Reflection on theory and knowledge in nursing

Reflection on theory and knowledge in nursing The aim of this report is look at a critical incident that occurred in practice and relates this to the theory and knowledge regarding communication and interpersonal skills, so as to demonstrate an understanding of my views on the art and science of reflection and the issues surrounding reflective practice; that is to say, what skills were and were not used at the time of the incident. Confidentiality will be maintained as required by the Nursing Midwifery Council Code (NMC, 2008).    There is a discussion appraising the concept of reflection both generally, and in my particular area of practice of urgent care. Reflection is part of reflective practice and is a skill that is developed. It can be seen as a way of adjusting to life as a qualified healthcare professional and enhancing the development of a professional identity (Atwal Jones, 2009). Reflection is defined as a process of reviewing an experience which involves description, analysis and evaluation to enhance learning in practice (Rolfe et al 2001).  This is supported by (Fleming, 2006), who described it as a process of reasoned thought. It enables the practitioner to critically assess self and their approach to practice. Reflective practice is advocated in healthcare as a learning process that encourages self-evaluation with subsequent professional development planning (Zuzelo, 2009). Reflective practice has been identified as one of the key ways in which we can learn from our experiences. Reflective practice can mean taking our experiences as an initial point for our learning and developing practice (Jasper, 2003). Many literatures have been written in the past that suggest the use of reflective assignments and journaling as tools to improve reflection and thinking skills in healthcare (Chapman et al, 2008). Reflective journals are an ideal way to be actively involved in learning (Millinkovic Field, 2005) and can be implemented to allow practitioners to record events and document their thoughts and actions on daily situations, and how this may affect their future practice (Williams Wessel, 2004). MODELS In order to provide a framework for methods, practices and processes for building knowledge from practice there are several models of reflection available. All can help to direct individual reflection. Some may be particularly useful for superficial problem solving, and other better when a deeper reflective process is required. Reflective models however are not meant to be used as a rigid set of questions to be answered but to give some structure and encourage making a record of the activity. Johns (2004) reflects on uncovering the knowledge behind the incident and the actions of others present. It is a good tool for thinking, exploring ideas, clarifying opinions and supports learning. Kolbs Learning Cycle (1984) is a cycle that reflects a process individuals, teams and organisations attend to; and understands their experiences and subsequently, modifies their behaviour. Schà ¶n (1987), however, identifies two types of reflection that can be applied in healthcare, Reflection-in-action and Reflection-on-action. Reflection-in-action can also be described as thinking whilst doing. Reflection-on-action involves revisiting experiences and further analysing them to improve skills and enhance to future practice. Atkins and Murphys model of reflection (1994) take this idea one step further and suggest that for reflection to make a real difference to practice we follow this with a commitment to action as a result. Terry Bortons (1970) 3 stem questions:  What?,  So What?  and  Now What?  were developed by John Driscoll in 1994, 2000 and 2007. Driscoll matched the 3 questions to the stages of an  experiential learning cycle, and added trigger questions that can be used to complete the cycle. Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle is fairly straightforward and encourages a clear description of the situation, analysis of feelings, evaluation of the experience, analysis to make sense of the experience, conclusion where other options are considered and reflection upon experience to examine what you would do if the situation arose again. CHOSEN MODEL The reflective model that I have chosen to use is Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1988) as a framework, because it focuses on different aspects of an experience and allows the learner to revisit the event fully. Gibbs (1988) will help me to explore the experience further, using a staged framework as guidance ad I feel that this is a simple model, which is well structured and easy to use at this early stage in my course. By contemplating it thus, I am able to appreciate it and guided to where future development work is required. Before the critical incident is examined it is important to look at what a critical incident is and why it is important to nursing practice. Girot (1997), cited in Maslin-Prothero, (1997) states that critical incidents are a means of exploring a certain situation in practice and recognising what has been learned from the situation. Benner (1984, cited by Kacperek, 1997) argues that nurses cannot increase or develop their knowledge to its full potential unless they examine their own practice. Context of incident In the scenario the patients name will be given as Xst.   Ã‚  The consequences of my actions for the client will be explained and how they might have been improved, including what I learned from the experience. My feelings about the clinical skills used to manage the clients care will be established and my new understanding of the situation especially in relation to evidence based practice will be considered.   I will finally reflect on what actions I will take in order to ensure my continued professional development and learning.    