The Moral Disagreement on Capital Punishment (Death Penalty)

Using Democratic Deliberation to Resolve the Moral Disagreement on Capital Punishment (Death Penalty) Common American experience seems to suggest that a solution to every dilemma can be found through enough lobbying, legislating, media-blitzing or politicking. We often believe that the person arguing most eloquently, reasonably or forcefully will win every dispute, yet there are times when this optimism fails. Despite great efforts to show the strength of a position, there are arguments that we cannot untangle simply by proving our right and anothers wrong. Some moral questions permit such different outlooks that holders of completely opposing views can both be morally sound. Rather than trying to reason away one side we can only†¦show more content†¦Participants in such discussion can arrive at an understanding of their differing views and gain respect for the variation that exists, the first steps towards solving the moral questions that seem unsolvable. To lead towards any justifiable outcome, deliberation must abide by certain guidelines of respect, open mindedness and accommodation. At the heart of the debate must be a genuine acknowledgement that opponents views, though disagreeing with our own, are just as morally sound. In granting this we must also approach the discussion with a willingness to change our opinions if discussion reveals a stronger moral position. Deliberation relies on rational participants who do not blindly cling to prior beliefs despite evidence favoring other ones. If, however, deliberators cannot justify leaving their positions after fair consideration, they must make concessions to the opposing side without sacrificing their own views. By eliminating points of contention opponents can reach towards an economy of moral disagreement. Though it will never be possible to satisfy every member of this diverse nation, appeals to methods of deliberation offer moral justification for our decisions. A crusader f or censorship, for example, will always be upset if defeated, but he may be more satisfied knowing the rationale for his defeat than otherwise. To investigate whether or notShow MoreRelatedThe Constitutionality Of Capital Punishment1625 Words   |  7 PagesCapital punishment is a form of taking someone s life in order to repay for the crime that they have committed. Almost all capital punishment sentences in the United States of America have been imposed for homicide since the 1970 s. Ever since the reinstatement after 38 years of being banned, there has been intense debate among Americans regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment. Critics say that executions are violations of the â€Å"cruel and unusual punishment† provision of the EighthRead MoreShould Capital Punishment Be Abolish?981 Words   |  4 PagesShould capital punishment be abolish? The answer should definitely be, no. Without the death penalty, criminals would oppose the law more aggressively. Criminals would openly do as they like, because they would no longer have the restriction from the law. Meaning without the law, the crime rate would escalate greatly. Yet in light of this importance, opponents (against capital punishment) offer their oppositional viewpoints. They combat what they consider the menace of social order. They question:Read MoreTaking a Look at Capital Punishment1080 Words   |  4 Pages Since 1608, legal systems have used capital punishment as justice. â€Å"As of November 2014, 32 states have the death penalty. There have been a total of 1348 executions from January 1977 to the end of 2014† (capitalpunishmentuk). The capital punishment only affects those who sentenced in the crime of rape or murder. The most popular death method is lethal injection. 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Its application is restricted by the amendment of the eight to intensified killings committed by psychologically competent people. Capital punishment existed a consequence for numerous misdemeanors under English mutual regulation, and it was imposed in entire of the early US colonies preceding to the Declaration of IndependenceRead MoreGreat Philosophers : Moral Knowledge1430 Words   |  6 PagesLaurella Dotan 12/11/14 Great Philosophers Moral Knowledge Over the last several thousand years, ideas of what is acceptable, right, and moral have shifted and evolved. What one time period and place held as a moral truth—such as the acceptability of slavery due to a person’s skin color—another place and time views as a moral failing. How humans gain knowledge, and even the very nature of knowledge, have been hotly contested throughout the centuries, as philosophers have developed various theoriesRead MoreThe Ethics of Capital Punishment Essay examples1501 Words   |  7 PagesAmericans have argued over the death penalty since the early days of our country. In the United States only 38 states have capital punishment statutes. As of year ended in 1999, in Texas, the state had executed 496 prisoners since 1930. The laws in the United States have change drastically in regards to capital punishment. An example of this would be the years from 1968 to 1977 due to the nearly 10 year moratorium. During those years, the Supreme Court ruled that capital punishment violated the Eight Amendment’sRead More The Problem of Capital Punishment Essay3342 Words   |  14 PagesThe Problem of Capital Punishment The issue of capital punishment is a divisive topic that encompasses many moral and empirical aspects of human justice. Ultimately, the key issue regarding the death penalty is as follows: is the death penalty an appropriate form of punishment for the United States of America’s judicial system to impose? This key issue incorporates the empirical and moral claims of the opponents both for and against capital punishment in America. The main empirical issuesRead MoreThe Fundamental Claim of Cultural Relativism Essay example1270 Words   |  6 Pagesuse to govern if an act is morally wrong or right. It is considered a subspecies of the theory of moral relativism as it essentially follows the same path but just considers a more narrow approach. Putting Schafer-Landau’s Argument from disagreement into context for cultural relativism, looks to disprove the theory, however I will demonstrate how it is flawed. Schafer-Landau’s Argument from disagreement states: P1: If well informed, open minded people intractably disagree about some claim, then that

