Developing Professional Practice And Needed Skills

Developing Professional Practice And Needed Skills In all areas of expertise, technical skills of the profession are important in order to be able to tackle any arising matters in your field. As a student in psychology there is need to learn how to acquire the skills which are crucial for your profession. During placement, a lot is expected of you as you act like any other professional in that field. It is therefore of prime importance to develop the skills necessary for that professional practice. Reflection in practice is one of the skills necessary as a student of psychology. Reflective practice is a model applied in adult learning and educational teaching where there is application of various concepts of reflection to analyze real issues. According to Reid (1993, p.305), reflection involves critical understanding any experience that a professional goes through with an intention of giving a vivid description, an in depth analysis and latter conduct an evaluation. This will provide an avenue to be able to gauge what the learner has acquired as a result of the practice. The aim of reflective practice is to create a problem out of a learning situation. The act of solving the problem will provide the professionals with a good opportunity to research therefore acquire relevant knowledge and growth in their profession. Reflective practice imparts skills to learners not only to become a repetitive doer but also gain cognition of tackling different situations during practice. Donald Schon, a philosopher is credited to have described the process of reflective practice in his book in 1983. This essay gives a description of my plan to develop professional practice during my first placement experience. Importance of reflection Reflection practice that is applied in psychology works within the concepts of reflection. It accounts for a conceptional structure around which psychology as a discipline that involves patient management works. Reflection is important in identifying the positivity or negativity that is associated with any practice in any discipline. It helps a student to learn from experience in his or her field of expertise. Once they are exposed to a certain experience during their period of practice, reflective practice provides a chance for the student to think back and relate the experience to the theoretical knowledge learnt in c lass. Various models are used which provide the framework for reflective practice. Among the most common are; Gibbs Model of Reflection which was formulated in 1988, Atkin and Murphys Model of Reflection of 1994, Kolbs Learning cycle and finally the Johns Model of Reflection of 1994. Which the model you decide to apply or to follow its principles the end result should be acquisition of reflective practice skills. Reflective practice is an important tool in solving day to day problems. Its application in difficult situation and in ideas that are undeveloped to provide a concrete solution provides an opportunity for further analysis and dispensation of knowledge and skills. It further synthesizes emotions and provides time for sober thinking and development of solutions to difficult situations. However, to be able to develop these skills it is of importance to have a good atmosphere that is conducive to reflection. It is important to have an understanding supervisor who is able to take you t hrough the process. Flexibilities in time are crucial and an environment that provides support in case any is needed. Finally, your learning institution should have a well structured curriculum which is able to encompass the above factors. Key learning goals during student placement experience Mostly, as an undergraduate student there is more to learn since there is many changes that one undergoes during that transition. Most of us are not much conversant with wide reading and research activities. They do not embrace the team spirit that is essential in their acquisition of knowledge. Additionally, various approaches used like problem based learning is a nightmare to most of them. However, most centers of learning have well experienced lecturers and professors who supervise the students. In psychological studies they promote development of research and the application of knowledge leant in psychology in real life situations (Boyd Fales, 1983, p.102) . Hence, being provided with placement experience will help me acquire a lot in the practice of psychology. First and foremost, I intend to acquire a lot in patient care and the quality expected. To become effective you need to be able to provide care of high quality to improve their satisfaction. Various approaches to care like counseling will be acquired and practically performed. As a result, I will be able to apply theoretical knowledge learnt in class to real life cases in the health center. Having done so, I will have accomplished my goal of ensuring that the gap which usually exists between theoretical knowledge and practical skills is minimized if not closed. My third goal would be to enhance my personal as well as professional growth. Having been in practice, I will develop a liking for one specialization in psychology which I can further pursue later on in life. I am of the opinion that the time allocated will be more than enough to meet my strategic goals in the placement experience. Reflective techniques used during the placement Reflection is a brainstorming process that involves processing ideas in the mind to come up with a solution to a situation at hand. With the right atmosphere for reflection and tasks that encourage reflection, clear solutions emanate from the thinking process. Reflection is encouraged by facing challenges during practice and often asking question with no clear answer. As a result the brain is triggered to think and this provides an opportunity for old ideas to be incorporated with new situations in practice to have a solution. I intend to apply Kolbs learning cycle during my placement period. This can be represented in a pictorial form as follows; Source: Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall: New Jersey, p.21 First and foremost, what I have learnt in class will be put into practice in the active experimentation stage. After putting