Pallas Athene Versus Minerva :: essays research papers

Pallas Athene Versus Minerva   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Goddess Athena has been an incredibly well-liked mythological character for centuries because of her complex personality and the values which are taught through her actions. The powerful Goddess has been generally thought of as being the same person in both Greek and Roman stories alike, but this is not true. Athena was looked upon and spoken of very differently in Roman and Greek myths, though she remains with the same basic personality traits in both cultures. Rome acquired it's stories of mythology and religion from the Italians (who derived their beliefs from the Greeks), and therefore most of the myths of deities were the same as the Greeks', but with a few changes. The Italians also gave the Romans stories of Diana, Hercules, Venus, and a few minor characters. The Greeks came about with their Gods from past ancient cultures, weaving in some of their own characteristics as time went on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pallas Athena (the name Pallas being that of her best friend, whom she accidentally killed while practicing with spears) in both cultures is the patron Goddess of arts and crafts, weaving, the olive tree, overseer of Athens, and especially of Wisdom/War. Because the Greek culture was one of intelligence, sophistication and knowledge, Their version of Athena was mainly of a logical and sensible person, who would avoid a fight if possible. The Romans, who were a society of warlike men, focused on Minerva's war capabilities and short temper. Both cultures focused on the parts of the Gods which were most like themselves and best suited their needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the Greeks, the Gray-Eyed Goddess was not associated with specific people except for Her rivals. The Romans, however, formed a group of Immortals into the Capitoline triad, consisting of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. These three assumed a supreme place in the Roman religion, acting like a Jury of Watchers over the mortals. The Romans built a temple in honor of the Triad, named the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, which was built in 509 BC.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I have been able to see how these two civilizations have viewed one part of their religion and why they do so. There were logical reasons for their viewing of Athene, most of which were based on their strengths Pallas Athene Versus Minerva :: essays research papers Pallas Athene Versus Minerva   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Goddess Athena has been an incredibly well-liked mythological character for centuries because of her complex personality and the values which are taught through her actions. The powerful Goddess has been generally thought of as being the same person in both Greek and Roman stories alike, but this is not true. Athena was looked upon and spoken of very differently in Roman and Greek myths, though she remains with the same basic personality traits in both cultures. Rome acquired it's stories of mythology and religion from the Italians (who derived their beliefs from the Greeks), and therefore most of the myths of deities were the same as the Greeks', but with a few changes. The Italians also gave the Romans stories of Diana, Hercules, Venus, and a few minor characters. The Greeks came about with their Gods from past ancient cultures, weaving in some of their own characteristics as time went on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pallas Athena (the name Pallas being that of her best friend, whom she accidentally killed while practicing with spears) in both cultures is the patron Goddess of arts and crafts, weaving, the olive tree, overseer of Athens, and especially of Wisdom/War. Because the Greek culture was one of intelligence, sophistication and knowledge, Their version of Athena was mainly of a logical and sensible person, who would avoid a fight if possible. The Romans, who were a society of warlike men, focused on Minerva's war capabilities and short temper. Both cultures focused on the parts of the Gods which were most like themselves and best suited their needs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the Greeks, the Gray-Eyed Goddess was not associated with specific people except for Her rivals. The Romans, however, formed a group of Immortals into the Capitoline triad, consisting of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. These three assumed a supreme place in the Roman religion, acting like a Jury of Watchers over the mortals. The Romans built a temple in honor of the Triad, named the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, which was built in 509 BC.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, I have been able to see how these two civilizations have viewed one part of their religion and why they do so. There were logical reasons for their viewing of Athene, most of which were based on their strengths

Essay --

Ancient Greece is one of the most important civilisations in human history. It was a period that saw Greece militarily dominate much of the southern Mediterranean that began around 1100 Bc during the dark ages and ended around 146 bc with the invasion of the Roman empire. During this period, Greek civilisation gave birth to many new ideas and ways of thinking in the areas of politics, medicine and philosophy, many of which are now considered Greek legacies as they have endured the test of time and can still be seen in use today. Democracy is defined as â€Å"a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people collectively, and is administered by them, or officer’s appointed by them, the common people, a state or society characterised by recognition of equality of rights and privileges for all people, political, social or legal equality† (Chambers Dictionary). Some of the earliest examples of democratic practices date back to 600 Bc. Ancient Greece was split up into many different city states. These city states had different cultures, some were agricultural based whi...

