Dark Age of Nursing Essay

During the late middle Ages (1000-1500) -the crowding and poor sanitation in the monasteries nurses went into the community. During this era hospitals were built and the number of medical schools increases. Between 1500 and 1860 (A.D.) -the Renaissance all affected nursing. As nursing was not valued as an intellectual endeavor it lost much of its economic support and social status. The nursing conditions were at their worst and have been called the dark period of nursing. New hospitals had been built but quickly became places of horror as unsanitary conditions caused them to be a source of epidemics and disease. In 1545 -the council of Trent decreed that every community of women should live in strict enclosure. It took over 200 years of resistance for women to overcome this decree. The nursing sisters of France made little or no resistance such that their professional standards deteriorated. In the late 1500’s – several groups began nursing and tending the sick, poor, and dying. These groups were St. Francis de Sales, the Order of the Visitation of Mary, St. Vincent DePaul, the Sisters of Charity, Dames de Charite’, Louise le Gras, Brothers Hospitallers of St. John, Albuquerque, Order of St. Augustine, St. Camillas De Lellis, Jeanne Biscot, and the Nursing Sisters of St. Joseph de La Fleche. Many of these people came from rich and influential families. The dark ages of nursing lasted for three centuries until the mid 2800’s when Florence Nightingale brought about a change. Nursing during the Medieval Ages Either done by charitable religious orders or by the poor who worked for the rich. Nuns or sisters in a cloistered order made up the nursing staff in hospitals. Late Middle Ages Repression of women and cloistered orders by the Protestant church for all who followed the churches standards closely affected adversely the standards of nursing that had existed. Protestant Reformation The closing of monasteries during the Reformation by Luther and his views about the place of a woman caused many hospitals to shut to the sick and poor and further disrupted nursing care and quality. As women tended to hold the positions of nursing how women were treated and viewed strongly affected how nursing was viewed. During the 16th century Reformation and Catholic Counter-Reformation Religious orders were suppressed causing hospitals to become places of horror and a period of stagnation in nursing and health care followed. Because monasteries and hospitals were shut to the poor the sick were no longer separated from the healthy such that disease and epidemics spread. The Wars Florence Nightingale the â€Å"Lady with the Lamp† made history with her nursing work in the Crimean War and helped shake up the field of medicine. She is most remembered as a pioneer of nursing and a reformer of hospital sanitation methods. Nightingale pushed for reform of the British military health-care system and with that the profession of nursing started to gain the respect it deserved. Florence Nightingale’s two greatest life achievements–pioneering of nursing and the reform of hospitals–were amazing considering that most Victorian women of her age group did not attend universities or pursue professional careers. In 1854, after a year as a unpaid superintendent of a London â€Å"establishment for gentlewomen during illness,† the Secretary of War, Sidney Herbert, recruited Nightingale and 38 nurses for service in Scutari during the Crimean War. Nightingale was able to use the data as a tool for improving city and military hospitals. When Night ingale’s sanitary reform was implemented, the mortality rate declined. The establishment of the Army and Navy Nurse Corps opened the door for women in the military but ever so slightly. Army and Navy Nurse Corps women served valiantly throughout the war, many received decorations for their service. At least three Army nurses were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nations’ second highest military honor. Nurses were wounded, and several died overseas and are buried in military cemeteries far from home. Helen Fairchild-the Army nurse (from 1917) Fairchild was one of 64 nurses from Pennsylvania Hospital who had volunteered to join the American Expeditionary Force after the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. Nurse Fairchild died on Jan. 8, 1918, while on duty with British Base Hospital Alexandra of Denmark – Queen Queen Alexandra, the queen consort of Edward VII of Great Britain was known for founding Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) Margaret Sanger was birth control pioneer and founder of Planned Parenthood Civil War Nursing Women played a major role in nursing and sanitation efforts during the Civil War, paving the way for their entry into the nursing profession in greater numbers after the war, as well as paving the way for further professionalization of the nursing field. Dorothea Dix – Social Reformer Dorothea Dix was an activist who served in the Civil War as Superintendent of Female Nurses and she also worked for reform of treatment for the mentally ill. Clara Barton (1812-1912) Clara Barton was a Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross. Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave who helped others escape from slavery and was known as the Moses of her people. She was also a spy, nurse, and speaker for women’s rights. African American Women Nurses Black women who have served as nurses, often in wartime. The Army Nurse Corps was established in 1901 to provide a permanent active nursing corps. In World War II, the number of Army nurses by the end of the war was 57,000. The Army Nurse Corps has not only served the military by nursing wounded soldiers and reducing the death rate from disease, but has also served as a route for women to make a difference and build a career.

