Sunday, January 26, 2020

Treatment Planning System Software Reflective Essay

Treatment Planning System Software Reflective Essay â€Å"Improving one’s learning and performance could be considered to be a ‘meta-skill’, that is the skill of learning how to learn.† (The Open University, 2012) Clinical skills chosen The clinical skill that was chosen is learning how to use Varian Medical Eclipseâ„ ¢ Treatment Planning System software and acquiring knowledge on how to plan a treatment for the different cancers. Eclipseâ„ ¢ is a comprehensive treatment planning system that simplifies modern radiation therapy planning for dosimetrists, physicists, and physicians to efficiently create, select, and verify the best treatment plans for their patients while ensuring high standard of care and effective protocols (Varian Medical Systems, 2014). This skill was chosen because it is treatment related and is able to give me a deeper understanding on patient’s treatment. Furthermore, the resources were readily available in the department for learning purposes. Process of learning this skill The process of learning this skill was broken down into two components; mastering the use of Eclipseâ„ ¢ software efficiently and gaining knowledge on treatment planning. The intention of breaking goals down (University of Kent Careers and Employability Service, n.d.) into two components is so that I can tackle them one step at a time. Each component was further evaluated based on a three-stage framework of developing a strategy, monitoring progress and evaluating performance (Figure A), which can be used to develop and improve skills and learning in general (The Open University, 2012). Strategy first component of learning process Firstly, the strategy was to have an action plan and time checklist of what I should be doing each week and what I should achieve at the end of each week. An action plan is a review of one’s current capabilities and goals over an extended period of time (The Open University, 2012). It is useful as it provides a structured plan linking the objectives of the learning process together and setting targets for achieving goals. There is a time checklist/schedule plan created on a weekly basis at the end of every journal entry to keep me on track and ensure that the objectives for the week have been met. There was a change in the schedule plan in week 1 as compared to the schedule plan in the action plan because I realised in the first week that one week was insufficient and I needed more time to learn the software. Another strategy was to split the learning process into two components. Getting to know the user interface and all the functions of Eclipseâ„ ¢ treatment planning system first would enhance my learning in treatment planning in the later part. Treatment planning requires both knowledge on treatment planning and skills on using the Eclipseâ„ ¢ treatment planning system. Thus, the first component of my learning journey was to get myself familiarise with Eclipseâ„ ¢ treatment planning software’s user interface and its functions. This took me a couple of weeks instead of one week that was originally planned in the action plan. I was able to learn a lot both on my own by referencing the user manual and also with the help of the senior radiation therapists during the 8-hour learning session per week. As I learn, I jotted down notes in the notebook. Note-taking was helpful as I was able to monitor my learning progress to keep me on track on the things that I have covered and have not. In order to evaluate my performance so far, a written assessment was carried out with the help of the senior radiation therapists at the end of week 2. The results from the assessment would determine my next step, which was to either continue learning the software’s user interface or to move on to the second component of my learning journey to learn how to plan a treatment. I chose a written assessment to evaluate my performance because it allows me to see my results visually in terms of scores. Scoring 92% for the written assessment on the software’s user interface gave me confidence to move to on to the second component of the learning process. Second component of learning process I passed the assessment and moved to learning how to plan a treatment for rectal cancer. For this component, I required the senior radiation therapist to guide me and share her knowledge. It was an observational and verbal learning for the first few hours after which I was left on my own with the hospital’s protocol booklist to try treatment planning on my own. The overload of information and knowledge caused me to miss out on quite a number of things in treatment planning. As such, it occurred to me that I would need a checklist. In my notebook, there were 2 types of lists: one of which is a step-by-step list for a treatment plan based on what the senior radiation therapist taught me and the other, is a checklist that the senior radiation therapists check against after every completion of a treatment plan. The advantages of having a checklist are that it focuses my mind on important objectives, orders my thoughts, making me less likely to forget certain details, monitors my p rogress and prevents me from side-tracking from my objectives. I managed to complete learning the treatment planning for rectal cancer a week earlier than planned. This caused a change in my schedule plan where the remaining planned weeks were brought forward a week. During this process, I should have read up textbooks for