Huckleberry Finn: hero or villain?

Originally developed in Spain, one of the various styles of writing used by authors is that of the picaresque novel, which involves a picaro, or rogue hero, usually on a journey, and incorporates an episodic plot through various conflicts. Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (AHF), is a picaresque novel, marked by its episodic plot with a unifying theme of the river and the characterization of Huck Finn as a rogue hero. The novel's periodic plot is demonstrated by Huck's many adventures in separate episodes having independent conflicts. Gary Weiner, a former English teacher, states that â€Å"the picaresque novel is [†¦ episodic. Various scenes may have little to do with one another, and entire scenes may be removed without markedly altering the plot as a whole† (88). The conflicts that govern Huck's encounters with people like the dishonest and devious king and the duke, the Grangerford family, or Colonel Sherburn are very different and disconnected from one another. Whereas one episode involves two crooks, the duke and the king, the other involves a long-standing family feud between the Grangerford and Sheperdson families, and the third involves a Colonel defending his honor, with very little connection among the episodes. Tom Quirk, an author, editor, and English professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, also purports that â€Å"Huckleberry Finn is a highly episodic book, and the arrangement of episodes observes no incontestable narrative logic. The feud chapters precede rather than follow the Boggs shooting not for self-evident artistic reasons but because we are to suppose that is the order in which Huck lived them† (97). The different conflicts exhibit the novel's picaresque style and are used to relate the story of a wandering rogue hero. Though the story's plot is episodic in nature, there is, however, a unifying factor of the river, shown through the conflict and water diction. John C. Gerber, a well-known Twain scholar, affirms in â€Å"Mark Twain: Overview† that though â€Å"episodic in nature, the story nevertheless holds together because of the river [and] the constant presence of Huck as narrator†. Every episode in the book takes place along the banks of the Mississippi River, as Huck and Jim travel down the mighty river, trying to find Cairo. From the crashed steamboat to the Royal Nonesuch spectacles along the riverside towns, the small conflicts are related by their proximity to the river. Leo Marx, Senior Lecturer and William R. Kenan Professor of American Cultural History Emeritus at MIT, cites T. S. Eliot, a poet and also another critic, in saying that â€Å"‘The River gives the book its form. But for the River, the book might be only a sequence of adventures with a happy ending'† (12). Water diction is used to purvey a sense of the unifying river in the book. As Huck and Jim raft down the river from Jackson Island, Huck comments: â€Å"Two or three days and nights went by; I reckon I might say they swum by, they slid along so quiet and smooth and lovely† (AHF 129). The river physically holds the story together and also underlies the whole novel. Huck can be compared to Weiner's definition of a Picaresque hero as: â€Å"The picaresque novel is a witty, satirical form that revolves around the exploits of a lower-class hero of dubious morals, often called a ‘rogue hero. ‘ This hero lives by his wits as he moves through the various strata of his society. The hero is constantly in and out of trouble but often uses his street-smarts to emerge from compromising situations. † (87) To that extent, these four character traits are seen in the hero of the story, Huckleberry Finn. Huck can be characterized as having dubious morals through his actions and reasoning. Huck justifies some of his immoral actions, such as stealing, by using his pap's own actions as a precedent. Quirk states, â€Å"Huck is often capable of pseudomoralizing, citing his pap as authority for lifting a chicken or borrowing a melon† (92). As Huck tells the reader during the preparations to help Jim escape from the Phelps residence, â€Å"Along during that morning I borrowed a sheet and white shirt off of the clothes-line [†¦ ] I called it borrowing because that was what pap always called it [†¦ ]† (AHF 256). Also, Huck rationalizes his immoral action when he sneaks into a circus without paying. He defends his action by saying that he did not need to waste money: â€Å"I ain't opposed to spending money on circuses, [†¦ ] but there ain't no use in wasting it on them† (AHF 159). Huck, therefore, carries out improper and immoral actions akin to thievery. Weiner verifies this: â€Å"there is no honor among thieves, and Huck, by necessity, has become one of them† (83). Thus, Huck demonstrates the characteristic of being a rogue hero through his immoral actions and their justification. Rogue heroes travel ‘through' various social strata; through the episodes that Huck experiences, Twain presents the many levels of antebellum Mississippi valley American social strata. Huck starts traveling with Jim, a runaway slave, down the Mississippi river, and eventually befriends him, a lower class individual. Huck, after playing a cruel joke on Jim, apologizes to him. This is highly out of convention for the milieu of the time, as Jim is naught more than a slave, while Huck is a white boy: â€Å"It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger – but I