Friday, November 8, 2019
How to Get Out of a Job You Hate
How to Get Out of a Job You Hate It would be great if everyone were making a living at their dream jobs. Or if that job you loved so much when it was new, and you were still learning and feeling challenged and excited to show up on Monday morning, were as shiny and happy forever. But sometimes reality gets in the way, and a job just isnââ¬â¢t the right fit for you, or you outgrow it. What next? [via Giphy]Signs This Isnââ¬â¢t the Job for YouBefore you start down a path you canââ¬â¢t reverse (there are very few ways to claim ââ¬Å"backsiesâ⬠on a resignation letter), itââ¬â¢s important to know whether this is just temporary malaise, or something bigger. So when is it time to quit? Here are some of the telltale signs youââ¬â¢re ready to move on.You donââ¬â¢t feel challenged.If you feel like you could make it through your to-do list without disturbing your sleep, you are probably not challenged enough by your work. Other symptoms: having to stretch out projects to fill your day and look product ive, or spending a lot of time messing around/checking social media/shopping online. If you donââ¬â¢t have enough to do, or tasks that engage you, it can be easy to fall into bad, time-wasting habits.You feel miserable.This may seem like a no-brainer, but itââ¬â¢s a big one. Listen to what your body is trying to tell you about stress. Everyone has a grouchy day or two if work is stressful, but if you find yourself in a long string of them, it may be time to start over somewhere else. This is especially true if you start losing sleep, or find yourself getting sick more often than usual. If youââ¬â¢re that unhappy that even your body is saying ââ¬Å"blow this popsicle stand,â⬠itââ¬â¢s time to pay attention.You canââ¬â¢t work with your boss.Lots of things can change about your job: tasks, priorities, projects, even your salary and benefits. One thing youââ¬â¢re unlikely to change: your boss. If you find yourself butting heads because your styles are so differen t, accept that youââ¬â¢re unlikely to change how this person works.You can try to amend your own approach in the name of harmony and productivity, but sometimes there is just no way to make two people compatible- especially if your boss is overbearing or non-communicative. This is a person you will be relying on day-to-day guidance and performance reviews, so this is not an enemy you want to have. And a coup is unlikely, unless this person is incompetent and on the verge of being fired, so the best option is to remove yourself.Your performance and morale are obviously suffering.Can barely contain that eyeroll when Sue starts talking? Feel irrational levels of rage when Andy sends yet another round of ten emails when one would do? Leave early because you just couldnââ¬â¢t take the day any longer? Chances are, your unhappiness is showing to any and all around you, and if youââ¬â¢re letting that anger and frustration affect your work, thatââ¬â¢s a problem. Itââ¬â¢s bette r to get out before your tasks (and your rep) starts to decline.Your 8 Steps to FreedomSo youââ¬â¢ve got all the symptoms- what do you do next? There are some best practices you should follow once you decide to call it quits- and some things you definitely should not do.1. Donââ¬â¢t quit in a huff.There are exceptions to this, like if youââ¬â¢re asked to do something that is illegal, or if youââ¬â¢ve just won the Powerball. Otherwise, keep your job for now. This is two- fold: a) Itââ¬â¢s easier to search for a job when you already have the security of one; and b) unfair or not, many employers prefer to hire someone who doesnââ¬â¢t have employment gaps.2. Consider taking on a side hustle.This can be a good distraction from a day job that is slowly sucking your essence, giving you something new to focus on. (Just donââ¬â¢t spend your regular work time setting up your new business, or that could open up a whole bunch of other unpleasant issues at your already unple asant job.) Itââ¬â¢s also a way to start feeling out what you want your revised career path to be. Have you always felt like your heart was somewhere else? This is your chance to start figuring out if you have a passion project, and whether you can channel that passion into a viable paying job.3. Build your professional network.The last thing you want to do is find yourself in the middle of a new job search, and realize that youââ¬â¢re totally unprepared. There are plenty of under-the-radar things you can do to get yourself ready for your imminent search for a new and better gig. Start by beefing up your networks. Some of the best opportunities come because someoneââ¬â¢s old college roommate is looking for a team member, and does your friend know anyone who would be a good fit?If you start expanding your reach on sites like LinkedIn, or following/interacting with influential people in your field on social media, you are raising your profile and opening yourself up to potent ial opportunities.Plus, your network might be an essential source of support as you cope with this job you hate. Maybe some have been in that place, and have tips on how to get through it. Maybe others will have valuable insight into what you can do to make your waning time at the job more productive and useful for your future endeavors. Either way, donââ¬â¢t underestimate the help your network can be as you get ready to make a major transition.4. Clean up your own social media.Potential employers can be sneaky, and might be creeping on your Twitter or Facebook profile to see what youââ¬â¢re like. Make extra sure that you donââ¬â¢t have any stray ââ¬Å"I hate this placeâ⬠notes posted out of frustration, or cringe-inducing inappropriate photos that you may have posted while not realizing youââ¬â¢d be hunting for a job anytime soon.5. Think about what you want to do.You may just want a similar job in your field because you hate your current job/boss, but what if you ââ¬â¢re unhappy at work because youââ¬â¢re on the wrong path altogether? Time to do some deep thinking about what you want to do next. What do you want to achieve