Monday, January 27, 2020

The Business Objectives Of New Technologies Information Technology Essay

The Business Objectives Of New Technologies Information Technology Essay Prior to think about starting new business or implementing new technology to the business, one must think about the Objectives what they are expecting from it and objectives are based on planning. Therefore, plan is the most important part and if plan does not figure out the outcomes, this would mean that the plan made is vain. So planning should be made under consideration that whatever objectives we are going to calculate from the business, plan should stipulate end results and its associated activities to achieve that results. Objective may be set under the consideration of increase in monthly sale, profit or decrease in cost, operating expenses, check and balance on cash flows, debts, investments etc or non financial objectives such as customer satisfaction and whatsoever to give the positive edge to the business in the competitive environment. However, the selected topic would highlight the introduction of a new technology in an organisation in achieving its business objectives in following discussion. 1. Introduction Lots of executives nowadays are more sentient about the strategic weight of technology in terms of providing the value and cut-throat edge to their companies in fast pacing business arena. Such kind of needs turn into more crucial issues when we talk about their practical implications in any business as it comprises not only cost and complexity but also increase in the rate of technology change, sources and competition. This may sound uncomplicated in terms of designing it on papers, however putting it prudently into practice is not simple, as it requires valuable processes, management of technology and system to make sure that these technological resources are matched with the business needs, not only to cope with current demand but for the future needs of the business as well. Hence, no matter what technology is planned to introduce in the business, but it must considered that it assists the business processes such as communication and its implementation must be aligned with business strategy and development. 1.1 Technology And Its Appendage To Business We can define technology in many ways and the abstracts from the various definitions highlight different aspects that epitomize technology and this can be deemed as a precise type of knowledge however this may also be in material form in a shape of physical object, e.g. it can be a machine, system, module or product. Moreover, when we talk about important elements of technology then we come across with the sense that these elements distinguish technology from ordinary understanding to precise understanding of the company, as technology comprises with engineering and science. And the procedures which work effectively for its functions are also very important, for instance organisations structures and software applications / tools together with innovative procedures and advancement of new product etc. Obtaining awareness about the technology and accommodating it for its effective use is crucial, as technical know-how of any technology consists of both overt and unspoken knowledge. Where, overt know-how can be explained whether in a form of report, process or user manual, together with the physical equipment. However, unspoken technological knowledge can not be easily expressed and depends on training and understanding of work such as obtaining different skills according to the need of work. Equally like technology, we can portrait technology appendage to business in a way that it concentrates on the effectual recognition, selection, getting hold of development, utilization and shielding of technology needed to uphold a market place and business recital in conformity with companys objectives. So technology appendage to business can demonstrate as ascertaining and upholding the link between resources and objectives of the company and this requires suitable processes and tools sustai n by effective management and communication. 1.2 Management of Technology Once technology introduces to the business the next phase comes in the shape of its management which elucidate the demanding processes to build up an incessant relationship between product and services that it can produce desired results while serving to the target market. In this way it becomes easy for it to put together all technological issues arise during the business processes, including innovation, operation management, strategy development and new product development and ultimately the extraction of those issues with best solutions. Excellent management of technology requires the strong link of knowledge and communication among the technological and commercial perspectives in the organization and this would help to accomplish a balance between technology push and market pull. Thus, it does not only depend alone on either internal or external factors but equally on both factors such as business objectives, inside culture of the company and dynamics of the market. Following figure shows how technology can support to both product and services to achieve its best and cost efficient results while simultaneously focusing on business strategy and available market opportunities. Key Challenges As challenges are associated with all of the businesses, fields, professions, processes, etc similarly there are various challenges attached with the introduction of new technology to the business few of the vital challenges are as follows: Comprehensible Business Need The first challenge prior to decide the introduction of new technology to the business is Need and this must be taken into account with high consideration as cost of implementing new technology must not exceed the benefits originate from it. Otherwise lack of clear business need may affect worst to the business position and ultimately may put business out from the market. 1.3.2 Valuable Business Processes Once its decided that there is a genuine need of the new technology in the business and competitive advantage would be driven into the business, then there is a need to think about how to develop valuable business processes which would align all internal and external factors with the business strategy to achieve its objectives and it must not overload from limited or short term tasks only. Organisation Culture Culture of any organisation is vital for its success so new technology must be supportive to its culture and should participate in the effective progress of making culture stronger than the ongoing culture and definitely it should not impede the ongoing progress otherwise the introduction of new technology would be costly rather than beneficial to the company. 1.3.3 Right People and Functions There is also a need to ensure that right people and functions must be aligned with new technology as it all depends on the knowledge and skills so if the right persons are not put in place to exercise it or in the process of making functions to obtain competitive outcomes then the best use of new technology may concealed forever from the companys desired results. 1.3.4 Obligation from Senior Management Obligation from senior management is required for this introduction as they are in command to decide and use of the technology. As they are working for the best interest of the shareholders so every decision from them must be transparent and they are accountable and responsible for their actions towards the companys progress. Lack of commitment in this regard may affect worst on the decision of introduction of new technology. 1.3.5 Required Data / Information Availability of required data / information is essential that could support the companys decision for the introduction of new technology. Because this would help the management to decide whether these is a need for the new technology in the business or they can make outsource arrangements for the required processes without this data / information company may play blind ultimately associated cost would turn their profit into loss. Effective Tools / Techniques Effective tool, techniques and methods must be analysed which would be associated to the new technology as these should not either play a difficult or negative role in the companys ongoing processes. Consequently, these would leave destructive impact on the operations and company may face solvency or loss due to the introduction of new technology. Effectual Training and Monitoring Training must be provided to all of the staff members involved in the processes affected by the introduction of new technology as without the proper training they may face difficulty to use or bypass cost effective processes and finally monitoring is vital for the sake of observing the desired benefit calculated prior to the introduction. If company achieves its objectives then its beneficial and would give competitive advantage and if not then company always move with the contingency plan to depart from the use of new technology or processes. 2. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) New Technology By Tesco Tesco is trying to develop the idea of introducing new technology Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) from last 5 years with a perspective to align it with its business strategy. 2.1 How It Works This technology has an ability to track and tag items, on the other hand its implication is enormous. For instance, the movement of stock can be tracked and in transit products can be easily monitored, so inventory of all items can be examined at any time. 2.2 Enhanced Customer Availability With the help of stock tracking in real time and ability to record it automatically, this technology will help the staff members to re-shelve the items on time. Eventually, it will be the reason for enhanced customer availability to the stores. 2.3 Reduced Pricing Through this technology control over the waste in store, effective supply chain management and better stock levels would help Tesco to reduce the products prices to obtain competitive advantage. In simple words products would be ordered in controlled manner such as Just In Time delivery before the stock ends and eventually minimum waste of it in store. 