The law enforcement officers are committed to honorably serving in accordance with the established requirements. Therefore, they must constantly exhibit high standards of honesty and adherence to recommended procedures while performing their jobs. One of the fundamental tasks of the police is documentation, which is a crucial factor in criminal proceedings. The correctness of the documentation is essential to policing for a number of reasons.
Why Is Accurate Documentation Important in the Profession of Policing?
First, the criminal defendant’s trial will use the information the police have recorded. The destiny of both innocent and guilty persons depends on the accuracy and clarity of the information provided about the circumstances and the detainee. According to a human services expert, the case record determines everything; thus, if the documentation is not written clearly and correctly, the crime did not actually occur both for the offender and the victim (Harrison et al., 2017). Therefore, accurate documentation is crucial for reaching a just decision.
Second, accurate documentation is required to provide other professionals with accurate information. Police workers interact with other law enforcement officers, social workers, administrators, attorneys, and other professionals from different social service agencies during their careers (Harrison et al., 2017). Since the policeman’s report reflects reality, other professionals’ efforts to establish truth also rely on them. For example, in order to understand the nature of the crime and the offender’s motivations, criminologists and psychologists refer to the police report.
Third, proper documentation is required for managing time and energy. The police report serves as a reference for all specialists and the court. Judges, district attorneys, attorneys, and commanding officers do not have time to figure out what a policeman was trying to say by interpreting their poor writing (Harrison et al., 2017). The correctness and succinctness of information are crucial because there is a limited amount of time and professionals have much work to do in addition to a particular case.
Conclusion
To sum up, accurate documentation is crucial to police officers’ work. The documentation is needed to establish the truth about the case and determine the accused’s involvement. The information the police officer records is used throughout the entire trial process, from examination to the judge’s decision. The correctness of the documentation determines the effectiveness of the work. Hence, the police must pay significant attention to the paperwork.
Reference
Harrison, J., Weisman, D., & Zornado, J. (2017). Professional Writing for the Criminal Justice System. Springer Publishing.
Barristers and solicitors are both lawyers with different types of training, expertise and legal work. In some countries like England, the legal profession is split between the Solicitor whose work is to represent and advise the clients and a Barrister who is retained by a solicitor to give a legal opinion and advocate in a legal hearing.
Training
To be a Barrister or a solicitor, one needs an undergraduate Law degree or a degree in any subject followed by a one year course to undertake the Post-Graduate Diploma in Law, formerly known as Common Professional Exam.
The solicitor undertakes a one-year Practical course called The Legal Practice Course (LPC). The course is designed to help students gain skills in Contracts drafting and interviewing. This course is followed by two years of apprenticeship with a practising solicitor; this is known as “Taking Articles”. After the training and apprenticeship, the hopeful solicitor applies to the Law Society to be admitted by the Master of Rolls by adding the name of the solicitor to the list of qualified solicitors.
After Graduation, those training to become barrister undertake a Bar Vocational Course (BVC). This course is designed to help students develop key skills such as Advocacy, Legal research and fact management. The hopeful Barrister join one of the four Inns of courts, either Lincoln’s Inn, Gray’s Inn, Middle Temple or the Inner Temple. The hopeful is then expected to attend Educational forums or dinners in order for the barrister to familiarize him/herself with the people of the same profession as his/hers.
The student then spends 12 months with a senior barrister doing a pupillage where the extensive knowledge and skills learned during legal studies are exercised. The trainee barrister is allowed to appear in court on behalf of clients after six months of pupillage. Once the barrister becomes qualified, they become self-employed.
Roles
The barrister is a legal practitioner whose function is to act as an advocate in crown courts, high courts, the court of appeal and House of Lords, as much of their training lies in courtroom skills of Rapid thinking and cross-examination. They spend most of their time in chambers where they prepare their cases. They never have direct dealing with clients.
Solicitors are the main legal representative for the majority of people and companies. Clients cannot go directly to the barrister. Solicitors can represent clients in lower courts, i.e. county courts and magistrate’s court.
Barrister usually operates as sole practitioners, and the law prohibits them from forming partnerships. However, they group together into “chambers” to share work and operating costs. Other barristers are employed by Solicitor firms and big corporations to act as in-house legal advisors.
On the other hand, most solicitors go to private practice; the law allows them to form a partnership. They deal with people from a broad cross-section of the community.
The court and Legal service Act 1990
The CLSA 1990 was passed to see that the public had the best access to legal services and that those services were of the right quality to meet the client particular need.
Important details covered in this act are:
Litigation and rights of audience, pg. 17.
Right to conduct litigation, pg. 28-29.
The access to justice act 1999
Lawyer’s right of the audience was further catered for by section III of the Access to Justice Act 1999.
It provided that all lawyers, subject to meeting reasonable training, should have full rights of audience before any court. The act gives solicitors the right to conduct litigation in any court.
After the passing of the Access to Justice Act, many solicitors have opted to undertake further training to obtain Higher Courts Advocacy qualification and complete Pupillage. Barristers also undergo the necessary training to qualify to act as solicitors. After this training, qualified solicitors now have full right of audience in all courts, and Barristers have direct access to clients.
Advantages of Split Legal profession
The Training and academic route for the solicitor and barrister is different, hence the need for a split profession. Barrister trained for advocacy may not be well equipped to provide sound advice to members of the public. The same case applies to a solicitor who does not have Cross-examination skills may not represent a client in court may not adequately represent a client in High court.
Having expert barristers at the bar enables small legal firms, who are unable to maintain a large expert department, to compete with large firms.
The Bar ‘Cab Rank Principle’ ensure that all defendants are well represented in courts regardless of the crime or wealth by having the Barrister operate independently rather than in partnership.
The split profession ensures that the specialist skills of the Barrister are accessible to the average person by ensuring that barristers work independently.
Disadvantages of the split legal profession
The Legal cost for clients is usually higher due to the multiplicity of legal advisors.
With a split legal profession, solicitors prepare a case without the contribution of barristers leading to passing or misunderstanding of key points and work duplication.
