Saturday, November 16, 2019

Implementation And Advantages Transformational Leadership In Nursing

Implementation And Advantages Transformational Leadership In Nursing Transformational leadership is a leadership approach that brings value and positive change to the followers with the ultimate goal of transforming those same followers into great leaders. Accordingly, this style of leaderships main goal is to convert the followers into great leaders, in addition to providing guidelines for success. The leader in this style, on all occasions, has words of motivation for the followers that heightens moral for the reason of producing a higher level of performance. There are many advantageous ways of inspiring the group. To begin with, the leader is to associate with the identity of the follower. By asking to questions: Who are they? What are their goals in life? What kind of background do you have? A transformational leader finds out all the pertinent information about their potential leaders and uses those specifics to generate the transformations. For this purpose, the leader is always perceived as a good role model to the group. The leader inspires them to be the best they can be and on all occasions, challenges them when needed. All things considered, the leader understands and is aware of all their weaknesses so the future leaders can be up for the challenge and optimize their performance. In conclusion, the followers of this style must possess charisma, idealized influence and stimulation, so the end result can be the finished task. This style promotes new direction that allows the followers to successfully execute the assignments on their own. Being a transformational leader is somewhat challenging but the rewards are endless. Laissez-Faire leadership is best defined as a non-authoritative style of leadership. Laissez-Faire, is French which means allow to pass, or let go. Accordingly, this leadership explains why the leaders possess no control, as they try to have the least amount of involvement as possible. The leaders maintain the belief that if people are left alone they will excel in their own time. Consequently, these leaders allow their team to be responsible for the own outcomes, with no intervention or assistance from management. The Laissez-Faire style is only effective if the members are skilled, prideful, experienced and highly educated. In addition, this style is not for employees who need constant supervision, and always need a pat on the back for a job well done. All things considered, in the interest of nurses, the majority of the time, nurses will have no leadership or direction from upper management. In the event of an emergency, there is no time for calling for assistance or direction. The implementation of the nursing process has got to be immediate with no intervention from management until problem has been alleviated. For this reason, this style is not effective for nurses that lack experience, are unable to function on their own and need constant interaction with their preceptor. The manager, as I stated earlier, is nowhere to be found, so you must be a self started and motivated by your own means to work with this style of leadership. The first quality of a good leader is that he has passion for the craft and challenges you to be the best that you can be at whatever you do. If things are made easy or handed to you, you will not work as hard to accomplish it. You are already aware of the outcome and it is always in your favor. A good leader challenges the highest level of ability and expects the best from you. He expects you to put your best foot forward, consequently rewarding you when you have done your best. A good leader always sets a good example because he leads by example. If your leader is unprepared, unmotivated, has no confidence and has lost his passion then you will be the same way. Your leader strives to be number one, because he expects the same determination from you. A good leader finds ways to keep his team motivated and you will benefit from his experience. In addition, a good leader offers a complete explanation of the job to be done, as well as clear and concise directions so that you will successfully do a great job the first time. A good leader wants his team to be successful with every task because that reflects back on him. A good leader praises a teams good work and offers ways to improve on the jobs that were not as successful. In any case, one of the traits of a good leader is he is always visible. In order to provide strong leadership he needs to have a strong visual presence with the workers. They need to see him in the middle of a task working alongside them getting the job done. He needs to be available for questions, comments and general discussions. He needs to be in the forefront so that the followers can have him at their disposal when needed. Furthermore, another trait of a successful leader is consistency. Keeping a working, supervisory relationship is the key. People will come to you for leadership and guidance and must receive direction consistency on a daily basis. Also, it is important not to let your personal feelings cloud your decisions. Stay focused on the situation or issue, not on any one particular person. Many times leaders are connected with some workers more than others. Leaders must never let the working relationships change their response. All employees musts be treated equally with the same amount of fairness and respect. Showing favoritism hampers the fluidity of the working process. Above all, leaders must include employees in the problems solving process. When leaders include their followers in the troubleshooting process, it makes them feel like an important part of the team. By keeping all lines of communication open, encouraging input for improvement and change, will set the team apart. The leader improves the team by listening to them, discussing and challenging their skills while complementing on jobs well done. Simultaneously, setting the tone for the work environment, coming from an optimistic