Friday, January 31, 2020

Twenty-first Centry Images of Nurses and Nursing Essay

Twenty-first Centry Images of Nurses and Nursing - Essay Example Effective leaders in the nursing professional also ensure that the nursing education and practices are quality and safe. Effective nursing leadership advocates for an innovative, collaborative, and evidence-based working environment, which assists the nurses in the profession to have value and respect in their position. The nursing profession has evolved over the years, from the initial description of altering the environment to ensure that the patient is in the best condition possible for nature to act upon them. This was the initial description of nursing by Florence Nightingale in the mid 1800s. However, the world has had broad and milestone advances in technology and scientific facts over the past decades, thus the roles of nurses have evolved to those of promoting health, assisting patients to cope with their illnesses, and preventing diseases. The roles of a nurse including meeting some of the needs of a patient that cannot be met by any other member of the society (Summers and Jacobs, 2009). Currently, the nursing career is a helping profession, providing assistance services to the well being and health care of patients. Nonetheless, the nursing profession is expected to evolve even more as we venture into the second decade of the twenty-first century. The nursing stereotypes has also changed with the development of the nursing profession, evolving from a domestic art, a religious calling, a skilled discipline, a pool of expert managers, a pool of expert clinicians to today. The media representation of the nursing professional influences the societal view of nurses and nursing in general, portraying them as toxic to innocuous. Among the representations include the ministering angels taking care of wounded soldiers, the dumb nurses happy to be on the receiving end of patients’ coughs, the saucy nurses wearing their usual abbreviated skirts, pneumatic breasts and frilly hats, and the battleaxe, the queen of patient torture in ward routines. However, experienced and qualified nurses have come forth to present the real images of nursing and the profession, arguing that the media portrays the professionals as background fillers rather than highly skilled, university educated, and autonomous health care specialists responsible for the life and death of patients. These nurses oppose the commonly held notion that technology can replace nursing, presenting facts that back their stand. According to them, a device hooked up to a patient cannot detect some of the subtle changes that may be life threatening to the patient like demeanor, color, state of mind, or their speech (Summers and Jacobs, 2009). The image of nurses and nursing is improving over time, with more regards and appreciation over the importance of the profession. The education and practicing standards of nurses have improved immensely in the twenty-first century, with the curriculum incorporating high-level skills and techniques on health care. In today’s society, nursing is considered as an autonomous and professional, complete with its own theories and methodology. 2. Describe three historical views that influence or have influenced the definition of contemporary nursing as a science, an art, and a practice? Many nurse researchers consider the contemporary nursing profession as a basic science. This is a result of the various nursing theories put forth. Contemporary nursing principles organize the nursing theories in a hierarchical order,

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Proportions Of Numbers And Magnitudes :: essays research papers

Proportions of Numbers and Magnitudes In the Elements, Euclid devotes a book to magnitudes (Five), and he devotes a book to numbers (Seven). Both magnitudes and numbers represent quantity, however; magnitude is continuous while number is discrete. That is, numbers are composed of units which can be used to divide the whole, while magnitudes can not be distinguished as parts from a whole, therefore; numbers can be more accurately compared because there is a standard unit representing one of something. Numbers allow for measurement and degrees of ordinal position through which one can better compare quantity. In short, magnitudes tell you how much there is, and numbers tell you how many there are. This is cause for differences in comparison among them. Euclid's definition five in Book Five of the Elements states that " Magnitudes are said to be in the same ratio, the first to the second and the third to the fourth, when, if any equimultiples whatever be taken of the first and third, and any equimultiples whatever of the second and fourth, the former equimultiples alike exceed, are alike equal to, or alike fall short of, the latter equimultiples respectively taken in corresponding order." From this it follows that magnitudes in the same ratio are proportional. Thus, we can use the following algebraic proportion to represent definition 5.5: (m)a : (n)b :: (m)c : (n)d. However, it is necessary to be more specific because of the way in which the definition was worded with the phrase "the former equimultiples alike exceed, are alike equal to, or alike fall short of†¦.". Thus, if we take any four magnitudes a, b, c, d, it is defined that if equimultiple m is taken of a and c, and equimultiple n is taken of c and d, then a and b are in same ratio with c and d, that is, a : b :: c : d, only if: (m)a > (n)b and (m)c > (n)d, or (m)a = (n)b and (m)c = (n)d, or (m)a < (n)b and (m)c < (n)d. Though, because magnitudes are continuous quantities, and an exact measurement of magnitudes is impossible, it is not possible to say by how much one exceeds the other, nor is it possible to determine if a > b by the same amount that c > d. Now, it is important to realize that taking equimultiples is not a test to see if magnitudes are in the same ratio, but rather it is a condition that defines it. And because of the phrase "any equimultiples whatever," it would be correct to say that if a and b are in same ratio with c and d, then any one of the three

