Finding Government Contracting Opportunities

Finding Government Contracting Opportunities Once you are trained and registered as a government contractor, you can start looking for opportunities to do business with the federal government.FedBizOppsFedBizOpps is an essential resource. All federal contract solicitations (invitations to bid) with a value of $25,000 or more are published on FedBizOpps : Federal Business Opportunities. Government agencies publish the solicitations on FedBizOpps, and provide detailed information on how and when vendors should respond.GSA SchedulesThe largest government-wide contracts are established and administered by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) under its GSA Schedules Program. Government agencies order goods and services directly from GSA Schedule contractors or through the GSA Advantage! online shopping and ordering system. Businesses interested in becoming GSA Schedule contractors should review the Getting on the GSA Schedules page. GSA schedule vendors can submit their contract proposals, offers and modifications over the Internet via GSAs eOffer system. Teaming and Subcontracting ArrangementsFrequently, businesses offering similar products or services will team up to bid on federal contract opportunities. Teaming with another business as a subcontractor is a great way to get your foot in the door in the federal government. The following resources provide guidance for creating teaming arrangements and subcontracting: GSA Schedule - Contractor Teaming ArrangementsUnder a Contractor Team Arrangement (CTA), two or more GSA Schedule contractors work together, by complementing each others capabilities, to offer a total solution to meet an ordering activitys requirement.GSA Subcontracting DirectoryUnder federal law, large business prime contractors receiving federal contracts valued at over $1 million for construction, $550,000 for all other contracts, are required to establish plans and goals for subcontracting with small business firms. This directory is a listing of GSA contractors with subcontracting plans and goals.SBA Subcontracting Network (SUB-Net)Prime contractors post subcontracting opportunities on SUB-Net. SUB-Net enables small businesses to identify and bid on opportunities. The kinds of opportunities it lists include solicitations or other notices, such as a search for teaming partners or subcontractors for future contracts. More Opportunities Business MatchmakingThis public-private partnership helps connect minority, women, veteran and disabled veteran owned firms with government contracting opportunities.Government Contracting Opportunities for Green BusinessesLaws and regulations now require federal agencies to purchase green (biobased, recycled content, and energy efficient) products. This guide helps vendors who supply green products compete for federal contracts.Selling Energy Efficient Products to the Federal GovernmentCompanies with energy-efficient products and services have special opportunities in the federal sector. This document highlights the major avenues to selling energy efficient products to the federal government.

Interdisciplinary Curriculum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Interdisciplinary Curriculum - Essay Example He will be in a position to distinguish the good from the bad. This subject knowledge alone is not valuable and to help him with additional knowledge and train him with new skills, the institution or the concerned faculty enrolls him in some interdisciplinary courses that would be related to his major subject. As in the case of a student of literature, interdisciplinary courses like translation, soft skill development, entrepreneurship may be highly useful. In this way, he not only gains additional skill or knowledge but also gets interactional expertise in the new field. This type of knowledge that we acquire through multidisciplinary form is normally named as interdisciplinary community or project. The people working here are the ones who bring out the courses or projects that would be of much use to the learners. This group consists of both learners and teachers who cooperate together in the learning and teaching environment. This interdisciplinary teaching provides ample opportunity for the learners to enrich their knowledge in one or more additional academic disciplines. On the whole, the aim of such interdisciplinary courses is to make the learners face challenging tasks not only in their subject but also in the other related disciplines, so that they will be able to stand out from the rest. The le IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT LEARNING The learning process according to the scholars happens through two important ways. They have been named as implicit and explicit learning. Learning as we all know is the process of acquiring knowledge of something. Some things that we learn happens through taking effort on our side and at the same time there are things which we do learn without effort at all. And this is the way through which the experts have identified and differentiated the learning process. Let us look at the two ways clearly in order to comprehend well. IMPLICIT LEARNING The term implicit refers to the learning that takes place in a passive way. In this type of learning, the learner is exposed to information and thus acquires the knowledge of that information simply through that exposure. Axel Cleeremans states in his article that according to Berry and Dienes (1993), learning becomes implicit when we acquire new information without intending to do so, and that the resulting knowledge is difficult to express. Further, Arthur Reber from his research found out that, "learning might be implicit to the extent that people appear to be able to learn new information without intending to do so and in such a way that the resulting knowledge is difficult to express." This suggests that implicit learning contrasts with implicit memory in that it typically involves sensitivity to relationships between events rather than sensitivity to single events. One important thing that we should note here is that consciousness or awareness does not play a role in implicit learning. Therefore, we call this as unconscious or unintentional learning. This unintentional learning is not aimed at any goal and is just the by-product of the normal information processing system. Many psychologists suggest that much of the learning process that happens in our life is implicit in nature. We learn such skills and activities through exposure and this is known as implicit learning.

