Cancer pain in end of life cancer patients Research Paper

Cancer pain in end of life cancer patients - Research Paper Example The article has prepared a step by step, scientific methodology for pain assessment and intervention strategies and based on this methodology, has thoroughly examined the case and provided care as the multidisciplinary team went on recording and analyzing the interventions as well. The study has utilized a standardized scale to assess pain, used four basic approaches to pain relief that includes, â€Å"modify the source(s) of pain(s)(,) alter the central perception of pain(,) modulate transmission of pain to the central nervous system(,) (and) block transmission of pain to the central nervous system (Ferrel, Levy and Paice, 2008, p.575-577). It has also made use of approved methods of pharmacological management of pain including co-analgesic therapy (Ferrel, Levy and Paice, 2008, p.577). ... 2. Fayers, P.M., Hjermstad, M.J., Klepstad, P., Loge, J.H., Caraceni, A., Hanks, G.W. ...Kaasa, S. (2011), The dimensionality of pain: Palliative care and chronic pain patients differ in their reports of pain intensity and pain interference, Pain, 152 (7), 1608-20. This article has drawn attention to the importance of accurate assessment of pain in palliative care (Fayers et al., 2011, p.1608). This is observed in the context that different chronic pain patients report the intensity of pain in different degrees (Fayers et al., 2011, p.1608). This study has made use of quantitative methodology to assess pain in chronic pain patients and carried out a questionnaire survey of a sample of such patients. By carrying out a psychometric analysis of the data collected, this article has provided statistical information based on which, two main dimensions of pain have been identified, namely, â€Å"intensity and interference† (Fayers et al., 2011, p.1608). It is inferred that in order t o have a â€Å"higher-level summary measure of patient's pain experience†, the two dimensions, intensity and interference both have to be assessed in a distinct manner (Fayers et al., 2011, p.1608). Though this article does not directly deals with the proposed change put forth by this researcher, it provides crucial information on the nature and factor influencing reported pain in palliative patients. Yet, this article does not provide information on morbidity, mortality, and rate of incidence or rate of occurrence in the general population, of this problem. 3. Kumar, S.P. (2011), Reporting characteristics of cancer pain: A systematic review and quantitative analysis of research publications in palliative care journals,

Human ResourcesTraining and Development #2 Essay

Human ResourcesTraining and Development #2 - Essay Example SWOT Analysis is an effective tool in identifying the internal strengths and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats. It helps to develop a plan of action to concentrate on weaknesses and threats and get maximum advantage from the strengths and opportunities it has. The strengths of Abbott Labs are: its great history of innovation, its wide range of products, the great respect it commands in market ratings, and finally its expanding geographical reach opening up new opportunities. These are certainly its strengths to build on. Its overdependence on the anti-bacterial Biaxin and the anti-epileptic Depakote is could be a major weakness for Abbott. Both these products contribute substantially to the company revenues and profits. The challenge for Abbott is to minimize the decline of sale of these two. Abbott has been doing it bests in exploring new opportunities and keeping its position of strength. The new agreements and acquisitions it has had with Knoll Pharmaceuticals, Vysis Inc, and Biocompatible will help expand its product range and its pipeline. The company signed a The price regulation of prescription drugs in various markets by peers and government agencies, strong competition from generic manufacturers, and the expiring patent protection are the major threats Abbott is facing. "Abbott Laboratories' 'Position of Strength'

Mcdonalds As Good Corporate Citizens Marketing Essay

Mcdonalds As Good Corporate Citizens Marketing Essay Introduction The topic area of this research paper is to explore corporate social responsibility. A specific company will be chosen, researched and analyzed in depth to confirm or disconfirm whether it is truly socially responsible in its business practices. The chosen company in question is McDonalds Restaurant. In the past, McDonalds has been seen as both corporately irresponsible and socially responsible and has since been trying to keep its reputation high within its local communities and worldwide. By studying in depth the positive and negative research associated with McDonalds and its business practices, a stronger decision can be made on whether it is truly a socially responsible corporation or is putting on a faà §ade. Literature Review From initial research, many articles on social responsibility exist, however literature specifically involving McDonalds and its social responsibility do not. As a result, the topics preliminary research started on the company website to obtain an idea of what McDonalds claims to be doing to be socially