done it, and I warn't sorry for it afterwards, neither† (AHF 98). This exemplifies one instance where Huck mingles with a person of a lower class. Additionally, Huck cares enough about Jim that he resolves himself to free his friend and suffer the consequences: â€Å"I studied a minute [†¦ ] then says to myself, ‘All right. Then, I'll go to hell' [†¦ I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery again [†¦ ]† (AHF 228). Huck sacrifices the most valuable part of himself, his soul, to stay with his lower class friend Jim. Huck also interacts with people of higher social classes: â€Å"Tom Sawyer, his aunt, the Widow Douglas, and Miss Watson are all drawn from the middle class. The Sheperdsons and Grangerfords represent the wealthy, aristocratic upper class† (Weiner 73). Miss Watson, who cares for Huck in the beginning, and the Widow Douglas are not overly wealthy, but do have several slaves (AHF 11). The Phelps family, who Huck mingles with when they mistake him for Tom Sawyer, also belongs to the middle class. Huck describes them as well-off, but not overly wealthy family: â€Å"Phelps's was one of these little one-horse cotton plantations†(AHF 232). The cotton plantations were very successful at the time, but the Phelps's is one of a smaller size, denoting their middle-class status. When Huck arrives at the residence of the Grangerfords, an upper-class, aristocratic family who he stays with, he describes: â€Å"It was a mighty nice family, and a mighty nice house, too. I hadn't seen no house out in the country before that was so nice and had so much style† (AHF 112). Huck also describes the house as having features like a fireplace and other luxuries that only the affluent could afford. Therefore, Huck satisfies another requirement of the rogue hero, interacting with characters from various social classes. Another facet of the picaresque hero is his constant entanglement with trouble. Each episode that Huck experiences, embroils him in that conflict until he escapes to stumble into the next conflict. After the episode where Huck and Jim are separated in the fog, they encounter a group of slave-hunters; following that, more trouble befalls them as a steamboat runs into their raft, forcing Huck into the water. Eventually, Huck washes up on the property of the Grangerfords, where he faces the next conflict. In his attempts to escape from trouble, Huck often inadvertently stumbles into more trouble. Huck quick-wittedly answers â€Å"‘Goodness sakes, would a runaway nigger run south? ‘† to the king and the duke's wondering if Jim is a runaway slave (AHF 138). However, according to R. J. Fertel, a Twain scholar, Huck's quick-witted answer â€Å"gets [Jim and Huck] out of the frying pan and into the fire: the duke responds by printing the slave bills that enable their rafting by day and that leads ultimately to Jim's being sold back into slavery† (92). The different conflicts in the story as well as Huck's responses and reactions get Huck often into trouble. Finally, Huck fulfills the fourth criterion for a rogue hero by using wits and practical knowledge of the world to avoid or escape from trouble. Whenever Huck is tangled in a problem, he concocts a story for himself on the spot and manages his way out of trouble. According to Fertel, â€Å"[Huck], [†¦ ] [is] an improviser always ready with a tall tale or scheme or counter scheme [†¦ ] Huck's improvising is [†¦ ] harmless, brought to bear on others only to avoid trouble† (94). After Huck tries to slip away from the duke and the king after the townsfolk find out that the two are not the real relatives of the deceased man, Peter Wilks, the king catches Huck and asks if he was trying to give them the slip. Huck quickly lies that the man â€Å"‘that had aholt of me was very good to me [†¦ ] and he was sorry to see a boy in such a dangerous fix; [†¦ he [let] go of me and whispers ‘Heel it now, or they'll hang ye for sure! ‘ and I lit out'† (AHF 219). Similarly, when Jim is in danger of being discovered by raftsmen, he quickly lies to them and convinces them that his father has smallpox: â€Å"‘[†¦ ] gentlemen, if you'll only pull ahead, and let me heave you the head-line, you won' t have to come a-near the raft;'† the men immediately back off: â€Å"‘Keep away, boy – keep to looard. [†¦ ] Your pap's got the smallpox and you know it precious well. [†¦ ] Do you want to spread it al over? ‘† (AHF 103). Huck lies again to protect himself as well as Jim. In addition, he uses his practical knowledge to support his story when he is cornered by Mrs. Judith Loftus. To see if Huck was really from a farm, as he had told her while in the guise of a girl, she asks him questions, such as â€Å"‘Which side of a tree does the most moss grow on? ‘† to which Huck promptly and correctly answers â€Å"‘North side;'† Huck's practical knowledge convinces her, as she responds, â€Å"‘Well, I reckon you have lived in the country,'† and relieves Huck of momentary trouble (AHF 71). Quickly concocting stories and lies as well as utilizing practical knowledge characterize Huck's wit, fulfilling this criterion of the rogue hero. An episodic plot and Huck Finn as a rogue hero establish Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a picaresque novel. The plot consists of many episodes with separate and disconnected conflicts, all bound by the river. Huck Finn can be characterized as a rogue hero, thus fulfilling all the necessary criteria for the picaresque novel.