information instead of relying solely on the protocol book and the knowledge provided by the senior radiation therapist. I could have also used the Miller’s pyramid (Figure B) to monitor my performance on a personal level. Based on the Miller’s pyramid, I am at the â€Å"Shows† level as I am able to demonstrate the skill of planning a treatment plan for rectal tumours. I have yet to reach â€Å"Does† because I am still not efficient in treatment planning as I do still make mistakes such as over-shielding in the treatment plan for brain tumour. For each treatment plan, a competency-based assessment and verbal assessment were carried out to evaluate my performance. Firstly, I had to design a suitable treatment plan using Eclipseâ„ ¢ treatment planning software for a particular case that was selected by the senior radiation therapist. After which, I had to explain and convince her that my treatment plan has met the requirements and was suitable for the patient’s condition. She used a competency-based assessment checklist (Figure C) to evaluate my performance. A competency-based assessment is a collection of evidence to demonstrate that a learner can perform a task according to specific standards (Singapore Workforce Development Agency – Quality Assurance Division, 2012). The assessment outcome will allow the assessor to make judgment with respect to the competence or incompetence (Singapore Workforce Development Agency – Quality Assurance Division, 2012). Such method of assessment has been used for many years by the planning department to assess training staff on treatment planning where they have to apply their knowledge in designing a treatment plan and explaining the rationale as well as suitability for the particular patient in accordance to the hospital’s protocol and patient’s benefit. This is good as it involves an assessment of a combination of treatment planning knowledge, process skills and transferable skills (Singapore Workforce Development Agency – Quality Assurance Division, 2012). Apart fr om competency-based assessment, I also chose verbal assessment for this component because it allowed me to gather feedback directly from my senior radiation therapist on ways that she thinks could have been better and on how to improve my treatment plans. Learning from my mistakes allows me to learn and grow as I will avoid making similar mistakes in the future. Type of learner I learned faster with the help of the senior radiation therapist. At the start of each session, the senior radiation therapist will show and explain to me regarding treatment planning. After which, I was given hands-on opportunities to enhance my learning. Among the learning styles (Figure D), I learned better through visual, verbal and logical styles where the senior radiation therapist showed and explained to me the different components of treatment planning. I feel that explanations make better sense to me rather than just verbal instructions. As such, I found myself asking more to get a deeper understanding of the interface and usage of the software as well as knowledge in treatment planning. After each discussion with the senior radiation therapist, I prefer to work alone to digest all the information and try out the treatment planning on my own. Therefore, solitary learning style (Figure D) was more suitable for me rather than social, also known as group discussion. Self-reflection using Gibb’s Reflective Model (Figure E) Description feelings I was able to learn new skills and knowledge from the seniors. Throughout this learning process, I learned how to develop my own learning goals, identify my own learning styles and be responsible for my own learning. At the start of the process, I struggled a little bit as the amount of knowledge and things to learn was too overwhelming especially since I am not IT-savvy. However, the hands-on practices helped me build up my confidence each week. I feel that this newly learnt skill and knowledge are useful as it can be applied when I carry out the daily treatments and also when I am doing the new treatment card check. The knowledge can also be shared with my juniors and students on attachment. Evaluation analysis The main challenge during the learning process was time. I only had one day (8 hours) every week to go to the treatment planning department. There was no fixed schedule plan as certain skill or knowledge required more time to learn. The changes in my schedule plan were made as more time was needed than expected to learn the software at the start and also due to the lack of manpower in the department which denied me of learning opportunities. However, I did managed to complete learning the treatment plan for rectal cancer a week earlier. As such, the schedule plan will always be adjusted based on my needs and capabilities each week. Despite this, it is crucial for me to keep to a certain timeframe as delaying a learning objective for too long would mean that the whole learning process will be completed at a later period. Given more time, I would like to be given a chance to create my own checklist on treatment planning and refer to more references from the textbooks instead of relying on the hospital’s protocol and knowledge shared by the seniors. Conclusion action plan If I was given another opportunity, I would repeat the same process with similar action plan but with a more realistic set of timeline based on my learning speed and capabilities. I would also like to develop my note-taking skills and the method of evidencing my skills. 1

