Patient Safety - QSEN Initiative Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Patient Safety - QSEN Initiative - Term Paper Example To enrich the quality of treatment given to patients, it was realized that nursing standards need to be raised and standardised. ‘Innovation in nursing education is the key to improving quality and safety.’(Enhancing Quality and Education in Nursing Education, 2012) Hence, the basic need was to provide nurses with the Knowledge, skills and Attitude (KSAs) by training the nursing faculties through the help of medical institutes.The nursing faculties then formally train the nurses, thus, improving nursing performance and quality. To resolve this issue, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) laid foundations for a project, Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) via phase-wise funding.Through RWJF, strategies and policies were developed and implemented to ensure that‘future nursing graduates develop competencies in patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics’.(Enhancing Quali ty and Education in Nursing Education, 2012).According to ‘Integrating QSEN Competencies’, The QSEN project is categorized into three phases of action. 2005-2007 Phase I Pre-licensure Education 2007-2009 Phase II Graduate Education and Pilot School Collaborative 2009-2011 Phase III Faculty Development to Achieve Curriculum Integration The concern today is that there is stilllack of qualified, good-quality nursing staff in general (Hinshaw 2001). That can be roughly depicted as the growth in number of patients is much higher than the growth in patient-centered nursing staff. This lack extra burden on the existing system of nursing staff and institutions. Thus, during this shortage, it becomes a bigger challenge to conduct QSEN processes and ensure quality maintenance. The issue of shortage not only concerns the nursing staff, but it also exists in the number of nursing faculty that trains the nursing staff while utilizing QSEN standards. A future issue which can cause in efficiencies and counter-productivity is keeping in-check the size and number of trained nurses. When an institute produces its products in terms of trained individuals, credibility is often judged by quality of performance by the alumni. Hence, if there ever exists a period of low performances by nurses, the whole process will become counter-productive and might cease to be perceived as viable any more. The nursing leaders aim to take this initiative forward by stressing the importance of role-models in the nursing staff. During practical duty hours, role models are the figureheads who channel the treatment objectives and quality standards in the right way. They should be able to correct inappropriate processes while bringing the whole environment a positive air. It also serves to instigate a feeling of self-fulfilment in the nurses. Another step taken to enhance nursing environment is to allow nurses to take ownership of their specific wards. That means nurses can be allowed more control of their own wards and the nursing operations in the dedicated premises (Ford 2009). The very idea to develop and introduce the QSEN program to the nursing schools and healthcare system is a very commendable step. The three-phased project encircles the needs of the patients, the nurses and the faculty as well. For the betterment of patients in hospitals and hospital care, in general, it is of great significance Feedback and opinion-taking surveys area good inclusions to the QSEN project. This

Financial Analysis for Managers II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Analysis for Managers II - Essay Example It is a fixed amount paid on annual basis (Myers & Allen, 2005). This amount might be constant for a certain period of time or may have a steady trend for some time and may fluctuate otherwise. The annuities and the time value of money are related and affected by certain factors. These are as follows; Interest rates are the prevailing charges of availing the facility of the capital that might have been invested in an interest generating instrument or a bank account. The interest rates of advancing loans and paying on the deposits are different and that the difference is actually the monetary reward of utilizing that capital. However, the actual value of money, even when the principal amount is added up with the total interest amount received as an annuity, is normally different from what it was at the time of blocking that money into the respective reserve under question. This may have a different affect on the compounded interest approach. Since the interest is compound, therefore it yields a higher amount at each step and thus even the actual value of the total of that amount might be more than the amount actually invested depending on the terms, policies and interest rates. This introduces the concept of the present value of future payments and/or income(s) that are expected to be received (Myers Allen, 2005). This means that the present value always differs from the future value. The idea is also related to the fact about the future value of any of the long term and/or even short term investments that were made. They will seldom be equal in real terms, even when they seem to be equal as an annuity. The most commonly applied model of the time value of money is our same old compounded interest model. An amount of money 'C' for 't' years at a rate of interest of 'I'% (where interest of 15 percent" is expressed also as 0.15) compounded on annual basis, the present value of the receipt of C, t years in the future, is: Ct = C(1+i)-t = C/(1+i)t The expression (1 + i)t is a generic form of calculating almost al sorts of present value. Where the interest rate is deemed to be something which is not constant figure over the period of the investment(s), different values for 'I' may respectively be used; an investment over a two year period would then have PV (Present Value) of: PV = C(1+i1)-1.