The early decision has to be made in regard to which branch of the profession one wants to practice before training to avoid being denied a chance to use one’s talents.
Conclusion
The benefits split profession far out-weighs the disadvantages. In my opinion, the two branches should be left to work independently as the skills and training requirement is different and complement each other. The bodies and the rules regulating the two professions ensure justice and representation for all members of the public.
Reference
Catherine Elliot, Frances Quinn (2006) English Legal system, Longman publishers, United Kingdom.
Gary Slapper, David Kelly (2006) The English Legal System, Routledge Cavendish Publishers, England.
Richard Ward, Amanda Wragg (2005) Walker and Walker’s English Legal System, Oxford University Press.
The world is growing and changing rapidly, and the changes come with numerous challenges, which have taken the world through the insurgence of legal controversies throughout its growth in the contemporary times.
The quest to change the regulations and enhance professionalism in law and its regulations has always subjected lawyers to numerous dilemmas with the most common task being their ability to protect constitutions, guarantee justice, and balance their rapport within the socio-cultural welfare. The notions that individuals develop in numerous cases have created a different reputation of the legal frameworks governing the professionalism of law.
Nonetheless, the current decade has witnessed complications arising from the realities of legal frameworks and the societal suspicions with the international media including films and some television programmes constantly creating problems associated with inferring causality. Despite the existing literature, nothing seems to change on societal perceptions given the growing tenacity of media. Therefore, this essay explores how regulations of the legal profession and its processes have affected societal perceptions of the lawyer as depicted in law, film, and culture.
Historical acuity on lawyers
The growing urge to change the justice realm within the international judicial phase has been the force behind the transformation of the world in the current days. A case in point is the creation of the International Criminal Court that seeks to put nations under check to ensure that leaders uphold human rights across the world. Initially, law was the most respected aspect within populations and education on law remained as distant dream for several individuals across the globe. Traditionally, lawyers across the world and specifically in America enjoyed strong positions in the entire American society with mistrust against government’s misconduct and fight for civil rights of a importance.
The move to evaluate government performance and uphold justice upon all civilians, activism, and stand for liberalism remained equally important national matters, and thus enhancing their power and character in the community. Laws were accorded the best international and regional respect and communities were made to understand their corporate role in shaping national images. Lawyers played an important role in institutional development including active development of central banks and capital markets. The global revolutions appear to have changed the customariness of lawyers.
Lawyers have had the image of mass saviour where individuals had notions that lawyers protected only the oppressed ones. Nonetheless, this perception appears as a reality depending on the context of personal experience in the court processes, but the old lawyer seems to be represented by a modern lawyer in general. Issues pertaining affluence, personal attitude and protection of self-interests among others have been common references to the deteriorating perception over the regulation of the legal profession and its processes that have affected societal perceptions of the lawyer. Due to the rising differences in the communal interest and professionalism aspect, research has focused much on the meaning of professionalism.
Professionalism is “a ‘peculiar’ type of occupational control rather than an expression of the inherent nature of particular occupations.” Women involvement in the law profession has undergone a different shift in the perception of lawyers in the community for much of what women do is deemed as unethical practices by conservative individuals in the society.
Popular culture among civilians
The underlying factor in the designing and development of this essay rested upon understanding critically how regulation of the legal profession and its processes has affected societal perceptions of the lawyer as depicted in law, film, and culture. Culture among the principle focus for the discussion seems to have greatly influenced the societal perceptions against the law society and its professionalism. The dividing lines “between law and popular culture seem increasingly blurred in an evolving postmodern era, where law today is a spectacle, a form of entertainment, which real and fictional representations often mixed up or interchangeable.”
In the recent decades, filmmaking and international media seems to have consumed human interests with representation in such movies proving either educative or canning. Through films, individuals have found themselves too much attached to the activities taking place in such representations, with the influence growing from single persons to entire communities, and fictions embedded in them actually influencing their impression against the realities, entrenched in certain practices.
Media influence on civilians perception on lawyers
Since the advent of media in the international entertainment paradigm, the public must have consumed large chunks of poison unswervingly against the levels of trust in law making and law enforcement protocols. Since the emergence of “the first mass-produced entertainment media, scholars have struggled with similar questions in an effort to make sense of the power of the popular media and to explore their influence on individual consumers and communities.”
One of the dented public figure is that which concerns law making and law enforcement with lawyers as the central actors in this phase. The augmenting consumption of local media and the films broadcasted and advertised in the world is shifting the understanding of the real values of lawmakers in the locale of the communities. The culture of cinematography and the interests gained through such activities have made communities sway away from viewing lawyers in the angle of protection to the notion of viewing them as subjugators of freedom and justice that least favours their professionalism.
Thousands of films have existed on the criticisms of the procedures and processes governing lawmaking, consequently, providing a quandary and misconception of the regulation of the legal profession. Research undertake to establish the existing correlation between the influence of novels, newspapers, music, media, films and other forms of local entertainment reveals that approximately seventy-five percent of the societal composition have disillusionment or maybe realities from such pieces of literature.
Expatiation is the “door to productivity and new creation, but given that expatiation is the result of exposure to ideas outside the immediate focus of interest, broad diverse connections and networks are the key that opens that door.” Before filmmaking and even immediately on this advent, lawmakers had a positive image in the public limelight and much of what appeared in the media seemed to echo much of the reality about law professionalism. The deterioration of the affirmative public image on lawyer began when the popular filming culture became politicised, the moment when the filmmaking and lawmaking began divergence. To apprehend criminals and serve social justice to all individuals within the community, the influence of personality in the law profession may contribute heavily to the decisions made by these lawyers.
Across a broad spectrum of law education across the globe, most students have adopted the new technologies introduced in the teaching of law, its policies, procedures and legal protocols with research revealing that masses of institutions have employed such techniques. Important factors involving communal wellbeing including criminal and civil jury with the concomitant on law paw practices delivered in education through films, questions are rising from their reliability on delivering law education.