in the short term (1-2 years)? What about longer term? If you donââ¬â¢t know what you want your next move to be, your job hunt may not be especially productive, or you could end up in a job you despise just as much as your current one. Make sure youââ¬â¢re clear about what you want to achieve once youââ¬â¢re out of this job.6. Redo your resume.No matter how recently youââ¬â¢ve updated your resume, now is a great time to rewrite, revise, and revamp. If you have the time, start from scratch, and make sure youââ¬â¢re building the strongest possible resume for the current job market. The goal is to have your resume ready to go (and adapt as necessary) for any opportunities that come up.7. Donââ¬â¢t check out mentally.Once you make the decision to walk away, it can be tempting to put in less effort, or n ot care about how your performance affects others at work. Even though it can feel like a major effort, it is definitely in your best interest to keep up a good face at work. You donââ¬â¢t want your reputation to suffer, and in the event that you need a reference from one of your current colleagues, you really donââ¬â¢t want them to say, ââ¬Å"He was great most of the time, but totally checked out by the end.â⬠8. Resign in style.When you give your notice, do not use it as an excuse to get your anger/frustration/disgust off your chest. Delivering sick burns may be entertaining on your way out, but remember that the world is a small place, and your industry might be even smaller. You never know if, five years from now, the person reading this letter will be in a position to help your career. Write a clear, professional note that illustrates your intentions, your last day, and thankfulness for the opportunity in the first place. And if you have to fake that last one a littl e, thatââ¬â¢s fine. You donââ¬â¢t have to pretend that your crappy job was the best job youââ¬â¢ve ever had, but a neutral, professional tone is a bare-minimum must.Whether youââ¬â¢re itching to get out the door or just want to make things better for yourself in the short term, the key is looking ahead. Setting goals, and even doing the prep work (resume, job search, network building) can help improve your day-to-day while you plan your escape.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Jesus and Muhammad, How they lived their lives
Jesus and Muhammad, How they lived their lives Free Online Research Papers Jesus and Mohammed are the central icons of the largest religions in the world. These are Christianity and Islam. These two icons have influenced the live of more people in the last two thousand years than any other icons to follow. Both of these icons are highly regarded and have influenced many lives. In this paper I plan to show the difference between these two icons and the similarities, and show how they have influenced the lives they have touched. This paper will also trace the historic lives and compare each of their death and the impact this had on each of there religions. This paper will also show how their lives have been applied to todayââ¬â¢s world. Jesus was born in Bethlehem sometime between 8 BC and 29 AD. Many Christians believe that Jesus was conceived divinely by the Virgin Mary, although she was married to Joseph the carpenter at the time of Jesusââ¬â¢ birth. There is not much known about his early life, except that he may have been trained to be a carpenter as well. Mohammed is believed to have been born almost 600 years later in the town of Mecca. This is where the Prophet Muhammad was born. Both of these events are believed to have changed the course of history for every human mankind. Much of the early life of Jesus Christ is a mystery to many people. The enormous amount of information on or about Jesusââ¬â¢ life is found in the four gospels of the New Testament in the bible. At the age of 12 Jesus was seen in the temple talking with, listening and teaching many men. It was then that Jesus declared that he was the son of God with a divine purpose here on earth. Jesus at this point in his life lived a traditional Jewish life as a carpenter. (Jesus-Institute, 2006). At the age of 30, Jesus was baptized and recognized by John the Baptist; it was not that he began his earthly ministry (Fisher, 2005). The main points of Jesusââ¬â¢ teaching were that God loves everyone and is always with you. He also wanted everyone to know to love one another, to learn the value of each other that the kingdom of God had come to earth, the reality of judgment to heaven or hell and that God forgives those who speak to him. (Jesus-Institue, 2006). One aspect of Jesusââ¬â¢ teachi ngs, that brought some attention to him, was that he was the son of God sent to Earth to redeem human mankind. This was in direct violation of the Jewish law. For this he was condemned to die. Jesus was put to executed by Pontius Pilate, the governor of ludaea province between CE 26 and 26, some have attempted to date his crucifixion from a possible Crucifixion eclipse, most calculate possible years that the spring full mono could have fallen on a Friday. Jesus is believed to have been risen from the dead by God on the third day. Many of the specific dates of Jesusââ¬â¢ life involve guesswork. When comparing Christianity and Islam, the historical details of Jesusââ¬â¢ life are essential. The earliest records of Jesus are the four Gospel narratives, which were written by Jesusââ¬â¢ followers within the few decades of his death. In the Gospels Jesus repeatedly suggest to his disciples that his end is near, asking them to share bread and wine in his remembrance. On this evening Jesus also predicts that one of his followers would betray him, which is met with astonishment and denial. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, one of is disciples and possibly the group treasurer. Judas led Roman soldiers to Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus was arrested, and Peter defended his master with a sword slicing off the ear of a centurion. He was reprimanded by Jesus and told to put back your sword and for all who draw the sword would die by the sword. Jesus was brutally beaten, clothed in a mock-royal purple robe and crown of thorns. He then was crucified. This method of execution, entailed nailing or tying the victimââ¬â¢s hands and feet to a wooden cross, and was a slow painful death of asphyxiation. Jesusââ¬â¢ body was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea, and placed in a tomb carved into rock. Jesusââ¬â¢ mother and one or two other women were the only ones present during this. The same women came to the tomb every Sunday morning to anoint his body with spices. One day they arrived and the tomb had been emptied and rolled away. Later it is believed that Jesus arose from the dead. This belief that Jesus had resurrected makes it possible for people to have peace with God in his life and meet with a favorable end. Many followers believe when they pass on they move to be with God. Today worship of Jesusââ¬â¢ is very similar as it was back when he was still on earth. Many people believe they can go to church and talk to God and Jesus. And many believe that they can be forgiven of their sins by simply talking to them. Today the word of God and Jesusââ¬â¢ is spoken through many ways. By reading the bible, by going to church and listening to a Priest, or by just believing in the words he has given us in the bible and repenting. Muhammad is believed to have been born in the year 570 in the town of Mecca, a mountain town in the desert plateau of western Arabia. His name was given from the Arabic verb Hamada, meaning ââ¬Å"to praiseâ⬠. He was the first son of Abd Allah bin Al-muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. Abd Allah died before Muhammadââ¬â¢s birth and Muhammad was raised by only his mother. His mother kept up with the Meccan tradition and entrusted her son at an early age to a wet nurse named Halima from the Nomadic tribe of the Saââ¬â¢d Ibn Bakr. Muhammad grew up in the hill country, and learned their pure Arabic traditions. Muhammad was five or six when his mother took him to Yathrib, and oasis town a few hundred miles north of Mecca, to stay with her relatives. On the journey back to Mecca his mother fell ill and died. She was buried in the village of Abwa on the Mecca-median Road. Halima, his nurse, returned to Mecca with the orphaned Muhammad and placed him in the protection of his paternal grandfather, Abdul Al-Muttalib. Inthis manââ¬â¢s care, Muhammad learned the rudiments of the statecraft. Mecca swas Arabiaââ¬â¢s most important pilgrimage center and Abdul was its most respected leader. Muhammadââ¬â¢s grandfather passed away in 578 when Muhammad was about the age of eight. Muhammad was then passed to his paternal uncle Abu Talib. Muhammad grew up in the older manââ¬â¢s home and remained under his protection for many years. When Muhammad grew up he worked as a shepherd to help pay his keep. His uncle lived by modest means, and needed the help on there farm. In his early twenties, Muhammad entered the service of a wealthy Meccan merchant, a widow named Khadija bing Khawalayd. The two were distant cousins. Muhammad worked by carrying her good to the north and returned with her profit. Muhammad was proposed marriage by Khadija. They were wed in about 595, when she was nearly forty. Muhammad continued the managing of the business affairs, and their next years were happy and pleasant. In the next couple of years Muhammad began to make long retreats to a mountain cave outside of town. There he fasted and meditated. On one occasion, after a number of indistinct visionary experiences, Muhammad was visited by an overpowering presence and instructed to recite the words of such beauty and force that he and others gradually attributed them to God. This experience shook Muhammad to the core. Several years passed and he decided to talk to his family about this experience. After, several of these experiences, Muhammad finally began to reveal the messages he was receiving to his tribe. These were gathered verse by verse and later would become the Qurââ¬â¢an, Islamââ¬â¢s sacred scripture. In the next decade, Muhammad and his followers were first belittled and ridiculed, then persecuted and physically attacked for departing from the traditional Mecca way. Muhammadââ¬â¢s message was resolutely monotheistic. For several years, the Quaraysh, Meccaââ¬â¢s dominate trib e, levied a ban on trade with Muhammadââ¬â¢s people. Finally the leaders of Mecca attempted to assassinate Muhammad. In 622, Muhammad and his few hundred followers left Mecca and traveled to Yathrib, the oasis town were his father was laid to rest. The leaders were suffering through a vicious war, and they had invited Muhammad for his wisdom, to become their mediator. Yahtrib soon became known as Medina, the city of the Prophet. Muhammad stayed here for the next six years. He built the first Muslim community and gradually gathered more and more people to follow his preaching. In 630, Muhammad and his followers marched on Mecca and were joined by tribe after tribe along the way. They entered Mecca without any bloodshed, and the Meccans, joined them. Muhammad returned to live in Medina. In the next three years, he consolidated most of the Arabian Peninsula under Islam. In 632, he returned to Mecca one last time to perform a pilgrimage, and tens of thousands of Muslims joined him. After the pilgrimage, he returned to Medina. Three months later on June 8, 632 Muhammad passed away. His word lived on and spread as far as Morocco, France and Spain. Muhammad and Jesus had the same visions. They believed in their teaching, beliefs and values. The both mad pilgrimages to other parts of there land and tried to make people see what they believed in. In most of their teaching the beliefs were the same. Muhammad died of natural causes, Jesus died for us to be free of sins. They both traveled and tried to make there words known throughout many lands. REFERENCES Peter Schfer. (MARCH 2008). WWW.RELIGIONFACTS.COM. In LIFE OF JESUS. pbs.org/muhammad/timeline_html.shtml Research Papers on Jesus and Muhammad, How they lived their livesComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionCapital PunishmentPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyHip-Hop is ArtMind TravelQuebec and CanadaThe Spring and Autumn19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThree Concepts of Psychodynamic
