When studying the different religions of the world we tend of focus on the distinctions between these religions and understanding what makes them unique, however it is important to note that although these religions are distinct and unique in their own way, there are common themes and structures that can be applied to them. Some of the common elements present in the different religions that we will be studying this semester are:  

• Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Writings
  • Divinely inspired writings that contain origins of the religion, essential beliefs, and major teachings. Some religions also revere writings of prominent figures throughout their history who have contributed to expounding the theology of the religion (ex: writings of the Islamic saints) 
• Beliefs and Practices
  • Tenets of the religion that unify its community of believers on a variety of topics ranging from their relationship with the divine, soteriology, creation, eschatology, anthropology, etc. 
• Prayer and Worship
  • Liturgical practices that believers of the faith participate in throughout their daily lives. Some liturgical practices and rituals of prayer are performed in conjunction with the celebration of religious festivals at particular times of the week (ex: Sabbath) or times of the year (ex: Christmas) 
• Morality – Code of Ethics
  • Guiding principles that adherents of the faith abide by throughout their lives informed by the theology of the religion 
• History
  • Understanding how the religion was established and the advances of the religion throughout human history that shape the global image of the religion today while also recognizing changes in theology that have occurred throughout history due to major historical events  

  In your reading of Chapter 12 – Encountering Islam: The Straight Path of the One God you have gained a better understanding of what the religion of Islam is all about from the context of its history, sacred scriptures, beliefs and practices, code of ethics, etc. You will now use the information gleaned in the chapter to expand upon particular elements of Islam enumerated below: 

1. Islamic Symbols and Names (.5 pages)
   1. Identify a common Islamic symbol and explain its significance
      1. Consider the following:
         1. History/Origins of the symbol
         2. Important religious figure(s) associated with the symbol and their involvement with it
         3. How is the symbol utilized by Muslims today?
            1. Is it used during prayer/worship?
            2. Is it worm as an outward sign of faith?
   2. Distinguish between the terms ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslim’ as it relates to the Islamic faith
2. Life of the Prophet Muhammed (.5-1 pages)
   1. Discuss who the Prophet Muhammed was and the impact that he had on Islam.
   2. Describe 2 key events from the Prophet Muhammed’s life.
   3. Address how these events are commemorated by Muslims today
3. Sacred Scriptures (.5 pages)
   1. Analyze what the Qur’an is and assess upon how Muslims use it today
      1. Consider the following:
         1. Importance of particular Surahs in the Qur’an
         2. How the sacred text came into existence
         3. Important religious figures mentioned in the Qur’an
4. Beliefs and Practices (2 – 3 pages) In the religion of Islam there is set of beliefs that all Muslim’s must follow. These are known as the Articles of Faith and their foundations are found in the Qur’an. The 6 articles of faith tell Muslims what to believe in and then the 5 Pillars of Islam explain how to implement these beliefs in their daily lives.
   1. Interpret the meaning of each of the Six Articles of Faith (1-1.5 pages)
      1. Belief in the Oneness of Allah (God)
      2. Belief in the Angels
      3. Belief in the Books of Allah
      4. Belief in the Prophets of Allah
      5. Belief in the Day of Judgement
      6. Belief in the Divine Decree – Will of Allah    
   2. Articulate the significance of each of the Five Pillars of Islam listed below and demonstrate how these pillars are lived out by Muslims today (1-1.5 pages)
      1. Shahadah – Profession of Faith
      2. Salah – Prayer
      3. Zakah – Almsgiving
      4. Sawm – Fasting
      5. Hajj – Pilgrimage  

• When completing this written report, the following guidelines must be followed. Failure to do so will result in points being deducted from your grade.
• This report must be typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman font & double-spaced.
• Each section of the report must include a section title on a separate line (ex: Christian Symbols, Christianity in Context, etc.).
• Each section must incorporate at least 2 direct quotations from either the course text (World RELG4: Introduction to World Religions) or one of the databases/encyclopedias available through St. Thomas University Library with an appropriate citation. You may also find it beneficial to refer to Module 4: Lecture Materials & Resources.
• The paper should be formatted per current CMOS and adhere to the page length requirements outlined above.
• Your paper will be assessed through Turnitin.

