Stem Cell Research has the Potential to Alleviate Much...

In the words of former First Lady Nancy Reagan: â€Å"Embryonic stem cell research has the potential to alleviate so much suffering. Surely, by working together we can harness its life-giving potential.† Stem cell research shows so much promise to help people by treating diseases and other problems through therapy. While it seems as though the clear answer is that we should study stem cells as soon as possible, this is sadly not the case. Stem cell research is an ongoing controversy within politics and the courts because of the process by which embryonic stem cells are obtained. This conflict divides people on their moral and religious views: When does life begin? Because of this issue, there have been numerous court rulings deciding if and when stem cell study would be federally funded and even when stem cell studies would be allowed. These court rulings have significantly slowed down progress in stem cell research, and stem cell exploration will progress slowly if the govern ment doesn’t make stem cell research a priority. The best approach to stem cell research is to freely allow and support scientists to conduct further experimentation because knowledge and use of stem cells will only progress through experimentation. More financial support is needed to prove that stem cell treatments are successful, and if monetary support is provided many lives will be saved as the end result of the research. Stem cells are blank cells with the ability to divide unlimited times in cultureShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Heated Debate Concerning Stem Cell Research1025 Words   |  5 PagesStem Cell Research Should stem cell research be allowed? Stem cell research has been a major biological breakthrough in recent years. It has great potential to help people and ease suffering. But there is also a moral question raised about stem cell research, and that comes from the source of stem cells. Ever since Stem Cell research started, there has been much debate over whether or not it should be allowed. Some people are completely against stem cell research becauseRead MoreStem Cell Essay819 Words   |  4 PagesAdult stem cell are difficult to obtain and have a lower growth potential. Although they have a limited capacity to differentiate and they are compatible with adult tissue, you can only obtain a small amount of cells. An alternative would be obtaining stem cell from the umbilical cord, given the fact that are easily to obtain, they are compatible with other body tissue , they may have a limited capacity to differentiate but they are not a treat to the child life. Both these option offer a small amountRead MoreStem Cell Research Needs to Be Funded Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesA mother has developed Alzheimer’s, preventing her from having a normal relationship with her family. A newly born baby girl has a spinal cord issue, making for many years of rehabilitation ahead her. A diabetic wife struggles to take care of her household duties because of constantly having to monitor h er blood sugar and deal with insulin shots. With the development of stem cell research, and the more controversial embryonic stem cell research, every one of these instances could not only be curedRead MoreEssay Government Funding of Stem Cell Research775 Words   |  4 Pagesover embryonic stem cell research. In the weeks leading up to the election, polls were indicating that 47 percent of Bush supporters agreed that the destruction of embryo cells is unethical; however, 53 percent of Bush voters supported stem cell research. The overwhelming majority of Kerry backers also supported stem cell research, indicating that the majority of American voters support stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research, while still in its infancy, has the potential to treat or perhapsRead MoreEssay on Human Embryonic Stem Cells 2138 Words   |  9 Pagesof a federal judge because of several issues that emerged with stem cell research being funded by the government. Although, the science of human embryonic stem cell is in its initial stages - there is much hope for scientific advancement due to the ability for human embryonic stem cells to grow into virtually various kinds of cells   Favorably, advocates for stem cell research and pharmaceutical companies strongly believe that stem cells may pave a way to discover new methods of treatment for devastatingRead MoreStem Cell Research1330 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Embryotic stem cell research has the potential to alleviate so much suffering. Surely, by working together we can harness its life-giving potential.