Term Structure Finance and the Political Environment - 275 Words

Term Structure Finance and the Political Environment (Essay Sample) Content: Introduction:Term Structure Finance is a very complex field. Borrowers and lenders have to continuously monitor the shape of the long-term and short-term yield curve to determine the rate for their investment that would maximize the return, and earning. Upward sloping yield is an indicator for the lenders to lend in long-run. Similarly, it is a signal for the borrowers to buy in the short term. On the other hand, a downward sloping yield curve is a signal for the lender to lock their investment right now at fixed rates. The borrowers however will try to negotiate for the variable rate as they can see the rates falling in the future. Finance and Trade Finance have become more complex as a result of the introduction of the yield curves. The investors and borrowers these days have become more knowledgeable than ever before, and as a result, it has become really difficult to achieve an equilibrium rate (Chauhdary, 2004).Yield curves are cyclical. They are impacted by the business conditions, and the political environment of a country. Global politics also play a huge role on the shape of a yield curve. Many investors take into account both the factors when deciding or delaying their investment decision on the basis of spot and forward yield curves. However, yield curves are greatly impacted by the political climate. This paper will cover how the elections in the United States impacted the shape of the yield curve. They are susceptible and sensitive to the changes in the political environment.Similarly BREXIT was another event that has a huge role to play on the shape of the yield curve in the United Kingdom,...

The Dangers of Censorship in High School Essay - 2591 Words

The Dangers of Censorship in High School Every day well meaning parents, concerned members of society, and Christian activist groups across the country fight to censor the literature that is being taught in high school classrooms. The word censorship carries all types of implications and angles; it involve s a denial of an authors right to guaranteed freedoms of expression. However, as it relates to education, this issue goes a great deal deeper than the standard First Amendment argument. In attempting to ban certain types of literature from the classroom, censors are taking away the rights of teachers to prepare students for a reality that their parents do not seem to think will ever affect them. They likewise deny students the†¦show more content†¦Kristol (I 972) claims that very few words of real merit ever were suppressed (p. 649). This is a difficult statement- to agree with because among the literary giants that have been repeatedly censored are Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird, Anne Franks Diary of a Young Girl, and John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Mark Twains Huckleberry Finn has been frequently attacked on the basis of racial prejudice. J. D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, the coming-of-age novel loaded with profanity, leads all of these as far as censorship votes are concerned (Donelson, 1997). ) While these and hundreds of other books continue to show up on ban lists in libraries across the country, activists like Kristol (1972) have asserted that in the U.S., censorship has to all intents and purposes ceased to exist (p.645). Censorship in the classroom is about control. Gardner (1997) came to understand this concept when he used book burning to make a point to his class while they were studying Fahrenheit 451. He and his students burned some books, which were previously intended for disposal, to bring to life the focus that Bradbury makes on the subject in the novel. His afternoon classes came in, having heard about the activity in the hallways, excited and full of adrenaline at the thought of participating.Show MoreRelatedCensorship and Material Selection Policies Essay863 Words   |  4 Pagesthat they are morally objectionable by the standards applied by a censor. It has been like this for ages. As long as someone has something to tell, another will be there to try and prevent them. Schools have been doing this for quite a while now and there is a need to stop it. Censorship of books in schools should not be allowed as many students will never get to experience classic literature if not exposed to it early on. Intellectual Freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receiveRead MoreInternet Censorship Essay example968 Words   |  4 Pagesas well as entertainment. Besides, it has a lot of dangers and harms for the users (especially for children). In Australia, the idea of ‘internet censorship’ began since 2003 by the Australia’s prominent think tank when researched about online habit of Australian teenagers and the dangers