion, while the proponents maintain that the mother has the principal right to make decisions concerning her body, the opponents argue that the sanctity of life should be maintained at all times and that the growing foetus has a right to life which is a major basic human right. Thus Gensler (4) states that moral philosophy or ethics can improve our perspective, and make it more reflective and better thought out. Another major reason of studying ethics or moral philosophy is to sharpen our general thinking processes. In philosophy we are able to learn very significant intellectual skills that guide our reasoning and thinking. Thus we can logically reason out concerning fundamental or ultimate questions in real life while critically evaluating the conflicting view points and consequently settle for decision that reflects on our values and principles as individuals. Ethics is undoubtedly a very interesting subject to study. Ethics provokes some good or healthy debates with other people, especially if the two or more people naturally have conflicting view points on major issues of life. These interesting debates stimulate and sharpen our thinking and imagination enabling people to re-think our view point giving room for alter or improve our perspectives in future events. History of ethics The history of ethics can be traced to three periods of thoughts as outlined by Gensler et al (25) namely the ancient, medieval and the modern period of thought. Ancient period of thought; philosophers who contributed to the development of ethics in this period include Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicureans and stoics. In the west, philosophical inquiry into ethics began with the ancients Greeks. Greek ethicists inquired into how a person could use reason to achieve the good life but they did not reach a consensus about what the good life is and the nature of the practical reason that can reach it. Socrates and Plato were concerned with act-oriented ethics which is primarily concerned with what we do. Aristotle (384-322BC), a student of Plato, modified a number of his Mentors idealistic and quasi-religious ethical views (Gensler et al 27). Aristotle is said to have rejected Platos ethical views and subsequently developed the aretaic, or virtue ethics. Gensler et al (27) argues that Aristotle proposed that virtue ethics is interested ultimately who we are despite our actions. Aristotle further clarified that virtue does not come naturally; an individual needs to be trained or educated to be virtuous. Virtue if of two types; Moral, which deals in part with the irrational part of the soul and the intellectual, which involves only the rational part of the soul. Gensler et al (28) argues that the highest form of virtue is found not in enjoying friends but in contemplating truth. During the period of Epicureans and stoics, philosophers became concerned with the practicalities of dealing with the political and social instability since in 323 BC, Greece fell into a significant decline leading to numerous battles for parts of the empire. Medieval period of thought: prominent philosophers in this period include St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus and William of Ockham. The political and social instability in the ancient period of thought continued into this period as the philosophers got more interested into gaining a deeper insight into this issue. This led to the analysis of human actions by the philosophers. Augustine proposed that human freedom stemmed from the lack of causal influences while Aquinas believed that human freedom stemmed from the internal deliberation that causes our actions. Gensler et al (31) claims that Aquinas analyzed actions on the basis not only of their conformity to the natural law but also of their specific features; the object of an action defines the action (talking to a person), the circumstances consider the context in which the action takes place (in a lecture hall during a lecture), and the end is the acts purpose (to ask the person a question about the lecture). All these t hree aspects of action must be proper for the act to be considered good. Both Scotus and Ockham maintained that the matters of moral judgement were settled ultimately not by reason but by faith. Thus Gensler et al ( 31) claims that their views reinforced a stronger sense of individual autonomy both in moral and political matters. Hence the medieval view on ethics was the belief in the existence of God and that eternal salvation should be the principal motivation for the ethical behaviour. Modern period of thought: philosophers use the term modern to denote the enlightenment period which is approximately the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Modern is contrasted with the contemporary that roughly covers the last hundred years, the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries. Philosophers who made immense contributions in ethics during this period include; Thomas Hobbes, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill. Gensler et al (32) states that ethics in the modern age began with a movement from the other-worldly focus that dominated medieval ethics. Although these prominent philosophers of the time did not reject the existence of God, a medieval idea, they rejected the view that humans should look up to God as a guide to their actions. They equally disputed the medieval idea that eternal salvation should be the motivation for ethical behavior. To the modern philosophers, the purpose of ethics is not to instruct humans how best to love God, but, rather, to show hum ans how best to live together in this world (Gensler et al 32). Major ethical theories Some of the major ethical theories that have influenced modern thinking in the United States include; utilitarianism, Kantian ethics and Aristotelian ethics. Utilitarianism also known as the consequentialist theory states that the consequences of an action of a given individual make an action moral or immoral. Hence, an action that contributes to beneficial consequences is considered right or moral while an action that results in harmful or destructive consequences is immoral or wrong. Driver (3) claims that the theory holds that an action or a law is right if