(1+i2)-1 Present value is additive. This means that the present value of a bundle of cash flows is the sum of each individual's present value. If there are no risks involved in the project i.e. the project is deemed to be risk free, the expected/forecasted rate of return from the project must equal or exceed this rate of return or else it would be better to rather invest the capital investment in these (potentially) risk free assets. If there are risks involved in any such investments or a project ventures this can be reflected through the use of a 'risk premium'. The risk premium that is required can easily be found by comparing the investment with the rate of return required from other similar projects with similar risks (Ross & Westerfield, 2007). Thus it is possible for almost all investors to take account of any uncertainty or risk factor

How are our oceans Are there plenty of fish in the sea Research Paper

How are our oceans Are there plenty of fish in the sea - Research Paper Example The other major problem that has resulted in the displeasing state of the oceans as it stands currently is the issue of overfishing. This vice has also resulted in the reduction of the viable offspring of the major fish species that are endangered, resulting in further endangerment of the marine life (NRDC, 2011). Further, the oceans have now become a source of health risk for the human population, owing to the sedimentation of the plastic, heavy metals and other pollutants in the beaches and in the rivers, which eventually finds way into human homes. The result is that there is a high risk of health associated with the ocean pollution (NRDC, 2014). In this respect, the state of the ocean is not suitable is not in good shape, and thus there is a need to address this problem, lest the ocean eventually fails to support life. Are there plenty of fish in the sea?   The saying that there is plenty fish in the ocean does not hold any more in the modern world. This is because, with the cu rrent trend of ocean pollution and dangerous fishing practices, there will be virtually no wild fish in the oceans by 2050 (NGS, 2014). One of the major problems that are causing the decline in the population of the fish in the oceans is the high demand for seafood globally, considering that fish meat is not associated with high cholesterol levels. Thus, combined with the effects of pollution in the ocean and the subsequent climate change, the whole environmental setting has become less supportive for marine life.

Poaching in Zimbabwea, causes and attempts to stop sense the 1990s Essay

Poaching in Zimbabwea, causes and attempts to stop sense the 1990s - Essay Example About 1000 rhinos were killed in South Africa in 2013 alone (The Citizen1). Poaching in Zimbabwe has become a great challenge to the Zimbabwean government due to the high demand of rhino and elephant horns in Asia the Greatest market being China. In Asia, the rhino horns are greatly respected and taken as a status symbol and have medicinal value (The Citizen1). The cases of poaching have dropped in Zimbabwe in recent years because the conservation authorities in Zimbabwe have adopted stern measures including conviction and jail terms for poachers. Additionally, they have also taken steps to track the animals via satellite and relocated the animals to safer sanctuaries. Poachers use various tactics to kill the animals like poisoning and shooting. According to the wildlife conservation of Zimbabwe, more than 300 elephants were poisoned using cyanide in 2013 alone. Zimbabwe has a major poaching problem caused by the outside influence of China and that of neighboring African countries. H owever, there have been efforts made by the Zimbabwean government and other organizations, like the United Nations, to stop poaching. Furthermore, due to the increasing wealth in Asian countries China Inclusive, the demand for rhino horns and ivory has gone up. This is because these goods are the status symbol of wealth, and there is a ready market by African buyers who serve as dealers to Asia. Due to the increased demand of Ivory in Asia, poaching in Africa increased in 2011 and 2013 (Hsdl.org 1). Research has shown some rogues terrorists collude with government officials in Zimbabwe to execute poaching. Consequently, ivory smuggling in Zimbabwe is executed by high confidence traffickers who use sophisticated networks to move ivory from local areas to ports of exit accelerated by corruption of the border insecurity. In Zimbabwe, these networks are related with illegitimate weapons

No Country for Old Men Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