Themes of Conformity in Society - 561 Words

As readers, we see how the analysis of conflictive themes has been taking over literature scenarios. When reading between the lines of certain books we can perceive themes such as conformity and rebellion. Mostly these themes can be seen in writings from times of social upheaval. According to The Oxford Dictionary, the word conformity means â€Å"behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards†, while rebellion means â€Å"the action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention.† These terms create a constant battle among societies. A certain amount of conformity needs to exist in life in order to avoid disorder. This is the reason society has laws, rules and expectations. Literature represents life, and these themes can be found at the root of many literary works. Conformity can also be considered as silence. This silence is based on the restrictions of real feelings and thoughts in some literary pieces. During the sixteenth centur y, the emphasis on conformity was at its height. Works of literature from this time period have often reflected a fascination and frustration with this particular characteristic. People do not want to be restricted in terms of expressing opinions and developing certain activities. When facing oppression, denial of their freedom, they rebel, and that contributes to the part of the process of change in society. Not all kinds of rebellions are rationally fundamental, but when they are, it can transform society for theShow MoreRelatedThe Movie Cool Hand Luke 1164 Words   |  5 Pagesprisoners. Unfortunately at the end, Luke ends up getting shot and killed. After viewing the movie â€Å"Cool Hand Luke† there were three main psychological themes that were very prevalent on the basis of the film. 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According to Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the second question models the world in which he lives. Over a span of three days, nonconformist Holden seeks different people to connect with, most of whom are conformists, but is left isolated and unhappy as no one seems to care about him. Through the characterization of Holden Caulfield, JD Salinger develops the theme of society’s disdain of nonconformityRead MoreBelonging - a Clockwork Orange Essays679 Words   |  3 Pageswill allow a sense of identity, without this we lose our huma nity; however, conformity is in a sense a facade of belonging, as it restrains our freedom and forces us to only mimic. My studied texts show how society demands us to conform, yet conformity prevents a sense of true identity being ever created. This notion is elaborated in the novel, A Clockwork Orange. Alex is a criminal who doesn’t belong anywhere within society. In the novel, the government attempts to suppress his criminality by physicallyRead MoreNon-Conformity in The Catcher in the Rye and Igby Goes Down Essay1170 Words   |  5 Pagesthe issue of non-conformity among youth. As Steers’ text is an appropriation of Salinger’s, similar ideas and opinions are presented, however they are affected by both context and medium in the way that they are conveyed, and the composers view on the issues. Despite this, their purpose remains the same, and that is to show the positive and negative sides of non-conformism on the mental and physical health of contemporary youth. The issues used to convey this purpose are conformity, growing up andRead MoreJohn Ford’s acclaimed film The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) is well-known among cinema buffs800 Words   |  4 Pagesit sheds light on the theme of the film, which is that of the American identity. What Ford articulates in the film is a vision of the American character that is rooted in the heritage of the Old West and in the doctrines of freedom and liberty that underlie the founding of America as a nation. In many ways, the film traces a cynical evolution from the earliest days of the frontier, symbolizing self-reliance and individuality, and the modern era of media and social conformity. The reason that theRead MoreEssay On Chris Mccandless969 Words   |  4 Pagesan individual’s purpose is to be unique and to avoid being conformed by civilization. Ralph Waldo Emerson views a persons purpose as to not conform, however he advises to be well versed in a vast majority of areas, both of these authors view non-conformity as the most important trait a person may have and view civilization as evil. Chris McCandless was a young man who desired an adventurous and exciting life, not to be held down from civilization’s restraints and social norms. In addition, ChrisRead More Social Change In Japan Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pageseliminate diversity are the family, the power of gender, the poor treatment of minority groups, the corporate Japanese mentality, and the respect required by people in authority. However, due to globalization and the shrinking of the world, Japanese society is starting to make the change to diversity. The individualistic mentality shared by the new technology driven younger generation is putting pressure on the old Japanese status quo. The transformation is happening very slow, but as the populationRead MoreRay BradburyS Fahrenheit 451 Shows A Society Where, Similar1070 Words   |  5 PagesRay Bradbury s Fahrenheit 451 shows a society where, similar to modern day America, technology and conformity are praised, but unique ideas are seen as taboo. Ma ny have heard phrases to the effect of â€Å"Don’t watch so much TV, it’ll rot your brain!† But is there any validity to these claims? 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The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss Free Essays