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Philosophy Exam

PH220 — Ethics and Values Morgan State University Dr. John Hersey Midterm Exam Directions: Your exams must be submitted through SafeAssign on Blackboard. Late submissions will be penalized 10 points (one full letter grade) and I will not accept submissions after one week past the due date, which will result in a 0 for the assignment. Plagiarism merits automatic failure for the course. Put your name, PHIL 220 with section number, Dr. Hersey, semester and year, Midterm Examination on the top left of the first page. Clearly identify section headings, item numbers, and descriptions.Remember the rubric for evaluation of written work from the syllabus. Any references to the text should be indicated simply by the page number in parentheses. Section 1: Explanations Write a 4-5 sentence explanation for 5 of the following. (20 points) The key is to be as thorough, concise, and essential as possible in the short space allotted. Full credit will be given for explanations that not only ide ntify the concept, but also indicate its context and moral significance. 1. Psychological egoism (Ch. 2) 2. Universal ethical egoism (Ch. 2) 3. Greatest happiness principle (Ch. 2) 4.Cost-benefit analysis (Ch. 2) 5. Care ethics (Ch. 2) 6. Intuitionism (Ch. 3) 7. Divine Command Theory (Ch. 3) 8. Good will (Kant, Ch. 3) 9. Practical imperative (Kant, Ch. 3) 10. Prima facie duties (Ross, Ch. 3) 11. Virtue ethics (Ch. 4) 12. Happiness (Aristotle, Ch. 4) 13. Habit (Aristotle, Ch. 4) 14. Virtue as a mean (Aristotle, Ch. 4) 15. Excellence, de (Confucius, Ch. 4) 16. Mengzi on human nature (Confucius, Ch. 4) 17. Moral absolutism (Ch. 5 and Rachels essay) 18. Cultural relativism (Ch. 5 and Rachels essay) 19. Fatalism (Ch. 6) 20. Hard determinism (Ch. 6) 21. Soft determinism (Ch. 6) 22.The Value of Life Principle (Ch. 8) 23. The Principle of Individual Freedom (Ch. 8) Section 2: Essays Write a response in answer to two of the essay questions below. (40 points each) Though quality of considerat ion takes precedence over quantity of pages, 2–3 double-spaced pages for each essay seems to be a good guideline for length. 1. In Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story â€Å"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,† Omelas is a utopian city of happiness and delight whose inhabitants are intelligent and cultured. Everything about the city is pleasing except for the secret underlying Omelas’s happiness.Omelas’s good fortune requires that a single child is imprisoned and kept in filth, darkness, and misery. Upon coming of age all of the citizens of Omelas are informed of the city’s dark secret. After learning this secret most citizens remain in the city but some walk away. Many take this short story to be a sharp critique of utilitarian moral philosophy. Evaluate this critique by (1) identifying the objection implied in the story, (2) developing a careful and complete interpretation of the relevant aspects of Mill’s philosophy upon which you might base your evaluation, and (3) arguing for the success or failure of this objection.You may find a copy of the short story on Blackboard. 2. Consider the following scenario. After colliding with an iceberg at sea the luxury liner RMS. Gigantic sinks in the North Atlantic. Four survivors—two adult males, one adult female, all with families safe at home, and a 10-year old boy, who is weak from injuries suffered during the sinking and whose entire family has already perished in the disaster—are adrift on a lifeboat with barely one week’s provisions for all of them.On the seventeenth day adrift, with the survivors desperate for food, someone suggests that since the boy will most likely die anyway and doesn’t have a family to take care of that the three adults should kill him and use his body for nourishment until they are rescued. In a detailed and thoughtful essay, write an answer to the question â€Å"Is it permissible to kill the boy? † from the per spectives of Immanuel Kant (Duty Ethics) and John Stuart Mill (Utilitarianism). Your essay should include a careful and comprehensive consideration of the relevant aspects of their moral theories for addressing the question.Finally, give your own personal moral evaluation of the question and the supporting reasons for your view. 3. Consider the following scenario. Three MSU students, Joy, Faith, and Hope, work at a soup kitchen every Saturday helping the homeless. Joy devotes every Saturday helping the homeless because she loves and enjoys doing it. While there is certainly some personal sacrifice in doing so, she cares so deeply for others and sympathizes with the homeless people’s plight so much that she willingly and consistently