Medical Article Essays - Stem Cells, Cord Blood, Umbilical Cord

Medical Article December 21, 1999 The Hope, and Hype, of Cord Blood By DENISE GRADY Should parents pay a blood bank to store the blood from their newborn baby's umbilical cord and placenta, in case that child or another family member ever needs it to treat cancer or leukemia? Expectant parents are being urged to do so by companies that have sprung up during the past few years to sell cord-blood banking as a form of biological insurance against such dreaded diseases. The pitch is based on reports in medical journals, such as a major study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, showing that cord blood can sometimes be used in place of a bone marrow transplant. Like bone marrow, cord blood is rich in stem cells, which can churn out many different types of cells to rebuild a patient's blood supply and immune system after high doses of radiation and chemotherapy. And a patient's own cord blood, or that from a relative, is more likely than cord blood from an unrelated donor to be a good tissue match and to be accepted by the recipient's body. Some experts in bone-marrow transplantation and blood banking frown on the cord-blood business, arguing that people are being frightened into wasting money on a service they will probably never need. Moreover, private companies are growing in tandem with public banks, and some scientists worry that private banking will limit public access to cord blood. They are concerned because the cord blood in private banks remains the property of the donor family and is not available to patients seeking a compatible donor. But the companies say that however remote the possibility that the blood will be needed, people who choose to bank their own cord blood have a right to do so. In most cases their cord blood would be thrown away in the delivery room if they did not pay to bank it. There are only a few cord-blood banks in the United States, and most hospitals do not have specially trained staff members to collect the blood. Like bone marrow, cord blood must be matched to the recipient by tests for six inherited traits that determine an individual's tissue type. Cord blood does not have to be as precisely matched as bone marrow, but still, the closer the match, the better the odds of success. The weaker the match, the more likely it is that the recipient's body will reject the transplant, or the transplant will attack the recipient's tissues, in a life-threatening reaction called graft versus host disease. The companies that freeze cord blood and bank it point out that a person's own cord blood is a perfect match, and a sibling's cord blood a more likely match than a specimen from a stranger. And so, the argument goes, the best way to protect an entire family from the unthinkable is to save the newborns' cord blood. Promotional literature for one company, Cord Blood Registry, in San Bruno, Calif., emphasizes that people with cancer in the family may have a special interest in cord-blood banking, along with those who have the hardest time finding matches, which includes members of racial minorities, especially families in which the parents are of different races. According to a spokeswoman, Scoti Kaesshaefer, the company reaches parents-to-be by promoting itself to doctors, nurses and childbirth educators, and by leaving information at hospitals. Among the promotional materials the company provided to the New York Times were copies of articles from other newspapers suggesting that cancer among children is on the rise. The company also has a Web site and an 800 number with a recorded greeting that instructs callers to have their credit cards ready. The idea of saving one's own cord blood seems to be catching on. Cord Blood Registry, which describes itself as the largest private cord-blood banking firm in the United States, has stored 10,000 samples during the past three years: 1,500 in 1995, 3,000 in 1996 and 6,000 in 1997. The company charges an initial fee of $1,200 to collect a sample and freeze it, and then $95 a year to keep it stored in liquid nitrogen at the blood bank at the University of Arizona. Customers include people with perfectly healthy children, who just want extra peace of mind, as well as some families who have lost a child to leukemia or another disease and fear for the health of their other children. In its three

What would you consider the most decisive or influential forces to bring down apartheid in South Africa Essays