No Country for Old Men - Essay Example When he is having a conversation with anyone, the camera follows the other character mostly when he/she says something of value or to show what is the effect of Chigurh’s personality or speech on him/her. The character of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell also has a lot of strength. In my opinion, his character is second to Chigurh. His appearance is anticipated at any time because the movie opens up with him narrating in background voice. His first appearance is not shot from a lower angle or an angle that shows his importance. He is shot from a very common angle and his importance can be construed by his wife telling him to â€Å"be careful†. His answers to his wife show that he is an experienced Sheriff and has been in such situations a lot of times before. He can easily be shown as being tired of his job and feeling that he is not good enough for the police work anymore. The feeling of helplessness and knowing that he has a very limited capacity to do things has made him quite cy nical. The camera rarely leaves his face whether he is in a conversation or not. The camera has to be kept on him in such a way that his facial expressions and feelings are recorded properly. In a scene where his subordinate laughs at his remark, the camera still focuses on him a lot to show that he is not amused. The character of Llewelyn Moss can be regarded as the second most important character. If not, this character is very much poised with the character of the Sheriff. Although he runs away with the money that did not belong to him, he still manages to get the sympathy of the audience. Llewelyn told his wife that he â€Å"will return†. This makes the audience expect that he might survive at the end of the movie. But he is killed in the most common manner as any character in the movie does. It is surprising that some of the minor details of his activities are followed by the camera, but his killing is not shown, hence nil dramatizations in his death. Unlike, Chigurh, Ll welyn depicts a lot of feelings ranging from pain to the worry of his wife’s safety. He is also a compassionate person as despite knowing about the danger to his life, he takes water to the dying Mexican gangster/driver, albeit, he was too late. Prior to that, the camera focuses on him from the ceiling as he lies on the bed and records the feelings of restlessness that the thought of the thirsty Mexican brings to him. He is careful and as circumspect as his wits allow him to be but he makes some critical mistakes that lead to his death. The movie uses very less music and even the most intense moments are free from dramatic melody in order to depict reality. This has shown realism in the movie. â€Å"Critics and theorists have championed film as the most realistic of all the arts in capturing how an experience actually looks and sounds† (Giannetti and Leach, Page 3) The time when Chigurh asks the shopkeeper at the gas station to call the coin, it is obvious that he is w agering on killing him. This is a critical moment but no music is used. The sounds used are natural and real. In this movie, the rarity of music enables the audience to expect the un-expectable at any moment. In the beginning, when Lelwelyn walks to the scene of the crime and away from it, the contact of his feet with the ground can be heard very clearly. Also, the time when he is in the motel, the sound of the creak of the wooden floor due to

Linguistics writing Essay Example for Free

Linguistics writing Essay Literacy is the ability to read and write[1]. The inability to do so is called illiteracy or analphabetism. Visual literacy includes in addition the ability to understand visual forms of communication such as body language,[2] pictures, maps, and video. Evolving definitions of literacy often include all the symbol systems relevant to a particular community. Literacy encompasses a complex set of abilities to understand and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture for personal and community development. In a technological society, the concept of literacy is expanding to include the media and electronic text, in addition to alphabetic and number systems. These abilities vary in different social and cultural contexts according to need, demand and education. The primary sense of literacy still represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from a critical interpretation of the written or printed text. Key to all literacy is reading development, a progression of skills that begins with the ability to understand spoken words and decode written words, and culminates in the deep understanding of text. Reading development involves a range of complex language underpinnings including awareness of speech sounds (phonology), spelling patterns (orthography), word meaning (semantics), grammar (syntax) and patterns of word formation (morphology), all of which provide a necessary platform for reading fluency and comprehension. Once these skills are acquired the reader can attain full language literacy, which includes the abilities to approach printed material with critical analysis, inference and synthesis; to write with accuracy and coherence; and to use information and insights from text as the basis for informed decisions and creative