Room division Essay Example

Room division Essay The guest cycle and the operational and managerial activities for each stage. They should also be able to come up with reports on evaluating operations in the rooms division. Communication between housekeeping and other Hotel departments. Human resources in the rooms division department and its importance. Course Outline 1 . The Rooms Dolls Introduction Organization of the Rooms Division Organization of rooms division department Interrelationship and communication within rooms Division department with other departments 2. Housekeeping The role of the housekeeping department Management theory and the housekeeper Housekeeping operations Liaison of Housekeeping and Front Office Automated rooms management In hotels Budgeting and control Planning and forecasting 3. Front Office Operations Organization of the Front Office The role of the Front Office The guest cycle Registration Responsibility during guest stay Checkout and settlement Evaluating Front Office Customer care skills 4. Reservations Roles of Reservation Link with marketing Operations Concept of yield management Reservations management 5. Night Audit The process Daily Revenue report Relevance 6. Management Functions of Rooms Division Planning, Organizing, Leading and controlling Establishing room rates Forecasting room availability Budgeting for operations Managing human resources Qualities of Front Office Staff Evaluating of Front Office Operations 7. Human resource management in rooms division department Recruitment and selection Induction and training Motivation and empowerment Staff disciplining Methodology The course will be taught through lectures, discussions, class presentations and research and industrial visits. We will write a custom essay sample on Room division specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Room division specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Room division specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Practical (a) Seek consent to do daily cleaning of a room following the required procedure, (b) Make a list of all cleaning chemicals used. (c)Make a bed ensuring you grasp the procedure (50) it. Report on the important concepts learnt in the housekeeping department during he familiarization visit and hand it for marking, (50) April 2012 Group Assignment 2 In groups of 11, Using 3 different hotels in Zombie compare and contrast their operations in the following sections: Group A Reservations Group B Methods of establishing room rates Group C Front office operations Group D Security in the hotel.

