1.Identify 10-15 food crops that originated in the Old World (Africa, Essay

1.Identify 10-15 food crops that originated in the Old World (Africa, Asia and Europe) and the New World (the Americas) - Essay Example Each of these groups of food crops originating from the separate worlds has an impact on the modern global food system. Rice is considered one of the most significant and main sources of food for more than three billion individuals in the world today. In the modern world, rice cultivation has contributed to poverty eradication in many parts of the world, enhanced food security, and also contributed to a lot of developments. In other worlds, rice cultivation has enable people from all corners of the world to access enough food to sustain their lives (419). As fruits, pineapples have a lot of health benefits. Including them in the diet means that an individual is benefiting from a balanced diet and hence certain illnesses associated with poor diets are eliminated. Pineapples are either sold fresh or are used to make fresh fruit juice. Fresh juice has a lot of health benefits. Cultivation of pineapples is also a source of revenue or capital to a lot of people in the world. People are also able to purchase pineapples and its products locally instead of importing. In doing so, revenue is maintained locally and hence farmers are able to expand and sustain their farming

My Life, My Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Life, My Religion - Essay Example The Bible or the hymn book was my only choices so I choose the storybook. My parents decided to allow me to read, I suppose because it kept me from sleeping or fidgeting. My interest in this very long and difficult to comprehend book grew over time as did the time invested in exploring it. I began reading at home during episodes of boredom. This experience during my early teen years changed my outlook and shaped my philosophy of life. As I read, what I thought was important became rather meaningless. I began to develop a much different set of values than my friends, neighbors, and family. What fascinated me the most were the first four books of the New Testament. I found the words of Christ simple, to the point and ultimately a path to inner contentment. The Bible gave me the foundation of what I have built upon since my youth. Since then, I have read other philosophical and religious books and found they do not contradict, in fact, they support the tenets found in the Bible. Though the roots of my viewpoint begin with the Bible, I do not consider myself Christian, far from it. Most religions I know including and especially Christianity teach that ‘we are the right path to God’ therefore no other belief system is valid. My interpretation of Christ’s words leads me to believe the division is ultimately destructive for the individual and society. Rather, I concluded that inclusion and finding the similarities help bind us all together. The words of Christ allowed me to develop a new viewpoint which teaches the path to real happiness. In my case, this involves thinking in ways that bolster my self-respect, what makes me proud of me. Others, of course, have different views on what makes them happy such as ‘if I make more money, I’d be higher on the social ladder’ or ‘if I had more control over my life, I’d be happy then.’Â  

Japanese Management Essay Example for Free

Japanese Management Essay In the early 1980s, William Ouchi asserted in the U.S. soil the significance of Theory Z (1981), a Japanese management style that includes communal relationship in organizations and strong trust bonds as a more effective way to handle business as evidenced by the success of Japanese corporations.   This has made the interest and appreciation for the Japanese style of management and practices grow for the last twenty years, especially those successful Japanese companies who used unusual approaches (Lee and McCalman, 2008). For Japanese firms, the development of good relationship is a primordial interest. A Japanese firm may refuse to deal with another and ink a partnership regardless of the possible profits it may gain from the venture. The drive to develop a good relationship is primarily due to the very important principle called â€Å"tsuikiai† (socialization) (Lee and McCalman, 2008). Peer-to-peer relationship is more essential than relationship between levels as the Japanese believe that an organization draws strength from the former rather than from the latter. Hence, for American managers, it is only normal to assess their subordinates based on certain criteria. On the contrary, Japanese organizations tend to assess their employees based on their ability to work with their colleagues (Byham, 1993). Japanese managers get good evaluations if their subordinates can work well with each other. As such, Japanese firms give more emphasis on the ability of the employees to work with other employees and not much on their performance. This is due to their belief that as long as a good relationship is established within the organization, the organization can handle other matters effectively (Lee and McCalman, 2008). For the Japanese, good relationships can be developed through the following: 1) After work dining drinking session As previously mentioned, the principle of tsuikiai or socialization allow the Japanese to continue to incorporate good relationships as part of their corporate management style. Apparently, this can be seen in their popular practice of usually having dinner and drinking sessions amongst employees after office hours (Lee and McCalman, 2008). This is also the idea of the â€Å"communication plaza concept† wherein the executives meet their employees informally to have lunch or dinner and at the same time to listen to each other   (Otsubo, 1993). Through such engagements, employees have the chance to be more familiar with each other away from the four corners of their business premises. This positively affects the connections among the employees. This enables the Japanese organizations to create a warm and communal workplace where employees feel that they can communicate freely with everyone (Sullivan, 1992). Such practice is not the same with Americans where the latter would pr efer to   maintain the division between their personal and work life. According to Arenson (1993), the connection between U.S. workers and their companies are created by written contracts and the compensation that the companies renumerate to their employees. This complimented the observation rendered by   Rehder (1979) that Japanese managers treat their subordinates like their family members while western managers’ relationships with their subordinates are through contracts which makes the relationship depersonalized.   