ideas to practice, I will have gained practical skills necessary in psychology. I will then evaluate the skills leant in a reflective manner. Finally, I will form ideas as a result of the experience gained. Experience to assess my practice It is important to have a form assessment during practice in order to gain full understanding of the skills that have been acquired. One of the assessment methods during my practice will be making entries in a journal (Ibarreta McLeod, 2004, p.136). The records that I will make in the journal will be the significant events that I experience during my time there. My entries will match to the concepts as defined be Kolbs in developing his model of reflective practice. This will provide a framework for which my arguments will come from during reflective thinking. After each day in practice, I will highlight the significant issues that I learnt or the skills that I was able to acquire. Detailing this information will guide me in enhancing my skills in critical thinking. In addition, it will impose an attitude of self directed learning as issues not well understood will be researched at a latter stage. The entries made will also be based by the relevant models hence acknowledging the wor ks of different scholars in the field of psychology. Entries made in the journal will also provide me with an opportunity to record in context any of the important aspects acquired as a result of the placement. The goals for the placement as outlined above will be comprehensively covered in the entries made in the journal. Patton et al. (1997, p.238), further notes that making entries in a journal provide a connection between what is learned theoretically in classroom and practical experiences that are gained during practice. Having gained this, it will be quite easy for evaluation of the notes and provide an avenue for reflection. Apart from journal entries, I intend to carry out an action research on one aspects of psychology that will seem to be having challenges. The aim of this research will be to modify the identified practice in order to enhance practice in my institution of placement. It will be important both to increase my professional skills and also leave an impact at the institution. Importance of supervision in the reflection process The students need supervision during their placement in order to acquire all the necessary skills and in a smoother manner. A good atmosphere is necessary during supervision to minimize serious distractions due to the clients. John (2007, p.3), notes that effective supervision is necessary as it offers practical support, enhances the morale of learning process and also offers challenges to the students to be able to learn. Supervision is important in practice of psychology as it gives inputs in the following three areas; to begin with it provides technical support in practice to the students. As a result the student is encouraged to seek more knowledge on an issue and the end result is attainment of practical and reflective skills. Secondly, the student is able to apply the learnt theory into professional practice. This is also part of the educational or teaching process. Finally, supervision gives a chance to the student to be able to evaluate their practical skills to those required to attain professional standards. In addition, a student is in a position to assess whether their goals of the placement have been achieved. Formal supervision sessions should take place daily and the student should be well prepared with any question, observation or addition that he/she intends to share with the supervisor. At times, the supervisor probes the students understanding through question asking or through interrogative discussion. After the session with the supervisor the student should be able to have a critical review of issues discussed with a view of updating him/herself and so as to remember the issues discussed. After reviewing, short notes are encouraged on the discussion held. The student should then proceed to the next issue of learning as per their formulated action plans. Supervision of students also serves to enhance a learning relationship between the students and the supervisors. It provides a chance for career counseling and mentorship and thus a student gets fulfillment and enjoys whatever they are doing. Supervision sessions also serves to check how the students are carrying on academically and disciplinary. It is through these sessions that abscond of learning process is noted and thus administrative actions can as well be taken against any such student. Challenges during placement and intended solutions During the teaching practice, one of the main challenges one may face is uncooperative supervisor. Some supervisors may be authoritative and give threatening warning of dire consequences to students during practice (Knowles, 1975, p.20). By so doing, an atmosphere of fear and mistrust is cultivated and this is retrogressive to acquisition of knowledge. A supervisor should be willing to negotiate and work towards creating good learning relationship with the students. When faced with such a supervisor care should be taken and avoid crossing their paths or being in the wrong places. Also, I would use professional approach whenever handling such supervisors. The second challenge is finding a non conducive atmosphere at the place of placement. This gives the student a hard time and learning is hindered. As a solution collaborative efforts with my supervisor to talk with the management would at least solve that problem. Lastly, is difficulty in putting theory into practice due to lack of e xperience. This would be easily solved through consulting my supervisor and the specialists that are in charge of me. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important for students to be given a chance during their coursework to have practical skills in their areas of expertise. This do not only give learners a golden opportunity to acquire professional experience essential for the practice, but also expose them to profession challenges that they may form part of solution finding. Moreover, by doing so professionals are produced who are capable of putting theory into practice and developing new ideas through their reflective practice.