Macduff (Macbeth) 1 Macduff (Macbeth) Macduff (Macbeth) Dan O’Herlihy as Macduff in Orson Welles’ controversial film adaptation Macbeth (1948) Creator William Shakespeare Play Date Source Family Macbeth c. 1603-1607 Holinshed’s Chronicles (1587) Lady Macduff, wife Son, (name unknown) Antagonist to Macbeth; kills him in the final act. Despair thy charm / And let the angel whom thou has served / Tell thee Macduff was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped (5. We will write a custom essay sample on The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss or any similar topic only for you Order Now 10. 14-16) Role Quote Macduff, the Thane of Fife, is a character in William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (c. 603-1607). Macduff plays a pivotal role in the play: he suspects Macbeth of regicide and eventually kills Macbeth in the final act. He is the main antagonist, yet the hero, in the play. The character is first known from Chronica Gentis Scotorum (late 14th century) and Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland (early 15th century). Shakespeare drew mostly from Holinshed’s Chronicles (1587). Although characterized sporadically throughout the play, Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth, a figure of morality, and an instrument to the play’s desired excision of femininity. Origin The overall plot that would serve as the basis for Macbeth is first seen in the writings of two chroniclers of Scottish history, John of Fordun, whose prose Chronica Gentis Scotorum was begun about 1363 and Andrew of Wyntoun’s Scots verse Orygynale Cronykil of Scotland, written no earlier than 1420. These served as the basis for the account given in Holinshed’s Chronicles (1587), on whose narratives of King Duff and King Duncan Shakespeare in part based Macbeth. Macduff first appears in Holinshed’s narrative of King Duncan after Macbeth has killed the monarch and reigned as King of Scotland for 10 years. When Macbeth calls upon his nobles to contribute to the construction of Dunsinane castle, Macduff avoids the summons, arousing Macbeth’s suspicions. Macduff leaves Scotland for England to prod Duncan’s son, Malcolm, into taking the Scottish throne by force. Meanwhile, Macbeth murders Macduff’s family. Malcolm, Macduff, and the English forces march on Macbeth, and Macduff kills him. [1] Shakespeare follows Holinshed’s account of Macduff closely, with his only deviations being Macduff’s discovery of Duncan’s body in 2. 3, and Macduff’s brief conference with Ross in 2. 4. Historically, the Clan MacDuff was the most powerful family in Fife in the medieval ages. [2] The ruins of Macduff’s Castle lie in East Wemyss cemetery. Role in the play Macduff first speaks in the play in 2. 3 when he discovers the corpse of King Duncan in Macbeth’s castle. He raises an alarm, informing the castle that the king has been murdered. Macduff begins to suspect Macbeth of regicide when Macbeth says, â€Å"O, yet I do repent me of my fury / That I did kill them† (2. 3. 103-104). Interestingly, Macduff’s name does not appear in this scene; rather, Banquo refers to him as â€Å"Dear Duff† (2. 3. 75). In 2. Macbeth has left for Scone, the ancient royal city where Scottish kings were crowned. Macduff, meanwhile, meets with Ross and an Old Man. He reveals that he will not be attending the coronation of Macbeth and will instead return to his home in Fife. However, Macduff flees to England to join Malcolm, the slain King Duncan’s elder so n, and convinces him to return Macduff (Macbeth) to Scotland and claim the throne. Macbeth, meanwhile, visits the Three Witches again after the spectre of Banquo appears at the royal banquet. The Witches warn Macbeth to â€Å"beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife† (4. 1. 87-88). Furthermore, they inform him that, â€Å"The power of man, for none of woman born / Shall harm Macbeth† (4. 1. 96-97). Macbeth, fearing for his position as King of Scotland, orders the deaths of Macduff’s wife, children and relatives. Macduff, who is still in England, learns of his family’s deaths through Ross, another Scottish thane. He joins Malcolm, and they return to Scotland with their English allies to face Macbeth at Dunsinane Castle. After Macbeth slays the young Siward, Macduff confronts Macbeth. Although Macbeth believes that he cannot be killed by any man born of a woman, he soon learns that Macduff was â€Å"from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped† (5. 10. 15-16). The two fight, and Macduff slays Macbeth offstage. Macduff ultimately presents Macbeth’s head to Malcolm, hailing him as king and calling on the other thanes to declare their allegiance with him (5. 11. 20-25). 2 Analysis Macduff as a foil to Macbeth As a supporting character, Macduff serves as a foil to Macbeth; his integrity directly contrasts with Macbeth’s moral perversion. [3] In an exchange between the Scottish thane Lennox and another lord, Lennox talks of Macduff’s flight to England and refers to him as â€Å"some holy angel† (3. 6. 6) who â€Å"may soon return to this our suffering country / Under a hand accursed† (3. 6. 