hiring/firing

Hiring questions/firing questions

1.        What is your previous job experience and performance?

I managed a screen printing/embroidery shop.

2.       Please tell me some leadership qualities that you possess?

I communicate well, honest, great listener, know what it takes to get a job done, team player, self-starter, and a hard worker.

3.       What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why are these strengths and weaknesses?

Strength – Communicate well and a team player.  These are strengths because I can work well with others and know how to handle sticky situations.  When you work well as a team you can accomplish much more than an individual and the working environment is always pleasurable.

Weakness – Take on too much.  This is a weakness because in order to get everything done sometimes you have to compromise one job and not give it 100% in order to get another one done and that should never be the case.  Each job should be given 100%!  You should always know your limits because sometimes it takes only one unhappy customer to create unfavorable advertising.

4.       How would you describe your organizational abilities?

Adequate.  Enough to be able to complete all my responsibilities.   If I spent too much time organizing I would never get any of my jobs done.

5.       What have you done above and beyond the "call of duty" and what motivated you to do it?

I stayed all night and into the next evening to get a job done on time.  If I tell a customer it was going to be done at a certain time, I will do everything it takes to keep my dependability.  It meant more to me to have a happy customer than to have sleep.  Happy customer = more business.

6.       Tell me how you handled a difficult employee.

I pulled one employee aside in private and let them know my concerns and gave them a warning that if it happened again I would have to let them go.

7.       What is the process to discipline someone who has done something against policy?

Always sit down in private and give them a fair warning that it better not happen again.

8.       What steps are you willing to take to rectify the problem

If I knew the employee had potential, I would try and work with them, but after a couple of warnings and if they kept up with the same behavior, they obviously don’t care and I would have to let them go.

9.       When somebody needs disciplinary action what would you do first

Sit down and talk with them in private.

10.   If somebody was to be fired what steps would need to be taken

First go to human resources to get everything documented, Have a letter of termination ready, sit them down in private and let them know it was their last day, hand them the letter and let them know their final check will be in the mail.

Evaluation interview

Evaluation questions

1.       Have you made any goals in which you can work towards? 

Becoming a lead tech in the work place.

2.       How do you feel your overall performance in your job title has been?

In the short time that I have been there I think it has been very well.

3.       Do you feel that there are any areas that you can work on personally?

Becoming better at paperwork to make the office staff’s job easier.

4.       How do you feel that you communicate with your employer and the clients in which you deal with on a daily basis?

I have received many positive reviews from both employer and costumer.

5.       Do you feel that you are a team player or work well in a team?

I believe I do really well in this situation.  I try to make it fair to all employees that are on the job that I oversee.

I found this assigment  very interesting in the fact that I didn't really know what kind of evaluation questions to ask other than ones that were related to healthcare.  After thinking about it for quite some time I was able to come up with a few that I kind of remembered from past evaluations. I feel that this evaluation taught me ways in which I should question myself for the job in which I am working now.  I asked myself these same questions and I didnt love my answers so I will work on some things. 

outside clinicals

Because of how many hours of required education that I had to complete for work, I was approved to use these hours for my extra 45 hours of clinical.  I completed ACLS, TNCC, and ENPC.  These hours for these classes alone made my 45 hours of clinical.  It was very difficult to do all of these classes along with school, working full time etc.  I learned so much information that was obviously essential to my job in the Emergency department.  With ACLS the information that I felt benefitted me the most was the algorhythms for post cardiac arrest seeing as how this is what we see so much of in the emergency department.  I have seen the positive outcome of these protocols and knowing them well makes me be a better nurse.  WIth ENPC it is focused on the pediatric population which is so important.  In school we discuss pediatrics but the emphasis is on adults.  Having the skills to deal with pediatric patients, weight based medications, assessment skills etc.  TNCC is all about trauma.  trauma skills are so important for the emergency department.  We just became a trauma 4 accepting facility, which isnt much to brag about, but hey it is still a trauma facility.  We went over what to do in a trauma situation, (Burns, massive bleeding, amputations etc).  We went over assesment skills and the protocols for specific scenarios.  Overall the education was very beneficial, I see it making me become such a better nurse, and If I am able to stay updated on the new information these classes will help us (the ED) provide the best care to the patients in which we treat. 

