Education in Iceland

Education in Iceland Introduction Traditionally, education was viewed as a need that was optional and could be substituted to meet other life’s important basics. Today, provision of education has become a government’s social responsibility in a majority of the countries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Education in Iceland specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, the challenge remains on the provision of inclusive education and schooling, and how best to tailor the country’s educational system to produce citizens who can effectively meet the society’s desired qualities. The needs of the society have been continuously transformed by globalization and as such, countries and societies have had to constantly undertake reforms in their educational systems. Background Information on Education in Iceland In Iceland, the provision of compulsory education is the responsibility of the government. According to the refor ms made by the government in 2008 on compulsory education, it is the responsibility of the local municipalities to provide education to all the children in the pre-primary and compulsory school level (European Commission. 2009). Compulsory education is applicable to all children between the ages six and sixteen. The state is charged with the responsibility of providing upper secondary and higher education (European Commission. 2009). The law requires that pupils attending compulsory education to do so on a full time basis and. In addition, the state has also defined the roles of the parent as that of ensuring that children register for school (European Commission, 2009). It is also the parent’s role to ensure that children attend school. The local municipalities ensure that pupils are given instructions recommended by the law while the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture supervises the implementation process. According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (2010), the educational structure of schools in Iceland comprise of the pre-primary level, the compulsory level, the upper secondary level and finally, the higher education. The compulsory level comprise of the single structure-primary and the lower secondary. Pre-primary education is available for children between the ages of 3 and 5, after which they progress to primary schools at the age six and later on enter lower secondary schools at age 11. Students enter upper secondary schools at age 14 after completing their tenth grade and graduate from the upper secondary in the thirteenth grade at age 16 or 17 (UNESCO, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More All the state and municipality levels, schools are expected to follow the national curriculum provided by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. At the pre-primary level, the teachers in the schools are given the res ponsibility of determining the school’s curriculum. According to the European Commission, (2009), the subjects covered at the compulsory level of education include Mathematics, natural sciences, English, social sciences (including History and Geography), art and craft, Physical Education, religious studies, as well as equal rights affairs. The pupils at this level of education are also taught Icelandic as a second language. The curriculum also includes information and communication technology, life skills as well as other foreign languages like Danish, Spanish, or French. At the upper secondary level, the students are taught Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, information technology, Economics, History, arts and craft, psychology, environmental systems as well as other languages. Teaching of the Icelandic curriculum is done using the country’s native language, Icelandic (European Commission, 2009). The curriculum also provides for extra-curricular and social activities which are incorporated in the daily school activities. Teachers have the autonomy to decide on the teaching methods and materials appropriate for achieving the objectives in each situation. However, instructions for each subject are clearly defined in the curriculum and those that require exposure of learners to their immediate environment normally takes place in the form of field trips. The curriculum requires that assessment be done regularly so as to monitor the learners’ progress. There is no examination at the end of the compulsory curriculum in grade ten, however, the principal of the compulsory school awards the learner with a certificate of completion (European Commission, 2009). However, at the upper secondary and tertiary levels of education, the subjects are divided into modules and students are assessed at the end of every semester and are graded according to the unit-credit system. Theories of learning supporting Education in Iceland This approach is d erived from the Humanistic theories of learning which emphasize on the natural desire by learners to always gain more knowledge and the need to allow learners to control their learning process as the teachers are reduced to facilitators of the learning process.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Education in Iceland specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Constructivism Theory One such humanistic theory is the constructivism theory which argues that human beings develop knowledge and meaning through the interaction of their ideas and experiences. Thus, learners would normally build knowledge upon that that they have already acquired. It also implies learning from experience is very important and therefore it is essential to apply teaching and learning process that incorporates learning through experience. According to Wertsch, (1997), the learner takes an active role in the learning process. This theory recognizes that each l earner is unique and has complex needs and therefore it is important that teachers understand the entry behavior of each learner and the learner’s unique learning ability. According to Wertsch, (1997), the learners background and culture help shape the knowledge and facts that the learner discovers and acquires during the learning process. The teacher has to consider all these when planning any learning content to be delivered to the learners. Social constructivism theory According to the social constructivism theory, learners learn best through experience and therefore discovery approach should be aimed at providing experience that would enable learners construct knowledge and make sense of the concepts being learnt (Pajares and Schunk, 2001). It also states that learners can conceptualize any information no matter the level or the age of the learner provided that the knowledge is reinforced. Thus a learner centered approach should prepare learners with the specific capaciti es that are necessary for the learner to interact with and in the world that may not be acquired in any other social settings (Pajares and Schunk, 2001). This theory suggests that teachers should take into consideration learner’s interest. It is also important for teachers to provide an environment and learning opportunities that enable learners to articulate the knowledge. Repeated experience on the concepts being learnt will enable learners to internalize and apply the concepts in a more sophisticated constructs (Gardner, 2005 and; Pajares and Schunk, 2001).Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These experiences provided in terms of experiments should not be provided in the school setting alone but should include the wider society so as to integrate societal experience and school experience (Gardner, 2005). This theory also suggests that there should be no limits to learning and therefore learners should always be encouraged to gain more knowledge. Purpose and Scope of the Study The main purpose of the study is to investigate the education system in Iceland. It seeks to find out what the government and the Icelandic society as a whole is doing in order to achieve an inclusive education and schooling for its multicultural society. The aim of the study is to acquire best practices employed in the Icelandic educational systems and to analyse the deficiencies that exist in the education system that needs to be improved. The objective of the study is to enable the education providers achieve highest quality of professional development for their learners especially at the primar y and secondary levels of education. This study was done so as to provide future education reformers with base line or reference for carrying out reforms. The scope of this study covers the Icelandic curriculum and pedagogical strategies applied in imparting the society’s desired knowledge, skills, values and morals. It discusses the assessment strategies applied to gauge the level of learning in the learners. The study also looks into the role played by the school environment including collaboration with the school parents in shaping the behaviuor of the learners and the learning outcomes. The study also covers the role played by the school culture in the learning process as well as the roles played by the school curriculum and school community in shaping the leadership and organization of the individuals. Methodology The study critically examined incidences in educational systems and practices so as to discover factors that help teachers and the general school community pro vide quality and an all inclusive education and schooling. This was done in order to determine the activities and practices which best foster successful learning in Iceland Schools. The research methodology that was used to collect information was a one-to-one interview. Selecting the school of study involved an underground research through the internet. The selection of the school was based on how modern, the school environment and the school’s mission statement. Finally I decided on Nordlingaskoli , a new school in Reykjavishire. The principal of Nordllingaskoli was contacted to request for a meeting with him which he confirmed and thereafter an appointment was booked. A questionnaire was designed to cover all the areas of study. The questionnaire prepared consisted of open-ended questions only; to help gather more information and the attitude of the principle towards the education system. The School’s Background Information Nordlingaskoli is a new school located in the rural Reykjavishire in RVS District. It has a small student population of about 200 students but this is anticipated to increase before the end of the year. The school uses the national curriculum guidelines in planning its school activities. However, the school’s educational system is unique since it applies a mixed-age group in its teaching and learning programmes. Besides, the system focuses more on provision of art and craft and environmental studies. The school has a very unique system of education which applies mixed-age group learning. The principal’s name is Sif Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir. Findings Curriculum, pedagogy and assessment Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir explained that the school uses the national curriculum guide to plan and carry out its school activities although the planning of the school activities is also based on the aspirations and objectives of the school. Besides, teachers joining the school have to pass an orientation system and be fully info rmed on the objectives of the school and how the school is meeting the learners’ unique needs. The principal also explained that the assessment of learners takes different forms. Learners can be assessed in their learning groups or individually. The assessment includes both formal and informal evaluation done by the individual teachers. The school has various electives available for the learners. Although it focuses more on art and environment studies, there are also other practical and interesting programmes like home economics, music, drama, information technology among others. The school provides many elective subjects to give the students wide options to choose from and to offer flexibility to learners as well as to give the teachers the time to offer individual tutorials to learners. The school also has plans to increase the number of teachers, introduce more programmes and expand its facilities in order to meet the speculated increase in demand for its services. The sch ools programme of differentiation has been successful according to the school principal. Students are allowed and helped to choose the groups they prefer to join according to their learning abilities and their learning aspirations. Differentiation and mixed-age groupings enables pupils learn from each other particularly from the older members and therefore pupils are better enabled to grasp knowledge and thus they are better enabled to achieve their learning outcomes. Besides, the teachers can easily provide for the needs of the groups rather than for an individual. Differentiation enables teachers to plan for every individual and at the same time makes school activities to be flexible. Differentiation and mixed-age groups enable learners achieve maximum results and inner motivation to acquire more knowledge and skills. The learner identifies the area of interest and both the teacher and parent help the learner choose his or her area of interest. The teacher discusses the ability of the learner with the parent in order to help the learner choose the area of interest that best suits his or her abilities and meets is or her needs. The school is very much prepared to meet the needs of learners who join the school while they are still very young. The instruction materials are tailored to motivate them and help