This is contrary to the belief of Japanese workers that they are obligated to the company they are working for because of the close relationship and bond that they have with their company and this creates mutual trust between the employees and the company. They likewise have a sense of shared focus to reach the goals of the organization. This management theory has been one of the core values of Honda from 1980s when they first established their operations in the United States and this was adopted by Nissan, Mazda and Toyota ( Sullivan, 1992). 2) Quite often meetings rather than electronic or paper work Americans would prefer to have everything first on paper before they can act on a project. Whereas Japanese prefer to do meetings rather than convey their messages through e-mails or doing paper works primarily as they despise memos and paper work (Arenson, 1993). According to Lee and McCalman (2008), it is through meetings that the workers would begin to know each other and determine the things that need to be done. This is most applicable in cases where there are no contracts or written documents involved and through meetings, the employees are able to worke on matters they need to attend to (Lee and McCalman, 2008). 3) Informal arranged agreements vs. legal agreements Before an American company would deal with another enterprise, it is not needed that the two companies develop a good relationship. It does not matter if a company would deal with a competitor provided that the two companies would gain mutual benefit. As a sense of security, American companies need to employ countless lawyers and execute numerous contracts before setting matters off. As a pre-requisite, everything needs to be laid out on paper before anything is started (Lee and McCalman, 2008). The mentality in America is that everything is governed by laws to make sure that people involved know what is set on the line (Arenson, 1993). It is ordinary for companies to deal with strangers and just develop a relationship during their venture (Lee and McCalman, 2008). This is not the case for Japanese companies as they require developing personal relationships before they transact with other business entities. This is because of their belief that it is important that a trusting relationship between two companies is developed before considering to have business venture   (Lee and McCalman, 2008). In Japan, there is less dependence on the laws and rather, more premium is placed in developing a trusting relationship before going into a business transaction. Unlike Americans that prefer to settle everything in a legal way or execute contracts first, Japanese are known to have healthy disdain for lawyers and legal or written actions. And unlike the Americans that would employ lawyers and execute contracts before the transaction, Japanese dislike being forced to deal just because of the contracts and in the process may just ignore some provisions thereto. They believe that the situations will have changed after signing the contract (Lee and McCalman, 2008). In fact, the two countries have a big difference in the number of lawyers as in the United States, there are over 800,000 lawyers as compared to Japan that has 15,000 lawyers only (Arenson, 1993). Moreover, Japanese would prefer to spend more time interacting with their potential customer or supplier before they would commit themselves   (Otsubo, 1993). 4) Networking- personal contacts Japan depends on networking as their society is very much a relationship-oriented one. Japanese would get things done though their personal contacts. For them, a man’s success or failure could be directly affected by their connections that he or she has developed over the years. In fact, a newly graduated Japanese would almost depend exclusively on his or her connections through university or from personal connections to land a job. That is why there is a high probability that the company recruiters would hire applicants coming from the same university as theirs because of the special connection that is existing between the recruiters and the university faculty and staff. This is what Japanese called â€Å"jinmyaku† or the web of human beings. Any internal or external undertaking to the company is accomplished through personal contacts (Lee and McCalman, 2008). It is then ordinary for an employee to develop extensive personal network within and outside the organization to protect his or her success rate especially that a person’s capability depends also on the extensiveness of the networks he or she may have   (Kase and Liu, 1996). Such mentality may affect the attitudes of the Japanese of not working with strangers. Through developing personal contacts takes time, once the networks have been created, everything is much easier as there is not much paperwork and lawyers involved. This principle makes it more difficult for foreign companies to penetrate Japan (Lee and McCalman, 2008). Japanese organizations would prefer hiring somebody who has a connection thereto because hiring a new employee is like welcoming a lifelong member of the corporate family. An individual applying for a position in a company by reason of an advertisement is considered a total stranger. As such, there is a possibility that Japanese companies may look after the personal attributes of an applicant rather than his or her technical attributes (Lee and McCalman, 2008).   It is very vital for an organization to ensure that the person to be hired is a team player and will blend well within the group. This is in contrast with U.S. companies as they prefer to look at the technical attributes of the applicants and highly rely on grade-point averages and specific credentials or competencies (Lee and McCalman, 2008). Networking works wonders in cases where a manager tries to launch a new project and the project is not really within the expertise of the concerned department, managers that have a w ell-established network within the organization could use their connections to persuade their colleagues to support their projects and also use these connections outside the organization to help make the project successful (Kase and Liu, 1996). Japanese manufacturing companies were able to capitalize in their personalized networking system that they were able to establish when they internationalized their operations during the late 1970s and 1980s. The personalized networks developed between their head offices and subsidiaries made the flow of the information run smoothly and eventually positively affect the efficiency of the companies (Kase and Liu, 1996). Moreover, Japanese companies establish personal networking with other Japanese companies in other countries (Yu and Ohle, 2008) for their advantage. 