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Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio

Noni BeckerIndustrial/Industrial

Psychology 2010

Personal Statement

Reflection of my education took me back twenty-three years of going to night school and raising a family. The challenges of work, school and staying connected to the needs of my home and family. Reading my transcripts I remember the challenges of Algebra and my instructor locking the door if we were 5 minutes late for class.

Personal Statement

Biology labs and having to dissect piglets was not one of my finest moments, geology class and learning what cumulus clouds were. My strengths were always any psychological class and my weaknesses twenty-three years ago and currently is having to overcome any class associated with numbers. Without the help of my husband I would not have passed my Statistics class.

Resume

Noni Becker 53 North Sky Loop, Roswell, New Mexico 575-910-6658Work History Nov 2008 – Present Kymera Independent Physicians Dr. Khorsand

Roswell, NMDirector of Administration and Finance Administrative management of four multi-specialty medical offices. Under the direction of the CEO

responsible for professional administrative services to assure efficient and smooth running operation of personnel and patient care. Managed and worked directly with site managers to identify and resolve problems, review and evaluate work methods to access for efficiency and productivity. Responsible for oversight of thirteen physicians to address administrative concerns, review RVU's to meet contract requirements, recruitment of future physicians, contract negotiations and credentialing requirements. Assisted in negotiations with drug companies and insurance companies. Review and approve all expenditures to meet monthly budgets. Review EFT's for department requirements and review payroll to meet budgets and overtime guidelines.

  2006 – Oct 2008 Leprino Foods Roswell, NM/Denver, ColoradoAccounting Payroll Analyst Payroll Analyst for 450 hourly employees. Finance Department interfacing on a daily basis with creditors

with a collection success rate of 98%. Yield and Efficiency Analyst for Whey & Processing Production in Roswell.

 

Resume

2003-2006 Central Valley General Hospital Hanford, CASite Supervisor – Family Health ClinicManaged schedules for physicians providing care to 250+ patients dailySupervised, trained, administered hospital policies and procedures, employee schedules, medical records,

all administrative staffPatient complaints, labor, supply and cost budgets, JCAHO, HIPPA, EEOC, USERRA 2002-2003 Dr. Wiley M Elick Hanford, CAPublic Relations/Marketing/Account AuditorIncreased production and patient flow from 50 to 70 patients dailyMarketing of general dentists in surrounding areas for surgery centerAudited accounting practices and training of 25 employees 1999-2000 US Census Bureau Roswell, NMDistrict ManagerTrained 600 employees for canvassing of Chaves, Eddy and Lea County. Audited day to day operations of incoming census reportsMet goals of Bureau timelines to contact 2000 homes daily 

Resume

 1994-2000 Pecos Valley Dairy Sales Roswell, NMAccounting/Full-charge BookkeeperAccounting of auction cattle sales of $500,000 weekly, Payroll, Quarterly Reports, P&L statements.Meet state and federal testing requirements of cattle and reportingSupervise 10 employees and schedule incoming/outgoing transportEducation West Hills College, Lemoore, California Metro State, Denver, Colorado Argosy UniversityB.A. Industrial/Organizational PsychologyMaster's in Hospital Management – in progress will graduate December 2011SkillsBilingual – Spanish Management – Solid background in planning and executing plans. Developed communication skills to

train staff to accomplish tasks. Seven years experience in physician practice management.  Accounting – Ability to comprehend and implement accounting practices, cost accounting, profit & loss

statements and financial budgets. Payroll and filing of quarterly payroll taxes. Software Programs Used - Word, Excel, Quattro-Pro, Publisher, Quicken, Peachtree, AS400, Quick Books,

Infinium, CMS, SAP, Kronos, Practice Partners Volunteer – Esperanza House, King County Domestic Violence Center, King County Rape Crisis Center Additional Work Experience is Medical/Dental as Office Manager from 1980 – 1993

 

 

Reflection

Reflection of my education took me back 23 years of going to night school and raising a family. The challenges of work, school and staying connected to the needs of my home and family. Reading my transcripts I remember the challenges of Algebra and my instructor locking the door if we were 5 minutes late for class. Biology labs and having to dissect piglets was not one of my finest moments, geology class and learning what cumbulus clouds were. My strengths were always any psychological class and my weaknesses twenty-three years ago and to now having to overcome any class associated with numbers. Without the help of my husband I would not have passed my Statistics class.