Monday, November 4, 2019
Animal rights and non-western views Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Animal rights and non-western views - Essay Example nimals rights have argued that these animals are totally different form humans, and therefore humans are superior and do not owe animals any moral obligations. Such an argument fails to recognize that even within the human species, there are obvious differences- skin colors, sex, and intelligence level among others (Singer, 1989). Yet, these differences do affect how human rights are enjoyed. Therefore, human beings out to respect other non-human animal species the same way they do for their fellow humans. Secondly, animals, just like humans, have interests since they suffer the same way human do. Unlike other non living things, animals have feelings similar to humansââ¬â¢ (Singer, 1989). It is then absurd to subject such animals to harsh and extreme treatments since this will amount to denying these animals their interests. Therefore, the treatment that appears harsh and unbearable to humans should not be extended to other animal species because they too have feelings. Finally, o pponents of animal rights have argued that human beings have intrinsic or natural dignity that needs to be protected all the time. As a result, humans cannot be treated like other animal species, and therefore, no human has a moral obligation towards animals (Singer, 1989). What such groups fail to show what characteristic makes humans earn this dignity and not other animal
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Communication, Conflict and Decision-Making Essay - 1
Communication, Conflict and Decision-Making - Essay Example This essay discusses that in every society, communication is the backbone of professional and social relationships. Communication facilitates the flow of ideas and/or concepts from one given source to the other. The best process of communication needs the existence of a message sender, as well as the receiver. Individuals share the views and ideas through the thriving process of communication. For any communication process to be regarded as thriving, the receiver must comprehend the message content in accordance with the senderââ¬â¢s aim. This means that certain processes of communication lead to unsuccessful ends. Thus, it is worth noting that communication process encounters some hindrances that deter efficient information delivery to the anticipated parties. No matter the effort put in to evade a conflict, it appears to always arise at the worst moments. Thus, ineffective communication leads to a conflict of views or ideas among the parties involved. During communication, confl ict begins from a merely simple flicker of emotions or varies all the way to supportive proof that one presents. While conflict may lead to both positive and negative impacts, this social disagreement may boost maturity of social abilities among the individuals involved. Conflict management involves the application of measures that promote the advancement of positive effects forms a social discord. Efficient conflict management process promotes learning among parties involved and the entire society on how to address incompatible vies in the future.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
URBAN GEOGRAPHY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
URBAN GEOGRAPHY - Essay Example According to Massey and Denton (1998) Geographical segregation can be described as spatial concentration of particular groups of population in separate areas. In simple terms, segregation means that certain groups of population get limited to different pockets of geographical areas. It can also be said that segregation is the level or extent to which particular groups reside separately from one another within the confines of a particular geographic area such as a city or state (Low, 2004). Segregation, in itself, is a complex phenomenon, where the groups are segregated in a number of ways. So, the spatial restriction of populations is based on a number of variables such as culture, income, ethnic origin, immigrant status or sexual orientation (Massey and Denton, 1998; Jackson, 1985). For example, people from a minority community are often overrepresented in some particular areas and underrepresented in some others (Yinger, 2001). In addition, a community may geographically restrict itself in way that its exposure to the other groups is minimized (Yinger, 2001). Johnston and Poulson add to Yingers theory by postulating that there are particular reasons because of which segregation takes place. These may range from legal restrictions as in the case of South Africa where Apartheid was in practice; to the social or economic status as in the case of rich people residing in the suburbs and the relatively poor residing in the downtown areas. However, the most prominent cause of segregation is found to be ethnicity or cultural background. This type of segregation can result from the emigrantsââ¬â¢ need to find security in numbers which makes people from the same cultural or ethnic backgrounds to cluster together and segregate themselves from the rest of the society. Voluntary segregation is therefore where immigrants prefer to live in a
Monday, October 28, 2019
Fact Sheet Essay Example for Free