2.4 Enhanced Customer Services Due to control over all other aspects such as enhanced products availability, the staff would be able to provide excellent and focused customer services. As, they would get awareness of stocks in seconds of time whether items are available or not together with tracking the misplaced items and putting them back to their places. 2.5 Automated Re-order As, this technology keeps record of all items available in stores, in transit, misplaced in the store and control over the wastage of inventory. So, it would be possible to reorder items automatically based on the contact of minimum level of stocks of each item. 2.6 Implementation Issues Tesco is still working on this project to implement it in its stores but there are many issues left and need appropriate intention and secure programming. The main barrier around its implementation is the requirement of huge cost and without cost / benefit analysis Tesco is not ready to implement / test it in any of its stores. But it is expected that it will introduce in 2010. The other main issue which has to consider carefully that this technology has a potential of spy and this issue has already risen by Civil Rights activists. Also there is apprehension about the manipulation of data in terms of changing in the product price by customers. For instance, PDA (hand held device) may edit the tag of one item with the price of another. 2.7 Conclusion The idea behind introducing the new technology is that whether it endows positive and efficient results to what is currently in use by the company or not. So, the thing is company has to decide that whether they need to upgrade the existing technology already in use or introduce the new technology to achieve business objectives while taking advantage of the more profit, competitive edge / enhancement of operational activities or if they can push the business activities forward without introduction of new technology. Also company must take its vision in account and must ensure that this new technology is heading towards the same direction and has ability to dominate the future approach of performing a task in the companys favour or will it become obsolete after a little time (companys loss in terms of functional cost) or complex in use that customers will lean while using it at the time to buy a product (damage of image). Apart from the criticism about spy and other associated issues, Tesco knows that introduction of new technology has other short terms issues as well such as re-organising, re-training of staff, educating customers how to use it etc. Moreover, the cost / benefit analysis are left behind and has to analysed before the implication of this new technology. This is fair to say while concluding from the introduction of new technologys analysis that business would not obtain benefits if it is same alike so. And if without introducing new technology a business is already standing on the top of competitive environment then there is no need to introduce new technology to the business but hold the card to put off when any of the competitors changes its approach to come forward in the competitive business arena. 3. Approaches Of Introduction Of New Technology Once I read the available list for The Oxford Brookes University  Research and Analysis Project (RAP) by ACCA, I decided to write on How the introduction of a new technology can assist an organisation in achieving its business objectives and for this purpose I selected Tesco RFID to refer it with the different available approaches. Following are various approaches / levels / stages etc that every company may consider while functioning about the introduction of new technology to achieve their business objectives: 3.1 Planning Of Product / Technology This is the very common type towards the introduction of new technology in the business and it covers the entire processes that a company may come across with right from its start to its end. This stage helps the company to insert technology in their running system and contrived products. Tesco RFID prior to its development was taken into account with a consideration of individual customers understandings and needs. The idea was based on customers shopping experience and wastage of stock in the stores. So they planned to introduce a new technology that regulates with the current operational activities and this process can be seen in the following figure which shows the timely introduction and connection of products-technologies relationship on planning stage. 3.2 Capabilities Of New Technology After the planning stage, the next step companies consider for the introduction of new technology in their businesses is analysing the capabilities to handle the current operations of the organisation by new technology that it should enhance the performance of the ongoing processes and should not become the reason of either making it difficult to handle or making the current operations more complex than their existing way. Same as in the case of RFID, Tesco reviewed its existing operations and analysed that with the help of capabilities of new technology together with the management serving the customers by giving individual attention, the implementation of RFID would be very effective. The technology captured positive perception but still issues are associated with it and Tesco is working hard to resolve these issues. Tesco management knows that it would give them cost reduction benefit by controlling over the wastage of stock but the implementation is still delayed due to the high initial cost requirement and other issues. But, it seems like Tesco management is sure about technologys capabilities and exceptional services by staff members so they know that it would help Tesco to understand that how much investment is required to implement it properly and ultimately this would become a rationale in increased business activities plus profit. Following figure shows the interrelationship between all activities behind the introduction of new technology in the business to achieve its objectives. 3.3 Strategic Approach It is very important to keep in mind about the future vision of any introduction of new technology in the business as it comprises on the all vital aspects of the business environment including market, product, skills, technology etc. So prior to deciding for the new technology, companies should made the vision that what they are expecting from this new project that it should stroll along with all vital aspects of the business without having conflict with any of it. The same way, Tesco realised that they can save much of the costs they are wasting in a way of stock wastage and made vision that this RFID would produce excellent results in terms of increase in sales and reduction in costs including management cost and more important is that it is aligned with its operations and future vision. Following figure shows the how the strategic approach works for the business even to fill out the gap which turns up due to the comparison of current position with the future vision. 3.4 Information System Information system is vital part of every successful project and especially when thinking about to introduce new technology to the business. All of the projects essences up to its success are based on the right information on timely basis. If wrong information driven on the initial stage would mean the wrong decision for the future and ultimately it would drive company towards cost and loss of business. Tesco for instance, when initially took step for introducing the RFID they came across from many experiments in the shape of surveys and observing customers behaviour and they collected right information from its various outlets to make decision about introducing new technology. So, we can see from the following figure that right information on right time in the process of technology development provides the dominant outcome (e.g. nugget in the fig) leads to cost effective edge in the companys operations. 3.5 Asset and Management Knowledge On the basis of aligning available management and asset knowledge companies can portray the future demands. Asset knowledge relates to the processes on which management takes decision about the projects and their needs including introduction of new technology and this is the stage where management takes business objectives very carefully in to account. As Tesco on the basis of its knowledge and management skills enabled it to take a decision about to introduce RFID. With the help of following figure we can analyse that how all aspects of introduction of new technology in business such as assets, knowledge and management help to align all the processes while focusing on the eventual end of achieving business objectives. 4. Issues With Introduction Of New Technology Similar to all projects, there are various issues attached with the introduction to new technology and these issues must take into account very sensibly to achieve the desire business objectives. However the most import issue is Software, as almost all of the technologies are dependent on software that enables its effective use so companies must consider the following main issues related to software: Software should define all aspects of the business processes without any conflict with inter-related activities from enabling data, sharing information, to all templates and protocols. Software should enable management to retrieve data for decision making, analysing situations, and managing the complexities in the systems etc. Software must provide the critical paths of the activities along with available activities which can start parallel to the critical paths to save time and cost and eventually helping management to make timely decisions. Software must have ability to uphold market information, product-market analysis, option evaluations, assessment of technology up gradation etc. Software should have ability to customise it on timely basis according to the requirement to obtain utmost results from the technology. Software should have ability for integration of methods, processes and information. Software must have ability to facilitate the business processes from importing and exporting data simultaneously connecting with other management and business information systems. Software interface must be user friendly with ability to grow with company, this would mean that it must have ability to support multi-users as data would input from various locations and types. Must consider that only software alone may not produce good results as its role is just to support business activities and it depends on the management that how they utilise the best from the information generated from the software. 