How clinical will affect my career

I dont know how much these two clinicals will affect my future as a nurse.  I knew before hand that the ICU was a place that I would like to work.  IF I were to leave the emergency department, the ICU is where I would start looking first.  I will definitely try to broaden my knowledge base in regards to more critical care information etc.  I want to try and organize an EKG class for the Emergency department. I believe that many of us could use it and it would greatly impact the of patients if we are more alert and aware of rhythms.  I think that too often we become reliant on the monitors and sometimes dont trust what the monitor is telling us.

Clinical

One other thing  that we did during my clinical on the ICU was going over the rhythm strips and type of monitoring that they use on the ICU.  I realized how little I know about cardiac rhythms.  Every patient in the ICU is on the cardiac monitor and without the EKG telling me what the rhythm is I only now of course ST elevation and depression, Sinus tach, brady, and NSR.  I was quite embarassed at my little knowledge in regards to the cardiac monitoring.  I was very uncomfortable with the vents that many of the patients were on. We obviously will put patients on the ventilator in the ED, the problem is,  respiratory therapy is with the patient pretty much at all time until the patient is admitted to the ICU. Due to the respiratory therapist, I have a false sense of security.  The respiratory therapists are also in the ICU monitoring the vents, but the nurses have a good education on what to do and how to adjust them if needs be. 

Clinical day 1 & 2

I followed Jodi Wimmer who has worked in the ICU for 9 years. What I learned in the two 12 hour shifts that I followed her is that the ICU can be intimidating due to not having a physician on at all times.  I have come to rely on having that comfort in the Emergency department.  I have someone that is there to help control the situation if need be whereast the ICU is kind of on your own.  I learned alot about staffing, how they have a staff on call, how they only have so many people scheduled etc.  THe ICU can go from being completely full (8 pts) to having maybe one or two patients.  Due to this there could be one nurse to a few nurses on at a time.  In the morning we would do scheduling etc.  Of course we were there to assist with the higher accuity patients which at many times times the need of two nurses on a couple of the patients was needed.  In other aspects of the ICU, it was very similar to the ED.  I did learn a lot of different medications that were used much more frequently in the ICU that we dont use or infrequently use in the ED.  It was nice to see the other side of care.  The patients that I saw in the ED and the care they received when we transferred them into the ICU.  It was fun to follow someone in a position of power, or leadership.  I observed the sense of a role model that the charge nurse is.  Many of the nurses though were competent would refer to the charge nurse for an opinion or ask her questions just because she was the charge nurse.  I found this to be a great compliment to the charge nurse.  It showed that she had great leadership qualities.  Not only this but she was someone that they could count on. 

clinical expectations

I was assigned to the ICU at American Fork Hospital.  I didn't go with a ton of expectations primarily due to the fact that I have worked at the American for Hospital for 5 years and have dealt with the ICU many times.  What I didnt realize is how differently they were set up in regards to patient flow, paperwork etc.  When I went to do my clinicals, all I really wanted to get out of the clinical was an experience that I could hopefully use one day when I applied to an ICU.  Other than the Emergency department, The ICU is the only other department that I have been interested in.  I love the atmosphere in the ICU due to the similarity of the Emergency Department.  I have that need I guess for the adrenaline.  I really just enjoy that fact that I feel that I am having to be more of a critical thinker due to the accuity of the patients.  What I did know that would be different is the amount of patients each nurse has, not only that but the difference in the types of interventions performed between the two different departments.  Following a charge nurse made me nervous for the fact that I thought I would be sitting around all day.  THe charge nurses in the emergency department are there to control the flow of the ED, at night they try to not take any patients in order to be available to help where there is help needed.  What I found out is that is what the charge nurse did in the ICU along with schedule, staffing, and they did have at least one patient. My expectations were met overall, I followed a fantastic charge nurse who taught me a great deal, and overall I enjoyed my experience.
I realized that I want to be a charge nurse sooner than later for the fact that I know that I could be good at this position.  Of course it would have to be in the ED due to my knowledge of this department.  I also learned from my clinical that I would need to gain some more base knowledge in order to help other staff with needs such as medications or running a code etc.  Though I have been the primary nurse on many codes, the charge nurse is such a resource due to their expertise. 