Table of Contents

Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information Literacy

Research SkillsCommunication Skills: Oral and WrittenEthics and Diversity AwarenessFoundations of PsychologyApplied PsychologyInterpersonal Effectiveness

Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information Literacy

Thanatology is the study of dying and bereavement. In our society, there seems to be a taboo when talking about or dealing with death. Many people considered studying dying people very cold and heartless, but many more people know and understand everyone must die for the world to continue.In the 1950s and 60s, social scientists and psychologists began to explore the dying process. Programs were developed to provide counseling and therapy for dying individuals and their family members. The goal was to help them to better understand and cope with what was happening. Generally, counseling for dying patients and the family is based on a model that goes through a series of stages or phases. One of the first theories to address dying was Elizabeth Kubler-Ross' Stages of Dying. Since her early work, there have been a number of persons who have explored the processes of dying, grief, bereavement, and mourning.

The impact of the aging and/or disease process on a person who is terminally illEach person responds to news of terminal illness in his or her unique way. Responses can be fear, excitement, anger, loss, grief, denial, hope or any combination of emotions. Becoming aware of this response is to discover how you will live with terminal illness. Find people who will encourage you to teach them how you feel. There is no right or wrong way for you to think and feel. The terminal illness will almost surely leave you feeling fatigued. Your ability to think clearly and make decisions may be impaired. And your low energy level may naturally slow you down. Respect what your body and mind are telling you. Nurture yourself. Get enough rest. Eat balanced meals. Lighten your schedule as much as possible.

The impact of acceptance the dying process and how individuals can create a legacy with their families in a humane acceptance of the reality of death

  Knowing you will die offers you a special privilege: saying good-bye to those you love. When you feel you are ready, consider how you will say good-bye. You might set aside a time to talk to each person individually. Or, if you are physically up for it, you might have a gathering for friends and family. Other ways of saying good-bye include writing letters, creating videotapes and passing along keepsakes. Your survivors will cherish forever your heartfelt good-byes.

 

Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking and Information Literacy

 The impact of social structures on the process of death and dying

Many of us grew up believing, “Do it on your own so you don’t have to depend on anyone else.” But confronting a terminal illness cannot and should not be done alone. As difficult as it may be for you, you must reach out to your fellow human beings. Most of us know whom we feel comfortable turning to when we are under stress. Whom do you turn to? Give yourself permission to reach out for prayers, support and practical assistance.

 Influences that contribute to the socio-emotional development of people as they cope

with the issues of death and dyingIf faith is part of your life, express it in ways that seem appropriate to you. You may find comfort and hope in reading spiritual texts, attending religious services or praying. Allow yourself to be around people who understand and support your religious beliefs. If you are angry at God because of your illness, realize that this is a normal and natural response. Find someone to talk to who won’t be critical of whatever thoughts and feelings you need to explore.For people who experience normal reactions and who are not seen as being at particularly high risk for adverse consequences of bereavement, the support of family and friends, perhaps augmented by some type of mutual support interventions, will generally be sufficient. However, for people who define themselves or who are seen by others in the community as continuing to be overwhelmed by their grief (or unable to grieve), psychotherapeutic interventions may be warranted.For most people, bereavement triggers a long and painful process in which one's emotional, social, and physiological functioning may be substantially altered for more than a year. Everyone needs information and support to help them get through this stressful time.

Research Skills

 Public School Students Increased Odds of Becoming Adult Smokers To understand some of the reasons why people start smoking we need to research if some of the

reasons that people start smoking are attributed to exposure in school. If we can define that, some of the exposure is through the school system we can better prepare to educate students in the earlier grades of risks of smoking and difficulties as adults for smoking cessation.