5. Pros and Cons Of Introduction Of New Technology Like every object new technology introduction also has pros and cons to the business as the logic behind the introduction of new technology is that businesses want to make their activities and processes more efficient as compare to their current available needs. 5.1 Advantages of Introduction of New Technology Following are the advantages of the new technology in business: 5.1.1 Cost Efficient The first and main advantage behind the decision of introduction of new technology is cost saving. 5.1.2 Productivity Increased productivity in terms of production, planning and efficiency is also one of the advantages associated with introduction of new technology to the business. 5.1.3 Reduction in Workforce Automated activities help companies to reduce the workforce eventually this would help as a source of cost saving. 5.1.4 Profitability As efficiency increased it reduces the cost so introduction of new technology to the new business allows work to be done more quickly which would mean more fluency of cash inflows to the business. 5.1.5 Employees Motivation Once company achieved its business objectives from the introduction of new technology this would means business is making profit. So, companies may think about remuneration increment or bonuses to their employees to increase their motivation level. 5.1.6 Effective Communication and Decision Making Introduction of new technology may help companies to communicate effectively with their long distance businesses point of sales and thus it would be easy for them to make decision according to the requirement of a particular area. 5.1.7 Competitive Advantage Companies always decide to introduce new technology with keeping competitive advantages in their mind. It could be offering products on low prices without lowing standard of products. 5.2 Disadvantages of Introduction of New Technology Following are the disadvantages of the new technology in business: 5.2.1 Management Main disadvantage is the introduction of new technology to the business might be difficult to manage. So with high consideration of genuine need must take in to account. 5.2.2 Skills New technology if internal, the company may require to arrange appropriate training for its employees or if external (for customer use) then may not be user friendly and thus beyond the range of use from large number of customers and this would generate loss in return. 5.2.3 Maintenance The maintenance and up gradation of technology to keep it effective may incur more cost than its benefits. 5.2.4 Other Costs Other costs may be in terms of redundancy pay to the staff due to the introduction of new technology and purchasing it for the entire branches of business. 5.2.5 Time Factor Introduction of new technology may obsolete more quicker than the time company calculated to obtain benefits from it. 5.2.6 Integration Introduction of new technology may not integrate with all of the business processes or may bypass various activities which may be important to take into account for the effective outcome. 5.2.7 Substitute Substitute of the technology may be more efficient of cheaper than the technology company is going to arrange for its business activities. This would mean inefficient and costly decision by management without making proper research. 6. Conclusion From all of the above discussion we can abstract that introduction of new technology (if genuinely required by the company) has great potential to support the development and implement of business activities, align with strategy of the company while endowing a company with the effective information, processes and tool to obtain positive outcomes. The following features of introduction of new technology have identified: A lot of benefits of new technology are taken from the business processes and these processes brings together personnel from various divisions of the business endowing them chance to share effective information and their perspectives towards the development of new technology. The obvious advantage to develop and introduce the new technology is based on the effective communication which is associated with business processes and eventually with the strategic planning. The new technology development may have potential for supporting business planning and strategy to achieve the business objectives sketched by businesss vision. New technology introduction is not a black box approach that it would use as a learning experience or flexible approach that it would base on specific circumstances. Introduction of new technology should articulate in graphical form as it is the most effectual means which maintain communication across useful boundaries prior to the development of processes under new technology. New technology must integrate with technology already in use, products development, business processes and commercial activities by the company. New technology should overtly describe the time measurement which is significant for certifying that all business related activities are synchronised effectively. Introduction of new technology must focus on long term vision of the company as the initial investment for the development, implementation, and training about new technology costs as a huge expense to the company. Software plays an important role in every application in the technology. It may alone can not deliver the best results unless it is made as user friendly and integrated with all other related aspects of the business Finally a key benefit of introduction of new technology is sharing of knowledge among all the personnel even if around the globe and the development of strong and common vision where company is heading. 7. Recommendations After working about the implementation of RFID by Tesco and attached issues to this project following are few recommendations for its growth: YE ABHI CHANGE KERNI HEIN Establish Technology Management Practices Create IT Management Team ORG does not have a formal technology management team. Given the size of ORGs computing environment, CompuMentor recommends ORG develop an Information Technology Management Team. This team will drive the overall direction of technology and information systems. We have found this to be the most sustainable and cost effective way to manage the technology projects and systems that ORG will be developing. This team can be comprised of existing staff through a reallocation of their time depending the existing staff skill set, interest and budget considerations. Benefits Allows all staff to begin discussing needs, ideas and directions for technology. Provides a realistic technology budget that takes into account the organizations technology plans. Becomes a focal point for future technology planning, and specific technology projects such as web site construction or database planning. The diverse membership of the tech team can help ensure that such policy is useful for all members of an organization. Recommendation ORG should develop an Information Technology Management Team pooled from its existing staff. The team works to set technical priorities, assist in decisions in technology plan implementation and advocates for technology in the budgeting process. The team is made up of a representative cross-section of the organization. This will be increasingly important as ORGs technological capacity grows and the needs of its users become more diverse. The tech team ensures continuity for planning that outlasts the tenure of any one individual. The tech team should ensure that members also share training opportunities. Document Policies Procedures In order to most productively manage the technology usage at ORG it is important for the organization to document common computer procedures and computer usage policies and to train staff members on these policies and procedures. Recommendation The series of training materials that Miriam has produced should be finalized and deployed to all ORG staff members. Computer usage policies should be drafted and posted at each location. Improve Network Server and File Security. ORG should standardize and improve its network security. The mix of local vs. server accounts and the lack of standards for file organization and file sharing not only requires more overall administration; but also puts ORGs data at risk from loss, theft, or access to private files by individuals who should normally be denied access. Recommendation In order to provide a consistent model among all of its offices ORG should follow a standard set of guidelines for storing and sharing files. Additionally, all user accounts should be centralized on the servers at each location. A consistent file storage and sharing model will help users across the organization to know where to put files so that they are secure and confidential. Considerations This recommendation should be considered when planning to replace the network server at the unified Peabody/Whitehall office as many of the tasks below could be most quickly performed on a new server. Evaluate need for regular systems administration. Due to the size of ORGs organization, it should consider how much time is spent administering various systems and resolving day-to-day user problems. ORG presently has a person at each location designated as the defacto administrator. This role is in addition to their regular mission oriented duties. Recommendation ORG should track its daily user related issues and the amount of time it takes to resolve them over a period of time (30-60 days). Evaluate the time requirement to resolve such issues in order to identify if further scheduled support service or a full-time administrator is required to free up the time of the present administrators and to provide better service to staff members. Establish a formal technology budget. ORG pr