related to internet. This essay will discuss about the advantages and disadvantages of internet censorship plan in Australia. The Australian internet censorship plan has some advantages. First of all, it protectsRead More Censorship in Public Schools Essay1625 Words   |  7 Pagesreferencesquot; (Berger 59). -A Vermont high school librarian is forced to resign because she fought the school boards decision to remove Richard Prices The Wanderers, and to quot;restrictquot; the use of Stephen Kings Carrie and Patrick Manns Dog Day Afternoon (Jones 33). -An Indiana school board takes action that leads to the burning of many copies of a textbook that deals with drugs and the sexual behavior of teenagers (Berger 61). These cases of censorship in public schools are not unusual and thereRead More Religion and Sexual Censorship in America Essay646 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Those of us who trust sexuality must not allow ourselves to be controlled by those who fear it (Marty Klein).† In America censorship has affected various mediums: print, art, television, and internet, as it pertain to sexuality. However the first amendment â€Å"protects† the right to free speak, and press. Congress has tried to pass bills to outlaw pornography, (but have failed) ban books for sexual content, and dictate what can be said on TV and radio. If the government is allowed to censor theseRead MoreCritical Response Fahrenheit 4511592 Words   |  7 Pagesprovoking novel which raises important concerns about what the future may hold. Predominantly told through the eyes of the protagonist Guy Montag Bradbury warns humanity of a future containing mind manipulation, abuse of technology and heavy government c ensorship. The purpose of this book is clearly to warn society of the path we are headed to if we continue to value new technology over knowledge by showing us â€Å"that although knowledge can cause disharmony, knowledge of the past can help prevent man fromRead MoreEssay on Censorship - The Negative Consequences of Book Banning1501 Words   |  7 Pagessat in at school, I remember at least one poster on the wall promoting reading. Throughout my school years, teachers have pounded into my head how important it is to read. In high school I had a list of books that I was required to read over my summer break so that I would continuously be educated. What I don’t understand is that if reading is so important to the learning process, then why ban a book? Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of reading? If you ask me, all censorship does is preventRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller1285 Words   |  6 PagesTV shows and Movies with a focus on cliques, either i n high school or in the work force, are popular in our society today. For instance the movie Mean Girls is about a teenage girl moving to a new school and being recruited into a high school clique. In this clique, the members exhibit the behaviors of people experiencing the psychological phenomenon, Groupthink. Groupthink is the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibilityRead MoreCensorship As A Form Of Oppression1075 Words   |  5 Pages In F451, Government uses censorship as a form of oppression, which is wrong because it takes away freedom and human rights. One way they do this is when firemen burn books to keep the populous from reading the books and obtaining information from them. Another way is how the government controls the people s every move, â€Å" My uncle was arrested another time†¦ for being a pedestrian.† Page 7. Similar to they way Nazi Germany controlled the populous of its time. And how on the train they playRead MoreFahrenheit 451 Is A Timeless Novel That Shows The Overtaking1386 Words   |  6 PagesFahrenheit 451 is a timeless novel that shows the overtaking of technology and manipulation of censorship. In America, technology has severely affected the way free speech is used and/or viewed. We are given the right to free speech to an extent. We are given free speech while the government has the power of censorship making our words selective and politically correct. This caus es outbursts of anger by the public. My purpose is to explain that this novel is important because, the oppression of freedomRead MoreFahrenheit 451 By F. Montag1378 Words   |  6 Pagesidea of censorship impedes the freedom and expression of individuals and dilutes the presence of divergent cultures and beliefs. It is ubiquitous in different forms of media, including books and technology, which leads to the perceived protection from dangerous notions or exposure to outside ideas. As a result of these fears and assumptions, countless books have been wrongfully banned including Fahrenheit 451 which not only conveys concepts such as freedom of religion, but of the dangers of replacing

The Limitations Of Language Male Participants, Stoicism,...