thought. [3] The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines literacy as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society. [4]Literacy is the ability to read and write[1]. The inability to do so is called illiteracy or analphabetism. Visual literacy includes in addition the ability to understand visual forms of communication such as body language,[2] pictures, maps, and video. Evolving definitions of literacy often include all the symbol systems relevant to a particular community. Literacy encompasses a complex set of abilities to understand and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture for personal and community development. In a technological society, the concept of literacy is expanding to include the media and electronic text, in addition to alphabetic and number systems. These abilities vary in different social and cultural contexts according to need, demand and education. The primary sense of literacy still represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from a critical interpretation of the written or printed text. Key to all literacy is reading development, a progression of skills that begins with the ability to understand spoken words and decode written words, and culminates in the deep understanding of text. Reading development involves a range of complex language underpinnings including awareness of speech sounds (phonology), spelling patterns (orthography), word meaning (semantics), grammar (syntax) and patterns of word formation (morphology), all of which provide a necessary platform for reading fluency and comprehension. Once these skills are acquired the reader can attain full language literacy, which includes the abilities to approach printed material with critical analysis, inference and synthesis; to write with accuracy and coherence; and to use information and insights from text as the basis for informed decisions and creative thought. [3] The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines literacy as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society. [4] Literacy is the ability to read and write[1]. The inability to do so is called illiteracy or analphabetism. Visual literacy includes in addition the ability to understand visual forms of communication such as body language,[2] pictures, maps, and video. Evolving definitions of literacy often include all the symbol systems relevant to a particular community. Literacy encompasses a complex set of abilities to understand and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture for personal and community development. In a technological society, the concept of literacy is expanding to include the media and electronic text, in addition to alphabetic and number systems. These abilities vary in different social and cultural contexts according to need, demand and education. The primary sense of literacy still represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from a critical interpretation of the written or printed text. Key to all literacy is reading development, a progression of skills that begins with the ability to understand spoken words and decode written words, and culminates in the deep understanding of text. Reading development involves a range of complex language underpinnings including awareness of speech sounds (phonology), spelling patterns (orthography), word meaning (semantics), grammar (syntax) and patterns of word formation (morphology), all of which provide a necessary platform for reading fluency and comprehension. Once these skills are acquired the reader can attain full language literacy, which includes the abilities to approach printed material with critical analysis, inference and synthesis; to write with accuracy and coherence; and to use information and insights from text as the basis for informed decisions and creative thought. [3] The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines literacy as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society. [4] Literacy is the ability to read and write[1]. The inability to do so is called illiteracy or analphabetism. Visual literacy includes in addition the ability to understand visual forms of communication such as body language,[2] pictures, maps, and video. Evolving definitions of literacy often include all the symbol systems relevant to a particular community. Literacy encompasses a complex set of abilities to understand and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture for personal and community development. In a technological society, the concept of literacy is expanding to include the media and electronic text, in addition to alphabetic and number systems. These abilities vary in different social and cultural contexts according to need, demand and education. The primary sense of literacy still represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from a critical interpretation of the written or printed text. Key to all literacy is reading development, a progression of skills that begins with the ability to understand spoken words and decode written words, and culminates in the deep understanding of text. Reading development involves a range of complex language underpinnings including awareness of speech sounds (phonology), spelling patterns (orthography), word meaning (semantics), grammar (syntax) and patterns of word formation (morphology), all of which provide a necessary platform for reading fluency and comprehension. Once these skills are acquired the reader can attain full language literacy, which includes the abilities to approach printed material with critical analysis, inference and synthesis; to write with accuracy and coherence; and to use information and insights from text as the basis for informed decisions and creative thought. [3] The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines literacy as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate and compute, using printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society. [4]