† Nancy Reagan (Brainy Quote). Stem cells are cells that have the remarkable qualities to become any cell in the body. A stem cell begins as a â€Å"blank canvas† meaning it can end up as whatever the body, or scientist, needs it to be. There are three main types of stems cells: Embryotic stem cells, Adult stem cells, and Cord Blood stem cells. Adult stem cellsRead MoreMorality And Money : Stem Cell Research990 Words   |  4 PagesMoney: Stem Cell Research In 2001, with 22 human embryonic stem cell lines established, President George W. Bush signed legislation which prevented new, additional stem cell lines from being created and tightened restrictions on federal stem cell research funding. This legislation effectively constrained human embryonic stem cell research until 2009, when President Barack Obama reversed Bush’s legislation and relaxed the funding criteria. There are now 195 human embryonic stem cell linesRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cells Pros And Cons1664 Words   |  7 Pagesexists. For years, researchers have been studying the miraculous potential of human embryonic stem cells. Human embryonic stem cells, also known as hESC, have the ability to develop into any kind of specialized cells in the human body, ranging from as simple as a skin cell to as complex as a neuron. This â€Å"miracle cure,† however, comes with a great cost; the stem cells have to be extracted from a human embryo, completely destroyin g it. Research institutions often obtain embryos either from abortion clinicsRead MoreStem Cell Research : Stem Cells1416 Words   |  6 PagesDana Moua English IV 25 April 2016 Stem Cell Research What are stem cells? Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are found in multicellular organisms. The reason for scientist’s interest in stem cells is because of the possible applications of using them. These stem cells can be used to regrow organs/tissues. By using stem cells, scientists may be able to find cures for different cancers, certain genetic diseases, and different physical trauma damages. They can be used to treat a varietyRead MoreThe Debate Over Stem Cell Research1601 Words   |  7 PagesThe stem cell controversy has been going on for many years. The two basic controversies surrounding stem cell research is whether or not it is morally justifiable, and if stem cells will ever live up to the medical promises. Most of these controversies concern embryonic stem cells more than any other stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are unspecialized, but have the ability to divide and make specialized cells like muscles, nerves, and skin cells. These cells are found in t he early stage of human development

Hiv Genome Organization And Structure Essay - 2218 Words

HIV Genome Organization and Structure: The HIV-1 virion is approximately 120 nm in diameter, roughly spherical, and is composed of two copies of a single stranded positive sense RNA enclosed by a capsid (24). The HIV-1 genome is less than 10 kb and encodes for more than nine different gene products. It encodes for 3 major structural protein genes: gag (group-specific antigen), pol (DNA polymerase), and env (Envelope), which code for major structural proteins and essential enzymes. Gag generates the mature Gag protein matrix (MA or p17), capsid (CA or p24), nucleocapsid (NC or p7), and p6, which encompass proteins for the basic infrastructure of the virus such as the inner core of the viral particle (25). Pol encodes for reverse transcriptase (RT), which enables the virus to reproduce, integrase (IN), which is necessary to integrate the viral double stranded DNA into the host genome, RNAse H, and HIV protease, which are all encapsulated in the core of the inner particle formed by the viral capsid protein p24 (25). Env enco des for glycoproteins of the outer membrane such as outer gp120 (which enables the virus to attach and fuse to cells of the host), and transmembrane gp41 that anchors the glycoprotein complex to the surface of the virion (25). Between the core and the envelope is the HIV matrix proteins which are composed of the viral protein p17 (23). HIV-1 also encodes for proteins with important regulatory elements (tat (Trans-Activator of Transcription) and revShow MoreRelatedThe Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Essay1065 Words   |  5 Pagesimmunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) is the causative agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). AIDS is characterized by a severely compromised immune system and the occurrence of life-threatening opportunistic infections. The first cases of AIDS were documented in 1981 and the isolation of HIV from a patient was described two years later.1,2 Since then, HIV/AIDS has evolved into a global pandemic. According to a report from the Joint Unite d Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS published in 2016,Read MoreHIV: Biochemistry and Pathogenicity744 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿HIV: Biochemistry and Pathogenicity Since the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was discovered in 1983 by Francoise BarrÃÆ' ¨-Sinoussi and colleagues (reviewed by Weiss, 2013) an estimated 70 million people have been infected with this retrovirus (WHO, 2013). Of these, close to half have died of the clinical manifestation of the infection called AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Although tremendous progress has been made, including accurate testing of patients and donated blood, developmentRead MoreHiv And The World Health Organization Essay1718 Words   |  7 PagesHIV/AIDS is an acronym that has become synonymous with the weakening of the human immunity system and has become a constant source of anguish for the infected and their families. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 1.2 million people in the US are living with HIV. What may be worrying is that 1 in 8 persons are unaware of their positive status. Despite the number of new HIV diagnoses has decreasing by 19% between 2005 and 2 014, there is still a lot of unsightly statistics thatRead MoreMiddle East Respiratory Syndrome Report Essay1291 Words   |  6 Pagesother confirmed or suspected cases† (More MERS sources found). Middle East Respiratory Syndrome has a very broad host range structure. Its genome is similar to other coronaviruses, for two thirds of the 5’ of the genome encode non-structural proteins that are needed for viral genome replication. The 3’ one third of genome codes for structural genes that make the structure of the virion (spike, envelope, membrane and nucleocapsid proteins) and four accessory genes interspersed between the gene regionsRead MoreEpidemiology And Communicable Diseases : Human Immunodeficiency Virus1714 Words   |  7 Pagesimmunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV has been one of the largest epidemics in history. â€Å"HIV continues to be a major global health issue, having claimed more than 34 million lives so far. In 2014, 1.2 [980,000-1.6 million] million people died from HIV-related causes globally† (World Health Organization, 2015, n.p.). Having a good understanding of HIV will help epidemiologists in the long run to decrease the above numb ers. All in all, this paper will provide a brief description of HIV; provide an epidemiologicalRead MoreHiv Introduction10077 Words   |  41 PagesHIV From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search AIDS virus redirects here. For the computer virus, see AIDS (computer virus). For the village, see Hiv (village). For the administrative subdivision, see Hiv Rural District. HIV Classification and external resources Diagram of HIV ICD-10 B20-B24 ICD-9 042-044 OMIM 609423 MedlinePlus 000602 eMedicine article/783434 MeSH D006678 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus (a member of the retrovirus family) thatRead MoreHiv And The World Health Organization2028 Words   |  9 PagesHIV/AIDS is a an acronym that has become synonymous with the weakening of the human immunity system and has become a constant source of anguish for the infected and their families. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 1.2 million people in the US are living with HIV. What may be worrying is that 1 in 8 persons are unaware of their positive status. Despite the number of new HIV diagnoses has decreasing by 19% between 2005 and 2014 , there is still a lot of unsightly statisticsRead MoreThe Threat Of Human Immune System1833 Words   |  8 Pagesperfection, in terms of pathogenicity. They are easily transmitted, replicate fast and are incredibly small. Viron particles have a very simple structure. They consist of a nucleic acid contained in a protein capsid which together forms the nucleocapsid. The capsi d enclosing the genetic material is encoded by few proteins forming usually an icosahedral structure. Some viruses have an additional coating layer, a membrane originating from a host cell inserted with glycoproteins adding to environmentalRead MorePersonal Statement In Population Biology739 Words   |  3 Pageshave started my research with applied probability in theoretical population biology and in statistical genetics during my PhD. However, during my postdoctoral work at the Emory University I started working in a completely different topic of developing HIV vaccine trial design and survival analysis. Soon afterwards during the early days of my Assistant Professorship at Georgia State University, I got exposed to an exciting field of research microarray data analysis. I found it to be fascinating to dealRead MoreEssay about The Science, Technology, and Ethics of HIV Vaccine Research4289 Words   |  18 PagesThe Science, Technology, and Ethics of HIV Vaccine Research An annual report recently released by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS indicated that the number of HIV-infected individuals increased 10 percent in the last year, bringing the number of people worldwide who are now carrying the virus to over 33 million. According to the report, half of these new infections were in people15 to 24 years old, and there were 11 new infections a minute. Sub-Saharan Africa reportedly accounts

Lack of Respect towards Nurses-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Write an essay on lack of respect towards Nurses: Contemporary Nursing Issues. Answer: Although the nursing profession is the most trusted, polls and surveys prove that it is definitely not the most respected profession. Nurses suffer disrespect from physicians, patients, visitors, family members, colleagues, and even the hospital administrators. The saddest part of it all is that disrespect has been a tolerated culture in the medical profession by the management, administrators, and the public. In healthcare, disrespectful behavior can result in medical errors, increased healthcare costs and endangering patients safety (Johnstone 2016).This essay will explore how nurses are disrespected in their work places. The role of nurses has changed overtime- from subordinate role to that of independent stakeholders