The Impact of Enhanced Orientation Programs on Nurses’ Retention Rate:

Certified Home Health Agency’s Strategy for Decreasing the Cost of Visiting Nurses’ Turnover

According to National Healthcare Retention and RN  Staffing Report (“NSI Nursing Solution, Inc,” 2016), the cost of nurse turnover can cost a hospital as much as $8.1 M annually (p. 4). Among  the US five geographic regions, North East has marked the third top for a high nurses’ turnover – 20.3 percent, after South  East and South Central that marked a nurse turnover at 26.8 percent (“NSI Nursing Solution, Inc,” 2016, p. 2) .  The trend of a high turnover rate for registered nurses continues to rise state and nationwide. At Northwell Health at Home, a Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA), which  is a division of Northwell Health Network, the percentage of newly hired nurses leaving the organization within the first year of the employment reached out an alarming point of  59 percent.

Educators and clinical facilitators at Northwell CHHA) have recognized that nurses joining the technologically and increasingly complex health care environment need a minimum of one year to grasp the specifics of home health care.  It takes time to train a nurse who is  fully confident in providing safe and effective care. It takes time and resources to make an efficient home health nurse who is able to weather the climate of a continued change in  health care industry. Home health providers must adhere to the specific standards and recognize the unique needs of the patients they served. The organizations must secure a  steady workforce of highly competent nurses to ensure that the clients’ comprehensive healthcare demands are met.

Problem Statement

Poor retention of nursing forces has been creating the need for a continued search for new nurses. This has not only been time consuming for  the managers and  talent acquisition specialists but also proved to be costly for the organization On average, for every RN that turns over,  it costs the organization 1.5 times that RN’s salary. For that reason alone “RN  turnover is a statistic that should be on everyone’s radar”  (Boston-Fleischhauer, 2016). Orientation, in-services, mentorship and preceptor program must allow for increased productivity of each nurse, in order to prevent a financial loss of revenue for  the organization (Boston-Fleischhauer, 2016).. Northwell Health system’s goal is to be an the Employer of Choice which means that people want to work for the company and the most talented workers stay with the organization throughout their careers. In return, the organization values the employees by providing many incentives, including awards, benefits, and motivational programs.

Northwell Health at Home educators and managers collaborate closely with the Human Resources (HR) Department during the process of planning and hiring. Reports from HR collected at the exit interviews indicated “feel overwhelmed” as the main reason nurses have been leaving the organization. Nurses felt inundated by the amount of daily visits, extensive documentation of the visits- a requirement  imposed by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Information Technology advances that for many nurses was hard to grasp within only 2-4 days of training at a computer lab during presently offered  2 weeks long orientation program.. The previous attempts to reduce the nurses’ turnover by decreasing the number of daily visits not only did not bring any positive results in nursing retention but negatively affected the organization’s financial goals.  Educators had to look at the variables that the organization can change in order to increase the nurse retention and give the employees the opportunity  to stay with the organization for a long time. It was decided to focus further on nurses’ education during the orientation programs.

Clinical Practice Problem

Northwell Health at Home strategic plan that addressed the issue of nurses’ turnover led to generating the preceptor program  based on  Neal Theory Model of Home Health Nursing Practice (Neal, 1999) that  provides  a conceptual framework recognizing home care nursing as a specialty.  The research-based model lines up a three-stage process for the  new hired home health nurses: Dependence, Moderate Dependence, and Autonomy (See Appendix).  It argues that when nurses receive the appropriate training and support, they are more likely to be engaged at an organization and remain there for longer periods of time. The proposed strategic plan is to implement the preceptor program that provides educational support to the new hires with the result being increased retention. The goal of the preceptor program is to create a successful and autonomous in their practice nurse convinced that the company is her/his Employer of Choice.  The  improved and  better outlined nursing orientation program supports individualized and fluid-allowing adjustment based on the nurse’s education progress. The new program should enhance the nurse’s ability to adapt in home care throughout the awareness of clinical change and the willingness to accommodate to change (Neal, 1999).

Leaders must demonstrate their understanding of the key issues that impact turnover in the organizations. The development of new ideas to improve education and retention are of critical importance to achieve higher quality performance for nurses. The goal of the enhanced preceptor program is to  ensure that they have the tools available to acquire knowledge, and access to resources on a continuous basis. The clinical leaders must provide knowledge and input regarding training and education for nurses, along with recognizing the importance of leadership in executing this effort (Porter-O’Grady & Malloch, 2016).

The performance improvement project was designed to decrease the cost of visiting nurses’ turnover rates, to increase the retention rate, and improve the job satisfaction at Northwell Health at Home CHHA. The enhanced orientation program will make it easier to identify training and competency gaps, empower nurses into controlling assignments based on their competencies, eliminate chaotic job atmosphere, and correct imbalanced job-work life (Cuddy, 2015). Futhermore, “beyond the financial costs of increased turnover, the disruptions to productivity, team dynamics, and care quality from turnover have been recognized and solidly documented” (Boston-Fleischer, 2016, para. 3). T

The additional goal of the redesigned orientation program is to prevent the domino effect that the dissatisfied and overwhelmed nurses have on their co-workers. These nurses share their “negativity” resulting in more nurses resigning which increases the workflow of the remaining nurses. A preceptor program will support new employees by providing educational training that  would make a confident in their job professionals. The program will also present a  positive approach which would hopefully trump the negativity.

Context and Climate of the Practice Environment

Northwell Health at Home CHHA  serves over 30,000 patients annually. Hospitals, primary care physicians (PCP) and sub-acute rehabilitation centers may refer patients for home health care services (Ellenbecker, Samia, Cushman, & Alster, 2008, Chapter 13).  The clients come from all age groups including maternal – child and pediatrics. Home health care is a system of care provided by skilled practitioners, such as nurses, physical therapist, speech-language therapy,  medical supplies, equipment, and durable medical equipment to patients in their homes under the direction of a physician.. Northwell Helath at Home also provides infusion, hospice at home, and home health aide (HHA)  services. The goals of home health care are to help individuals to improve function and live with greater independence, to promote the client’s optimal level of well-being, CHHA nurses work closely with the physicians, physical therapists and  social workers to assist the patient to remain at home and  avoid hospitalization or admission to long-term care institutions.

Following the nationwide trend to gain a larger share of the consumer health market, many acute care facilities within New York’s five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester and Putnam counties have merged with Northwell Health organization to become a part of a clinically integrated network. Provider consolidations make it easier to share electronic records systems and to enhance a seamless flow of information between hospitals, providers, and insurers. This, in turn, helps coordinate the care of patients eliminate redundant costs as the network expands; furthermore, the affiliated post-acute providers must also grow to support cross-continuum care. It is known that “organizations recognize that nursing is core to the strategic achievement of outcomes, including clinical, financial, and growth/market share. Retaining top nursing talent is a strategic priority, not just for the nursing enterprise, but for the entire health care system” (Boston-Fleischer, 2016 para. 4). According to the author, the investment in nurse retention is critical, beginning with employment and commencing forward to increase retention.

