...CRITICAL INCIDENT ANALYSIS Reflection is an important aspect of nursing education therefore for this assignment an acute event that occurred during a practical placement will be selected, reflected upon and critically analysed. To do this effectively a reflective model will be used. The model selected was Marks-Maran and Rose (1997). Reflection and analysis of a critical incident is recognised as a valuable learning tool for nurses (Rich and Parker 2001). In doing so it allows the opportunity of adapting our way of practicing, thinking and developing self-awareness (Alphonse 2007). It also helps to gain a better understanding of an incident, therefore exploring whether the correct decisions were made or whether alterations should be made to future practice. The scenario that will be used is one that was encountered while on practice placement. To protect the patient’s confidentiality in line with the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) code of conduct a pseudonym of Mrs Smith will be used (NMC 2008). Mrs Smith was admitted to hospital following a collapse at home. An emergency craniotomy and evacuation of a blood clot following a large Posterior Fossa Haemorrhage was performed. After the surgical procedure an external ventricular drain (EVD) was inserted. An EVD is a drain that is inserted through the skull into the area of the brain that encountered the haemorrhage, this allows any extra fluid and blood to be drained, and it also assists with maintaining the intracranial...
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...the tenability of type physicalism within the context of a second-order cybernetic analysis of phenomenality. I begin by describing the philosophical problem type physicalism attempts to resolve and follow up with an examination of arguments against type physicalism. I then describe how arguments against type physicalism tend to rely on the ontological distinction between system and observer. Next, I show that this distinction is purely conceptual and dissolves when phenomenality is analyzed from a second-order cybernetic perspective. Within this context, type physicalism remains a tenable solution to the mind-body problem so long as an isomorphic mapping between physical and psychological processes is possible. Introduction The motivation for type physicalism stems from empirical evidence of pervasive and systematic psychoneural correlations, that is, correlations between mental phenomena and brain processes. These correlations are systematic enough to allow scientists to successfully sense, transmit, analyze, and apply the language of neurons using an assortment of sophisticated imaging techniques and brain-computer interfaces. For instance, in 2003, Dr. Miguel Nicolelis, associate professor of neurobiology at the Duke University Medical Center, used a brain-computer interface system to successfully filter and utilize motor command impulses from the electrical activity of a primate brain to operate a robotic arm in real time. Foxborough-based Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology...
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...Brain imaging techniques Introduction to brain imaging techniques and other methods A number of techniques are available to investigate the question of how and where in the brain particular perceptual and cognitive processes occur. Tasks or tests can be devised that place varying levels of demand on the cognitive, sensory or motor capacities of the participant being tested. Performance of these tasks is then correlated with physiological measurements, and on the basis of these results, we may go on to ascribe functions to areas of the brain. Whilst there is a growing fascination with imaging techniques in the popular media (e.g. ‘This is your brain on politics’), it’s important to bear in mind that each technique has limitations that often don’t get picked up on by newspaper editors who themselves have little-to-no experience using them. The most often overlooked limitation is the issue of ‘reverse inference’ – just because cognition X (e.g. using one’s memory) is associated with brain activation Y (e.g. activation in the prefrontal cortex), that doesn’t mean that if a participant displays activation Y, they are necessary engaging in cognition X. Below we highlight some key neuropsychological and neuroscientific techniques, and a few of their limitations. There are also a number of great blogs that deal with issues relating to neuroscience, particularly in the popular press (e.g. Bad Science, The Neurocritic, [citation needed]). Testing brain damaged subjects (Neuropsychology) ...