them concentrate in learning activities. The instruction contents given to them do not cover wider learning content and also involved more activities that develop their motor skills like play and other outdoor activities. According to the principal, school systems with shorter working periods are not able to complete their programmes or even adequately provide for the individual needs of their learners. This means that in most cases learners have to endure with daily classroom activities which may be boring if done continuously. Besides, the teachers do not get the time to expose learners to the realities in their environment and thus the learners may not be able to apply or connect the knowledge and skills learnt in class to the real world. According to the principal, the students are easily assimilated in other learning systems particularly in the upper secondary schools since most of their learning is practical. The workshops which the school organizes for the learners impart practical skills which are very much related to the vocational training offered in the upper secondary schools or even in job applications. The practical skills offered to the learners make them more competent and better equipped to solve problems that occur in real life situations. The outdoor activities and the mixed-age groups in the school enable learners develop life skills and social skills which are very important in socializing within the society. Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir explained that the school operates in accordance with the guidelines provided by the national curriculum which require that learners should be automatically promoted to the next class . Therefore the age and the year of entry determine the promotion to the next level. Surroundings and material The outdoor activities carried out as part of school activities are normally under the close supervision of the teacher who provides guidance on the activities. Besides, students are normally in their groups hence easier to manage since members of a group are responsible for each individual in the group. Students’ health is the responsibility of both the teacher and the parents. Since the goals of the school are shared by the parents and they understand what the school plans to achieve, they understand that their children need to keep their children warm always. This helps the school protect the lives of the learners from the weather conditions that might affect the learners’ lives. Besides, the learners also have free health care provided by the government. Enhancing the students’ concentration while in class is very important in the school, therefore the teachers ensure that the instructional materials provided are interesting and that the learning content and the instructional materials have been decided upon by the learners and the teacher. These enhance the learners’ concentration and also motivate the learners. Conflict resolution is a very important aspect of education in a multicultural education today. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, the school is committed to promoting learners’ appreciation of diversity and how to overcome prejudice. According to Wendy (1994), it is also important to teach the learners how to manager their anger and be tolerant to each other. This enables learners control their emotions (Banks and Banks, 2005). The guidance and counseling department takes the lead in helping the learners understand the need to exist in unity in diversity. According to the principal, the school understands that wherever the learners come from, there is normally prejudice instilled into them by their respective societies; therefore it is very important to teach learners to avoid acting on their prejudice that they come with from their respective communities. The school organises bonding workshops at the beginning of each academic year in autumn in what the school considers to be the biggest workshop in the school called the â€Å"The Homestead†. Since the school exists in an environment with trees it is not difficult acquiring the materials for the wood work lessons. Again, since the school is a public one, these materials are provided for by the government (European Commission, 2009). According the principal, some materials are also bought by the school and at the same time, learners are given the chance to go for field trips to observe what happens in woodwork workshops or tree forests. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, the school organises and sponsor many local and international community outreach programmes such as Habit for Humans. Learners collaborate with t he school community activities such as cleaning the environment, garbage collections and sorting, tree planting and many others. Languages of the school The official languages that the learners are supposed to use while in school are English and Icelandic. However, learners are also encouraged to keep their native languages since the school believes that one can better learn a second language through his or her mother tongue. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, the school does not find it difficult dealing with the diversity of languages since the teaching staff also comprises of diverse languages. The staff operates as a team, shares and cooperatively solves problems that they meet while dealing with the learners. School culture: Communication, collaboration and atmosphere The uniqueness of the school system is not at all a barrier to the learners’ interaction with the outside world. According to the principle, the school is involved in many programmes which ensure that they are not cut out of the outside world. They are involved in music, drama and sports activities such as basketball, football, volleyball and baseball, and tennis, dance, cheerleading, and swimming among many others. These activities are distributed across the three seasons of autumn, winter and spring which find the learners in school. The sports activities give the learners a chance to compete and interact with other schools and the outside community. Besides, the learners are also given the opportunity to participate in inter-school academic activities, science congress and other students’ forums. The school has computer laboratory connected to the internet. This gives the learners the opportunity to connect to the outside world and to even invite community resource persons of their own choice. The school also invites experts, professionals, artists and other community resources persons to come share with the learners. The school appreciates the uniqueness of the other n eighbouring schools and organises collaborative activities with the neighbouring schools to gain from the different learning experiences that the other learners are exposed to. The school also organises collaborative activities with the neighbouring schools to enable its learners better develop their social skills and to increase their network of friends. The school is aware of the diversity of cultural backgrounds among the teachers, learners and teachers. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, the teachers have in mind the school’s code of conduct and code of ethics. The code of conduct provides them with a guideline on how they are supposed to carry out their duties and how they are supposed to interact. It also provides a guideline on how they are supposed to enhance teamwork in the various groups that exist in the staff which include academic departments and other activities; as well as in the staff as a whole. Besides, the leadership structures within the school admini stration enable the teachers work harmoniously as a team. They also use the internet to share the learning contents, learning materials and other resources which enhance teaching and learning. The environment created by the diversity in teachers, learners and parents is stimulating and provides the learners with a rich experience and exposure. The diversity that exists in the school community gives the school an international image and in turn an international exposure and international understanding of other people’s culture. The diversity in the school community especially the involvement of parents in the learning activities of school enriches the learners’ learning content. Since its inception, the school has applied teaching strategies that involve differentiation and co-operative learning which have ensured that each student’s work and learning corresponds to his or her needs. Nordlingaskoli believes in the uniqueness of its learners and provides the best environment for optimum achievement of learners’ objectives. The school offers tailor-made conditions that meet individual learners’ needs. The school is also on course to developing a new reference table which would better enable the school to apply its differentiation programmes to the speculated large numbers of learners in the near future. The programme is being developed in collaboration with the municipal as well as the national education authorities. This would ensure that the programme meets the national education standards in provision of learners’ areas of interest such as art and craft, environmental studies and many more. According to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, this would enhance flexibility in meeting the needs of the learners. Besides, the diversity in the staff would enable individual learners’ attendance. The principal also noted that the school plans to recruit even more diverse teachers to meet the needs of the expected increase in cultu re. According to Ragnarsdà ³ttir, (2010), it is important to develop a common organizational culture which respects every idea from other cultures. More teachers from different cultures will enable provision of more languages taught in the school and hence help teachers provide for individual tutorial programmes to the learners (Bennett, 1999). Collaboration with homes/families and communities Although fully engaging parents has been a bit challenging since much of their time is consumed by their work, most parents have occasionally turned up whenever called upon. The parents are very much committed to their children’s development. The first day of the learner’s attendance at school takes place at home and two teachers, male and female visit the learner and the parent(s). According to the principal of the school, the parents are involved in setting the objectives of the outcomes of their children, assessing the progress of their children, providing resources, counseli ng their children and evaluating the performance of the school. All the teachers and the administration have access to the parents’ email addresses which are available in each learner’s file and the school’s database. This makes communication with the parents to be easier in case of problems or any issue that requires the parent’s involvement. The surrounding community has also been involved in the various school activities. The surrounding school community provides security to the learners and the school as a whole. They also protect the surrounding environment which includes the local river and the nearby forest which are used by the teachers to provide the needed experience during outdoor activities. The school also collaborates with surrounding community in community outreach programmes such as tree planting and other environment conservation measures. The principal explained that modeling the school culture and environment to fit in the community inv olves creating a common organizational culture that understands the needs and applies the ideas of the community. The teaching materials and learning contents have been tailored to utilize the resources from the local community. Most outdoor activities take place in the local community environment and the experiences which learners are exposed to are derived from the local community. Leadership and organization The principal explains that the school has various outbound activities, workshops, outdoor activities and mixed-age groups which enrich the development of leadership skills and also provide opportunities for learners to practise their leadership skills. The students therefore behave responsibly and are responsible for their friends. There are student leaders in various respective levels of leadership including group leaders, class leaders and other capacities. The students are given guidance and counseling on leadership and management skills by the guidance and counseling dep artment to enable them carry out their responsibilities and duties effectively and efficiently. The student leaders are also given the opportunity to attend leadership workshops and forums with students from other schools. Besides, the school administration recognises and awards students who have demonstrated strong leadership skills in the school community. According to the principal teachers undergo an orientation process to inform them of the mission and, the objectives, the shared aspirations and goals of the school, the parents and learners and the school programmes in order to enable them adapt to the school system. This is done by the school principle, the respective department and all the teachers. The school has room teachers who are responsible for all the activities and needs of each mixed-age groups. The learners’ workshops are organized through a coordination of the respective subject teacher, the class teacher, the room teachers, the department involved and the school administration headed by the principal. Learners are also involved in deciding the learning activities of the workshops. These workshops are part of mainstream learning activities and therefore do not involve