Fact Sheet Essay n the United States, there are approximately 1.7 million people who are suffering from limb loss. There are around 185,000 amputation related discharges in the U.S annually. Limb loss is greatest among those who are suffering from diabetes. Most of these people resort to the use of artificial limbs and joints. The use of prosthetics or the artificial limbs and joints is not new in science. The use thereof can be traced back to ancient Egypt. However, the formal use of artificial legs and amputation as life saving measures were only recognized in 1529 through the efforts of Ambroise Pare. Despite the evolution and introduction of different kinds of prosthetics, the three main parts remain to be the same. These three basic parts are the pylon, socket and suspension system. Among the modern prosthetics used is the Micro-Processor C-leg. This type of prosthetic is quite costly but the effects thereof are satisfying. Through this leg, a disabled patient can walk, climb, ride a bicycle and even play golf. The use of prosthetics provides wide range of advantages. Among the notable advantages is the mobility that it provides to the disabled patient. Another is the restoration of self-confidence in the patient by allowing him to function normally. Ã Among the disadvantages are intrinsic and extrinsic pain, skin complications, as well as limited movement. Despite the fact that prosthetics allow one to perform his daily tasks, this does not mean that the artificial leg is as efficient as the normal arms or legs.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Oral Health And Disease Health And Social Care Essay
Oral Health And Disease Health And Social Care Essay Dental caries is an oral disease not just of the developed nations but fast becoming a public health issues in the developing countries1. Dental caries is one of the major oral health problems in Nigeria. Other oral health/diseases commonly seen in Nigeria include periodontitis, chronic gingivitis, acute necrotising gingivitis, oral cancer and ameloblastoma, cranio-facial developmental anomalies, orthodontic problems and cleft lip and palate2. The oral cavity though small is a important aspect of the human body. It is the gateway to the human digestive system. The teeth are an important part of the mouth. Their function in mastication of food and speech cannot be over emphasized. They also have aesthetic component as well as enhance facial appearance. Thus, any problem with oral health or diseases could present as pain and suffering which could have debilitating effects on individuals in particular and the community at large3. Oral diseases could lead to reduction in functional abili ties and reduced quality of life. According to Petersen (2004) oral conditions are among the most expensive medical treatments in industrialized nations3. Nigeria is classed as one of the poorest countries in the world with 70% of its population leaving below 1 dollar a day. Nigeria is one of the countries in West Africa, comprises of 36 states. She is one of the most populous countries in Africa as well as the eighth most populous country in the world with the population of 154,728 8924 and popularly known as the giant of Africa. In 2007 to date, Nigeria is ranked as the second largest economy in Africa, she is known for her rich cultures, natural endowment such as oil and gas. It is equally indisputable that her human resources are abundant. At the same, it is absurd to learn that about 70.2% of Nigerians are living in abject poverty. Although, the Health services in Nigeria has undergone transformation over the years. The provision of Nigeria health system can be categorized into Public and Private Health services. The public health services serves as the main backbone of Nigeria health care which in most cases is funded by the government on non-profit bases. These are divided structurally into the Primary Health Care (PHC), Secondary Health Care (SHC ) and the Tertiary Heath Care (THC) 5, 6. But the dental care services are provided from secondary to tertiary care. This is due to the fact that dental care services are available in general hospitals (secondary health care) in some states and not at the primary health care bases, also in various teaching hospitals (tertiary health care) as well as private dental services. Dental caries is known as a progressive destruction or demineralization of enamel, dentine and cementum on a susceptible tooth surface caused by microbial (Streptococcus mutans) activities such as the production of acids.7, 8 In most cases, the dental caries is not life threatening but can have an adverse effect on quality of life in individual childhood to old age such as dietary and health. It affects all age groups and it is the most important cause of tooth loss in young people9. Frequent consumption of sugar and sugary food and drinks has been implicated as predisposing factors for the cause of dental caries9, 10,11. The sequelae of dental caries: Bacteria ferment sugar to produce acid. Acid dissolves tooth surface à ® leads to dental caries which affects the enamel à ® dentine à ® pulp à ® pulpitis à ® periapical infection à ® dental abscess12. Years ago, dental caries is one of the most common diseases in industrialised countries for instance United Kingdom and a social class-related condition. There has been a tremendous increase of dental caries in developing countries in recent years due to increased sugar consumption as well as insufficient exposures to fluorides which Nigeria happened to be one of the countries. In Nigeria, DMF index is used in measuring tooth decays which counts the number of decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT) or surfaces (DMFS) in patients mouth as a result of caries both in deciduous and permanent dentition7, 8. In 1993, World Bank reported the dental caries incidence in 1990 among females of Sub-Saharan Africa is 0. 