leader, can excite and motivate the team to perform the best job possible. Confidence, exhibited by leadership, can be contagious, as employees feed off the tone set by leadership. A good leader is encouraged to show gratitude for a job well done, and encouraged to thank all whom were involved. Incidentally, many times leaders make mistakes they are human beings just like everyone else. They, like all people, are not perfect and will make mistakes, while the good leader admits to those errors. Every team member will have more respect for the leader if they are open and honest about all events. Honesty is always and forever the best policy. By the same token, sometimes leaders make the mistake of putting business before people. A good leader always make sure his followers feel like they are a active part of the team and that all the information they present is just as important as any other member. On the contrary, my preceptor Mrs. McKenzie is a wonderful leader. She is always ready to teach you something new and has the confidence that you will do a good job. She is a good leader because she does not have the Im the teacher, youre the student attitude. She is always open to suggestions and answers the many questions that I have for her each and every time I am in clinic. When there is a code or another stressful situation she never loses control. Mrs. McKenzie is full of useful information for both me and the doctor. Ms Angela, the charge nurse over the emergency room, seems cold and stuffy but when in action she wants the students to be involved in all aspects of patient care. She goes as far as informing the medical doctor on duty that they have a student and makes sure you are in the middle of everything that comes thru the emergency room. Correspondingly, on my clinical rotations, the most positive trait brought to my attention, is one of teamwork. When a new patient is admitted, no matter who is assigned to that patient, all the nurses converge on the room and make sure the core nurse has everything she needs. For this purpose, one nurse starts the IV, one nurse disrobes the patient, one nurse applies the ECG leads and the other starts the initial assessment along with the vital signs. Nevertheless, as the student, if you dont confidently move fast and be quick on your feet, you will miss out on all important experiences. Students need positive role models and feedback to make certain that what they see and experience in their nursing rotations, make them a competent nurse throughout their entire career. The nurses on my rotation worked like a well oiled machine and made sure that the patient as well as the family had all they needed and were comfortable with the care we were providing. Many things make you a reliable nurse but I believe proper training and education play a large role in being able to perform effectively, thus increasing reliability. The negative traits that I have observed is some nurses do not want to have a student or a nurse in orientation for that matter. They forget that at one time they were a student or a new nurse on the job. They just want to have less interference as possible to make their day go by. You are not allowed to ask them any questions or be in their patients room. I have observed nurses not always using the proper techniques for different duties around the hospital. They are not washing their hands between patients, not using sterile technique when necessary and sometimes just over looking hospital protocol all together. The one negative trait that I will never possess is that I will never be a nurse because of the pay. I will always be the kind of nurse that loves nursing and that is why I do it every day. I will never forget where I came from and treat someone like they are less than me because they work in a different area than me. I will never be the type of nurse that speaks negatively about a medical doctor or a nurse in front of the patient or anyone else for that matter. I will always have respect for my leaders in nursing even when they dont have it for me. However, I will be the nurse that pulls then to the side to try to get the problem worked out instead of working with hostility daily. All things considered, I am a transformational leader. I work well with others, am trained and highly motivated with everything I do. I love to see people do well under the title they work. I always try to be a good example and promote nothing but positive attitudes in the work place. I provide the guidelines and would allow the employees to do what they do. I like this style because it utilizes the skills that you know your employees already possess, that makes them into their own leaders. My peers come to me for advice on a daily basis because they know that I really have a no-nonsense attitude when I am working towards something. I offer strong but friendly words of advice and never sugar coat anything to them. When a plan needs to be made normally I am the one who implements the stages. To my friends I am a strong leader because I get it done and take no excuses. Now will that make me a good RN? I hope so, but time will only tell. An RN has to be a strong selfless leader who never turns down a challenge unless it is unsafe for the patients. Always ready to give the right information when needed and always learning new things every day. I was never given the opportunity to be the team leader, but had it happened I am confident I would have handled it in a very professional manner. I would have made sure that I referenced back to the BON website when I was unsure about delegation and my scope of practice as a nurse. My personal philosophy is I believe that nursing is a profession that uses the criteria Pavalko used to define the eight dimensions of a profession. It shows that nursing has relevance to social values, education, self-motivation, a code of ethics, commitment to lifelong work, a theoretical framework, and there is a common identity. Additionally, how the ADN prepared professional nurse has many roles, such as a