Humanism in the Renaissance Period

Humanism in the Renaissance Period Humanism of the renaissance period has manifested a new and developed courtier that is different from earlier courtiers of the medieval age. Courts, during the Renaissance, were the center of social as well as political life of monarchs and other members of society. Individuals like clergymen, soldiers, and clerks were always present in courts. But the most important figure in courts is the Courtier who basically is a person who attends a royal court as a companion or adviser to the king or queen.  [1]  . This definition of the courtier is applicable to the medieval courtier who is knightly and chivalric, but with the emergence of Humanism and the publication of books of conduct that strive for perfection in a human being a new Humanistic inclusive courtier has emerged. To understand what constitutes a Renaissance courtier and whether he is different from his medieval counterpart an examination of the medieval ideal and of Renaissance Humanism is a must. Classical mythology has always appealed to the medieval court and many medieval romances were based on classical works. The pagan Greek and Roman heroes were transformed into chivalric knights, the classical wars became medieval crusades and the platonic concept of love inspired medieval courtly love. Chaucers parfit gentil knyght (Halsall L.71)seems to be the noblest of the pilgrims embodying military expertise, devotion, honor, bounty, and courtesy. He carries himself in a gracious and well bread fashion, never articulating a cruel word about anyone: A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man, That fro the tyme that he first bigan To riden out, he loved chivalrie, Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie. Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre, (Halsall L.43-7) His tale, a chivalric romance set in ancient Athens, touches upon all the great subjects and values of knightly conduct. Courtly love, honor, chivalry and adventure dominate this tale. Every conduct in this story is ideal; the love is pure, ideal and platonic, honor is at its highest standards, chivalry is exemplary in its magnificence. The poem starts with the Knight, Theseus, coming back from a triumphant journey and on his way he meets a group of mourning women grasping onto his horses bridle. The women tell their terrible story of how they lost their husbands in the siege of Thebes and how the cruel tyrant of Thebes plans to dishonor their husbands bodies by denying them burial. Moved by this spectacle the Knight takes pity on them and changes his course. Instead of returning to Athens to celebrate victory, he rides off with traditional knightly spirit to right the wrongs in this world. Then in this war he takes two prisoners who are friends, Arcite and Palamon, and who are Knigh ts as well. In prison the two notice, from the window of their cell, the beautiful Emily walking in the garden. In an instant they fall in love, and their friendship is replaced by a passionate rivalry. At this point in the Knights tale readers are introduced to the concept of courtly love. After a great deal of dispute and duels and a grand tournament, Arcite, the noble knight and gentleman, calls Palamon Emily to his deathbed and asks of his friend to marry his beloved in an attempt to reconcile with his friend. A true embodiment of the medieval gentry. In early modern Europe, people paid special attention to the life of the royal court, and the image of the courtier was depicted in many literary works. In Cortegiano (1528), or The Book of The Courtier (an English translation by Sir Tomas Hoby 1561), Baldassare Castiglione an Italian courtier in the Renaissance Italy writes an account on the ideal image of the perfect courtier. This book is recognized by historians as a resourceful reference to the Renaissance court life. Over the course of four evening conversations between the courtiers in the court of Urbino in Italy, the narrators discuss and describe what constitute a perfect courtier, for they agree that a courtier who had the privilege to accompany the royalties must be perfect. It is been argued in The Book of The Courtier that a noble courtier is often: endowed with such gifts that they seem not to have been born but to have been formed by some godand blessed with every possible advantage of mind and body (Castiglione 124 ). The perfect courtier must have a reputation of a brave strong man and must maintain this reputation. His profession should be of a warrior who is enterprising, bold, and loyal to whomever he serves(131). This warrior courtier should be fierce rough and always to the