Affleck, W., Class, K. C. Macdonald, E. M. 2012, The Limitations of Language: Male Participants, Stoicism, and the Qualitative Research Interview, American Journal of Men’s Health, 7(2), 155-162, DOI: 10.1177/1557988312464038 Allmark, P., Boote, J., Chambers, E., Clarke, A., Mcdonnell, A., Thompson, A., R., and Tod, A., 2009. Ethical issues in the use of in-depth interviews: literature review and discussion, Research Ethics Review, 5(2), 48-54 Babbie, E. (1992). The Practice of Social Research, New York, Macmillan found on Hsieh, F. H., and Shannon, E., S. 2005. Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis, Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277-1288 Bamidele, A., Filson, G. and Sethuratnam, S. 2012. Culturally appropriate vegetables and economic development. A contextual analysis. Appetite, 59, 148–154 Bazeley (2006), Teddlie and Tashakkori (2006), Onwuegbuzie and Johnson (2006) found on Johnson, B. R., Onwuegbuzie, J. A. and Turner, L. A. 2007. Towards a Definition of Mixed Method Research, Journal of Mixed Method, 1(2), 112-133, doi 10.1177/1558689806298224 Bazeley, P. 2004, Issues in Mixing Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Research, Applying qualitative methods to marketing management research. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, pp141-156. Berelson, B. (1952). Content Analysis is Communication Research. Glencoe, III, Free Press, Bishop, G.F., Hippler, H.J., Schwarz, N., Strack F. 1988. A comparison of response effects in self-administered and telephone surveys. InShow MoreRelatedRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 PagesRastafari From Outcasts to Culture Bearers Ennis Barrington Edmonds 2003 198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford It furthers the Universitys objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Bangkok Buenos Aires Cape Town Chennai Dar es Salaam Delhi Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kolkata Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mumbai Nairobi Sà £o PauloRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesalternatives to narrowly conceived interpretations, and offer quite an original take on the most extensively covered conflicts in human history and the decades of unprecedented global violence they framed. Morrow’s contribution here, as in his recent research and scholarship as a 6 †¢ INTRODUCTION whole, treats the two wars and their prehistory and aftermaths as genuinely global phenomena, not as conflicts among the great powers of Europe, the United States, and Japan, which has been the

Learning from Our Mistakes Essay Example For Students

Learning from Our Mistakes Essay Making mistakes is not always bad. When we make a mistake, we think all the outcomes are going to be terrible. Some time ago, I used to be that way; I regretted of every bad decision and every mistake I made. I just stayed sit waiting for the discouraging consequences to come knowing that all they will bring until I started to look things differently. I decided take the most of everything, also of making mistakes. I realized that every mistake helped me to not repeat the same mistake. Not only my experience, but also others’ experiences agree that making mistakes is a great way to learn. Every day with simple, daily things, mistakes make us learn. For instance, I remember the first time I washed my clothes. I put in the washing machine all my clothing indistinctively. When I got out all the clothing, all the white stuff were turned light pink. My pink scarf had colored all my white clothing. Fortunately, that clothing that turned pink was only my pajama. Since that moment, I understood that clothing need to be separated by colors, and because of that experience now I know how to properly wash my clothes. And can say I’ve become an expert. Luckily, my experience with laundry wasn’t as bad as my friend’s older sister. My friend’s older sister went to college far away from home. She moved alone to a small apartment close to college. In her parents’ house, they have a maid that takes care of the house and the clothing. At her house, she did nothing. In contrary, in her apartment she had to do all the housework. The first days, she was doing everything right, but when she had to do the laundry, the problem came. To summarize what happen, she put too much detergent in the laundry, and she went to sleep. When she woke up, the apartment’s entire floor was flooded with foam. As a consequence, she had to clean her entire apartment, but she also learnt the amount of detergent need to wash the clothing. Making mistakes helps to learn even more with more complicated life situation such as dealing with people. I am a very dependent person; I don’t use to call much with my friends or even text them, but I try to show my affection by calling or texting sometimes. Some time ago, my attitude was different. I was so dependent that I neglected my relation with my friends to the point that I didn’t text and called them at all because I was too busy. When I had free time, something that rarely happened, I called them or texted them. Eventually, I started to notice I had no friends; they all were mad with me because of my carelessness. That mistake thought me that I should demonstrate my affection to the people I care about, and since then my relation with my friends has improved. For some, making a mistake is a irremediable event. It’s true you cannot change what happened, but you can change what’s coming. You can decide either wait for things to happen, or choose to learn the lesson mistakes have given to our lives. Not only me but also people around me have learned about mistakes. We can say that make a mistake is the a great way to learn.