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...own. Autism is currently recognized at three distinct levels that are nevertheless linked: it is a neurological disorder that is linked to brain development; it is a psychological disorder of cognitive, emotional and behavioral development; and it is a relationship disorder which demonstrates a failure of normal socialization. Autism is within a group of disorders known as pervasive developmental disorders (Fritson, 2008). This disorder is usually clearly apparent by age three, and generally has reached it's full severity at that point. Common early indications of autism include delayed onset of language ability and delayed onset of social interaction. Autism is heterogeneous, with children being normal in some respects and severely impaired in others. Of individuals with the disorder, about 80% are male, about 60% have significant mental retardation, and approx. 35% have epilepsy. Autistic individuals tend to show savant abilities (Pinel, 2009). Autism is associated with widespread damage in the brain, with the most obvious damage occurring in the cerebellum and brain stem. Due to the social, verbal, and emotional deficits experienced in individuals with autism, studies have looked towards the frontal lobes, with studies documenting abnormalities in the frontal cortex. Two new areas of research concerning autism's neural mechanisms have recently emerged. Based on the observation that individuals with...
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...exquisite detail, but he was relatively unconcerned with possible cultural variations. Mechanical medical models saw people as influenced by internal fluids. Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud’s approach to understanding human behavior; also, Freud’s psychotherapeutic techniques Psychoanalytic approaches to personality are generally difficult to evaluate as scientific theories. They often are not disconfirm able because there is always another postulated hidden mechanism ready to explain any observations. Controlled studies are rarely employed. Psychosurgery: operating on the brain in an attempt to repair personality problems—has a long and horrific history. In the 1940s, the prefrontal lobotomy was the technique of choice. The surgeons would drill holes into the skull, insert a dull knife, and slice the brain lobes until the patient (who was under only local anesthesia) seemed totally disoriented. The purpose of the surgery was to cut the nerve connections between the higher centers of the brain and the lower “seats” of animal instincts (such as the thalamus), consistent with psychoanalytic theory. Behaviorism The learning approach to psychology introduced by John Watson that emphasizes the study of observable behavior The idea of unconscious motivation is clearly supported by research on emotion,...
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...Funding of Applied Behavior Analysis 11 Executive function in individuals with sub threshold Autism traits 12 Conclusion 14 References 15 Abstract The increasing number of individuals with Learning Disabilities (LD) and psychiatric disorders presents a key challenge to their assessment and treatment in mental health services. Children and young people with LD are more likely to experience mental health than the general population (Allington-Smith, 2006). There is a close relationship between autism spectrum disorder and learning disability. Epidemiological studies suggest that autism is more frequent in people with LD, nearly 40% of people with LD also have autism on the other hand, and nearly 70% of people with autism also have LD (La Mafa, 2004). The strong association between autism and LD (Bradley, 2004) also associates an increased risk of mental health problems. It is suggested that adults with LD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience symptoms of anxiety at a greater level than the general population; however, this requires more conclusive evidence in relation to the prevalence of anxiety disorders in adults with LD and autism. Autism Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. This is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning...
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...to a hospital through emergency department. When paramedic team performs clinical handover to a nurse, he describes that the patient is 35 years old, 28 weeks pregnant and has history of hypertension. The nurse learns that she has difficulty in communication and gives a simple guideline. This is where the essence of therapeutic communication plays a great role. Anytime she shakes her head means affirmation and nodding means negation. Afterward, the nurse describes that there will be some other healthcare professionals visiting her. The first healthcare worker coming in after nurse is the radiographer. His intention is to inform and ask a consensual agreement of CT scan to the patient’s brain. The scanning procedure is necessary to determine the where and how far the stroke has attacked the brain. Without informing anything related to the advantages and disadvantages of the procedures, the radiographer simply asks consensual agreement toward the patient. This is where I feel extremely irritated with how the health care professional gives that significant information to the patient and the partner....
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...Mental illness has been acknowledged for thousands of years. Those who were different, or acted different from what main stream society felt was the norm; those who committed adultery, those pregnant out of wedlock, or even those who were mentally different, were all singled out, treated the same, and considered abnormal. Abnormal behavior cannot simply be defined into a single definition, with no definite line that can be crossed which separates whether someone on one side of the line has abnormal tendencies, with someone on the other side which is considered normal behavior. This paper focuses on Schizophrenia, a major mental illness, and will discuss and evaluate the symptoms, causes, and treatments which are currently being used. The human mind can be fragile, and there are many diseases and disorders that can affect it. Some may be serious while others are minor and barely recognizable. Schizophrenia is just one of those diseases which can encompass being both minor and serious. The definition for a mental illness is an illness that affects a person's mind, thoughts, emotions, personality, or behavior. Just like a physical illness, mental illness also shows symptoms that make it possible for the mental disorder or illness to be identified. Some of the recognizable symptoms can be extreme moods, sadness, anxiety, and inability to think clearly, or remember well. It does not mean, that just because a person may experience some of these symptoms, that she or he is suffering...
