Women and Economics in Colonial and Post Revolution America Essay

Women and Economics in Colonial and Post Revolution America - Essay Example She discusses among many other topics: motherhood, sex, domestic duties, the role of women as educators, feminine inclinations, women's relationships with men and the existence of women as human beings. I believe that human beings have in their nature a primal instinct for survival and that women have relied on men for their livelihood for so long that this human instinct has become blunted. This view is supported in Gilman's work where her writings point to a belief that women are now more feminine than they are human 1 By Gilman's definitions, women had a primarily "feminine" role to play in colonial America. In early southern colonies, females were heavily outnumbered by men but the hardships of life ensured that all inhabitants had to earn their living regardless of gender. Women attended domestic duties like sewing and cooking and men devoted more time to productivity in the fields but regardless of job descriptions, all were kept busy in they strife of making a living. With a rise in European conflict and the spread of these disputes to America, a new population of widows emerged who were previously dependent on their husbands for the livelihood of their families 2 These women gradually integrated themselves into the urban workforce; a move that was encouraged by authorities to decrease the number of widows and orphans dependent on charity.3 The revolutionary age brought change in the attitudes of women. Prior to the American revolution, migrant families to America had brought with them ideals about a "woman's place" and perceptions of "femininity" from the bases of their European origins. However, as the political environment changed and people in general became more outspoken, there evolved a greater tolerance to opinionated women. Women began to hold meetings in their homes involving both men and women where they criticized political and religious figures and discussed everything from economics to medicine. 4 The American Revolution was not simply a military conflict between American colonies and the British Empire; there was a strong cultural and economic resistance in America. Americans became more reluctant to rely on British produced goods and this started an industrial economy for women. Because of this boycott of British products, women became responsible for producing most of their families clothing at home in addition to other consumables like candles and soap 5 6. To continue to support their families and produce food for the army, women also took to the fields and assumed an important role in agriculture 5. If a family owned a business like an inn or a printing press, women often assumed these entrepreneurial roles while their husbands were away 7. This allowed women to demonstrate levels of competency and success at opportunities that were denied to them in the past. Women launched a full scale assault to cement their place in the American workforce. In the past, women who wer e forced to work were careful not make their activities too obvious. There remained traditions in society that a woman's place was in her home; her private sphere. However, during the revolution, as the demand for women in the workplace grew, women became more prepared to advertise their products and services 8. Women were not only participating in docile duties. Women sometimes traveled with

The importance of medication administration Essay

The importance of medication administration - Essay Example Although errors or mistakes are bound to occur, albeit at reduced frequencies, nurses and other caretakers should be appropriately trained, skilled and well prepared to prevent and manage these errors whenever they occur. This paper discusses the interventions or strategies by which nurses can reduce cases of medication errors. Medication errors are the most common errors in healthcare and medicine fields. The main reason for this situation is the huge number of doses administered and the complexity of the medication system, not to mention the complex nature of diseases and diverse patient situations and needs (Mediscape.org, 2014). Although many organizations and individuals turn to technology as the first resort to preventing and reducing medication errors, there are many other more productive and effective strategies that can be applied. Generally, research shows that the provision of correct medication is the backbone of medication error prevention. Medication should also be given at the right doses. The use of clinical decision support is also an effective method of medication error reduction. It brings information to prescribers at the requisite time, guiding them to prescribe drugs based on laboratory results (Mediscape.org, 2014). The prescriber is also alerted of possible allergic reactions, alter native formula. In spite of medication errors being quite common, many cases are neither noticed nor reported. The reason many cases of medication errors are not reported is that the nurses involved fear for their jobs and professional disciplinary actions such as deregistration. An overall and far-reaching intervention for reducing medication errors is the adoption and instilling of a culture of safety among nursing staffs (Leape, 2002). That is, there should be an organisational patient safety plan, containing the objectives and the mechanisms by which these objectives are to be achieved. The main foundation of this plan should be the