As portrayed in several law books, lawyers have constantly developed an interest in protecting their professionalism, protecting the lawful interests of the community and the entire nation. Contrarily, most of the modern films have developed political prejudice against lawyers, tinted their profession, and blurred their public images. However, as films become learning material, nothing reveals that filmmakers have any legal education.
The indication that movies, newspapers, books, songs, television shows, advertisement and other numerous imaginative wordings or images have influence on communal perceptions does not primarily mean that all these devices are void. Important lessons have also emerged from the creativity of cinematography that enlightens individuals on the realities and exposes some hidden injustices within the governments, subsequently influencing the image of legal procedures.
Experience portrayed by media “is sometimes a functional equivalent for experience gained in the real world.” Important genres of movies like the documentary films might have important lessons from which learners, if not the entire spectre of viewer’s, dram lesson. Critical socio-cultural matters like gender discrimination, abortion, irresponsible sex, heroism among other important lessons that communities in the film interest find more of positive dispersion are quite educative. The questions remain whether all the representations have a better approach towards law and lawmakers, including their activities in the law profession given the rising ill views of film lovers.
Legal profession regulations portrayed by media
Formulating policies and regulation has been the core activity of lawyers, while defending the constitution and improving people’s life by ensuring prevalence of justice is another. Concomitantly, as the lawyers act as the officer of the court, their role is to uphold the rule of law and diligently serve the community in the administration of justice, the law itself must protect the rights and freedom of all communal members.
The hunt towards individual prosperity and the ability of laws to ensure justice has been a common presentation of malpractice in the movies with affluence portraying negate of professional lawyers. Most of the law movies acted in criticism of the conduct of the lawyers in the society have focused on how lawmakers go against their profession by breaching the professional code of conduct governing their conduct in the law practice.
In some films, lawyer have portrayed great agility and firmness in protecting the interests of their clients despite their guiltiness and fought tirelessly to secure their rapport with such clients. Local media, produced movies, published books, printed pamphlets have attractively changed our mode of entertainment consumption with their ease in developing and integrating modern technologies putting them at higher chances of greater consumerism.
The common phrase that accompanies the behaviour of film consumers is lawyers in your living room, implying that media and other forms of electronic entertainment have become the mode of wrong communication to the communities, given the changing lifestyles. Two important factors seem to have triggered the wrong imaging of the legal profession and its processes by the local and international media on the recent conduct of the lawyers. Currently, the law professional has shifted from protecting the interests of the entire community, including the poor and the rich inclusively, and raised the issue of marketing in lawmaking and enforcement.
A distinct change on the procedure of law has been eminent, with lawyers ostensibly interested on building their corporate image through single family and industrial guard that sets numerous questions among filmmakers and society.
Common legal delusions from media
The ever-changing filmmaking industry is adorable to certain extents, though much remains behind the curtains on some of their representations that seem intriguing to the populace. Much has emerged since the integration of global arts into matters of regulations and the law profession as well as other important subjects of societal interest. Nonetheless, filmmakers are professionals trained in developing films inconformity with matters affecting societies, but are as well professionals in filmmaking entrepreneurship and none must completely trust or mistrust them.
Movie producers have long used the science of fiction in cinematography and that tints their professionalism, which remains a challenge for one to understand the reality in the two principles. One might understand this aspect in the sense that lawyers and filmmakers are all protecting the interest of their professions, with which the facts remained interchangeably received. Some important factors that need law have regularly remained implicated by the media may include family matters like divorce, unethical matters like abortion, and discrimination among others.
Poverty, equity, and discrimination
Among the most fundamentally legal matters reinforced through thematic concepts of movies has been poverty, social equity and much of the same, socio-economic discrimination. In the last two decades, “large law firms have remained increasingly corporatised with the inclusion of human resources, marketing, risk analysis and compliance counsel, finance and technology departments.” The multitude in the community that needs much protection from exploitation from lawyers by helping them against denial of their freedom and rights therefore feels much discriminated by the law societies given the rising importance of financial institutions.
The filmmaking industry has hinted in this aspect and in most movies, lawyers appear as selfish persons, protecting their personal interest in law professionalism, that of their defendants (clients), that of the national political interest or generally, the interest of the powerful minority. Drawing such themes as portrayed in the movies, coupled with some few realities of such circumstances, societal perception on the legal profession, and its processes change dramatically.
Police officers as law enforcers and part of the law societies normally fall under the tinting of filmmakers with the aim of changing the societal discernments against the lawmakers and law enforcers. One is likely to encounter much of the law issues on hearing news on the radio or even through watching the television bulletins, reading a national newspaper, or even news magazine, as compared to the number of times one gets an exposure to real law material. Both lawmakers (lawyers) and law enforcers (police officers) appear in regular bulletins and content presented through such media might not clearly represent the true policies of law.
Through the television, magazines or even the much-preferred movies, the law community falls more of criticism that appraisal with either police deliberately shooting innocent civilians, lawyers protecting perpetrators as their clients or even physically receiving bribes. Through the simplified life, that involves technology consumption as television and film DVDs, the representation of these mediums of communicate influence viewers perceptions.
The fact remains that the law across the globe has always remained the most complicated factor in almost all governments with few individuals or even lawyers themselves failing to understand all its procedures. Of several actors and filmmakers that have been practicing the production and acting of what they call ‘reality based films,’ none seems to portray or process proper knowledge on the law profession. The realities or even misconceptions portrayed in these movies must always have the origin of programming and staging, which are two major cinematographic techniques in film production.
In contrast, “to the abundance of positive images of the law one sees on television, one of the most consistent ideological postures in law-related movies is ambivalence toward the law.” The local community that seems to be much overwhelmed by the tricking and programming reinforced in such movies normally has few questions on the backgrounds of actors, and what they see is normally what they totally believe since much is of pleasure to their visage.