only it produces the best outcome; only if it brings about the greatest good for the greatest number. To the proponents of this theory, any action is morally justified to the extent that it maximizes gains and minimizes the costs or harms. Some of the philosophers in support of this theory are Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Bentham, an 18th century philosopher usually likened happiness with pleasure thus a good life and unhappiness with pain thus an unhappy life. Mill who was a 19th century philosopher, used his theory of utilitarianism to criticize laws that he felt were poin tless and even harmful to society such as womens suffrage (Driver 3). Hence it is clear that utilitarianism ethical theory maintains that an action is moral or right when the consequences are beneficial to the majority of the parties involved and not only the person doing that action. In addition, the consequences of such an action must be evaluated, not only the immediate consequences but also the short-term and long-term consequences. Kantian ethics: this is a theory that stresses on the duties and rights in the moral evaluation of any human action. The proponent of this theory, Immanuel Kant has rejected the consequentialist proposition of considering the consequences of an action to determine whether it is moral or immoral. Kant argues that the motivation behind any human action is what matters in the moral evaluation of such actions and not the consequences. Thus actions that are moral or right are those done out of a sense of duty, which means that an individual does it since one recognizes that it is the right thing to do. Bennett (75) states that Kant used some famous formulations of categorical imperative i.e. the name he gives to the fundamental principle of morality. Kant believed in the respect of persons and thus people should never be treated as a mere means, but only ever at the same time as an end. We are able to know our duty since we are uniquely rational as human beings, a special nature that we p osses that distinguishes us from animals. This theory maintains we should act morally depending on our rights and duties at all times and under all circumstances. Consequently moral actions promote the dignity and worth of other person, not using other persons for own purposes. Aristotelian ethics: the most famous proponent of this theory is Aristotle who stressed on a virtuous life. Virtue ethics do not dwell on the principles or the rules governing our actions like the previous ethical theories but seeks a deeper insight in gaining knowledge on the kind of character that should be possessed by a moral human being. According to Aristotle, a moral virtue is the inclination to do the right thing and avoid doing wrong. This virtuous character does not come naturally but through thorough training and education, thus it is an achievement not a natural predisposition in a human being (Gensler et al 27). Courage, temperance, prudence and justice were considered by Aristotle as the most fundamental moral virtues. In conclusion, the study of ethics is important since it helps us to evaluate our actions based on principles. This critical evaluation of ethical behaviour guides our thinking and action for future events. Ethics is an interesting subject that every person will enjoy studying since it sheds light into how we make decisions concerning the contemporary moral issues.

Grand Coulee Dam :: Architecture Construction Dams Essays

Grand Coulee Dam Grand Coulee Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam on the Columbia River in Washington State, built by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser It is among the most famous dams in the United States. The reservoir it created is called the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake. The reservoir is named after the United States President who seemed to love dams and hydroelectric power and who was involved with the project through to the final completion of the dam. The dam was built as part of the Columbia Basin Project as a way to irrigate the desert areas of the Northwest United States. The dam started during the 1930s as a public works project and finished toward the beginning of World War Two. The initial construction plan was reconfigured during construction for more height. Its height was determined by the point at which the water from the reservoir began backing up into Canada. The scope and size of the dam is hard to comprehend. It is over a mile long and taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza, in fact , all the pyramids at Giza can fit within the base of the Grand Coulee Dam. The dam is so large that a truck at the base looks like a toy, this creates some perspective into the dam's true size. When the dam was completed in the early 1940s it was the largest dam in the world. The primary goal of the dam, irrigation, was forgotten as the war time need for electricity increased. Aluminum smelting was vital to the war effort. Aluminum smelting requires substantial amounts of electricity and hydroelectric power plants are often built to provide electricity for these smelts. The electricity was also used to produce uranium for the Manhattan Project. After the war ended the original goal of irrigation resumed. Additional dams, siphons and canals were constructed that turned the coulee into a vast supply network that allowed the desert to bloom. Today it is still the largest concrete dam in North America, as well as being the largest concrete structure in the United States with 11,975,521 cubic yards of concrete. The Dam is built on a massive granite foundation and stands at 550 ft tall which is about twice as tall as the statue of liberty, The reservoir has a capacity of 421 billion cubic feet of water, the dam releases about 110,000 cubic feet

Hamlet †Act 3 Scene 2 Essay