Scarlet Letter- Grey

Scarlet Letter Assignment Topic: Gray Part I- Cite six times in the book where your topic appears and analyze how those instances relate to the meaning of the work as a whole. 1. â€Å"A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray† (33). The color gray adds to the atmosphere of the day, the day of judgment for Hester. The people of this Puritan town are close-minded and dull, all represented by the color grey. 2. She bore in her arms a child, a baby if some three months old, who winked and turned aside its little face from the two vivid light of day; because its existence, therefore, had brought it acquainted only with the gray twilight of dungeon, or other darksome apartment if the prison† (36) When in the dungeon Hester spoke to no one and would not admit to anything, because she concealed her secrets. The color gray connotes secrets and hiding. Once Hester and Pearl depart from the prison for the first time the gray of the dungeon disappears and the secret s can now be found out—this admission being a major plot in the novel.This is the moment when the secrets break free and begin to unfold. 3. â€Å"Standing on that miserable eminence, she saw again her native village, in Old England, and her paternal home: a decayed house of grey stone, with a poverty-stricken aspect, but retaining a half obliterated shield of arms over the portal, in token of antique gentility† (40). When leaving the jail, Hester gazed at her hometown. However, she was not filled with nostalgia or wistfulness. Rather, she looked out and saw her family’s poverty stricken house, though it was noticeable that it was once of high nobility.Those who were once elite and considered noble people are now in poverty and being trialed for murder. Grey connotes this transition. It is dull, boring, and is not red, blue, and purple, which are the colors that aristocrats wore at that time. When leaving the jail Hester realizes that everything has turned to gr ey—life will not be as luxurious and she will be repudiated by society because of her sins. 4. â€Å"The wide circumference of an elaborate ruff, beneath his grey beard, in the antiquated fashion of King James's reign, caused his head to look not a little like that of John the Baptist in a charger† (74)This description of Governor Bellingham is to show how he is esteemed and of high class in Puritan society. Puritans desire to live like their ancestors; no room for change at all. Governor Bellingham is illustrated in the novel and is compared to those living in King James’ time. To the Puritans this is positive, this dullness and inability to change their ways: it is the way of life. But to others, like Hester it is a negative aspect of the society. The color gray is therefore used in this context to highlight this. The Puritan society is gray, devoid of color and excitement.In today’s day, a black-and-white movie suggests that it is old and outdated. So too here, adding the fact that Governor Bellingham’s beard is gray is to elucidate Hester’s opinion that the society is and should be obsolete. 5. â€Å"An unwearied pall of cloud muffled the whole expanse of sky from zenith to horizon. If the same multitude which had stood as eye-witnesses while Hester Prynne sustained her punishment could now have been summoned forth, they would have discerned no face above the platform nor hardly the outline of a human shape, in the dark grey of the midnight† (101).The use of grey in this instance defines the mood Nathaniel Hawthorne is attempting to portray. Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold and screams out, confessing his sin. It is in the depths of the night and is dark, somber reflecting Dimmesdale’s desire of penitence for his sin. He wishes to be found out and for his guilt to be palliated. 6. â€Å"Mr. Dimmesdale throughout the long hereafter. But as he came down the pulpit steps, the grey-bearded sexton met him, holding up a black glove, which the minister recognized as his own† (108).The day after Dimmesdale’s profession of his sin in the midst of the night, the church sexton comes over to Dimmesdale and hands him his black glove that was found on the scaffold. The sexton decides that it was Satan’s doing and not that of Dimmesdale. Everything around Dimmesdale suddenly begins to turn gray. He sees everything as gray—full of sin and darkness void of life and purity. Part II- Explain how your topic sheds light on at least one character’s development in the novel Grey symbolizes many different ideas in the novel, The Scarlet Letter. However, a main theme of the color gray is that of darkness and the presence of sin.Throughout the novel, Dimmesdale’s status and health slowly deteriorate and the color gray helps track this decline. At first the society is looked at as gray, boring, and dull in the eyes of Hester. Dimmesdale was a prize pastor giving the best sermons. However, once Hester is reestablished in society, Dimmesdale’s guilt begins to take over. Especially after he and Hester talk about leaving the town by ship, his shame gets the best of him. He ascends the scaffold hoping someone will hear him confess his sins, but everyone thinks it is a witch. Everyone and everything around him appears gray, all reminding him of his sin.Dimmesdale even gives a sermon in which he reveals that he too has sinned, so as to alleviate some of his guilty conscience, but it makes the people like and revere him even more. At last he cannot take it and he mounts the scaffold, Hester and Pearl in hand, confessing his sins to all and dying there as Pearl kisses him. The guilt was too much for him and finally the pain is gone for Dimmesdale. Part III- Choose three biographical facts about Nathaniel Hawthorne and/or historical facts about the time period, and explain how the facts add to your understanding of the overall book 1.Nathaniel Ha wthorne’s ancestor, John Hathorne, originated in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was a judge in the Salem witch trials. Hawthorne was fascinated by his kinship to John Hathorne and inspired several of his novels. This was a great inspiration for The Scarlet Letter, as witchcraft, sin, and Puritan society are all main themes of this novel. 2. Nathaniel’s father died when he was at an early age. This was therefore the inspiration for Hester being a single mother in the novel. He felt the same way that Pearl did and at the same time empathized with Hester because he watched his mother go through the same thing. . One important influence on The Scarlet Letter is money. Hawthorne never made much money as an author and the birth of his first daughter just added to the financial burden. He received a job at the Salem Custom House, but lost it three years later and was forced to return to writing to support his family. Consequently, The Scarlet Letter was published a year aft er being fired by his job in the Salem Custom House. At first, the work was only intended to be a long short story, but the extra money a novel would bring in was needed to support his growing family.