Abortion and divorce as family issues
Much of the controversies have risen in the programming and setting of family based movies, which normally carry family matters or themes like divorce and abortion. Nonetheless, as actors of filmmakers portray such matters in shallowly determined focus, many issues surrounding law matters remain recorded in the brains of viewers especially the local communities who seem to value much ethics. Most frequently, lawyers on the movie series acted or programmes aired on televisions act in morally questionable ways, something that blazes the notions of entire communities.
At the expense of educating the community, or even trying to deliver important messages across the society, the law society in such movies and television programs is the one that suffers. Not only does such representation act in streaking the image of lawyers, cases of crime, abortions, and unnecessary divorce augments substantially. In actuality, laws regarding divorce and aborting have remained politically and socially debated across the world with little or no success and media wrong focus on such matters illicit sharp reactions.
The details of law have always appeared in difficult expressions, terminologies and forms, which has been a challenge for any layperson to understand comprehensively the hidden meanings. The portion that movies, books, television programs, and songs take in the entire society is considerably large and diversely dissolved into the main interests of the societies as they offer a more entertaining theme that most individuals anticipate.
The two disparities have always remained underestimated by researchers and the difference in them rarely appears in literature. Appearing in more appealing manner to the society with similar legal procedures as portrayed in courtroom movies, law-related movies, and law-related television series as well as documentaries, the societal perceptions over such legal procedure change drastically following the simulations observed in the films. However, as postulated before, the reproductions in the movies nonetheless have no legal frameworks embedded in them as few or even no real lawyers participate in the acting, programming, and production of such movies.
Lawyers and law firms
Things that have most importantly been the major causes of the shifting of societal positive perceptions on lawyers to the extent of viewing law as counterproductive, discriminatory, incomprehensive, illogical and even arbitrary, is the extent to which the law society in the contemporary world seems profit based, have remained under looked. The world has evolved to a more competitive aspect where only that which seems glamorous remains most considered. The use of affluence to manipulate the court procedures, protect the perpetrators of evil and illegally buying justice has been one of the communities bitterness that receives attention when the media highlights on such matters.
In a bid to strangle for their relevance to the profession and appeal to the public on their competence, law societies have merged into law firms that seem commercialised and more of material comfort than societal interest. Such law firms have focused on international regulatory activities, arranging and providing law education to financial institutions among other wealth-centred activities, which normally presents a typical shift from community’s expectations.
Films, television programs, newspaper publications, and other entertainment devices have used this to denigrate the lawyer’s image through their staged and programmed simulations. The unprofessional lawyers in the film industries that form much of our entertainment part tend to act in a manner less appealing to the public, with most of their appearance indicating an association with commercial law, and abandoning their communal role. Similar fictional stories from either novels or magazines that are popular entertainment paraphernalia appear on regular publications, subsequently changing an individual’s perception over the lawyer.
The courtroom motif “makes for easy script organisation (with a natural sequence of opening argument, examination of witness, closing arguments, and the dramatically tidy jury verdict) that fits seamlessly into the cinematic three-act structure.” Courtroom dramas that are relatively cheap simple to produce have formed a greater consumption influence for over several decades with court procedures in such movies unprofessional and wrong, but have the capability of captivating viewers and changing their perception.
Polices that seldom work
Following the presence of such disparities in the reproductions found in the media including films and television programs much has protracted in the law society that tried to respond using a few legal policies. Law, regulations, and policies have emerged to protect both the consumer (societies who are film viewers), and the lawyers who are central to the discussion. However, much in the same media and the public has been the centre of controversies over how laws themselves protect the lawmakers, law enforcers and most importantly, the community as a whole.
The sheer audience numbers that focus on the film reproductions with legal themes, with the majority being laypersons are nonetheless not lawpersons and neither understands if laws against consumer protection or television and film programmes exit. The regular contrasts overrepresented on television and other mediums virtual to their real-world incidence are what remain as a notion that motivates societies to go against law profession. Given such circumstances that laypersons come across in cinemas, makes them turn against the law society and all it harbours.
Ever since the emergence of such controversies between the lawmakers and the media fraternity, some laws existed and some emerged in defence of the law society. Less punitive actions for felonies of such laws have nonetheless deemed the law profession as useless as the society percept of them. Given the less punitive measures that lawyers themselves should ensure that media fraternity follows and obeys the rule of law, as it appears that the society’s perception over the image and behaviour of lawyers remains distorted.
Now, it has been a culture of ‘law disobedience’ that consumes the community that occurs by poorly measuring the behaviours on lawyers in the films and misjudging real lawyers in the profession, simply by setting their minds to their screens. Currently, the levels of crime, human torture, legal disobedience, marital discord, and unethical behaviours have become more common more than even before the laws started becoming powerful, an influence that possibly results from distorted, dramatised and programmed films that are of common consumption in our entertainments.
Conclusion
Conclusively, the current decade has witnessed complications rising from the realities of legal frameworks and the societal intuitions with the international media, including films and some television programmes constantly creating problems associated with inferring causality. Popular filmmaking and entertainment culture being the principle focus for the discussion seems to have greatly influenced the societal perceptions against the law society and its professionalism.
The staged and programmed films with casts that involve none of the legal professionals, not the lawyer nor the judge, have been the easiest modern way of entertainment that carries much of legal themes. The cultivation theory posits, “Frequent viewing of these distortions of reality will increasingly result in the perception that these distortions reflect reality.”
The unprofessional lawmakers in the films including law-related movies, courtroom dramas, and films tend to shift societal perception against the conduct and behaviour of real-world lawmakers. If proper actions do not appear to curb some reproduction and continue underestimating the impact of films on law, much will protract in the future given the fast growing technological world.
Reference List
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The image of the nursing profession is rapidly changing in the society. The previous images of nurses dressed in nursing caps, competent and independent nurses from diverse backgrounds are quickly replacing starched uniforms. Latest images of thoughtful and experienced nurses attract most people to the line of work.
Gordon (2005) describes the previous iconic images of nurses to be similar to handmaiden, waiting for directions from the physician. The nursing profession has not been effective in publicizing the skills of nursing. The changing society needs to understand that the nursing profession also involves risks surveys and assessments, arranging for independent actions, handling of the client’s goals, and prioritizing care.