Photosynthesis Essays (984 words) - Photosynthesis, Plant Physiology

Photosynthesis II.) Introduction / Objective Photosynthesis is the process by which chlorophyll - containing organisms - such as green plants, algae, and some bacteria - capture energy from light and convert it to chemical energy. For the process of photosynthesis to take place the organism must contain chloroplasts. Chlorophyll is responsible for the green color in plants and is also responsible for their ability to photosynthesize. Photosynthesis is usually carried out in the leaves of green plants, but it can also take place in other parts of the plant such as the stem. The balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis is: Sunlight + 6CO2 + H2O --yields-C6H12O6 + 6O2 The purpose of this lab is to answer the question, Is sunlight required for photosynthesis? III.) Experimental Design / Materials and Methods The first experiment was called Separating Plant Pigments. In this first experiment the materials that you need are a piece of green plant (collard greens), a piece of chromatography paper, solvent, and a test tube. The first thing you do is take your green plant and fold it up tightly. Second, you lay the plant on the chromatography paper and smash parts of the plant onto the paper. Next you mark the outside of the tube with a wax pencil where the bottom of the pigments are. Then we take the paper back out of the tube and add the solvent to the bottom of the test tube. Next we have to wait fifteen to twenty minutes for the see what will happen to the paper. The purpose of this experiment is to see how many different pigments will separate from the green plants. The second experiment was called Detecting Carbon Dioxide Absorption in Green Plants. In the second experiment that was conducted the materials needed are three large test tubes, some Elodea plants, bromthymol blue solution, and a piece of tin foil. The first thing you do is place pieces of the Elodea plant in two of the test tubes. Second you add the bromthymol blue solution, which is a carbon dioxide indicator, to the test tube nearly to the top. The third tube is filled with bromthymol blue solution and is used as a control so that you can compare color change. Next you wrap one of the Elodea containing tubes in tin foil so that it does not receive sunlight. The other Elodea containing tube should be placed in the light. All should remain this way for a twenty-four hour period. The purpose of this experiment is to detect when carbon dioxide is released or gained. The third experiment is called Detecting Starch in Leaves. Starch is not a result of photosynthesis, but we think that it came from sugars produced during photosynthesis. The materials needed for this experiment are a hot plate, two small beakers, water, ethanol, a leaf from a Coleus plant exposed to light; a light deprived plant, and an iodine solution. The first thing you do is boiling the light exposed leaf in water for one minute. Next you boil the same leaf in ethanol for one minute or until the leaf has turned white. Take the leaf out of the ethanol and place it on a small petri dish and soak it in the iodine solution. If the plant contains starch the color of the iodine will change from a rusty red color to a dark purple or black. Next you take the light deprived plant and boil it for one minute in water. Take it out of the water and place it in the ethanol solution and boil it for one minute. Take the leaf out of the ethanol and place it on a small petri dish and cover it in iodine. The purpose if this experiment is to detect starch in green plants. IV.) Results In the first lab that was conducted our results came out positive that light is required for photosynthesis to occur. In this experiment I had three color pigments to separate out on to the chromatography paper. Photosynthesis was present in these because the pigments contained chlorophyll a, which plays an important part in photosynthesis. The other pigments contained carotene and xanthrophylls, which are both present in photosynthesis. In the second experiment we used Elodea plants and

The History of the City of Antigua, Guatemala

The History of the City of Antigua, Guatemala The city of Antigua, the capital of Sacatepà ©quez Province, Guatemala, is a charming old colonial city that for many years was the political, religious and economic heart of Central America. After being destroyed by a series of earthquakes in 1773, the city was abandoned in favor of what is now Guatemala City, although not everyone left. Today, it is one of Guatemala’s top visitor destinations. The Conquest of the Maya In 1523 a group of Spanish conquistadores led by Pedro de Alvarado swept into what is now northern Guatemala, where they came face to face with the descendants of the once-proud Maya Empire. After defeating the mighty K’iche kingdom, Alvarado was named Governor of the new lands. He set up his first capital in the ruined city of Iximchà ©, home of his Kaqchikel allies. When he betrayed and enslaved the Kaqchikel, they turned on him and he was forced to relocate to a safer area: he chose the lush Almolonga Valley nearby. Second Foundation The previous city had been founded on July 25, 1524, a day dedicated to St. James. Alvarado thus named it â€Å"Ciudad de los Caballeros de Santiago de Guatemala,† or â€Å"City of the Knights of St. James of Guatemala.