5) Teaming up in everything they do One of the major difference between Japanese management and Western management is that the structure of the organization is loose or poorly defined whereas the structure of the organization of the western management is tight or the specific functions are associated with specific boxes (Rehder, 1979). Teaming is a very important aspect in the management of a project. That is why the composition of teams that will handle organizational projects are carefully selected (Lee and McCalman, 2008). Even in creating an organizational project, the composition of the team that will develop and plan the concerned project is carefully assembled from the different departments of the organization (Gray and Larson, 2003). And up to the time that the organizational project is already running after the planning stage, there are still some times that the personnel from the planning stage will coordinate with the functional managers and project managers of the actual operation of the project (Gray and Larson, 2003). As Japanese companies or the Japanese culture itself has high regard on the â€Å"web of human beings†, it is part of the establishment of trust within the team to develop close personal relationship among the team members. The trust created by the â€Å"tsuikiai† plays an important role in the accomplishment of the interconnected tasks of the team members. A high level of trust is necessary for the accomplishment and implementation of the various tasks that the manager is leading (Kezner, 2000). Every meticulous aspect of the project requires the highest level of cooperation and team work among the players performing the tasks. That is why it is the responsibility of the project manager to build and maintain a high level of trust within the team to ensure the successful operation of a project throughout its course (Kezner, 2000). This is where the American employees of some Japanese companies are impressed with how every Japanese members of the team would persist to wo rk together to collect and discuss data gathered and develop ways to respond to different situations and improve their performance (Sullivan, 1992). Another thing that shows the Japanese persistence to teaming up is their decision-making system, or also known as â€Å"ringi† or decision by consensus system. This enables the employees to be motivated to work together.   The term ringi actually came from two words: ‘ri’, which means to ask from below and ‘gi’ which means to deliberate (Ichiro, 1977). By the Japanese decision-making systems, the organization initially debates on the meaning of a certain question and determines its possible solutions until consensus if finally reached. The process of the decision making and even the initiation of the process are participated in by all levels of the organization, whether the process be a verbal or written one (Naotsuka, 1978). This is because the Japanese have a view that it is important to first debate the problem or the question to achieve full comprehension in its general corporate-wide perspective, after which is to establish a consensus to preve nt groups from taking sides on one solution or another hastily. In such case, clash between the prevailing and losing groups is prevented because conflicts will only weaken the implementation of the favored solution. This normative process is called by the Japanese as â€Å"nemawashi† (Naotsuka, 1978).

Personal Reflection On Infection Control In United Kingdom Nursing Essay

Personal Reflection On Infection Control In United Kingdom Nursing Essay It is highly believed within the health care industry that Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) are a grave worry and concern for the public of the United Kingdom (Nunkoo and Pickles 2008). When it is considered that Clostridium Difficile, commonly referred to as C-diff, is a HCAI it is made apparent that the public are greatly aware of this problem due to the fact that a high percentage of people are aware of this infection (Bosanquet 2009). The Healthcare Commission (2005) have also noted their concerns over this problem both the actual problem clinical areas have at the moment and also the potential problems that C-diff actually poses within hospitals a concern that the Department of Health (2009) also holds. These problems are also acknowledged by numerous additional sources who suggest that infection control in itself is required to be heightened in awareness and practice (Jenkinson et al 2006) making it a significant factor within primary care, a statement which is reiterated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2006). Due to the significance of this issue the author has chosen to reflect on an incident that she encountered whilst on placement within an acute hospital ward regarding this matter. The author has chosen to reflect on this particular incident she encountered using Johns reflection model (1990) with the intention of accessing, making sense of and learning through a specific experience (Johns 1994). The situation chosen for reflection has been classified by the author as being a critical incident. This claim is due to the fact that the experience resulted in thought provocation. Smith and Jack (2005) agree with this when they claim that a critical incident is an experience that results in individuals thinking about what has happened or indeed what is happening, resulting in the provoking of thought within an individual, just as happened in the authors experience. Description Whilst on placement within an acute hospital I encountered a situation that provoked thoughts and feelings within me alongside a desire to further research the subject. I was on a morning shift and was asked by another staff member to help them with a lady patient in a side room that was being barrier nursed due to her being positive for c-diff. Before entering the room to assist the staff member I washed my hands and put on my apron and gloves and then continued to help the staff nurse with the patient. When the task had been completed I proceeded to take the cardboard liner out of the commode and checked with the staff nurse that I was to leave my protective clothing on whilst leaving the room to go to the sluice and dispose of the patients waste and the cardboard liner. The staff nurse told me that hospital policy stated that I would be right in doing exactly that and therefore I proceeded to do so before removing my protective clothing and washing my hands. REFLECTION For this reflective assignment the author has chosen to use Johns (1990) model of reflection due to the belief that she holds that this will ensure that she is to delve through her rationale for actions and the feelings provoked. With regards to this particular incident the author intends to reflect-on-action so that the experience of the situation can be turned into knowledge therefore providing the oppurtunity of being able to learn from what occurred. Jasper (2003) suggests that this is credible due to the fact that reflecting-on-action as opposed to in-action changes the experience of the individual into knowledge. What is c-diff? what does it do? How often does it occur? In 2007 The Health Protection Agency (2007a) reported that there were over fifty thousand noted cases of c diff that presented within individuals over the age of 65. What is it now What does office of national statistics say HPA claim reduction Who does and who doesnt All