SWOT Analysis

The Strength of Northwell Health at Home lies in the fact that we are the leaders in timely initiation of care with 98.8 percent  as compared to the NY state – 95 percent and nationwide 93.2 percent,  and we have the lowest hospital re-admission rate of 15.8 percent with 17.1 percent, and 16.5 percent respectively We  offer specialty clinical programs for patients discharged from the acute facilities post Heart Failure,  joint replacement, CABG, and  COPD exacerbations. Between June 1, 2016  and May 31, 2017 we were recognized for the lowest Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) penalty for hospital re-admissions related to the above diagnosis (Northwell Health and Home, 2018, pp.6-7).

The great Weakness of Northwell Health at Home organization is the nursing staff turnover.

The Opportunities are related to the growing aging population in the catchment area..

The Threats to the organization are the increased government regulations and decreased insurance/government reimbursement.

Interdisciplinary Communications and Collaboration

At Northwell Health the  educators and department managers collaborate closely with the Human Resources department during the process of planning and hiring. Within the CHHA organization, the nurses work together  with the physical therapists and social workers TO create plans of care for each patient. The performance improvement project was designed to decrease the cost of visiting nurses’ turnover, increase their retention, and improve job satisfaction at Northwell at Home CHHA. The enhanced orientation program will make it easier to identify training and competency gaps, empower nurses into accepting assignments based on their competencies, eliminate the chaotic job atmosphere, and correct an imbalanced job -work life (Cuddy, 2015). It is believed that “beyond the financial costs of increased turnover, the disruptions to productivity, team dynamics, and care quality from turnover have been recognized and solidly documented” (Boston-Fleischhauer, 2016, para. 3).

For a Certified Home Health Agency such as Northwell Health at Home, the identification of a strategic plan is essential to ensure that the organization can meet its goals and objectives in providing excellence in patient care at all levels and stay in compliance with the organization  Mission, Vision and Values (MVV) statements (Northwell Health, 2017-2018, p. 7).  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlines the rules for the Medicare and Medicaid Condition of Participation (CoPs) to which the organization must strictly follow. One rule is related to the use of Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) data collection instrument to standardize patient assessment and transmits the data to CMS, which supports reimbursement for skilled services (Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). The enhanced orientation program for nurses allows a greater emphasis of the extended OASIS hands-on training program.

Achieving optimal quality of care throughout the home health division is essential and requires effective leadership to continuously monitor progress to improve direct care to patients in their homes and in the different stages of transition (Joshi, Ranson, Nash, & Ransom, 2014). It is essential that organizational employees rely upon the expert knowledge of leadership to implement a strategic plan which is flexible and can take on new opportunities as they emerge (Joshi et al., 2014). It is also imperative for the organization to establish a comprehensive workforce strategy to ensure that changes in the healthcare landscape are supported by experts who can manage these needs effectively, particularly as patients transition from one phase of care to the next (Datz, Hallberg, Harris, Harrison, & Samples, 2012).

The Stage of the Organization’s Strategic Plan

Northwell Health at Home, the strategic plan, which is currently under development, requires significant feedback from nurses and therapists. The guidance from a variety of leaders from different divisions ensures that the organization has the educational tools available to keep the best nurses who will serve the patients in an ethically responsible manner while meeting or exceeding financial gain in revenue. Operational assessments can offer feedback regarding any bottlenecks in the process or staffing issues which could have a significant impact on performance outcomes (Jarousse, 2012). From the nursing leadership perspective, the development of a strategic plan requires extensive input from staff nurses regarding their needs and the development of new directives. This is  to ensure that the organization has the staffing and resources available to provide home care for patients in a timely manner (Drenkard, 2012). There must be a greater emphasis on understanding the dynamics of the nursing profession and the overall development of new ideas to facilitate collaboration and to strengthen quality of care for all patients (Drenkard, 2012).

Literature Review

Understanding the dynamics of the home health care system requires an extensive review of existing research to determine the nature of current strategies, areas where successful outcomes have been achieved, and areas where improvements are required. This process is necessary to understand how to best move forward with a strategy at the home health level which is timely, appropriate, and practical for the needs of an organization going forward. Existing literature will offer a means of understanding how home health organizations respond to the needs of nurses to not only improve satisfaction rates but to also improve retention rates in the future, using methods and strategies which may be successful in aiming to promote nurse satisfaction and timely care and treatment for all patients.

One of the most critical aspects of nurse turnover is the type of leadership that exists at the employing organization. One of the key factors to consider is the rate of job satisfaction among caregivers, and if there are limitations in this regard, it can be difficult for organizations to retain nurses and keep them engaged over time (Donoghue & Castle, 2009). The authors indicate that leaders may be one of four types: the consensus manager, who engages the group for feedback and uses this to make decisions; the consultative autocrat, who may obtain feedback but makes all of the decisions independently; the autocrat, who does not seek feedback and makes all decisions; and the shareholder manager, who does not share information with staff members which is important to their roles and makes all decisions without feedback (Donoghue & Castle, 2009). These factors play a significant role in how employees perceive their leaders and their effectiveness and may also play a role in determining if they want to remain with the organization for a longer period (Donoghue & Castle, 2009).

Steinmetz, de Vries, & Tijdens (2014) address the significance of turnover in the healthcare system and how it may be impacted not only by the organization and its climate, but also the wages that are earned. From this perspective, it is also known that “working part-time hours, overtime and a long commuting time decrease the intention to stay with the same employer…job dissatisfaction is a strong predictor for the intention to leave” (Steinmetz et al., 2014). In this context, job retention rates are affected by a variety of different characteristics and require management teams to examine the tools that are available to better support employees so that they are more likely to stay with their employers than to leave after a brief tenure. It is also necessary for organizations to obtain feedback from employees and to acknowledge that they have different needs which must be addressed to improve their likelihood of remaining with the organization longer.

Castle, Degenholtz, & Rosen (2006) examined the significance of job satisfaction in the nursing home environment, obtaining the feedback of 251 caregivers over 2.5 years and every six months. The study results indicate that there are lower levels of satisfaction associated with compensation, the opportunity to obtain a promotion, and management; therefore, it is important to evaluate the different options that are available to improve these areas and to determine how employees can remain in these roles to reduce turnover (Castle et al., 2006). Most importantly, organizations in home health face similar challenges because they require their employees to be active performers and contributors to the organization. However, this cannot be effectively accomplished if they do not have a strong infrastructure in place which will provide home health workers with a variety of options to expand their careers, to increase their wages, and to work under managers who support their cause.

Al-Hussami (2008) addressed the significance of job satisfaction for nurses relative to organizational commitment, education, and type of leadership style in the nursing home environment. It is known that “retention and recruitment of nurses have shown that low wages and poor job satisfaction are the primary reasons why nurses leave their positions. Their dissatisfaction is often attributed to heavy workloads, leadership styles, motivation, inadequate training, and lack of respect” (Al-Hussami, 2008, p. 287). In this context, it is important for nurses to have the tools available to them to be proactive and to acknowledge the importance of meeting expectations, while also aligning with the organization through its support for nurses (Al-Hussami, 2008). In a study of nurses in four nursing homes in the Miami, FL area, it was determined that nurses who possess strong loyalty to their organizations and overall higher job satisfaction are likely to remain with their organizations for longer periods of time; therefore, nurse leadership has a responsibility to pay greater attention to the needs of nurses who work in these organizations and to acknowledge that their level of loyalty to the organization is associated with their level of job satisfaction within their current roles (Al-Hussami et al., 2008). These factors are critical in supporting expanded training and dedication to nurses to ensure that they not only perform effectively in their roles, but also have the resources available to them to be productive and satisfied over the long term (Al-Hussami et al., 2008).