other schools. According to the principal, the teaching and learning structure of the school is unique since it involves the mixed-age groups and therefore can not be integrated with the teaching in the neighbouring schools. School development and school policy According to the school’s principal, the school is more concerned with providing education that meets individual learner’s needs and aspirations. Therefore it is in the process of completing the reference time table to enhance differentiation. According to the principal, the school is also developing a software that would enable it disseminate information to learners. The software would enable the school link its website to the National Library Consortium which is owned by the state. The school also encourages and supports teachers’ innovative programmes for developing better teaching strategies and instructional contents and materials. The school policy, according to Và ­gà ¾Ãƒ ³rsdà ³ttir, is to ensure that each learner is exposed to learning experiences which best meets his or her objectives and aspirations so as to enable the learner complete his or her education as a happy, independent and strong individual. To ensure that this is achieved, the teachers evaluate the outcome of the learners and the feedback from both the parents and the learners. The teacher and the learner sign a study contract and both set the objectives for the outcome of the study contract. They decide the learning content and the instructional materials. At the end of the programme, the teacher and learner evaluate achievement of the objectives. Evaluation of learners involves the teachers and the parents and discusses the progress of each student. Theories of Learning Explaining the Educatio n System at Nordlingaskoli The school uses the cognitive theories of learning and in particular, the social cognitive learning theory as well as the multiple intelligence theory of learning. Multiple intelligence theory of learning argues that learners should be allowed to exploit their strengths. It states that each learner has multiple intelligence levels therefore the learner should be exposed to various learning experiences in order to help the learner develop all the learning forms (Gardner, 2005). Learners are always curious to acquire knowledge by themselves and therefore should be given the opportunity to do so. What the government is doing According to the European Commission, (2009), the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture provides the national curriculum guidelines for all schools. The curriculum provides pedagogical guidelines, instructional organisations and policies to be applied in schools. It also stipulates the guidelines for the organisation of school activi ties as well as the objectives for the respective levels of education. The ministry also develops and distributes instructional materials to compulsory schools for free through its National Centre for Educational Materials and is coordinated by the District School Boards. The District School Boards are also responsible for monitoring the implementation of schooling as well as instruction in the respective municipalities. They also monitor the school curriculum structure and make recommendations to the local government or the principal of the school on improvements that could be made to improve the school’s operations (European Commission. 2009). The government also recognises that the country’s demography is diverse and therefore has included many foreign languages in the curriculum as well as employs teachers from diverse backgrounds. According to Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (2004), the government has increased the parents’ participation by trans ferring the management to the municipals. The national curriculum guidelines require that the schools should enable learners acquire Christian and charity values as well as tolerance to each culture and towards each other. It requires that the education offered should enable learners who are Icelanders acquire cultural consciousness and to respect other nations cultures. Recommendations Given that the parents are given the opportunity to participate forums for discussing their children’s schooling, it is important that those heading each parents association to consider ways in which their objectives could better help each school achieve its objectives. It is also important for schools to help learners develop a common organizational culture that respects all cultures. Finally, the curriculum gives the learners more authority to control their learning process. Teachers and parents should be enabled to have more control over the learning process particularly for the younger age s in the primary level of education. Summary The study discusses the Icelandic education system and in particular the compulsory education. Provision of compulsory education is the responsibility of municipalities while upper secondary and higher education is provided by the state. The municipality monitors the progress of the education system in accordance with the national education guidelines. However, the challenge for provision of education to the Icelandic community is providing an education system which meets the needs of the multicultural society. The study discusses the measures that have been taken by Nordlingaskoli to ensure provision of education that meets the needs of all learners including their objectives and aspirations while at the same time respecting and shaping their cultural backgrounds. The study discusses theories of learning that form the basis of the Icelandic curriculum which are cognitive and social cognitive theories of learning as well as multiple intel ligence theory of learning. The major characteristic of the school is that it uses mixed-age groups in providing learning experiences for learners. Conclusion Education in Iceland has succeeded in providing multicultural education to its citizens. This programme should be recommended for many nations in Europe and other parts of the world still struggling to provide multicultural education to their citizens. However, in adopting this system the particular nation should consider its population. Reference List Banks, J.A., Banks, C. A. M. (2005). Multicultural education: Issues perspectives. New York: John Wiley Sons. Bennett, C. I. (1999). Comprehensive multicultural education. Theory and practice Boston o.fl.: Allyn and Bacon. Gardner, H. (2005). Multiple lenses on the mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. European Commission. (2009). Organisation of the education system in Iceland 2008/09. Armsterdam: EU. Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. (2010). The Educational system in Iceland Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. (2004). The national curriculum guide for compulsory school. Pajares, F., Schunk, D. H. (2001). Self-beliefs and school success: Self-efficacy, self-concept, and school achievement. In R. Riding S. Rayner (Eds.), Self- perception. London: Ablex Publishing. Ragnarsdà ³ttir, H. (2010). Internationally educated teachers and student teachers in Iceland: Two qualitative studies. Helsinki: CJEAP. UNESCO (2008). Inclusive education and schooling in Iceland. Helsinki: International Bureau of Education. Wendy, S. (1994). Anti-bias and conflict resolution curricula: Theory and practice. New York: ERIC Clearinghouse. Wertsch, J.V. (1997). Vygotsky and the formation of the mind. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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Crisis of Low Morale in Nursing Staff