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Definition of Success :: Definition Essays

The Definition of Success 'One has achieved success who has lived well and laughed often.'; This quote seems to sum up what is meant by success. If you are able to laugh often and much then you have definitely achieved happiness. The idea of living well, though, is a very broad statement. In order, then, to define success in relation to this statement, we must first define what it means to live well. There are three levels of success, in my opinion: societal success, personal success, and academic or professional success. If someone can achieve all of these three levels of success, they are someone who has lived well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Societal success is something that is attained by aspiring to reach your own goals and dreams in cohorts with the goals that society has for us. Societal success also has a lot to do with the natural tendencies we as humans posses. The typical societal goals that we would naturally have for ourselves would be to meet someone, fall in love and get married. We are also apt to identify having good friends with having achieved socially. We have achieved societal success, typically, if we have met the right person, lived happily, started a family and raised our children well. A part of societal success is also to learn to treat people well; to practice the 'golden rule.'; We need to fill these goals that society has for us and attempt to achieve societal success in order to fill our need to belong to society and fit in as an every day, functioning member of society. We also realize the personal goals and dreams that we set for ourselves in this pursuit of conformity. A chieving this civic success, as you might call it, is only a small part of our venture to living well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Personal success is also a big part of living well. 'There is only one success . . . to be able to spend your life in your own way, and not to give others absurd maddening claims upon it.'; This quote by Christopher Morley describes what is really meant by personal success. Personal success has to do with being happy. One can only be truly happy if they are happy and secure with themselves. Personal success is about being yourself and not being afraid to do so. It is about not letting others dictate your life or make you feel that you have to change who you are.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

HIPAA And How It Effects Nursing Care Essay

In order to explain how the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act are affecting nursing care today, the act itself must be defined. HIPAA is one of the most important acts that have been passed to protect patients’ privacy and give them security. HIPAA privacy standards include some of the most restrictive guidelines in regards to accessing identifiable health information and disclosures. The guidelines were set into place to protect the patient from having their information disclosed verbally, written or by electronic transfer (Pozgar, 2012). The Privacy rule is clearly defined as â€Å"HIPAA†, which ensures the privacy and protection of all health information. Before HIPAA many states had their own standards and guidelines for healthcare privacy and practice (ANA, 2014). HIPAA has given us unison and uniformity as a healthcare nation, not just a state. The standards and guidelines protecting the privacy of an individual’s health information were issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HIPAA 101, 2014). The privacy rule, does allow the use of healthcare information to promote the best quality of health care. The rule also protects the confidentiality of the patient. HIPAA also affects the patient’s own access to their medical records. The individual is often asked to sign an authorization request form upon admission. The form consists or should include a description of the information that is going to be used or disclosed to other authorized individuals in a detailed manner. The client should also be given the names of the individual that will have access to their identifiable information. The patient must also be made aware of the fact that he or she has the right to revoke the authorization request at any  time. HIPAA regulations also require that codes be set into place for encoding vital records such as, medical terms and procedure codes (HIPAA 101, 2014). As a nurse working in a hospital setting, I am aware of the requirements to give patients clear, insightful, written information concerning their Patient Rights and the disclosures of their personal information. Patients are asked to sign a permission form giving us permission to share their information with other healthcare workers. The patient’s information is only allowed to be shared with the healthcare providers that have an active role in the client’s care. For example, if a healthcare provider discloses any information about a patient with another person or coworker that has not been authorized by the patient, it is a violation of HIPAA. The Patient’s Bill of Rights was created by the American Hospital Association in 1973. It was developed to ensure that good viable communication occurs between the patient and the healthcare provider. The Bill of Rights entitles the patient to the right to be involved in every decision about his or her plan of care prior to any treatments and throughout the treatment process. If the patient is competent and has no mental incapacities at their own accord they can refuse treatment at any time. All patients are to be informed of all of their diagnoses, treatments, and the consequences of those treatments. The Patient’s Bill of Rights also gives patients the right to be informed about advance directives. (Pozgar, 2012). There are two common types of advance directives, a living will or a dual power of attorney. A living will provides outlines about medical treatments. It will have details about the patient’s wishes or their refusal of a treatment if they become incapacitated. A dual power of attorney for healthcare designates a person or persons appointed by the client to make healthcare decisions if and when the client is unable to. Advance directives are used to provide guidance to nurses and other members of the healthcare team. A copy of the advance directive must be placed in the client’s medical chart. The physician is notified of the advance directive so that his or her written orders do not coincide with the client’s wishes. When disclosing patient information it should be done in a private location away from other staff members and patients. The only time that information about a patient may not be kept confidential. Is when the cases involve abuse or a public health hazard (Hogan, 2012). Violating the HIPAA guidelines and rules  can Intel extensive consequen ces, for the healthcare provider, nurse, and the healthcare facility. The consequences may include termination, suspension, law suits, and huge fines for hospital and employee (ANA, 2014). The most resourceful and reliable information can be given by the client or a family member. In order for the most accurate information to be retrieved there must be trust and respect between the healthcare provider and the patient. Violating HIPAA and its codes could damage or destroy the trust between physicians or nurses and the client. If the patient does not provide the physician or nurse with the concise and accurate information about their past and present health, the outcome could be detrimental for the hospital and the patient. For example, if a patient has to have surgery and the anesthesiologist is using demoral to sedate the client. The client fails to tell the doctor that he or she is allergic to demoral. The patient experiences anaphylactic shock which is a severe allergic reaction that can cut off the airway completely. Recovery for the patient may or may not be feasible. Good communication between the client and the healthcare providers is needed to sustain life and to save lives. Clients need the security that goes along with HIPAA. They need to feel secure in the fact that whatever they tell their healthcare provider is secure and confidential. An incident occurred one day as I was working in the emergency room area. A patient came in suffering from severe chest pains and I was designated to interview the client and retrieve vital information. All of the routine questions were asked and answered. The last and final question that I approached the client with was his current intake of medication preferably Viagra. I remember him giving me this look as if he did not understand the words that had just escaped my mouth. Taking into consideration that his spouse was present and that she may not be aware of his enhancement drug, she was directed to the lounge for coffee. I asked the client once again â€Å"Mr. J have you or are you currently taking Viagra†. He answered â€Å"No I am only 45 I have no need for Viagra†. My nursing instincts kicked in and his aggressive answers and body language made me feel as if he was not being completely honest with me. At that moment I decided to explain my reasoning for this line of questioning and the importance of the situation. I informed Mr. J that he was being administered Nitroglycerin to help with his angina. Angina is chest pain. Nitroglycerin and Viagra when  given together can be a deadly combination because they both contain Nitro which dilates your blood vessels. When combined together these two medications can lower your blood pressure to the point that death may occur. I know what you are thinking what an awful thing to say, but for some patients the truth in a upfront and nondisclosure way works best. Mr. J admitted to using Viagra and precautions were taking to sustain his life. Within 48 hours he was released from the hospital. This scenario was meant to show the importance of patient and healthcare provider information. It is very important that a rapport is made between the client and you. I think that violating HIPAA cripples our chance of building and maintaining a bond with the patients. Another example of a way that HIPAA can be violated is disclosing information to neighbors and friend that have not been authorized. Home Healthcare workers are faced with this dilemma frequently. This scenario refers to a nurse that visits her client twice a week. The client has taken ill and is unable to venture out into her yard to work in her garden. The neighbors become worried because Mrs. X is known for being in her garden daily. One day as the nurse was leaving Mrs. X house she is approached by her neighbor Mrs. B. Mrs. B asked â€Å"how is Mrs. X doing these days?’ The best response by the nurse would be not to disclose any of Mrs. X information although Mrs. B is just being a concerned neighbor. The n urse replied â€Å"disclosing any information about Mrs. X is a violation of HIPAA and for that reason I am not inclined to answer your question†. HIPAA has strict guidelines that we are to follow even when we are out of the hospital setting. .Healthcare workers have always had some sort of privacy guidelines in place to protect the patient’s privacy. Nurses have always and still are front runners when it comes to maintaining HIPAA and its guidelines. The American Nursing Association has a Code of Ethics that contain statements and requirements that instruct nurses to keep patients information private. Hospitals have implemented different strategies and techniques to ensure that HIPAA is not being violated. In the facility where I work there are strict rules and regulations about disclosing patient information over the phone. The Golden Rule is do not do it. The reason behind this rule is because you never really know who is on the other end of the line. Disclosing health information in this manner can certainly be in violation of HIPAA. Almost all of the charting that nurses do is done on a  computerized system. We must sign in and out each time with our assigned user ID and passcode. It is recommended that the password that we choose is difficult to figure out and to change the passcode often. Nurses should never give or share their passcodes with other coworkers. Hospitals are constantly developing ways to increase their security to ensure that a patient’s medical record is deemed private and remain private. Encryption technology and software is a great place to start. Computers and laptops, over the years have disappeared from different hospitals. These computers often contain vital patient records. Encryption will allow the hospitals IT management team to ease the minds of concerned individuals by acknowledging that their information is encrypted and not easily accessible. Some hospitals purchase self-encrypted hard drives because they have been known to provide stronger protection (Fields, 2012). The patient’s chart and any other paperwork that contain their personal infor mation is always place faced down so that it is not viewable by individuals passing by. Another security measure to protect patient privacy is the names on the room door that is no longer permissible. Nurses are required to use two patient identifiers to ensure that the right patient is given the correct medication and before any procedures are done (Hogan, 2012). If a family member or an unknown individual calls the front desk and asks â€Å"is Jim Jones in the hospital and what room is he in†. Nurses are inclined to respond by saying â€Å"we do not have a Jim Jones. I know it sounds like a little white lie to most, but our first priority is always to our patients. Later, that same individual can call back and say can you connect me to Mr. Jim Jones in room 204 and they will be connected. HIPAA has strict guidelines and as healthcare providers we are required to follow at all times. Nurses are on the frontline when it comes to patient care and privacy. Nurses are advocates for their patients and act and speak for them when they are unable to (Pozgar, 2012). Nurses work with patients and their families every hour of every day. Nurses knowledge and understanding of HIPAA is important not only for the patient, but for the facilities that we are working in. To violate HIPAA and its guidelines is to violate our ethics and our patient’s moral beliefs and trust that they have bestowed upon us. HIPAA is more about nurses and other healthcare providers changing the way they think and act in reference to patients’ privacy and security. Some may think that improving  technology and upgrading their computer software is the ultimate game changer. I believe as nurses, we have a duty to self, job, and patient. Nurses must become innovative when it comes to discussing a patient’s personal health information. The facility that you currently work in are probably not willing or able to sound proof every room. Therefore, maybe changing the way we speak or the tone of our voice when discussing sensitive identifiable patient information. It is important to never discuss a client’s health information in a hallway, stairwell, elevator, or outside the facility. When possible try to find a secluded area or room and close the door. These are small and simple adjustments that can make a big impact. Being mindful of the environment that you work in is necessary in order to plan and establish privacy measures for the clients. HIPAA is not in place to define nursing care, but to enhance patient care and trust, to encourage nurses and other healthcare workers to make an effort, to take the initiative, to preserve privacy and integrity of the patients that we serve. Work Cited Fields, Rachel. (2012, November, 9) â€Å"Protecting Patient Data to Protect Your Hospital retrieved February 12, 2014 from http://www.beckershospitalreview.com â€Å"HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act† (2014) AMA.assn.org. Retrieved February 22, 2014 from http://www.ama.assn.org â€Å"HIPAA: Privacy Rule and Compliance (2014, February, 26) hipaa101.com Retrieved February 12, 2014 from http://www.hipaa101.com Hogan, Maryann. (2012) Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX- RN (2nd Edition pp, 25 & 272-274) Pearson Education Inc. Pozgar, D. George. (2012) Legal Aspects of Healthcare Administration (11th edition pp,282-284 and 336-343) Jones & Bartlett Learning