What would you consider the most decisive or influential forces to bring down apartheid in South Africa Essays What would you consider the most decisive or influential forces to bring down apartheid in South Africa Essay What would you consider the most decisive or influential forces to bring down apartheid in South Africa Essay Essay Topic: History The dark days of Apartheid finally came to an end in 1990 when the â€Å"Father† of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was released from prison. In many ways it can be argued that the abolishment of apartheid is attributed to Mandela and in part this is true. However, the factors which led to the downfall of the repressive Apartheid regime are not as simple as assigning it to one sole determinant, but a combination and culmination of varying factors. The main influential forces herein discussed can be classed into 3 categories. Firstly, internal pressure from the black protest and its political parties; secondly, the international isolation which enforced economic sanctions and sporting boycotts; and finally, the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union as the cold war relaxed (US Department of State, 2001). As such this essay will briefly outline these main influences which brought down Apartheid and assess which played the most profound part in its demise. The oppressive actions of the government inflicted on the black community were well known before the 1960’s. However, the most prolific years in the anti-apartheid movements occurred after this time in the form of internal resistance from small and isolated groups (Louw, 2004). These groups were unable to join forces due to the lack of knowledge and understanding of the widespread nature of the regimes actions and the fading belief in their freedom, which thus dulled the effect of anti-apartheid movements. The bans issued upon the ANC and other large scale political parties along with their leaders further reinforced the isolation of groups and lack of coordinated â€Å"struggle† (Callinicos, 1994). In an effort to overcome the limitations of this isolated resistance and boost black resistance actions, black consciousness became one of the defining movements. Spearheaded by Steve Biko, this grassroots effort was forged from the political vacuum left from the bans imposed on the large political groups such as the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan African Congress (PAC) (Clark Worger, 2004). Biko intended for this political conscious movement to help black citizens celebrate their â€Å"blackness† and take pride in their blackness as it was an important phase in their own personal liberation (Clark Worger, 2004). In an ideological manner, the movement aimed to help the black community move away from their perception of themselves as second class citizens. Other prominent leaders of the time included Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo. Walter Sisulu was a South African anti-apartheid activist and member of the African National Congress. He was an active member of the ANC and travelled around the world gaining support for the apartheid struggle. Oliver Tambo was also a member of the ANC and worked alongside Sisulu trying to gain political power against apartheid as well as organising protests and riots to convince the South African Government to change (Louw, 2004). These three men as well as many other activists inspired the black communities to take a stand against the biased laws. They inspired and motivated protests such as the Soweto riots, the Vaal Triangle uprising, the Sharpeville Massacre and many other demonstrations (Callinicos, 1994). In undertaking these demonstrations, they fuelled Oliver Tambo’s notion of making Apartheid ungovernable. With so many prolific leaders and large-scale anti-apartheid political groups in action within the country, it begs the question as to why the apartheid regime did not collapse at least a decade earlier than it did. One of the reasons is attributed to the fact that there was a lack of centralised and combined ideology and action despite the rise of black violence and belief in their cause. Disagreements existed between the ANC and their ally the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) (Callinicos, 1994). The UDF came into existence in 1983 and was an important political party as it was multi-racial (Louw, 2004). Its aims were to unite all non-white resistance groups, and have a stable future under the Freedom Charter it shared with the ANC. Its leaders were people like Archbishop Tutu, Albertina Sisulu, and Winnie Mandela. The IFP on the other hand, run by Mangosuthu Buthelezi advocated the use of nonviolence (Callinicos, 1994) and as such were constantly at odds with the ANC which opened Umkhonto we Sizwe, the specific armed forces aspect of the party (South Africa History Online, 1991). The South African police and other supporters of apartheid relished this internal fighting of the resistance groups as it made the black community appear as if they were not ready to rule the country. Supporters of apartheid stated that the blacks were too violent and not willing to accept other peoples views, which is needed if everyone is to live freely in a democratic society. Despite the disagreements which allowed apartheid to continue, the combined effort of large scale demonstrations undertaken by these anti-apartheid groups would serve as a catalyst for international support for the black cause and condemnation against the South African government The decline in power of the Soviet Union as a result of the decay of the Cold War played an integral part in dismantling the apartheid regime. The lack of international exposure and outcry regarding apartheid was largely based upon the need of the western world, namely the U. S for capitalistic gain. As such the relationship between the Cold War and the downfall of Apartheid was the fact that apartheid was only allowed to continue due to the Cold War (US Department of State, 2001). America viewed South Africa as the stronghold of economic wealth and strength within Africa and as such did not want to jeopardize its control over the trade and shipping routes, with it falling under Soviet communist rule. Thus successful international involvement and support in dismantling apartheid was not achieved until the decline of the Soviet Union. The decline of Soviet power also coincided and likely affected the rapid trend of other African nations move toward a democratic and self-determining society. The Western countries no longer feared the influence of Communism on developing African governments and therefore a period of decolonisation within Africa occurred. The fact that countries surrounding South Africa were becoming independent was a poignant factor as it helped make the South African government more vulnerable. By 1980, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Malawi and Zambia had all become independent and were now hostile towards South Africa and its oppressive measures against the black community (Clark Worger, 2004). This breakdown in alliance between South Africa and its neighbouring countries meant that South Africa was no longer able to dictate and retain its economic strangle hold on the other nations. In addition the goods such as gold, diamonds and other minerals, which South Africa supplied to the rest of the world were instead produced by the neighbouring independent nations (Clark Worger, 2004). This meant that the international countries were still able to receive the majority of the products which they usually would have received while still able to enact economic sanctions upon the apartheid regime. International intervention was received at the earliest known date in 1962 by the United Nations which invoked trading boycotts with the intent of trying to get the government to reverse the policy of Apartheid. This was the first step that the international countries took to try and make an end of Apartheid. However trading boycotts proved to be ineffective with the country’s wealth of diamond and gold. The boycotts initiated by the UN in 1962 were in response to the massacre in Sharpeville which occurred in 1960 (BBC World Service, 2014). The importance of this event within the context of the demise of apartheid isn’t the death and injured toll but rather the marking of a turning point in the South African history. The event canon balled the apartheid regime onto centre stage on an international level and became the beginning of the country’s increasing isolation from the international community. South Africa was also facing anti-apartheid governments in other nations. The Swedish government, who were strongly opposed to apartheid, supported and donated money to groups within South Africa against apartheid. The British Anti-Apartheid Movement however, instead of donating money, demonstrated their disapproval through sanctions on the sporting competitions between Britain and South Africa (Keech, Houlihan, 1999). They banned South Africa from the 1964 Olympics and stopped cricket and rugby matches between the nations. Investment was another potent casualty suffered as a result of the economic sanction. Many western businesses notably Coca-Cola, began to pull out from the South African markets as they became hesitant on the amount of their profits. Foreign banks such as the Barclays Bank based in South Africa declined to extend loans and began to pull out of the country, heavily affecting the economy (Hirsch, 1989). The trade embargoes also greatly affected the economy as South Africa was not getting any of the vital supplies which they needed and the excess products which they made were going to waste as their primary consumers (western countries) refused to buy these products. Therefore, South African companies had no money with which to pay their workers causing an increase of black unemployment and poverty and a decrease in white incomes as well as a raise in their taxes. Consequently, protests began in South Africa. The financial crisis in 1985 was a direct cause of these imposed sanctions (Hirsch, 1989). The crisis initiated the drop of the Rand and sent the government to declare a state of emergency (Hirsch, 1989). Such an increase in international condemnation and internal demonstrations created an anarchic society thereby forcing the population to believe that it was time for change in South Africa. As evidenced above, the importance of international support and intervention cannot be understated. The boycotts and economic sanctions imposed against the apartheid regime can be seen to be more of an influential force that finally triggered wholesale changes to occur within the country. Yet the most decisive factor behind the fall of apartheid was the opposition within the country from black movements. Their protest and other demonstrations, which at times ended with hundreds dead and thousands more injured, drastically eroded the regime and created doubts within the white faction about their system. Intrinsically the efforts by anti-apartheid groups within the country was a double-edged sword that forced the western world to take notice and intervene.

Should minors under 18 years old be allowed to get an Abortion without Essay

Should minors under 18 years old be allowed to get an Abortion without parental consent - Essay Example The issue of abortion is extremely important not only for health and well being of the teenager but also for the family (Santelli et al., 2009). Hence, minors, under 18 years of age should not be allowed to get an abortion without parental consent. The teen age is that phase of adolescence where growing teenagers want to act like adults without being aware of the wider ramifications of those acts. Increasing involvement of teenagers in sexual activities without proper safeguard not only jeopardizes their life but acts like abortion may have long term hazardous consequences. The unwanted pregnancies amongst the minor become a major issue of shame and public outcast. The covert bid to abort the unwanted child therefore becomes key element which the minor tries to attempt without the consent of parents. Parental consent in abortion amongst the teenagers would provide the emotional support as well as ensure that child overcomes the traumatic experience with more understanding of serious repercussions of unsafe sex. It is also important to note that abortion is a legal medical procedure which is used to terminate unwanted pregnancies under safe environment (Lee & Cheryl, 2009).