in the delivery of health care. The aim of this significant change is to improve on service delivery. Despite these significant changes in the healthcare delivery, there still exists the mindset and negative public perception on nurses causing them to be undervalued and disrespected. In most cases, nurses become easy targets of blaming and shaming for ineffective practice, which can be blame on dysfunctional and failing system. Based on this fact, nurses face disrespect in the course of their work. For instance, nurses are widely disrespected by their patients. When addressing or asking for assistance from nurses, patients order them around and very few remember to use the words please and thank you. One nurse claims that patients yell at her all the time for things that are completely out of her control. For instance, there was an incident whereby a male patient rang the bell and when she came around to see what he wanted, he screamed at her ordering her to switch off his light. The nurse responded by calmly telling, the patient that she would do so if he used the word pleases (Clearly, Hunt Horsfall 2015). In addition, family members of patients fail to show respect towards nurses. An instance of outrageous disrespect was witnessed when family members were yelling threats to a floor nurse when the supervisor informed them that the patient had contracted a bacterial infection. They were quoted saying, You havent seen crazy until youve seen me! Youd better get my mother out of this hospital before I get you out of the way (Johnstone 2015). The patient was taken to another hospital where she continued being given the same antibiotics as she was getting from the previous hospital. Another nurse reported that a daughter of one of her patients went off at her because her father, who had dementia, did not get the usual meal as he had chosen what he got. She yelled hatefully, You will address me with yes maam and that is all, do you understand me?(Randle 2016). Such attitude towards nurses can affect delivery of healthcare, which can lead to unfavorable clinical outcome. Additionally, there have also been cases of lack of respect for the nurses themselves. Many may not know this but it is a prevalent behavior in nursing that destroys and discourages teamwork. A certain nurse told her colleague that she could not take extra days to cover for her vacation because she was also feeling a little bit burnt out. The result was that she got her hair pulled thrice during her shift for failing to cover her colleague. In another case, when a fellow nurse asked for assistance the colleague rolled her eyes, folded her arms and walked away. Another ICU nurse had her patient crashing and when she asked for help, her coworker refused to say that she was going for her smoke break and had no time for incompetent nurses (Vagharseyyedin 2016).The most known cases of workplace disrespect experienced nurses are said to be hazing the new nurses. In one occasion, Cathy enquired about a certain medication from three experienced nurses standing by and she ended up wishing tha t she had not. The nurses openly laughed at her and started talking about her from a distance. She could hear them say that she was stupid and it was ridiculous for her to ask such a question. Incidences have been reported whereby a new nurse is assigned to the most difficult patient so that the rest can test her as if it is a rite of passage. However, the younger nurses are sometimes rude to the elderly nurses who may be having difficulty adapting to new technology. Some newer nurses pick on the older nurses for being slow; this can inhibit cooperation amongst nurses and thus preventing effective service delivery. They have the minimal experience yet they dictate to the defenseless older nurses claiming that they are now old and should retire (Hutchinson, Vickers, Wilkes, and Jackson 2014). Further, another common type of disrespect experienced by nurses is from the physicians. For a long time, nurses have been on the receiving end of extremely tempered doctors and have been treated with disrespect. Most of them have encountered doctors who are reluctant or entirely refuse to return their calls or answer their questions. Reports have been made of doctors scolding nurses, hurling demeaning insults and comments, threatening and even assaulting them physically. Others go as low as spreading malicious rumors to shame and humiliate nurses (Hayward, Bungay, Wolff, and MacDonald 2016). A journal reported that physicians roughly push nurses away in the operating room, throwing surgical instruments, pens, scissors, and stethoscopes at them. For instance, a surgeon threw a scalpel at a nurse out of anger because the nurse did not have a rare medical gadget that he needed. He ended up endangering the nurse and many other people including a weak patient by throwing a tantrum. Anest hesiologists told a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist that he could teach a monkey to do her job. Another surgeon was reported for throwing a bloody sponge at a nurse and yelling at her asking, Are you stupid or something? (Stevens 2017). In another incident, a nurse informed the physician that the patient was extremely anxious and was