† The name moved with the city and Alvarado and his men set up what essentially amounted to their own mini-kingdom. In July of 1541, Alvarado was killed in battle in Mexico: his wife, Beatriz de la Cueva, took over as Governor. On the unlucky date of September 11, 1541, however, a mudslide destroyed the city, killing many, including Beatriz. It was decided to move the city once again. Third Foundation The city was rebuilt and this time, it prospered. It became the official home of the Spanish colonial administration in the area, which covered most of Central America up to and including the southern Mexican State of Chiapas. Many impressive municipal and religious buildings were built. A series of Governors ruled the region in the name of the King of Spain. Provincial Capital The Kingdom of Guatemala never much in the way of mineral wealth: all of the best New World mines were in Mexico to the north or Peru to the south. Because of this, it was difficult to attract settlers to the area. In 1770, the population of Santiago was only about 25,000 people, of which only 6% or so were pure-blooded Spanish: the rest were mestizos, Indians and blacks. In spite of its lack of wealth, Santiago was well-located between New Spain (Mexico) and Peru and developed into an important commercial hub. Many of the local aristocracies, descended from the original conquistadors, became merchants and prospered. In 1773, a series of major earthquakes leveled the city, destroying most of the buildings, even the ones which had been well built. Thousands were killed, and the region was plunged into chaos for a while. Even today you can see fallen rubble at some of Antigua’s historical sites. The decision was made to move the capital to its present location in Guatemala City. Thousands of local Indians were conscripted to move what could be salvaged and to rebuild on the new site. Although all of the survivors were ordered to move, not everyone did: some remained behind in the rubble of the city they loved. As Guatemala City prospered, the people living in the ruins of Santiago slowly rebuilt their city. People stopped calling it Santiago: instead, they referred to it as â€Å"Antigua Guatemala† or â€Å"Old Guatemala City.† Eventually, the â€Å"Guatemala† was dropped and people began referring to it as simply â€Å"Antigua.† The city rebuilt slowly but was still large enough to be named the capital of Sacatepà ©quez Province when Guatemala became independent from Spain and (later) the Federation of Central America (1823–1839). Ironically, â€Å"new† Guatemala City would be hit by a major earthquake in 1917: Antigua largely escaped damage. Antigua Today Over the years, Antigua retained its colonial charm and perfect climate and is today one of Guatemala’s premier tourist destinations. Visitors enjoy shopping at the markets, where they can purchase brightly colored textiles, pottery and more. Many of the old convents and monasteries are still in ruins but have been made safe for tours. Antigua is surrounded by volcanoes: their names are Agua, Fuego, Acatenango and Pacaya, and visitors like to climb them when it is safe to do so. Antigua is particularly known for Semana Santa (Holy Week) festivities. The city has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Assignment Report On Eight Domains Of The Nmc Framework

Assignment Report On Eight Domains Of The Nmc Framework The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate my clinical and educational practice, especially in mentoring pre-registration nursing students, newly qualified nurses and internationally-educated nurses. All registered nurses have a professional duty to become mentors and play an important role in facilitating students to build their competency. I will aim to reflect on practice relative to the Eight Domains of the NMC framework and give an accurate analysis on how this can impact a student’s experiences and learning opportunities. Papp (2002) stated that, â€Å"student nurses highly value clinical practice and the possibilities it offers in the process of growing to become a nurse and a professional†. It is essential to create a positive learning environment that allows students to build confidence and therefore, bridge the gap between theory and practice. This promotes students’ interests in learning and encourages them to participate more. NMC Domains Establishing effective working relationships I was expecting a second-year student starting on the ward, therefore a students’ welcome pack was prepared and a discussion took place over the phone a few days prior the start day. The student had a few questions about shift times and was excited but worried to start, due to having no neurosurgical experience. I assured them that most of the other students were in that situation and that the team was looking forward to meeting and working with her. On the morning she arrived, I, as the nurse in charge, had allocated some of my morning duties to other members of staff so I could have an initial conversation with the student. In addition, I introduced her to the rest of the team, orientated her within the unit, and explained my role in the ward and the type of patients and how we distributed them. We discussed the student’s goals for this placement, the action plans to achieve them and further beneficial learning opportunities, for example: theatre time, bed meetings, shadowing specialist nurses, etc. I believe this initial meeting is an essential factor in building a mutual trust and working relation. Dunn and Hansford (1997) highlighted the importance of staff and student relationship informing initial perceptions of their learning environment as well as feeling part of an established nursing team. Facilitating Learning Within the initial conversation with the