Russell, Rosati, Rosenfeld, & Marren (2011) address the significance of continuity within the home health care industry and how this may contribute to greater outcomes for patients and improved overall health. The development of strategies to address retention rates are critical because they offer employees a reason to remain within their roles and to focus their efforts on patient care that will have a positive impact on patient health (Russell et al., 2011). For home health nurses, getting to know patients and establishing relationships with them is critical for the patient and for the nurse because it offers a means of satisfaction that the patient has continuous care from the same nurse and the nurse can provide care that is consistent and appropriate (Russell et al., 2011). Therefore, it is necessary for organizations to focus their efforts on creating continuity, which will allow nurses to be better engaged and make them more likely to remain in their roles (Russell et al., 2011).

Sims-Gould, Byrne, Craven, Martin-Matthews, & Keefe (2010) address the importance of home health care workers and the factors which contribute to their desire to enter the field and remain with their employers. It is believed that many home health workers are satisfied with these roles and find it rewarding to aid patients in this setting, but the motivation behind entering this workforce is not as well known (Sims-Gould et al., 2010). The development of new opportunities for growth within the home health sector is of critical importance to current employees, and the potential for a career path is also likely to impact new employees in the field; therefore, motivations may include skill development, autonomy, making a difference in the lives of patients, job security, and workplace regulations (Sims-Gould et al., 2010). Home health workers can be further motivated by their efforts to contribute at a high level, but they require comprehensive training and knowledge to accomplish these goals within the profession to support a greater likelihood of remaining with their organizations over the long term (Sims-Gould et al., 2010).

Action Plan for Change – Overview

The development of an enhanced orientation program for Northwell Health at Home is an important step towards improving retention rates and reducing staff turnover. It  provides employees with a greater understanding of their roles and responsibilities at the organization. The enhanced, adjusted to the  individual’s needs training should help to recognize how  the employees can contribute to the organization at a high level This will also determine if the employees are a good fit for the organization in achieving the company’s goals and objectives.

The  expansion of the currently offered orientation program for nurses is an essential factor in improving their retention rates. The primary aim of this initiative is to provide nurses with a comprehensive educational program which includes extensive training to conduct routine home health visits, along with the development of other tools which will be effective in employee engagement from the beginning of their employment. The issue driving the development was to design a strategic plan that would address increased government regulations and decreased insurance/government reimbursement. Without addressing this issue, the role of the home care nurse becomes increasingly difficult additionally resulting in poor retention.

The new nurse has difficulty with problem solving and critical thinking because she/he is  preoccupied and overwhelmed with juggling all the aspects of home care at once. At the beginning, the nurse is uncertain of her role that there is little time or energy to take the broader view or to think in an objective, critical way to assist in problem solving. The new nurse spends a lot of time concentrating on remembering and following the rules and have difficulty prioritizing.

Action Plan for Change – Milestones

The proposed enhanced orientation program will run for 6 weeks which triples its current time span. The first two tweeks that consists of the Classroom IT Integrated Orientation will be spent with the educator who introduces  new to home care nurses to the theory, government  regulations, and objectives of  home care. Educator will lead orientee through the learning process to acquire knowledge regarding logistics in order to feel certain what to tell and recommend to the patient. Nurses will learn about Joint Commission Standards, NYS Department of Health and  Federal regulations, incident and complaint reporting, as well as how to locate all Network policies, and procedures. They will become familiar with recognizing the types of home care agencies, who pays for home care services, and the Prospective Payment System (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), 2017). They will learn how to differentiate the Primary MD who will sign the home care orders for the specific patient’s needs of the home care episodes, how to construct a home care patient plan of care including all orders and CMS- 485 (Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2002), and agency rules for conducting medication reconciliation process. The first orientation’s milestone addresses stage one of  Neil Theory – Dependence.

The practical application of Moderate Dependence – stage 2 of Neil Theory will take place during the following  three to four weeks when each orientee  will spend time with the preceptor in the field to gradually put the learned in the classroom skills into practice. After the first two days when the nurse shadows the preceptor,  the rest of the in-field orientation period will be dedicating to improve the hands-on clinical skills under the preceptor’s guidance to  gain the confidence which gradually will led to increasing from 1 to 3  the Start of Care (SOC) per week visits and daily revisits from 3 to 6.  After at least of 2 weeks into field visits, the orientees will gain the experience in utilizing the OASIS assessments (Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2017), illustrate competency in infection control, wound care, , multidisciplinary communication, and coordination of care throughout the implementation of TeamSTEPPS (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), n.d.). Furthermore, the nurses will demonstrate the correct usage of laptop and its applications with a virtual  back- up of the IT technicians, adherence to HIPAA guidelines and agency policy, and  practice in the home health attendant (HHA) training and supervision. The preceptor will observe the nurse’s progress by documenting the indications of movement from stage 1 to stage 2 which are demonstrated by the nurse being able   to:

• Do a procedure she/he didn’t think they go do before
• Be less fearful
• Get to know geographical areas
• Develop confidence in assessing patients/meeting needs
• Improve time management skills
• Become more confident in decision making and more assertive
• Pick up things previously missed
• Adapt and learn to prioritize
• Define their role and begin understanding of other’s role
• Learn to self-evaluate and become calmer

The progress will also be measured by a descriptive self-report survey to elicit data from the nurse orientee for the preceptor to decide whether the role of a nurse was truly adopted from dependence/moderate dependence to stage 3 – Autonomy.  According to Neil Theory the role and process may temporarily change by moving the autonomous nurse back to dependence/moderate dependence stage to fully complete the process of adaptation by allowing and promoting fluid-allowing adjustment that suits each nurse at her/his paste of learning and adaptation.

An organization must recognize that the employees need the reasons to find the company attractive. This increases their likehood of remaining with the organization for longer periods of time. It is anticipated that a detailed orientation effort will allow employees to better understand how they fit with the organization and will recognize that they can play a role in improving patient health. These efforts will demonstrate the importance of engaging employees at the onset of their employment and enabling them to provide feedback as necessary during orientation and beyond so that they are taken seriously and can be effective in their roles.

Conclusion

The need for change is required because retention rates within the home health industry are difficult to maintain due to the demands of nurses who fill these positions and how they respond in their roles. Most importantly, it is necessary to retain employees who perform well and  make a valuable contribution to an organization at a high level. This is the essential component of the home health care industry and requires employees who are satisfied with their roles and who can commit to the organization over the long term.  However, accomplishing this task without providing employees with a positive work environment is very difficult and makes a significant difference in how employees perform. The culture of the organization is significant in this process and must demonstrate that employees are valued and have support  to meet their needs effectively. The development of a comprehensive orientation program is necessary because the organization should provide nurses with the resources required to perform their roles efficiently to achieve satisfaction within these roles. It is anticipated that when the organization supports a positive and meaningful approach to training and education for home health nurses, they will feel valued and will likely be more engaged in their roles.

The development of an orientation program for nurses at Northwell Health at Home requires an extensive understanding of Neal Theory and how it aligns with current organizational needs to promote greater effectiveness within the home health sector. Most importantly, this theory supports the training of home health nurses and provides them with a comprehensive set of tools and resources that will have a positive and lasting impact on their performance as they move forward in their careers. Nurses are likely to effectively respond to their organizations and take their roles seriously when they have the framework in place and a direction for which the organization is headed in the future. The availability of different tools and resources to support nurses is instrumental to support nurses’ alignment with the goals and objectives of the organization; furthermore, it provides them with an opportunity to function effectively in their roles and to be productive in this capacity (Neal, 1999).