Nurses must create awareness of the skills and knowledge involved in professional nursing in order to maintain respect from the public (O’Mara, 1999). This begins by enlightening the student nurses on the cognitive skills of nursing in order to provide competent health care. They must also be aware of the tangible benefits of joining the nursing profession, apart from just caring for patients (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard, & Day, 2010).
Action plan for developing competency
Development of competency in student nurses is achievable through clinical practice, by practicing clinical skills as well as performing professional health care practices to the patients. These practices can assist the student nurses in gaining valuable experiences that are applicable in various clinical situations. They can achieve this full package of competency when guided well by mentors from school or the clinical mentors (Emmons, 1999).
These mentors can also assist in situations which pose to be difficult or when the students need guidance or assistance. The clinical performance of students can assessed through the strategies set for clinical competency and evaluation to check the skills, knowledge and attitudes adopted by the students during training (Cronenwett et al, 2007). These assessments need to be done frequently with reports on the feedback to encourage prompt achievement of the learning objectives.
The strategies for assessing competency include self-evaluation and field evaluation. Self-evaluation emphasizes on the philosophical approach of the training, and offers chances for reflection and analysis of clinical performance by the students. Self-evaluation also strengthens the student’s competencies and improves their skills of critical thinking.
This process also allows the students to experience a deeper understanding of the connection between knowledge, practice, patients, and the environment (Zimmerman and Phillips, 2000). Self-evaluation leads to advanced consolidation of professional ethics, values and attitudes of the students.
Field evaluation, on the other hand, assists in identifying the problems or challenges encountered by students in the process of clinical performance, thus the mentors can be able to implement immediate supportive and remedial action. Field experience is quite useful in assisting the students to meet their target objectives i.e. both short and long-term educational goals. It should be seen as positive in preparation for future clinical practice.
The action plan should include the following programs or measures. There should be provisions for nursing internships in the health facilities, as well as mentors to guide the students. The hospitals can also organize volunteer programs to offer opportunities for the student nurses to establish client contact as they practice the theory they learnt in nursing school.
The health care sector needs to establish a partnership program in order to encourage diversity when recruiting nursing students from diverse backgrounds. This partnership can also explore the option of establishing community based nurse navigator systems.
Nursing profession is capable of attracting many students if the picture of nursing was portrayed to be comparable to an intellectually demanding vocation, instead of the representation of a virtuous or female occupation (Hoke, 2006). The various elements of competency, therefore, must be achieved when preparing students for the nursing profession, and these elements include self, intelligence, skill and ‘other focused’.
The students must be taught how to think critically in order to be able to make effective evaluations and promote positive outcomes or results from caring for the patients. The students also need to know the importance of self-awareness as this factor of confidence correlates directly with competence. Competence can be instilled into the nursing students because it is a requirement for effective communication and interaction with the patients, as well as with other healthcare professionals.
There are eight important attributes of competency that need to be taught to the nursing students in preparation for the nursing career. These include communication skills, teaching skills, leadership skills, evaluation and intervention skills, critical thinking skills, knowledge integration skills, relationship or human caring skills, and management skills (Lenburg, Klein, Abdur-Rahman, Spencer, & Boyer, 2009).
Competency can also be promoted by teaching the student nurses the informatics agenda, due to the changing trend of the society, especially in the world of technology. Effective informatics competencies can also be promoted in order to provide safe and quality care. This can be achieved by participation of the students in faculty development programs in order to learn informatics competency, or by incorporating informatics lessons into the curriculum (Barton, 2005).
Conclusion
Nursing students need to recognize competency as an indispensable tool for a successful clinical practice. The curriculum for teaching nursing can also emphasize on the importance of motivation in dealing with intellectual challenges, and ultimately yielding competent nurses. Improvement of the skills of critical thinking and reflection by the intentional use of dissonance can be utilized in order to encourage transformative learning (Forbes & Hickey, 2009).
References
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Emmons, R. A. (1999). The psychology of ultimate concerns: Motivation and spirituality in personality. New York, NY: Guilford.
Forbes, M. O., & Hickey, M. T. (2009). Curriculum reform in baccalaureate nursing education: Review of the literature. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 6(1), 7.
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O’Mara, A. (1999).Interpersonal relationships: Professional communication skills for nurses (3rd ed., pp. 496-523). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.
Zimmerman, B. J., & Phillips, C. Y. (2000). Affective learning: Stimulus to critical thinking and caring practice. Journal of Nursing Education, 39(9), 422-423.
Since the early XX century, the topic of gender and profession has been an urgent problem for discussions by the public. The profession of a physical therapist is one of the most socially essential occupations all over the world, and women play an important role in its development.
The aim of this essay is to discuss the profession of physical therapist explaining the role of women in this field.
The Role of Women in the Profession
“Physical therapy in the United States was originally an occupation composed almost entirely of women; the field currently remains about 75% female” (Raz et al., 1991, p.530). It is interesting to note that the relationship was observed between the sphere of activity and gender occupations. In particular, it was found that women are more occupied in the services sphere, whereas the sphere of production, especially requiring the specific technical knowledge and skills, employs mainly the men.
Answering the question why women want to be occupied in the physical therapy, it should be said that it represents a kind of job which reflects the main functions of a woman in the family, namely, the role of paying attention to every family member and taking care for family well-being.
At the time when women gained equal opportunities with men for being employed, their functions shifted from the level of family to the level of society as a whole to some extent. That is why the medical profession and physical therapy, in particular, became one of the favorite occupations for women.
The previous research on this topic gives us an indication that the whole of the diversity of occupations can be divided into two main groups: the professions themselves and the so-called semi-professions (Etzioni, 1969). Furthermore, it was decided to classify the physical therapy as a semi-profession due to such its core features as caregiving, the supervisory role, and the essence of communication (Etzioni, 1969).