Description Miss Xst is 55 year old woman who has a 10 year old daughter.   She suffers from psychiatric problems, lack of motivation and has difficulties in maintaining her personal hygiene and the cleanliness of her flat. She was one of my mentors clients to whom I had been assigned to coordinate and oversee her care. Mental health Nurses owe their patients a duty of care and are expected to offer a high standard of care based on current best practise, (NMC 2008).   Ã‚   Miss Xst had been prescribed Risperidone Consta 37.5mg fortnightly, which is a moderate medication. Risperidone belongs to a group of medicines called antipsychotic, which are usually used to help treat people with schizophrenia and similar condition such as psychosis. Although her condition is acute, it is not extreme and the reason for this medication is to help Miss Xst to stabilise her thought so she is able to support herself in the community (Healey, 2006). Miss Xst did not like attending depot clinic and she missed three consecutive appointments. My mentor decided after the third non-attendance to raise the issue in the handover meeting where it was decided to see Miss Xst in the morning but when we arrived she was not there. We left a note for her to call the office. We did not hear from her and a further home visit was carried out to arrange for her next depot clinic appointment. I called a meeting of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) who agreed that there would be a problem if the next injections were missed. The social worker who was part of the team said that she will arrange for a community support worker to help clean Miss Xsts flat on a weekly basis (Adams 2008). We waited for about an hour for Miss Xst to attend the clinic for her depot injection but she failed to attend. I then informed the Community Psychiatry Nurse (CPN) that Miss Xst had expressed negative feelings about her medication and thought she did not need them; she had claimed she was already feeling well and therefore wanted the medications to be discontinued.   At a subsequent meeting with the patient, she agreed a joint visit with the CPN and myself to re-assess her condition and consider if it was necessary to   Ã‚  refer her case to the consultant (Barker, 2003).   I was given the opportunity to carry out the initial assessment, which showed that her behaviour was very unpredictable and very forgetful. Her inability to take her medication and to manage her personal hygiene clearly demonstrated that she was not well. The assessment tool I used was the Mental State Examination which helps determine the level of her insight into her illness and indeed I found out that she was in denial (Barker, 2004). I talked to Miss Xst about her non-concordance with her medication, but she persisted in saying she was well.   I reminded her that continuous use of the medication would benefit her mental health and protect her against relapse.   We agreed that she could discuss this with the doctor on her next outpatient appointment, with the option of reviewing or reducing her medication. I stressed the importance of her communicating any side effects or reservations she may have about the medication to doctor. She appeared to understand this and following the discussion, she finally complied with her depot injection. Even though the NMC (2008) maintains that nurses have a responsibility to empower patient in their care and to identify and minimise risk to patient. The principle of beneficence (to do well) must be balanced against no maleficence (doing no harm) (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001).   All these transactions were recorded in Miss Xsts care plan file and in computer. Good record keeping is an integral part of nursing and midwifery practice, and is essential to the provision of safe and effective care. It is not an optional extra to be fitted in if circumstances allow NMC (2009).   The consequences of my actions for the patient and her daughter were that she attended to her daughters needs and to her personal hygiene, and made regular fortnightly visits to the clinic. Her mental condition was improved, she was allowed to continue on her moderate medication and she did not have to be readmitted in the hospital. Feeling During the handover, I was nervous as I felt uncomfortable about giving feedback to the whole team. I was worried about making mistakes during my handover that could lead to inappropriate care being given to Miss Xst or could cause her   readmission to hospital. As a student nurse I felt I lacked the necessary experience to be passing information to a group of qualified staff members.   However, I dealt with the situation with outward calm and in a professional manner. I was very pleased that my mentor was available during the handover to offer me support and this increased my confidence. Evaluation What was good about the experience was that I was able to carry out the initial assessment and identify what caused Miss Xst failure to comply with the treatment regime.   From my assessment I documented the outcome and related what had happened to the MDT with minimal assistance. Accurate documentation of patients care and treatment should communicate to other members of the team in order to provide continuity of care (NMC, 2008).   The experience has improved my communication skills immensely, I felt supported throughout the handover by my mentor who was constantly involved when I missed out any information. Thomas et al, (1997) explains that supervision is an important development tool for all learners. The team were very supportive throughout the process as they took my information without doubt.   What was not good about the experience was the fact that my mentor had not informed me that I was going to handover the information; as a result I had not mentally prepared myself for it.   