Lesson 12

I have experienced conflict in many different ways. One way in particular was a staff member that was accusing me and another staff member of things that were completely untrue.  This staff member emailed our manager and stated that these particular things had occurred when in fact they had not.  Due to the accusations, I was called into the managers office to discuss these accusations.  When I had proved that the accusations were false, I wanted to obviously confront this other staff member to ask why she had sent this email to our manager when none of it was true.  I asked permission from the manager to confront this person.  I was granted permission since this person was frequently doing this, or finding a way to complain about many different staff members.  I gathered up the courage to confront this person.  I presented myself in a calm manner, stated that I was not mad, I just wanted clarification. After having a good discussion the other staff member apologized and we have been great friends since. She was very angry that the manager had told me who it was who had sent the email but I believed it to be a great way to resolve a situation. 

Lesson 11

What do you consider elements of quality care when receiving healthcare services?  Being listened to.  Being updated on a regular basis, Letting the patient have input in their care.  One thing that my patients have mentioned is that they appreciate when they are thought of as more than just another patient.  When you think about their needs such as a drink or a blanket etc.  Not just their labs and medication.  What do you consider elements of quality care as a professional nurse?  I believe that quality of care is putting  my best efforts into the care of each patient.  By doing the best that I can do at all times, I am ensuring that each patient is getting cared for.  I try to leave all judgment at the door in order to provide the best care to each patient.  Are the two similar or different? I believe that the two are very similar.  Patients may have a slightly different point of view when it comes to quality of care, but as a professional, If providing the best care that is possible then the patient should perceive that care as quality care.

Lesson 10

Motivation was the topic of discussion.  Motivation plays a huge role in the Emergency Department in which I work.   Not everyone has the same work ethics.  By having ways or a plan to motivate staff, you can make those that may lack motivation or self-perseverance. Some ways that I or others that I work with have motivated people we work with is by providing positive reinforcement.  Everyone likes to be complimented and by telling people areas in which they stand out, it made them want to continue to do well, and at times they would go above and beyond. I have noticed that when I feel appreciated I am more motivated to continue to do a good job, along with finding ways in which I can better my performance. I have also had an instance in which the manager acted in a way that was unprofessional and in a way that she showed she had the power and there was nothing us staff could do to change it.  By the way the manager handled this particular situation, I lost a lack to work for her, along with the desire to pick up shifts, go above and beyond.  My fire had been completely exhausted. I wanted to change my job so badly due to the way things were being handled.  I then remembered that managers can do whatever they please, and just because a few staff along with myself were angry, where was that going to get me. I truly believe that more that you value your co-workers, the better they will do, the more they will try for, and the better the company will be overall.

Lesson 9

Lesson 9 was a continuation of lesson 8.  A few things that I did not touch on in lesson 8 is more about the interview process. When interviewing there are illegal questions such as age, race, marital status, religion and sexual preference.  Of course most places wouldn’t even think to ask these questions anyway.  Some ways in which an interviewee could ensure a good interview is by sending a thank you note, and if offered the position send a formal letter of acceptance or rejection.  After every interview, critique the interview and go over areas that you did well, and areas that you would change for next time.  We talked about two different types of adult learning theories: pedagogy and androgy.  I believe that I fall into the androgy.  It is interesting to think about the different methods or theories adults use. We also discussed the queen bee syndrome.  I know many people that suffer from this.  They do  everything in their power to keep the authority.  They don’t want others to succeed and therefore are unwilling to teach. This is very common in nursing.  I have noticed that this can be more of a problem in departments such as the ER and ICU due to the aggressive behaviors that you find within these departments. 

Lesson 8

In class we discussed professional growth in nursing.   Many nurses do not have a career focus. They see nursing as a job.  Because of their lack of career focus, the do not seek advancement in their jobs, do not try to continue on with their career, and therefore have no long term goals.  There should be some form of career management where performance appraisals are done. By having a meeting with your manager on at least a yearly basis, nurses can see areas that they can improve themselves, make some long term goals, and hopefully aspire to do more with their career then just stop dead in their tracks.

We discussed the change in nursing.  When the economy changes there is nursing shortages etc.  One thing that we discussed was how generations such as the baby boomers could affect staffing and scheduling due to their increased medical need. Staffing in nursing is somewhat complicated. It Is also moving toward an older population because nurses are staying employed into their elder years.  Staffing for nurses requires expertise care 24/7, hard to balance work and socializing due to the required hours. There can be a lot of turnover with nursing which at times can be detrimental to a department in regards to finding a replacement and re-training. 