48-49). The play positions the characters of Macduff and Macbeth as holy versus evil. The contrast between Macduff and Macbeth is accentuated by their approaches to death. Macduff, hearing of his family’s death, reacts with a tortured grief. His words, â€Å"But I must also fee l it as a man† (4. 3. 223), indicate a capacity for emotional sensitivity. While Macbeth and Lady Macbeth insist that manhood implies a denial of feeling (1. 7. 45-57), Macduff insists that emotional depth and sensitivity are part of what it means to be a man. This interpretation is supported by Macduff’s reaction upon his discovery of Duncan’s corpse and the echo of Macduff’s words when Macbeth responds to the news of Lady Macbeth’s death. Macduff struggles to find the words to express his rage and anguish, crying, â€Å"O horror, horror, horror† (2. 3. 59). In some stage interpretations, Macduff’s character transitions from a state of shock to one of frenzied alarm. [4] This contrasts starkly with Macbeth’s famous response to the announcement of his wife’s death: â€Å"She should have died hereafter / There would have been a time for such a word / Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow† (5. . 17-19). Macbeth’s words seem to express a brutal indifference–she would have died anyway–and perhaps even suggest that he has lost the capacity to feel. Macduff as a moral figure Although Macduff comes to represent a type of â€Å"goodness† in the dark world of Macbeth, Shakespeare also allows for some instability in his character. This becomes most evident in 4. 3 when Macduff joins Malcolm in England. In this scene, the play has moved from the tumult in Scotland to England. In the exchange between the two Scotsmen, Malcolm is clearly in control and forces Macduff to examine and reconcile with himself his own moral code. In a moment of dramatic irony, Macduff begins the conversation urging Malcolm to fight for Scotland rather than to grieve, not knowing that Malcolm has already arranged for English military support (4. 3. 134-136). Malcolm manipulates Macduff, questioning his loyalty, facilitating his emotional responses, and testing to see how much Macduff’s, and perhaps the audience’s, morality can ultimately be compromised. Malcolm portrays Macbeth as a tyrant, but he positions himself, too, as someone morally repulsive. [4] He describes his own voluptuousness–the bottomless â€Å"cistern of [his] lust† (4. 3. 4)–and â€Å"staunchless avarice† (4. 3. 79). Macduff must decide whether he can accept Malcolm as an alternative to Macbeth. He does not give this answer until the final scene, addressing Malcolm, â€Å"Hail King† (5. 6. 20). By this point, however, Malcolm has â€Å"abjure[d] / The taints and blames I laid upon myself, / For strangers to my nature†(4. 3. 125-127). This shows that rather than speaking truthfully about himself, Malcolm was simply testing Macduff to see where Macduff’s loyalties were. Therefore, Macduff is right in accepting Malcolm Macduff (Macbeth) as king. Macduff may also be read as a precursor for ethical philosophy. 5] Macduff’s flight from Scotland is a â€Å"spiritual reawakening†, with spirituality based around the truth, regardless of what it may be. Macduff constantly reexamines his values. In deciding to leave his family, Macduff deserts those values and pays bitterly for it. Macduff echoes sentiments of writers such as Plato and the later Thomas Hobbes, who claim that morality may only be judged to the extent that a person takes responsibility for his or her actions. Thus, because he accepts the burden of his decision to leave his family for political exploration, Macduff’s actions can be justified. [5] 3 Macbeth and the fantasy of female power One of the themes that the play Macbeth wrestles with is the relationship between male vulnerability and feminine influence. The play explores the fantasy of a female or maternal power as well as the desire of an escape from this influence. [6] Femaleness is to be feared and reviled, and to a certain extent, the play works to excise femininity and restore autonomous male or paternal power. However, the play also exposes the impossibility of the fantasy of absolute masculinity. After Macbeth derives much of his motivation from the Witches’ perceived promise of invincibility: that no man born of woman can kill him. He interprets the prophecy to mean he is untainted by femininity, as if femininity were the source of vulnerability. [6] Macbeth believes in his own invulnerability, claiming, â€Å"I bear a charmed life, which must not yield / To one of woman born† (Act V, scene 8). However, Macduff, born via caesarian section, exposes this fantasy as a fallacy. He replies to Macbeth: â€Å"Despair thy charm, / And let the angel whom thou still hast served / Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb / Untimely ripped† (Act V, scene 8). Though he may not have been of a woman born in the conventional sense (thus fulfilling the prophecy), Macduff ultimately originates from woman, asserting that he was â€Å"from his mother’s womb. † If, as Macbeth believes, true manhood cannot derive from or be tainted by femininity, then Macduff’s very existence fundamentally counters this idea. References [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Bevington, David and William Shakespeare. Four Tragedies Bantam, 1988. Official Scottish Clans and Families (http:/ / www. electricscotland. com). Horwich, Richard. â€Å"Integrity in Macbeth: The Search for the ‘Single State of Man. † Rosenberg, Marvin. The Masks of Macbeth. University of California Press, 1978. Hennedy, John F. â€Å"Macduff’s Dilemma: Anticipation of Existentialist Ethics in Macbeth. † Adelman, Janet. â€Å"Escaping the Matrix: The Construction of Masculinity in Macbeth and Coriolanus. † Suffocating mothers: fantasies of maternal orig in in Shakespeare’s plays. Routledge, 1992. External