Friday, January 3, 2020

Different Jobs A Medical Assistant - 928 Words

There are three different jobs a medical assistant may choose from. They are: Administrative Medical Assistant, Specialized Medical Assistant, and Clinical Medical Assistant. An Administrative Medical Assistant is medical assistants who mostly perform administrative tasks such as assisting patients with filling out insurance forms, managing patient records, making appointments, answering phones, maintaining the front desk and reception areas, and performing general accounting and billing. When it comes to Specialized Medical Assistant it all depends on their job setting and they perform specialized clinical tasks. Last but not least, Clinical Medical Assistant focuses on patient care such as recording vital signs when interacting with patients, administering medications under direction of a supervising physician, conducting assignments, and performing other clinical tasks. There are different steps that could be taken to become a Medical Assistant. You could either receive a certificate or an Associates. Associate just takes more training and or school time then the other. A certificate in Medical Assisting takes about 9 to 12 months long, while an Associate’s degree takes about 24 months long. When choosing the program its best to weigh out your options. For example the Medical assisting certificate program generally takes about one year in length or less. Medical Assistant salaries vary, depending on your location, your specialization, and as well as experience. For anShow MoreRelatedLegal/Ethical Boundaries Essay865 Words   |  4 PagesLegal/Ethical Boundaries of a Medical Assistant AAMA Medical Assistant Code of Ethics The Code of Ethics is a set of principles of moral and ethical conduct as they relate to the medical profession. There are five sections of the Code of Ethics. â€Å"Render services with full respect for the dignity of humanity.† A medical assistant will perform job duties with respect to the patient, life and rights as a human being. Holding the medical assistant to a higher standard, where he/she does not performRead MoreEssay about Unit 4 Assignment: Outlining Career Goals1496 Words   |  6 Pages Outlining Career Goals Keyanna Retic Kaplan University Depending upon the size of the facility, location, and specialty, duties of a Medical assistant may vary. Medical assistant specialty is to complete all clinical tasks and administrative tasks in hospitals, physician offices, and other health care clinics. Their duties may include taking a patients vital signs and history, arranging appointments forRead MoreEssay On Becoming A Medical Assistant1597 Words   |  7 PagesBecoming a medical assistant is a good choice as a career. This career is continuing to grow a lot. A medical assistant is an enjoyable job, even though it can be difficult at sometimes people still enjoy the job. They mainly stay busy during the day because a lot of patients come in. Medical assisting is kind of different than other types of healthcare. The other HealthCare’s have been around for much longer. Medical Assisting was started in the 20th century. By the 1950 s people were working asRead MoreJob Descriptions For Medical Administrative Assistants701 Words   |  3 Pages Not certain we have hired any medical administrative assistants (Wynant) Providence job description titles: †¢ Patient Relations Representative (PRR) †¢ Billing Scheduling Coordinators Referral Coordinator At Providence the greatest abundance is the PRR position. These positions are aligned close to the MAA position (Wynant). MAA position is called a front office or receptionist (Boreman). Tiffany has some great ideas on how to build partnerships with community industry members. Denise andRead MoreEssay New Time923 Words   |  4 PagesBECOMING A MEDICAL ASSISTANT I remember when I first walked through the doors of Sanford Brown College in January of 2011. I was on a journey to do more with myself and my life. I choose Sanford Brown because I always loved working in the medical field. I’ve had many jobs in this field, home attendant, personal care aide and medical assistant. I enjoy helping people who can’t help themselves; it makes me feel like I’m doing a good deed for those in need. My first class was Medical TerminologyRead MoreNHA Case Study1575 Words   |  7 Pagesthe NHA exam. There was discussion in the last two years that there has been a shift in what medical assistant can do. Whether, medical or administrative. In addition, the text and curriculum is behind and it’s not clear where NHA stands. Now we are seeing medical assistant charting and working with medical home care. There is a lot we do touch on. Not certain if our curriculum matches what the medical industry needs. AHO has a relationship with Maggie Wall. Heather would like to be a part of theRead MoreWho Is The Physician Assistant?811 Words   |  4 Pagesworld of medicine. The root of my desire in entering the medical field is to help people and to provide comfort to them while providing excellent treatment just as I received as a girl that alarming day. After graduating with my Bachelors in Science, I started to work as an Allergy Tech at a family practice based allergy clinic. It is there that I was introduced to the Physician Assistant career. I was able to observe the Physician Assistant everyday routine with the patients and witness his benevolenceRead MoreMedical Receptionist : A Important Part Of A High Functioning Healthcare Team809 Words   |  4 PagesMedical Receptionist A medical receptionist is a very important part of a high functioning healthcare team. Doctors, nurses, and other medical and administrative staff members depend on the receptionist to create a friendly, welcoming and well-organized front office for patients and to help bring about their flow through the facility. They work in different kinds of locations including businesses, hotels, schools, hospitals, and sports venues. You may not need any ceremonial capabilities to startRead MoreMedical Terminology Essay1296 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscussing what medical terminology is, where it came from, and how it is applied to medical assistant careers as well as how it is applied to medical administration careers. I will give examples of the importance of medical terminology and specific examples of where medical careers use medical terminology on a day to day basis. I will also give a brief summary and definition of what medical terminology stands for. After reading my paper you should have a good concept of medical terminology’s importanceRead MoreSample Resume : Certified Nursing Assistant1588 Words   |  7 PagesCNA Salary Guide | Certified Nursing Assistant Salary Facts The main duties of a Certified Nurse Assistant are to take of the patients under supervision of Registered Nurses and Doctors. Assisting patients with daily chores like dressing, feeding, and monitoring activity are the main responsibilities. With so much time spent with the patients, CNAs often develop close relationships with many people. As the baby-boomer population begins to age there is a growing need for health care professionals

Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Code Of Ethics, My Supervisor And I Reviewed At Length...