In this scene, staged in the Great Hall of Elsinore, Hamlet’s cunning plan to determine his uncle’s guilt comes together. Hiring players to act out a play based on his father’s death (as his father’s ghost described it), he awaits Claudius’ reaction. The whole point of this is Hamlet putting to rest his insecurity over the matter, once he discovers for certain Claudius did murder his father and was the snake in the orchard, only then can Hamlet feel at rest and kill him. This scene is one of the many examples throughout the play which demonstrates one of many weaknesses in Hamlet’s personality, in which he comes across as immensely pensive and unsure about nearly everything. The significance of the scene is evident in that both Hamlet and Claudius plotting each others death begins here. For Hamlet as he is now finally at ease with what his father’s ghost told him earlier in the play, thus he can now kill his uncle without any remorse and for Claudius as he is now alarmed to the fact Hamlet is aware of his crime. Although this scene shows a negative side to Hamlet, we also get a glimpse of Hamlet as an intellectual. He takes role as an authority on acting, advising that the actors should use moderation and not to excess (even though this is a contradiction in sense – as his relentless verbal assault to Ophelia earlier in the play suggests). There is reason to believe that it is in fact Shakespeare himself shining through Hamlet in this scene, commenting on acting flaws such as ‘overacting’, corpsing (dramatic term for inadvertently laughing whilst in character) and the unpredictability of an audience. Also worth mentioning here is the player’s speech. Throughout the play, the actors speak in rhyme depending on the character they take the role as. Giving an indication to the audience of their class, as prose is an indication of lower social status. A character such as a king or queen however, use blank verse in this sense. Hamlet’s antic disposition is evident throughout the play and it is used to full effect in this scene. After briefing the players on their task for the stage, Claudius, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius and his daughter Ophelia enter the Great Hall. What follows is what I’d interpret as an ‘amusing’ parody where Hamlet throws verbal daggers at everyone in range, the aim of this is to once again remind the group that he is insane, but also reveals some true feelings towards certain individuals. He begins by intentionally misunderstanding Claudius’ greeting and states that his earlier promise of Hamlet succeeding him is ’empty air’ or untrue. Gertrude’s invitation to Hamlet for him to sit with her is also answered with an insult (possibly a misleading hint to Hamlet’s Oedipus complex), this time remarking that his mother’s appearance is appalling or as he put it; â€Å"Here’s metal more attractive.†Polonius is next and branded â€Å"Brutus† and a fool, cleverly Hamlet achieves this using puns of â€Å"brute† and â€Å"calf†. Ophelia, however comes off worst for wear in my opinion. Hamlet’s verbal treatment of his love interest is cruel and filled with crude jokes with the main theme of sex. The references to Ophelia’s ‘nothing’ (her genitalia) and ‘country matters’ (sexual intercourse) is without a shadow of a doubt, arguably the funniest part of the play, although Shakespeare’s obsession with these jokes are evident throughout the whole play. Horatio on the other hand, is trusted by Hamlet, not only has he confided in Horatio about the ghost’s words and his plan to see if Claudius reveals his guilt, but the usually ‘insecure’ Prince has actually included his best friend in the scheme. This shows Hamlet’s respect and trust for his friend is deep, a point I picked up whilst reading the play. This scene with Hamlet’s antic disposition in full view is not only amusing as mentioned, but also dramatic. It’s this unstable and sometimes unpredictable nature of Hamlet which makes him such an interesting character and one that has been looked upon as one of Shakespeare’s greatest achievements, I agree. His antic disposition is clearly visible as he switches tones throughout the conversation with his uncle, mother and the ‘fair Ophelia’. One minute calm and collected towards Polonius showing interest in his acting past, the next at the throat of his uncle’s loyal terrier – branding him a fool. If I was in charge of staging this scene, I wouldn’t change many of the features used in the awesome film version of the play (‘Hamlet’ – Franco Zeffirelli 1991), with Mel Gibson spectacularly playing the part of Hamlet. In this version, Hamlet is portrayed in this scene as ‘on edge’ and manic, Claudius on the other hand plays laid back and immune to Hamlet’s tongue and Glenn Close as Gertrude comes across not only naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve, but confused by Hamlet’s behaviour. The significance of positioning the characters in this scene contributes a great deal to how it is interpreted, in my opinion putting Claudius at the forefront would be a good start and positioning Gertrude on the arm of her husband with directly Hamlet in front of them both would also make sense. Polonius and Ophelia would also be positioned together, although I’m unsure of having their arms linked. Hamlet’s ‘friends’ from university, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern could be placed behind these two pairings, still in view but not as much so as the King, Queen, their adviser and his ‘fair’ daughter. This would be relevant as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are not as directly involved in the scene as the others. A problem encountered here could be Rosencrantz’s part in the scene, the line; â€Å"Ay my lord, they stay upon your patience.† This could be approached by having Rosencrantz stepping forward in order to say his line. Although my suggestions have been made, I find Zeffirelli’s handling of the scene to be admirable and possibly flawless in the sense of interpreting the text into drama. In conclusion, this scene is extremely significant to the play as a whole. As mentioned, it begins the plotting of both Claudius and Hamlet to kill one another, but it also gives yet more depth and structure to Hamlet’s character. Emphasizing his antic disposition, feelings towards other characters in the play and exposes both Hamlet’s qualities and flaws in his personality. This scene is a favourite of mine, falling short only to Hamlet’s soliloquy (â€Å"To be or not to be†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) and his somewhat upsetting reunion with his childhood friend and royal jester, Yorick.