responsible. The movie Supersize Me, in which the producer eats himself into an unhealthy life and body with McDonalds food, has given McDonalds a particularly unhealthy reputation. Yet, McDonalds seems to be going out of its way to battle this reputation. However, the corporations out-of-its-way actions lead to questioning whether or not there is a line between doing it out of genuine care or doing it to put on a show. Thus, this research paper serves to test the question of the fine lines of corporate social responsibility. Methodology The approach for answering the questions mentioned above is to research as much as possible to find both negative articles against McDonalds approach to social responsibility and positive articles supporting McDonalds and its many social business practices. The goal is to collect as much positive and negative data from all types of sources, such as journal articles, magazine articles, newspaper articles, databases and corporate websites. After all the research resources have been exhausted, the articles will be analyzed in terms of relevance to the question at hand and the most relevant examples will be analyzed individually in terms of the ethics of social responsibility. After interpreting all of the research together as a whole, the final result of whether McDonalds is a socially responsible corporation will be answered. Expected Results The group expects that the deep research into McDonalds intentions will yield more negative results than positive ones. It is expected that McDonalds is trying to put on more of a faà §ade than put into place actual socially responsible practices. Aside from its main and original charity practices, like the Ronald McDonald House and childrens charities, the group expects that the socially responsible acts that the corporation boasts on its website are not more than mere future promises that change with time but never become fully completed. Actual Results Environment McDonalds boasts that it prides itself on being environmentally safe and continuously innovative in its business practices. In the past, McDonalds eliminated its polystyrene packaging that had a problem being recycled and turned to newer, more environmentally friendly cardboard packaging. One of McDonalds more recent focuses have been on what they refer to as the Big Mac Problem, which is that beef production is one of the highest generators of greenhouse gases and the production practices are inefficient. However, without the pull in the beef production industry and without being able to eliminate the production of beef altogether, McDonalds would like to form a beef coalition, in which it trades with environmentally friendly groups and rallies or pushes many companies and farmers towards reducing greenhouse gases (Warner, 2009). Though McDonalds does not have the pull to change the direction of the beef production industry, it certainly has a plan to create that pull. The corporati on has also agreed to help reduce the amount of pesticide used in its potato supply chain by surveying suppliers and picking the ones that have the best pesticide reduction practices (Nations Restaurant News, 2009). As well as pesticide reduction, McDonalds has already implemented efficient, environmentally friendly, daily operating practices. The corporation has installed new fryers that are energy efficient and use less cooking oil, thus less waste (Nations Restaurant News, 2008). All around, McDonalds is implementing an act utilitarianism view into all of its environmental practices. By helping the environment, all of society benefits in health, in sustainability and in welfare. McDonalds may be taking smaller steps than what is expected of such a large corporation to help the environment and reduce their carbon footprint, but they are making sure they are benefitting the most people in every way while they do it. Health McDonalds is the most popular fast food chain in the world. With that prestige and recognition, comes the weight of both the positive and negative attributes associated with fast food. The largest criticism is by far the overall quality and health of their food. Amid the hype surrounding the 2004 documentry Super Size Me, there is a serious underlying issue that needs to be addressed. In favour of low prices and convenience, unhealthy and potentially dangerous fast food is consumed à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦an average of 11 times every two weeks (Heart and Stroke, 2005). This is certainly not a situation unique to McDonalds, but the company receives a large amount of negative attention because of it. To combat the McDonalds image of unhealthy living and its association with obesity, the company launched several initiatives in the 2003-2005 timeframe. They completely retooled their menu to include Healthy Choices salads, improved Happy Meal options such as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦low fat white and chocolate milk, apple juice, and Apple Dippers (White, 2006). With the menu change, came a complete marketing overhaul. This included McDonalds new Im Lovin It campaign promoting an active lifestyle, as well as the use of Ronald McDonald as a positive health role model for kids. Throughout the launch of the campaigns