The system used was a quantitative method. The quantitative approach is logic-based and the objective method and better designed in measuring behavior. My research paper is based on two variables; the independent variable, which affects measurable responses, that are dependent variables in a cause and effect manner. The independent variables in this research paper were graduating students that were smokers or non-smokers as adults. The dependant variables were students that had graduated from public schools or home-schooled. Participants – The research was conducted in Roswell, New Mexico. The participants were recruited through the Roswell Daily Record. Participants were volunteers and were asked to please e-mail nbecker.kymera@yahoo.com to receive a questionnaire. Received 45 responses and 30 were invited to participate. 15 were home schooled over the age of 18 and 15 were public school students over the age of 18. Participants were 20 female and 10 male. Materials – Ad in the Roswell Record, which published Nov 29, 2009 through Dec 2, 2009. E-mail address for responses, questionnaire and excel spreadsheet for statistics.Procedure – Instructed participants to fill out the questionnaire in detail and return in to my e-mail address. When I received the questionnaires, I reviewed them so that they all met the same measurements. Measurements were 1) home-schooled that graduated from high school = 1 point 2) public schooled that graduated from high school = 1 point; over the age of 18. The control variables in this research were participants home-schooled and participant's public schooled.

Research Skills

 Graduated High SchoolSmoke Non Smokers

Home Schooled 15 4 11Public Schooled 15 10 7  The results were that there is a tendency for public school students to have an increased

tendency to become smokers as adults. Further research needs to be conducted for accuracy of the test subjects. Some other variables that may affect these results are the age groups that participated and what participants were exposed to smoking in the home.

Communication Skills: Oral and Written

 Selection interview - Interviewing an unhappy employee 

The purpose of this interview is to meet with an employee that has been unhappy and has been very vocal about how he has been mistreated in his department and was overlooked for a promotion within his department. I want to be able to establish rapport with the employee and listen and lead him to find a solution to the problems he perceives.I first established rapport with Dan by introducing myself to him and letting him know that I heard he was having some difficulties within his department and I would like to see how I could help him. That I was certain we would be able to resolve any problems so that everyone would be in a better position to work together. My first few questions to Dan were open-ended questions asking him to please share with me what he felt was happening in his department to make him feel that he was being treated unfairly. During this 5 minute explanation I listened intently and with nonverbal cues smiled, encouraged him to go on with nodding my head and at times burrowing my eyebrows. At one point I reached out to him when he became angry and paused to encourage him to continue. I became confused when he said that he had overhead some of the other employees had been whispering that he wasn’t qualified for the job, so I asked him how did he know that they were speaking about him. As I viewed the main interaction I felt that I showed support and interest in what he was saying. I did not interrupt him but encouraged him to be more specific in certain areas of his conversation. After Dan told me how he felt I asked him several questions about the job in the department that he had applied for and what were the qualifications. He told me he had all the experience to do the job but didn’t have the degree in finance that was required, but that he felt his experience would be sufficient. This gave me the opening I needed to try and have Dan see that this position was a management entry position that would become a supervisory position in another department. I told him that this position needed the finance degree and asked him if he was willing to further his education, our company had benefits to help employees further their education so that they could advance with the company.

Communication Skills: Oral and Written

CritiqueIntroduction:  _5__Included a statement of the purpose of the interview_2__Addressed limits of confidentiality_5__Gave a statement that establishes that the critique is on the student_5__Provided an open-ended beginning Body of the interview: _5__Showed listening (verbal and non-verbal)_5__Established rapport_5__Asked questions and follow-up for clarity and understanding?_4__Avoided assuming_3__Avoided problem solving_4__Could sit in silence when appropriate_5__Showed empathy/support/respect/acceptance

Communication Skills: Oral and Written

_3__Smoothly transitioned between topics_4__Used summarizing skills_3__Used time of interview appropriately_3__Smoothly transitioned into closing Closing:_2__Stayed within the 30-minute time frame_3__Summarized before ending_3__Asked volunteer if there is anything else and reminded them when coming to a close_5__Acknowledged the volunteer’s time and willingness to participate_4__Articulated well

Graduated High SchoolSmoke Non SmokersHome Schooled 15 4 11Public Schooled 15 10 7  The results were that there is a tendency for public school students to have an increased

tendency to become smokers as adults. Further research needs to be conducted for accuracy of the test subjects. Some other variables that may affect these results are the age groups that participated and what participants were exposed to smoking in the home.

Ethics and Diversity Awareness

Joe violated the ACA Code of Ethics Confidentiality, Privileged Communication, and Privacy and the APA Code of Conduct Privacy and Confidentiality when he decided to contact Jill's boss and informed him that he was counseling her. Joe being specific about why she was in counseling was irrelevant just giving the information that she was in counseling violated the Privacy and Confidentiality Code of Ethics (ACA Code of Ethics, 2005) (Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, 2002).  