student I was working with, we discussed the learners’ objectives for this placement. I asked her what she felt she wanted from me as a mentor, what style of learning she preferred and what she felt assisted her to gain confidence with clinical skills. I discovered this made the student feel at ease in the learning environment. Furthermore, the student was reluctant and anxious to a verbal handover on the phone and we identified that as a goal to achieve in this placement. On the following days, I took the student and sat her next to me in three different occasions when I had to handover a patient to a local hospital. After she observed how I conduct myself, I asked her to go away and list the important clinical aspects she would need to inform the other hospital when doing a handover. A few days later, she had the occasion to handover a patient independently with me sitting next to her for support and with the list she made as a guide. She started very nervously but gained confidence towards the end of the call. She was very proud of what she had achieved and the approach allowed the student and myself to develop a learning plan based on the student’s needs. Research shows that clinical learning environments are considered as an anxiety and stress-provoking factor for pre-registration nursing students which can be barriers to learning. Effective and supportive mentorship help reduce anxiety and stress and could enhance students’ learning and performance. Assessment and Accountability Pellatt (2006) explains the importance of the nurses’ accountability when working with the students. As the nurse is accountable for the tasks they may delegate to the student, but insuring the student is competent in these tasks it will allow for safe practice. It is important to find out whether students have the traits to practice safely and effectively without any direct supervision on their own to be competent. A third-year student was allocated by myself the task of checking the vital signs of four patients. Even though the student was the one performing the task I, as the registered nurse, had the responsibility to check the observations were recorder and documented. When checking the patients’ observations charts, I realized that although they were filled out, one patient who should have been scoring on the Early Warning Score (EWS) system had not been identified and had been scored at 0. The EWS is a guide used to quickly determine the degree of illness of a patient. It has a policy to escalate and act quickly to prevent further deterioration (. As this student has been placed in the hospital for other clinical placements, I had expectations that he would have fully understood the EWS. We must work within our limits and if we do not know something, we must ‘ask’ in order to provide safe care. Moreover, I asked the student to evaluate his performance by asking him how well he thought he did. I listened to his side of the story and provide constructive feedback to identify his strengths as well as areas he has to work on. Giving constructive feedback is an important role of a mentor in student assessment. From this discussion, we put into place an action plan that allowed him to practice more on patients observations and study the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. I gave him a list of articles about EWS and asked him to read and interpret them. I also directed him to a microteaching session of EWS system. Once he felt confident and comfortable with his skills, the sign-off mentor and myself allocated him with four patients and evaluated him at the end of the shift. By the end of the day, the student was competent and self-assured in carrying out vital sign observations and mapping them on EWS. Mentoring gives an opportunity to reflect on our own actions and beliefs and helps us change our practices. Upon reflection, I have acknowledged my own strengths and weaknesses as a mentor, and become more aware of my role as an assessor. Thus, sometimes, nurses fail to fail students because they are not adequately prepared for the role. However, when a student does fail to meet the necessary foundation competence required by the NMC, then the only option would be to fail the student based on these ground rules. I believe that it takes a skilled mentor to quickly identify when a student requires more support and guide them through their learning with all available resources. Evaluation of learning In mentoring a student nurse it is essential to continuously evaluate and reflect on practice. Vuorinen et al (2001) found that evaluation is an important aspect of professional development. Therefore, ensuring adequate evaluation techniques are being used is imperative to a student nurses progression. As a mentor I encourage and welcome feedback from students with regards to my mentoring techniques and the environment in which they are learning. There is a difference in being a teacher or evaluator compared to being an assessor, an important role aspect of being mentors (Webb Shakespeare 2008). Being a mentor is challenging, especially when there is a shortage of staff as it reduces the amount of time that mentors could allocate to student assessment. Not only is this important for the progression but also my reflection on a personal practice. Clynes and Raffery (2014) highlight that effective feedback should not only explore areas or current practice, but should empower the studen t to proceed with excellent practical skills. Create an environment for learning When we share feedback on the learning environment, it