Neal Theory (1999) supports the need for home health nurses to identify with their roles through a stage of dependence, whereby they begin to acclimate to these roles and to acknowledge their place in the organization. This requires a high degree of adaptation to the home health setting, which is very different from the traditional hospital or clinic environment and requires adjustments regarding how to administer procedures and tests, along with managing paperwork and other needs. During moderate dependence, nurses have acclimated to their roles more effectively and have the resources available to be productive in the home health environment; furthermore, they can support their patients because they are more comfortable with the home health environment and understand how to move forward in an effective manner Finally, nurses develop autonomy and can contribute at a higher level to the organization, taking the lessons that they have learned and adapting them to their roles. This process supports their growth as home health nurses and demonstrates their level of comfort, their assertiveness in this capacity, and their ability to utilize critical thinking skills to meet the needs of their patients (Neal, 1999).

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Existentialism as Expressed by Kieslowski

Existentialism is a philosophical approach that originates from the nineteenth century Europe. The approach is in line with principles of atheism as it emphasizes that although individuals cannot determine their existence, they still have the free will to determine their essence once they are in existence. Considering the basic principles and the principles that informed this philosophical approach, this approach was a subject of great controversy in the nineteenth and twentieth-century Europe. People wrote philosophical discourses and made various works of art either in agreement or resistance to the basics of existentialism. Towards the end of the twentieth century, Krzysztof Kieslowski joined the debate when he directed the first part of a series of three films he famously dubbed ‘three colors.’ Apart from the fact that Kieslowski’s film invokes the principles of existentialism, the title of the film is, in itself, philosophical. Kieslowski alludes to the three colors of the French flag in his production; however, this allusion regards non-political views to the meanings of those. Blue, in the French flag, stands for liberty. Thus, personal freedom and liberty were key themes in the first film of the series. The plot of the film ‘three colors: blue’ surrounds the life of a widow, Julie. Julie’s husband and daughter died in an automobile accident to leave her in great anguish and emotional distress. Having been hospitalized after she survived the accident, Julie attempts suicide while in hospital. In dealing with her anguish and emotional distress, Julie attempts to detach herself from everything and anyone that reminds her of her husband by saying goodbye to her husband’s collaborator, emptying their house, putting the house up for sale, and escaping to a location where no one knows her. Her desire to seclude herself, however, fails as a boy innocently seeks to hand her across he picked at the accident site and to repeat her husband’s last words to her. She also reluctantly befriends a Lucille, an exotic dancer, who has an affair with her neighbor.  Through television, she learns that Olivier, her late husband’s collaborator, intends to complete one of her late husband’s works and that he had an affair; she is interested in knowing about her husband’s mistress. She tracks down Patrice’s mistress, Sandrine, and learns that the latter is pregnant for Patrice, her husband. She then arranges for Sandrine to have their house and agrees to collaborate with Olivier. Krzysztof Kieslowski’s ‘the three colors blue’ is a reflection of key existential themes in society such as freedom, loss, morality, and death.

Kieslowski’s production focuses on loneliness and the need for individuals to embrace fraternity, equality, and liberty in his attempt to address existentialism. In the film, Julie sought loneliness; however, the loneliness later turned out sour. Julie finds in her heart a place and a reason to identify herself with Sandrine and even see her as her equal by agreeing to hand her the house that her husband left for her. The concepts that Kieslowski attempts to bring out in these instances are consistent with Husserl’s historical a priori and his view of philosophy as a shaper of society. Historical a priori refers the order that underlies a given culture in a certain historical period (Crowell 65). Edmund Husserl, a German philosopher of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, used a historical a priori to come up with the philosophy of existential phenomenology (Crowell 64). This philosophy argues that the essence of an existing object depends on the perceptions of the individual viewing it. In the same wake, the essence of Sandrine to Julie is influenced by her perception of her husband’s mistress; Julie does not perceive Sandrine as a competitor but as the mother of her lover’s baby. Although Julie has the liberty, as the rightful wife of Patrice, to mistreat Sandrine, she still finds in her heart the fairness to treat Sandrine as an equal and hand her part of Patrice’s fortune. Julie thinks beyond herself just as Husserl saw mathematics as more than just a series of numbers; Patrice mistreated both Sandrine and her, and as the mother of Patrice’s baby, Sandrine deserves part of Patrice’s fortune (Crowell 76).

‘The three colors: blue’ also expounds on the applicability of the key concepts of existentialism as expressed in the philosophy of Sartre in human society and on human behavior. Sartre’s philosophy of existentialism attempts to explain the absurdity and the meaningless of life; death is the biggest absurdity of life (Hayim 29). Kieslowski’s production focuses on this absurdity of death perfectly. The death of her husband and daughter seems to erase everything that Julie ever worked for. She, thus, looks to destroy all that they were continuing to work on and attempts to dissociate herself from all that they had worked for. Julie failing in an attempted suicide reveals another angle of the absurdity of death; death often strikes unsuspecting individuals who would do everything to avoid it and at times spares the ones who need it or deserve it most. Further, the fact that Julie resorts to tracking her late husband’s mistress and treating her well is perfect evidence of the meaninglessness of life and love relationships. Moreover, as Sartre argues, a person’s existence precedes their essence, and an individual’s will is the bridge between their existence and essence. For instance, Olivier existed before Patrice’s death; however, his essence changed after Patrice’s death. Olivier’s actions of continuing Patrice’s activities and agreeing to collaborate with Julie change his essence to Julie; he changes from her husband’s collaborator to her partner. Also, Julie’s actions are in line with Sartre’s proposition that an individual’s existence, freedom of choice, and responsibility underlie their essence (Hayim 36). Julie becomes a savior to Sandrine when she willingly decides to be responsible enough to hand Sandrine the house that she and Patrice had lived in. Additionally, in line with Sartre’s propositions, Julie decides to free herself and be the noble person who uses her freedom to better her life and that of others. Initially, she lacks the courage to face her current situation hence she suffers Sartre’s nausea (Hayim 51). However, she later decides to use her will to engage and help Sandrine. This leads to another of Sartre’s propositions – one’s responsibility to themselves and others. The boy who picked a cross at the accident scene feels that he owes responsibility to Julie and pursued his heart. His actions are pivotal in changing Julie’s perception of life. Julie later feels that she, as Patrice’s next of kin, owes responsibility to his unborn child hence her decision to assist Sandrine. Also, Julie’s actions prove the importance of commitment as Julie decides to stop her indifference to her surroundings. On interpersonal relations, Sartre describes other people as a torture to one (Hayim 46). In Kieslowski’s production, Julie recognizes the torture and anguish that the people who remind her of her former life cause her; she, thus, decides to defend herself by avoidance hence her attempt to seclude herself.