until the present, McDonalds has remained committed to their new vision, testing such ideas as mini-gyms for children in select stores (Horovitz, 2006), and including stepometers with certain purchases (White, 2006). McDonalds recognized that their previous business practices and overall product were not consistent with what the general public was demanding. The cultural norm has shifted over the last few decades, and the average customer began demanding that options were made available that were consistent with a healthier lifestyle. The company knew it was losing touch with its customer base, and implemented the theory of Ethical Relativism when determining what the best course of action to take was. First, they considered if their actions were the cultural norm. In the past, selling greasy hamburgers and fries may have been enough to appease the public, but today the average person is concerned with their diet and overall lifestyle. This push for an alternative from fast food chains meant that McDonalds had to consider alternate menu options if they wish to meet that cultural demand. Next McDonalds asked if offering only unhealthy options was causing harm to anyone. They saw that by offering o nly nutritionally poor foods and ignoring the promotion of exercise, people were definitely being hurt. This is represented by the climbing obesity rates, and the escalading rates of heart disease and other diet-contributing diseases. Overall, McDonalds saw that the ethical thing to do was to promote better diet and lifestyle practices in addition to their traditional menu, and went above and beyond what was expected of them to achieve this. Toy Safety McDonalds has always been very committed to safety, and this is revealed through their commitment to the safety of their toys. The toys included in McDonalds Happy Meals are a staple for kids and parents alike, and McDonalds realizes that it is important these toys are the highest quality they can be. McDonalds has been recognized for their exceptional safety standards by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and acknowledges their contribution of both funds and technology to the commission. According to the Office of Information and Public Affairs, the funds donated purchased, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a computerized virtual child and a life-like breathing mannequin designed to evaluate choking and suffocation hazards (2001). This is a commitment to safety that goes above and beyond what was ever expected of McDonalds, and their track record indicates that their strict protocols are effective. Act Utilitarianism promotes the greatest good for the greatest number of people. McDonalds could have chose to save the money donated to the USCPSC, but decided that the financial pain experienced by spending this money is worthwhile when considering the overall well-being of its large youth consumer base. McDonalds could have also chose to produce cheap and unreliable toys for their Happy Meals to save money, but again, they have demonstrated that the price of potentially unsafe toys is not worth the small financial gain by doing so. Ronald Mcdonald House The Ronald Mcdonald house is just one of the ways Mcdonalds is being socially responsible. The program began in the 1970s when the first fund raiser launched to help children with leukemia. This program provides housing for families with very sick kids. The homes are nearby to hospitals which helps to keep the families together in a very difficult time for a very low cost (Ronald Mcdonald House). There are 12 Ronald Mcdonald Houses in Canada. Another part of the Ronald Mcdonald House is the Ronald Mcdonald Room. This is a room located within the hospital where the families of sick children can go. This room provides a place for parents and families to do their laundry shower, dine, cook food and use the bathroom facilities. Based on Act Utilitarianism, which is a theory that states that an action is ethical if it creates the greatest amount of happiness or pleasure for the largest amount of people. When Mcdonalds provides services for children with serious illnesses and their familie s this is creating happiness for all parties involved. The children are able to have their whole family around them in a time that is without a doubt scary for young kids. Because the children have their familys support and love this benefits the child greatly, as this will assist in their recovery from illness. Ronald Mcdonald House also benefits the parents of the children because they do not have to worry about the hassle of finding a place to live near the hospital at an affordable rate (A World of Charity: Children, families turn to RMHC in time of need, 2005). Parents are able to be close to their children when they are needed the most (Busch, 1998). The actions of the Ronald Mcdonald House are moral because they also conform to the theory of Rule Utilitarianism. Rule Utilitarianism is based on the fact that an action is moral if it creates the greatest good for the greatest amount of people but can also be sustained if everyone took that action in society. If every business i n todays society chose a charity that management felt strongly about this would be sustainable and create the greatest