experiencing shortness of breath. Dismissively, the doctor instructed the nurse to give the patient some anti-anxiety drug and to take some of them herself. Later in the evening, the patient was rushed to the intensive care unit due to congestive heart failure. This would have been avoided if the doctor had examined the patient instead of being rude. Another nurse reported that the sponge count after an operation was inconsistent. The physician sarcastically said that an expensive x-ray would be done since the nurse was suffering from the obsessive-compulsive disorder. When the x-ray was carried out, the sponge was found inside the patient. Clearly, such nurses are in a hostile working environment while fearing for their well-being (Hendricks and Cope 2016). Such cases should be reported to the hospital administrators even if they appear to be trivial. However, this is often not the case, because the nurses are afraid that the administration will fail to punish doctors who generate income or garner media approval. They even fear that they might lose their jobs as retaliation from the involved physicians. Additionally, they worry that their colleagues will see them as whistleblowers or snitches. These fears are somehow justified due to the kind of double standards that protect the physicians and render nurses vulnerable. It has been reported that there are hospitals that have fired nurses who reported disrespectful doctors who endangered patients (Simons and Mawn 2014). In a certain instant, an ER doctor refused to try to save a man whose heart had stopped and the nurses reported the female doctor to the director. The director dismissed their complaints in an insulting way saying, Youre just jealous because the doctor is young and pretty (Davey 2015). Hospital administrators have been reported to disrespect nurses and instead of seeing them as the heroes they are, they view them as servants. In a certain undisclosed medical center, the administrators were trying to cut costs and they forced nurses to perform house-keeping chores. They risked cross-contamination by having the nurses handle patients and carry out duties such as emptying litter cans, sweeping, changing linens, and mopping (Winch, Henderson, Kay, Burridge, Livesay, and Sinnot 2014). In another hospital, nurses reported that they are charged for parking yet the physicians and technicians park for free. Some nurses have made complaints of managers who constantly criticize their work and humiliate them. Others have complained of being shouted at or marginalized. All this happens despite the fact that nurses are skilled and educated professionals and human beings who deserve appreciation and respect (Ebrahimi, Hassankhani, Crowley, Negarandeh, Sadeghian and Azizi 2016). Disrespectful gestures such as eye rolling, arms crossing, sarcasm, clicking, or raising eyebrows affect teamwork and are a source of conflict. Sometimes the disrespectful behavior is more direct and may involve name-calling, spitting, hitting, or making sexually inappropriate remarks. All this has a negative impact on patient safety and healthcare cost. The nurses who fall victim to such behavior end up being detached, they second-guess their qualifications and fail to be productive at work (Allen, Holland, and Reynolds 2015). Many healthcare managers ignore such conflicts among colleagues because they see them as time-consuming and exhausting. Administrators often view this as minor issues that should be dealt with by the Human Resource Department. Nurse to nurse conflict is rarely solved and instead, it runs underneath, undermining healthy relationships (Winch, Henderson, Kay, Burridge, Livesay and Sinnot 2014). A study conducted by Davey (2015) explained that a number of things could cause disrespect and rudeness among the hospital workforce. Some of the causes are excessive workload, lack of support, hierarchy, and culture. New nurses are the most vulnerable to this disruptive culture and 60% of them quit their positions within the first six months. The medical setting is one characterized by a lot of pressure but it is always important to mind the other persons feelings and show respect. The nursing profession particularly is a stressful one, since nurses are held accountable for all outcomes and are paid by the hour (Winch, Henderson, Kay, Burridge, Livesay, and Sinnot 2014). Additionally, they are given minimal or no representation when it comes to decision-making platforms. The feelings of frustration accompanied by an increasingly stressful and complex job can create situations whereby nurses project it to each other. Despite extensive research and creation of awareness of the disresp ectful culture, nurses are still not accorded the level of respect that they deserve (Johnson 2013). The consequences of failing to show respect to nurses are seen in the negative impact this has on the staffs well-being, safety, provision of quality care and retention. Nurses are dissatisfied with their jobs and they end up leaving their positions and taking early retirement causing a shortage of nurses. Therefore, it is important that all the healthcare members get an understanding of the causes and effects of lack of respect towards nurses. There should be strategies