hospitals are legally bound to ensure that legislation is followed by all staff something that is stated by numerous differing government led organisations including the Health and Safety Executive (2003) who reiterate the statement made by the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) that states HOW MANY HOSPITAL TRUST DO THIS? STATISTICS The documents Winning Ways (DH 2003a) and the Matrons Charter (2004) outlined important areas in the control of infection and acted as a catalyst for local action. According to Shuttleworth (2007) local targets have been set to reduce C diff by twenty five per cent by introducing initiatives to improve knowledge, practical skills in infection prevention and control such as guidelines recently updated (Pratt et al 2007) and DHs and National Health Service (NHS) Modernisation Agencys Saving Lives: A Delivery Programme to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infection (2005). The government (DH 2007b) provided tools and resources to embed robust infection prevention endorsed by the HCC (DH 2007c) by publishing Essential steps to safe, clean care that mirrors Saving Lives but is specific to primary care. These are based on standard principles of infection control such as isolating patients and implementing barrier precautions that must be applied routinely to prevent HCAI transmission (Gould 200 9). Defining the role of the nurse is a difficult task however the role the nurse has within infection control measures is that they are responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures are always followed. It is agreed by Health Protection Agency (2007) AND The Royal College of Nursing (2008) that one of these roles of the nurse is to ensure that individual patients that are confirmed to have c-diff are placed in a side room where they have access to their own toileting fascilities. WHY IS THIS. As stated this is the nurses role however this is not always possible to fulfill due to the fact that side rooms are not always available and the actual layout of wards within hospitals often limit the possibilities of individual toilet fascilities HOW DO I KNOW THIS/. WHEN THIS IS NOT POSS WHAT ARE THE RISKS? HOW FAR CAN SPORES TRAVEL? WHO SAYS WHAT ABOUT THIS SITUATION Johnson and Gelding (2004) claim that even after thoroughly cleaning patient areas C-diff spores can still be found a claim that suggests that after a patient is moved out of a sideroom if they had c-diff confirmed whilst they were being nursed in the room even after cleaning the contamination risk is still apparent. WHAT DOES HCC SAY ABOUT THIS? AND ANYONE ELSE? EXPAND THIS. How does cdiff spread? Hands, environment? Air? Hall and Horsley (2007) suggest that c-diff spores can be spread to patients from the environment however it is individuals who visit the hospital not following the requested hand hygiene that is blamed by Banfield and Kerr (2005). WHICH IS IT OR IS IT BOTH WHO SAYS SOME PEOPLE CLAIM THAT THERE ARE NO SPORES IN THE ENVIRONMENT AT ALL BUT WHO HAND WASHING After washing hands they must be completely dried using a paper towel that is then disposed of (Johnson and Gerding 2004) however this is not agreed by Yamaoto et al (2005) who claim that drying washed hands using warm air may well be a more successful way of limiting bacteria that may be on the hands. WHAT DO NICE SAY AND RCN AND DOFH Arguably hand washing can be classified as being one of the important and utmost effective methods of reducing HCAI (Pittet et al 2000). The World Health Organization (2004) holds this to be at the forefront of its Global Patient Safety Challenge something that Gould et al (2007) supports. Hand washing is advised to be done at specific times within situations in a healthcare setting one of which is before and after contact with any patient (Department of Health 2008). The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2003) support this statement along with numerous additional governing bodies. The Department of Health (2008) continue that when hands are washed they should be done so with soap and water. The rationale behind this method was recommended in 2001 by the Infection Control Nurses Association due to the fact that soap and water supporting the correct technique helps the skin oil layer to be removed which is the one that retains c diff spores. In addition to this it is suggest ed that the hands are dried once again by a specific and rigorous technique which uses a paper towel that is deemed to be disposable (Johnson and Gerding 2004). This claim is not supported by everybody, Yamaoto et al (2005) believe that drying hands with a paper towel is less effective than leaving them to dry by air, suggesting that this technique would minimize the amount of becteria present on the hands. Alcohol gels are nowadays commonly used therefore rendering soap and water as replaced in many situations and environments. Using alcohol gel prior to and post patient contact is a recommendation that NICE (2003) supported with the exception of when hands can be seen to be soiled to the naked eye. NICE (2003) recommend using an alcohol-based hand-rub before and after patient contact, unless hands are visibly soiled of which case then implement liquid soap and water and an effective hand-washing technique. EPIC 2 (DH2007e) support this claim though believe alcohol is not effective against C diff microorganisms and suggests the nurse must consider the need to remove transient and/or resident hand flora. Non-compliance of this suggestion EPIC 2 (DH 2007e) believe presents a direct clinical threat to patients. Wilson (2006), Pellowe et al (2007) believes hand hygiene technique and the principles of infection control are too complex for staff to comply or perhaps too complicated for healthcare professionals to in-cooperate into everyday routine (Yamaoto 2005 et al). Jenkins (2004) recognizes staff hand hygiene is poor and is part of the nurses role (Supported by DH Chief Medical Officer 2002). IS IT LOW STAFFING LEVELS OR WRONGLY PLACED EQUIPMENT OR INDIVIDUAL NURSES ATTITUDES THAT AFFECTS HAND WASHING IT IS PART OF THE NURSES ROLE Jenkins (2004) suggests that hand hygiene of health care staff is not at a high level despite it being part of the nurses role within the hospitalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.WHO SAYS IT IS NURSE ROLE The following of stringent infection control policies and regulations often are not carried out which is something that can be due to numerous different factors. Different organisations and individuals put the blame for any lapses in infection control procedures down to different things including the belief that it is the mixture of skills and qualifications that are employed on a ward (Pellowe et al 2007). Additional factors believed to be responsible include the attitudes held by individual staff and the social norms of the actual ward environment (Pellowe et al 2007) however this is not the main influencing factor believed