Social Work Competencies When addressing the NASW code of ethics, my supervisor and I reviewed at length many of the internal issues I have had over the last year in the program. We discussed many issues ranging from Medicare/Medicaid to Immigration. Most of my own issues were internal and these internal issues did not come to play when engaging in the moment with the client. However, many of the issues that were being worked on between the client and myself, the growth of the client stagnated at times and my ability to provide efficient and quality services, I believe also stagnated at times because of this internal struggle. For me, I had to do some soul searching and find some common ground with the client, and look at myself. As I have discussed in previous papers, I truly found the training with Xavier Amador and DBT (Dialectal Behavior Therapy) help me process many of these internal struggles. LEAP focuses on transforming the relationship first. One does not win on the strength of the argument, one wins on the strength of the relationship. With LEAP, one’s opinions are no longer like a lot of hot air and are more like the wind in a sailboat’s sails that moves the person where you want him, to safe harbors. LEAP teaches individuals the genuine understanding, empathy and respect for someone’s point of view, even when you disagree with it, you are free to find common ground on which you can partner (The LEAP Institute, 2016). One specific example comes to mind. ThisShow MoreRelatedEthics of Workplace Discrimination Essay1434 Words   |  6 PagesWorkplace ethics are standards or codes that determines right and wrong moral behavior in the work environment. Discrimination is defined as â€Å"the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.† (Oxford Dictionary) Workplace discrimination deals with issues such as religion, race, gender, disability, age, and sexual orientation. Covering all of these issues is beyond the scope of this paper, therefore, I will focus onRead MoreSources of Ethics20199 Words   |  81 PagesOF ETHICS: 6 1- Religion: 6 2- Genetic Inheritance: 8 3- Philosophical Systems: 8 4- Cultural Experience: 8 5- The Legal System: 9 6- Codes of Conduct: 9 2.0- EXPLANATION OF THE SOURCES OF ETHICS: 10 2.1- RELIGION: 10 Teaching business ethics 12 2.11- Impact Of Religiosity: 13 2.12- Ethics Of Islam: 14 Nature of Islamic Ethics 17 The Human-Environment Relationship: 20 The Sustainable Care of Nature: 22 The Practice of Islamic Environmental Ethics: 22 Read MoreMarriage and Family Therapy Essay3257 Words   |  14 PagesTherapists; licensure requirements and examinations; methods of supervision; client advocacy; multiculturalism and diversity. The author will discuss significant aspects to the field of Marriage and Family Therapy such as MFT identity, function, and ethics of the profession. This paper will assess biblical values in relation to Marriage and Family Therapists and to the field itself. In conclusion, the author will provide reflections on Marriage and Family Therapy and the personal commitment to provideRead MoreEssay on Ethics Hser 5118229 Words   |  33 PagesGroup Ethics Kana Crumby Liberty University Abstract This paper seeks to examine group and individual therapy models to determine which model is most successful based on empirical evidence and case studies that will be reviewed and discussed within this paper. All age ranges will be looked at when making the determination as to which model is superior and results in more successful and long-term solutions for the needs of the individual going through therapy. Further, this paper  seeksRead MoreEvidence Based Social Work Practice in Mental Health3768 Words   |  16 Pagesnot to alarm the client and normally this needs to be undertaken in a setting that puts the client at ease as much as is possible. In order to be clear with the client, the social worker needs to layout the expectations of the assessment time i.e. length of time required, what is involved, possible outcomes, and the transparency of the process and issues of confidentiality. It is also important to clarify the amount of participation that is required from the differe nt parties present so as to encourageRead MoreDisciplinary Procedure and Its Effects on Employees8677 Words   |  35 Pagesinterpersonal communication, written communication and the management skills list must be utilized to assist the employees. Poorly implemented procedures may negatively impact work place performance. The following must be present for employees:- I. Clear expectation must be established before disciplinary procedures can be implemented; the employees have to know exactly what is expected of them. (Job description outlining is expected). II. Process, good employees will not perceive correctiveRead MoreMastering Graduate Studies 1e32499 Words   |  130 Pagespreparedness for each part. Make a plan now. specific field. While I was pursuing my graduate degree, my home was burglarized, my computer crashed, and my daughter was injured and required a serious surgical procedure. I got tired. I got stressed. However, I had people to talk me through it; but, more importantly, I decided for myself that the goal was worth the price being paid. As soon as I felt I could not go on, my resolve and my faith gave me a fresh reservoir of energy to continue. A source ofRead MoreSharon Construction7271 Words   |  30 Pages7 Assignments 7 Three Papers 7 Paper 1 8 Paper 2 8 Paper 3 8 Ten Responses 9 Business Letters 9 Memos 9 Corporate Social Responsibility 9 Issues, Reasons and Conclusions 10 Resumes and Cover Letter 10 Quality 10 Ethics 11 Financial Analysis 11 Strategy 11 Current Events 12 Grammar and Punctuation 12 Tips on Writing 12 Plagiarism and Academic Integrity 15 Guidelines (Prompts) 15 Appendix 16 BADM 2003W, ANALYSIS OF BUSINESS ISSUES WRITING HANDBOOK Read MoreHistory of Management Thought Revision17812 Words   |  72 Pagespoint of view. b. Took a home study course to get his college degree in mechanical engineering. c. As a worker, then a first line supervisor, he observed numerous industrial practices that led him to his life s work. d. Restriction of output which Taylor classified into natural soldiering and systematic soldiering. e. Taylor thought maybe a supervisor could inspire or force workers to stop natural soldiering. f. Systematic soldiering resulted from group pressures for individualsRead MoreAccounting Systems, Internal Controls, and Ethics28179 Words   |  113 Pages Accounting Information Systems ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS, INTERNAL CONTROLS, AND ETHICS Prepared for the course team by Vimlesh B. Narayan Unit 1 Contents Unit 1 Contents 2 Concept Map 3 Learning Outcomes 4 1.1 Introduction 5 1.2 Accounting System Design 6 System Objectives and Design Factors 6 Designing the System 8 1.3 Internal Control Systems 17 Objectives of Internal Control Systems 17 Structure of Internal Control Systems 18 Why You Should Consider the

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Marriage Essay - 495 Words