Cruise ship business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cruise ship business - Essay Example A population size of 1.7million people with only 0.5% unemployed reveals that the service sectors are well versified with manpower. A look at business venture in this area shows that 10% corporation tax is charged for foreign companies and nil for local companies. The Qatar tourism authority has opened avenues for making visitors experiences pleasant and efficient as they cruise in the country. The government involvement ensures great security around its ports and has been boosting the much welcomed economic growth area. Qatar has a full capacity of ships and other vessels at the targeted port of Doha, with the 12 berths present. The year 2014 will attest the opening of the new Doha port that will allow for the growing demand of vessels around this area (Jeff, 2007). Due to the high number of visitors in the country every year, the cruise business has been expanding with many investors targeting long distance voyage e.g. seven seas voyager. The short distance cruise of up to a week h as not been exploited around this port. The eye capturing view of the capital city is one of the sites that make a cruise business worthwhile along Doha port. Along its 7.5km stretch, Doha has very many tourist sites worth seeing e.g. historical museums, escapades, water sports et cetera. The market area for the capital city is ever increasing with the projected new port construction to accommodate more room for tourists (Qatar economy, 2011). The cruise industry is soon becoming flooded as more people can afford the prices from the previous high prices decreases. The cruise ship prices have also excruciated from 10 to 40% the initial price of a ship with capacity of 5300 people. The targeted for the cruise industry would entail a smaller vessel to maintain the high class clientele as well as privacy of the business around Doha. Precisely the cruise industry faces challenges of seasonality and

Verbal Communication And Nonverbal Communication Essay Example for Free

Verbal Communication And Nonverbal Communication Essay Communication is the expression of thoughts, feelings and ideas to inform, to persuade or to entertain. In business, communication has a vital role in promoting ideas, products or services and in building partnerships. If words are uttered or spoken, basically, it is a verbal communication. But if signs, facial expressions, body language, gestures and writing compositions are used, it is called nonverbal communication. Communication depends on the cultural setting of one country, for it may have certain rules and expectations to follow. Others may underline on the verbal communication and less to written compositions, but the American audience appreciates the use of nonverbal communications and may also prefer to have simple dialogues. Indeed, even in the Bible, verbal and nonverbal communications are important. At Proverbs 10:31-32 in New King James Version (International, G. C. , 2007), King Solomon speaks, â€Å"The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut out. The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse. † In these verses, the power of uttered words is revealed as they have always consequences when done. On the other hand, in Nehemiah 2:2-3 in New King James Version (International, G. C. , 2007), it is said that â€Å"Therefore the king said to me, â€Å"Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. So I became dreadfully afraid, and said to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire? ’† The nonverbal communication sometimes depicts the true emotions behind the deceiving words that have spoken. Basically, there are four main topics that influence the business communication of the American audience. According to Brown (2007), these are religion, etiquette, customs and politics. Issues about these topics are often argued, stressing their points and ideas, or even defend their beliefs. With verbal communication, they are sensitive to the said jargons and slang. There are still phrases which are distinctive to American language, although some words may easily translate to other language; they still have different meanings for them. Also, using acronyms for the first time must be avoided; otherwise full version should be applied. Another complexity in American language is the humor, as it has been described by non-Americans, their humors are course and heavy-handed. P. H. Brown (2007) said that â€Å"Face to face communication is rated as, nonverbal language 55%, the voice 38% and the use of words as 7%. Movement cues and face cues are invaluable aspects of your daily communication. † Nonverbal communications are effective in giving out information to Americans as it helps in creating person’s business reputation. Color, time, distance, voice, body movements and clothing are often misused and misinterpreted. Shades of colors depict different meanings from one culture to another. Time should also be considered, as the Americans respect the deadlines and set of appointments. Proximity is also sensitive but the common space for a conversation is about two feet. Usually, Americans speak too loudly and too much that they do not give enough time for the others to respond. On the other hand, their social gestures may be understood by other cultures. But eye contact is an effective tool to see the sincerity of the person. And in terms of clothing, Americans wear liberately but professionally in accordance with the occasion. Meanwhile, in writing business letters, straight to the point is important, as well as its simplicity. Usually, the Americans would like to see the point in the start of the letter, especially if it is a bad note. However, too aggressive approach are not advisable, but in a gentle and respectful tone. Verbal and nonverbal communications, according to Kotelnikoy (2007), are both important in business talks with the Americans.But, they more appreciate the nonverbal behaviors, as their culture molded them, to discern the true meaning of the messages. References: Brown, P. H. The Nassau Guardian Online Edition [Electronic Version]. Nonverbal Language is Effective. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://www. thenassauguardian. com/social_community/299978900121692. php. International, G. C. (2007). Bible Gateway [Electronic Version]. Passages. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://www. biblegateway. com/. Kotelnikoy, V. (2007). Effective Business Communication [Electronic Version]. Business Communication Defined. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://www. 1000ventures. com/business_guide/crosscuttings/biz_communication_main. html. Laflen, H. a. (2001). Online Writing Lab [Electronic Version]. Writing for a North American Business Audience. Retrieved August 29, 2007 from http://owl. english. purdue. edu/handouts/pw/p_ameraudience. html. Myers, R. J. , Penrose, J. M. Rasberry, R. W. (2004). Business Communication For Managers: An Advanced Approach. Mason, Ohio: South-Western.