amount of good for all members of society. McHappy Day McHappy Day is one of McDonalds longest traditional events, held annually to help support sick children around the world. This event was established in 1977 as a one-day fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House Charities, and has raised nearly over 26 million dollars in the past sixteen years (Z99, 2009). On this day, when you purchase a Big Mac sandwich, McMuffin sandwich or Happy Meal, McDonalds will donate $1.00 to its various childrens charities, which help support children in desperate need. In addition to the donations collected on this day, 10 cents from each Happy Meal sold regularly is donated to the Ronald McDonald House Program. (Marketwire, 2009) There are many ways in which someone can support McHappy Days in addition to purchasing the selected sandwiches. There are wristbands available for a donation of $2.00, or you can buy one of the McHappy Day products available for sale such as an apron, mugs, pens, bags, etc. You can also donate online through the McHappy Day website. Proceeds collected by the Ronald McDonald house Charities will help, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦build and maintain houses close to hospitals, allowing ill children to stay close to their families, creating homely retreat rooms within hospitals, and [providing] free holiday accommodation for terminally ill children and their families (McDonalds, n.d.). McDonalds McHappy Day celebrations are a special day for everyone in the McDonalds environment. Some locations are visited by special guests, sports and media personalities, politicians and entertainers as they roll up their sleeves to work behind the counter and show their support (Marketwire, 2009). This may be the biggest draw for the crowd: seeing celebrities and local figures, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦swap their glamorous day jobs for flipping burgers (Katu, 2007). For example, last years McHappy Day, Senior chief Mike Metcalf of Peel Regional Police visited his local McDonalds restaurant to lend a hand, helping to raise money for McHappy Day. Some of the proceeds from the purchase of selected sandwiches were also donated to the William Osler Hospital Foundation in Brampton, ON and Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga (Silver Creek, 2009). McDonaldsalso holds McHappy Days for elementary and middle schools. Students are given an opportunity to see their teachers flip burgers, deep fry fri es, fill drinks and more, on their designated McHappy school days. Teachers hand out McHappy school cards to their students, which are stamped with their schools name and address. When purchasing, they give the cashier the card and $1.00 of their purchase is given to their school. At the end of the day, employees, customers, volunteers, and sponsors alike embrace the spirit behind McHappy Day; the spirit of joy. They take comfort in knowing that they made a difference and helped someone that was less fortunate then themselves. The actions performed by McDonalds in partnership with the Ronald McDonalds House charities take the characteristics of Act Utilitarianism. Ones actions must promote happiness and avoid those actions that cause unhappiness. The consequences of your actions should matter to everyone, not just those that surround you. McHappy Day promotes happiness for all. It helps the less fortunate by allowing those that wish to make a difference to participate in their community, even though they may be too busy to volunteer in more detailed ways. It truly makes a world of difference for a sick child to know that someone cares enough to participate. Animal Welfare Another way in which Mcdonalds acts in an ethical manner is that they have begun to demand that suppliers treat animals with respect. The current process for slaughtering chickens is: the live chicken is picked up and hung upside down on hooks, they are then shocked in water that has electricity running through it (which does not always kill the chicken) and finally their throats are cut. Mcdonalds is currently working with their animal welfare board to find a more humane way of slaughter called controlled atmospheric killing (CAK) (Garber, 2005). The CAK method puts the bird to sleep painlessly with the use of a gas, which would eliminate a lot of the suffering that is endured during the traditional slaughtering process. Another action Mcdonalds is taking to promote the better treatment of animals is by asking hen farmers to stop the process of debeaking and molting hens. Debeaking is a common practice as it prevents the birds which are confined to tight cages with several other birds, from killing each other. The process is extremely inhumane, leaving the hens beakless. Mcdonalds has also got its suppliers to stop molting hens, this process is carried out when the hen is at the end of their egg producing life. At this point the hens are starved, which makes them produce even more eggs. This process is inhumane as it can result in the death of the hen. Although this is only a small step in the right direction with respect to the issue of animal welfare, Mcdonalds is moving toward a more humane treatment of food animals. The theory of rights (more specifically