Romeo and juliet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Romeo and juliet - Essay Example In my opinion, no one is directly to blame for the tragedy, it was matter-of fact, faults that occurred. The dispute between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s has expanded generations. The young love which has capitulated Romeo and Juliet into each other’s arms was something that nobody can help. It is quite true that love sees no reason, it only sees what it wants to see and this sets off their romantic story. As a famous line by Juliet in the play goes â€Å"Whats in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet† (Shakespeare, 55). The bickering of the two families is reminiscent of the problems which is the whole tragedy of the story. It was the plot of the play. It was a number of misfortunes that rolled into the final event. If there was any into the series of events that I would have to consider pivotal in the deaths it would have to be the slipup of the messenger in not being able to deliver the message to Romeo. A passage in the play goes (Shakespeare): When the message was not delivered to Romeo it was the culmination of the succeeding events. His ignorance of the fact that Juliet is not really dead aroused his emotions which led to his consequent suicide. Had he been informed that Juliet merely drank a potion but not poison then he would not have killed himself. In this case it would have to be in relation to the fault of Friar Laurence. The idea was set in motion by Father Laurence and therefore it is primarily his hand in the whole plan designed to ideally bring them back together. When he wed the two without the blessing of their families it was the start of the predicament escalating. He believed that by marrying the two he would be able to alleviate the two families’ war. ‘To turn your households rancour to pure love’ (Shakespeare, 115). He was helpless with the pleas of the couple. It was to their hearts desire that they be wed and there was little to nothing that could stop them from their

Men and Women Through Body Languages Essay Example for Free

Men and Women Through Body Languages Essay Abstract Communication had its verbal and nonverbal understandings, but they also have their misunderstandings. Body language has industrialized itself with different types of language that were brought up by the society. Men and women weren’t use to these body languages towards the similar gender. Miscommunication has been a problem when dealing with these differences. Men and women continue to build body languages that only made sense to themselves and not to the opposite gender. Although one defeats the other in a general body language such as; gestures for men and facial expressions for women, they will always be equal. Body languages may also differ between the two parties through culture and behavior. By knowing the differences between the two genders, a mutual understanding may be established. What is â€Å"communication†? Realistically, we can never fail to harass the use of communication because of its purpose in the society. Communication can be either verbal or nonverbal (Carnes.2010). How DO Men and Women communicate differently using body language? That’s the question we would usually ask ourselves and scarcely know the answer. According to Gray, author of the best-seller â€Å"Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus† (1992), one of the reasons that men and women differ in their use of nonverbal communication is that their reasons for communicating are often different (Carnes.2010). This means, in most situations, a man will commonly misunderstood a woman’s language because the perspective of one gender is distributed at a different angle. Diligently, Communication has altered itself through the different uses of body language between men and women; therefore, by expanding our knowledge of its diversity; we can unravel the miscommunication between two different parties. Such as the different types of verbally communicating, there are also different types of body language. We can’t entirely stress ourselves to see that, it is now a common and preferable use to most nowadays. Body language has industrialized itself through, facial expression, gestures, and physical contact by different classes of the society, whether it’s from the low class (Gangs, uneducated, etc.) to the high class (the Rich, prejudice, perfectionists, etc.). Research shows that women tend to make more eye contact during communication than men (Carnes.2010). Part of the reason for this is that, they want to be able to engage an emotional connection. An emotional connection through facial expression provides women an easier approach without the need to decide the words she wants or needs to say. This is why women are often taken for granted by men, because men read the emotions shown by women differently. Despite women’s abusive use of eye contact, men also have their side of use. Unlike women, men use eye contact to intimidate by nonverbally asserting dominance (Grover). Since men and women use similar nonverbal communication approach to different ends, they may interpret it differently when confronted. However, eye contact isn’t the only facial expression they differ, but also a simple smile. Women smile more often than men, however, this doesn’t necessarily mean that women are naturally happier than men. Freeman, author of â€Å"Women: A feminist perspective,† asserts that men rely on more obvious gestures and are more likely to use their hands to express themselves (Carnes.2010). Majority of the time, men decide to let their hands do the talking, such as women; they try not to stress themselves with words in order for them to remain in a safe zone. Similar situation happens within cultures such as the Samoans. The High Chiefs would speak with a lot of hand movement in a tradition ceremony. This means, they fear that words wouldn’t deliver correctly or satisfy the opposite. Because men dominant over gesture than women; women tend to make up for it with more facial expressions. However, that doesn’t mean women don’t know how to use gesture, for they use more subtle and restrained gestures and exhibit deferential gestures, such as lowering the eyes when interrupted or confronted (Carnes.2010). According to Carnes (2010), since men are more likely than women to associate touching with sexual intentions, heterosexual men are less to use touch during conversation with other men. Due to what men call, â€Å"Manly hood† or a similar term called â€Å"standards†. Men tend to keep distances from people when they talk to them and touch them less. Men do not express too much when touching other men unlike women, where they are far less concerned about touching other women because they also use touching as an expression of friendship or sympathy. They stand close to people and touch them to generally connect with whoever they are talking to. The difference between the two are simple, men aren’t as open as women where they express their feelings to men through touching just as to other women. This is considered a nonverbal difference because, like other reasons, it can be interpreted in different ways by different genders. Miscommunication has been a problem when dealing with these differences such as relationships. Romantic relationships often end due to miscommunication between the man and