Guilt in Charles Brockden Browns’ Wieland Essay -- Charles Brockden Br

Guilt in Charles Brockden Browns’ Wieland There are many ways to decide what makes a man guilty. In an ethical sense, there is more to guilt than just committing the crime. In Charles Brockden Browns’ Wieland, the reader is presented with a moral dilemma: is Theodore Wieland guilty of murdering his wife and children, even though he claims that the command came from God, or is Carwin guilty because of his history of using persuasive voices, even though his role in the Wieland family’s murder is questionable? To answer these questions, one must consider what determines guilt, such as responsibility, motives, consequences, and the act itself. No matter which view is taken on what determines a man’s guilt, it can be concluded that Wieland bears the fault in the murder of Catharine Wieland and her children. To any religious person, hearing a command from the voice of their god is reason enough to carry out the proposed action, but in the case of Wieland, a third party must take a deeper look at such a command from a God whose known character does not line up with the order He supposedly gives. This makes Wieland’s motivation questionable, especially to those who believe that a man’s motive determines a man’s guilt. In his testimony to the court, Wieland, a pious man, reveals his motive in the murders as he recounts God as saying, â€Å"‘Thy prayers are heard. In proof of thy faith, render me thy wife. This is the victim I chuse. Call her hither and here let her fall’† (190). Being a devout Christian, it is very likely that Wieland would be familiar with the Ten Commandments listed in Deuteronomy 5, and specifically, verse 17 which states, â€Å"You shall not murder†. Though in Isaiah 55:8 the Lord tells Christians to ... ...God’s voice. As Wieland retells his approaching his sister’s house before he hears the voices, he says, â€Å"‘On my way my mind was full of these ideas which related to my intellectual condition. In the torrent of fervid conceptions, I lost sight of my purpose. Some times I stood still; some times I wandered from my path, and experienced some difficulty, on recovering from my fit of musing, to regain it’† (188). Despite all of the other reasons behind Wieland’s guilt, this quote shows that he was not in his right mind on the night he murdered his wife and children. Many different views can be taken on determining guilt, but Wieland’s illogical motive behind killing his family, the disturbing consequences of his actions, his responsibility of his own deeds, and his questionable mental health all point to his guilt in the murder of Catharine Wieland and her children.

Oscar Wilde Constanly Mocks Victorian Society Essay

Act III offers happy resolution to the problems of identity and marriage that drive much of the humor in the previous acts. Wilde continues to mock the social customs and attitudes of the aristocratic class. He relentlessly attacks their values, views on marriage and respectability, sexual attitudes, and concern for stability in the social structure. Wilde attacks social behavior with the continuation of speeches by his characters that are the opposite of their actions. While Cecily and Gwendolen agree to keep a dignified silence, Gwendolen actually states that they will not be the first ones to speak to the men. In the very next line she says, â€Å"Mr. Worthing, I have something very particular to ask you.† Wilde seems to be saying that people speak as if they have strong opinions, but their actions do not support their words. If actions truly do speak louder than words, Wilde has made his point: Society, literally, speaks volumes, but the words are meaningless. Wilde continues his criticism of society’s valuing style over substance when Gwendolen says, â€Å"In matters of grave importance, style, not sincerity is the vital thing.† Lady Bracknell discusses Algernon’s marriage assets in the same light. She says, â€Å"Algernon is an extremely, I may almost say an ostentatiously, eligible young man. He has nothing, but he looks everything. What more can one desire?† Indeed, in a society where looks are everything and substance is discounted, Algernon is the perfect husband. What else do aristocrats value? They seem to esteem the appearance of respectability. Respectability means children are born within the context of marriage. Wilde once again mocks the hypocrisy of the aristocrats who appear to value monogamy but pretend not to notice affairs. Jack’s speech to Miss Prism, whom he believes to be his mother, is humorous in both its indignant defense of marriage and also its mocking of the loudly touted religious reformer’s virtues of repentance and forgiveness. He says to Miss Prism, â€Å"Unmarried! I do not deny that is a serious blow†¦. Mother, I forgive you.† His words are all the more humorous when Miss Prism indignantly denies being his mother. It was not at all unusual for aristocrats to have children born out of wedlock, but society turned its head, pretended not to know about those children, and did not condemn their fathers. The gulf between the upper class and its servants is explored in the scenes with Merriman and Prism. When Lady Bracknell unexpectedly shows up at Jack’s, Merriman coughs discretely to warn the couples of her arrival. One can only imagine his humorous thoughts as he watches the wealthy tiptoe around each other and argue about what should be important. When Lady Bracknell hears the description of Prism and recognizes her as their former nanny, she calls for Miss Prism by shouting â€Å"Prism!† without using a title in front of her name. Imperiously, Lady Bracknell divides the servant from the lady of the manor. Wilde’s audience would recognize this behavior on the part of the servants and the upper class. The stuffy class distinctions defined the society in which they lived. In an age of social registers, Lady Bracknell laments that even the Court Guides have errors. In the next breath, she discusses bribing Gwendolen’s maid to find out what is happening in her daughter’s life. In Act III she also reveals that her aristocratic brother’s family entrusted their most precious possession — Jack — to a woman who is more interested in her handbag and manuscript than in what happens to the baby in her charge. Wilde seems to be questioning the values of a society that believes in social registers, hires other people to neglectfully watch its children, and uses bribery to keep track of the children who are not missing. The death of Bunbury gives Wilde the opportunity to speak of aristocratic fears and have some continued fun with the upper class’s lack of compassion about death. The 1885 Trafalgar Square riots brought on ruling-class fears of insurrection, anarchism and socialism. Wilde humorously touches on these fears when he allows Algernon to explain the explosion of Bunbury. Lady Bracknell, fearing the worst, exclaims, â€Å"Was he the victim of a revolutionary outrage? I was not aware that Mr. Bunbury was interested in social legislation. If so, he is well punished for his morbidity.