Causes of WWI essays

Causes of WWI essays World War I started due to a culmination of several long and short term factors involving aspects of nationalism, imperialism, militarism, alliance systems, and physical conflicts occurring over a forty year period. The industrial revolution brought around a radically different Europe than there had ever been before and it made nations compete and be wary of each other politically, economically, and militarily. This tension among the leadership of the European nations was supported by the rising nationalism within each nation. Economic and imperial competition and fear of war brought the nations into alliances and an increase in arms manufacturing. Nationalism was very strong within the European nations because of their strong sense of brotherhood and ethnic culture. Nationalism is what led to the unification of Germany in 1871 after a series of wars commanded by the Prussian leader Bismark. Along this path towards German unification was the Franco-Prussian war ending in a French defeat. The wars end left the French bitter after the loss of their Alsace-Lorraine. This was the first of many clashes between Germany and France which strengthen their hatred of one another. Nationalism brought a problem for German ally, Austria-Hungry in the Balkans, an area populated by many conflicting cultural groups. The strong belief in Panslavism by Serbia and Russias willingness to support their Slavic brothers was not liked by the Pangermanism of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Such a hatred of Austrian rule in the Balkns led to the creation of many anti-Austrian militant groups in the area, the most popular being the Black Hand. Th e Black Hand reached high levels with the Serbian government, and it was eventually a Black Hand member who began the ball rolling towards war in the days precipitating its start. Imperialism was another factor that led to increased rivalry within Europe. Great Britain, Germany, and France al...

USS Kentucky (BB-66) in World War II

USS Kentucky (BB-66) in World War II USS Kentucky (BB-66) was an unfinished battleship that was started during World War II (1939-1945). Originally intended to be the second ship of the Montana-class of battleship, Kentucky was re-ordered in 1940 as the sixth and final ship of the US Navys Iowa-class of battleships. As construction moved forward, the US Navy found that it had a greater need for aircraft carriers than battleships. This led to designs to convert Kentucky into a carrier. These plans proved impractical and work resumed on the battleship but at a slow pace. Still incomplete at the end of the war, the US Navy then considered a variety of projects for converting Kentucky into a guided-missile battleship. These also proved fruitless and in 1958 the ship was sold for scrap.      A New Design In early 1938, work began on a new battleship type at the request of US Navy General Board chief Admiral Thomas C. Hart. First seen  as a larger version of the earlier  South Dakota-class, the new battleships were to carry twelve 16 guns or nine 18 guns. As the design evolved, the armament changed to nine 16 guns. In addition, the class anti-aircraft complement underwent several alterations  with the majority of its 1.1 weapons being replaced with 20 mm and 40 mm guns. Funding for the new ships came in May with the passage of the Naval Act of 1938. Dubbed the  Iowa-class, building  of the lead ship,  USS  Iowa  (BB-61), was assigned to the New York Navy Yard. Laid down in 1940,  Iowa  was to be the first of four battleships in the class. Fast Battleships Though hull numbers BB-65 and BB-66 were originally intended to be the first two ships of the new, larger  Montana-class, the approval of the Two Ocean Navy Act in July 1940 saw them re-designated as two additional  Iowa-class  battleships named USS  Illinois  and USS  Kentucky  respectively. As fast battleships, their 33-knot speed would permit them to serve as escorts for the new  Essex-class  carriers that were joining the fleet. Unlike the preceding  Iowa-class ships (Iowa,  New Jersey,  Missouri, and  Wisconsin),  Illinois  and  Kentucky  were to utilize all-welded construction which reduced weight while enhancing hull strength. Some conversation was also had as to whether to retain the heavy armor arrangement initially planned for the  Montana-class. Though this would have improved the battleships protection, it would also have greatly lengthened construction time.   