animal rights) proves that making sure animals are treated humanely before being slaughtered is the moral action to take. At first blush one may think that it is not in the best interest of Mcdonalds to be sure their suppliers are treating animals fairly because this will only drive the price of meat products up, which in turn will drive Mcdonalds sales down. However, whether Mcdonalds is taking this action out of a sense of duty to animals or to keep their corporate image high in the eyes of the consumer it is the moral thing to do (Fast Food and Animal Rights: An Examination and Assessment of the Industrys Response to Social Pressure, 2008). The fair and humane treatment of animals can and should be enforced, whether the animal is a pet or being prepared for slaughter, has t he right to live as close to it would in nature, be treated fairly, and free from abuse. Corporate Social Responsibility Making Good Business Sense, written by Richard Holme and Phil Watts, (representing the World Business Council for Sustainable Development) described Corporate social responsibility as the the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large. (Holme Watts, 2000) Many feel that McDonalds owes a debt to society, and that any ethically initiated activity that McDonalds takes part in is a ploy to divert peoples attention from the real issue of obesity. However, McDonalds has been interested in portraying the role of a Socially Responsible company for a longer period of time than societys recent search for a scape goat to take the blame of the wealthiest nations of the worlds rapidly growing obesity problem. In 2002, McDonalds released its first Social Responsibility Report. This report was a message to the stockholders of McDonalds, and their consumers that they were interested in ethics, and that it played an important position in the role of the company. In the report, McDonalds stated its various core values such as Giving back to the communities in which we do business, [being] committed to people and [being] dedicated to providing customers unparalleled levels of Quality, Service, Cleanliness and Value. (McDonalds CSR, 2002) Despite McDonalds efforts, both the Social Responsibility Report and the company were heavily criticized. McDonalds April 14 Report on Corporate Social Responsibility is a low- water mark for the concept of sustainability and the promise of corporate social responsibility. It is a melange of generalities and soft assurances that do not provide hard metrics of the company, its activities or its impacts on society and the environment. (Hawken, 2002) in essence, H awken and many other critiques argument is that McDonalds used a qualitative one-sided narrative to keep people stockholders happy and consumers spending. They avoided any real issues and just used numbers and data in the scenarios that would make the company look good. McDonalds has released four more CSR reports since 2002. With every new report, McDonalds has committed to increasing the transparency of the corporation to the public, and including more quantitative data rather than simply focusing on future goals. In addition, with every outcry from the public over an issue with McDonalds business the company has strived to address the issue and documented the results. McDonalds also has a code of ethics the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Senior officers must adhere. The waiver that each must sign can be listed in the appendix. In addition, Ethisphere even listed Bob Langert, VP of Corporate Social Responsibility at McDonalds, one of its top 100 most influential people of 2008 . Ethisphere had this to say: Langert and McDonalds unveiled a state of the art corporate responsibility report in 2008. If your company is working on a CSR report at the moment, it would be a waste not to take a look at McDonalds for a little inspiration. (Ethisphere, 2008) This serves as a testimony to virtue ethics. The executive officers at McDonalds are striving to cultivate virtues characters and pursue the right life for the corporation. Conclusion Critiques still argue that the CSR reports are biased and many people will argue that McDonalds is a two faced company that is only working on repaying their super sized debt to the worlds health. This will most likely continue to do so for the length of time that North Americans blame other people for their own self indulgence issues that lead to obesity. McDonalds offers a product that people ask for. There are many different types of food that are unhealthy in copious amounts. The restaurant exists however, because there is demand. McDonalds makes enough money that customers are not just paying for food; but they are also paying for McDonalds to take the blame for bad health conditions. However it is important to realize that despite the general mood that people have towards McDonalds, their policies towards maintaining environmental sustainability, auditing supply chains to prevent animal cruelty, supporting children communities, offering healthy menu alternatives, company trans parency and reporting on social responsibility demonstrates that McDonalds has dedicated itself to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as the local community and society at large.