† Evidently, to Lady Bracknell’s acquaintances, laws that protect the welfare of those less fortunate are strictly morbid subjects. In fact, this attitude seems to contradict the upper-class concern for reform. However, in reality, Wilde is confirming the upper-class definition of social reform: conforming to the status quo. In Act III Wilde makes a comment on the value of being homosexual with a veiled reference to Lady Lancing. When Lady Bracknell asserts that Cecily needs to have a more sophisticated hairstyle, she recommends â€Å"a thoroughly experienced French maid† who can make a great deal of change in a very short time. She explains that such a change happened to an acquaintance of hers, Lady Lancing, and that after three months â€Å"her own husband did not know her.† Jack uses the opportunity to make a pun on the word know, using it in an aside — a comment only the audience can hear. Jack interprets know to mean they no longer had sex, insinuating Lady Lancing’s preference for the French maid. He says, â€Å"And after six months nobody knew her,† indicating that the homosexual experience made a new woman of her. Although homosexuality would have been seen as immoral to Wilde’s audience, Jack indicates that being homosexual might be a good thing — almost as a social commentary — directly to the audience. It seems a double life is necessary after one is married, whether it be bunburying or the homosexual life Wilde was experiencing in an increasingly public way. Wilde continues his assault on family life in Act III by mentioning its strange qualities in several conversations. It appears rather strange, for example, that Lady Bracknell cannot even recall the Christian name of her brother-in-law, Algy’s father. Algernon’s father died before Algernon was one, so stranger yet is Algernon’s comment, â€Å"We were never even on speaking terms.† He gives that as the reason he cannot remember his father’s name. Further assaulting family life, Wilde has Lady Bracknell describe Lord Moncrieff as â€Å"eccentric† but excuses his behavior because it â€Å"was the result of the Indian climate, and marriage, and indigestions, and other things of that kind.† Marriage is lumped together with things such as indigestion. In explaining Lord Moncrieff’s marriage, Lady Bracknell says that he was â€Å"essentially a man of peace, except in his domestic life.† Her description invites suspicion that the local constabulary might have visited because of domestic disturbances. Family life and domestic bliss do not get high marks in Wilde’s estimation. When Miss Prism humorously resolves the problem of Jack’s lineage, Wilde takes his hero of unknown origins and paints him as the aristocrat who will now be assimilated into his rightful place in the social structure. Through the sad melodrama of Jack’s handbag parentage, Wilde exaggerates the Victorian clichà © of the poor foundling who makes good. As soon as Jack is known to be a member of the established aristocracy, a Moncrieff in fact, he is seen as an appropriate person for Gwendolen to marry. They will, according to Wilde, live happily ever after in wedded bliss and continue the aristocratic blindness to anything that truly matters. The tag line of the play, spoken by Jack, is a familiar convention in Victorian farces. In discovering that he has been telling the truth all along — his name is Ernest, and he has a brother — Jack makes fun of the Victorian virtues of sincerity and honesty and asks Gwendolen to forgive him for â€Å"speaking nothing but the truth.† He now realizes the importance of being the person he is supposed to be. Wilde is saying perhaps that a new kind of earnestness exists, one that is different from the virtues extolled by the Victorians. Maybe it is possible to be honest and understand what should be taken seriously in life rather than being deceptive, hypocritical, and superficial. Some readers believe, however, that the ending shows Jack mockingly redefining Victorian earnestness as just the opposite: a life of lies, pleasure and beauty. Critics debate the interpretation of the last line. A curious stage direction occurs in Act III, revealing the concern Wilde had for the staging of his play to compliment his ideas. As his couples come together and move apart, he emphasizes the choreography of the pairs. He has them speak in unison, both the women together and the men together. It matters not who they are; they are interchangeable. Marriage is simply an institution that is a gesture, like a christening. The unison speaking is very stylistic, not meant to be realistic at all. It reveals Wilde’s attitude that what is important in Victorian marriage — names — really should not be as important as other considerations. In the end, Wilde leaves his audience thinking about the trivial social conventions they deem important. Their Victorian virtues perhaps need redefining. Institutions such as marriage, religion, family values and money should perhaps have new interpretations. The character of people, rather than their names and family fortunes, should weigh most heavily when considering their worth. Wilde was able to use humor to skewer these attitudes and convince his audience about the importance of being earnest.

Family Assessment and Nursing Process Essay

According to Stanhope & Lancaster (2001), a family nursing assessment is considered to be the cornerstone for family nursing interventions and is used in a systematic fashion for the identification of the family’s developmental stages and risk factors. There are many tools available that provide guidelines for how to best get to know a family and to determine their strengths and weaknesses. One such tool is the Friedman Family Assessment tool which provides a guideline for nurses to interview a family. Theory is also a necessary tool when assessing a family because it is theory that most powerfully explains clinical situations and provides guidelines when working with families (Friedman, Bowden, and Jones, 2003). The theory that will be applied to family assessment in this paper is the structural-functional theory. The structural-functional theory recognizes the interaction between family members within their internal and external environment (Friedman et al., 2003). Once a co mprehensive family assessment is complete and health issues are identified, the nursing process is implemented in order to render care that is imperative for assisting each family member to achieve an optimum level of wellness (Gilliss & Davis, 1993). In compliance with HIPPA regulations of strict confidentiality, the fictitious name of Listo will be used to identify the family that is assessed in this report. The Friedman Family assessment model will be followed as a guideline to discuss the family’s identifying data, the structure-function of the family members, and how the family handles stress, coping and adaptation. Lastly, key assessment data will be used in the nursing process in order to assess, diagnose, plan, intervene, and evaluate a family member’s diagnosis. The Listo family is an extended family that is composed of a marital dyad, their two adult sons, the maternal grandmother and the son’s girlfriend who is in her second trimester of pregnancy. The husband and wife have been married for 30 years and their sons are ages 23 and 26years old. The husband identifies