Crisis of Low Morale in Nursing Staff Introduction of Firm This case study describes Los Rayos a medical center that is in a nurse crisis not only for their high turn over rate but for their low morale among its nursing staff. Although the hospital works diligently to provide quality care to its patients it is failing in many areas due to understaffed and overworked nursing staff. Mandated to keep up government regulations, the hospital understands the importance of not compromising quality even though it has had to minimize quantity in staff. The hospital requires nurses to come up with strategies to be implemented to help improve not only working conditions and quality control but patient care and ideas to help increase personal job performance. Over the last eight years the hospital has enforced some of the changes suggested but it finds itself still with the issue of nurses who feel that they are overextending themselves. Nursing staff is still in the position of trying to keep up with the demand of continuous educational conditioning an d development while performing on the job tasks in addition to extra curricular activities. Overview of Firm Competitive Advantage In order to have a firm competitive advantage an organization has to possess something unique that its competition does not have. What makes one different from another? This question is what separates groups and classes and makes one stand out among the rest. At Los Rayos they have qualified staff just not enough of it. Partnering with another major medical facility was a good business move as it can serve the purpose of showing Los Rayos ways it can improve on its functions within the facility. A normal turnover rate for hospitals is at 14% while Los Rayos is at 21%. Changes in an industry can affect bases and balance among it (Porter, 1985). Job satisfaction will make the difference on the advantage another medical facility will gain when nurses are looking upon where they would like to settle for a career. Some nurses will take a salary cut or drive further in order to work within a medical facility that offers them more than an opportunity to use their credentials. As the medical environment is forever changing one thing that may give a hospital a firm competitive advantage would be their values. Having an expectation of learning within the organization lets nursing staff know that they will be encouraged and required to continue to advance in their field and stay current on all resources and advancements in medicine. Having a competitive advantage means that you make it more difficult for competition and shake up the level playing field. According to Michael Porter (1985), if an organization can achieve and maintain differentiation they will be an above average performer in their industry and exceed competition. In order to be successful in this strategy Los Rayos will have to identify attributes and qualities among their nursing staff that are different from their rivals who are the organizations who benefit from their high turnover rate. They need to identify the factors that contribute the turnovers and come up solutions to keep nursing staff from leavi ng and also keep staff happy on the job. Problem statement The problem with Los Rayos medical facility is management does not resourcefully use staff, which leads to a high number in turnovers. The facility is understaffed and overworked and they promoted housekeepers to health techs and provided no skill training leaving nurses to double work as they would need to perform the patient care tasks that the health techs: were promoted to do. The hospital also dropped moral amongst staff as they took away appreciation events such as the employee picnic and Christmas party that gives staff something to look forward to every year. It is highly noted that when employees feel they are appreciated on the job it reflects in their job performance. The hospital reduced its nursing staff to double patients per nurse and increased shifts from 8 hour to 12 hour. This tedious and exhausting work schedule not only creates a hostile work environment as staff are reluctant to go the extra mile or over achieve for patients and colleagues. The hospital requires a lot from its nursing staff and where a raise or an on the job leisure activity would have compensated for the tedious job detail, management has taken those tokens away. Alternative Solutions/Opportunities a.) Create a rewards system to retain staff -there should be a work environment where staff have materials and training to properly perform tasks and should be awarded for productive performance. Evaluations should be done quarterly on staff to review job performance and adhere to what can be done better but also praise what has been done successfully. During this process not only is staff being rewarded for their accomplishments but also they acquire new knowledge and education that helps expand their skill and personal development. i) Build moral in the workplace ii) Cause discord among staff b.) Regular Shifts- Staff has become overwhelmed by the hours they spend on the job. If they had shorter shifts they would have time to reprogram and detox and come back refreshed eliminating turnover and burnouts i.) Gives staff a chance to unwind from a days work and not have to report right back for duty ii) Staff may call out or take more time off with shorter shifts Decision and Support In order to create a work environment that constantly develops nurses skills so that they can efficiently perform job tasks management needs to create a rewards system to help retain staff. Management has to recognize the nurses core commitment is to provide quality care to their patients and they need to help reduce job related stress by ensuring that supporting staff such as health techs are properly trained and skilled in work related duties. Nurses need to feel important, valued, and appreciated by their organization, as they love their job and they just want working conditions to improve. Action Plan Moving to implement the rewards system and shorter shifts for staff should take place