Personal and Socioeconomic Effects
From the standpoint of society as a whole, we can say that women occupy in physical therapy gives them a vital role in the maintenance of people health and welfare. All of that put additional emphasis on the role of women in a society because it will be hardly argued that men, in their most, will successfully compete with women in such qualities as high attention to detail, intuition, and the soft skills including communication.
In diversified communities, the occupation of the physical therapist by woman upgrades her socioeconomic status. It can be explained by the common term of ‘being in the right place,’ which can assist in the talents and the inherent skills uncovering. In this context, such kind of job will, undoubtedly, bring personal satisfaction and motivation to develop professional skills. The profession of a physical therapist will always be in demand, providing women with jobs and financial security.
To my mind, people mostly go to the medical profession being motivated primarily by the emotional gain they will take from caregiving and not by salary and financial benefits. However, society should take the responsibility to remunerate the substantial contribution, which the representatives of the profession make, properly.
Conclusion
Women play an important role in the profession of physical therapy occupying the greatest part of total employed in the field. This fact is explained by the qualities necessary for doing the job well, and women possess these qualities to the substantially greater extent than the men. Overall, we can say that women make an invaluable contribution to the health of the nation.
References
Etzioni, A. (1969). The semi-professions and their organization. New York, USA: The Free Press.
Raz, P., Jensen, G. M., Walter, J. & Drake, M. (1991). Perspectives on gender and professional issues among female physical therapists. PHYS THER, 71, 530-540.
Nursing is one of the various healthcare professions, and it is mostly concerned with patient/client care. Professional nurses are charged with the responsibilities of caring for communities, families, and individuals. Nursing itself is often defined as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
Some examples of fields within the nursing profession include pediatrics, psychiatrists, and geriatrics, among others. A career in nursing requires a substantial level of education and enhanced professional skills. This essay explores the specialties in the nursing profession, among other requirements.
Pediatric nurses are examples of some of the professionals who are found within the nursing profession. A pediatric nurse focuses on childcare from infancy until the children are on their late teens. In order for an individual to become a pediatric nurse, he/she has to complete an advanced training course in pediatrics on top of being a registered nurse.
The requirements of a registered nurse (RN) are “a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at an accredited four-year college, or an associates’ degree or diploma after which one must pass a national licensing exam called the NCLEX-RN” (American Dental Education Association 1). Individuals specializing in the pediatrics field have to collaborate with other healthcare professionals who deal with children.
Pediatric nurses have the ability to perform basic nursing duties, such as performing physical examinations and taking medical samples from patients. The extra skills that are required in a pediatric nurse include the ability to develop connections with children. A pediatric nurse spends between four and six years in training and earns an average salary of fifty-eight thousand dollars a year, depending on his/her level of expertise (Randle 396).
The opportunities that are available to a pediatric nurse include the possibility of attaining specialist status and the ability to accumulate earnings that are commensurate with levels of experience. Pediatric nurses can be found in clinics, surgical centers, doctors’ offices, and hospitals.
Geriatric nurses focus their careers in caring for the elderly. Geriatric professionals take up most of the human resources in the nursing profession due to the high level of demand in geriatrics. A geriatric nurse has to enjoy working with elderly patients on top of having qualified as a registered nurse. The skills that are pertinent to geriatric nursing are excellent communication skills, a deep understanding of a patient’s individual needs, and resourcefulness.
Geriatric nurses are found in nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, retirement communities, and senior centers. A geriatric nurse earns an average salary of fifty thousand dollars annually and undergoes four to six years of training before acquiring certification. A geriatric nurse has the opportunity to advance his/her career within a short period. Currently, there is a huge demand for geriatric nurses, and the future of this field is very bright.
Psychiatric nursing focuses on the treatment of patients who have been diagnosed with mental conditions. A psychiatric nurse requires to have attained basic RN qualifications as well as additional training in psychology. The most prominent role in psychiatric nursing is helping patients with mental conditions such as bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and depression deal with their conditions (National Institutes of Health).
A psychiatric nurse will be required to examine, assess, and diagnose patients with mental disorders. Furthermore, these nurses educate the patients’ families on how to deal with mental conditions (Sanko 1). A psychiatric nurse earns between forty-one and fifty-five thousand dollars annually. The opportunities in psychiatric nursing include the ability to attract custom pay and the acquisition of medical and financial benefits.
Nursing is both a satisfying and rewarding career. In addition, the career has good global prospects due to its increasing demand across the world. The profession attracts annual average salaries of about fifty thousand dollars after a four to six years training period. Consequently, success in the nursing profession requires dedication, necessary skills, and self-discipline.
Works Cited
American Dental Education Association. Pediatric Nurse. 2014. Web.
National Institutes of Health. The National Institute of Mental Health, 2014. Web.
Randle, Jacqueline. “The nursing profession.” Journal of Advanced Nursing 43.4 (2010): 395-401. Print.
Sanko, Fatmata. Personal interview. 2014. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Web.
This report proposes a long-term health management plan for Sgt. Jason Pepper with whom I have been providing physical therapy since 2008. I am professionally qualified to do so since I have a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the College of Health Sciences (Department of Physical Therapy), Tennessee State University. The course is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). The organization is the sole accreditation agency in the United States with regard to education in Physical Therapy. In general physical therapy aims at positively improving “individual’s overall health, wellness, and fitness by providing services that positively impact physical fitness.” (Physical fitness for special populations: Overview, 2008). Managing and improving the overall health and fitness of a person like Sgt. Jason Pepper is very different from the usual cases that I handle. This will evident from the short background of thirty something war veteran given later in this report. But, it is in assisting cases like this that gives me the maximum of professional work satisfaction. There is something special in assisting those who were willing to defend the sovereignty of the USA as a part of our armed forces.
Common war injuries in Iraq: The most common war injury in Iraq is TBI or Traumatic Brain Injury which is usually accompanied by Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. (Brain injury and the Iraq War).