serves. Faith also helps every Saturday, but very rarely enjoys it.Some Saturdays she goes begrudgingly and others she must force herself to go. But she does go consistently because she recognizes that there is a universal demand to do good to oth ers that can’t be ignored. Hope is on the fast track to a career in politics and will be running for public office immediately after graduation. She also helps out every Saturday, but works hard only when the local news organizations come around for interviews. In a careful and comprehensive essay analyze each of these person’s actions from the perspective of Kant’s moral philosophy.Which of these person’s actions has moral worth for Kant? Why? Why do some not have moral worth? Are there any problems with such estimation? Do you agree or disagree with Kant’s evaluation of their actions? Explain in detail why or why not and justify your view? 4. Consider the following passage from Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment: â€Å"Look here; on one side we have a stupid, senseless, worthless, spiteful, ailing, horrid old woman, not simply useless, but doing actual mischief, who has not an idea what she is living for herself, and who will die in a day or two in any case. . . On the other side, fresh young lives thrown away for want of help, and by thousands, on every side! A hundred thousand good deeds could be done and helped, on that old woman’s money which will be buried in a monastery! Hundreds, thousands perhaps, might be set on the right path; dozens of families saved from destitution, from ruin, from vice, from the Lock hospitals—and all with her money. Kill her, take the money and with the help of it devote oneself to the service of humanity and the good of all.What do you think, would not one tiny crime be wiped out by thousands of good deeds? For one life thousands would be saved from corruption and decay. One death, and a hundred lives in exchange—it’s simple arithmetic! † (Part I, Chapter 6). Explain the argument given in this passage. Is it a good act utilitarian argument (assuming the facts to be roughly as stated)? How would a rule utilitarian and a Kantian criticize this way of a ct utilitarian reasoning? Which of these two kinds of criticism (if any) do you find more convincing? Explain your reasoning in detail. 5.To what extent do you believe that Jews, Christians, and Muslims use the Divine Command Theory approach rather than egoism or act or rule utilitarianism as a basis for their ethical systems? That is, do you believe that most Jews, Christians, and Muslims follow their religion’s moral rules because they believe that those rules were established by a supernatural being or for other reasons, for example for the promise of reward in the afterlife, out of fear of punishment, for salvation, etc.? Explain your answer in detail. 6. Moral rules can be very useful for governing our lives and guiding our actions.However, problems can arise in the application of such rules to unusual situations. In such cases adherence to rules can result in actions being performed that would be considered immoral. How does Aristotelian Virtue Ethics, with its emphasis on the development of a virtuous character, address the problem of moral rules? Be detailed and very specific in your consideration. To what extent do you think the problem of moral rules plays a role in modern morality? 7. Write a dialogue between two people who advocate different positions on the issue of moral absolutism and moral relativism.Be thorough, thoughtful, and reflective. Style, humor, creativity, and cleverness in your examples are all welcomed, but make sure that the dialogue makes clear that you understand the key concepts concerning relativism and absolutism. 8. Write a dialogue between two people who advocate different positions on the issue of freedom. Be thorough, thoughtful, and reflective. Style, humor, creativity, and cleverness in your examples are all welcomed, but make sure that the dialogue makes clear that you understand the key concepts concerning freedom and determinism. . Do you think that suicide is morally justified? Drawing on some of the ethical t heories from our text, explain why you believe that it is or is not justified. If you believe that it is sometimes justified, then identify and explain the conditions that make it justified. 10. Do you think that capital punishment is morally justified? Drawing on some of the ethical theories from our text, explain why you believe that it is or is not justified. If you believe that it is sometimes justified, then identify and explain the conditions that make it justified.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Analysis And Analysis Big Companies - 972 Words