caregiver, teacher, advocate, manager, colleague, and expert. It is my opinion nursing is a remarkably rewarding profession that consists of various obstacles that are triumphed over in order to pave the way for a rewarding and honorable future. There are many significant achievements accomplished by nurses in todays society including the values instilled in our social lives, as well as the education attained by individuals in order to seize the ability to give great care to the community. I believe it takes a unique type of person with a great deal of motivation and ambition to be capable of performing as a caretaker for others. It is crucial to believe in what you are doing by always using superior judgment, and by following the Code of Ethics in each decision you make in your working institution or at home with friends and family. Using the term Career in regards to nursing seems to be an understatement of my outlook on this astounding health care position, I have always considered this opportunity as a permanent gratifying commitment not on ly to myself, but to all of those whom rely on my specialized training and care for their well being. Although maybe not suitable for each person, nursing is a profession of choice for general public to apply themselves to if they so desire. There are numerous different regulations and system policies the nurses adhere to in order to maintain safety and quality care for all people. I believe nursing colleagues may be able to unite as one group with the same values in their trade in order to work harder on leading by example, and following each others strategies as well; furthermore, overcoming the obstacles of modern day traditional standards and excelling beyond the current generations outlook of the nursing profession. Nursing leadership and management is crucial in the foundation of nursing care. There is a direct correlation between leadership and quality of care. Â   Poor nursing leadership leads to poor patient outcome and, inversely, good nursing leadership leads to excellent patient outcomes. I believe that a profession has a commitment to a lifelong work because you get involved in your establishment. It is very hard for me to think of leaving the nursing field, or the hospital I work in now, because there are so many people relying on me for my knowledge of this hospital. I have grown attached to those I work for and with. The rules of this hospital differ from others and after familiarizing myself in such depth here I could not just leave in hopes of finding another place to be so comfortable or appreciated. However, in todays generation many nurses do not feel the same way. There are many nurses that choose to work short term in one hospital and then leave to work in another facility. Due to this constant battle for hospitals and other health care provider facilities to keep continuous adequate nursing staff, the United States has had to find other means of populating our health care systems. For instance, According to the American Hospital Association, 17% of hospita ls recruit from abroad to fill nursing vacancies. New Trends in foreign Nurse Recruitment, Texas Nursing Voice, April, May, June 2008. That says to me we really need to start more nursing schools and helping the people who are already working in the medical field to move up to nursing and make a solid career move. The most important thing I learned from this paper and from my clinical experience is that every member of the team really holds the same amount of importance. There is no one person that is more important than the other. If there is no team work involved there is no team. Being a good nurse not only takes excellent training but it takes compassion for the job. There is always something you can improve and many new things to learn. This new role is going to be somewhat of a challenge but with continued hard work I know I can get it done. I have learned to never be afraid of the unknown, just do your best to figure it out and make it work in your favor. In addition I learned that being a part of a team although very important, being an individual is even more important. Do not allow other peoples negative views cloud your judgment. As a new nurse everyone is trying to recruit you to their team or to their way of thinking. My preceptor has always told me to stand on my own two feet and whatever decision I make in my career I need to make sure that I am comfortable with it and that it satisfies the job. I have learned to always keep patient safety first and treat the patient as I would want a member of my family treated. Nursing is a rewarding profession physically, mentally and in spirit. Throughout my years in the nursing profession I have observed many challenging circumstances with a wide variety of remarkable people. All individuals, at some stage in their lives, will seek medical attention. During these times of need each person desires to find comfort in the ones looking over them. People need a doctor that is aware of their si tuation and that has a plan of overcoming the quandary the patient is in. These same individuals interact with nurses recurrently and find relief in their understanding and ability to console the patients during the period of their predicament. The major social value of the contributing nurses is, at times, overpowering. With so many people all over the world constantly struggling to endure their circumstances it is evident of how valuable the medical skills are and the people who provide them.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Awakening :: essays research papers