I also felt that I needed more time to observe other professionals in the team carrying out their handovers before I attempted to carry out mine.   During the original MDT meeting, I felt that we did not provide enough time to freely interact with Miss Xst to identify other psychosocial needs that could impact on her health. However, in any event, she was unable to fully engage because of her mental state. Turley (2000) suggests that nursing staff should include their interaction with the patient when recording assessment details, which can be used to provide evidence for future planning and delivery of care. Dougherty and Lister (2004) have suggested that healthcare professionals should use listening as part of assessing patient problems, needs and resources.      Analysis The literature regarding communication and interpersonal skills is vast and extensive. Upon reading a small amount of the vast literature available, the student was able to analyse the incident, and look at how badly this situation was handled. I realised communication is the main key in the nursing profession as suggested by Long (1999) who states that interpersonal skills are a form of tool that is necessary for effective communication. I found it difficult to communicate with a patient because I did not understand her condition. It was also difficult for me not to take her behaviour to heart and show emotion at the time, it is clear that this is an area I need to build on for the future. However, Bulman Schutz (2008) argue that this is failure to educate and for us to learn from practice and develop thinking skills. I would agree with them, as I learn best from practical experience, and build on it to improve my skills. With this is mind, I am now going to focus on my weaknesses, in both theory and practice, and state how, when and why I plan to improve on these. Through effective communication I was able to convince Miss Xst of the need to take her medication. I was able to pass on the information to the MDT for continuity of care.     Roger et al (2003) concluded that communication is an on-going process but can be a difficult process when dealing with mental health problems.   During the handover I was pleased that the MDT members were supportive and interested in what I was saying and they asked questions.   The patient had no recollection of what she had said to me and since the incident she has made these comments to other staff, which has put me at ease and made me realise that I had done nothing wrong. My mentor explained that a patient with Parkinsons can often behave like this as they develop dementia, which Noble (2007) also confirms. Since the incident I have read about Parkinsons and am now aware that the patients expressionless face Netdoctor (2008), also made her comments appear more confusing and aggressive. Conclusion   In conclusion, I have learnt that through effective communication, any problem can be solved regardless of the environment, circumstances or its complexity.   Therefore, nurses must ensure they are effective communicators.   I have identified the weaknesses that should be turned to strengths. I am now working on strengthening my assertiveness, confidence and communication skills. Participating in the care of Miss Xst, I have realised that a good background information and feedback about mental health problems before providing care to a clients can assist in accurate diagnosis and progress monitoring.  Ã‚   A good relationship between client and staff nurse is therapeutic and help in building trust.   This can be achieved by a free communication that allows the client to express their feelings and concern without the fear of intimidation.   From the experience, I feel the knowledge I have acquired will aid me in future while in practice should such situation arise again. ACTION PLAN FOR MY LEARNING NEEDS So that I could identify my strengths and weaknesses in both theory and practice easily, I found that the use of a SWOT analysis provided a good framework to follow. I have then built on this by producing a development plan that focuses on my weaknesses and how, when and why I plan to improve on them. I will now begin to work on these, the main reason being of course, that I am determined to be a competent, professional nurse in the future. I am now more prepared for any future patients with this disease as I have researched it. I will take the time to talk to them, to make sure they are at ease with me, before providing any care. If they appear distressed I would get another member of staff to help me to reassure them. Learning Need Planned action to meet this learning need Target time to meet the learning need. To improve my knowledge about patients illnesses and the risks of relapse associated with not taking Medication. Read books about different illnesses and causes of relapse End of third year To identify and have good background information and feedback about patients mental health problems before providing care to them To read my patients notes. On- going To ensure a good rapport exist between my patient and I, in order to build up a therapeutic relationship with them and to gain their trust. I will have regular meeting with my client On-going Effective communication with the patients and other members of the multidisciplinary team A locating time to talk to patients and their relatives participating in the ward round. On-going skills to develop throughout the training. Being prepared Talking with senior members of staff On-going CONCLUSION I have clearly demonstrated that by using a reflective model as a guide I have been able to break down, make sense of, and learn from my experience during my placement. At the time of the incident I felt very inadequate It was also difficult for me not to take her behaviour to heart and show emotion at the time, it is clear that this is an area I need to build on for the future. According to Bulman Schutz (2008), nursing requires effective preparation so that we can care competently, with knowledge and professional skills being developed over a professional lifetime. One way this can be achieved is through what Schon (1987) refers to as technical rationality, where professionals are problem solvers that select technical means best suited to particular purposes. Problems are solved by applying theory and technique. REFERENCES Adams, L. (2008). Mental Health Nurses can Play a Role in Physical Health. Mental Health Today. October 2008 pp27 Barker, P. (2004). Assessment in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Barker, P.   