woman (Renwall.2010). It’s not because either of the two didn’t have good intentions, it’s because they didn’t communicate well enough to understand each other. Among males, competition is more important. Women in the other hand, concentrate more on cooperation. Studies show that as males’ age, their fact-to-face communication eventually resembles two people sitting in the driver’s and passenger’s seats, in the front seats of a vehicle (Renwall.2010). However, girls sit or stand in a circle when communicating, so that it’ll them to form a bond with each other. Were all-too-familiar with the iconic scene of a husband whos just returned from work, and buries himself in the daily newspaper. His wife wants to talk to him about his day, but hed rather enjoy the escapism that the newspaper provides. In this scenario, neither the man nor the woman is right or wrong. Instead, theyre exhibiting the common communication style of men and women, in a particular situation (Renwall.2010). In addition to (Carnes) relationships, women tend to lean forward when talking to a person, to show that they’re listening. They tend to use nonverbal communication as a means of enhancing her relationship with the person she’s communicating with. Often of times when couples or friends get into a major argument, it’s by miscommunication. But by learning how to communicate more effectively with opposite gender, you can prevent such situations that could even be fatal to the relationship! (Renwall.2010). There are times when women tend to say things while moving in circles; especially if there’s something that’s bothering them. By dropping hints instead of attacking the matter head on, women feel they are working at maintaining the relationship (Finkle.2011). However, it can contradict if a man is totally confused because he lacks at interpretation. Women go in circles, but men go for the jugular. To elaborate more on that; when men are bothered by something, they most likely focus on verbally communicating with just few words such as, â€Å"that’s just wrong†. Women interpret this as a heartless and tactless way of communicating, which may lead to arguments (Finkle.2011). Although one is dominant than the other to certain categories; women tend to be better at understanding body languages than men. Women are often better at picking up differences between what someone is saying with his words and body language. Sometimes women would communicate with men nonverbally; however, they wonder why men do not understand. On a daily basis, you would hear a man or a group of men calling out to a woman by saying words such as â€Å"hey baby, damn you’re hot, hello sexy momma, etc.† this is what Sam Grover of the eHow contributor community meant when he said â€Å"The reason is because men rely more on verbal communication than women.† This could sometime be a turn off for most women because it gives an image that they are cheap (Ta’amu.2012) There are differences in behaviors as well as differences in the purpose behind their behaviors (Amos,2012). These are the two primary ways that show up through the differences between men and women in body language. This means, some of these differences are done naturally; similar to genetics. Others are picked off through experience from places and can definitely differ in cultures. As mentioned earlier, women are more open than men, thus displaying their type of behavior called nurturing behavior. Contraire, on the men side, they display behaviors of a king; power and dominance. However, this was known to be facts in the past. In the modern world, these tendencies are subject to far more variability than ever before. This is due to increased acceptance and comfort with each gender displaying non-typical body language in many different situations (Amos.2012). Men and women use language differently and communicate differently because they were usually brought up differently. The society expects boys and girls as different background. Boys are expected to put themselves forward, while girls are expected to be humble. The most common body language differences are receiving and sending messages. When receiving messages, as mentioned before; women tend to be better. Unfortunately, men tend to be less skilled at using indirect body language to influence communication without actually knowing it at all when sending messages. Unlikely as it is, there are factual physical reasons for these differences. Women process messages using up to 16 different parts of their brain at once, while men process messages using about six or 7 different parts of their brain at once. Neither is better than other, but each processing pattern does influence the receiving and sending of messages based on gender (Amos,2012) This is the reason for women’s power to multitask and their creative imaginations. As with most things divided up along gender lines, the body language differences between men and women are best used as general guidelines (Amos.2012). This is saying that by knowing these differences between men and women, we may establish a better understanding between the two genders. Relationships between others may last longer than usual. One of the most common ways to better understand the opposite gender is by trust. They are a starting point, if you will, for engaging in interactions and going through the process of establishing rapport and building trust (Amos.2012). Once both men and women better understand each other’s perspective, both can improve on interpretation and understanding. The key is to be respectful of differences and not belittle or judge either gender based on body language issues (Amost.2012). We’re all addressed to our own action, words, perspective, and intention. There will always be a time when we got to face the differences. Just as the saying goes â€Å"Let’s sit, and settle our differences†. By knowing the differences between the two genders, we can start knowing that neither is right or wrong. Despite who is dominant, both men and women have fallen into miscommunication. Therefore, by understanding how the opposite gender tends to communicate, and by using some of those methods yourselfyou can prevent miscommunication and strengthen the relationship with your special someone (Renwall.2010). Through the expansion of human knowledge, we unraveled the differences. This study has a lot of implications and great information for mangers who manage both genders, leaders, ministers, CEO of companies etc†¦ A deeper understanding of the way men and women communicate many domestic and social conflicts in society can be resolved. (Ta’amu.2012) References * Carnes, D. (2010, July 12). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/172581-do-men-women-use-nonverbal-communication-differently/#ixzz2BnRKgKyj * Renwall, G. (2010, March 16). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Men-and-Women-Communicate-Differentlyid=3940430 * Grover, S. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://www.ehow.com/info_8110509_gender-differences-nonverbal-communications.html * Amos, J. (2012, October 15). Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://www.bodylanguageexpert.co.uk/bodylanguageandmenandwomen.html * Finkle, L. (2011, October 12). In Communication. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://incedogroup.com/do-men-and-women-communicate-differently-3-telltale-examples-that-say-they-do/