Marriage What does marriage mean? By definition, marriage is â€Å"the legal union of a man and a woman as husband and wife† (Webster’s Dictionary). Most people claim that they want their marriage to last a lifetime. Because over half of all marriages in the United States end in a divorce, most people lack the understanding of what it takes to stay married. I believe that couples should become more aware of the commitment that they are making when they enter into marriage. Men and women should get to know one another completely before deciding to get married. Important issues such as religion, finances, career, and whether or not to have children should be discussed so that the couple can learn each other’s views regarding the†¦show more content†¦Why did they not discuss this issue before they got married or did they think the other one would change after saying their wedding vows? Marriage is not about changing someone; instead, it is about loving your partner for his or her beliefs. Rather than giving up and ending the marriage, many couples could save the marriage by trying to work through the problems that arise. Many people do not realize how much hard work has to be put into a marriage for it to be successful. When planning a wedding, some couples spend a lot of time preparing the vows that will be exchanged during the ceremony, but sadly the partners fail to live by the vows day after day. Scores of married couples drift apart because their hectic lives do not allow them to spend enough quality time together, which is important for a healthy marriage. Communication is also an essential factor in working through problems in a marriage. Entering into marriage for the wrong reason usually leads to divorce. Sometimes an individual will say that he or she married for money, or he or she may claim to have married for love. Many times, lust is mistaken for love; consequently, when the passion ends so does the marriage. Some people choose to marry wealthy people solely to gain financial security, but eventually they will find that money does not lead to happiness. Others enter into marriage believing that it is a cure-all that will makeShow MoreRelatedMarriage Between Marriage And Marriage1441 Words   |  6 PagesMarriage is universal, in the sense that no matter where you go in the world there is marriage. The meaning of marriage might be different but it still exists everywhere. Marriage would be so much healthier and happier with a marriage contract signed and agreed between both parties. Many people commonly have a misconception of what a marriage contract really is. This type of contract involves a written doc ument between two people, their respective rights and obligations in regards to the marriageRead MoreThe Marriage Of Marriage And Marriage1599 Words   |  7 Pagesvaccinations, abortion and marriages. One topic that has been of controversy and is viewed differently in many countries is marriage and whether or not arranged marriages are better than love marriages. There are several different reasons why people in India believe that arranged marriages are the best; likewise, people in Western countries such as the United States believe that love marriages are best. Most westerners have a misconception on arranged marriages. An arranged marriage is a marital union whereRead MoreCohabitation And Marriage : Marriage1669 Words   |  7 Pages Cohabitation and Marriage Lauren Pfeifer Dr. Richard White Christian Marriage 16 April 2014 Cohabitation and Marriage Cohabitation is an increasingly popular relationship reality in the United States. Many individuals seek a cohabiting relationship as preparation for marriage; however, studies have shown that this has adverse effects on relationship satisfaction and stability within marriage. Many factors have been theorized to contribute to this effect. No matter the cause of the correlationRead MoreMarriage And The State : Marriage1265 Words   |  6 Pages Marriage and the state Marriage is a legal union of a couple as spouses according to Cornell University of law school. Traditionally, marriage was viewed as the basis of the family unit and very vital to the preservation of civilization and morals. However, defining marriage in the society of today can be a challenge. This is because the marriage of today differs with what marriage was considered to be in the past. In the today’s society, there are three basic elements of marriage which include:Read MoreThe Birth Of Marriage And Marriage1539 Words   |  7 Pages Before marriage, girls are typically owned and controlled by their father. Men cannot own children without familial relation, that is, own child slaves or adopt non-relatives, but they dominate matrimonial ownership, and the father’s extended family is also considered responsible for the children’s well-being. It is not uncommon for children to be sent away to live with an extended relative in case of death in the family or t he father’s inability to provide for the child despite the mother’s desiresRead Moremarriage963 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Marriage The most important quality of a married couple is love. In a marriage important issues such as attitudes, responsibilities, religion, finances, career, and whether or not to have children should be discussed so that the couple can learn each other’s views regarding the issues to determine compatibility. Building a happy marriage is the result of conscious effort on the part of a husband, and wife. A lifelong union that people bound together by a bond of love, which is spiritual as wellRead MoreMarriage1099 Words   |  5 PagesMarriage In the human society, marriage is the most essential social custom. Marriage appears as a compromise between two committed individuals, also known as spouses. It is a way of creating a family and obligations. Weddings are traditional ceremonies with exchange of wedding vows and rings, which symbolize eternity and love, between the bride (woman) and the groom (man). It is practiced in many modern countries and has similar meanings as marriage. Marriage is a social bond, which requiresRead MoreThe Marriage Expectations Of Maya Marriages1139 Words   |  5 Pages3.a The marriage expectations in Maya marriages of women are different for every generation. One difference between the second oldest generation and the next is the non-use of Iglesia Maya ceremonies. The article spoke of a woman who said that the ceremonies were trifling. Another example of these differences is that marital conflict and jealousy began to become more common in the second and third generations. All the women th ought that this rise in conflict became more prominent during the contemporaryRead MoreCohabitation Between Marriage And Marriage1303 Words   |  6 Pagestaboo ideas is cohabitation. Cohabitation is the act of living together while in a romantic relationship, prior to marriage. (Steinberg, Bornstein, Vandell, and Rook, p. 450, 2011) More and more couples are cohabitating, according to some studies approximately two-thirds of couples live together before they get married. (Luscombe, 2014) Some couples that lived together before marriage have a strong and healthy relationship, while others end in divorce. Could this have anything to do with cohabitationRead MoreMarriage Between Marriage And Divorce1101 Words   |  5 Pagesoccurs no questions asked. However it is not possible to have divorce without marriage. Marriage and divorce are interchangeably connected. For one is the beginning of a committed relationship and the other is the ending of one. Both, marriage and divorce, a re still practiced today. Similarly their origins are also connected to the other. To understand divorce, one must first understand where marriage came from. Marriage is another tradition that has been around for as long as anyone can remember