The Awakening   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novella The Awakening by Kate Chopin, two supporting characters, Madame Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz, represent two distinctively different females of the Victorian Age. Madame Ratignolle serves as society's idea of the ideal woman. 'There [is] nothing subtle or hidden about her charms; her beauty [is] all there, flaming and apparent: the spun-gold hair that [neither] comb nor confining pen could restrain; the blue eyes that [are] like nothing but sapphires; two lips that pout, that [are] so red one could think of cherries or some other delicious crimson fruit in looking at them.'; Her beauty is complemented by her extreme devotion to her family. They come first in her life. She is the quintessential mother-woman. '[Mother-women] [are] women who idolized their children, [worship] their husbands, and [esteem] it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels.'; She gave up her individuality by taking marriage v ows and became one half of the Ratignolle family. 'The Ratignolles understood each other perfectly. If ever a fusion of two human beings into one has ever been accomplished on this sphere it [is] surely this union.'; Madame Ratignolle has surrendered to her husband's world as proper wives at the time were expected to do. She obeys her husband and assumes the responsibility of keeping him satisfied. 'She would not consent to remain with Edna [when] Monsieur Ratignolle was alone, [because] he detested above all things being alone.';   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While Madame Ratignolle is the ideal Victorian woman, Mademoiselle Reisz is 'a disagreeable little woman, no longer young, who [quarrels] with almost everyone, owing to a temper which [is] self-assertive and a disposition to trample on the rights of others.'; When Edna asks the proprietor of the neighborhood grocery store if he knew where Mademoiselle Reisz had moved, the man answers that 'he [thanks] heaven that she had left the neighborhood, and was equally thankful that he did not know where she had gone.'; Mademoiselle Reisz is in no way the beautiful Aphrodite that Madame Ratignolle is. She is an old woman who is past her physical prime, although the reader gets the impression that, during her prime, her looks still left something to be desired. The community snickers at her because she wears 'false hair'; has poor taste in fashion. Mademoiselle Reisz has always lived on the top floors of apartment buildings, which takes her far away from reality and the prob lems of others.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Political socialization and how women define politics and power Essay

There are various types of political socialization, and these have various effects on political participation. The traditional sex role socialization involves the integration of traditional roles performed by men and women into the political scene. This form of socialization has the effect of exclusion of women in political participation and dominance of politics by men. This effect has been in existence for a long time; like for instance, until 1975, exclusion of women from jury duty could be granted on ground of interference with domestic chores. According to Lawless and Fox (8-11), another type of political socialization involves the masculinized ethos, and this is the type of political socialization which relies on political institutions during campaigns. Since most of the institutions are dominated by men, then an ethos of masculinity is developed. This form of socialization is reinforced by the lack of legislature which advocates for inclusion of female participation in policy agendas. This form of socialization also serves to alienate women from positions of power and political participation. The gendered psyche is a form of socialization which ensures male domination of the political activities through infusing a culture which relegates women to the periphery in political participation. Women are made to feel valued, protected and secure, which makes it be viewed as normal for men to engage in politics but not reasonable for women to engage in it. This is a situation which is seen in the corporate scene. A large number of women normally downplay achievements in business, which makes them qualify for much lower salaries compared to men with similar or even lesser achievements. This form of socialization encourages political participation by men and discourages political participation by women. However, despite all these challenges, some women such as Latina women still manage to play very important roles in politics (Cohen & Jones 224-230). Part B How women define politics. Latina women in Boston Massachusetts play important roles in the political scene. They are involved in protest marches, community events, voter registration, election campaigns, workshops, community forums and social and political change. They play very crucial roles in the development of society and most of the women who were surveyed wanted to get involved in politics (Cohen & Jones 223-231). These women experience certain stages of development which encourage them to join politics. These stages involve the questioning of conditions where they live and searching for solutions from other people and themselves. However, some women recognize the need for change and grab the opportunity to do what they believe in. Socialism, independence and statehood are the main motivators in joining politics for some women. Other women are motivated by problems which they experienced such as poor housing, school dropout and AIDS in the community. There are also other women who believe that socialization in the family is a major determinant of joining politics. There are different perspectives of politics according to the Latina women, with some viewing it as involving giving support, and helping others in fulfilling their obligation. This is an aspect of politics which is derived from the family social setting. It can be traced to the fact that most Latinas from political supportive families, view sharing as the goal of working with other people. The Latina family traditions advocate for helping, giving or sharing and forms the basis of political activities. Women who are socialized according to this perspective aim at empowering the people in the community and sharing the resources which are available. Another perspective of politics according to the Latina women is escape from oppression. Since many Latina women have