Communication Skills in Nursing | Reflection

Communication Skills in Nursing | Reflection This essay will present a reflective account of communication skills in practice whist undertaking assessment and history taking of two Intensive Care patients with a similar condition. It will endeavour to explore all aspects of non verbal and verbal communication styles and reflect upon these areas using Gibbs reflective cycle (1988). Scenario A Mrs James, 34, a passenger in a road traffic collision who was not wearing a seatbelt was thrown through the windscreen resulting in multiple facial wounds with extensive facial swelling which required her to be intubated and sedated. She currently has cervical spine immobilisation and is awaiting a secondary trauma CT. Mr James was also involved in the accident. Scenario B Mr James, 37, husband of Mrs James, the driver of the car, was wearing his seat belt. He had minor superficial facial wounds, fractured ribs and a fractured right arm. He is alert and orientated but currently breathless and requiring high oxygen concentrations. Patients who are admitted to Intensive Care are typically admitted due to serious ill health or trauma that may also have a potential to develop life threatening complications (Udwadia, 2005). These patients are usually unconscious, have limited movement and have sensation deprivation due to sedation and/or disease processes. These critical conditions rely upon modern technical support and invasive procedures for the purpose of monitoring and regulation of physiological functions. Having the ability to effectively communicate with patients, colleagues and their close relatives is a fundamental clinical skill in Intensive Care and central to a skilful nursing practice. Communication in Intensive Care is therefore of high importance (Elliot, 1999) to provide information and support to the critically ill patient in order to reduce their anxieties, stresses and preserve self identity, self esteem and reduce social isolation (Joà £o: 2009, Alasad: 2004, Newmarch:2006). Effective communic ation is the key to the collection of patient information, delivering quality of care and ensuring patient safety. Gaining a patients history is one of the most important skills in medicine and is a foundation for both the diagnosis and patient clinician relationship, and is increasingly being undertaken by nurses (Crumbie, 2006). Commonly a patient may be critically ill and therefore the ability to perform a timely assessment whilst being prepared to administer life saving treatment is crucial (Carr, 2005). Often the patient is transferred from a ward or department within the hospital where a comprehensive history has been taken with documentation of a full examination; investigations, working diagnosis and the appropriate treatment taken. However, the patients history may not have been collected on this admission if it was not appropriate to do so. Where available patients medical notes can provide essential information. In relation to the scenarios where the patient is breathless or the patient had a reduced conscious level and requires sedation and intubation, effective communication is restricted and obtaining a comprehensive history would be inappropriate and almost certainly unsafe (Carr, 2005). The Nursing Midwifery Council promotes the importance of keeping clear and accurate records within the Code: Standards of Conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives (NMC, 2008). Therefore if taking a patients history is unsafe to do so, this required to be documented. Breathing is a fundamental life process that usually occurs without conscious thought and, for the healthy person is taken for granted (Booker, 2004). In Scenario A, Mrs Jamess arrived on Intensive care and was intubated following her facial wounds and localised swelling. Facial trauma by its self is not a life threatening injury, although it has often been accompanied with other injuries such as traumatic brain injury and complications such as airway obstruction. This may have been caused by further swelling, bleeding or bone structure damage (Parks, 2003). Without an artificial airway and ventilatory support Mrs James would have struggled to breathe adequately and the potential to become in respiratory arrest. Within scenario B, Mr James had suffered multiple rib fractures causing difficulty in expansion of his lungs. Fractured ribs are amongst the most frequent of injuries sustained to the chest, accounting for over half of the thoracic injuries from non-penetrating trauma (Middle ton, 2003). When ribs are fractured due to the nature and site of the injury there is potential for underlying organ contusions and damage. The consequence of having a flail chest is pain. Painful expansion of the chest would result in inadequate ventilation of the lungs resulting in hypoxia and retention of secretions and the inability to communicate effectively. These combined increase the risk of the patient developing a chest infection and possible respiratory failure and potential to require intubation (Middleton, 2003). A key component of Intensive Care is to provide patients and relatives with effective communication at all times to ensure that a holistic nursing approach is achieved. Intensive care nurses care for patients predominantly with respiratory failure and over the years have taken on an extended role. They are expected to examine a patient and interpret their findings and results (Booker, 2004). In these situations patient requires supportive treatments as soon as possible. Intensive Care nurse should have the ability and competence to carry out a physical assessment and collect the patients history in a systemic, professional and sensitive approach. Effective communication skills are one of the many essential skills involved in this role. As an Intensive Care nurse, introducing yourself to the patient as soon as possible would be the first step in the history taking process (Appendix A) and the physical assessment process. Whilst introducing yourself there is also the aim to gaining consent for the assessment where possible, in accordance with the Nursing and Midwifery Councils Code of Professional Conduct (NMC, 2008). Conducting a comprehensive clinical history is usually more helpful in making a provisional diagnosis than the physical examination (Ford, 2005). Within Intensive Care the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure/Examination (ABCDE) assessment process is widely used. It is essential for survival that the oxygen is delivered to blood cells and the oxygen cannot reach the lungs without a patent airway. With poor circulation, oxygen does not get transported away from the lungs to the cells (Carr, 2005). The ABCDE approach is a simple approach that all team members use and allows for rapid asses sment, continuity of care and the reduction of errors. Communication reflects our social world and helps us to construct it (Weinmann Giles et al 1988). Communication of information, messages, opinions and thoughts are transferred by different forms. Basic communication is achieved by speaking, sign language, body language touch and eye contact, as technology has developed communication has been achieved by media, such as emails, telephone and mobile technology (Aarti, 2010). There are two main ways of communication: Verbal and non verbal. Verbal communication is the simplest and quickest way of transferring information and interacting when face to face. It is usually a two way process where a message is sent, understood and feedback is given (Leigh, 2001). When effective communication is given, what the sender encodes is what the receiver decodes (Baron:2005, Zastrow:2001). Key verbal features of communication are made up of sounds, words, and language. Mr James was alert and orientated and had some ability to communicate; he was breathless due to painful fractured ribs which hindered his verbal communication. In order to help him to breath and communicate effectively, his pain must be controlled. Breathless patients may be only able to speak two or more words at a time, inhibiting conversation. The use of closed questions can allow breathless patients to communicate without exerting themselves. Closed questions such as is it painful when you breathe in? or is your breathing feeling worse? can be answered with non ver bal communication such as a shake or nod of the head. Taking a patients history in this way can be time consuming and it is essential that the clinician do not make assumptions on behalf of the patient (Ashworth, 1980). Alternatively, encouraging patients to use other forms of communication can aid the process. Non verbal communication involves physical aspects such as written or visual of communication. Sign language and symbols are also included in non-verbal communication. Non verbal communication can be considered as gestures, body language, writing, drawing, physiological