Patient Background
The earlier section mentioned probable war injuries when on active duty in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Sgt. Pepper was injured by an improvised explosive device while on active duty in Iraq. He suffered TBI and suffers from PTSD. The explosion “blinded him, damaged his brain, wounded both arms, and destroyed his sense of smell”. (Okie, 2006). His condition is coded R1, which is near to the top in terms of seriousness. He has personal mobility, but needs a GPRS device to compensate for his lost vision. He is married with two children and is undergoing computer course in the hope of landing a job. He currently earns around 6200 USD Social Security and Veteran Association.
Suggestions to the clinical psychologist
Sgt Pepper could be still having PTSD and gets hallucinatory (in part) pain usually at bed-time. This should be confirmed and the necessary treatment be started at the earliest. He also suffers from migraine attacks many times a day for which he takes barbiturates. He is also on anti-depressant medication. He has been able to reduce the dose by half and this is a good sign. If possible such mediation can be avoided fully. He might need counseling regularly which may reduce his hallucination induced pain. New drugs being tested like D-cycloserine may “help PTSD patients open up about their traumatic experiences and become more willing to engage in therapy.” (Berton, 2008).
Suggestions to the neurologist
Sgt. Jason has prosthetic bone implanted during reconstruction of his skull. This could part of the reason for his hallucinatory pain and migraine. Sgt. Jason might require more psychiatric counseling now, but it would be worthwhile to have a neurological check-up at least once in two months (from once a month). It would help in understanding whether he is having a relapse or not.
Suggestions to the speech-language pathologist
Sgt Jason Pepper is now undergoing training in computer sciences and hopes to get a job in order to support himself. Currently he lives on what he gets from the Veterans Association and Social Security. It would be ideal if his speech problems are reduced so that he may not find difficulty in landing a job once his course is over.
Physical therapist
I am the physical therapist of Sgt Pepper. Exercises for more mobility are being regularly. Long term physical therapy can bring about a lot more mobility to him.
Suggestions to the occupational therapist
Sgt Pepper should earnestly start with occupational therapy so that he may be able to cope with his working environment as soon as he finishes his computer course. The overall aim of this long term treatment is to make this war hero stand on his own feet with minimum of medical intervention.
References
Physical fitness for special populations: Overview. (2008). APTA – American Physical Therapy Association. Web.
Brain injury and the Iraq War. PTSD. Health A to Z: A World of Health at your Fingertips. 2008. Web.
Okie, Susan M. D. (2006). Reconstructing lives — A tale of two soldiers. The New England Journal of Medicine, 355. 2609-2615. Web.
The history of the nursing profession is full of influential figures who have helped to shape nursing practice. Florence Nightingale is often considered to be one of the most prominent nurses in history since she had a great impact on nursing (Karimi & Alavi, 2015). She was born in Italy in 1920 and played an essential role in treating British soldiers during the Crimean War. According to Karimi and Alavi (2015), Nightingale worked at a British military camp where large numbers of soldiers were dying from preventable infectious diseases.
The nurse believed the high casualty rates were due to the unsanitary environment in the rooms and took measures to ensure the cleanliness of medical equipment and the surroundings (Karimi & Alavi, 2015). As a result, the mortality rate among surgery patients decreased substantially, and Nightingale’s work formed the foundation of the Environmental Nursing Theory (Medeiros, Enders, & Lira, 2015). This theory had a significant influence on contemporary nursing practice. It emphasized the importance of a clean environment, diet, warmth, fresh air, quietness, and light in achieving improved health outcomes. Modern nurses are still required to ensure the presence of these factors, which means that Nightingale helped to shape the current nursing practice.
Although nurses can serve as change agents, many factors can enable change or, indeed, halt it. Internal factors, such as safety culture, play a critical role in enabling change since they define the focus of care providers. Other internal factors that can influence the change process are resources and knowledge. Environmental factors, such as the political landscape, also play a pivotal role since legislative change can affect the quality of care and the demand for medical services. For example, the Affordable Care Act widened access to insurance, thus increasing the number of patients eligible for services.
References
Karimi, H., & Alavi, N. M. (2015). Florence Nightingale: The mother of nursing. Nursing and Midwifery Studies, 4(2), 1-3.
Medeiros, A. B. D. A., Enders, B. C., & Lira, A. L. B. D. C. (2015). The Florence Nightingale’s environmental theory: A critical analysis. Escola Anna Nery, 19(3), 518-524.
Skilled nurses use their philosophies to meet the changing health needs of their patients. They also base their ideas and models on existing theories. However, effective practice will encompass numerous concepts from non-nursing models. This paper explains how adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioners can use Kurt Lewin’s change theory to improve practice and deal with emerging issues.
Future Nursing Practice Area
My future nursing practice area will be that of adult-gerontology primary care. This means that I will have to partner with other professionals to provide exemplary support to different patients across the lifespan. The beneficiaries will include aging members of the population and those with chronic conditions. All family members will also receive high-quality care (Batras, Duff, & Smith, 2016). This role will also encompass monitoring and analyzing potential social determinants of health to ensure that they meet the medical needs of the greatest number of people.
Non-Nursing Theory: Issue
The use of borrowed theories in medical practice is an idea that many practitioners continue to take seriously. Nursing is a process whereby caregivers apply emerging knowledge or evidence to deliver exemplary services and care to different patients. In an adult-gerontology setting, nurse practitioners (NPs) can use Kurt Lewin’s change theory to introduce superior clinical guidelines, practices, and care delivery models that can improve the health outcomes of the targeted individuals.
The model can be applied efficiently to deal with different issues. The identified challenge is the presence of ineffective practices or behaviors in a given setting. A nurse leader (NL) will implement a new change aimed at introducing a better organization culture (Batras et al., 2016). This move will address obstacles such as reduced levels of coordination, disempowerment, or inability to meet patients’ health needs. The introduced culture in the unit or setting will empower and make it possible for all nurses to embrace superior care delivery practices, improve their philosophies, and relate with each other positively.