links †¢ Macbeth: Folio Version (http://internetshakespeare. uvic. ca/Annex/Texts/Mac/F1/Work) †¢ Macbeth: Full-text online (http://shakespeare. mit. edu/macbeth/full. html) Article Sources and Contributors 4 Article Sources and Contributors Macduff (Macbeth)   Source: http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? oldid=542149214   Contributors: 2A01:388:201:3030:E4B5:F56E:CE1B:5242, Agricolae, Akira625, Alansohn, Alex2706, Andrei Iosifovich, Andrew Hampe, Ashton1983, Australian Matt, Benjamin Geiger, Bucklesman, Byron Farrow, Cntras, David Gerard, Deskford, Dwanyewest, Escape Orbit, Finavon, Fitnr, Focus, Girlwithgreeneyes, Huw Powell, IllaZilla, ItsLassieTime, John of Lancaster, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, KGasso, Kabartlett, Kierant, Kyaa the Catlord, Lentower, Lordrosemount, Luki9875, MarnetteD, Mhardcastle, Mhockey, Monkeyzpop, Nashikawa, NatureA16, Omarworld87, P. S. Burton, PC78, Paul Bedson, Pegship, Philip Trueman, Pjweller, Poeloq, Red-eyed demon, Roregan, SAGE01, Saga City, Smalljim, Speedevil, Stefanomione, Stephenb, Steven Zhang, ThinkBlue, Tiria, Tommy2010, Treybien, UltimateCoach, Wangyingyun, Warofdreams, Woohookitty, Wrad, Xover, 115 anonymous edits License Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3. 0 Unported //creativecommons. org/licenses/by-sa/3. 0/ How to cite The Opening Scene of Macbeth Sets the Mood of the Whole Play-Discuss, Essay examples

Underachievement of the Nursing Student-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the application of different learning theory to promote effective learning process. Answer: Introduction: Effective mentorship during prequalified nursing education is considered very important because nursing students spend half of their course in clinical practice. In such situation, it is essential that rich clinical experience is provided to nursing students that supports their ongoing development and learning. It can be summed up by saying that effective mentorship is critical for the development of required clinical competencies in nursing students. Students who find an effective mentor before their placement finds the mentoring support as invaluable for their professional skill development. While a student attempts to learn new nursing skills and interventions, the mentor acts as a gatekeeper to monitor whether expectations in particular task is met by them or not. The supervising mentor guides a failing student to the right direction by summative assessment of their learning and implementation of alternative learning process to improve their practice (Myall et al., 2008). This es say explores the whole process of mentoring and their role in learning, teaching and assessment of students through the discussion on an experience of mentorship with an underachieving student. The essay takes the discussion further by describing the underachievement of the nursing student and identifying the behaviors or action leading to underachievement. Furthermore, the assessment of the student is done through the comparison with different learning styles and using them to teach and improve existing skill of students. The essay also focuses on the application of different learning theory to promote effective learning process. Finally, the essay also provides a reflection on key learning from the experience as a mentor to improve nursing skills of an underachieving student. Discussion on underachieving student For a nursing mentor, managing and supporting a nursing student who is failing to meet the standards and proficiencies mentioned by NMC (National Midwifery Council) for registration is the most challenging task. The NMC outlines different competency standards for different practice areas such as adult nursing, mental health nursing, childrens nursing and learning disabilities nursing. The NMC also makes it mandatory for all mentors to support and assess learning of a student on pre-registration nursing education programme (Nursing Midwifery Council 2017). Therefore, mentors work with prequalifying nursing students to support, supervise and teach them in the application of theory to practice. However, when a student does not perform at the expected level, the mentoring role becomes difficult. Once such challenging mentoring experience was seen when a second year nursing student came to a mentor for a 5 week placement. The main reason for which she was sent to the mentor was that she was inefficient in administering medications correctly. In her last placement, she was found to make serious error in this area and due to this underacheivement, she was placed under a mentor. She had made many mistakes in last placement as she gave the wrong dose of medication to a patient which lead to adverse drug event. Considering the underachievement of student in medicine administration, the mentors role in supporting the student to achieve this competency is important. This is because nurses are the most involved in the medicine administration phase and they play a vital role in the medication process. A small mistake by them can also cost the lives of patient. Wrong dose related error is mostly made by nurse due to complex dosage regimen particularly in the specialty area of ICU, emergency department and intervention area (Smeulers et al., 2015). The common reasons reported by nurses for this kind of error are name confusion, inappropriate drug labeling, miscommunication and knowledge deficits (Feleke, Mulatu, Yesmaw, 2015). Hence, as a mentor, it is very important for them to identify, intercept and correct errors of the nursing student in placement. The first step for mentor is to identify the underachieving learner. The mentor can do this by reviewing the previous placement record of the nursing student. This can help to formulate