cues, using communication devices, mouthing words, head nods, and touch (Happ et al:2000, Alasad:2004). Body language, posture and physical contact is a form of non verbal communication. Body language can convey vast amounts of information. Slouched posture, or folded arms and crossed legs can portray negative signals. Facial gestures and expressions and eye contact are all different cues of communication. Alt hough Mr. James could verbally communicate, being short of breath and in pain meant that he also needed to use both verbal and non verbal communication styles. A patients stay in Intensive Care can vary from days to months. Although this is a temporary situation and many patients will make a good recovery, the psychological impact may be longer lasting (MacAuley, 2010). When caring for the patient who may be unconscious or sedated and does not appear to be awake, hearing may be one of the last senses to fade when they become unconscious (Leigh, 2000). Sedation is used in Intensive Care units to enable patients to be tolerable of ventilation. It aims to allow comfort and synchrony between the patient and ventilator. Poor sedation can lead to ventilator asynchrony, patient stress and anxiety, and an increased risk of self extubation and hypoxia. Over sedation can lead to ventilator associated pneumonias, cardiac instability and prolonged ventilation and Intensive Care delirium. Derlerium can be distressing for both the relatives andthe patient, who may have some recolection after the deleium epsiode (Mclafferty, 2007). Delirium is found to be a predictor of death in Intensive Care patients (Page, 2008). Every day a patient spends in delirium has been associated with a 20% increase risk of intensive care bed days and a 10% increased risk of morbidity. The single most profound risk factor for delirium in Intensive Care is sedation (Page, 2008). Within this stage of sedation or delirium it is impossible to know what the patients have heard, understood or precessed. Ashworth (1980) recognised that nurses often failed to communicate with unconscious patients on the basis that they were unable to respond. Although, research (Lawrence, 1995) indicates that patients who are unconscious could hear and understand conversations around them and respond emotionally to verbal communication however could not respond physically. This emphasises the importance and the need for communication remains (Leigh, 2001). Neurological status would unavoidably have an effect on Mrs Jamess capacity to communicate in a usual way. It is therefore im portant to provide Mrs James with all information necessary to reduce her stress and anxieties via the different forms of communication. For the unconscious patient, both verbal communication and non verbal communication are of importance, verbal communication and touch being the most appropriate. There are two forms of touch (Aarti, 2010), firstly a task orientated touch when a patient is being moved, washed or having a dressing changed and secondly a caring touch holding Mrs James hand to explain where she was and why she was there is an example of this. This would enhance communication when informing and reassuring Mrs James that her husband was alive and doing well. Nurses may initially find the process of talking to an unconscious patient embarrassing, pointless or of low importance as it is a one way conversation (Ashworth, 1980) however as previously mentioned researched shows patients have the ability to hear. Barriers to communication may be caused by physical inabilities from the patients however there are many types of other communication barriers. A barrier of communication is where there is a breakdown in the communication process. This could happen if the message was not encoded or decoded as it should have been (Baron, 2005). If a patient is under sedation, delirious or hard of hearing verbal communication could be misinterpreted. However there could also be barriers in the transfer of communication process as the Intensive Care environment in itself can cause communication barriers. Intensive Care can be noisy environment (Newmarch, 2006). Other barriers can simply include language barriers, fatigue, stress, distractions and jargon. Communication aids can promote effective communication between patient and clinician. Pen and paper is the simplest form of non verbal communication for those with adequate strength (Newmarch, 2006). Weakness of patients can affect the movement of hands and arms making gestures and handwriting frustration and diff icult. Patients may also be attached to monitors and infusions resulting in restricted movements which can lead to patients feeling trapped and disturbed (Ashworth, 1980). MacAulay (2010) mentions that Intensive Care nurses are highly skilled at anticipating the communication needs of patients who are trying to communicate but find the interpretation of their communication time consuming and difficult. The University of Dundee (ICU-Talk, 2010) conducted a three year multi disciplinary study research project to develop and evaluate a computer based communication aid specifically designed for Intensive Care patients. The trial is currently ongoing, however this may become a breakthrough in quick and effective patient clinical and patient relative communication in future care. This assignment has explored communication within Intensive Care and reflected upon previous experiences. Communication involves both verbal and non verbal communication in order to communicate effectively in all situations. Researching this topic has highlighted areas in Intensive Care nursing which may be overlooked, for example ventilator alarms and general noise within a unit may feel like a normal environment for the clinians however for patients and relatives this may cause considerable amounts of concern. Simply giving explanations for such alarms will easily alleviate concerns and provide reassurance. From overall research (Alasad: 2004, Leigh: 2001, MacAuley, 2010: Craig, 2007) Intensive Care nurses believed communication with critically ill patients was an important part of their role however disappointedly some nurses perceived this as time consuming or of low importance when the conversation was one way (Ashworth, 1980). Further education within Intensive Care may be requ ired to improve communication and highlight the importance of communication at all times. Communication is key to ensuring patients receive quality high standard care from a multidisciplinary team, where all members appreciate the skills and contributions that others offer, to improve patients care and the overall patient experience. Appendix 1, The History Taking Process: The questions are the key to a good interview. You need to use a mix of open ended questions and close ended questions. Open ended questions leave the door open for the patient to tell you more. Questions like when it this problem start?, have you had any recent health problems?, and can you show me where it hurts? are open ended. The patient feels free to provide additional information. While questions like does it hurt here?, did you have this pain yesterday?, and have you had the flu in the past month? are close ended. Close ended questions seek very specific, often yes or no responses from the patient and dont encourage the patient to provide any additional information. Good interviews are a mixture of both kinds of questions. (Secrest, 2009) Basic Elements: 1. Greeting a. Introduction b. Identification of patient and self c. Assessment of the patients overall appearance and demeanor 2. Personal history a. Age b. Occupation c. Sex d. Height / Weight e. Marital / Family status i. Children 3. Chief complaint (CC) or Presenting complaint a. Why is the patient seeking care? b. What other problems concern the patient? 4. History of present illness a. Location and radiation of complaint b. Severity of complaint c. Timing of onset d. Situation (setting) of onset e. Duration of complaint f. Previous similar complaints g. Exacerbating and relieving factors h. Associated symptoms i. Patients explanation of complaint 5. Past medical history a. Systematic questioning regarding previous adult illnesses i. Neurological/Psychiatric ii. Eye, ear, nose, throat iii. Skin/Hair/Nails iv. Musculoskeletal v. Cardiovascular/Respiratory vi. Genital-urinary vii. GI tract b. Childhood illnesses c. Surgeries, injuries or hospital admissions d. OB/GYM i. Birth control ii. Pregnancies / Births iii. Menstrual periods iv. Pelvic exams / Pap smears e. Psychiatric f. Immunizations g. Screening tests h. Allergies 6. Family history a. Disease history b. Parental health c. Childrens health 7. Drug history a. Current medications i. Prescription ii. Over-the-counter b. Drug allergies 8. Lifestyle (social history) a. Alcohol b. Smoking c. Recreational drug use d. Sexual life style/orientation e. Reproductive status f. Occupational issues (Secrest,2009)