Interviewing was also discussed. We went over mistakes an interviewee can make. How not preparing for an interview, not having questions to ask or bad mouthing last employer.  Overall I thought these were fabulous tips seeing as how I have been the culprit to some of these errors.

Lesson 8

Individual Career Development Plan

            Over the next five years, the plan for my career is not completely known.  I have many desires and aspirations that I hope to accomplish with in my career.  I would like to gain a good base knowledge of nursing and acquire skills in which I will be able to progress and better myself as a nurse.  Not only would I like to develop skills, I would like to gain leadership skills so that I can make advancements within the department in which I work currently.  I have a desire to hopefully begin to level as soon as a position opens.  Preparing for this advancement, I have begun to make necessary steps to get required education in place, along with a knowledge set required to do an acceptable job in this position. 

            Since I am so close to getting a year of nursing experience, I plan to continue working in the emergency department, trying to gain more acknowledgements and certificates to help for when I start applying for graduate school.  I am not 100% decided on whether I want to get my Nurse Practitioner, go the teaching route, or if I would like to go into administration.  I am leaning more towards Nurse Practitioner due to the patient interaction that I would still have.   The idea of working under my own license of course scares me quite a bit.  I have always enjoyed teaching.  I just am unsure whether I want to teach at the college level.  I hope to decide what I want to do in the next year or so.  Once I have decided which route I would like to go, I will then take the necessary steps needed such as the GRE, etc. to start applying to graduate school. 

            I hope that in the next five years I have been accepted to graduate school, possibly having already started school.  I would have liked to have become a charge nurse within the emergency department, hopefully be in a position in which I have some influence with the department.  Though I know that within the next five years I will more than likely not be able to become a manager or a clinical educator, but one of those positions would be a goal that I would love to achieve sometime in my career.  I will be taking it kind of slow for the next few months due to just graduating.  I would like to take a small break in order to recuperate and gain the motivation and desire to accomplish these goals and aspirations.

Budget interview

BUDGET QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS      

1.       How does the company forecast for future expenditures?

The Company takes three previous months expenditures and makes a comparison with the previous year for the same time period and then can make an estimate for the next few months.

2.       How does the Company set yearly budgets?

The Company takes year end totals and sets a percentage to be added to the next year if the yearend totals indicate an increase in income.

3.       Who submits budget proposals to the Company Financial Budget Director?

Each department will submit a yearly budget outlining needs for operations backed by previous year totals and proposed increases.

4.       How does the Company allow for over expenditures?

Each department is allowed a 1% carryover of unused funds for unexpected overages.

5.       Are Company budgets protected from financial fraud?

All financial transactions must have original documentation and double eye procedures.  These procedures are outlined in Company policy.

I did not love this assigment.  I felt that it was hard to really learn alot from this assignment due to us not really dealing with budget.  I do see myself in a position in which budget may matter, but overall it was just an assignment.

Lesson 7

Managing healthcare resources was the topic of discussion for class.  We discussed time management, procrastination, managment and symptoms of poor management, planning, budgeting etc.  What was interesting about this discussion is that all of these aspects for managing healthcare resources can be useful in an everyday persons life.  What stood out to me with todays discussion is time management.  I have such a huge problem with time management.  What we discussed was how there are 3 steps to time management: 1. allow time for planning to establish priorities, 2. complete the highest priortiy task first and finish one before starting another, 3. reprioritize based on the remaining tasks and on new information that may be received.  We also discussed traps for setting priorities. Listed were 5 traps.  I can see why these traps happen such as the path of the least resistance.  I always want to choose that path.  Also default.  It is always easier  just to do what falls into place instead of setting priorities.  Usually if you are doing the default task, other priorities are getting bypassed.  In class we discussed that priority setting is the most important skill in management. 
What are time wasters?  In regards to management time wasters could be telephone, socializing, email, texting, meetings, poor communication which I find to be a huge one with most managers, and lastly incompetent co-workers. A few other topics such as fiscal planning and budgeting were discussed.  We talked about what goes into a budget and the things that make up a budget. Delegation was a big topic of discussion.  Delegation to me is so important in the effective running of any business.  Delegation can be hard for reasons that staff may believe that you are not capable, or may feel a sense of laziness.  Not only this but sometimes it is hard to delegate when you may just want to do the whole project yourself.  At times over delegation can happen. Sometimes people may take advantage of the opportunity to delegate.  It may also be due to poor time management. Delegation is there for a good purpose, we just need to ensure that we are delagating appropriately and ensuring to follow up to ensure a good outcome.