From Julie’s story, it is evident that if one employs existentialism as a means of sparking leadership in society, they can be able to find solutions to key problems that face man. As Lawler notes, Sartre’s existentialism means that one has the free will to make decisions (217). If one can combine these free will with the commitment to their responsibility to themselves and others, then they will have the motivation to do and lead others in doing things that are beneficial to themselves and the rest of the world (216). This view is highly relevant to Kieslowski’s production. In ‘the three colors: blue,’ Julie acts a leader. Julie outgrows the characters that Sartre compares to stones and plants and decides to be like the man who Sartre admires – a man who uses their liberty and free will to better their lives and those of others (Hayim 66). Julie understands her immense responsibility as the completer of her husband’s works; she appreciates that her husband’s works include those that she was unaware of. Once she understood these responsibilities, she became committed to the course of fulfilling them. She becomes the leader that seeks out Olivier and Sandrine with an intention of utilizing their situations to add value to her life and their lives. She agrees to partner Olivier in completing some of her late husband’s pieces and to support Sandrine by handing her their house. By doing these, Julie solves major problems that face herself, Olivier, and Sandrine; she is lonely, Olivier lacks a partner, and Sandrine is faced with a crisis – she is about to deliver an illegitimate child of a deceased man. Kieslowski, therefore, uses a real-life example to show that indeed using existentialism to spark leadership can be central to solving major problems that face humanity.

The discussion above confirms that Krzysztof Kieslowski’s ‘the three colors: blue’ is indeed a reflection of key existential themes in society such as freedom, loss, morality, and death. The film emphasizes the free will of all men to choose what is right and wrong. In line with Sartre’s existentialism and Husserl’s existential phenomenology, Julie rediscovers her freedom and uses it to pursue morality by perceiving Sandrine not as an enemy but as the expectant mother of Patrice’s child. With her will to pursue morality, Julie becomes committed to its course. As Lawler explains the relationship between Sartre’s philosophy and leadership, a will to do good and commitment to this course are what makes good leaders (218). Additionally, Kieslowski’s piece is built on the existential perceptions of death as Sartre brings it out in his philosophy. Death is indeed an absurd actor who strikes without warning and leaves detrimental effects.

Works Cited

Crowell, Steven. “Husserl’s existentialism: ideality, traditions, and the historical apriori.” Continental Philosophy Review, Vol. 49, No.1, 2016, pp. 67-83. Springer

Hayim, Gila J. Existentialism & Sociology: The Contribution of Jean-Paul Sartre. New Brunswick, U.S.A: Transaction Publishers, 1996.

Lawler, John. “The essence of leadership? Existentialism and leadership.” Leadership, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2005, pp. 215-231. Sage Journals

Three Colours: Blue. Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1993.

Parenthood (1989) Analysis – 70 Points

Parenthood (1989) is a film that deals sensitively and humorously with family life and the stages of human development. The reciprocity between family members is poignant and mostly accurate (under the circumstances).  The film depicts normal and abnormal developmental issues. Using short synopses of scenes from the film to make your point, you will write a 4-5 page (900-1200 words) analysis (double-spaced, 12 point font), focusing on the following:

Analyze Gil

1. Gil is in his Middle Adulthood stage. Discuss whether Gil exhibits “generativity or stagnation”, Erikson’s psychosocial crises for this age. Define both parts of the crises citing textbook (4 pts – 2 pts each for defining both sides of the developmental task)
2. Discuss how Gil is confronting and working through the generativity and/or stagnation issues in terms of his career, his family (kids, parents, siblings), and his marriage. Make sure you cite the Textbook about what specifically we should see at this stage and then provide examples from the movie for his career, family, and marriage. Cite both the movie and textbook in correct APA format (12 pts – 4 pts for discussing work issues, 4 pts for discussing family issues, 4 pts for discussion marriage issues)

Analyze Frank

3. Discuss the changes you see in the character Frank Buckman (Gil’s father) throughout the movie from Early Adulthood through Late Adulthood. Interpret the changes we see in Frank using Erikson’s Psychosocial crises in Early Adulthood, Middle Adulthood, and Late Adulthood. Make sure you discuss both sides of all 3 crises from each of these 3 stages (6 pts – 2 pts each for defining both sides of all 3 developmental tasks)
4. Then using the Textbook provide examples of what we should see at each stage and an example from the movie about each stage. Make sure you cite the movie and textbook in correct APA format. (9 pts – 3 pts for examples from each of 3 stages)

Analyze one other character from either the Early Adulthood, Adolescent or one of the Childhood stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Development.

5. Discuss which of Erikson’s psychosocial crisis the character is facing. Make sure you define both parts of the crises that is related to your characters age (4 pts – 2 pts each for defining both sides of the developmental task)
6. Provide examples from the Textbook about issues we would expect to see at this stage of development and then provide examples from the movie that are related to these concepts (6 pts)

7. Since it is a goal of this semester to have developed a professional vocabulary to describe growth and development, please be sure to use terms from the text. It also is important that you demonstrate that you can apply the theories to real life. Use scenes from the movie to support a point, but DO NOT simply reiterate large chunks of the film and not explain how or why they are significant. (7 pts)
8. Because you are expected to draw from the theory in the text, be sure to properly cite any references in your paper. You need a separate reference page for this assignment in APA format. (5 pts).
9. Your paper will also be graded for grammar and spelling and APA citing in the text. (5 pts) Include the word count for your paper!
10. Your paper will be graded for your ability to apply concepts and research skills such as APA style that you have learned over the semester and for your ability to present your information in a clear, concise manner. (12 pts)

Cast of characters in Parenthood (1989):

Gil Buckman – father of 3 children. Thinks he is on track to get a partnership in his firm. The partnership goes to Phil, a younger man with no children. He coaches his older son’s team in baseball and wants to be a “better father” than his own dad. He is always “tense” and seems to care a lot about what other people think.

Karen Buckman – stay at home mother to their children. Is very easy going and laid back as a mother. Seems the opposite of Gil

Kevin Buckman – (age 9) the oldest son. Is having emotional problems in school and worries all the time. The school wants to transfer him to a special school starting in the next school year. Gil and Karen work out a deal to spend more time with him and he’s seeing a psychiatrist. The school agrees to re-evaluate him in the fall.

Taylor Buckman – (about age 5) The only daughter

Justin Buckman – (about age 3) the youngest son.

Helen – (30’s) Gil’s sister, who is a divorced mother of 2 children. Her ex-husband, Ed has remarried and has another son. Her 2 children are teenagers and live with her full-time. She has a good job as a bank manager.

Gary – (around 13-14 years) Helen’s son. He wants to go live with his father for a few months. He calls his father but his father clearly rejects him. He proceeds to destroy his father’s dental office.

Julie – (age 17-18) She is a high school senior. Her mother doesn’t like her boyfriend. Julie moves out of the house to live with boyfriend. They elope and end up moving back in with Helen. Helen thinks this is good because “maybe Julie will finish High School now”. Julie ends up getting pregnant.

Todd – (age 18-20) works as a painter. Then he decides he is going to race hotrod cars with his brothers. He doesn’t tell Julie he is racing though.

Susan – (around 29-32 years old) Gil’s sister. She is a teacher who is married with one daughter. She says that she “was very wild, and Nathan (her husband) calmed her down.” Her whole family is on a special diet to help them think well. They are teaching their daughter math, Spanish, and other advanced topics. She wants to go to Mexico with just her husband, and leave their daughter with Gil and Karen. Her husband doesn’t want to leave their daughter behind. Susan is also ready to have another baby, and her husband doesn’t because the age difference between their daughter and the new baby “isn’t right yet”. She threatens to leave Nathan.