immediately to ensure that staff understands management understands their concerns and have worked to rectify their issues. To implement successful changes, management must play an active role in the entire change process. It is the managers responsibility to understand how to address and put the change into action along with properly overseeing resistance from the staff. It is the managers responsibility to understand how to address and put the change into action along with properly overseeing resistance from the staff. Identifying potential risks, anticipating risks, estimating impact of risks, and managing risks successfully are all accomplishments and work towards building moral and retention. Scundra (2016) explained the importance of leaders understanding how to deal with different people and personalities hence the importance of the quarterly evaluations so management can provide feedback to each nurse and staff member personally. Once nursing staff feels compensated for their diligent work they will be eager to preform on the job and happy to work at Los Rayos now and in the future. REFERENCES Drucker,P. (2009). Management Cases.New York, NY. Harper Collins Publisher Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage . Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance , 1-30. Retrieved January 22, 2017. Sacndura, T. A. (2016). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

The Tragedy Of Hamlet, Prince Of Denmark :: essays research papers

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark I. a) Time: Sixteenth Century b) Place: Denmark c) Preliminary situation: King Hamlet, King of Denmark is killed. Hamlet the Prince's uncle,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Claudius, receives the throne and marries Queen Gertrude. II. a) Initial Incident: A ghost appears to Marcellus and another guard who decide to inform Hamlet of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  it's presence. b) Rising Action:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.2 Claudius, the new King, is holding court and thanks his subjects for their support. He then sends an ambassador to Norway to protect from an invasion from Fortinbras, Hamlets second cousin. He gives Laertes permission to return to France but will not allow Hamlet to go to Wittenburg. Hamlet feels alone and is upset that his mother married so shortly after her husband's death. The guards arrive and tell Hamlet about the ghost and Hamlet agrees to join them that night in search of the ghost, his father.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.3 At Polonius's room, Laertes says good-bye to his sister Ophelia and tells her not to trust Hamlet. Polonius arrives and says good-bye Laertes and offers him advice. He then talks to Ophelia about not seeing Hamlet and then orders her stay away from him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.4 Claudius is drinking the night and Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus see the ghost again. The ghost signals to Hamlet to come, but the others try and hold him back. Hamlet struggles free and moves towards the apparition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1.5 The ghost tells Hamlet that he is the spirit of his father and that he was not poisoned, but murdered. He demands that Hamlet avenge his death by murdering the killer, King Claudius. Hamlet promises to get revenge and orders the other to swear they haven't seen anything with the help of the ghost.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.1 Polonius sends his servant, Reynaldo, to Paris to spy and ask about Laertes. Ophelia then enters the room and tells her father that Hamlet was visiting and was completely mad. Polonius believes that Hamlet has gone crazy due to the rejection from Ophelia and rushes off to inform the king.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2.2 King and Queen send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, old school buddies, to spy on Hamlet and determine why he has gone crazy. Polonius tells everyone that Hamlet is crazy because of unreturned love. Claudius isn't quite convinced that Hamlet really is crazy but agrees to help Polonius spy on him. Hamlet, when confronted by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, pretends to be mad so no one will find out about the ghost and what Hamlet knows. Then, a group of touring actors enters the scene and Hamlet makes one of them recite a speech he likes. When finished, Hamlet realizes that the actor read the speech with more

Johnny Depp Film Star

Johnny Depp John Christopher  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Johnny†Ã‚  Depp II  born June 9, 1963, was born in  Owensboro, Kentucky. He was raised in  Florida as the youngest of four children. His mother was Betty Sue Palmer, a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a  civil engineer. The family moved frequently during Depp's childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than 20 different locations, settling in  Miramar, Florida, in 1970. In 1978, Depp's parents divorced when he was fifteen. His mother married, as her second husband, Robert Palmer, whom Depp called â€Å"an inspiration to me†.A year after his parents' divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician. He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. He played with The Kids, a band that gained local success. The Kids set out together for Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing their name to Six Gun Method, but the group split up before signing a record deal. Depp engaged in  self-harm  when he was young, due to the stress of dealing with family problems, which resulted in several self-inflicted scars.In a 1993 interview, he reflected on his self-injury by saying â€Å"My body is a journal in a way. It's like what sailors used to do, where every  tattoo  meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist†. (Johnny Depp Biography 1) On December 24, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band's bass player and singer. During Depp's marriage, his wife worked as a makeup artist, while he worked a variety of odd jobs, including a  telemarketer  for pens.His wife introduced him to actor  Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to pursue an acting career. Depp and his wife divorced in 1985. Both Depp and his subsequent fiance  Sherilyn Fenn  auditioned for the 1986 fil m  Thrashin'  and they were both cast, with Depp being chosen by the film's director to star as the lead, which would have been Depp's second major role. Depp was later turned down by the film's producer, who rejected the director's decision. (Johnny Depp Biography & FAQ) Johnny Depp  is an American actor, film producer, and musician.He has won the  Golden Globe Award  and  Screen Actors Guild  award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series  21 Jump Street, becoming a  teen idol. Unhappy with that status, Depp turned to film for more challenging roles; he played the title character of the acclaimed  Edward Scissorhands  (1990) and later found box office success in films such as  Sleepy Hollow  (1999),   Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  (2005),  Alice in Wonderland  (2010),  Rango  (2011) and the  Pirates of the Caribbean  film series  (2003–present).He has collaborated with director and friend  Tim Burton  in eight films; the most recent being  Dark Shadows  (2012). Depp has gained acclaim for his portrayals of such people as  Ed Wood, in  Ed Wood,  Joseph D. Pistone  in  Donnie Brasco,  Hunter S. Thompson  in  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,  George Jung  in  Blow, and the bank robber  John Dillinger  in  Michael Mann's  Public Enemies. Films featuring Depp have  grossed  over $3. 