Intimate Partner Violence Essay

Intimate partner violence is sometimes common in relationships, and many partners in the relationship, usually the male, will demonstrate acts of violence against his mate. There are various categories where violence falls, such as stalking, mental abuse, sexual abuse and physical abuse. We can find intimate partner violence in all groups of people which include, economic, social, ethnic, racial and many types of cultural group. Acts of violence can take place between one individual in the relationship or both. Usually there are links between intimate partner violence and different aspects that generally affect the relationship, where economic, psychological and social conditions contribute to the number of incidents reported to authorities. The impact of intimate partner violence varies, usually in the type and severity of abuse. Individuals who are vulnerable due to physical, psychological, economic, or social conditions or who have experienced prior victimization may be even more severely affected than those with financial resources, good health, favorable environments, and no other significant stressors or health problems. However, intimate violence can be traumatic for anyone. In some cases, the effects of prior intimate partner violence can be triggered for the first time or after a long period of remission months or years after the actual occurrence of violence has stopped. Intimate partner violence needs to be further investigated to find solutions. We learn from the Department of Justice Statistics Report, that â€Å"Statistics about intimate partner violence (IPV) vary because of differences in how different data sources define Intimate Partner Violence, (IPV). For example, some definitions include stalking and psychological abuse, and others consider only physical and sexual violence. Data on IPV usually come from police, clinical settings, nongovernmental organizations, and survey research. † There are many definitions of violence, and this is taken into consideration when statistics are completed. We also learn that, â€Å"Most IPV incidents are not reported to the police. About 20% of IPV rapes or sexual assaults, 25% of physical assaults, and 50% of stalkings directed toward women are reported. Even fewer IPV incidents against men are reported (Tjaden and Thoennes 2000a). Thus, it is believed that available data greatly underestimate the true magnitude of the problem. While not an exhaustive list, here are some statistics on the occurrence of IPV. In many cases, the severity of the IPV behaviors is unknown. † We are told by (Heise and Garcia Moreno, 2002) that, â€Å"Traditional gender norms (e. g. , women should stay at home and not enter workforce, should be submissive)† There are many males who often desire for their partners to stay out of the social and workforce realm and often violence is acted out toward spouses when they don’t give up any social attachments. Heise and Moreno tell us that, â€Å"Some factors that are common in intimate relationships that are violent include: 1. Couples with income, educational, or job status disparities 2. Dominance and control of the relationship by the male 3. Some community factors associated with intimate violence are: 4. Poverty and associated factors (e. g. , overcrowding) 5, Low social capital—lack of institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the 6. Quality and quantity of a community’s social interactions 7. Weak community sanctions against IPV (e. g. , police unwilling to intervene)† We learn from The Federal Government Source for Women‘s Health Information (womenshealth. gov. 2006) that, â€Å"One in four women report that they have been physically assaulted or raped by an intimate partner. These crimes occur in both heterosexual and same-sex relationships. Physical and emotional trauma can lead to increased stress, depression, lowered self-esteem and post-traumatic stress disorder (an emotional state of discomfort and stress connected to the memories of a disturbing event). † We also learn that, â€Å"Violence against women by anyone is always wrong, whether the abuser is a current or past spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend; someone you date; a family member; an acquaintance; or a stranger. You are not at fault. You did not cause the abuse to happen, and you are not responsible for the violent behavior of someone else. † No matter who commits the violence in the relationship, (male or female), or the age of the victim in the intimate partnership, it is wrong. We also learn that, â€Å"Women of all ages are at risk for domestic and intimate partner violence and face similar challenges when trying to leave an abuser, like feelings of shame and money concerns. However, women who are 55 years and older and are abused face unique challenges. These women grew up and married during a time when domestic abuse was often ignored. Now, at an older age, they have endured many years of abuse and may have problems with poor self-image and shame. Older women who have been abused also are less likely to tell anyone about it; have health problems that keep them dependent on their abusive partner; feel committed to caring for their abusive aging partners; and are fearful of being alone. † We also learn from sources with the Department of Health and Human Resources that, â€Å"Many individuals who are abused in the relationship often stay because they feel obliged to stay out of loyalty or because of fear. Violence in the home doesn’t just affect the person being abused; it affects everyone in the home, including children. Children may witness abuse in a number of different ways. 1. They may be in the room and see their mother being abused. 2. They may hear their parents fighting. 3. They may see the aftermath of the abuse when they see their mother’s bruises. Studies have shown that children who grow up in violent homes are more likely to withdraw and have behavioral problems. As they get older, these children often blame themselves for not stopping the abuse. This can lead to further withdrawal, depression, and substance abuse. Children who grow up in abusive homes are more likely to become abusers or be abused themselves. A boy who grows up with a father who beats his mother tends to see women as weak and submissive and repeat the cycle of abuse in his own relationships. A girl who sees the abuse of her mother is likely to think that abuse is part of a normal relationship and become involved with an abuser herself. Intimate Partner Violence needs to be addressed. Too many individuals fall victim to this type of violence in a partnership and studies show that many factors contribute to this abuse. Many individuals who have never been in an abusive relationship wonder, â€Å"Why doesn’t she leave? † There are many reasons why individuals may not leave an abusive relationship. She may possess little or no money and have no way to ultimately support herself and her children or she may reach out for help only to find that all the local domestic violence shelters are full. She may not be able to contact friends and family who could help her. Or she may worry about the safety of herself and her children if she leaves. There must be resources for these individuals to turn to when violence is apparent in the intimate relationship. If you are being abused or have a loved one who is being abused, get help. Don’t ignore it. It won’t go away. Keep in mind, you’re not alone. Many women are victims of domestic abuse. There is help out there for victims of domestic abuse in intimate partner relationships. Contact your local women’s shelters in your area for advice and protection. Without help, abuse will continue and could worsen. Many resources are available to help you understand your options and to support you. No one deserves to be abused Typically each time the abuse occurs, it worsens, and the cycle shortens. Breaking this pattern of violence alone and without help is difficult. It’s always important to recognize that you may not be in a position to resolve the situation on your own. You may need outside help, and that’s OK. Without help, the abuse will likely continue. Leaving the abusive relationship may be the only way to break the cycle. Reference Page Heise, L, Garcia-Moreno. (2002) †Violence Against Intimate Partners†. World Report on Violence and Health. P. 87-121 The Department of Health & Human Services. (2006). â€Å"Violence Against Women†. womens health. gov. Tjaden, Thoennes P. (2000). â€Å"Full Report: Violence Against Women Report†. Department of Justice.