7 and the males is also 0.7 while the total world record in these categories are 9.6 and 9.8 repectively.13 Dental caries prevalence in Nigeria varies according to the areas from the studies Akpata carried out. It shows that dental caries in rural areas are very low of 3 dental ca ries cases compared with those in the urban areas which is 33 caries14. The reasons for chosen dental caries: Dental caries as pointed out above is a dental disease that affects all age groups although it is more prevalent among the adolescents and young children. It is one of the major oral health problems. Dental caries is a public health issue because of its impact on individuals and the communities. Social and financial issues: Majority of the population in Nigeria suffers from poverty and the government do not subsidize any kind of dental or medical treatment for the people that is from new born to 59 years but from age 60 pays half price which can still be a problem for people in this category. In fact, dental and medical treatment does not commence until the patient pay an agreed amount but there is always an exceptional case depending on the dentist or medical practitioners discretion. Therefore, most of the populations in Nigeria are in high caries risk. This is due to the fact that some of the parents cannot afford sending their children to school while some of the children have very poor attendance record in school and in most cases leads the children to consume more of confectionery and high carbohydrate diet15. Due to poverty, most people seek for alternative treatment when they have toothache such as the traditional medicine, application of herbs, as well as fake medic ine (cheap) leaving majority of the cases untreated. Tooth loss: Dental caries is one of the major causes of tooth loss which can affect on patients eating habits, self-esteem and quality of life. Majority of the patients visit their dentist when they have explored virtually all the alternative treatment mentioned above and still be in pain which tends to be unbearable or in some cases the area is infected or inflamed. This can lead to extraction of the tooth/teeth, which eventually might lead to tooth loss replacement with removable dentures or fixed prosthesis. Due to lack of affordability of the denture by some patients leads to loss of alveolar as well as deformity. Infections: One of the sequelae of dental caries is infection due to bacteria in the cavity. Bacteria in the dental cavity secrete acids which dissolve the enamel and dentine and if untreated leads to pulpitis and subsequently periodontitis. Because so many people cannot afford orthodox dental care due to the cost of proper dental treatment some people chose alternative treatment as mentioned earlier. This can also leads to potential serious infection such as dental abscess or Ludwigs Angina which is life threatening. Although, one of the treatment is administration of antibiotics and other medications but in Nigeria contest we have to battle fake drugs as in most cases one is unable to distinguish between original and fake drugs. Need to create dental awareness: there are need to educate members of the public on how to prevent and control dental conditions as well as diseases Strep viridians seen in dental caries can cause endocarditis in cardiac patients Dental caries can form cystic legions in some patients Dental caries can cause chronic periodontitis. Dental caries is considered as a public health issue or a major problem in dental public health16 because it targets the entire population with unlimited time frame. Its socio-economic effect is great. People presents to dental clinics and hospitals when they are in severe pain and at the advanced stage of dental caries. Dental caries can occur in deciduous or permanent dentition thus affecting children as well as their parents. The cost of managing advanced dental infections is high. Being unable to identify early, people with high caries risk has also be one of the major challenges for public health. 2. The Community Oral Health Programme (COHP) was started in 1988 by the University of Ibadan in Nigeria by the Dental department. Since its inception it has become an integral part of the comprehensive Community Health Programme of the Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM) 17. The COPH main aims and objectives include prevention of oral diseases and provision of basic oral care services to communities. Major components of COPH are: School health programmes, health education programmes and on site dental care provision in hard to reach communities. Dental care has been a part of primary health care thus making very many communities disadvantaged. The health care delivery in Nigeria is such that dental health was been side-lined and the need for primary and secondary prevention of oral diseases in a developing country such as Nigeria where urbanization and westernization is creeping in. Studies carried out over the years have revealed a poor oral health status in many Nigerians18. An a rm of this programme known as the Community Dental Education Health (CODEH) has been organizing activities such as dental awareness campaigns in communities, market places and schools. Financial sponsorships have been mainly from non-governmental organizations and dental companies like Unilever and GlaxoSmithKline19. Evaluation of the programme: Evaluation is the process of assessing the possible relevance, efficiency, effectiveness as well as impact of the activities (efficacy) of a project or programme in accordance to its objectives through a systematic collection and analysis of data15, 20. It is equally very important to ascertain the quality assurance of the programme. Evaluation could be formative that is assessing the possibility of problem occurring while the programme is being developed or summative that is focusing on the impact as well as the effectiveness of the established programme21. This programme has been evaluated by observing the criteria proposed to guide evaluation in public health22 such as: Effectiveness: -this refers to the extent to which the aims and objectives are met which is to create dental awareness and promote oral health care. Also identify issues and questions of concern to stakeholders. Acceptability: to check if people are satisfied with the programme both the targeted and non-targeted population. Appropriateness: this is the importance of the programme which to reduce the prevalence of dental caries and promote oral health care. Equity: equal provision for equal needs for every individual Efficiency: this to ensure that results are achieved in most economical way and if the resources put into the programme is justified. Before the evaluation, decision on the kind of information that is needed is taken. To ensure that relevant