faced oppression at one point in their lives, either from the system, their husbands or fathers, they identify with this cause and believe that politics is a solution from oppression. These above perspectives capture how most Latina women define politics. Part C How women define power. According to Lawless and Fox (1-5), most women do not have the confidence to seek positions of power despite having excellent credentials and qualifications. A survey was performed and targeted four qualified career people who had high credentials, in a bid to find out their chances for running for a position of power. These people were Cheryl, Tricia, Randall and Kevin. Cheryl is an accomplished lawyer with excellent credentials while Tricia is a professor in Sociology in a large University. Randall is also a college professor while Kevin is a partner in a law firm. The survey revealed that unlike men who are ready to grab the positions of power, women did not even consider running for the same positions. Cheryl and Tricia would not consider running for a position of power, while Randall and Kevin said they would grab the opportunity immediately. This is a situation which is replicated in the political scene. Women are not ready to run for public office irrespective of the fact that they are highly qualified. Since there are no obvious obstacles in campaigning for office for the female gender, it is clear that the lack of interest in running for power plays a major role in the dominance of political scene by men. However, there are people who are of the opinion that when men run for office, the vacant seats which emerge are occupied by women, and this ensures that they still have power. This may be true, but the fact is that women are not interested in running for political and power positions. According to (Cruz 424), if women do not adopt a strategy of helping one another, they will not succeed in politics. Further research should be carried out on the topic to unmask the reasons behind this lack of interest. Works Cited. Cohen Cathy & Jones Kathy. (1997). Women transforming politics: An alternative reader. New York: New York University Press, p220-240. Cruz, Takash P. 1993. Breaking Barriers to Representation: Chicana/Latina Elected Officials in California. Journal of Urban Anthropology, p 420-430. Lawless, J. L. & Fox, R. L. (2005). It takes a candidate: Why women don’t run for office. New York: Cambridge Press, p1-13.

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Yellow Wall Paper essays

The Yellow Wall Paper essays The Yellow-Wallpaper as a Social Criticism Traditionally, men have held the power in society. Women have been treated as a second class of citizens with neither the legal rights nor the respect of their male counterparts. Culture has contributed to these gender roles by conditioning to these gender roles by conditioning women to accept their subordinate status while encouraging young men to lead and control. Feminist criticism contends that literature either supports societys patriarchal structure or provides social criticism in order to change this hierarchy. The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, depicts one womens struggle against the traditional female role into which society attempts to force her and the societal reaction to this act. From the beginning of this work, the woman is shown to have gone mad. We are given no insight into the past, and we do not know why she has been driven to the brink of insanity. The beautiful...English place that the woman sees in her m inds eye is the way men have traditionally wanted women to see their role in society. As the woman says, It is quite alone standing well back from the road...It makes me think of English places...for there are hedges and walls and gates that lock, and lots of separate little houses for the gardeners and people. There is a delicious garden! I never saw such a garden-large and shady, full of box-bordered paths, and lined with long grape-covered arbors with seats under them. This lovely English countryside picture that this woman paints to the reader is a shallow view at the real likeness of her prison. The reality of things is that this lovely place is her small living space, and in it she is to function as every other good housewife should. The description of her cell, versus the reality of it, is a very good example of the restriction women had in those days. They were free to see things as they wanted, but th...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Life in Black and White essays

Life in Black and White essays Life in Black and White, is a great book about the Southern society in the antebellum period focussing on the daily life in Loundoun County, Virginia, tracing the lives of all classes and cultures. For years, many historians have argued that most slave families in the American antebellum south were, despite many and certain circumstances upon them, traditional nuclear families. The author, Brenda E. Stevenson, challenged numerous reviews and ideas of the nature of slave families relations and ways of life. She examines the whole Southern society through the families of all races. In this process the book offers an unprecedented look at the daily lives of different communities such as the slaves, planters, free blacks, and yeoman farmers. Most importantly she gives us the opportunity to see the social and cultural forces which bond them together, even while driving them apart. Stevenson provides a perfect portrait of family and community life in the American South bringing in stories and quotes of planters, slaves, free blacks, and poor whites, in the mid-18th century to the Civil War. These stories give strong evidence on the hardships of life for both blacks and whites. For instance, in chapter 6, The Nature of Loudoun Slavery, owners would sell certain slaves for financial reasons, masters most readily sold slaves as punishment or a mean of control. An ex-slave explains what some masters would say to discipline or threaten to sell them down South. He come....down to