Ethiopian Culture

Ethiopian Culture The people of Ethiopia are very diverse group of people that speak several different languages. Among them are a form of Semitic, Cushitic, or Amharic–which is the official language. English is the most widely spoken foreign language. Ethiopia has many ethnic groups: Oromo, Amhara, Tigreans and 77 other ethnic groups. Many of these groups have their own language as well. The two major religious groups in the country are Christians and Muslims along with traditional African Religions.Ethiopians are very respectful people and will rise out of one’s seat or give up one’s bed for an older friend or family member. Being of modest demeanor and courteous are very important social values in Ethiopia. When meeting new people, Ethiopians often are formal and reserved. Forming relationships takes time and is a process in and of itself. Some issues that need to be addressed are the treatment of women. This is due to women not being treated fairly, and even sometimes poorly. Most women don’t know their rights.The Ethiopian constitution provides for equality , but it is rarely followed because there are no effective mechanisms of enforcement for these protections (Ethiopia Economic Studies, 2000). Also, due to the high number of ethnic groups, many people live in states that are segregated by ethnic group and political affiliation. This may cause issues when people of different cultures work together. Reports show that there is a long history of tension between tribal groups in the region. One such example is between the Nuer and Anuak.Other issues that will factor in while doing business in Ethiopia are: extreme poverty; poor infrastructure, such as transportation; communications and other utility services; restrictions on foreign exchange and poor banking system. Despite this, Ethiopia’s economic growth has surged, averaging 6-7% from 1993-1998 (Ethiopia Economic Studies, 2000). Overall, Ethiopia is a country ripe with o pportunity that can provide a mutual benefit to investors and the local population. Labor is inexpensive nd therefore, our company can afford to hire more people and help our fellow employees out of poverty and still turn a profit. There are many risk involved–considering the ethnic and political tension–but with any potential investment, there are always risks. With knowledge and a great understanding of Ethiopian culture, a good business plan can help smooth out the rough edges of doing business in a foreign country. References: Travel Information. (2009). Ethiopia Country Review, 92-103. Cultural and demographic risks in Ethiopia. (2000). Ethiopia Economic Studies, 84.

Low Wages Mean Lower - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 311 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/05/18 Category Law Essay Level High school Tags: Minimum Wage Essay Did you like this example? Â  According to Harrop (2013), The Declaration of Independence says nothing about a right to cheap labor, but not everyone has noticed. Although, the economy seems to rely heavily on low wages when trying to attract unskilled labor. The struggles of low wage workers have driven the issue of low wage work into the nations attention. There has been national debate over whether to raise the minimum wage from the federally set wage of $7.25 per hour. Low wages mean lower operating costs, hence greater profit for a business that may be used for capital investment, expansion, and more innovation. But what advantages are provided for workers? Many full-time workers argue that cheap labor produces poor living, and they often rely on public assistance. When companies offer these cheap wages and cant find workers for the negligible wages, labor shortages are declared. Under the law of supply and demand, when something is in short supply, the price for it rises. So if there were a shortage of unskilled workers, their pay levels would rise, right? But they have not. On the contrary, they have fallen. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Low Wages Mean Lower" essay for you Create order Low wages may slow economic growth but increase its sustainability. Although, when discussing and examining minimum wage throughout different economies, we must consider the market for labor. Like markets for goods, markets for labor have demand and supply curves.So a higher wage leads to a decrease in the quantity of labor demanded by employers, while a lower wage leads to an increase in the quantity of labor demanded. According to a prediction made by a recent Congressional Budget Office report, an increase of the set minimum wage could result in a loss of jobs in the United States. This could be interpreted because a minimum wage of $10.50 per hour could attract workers who have higher qualifications or skills and would leave the jobs who need highly qualified employees.