to reduce cases of disrespect such as having code words among the hospital faculty. For instance, there are hospitals who use the code words code white or code pink to stop a coworker who may be about to be disrespectful (Dambra, Amanda, and Diane 2015). In conclusion, it is evident that nurses are not shown respect in the operating rooms, emergency department, and floor nursing, in ICUs and in nursing homes. Physicians belittle and put them down with demeaning remarks, insults, and gestures. Hospital directors and managers turn their back on nurses when they report such cases and they show disrespect to them by viewing them as mere servants. Family members and patients rudely address the nurses and put the baseless blame on them when things go wrong. Among the nurses, the younger and veteran nurses both show each other disrespect on some level. This serves as a distraction to nurses, which can lead to an unfavorable clinical outcome. Nurses deserve respect for optimal provision of health care services; this can be achieved through public education on the role of nurses in healthcare and the need to change the negative perception on nurses. Reference List Allen, B. C., Holland, P. and Reynolds, R., 2015. The effect of bullying on burnout in nurses: the moderating role of psychological detachment. Journal of advanced nursing, 71(2), pp. 381-390. Clearly, M., Hunt, G. E., Horsfall, J., 2015. Identifying and addressing bullying in nursing. Issues in health and nursing, 31(5), pp. 331-335. Dambra, Amanda,M., and Diane, R., 2015. Incivility, retention and new graduate nurses: an integrated review of the literature. Journal of nursing management, 22(6), pp. 735-742. Davey, L., 2015. Nurses eating nurses: the caring profession which fails to nurture its own! Contemporary Nurse, 13(2-3), pp. 192-197. Ebrahimi, H., Hassankhani, H., Crowley, M., Negarandeh, R., Sadeghian, E. and Azizi, A., 2016. Vulnerability of Newly Graduated Nurses in Clinical Setting: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Medical Research Health Sciences, 5(9), pp. 68-77. Hayward, D., Bungay, V., Wolff, A. C. and MacDonald, V., 2016. A qualitative study of experienced nurses voluntary turnover: learning from their perspectives. Journal of clinical nursing, 25(9-10), pp. 1336-1345. Hendricks, J.M. and Cope, V.C., 2016. Generational diversity: what nurse managers need to know. Journal of advanced nursing, 69(3), pp. 717-725. Hutchinson, M., Vickers, M. H., Wilkes, L. and Jackson, D., 2014. A typology of bullying behaviors: the experiences of Australian nurses. Journal of clinical nursing, 19(15-16), pp. 2319-2328. Johnson, S.L., 2013. International perspectives on workplace bullying among nurses: a review. International nursing review, 56(1), pp. 34-40. Johnstone, M.J., 2015. The loss of common decency. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal, 23(5), p.23. Johnstone, M. J., 2016. Professional ethics, bullying and workplace cliques. Australian nursing and midwifery journal, 23(9), pp. 14-14. Randle, J., 2016. Bullying in the nursing profession. Journal of advanced nursing, 43(4), pp. 395-401. Simons, S. R. and Mawn, B., 2014. Bullying in the workplace-A qualitative study of newly licensed registered nurses, AAOHN journal, 58(7), pp. 305-311. Stevens, S., 2017. Nursing workforce retention: Challenging a bullying culture. Health Affairs, 21(5), pp. 189-193. Vagharseyyedin, S. A., 2016. Nurses perspectives on workplace mistreatment: A qualitative study. Nursing health sciences, 18(1), pp. 70-78. Winch, S., Henderson, A. J., Kay, M., Burridge, L. H., Livesay, G. J. and Sinnot, M.J., 2014. Understanding compassion literacy in nursing through clinical compassion. The journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 45(11), pp. 484-486.

Women and Equality Regina and Birdie free essay sample

The women in The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellma. This paper looks at the way feminist issues are put forward and portrayed in this American literary classic. It discusses the characters of the two leading women, one a confident alcoholic, the other a servile wife. It shows the different ways they act to get their feelings and opinions across and talks about the author?s subtle way of making readers question women?s equality. From the paper; For one to understand the machinations of the women in Lillian Hellman?s classic play The Little Foxes, one must have a cursory understanding of Hellman herself. The inspiration for the play was her life. She based the play?s characters on members of her mother?s family, the Newhouses. Like the Hubbards, the Newhouse family became wealthy around the turn of the century through exploitive business enterprises in the South. Hellman?s grandmother Sophie Newhouse, who must have been one tough lady, is represented in the character of Regina. We will write a custom essay sample on Women and Equality: Regina and Birdie or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hellman?s mother, Julia Newhouse, appears as the gentle, helpless Birdie (www.seasidemusictheater.org). Thus, Hellman, a woman of enormous contradictions, explores her own psyche, her concern for morality and women?s issues in the character depictions of Regina and Birdie.