strategy for support and guidance (Melnyk et al., 2014). While trying to assess the behavior of the underachieving learner, the most common problem reported by mentors was that nursing students could not apply theoretical knowledge to nursing practice. In the scenario of the nursing student, she also faced the same problem. She also had attitude because she felt very nervous and displayed very high level of anxiety during clinical actions. Another major issue with her was that she had poor interpersonal skill which increased the likelihood of making medication error. During the observation, the student was found to display high level of anxiety during medicine administration. The students behavior is common to other underachieving learner. Rooke, (2014) showed that underachieving learners in nursing p ractice display diverse range of behaviors like reluctant to ask questions, unenthusiastic attitude, high level of anxiety, inconsistent performance, lack of theory to support learning, lack of response insight, poor judgment and poor professional behavior and development. In this situation, the mentor plays a major role in improving the knowledge, skills and professional attitude required for professional nursing practice. Assessment of student and learning style: To address the shortcoming of the nursing student in medicine administration, the first critical step for the mentor will be to establish a unique relationship with the learner. A mentor is defined as an individual who manage the potential of a learner, develop their skills and help them achieve their professional goals (Bray Nettleton, 2007). As part of student-mentor relationship, the role of mentor is to judge the quality of the underachieved student through assessment process. The progress of learner is dependent on unbiased assessment decisions. Maran Pera, (2015) also mentions that relationship is the heart of effective mentoring and giving constructive and developmental feedback is the fundamental part of professional mentoring relationship. The following are the important element of effective mentor-student relationship: Open communication with learner Identifying goals and challenges Passion and inspiration Developing caring relationship, mutual respect and trust Exchange of knowledge Independence and collaboration (Eller, Lev, Feurer, 2014) Hence, the process starts with open communication with learner and assessment of their unique learning style. Secondly, this is followed by teaching and learning phase in which passion, inspiration and exchange of knowledge occurs. Foster, Ooms Marks-Maran, (2015) mentions that for students, teaching and knowledge exchange is the most valued behavior for them in the student-mentor relationship. Mentors also work to address the attitude related problem of learners. For instance, they can motivate students to learn by arousing their curiosity level. They always try to correct their clinical action by explaining the relevance of the action for achieving adesired goal. The most important point that must be instilled in unachieved students mind is that they must also have the confidence that they can learn anything and achieve satisfactory results. Developing anxiety and lack of confidence is a negative trait for learners. In the context of the nursing student with underachievement in medications administration, her skill and professional development can be planned by mentors by proper assessment strategy. Proper assessment and accountability will only foster professional growth, personal development and nursing competency of the student (Moran Banks, 2016). Learning style is one of the major factor that influence learning and identifying the preferred learning style of student is important to align the teaching and learning strategies according to the preferred learning style of students. It promotes retention of information and promotes learning too (Leidenfrost et al., 2014). In case of the underachieved student, the mentor can identify her learning style via the VAK questionnaire. The VAK questionnaire is based on the visual-auditory-kinesthetic learning styles model. It is a simple and easily tool that helps mentor to identify preferred learning styles of students and plan specific teaching plan and learning strategies that matches students preference (Thakur, Vij, Shri, 2017). The VAK learning style model defines three types of learning styles. Visual learners are those who learn best from visual displays and taking notes. They always try to observes things through display, demonstrations, handout and displays. The second learning style is the auditory learning style that involves retention of information through spoken words or sounds. Such learners pays interest to lectures, classroom discussion and role plays. Another learning style is the kinesthetic learning style by which learners learn through physical and practical hands-on experience. This types of learners are explorers who actively participates in activities (Gholami Bagheri, 2013). The VAK questionnaire helps to identify learning styles by answering 30 questions. The score obtained from the response determines the main preferred learning style of student. Based on the learning style of the underachieved student, the mentor can plan the modes of learning and teaching process for them. If she is a auditory learner, she can use lecture methods for teaching. For visual learners, providing displays will be important. Secondly, for kinesthetic learners, giving them practical hands-on experience will promote their professional development. Application of learning theories to enhance learning On the basis of the VAK questionnaire, the preferred learning style identified in the underachieving student was visual learning style. The assigned mentor can plan