his ethnicity as Italian. His primary language is English and he  was born and raised in California. His parents migrated to the United States from Italy in the early 1940’s. Because they migrated at such a young age, his patents have acculturated to the American way of life, but still feel strongly about their cultural heritage (McCallion, Janicki, & Grant-Griffin, 1997). The wife identifies her ethnicity as Caucasian. She was also born and raised in California. Both husband and wife grew-up in the Catholic faith and attended church primarily on holidays. In their mid-thirties, they accepted Christ as their personal savior and became born again Christians; first the husband and then a few months later the wife. The husband owns a painting business for residential properties and the wife sales residential real estate and works for a local real estate company. They are considered a lower-middle class family. The major distinguishing characteristics of the lower-middle class family are respectability, achievement, hard work and honesty (Friedman et al., 2003). Neither husband nor wife has a college degree. Both are hard-working and are proud that they have provided financially for their sons who have both received a college education. Previously, the 25 year old son and his girlfriend were living together and were a dual income household. They both moved in with his parents when the girlfriend had to quit her job because of complication she suffered during the first few months of her pregnancy. They plan to marry once they are financially stable. The son is currently working as a physical fitness coach for a college football team and contributes financially to the family. In June of this year, the 22 year old son graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and moved back home. He is currently looking for employment and hopes to move out within the year. The grandmother is 76 years old and has lived with the family for the past year due to the progression of her COPD. FAMILY STRUCTURE According to Friedman, Bowden and Jones (2003), the concept of analyzing the structure of a family refers to how the family is organized, how the components are arranged and how they relate to each other. The four main structures of the family are roles, values, communication processes and power and decision-making. The role theory is the structure that is the focus of the Listo family. Family roles play a critical part in the organization of the family and because of this the family nurse must understand role relationships in order to be able to promote healthy role behaviors and identify role problems (Friedman et al., 2003). According to the role theory, a family member will play many roles in a family. There are both formal and informal roles within the family structure. Formal family roles include the more obvious roles such as mother-wife, father-husband, and father-son. The less obvious roles are that of encourager, harmonizer, initiator, scapegoat, compromiser, etc. Informal roles are more likely to be based on personality than age or sex (Kievit, 1968). Within the Listo family, the husband-wife dyadic relationship is complimentary exhibited by a contrasting relationship (Friedman et al., 2003). As the formal role of wife, Mrs. Listo is the leading dominant personality and makes most of the decisions in the family including decisions about the children and the household finances. She is also the main source of income for the family. As the formal role of husband, Mr. Listo is more of a follower, a position he appears to be content with. According to Friedman, Borden, and Jones (2003), there is a strong element of dependency between the husband and wife in a complimentary relationship. This is true for the Listo family; they have a close bond and seem to be comfortable with their husband-wife give and take relationship. Assessment of the Listo family revealed numerous informal family roles. The grandmother takes on the informal role of recognition seeker. As explained by Friedman, Bowden, Jones (2003), the recognition seeker goes to great lengths to draw attention to self. When questioning the grandmother about other members of the family, she continued to turn every conversation back to a subject that involved her as the center figure. The two Listo boys have the informal role of caretaker. During the interview the grandmother continued to ask the boys to get her purse, find her glasses, and bring her some tea. When the boys were out of the room, the grandmother complained about how lazy the boys are and that they don’t understand her condition and what she’s going through with her COPD. The husband has the informal role of  follower. He goes along with the wishes of the family and if there is a dispute over how or what to do, he just listens and only participates in the conversation if he is directly asked a question. The wife has the informal role of Initiator-Contributor. She motivates the children with ideas and ways to accomplish goals and solve problems. According to Kantor and Lehr (1975), the Initiator-Contributor causes movement in the family and is characterized by the initiation of action. The girlfriend has the informal role as the encourager. She gives compliments freely and often. She appears to be genuinely interested in listening to others and she rarely draws attention to herself. â€Å"The greater the perceived clarity of role expectation the higher the quality of role enactment† (Friedman et al., 2003, p. 324). When evaluating the quality of each role, it was determined that the family members clearly understand their roles and are content with the expectation that is attached to each role. The exception was the 23 year old son, who exhibited role conflict with his duties as caregiver for the grandmother. After having the freedom of college life, it has been difficult for the 23 year old to be living back at home and having specific expectations put upon him. According to Friedman, Bowden, and Jones (2003), the youngest son is experiencing intersender role conflict, which happens when there are conflicting expectations regarding the enactment of a role. FAMILY HEALTH FUNCTION According to the Structure-Function theory, a function is an outcome or consequence of the structure. Function is described as being what the family does. Friedman, Bowden, and Jones (2003) describe 5 specific functions: affective, socialization, reproductive, economic and health care. The focus of the Listo family assessment is the function of health care. The Friedman Assessment Model was used as a guide. According to Friedman, Bowden, and Jones (2003), health practices and health care services are extremely varied from family to family. Families are diverse in the way they conceptualize health and illness and when to seek health care. The Listo family prides themselves on how healthy they have been. Until recently, the family had what they described as â€Å"catastrophic† medical insurance. The mother and father are both independent contractors and do not have insurance through their place of employment. Their insurance policy carried a $1,500 deductible. This high deductible deterred the family from visiting the doctor for regular