Significant Health Care Event

There have been several events that have helped to change and mold health care throughout history in the United States. Some influences that have are significant to benefit Americans and stay on track with the needs of Americans include society, culture, finance, religion, politics, technology, health trends, environment, and population (Shi & Singh, 2012) Significant Event’s Relation to Health Care In the year 2011 there were many reports in the media regarding bisphenol A (BPA).BPA is a hormone-disrupting chemical linked to adverse health effects like cancer, infertility, diabetes, obesity and ADHD (Newbold, 2009) A large amount of BPA has been removed from water bottles as well as baby bottles. However, the epoxy resin lining food cans was still a grave concern and widespread problem throughout the United States. A new study done during this time found BPA in several canned fruits, vegetables, and pasta treats consumed by many children.A Harvard study found that volunteers who consumed canned soup daily for five days had a 1,000 percent increase in urinary BPA (Datz, 2011). BPA is found in many foods and drinks ingested by Americans every day. It has also been proven to be found in sealants and dentistry composites used by dentists. Many countries have banned BPA use in baby bottles, sippy cups, along with other products primarily used by children. BPA has been used in the United States since the 1950s, and was approved as a food additive by the FDA at that time (Rust & Kissinger, 2009).Personal Accountability for a healthier lifestyle Another event that has become more common in the United States is personal responsibility of each American to lead a healthier life that leads to a decrease in health care costs in the long run. Access to effective health care is an important component to many people as well as an important social responsibility. Americans as a society can find many ways to promote healthy environments and lifestyles. These ways include pollution control, occupational health, sanitation, preventative medical care and education, along with food and drug safety.Greater attention should be paid to strategies for health promotion other than access to healthcare, such as environmental and public health and health research (Resnick, 2007). The lifestyle of many Americans is the primary cause of the majority of illnesses in the United States. The leading causes of disease have been proven to be contributing factors to disease and death in the United States. Chronic diseases are the leading cause of disability as well as death in the United States and are on the rise. 7 out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases.Heart disease, cancer and stroke account for more than 50% of all deaths each year (Kung, Hoyert, Xu, & Murphy, 2005). More than one-third of all adults do not meet recommendations for aerobic physical activity based on the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and 23% report n o leisure-time physical activity at all in the preceding month, cigarette smoking is more prevalent in high school students as of 2007 with a reported percentage of 20%, and more than 43 million adults are cigarette smokers in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008).Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, and cigarette smoking causes almost all cases. Compared to nonsmokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer and women who smoke are about 13 times more likely. Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% in women. Smoking also causes cancer of the voice box (larynx), mouth and throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, pancreas, cervix, and stomach, and causes acute myeloid leukemia (U. S.Department of Health and Human Services, 2004). Chronic conditions that are caused by poor lifestyle choices ultimately create a huge burden on health care spending in the United States. The cost of health care spending for chronic conditions has increased the United States from $75 billion in 1970, $2. 6 trillion in 2010, and is expected to reach $4. 8 trillion in 2021. 75% of these costs is because of unhealthy lifestyles that lead to chronic conditions (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2011).General practitioners and insurance companies must focus more on educational resources related to preventative medicine and care to ensure citizens lead healthier lifestyles that will lead to longevity of life. This can be a difficult task as physicians are taught to uphold a creed to take care of all people who are ill, and Americans as a society are obligated to care for vulnerable citizens. There are no quick fix solutions. However, I believe that education can assist many Americans to strive more to live a better and healthier lifestyle in order to avoid disease and death from one of the many preventable chronic conditions.