As a result, standard  Iowa-class armor was ordered.   Ã‚   USS Kentucky(BB-66) - Overview Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  Norfolk Naval ShipyardLaid Down:  March 7, 1942Fate:  Scrapped, October 31, 1958 Specifications (Planned) Displacement:  45,000 tonsLength:  887.2 ft.Beam:  108 ft., 2 in.Draft:  28.9  ft.Speed:  33  knotsComplement:  2,788 (Planned) Guns 9 Ãâ€" 16 in./50 cal Mark 7 guns20 Ãâ€" 5 in./38 cal Mark 12 guns80 Ãâ€" 40 mm/56 cal anti-aircraft guns49 Ãâ€" 20 mm/70 cal anti-aircraft cannons Construction The second ship to carry the name USS Kentucky, the first being the Kearsarge-class USS Kentucky (BB-6) commissioned in 1900, BB-65 was laid down at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on March 7, 1942.   Following the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway, the US Navy recognized that the need for additional aircraft carriers and other vessels superseded that for more battleships. As a result, construction of Kentucky was halted and on June 10, 1942, the bottom section of the battleship was launched to make room for Landing Ship, Tank (LST) construction. The next two years saw designers explore options for converting Illinois and Kentucky into carriers. The finalized conversion plan would have resulted in two carriers similar in appearance to the Essex-class. In addition to their air wings, they would have carried twelve 5 guns in four twin and four single mounts. Reviewing these plans, it was soon found that the converted battleships aircraft capacity would be less than the Essex-class and that the construction process would take longer than building a new carrier from scratch. As a result, it was decided to complete both vessels as battleships but very low priority was given to their construction.   Moved back to the slipway on December 6, 1944, construction of  Kentucky slowly resumed through 1945. With the end of the war, discussion ensued regarding completing the vessel as an anti-aircraft battleship. This led to work halting in August 1946.   Two years later, construction again moved forward though using the original plans. On January 20, 1950,  work ceased and Kentucky was moved from its dry dock to make space for repair work on Missouri.    Plans, But No Action Moved to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Kentucky, which had been completed to its main deck, served as a supply hulk for the reserve fleet from 1950 to 1958. During this period, several plans were advanced with the idea of converting the vessel into a guided missile battleship. These moved forward and in 1954 Kentucky was renumbered from BB-66 to BBG-1. Despite this, the program was cancelled two years later. Another missile option called for the mounting of two Polaris ballistic missile launchers in the ship.   As in the past, nothing came from these plans. In 1956, after Wisconsin suffered a collision with the destroyers USS Eaton, Kentuckys bow was removed and used to repair the other battleship. Though Kentucky Congressman William H. Natcher attempted to block the sale of Kentucky, the US Navy elected to strike it from the Naval Vessel Register on June 9, 1958. That October, the hulk was sold to the Boston Metals Company of Baltimore and scrapped. Prior to disposal, its turbines were removed and used aboard the fast combat support ships USS Sacramento and USS Camden.