Many companies around the world have the false idea that having a strong Analytical tool is the highest power they need to produce good analytical results. In fact, good analytical results are better obtained with intelligent resources (Analysts). The 10/90 Rule focuses on peoples’ skills as the most important resource in analytical businesses. Avinash Kaushik based his conclusion for the 10/90 rule on four different facts: Website complexity, Market trends, Technology evolution, and diversity. Big companies are seriously impacted by the use of the 10/90 rule, and failure to consider this rule can lead companies to have more data and less accurate analyses. Avinash Kaushik (2007) states that, â€Å" Websites are massively complex, and although tools can capture all the data, they don’t actually tell you what to do† (P.46). I believe that all the data collection should lead to its analysis, and the analysis should produce recommendations. In order to produce the best recommendations, each company needs skilled people with the right analytical intelligence to interpret the data available and produce information that will bring changes to the company. These expected changes can either be translated into revenue, or increase the company’s competitive capacity in the web-based or E-commerce business. What can we do with all this data collected? Where do we go from here? What lessons can we learn from these trends? â€Å"Most Web analytics tools in the market, even today, simply spew data.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Richard Stantons The Big E Commerce Company 2406 Words   |  10 Pageswill come to her with a super report, or an interesting bit of news, which she will then use as a foundation for a bigger analytical piece. A specific example she gave was, â€Å"if a PR comes to me with important news about, say, fundraising at a big e-commerce company, I can use that as a news hook to write a bigger piece about phone penetration and or online shopping in Africa† (Whitehead, 2016). As Eleanor travels regularly, she is not allowed to accept sponsored trips, however she has stated that PRsRead MoreResearch Report On Management Consulting Industry1503 Words   |  7 PagesFactors​2 Legislative Factors​3 3.0​Strategic Tools and Analysis​3 3.1 PESTEL Analysis​3 3.2 Porter Five Forces Analysis​4 3.3 SWOT Analysis​6 3.3.1 General SWOT Analysis​6 3.3.2 Internal factor Analysis Summary​7 3.4 SFAS Matrix (Strategic Factor Analysis Summary)​10 3.5 Tows Matrix- Consulting Industry​11 3.6 Core Competencies- NY Region​13 3.7​Strategic marketing Analysis using 7P​14 3.8 Competitive Position​17 3.9 Marketing Strategic Analysis using STP Branding​17 3.9.1 Measuring Branding​17 Conclusion​18Read MoreE-Cigarette1180 Words   |  5 PagesBA 3103-015 Critical Analysis Paper: 1 E-CIGARETTE Big tobacco companies are betting on e-cigarettes. Why are tobacco companies investing in a product that will directly compete with their most profitable product, cigarettes? With the use of these analytical frameworks it will help us to better understand this situation. PEST PEST Analysis of Global Trends – 2011-2016 Political * Increased emphasis in healthcare | Economic * Recovering/GrowingRead MoreClinically Related Data in the Healthcare Industry1352 Words   |  5 Pagesscan, MRI scan, Ultrasound, ECG, Dialysis, biopsy equipment etc. The objectives of this smart approach are to make this data useful and productive for analysis and study of health patterns and create statistics. A detailed analysis can help the community to get awareness for improved nutrition and hygiene. Objectives †¢ Perform empirical analysis on the data and determine the forecasting power of the collected data to study health patterns †¢ Create statistics based on the information obtained inRead MoreThe Evolution Of The Data Stored Essay1556 Words   |  7 PagesHistory Data has always been analyzed within companies and used to help benefit the future of businesses. However, the evolution of how the data stored, combined, analyzed and used to predict the pattern and tendencies of consumers has evolved as technology has seen numerous advancements throughout the past century. In the 1900s databases began as â€Å"computer hard disks† and in 1965, after many other discoveries including voice recognition, â€Å"the US Government plans the world’s first data center toRead MoreGillette Acquisition Of Duracell Essay1724 Words   |  7 PagesGillette using the appropriate strategies to deal with the big and small competitors? †¢ Stock prices are decreasing considerably External Analysis Industry Structure †¢ Dry cell batteries industry generated US$ 2.6 Billion in US domestic sales in 2000. †¢ 75% of all alkaline battery sales were impulsive purchasing. †¢ AA size batteries accounted for almost 50% of all sales. †¢ The industry was highly competitive, and the three big players were constantly developing new products. †¢ ThereRead MoreThe Big Data Related Activities1487 Words   |  6 PagesThe world is changing with respect to the growth in big data and to the way in which it is used. Growth in big data brings with it many challenges, but it also presents new opportunities. Figure 1, helps understand some of the big data related activities that are taking place in the world with respect to volume of data that is being consumed by these activities over the next 5 years. Fig. 1: Data is predicted to grow to more than 160,000 terabytes in the next 5 years. Apple was Teradata’s â€Å"fastestRead MoreStrategic Plan Part Ii Swott Analysis1446 Words   |  6 PagesStrategic Plan Part II Swott Analysis BUS/475 Ed Miller Strategic Plan Part II Swott Analysis Big Wheel Brewing is a new and innovative craft beer brewing company. Big Wheel Brewing is dedicated to bringing their customers craft brews of the highest quality. Big wheel beers are made for people who prefer quality over quantity. Taste is the most important thing when it comes to brewing fine craft ales. An internal and external analysis will be conducted to determine the factors that have anRead MoreBig Data Is Not A New Technology1408 Words   |  6 PagesEvaluation Big data is not a new technology, however applied to the rapidly growing and changing field of cyber security, big data companies are finding new and emerging ways to use big data analytics to gain a competitive edge (Emerging Trends in Big Data Analytsis for 2015, 2015). Big data analysis looks for and utilizes the patterns extracted from large volumes of data. (Kantarcioglu, 2015). One of the important uses of big data analytics is in the detection, discovery, and prevention of cyberRead MorePredictive Analytics At Big Data And Its Potential1349 Words   |  6 Pageshype recently around big data and its potential. When leveraged correctly big data can provide many great benefits for organizations in almost any industry. Some organizations currently have a lot of big data they have gathered throughout their life but have no current way of leveraging this data. One of the ways companies are able to leverage all of their big data is through predictive analytics. II. Predictive Analytics Capability: Predictive Analytics are able to help companies make since of their