check-ups. The Listo family falls under the umbrella of â€Å"underinsured† which has prevented them from receiving comprehensive health care. With the wife’s real estate doing so well over the past couple of years, the Listos now have an insurance plan that covers standard check-ups and dental care as well. The 25 year old son receives health coverage from his employer and the girlfriend has private insurance. With so many years without health care access, the Listo family has not participated in health management. According to Friedman, Bowden, and Jones (2003), the family needs to be in direct partnership with health care providers. Clients also need to be the ultimate decision makers and managers of the health issues that affect their lives. Health education is needed so that the Listo family can feel empowered to direct their own health care (Friedman, et al., 2003). The 2 sons exercise regularly and eat a well-balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables and grains and are in good health. The girlfriend takes charge of her health and the health of unborn child by keeping all of her scheduled appointment, asking important questions, and following the guidelines agreed upon between her and her physician. The husband is overweight and has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The hypertension and hyperlipidemia are controlled with medication. The husband is not consistent with getting his check-ups and having his blood The wife is slightly overweight which she attributes to a bad diet and lack of exercise. Generally, the Listo family is in good health. In the case where the family is healthy, health promotion is the goal of family nursing (Friedman, et al., 2003 p. 436). One goal for the Listo family is health promotion. The one member of the Listo household that is chronically ill is the Grandmother. She admits that her COPD was caused by 40 years of smoking 1-2 packs of â€Å"Camel† no filter cigarettes a day. Each year in the United States,  hundreds of thousands die prematurely due to living unhealthy lifestyles (Friedman, et al., 2003). As the caretakers for the grandmother, the Listo family is at risk for role strain. The grandmother’s condition is progressive and as time goes on she will become more dependent on the family members for care. Orem’s self-care model is applicable to this family. According to Orem’s self-care theory, nursing care is required when an adult is no longer able to care for themselves. It also states that nursing care may need to be directed toward the caretakers (Friedman et al., 2003). FAMILY STRESS, COPING, AND ADAPTATION The Listo family is resilient and they have recovered, adjusted, and adapted to stressful situations in their family. This is why The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptions Model best describes the way the Listo family deals with stressors. According to this theoretical framework, there are four basic assumptions about the family: First, it’s a natural part of life to encounter hardship and changes. Second, families develop strength and capabilities that cause them to grow and develop as a family unit. Third, the strengths and capabilities gained during a stressful event provide protection for the family and allow the family to adapt to the new situation. Fourth, families benefit from the contribution they make to the network of relationships and community during times of family stress (McCubbin & McCubbin, 1991). The stressors that have caused the Listo family to gain strength and capabilities and to grow as a family are many. Some current stressors are caring for a chronically ill family member, unmarried son’s girlfriend is pregnant, son and girlfriend moving in with the family, financial insecurity due to self-employment, and youngest son is unemployed. SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL COPING STRATEGIES. According to Friedman, Bowden and Jones (2003), there are two types of coping strategies; internal and external. Internal family coping strategies are when the family becomes reliant on their own resources such as pulling together and creating more structure and organization in the home, whereas with external coping strategies the family relies on community, extended family, neighbors and friends. Most often, the Listo family uses an internal family coping  strategy. They have restructured their lives so that each member can contribute to the care of the grandmother since she moved into the family home. They have also pulled together and reorganized their home to accommodate the son’s girlfriend. When business is slow for the parents, the eldest son contributes financially to assist with finances. The husband and wife also use external family coping through spiritual strategies such as having faith in God and prayer (Friedman et al., 2003). The Christian faith is where the husband and wife draw comfort and peace in times of stress. Their faith in God is strong. They believe that the Lord will guide them during a crisis and will not allow them fall. â€Å"Numerous studies have shown the clear linkage between spiritual well-being and an individual’s or a family’s enhanced ability to cope with stress and illness† (Friedman et al., 2003, p. 486). The Listo parents believe that their enhanced ability to cope with stress and illness comes from their personal relationship with Christ. DYSFUNCTIONAL COPING STRATEGIES. According to Friedman, Bowden, and Jones (2003), Dysfunctional families most often unconsciously choose to use coping strategies that have been passed down through the generations. These defensive coping strategies usually do not relieve stress nor eliminate the stressor. The Listo family’s dysfunctional coping strategy is authoritarianism. This happens when the family members submit to a dominant, ruling figure. The husband and sons are very submission to the authority of the wife-mother. They sons are adults in their twenties, but they constantly call their mother prior to making any relevant decisions in life. The husband also defers to his wife for any family decision. The dominant figure, Mrs. Listo, is also dependent on her subordinates because it satisfies her need for power and control (Friedman et al., 2003). The family adores their mother and the husband also speaks very kindly of her. She is domineering, but very loving and often lavishes the family with gifts. INTERVIEW NOTES BASED ON THE FRIEDMAN FAMILY ASSESSMENT MODEL IDENTIFYING DATA 1. Family Name: Confidential (Listo is the fictitious family name) 2. Address and Phone: Confidential 3. Family Composition: see Family Genogram (Figure 1) 4. Type of Family Form: Extended Family Father – Painter, Mother – Real Estate Agent, two unmarried adult sons Grandmother, Son’s girlfriend 5. Cultural (Ethnic) Background: Caucasian American and Italian (English Speaking) 6. Religious Identification: (Born-again Christian) 7. Social Class Status: Lower-middle class, family works hard to pay the bills. Income sources: Painting business – father, Real estate business – mother, Sports Trainer – son, grandmother – social security Father and mother have high school education Two sons – first generation to receive a college degree 8. Social class mobility: stationary at this time. Limited income and live paycheck to paycheck. The parents are supporting the grandmother, 2 sons, and son’s girlfriend. DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE AND HISTORY OF FAMILY 9. Family’s developmental stage_: Stage VI: Families launching young adults_ 10. Extent Family is Fulfilling Developmental Tasks: parents were empty nesters until 1 month ago when the eldest son moved back home with his girlfriend who is 5 months pregnant, the youngest son just graduated college and moved back home, and the grandmother moved in less than a year ago. The parents are adjusting to having children back in the home. 11. Nuclear Family History: both father and mother come from traditional nuclear families. 