Comparative and contrast between The United State Of America and Essay

Comparative and contrast between The United State Of America and Australia - Essay Example This relative isolation allowed both nations to develop largely without constant interference from the established powers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Being left to sort out their own problems has led to an isolationist mindset for many Australians and Americans. It has also given both nations a strong feeling of independence and self-sufficiency. These ideals can be seen glamorized by stereotypes such as John Wayne and Crocodile Dundee in the American and Australian cinema. While these characters are stereotypes, they do give insight into virtues both Australians and Americans value, namely, toughness, resiliency and independence. While geography can influence the character of a group of people, other things such as the history and the development of a national identity can be even greater determinants of character. This is one area where Americans and Australians differ greatly. Both were established as colonies by the United Kingdom. This gave them both their individual versions of the English language complete with accents. But that is where the similarities end. America’s impressive string of global achievements has caused Americans to be a very patriotic people. Symbols of the United States, such as the national flag, are very important and are treated with respect. Americans are very proud of their accomplishments as a nation and expect others to respect America as well . Australia, on the other hand, has less of a national fervor concerning patriotism Australians never moved inland from their coastal cities. Therefore, they view themselves more as individual regions than as a nation. Recent clai ms have been made that Australians are increasingly viewing themselves as patriotic, but in a very different way than Americans exhibit their patriotism. A final similarity and difference between the two nations is their governmental and economic structures. Both Americans and Australians live in free democratic

An Analysis of the Influence Wielded by Religion and Politics among Research Paper

An Analysis of the Influence Wielded by Religion and Politics among the American People in Contemporary Times - Research Paper Example Likewise, the government is not formally attached to any religious grouping. This paper aims to assess the influence exerted by both religion and politics among the American People in this modern era. Likewise, it seeks to determine if indeed they should be put together or separated and how the citizens of the country feel about this choice and what will be the long-term effects of the separation or combination of the two blocs. Religion is considered a universal component of human life. Religion makes it easier for people to communicate with each other and with God. In the words of Natambu, â€Å"People are often ready to die for their religion, and many thousands have done so. Many others sacrifice their fame, power, wealth, property and time for the sake of religion. Religion must have a great value for people otherwise nobody would die for it or give so much for its sake. People make sacrifices and offerings of the best they have for the sake of religion.† (2002)... The ritual shines on both of them from a place beyond their ordinary experience and includes them in a community whose home is in some way not of this world. And in the Christian case the ritual records a primeval sacrifice, born of love.† (2009) For majority of Americans, they are used to and more comfortable with church leaders articulating their opinions and beliefs regarding social and political matters and concerns. Churches, synagogues and other religious institutions are widely perceived as positive forces in addressing the problems of society. Nonetheless, a bigger number of voters still claim they are uncomfortable with priests or pastors advocating their political views from the pulpit. Conversely, at least 75% of voters think that while it is vital for the President to have religious faith, there is prevalent discomfort over politicians who speak publicly about their religious affiliations, sentiments and actions (2000). Wald states that â€Å"religion is more impor tant in American polity than most people realize, but in different ways than they imagine. Is religion good for politics?† (2003, p. 14). Wald offers the thought of Richard J. Neuhaus that religion is a community and an institution needed to stand in judgment of a state moving toward totalitarianism. The other fundamental issue is whether religion imports and sustains values such as human rights and freedom in politics. Notwithstanding all these discussion, debates, disagreements and concurrences, politics seem to get in the way of religion and vice versa in the present-day American setting. Even, if religious leaders of different Christian sects and leaders of government and members of Congress and Senate make repeated claims that there is no conflict between the two and they operate

Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Case Analysis - Essay Example   This is due to low costs, and a new  division  is rapidly taking root. This paper will focus on a SWOT analysis of ISHR firm (Anja 1). Strengths of ISHR lie in the fact that they are a highly profitable firm. The company records excellent profit results from its business undertakings. The company also enjoys the benefit of having large companies such as Coca Cola and General Electric as their clients. The company lacks a chief financial officer to control and manage its finances. The company’s website is also not well built. The company has a poor marketing strategy that relies on word of mouth and no face to face marketing. Poor marketing strategy ensures that the company has a poor relationship with its clients. ISHR firm recorded double digit growth in 2008, and this signifies that the company can improve and continue its growth financially to enable its sustainability. The company can also strengthen its business acumen by enabling a proper and robust website for prospective clients. ISHR  firm’s total sales, nearly eighty percent, come from two large  corporations. The company over relies on these two clients for its financial success. This provides an extensive threat towards the company since if the two clients pull out; they face a significant financial collapse. ISHR firm should focus on improving its website to allow for a more user friendly interface that enables for easier navigation. The company should focus on networking for clients using its two prominent clients. This will ensure that they are able to spread the source for their sales. They should not rely entirely on the two corporations for the majority of their sales. The company can also use social sites, facebook and twitter, to reach out to prospective clients as a marketing tool. The company should develop a business plan which will detail on their business activity, goals, objectives, vision and mission. A business plan

Virtual Reality And Its Impact On Society Information Technology Essay

Virtual Reality And Its Impact On Society Information Technology Essay Technology has transformed peoples perception of the world by either creating new environments for them to traverse, or by providing them passage to corners of the earth they will never otherwise visit in their entire lifetimes. Virtual reality, briefly defined as an environment that is computer-simulated, has transcended social and geographical barriers ever since its applications have been increasingly used by everyday people. Whereas before it was limited only to labyrinth and high-cost applications availed of by expert users, virtual reality has now broadened its breadth to encompass the general public which optimizes the Internet to configure, share and create virtual communities benefitting society in the areas of education, law enforcement, medicine and industries. Defining Virtual Reality Virtual reality is an environment which is computer-simulated, and the simulation could be that of an imaginary world, or a real one (Gajera, n.d.). Virtual reality environments are mainly three-dimensional visual experiences that are displayed either on a screener through special or stereoscopic displays, and enhanced by sensory information such as sounds that emanate from headphones or speakers (Gajera, n.d., p. 3). There are modern applications that provide force feedback or tactile information, which are generally used for gaming and medical applications. To experience this, multi-modal devices such as the omni directional treadmill, the Polhemus boom arm, or a wired glove is used, as in Figure 1 at Appendix Page (Gajera, n.d.). Michael R. Heim, in his book entitled, The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality, has named seven applications of virtual reality: network communication, full-body immersion, telepresence, immersion, artificiality, interaction and simulation (Gajera, n.d.). In light of these, a virtual environment may be defined as a digital space in which a users activities are monitored, and his or her surroundings rendered, or digitally composed and displayed to the senses, in accordance with those activities (Fox, Arena and Bailenson, 2009, p. 95). According to Jesse Fox, Dylan Arena, and Jeremy N. Bailenson, the critical element of the most fascinating virtual reality experiences is the hindering real, sensory impressions; a users senses are engaged in the virtual world, with the body consigned to a reality engine, as in Figure 1 at Appendix Page (Fox, Arena and Bailenson, 2009, p. 95). Technically, the virtual reality system uses both software and hardware which allow developers to produce virtual reality systems (Riva, 2009). The hardware elements receive inputs coming from devices that are manipulated by the user, and sends multi-sensory