the quarters. Pick out de famly dat got de most chillun an say, Fo God, nigger, Im goin to sell all dem chillun o yourn lessen you keep quiet. Dat threat was a worsen prospects of alickin. Evybody sho keep quiet arter dat ( Stevenson, 179). Slave life was emphasized of labor and discipline. The workload was merle physical punishment in itself, but all slaves were alwa ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Neologisms in Films and Televison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Neologisms in Films and Televison - Essay Example Formerly the language of high culture, the French language has been unjustifiably and violently reduced to meaningless neologisms. In support of their rather emotive arguments, purists cite passages from a current bestseller among French teenagers. Written entirely in neologisms, the book is replete with sentences such as this one: "6 j t'aspRge d'O 2 kologne histoar 2 partaG le odeurs ke tu me fe subir?" (what if I were to spray you with cologne so I can make you suffer with the smells you make me suffer from). If this is what language has been reduced to, the purists contend, spoken and write language are in crisis. Neologists have largely dismissed the purists’ critique as the â€Å"hyper-ravings of ultra-conservatives.† Were it up to the purists, they claim, populations would be speaking in Biblical tongues and language’s failure to evolve, expressive of its unremitting stance against the very phenomenon of evolution, would have functioned as an obstacle towards scientific and technological progress. The development of language, often spurred by the neological imaginations, or â€Å"hallucinations† as purists would prefer to call it, has long functioned as the primary motivator of technological development and scientific invention. Neologists’ capacity to imagine and name concepts and phenomenon before their actual materialisation has immeasurably contributed to technological evolution. In defence of their seemingly unwarranted claim to contribution to scientific development and technological progress, neologists have presenting rather persuasive evidence. William Gibson, the author of Neuromancer, a science fiction novel written almost entirely in neologism, is a case in point. Gibson's envisioning of cyberspace and virtual reality, his invention of a myriad of concepts to describe them, preceded the popularisation of the internet and the invention of much of that which has accompanied it. While it is difficult to make a case for Gibson's having inspired the development of the internet, there is no doubt that he gave us the language of virtual reality and cyberspace before either were definitive components of civilisation and human life.6 As Fischer recalls, the publication of Neuomancer sent shock waves through the purist ranks. In unison, they accused its publishers of having betrayed the sanctity of language, of being party to Gibson's obvious disrespect for, an d ignorance of, the English language. The coinage of a few terms, only when needed and as long as their semantic roots were accurate, was acceptable but the invention of a virtual dictionary for phenomenon which did not exist, for lifestyles that bore nothing in common with that which was known, and for realities which were non-real, was untenable.7 Interestingly, those very neologisms which Gibson invented two decades ago and was stringently attacked for daring to do so, have been included in English language dictionaries by the purists themselves and are popularly regarded as legitimate English words. These neologisms, cyberspace, cyberpunk, hacking and wired, to name but a few of those contained in Neuromancer, have not only established their legitimate presence in the English language but have been translated into, and embraced by, countless other languages.8 Neologisms, irrespective of the purist perspective, are an evidential reality of any language. Neologisms do

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Health and Wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Health and Wellness - Essay Example â€Å"The total cost of osteoporosis in the United States alone is estimated to be over $14 billion per year† (Christodoulou & Cooper 133), and is expected to increase with the growing proportion of elderly people. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to identify the symptoms of Osteoporosis, examine how the disease develops, review the latest research on the topic, investigate the costs to community, and express one’s beliefs on the subject. Bone mass is the chief determinant of bone strength. Loss of bone occurs silently and progressively, often without symptoms until the first fracture occurs (IOF, 2006). When bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, the symptoms of the disease present as â€Å"back pain which can be severe† (Manila Bulletin, 2009) in the case of a fractured or collapsed vertebra, gradual loss of height with increasingly stooped posture, and fractures of the vertebrae, wrists, hips, or other bones. In the case of women, bone loss in the spine begins shortly before menopause, and as early as the mid-30s in the femoral neck (Christodoulou & Cooper 133). The years following menopause bring about radical depletion in bone mineral density as a result of decreased estrogen levels (Lineback 43). In both men and women, bone density and strength depend greatly on the extent of mineral content, such as calcium and phosphorus (Manila Bulletin, 2009). The size and density of bone are mainly dependent on genetic factors, but lifestyle factors also play a significant part. Recommendations from latest research for building and maintaining bone matrix and reducing the risk of osteoporosis are as follows: 1. Nutritious Diet: A balanced nutritious diet which includes not only sufficient calcium and vitamin D, but also adequate protein as well as vitamins and minerals (Feinstein, 1996). A healthy body weight is essential, since being underweight with a body mass index less than 18.5 kg/ m2 is a strong risk factor for osteoporosis