Importance of patient confidentiality Essay

Health care professionals have a duty to maintain confidentiality for their patients. Health professionals may not disclose any patient information revealed by a patient or discovered by a physician in connection with the treatment of a patient. Patients put all of their trust into healthcare professionals and it is their job to protect patients’ private information. Consequences will be made if patient confidentiality is disclosed. The security of patient information is crucial because there are many risk factors that could occur. The disclosing of patient information can put patients at risk. Many problems could occur if patient information isn’t kept confidential. Someone could get their social security number, steal their identity or even find out their address. Other healthcare providers gossiping about a patients’ information such as an STD, could get around to others that the patient may know personally and that can mentally, emotionally and physically affect a patient. In general, AMA’s Code of Medical Ethics states that the information disclosed to a physician during the course of the patient-physician relationship is confidential to the utmost degree. (â€Å"American Medical Association,† 2013, Para. 1) If patient confidentiality is revealed than there are consequences that will follow. Health care professionals could be terminated for a certain period of time or completely fired from the job depending on the situation. Health care providers or even the facility could be sued. Also health care providers could lose patients’ trust because they could hear by word of mouth that patient information is not secure, and they are not a trustworthy facility. Illegal actions could potentially mean jail time or court depending on the situation. Maintaining patient confidentiality is a legal duty as well as an ethical duty. (â€Å"American Medical Association,† 2013, Para. 2) The purpose of health care provider’s is to make the patient feel free to disclose any and all of their  history so the physician can treat the patient appropriately. â€Å"If patients are not confident that there interactions will be held in confidence, they may be inhibited from telling their doctors about important things. (Alta, Anderson, Steele, 2000, para.3) There are times when private information has to be disclosed to outside parties with the patients’ consent such as insurance companies, parent/guardian, health departments or the court may have to subpoena patient’s medical records if patients’ do not want to comply to let others view them. This is called a breach of confidentiality. This means patient records can be disclosed to a third party, without patient consent or court order, of private information that the physician has learned within the patient-physician relationship. Patient record have to be reviewed by other parties to get their insurance companies to pay for their care and other doctors or facilities may have to view their history because sometimes patients have to be referred to other doctors. The general rule regarding release of a patient’s medical record is that information contained in a patient’s medical record may be released to third parties only if the patient has consented to such disclosure. (â€Å"American Medical Association,† 2013, Para. 6) Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) in which offers protection for personal health information. It places limits on how confidential health information can be shared with others. The HIPPA rules and regulations give patients better security over their information. Health care providers have to abide by a series of privacy standards and if they do not, they will have penalties to abide by for not following those standards. Within the HIPPA guidelines, patients have the right to request a copy of their records. It puts safeguards in place for confidential health information collected, maintained, used, or transmitted in electronic form. Patient confidentiality can be avoided if healthcare providers remain professional at all times and follow all rules, laws and regulations. Facilities need to have meetings on a weekly basis so they can all remain updated on all rules and issues that need to be addressed. Communication is what all health care providers need to provoke because it helps keep  everyone on the same page and if there are any issues health professional should be able to communicate well with other individuals to address a situation in a professional manner. Overall maintaining patient confidentiality is the main duty to provide the best care for patients because making patients feel at ease with their health care providers gives them the trust they need to know they will be well taken care of. If this bond of trust is broken, patients may be hesitant to seek care or may not share important information needed to provide the best care. The HIPPA laws have strengthened patient confidentiality. Keeping patient information confidential is more than just the right thing to do, it is the law. References In text Citation: (Alta, Anderson, Steele, 2000, para.3) (â€Å"American Medical Association,† 2013, Para. 1) (â€Å"American Medical Association,† 2013, Para. 2) (â€Å"American Medical Association,† 2013, Para. 6) Alta, V. Anderson, JD. Steele, D. (September 26, 2000) Confidentiality and Privacy Outline. Webmedia Retrieved May 27, 2013 from http://webmedia.unmc.edu/intmed/geriatrics/lectures/aita3.pdf