1  billion at the United States box office and over $7. 6  billion worldwide.He has been nominated for top awards many times, winning the Best Actor Awards from the  Golden Globes  for  Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street  and from the  Screen Actors Guild  for  Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He also has garnered a  sex symbol  status in American cinema, being twice named as the â€Å"Sexiest Man Alive† by  People  magazine  in 2003 and 2009. He has been listed in the 2012  Guinness Book of World Records  as the highest paid actor with $75 million. Johnny Depp Biography 2) Other notable random trivial facts I found about Johnny Depp on IMDB. com include Johnny in 1994, Depp was arrested and questioned by police for allegedly causing serious damage to a New York City hotel suite, he was arrested again in 1999 for brawling with paparazzi  outside a restaurant while dining in London. He adopted Goldeneye, the one-eyed Andalusian horse who played Gunpowder, Ichabod Crane's steed in  Sleepy Hollow  (1999), thereby saving him from the glue factory.Johnny has residences in multiple places including France, Los Angeles, and an island he owns in the Bahamas. He divides his time in France between Meudon, a suburb of Paris and a villa in Plan-de-la-Tour, an hour outside of St Tropez in Southern France. On November 19, 1999 Johnny received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a child, he was allergic to chocolate. He is the only actor to be nominated for the Oscar i n the Lead Actor category in a Disney film (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl  (2003)).Johnny is often found citing Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl  (2003)) and  Edward Scissorhands  (1990) as the favorite characters that he has played. He is a godfather of  Tim Burton  son Billy Ray Burton. A few things that Johnny is scared of are clowns, spiders, and ghosts. He turned down the role of Bruce Banner in  Hulk  in 2003. Johnny Depp is the only actor to appear in 3 of the 10 films to gross $1 billion with  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest  (2006),  Alice in Wonderland (2010) and  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides  (2011). IMDb) A complete filmogophry would be Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Private Resort (1985), Slow Burn (1986), Platoon (1986), Cry-Baby (1990), Edwards Scissorhands (1990), Freddy’s Dead:The Final Nightmare (1991), Benny ; Joon (1993), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Arizona Dream (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Dead Man (1995), Nick of Time (1995), Cannes Man (1996), Donnie Brasco (1997), The Brave (1997), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), L. A.Without a Map (1998), The Ninth Gate (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999), The astronaut’s Wife (1999), Chocolat (2000), Before Night Falls (2000), Blow (2001), The Man Who Cried (2001), From Hell (2001), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Happily Ever After (2004), Secret Window (2004), Finding Neverland (2004), The Libertine (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) Corpse Bride (2005), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Public Enemies (2009), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Tourist (2010), Rango (2011), Pirate s of the Caribbean: On Stanger Tides (2011), The Rum Diary (2011), Jack and Jill (2011), 21 Jump Street (2012), Dark Shadows (2012) , The Lone Ranger (2013), Transcendence (2014), Pirates of the Caribbean (2015). (IMDb) Sources: â€Å"Johnny Depp Biography 1. †Ã‚  Bio. com. A;E Networks Television, n. d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Johnny Depp Biography 2. †Ã‚  Johnny Depp. Bio, n. d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Johnny Depp Biography & FAQ. †Ã‚  Johnny Depp Biography ; FAQ. N. p. , 27 July 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2013.

Television An Effective Job Of Depicting Real World...

Television has always been a big influence in American everyday life. From there being shows about doctors, military, or even policemen. However, not everything in these shows is a very accurate portrayal of the real world. On the other hand, some of the things are real or based on something off the real world. Shows like â€Å"First 48,† â€Å"COPS,† and the movie â€Å"End of Watch† show the audience a glimpse at what real detective work might be like. My father works for Homeland Security; which would make him a direct source of how the real world is. I believe that â€Å"First 48,† â€Å"COPS,† and â€Å"End of Watch† do an effective job of depicting real world detective/ police work. This is important because television influences many of the decisions we make in our lives. â€Å"First 48† is a show that deals with detectives that are called to crime scenes. The show documents the first hours of homicides in different cities. The ir job is to evaluate the scene; look for any clues that may be of help. This is a very important step in solving murders. They have to be on the lookout for foot prints, bullet casings, and many other things that could help solve a crime. Although the show isn’t always accurate, it catches the essence of what criminal scene investigators actual do. â€Å"First 48† depicts the parts that would intrigue an audience, rather than have the audience watch the long process of what really happens. Another show that exemplifies police work in the real world would be the show â€Å"COPS.† TheShow MoreRelatedWitness by Peter Weir Notes12043 Words   |  49 PagesIntroduction: * Engage in a detailed analysis of a text * Understanding of how the ideas, forms and language of a text interact within the text and may affect those responding to it. * Students will need an understanding of film techniques and of the police drama genre. 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