Nathan – (same age as wife) Susan’s husband. Believes “kid’s shouldn’t be treated as adoring little morons, but are sponges waiting to absorb”. So he doesn’t want their daughter in preschool because she is too smart, and thinks other kids will make her dumb.

Patty – (about 3) is Susan and Nathan’s daughter. She doesn’t know how to interact with kids her own age because they never let her be around them.

Larry – (age 27) Gil’s brother. Doesn’t see family much, has never worked steady job in his life. Always working some scheme. Only found out he had a son in last few months. Takes his dad’s antique car out to sell it, but can’t because he doesn’t have registration. Owes bookies $26,000.00. Asks his dad for some money, gets $3,000, and blows it at the track.

Cool – (around age 5) Larry’s son. Meeting his paternal relatives for the first time.

Frank (age 64) Gil’s father. Drinks too much, still works. If he gives Larry the $26,000.00 to pay the bookies “can’t retire for a long time”

Marilyn – (early 60’s) Gil’s mother. Her mother lives with her and she takes care of her.  They recently sold their old house where the kids grew up and moved into a smaller 2-bedroom house.

Grandma – (probably in her 80’s) lives with her daughter and her son-in-law.

HOW TO CITE A MOVIE AND YOUR TEXTBOOK IN TEXT

In APA format the movie can be cited several ways. The movie title should always be italicized.

If you describe a scene by saying something like:

In the movie Parenthood (1989), Gil says……

The title is italicized and the year is in parentheses.

If you describe a scene by saying something like:

Gil showed signs of exhibiting generativity… (Parenthood, 1989).

The title is italicized and both the title and year go in the parentheses before the period at the end of the sentence.

In APA format your textbook can be cited several ways.

If your sentence starts like this:

In Santrock (2016, p. 387), the characteristics of generativity include…..

Only the year of publication and the page number go in the parentheses. The page number is the page number from the book where you are citing from (not necessarily page 387).

If your sentence starts like this:

Characteristics of generativity include….. (Santrock, 2016, p. 387).

The author’s name, year of publication and page number all go in the parentheses before the period at the end of the sentence.

A bibliography is a work cited list or the reference list at the end of academic work, books, magazines, websites and any other project. A bibliography usually shows the sources you used to research the project. On the other hand, an annotated bibliography is a list of citations that is followed by a short descriptive paragraph, about 150 words, which is the annotation.

The annotated bibliography plays a role in evaluating the sources, formulating a thesis on the subject and informing the reader the relevance, quality, and precision of the sources. Just like any other academic feature, an annotated bibliography also has its formal structure. An appropriate annotated bibliography structure is brought by vital steps which include finding and recording citations, evaluating the selected sources and choosing the relevant ones, and then write the citation and annotation.

1.      Finding and Recording Citations

Find relevant sources to the topic be it from books, journals, periodicals, documents, articles or websites. Record them from any citing pages such as Furl and Google Scholar. Chose sources that are updated mostly those that are less than five years to provide up to date information. This step is an essential one in an annotated bibliography structure because these are the sources you will use for the research and annotate at the end. Moreover, choose references according to the format of your academic work as referencing styles differ for MLA, APA or Chicago formats for the correct annotated bibliography structure.

2.      Evaluate the Selected Sources

After choosing the sources that are relevant to your topic, evaluate them to pick those that contain enough information. Evaluation involves reading through the articles, picking documents that contain vast information such as keywords, statistics and important trends which are also essential in the annotated bibliography structure. Abstracts help in this stage as they help you examine if the document provides a wide variety of viewpoints that your topic needs to cover. Then write your research with the information collected.

3.      Write the Citation and Annotation

With the above steps being done, you are ready to write your citations and annotations respecting the format of your work. An annotated bibliography structure depends on the type of annotated bibliography you are writing. There are two types of an annotated bibliography:

Descriptive or Analytical Annotated Bibliography

This is a type of annotated bibliography that summarizes the source, explains its purpose and why it is essential to use when researching a certain topic. Moreover, a descriptive annotated bibliography structure contains the author’s main conclusion and arguments without assessing what the author stands for in the research.

For example:

SAMHSA. (2011, December 22). SAMHSA announces a working definition of “recovery” from mental disorders and substance use disorders. Samhsa.gov. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/201112220300

This editorial from SAMHSA describes a definition for a treatment model referred to as the recovery model which helps people suffering from mental disorders and substance use disorders. The author points out the introduction of the recovery model and how it will help patients. The article also describes a process which was conducted in April 2011 inviting the public on the SAMHSA blog to give their views about the working recovery model. The views from the people were put together, and the company came up with a definition for the recovery model. The author of this article stresses on some guiding principles of recovery as the main points that if respected a patient would recover from the mental and substance abuse disorders. This article is distinctive in explaining the definition of the recovery model for a better understanding and is intended for the general audience.

Analytical or Critical Annotated Bibliography

An analytical or critical annotated bibliography structure not only summarizes the source but also evaluates what the author says. This type of annotated bibliography evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the documents and assesses the conclusions of the authors. The analytical bibliography structure is what is used in most academic institutions.

For example:

SAMHSA. (2011, December 22). SAMHSA announces a working definition of “recovery” from mental disorders and substance use disorders. Samhsa.gov. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/press-announcements/201112220300

This editorial from SAMHSA describes a definition for a treatment model referred to as the recovery model which helps people suffering from mental disorders and substance use disorders. The article points out the problems which were faced by people before for not understanding the recovery model and its principles. The author provides a definition and principles of the recovery model but does not profoundly describe how the treatment takes place. The author explains how the definition came about from a SAMHSA blog post which was created on August 2011, and the public was invited to comment on how they understand the term. This article is essential for anyone trying to find or research about a treatment for a mental and substance abuse disorders, however, should not exclusively be used by anyone doing extensive research on the recovery model as it mostly concentrates on the definition and shallowly on the guiding principles of recovery.

Primary Contents of An Annotated Bibliography

Despite the different types of an annotated bibliography, an annotated bibliography structure contains constant contents which include a summary of the source, the main arguments, the intended audience, the relevance of the source, and conclusions made by the author. Moreover, an annotated bibliography structure contains the reliability of the text and the full citations of the bibliography.

An annotated bibliography is a subject that has acquired attention because many professors in institutions require the student to understand and differentiate it from an abstract. With the above information about an annotated bibliography structure, you can write an annotated bibliography with ease. An annotated bibliography helps a reader comprehend the information in the source and discover what the research is about before even going through it.

You Can Order an Annotated Bibliography From Us Below or Click Here.

Persuasive Speech: Feminism

        I.            Introduction

1. Attention getter: Commercial
2. Thesis Statement: As a society, sexism is an accepted part of our everyday lives. This is a huge problem that is being completely overlooked.
3. Preview Statement: Today I want to talk about how sexism still exists in society, how it hurts everyone-male and female, and ultimately-why everyone should be a feminist.

Transition statement: Definition of feminism from Susan Faludi’s book Backlash…The main reason you should be a feminist is because lack of gender equality harms women AND men as well as society as whole (Faludi, 1991).

     II.            Problem:

Sexism is a present issue in our society and negatively affects men, women, and society as a whole.