Ed (2003). Psychiatric and mental health nursing: The craft of caring Arnold, London Beauchamp, T. and Childress, J. (2001) Principles of Biomedical Ethics, (5th   Edition): Oxford University   Press. Bolton, G. (2001) Reflective Practice. Writing and Professional Development. Paul Chapman Publishing Limited, London. Bulman, C. Schutz, S. (2008) An Introduction to Reflection. In: Bulman, C. Schutz, S. (ed.) Reflective Practice in Nursing, 4th edition. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, pp 6 8 Burns, T. Sinfield, S. (2008a) How to organise yourself for independent study. In: Essential Study Skills The Complete Guide to Success at University. 2nd edition. London, Sage Publications Ltd, p 64. Burns, T. Sinfield, S. (2008b) Going to University. In: Essential Study Skills The Complete Guide to Success at University. 2nd edition. London, Sage Publications Ltd, p 16. Dougherty, L. and Lister, S. (2004) Royal Marsden of clinical nursing procedures. 6th edition. London: Blackwell publishers.   Gamble, C and Brennan, G (2005) Working with serious mental illness: a manual for clinical practice. Oxford: Bailliere Tindall. Kenworthy et al (2003) Marrelli, T. M (2004) The Nurse Managers Survival Guide: Practical Answer to Everyday Problems, United States of America : Elsevier Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) Code of Professional Conduct NMC: London. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008) The Code Standards of conduct, Performance and Ethics for Nurses and Midwives. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council. Nursing and Midwifery Council (2009) Record keeping: Guidance for nurses and midwives. London: Nursing and Midwifery Council.  Ã‚   Rolfe,   G., Freshwater, D. Jasper, M (2001) Critical Reflection for Nursing and the Helping professor; a Users Guide. Palgrave Macmillan, London. Roger, B. Ellis, Bob Gates, Neil Kenworthy. (2003) Interpersonal Communication in Nursing: Theory and Practice, 2nd edn. Churchill Livingstone, London, UK. Schon, D.A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner. Basic books. Harper Collins, San Francisco Schon, D. (1987) Preparing Professionals for the Demands of Practice. Educating the Reflective Practitioner. San Francisco, Jossey Bass, pp3 21. Thomas, B. Hardy, S. and Cutting, P. (1997) Mental health Nursing: Principles and Practice London: Mosby Turley, J.P.( 2000) toward and integrated view of health informatics. Information Technology in Nursing 12 (13).

Symbolism in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Essay

During the late nineteen-forties, it was common for playwrights such as Tennessee Williams to use symbolism as an approach to convey personal thoughts, through the attitudes of the characters and the setting. Williams' actors have used symbolism to disguise the actuality of their thoughts and to accommodate the needs of their conservative audience. A Streetcar Named 'Desire' has a few complicated character traits and themes. Therefore, they have to be symbolised using figures or images to express abstract and mystical ideas, so that the viewers can remain clueless. Williams not only depicts a clear personality of the actors but he also includes real-life public opinions from the past (some of which are contemporary.) These opinions were likely to raise controversies on issues such as prejudice, social gender expectations and men and women's roles in society. There have been numerous occasions when symbolism has taken place in A Streetcar Named 'Desire.' Firstly, Stanley is insulted several times by Blanche (his sister-in-law) Stella (his beloved wife) and other residents of the 'Quarter'. For example, the term 'animal' has been constantly spoken of, to define Stanley's malicious and ill-natured conduct. In scene four, Blanche tries to persuade her younger sister to go elsewhere and leave her husband. On page 163, she complains: Blanche: He acts like an animal, has an animal's habits! Eats like one, talks like one! There's even something - sub-human - something not quite to the stage of humanity yet! Yes, something - ape-like about him there he is - Stanley Kowalski - Bearing the raw meat home from the kill in the jungle! Furthermore, when the play begins, Stanley enters the ground-floor apartm... ... of the play, Williams may be hinting that Blanche is gradually being ruined. Perhaps her 'white radio' being tossed 'out of the window' tells us that Stanley is already against Blanche and does not like the sound of her being around. I shall conclude this essay with a brief understanding of symbolism. It is a very useful concept and often needed to give the audience a few suggestions. Symbolism makes people think and broadens their mind with varieties and ideas. In A Streetcar Named 'Desire', symbolism has been significantly used to show the roles of men and women in society and how they expect each other to be treated. It has disguised many possible sexual scenes; therefore, Williams has succeeded in transmitting some of his themes or ideas. Some of these are sexuality, madness, jealousy, racism, cruelty, loyalty, gender relationships and conflict.