by all. Hugonnet et al (2007) suggest that they are in agreement with the idea of the ward environment playing an important part as they claim that the positioning of equipment for example sinks and cleaning products is something that can increase or decrease infection control guidelines being followed. This in itself is not something that is agreed by the HCC ( 2006) who state that the spread of infection within hospital settings is heightened due to shortage of staff on wards. However, the author believes that if shortage of staff was to blame then poor infection control would be evident on all wards that have this denominator which is not the case. DISPOSABLE GLOVES, APRON It seems that numerous organisations agree that to reduce the risk of cross contamination and infection itself protective clothing should be worn. The government themselves state that disposable aprons and gloves should be worn by all staff when caring for individuals whom are not only confirmed to be infected yet also when they are suspected to be (Department of Health 2007a). This is reiterated by the Royal College of Nursing (2008) who also suggest that this is important in reducing infection. There is some contradiction in beliefs regarding the use of plastic disposable aprons after hand washing with Hateley (2003) suggesting that this prevents any microorganism to clothing transmission, this is reiterated by numerous people including Wilson et al (2007) and HCC (2006). This is not agreed by Babb et al (1983) when they claimed that microorganisms are not completely prevented by the use of these specific aprons however a reduction was believed to occur. Gould (2009) take this one stage further in the suggestion that upon exposure to any excreta aprons should be worn before stringent disposal immediately after exposure, a statement that is supported by NICE (2003). Although there is agreeance between NICE (2003) and Gould (2009) there is no specific specification that denotes when gloves should be changed, be it before leaving the particular isolated environment or after. It is stated that wearing protective clothing of any sorts is not necessary upon the entry into an isolated environment (Gould 2009) however this same author claims that when in practice protective clothing should be worn at all times due to the chance of patients requesting assistance. This somewhat contradicts the first claim that protective clothing is not required when entering high risk areas yet is actually required in general practice upon the pretense that help could be asked for. It can be seen from this that the evidence and recommendations with regards to protective clothing are somewhat confusing at times. Derbyshire County Barrier Precautions Policy (2007) further add to this confusion when they stipulate that before leaving any infected area gloves should be removed suggesting that they should actually be worn in the first place. This policy then continues with a suggestion that any members of staff with any materials needing maceration should indeed change their gloves at just before the point of actually handling the door to the sluice, alongside this they claim that protective clothing should indeed be worn throughout the whole of the task until completion. If Gould (2009) is to be followed then no protective clothing would have been worn in the first place in the isolated area. This confusion only enhances with the addition of clinical waste disposal, something that by admittance by is found to be confusing to members of the healthcare team (Gould 2009). Following the recommendations of Gould (2009) any items for the macerator should be taken directly into the sluice whilst protective clothing is still being worn resulting in immediate disposal in the macerator. The protective gloves and apron is then said to be required to be discarded into correct refuse prior to washing hands. Gould (2009) continues to state that in an ideal world any patients that may be infected with c diff should have one of either their own individual en suite toileting facilities or their own individual commode. The later of these two statements has enhancement from the Department of Health (2008) who state specifically that this commode should not leave the patients room. So clearly from these authors and organisations it can be clearly seen that the evidence and suggestions are indeed confusing. The Royal College of Nursing (2008) claim that when wearing gloves a warm and moist environment is created which in turn leads to the possibility of microorganisms growing in vast numbers. Hateley (2003) reiterates this claim alongside Pratt et al (2007) who suggest that upon glove removal soap and water be used to wash hands as mentioned earlier in this text. When I was tasked with disposing of the infected waste I wanted to ensure that I did so using evidence based practice so as to minimize, if not completely eradicate, any risk of cross contamination whilst taking the waste from one area to another where the macerator was based. I was aware of the potential risk of contaminating the environment along the corridors of the ward and did not want to do this and put other patients and staff at risk therefore I needed to question my practice. The contents of the bed pan could have spilled on the floor or the paper towels which would have resulted in spores being released into the surrounding environment. I did consider using my elbow to open the door handle in the patients room and the one leading to the sluice yet came to the realization that this could have resulted in spillage onto either myself or the surrounding environment. O Callaghan (2005) stated that any challenge that nursing practice may receive could possibly add to any changes to policies and or practice regarding infection control procedures and barrier nursing. If Mohanna and Chambers (2001) is to be believed then risk management can be deemed to be an integral factor within clinical governance. Throughout this experience I did hold an awareness of the principles of barrier nursing. This led me to challenge this specific wards policies on the best practice for taking the bed pan from the patients room to the sluice. When I walked down the corridor with only paper towels covering the bed pan I was aware of the possibility that I may well have been spreading c diff spores. This could have had huge implications for all within the surrounding environment. Upon opening the door handles I was more than aware that my gloves had a high risk of being contaminated yet there was nothing I could do to eliminate this. My feelings at the time, are as they still are, ones of hypocrisy. I felt slightly shamed at the fact that I lacked the knowledge to stand and challenge the policy in a greater depth. INFLUENCING FACTORS. One of the first influencing factors of this situation was the recognition that the ward, its patients and staff were intitled to the very best of care. The NMC code of conduct (2008) state