People Who Influence Me

The Most Influential For each and every one of us, there has been at least one person who has influenced us. It can be a family member, a friend, or a teacher. It doesn't necessarily always have to do with doing better all the time, It can also be bad Influence as well. I chose good Influential people, which Is my father, my 5th grade teacher, and my best friend Junior. Although It can be anyone, those are the three people that have influenced me to do better in my life more than anyone else has. My mother, my brother, and a few other people in my life have also made a good difference.Even Hough I had plenty of other people be good influence to me, if I had to choose, I will still choose my father, my 5th grade teacher, and my best friend Junior again and again. My father immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was only 16 years old all by himself. He started working immediately, and worked very hard. As soon as he turned 22 he bought his own house in the San Fernando Val ley. He didn't put 1,000 dollars down payment, he didn't put 10,000 down, nor did he put 50,000 down.He bought It all at once, he was so proud and now that he tells me about his story I am proud as well. Here Is a 16 year old boy who emigrated from Mexico, and worked so hard doing construction work. In about 5 years or so he managed to buy a 4 bedroom home. I mean when I think about it, who has a home this big by the age of 22? Let alone come from another country and learn everything on his own. He did this all by himself and even though he says it was hard, he never gave up. My father is about to turn 50 years old in a few months and till this day he is a hardworking man.He works a lot, but he still manages to communicate and spend time with his wife and children. The reason why my father is one of the most influential people in y life is because he taught me and still reminds me to never give up. No matter how far my dream Is or how big it is, he says to me â€Å"keep pushing and in a matter of time you'll get there. † It's great to see how much he had when he arrived to the US and how much he has at this moment. It's not all about the money, It's also the way he Is, the way he always keeps a positive energy around me when I don't feel motivated.For a man that has come this far, he has always stayed humble about it and I love that about him. Another person who has been a big influence in my life is my 5th grade teacher. Her name is Ms. Hollander and I believe she is around her ass's as of today. It's been 9 years since I was in the 5th grade and I know I will never forget her. This teacher always went out of her way for her students. Every time we had a test she would call her students the night before reminding us to get good sleep.The day of the test she would have breakfast for us to eat and always pushed us Into doing better. I had a lot of teachers every school year but she wasn't Just a teacher. Ms. Hollander was Like our second mother, literall y. She always brought In public speakers to talk to us, always got a hold of our parents and updated them. She gave us her cell phone number and her house number Just In case of an emergency. She was Just amazing! She always taught us to do well, in school, in life and overall in general. After we school.She would take us out shopping, to the movies and to theme parks Just to catch up on each other's lives. She was a teacher, a friend, a second mother, I cannot describe the feeling she gave to some of her students. She is one of the most influential people in my life because she never stopped pushing me into doing better. She also influenced me into doing the right thing all the time. To know how such a teacher could care so much about how a student is doing in school, not only for the 5th grade but up to college makes me feel good.She believes in her students, and no matter how much time passes by I know she will always care. The last person I chose for the 3 most influential peopl e in my life is Junior. Junior is 20 years old and has impacted my life greatly in many ways. He is one of the most caring people I have ever met in my life. He comes off hard, but he is the total opposite. I believe I have known him since I was 8 years young. This man has been here for me through my ups and downs since I could last remember. He has showed me throughout the years what a best friend truly is.One of the most influential things I appreciate him for is telling me the truth. When he sees me fall, he makes me pick myself up on my own so I can be strong. He has wise words that can change your whole point of view about something in a matter of seconds. He always makes me realize things that I don't want to realize. For example, I used to work and not go to school. I used to think work was more important than school. He gave me lectures, and gave me hard times until I literally went back to school. He always makes me realize what the right thing to do is.I thank him for givi ng me hard times about work because I can truly say If it wasn't for him I would not be writing this essay right now. I now I would of eventually went back to school but not as soon as I did because of him. That is one of the reasons why Junior is one of the most influential people in my life. He makes me want to do better in school all the time. These 3 people I mentioned are my top 3 influential people in my life. All 3 have made a drastic difference in my life for the better, and have also made me into the errors I am today.If I did not have my father I would not have the motivation I have today to reach my goals. If I did not have my 5th grade teacher in my life I would have never known how it feels to have a teacher who cares about me so much that she still wants to know how I am doing 9 years later. She is like an angel in disguise. If Junior was not in my life, I would not attend college as soon as I did or maybe never attended at all. He saw potential in me that I didn't see in myself. I love everyone who has influenced me in a good way and I will forever be grateful.