1. Main Point 1: According to a study published in the Journal of Social issues in 2002 entitled “Everyday Sexism” college women on average experience one to two impactful sexist incidents per week (Swim et al, 2002). These incidents can range from hearing passing jokes made about women to being victims of intentional sexual objectification. These incidents affected women’s psychological well-being by decreasing their comfort, increasing their feelings of anger and depression, and decreasing their self-esteem.
2. Point 2: The weakness associated with “playing like a girl” or “acting like a girl” forces men to fit a constricting gender stereotype and, according to James M. O’Neil’s article “College Men’s Fear of Femininity”, it can lead to a wide array of emotional, social, and health problems including power issues and homophobia (O’Neil, 1986).
3. Point 3: But sexism doesn’t just negatively impact individuals; it impacts the success of our society as a whole. According to the US Department of Labor website, in 2010, women made 80% of the salary of their EQUALLY EDUCATED and employed male counterparts (DL, 2010).
4. Point 4: Sexism isn’t taken seriously in American culture.

  III.            Solution: Become a feminist

1. Understand feminism: First and most importantly, being a feminist isn’t a bad thing, and that the definitions you hear most often are the wrong ones. Explain to people that it means that you see everyone as equal, not EITHER sex better than the other. Hold yourself and others accountable for the things they say and generalizations they make about EITHER sex. Understand that the ideas that beget sexism are deeply ingrained and will be hard to change.
2. Political solution: You can talk to your political representatives about making the workplace more equal for everyone, as legislation has already been an effective means of creating more gender equality. For example, according to com, in 2009, President Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which help to ensure equal pay for women (Ledbetter, 2009).
3. Educational Solution: According to Clemson’s College of Science and Engineering webpage, we have a club called WISE, dedicated to advancing women in science and engineering (CCoSE, 2012). This intentional emphasis on creating more equality in education is important in raising the next generation, if we stop pigeon-holing young students to be good at certain things they will begin to stop seeing differences in terms of gender and start seeing any differences in terms of the individual.

   IV.            Conclusion:

1. Quick Summary (restate thesis): Right now, sexism is something we gloss over in our everyday lives. Sexism is a problem for men, women, and our entire society. This is the status quo, but we can do better.
2. Ending note: And lastly, we can think about our mothers, our grandmothers, our girlfriends, and our daughters. Our generation can create a more equal world for all of them, and a more equal earth benefits all her inhabitants.
   

   Works Cited

   Faludi,Susan, (1991). Definitions of Feminism. In Backlash. Retrieved from    http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/piepmeier/feminism.htm

   O’Neil, James M, & Helms, Barbara (1986). Gender-role conflict scale: College men’s fear of femininity. Sex            Roles, 14. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com/content/b743343w41n627n8/?MUD=MP

   Swim, J. K., Hyers, L. L., Cohen, L. L. and Ferguson, M. J. (2001), Everyday Sexism: Evidence for Its    Incidence, Nature, and Psychological Impact From Three Daily Diary Studies. Journal of Social Issues, 57: 31–53. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

   The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.lillyledbetter.com/

   United States Bureau of Labor. (2008). Statistics on Women Workers [Data file]. Retrieved from     http://www.bls.gov/bls/cpswomendata.htm

   Women in Science and Engineering. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.clemson.edu/ces/wise/

A thesis statement is a group of words that normally appear at the end of the introductory paragraph. The statement is meant to give a concise summary of the subject in the paper. The research papers, essays, and papers have clearly embraced the aspect of how to write a thesis statement. A single sentence is used to represent the thesis statement.

Writing a thesis statement incorporates evidence and examples in the context. The writer is able to develop and organize his writing skills through the statement. Components that are considered essential in the writing of the research papers are used. These components support the statement in the context.

Writing a thesis statement is meant to provide an argument that is specific to the reader. This aspect guides the reader since she is able to relate to what is going on in the statement.The thesis statement should act as a backbone to the story. The writer is recommended to support his claims in the statement.

Writing a thesis statement that is good enables the writer to structure his sentences easily. He is also able to leave out unnecessary information which is irrelevant to the reader.The statement has to clearly serve the purpose it was meant. The writer is recommended to write a story that is pleasing to the readers.

Characteristics of a good thesis statement

• It should be a sentence that is complete: Questions and fragment sentences are not recommended for the thesis. The writer should come up with points that will support how to write a good thesis statement.
• It should provide a vital point about the topic in context. The writer should argue or express well his point in the statement. A unique view has to be considered when writing the thesis statement while the writer avoids the first person context.
• When writing the thesis statement, you should be specific and worded. This enables the reader to get a clear picture of what is happening in the story.
• Papers that are short usually incorporate the thesis statement at the end of the introduction. It is then reemphasized over the essay in various sentences. The statement should be avoided as being used as the first sentence in an essay.
• A good thesis statement should be able to answer various questions that might arise from the reader. The questions include how, so what and why.

There are some things that should be taken into consideration when writing the thesis statement.

What the writers need to put into consideration

• An announcement. It should just be a statement rather than an announcement that is able to guide the reader on how to write a good thesis statement.
• A fact. This is because it is hard to argue facts hence should be avoided.
• Hard words that are unfocused and hard to define should be avoided. The readers will find it hard to familiarize with the statement.
• Questions should be avoided as they do not demonstrate any opinion.
• The statement should not be broad and too vague.

How to write a good thesis statement

There are very many avenues where a thesis statement is located.Hence, the writers are recommended to produce high- quality articles that are pleasing to the readers.Advertisements, debates and closing arguments for the lawyers have incorporated the idea of how to write a good thesis statement. The most common is the essay.

The informative essay, argumentative, comparing and contrasting essays have incorporated the thesis statements.The thesis is required in these essays to bring out the real meaning of the essay. A strong essay is recommended for the readers since it has a deeper meaning.

Categories of a thesis statement

Informative and persuasive categories

The writer is recommended to match the thesis when writing the thesis statement. The informative essay is required to have an informative thesis. The writer should declare the intentions in which he has for the reader. A good conclusion has to be reached to enable the reader to understand the thesis well.

The persuasive statement contains an opinion which the reader has to get accustomed. Further, the reader is informed on why the opinion provided is true. The writer has to choose a stance and explain it to the readers why it is true. The persuasive essay can be used in any writing essay.

There are two styles that are used to write the thesis statement. Two or more points are used to elaborate the first style. The style is perfect for a brief essay. The essay should contain two or more body parts. It is only applicable to the assignments that are done in high school.

A good essay should also state the overreaching point. This enables the paragraphs to be listed on them.The writer is not limited to the number of paragraphs which he has to write. This style contains a broader scope which the writer has to write about.

A strong argumentative essay should have a clear template. A good template enables the writer to come up with a strong starting point. There are theses which have used one point which can use also this formula. The writers are recommended to form templates as this enables them to come up with ways of how to write a good thesis statement.

Qualities of a good thesis statement

Writing a thesis statement involves individuals considering several qualities. They include the position of the essay, the length and the strength of the essay.

• This guides the readers how to write a good thesis statement. It can be short or long depending on the points which the writer contains. One sentence that is concise is employed by the writers. This sentence should, however, contain two clauses.

They include an independent and dependent clause. The writers are advised to write sentences that are between thirty to forty words.