fore, in the presence of the enemy; but anywhere else he should be kind, modest, reticent and anxious above all to avoid ostentation or the kind of outrageous self- glorification (135). The aspect of the perfect courtiers appearance is also identified. He must be very agreeable and pleasing and well dressed. He should manage to appear both manly and graceful (141). There is great resentment for the courtier who tries to appear soft and feminine not only in his looks but also in the way he speaks and walks. As for the physical appearance, he should be well built not necessarily too small or too big. He must possess the physical appearance of a warrior who masters the skills of every kind of weapon. The perfect courtier is expected to be a good athlete who is so skilful in many kinds of sports, like horse riding, swimming, and running. There are also many other sports, but it seems that hunting is the most important since it resembles warfare [and] it is the true pastime of great lords (147). Besides his appearance, the good gentleman of the court must possess the finest set of manners. He is modest, gentle, elegant and graceful. He ought to avoid the affectation of being a bold fellow who shouts, swears and brags. When the perfect courtier speaks, his words have grace and dignity and they are sensible and effective and convey what he wants to say. He is a good writer too, and the words he uses in his writings should be appropriate, carefully chosen, clear, and well formed. The courtier requires knowledge in order to speak and write well, because the man who has nothing in his mind that is worth hearing has nothing worth writing and speaking of. Another literary work that depicted the lives of the courtiers is Le Morte Darthur (1485) by Sir Thomas Malory. This work is considered a masterpiece of the fifteenth century prose of romance tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table. (Alexander). The Faerie Queene (1590), an allegorical epic poem written in praise of Queen Elizabeth I, follows several knights in an examination of several virtues. In Spensers A Letter of the Authors he states that the entire poem is cloudily enwrapped in allegorical devises and that the aim of publishing The Faerie Queene was to fashion a gentleman or noble person in virtuous and gentle discipline (Department of Literature). The printed text of Jonsons Every Man out of his Humour (1599) opens with a series of short prose sketches entitled The Characters of the Persons Fastidius Brisk, for example, is described as: A neat, spruce, affecting courtier, one that wears clothes well and in fashion; practiseth by his glass how to salute; speaks good remnants (notwithstanding the base viol and tobacco); swears tersely, and with variety; cares not what ladys favour he belies, or great mans familiarity: a good property to perfume the boot of a coach . (Braunmuller and Hettaway) Instructive prose, which become somewhat of a trend at the time, were written for the aim of improving gentlemen. They were mostly written by tutors to the greats, sons of monarchs and noblemen. These prose were written under the influence of the Humanist tradition of the time, the instruction of the youth (Bates). Sir Thomas Elyot dedicated his Governor (1531) to guide Henry VIII on being the perfect gentleman and governor. He stressed the importance of education in classical literature for governors. Henry VIII, prior to being a king, was in fact a ideal example of a renaissance courtier and gentleman; a champion athlete who composed poems and songs, highly educated and skilled in speech. Another instructive book of the Renaissance within the same tradition is Toxophilus (1544). A book about bow archery by Roger Ascham also dedicated to King Henry VIII. Toxophilus is written in the form of a dialogue between two characters, Philologus, who loves study, and Toxophilus, who loves arc hery and who is also a scholar and defends archery as a noble hobby (Ascham). The Prince (1532) by Niccolo Machiavelli is a political treatise that was published after the death of its author. The book is a practical guide to the exercise of political power. It preaches that the princes ends justify the means which they take to attain them; a rather disturbing but truthful statement (Machiavelli). Other instructive books with titles like, The Schoolmaster and On the Excellency and Dignity of Mankind appeared during the Renaissance (Baldwin). Renaissance Humanism in its narrowest sense is a movement devoted to the study, revival and translation of classical literature which is why at its beginnings early Humanism focused on education. The need to educate the rulers springs out from the platonic and ancient belief in a perfect republic. Renaissance humanists found it most necessary to educate the leaders of the time in a hope to transform them into capable intelligent patrons of a humanist culture. Thus, early Humanism transformed the European high culture pushing for the inclusive human who is not only educated in the classics but who is educated in philosophy, art, literature, science, music etc. this lead Renaissance Humanism to have a broader philosophical dimension; to encompass all forms of knowledge for the aim of guiding humanity to a better position in life, hence the explosion in scholarly interests