 American Counseling Association Code of Ethics B.1.c Respect for Confidentiality Counselors do not share confidential information without client consent or without sound legal or

ethical justification.ACA Code of Ethics, 2005). Exceptions to breach confidentiality are (1) danger and legal requirements; (2) contagious, life-threatening diseases;  (3) court-ordered disclosure; (4) minimal disclosure.

 American Psychological Association Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of

Conduct4.01 Maintaining Confidentiality  Psychologists have a primary obligation and take reasonable precautions to protect confidential

information obtained through or stored in any medium, recognizing that the extent and limits of confidentiality may be regulated by law or established by institutional rules or professional or scientific relationship. (Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, 2002).

Ethics and Diversity Awareness

  4.05 Disclosures Psychologists disclose confidential information without the consent of the individual only as

mandated by law, or where permitted by law for a valid purpose such as to (1) provide needed professional services; (2) obtain appropriate professional consultations; (3) protect the client/patient, psychologist, or others from harm; or (4) obtain payment for services from a client/patient, in which instance disclosure is limited to the minimum that is necessary to achieve the purpose . (Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, 2002).

 The American Counseling Association and American Psychological Association are similar in their guidelines of confidentiality. Both recognize that trust is a cornerstone of the counseling relationship. Counselors aspire to earn the trust of clients by creating an ongoing partnership, establishing and upholding appropriate boundaries, and maintaining confidentiality

 Perfectly indicated.  Does this include AIDS? This is interesting…how would you explain this?

Foundations of Psychology

  Sally is a 33-year-old European-American woman who says that she has been depressed and

anxious since her adolescence. During the interview, you ask if she experienced any depression or anxiety prior to her adolescence. She says she doesn’t know because she has almost no memory of her childhood prior to age 13. She has taken a variety of antidepressants, including Tricyclics, SSRIs, Welbutrin, and Effexor; however, none of these have helped much. She has refused psychotherapy in the past, saying she doesn’t want to think about things that happened to her. She reports having frequent nightmares but refuses to elaborate further. She gets startled easily and has many fears. She has come to the hospital to participate in the therapeutic milieu because she experiences increasing suicidal ideation. You refer her to a psychologist for her inpatient stay, suggesting that this kind of service might be helpful to her. Later, the psychologist who is treating her discusses her case in a hospital staffing. You are invited to attend the staffing as a member of her treatment team — when Sally came to the hospital, she signed an informed consent that said that hospital employees involved in her care would discuss her progress. The psychologist explains that Sally has disclosed to him a history of sadistic child abuse along with significant memory and time loss. Because you are a trainee, the psychologist is also interested in your opinions about this case. The psychologist asks you to explain:

 What might be the cause of her memory problems? I think that Sally is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is an anxiety disorder

that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat.

 

Foundations of Psychology

Sally’s is showing signs of Avoidance symptoms such as:

Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the experience Feeling emotionally numb Feeling strong guilt, depression, or worry Losing interest in activities that were enjoyable in the past Having trouble remembering the dangerous event.Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These

symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.

  Sally is also showing Hyperarousal symptoms:Being easily startled Feeling tense or “on edge” Having difficulty sleeping, and/or having angry outbursts.Hyperarousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind

one of the traumatic event. They can make the person feel stressed and angry. These symptoms may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.

It’s natural to have some of these symptoms after a dangerous event. Sometimes people have very serious symptoms that go away after a few weeks. This is called acute stress disorder, or ASD. When the symptoms last more than a few weeks and become an ongoing problem, they might be PTSD. Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or months.

Foundations of Psychology

 Why have the antidepressants not helped her much?  The main treatments for people with PTSD are psychotherapy (“talk” therapy), medications, or

both. Everyone is different, so a treatment that works for one person may not work for another. It is important for anyone with PTSD to be treated by a mental health care provider who is experienced with PTSD. Some people with PTSD need to try different treatments to find what works for their symptoms (NIMH, 2009).

If someone with PTSD is going through an ongoing trauma, such as being in an abusive relationship, both of the problems need to be treated. Other ongoing problems can include panic disorder, depression, substance abuse, and feeling suicidal.