that all nursing staff have a duty of care. Within this very code it is stipulated that nursing staff hold a role that means they are expected to prevent patients from infection and protect them at all times. It also stipulates that nurses have a professional duty which includes providing evidence based practice and care that is up to date. The whole scenario was obviously one that would cause the patient to lose their dignity thereofr eI was more than aware of the need to dispose of the excreta immediately and safely. This dignity was what I was trying to protect when covering the bed pan with the paper towels, something that has been agreed as ethically right and correct practice by Timby (1996) alongside the Department of Health (2003b). Not only is this noted as being best practice within the circumstances yet also practice that would provide a reduction within the chance of spillage, therefore I was showing risk management skills. COULD I HAVE DEALT WITH THE SITUATION BETTER? In hindsight I feel that the confusion I encountered at the time of the incident could have been avoided had I had made myself aware of the wards policies on infection control and barrier nursing at the beginning of my placement. Other than this I think that I handled the situation well by questioning what I was being asked to do, however I wish I had held the knowledge that I have gained through this reflection prior to the experience. If I had then maybe I could have foreseen the situation arising and possibly found a solution to a potential problem instead of being confused by an actual problem. In addition to this one thing that I realize I did not do yet could well have done is to have used alcohol gel after washing my hands. This could have reduced the risk of cross contamination further (RCN 2008) which could have resulted in easing my concerns slightly. LEARNING. Numerous issues still remain with regards to infection control and infection prevention however this experience resulted in my awareness of the subject matter being raised. Prior to this experience I encountered I was unaware of factors that potentially predispose individuals to infection. Disease is not always caused by c diff when it is present in the bowel, it is only when bowel flora is changed from being deemed to be normal that disease occurs. This alteration of normal bowel flora can potentially be caused by specific antibiotics, a claim that has had wide spread support throughout the past twenty plus years (Lyerly et al 1988, McFarland et al 1989, Association of Medical Microbiologists 1998, DH 2007a ). Despite my actions being that of best practice within the specific trusts policy I appreciate that isolating any patient into an individual room of their own so as to decrease the risk of cross contamination. However it has to be considered that c diff spores are never truly eradicated completely from the environment. In compliance with evidence based practice guidelines (2009) I ensured that I washed my hands correctly prior to going into the patients room and also wore protective clothing. I placed two disposable paper towels over the bed pan liner due to my awareness that to get to the macerator I would have to walk down the corridor of the ward. I believe that covers for these cardboard liners should always be supplied and used. However upon searching for such a product I could not find any such thing. This is still not an idealistic solution as the risk of spillage would still remain therefore in an ideal world, as suggested earlier, all patients should have their own toileting facilities. So as to resolve the confusion of opening door handles with gloves that pose the risk of contamination it could be suggested that doors within ward environments be handle free. This would limit the contamination risk however the handle on the macerator would also need to be redesigned so as to enable that t oo to be touch free, from hands at least. This suggestion is something that the Department of Health (2008) could be argued to support due to the fact that they claimed to be researching touch free designs for specific equipment. Hand washing and protective clothing can be deemed to be a priority within the spread of c diff yet from the research and literature reviewed within this assignment it is clear that some confusion is apparent, probably steming from the noted contradictions. This experience of a critical incident enthused reflection as explored by the use of Carpers (1978) methods and ways of knowing, namely personal, ethical, aesthetic and empirical. The thorough acknowledgement of these patterns is claimed to expand not only the bredth of understanding yet also the expansion of personal thinking beyond specific approaches (Ashburner 1996). Upon placing paper towels over the bed pan the patients dignity and privacy was maintained, alongside professionalism being shown. Factors that are not only thoughtful yet also a part of the NMCs code (2008). Throughout the experience I was led by the theoretical knowledge that I had gained throughout the journey of my life. Moral decision making is said to be solely focused upon what should actually be done within a specific scenario or situation (Davis 1995). Prior to my reflection upon this practice I was not fully aware of the rational for my actions and the theory that underpinned it however I acted as I did through, as stated above, my knowledge and moral decision making. Using the reflection model of Johns (1990) guided me through an exploration of numerous and varied differing knowledge sources that led my individual actions. My whole level of understanding and awareness of infection control within healthcare settings has been raised which in turn will heighten my confidence within the subject matter for the future. This assignment has noted differing cultures within ward settings and policies that lead to contradictions and often confusion. Despite this numerous attributes that I personally hold have been credited and become aware to myself; including critical thinking and problem solving which has allowed me to explore a thought process that led to alternatives to current practice being explored. One of arguably the most important realizations I have gained from this reflection upon practice is that healthcare workers within any setting all play a part within infection control. It has been suggested that hand hygiene, namely hand washing, prior to dealing with any patient and again afterwards is at the heart of infection control (Storr et al 2005). Alongside this and the previously mentioned infection control procedures I believe that the policies and their appliance within day to day practice is indeed the key. Despite all my fore mentioned research into this subject I am left wondering and concerned that even if all staff members follow their specific policies, due to confusion within the literature a risk of cross contamination, resulting in the spread of c diff, will still be present.