Australian Tariffs

Should Australia reintroduce tarffs for the car industry? Australia's automotive Industry Is a significant contributor and major employer to the national economy. But the economy Is In crlsls. The greatest problem for the automotive industry is the mindset of the cabinets. Cabinets became downright apoplectic and argue that tax payers should not support a failing industry, and they vehemently combat the automotive industry policy as a matter of principle. The truth is, Australia cannot afford losing its car industry.Several academic investigations have been conducted about how this industry contributes to national economy, and he answer couldnt be clearer: It would cost Australia more losing Its automotive Industry rather than supporting It so It can grow strong again. Instead of being a dead weight to Australian economy, the automotive industry is a great contributor to it. The Abbot cabinet shouldn't burden this weakened industry with tariffs that will ultimately lead it to its doo m; instead, it should invest more in it, understanding its real value and accepting that it hasnt received enough attention.The government focuses more on primary production, like cattle, mining or grains; little Is left for ransforming Industries Ilke the automotive one. Australia should Improve what It has to offer to Investors, since It's facing a hard competition from other countries. If the automotive industry were to collapse, it's clear that other industries would follow it as well. Can you give examples of current tarffs, subsidies or quotas applied by the Australian Government? Do you agree with the Imposition of these tarffs, subsidies and quotas? Australia applies several tariffs on a wide variety of trading goods.For example: Instruments, weapons and manufactured articles have a 1% tariff; dairy roduce, natural honey, birds' eggs and other edible products of animal origin that aren't specified elsewhere (in the tariff establishment table) have a 0. 17% tariff; glass and glassware have a 2. 8125% tariff. Still, most Australia's customs and tariffs are lower than the global average. Regarding subsidies, the Australian government applies rates on several ambits, like home care, oxygen and enteral feeding or residential respite – and this Is only about healthcare.To be honest, Australia has a balanced taxing system, with rates that are internationally lower than other countries' ates; besides, there exists a real need for a tax system for the government to have enough resources to ensure a decent lifestyle for its citizens and to provide them with the basic human needs. Leaving aside rates like those meant to regulate industries like the automotive one, it seems that Australia has a fair economic system, not meant for crippling the citizen's economy, but rather to ensure that all the people's resources paid In the form In taxes contribute to the general wellbeing.Who do you think are the winners / losers from such protectionist measures? Ultimat ely, the citizens are the most benefited or prejudiced by these taxes and subsidies. As it has been said before, Australia's rates and tariffs are significantly lower wnen compared to tnose tnat otner countrles apply; ana tne Income tnat results from these said payments should be applied on new infrastructure, on attending the people's needs, and on ensuring that unforeseen disasters will be properly faced and answered.This is the ideal system of taxing and applying tariffs: for the countrys money to serve the countrys needs. Still, applying additional taxes to ndustries or basic services is often unfair, especially when those new rates are derived from political affairs; taking the example of the automotive industry, it seems more of a political movement than an economy issue.Thus, applying this kind of taxes only results in weakening the overall economy, which will result in affecting the citizens in general. Nothing good can come from crippling the economic system of a country by attacking the principal sectors that contribute to it; it can be said that Australia is attacking itself when it aims to weigh new taxes on an industry that should be saved instead of being combatted.

Al

Al The essay is a critical analysis of the article titled â€Å"Al-Zawahiri appointed al Qaedas new leader† which was posted on the jihadist website published on June 16 2011 by the CNN Wire Staff. The article talks about international relationship between American and the Islam community which has been viewed for the past decades as deteriorating as results of terrorism.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on â€Å"Al-Zawahiri appointed al Qaedas new leader† Article Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is worth noting that the issue of terrorism has been a hard nut to crack in the entire world and has continued to cause sleepless night to a number of countries (Shimko 127). Since the death of Osama Bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda the group was reluctant to accept his death. After consultation and coming to terms with his death, they settled on Al-Zawahiri his long term deputy to take charge of the gr oup, Hereby the General Command of the Qaeda al-Jihad and after the end of the consultations we declare that Sheikh Dr. Abu Muhammad Ayman al-Zawahiri† (CNN Wire Staff par. 4). The individual has been linked with the attacks in Kenya and Tanzania leaving close to 300 people dead and over 5000 injured. The United States of America government placed a reward of 25 million dollars for information leading to his arrest. During an attacked launched by the U.S in Afghanistan, his wife and three of his children died. From the article it is evident that Al-Zawahiri hailed the fallen al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. He said in reference to Osama went to his God martyred because he said no to America (CNN Wire Staff par. 5) The appointed leader had harsh words for the Pakistan government and claimed that Americans are not fighting al Qaeda who will not stop at anything other than confronting their oppressors. The posting although did not talk of pro-democracy uprising, it is clear tha t their policies will not be shifted and promised to support such groups as Taliban in fighting NATO and U.S. analysts hold the opinion that Al-Zawahiri will have a difficult task in leading the group. They assert that he has no charisma as that of his predecessor. My view however is contrary to theirs. Having in mind that he was born in a wealthy family just like Bin Laden, and then he will have an easy time motivate the group and give them direction since Bin Laden did a lot of work in shaping the entire group as well as imposing chain of command. Despite the claim that he commands no loyalty from members, this does not warrant the assumption that he won’t propel the group in carrying out attacks.Advertising Looking for article on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In my humble view, the leadership of Al-Zawahiri will definitely worsen the relationship of America with other Islamic coun tries particularly Egypt where the leader has roots. This rests on the view that the membership of the group will expand making American to receive opposition from all quotas. Interestingly, it is evident that even after the killing of Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda will not stop on their activities and the chances of them revenging are high. However, it is not easy to establish the timeline for the revenge. This thus calls the American authorities to be on alert at all times and change their strategies for curbing terrorism if need be. The following statement summarizes their desire to revenge, â€Å"will remain on the path of righteousness as a coherent, solid, cemented rank† (CNN Wire Staff par. 10) References Shimko, Keith. International relations: Perspective and controversies. New York: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Al-Zawahiri appointed al Qaedas new leader, 2011.  Web.