and inventions. The Humanistic movement was initiated by Petrarch, the father of Humanism. He is the first to put into words why the centuries between the Roman age and his current age were called age of darkness. According to him this darkness can be remedied only by the study and imitation of the great classical authors. Only by caring about the self, educating and polishing ones mind can one attain wisdom: The care of the soul calls for a philosopher, while the proper use of language requires an orator. We must neglect neither one, if, as they say, we are to return to the earth and be led about on the mouths of men. But I shall speak of the care of the soul elsewhere; for it is a great undertaking and an enormous labor, though very rich in harvest. At this time in order to avoid slipping into a subject other than the one that I set out to treat, I urge and admonish that we correct not only our life and conduct, which is the primary concern of virtue, but our language usage as well. This we will do by the cultivation of eloquence.  [2]  (Zak 79) Petrarch here is building on Ciceros conception of the art of persuasion. Petrarch emphasizes that once language is mastered it could be utilized to attain eloquence or rhetoric, and then rhetoric is led to embrace philosophy. Renaissance Humanism have made use of the earlier idea of the exemplary magnificence of knights and fused the ideal Knight with the Classics scholar and the end result was the Renaissance Courtier. He is a citizen who excels in classical literature, history, and arts. A skilled fencer, rider, and most importantly a composer and performer of music and poetry which is the immediate result of humanistic stress on eloquence. This courtier is of noble decent and is trained to administrate and govern. Success to him comes naturally and it is worn with grace. The historical records of the era list a number of English poets who were courtiers. Sir Thomas Wyatt, is considered the first English Gentleman courtier (Alexander). Surreys Epitaph on Sir Thomas Wyatt praises the parts that constitute of him a Renaissance courtier: A tongue that served in foreign realms his king, Whose courteous talk to virtue did inflame Each noble heart: a worthy guide to bring Our English youth by travail unto fame. An eye whose judgment no affect could blind, feeling Friends to allure and foes to reconcile, Whose piercing look did represent a mind With virtue fraught, reposà ¨d, void of guile. (Alexander 57) Surry portrays him as an exemplary gentleman. In fact Sir Thomas Wyatt lead the typical life of a courtier; performing political duties and going on diplomatic posts on behalf of his patron, King Henry VIII. He was a sonneteer who sang about unrequited love, and is rumored to having a romantic relation with the kings wife which caused him to suffer imprisonment. But given the tradition of courtly love it is not strange for courtiers of the time to go through such ordeals. Sir Walter Raleigh was also a very famous courtier who served Queen Elizabeth I and who suffered imprisonment for unbecoming conduct. The ideal, however, of aristocracy and courtliness is embodied in the person and accomplishments of Sir Philip Sidney who served in several political and military posts. He refers, for example, to his vast literary work Arcadia as a trifle. But his ultimate embodiment of the Renaissance courtier is when he lay dying on the battlefield, he is said to have given his water-bottle to a common soldier, saying, Take it, for thy necessity is yet greater than mine  [3]  . It is interesting, however, to find that these courtly values and commitment to character and its refinement are not restricted to the Renaissance age. Islamic humanism has produced a similar tradition of ethics. Courtly Humanism existed in the form of ambitious wazirs  [4]  and princes seeking to be polished and of a higher culture through the patronage of poets, painters, scholars, scientists, and philosophers. Having administrative skills and military expertise were virtues that were highly rewarded. The tradition of courtly love was also present in Islamic culture; Ibn Hazms Neckring of the Dove (Tawq al-Hamama)is the first book that talks about this tradition of courtly love; its symptoms, secrets, betrayals, etc.(62) The most explicit advocate of this philosophical concept is Miskawayh. He is an embodiment of the Muslim courtier; Khalidi describes him as a prolific author, a philosopher of very broad interests, an accomplished poet and adib  [5]  , as well as a universa l historian. His On the Refinement of Character [Tahdhib al Akhlaq] has been called the most influential work on philosophical ethics in Islam (Goodman). It is an ethical work that encompassed all his values by demonstrating and stressing the importance of an inclusive gentleman, courtier or rather human for the purpose of the betterment of humanity (107). Evidently, the Renaissance courtier springs out from Humanisms tendency for perfection. Humanistic conduct texts and literary works have contributed to exemplify what a courtier should be, an all inclusive human being. As the attainment of perfection is integral in humans, and the aspiration for perfection and the affirmation of human ability is universal, the Humanistic courtier can be found in other cultures as well.