Organisation development Essay

Organisations are human communities, which are formed by bringing people together to communicate, intact and build ties to help each other to create meaning together. Information plays an important role in building these societies and providing knowledge about the task people perform. The information networks created by the organisations help the people to adopt the environment. Build and develop communication networks, improves learning process, develops sense of understanding and sharing between the people, provides a platform to discuss discoveries and innovations, provide the people with chance to learn after making mistakes. A learning organisation intentionally designs the structures and strategies in order to enhance and maximise the learning of its employees. (Dodgson, 1993) With the changing environment of business and advancing technology the notion of the Learning organisations has gained much more importance. Learning has become an important characteristic of an organisation in order to compete in the global business. Learning is a volatile and dynamic concept through which the process of updating in an organisation takes place. With the growing size of the corporations and continuous innovations in the field of technology the individual learning has transformed to the notion of the organisational learning. The notion of learning plays an important part in the progress of an individual just like that the learning on the organisational level plays an important part in the growth of an organisation. The organisational group of people can define the organisational learning as the sum of the learning activities of the individual, which takes the shape of combined effort (Dodgson, 1993; Fiol & Lyles, 1985). An organisational learning program should be designed in the way that it is not lost when the members of the organisation leave the organisation. The learning system of an effective learning organisation not only serve the purpose of the present employees but also cater the needs of the future employees by the accumulation of histories, experiences, norms, and stories. In the highly competitive environment of the business in today’s high pace changing business environment enhancing the learning capabilities of business is the solution of half of the problems (Prahalad & Hamel, 1994). Equally important is the creation of an unlearning organisation which essentially means that the organisation must forget some of its past. Thus, learning occurs amidst such conflicting factors (Dodgson, 1993). Most of the leading companies of the world like Shell were among the first to embrace the notion of learning. In Shell Arie de Geus described learning as the only strategy to compete effectively. Hence learning organisation can be defined as â€Å"The essence of organisational learning is the organisation’s ability to use the amazing mental capacity of all its members to create the kind of processes that will improve its own† (Dixon, 1994) A Learning Company is an organisation that facilitates the learning of all its members and continually transforms itself† (Pedler, Burgoyne & Boydell, 1991) â€Å"Organisations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to learn together† (Peter Senge, 1990) The following are the important characteristics of the learning organisations: †¢ Learning organisations adopts the external environments. They are flexible and continue the process of change. †¢ Depicts the combination of individual and collective learning. †¢ Keeps on learning with the outcomes. Learning can be done in two ways. 1) Single loop 2) Double loop In single loop learning people learn in a way prescribed to them by the organisation. In double loop learning people, people not only learn in a prescribed way but also can question and can change the framework. The ability to use double loop learning is a key to success for today’s organisations. Motorola puts great emphasise on the learning of its employees. It has created a strategic partnership with the ACS corporation in order to gain is tent expertise in learning and HR so that all the HR and training activities world-wide can be improved and modernised. The $650million contract has created a new business unit, which will play part in improvement of the HR and learning of employees. The step has been taken in order to gain world class management of administrative and transactional function related to HR with training and development. Many of the Motorola’s former employees provide virtual end-to-end HR capabilities. This is done in order to retain control over strategic areas. Developmental needs and assessment: Motorola has brought dramatic transformation in its training policy by shifting its rigid training hours of classroom training to a relatively flexible learning program individually designed for an employee. Motorola aims at improving the careers of its former employees. It is estimated that the people who focus only on training as a career are more enthusiasts rather than those in support function. The arrangement will put emphasis on the IT oriented skills development of employees at Motorola. (Harris, 2003)

Personal Ethics Statement Essay

My personal ethics statement includes my values and ideals important to me as an academic and in everyday life. My ethics are personal beliefs and morals that reflect and define the person I am. The decisions and choices I make every day should be consistent with integrity and respect toward others. These ethics will ensure my happiness and peace if I keep and hold these values. I believe the value of equality for people regardless of race, religion, and handicaps ensure that all people can be treated fairly. Treating people with respect and dignity while holding myself accountable to these principles will ensure that I treat others as I want to be treated. My preferred ethical lens is the reputation lens. I listen to my intuition and determine what character traits and virtues will best serve the community. The equality of a community is important to ensure a fair and balanced society for all. All people should contribute and develop a voice in a community by actively participating and finding common ground thru diversity. I believe in examining each situation in its own context rather than applying same solutions for the whole community. My blind spot possessing unrealistic role expectations either on myself or others means that I need to pay close attention to my expectations of other individuals. My expectations may not be the same as others, so not forgetting the people make mistakes same as me. Keeping in mind that I am not in control of every situation and that other people are capable of resolving problems or events that I may believe are only accomplishable by me. Trusting other people’s choices and decisions will help in overcoming this blind spot. My strengths include courage and steadiness in the face of obstacles. I avoid rash decisions and at the same time have courage to face unknown or untested waters. I value friendship and keep close connections with people I trust and value. I appreciate those who work alongside and help to encourage me. I value equality and demonstrate compassion for others in need. My weakness include; entitlement, hardness of heart, and confusion. Believing that I am entitled to special privileges and persuade others that my role gives me pecial rights are inconsistent with good character traits. Hardness of heart comes from experiences of people that did not live up to my expectations. I must develop and practice mindfulness not to be confused on the role that I am identified. Identifying my weakness is important, it allows for self-reflection and improvement. The values I hold, and the resultant behavior allows me to listen to my intuition and determine what traits and virtues will serve the community. My values define me and my behaviors are a reflection of whom I am. My behaviors also affect others in relationships either casual or professional. The choices I make are behaviors and reflect me. My personal ethics determine my course of action allowing me to see more clearly and finding balance in my life. Exploring and digging deep into my own emotions will allow me to discern decisions I make. Keeping an open and honest heart in all situations and reexamining my ethics will allow for improvement and correction. I believe that all these things will help keep me focused and grounded to help with better decision making and improve my quality of life.

Tortilla Curtain essays

Tortilla Curtain essays Tortilla Curtain is a very interesting book that has realistic views. It clearly illustrates the real problems that surround the daily life of Americans and illegal immigrants on the Mexican border. It shows the reader the problems the Mexicans and Americans face every day. The novel illustrates to us the differences and the conflicts between the two groups. The novel does not take a particular stand on the issue of illegal immigration however. Instead, it tells the story from an objective point of view. The reader gets to know both the Mexican couple and the American couple. The novel contrasts their lives and uncovers their feelings to the reader. It is very unclear however, if the author has any opinions about the above issue, because he never mentions his point of view. Also, he covers it up by presenting all opposing views with equal power, so that the reader cannot tell who has a stronger argument. The Mexicans in the novel face problems like racism, finding work, and even finding food to eat. Candido and America have no dwelling in the novel, this is often a real problem for the poor Mexican immigrants who live near the border. Racism is a big issue in the novel. For example, when Delaney sees Mexicans, he has a feeling of disgust every time and thinks that they did something wrong. The novel however stereotypes the characters in the novel. There are no white characters that are poor and no Mexicans that are prominent. In reality this happens often and is common in some places in the U.S. There are plenty of rich Mexicans and poor Caucasians living in some areas of the United States. Tortilla Curtain gives the reader a good realistic perspective of the situation on the Mexican border. It reveals the daily life of Mexicans and Americans in that region and shows how the two groups confront each other. With the exception of a few things the novel is truthful and modern. ...