Best Rebecca Nurse Analysis †The Crucible

Best Rebecca Nurse Analysis - The Crucible SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips In Arthur Miller's The Crucible, Rebecca Nurse is a prominent and respected older woman in Puritan Salem, drawn into the witchcraft trials because of her and her husband’s friction with the Putnams. Though she has the least stage time of any of the major characters, Rebecca is important because of the moral ideals she represents. This guide goes over what we do know about Rebecca and explains why she is so important to the play despite her limited time in the audience’s eye. feature image credit: Samantha Lindsay, 2016/All rights reserved. Character Introduction: Meet Rebecca Nurse Rebecca is an older woman (especially for the times) and not physically strong. "Rebecca Nurse, seventy-two, enters. She is white-haired, leaning upon her walking-stick." (Act 1, p. 23) Relationships Married to Francis Nurse, Rebecca is on good terms with pretty much everyone in The Crucible (at least at the beginning of the play). She's so highly regarded that even non-Salem dwellers like Reverend Hale have heard good things about her: "HALE: It’s strange how I knew you, but I suppose you look as such a good soul should. We have all heard of your great charities in Beverly." (Act 1, p. 34) The only exception to Rebecca's genial social relationships is her relationship with the Putnam family. There's bad feeling between the Putnams and the Nurses there due to Rebecca's husband Francis’s blocking Putnam’s candidate for minister of Salem. Miller explicitly mentions this squabble in one of his character essays interspersed in the printed play (p. 24), but it doesn’t come up in the dialogue (or at least, not in a straightforward mention). There might also be some resentment from Ann Putnam due to her high infant mortality rate vs. Rebecca’s many children and grandchildren, but it’s only briefly touched upon in the play. It's not clear if Rebecca's fertility in the face of Ann Putnam's dead children is the reason why Rebecca is ultimately accused of murdering Ann Putnam’s children (Act 2, p. 67), or if that’s just a side-effect of the politics between the Putnamand Nurse families. What is clear, though, is that the only person Rebecca is sarcastic to inThe Crucible is Ann Putnam: "MRS. PUTNAM: This is no silly season, Rebecca. My Ruth is bewildered, Rebecca; she cannot eat.REBECCA: Perhaps she is not hungered yet." (Act 1, p. 25) With the exception of her attitude towards Goody Ann, though, Rebecca seems to think and hope for the best of people (and they strive to show it to her†¦until the witch business starts). Other Character Traits Other than the mere physical character traits, Miller characterizes GoodyNurse using both her actions and words as well as what other people say about her (other characters and Miller’s own character descriptions). Saintliness The most noticeable quality about Rebecca is her saintly demeanor and her moral superiority to the other characters in the play. Miller makes this clear from the beginning, writingâ€Å"Gentleness exudes from her† (p. 24) into the stage directions. When Rebecca is accused of witchcraft (a decidedly ungodly crime), the only justification Hale can come up with is that God has been fooled by seeming purity before: â€Å"Man, remember, until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven.† (Act 2, p. 68) Rebecca also displays high moral character through her interactions with other characters over the course of the play. She... urges Proctor not to quarrel and â€Å"break charity† with Parris, since no matter the man’s shortcomings he is still minister and thus should be respected (Act 1, p. 29). is shocked and horrified when she finds out that Goody Ann sent her daughter to consort with spirits (Act 1, p. 36). is the only one who bothers asking if Hale’s procedures will hurt Betty (Act 1, p. 37). won’t stay to see witchcraft hunted out ("REBECCA: I wish I knew. She goes out; they feel resentful of her note of moral superiority." Act 1, p. 37). has her good name attested to by 91 people, who signed their good opinion of her in a petition (Act 3, p. 86-87). Common Discussion Question: What is the function of Rebecca Nurse in the play? Answer: Rebecca serves as the moral high point of the play. She is the yardstick against which Miller measures all other characters. Smiling face with halo from Google's Noto Project/Used under Apache license. Powerful Rebecca is one of the few women to have authority pre-witchcraft trials. We know this because Parris appeals to her to help figure out what’s wrong with Betty and she is able to calm him (â€Å"I think she’ll wake in time. Pray, calm yourselves† Act 1, p. 25). She is also able to get John to not completely lose it (at least temporarily): â€Å"Pray, John, be calm. Pause. He defers to her.