Sally did not get psychotherapy and the medication may have suppressed her trauma but ultimately without the counseling needed any of these medications would not heal her mental anxiety and stress. Your supervisor asks you to review the work that you have done so far as a trainee for the patient education program of the neurology, psychiatry, and neurosurgery service, and to address the following issues:

 Explain ethics or diversity issues that need to be considered in the educational and

referral services that you provided. Explain to what degree sensitivity to diversity is an ethical issue.

 Understanding the impact of difference and diversity on peoples lives and it’s implications for

working practicesDevelop strategies to handle the emotional and physical impact of own practice, seeking

appropriate support where necessary, with good awareness of boundary issues.Awareness of limits of competence/appropriate level of autonomyManage own personal learning needsUse supervision to reflect on practice and make appropriate use of feedback

Foundations of Psychology

Work constructively and collaboratively, respecting diverse view points If we do not as professionals use the above tools we may have a tendency to

diagnose and treat patients and do harm. We need to ethically always be collaborating with other professionals in this regard.

  

Applied Psychology

 Leadership and power are closely linked. People tend to follow those who are powerful. In addition, because others follow, the person with power leads. The Power and Influence Approach to leadership states, "leadership is best understood by the use of the power and influence exercised by a person with a group (Muchinsky, 2009, p. 414). Our lecture notes (Argosy, 2009) suggest that power is the leader's potential to influence the attitudes and behaviors of others.

David's team members describe him with attributes of an excellent leader. French and Raven have described five bases of power. The five steps or bases of power that leaders may have include the following:

Reward Power - This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance. David has the ability to measure his staff's behavior and performance and offer incentives through raises and bonuses

 Coercive Power - This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance.

David is able to approve or disapprove changes in their work schedule including vacations.  Legitimate Power – This comes from the belief that a person has the right to make demands, and

expect compliance and obedience from others. As a supervisor, employees see David in a role of authority.

 Expert Power – This is based on a person's superior skill and knowledge. The assignment does

not give specific experience or education that David may have. My assumption is that when David was hired he met the education and experience for his supervisory position. His leadership skills in relation to managing staff through setting clear job guidelines and the ability to successfully assign responsibilities that fit the needs of the department leads me to believe that he has these expert power leadership skills.

 

Applied Psychology

Referent Power - This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others. David shows respect and consideration for his staff, giving them the tools through training opportunities, incentives and delegating assignments and projects. His staff refers to him with any problems and issues because of his consideration, flexibility and approachable leadership style.

 In the five bases of power listed, I have noted how David's leadership skills are relevant to each

base. Legitimate power is used as a daily influence on routine matters, reward power is beneficial to encourage and reinforce positive behavior, coercive power is used to reverse negative behavior and expert and referent power are used to help motivate in tasks that are challenging.

 These five bases of power are not limited to those in authority. Employees that demonstrate an

expertise in specific jobs, for example a billing clerk that has experience and extensive knowledge in insurance coding. Her knowledge will influence others effectively because of their skills and personal qualities.

 David's ability to give clear expectations so that employees giving them the ability to measure

their own performance and adjust to meet their goals. David is approachable as a supervisor and employees have the confidence in his supervisor skills to treat him as an expert and refer to him with any challenges they may have.

 The LBDQ is the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire. This questionnaire is a detailed

questionnaire designed to describe how leaders behave. Two dimensions that David has shown high marks are consideration for his employees and initiating structure within his department.

Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others: you do not need to have an important job title or a big office. However, if you recognize the different forms of power, you can avoid being influenced by those who use the less effective types of power - and you can focus on developing expert and referent power for yourself. This will help you become an influential and positive leader (Mind Tools, n.d.).

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Leadership Credibility

Employee Moral

Communication Structure

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Enhanced Listening

Skills

Leading with Integrity

Flexibility in Leading Others

Leadership Credibility

Through

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Quality Circles

Provide Entrepreneurial

Work Climate

Involvement in Scheduling Work Rules

EmployeeMorale

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Informal Communication

Vs.Formal

ImmediateWrittenVerbal

Feedback

OpportunitiesFor

Social Interaction

CommunicationThrough

My Future in Learning

Being a lifelong learner doesn't end with a degree but starts when we are born and continues until we die. My academic education has been a challenge but also been such a rewarding experience. Watching my sons mature and go to college and surpass me academically challenged me to continue my education. Through these many years of education and life experiences I feel I am better equipped to assist those that need therapy and will devote my attributes to being a contributor to our society.

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