Phoenix program essays

Phoenix program essays The above stated quote is a direct definition of the Central Intelligence Agencies Phoenix Program. The Phoenix Program was one of our nations dirty secrets that still has not been fully uncovered. Yes there is declassified written information, and oral accounts but there is still much information that has been either destroyed, or people who have been directly told not to say a word about the events that happened during the time period of the Phoenix Program. It was a program that many people feel was wrong to impliment but I feel that it was necessary. The Vietnam Conflict was meant to be a conventional conflict but in times of need you must become unconvetional and become primative, and strike at the source of the enemy, not the Viet Cong or the North Vietnam Army but the people who supported them the Viet Cong Infrastructure. These people were the tax collectors, and the recruitors. With these people being taking prisoner, or being killed. These things were killings that n eeded to happen in order to destroy the enemy at the heart of there operations. Many Americans believe that this was wrong killing civilians and that it was against the Geneva Conventions but it was a necessary operation. I firmly belive that if the Phoenix Program was able to have been kept in total seceracy it could have changed the total outcome of the Vietnam Conflict. In this paper I will show evidence of how the Phoenix Program worked, its infrastructure, and the death of the Phoenix Program. ...

Governance, Regulation and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Governance, Regulation and Ethics - Essay Example Fox quickly gets used to rape, murder and follow no ethical principles. Finally, going up a career ladder turns into a destructive downfall of Bud Fox. A voice of clear mind and wisdom is echoed in his ears sometimes†¦this is a voice of his father, an ordinary airline mechanic. This film is often characterized as a symbolic embodiment of political and economic situation of those years. Gordon Gekko’s character depicted by Douglas is a collective image of moral degradation drowned in corruption of the majority of businessmen and politicians. It is generally accepted that greed is considered to be a perfect theme for discussion in filmmaking industry. This kind of discussion appeals to the inner world of the viewers and shows what ‘good’ is and what ‘evil’ is in the world. In 90s stock market made people insane. They would risk their reputations and lives for profits. Financial conditions of America perfectly depicted in the Wall Street movie predi cted financial collapse of stock market in some years. The director of the film Oliver Stone shows an ethical lesson to his viewers: an improper attention to the details of business in stock market may result in the market collapse. Authorities didn’t care much about the process of business doing they were focused on potential benefits and profits and neglected procedures of daily routine in the market of shares (Ross, 2005). Ethical issues are neglected by Bud Fox as well. His consciousness is concealed from moral or ethical considerations. He is interested in monetary profits only. On the example of the main characters’ behaviors (Gekko and Fox) the director shows that they didn’t have right to behave in such a way and neglect generally accepted moral and ethical norms and rules (Wall Street Movies Hit Big Screen, 2010). Corporate America has a dark side drowned in corruption and ethical neglect (Geisst 1999, p. 23; Jordan, 2003). The main characters are drive n by Machiavelli’s claim that the end justifies the means. This great ancient philosopher justified the actions of the authorities in the name of their reached goals. But Machiavelli’s claim if not misinterpreted should be followed by any ruler. It should be explained in the following way: the end justifies the means, i.e. there is no need to stop before obstacles in order to reach success. Thus moral degradation and ethical neglect of the main characters would be hardly justified by Machiavelli. If to consider law breach of main characters from the perspective of legal regulations, their behavior may be considered from criminal liability regulations assigned to corporations, such as The  Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977  (FCPA) developed in USA and UK Bribery Act (2010). The former document deals with two main claims of the document such as accounting transparency requirements and a point concerning bribery  of  foreign officials (Differences between corp orate offences regulations). Starting from 2010 UK has updated these regulations and introduced stricter regulations for international companies or UK companies acting in the international arena. The UK Act extends the limits of criminal liability to senior officers of a company in case there are offences of regulatory or criminal nature (Differences between corporate offences regulations). Moreover, criminal liability applied for companies may be clarified by Companies Act 1967. In accordance with this Act, company may be responsible for financial, labor or

Michael Focault's The Order of Things Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Michael Focault's The Order of Things - Essay Example It was translated into English and published under the title The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences in 1970. The Order of Things brought Foucault to prominence as an intellectual figure in France. Foucault's critique of Renaissance values in 'Les mots et les choses' has been very influential to cultural history. The book opens with an extended discussion of Diego Velzquez's painting Las Meninas and its complex arrangement of sight-lines, hidden subject and appearance. Then it develops its central claim: that all periods of history have possessed certain underlying conditions of truth that constituted what was acceptable as, for example, scientific discourse. Foucault argues that these conditions of discourse have changed over time, in major and relatively sudden shifts, from one period to another. The first chapter 'Las Meninas' from The Order of Things: An Archaeology of Human Sciences has been dedicated to critical analysis on Diego Velazquez's painting Las Meninas (The Maids of Honor) is a 1656 painting by Diego Velzquez, the leading artist of the Spanish Golden Age. The work's complex and enigmatic composition raises questions about reality and illusion, and creates an uncertain relationship between the viewer and the figures depicted. In the 19th century Sir Thomas Lawrence called the work "the philosophy of art". Las Meninas shows a large room in the Madrid palace of King Philip IV of Spain, and presents several figures, most identifiable from the Spanish court, captured, in a particular moment. Some figures look out of the canvas towards the viewer, while others interact among themselves. "Rather than pursue to infinity a language inevitably inadequate to the visible fact, it would be better to say that Velazquez composed a picture; that in this picture he represented himself, in his studio or in a room of the Escurial, in the act of painting two figures whom the Infanta Margarita has come there to watch, together with an entourage of duennas, maids of honour, courtiers, and dwarfs; that we can attribute names to this group of people with great precision: tradition recognizes that here we have Dona Maria Agustina Sarmiente, over there Nieto, in the foreground Nicolaso Pertusato, an Italian jester. We could then add that the two personages serving as models to the painter are not visible, at least directly; but that we can see them in a mirror; and that they are, without any doubt, King Philip IV and his wife, Mariana."(Focault, p 4, 5) The young 'Infanta Margarita' is surrounded by her maids of honor, chaperone, bodyguard, two dwarfs and a dog. Just behind them, Velzquez portrays himself working at a large canvas. Velzquez looks outwards, beyond the pictorial space to where a viewer of the painting would stand. A mirror hangs in the background and reflects the upper bodies of the king and queen. The royal couple appears to be placed outside the picture space in a position similar to that of the viewer. A few critiques even suggested that they were being painted by the painter. Las Meninas is a pure manifestation of critical thinking, an important trait of modern philosophy. Although, Focault is considered a post modernist critic but his work echoes modern philosophy characteristics. 'The value of Valasquez's painting for Foucault lies in the fact that it introduces uncertainties in visual