data are gathered at the appropriate time, an eight-stage framework for evaluation of health promotion interventions proposed by Rootman et al in 200123 was adopted. These stages are Describing the programme, as well as clarifying the aims and objectives Identifying the issues and fears of stakeholders Designing of information-gathering process like questionnaire, records of behaviour change such as plaque scores, indices, documented record on dental caries rate (this was achieved with the help of dentists and hygienist in the allocated areas of the programme) also question and answer session with patient or during the dental awareness campaign. Collecting data Analysing data Make recommendations publish findings Take action or implementation Evaluation is an empowering experience which should involve all stakeholders. Although, evaluation of this dental awareness and oral care promotion is challenging as there are complex, context-specific programme which also focus on the socioeconomic and environmental determinants of well-being. Determine of outcomes: the outcome of the programme is influenced by the timing of the evaluation. The outcome of this programme after assessing the effects of intervention can be said to be immediate (impact), intermediate and long-term for some patients. Dental awareness and Oral health care programme had the following effects: Improves peoples knowledge and perception about oral health care Improve the oral health care of the communities in the programme Improve the oral health care and awareness among school children It motivates patients that are afraid of visiting dentist It motivates and encourage most of the participants to be going for regular check-up Impact evaluation was inculcated into the programme as the stage ends. This is the stage where the public worker or oral health educator includes review of the programme at the last session. The intermediate and long-term evaluation involves assessment for longer effect. This was ascertained by comparing the participant oral health related behaviour before and after the programme but in most cases after a year some participants discontinue from the programme due to death or loss of interest. Effectiveness of the evaluation: the evaluation was effective as it shows that the aims and objectives of the programme were met. For instance, the aims and objectives for Community Oral Health Programme (COHP) are prevention of oral diseases and provision of basic oral care services to the communities while the Community Dental Educational Health programme (CODEH) is to organise dental awareness campaign in the communities, market places and schools. This shows that the programme is a success and dental team as well as all the workers efforts in the programme are worthwhile. 3. Key elements in the success or failure of the programme: There have been elements and factors that have led to the success and failure in some aspects of the programme. Communication: good communication network between the public health teams, from dentists to their patients and from oral health educators to varieties of patients or the public is paramount to the success of the programme. It is important to make patients feel at ease and demystify the fear of visiting the dentist by answering their questions clearly. Communication can take place at two levels: cognitive (understanding) and emotional (which relates feelings) which is very important when treating a patient7. Effective and good communication helps the patients to feel relaxed while discussing their oral health problems and devise solutions. Communication barriers: these can lead to failure of a programme. Therefore, it is always advised for professionals to identify any existent of communication barriers during the first stage of communication with the patient. These barriers could be: Social/cultural barriers which involves ethnic backgrounds, cultural/religion beliefs, social class, sex and age Limited receptiveness of patients due to mental health problems, pain, dementia, fear or low self esteem Negative attitude by the patients towards dental professionals due to previous bad experience or believes that they know it all. Dental professionals failing to give insufficient emphasis on dental education. Continuous dental professional development needs to be incorporated in the training for all stakeholders involved in the implementation of the COHP programme. Contradictory messages of oral health care to patients from other health professionals leaving the patients confused as well as use of some dental jargons by the dental professionals to the patients. Strategic planning and evaluation of the programme: planning oral health strategy need to be permissible within the political and policy constraints of Nigeria government. This can lead the programme to success by being more productive and effective on what can be implemented in promoting dental awareness and oral health care such as: Oral health needs assessment: this is to assess unmet dental health needs in a systematic approach to ensure that the public health service uses its resources to promote and improve the dental health of the population. The information gathered for the assessment does not only based on DMF data but also from other sources like data from oral health determinants, caries prevalence, prevalence due to toothache, public demand, existence of dental services as well as policy development14. These information gather will build a focus in monitoring the rate of dental caries which will be useful at the national level during planning dental health educational programmes, future demand and utilization of oral health organisation and financing. It will help plan strategies to improve oral health care of the people through public health interventions. Monitor services provided by the dental team and the extent in which the strategies have improved the oral health of the population after the imple mentation of public health interventions as well as changes to the services. Resources and Support: this is to ascertain from the dental