The History of Video Games Essay -- Video Games

The History of Video Games 1972, the year the first home video game system, named Odyssey, is released by Magnavox. This main games featured on this system were a light gun game and a tennis game. During the same time, a game by the name of Pong is a success in the public. It is because people wanted to play Pong in the comfort of their own homes, that they bought Odyssey. The system only sold around 100,000 units since Magnavox only sold the game system from their own stores, making consumers believe that the game system would only work on Magnavox TV sets. Things stay quiet until 1976. With the success of Atari (the makers of Pong), many game companies arise and try to release their own gaming systems. Due to the sudden high demands for electronics parts, many companies did not receive their products on time. During this time, Fairchild Camera and Instruments releases their game system, titled the Video Entertainment System, later renamed as Channel F. This is the first home system to have programmable video games via game cartridges. Users can now change games with by swapping in and out a game cartridge (which is about the size of a 8 track tape). 1977, Atari opens Pizza Time Theatre, a restaurant with coin operated arcade games and dancing and singing mechanical animals. Interestingly enough, the mascot of Pizza Time was a giant rat by the name of Chuck E. Cheese. Seeing the success they had with software, Atari decided they would debut their own cartridge based video game console, known as the Atari 2600. A year later, Midway games imports arcade game Space Invader by Japanese developer Taito, to the US. The game was a ... ...s project and ended its contract with Nintendo. It own focus on a next generation CD only gaming system aimed at defeating Nintendo. This Sony system later became the Sony Playstation (32bit) released in 1995. Along with the Playstation, other companies such as Nintendo and Sega releases their own 32bit system. In the end the Sony machine comes out on top. Meanwhile, Nintendo sticks with their cartridge based design and releases the 64bit Nintendo 64 gaming system. Unfortunately, due to high cost and limiting factor of cartridge systems, not many developers hopped on board. Fast forward to today, we have three major players in the field, Nintendo’s Gamecube, Sony’s Playstation 2 and the new comer, Microsoft’s XBOX. Sony still remains on top while XBOX and Gamecube fighting fiercely for number 2. Source Cited Gamespot.com. The History of Video Games Essay -- Video Games The History of Video Games 1972, the year the first home video game system, named Odyssey, is released by Magnavox. This main games featured on this system were a light gun game and a tennis game. During the same time, a game by the name of Pong is a success in the public. It is because people wanted to play Pong in the comfort of their own homes, that they bought Odyssey. The system only sold around 100,000 units since Magnavox only sold the game system from their own stores, making consumers believe that the game system would only work on Magnavox TV sets. Things stay quiet until 1976. With the success of Atari (the makers of Pong), many game companies arise and try to release their own gaming systems. Due to the sudden high demands for electronics parts, many companies did not receive their products on time. During this time, Fairchild Camera and Instruments releases their game system, titled the Video Entertainment System, later renamed as Channel F. This is the first home system to have programmable video games via game cartridges. Users can now change games with by swapping in and out a game cartridge (which is about the size of a 8 track tape). 1977, Atari opens Pizza Time Theatre, a restaurant with coin operated arcade games and dancing and singing mechanical animals. Interestingly enough, the mascot of Pizza Time was a giant rat by the name of Chuck E. Cheese. Seeing the success they had with software, Atari decided they would debut their own cartridge based video game console, known as the Atari 2600. A year later, Midway games imports arcade game Space Invader by Japanese developer Taito, to the US. The game was a ... ...s project and ended its contract with Nintendo. It own focus on a next generation CD only gaming system aimed at defeating Nintendo. This Sony system later became the Sony Playstation (32bit) released in 1995. Along with the Playstation, other companies such as Nintendo and Sega releases their own 32bit system. In the end the Sony machine comes out on top. Meanwhile, Nintendo sticks with their cartridge based design and releases the 64bit Nintendo 64 gaming system. Unfortunately, due to high cost and limiting factor of cartridge systems, not many developers hopped on board. Fast forward to today, we have three major players in the field, Nintendo’s Gamecube, Sony’s Playstation 2 and the new comer, Microsoft’s XBOX. Sony still remains on top while XBOX and Gamecube fighting fiercely for number 2. Source Cited Gamespot.com.

Savannah :: Personal Narrative, Descriptive, Description

As I walked into the hot, sticky gym to say goodbye on the last day of the summer at Camp Glenn Taylor, the air seemed to be trying to smother me. Outside, the rain was bouncing off the sidewalks, keeping the campers inside that day. The kids didn't notice me at first. They were too busy chasing each other around the gym with the frenzy of being trapped indoors for a day. Then, someone spotted me, and I was suddenly swarmed by hugs coming from all directions. Wriggling through the arms of the other campers was Savannah. She buried her dirty, snot-covered face into my side. I chuckled to myself, remembering my first day with her three months ago. The counselors had decided to take the campers for a hike. We corralled them into the cabin and instructed them to apply bug spray because of all the mosquitoes in the woods. Left and right, little fingers squeezed out the spray, gradually covering each body. But not the mischievous Savannah. No, she insisted upon carrying her bug spray with her and zapping the mosquitoes in mid-air. Unfortunately, this also generated a large quantity of insect repellent into the air. Every time I took a breath, my lungs were filled with noxious fumes. I could taste the bitter air on my tongue. It stung my eyes. "Savannah," I called, "Stop using that bug spray! It's making me sick!!!" Savannah scampered behind a tree, and I could hear the "sssssss" of the aerosol can. "Savannah, I'm warning you, leave that can alone. Either put it on your body or give it to me. Do not spray it into the air again." Before I'd hardly finished my last sentence, Savannah was bolting down the trail ahead of me, out of sight. I let out a sigh of exasperation. The summer ahead of me suddenly seemed to get longer. The most distinctive feature of Savannah, besides her ornery personality, is her face. She looks like a sprite or a tree-nymph. She has a heart-shaped face, which is dark brown: a combination of sun tan from many hours of playing outside and dirty from the same thing. Her almond eyes are deep and dark, but almost always carry a twinkle of mischief. Her face is framed by long brown stringy hair that falls below her shoulders. Savannah is a girl of few words, in English at least.