Huntingtons Disease - An Overview Essay -- Biology Essays Research Pa

Huntington's Disease - An Overview Huntington's Disease is a devastating and progressive neurological disorder that resu lts primarily from degeneration of nerve cells deep in the center of the brain. The condition was first described by George Huntington, a physician in New York, in 1872. Even then, the physician recognized the all-encompassing factors of the disorder when describing it as, "coming on gradually but surely, increasing by degrees, and often occupying years in its development until the hapless sufferer is but a quivering wreck of his former self". The three most profound behavioral problems in Huntington 's disease come from the uncontrollable movements called "chorea," dementia, and the altered perception of the world. The course of Huntington's Disease can last anywhere from ten to 30 years from onset to death. The symptoms of HD usually develop when th e person is between the ages of 30 - 50 years, although they have been known to occur as young as two and as old as 70. It affects all races and ethnic groups and occurs with the same frequency in both men and women. As the disease progresses, the se verity of the symptoms increase and can be divided into three stages. The first stage is characterized by subtle and slight uncontrollable muscular movements, including stumbling and clumsiness, lack of concentration and short-term memory lapses, and depr ession and changes of mood. In the middle of the disease's course, patients may need assistance with some daily activities because walking, speech and swallowing abilities deteriorate. Involuntary movements become more pronounced and may be noticeable to the casual observer. In the latter stages, patients with HD require full-time care, and often families o... ...people afflicted with this disease in the United States. An additional 150,000 are at risk. Although very few cases of HD are due to fresh mu tation, everyone who has the HD gene will eventually develop the disorder unless he or she dies from some other cause before the signs appear. Furthermore, there is often little or no choice of residential care for those with HD, especially in the later s tages of the illness. However, the hope for a cure continues to mount every year and families and communities are joining together to promote better treatment and understanding for those with the disease. Hopefully, a cure will be found in my lifetime. Internet Sources: "About Huntington's Disease," Internet, available: http://www.med.jhu.edu/bhde/hdinfo.html. http://www.kumc.edu/hospital/huntingtons/genetics.html http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/~rd13/hd/review.html

Remember the Titans Review Essay

The movie Remember the Titans is one of the most inspiring sports movies in recent memory.. This is due to the performances of Denzel Washington as well as others in the cast but   its success can also can be attributed to the fact that the story was based on real life events. As is the case with most movies, those that are based on fact, no matter how loosely, usually seem to add to the drama that mindless action movies which are big on special effects and small on acting and story. Remember the Titans is not one of those movies because the racial tensions that were associated with busing and school integration in the last 1960s’ and 1970’s was one of the divisive sources during that time. For a young, contemporary society, it may seem difficult to be able to successfully transplant oneself into that specific time and place and to wonder aloud, what the entire situation was all about. There were tensions that came from the mixing of the two teams, regardless of their color.   Many players at T.C. Williams were counting on a starting spot for the football team, only to have many of the positions challenged due to the integration of the school. Due to the fact that the school that is being meshed into T.C. Williams is a predominately African American school, with the setting of the story taking place in 1970 Virginia, only adds to the frustrations on the part of the athletes from both schools. This reality places a stress on the already fragile relationships that the white and black players as well as students have for each other. However, in the end, the story has a happy ending and the school not only successfully integrates, but has one of their most successful years on the football field.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the major sources of debate within Titans is the way in which Herman Boone receives the head coaching job at T.C. Williams.   The school has been integrated and the football team, a bastion of relief and excitement for the masses in Alexandria, Virginia. Within the movie, it is plainly seen that the majority of white students and their families are not in favor of the integration of the school. What is the source of even more resistance is the fact that Herman Boone, not because of his merit but simply because of his race, is being made head coach over the current coach, Bill Yoast who has had his share of awards given to him for his splendid coaching record in the past. The school board feels that this is the appropriate choice to make as they believe that it will help the town to ease into the idea. This is not ethically right or proper. There is not way of knowing exactly how well the team would have fared if the coaches were picked on their merit instead of on race, but it seems that as long as starting positions on the field were earned by the physical and mental merit of the players, so too should the coaches be made to honor the idea of creating a meritocracy as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is not acceptable and is seen as the central aspect of the movie, are the relationships between the players from both of the schools. At first, many of the players on both sides did not want to befriend their competition with regard to the specific starting position that they were hoping to earn but also their competition in society as well. It is the efforts of Julies and Bertier, the leaders of their respective former schools and therefore, is divided by racial lines, which