budget the fund available for oral health services and promotion to meet with demand and supply of the population as well as educational programme is very essential. As this will help facilitate the programme, involving experienced and trained public health professional, build and equip dental services and the outreach units with modern equipment if needed as well as developing professional network between the program and community8. Although, in some cases professional barriers can be encountered leading to failure whereby the local dentists does not comply with strategy due to threats on their private dental service business or if their employment terms and conditions are affected. Evaluation: this is an effective way of interventions in a programme, providing feedback to both participants and other part of the team as well as the stakeholders; ensure that appropriate use of resources and other guidelines are followed. During planning of the programme, the programme is evaluated to assess how strategy was implemented and at the end of the programme, evaluation is used to determine what has been achieved. Oral health preventive promotion: there are two ways to achieve this through clinical and public health preventive approach Clinical preventive approach: this approach depends on the proficiency and skill of the dentist also this takes place in dental clinics whereby chair-side oral health educational counselling is given to the patients after the administration of one or two clinical preventive agents are used for instance topical fluorides and fissure sealants. This approach has some down falls such as limited coverage of the population, it can be very expensive leading to increase in health inequalities, less community involvement, in some cases fail to pin-point the causes of poor oral health and can easily leads to conflicting messages. Public health preventive approach: this approach stress on the determinants of health for instance stipulates the attributes of oral health problems as shown in Fig. 1 below illustrating the impact of economic, political, environmental conditions to oral health, not to mention peoples lifestyle which is under the social and community context, although some oral health related behaviour can be influenced by some of the social factors depending on individuals, educating patients through oral health educators, dentists and other trained dental professionals. Oral health education is the one of the channels of promoting oral and promote equity and lessen the rate of health inequalities, be in partnership with various agencies and sectors to achieve their goals, creating dental awareness, increasing people knowledge and getting them involved in self-care. C:UsersAmakaDocumentsimg057.jpg Fig. 1 Diagram of Social determinants of oral health15 Oral health care outreach and information centre: this is preventive dental unit where oral health education can be given to individuals or small groups. This is an avenue whereby the dental public health team or oral health educators motivates, communicate also establish friendly and informal relationship with the patients. This kind of preventive treatment can be a success or failure of the programme depending on the patient and staff cooperation. Therefore, it will be wise to evaluate each teaching sessions by using question and answer session with patients and questionnaire on the performance of the educator. The patient feedback should be used to assess the progress of the unit. In Nigeria, majority of preventive dental units in public and private sectors are located in urban areas where most of the dentists are practising. Leaving those in rural areas with minimal or no access to modern dental treatment. 4. Recommendations for the future of the programme: Nigeria government should fund dental fissure sealant for children in the following categories: mentally or physically handicapped, those with nursing or bottle caries as well as those who have primary and first molars. Dentists should be able to clinically give treatment or advice to the patients without language barriers. This implies that there should be available provision a translator if the need arise. Both systematically and topically administered fluoride should be made available and affordable to the population for instance drinking water, salt, milk and use of fluoride toothpaste. Bearing in mind that, some part of Northern Nigeria is endemic of dental fluorosis due to relative high fluoride ingestion through drinking water14. The clinicians should be ready to adapt to the culture of the people and note the cultural differences for instance some cultures or religion forbids a male doctor or nurse to treat a female patient which applies to oral health care. Ability to in cooperate dental health care awareness into schools Public health workers should endeavour to identify children with high caries risk status More oral health awareness should be created as well as dietary education for parents and children. Highlighting on the need to reduce sugar intake and promote consumption of sugar free both in medications and drinks, fruits and vegetables as well as the need for good self oral hygiene practice It has been proven that most parents bring their children to clinics during holiday therefore will recommend that most dental clinics should be school led that is opening till late. Regular dental check-ups should be encouraged by the oral health team for early identification of dental problem Dental health education programmes should be conducted in the communities (both in rural and urban areas) and regularly The government should encourage the implementation of various community fluoride programmes by funding During epidemiological studies of dental caries, DMF index should always be used All Nigeria dentists should also adopt advances methods of diagnosing dental caries which should be considered when recording and reporting caries in future and ensure that this does not affect historical and international comparisons15.
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