Importance of Technology

My transcripts †¢ Transcript 1= luv u 4 ever 🙂 †¢ Transcript 2= u r 2 sweet 2 b 4got10 can u cum c me face2face †¢ Transcript 3= I h8 u!!! †¢ Transcript 4= Jake ur bag is pukka †¢ Transcript 5=iv been chatin with my penpal all day †¢ Transcript 6= how ya doin! †¢ Transcript 7=Jake-â€Å"r ur headphones good† Demal-â€Å"yh their awesome FYI they where only $5. 99 Ali Nasir10BMR. Wotson Introduction †¢ One of the forms of multimodal talk is texting †¢ Texting has captivated a whole generation of young people †¢ Texting has become universal, it is practiced all over the world †¢ Texting is done from mobile to mobile, by sending the text to the mobile number. It can also be sent to many at the same time †¢ Texting is thought to be mostly used by the young people and teenagers †¢ The older generations feel that texting has taken the ability of writing and correct spelling to zero, they deplore what texting has done to the English language †¢ Texting is also done as a means of advertising †¢ Large companies text to anyone they can †¢ Doctor surgeries and even schools like the one I study at also use texting to inform patients and parents relative information. †¢ The language of texting has advanced so much since it had started †¢ There are so many ways to text to each otherParagraph 1 †¢ People have found innovative ways of texting with using rebus abbreviation, this is where a name or a word is represented by a picture or pictures suggesting its syllables †¢ They are like puzzles †¢ Punctuation marks and brackets are used to show emotions. We can see this in transcript 1. 🙂 seen upright they mean nothing but look at them sideways and it is a smiling face †¢ Other symbols and numbers are used like &, @, 4, 8. Paragraph 2 †¢ The use of abbreviated and shortened forms of words saves time in texting and also shortens texts to keep mobile bills at a minimum, as seen in transcript 2. People are so fast at texting in abbreviations that the mind boggles at the speed of their thumbs †¢ There is efficiency in the way letters are used, and texters shorten words to a minimum. Paragraph 3 †¢ Inotation is defined as the tone or pitch of the voice in speaking or the way a person is speaking like conveying anger, liveliness, being shy. †¢ Inotation cannot really be well conveyed in texting. †¢ The messages loose the true meaning of the sender like shown in transcript 3. †¢ Sometimes miscommunication happens and feelings are hurt. †¢ It is hard to explain what you are really feeling through texting. When we communicate body language and tone of voice play an important role. †¢ When we try intonating in a text the other person may read something different in the explanation marks you have sent. †¢ Sometimes Imitation in the text can read a double meaning. Paragraph 4 †¢ The use of non standard words in the texting world has become so popular that almost everyone who texts knows the meanings of the abbreviated words. †¢ Also dialect of different places is making its way into texting. †¢ Like we see words such as lush or mint being used in other regions of England. For example in Manchester â€Å"mint† means really good and â€Å"mardy† means moody, in whales â€Å"lush† means very nice and in London â€Å"pukka† means very good. †¢ We see their uses in transcript 4. †¢ The use of slang in texting has also found a place in texting. †¢ To a person who dose not text, the language use must seem foreign. Paragraph 5 †¢ In non standard words a new form of communication has emerged. †¢ For example a text pal is a person that you never talk to or see, but you ju7st text to like a pen pal. Another example is saying things like â€Å"text of the devil† a version of speak of the devil. The way we w ould use these new words can be seen in transcript 5. †¢ A whole new dictionary would have to written just to accommodate all the new words that have sprung up in this new texting age. Paragraph 6 †¢ The use of incomplete sentences or the use of phrases instead of using the proper grammatical sentences is common in texting, †¢ When you use incomplete sentences you fail to express the total meaning. †¢ Shortening of sentence or use of phrases is fine while texting because of maybe, the lack of time or space texting like in transcript 6. †¢ Phrases also are a part of this new language and most teenagers will know hundreds of them. It is like a second language for them. †¢ These are a few popular phrases in texting; BFF (best friends forever), FYI (for your information), IDC (I don’t care), JC (just chilling), GAL (get a life). †¢ We can see how to use a phrase in transcript 7. Paragraph 7 †¢ I think one of the similarities between texting and speech is that we text the way we speak. †¢ We text the words the way they sound, not like the way they are spelt in the dictionary. †¢ We text phonetically. †¢ Spelling goes out of the window. †¢ The content of the text that is written is a different matter. We see that many words are taken out of the sentences to make them shorter and if we read these shortened text messages out loud we would sound like cavemen in cartoons or like Tarzan saying,† me Tarzan, you Jane. †¢ Even I say to my mum SOZ (sorry), LOL (laugh out loud) and CBA (can’t be asked). †¢ My mum is always shouting at me to speak proper English Paragraph 8 †¢ When it comes to actual writing students are using text language instead of proper English in their studies †¢ This is creating problems in our schools, colleges and the workplace †¢ Texting is a distraction and stops you from paying attention to what is happening around you. Students are found textin g in classes instead of paying attention of what is happening in the classroom. †¢ Texting has its negatives but it also has its positives. †¢ It keeps people connected to each other. †¢ Testers are always updating each other of what is going on there and then. †¢ Sometimes it is better to quietly text than to talk in a public place and disturb others. †¢ For every new technology there will always be positives and negatives. †¢ I think there is always a middle way in which we can use texting and not go to the extreme.