output to generate an imagery of a virtual world (Riva, 2009, p. 337). Meanwhile, the software element of a virtual reality system does not really create the virtual world. Rather, there is a separate software which projects the virtual world through the use of the virtual reality software system (Riva, 2009, p. 337). Hence, a virtual reality system is made up of a graphic rendering system, a database construction and virtual object modeling software (337), and the input and output tools (Riva, 2009). The Impact of Virtual Reality on Society Virtual Reality has taken the world by storm, and is now tagged as the next dominant technological development. In the same way as the Internet, virtual reality was created for a specific purpose but modern technology has made it more versatile. At first, virtual reality was conceptualized as a new medium of entertainment; but as time passed, it has found more useful uses from providing online education, to applications in the medical field and giving hope to people with terminal diseases. Currently, virtual reality is used in (i) businesses, specifically in the presentation of graphs and charts, (ii) industries like the automotive industrys manufacturing arm, (iii) military for simulations and training, (iv) medical field for treatments of various ailments and disorders, and (v) education, specifically in laboratories, online education and virtual museums (Fortune City, 2010). It is foreseen that in the future, virtual reality will further enhance training at medical schools, comme rcial airlines, the Air Force, and will even be utilized by clothing manufacturers in the form of virtual reality shopping (Fortune City, 2010). Education Educators and scientists have joined forces all throughout the U.S. to establish virtual reality education to students and teachers alike, through the use of head-mounted displays (HMD), Immersawalls, ImmersaDesks and Cave Automated Virtual Environments (CAVEs), see Figure 3 at Appendix Page (Rusch, Sherman and Thakkar, 2002, p. 205). CAVE has a standard size of 10 x 10 x 10 space and has a floor, ceiling and three walls. Students utilizing this system don stereographic glasses which intensify images, and use a CAVE wand to assist that user as, i.e., molecule, or pedestrian, or fish, in navigating the virtual environment (Rusch, Sherman and Thakkar, 2002, p. 205). This is just a birds eye view of the role that virtual reality will play in education. Despite the fact that there are a good number of educational applications of virtual reality being availed of in the U.S. these days, the development of virtual reality has not yet achieved its maximum potential in the classroom (Rusch, Sherman and Thakkar, 2002, p. 205). The field of Career Technical Education has begun to benefit from virtual reality. Students can explore operating rooms, submarines, a prototype car, airplane cockpits, biotech laboratories, crime scenes and agricultural farms without having to travel, through the use of virtual reality (Ausburn and Ausburn, 2008). Again, through the use of CAVEs and HMDs, students are provided with three-dimensional simulations to give them a sense of being there' (Ausburn and Ausburn, 2008, p. 43). A good number of careers necessitate learning that will allow individuals to safely carry out their tasks amid dangerous circumstances. Because virtual reality is supremely realistic, it enables the student to benefit from active involvement with accurate and intricate visual scenes (Ausburn and Ausburn, 2008). Hence, training programs utilize virtual reality for railway and mining operations, dangerous driving scenarios, handling of hazardous materials, nuclear energy, marine exploration, space and aviation exploration, emergency medical operations, firefighting, military and law enforcement (Ausburn and Ausburn, 2008). The aim of these training programs is to teach students how to efficiently and effectively respond under high-cost, high-risk and complex circumstances, without damaging equipment and endangering personnel while still at training. Educational programs for courses like spray painting, bio-technology, aircraft maintenance, crime scene investigation and forensics, (44) engineering, dentistry, surgical technology and welding also benefit from virtual technology. Because the technology is still fairly new, CAVEs are expensive to avail of. Moreover, it is also expensive to implement and sustain, because of the specialized skills that are needed to set it up and maintain it. Nevertheless, as technology continues to evolve, there is much promise for virtual reality systems that may be used through laptops or desktops, utilizing special software that are based on JAVA, Flash and QuickTime technologies (Ausburn and Ausburn, 2008). Figure 4 illustrates how virtual reality may be accessed from a web system (Ottoson and Holmdahl, 2007). Because of the benefits offered by virtual reality technologies, there is a high degree of