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...neurodevelopmental processes. Much of the imaging data which suggest neuroanatomical differences observed in ADHD are confounded by the inability to control for lifetime-medication use in the sample. Animal data have demonstrated that acute methylphenidate administration can cause significant changes in juveniles. A 2 multi-level analysis of the current literature assessing the structural differences in ADHD with respect to methylphenidate administration is the focus for this review. Methods include: MR structural, MR diffusion, MR spectroscopy, Positron Emission Tomography, and Histology. Based upon this review, the current administration of methylphenidate to young ADHD patients should be reevaluated to account for the uncertainty in medication-induced neurodevelopment. Neuroanatomical Differences in ADHD Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common psychological disorder which impacts a large number of children, adolescence, and even adults. The latest epidemiology, reported by Schmitt et al. (2009) is about 5% (70,000,000 people) worldwide, and ranging from 2-18% in the United States. ADHD diagnosis is given based upon a clinician’s observation of three primary...
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...Mental Illness and Schizophrenia Mental Illness and Schizophrenia Joyce Dalton PSY350: Physiological Psychology Instructor: Brandy Goldston February 5, 2012 Mental Illness and Schizophrenia Mental illness has been acknowledged for thousands of years. Those who were different, or acted different from what main stream society felt was the norm; those who committed adultery, those pregnant out of wedlock, or even those who were mentally different, were all singled out, treated the same, and considered abnormal. Abnormal behavior cannot simply be defined into a single definition, with no definite line that can be crossed which separates whether someone on one side of the line has abnormal tendencies, with someone on the other side which is considered normal behavior. This paper focuses on Schizophrenia, a major mental illness, and will discuss and evaluate the symptoms, causes, and treatments which are currently being used. The human mind can be fragile, and there are many diseases and disorders that can affect it. Some may be serious while others are minor and barely recognizable. Schizophrenia is just one of those diseases which can encompass being both minor and serious. The definition for a mental illness is an illness that affects a person's mind, thoughts, emotions, personality, or behavior. Just like a physical illness, mental illness also shows symptoms that make it possible for the mental disorder or illness to be identified. Some of the recognizable symptoms...
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...Lindsey Daugherty BEH.350.B December 3, 2015 Term Paper Mental illness has been acknowledged for thousands of years. Those who were different, or acted different from what main stream society felt was the norm; those who committed adultery, those pregnant out of wedlock, or even those who were mentally different, were all singled out, treated the same, and considered abnormal. Abnormal behavior cannot simply be defined into a single definition, with no definite line that can be crossed which separates whether someone on one side of the line has abnormal tendencies, with someone on the other side which is considered normal behavior. This paper focuses on Schizophrenia, a major mental illness, and will discuss and evaluate the symptoms, causes, and treatments which are currently being used. The human mind can be fragile, and there are many diseases and disorders that can affect it. Some may be serious while others are minor and barely recognizable. Schizophrenia is just one of those diseases which can encompass being both minor and serious. The definition for a mental illness is an illness that affects a person's mind, thoughts, emotions, personality, or behavior. Just like a physical illness, mental illness also shows symptoms that make it possible for the mental disorder or illness to be identified. Some of the recognizable symptoms can be extreme moods, sadness, anxiety, and inability to think clearly, or remember well. It does not mean, that just because a person may...