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Murder in missouri: celia’s story

Slavery in America is one of the most intriguing yet controversial episodes in modern history.   Essentially an economic system, its tentacles reached north, south, east, and west.  The culture of slavery, particularly as it developed in the south, was a complex web of social and labor arrangements ranging from gang to task labor, skilled and unskilled workers, field and domestic servants.   Perpetual servitude found legitimacy in the construction of local and state laws designed to undermine the ability of black men, women, and their children to negotiate the conditions of labor and leisure.Although ubiquitous, the character of slavery was unique to each region and the extent of its acceptance determined by local politics and profitability.In the north, where the soil was unsuitable for an agricultural based economy, the factory system developed allowing for the rapid conversion of southern grown raw materials to finished goods.   In the south the plantation system emerged d ue, in large part, to the richness of the soil, numerous waterways, and the widespread of slave laborers both domestic and imported.In the west, where virgin land was most plentiful during the early nineteenth-century, young men like Robert Newsom left the depleted regions of Virginia, oftentimes with their families and slaves, to seek fortune and a better life.It was this â€Å"promise and its fulfillment,† argues Melton A. McLaurin in his true story, Celia, A Slave, that inspired people like Newsom to emigrate to Missouri. [1]   Ã‚  A decisive region in pro and anti-slavery debates, the Missouri Compromise of 1821 insured that there would be slavery in the old Louisiana Territory.   By 1850 Newsom was well respected and considered â€Å"comfortably well off.† [2]In antebellum Missouri, plantations were more the exception than the rule as the economic profitability determined the number of slaves owned by a small farmer.   Still slaves were considered property a nd enslaved women were always subject to the sexual advances of the master.These coerced and morally questionable encounters oftentimes produced children who were the object of the mistress’s hate and a reminder of her husband’s promiscuity.   Ã‚  Enslaved women in Callaway County, Missouri, much like those in other slaveholding regions, were without legal or community protection and, all too often, their suppressed anger erupted in violence and, in some cases, the brutal murder of their master and sexual abuser.[3]Consider the case of Celia, a slave.   Celia was purchased by Robert Newsom when she just fourteen years old.     Convinced that she should be his continuous sex partner and not simply a cook, he raped her on the return trip to Callaway County.   After repeated unwelcome sexual encounters, she bore two children and, at some point, Newsom provided her with a â€Å"luxurious† cabin adjacent to his home near a â€Å"beat down path.†[4]  As it turns out, Celia fell in love with George, a slave owned by Newsom who was aware of his [Newsom’s] sexual assaults.     George gave Celia an ultimatum demanding that if she did not â€Å"force Newsom to stop having sexual relations with her† their relationship would be over. [5]   Celia confronted Newsom who ignored her warnings.   She even turned to his daughters for help.   It was then that Celia decided she would â€Å"resort to a physical attack to repel his advances.†[6]When Newsom arrived on the night of June 23, 1855 as promised, Celia hit him with a stick.   When he reached for her again, Celia â€Å"raised the club with both hands and once again brought it crashing down on Newsom’s skull.†[7]   Celia disposed of the body by burning it in the fireplace.   On the following morning she asked Newsom’s grandson, Coffee Waynescott, to â€Å"clean out her fireplace† and â€Å"carry the ashes out† in a container and, after which, he â€Å"spilled the remains in the grass.† [8][1] Melton A, McLaurin, Celia, A Slave: A True Story of Violence and Retribution in Antebellum Missouri (Athens: University of Georgia Press), 3; 4-8, (hereinafter cited as Celia, A Slave).[2] Under the terms of the Compromise, Missouri was to be admitted to the Union as a slave state; Ibid, 8. [3] McLaurin, Celia A Slave, 14-16; 95-101.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