enthusiasm surrounding it in the world of the academe. Figure 5 summarizes the benefits of virtual reality in education. Law Enforcement Taking its cue from the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. has been innovating on taking protective measures preserve the security of its citizenry. One effective way of doing this is through the use virtual reality for training and intelligence gathering purposes. The U.S. intelligence community has been using virtual reality to simulate actual battlefields in the future, utilizing cyber weapons for initiating attacks against terrorists and other potential adversaries (Wilson, 2008, p. 4). Military use of virtual technology is efficient and effective in training personnel manage better under potentially risky scenarios. Participants utilize avatars in virtual environments that simulate, i.e., a checkpoint in Iraq, or a New York subway tunnel subjected to terroristic chemical attacks (Wilson, 2008). The downside is that a study conducted in 2007 showed that American firms are not ready to take the lead in embracing Web 2.0 technology which is the foundation of virtual technology in the years to come. The leaders in this area are (i) India, with plans of escalating their virtual reality investments by 80%, (ii) Asia-Pacific companies, by 69%, (iii) European companies, by 65%, (iv) Chinese companies, by 64%, (v) North American companies, by 64%, and (v) Latin American companies, by 62% (Wilson, 2008, p. 4). Number one in the list, India, has been showing a strong economic presence in the global markets. Figure 6 indicates its industry production forecast until 2012 (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2010). The implication here is whether the U.S. can protect its citizens if its virtual reality servers and communication systems were operated by another country very much possible, by an enemy nation. Under wraps in the virtual reality program of the military is Sentient Worldwide Simulation, which will depict mass casualty events, that not only need military action but medical interventions as well. Hence, this program includes virtual reality hospital rooms that emulate military and civilian facilities, populated by avatars representing victims, casualties, nurses, the National Coast Guard and other first responders. Other training simulation modules are Urban Resolve, for urban war fighting in Baghdad in the year 2015, with over two million simulated objects (Wilson, 2008, p. 5). In addition to this, Noble Resolve is being developed, which is a training exercise covering homeland security scenarios in the event of a terroristic attack (Wilson, 2008, p. 5). Meanwhile, police unites utilize virtual reality programs such as the Meggitt Training System which teaches basic firearms skills and responses in both shoot/dont shoot decision making (Griffith, 2009). The Los Angeles Police Department uses the IES Milo System; the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Department uses the Advanced Interactive Systems; and, the Phelps County Sheriffs Department uses the IVR-300. Most of these systems permit multiple students in the virtual environment (Griffith, 2009). Medicine Techniques in virtual reality are increasingly being utilized in medical education, treatment and diagnosis (Yellowlees, 2009). Early adoptions of virtual reality in the field of medicine pertained to representation of intricate data emanating from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computed Tomography (CT) (Yellowlees, 2009). Recently, virtual reality has been applied to virtual colonoscopy in which information from contrast enhanced abdominal CT scan is utilized to present a fly-through of the colon which is then used for screening for colon cancer (Yellowlees, 2009). Phobias and post-traumatic stress disorders are also being treated now using virtual reality, Figures 7 and 8 illustrate virtual environments for the treatment of agoraphobia (Cà ¡rdenas, Munoz, Gonzà ¡lez, and Uribarren, 2006). In particular, training for medical students are enhanced by the use of a virtual psychosis environment, wherein they have the opportunity to experience visual and auditory hallucinations of schizophrenic patients (Yellowlees, 2009). As mentioned earlier, indispensable training may be provided by virtual reality for mass casualty, as well as for disaster response and medical emergencies. Although it has been found out that the use of standardized patients for training such as these were more effective because of the realism element, virtual reality simulations were more cost-effective, it was also advantageous in the sense that the simulations may be repeated unlimitedly, so that skills may be practiced and mastered (Yellowlees, 2009). Virtual reality has been used in other areas of medicine like in chemotherapy distraction intervention, providing leisure time opportunities for people with intellectual and physical disabilities, brain damage rehabilitation