• Writing a thesis statement should be done at the beginning of any sentence.This enables the reader to get an overview of what is going on in the essay.Each writer contains different locations for the thesis.It is recommended that the introductory paragraph be within the first three paragraphs.
• A good persuasive essay needs to be arguable. The statement should not be too obvious.

It is recommended that individuals take an extra time to find out ways on how to write a good thesis statement. This is because it directs the research that an individual has composed enabling one to easily understand the essay.

Now that you have a thesis and an outline, you can write a draft. There are 3 parts to this draft:

• The Introduction Paragraph
• The Body Paragraphs with Topic and Evidence Sentences
• The Conclusion Paragraph

Writing the Introduction Paragraph

The job of the introduction paragraph is to open the topic, shape the query, and finish with the thesis. In a short paper the introduction paragraph should be about a half page or less of double-spaced type. The introduction paragraph has 3 parts:

• The Opener Sentence
• The Funnel Sentences
• The Thesis

The Opener Sentence.

By the end of the first sentence, the reader should have a very good idea of the topic limits of your paper. A few ideas for creating the opener sentence as you write a draft are:

• Begin with the historical question you are going to answer.
• In a sentence or 2, present an anecdote, a story, or a case that illustrates the issue.
• Use a pertinent quotation when you write a draft.
• The easy introduction sentence is one that includes the place, time, people, and issue of your paper. A good way to clarify the issue of your paper is to take some words out of the thesis and bring them into the opener.

The Funnel Sentences.

In American essay style, the introduction paragraph is often described as a funnel. The opener sentence is the wide top of the funnel, and the thesis is the narrow bottom. The funnel sentences have the following qualities:

• They are about 3-4 sentences. You do not want a long introductory paragraph, especially for a short paper.
• In the funnel sentences, you want to include important information like your primary source and its author.
• You can briefly summarize the debate about your topic, giving both sides.
• If you have not explained time, place, and issue in your opener sentence, you will want to do it here

The Thesis.

You already have your thesis, so you will put it here as you write a draft for your essay. However, you want to make sure that the funnel sentences are leading you to the thesis. The funnel sentence before the thesis must be relevant to the thesis.

4 Examples of Introduction Paragraphs

Writing the Body Paragraphs

Now, you must turn your outline into body paragraphs as an important step as you write a draft. The first thing you have to do is turn the concepts of your outline into topic sentences and write out your pieces of outlined supporting evidence into evidence sentences.

Example of An Outline Turned into a Body Paragraph

Topic and Evidence Sentences. The topic sentence does 2 things. It states your argument using the concept and it gives the reader a signpost for where the paper is going from paragraph to paragraph.

Read more on how to How to Write a Topic Sentence

Practice: Evaluate Topic Sentences

Transition Words. The burden of the signpost, or telling the reader where the paper is going, belongs to “transition words.” The following is a chart of transition words categorized according to the signpost you want to give in your paper.

Lists of Transition Words

Writing the Conclusion Paragraph

The conclusion paragraph does the opposite of the introduction paragraph when you want to write a draft. You begin by restating the thesis. Then you write a series of sentences that link your conclusion to larger ideas. The ideas could be:

• Link to larger issues of which this one is a small part.
• Take a side in a debate.
• Reference what happens in the future.
• Clarify the import of your topic.

Here are examples of conclusion paragraphs that correspond with the introduction paragraphs earlier.

Three Types

There are essentially three types of ballistics; internal, external, and terminal (Heard, 2008). Each has its own important role for us to understand and tie back to our investigations throughout a forensically sound practice.

Internal Ballistics

Internal ballistics is as it sounds, it is the ballistic changes from the moment that primer strikes and the round leaves the barrel (Heard, 2008), which surprisingly for as short as that is, is actually a huge portion of what we are concerned with as investigators as there is where the round get tied to the firearm and we are able to say round A came from gun A. Mostly during this phase we are studying, propellant pressures, acceleration of the projectile, muzzle velocity, and recoil (Heard, 2008). If you truly want to get into the weeds you could look at primer ignition time, primer pressure/time curves and temperature but those are not covered in our text book and are a bit more advanced that our current objective (Heard, 2008).

External Ballistics

External ballistics covers the flight of the projectile, all the way from the muzzle of the firearm to the target (Heard, 2008). Overall this is a terribly complicated subject, rounds do not just come out and fly straight, as they leave the barrel they are actually on an upward trajectory then peak out and start to fall towards the ground. This is why if you zero your rifle, let’s say a standard AR-15 using 55 grain round with a 1/9 left hand twist, at 50 yards then move up to about 10 yards, you will notice you need to aim 2 inches high from where you want your impact to be, part of this is bore over axis, part of this is the trajectory of the round.

Terminal Ballistics

Terminal ballistics, as it sounds involves the termination of the ballistics, what it does upon impact with its target (Heard, 2008). Does the round mushroom upon impact and have minimal penetration such as a standard hollow point round? Or does the round maintain its shape and penetrate harder armor and goes through and through its target such as AP rounds. You will not get this from your paper targets, go on YouTube with the name of your favorite round and type in gel test; you will see what I am talking about.

Stellate Tearing

Stellate tearing is a way to determine the distance from the weapon to the skin. When trying to determine length of distance from a subject to a victim it is important to understand what you wound pattern should look like. There is both the entrance wound which you will have in all shootings, and then the exit wound depending on the type of weapon/ammo used if trying to determine range there will more than likely be an exit wound especially for hard contact and loose contact shots.

Managing the pressure

For a hard contact shot at the entrance wound you can expect to see clothing singed, muzzle impression, as a hard contact shot means the muzzle is pressed against the intended target (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008). Further the impact site you can expect to see is what you more often expect with an exit wound, the entrance cavity has nowhere for the pressure and explosion of the firearm to go and rips at the skin creating a much larger hole than the round (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008).

Often times, the discharge residue follows the round into the wound channel (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008). Due to this closed entrance, the pressure and gasses from say a sternum shot try to exit the body and often times leave through the entrance wound creating the stellate tear with blood and bone often exiting out the entrance wound (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008).

Expectatations

For close or loose contact wounds you can expect a burning, soot and powder, abrasion ring, usually obscured, angle of entry (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008). You can expect to see the same as above except for the part of the muzzle that is not in contact with the skin, pressure will release from there creating the rip in the tissue and the exit hole for some pressures. Because of this you get a much higher chance of seeing powder residue and such (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008). Loose contact is when the muzzle is pressed to the body but not fully sealed say nudging them with the weapon and shooting them rather than pressing the weapon into them with direct attempt.

 Not so much stellate tearing but the other ranges are:

Intermediate range, you can expect to see abrasion ring which might be obscured, GSR on the victims clothing, angle of entry (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008). Further you can expect to see some stippling/tattooing, with flake powder burns, typically 18-22 inches away, large irregular, red/brown spots (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008). For flattened ball powder 36-40 inches away, less dense red spots, and for ball powder up to 48 inches dense red pinpoint pattern, this is the powder burns specifically on the target (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008).

Summary

With distant wounds you should see a visible abrasion ring, bullet wipe as it passed through clothing or skin this is usually a sign of homicide as a suicide cannot be accomplished from this distance without assistance (Heard, Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations, 2008).

References:

Heard, B. J. (2008). Handbook of Firearms and Ballistics : Examining and Interpreting Forensic Evidence. Austin: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Heard, B. J. (2008). Range of Firing Estimations and Bullet Hole Examinations. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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