Lesson 6

Change.  CHange is hard for everyone.  Whether the change is good, or bad, change is still change.  I  myself hate change, unless of course it was either my idea or it benefits me in a positive way.  There is some change that I have been on board with due to the positive result it will have.  Overall I am usueally the one that is resistant to change.  I am one who enjoys knowing what is going on, how to do things, have things in a set way.  When this is changed, it is back to a state of not knowing, being uneducated, not knowing the future etc.  I dont like losing the sense of control.  I have seen some change in the department in which I work that have made a huge impact for the better on patient care and I am always on board with change that makes my job and the atmosphere in which I work better.  One example is call backs.  By doing this our ppq scores have gone up quite drastically. Not only are our ppq scores going up, but the overall care for our patients has increased due to staff seeing the benefit of increasing their patient centered care.

lesson 5

Patient care models in the facility in which I work are as follows.  We have many different members of the team in the emergency department. Due to the high patient loads we have assigned specific areas for teams for a particular shift.  There is always one Health unit  coordinator working who is responsible for coordinating the care of all the patients within the ED. The Health unit coordinators put in all the orders for the patients, keeps track of labs and radiographic studies and if  they have been completed.  They also are a direct assistant to the physicians in ways such as contacting consulting physicians, chart organization, answering all phones, and any other tasks that may be within their scope of practice.  We also have critical care techs in the emergency department in which I work.  The Techs are responsible for starting I.V's, drawing labs, assisting with getting vital signs, assisting the patients to the bathroom etc.   Techs are so instrumental in the flow of the emergency department.  Without the techs, the nurses would never be able to keep their heads above water.  We usually have 5 nurses on during the busy hours of the day and between 2-3 techs.  We have the staff members separated out into teams in order to prevent errors by having too many patients asssigned per tech/nurse etc...  The nurses are of course important as they are responsible for the primary care of each patient. In the Emergency department in which I work there is anywhere from 3-5 nurses on at one time.  Each nurse can have up to 5 patients to care for which can be very overwhelming in an acute care setting.  Nurses are responsible of assessing, medicating, reassesing, performing specific interventions required to that specific patients care.  Overall the nurses job is large and requires the help of the techs and the health unit coordinators.  When we all work as a team, the flow of the ED is smooth and patients get seen in a timely and effective manner.  When there is a flaw in the team aspect, the flow seems to crumble under the pressure.  IT is so important for us all to work as a team to care for our patients in the best way possible.

Lesson 5

Organizational structure, power, and the role of the nurse leader. When I heard what we were in class today I thought about my manager.  What is her role, her responsibilities as a manager, along with the way in which she has used her power, the way she has carried out her responsibilities, along with the way that she has portrayed herself.  Being a manager would be a hard position to be in.  Many people in which you are having to answer to.  By having so many people reporting to one person, the role can become too much, therefore the manager becomes less efficient.  We discussed the different levels of management in class.  When I thought of management, I only thought about the direct manager.  WHat I didnt realize is that administration, CEO's, charge nurses, board of directors etc are all considered managers.  Each of these positions has a position of power, obviously some more than others.
Power can be positive or negatvie, those with power have the ability to get things done.  Those in a power of position have the ability to influence others.  People in a position of power can obviously let power become a negative thing.  When in a power of position one must remember to empower subordinates whenever possible, Use authority in such a manner that subordinates view actions as necessary. 
Overall as a manager, you must present yourself in a way in which you are professional and will only use your power for means of bettering the department.  ALso that your employees are in your best interest.  Many times people who are in a position of power make thier employees feel as if their opinions dont matter. THis is vital in order to continue to stay in a position of power.