12. History of Family of Origin of Both Parents: Both husband and wife come from nuclear families in which the father was the provider and the mother was a homemaker. ENVIRONMENTAL DATA 13. Characteristics of Home: home is a little crowded with all the members currently living there. The youngest son shares a room with his grandmother. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with a medium size kitchen with attached family room. The home is clean and well organized. 14. Characteristics of Neighborhood and Larger Community: The neighborhood has similar single family homes that were all built around the same year. The lawns are well maintained and the streets are clean. The neighbors participate in a neighborhood watch group to keep the area safe. Children can be seen riding the bikes and skateboards on the block. The city is in the Foothills, not far from Los Angeles and the home is in walking distance to the market and other shopping. 15. Family’s Geographical Mobility: The family lived in a more affluent area when the boys were growing up. At that time, the husband had steady work as he was partnered with a contractor who built estate homes. Approximately 10 years ago the partnership broke up and the husband found it difficult to market himself. The house went into foreclosure and the family borrowed  money from family to help them purchase the home they’re in now. The family is stationary in their current geographical setting. 16. Family’s Association and Transaction with Community: The mother and father are involved in the local church. They attend regularly and volunteer to help with special events. They know some of their neighbors, but they don’t get together with them socially. The younger son volunteers at the YMCA working with youth. There are 4 vehicles in the family, so the family is not dependent on public transporation. FAMILY STRUCTURE 17. Communication Patterns: According to Mrs. Listo, a majority of the conversation between the father and the sons revolve around sports and is void of any discussion of an intimate matter. The father tends to be quiet until the subject of baseball comes up and then he sits up straight and gets enthusiastic about the conversation. Mrs. Listo often interrupted the conversation of other family members to make an announcement about subjects she feels are relevant. The grandmother doesn’t seem to have an audience when she’s trying to communicate to family members. She continues to converse even when it’s obvious no one is really listening to her. Mr. Listo appeared to get annoyed with the grandmothers complaints, but he didn’t verbally communicate his feelings. There were some obvious gender differences in communication. 18. Power Structure: The mother is dominant and the father is passive. This marital relationship would be considered complementary. When asking each member of the family who the dominant figure was, each stated that it was the mother. The mother also said that she was the dominant figure in the house. No one in the family seems to be discontent with where the power lies. 19. Role Structure: The formal roles are father-husband, mother-wife, son-brother, grandmother, and girlfriend. Informal roles: follower- father, initiator/contributor – mother, family caretaker – mother /sons, encourager – girlfriend, grandmother- recognition seeker 20. Family Values: Respect, honesty, hard-working, college education, Christianity, giving to help others (volunteering), helpful commitment and trust. FAMILY FUNCTIONS 21. Affective Function: The husband wife relationship is close and the mother and eldest son seem close. The relationship between the youngest son and mother seems to be strained due to the 23 year old wanting his independence. See Family Attachment diagram 22. Socialization Function: The father and mother have been married for 30 years and have raised their 2 sons. The mother stayed home with her sons until they were both in elementary school. The mother is a homemaker/real estate agent. Attending church was mandatory when the children were growing up. Once they reached the age of 18, the parents didn’t require that their sons attend church. The boys are now adults, but are currently living at home. They show respect for both parents and authority and appear to be well-adjusted. The father and mother are excited about the upcoming birth of their first grandchild. Health Care Function: The father has controlled hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The wife is slightly overweight, but has no medical condition. She admits to eating too much sugar and fried foods. The two sons are healthy. The pregnant girlfriend had difficulty in her first trimester, but she is doing well now. The grandmother is in poor health. She has COPD that is progressing to the point where she is on constant oxygen. The family has not been consistent with regular check-up until recently when they upgraded their medical insurance coverage. FAMILY STRESS, COPING, AND ADAPTATION 24. Family Stressors, Strengths, and Perceptions: stressors: financial struggles, sons that don’t practice the Christian faith, eldest son is  unmarried and expecting his first child, youngest son doesn’t have employment and will be moving out of the home as soon as he does, grandmother has COPD. Strengths: Mother and Father have a strong faith, the children are respectful, the eldest son helps financially, they have paid down their debt and are building credit, the family is managing their health 25. Family Coping Strategies: There number one source of peace and comfort comes from their relationship with God and their faith – external source of coping. The family members help each other out financially and emotionally- Internal source of coping. 