† (Act 1, p. 26) Rebecca's arrest causes people to feel doubt because of her power and authority in the town. As Parris worriedly tells Judges Hathorne and Danforth, â€Å"Let Rebecca stand upon the gibbet and send up some righteous prayer, and I fear she’ll wake a vengeance upon you† (Act 4, p. 8). Parris is concerned that if it turns out Rebecca was (somehow!) unjustly accused and is killed, God will be angered and take out that anger on her condemners. Common Discussion Question: Why is Rebecca Nurse being charged with witchcraft a sign the town has finally gone insane/lost all sense/gotten out of control? Answer: Because â€Å"Rebecca also enjoyed the high opinion that most people had for [her husband]† (p. 24), it was a shock for her to be named a witch. She is looked up to in the first act as having the answers because of her reputation of religious devotion (â€Å"My wife is the very brick and mortar of the church† Act 2, p. 67). In subsequent acts, the fact that she has been â€Å"condemned† is a sign that things have gone terribly wrong in Salem. As Reverend Hale says in Act 2, â€Å"[I]f Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing’s left to stop the whole green world from burning.† (Act 2, p.67) Honest GoodyNurse is the most straightforward and honest character in the play...even when it hurts her. It's hard to tell if this oblivious honesty happens because she doesn’t pick up on other people's reactions to her frank statements, or if she's oblivious because she’s used to her position of authority and thus has become accustomed to saying things without fear of reprisal due to her place in the Salem social hierarchy (more on this later). Two specific instances of this are when she's fine with telling Parris that, actually, he has been driving parishioners away (Act 1, p. 27) and when she won’t confess to witchcraft to save her life (Act 4, p. 129). When Does Rebecca Nurse Show Up in The Crucible? Rebecca only appears in Acts 1 and 4 ofThe Crucible (although she is mentioned in the other two acts by other characters). In Act 1, Rebecca shows up partway through the hullaballoo at Parris’s house, then leaves before Hale gets to the business of questioning Betty. In Act 4, Rebecca is brought in towards the end to witness John’s confession (and ultimately, his recanting of that confession); she then goes out to hang with John Proctor. What Does Rebecca Nurse Do in The Crucible? Rebecca's first action upon entering the stage in Act 1 is to soothe Betty Parris with her very presence (Act 1, p. 24). Rebecca cautions everyone onstage against putting too much stock in â€Å"silly girls† and their fancies (p. 25), warns against seeking answers in the supernatural (p. 25-26), and eventually leaves when it becomes apparent her advice is going to be ignored (p. 37). Rebecca does not appear onstage in Acts 2 and 3, but we do learn important information about her from other characters. In Act, 2, Giles Corey informs the Proctors (and the audience) that Rebecca has been charged with witchcraft (p. 67). In Act 3, Hale's identification of GoodyNurse as "Rebecca that were condemned this morning" (p. 80) lets the audience know that sometime between Acts 2 and 3, Rebecca was condemned a witch and set to hang. In Act 4, Rebecca's primary role is as a foil (and, ultimately, an inspiration) to John Proctor. Rebecca herself does not confess to witchcraft and stands by as a witness to Proctor’s â€Å"confession† and ultimate denial of his confession (p. 129-134). Rebecca Nurse Character Analysis In this next section, I'll go into more detail about possible motivations behind Rebecca's actions. Often these'll be related to an overarching theme, like hysteria or societal pressures. I've provided quotes from the text to accompany my analysis and support my interpretations. Remember, though, that my analyses are just that - interpretations. If you can think of a different explanation and then support it using evidence from the play, then you can and should do that! Rebecca's primary motivation inThe Crucible appears to be her internal sense of what is right and what is wrong. Of all the characters in the play, she is the least affected by fear and hysteria (at least, in my opinion), and is surprised when other people are swayed (e.g. p. 129 â€Å"Why, John!†). Rebecca remains strong through the course of the play; for her, doing the right thing is more important than staying alive, as she explicitly states in Act 4: â€Å"Why, it is a lie, it is a lie; how may I damn myself? I cannot, I cannot.† (Act 4, p. 129) Here Rebecca echoes Mary Warren’s "I cannot, I cannot," from the end of Act 2; instead of avowing that she cannot tell the truth (as Mary does), however, Rebecca here reaffirms that she cannot tell a lie. Ultimately, unconcern with the possible danger from hysteria is Rebecca's downfall. One instance of her not paying enough attention to other people's reactions to her is when she quiets Betty down in Act 1: MRS. PUTNAM, astonished: What have you done? Rebecca, in thought, now leaves the bedside and sits. (Act 1, p. 25). Even though Ann Putnam verbally expresses her astonishment that Betty was soothed by Rebecca's presence when Betty had previously been unresponsive to other stimuli, Rebecca completely ignores this in favor of her own thoughts. Other instances of this obliviousness can be seen when Rebecca, intentionally or not, puts down the concerns of other characters (particularly Ann Putnam) as being not worthy of further