The Idiots Manual to Thematic Essay Topics for Us History Regents

The Idiot's Manual to Thematic Essay Topics for Us History Regents You can pick one event and describe its various facets of impact. Just take the subject which you have to investigate and think about a particular aspect that can be discovered from various elements. Thus, when conducting your research, you should be aware the authors of the material. As a consequence, many students utilize the help of special on-line services. Top Choices of Thematic Essay Topics for Us History Regents Even in the event the essay's questions seem unrelated, it's important to draw a parallel. The technique necessary to compose an impressive history essay can change from 1 topic to another. Let's start from the very start and talk about how to compose a thematic essay. If you don't understand how to compose a thematic essay, there's always a means out we can write an essay for you. Thus, to compose an outstanding paper inside this subject, one wants to use a minumum of one history essay introduction example to be guided. Since you may see, the structure is comparable to other essay types. For example, compare and contrast essay is quite popular and it's tough to compose it. A common essay is created of 5 paragraphs. Being a complicated job, essay writing is connected with many mistakes students have a tendency to make. A thematic essay is a significant portion of the education practice. As the main aim of a thematic essay prompt is to produce the student respond to the particular questions, so give your solution at the end! The essay body is the principal part. Paragraph 1should introduce any references that will be utilized in your paper. Opening it needs to set up the whole paper and should inform your reader on the topic they will discuss. The very first paragraph of your writing ought to be a quick introduction. Besides, you're permitted to communicate directly with the writer handling your paper so you can make any clarifications. The introduction should offer a synopsis of the paper. A paper proposal is the initial step to writing a research paper the intention behind the proposal is to receive clearance from the instructor that the topic you've chosen. The thesis statement ought to be included within this paragraph to allow readers to comprehend the central argument of the paper. What Is So Fascinating About Thematic Essay Topics for Us History Regents? Though it has several similarities with other essay types, there are a few significant differences also. There's plenty to learn about just about any topic in this discipline. Global regents subjects are the ones that refer to things, events, individuals who are significant for the entire world. The Dirty Facts About Thematic Essay Topics for Us History Regents In case, you feel that it's impossible to compose your thematic essay punctually or you're not sure you're writing it properly use our help. In such way, you will find some brilliant suggestions to introduce in your paper and will determine the most suitable theme. Even when you have good history essay topics and the ideal ideas in mind, but you're not focused on writing, you may wind up having a low-quality paper. It is essential to select the most crucial idea depending on the prompt. New Questions About Thematic Essay Topics for Us History Regents The following is an all-inclusive collection of essay questions that were asked on past ap the antigen-antibody reaction to a skin graft from somebody else. In the following piece, the student can get all answers to the questions regarding this kind of academic essay writing together with the helpful hints and good topic ideas. At this phase, it's quite important to correctly formulate questions. In a thematic essay, it could be challenging to define the key question form the very first look at th e assignment prompt. Make certain that all questions were answered. You should pay attention to specific planning and stick with the subject of discussion. These topics deliver general breakdown of question types that could come up in Regent Exams. It is a kind of writing which is centered on investigating a specific topic of discussion and analyzing a variety of aspects of the exact same subject. Thematic Essay Topics for Us History Regents - What Is It? Commonly, the thematic essay is related to social problems in distinct periods of human civilization. There is a good number of topics that may be utilised to compose impressive parts of academic writing. It is critical to identify and disclose the major subject of the studied work. It's important to not forget that the clearer the predicament is, the simpler it'll be for you to discover the appropriate material, the more dynamic and interesting your work will be.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Mcqs on Marketing - 940 Words

Principles of Marketing: Multiple choice questions 1. Which one of the following statements by a company president best reflects the marketing concepts? Pg 11 or 13 ____a. We have organized our business to make certain that customers get what they want. ____b. We believe that the marketing department must organize to sell what we produce ____c. Our company has organized an aggressive sales force to promote our products ____d. We try to produce only high-quality, technically efficient products. 2. Alamo Rent-A-Car defines its ____ as leisure travelers, whereas its major competitors focus on business travelers. Pg. 34 ____a. target market ____b. marketing mix ____c. market variable __x_d. marketing†¦show more content†¦marketing mix ____c. market variable __x_d. marketing objective group Which one of the following employees is ultimately responsible for setting the ethical tone for the entire marketing organization? Pg. 106 ____a. Lower-level marketing managers ____b. Lower-level marketing employees ____c. The product manager __x_d. The chief executive officer Why would a company use an undifferentiated targeting strategy? ____a. The needs of individual consumers are similar, and distinctive marketing mixes are required to satisfy them. ____b. The undifferentiated strategy requires less time and fewer resources. ____c. The needs of individual consumers in the target market for a specific product are similar, so the organization can satisfy most customers with a single marketing mix. ____d. The undifferentiated strategy is expensive to implement but tends to produce the most sales. Gerber Singles were a gourmet food for adults packaged in baby food jars. The product failed mainly because: ____a. of poor timing ____b. of technical or design problems ____c. of overestimation of market size ____d. it did not convey the right message or image Kleenex boutique is a brand ____ of tissues made by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. ____a. mark ____b. identification ____c. name ____d. guarantee All members of the supply chain should determine their position in the chain, identify their partners andShow MoreRelatedBranding: Marketing and Answer2851 Words   |  12 PagesChapter-9: MCQ’s and short questions: 1._____ is endowing products and services with the power of a brand. Your Answer: | Branding | 2._____ is the added value endowed to products and services. Your Answer: | Brand equity | 3.______ are those trademarked devices that serve to identify and differentiate the brand. Your Answer: | Brand elements | 4._____ marketing is about mixing and matching marketing activities to maximize their individual and collective effects. Your Answer: | Integrating