Example
Kurt Lewin’s change model is a non-nursing theory that NPs can consider to influence practice change in an adult-gerontology setting. A good example is whereby the NL in a unit identifies the best evidence and knowledge that is capable of improving the health outcomes of older adults and their respective family members. The professional will follow these three steps to implement the intended practice change: freeze, change, refreeze (Cummings, Bridgman, & Brown, 2015). The first stage is informing all followers about the existing problems and the importance of addressing them.
The second stage introducing adequate resources, training caregivers, and guiding all practitioners to embrace superior procedures for improving practice. Those in charge will collaborate with stakeholders to transform care delivery procedures, promote the idea of lifelong learning, and address existing issues that affect nursing practice. With the application of such a theory, it can be possible to introduce superior procedures, behaviors, and cultural attributes that will streamline existing nursing practices. The final step is to make the implemented practice change part of the adult-gerontology unit or facility (Cummings et al., 2015). The approach will also empower the elderly and those with chronic conditions to achieve their potential.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that the competent nurses should identify and apply borrowed theories in their respective settings. This strategy will equip them with superior ideas, evidence, and knowledge for enhancing different practice areas. The use of different theories from other fields is a strategy that can address the health issues many people face and eventually make it possible for them to achieve their aims.
References
Batras, D., Duff, C., & Smith, B. J. (2016). Organizational change theory: Implications for health promotion practice. Health Promotion International, 31(1), 231-241. Web.
Cummings, S., Bridgman, T., & Brown, K. G. (2015). Unfreezing change as three steps: Rethinking Kurt Lewin’s legacy for change management. Human Relations, 69(1), 33-60. Web.
The nursing profession forms the largest health care occupation whose functions encompass offering health promotional activities, prevention of diseases as well as helping the patients cope with their illnesses. The profession is characterized by dynamism as well as research rooted in contemporary culture to deliver high quality and culturally sensitive health care to the community. The nursing practitioners are assigned the responsibility of the planning, implementing as well as evaluating nursing care.
They may work independently or as members of a team to achieve the aforementioned roles. The practitioners’ competencies and knowledge are shaped up by the nursing institutions established to enhance the practice (RCN, 2009). One such institution is the Royal College of Nursing, whose website this paper seeks to analyze.
Scope of nursing practice
The scope of the nursing profession encompasses the activities, roles as well as functions that nurses are trained on and mandated to do. An individual practitioner’s scope of operation is governed by a variety of factors, including the setting within which s/he operates, the patient’s needs, and the requirements of the employer. RCN offers elaborate training to all the categories of nurses in a bid to enhance their competencies. Nursing practice is governed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Firstly, RCN prepares practitioners to be able to offer primary health care services in varied settings, including hospitals, homes, and schools, among other places of residence.
For instance, advanced practice nurses are mandated to offer primary health care, mental health services, diagnostic and prescriptive functions, as well as carrying out field research. According to RCN (2009), the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s codes of conduct stipulate that performance, standards of conduct, and ethics for nurses and midwives are also applicable to second-level registered nurses and other registrants of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Legislations on nursing practice
The nursing practice in the United Kingdom is regulated mainly by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). In order for a health practitioner to practice as a registered nurse, s/he has to acquire valid and current registration from the aforementioned organ. Such an arrangement is stipulated in the Nurses, Midwives, and Health Visitors Act of 1997. The practitioners assume the name of registered nurses upon registering. For instance, the regulation of midwives commenced in 1902 in the UK. This was accomplished by an Act meant to not only regulate their practice but also improve their training. Nurses, on the other hand, were regulated by the Nurses Registration Act of 1919.
Issues/problems in the nursing profession
Nursing is a young and diverse profession that is still evolving hence faces many challenges during its development. In respect to the patient profile, location of care, and the type of service offered by the nurse, the scope of nursing practice is not only diverse but also varied in nature. Such diversity in nursing may be seen as stressful to the nurses as they try to establish their area of jurisdiction. Moreover, the public is also confused about the exact role of the nurses (RCN, 2009).
Besides, the increase in patient safety incidences in hospital settings is another challenge to the profession. Such incidences are caused by nurses while treating the patients and not the latter’s underlying disease. Social inclusion is another important issue in nursing practice. RNC has since adopted the online resource that encourages health professionals to cooperate with socially excluded communities in an attempt to offer them the health care they need (RCN, 2009).
It is commendable for the institution to initiate a website for e-Health that facilitates the transmission of healthcare information to the targeted group. Generally, the nursing profession is facing a shortage in the workforce as well as poor working conditions, including inadequate wages against heavy workloads. The shortages in the workforce are estimated to rise even further, given the expected change in demographic statistics.
Complaint/Disciplinary process
The nursing profession has a well-laid procedure of making complaints about the services offered by registered nurses. RNC believes that complaints can be handled locally. However, the complainants are encouraged to follow a formal procedure if need be. In such complaints, the complainant is expected to describe the complaint after introducing himself. He is expected to launch such complaints within three months of the incident or of becoming aware of the incident (RCN, 2009). Furthermore, the complainant is advised to whom the complaints are directed after following due process. The complainant is assured of speed and confidentiality in handling his/her complaints (RCN, 2009).
Through its wider scope of practice, the nursing profession has continued to offer primary health care to patients in different settings, including home care, hospitals as well as public health in general. The practitioners should, therefore, be compensated handsomely in addition to improving their working conditions in order to motivate them in providing quality health care possible. The terms and conditions of work for the practitioners deserve my attention hence the need to explore the area.
Conclusion
The nursing profession forms the basic health care occupation assigned with very important roles in society. It encompasses health promotional activities, prevention of illness as well as helping the patients in managing their illnesses in a variety of settings. The scope of the nursing profession is extremely wide and entails what the nurses are trained on and mandated to do. The role of registered nurses and midwives in a health care structure is governed by the legislation on the nursing practice.
Such legislations define what a registered nurse can or can not do. The profession is facing challenges given the demographic pressures exerted on the health care resources. For instance, the shortage of nurses and poor working conditions is a pertinent issue that is currently on the rise (RCN, 2009). However, the adoption of a formal disciplinary procedure for any complaints in the nursing practice is commendable.