help to make the transition from two separate teams into one a bit easier. The two characters are very forceful on the football field as it is required to remain successful but they are also equally as forceful with regard to the integration of their fellow teammates. Both are resistant to the experiment by once they get on board with the idea, the rest are sure to follow. This is the true sign of a leader but also of the team recognizing the fact that they need to come together as a team in order to win. Cohesiveness of a team is what every coach strives to achieve. The second source of calm and rational thinking in the face of a situation that many on the team might respond to with hatred and bigotry, comes from Coach Boone and Coach Yoast. Yoast will eventually see the bigger picture and swallow his own feelings of mistreatment and submit to the will of the school board and usually, to the will of coach Yoast. He had such a stellar coaching record because he knew how to win. The same can be said about Coach Boone as well. He does not like the situation in which he was picked to coach T.C. Williams but he resolves that this is not only good for his career in the long run, but for the cohesion of the entire community as the football team serves as the center of life in Alexandria, Virginia. In the special features, the real coaches are shown talking as old friends and there is nothing to suggest that is not the case in real life. But the relationship of the two coaches, as was the case with the players, was a contentious one. Race obviously played a central role in the actions of the T.C. Williams football team. People are a product of their environment and Alexandria, Virginia expressed loudly, their feelings about the forced integration of their school as well as the football players did the same. But Coach Boone and Yoast as well as the majority of football players on the team realized what it took to win.   All had enjoyed winning seasons before the integration of the school. Had the teams never enjoyed victory and never yearned for success within their daily lives, there might have been little hope for this experiment to have succeeded. Only those living there at that time can accurately describe what life was really like during those times but the ethical behavior of the majority of players as well as their recognition of what it takes to win in this life, eventually became the paramount reason as to why the team went on to have a successful season and racial strife within the team unity could only be seen as a speed bump if they wished to continue to win. WORKS CITED Bruckheimer, Jerry.   Remember the Titans. Buena Vista. 2000

Reaction Paper on Crazy by

Ha Song Pham PSYCH 252 02/17/2012 Reaction Paper 1 on Crazy When talking about prison, one usually thinks of two kinds of people, the guards and the prisoners. But nowadays, when 16% of inmates have serious and persistent mental illness, it is not surprising to find psychiatrists working in prisons. The Miami-Dade County Pretrial Detention Center mentioned in Crazy was not an exception. On the ninth for of Miami jail, we found mentally ill prisoners, guards, Dr. Poitier who was the chief psychiatrist of the jail, and the nurses.The medical staff and the prison officers hold opposite viewpoints about how the inmates should be treated. The great conflicts and complications between the justice system and the mental health system had made the job of the psychiatrists in prisons across the United States an extremely difficult task. Dr. Poitier and nurses on the ninth floor of Miami jail worked daily in a very unhygienic condition: â€Å"The air in C wings stinks. It is a putrefied scent, a blending of urine expectorant, persperition, excrement, blood, flatulence, and dried and discarded jailhouse food.When the jail’s antiquated air conditioning breaks down during the summer, which it often does, some officers claim C wing’s pink wall actually sweats. It’s decades of filth and grime bubbling up, rising through coat of paint†. I wonder how one could be expected to live, let alone work in a condition as such. Under such horrible conditions, I wonder how effective the doctors were doing their job. And even if they were trying to do the best they could, I don’t think the inmates’ conditions could get any better when they did not even get to live in basic living condition which has a standard level of hygiene.If the states were paying for the psychiatrists to treat the inmates, the first thing they should have thought about was the working conditions of the doctors and the living conditions of the inmates because those played a ke y role in the efficiency of one’s job and the recovery of one’s disorder. In addition to the poor working conditions, the medical staff were not treated well by both the officers and the inmates. The nurses got screamed at, threatened, and humiliated. In Crazy, Earley told the incident of one nurse having a prisoner toss a cup of feces and urine at her.Nevertheless, the nurse did not quit the job for she understood that she could not take anything personally at her work. Most of the nurses were women. Inmates frequently masturbated in front of them. They did not get any protection from such hazard because the state attorney thought that it was not a crime that was worth pursuing. Doctors and nurses saw inmates as patients, while officers saw them as prisoners. The officers (or correctional staff as referred to in Crazy) treated the inmates very badly when the doctors were not around.Due to the opinions that were at two extremes with each other, the efforts to help the inmates by the medical staff turned out to be useless by the poor treatment that the inmates received from the officers. On a larger scale, the psychiatrists received very little to no help from the state government. What’s more, they had to comply with the ridiculous, non-sense regulations that were originally constructed to protect the rights of the mentally ill. In Crazy, Dr. Poitier had no access to resources. The inmates were booked into jail without carrying their medical records.He had to prescribe medication based largely on what the inmates told him. Plus, he had to follow the Miami-Dade