Monday, December 30, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis of Being a Cripple - 761 Words

Someone who is crippled often receives pity and sympathy from others, but do cripples always want this? In this passage entitled â€Å"On Being a Cripple,† Nancy Mairs uses interesting word choice, repetition, and a sarcastic tone to touch upon a subject that most mature non-crippled Americans are not entirely comfortable with; using the so widely feared word â€Å"cripple† instead of the common â€Å"handicapped† or â€Å"disabled† to be polite or politically correct. Elaborating to a society, so infatuated with being politically correct, that using a word considered derogatory to most may be necessary according to exact definition is Mairs’s purpose in writing this passage. From the very first sentence of her passage, Mairs’s use of the word â€Å"cripple†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦An accepting statement she uses is in the third paragraph when she makes a point, but doesn’t attempt to control the audience. She says â€Å"But call me â€Å"disabled† or ‘handicapped† if you like.† Here she gives a tone of tolerance by accepting people’s fear of the word â€Å"cripple,† and how they want to replace it with a more widely used term. Mairs does this to show that, even if she’d like it to happen, she knows the world won’t change the way they see things, and she accepts this. Still, Nancy Mairs effectively uses rhetorical devices to execute her purpose of making a misinterpreted word become an accepted word for herShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Imperialism In George Orwells Shooting An Elephant1633 Words   |  7 Pagesclaim and experiences are very relatable today because as long a s there are fathers and mothers and families, there are going to be those that re-live the past and create memories that last their families a lifetime, or perhaps even longer.    Process Analysis: Joan Didion, On Keeping a Notebook   Ã‚  Ã‚   In the selection On Keeping a Notebook, Joan Didion uses her experiences in day to day life as a writer in order to demonstrate the importance/methods of keeping a daily notebook. Didion appeals to her audienceRead MoreThe United States And The Civil Right Movement1594 Words   |  7 Pagesturnout for the entire African American community . It will also provide a description the racial impact of felony disenfranchisement. Lastly the author will provide a conclusion and a brief summary of the insights that were gained from this policy analysis paper. King, R. S. (2006). Jim Crow is alive and well in the 21st century:Felony disenfranchisement and the continuing struggle to solence theAfrican-American Voice. Soul:A critical journal of black politics,culturean andRead More Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay6977 Words   |  28 Pageslevel of discourse, rhetorically or structurally, or both. As one might expect, quot;de-insulationquot; of this kind necessarily involves the intervention of others: the coming out of a self-enclosed figure depends upon the influence of another being--a baker or a babysitter or blind man, or even a fellow drunk on the road to recovery, who, entering unexpectedly into a characters life, affords new perspective or awareness and guides him along, if not toward insight then at least away from theRead MorePeculiarities of Euphemisms in English and Difficulties in Their Translation19488 Words   |  78 Pages The main methods of research are descriptive, comparative, the method of analysis and synthesis. But we consider that the study of euphemisms is impossible without using contextual-logical analysis. CHAPTER I. THE NOTION OF EUPHEMISMS IN ENGLISH I.1. Definition of Euphemisms Euphemisms come from a Greek word meaning to speak favourably, and Greek provides whatRead MoreRethinking Mercantalism Essay15042 Words   |  61 PagesN. Pearson, â€Å"Merchants and States,† in The Political Economy of Merchant Empires: State Power and World Trade, 1350–1750, ed. James D. Tracy (Cambridge, 1991), 41–116, esp. 93. rethinking mercantilism 9 nizing principle. After pages of analysis of what had formerly been termed â€Å"mercantilist policies,† C. G. A. Clay paused to note that mercantilism â€Å"has been the subject of much historical debate† and was a term â€Å"coined long after 1700 to describe economic policies characteristic of bothRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesLine 58 Understanding and Appreciating Individual Differences Important Areas of Self-Awareness 61 Emotional Intelligence 62 Values 65 Ethical Decision Making and Values 72 Cognitive Style 74 Attitudes Toward Change 76 Core Self-Evaluation 79 SKILL ANALYSIS 84 Cases Involving Self-Awareness 84 Communist Prison Camp 84 Computerized Exam 85 Decision Dilemmas 86 SKILL PRACTICE 89 Exercises for Improving Self-Awareness Through Self-Disclosure 89 Through the Looking Glass 89 Diagnosing Managerial CharacteristicsRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pageslamentable. Taken together, the key themes and processes that have been selected as the focus for each of the eight essays provide a way to conceptualize the twentieth century as a coherent unit for teaching, as well as for written narrative and analysis. Though they do not exhaust the crucial strands of historical development that tie the century together—one could add, for example, nationalism and decolonization—they cover in depth the defining phenomena of that epoch, which, as the essays demonstrate