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...Dysfunctional – It is maladaptive, inhibits personal goals or ability to function on own. 3. Dangerous – Potentially to self or others. 4. Deviant – Is not tolerated by cultural norms and/or is statistically odd, keeping in mind context of behavior. (Religious practice gets a pass.) 5. *Duration – Behaviors, Affects and/or Cognitions are persistent regardless of circumstance over time. 6. *Detachment – Person holds beliefs or acts in ways that do not correspond to reality. (Religious practice gets a pass.) TYPES OF RESEARCH- One and two apply only to the social sciences, whereas three, four and five apply to both natural and social sciences, with exception to history, which relies solely on case studies and archaeological based observations. In this case though, I’m only talking how these methods are used for psychology. 1. CASE STUDIES- A detailed account of a subject’s personal history that can be used to draw conclusions based on availability. While specific and possibly accurate to an individual, case studies lack internal and external validity (The confounding factors cannot be...
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...values impact how students conduct themselves. In an effort to reduce or eliminate the occurrences of problematic behaviors, educators, behavior management specialists, counselors, and administrators are turning to applied behavior analysis (ABA) and functional behavioral assessments to determine and address the various factors that contribute to disruptive behaviors. Biological Factors When assessing the root causes for emotional and behavioral disorders, biological determinants are often overlooked or disregarded (Johnson, 1989). However, recent research indicates that there are several biological factors related to the prevalence of ADHD and conduct disorders. Neurological deficits, chemical imbalances, and poor nutrition can have a direct impact on the choices that students make (Johnson, 1989). Environmental contexts can serve to either intensify or diminish the level of influence these factors have over behavior. Neurological Deficits Neurological deficits are often related to learning disabilities. When students become frustrated learning content, their frustrations may lead to disruptive behaviors. Some students may be predisposed to certain conditions, while other disorders may be a result of health impairments. Some neurological conditions cannot be treated, though teachers can implement interventions that...
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...What next for Psychology? The word Psychology, derived from two Greek words, ‘Psyche’ (Ψυχή, breath or the soul) and ‘logos’ (study) (Clark, 2014), is the field of scientific study devoted to the functions of the human brain and human behaviour (Clark, 2014). From the philosophical debates of ancient Greek scholars (Psychology Network, 2014), to the sophisticated scientific study performed by specialists in the field today (Queens University, 2014), humankind has sought to discover and unravel the secrets of the human brain. This long journey through the millennia has seen a dramatic evolution in the nature of psychology (Origins, 2014), however, it was not until the nineteenth century that a truly scientific discipline was born (Thomas, 2014). Wilhelm Wundt (1832 – 1920) (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2014), set up the first psychology laboratory, situated within the department of philosophy, at the University of Leipzig in 1876 (Thomas, 2014). The facility was devoted to physiological experimentation through scientific methodology, and it was also where the theory of introspection, which posited that reflection and interpretation of lived experiences could help to develop a model of consciousness, was developed. (Thomas, 2014). Since this time, psychology as a ‘scientific’ specialty has grown into a discipline with many branches, with each of these branches being devoted to a particular aspect or paradigm (Ritchie & Grenier, 2002) This essay will present a concise account...
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...88 children 1 in 54 affecting boys. It usually appears within the first three years of a child’s life and can affect the social and communication skills of the child’s brain. Autism cost a family on average $60,000 a year and males are five times more likely to have autism than females. Even though there is no medical cure for autism parents can educate themselves on the symptoms, treatment, and diagnosis of autism and how it affects the lives of families every day. Autism is a disorder that affects a child’s social and communication skills within the first three years of life. It is a physical condition that has been linked to abnormalities such as biology and chemistry in the brain. There is extensive research being done to discover the exact abnormalities but they continue to remain unknown. Chromosome abnormalities and genetic factors have also been linked to autism. For Ex: identical twins are more like to both have autism than fraternal twins. The diagnosis of autism is a difficult process and requires the child to undergo a series of test and observations. If a parent suspects that their child may have autism their health care provider will give the child a hearing, blood lead, and screening test. The child may also have to go through a complete physical as well as a complete nervous system (neurological) examination. There are several risk factors that have been suspected for the cause of autism but have not been proven. These risk factors include but are not limited...
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