County Public Health Trust’s instruction to prescribe Risperdal first whenever possible rather than Zyprexa, which was much more expensive. He had no freedom to do his job even though he received sufficient psychiatric training, while those people at the health trust were only thinking about the â€Å"so-called† economic benefits. Civil right laws such as Baker Act prev ented the doctors from forcing inmates to take medication unless they posed an imminent danger or a threat. Dr.Poitier was very disappointed by the Act. He stated that: â€Å"A person who is a chronic schizophrenic doesn’t have the full control over his thoughts. He can’t make rational decision. If you release him untreated back into the community, you aren’t protecting his civil rights. You’re condemning him to stay sick and a horrible life of suffering on the streets. † The Baker Act was particularly complex when viewing it at different angles. For psychiatrists like Dr. Poitier, it hindered them from treating the inmates. They believed that the inmates were not mentally healthy enough to make ecisions about whether or not they wanted to to treated. On the contrary, public defenders and civil rights attorney felt that they had to protect the constitutional rights of the mentally ill. But what if what the mentally ill chose to do went against the wish of their loved ones, and negatively affected community. â€Å"Acting crazy is not a choice†. The mentally ill didn’t choose to be crazy. I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly these attorneys were trying to protect here. Were they trying to say protect a choice that no one wished to make?But after all, I did not experience a mental illness, which would invalidate any opinions I would have about how a mentally ill person would feel or react. In the end, there was a price to everything. One could not expect to do a thing without having to face a trade-off. The decisions should be made in a way that benefited most people as it possibly could. Even though I was fully aware that the psychiatrists in the prisons were doing their best to help the inmates, I believed it was better if they understood the job that they were doing involved more parties than them and the inmates.In Crazy, Dr. Poitier pointed out that: â€Å"My first concern is restoring this man†™s mental health. But that is not the first concern of the lawyers, or of the judge who will be making this decision. This should be a medical matter, not a legal issue†. I didn’t think that was just a medical issue. Doctors alone would not be able to help the mentally ill without the support of other forces. Where would they find the resources such as medication, facilities, accommodation to assist the patients without the regulation or policy that allowed them to do so? It was never one man’s business.It took the cooperation of a whole system in order to effectively help the mentally ill who also happened to commit crime. Despite innumerable difficulties and controversies involved in their jobs, the doctors and nurses were getting paid much less than the medical staff in mainstream hospitals. For example, the nurses on the ninth floor earned an average of $2,000 per year less then their counterparts in Miami hospitals. Part of the reason was because they were recent immigrants who had received their formal qualifications in a country other than the US.Working in the section for the mentally ill in a prison was certainly not their first choice nor their second nor their third. It could be the only option that they had. However, they did not complain about their jobs. They did not go on strike. They did not sue the states for providing such little support. Instead, they were doing as much as they possible could to help the inmates. Dr. Poitier addressed inmates as â€Å"Mr. † to show them respect. He asked very common questions that a doctor usually asked a patient: â€Å"How are you feeling today? He was treating the inmates as patients who needed help, and did not care whether they were also criminals or not. For him, they were just very ill people who needed medical help. He once said: â€Å"Most mentally ill inmates do stupid things, not bad things†. Dr. Poitier believed that the inmates on the ninth floor needed help t hat they would not get there. I wonder if he ever felt hopeless when he knew these people needed help, and he could give help, but those two things certainly would not happen in the prison. The inmates were unable to understand that Dr.Poitier was trying to help them because of their dysfunction. Dr. Poitier was fully aware that he would not be able to do much to help the inmates because of messiness of the system and the daily conflicts between doctors and prison officers. They were stuck in a place where no one was better off. The question that baffled me the most was why they decided to stay at their jobs. There must have been something great and meaningful that made them almost irrationally continue their work. In Crazy, Dr. Poitier answered this question for me: â€Å"The inmates who end up here have been given up on.But some can and do get better. And that’s the driving force that keeps me coming to work each day – knowing I can make a difference. Knowing I do m ake a difference. Besides, if I didn’t do this, who would? † No matter how much trouble and confusion the job has brought, Dr. Poitier and the psychiatrists in general have managed to put their work ethics on top of everything else. Thanks to them, the mentally ill inmates get the support that keeps them through the days. Otherwise, the prison could actually become the hell hole on earth. It takes a lot of efforts in order to do good in any jobs.But for the psychiatrists in prisons across the United States, they have to go to extra lengths in order to help the mentally ill inmates. However, their efforts alone are never enough, every other force involved in the system has to do their best as well. In addition, it is importance that they all try to come to understand each other’s job and the reason behind it so that they can make the whole system work for the inmates instead of the current climate when the mentally ill are stuck in the revolving doors of the jails and the hospitals.