teaching and assessment strategies according to the visual learning style. In such case, the mentor needs to explain all the concepts related to medicine administration by means of pictures, diagrams and good quality educational videos. They need to integrate all clinical information with visual diagrams. Matching learning style with preferred learning style will ultimately prove beneficial for the underachieved nursing student because this will have a great impact on her ability to acquire the knowledge related to safe medicine administration (Morgan, 2014). All have an individual learning styles that best suits them. Therefore, the underachieved nursing student is expected to take detailed notes and learn fast by means of illustration, graphics and power-point presentation. Hence, visual tools will be used as a teaching tool to improve the skills of the nursing student. Although the focus of mentor is to promote professional development of students, however assessment is required in the area of professional values, interpersonal skills, attitudes and reasoning too (Bennett McGowan, 2014). This is because certain behavior and value also determines the ability to manage risk and remaining persistence with service standards. On the basis of this identification, appropriate action plan can be developed by the mentors. According to the NMC specification, while assessing and documenting the skill of pre-registration nursing student, it is necessary to be factual and non-judgment to identify strength and weakness in particular nursing practice (Nursing Midwifery Council, 2017).In the context of underachieving nursing student, the mentor can identify weakness in clinical skill by reviewing past placement report. Secondly, her attitudes and behavior towards nursing practices can be evaluated by open communication and interaction with the student. This inte raction revealed many efficiencies in student both in terms of professional skills as well as interpersonal skills and professional values. Firstly, the student was found to lack confidence and her communication skill was poor. In the area of medicine administration, determining medicine in different clinical situation was difficult for her. So, the action plan for professional development mainly needs to address the area of competencies in medicine administration and personal attitude towards nursing practice. Developing an action plan for underachieving nursing student to help them achieve specific professional outcome is a challenging task for mentors. However, it can be made easier by outlining different activities such as- Identifying areas of development for nursing students Evaluating how to achieve target learning outcomes. Listing the criteria to assess achievement of outcome Planning a date for achievement of action plan Giving constructive and honest written or verbal assessment feedback to students Implement teaching plan for the achievement of desired competencies (Brown et al., 2012). While teaching the nurse about medicine administration safety, the first important teaching will be to make the student crystal clear about the five stages of medication process- prescribing, transcribing, dispensing and delivery, administering and monitoring process (Halbesleben et al., 2010). In helping the nurse to achieve the required competency in this area, the nurse will not focus on the nursing actions in each process. Instead, it will focus on making the student nurse about errors that can occur in different stage. This will be a unique learning opportunity for student because mentors have the experience in these areas and they provided useful knowledge about practice issues occurring in this activity. This process will enhance the learning process and make the nurse aware about mistakes and ways to address them. The most common issue for nursing student when they enter clinical placement is that they struggle to apply theoretical knowledge into practice in different clinical situations. However, mentors facilitate their transition from one learning environment to another through their knowledge and experience in nursing (Button, Harrington, Belan, 2014). They can also enhance the learning experience of mentors by application of different learning theories in the teaching and mentoring process. Each learning theories can contribute to effective mentorship process. For instance, the behaviorist learning theory focused mainly on change in behavior due to experience or positive reinforcement. It recognizes that behavior can be changes in response to a stimulus. It is relevant to the theories of classical and operant conditioning that focus on reinforcement of rewards to promote change (Montano Kasprzyk, 2015). Hence, to modify students attitudes and response towards an action, the mentor can a lter the stimulus condition in clinical environment. Another theoretical perspective about learning is understood from the cognitive learning theory which focuses on individuals cognition such as perception, thought, memory and way of processing information to promote learning. It is a highly active process in which individual observe, categorize and form generalization about to environment and then develop new insights and learning (Sternberg Zhang, 2014). Hence, contrary to behavioral theory, it does not believe in rewards to enhance learning. A mentor trying to teach nursing students by this method will have to influence the learning process by identifying the past perception, expectation and social influence that affect their learning situation. Another adult learning theory is the andragogy learning theory which regards adult learning as problem centred process. It recognizes the fact that experience forms the basis for learning and people are interesting in learning those things