consideration. Rebecca ends up paying the price for this obliviousness and her uncompromising personal moral code with her life. TRUTH/Used under CC BY 2.0/cropped and modified from original. Common Discussion Question: Why do some people resent Rebecca and Francis Nurse? Answer: The Putnams resent that the Nurses interfered with Thomas Putnam's candidate for minister of Salem. Others may resent Francis's rise from land-renter to land-owner and Rebecca's being too saintly for her own good, as when she absents herself from Hale's witchcraft investigation in Act 1. In contrast to most of the other characters in the play, Rebecca doesn’t seem particularly motivated by pride, keeping her reputation pure, or even trying to maintain power/authority. She does keep her reputation of holiness, but this is more a side-effect than a cause: Rebecca ends up appearing so saintly because she seems above the earthly machinations and squabbles of characters like Parris and Putnam, or even above Proctor’s concern with admitting wrongdoing/losing face. How Does Rebecca Nurse Change Over Time? In contrast to characters like John Proctor and Reverend Hale, Rebecca doesn't show much development over the course ofThe Crucible, likely because Miller wanted to use her characteras a moral high point that everyone else in the play could be measured against. Rebecca's moral compass is never shaken, even when she is put through the crucible of the trials. She doesn't give in to Hale’s pleas to confess (p. 9), not because of pride, but because to do so would be lying. Similarly, Rebecca does not accuse anyone else of witchcraft - if she has too much integrity to lie about being a witch, she certainly has too much integrity to drag anyone else down with her. In addition to avoiding lies, Rebecca also shows mercy to others, even as they are weak (Proctor) or accusing her of terrible things. Even when John Proctor is falsely confessing to being a witch in Act 4, Rebecca still expresses her unhappiness in the form of wishing a positive outcome for him (â€Å"God send his mercy on you!† Act 4, p. 129). And unlike most of the male characters who run afoul of the court (Proctor, Giles Corey, even Reverend Hale), Rebecca doesn’t curse or malign those who are accusing and condemning her (e.g. Danforth). In this way, Rebecca takes responsibility for herself and maintains her high moral standing throughout the course of the play in a way no other character in The Crucible does. Rebecca Nurse Quotes from The Crucible To end this guide, I've chosen three Rebecca Nurse quotations to analyze and discuss. â€Å"I have eleven children, and I am twenty-six times a grandma, and I have seen them all through their silly seasons, and when it come on them they will run the Devil bowlegged keeping up with their mischief.† (Act 1, p. 25) Soon after her entrance in Act 1, Rebecca explicitly provides a rational explanation for why the girls are all acting weird: all young children have their silly times, so it's nothing out of the ordinary to worry about. Rebecca's reasoning has the weight of her experience behind it, and at this point in the play her experience as a devout matriarch still has some merit - even Parris seems temporarily convinced by this explanation for the girls' strange behavior. There's also a little bit of irony/foreshadowing in this quote because of the mention of the Devil having to keep up with "their [the girls’] mischief;" in fact, during the trials, it’s actually the girls who claim they are being afflicted by the Devil's mischief. â€Å"No, you cannot break charity with your minister.† (Act 1, p. 29) Here, Rebecca's warning not toâ€Å"break charity,† or turn against someone you’re supposed to honor, foreshadows the significance that the concept will have in the play. In Act 3, the concept comes up again when Giles Corey talks about how by accusing his wife of suspicious actions, he has broken charity with her (Act 3, p. 79-80). In fact, most of the people of Salem could be said to have â€Å"broken charity† with each other when neighbor turned against neighbor and started accusing each other of witchcraft. â€Å"Let you fear nothing! Another judgment waits us all!† (Act 4, p. 133) With these penultimate lines, Rebecca exhorts everyone (including the audience) to remember that the reverberations of the witchcraft trials will not simply end with the deaths of the accused witches. The "judgment" Rebecca refers to is not just everyone's judgment by God after death, but also how history will judge the witchcraft trials, and (in a meta-way) how the audience will judge the characters of The Crucible. What’s Next? Want to learn more about other characters in The Crucible? Read our complete guide to the characters of The Crucible. Need to refresh yourself on the acts Rebecca appears in? We've got summaries for both Acts 1 and 4 as well as for the entire play. How does Rebecca's character fit into the themes of the play as a whole? Read our analysis of The Crucible's themes to find out! 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The Berlin Blockade Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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