26. Family Adaptation: The family is resilient. They take one day at a time and face the challenges as they come. They readjust their lives when stressors come along and they seek God’s plan to help them learn and grow through the stress of circumstances. Overall, the family adapts to the stressors that come their way and become closer as a unit as a result. NURSING DIAGNOSIS RELATED TO MANIFESTED BY KEY ASSESSMENT DATA & RATIONALE FOR RANKING (1) Ineffective self Health management (father) Lack of health care access. For the past 25 years, the family has had inadequate insurance and does not qualify for state assistance. They have avoided doctor visits as much as possible due a high deductible and out of pocket expense Uncontrolled hypertension & hyperlipidemia, obesity, sedentary life-style, poor diet, inconsistent medication adherence, infrequent check-ups This is ranked first because the father’s lack of maintenance could lead to Cardiovascular disease and Myocardial Infarction. Although the grandmother’s disease (COPD) is incurable and progressive, it is the father who has the capability to change the outcome of his condition with health maintenance. If the father’s condition deteriorates, he will not be able to run his business and the family will suffer financial strain. (2) Risk for caregiver role strain Caring for the grandmother who has a progressive disease (COPD) Physical exhaustion, frustration, emotional fatigue, isolation The mother works full time and runs the household. She is exhausted by the end of the day, but still needs to make time to care for her mother. There are multiple doctor appointments every week than she or her son the grandmother to. Most days the mother has nothing left over for herself and is too tired to socialize or go out. The youngest son is frustrated that he is expected to help care for the grandmother. He is looking for work so he can move out and get away from the situation (3) Dysfunctional Family Communication Wife and husband, Husband and sons, Grandmother and family Husband does not voice his opinion to his wife. Husband and sons only communicate about impersonal information. No one listens to the grandmother and the grandmother only discusses negative issues and complaints. The husband is submissive to the wife. He doesn’t voice his opinion or challenge decisions that he disagrees with. He avoids any kind of confrontation. The Father and the son’s keep the conversation on the surface. They don’t talk about feelings or ideas. The grandmother has gotten into the habit of complaining and possibly doesn’t know how to show care or concern for others. She is overwhelmed by her condition. (4) Ineffective family coping The youngest son’s frustration over his caregiver role The youngest son’s outbursts and his threats to move out as soon as possible. The youngest son is 23 years and has just moved home after having the freedom of living in a dorm at a university. Because he is the one member of the family that is not currently employed, he has the responsibility of caring for the grandmother during the day and taking her to all of her doctor appointments. His way of coping is closing himself in his room and threatening to leave the house forever. (5) Risk for complicated grieving Potential loss of significant person (grandmother) Inability of the family members to discuss the course of the grandmothers COPD. The youngest son verbalizes anger over caring for his grandmother. The family does not discuss the end result of grandmother’s COPD. When there is a decline in the grandmother’s functioning or an exacerbation of her condition, the family refers to it as just a temporary set-back. The youngest son refuses to be social with the grandmother because he resents  that he is needed to care for her. It is likely that he will have some guilt feeling and more difficulty with grieving after her death. FAMILY NURSING PROCESS The word â€Å"process† refers to a deliberate and conscious act of moving from one point to another toward goal fulfillment (Friedman et al., 2003, p. 174). The nursing process moves systematically from assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation and is said to be interrelated and continuously cyclical of thought and action (Friedman et al., 2003). After a trusting relationship was established, the first step in the Listo family assessment was gathering information in a systematic fashion using the Friedman Family Assessment Model. The information was then classified, and analyzed to interpret their meaning. The following document outlines the nursing process as it relates to the Listo family. MAIN DIAGNOSIS PLANNING (GOALS) INTERVENTION (IMPLEMENTATION) RATIONALE FOR INTERVENTION EVALUATION Ineffective self Health Management (father) Short-term goal: The father will discuss his fear and inhibition to implementing a health regimen prior to the end of the nurses’ visit with the family. (1) Assess the client’s feelings, values, and his reasons for not adhering to the prescribed plan of care (2) Assess the father’s family patterns, economic issues, and cultural patterns that may be influencing compliance with a given medical regimen. (Ackley, J. G., Ladwig, G. B., 2011). Change theory is applicable to the Listo family: According to this theory, the nurse works with families to facilitate change. These changes can include structure as well as health behaviors. (Friedman et al., 2003). (1) Evidence Based Practice: assessment of an individual’s preferences for participation in health care decision making encourages involvement in decision making at the preferred level. (Ackley, B.J., & Ladwig, G.B., 2011) (2) Evidence Based Practice: Adherence to a treatment regimen is significantly influences by the family’s culture, spiritual beliefs and family norms (Ackley, B.J., & Ladwig, G.B., 2011) Short-term goal achieved: the father discussed his reluctance to manage his health. He admits that his own family was proud of how healthy they were without involving health care professionals. Another reason he explained for his lack of involvement in his own care is his fear that a regular check-up would reveal something serious. He verbalized his understanding that it is better to discover an illness early for prevention. He expressed a desire to be more involved in his own care. Long-term goal: The father will visit his health care provider within the next 30 days in  order to decide on a therapeutic regimen that is congruent with health goals and lifestyle. (1) Help the client to choose a healthy lifestyle that will address his condition and to encourage appropriate diagnostic screening tests (2) Review how to contact health providers that are listed under his insurance plan and how to address issues and concerns regarding self-management. King’s Theory of Goal Attainment is applicable to the father in this family. In King’s model, the nurses’ goal is to help the client maintain their health so they can adequately function in their role. (Friedman, et al., 2003). (1) Healthy lifestyle measures, such as exercising routinely, maintaining a healthy weight, eliminating smoking and limiting alcohol intake can help to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses. (Ackley, B.J., & Ladwig, G.B., 2011) (2) Evidence Based Practice: people with chronic illnesses need to know how to obtain interventions that are needed to address issues and concerns regarding self-management. (Ackley, B.J., & Ladwig, G.B., 2011) Recommend: Revisit the family in 30 days to follow up on the fathers visit to his health-care provider. Evaluate the father adherence to his therapeutic regimen and his lifestyle goals. Conclusion The Friedman Family Assessment Model served as a guide to complete a comprehensive assessment of the Listo family. Nursing theories, including  the structure-function theory, helped to analyze the data collected. 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