allows my colleagues and I to ensure the ward is deemed appropriate by students’. Saarikoski Leino-kilpi (2002) emphasizes the need for a positive ward environment and a good leadership structure within the ward in order to maximize learning potential. Midgley (2006) identifies the importance of learning in clinical practice and the balance of theoretical and practical work by student nurses. Working with a first-year student on her first placement, we identified her objective e of learning about basic nursing care and how to ensure patients met their Activities of Daily Living (ADLS) (Roper, Logan and Tierney 2000). In order to facilitate her objective, every morning we highlighted the patients with dependency scores that indicated they would need more nursing care that someone who was completely independent with their ADLs. We carried out the basic nursing care together until the student felt comfortable doing this by herself when appropriate. Every morning, she would highlight the patients’ needs and use this to plan the care she would provide. The student excelled in the care given to these patients and updated care plans as and when was necessary. Context of practice When I became ward manager that I currently work on, I realized that the handover was not as efficient as required. It was an area in which I felt we, as nurses, could develop our ward handover procedure. In addition, I felt important information was left out which will potentially improve our clinical care for the patients. Sexton et al (2003) discussed the use of good communication tools for nursing handovers in order to provide continuity of care. I decided to use Safety Briefing forms to emphasize the patients who needed more attention (e.g. risk of falls, step down from ICU, etc.) so that the whole team was aware of particular patients’ needs. The students and members of the team seemed to appreciate the simple tool which allowed them to discuss patients’ care, due to the structure they were provided with. I feel that introducing this tool to the team I work with has changed communication and in turn patients care for the better. Not only has it benefitted the current staff but it gives students the opportunity to practice and gain confidence in what can sometimes be challenging communication situations. Evidence based practice Brown et al (2008) recognized the importance of evidence based practice to ensure patients’ safety at all times. However, there are barriers which are identified including time and resources. The importance of applying theory to practice was highlighted by Upton. D (1999) therefore it is essential that a good mentor facilitates this. While working with a second-year student, we allocated him with a patient who had contracted Clostridium Difficile. The patient was nursed in a side room with isolation protocols in place following Infection control policy. The student working with me at the time discarded the apron and gloves inside the side room as per indicated. Nevertheless, he forgot to wash his hands to decontaminate them. Gerding et al (2014) provide evidence to show that C.Difficile spores will survive in the hands, therefore the evidence states that we must only use soap and water in these instances and ensure that patients and visitors use the same approach. I sat with t he student and showed him the evidence articles, asking him to read through them. In response, he acknowledged that he needs to improve his nursing care and took it upon himself to remind visitors before and after entering a room that washing hands with soap and water is a must. Leadership Bally J. (2007) recognizes the importance of leadership in ensuring effective nursing standards. Not only is it important for nurses to have good leadership support from their seniors, but it is also essential that all nurses are themselves good leaders. Latham et al (2008) states the importance of nurses supporting team members is imperative to good patient care and career progression. Consequently, it is evident that a mentor should have good leadership skills in order to be an advocate for their student nurse and support them though their training. Wilkes Z (2006) describes the mentors role a one of support but also objective and analytical. When working with a student it is always essential that the student’s objectives and aims are met though planning and regular discussions of feedback and encouragement. I met a student at her first neurosurgical placement. She developed a strong interest in our area and discussed her eagerness of seeing more aspects of neurosurgery, particularly brain tumors. I promoted her spending time with theatre cases of oncology, followed by shadowing oncology nurses and their discussions at the Multidisciplinary Team Meeting every week. She was also present at family meetings where the results were discussed with the patient and the treatment to follow explained to the family. The student enjoyed her time and felt that she engaged well with members of the medical team. We set up objectives for her to achieve and had different meetings afterwards to see if the objectives where achieved. She found ‘difficult and painful’ to break up sad news to patients and found that this area of neurosurgery was very challenging and complex but one she would love to dedicate to in the future. We went thought some literature together and shared experiences with he r so she could understand that feeling pain and sadness thrt4ough our nursing career when facing extreme upset situations were common to most of us and nothing to feel ashamed of.