strategic planning

 Deciding in advance what to do, who is to do it, how it is to be done and when it is to be done.  Why is it that we plan?  Planning within a company is important in order for the company to be successful.  For a  more successful plan their should be an evaluation phase.  By evaluating the plan, it is possible to find flaws in the plan, or areas that could use some adjustments.  Many people will make plans, but like myself, frequently fall away from the plan.  Why do plans fail?  No overall goals, inadequate time and resources, not enough alternatives, etc.  The most successful type of planning has a possibility for change and adaptability.  Not only are you able to go with the flow, you are able to foresee with the future areas that the plan may need to be changed or adapted. 
Planning is so important for  a company to grow and be successful.  Planning is a skill that should be nurtured in all aspects of life.  I have learned the hard way.  I frequently plan, think that I will always stay ahead, but I always seem to fall away from the plan either due to procrastination or due to the lack of motivation.  By placing more appropriate plans to myself and my lifestyle It would be easier to stay in concordance with the first plan in place.

Ethics (lesson 3)

Today in class we discussed the movie My Sisters Keeper and the topic of ethics in healthcare. ALso we discussed the purpose of a ethics committee within a facility. Ethical dilemmas occur daily within the healthcare world. Ethics committees are in place to resolve issues that take place, along with making specific decisions in regards to a situation. I have seen a few instances at work when it would have been nice to have somebody on hand to help a family deal with a particular situation. Many times as a nurse I have my own opinions regarding patient’s decisions etc. If what they are doing with the medical decisions of their family, if it is ethical or not. As a medical provider many times I have to do things or go along with things that I may or may not believe to be ethical.

Nurses are being held more liable for situations since salaries for nurses have increased. Do to being held at a higher level of responsibility, one should make sure their ethical compass is truely in place.

Week 1

In class we discussed what it was to be a leader and manager.  It was very interesting to hear what the class thought about what it was to be a leader/manager. Not only did we discuss what it was to be a leader/manager we touched upon the decision making role vs problem solving.  A leader must have the skills to both make decisions along with knowing how to solve a problem in a stressful situation.  We discussed the importance of critical thinking in nursing.  WHy must a nurse posses this skill?  Due to the changing information in the medical field.  As a nurse, having this skill makes for safe and effective practicing.  Leadership can vary in so many ways.   Those that are leaders are effective by leading  with values and ethics.  By doing so they gain the trust of those they are leading.

12 characteristics of leaders

1.  Leadership requires personal mastery:  Nurses demonstrate leadership by taking on positions of authority or guidance towards other staff members and the unit in which they work.  By having experience and knowledge they can lead those who may not have aquired this skill or the knowledge base.
2.  Leadership is about values:  Having values helps to guide you as a leader.
3. Leadership is about service:  Nurses demonstrate leadership by serving those they are leading, also by being an example, by providing service, are are leading those around you to do the same. 
4. Leadership is about people and relationships:  in order to be a leader, relationships with those you are trying to lead is essential to be an effective leader.  WIthout the good opinion from the followers, leadership is technically no there.
5.  Leadership is contextual:  all leadership is contextual.  Without being relatable, or being someone that can be depended on, one is not an effective leader, or will ever become a leader.
6.  Leadership is about the management of meaning:  The management of meaning is a true goal of leadership.  As a leader, especially with nurses.  All aspects of care are done for a purpose or meaning.  These tasks/skills are managed by a seperior or by leaders to ensure it is done in the right manner and with good intent.
7.  Leadership must have balance, as a leader you must have the attributes to bring  balance to those whom you are leading.  Must have balance on your own opinions, beliefs, values, etc..
8.  Leadership is about continuous learning and improvement:  To be an effective leader, the continuing of education and learning for oneself is essential to lead other through new skills, ideas, and information.
9.  Leadership is about effective decision making:  effective decision making is a primary attribute of a leader.  Without the ability to make decisions, especially under pressure, leadership qualities are not possesed. 
10. Leadership is a political process:  Politics are of course going to be involved in leadership.  Being in a leadership position puts you as a target for those who are around you or below you in status may feel that there is favoritism or that maybe you should not be a leader.  Due to these opinions, resistance to your guidance may be met.
11.  Leadership is about modeling:  By being a leader, you are able to mold, and "model" those that are looking up to you as a model.  By being an effective leader you are even unknowingly modeling those around you.
12.  Leadership is about integrity:  Integrity and leadership coincide. Wthout integrity you can not be an effective leader.  Integrity in your work and the belief in what you are doing as a leader promotes those who are leading you to follow in your footsteps, therefore creating an atmosphere of integrity.