Bj week 5

Case Scenario

Holyfield Healthcare Systems and Jonesville Regional Hospital, each with different organizational structures, are merging. The senior leadership, of which you are a part, must decide on the overarching organizational structure that will be used for the newly formed healthcare system. This will impact the distribution of power, which includes lines of authority, chain of command, and how operations will be carried out. Before the new structure can be adopted, a thorough exploration of the two existing structures, with attention paid to how power is distributed and wielded, must occur. In addition, leadership styles and their impact on power management within each organization will be explored. 

Overview of Organizational Power: For this , you will begin by providing an overview of the types of organizational power, how power affects the health of an organization, and the impact of power on the work environment.

Organizational Structures and Power: From the four major organizational structures, Line, Matrix, Service-Line, and Flat, you will identify which one is currently used at each of the two healthcare systems (Holyfield and Jonesville). Then you will compare the characteristics of the two organizational structures*. The comparison will include a description of how power is distributed, managed, and wielded within each of the organizational structures. Then you will select one of the two structures to use in the newly merged system and provide a substantive, evidence-based rationale for your choice. *Shared governance and the Magnet Model are not considered organizational structures for this.

Leadership Styles and Power: Of the five major leadership styles**; authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire, situational/contingency, and interactional; choose one used at each of the existing healthcare systems (Holyfield and Jonesville) and describe its characteristics. You will discuss how each leadership style is supported by the organizational structure chosen earlier for that system. As part of the discussion, you will include how power is distributed, managed, and wielded by each style. Finally, you will discuss your preference for the leadership style that is supported by your chosen organizational structure and provide an evidence-based rationale for your choice. **Transformational and transactional leadership are broad types of leadership within which several of the styles fit. Your focus is to be on the styles, not the two broad types. 

Use the following format outline/template for your paper to complete your assignment. Bold-type is used here for emphasis only. Follow the guidelines for use of bold-type and headings using the most current edition of the APA manual.

• Introduction (no heading)
  • Statement of paper’s purpose
  • Identify the chosen setting and the framework you will apply to it
• Overview of Power within Organizations (heading, centered)
  • Types of organizational power
  • Impact of power on the health of the organization
  • Impact of power on the work environment
• Organizational Structure and Power (heading, centered)
  • Describe at least two specific examples with expected outcomes of the framework’s impact on nursing
• Engagement of staff and leadership (centered, with heading)
  • Identify, compare, and contrast two organizational structures of the scenario facilities
  • Describe how power in distributed, managed and wielded within each structure
  • Preferred organizational structure (of the two) for a merged system with evidence-based rationale
• Leadership Styles and Power (heading, centered)
  • Compare two leadership styles supported by and used within the structures of the scenario facilities
  • How is power distributed, managed, and wielded by the two leadership styles within the preferred structure described
  • Preferred leadership style (of the two) for the merged system with evidence-based rationale  
• Conclusion (centered, with heading)
  • Recap of paper’s purpose
  • Summary of what was covered

1. A minimum of three (3) scholarly sources, no older than 5 years, must be used for the paper. These should be relevant to nursing and should represent the majority of evidence provided in the paper. Other sources, such as textbooks, may be used in addition to these; however, they will not be counted as part of the scholarly source requirement.
2. The paper should contain all elements required under the guidelines and provided by the outline.
3. The outline provided should be followed for organizing the paper. Only level-one headings are required. Remember, the introduction does not have a heading.
4. A maximum of four (4) pages, excluding title and reference pages, is required. 
5. Microsoft (MS) Word is required for completing the assignment . The paper should be written in the third person, in active voice. Refer to “Guidelines for Writing Professional Papers in Graduate Programs” found in the Student Resources Central of the course.
6. The assignment is graded on the quality of written communication using standard English grammar, sentence structure, use of scholarly evidence, and organization based on the required components. Quality is also measured by the completeness of required content elements of the assignment.

Follow rubric verbatim

What to Submit

The draft of your introduction should be submitted as a 2- to 3-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Any references should be cited in APA format. Use appropriate headings to identify each critical element.