for stroke victims, smoking cessation, physical therapy, autism, mental retardation and other relevant areas. Business Marketing efforts for businesses have been greatly enhanced by virtual reality. Business owners can now advertise their products over various multi-media, and depict a 360-degree image of products that they are manufacturing, marketing and selling. Websites have been high-tech critical missions for Top 500 companies, triggering a competition on virtual reality advertising (Kassaye, 2006). Figure 9 depicts a chart tracing these new breed of competitors and how they fare through their communication objectives (Kassaye, 2006). Meanwhile, virtual reality is also useful for the manufacturing process, because layout planning for assembly systems and machines require more data than the basis geometry (Okulicz, 2004). Moreover, 3D CAD Systems are not effective for plotting out production processes, and virtual reality has no restrictions as the two aforementioned processes (Okulicz,2004). In addition to this, virtual reality provides semi-immersive and/or interactive immersive visualization that is essential for the visual estimation of each manufacturing process (Okulicz, 2004). With some slight overlap with the aforementioned field of Education, virtual reality platforms are valuable in training and education for businesses. For instance, developing, testing and operating sophisticated machinery and fixing it under tight tire pressure when it malfunctions are some skills that employees in the industries have to master (Blumel, Termath and Haase, 2009). Companies benefit from investing in learning platforms like the Fraunhoffer IFF Learning Platform which utilizes virtual reality in customizing training modules to suit its end users levels of knowledge through configuration (Blumel, Termath and Haase, 2009). Virtual Reality in the field of business encompasses a much broader scope, and development in this area is anticipated to be quick and impressive. Conclusion People have benefited from virtual reality in more ways than one, attesting to the fact that the it has positively impacted society in general. Education has been enhanced by virtual reality, and students have been provided a new dimension of learning that prepares them for their chosen careers more efficiently. Meanwhile, security measures being adopted by the government have been highlighted with modern technology, especially virtual reality. Police and military forces can now be trained for highly-dangerous scenarios, without actually exposing them to great risks. On the other hand, the medical field has furthered its growth due to the advent of virtual reality. Of the advantages of virtual reality, this is one of the most significant because of its potential in asisting scientists discover life-saving technologies and techniques. Lastly, business enterprises also benefit from virtual technology, to enable organizations to compete more in international markets. Virtual reality has a long way to go, and more benefits are anticipated for humankind. IRTUAL REALITY 8 Appendix Page Figure 1 Virtual Reality (Images from Google) VIRTUAL REALITY 9 Figure 2 Virtual Environment (Gajera, n.d.) VIRTUAL REALITY 10 Figure 3 Virtual Reality in Education (Rusch, Sherman Thakkar, 2002) Figure 4 Virtual Reality and the Web System (Ottoson and Holmdahl, 2007) VIRTUAL REALITY 11 Figure 5 Benefits of Virtual Reality in Education (Blumel and Hasse, 2009) VIRTUAL REALITY 12 Figure 6 Industry Performance History and Forecast, India (Economic Intelligence Unit, 2010) Forecast summary (% unless otherwise indicated) 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Real GDP growth 8.8 8.6 8.8 8.7 8.6 8.6 Industrial production growth 10.9 8.4 9 8 7.9 7.9 Unemployment rate (av) 10.8 10.6 10.6 10.4 10.1 9.7 Consumer price inflation (av) 11.7 6.5 5.2 5.2 5.9 5.6 Consumer price inflation (end-period) 7.4 5.8 5.2 5.5 5.7 5.5 Short-term interbank rate 12.4 13.4 13.5 13.2 13.2 13.2 Govt balance (% of GDP) -5.5 -5.3 -5 -4.3 -4.1 -3.5 Exports of goods fob (US$ bn) 208.3 231.6 257.9 291.4 328.9 371.3 Imports of goods fob (US$ bn) -334.9 -373.7 -429.2 -498.6 -578.9 -677.4 Current-account balance (US$ bn) -32.5 -36.8 -42.7 -50.5 -51.1 -55.2 Current-account balance (% of GDP) -2.1 -2.1 -2.1 -2.1 -1.8 -1.7 Total foreign debt (year-end; US$ bn) 237.9 256.9 280.4 308.5 337.9 367.4 Exchange rate Rs:US$ (av) 46.14 46.53 45.43 44.1 43.1 42 Exchange rate Rs:US$ (end-period) 46.34 45.98 44.77 43.6 42.55 41.45 Exchange rate Rs: ¥100 (av) 49.24 52.73 51.77 50.84 50.12 48.84 Exchange rate Rs:à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ (av) 64.28 60.12 54.06 50.72 49.13 47.88 (c) Economist Intelligence Unit 2010 VIRTUAL REALITY 13 Figure 7 Virtual Environment No. 1 for Agoraphobia (Cà ¡rdenas, et al., 2006) Figure 8 virtual environment number 2 for agoraphobia VIRTUAL REALITY 14 Figure 9 New Breed of Competitors Using Virtual Reality (Kassaye, 2006). VIRTUAL REALITY 15