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Wk6AssgnNixL - 1398 Words

Latin American Subtraction Algorithm Lisa Nix Walden University Dr. Mary Robinson, Instructor MATH-6562G-1, Base Ten Number System Operation: Addition/Subtraction October 21, 2013 Latin American Subtraction Algorithm The Latin American subtraction algorithm is based on the fact that the difference between the two numbers does not change while adding the same amount to the minuend and subtrahend (Indiana University Southeast, n.d.). This algorithm appears to be one that requires precision to detail as it is different from the traditional subtraction algorithm the majority of students have been taught. Regardless of teacher preference, providing students with various strategies allows them to experience the diversity in problem†¦show more content†¦A: Exemplary Work A = 4.00; A- = 3.75 All of the previous, in addition to the following: B: Graduate Level Work B+ = 3.50; B = 3.00; B- = 2.75 All of the previous, in addition to the following: C: Minimal Work C+ = 2.50; C = 2.00; C- = 1.75 F: Work Submitted but Unacceptable F = 1.00 Adherence to Assignment Expectations The extent to which work meets the assigned criteria. Assignment exceeds expectations, integrating additional material and/or information. Assignment

Friday, December 13, 2019

The Role of a Critical Care Nurse Free Essays

In the article, Legal Aspects of End of Life Care. author, Nurse Claire M. McGowan, explains that when performing the role of a critical care nurse acting as the advocate for the patient, his/her family, and significant others, it Is essential that the nurse has an understanding of legal implications associated with end of life care. We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of a Critical Care Nurse or any similar topic only for you Order Now McGowan goes on to provide information on the legal principles involved In end-of-life care, specifically addressing: limitations in treatment, assessing capacity and using surrogate decision makers and medical futility. In order to explain limitations in reatment, McGowan begins by listing what the courts have established as Ilfe sustaining treatments which include: mechanical ventilation, blood transfusions, dialysis, chemotherapy, artificial nutrition, and hydration. Although a competent or incompetent terminally ill patient with advances directives has the right has to refuse these treatments, there are rare cases when the state court may override that right: preservation of life, prevention of suicide, protection of third parties such as children, and preserving the Integrity of the medical profession (McGowan, 2011). Next, ccording to McGowan, if a patient is deemed incompetent the patient may be assigned a surrogate to make decisions on their behalf with respect to their advance directives. If a there is no advanced directive or surrogate appointed to the patient then the medical team may determine the plan of care for the patient (McGowan, 2011 Lastly, McGowan addresses medical futility, defined, as such, when treatment is no longer deemed a benefit to the patient. According to McGowan, arriving at this determination and accepting futility Is often stressful, inciting disagreements between the patients/surrogates and medical professionals involved. In order to resolve conflicting Interests, McGowan suggests a variety of methods that can be utilized to improve communication between the two parties including: making attempts to negotiate understanding between parties as to what constitutes futile care before conflict arises, using joint decision making, and using consultants to reach satisfactory resolution of disagreements. If these methods fail to help unite the parties’ decision an ethics committee may be utilized to reach a determination, the patient may be transferred to another medical provider within the institution or to another Institution altogether (McGowan, 2011). In my opinion, Nurse McGowan clearly presented how important it is for a critical care nurse to have a working knowledge of the legal aspects of end of life care and how he/she can help to make sure that the patient’s rights are respectfully carried out either directly or indirectly during end of life. After reading this article, It was impressed upon me that since the nurse is the main point of contact with the patient, family, and significant others during treatment, It becomes the responsibility of the nurse to help mediate conflicts that may arise during care, in order to protect the patient’s best interests. How to cite The Role of a Critical Care Nurse, Papers