which have immediate relevance in their personal l ife (Merriam, 2015). In my own personal mentoring practice, I would apply the cognitive learning theory to facilitate better learning in the nursing student. Hence, in relation to the inefficiency of the nursing student in safe medicine administration, the main role of mentor will be to assess the past experience of students in this activity and find out how their own expectation and social influences disrupts from achieving the outcome. This can give insight into the mentees expectation and the reasons for which she could not match them during delivery of the activity. Knowing about her own perception can help the mentor to judge whether she has the right professional value to achieve those competencies or not. Secondly, any knowledge or skills gap and other environmental factors in workplace that causes the student nurse to medication errors. Importance of clinical learning environment The main focus of mentors in nursing practice is to support preregistered nurse to achieve the desired competency to confirm their registration as a practice nurse. Hence, nurses mostly focus on characteristics and attitudes of nurse that prevent them from achieving desired professional outcome. However, it cannot be denied that shortcomings and weakness in nursing students alone do not lead to underachievement. Sometimes, the clinical environment of process also acts as a barrier in the accomplishing a clinical task in a safe and effective manner. This may have an impact on the students learning experience too. The clinical environment is necessary for practical experience and development of nurses. However, sometimes the clinical environment only creates stressful situation for nurses. One study investigating about learning challenges of nursing students in clinical environment revealed that insufficient qualification of nursing instructor and unsupportive learning environment crea ted challenges in learning (Baraz, Memarian, Vanaki, 2015). In relation to medication errors by nurses, it was also found that clinical environmental also contributed to this issues. Cheragi et al., (2013) revealed that nurses reported medication errors due to noisy environment, heavy workload, tiredness and lack of adequate support. All these factors are linked to clinical environment. Hence, it cannot be denied that providing an appropriate clinical environment is also necessary to enhance the learning process. To facilitate quality acquisition of clinical experience during placement, it is necessary to adjust clinical learning environment. Therefore, when mentors engage in assessment process, they must also assess nursing students satisfaction with the clinical environment as this also affects their motivation level as well as clinical performance (Papastavrou et al., 2016). After the identification of the learning style, the appropriate assessment of the nursing student can be done by SWOT analysis. This can help to determine the main priorities of action and utilizing strengths as a motivational factor for mentees. The SWOT analysis can act as a useful tool to identify strength and weakness in nursing students and plan teaching objectives accordingly. It can act as a starting block in the interview. The SWOT analysis can assess students in the following ways: Strength- Personal strengths and good qualities as a nursing student Weakness- Areas needing improvement in terms of clinical skill and personal attitude towards nursing Opportunities- Interesting opportunities for the nursing students to achieve competency in medication administration Threat- Personal and environment barriers acting as a threat in the learning and skill acquisition process With SWOT analysis process, objective setting process for learning and skill development will become easier. Reflection on assessment and constructive feedback can provide a positive learning experience to the underachieving student. On basis of identification of weakness and strength, the SMART objectives that can be made by the mentor to train and develop the student includes the following: Helping the student to achieve complete competency in safe medicine administration (Specific) Promoting practice based learning in student through visual aids and exploring past to identify perception, thought and attitude of nursing, evaluation of activities by validation of assessment tools and decisions (Measureable) Full clarity regarding medication administration process will be given through video tutorial and role play (Achievable) Improving communication and interpersonal skills to prevent errors and facilitate collaboration process in nursing practice (Relevant) Conclusion The essay gave an understanding about the duties and responsibilities of a mentor for skill development in pre-registration nursing students. The critical discussion regarding the process followed by a mentor to assess and teach an underachieving student gave insight into the importance of alignment with mentees learning style to promote learning. Furthermore, application of different learning theory was found to enhance the learning process for nursing students. Apart from focus on personal and professional skill development, the importance of effective clinical environment was also found to be important to support and motivate students to learn clinical skills. Completion of this module gave me very important knowledge and insights regarding the non-judgmental attitude and specific planning needed by mentors. It gave me idea about different dimension of mentors role such as that of effective working relationship, evidence-based practice, context of practice, assessment and accounta bility, evaluation of practice and facilitation of learning. 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