Key Attributes of the Transformational Style of Leadership Essay

The key attributes of the transformational style of leadership are as follows: Task versus Relationship Working together in organizations is increasingly the norm, yet the challenges of working effectively are considerable. One challenge is conflict—the process resulting from the tension between team members because of real or perceived differences. Empowerment versus Control The empowerment leadership style calls for delegation and collaboration of the team, while control is about the competitive style of conflict, which is task oriented—taking a firm stand and operating from a position of power. Getting Results versus Building Capacity Getting results and building capacity should work hand in hand but can be at odds as well, depending on strategy and objectives. To gain results, a leader must build capacity of the team; however, building capacity takes time and resources away from getting results. Shared Vision Shared vision is related to the traditional concept of goal-oriented implementation and consensus building in strategy and leadership (related to products, technologies, or markets), and values are developed by strong, charismatic leaders and imbued in the organizations they create. A shared vision is imperative in that it is communicated and developed as the organizational culture. Self versus Team Interests Self versus team interest affects or is highly influenced by the organization’s culture. How does the team or organization achieve its objectives and goals? Does the company promote and incentivize individual effort in lieu of team objectives? With one person excelling and the team suffering, does the entire organization succeed? Many times, individual goals or incentives must be sacrificed for the good of the team. One example of a transformational leader is Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, who often visited Wal-Mart stores across the country to meet with associates to show his appreciation for what they did for the company. Sam Walton gave â€Å"rules for success† in his autobiography, one of which was to appreciate associates with praise (Walton, 1996). Wal-Mart leaders embrace a philosophy called â€Å"servant-leadership,† which simply means that if you are a leader you need to put the needs of your people first. Said another way, company leaders need to serve their employees (associates). When you boil it all down, the secret to Sam Walton’s leadership philosophies is servant-leadership. His belief was that to truly be an inspirational leader, you must serve those whom you lead. In this regard, Sam was as much an amateur psychologist as he was a merchant (Bergdahl, 2004). There are 4 components to transformational leadership, sometimes referred to as the 4 I’s: Idealized Influence (II) – the leader serves as an ideal role model for followers; the leader â€Å"walks the talk,† and is admired for this. Inspirational Motivation (IM) – Transformational leaders have the ability to inspire and motivate followers. Combined these first two I’s are what constitute the transformational eader’s charisma. Individualized Consideration (IC) – Transformational leaders demonstrate genuine concern for the needs and feelings of followers. This personal attention to each follower is a key element in bringing out their very best efforts. Intellectual Stimulation (IS) – the leader challenges followers to be innovative and creative. A common misunderstanding is that transformational  leaders are â€Å"soft,† but the truth is that they constantly challenge followers to higher levels of performance (Riggio, 2009). References Bergdahl, M. (2004). What I Learned From Sam Walton : How to Compete and Thrive in a Wal-Mart World. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/ehost/detail?sid=2a112ec6-1217-47cc-8f02-3e3e27a41db7%40sessionmgr10&vid=5&bk=1&hid=22&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=nlebk&AN=119365 Kouzes, J. (2007). The Leadership Challenge (4th ed). Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/books/9780470633397/Root/0 Riggio, R. (2009). Cutting-Edge Leadership. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200903/are-you-transformational-leader