Monday, December 9, 2019

Becoming a Vegetarian Essay Example For Students

Becoming a Vegetarian Essay Like many families, mine loved eating meat. Whether it was from a restaurant, fast food, or a home cooked meal, meat was a regular food option. I started doing some research and decided to make a huge change in my life. At two-hundred eighty pounds, I decided to become a vegetarian. A lot of my family and friends disagreed with my decision and found it strange. At first when I told my family they laughed at me and told me I was crazy. They said I would be back to eating meat the next day. When my family noticed that I was serious about this change, they started treating me differently and making sarcastic comments. Even some of my friends would make sarcastic comments and tell me to quit being a vegetarian. Again, I had two choices to make; I could give in to everyone else and go back to eating meat or keep being a vegetarian, because it made me happy and content with my life. First off, my initial choice was to quit being a vegetarian. This is what seemed like everyone wanted. My friends were not very supportive; they said meat was too delicious for a sane person to give up. They would put meat up close my face a tease me telling me to eat it. One of my friends even questioned my manhood by saying, â€Å"You are not a man if you do not eat meat. This is a completely biased opinion; they were behaving like ignorant children. Most of the time when they would start with their childish comments, I would just shrug and tell them to shut up and then we would continue talking about something else. They kept at it, and made me feel like Arnold Spirit in The Absolutely True Dairy Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. In the novel Arnold is having a fight with his best friend Rowdy because Rowdy is mad that Arnold is switching schools. Arnold says â€Å"My heart broke into fourteen pieces, one for each year that Rowdy and I had been best friends†(Alexie 52). In other words, Arnold was taking an emotional toll from his fight with his best friend Rowdy. When my friends would make their jokes and idiotic comments, at first it did not bother me because we all joke around with each other. But these jokes and comments were recurring over and over and over. They started to take a toll on me and I found myself isolating myself from them. I missed them and that’s why I contemplated quitting being a vegetarian and going back to eating meat. Next, my second choice was to keep being a vegetarian and ignore what people would say. I’ll admit when I first started being a vegetarian, it was tough but after two weeks when I started to receive the benefits of not eating meat everything changed. I felt amazing; I had more energy. I was not tired all the time. Even my grades went up because I was no longer falling asleep in class. Blemishes on my skin were starting to go away. I started losing weight. Also being an animal person I was thrilled no animals were being killed on my behalf. Altogether collectively, I felt like a new and improved individual. And yet my family and friends were in the sidelines telling me to quit. In â€Å"The Good Daughter,† by Caroline Hwang she too is having trouble with pleasing herself or her parents; she says â€Å"I know many of my friends who had to choose between pleasing their parents or being true to themselves† (Hwang 14). In other words, she knows people who also had to choose between what their parents wanted and what they wanted. I can strongly relate to this because, I had to either go back to eating meat and sacrifice my happiness or be true to myself. .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 , .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .postImageUrl , .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 , .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999:hover , .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999:visited , .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999:active { border:0!important; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999:active , .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999 .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9ddb5d0f8bd0048294090805cd5f8999:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Gender Stereotypes In Advertising EssayIt was almost like it was taboo to be a vegetarian; when some people would find out they would give me this weird facial expression followed by a childish â€Å"Why†? In the end, I stayed true to myself. I was able to cope with everything by finding other people who are vegetarians and hanging out with them while things cooled down. They acted as a positive reinforcement to my new lifestyle. My friends finally came around and accepted the fact that I’m not going back to meat. Now whenever my friends and I go out to eat at a restaurant they always take into consideration whether or not that establishment has a meal option for vegetarians. As for my family, they also came around and stopped with the sarcastic comments. They even like some of the vegetarian meals I prepare. Now weighing two-hundred thirty pounds; since I started my vegetarian life style I have lost a total of sixty pounds. I am much more active I run and go hiking. I have a great relationship with my family and friends. I feel better than ever and I have found myself to be a lot happier than I used to be. Vegetarianism is a life changing experience that I would recommend to anyone. Furthermore, this experience has taught me that people should not sacrifice their happiness for what others might say because in the long run you will be a happier individual. Stand up for what is right even if no one is standing. If I had a chance, I would not do things differently because even though I went through what seemed like hell, I came out stronger and standing taller than ever before with a new outlook on life. It has been nine months being a full-fledged vegetarian and I honestly could not ask for more. I am in a great place in my life and I will continue to better myself.