What Classes Should You Take in High School Expert Advice

What Classes Should You Take in High School Expert Advice SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Figuring out which classes you should take in high school is complicated! Not only do you have to navigate your school’s requirements and college expectations, but you also have to take your own interests, abilities, and life into account. Because there are so many different questions you have to answer and decisions you have to make, it helps to start the planning process early. We will help you get a big picture perspective of what you are high school classes will look like, and breakdown the details of the various requirements, the kinds of choices you will have to make, and the exciting possibilities you will get to explore! If you're wondering what classes to take in high school, this guide should be a great launching point to figuring out your own personal plan. What Classes Do I Need for High School Graduation? In large part, many of your class choices will be guided by your high school's mandatory requirements. All high schools have a set curriculum that you need to take in order to graduate. The actual details vary slightly from school to school, but usually it goes something like this: four years of English (sometimes called Language Arts) three or four years of math three years of science two or three years of social studies or history The route to graduation is mostly mapped out by your high school. It's a good idea to start planning at least the broad outlines of your high school schedule earlier rather than later. This is why,in 9th or 10th grade, it makes senseread through your student handbook and then set up a meeting with your guidance counselor. Your counselor is a great resource for nailing down: your school’s exact graduation requirements any prerequisites for any courses you may want to take further down the road What Classes Do Colleges Want to See? Luckily for you, most colleges expect to seethe samecore classesfor admission that high schools do for graduation. This means that simply by fulfilling your high school's curriculum requirements, you will most likely have all your transcript ducks in a row for applying to college! As always, of course, not every college's admissions requirements are exactly the same, so definitely make sure you find out exactly what classes your target school wants you to have taken in high school by looking at its admissions info online. Search Google for "[college name] admissions requirements" to get the full scoop. Rigor The main thing that colleges are looking for in your high school course load is what they call "rigor". Basically, this is the idea that you have spent your time in high school challenging yourself by taking increasingly more and more difficult classes. Colleges want to see that you are always trying to reach just a little farther than your grasp. What does rigor mean in terms ofchoosingclasses? Knowing that colleges want to see you push yourself doesn't mean overloading yourself to the point of collapse! Instead, it means you should strive for balance: take classes that are as challenging as you can handle,but also show good judgment by not overwhelming yourself. Learning to balance means knowing not to stack on that last rock! To strategize in depth about the level of rigor that your high school course load should demonstrate, explore our guide to what a challenging high school course load looks like. What Decisions Will I Make When Choosing Classes? Even thoughmany of your class slots will be taken up by your high school's requirements and by the admissions expectations of your target colleges, the person who has the mostinfluence over your high school curriculum is... you! With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the choices you will have to make when picking your classes. Harder classes or better GPA? When you realize that you can get much better grades in lower level courses, you'll really be tempted not to take a particularly challenging course load in favor of getting straight A's. But actually, this is a mistake.If you are getting straight A’s in standard-level classes, to colleges this will look like you are coasting through rather than challenging yourself.Because colleges will always look at your GPA incontext (meaning because they know what classes your school offers), they will look at this negatively. Coasting: fun for three-person sleds, terrible for high school. Generally speaking, you should push yourself to take the highest level class that you can reasonably get a B or higher in each year. This is especially true in classes that you are interested in, that are your strengths, or that you see yourself pursuing in college. Standard, honors, or AP/IB? With the choice to challenge yourself, comes yet another question. Should you take the standard, honors, or AP version of a class? It all depends on your skill level and ability in each subject. To find out how you measure up, you can talk to a teacher to see whether in their opinion you are ready for a higher level course or, if your school offers this, you can take a placement test to see whether you qualify for honors. If you are deciding between honors and AP, AP is the better bet for improving college applications. If you do well on the AP test, this national comparison will help colleges understand your skill level, and potentially either give you college credit or at least to the ability to place into a higher level college course. If you are having trouble deciding between AP and IB, let us help you make that decision with our explanation of the differences between the two. Which foreign language should I take? As far as college is concerned, what matters is not the language but the amount of time you spend studying it. For example, four years of French is more impressive than one year each of Latin, Chinese, Sanskrit, and Spanish. One wacky jump is interesting, but five? That's commitment to challenging yourself. Our recommendation is to take four years of the same foreign language. To see which language would be the best fit for you, check out our guide to which foreign language you should take in high school. What am I interested in? After you schedule all of your required classes, you will still have lots of space on your schedule for electives. Electives are entirely up to you – this is where it’s time to listen to your heart and find your passion. Whether you use your elective spaces to pursue the performing arts, the visual arts, engineering, computer science, or anything else, the advice is the same as for the core courses: find what you love, stick with it, and pursue it at the highest level of your ability. In order to give you a sense of the possibilities, even though no school could possibly offer all of them, we have rounded up the complete list of all high school electives. What Class Selections Do I Have Choice Over? It might sound like a lot of your high school experience has already been preprogrammed. But actually, you get to decide much more than you think! Even for mandatory required classes, you still have some say over whether you take them standard, honors, for AP. Not only that, butthere is even some choice in the core curriculum. This is particularly true in science and history classes because those are not cumulative and so do not follow the standard progression. The most choice, of course, is in your electives. Here are your options, from least to greatest choice. Least Choice: The Core Subjects English It'strue that you will take this all four years, and that your high school most likely has least choice about what you study in English class and when. Still,you do get to decide how much you want to challenge yourself. Learn more about thebreakdown of all the English or Language Artsyou are likely to encounter in our guide to high school English classes. Math You may not have to take math every year. Still, because math is cumulative (meaning, what you learned one year depends on what you learned the year before), there is usually not that much choice about which math class you can take. Just like with English, you will have some say over how much to challenge yourself at each level of math.Your high school will have developed a sequence usually something like: Algebra 1 Geometry Algebra 2/Trigonometry Pre-Calculus Calculus To dig in further, read our complete explanation of the math classes you should take in high school. Science You will most likely take two or three years of science. Like with math, there is usually already a pre-developed progression for the sequence in which you can take science classes. It usually goes like this: earth science/biology chemistry physics Still, because you do not have to take science all four years, and because many schools offer various science electives, like astronomy, this is one of the core curriculum subject where you can have a whole bunch of choice, especially if science is one of your interests or strengths. Our complete guide to planning your science education in high school lays out all the details for you. It takes many different kind of scientists to make a truly evil mad science lab. Social Studies/History You will most likely take two or three years of history or other social sciences like government, civics, economics, world cultures, or geography. At the same time, it helps to know thatthe standard requirements that both high schools and colleges will expect are: a year of US/American history a year of European/world history Because you will not have to take history all four years of high school, this is another core requirement that allows a lot of choice, and one where you will probably have many options to pick from. For a really in-depth look at all the possibilities in the social sciences, read through our guide to the high school history classes you should take. Most Choice: Electives Unlike core required classes, electives are the you-do-you of the high school curriculum.They’re how your transcript shows colleges what you’re interested in, what you’re passionate about, and how hard you are willing to work to pursue those interests and passions. You only live once: pick your electives accordingly.#CarpeDiem Electivesare also a way for you to discover subjects that you previously did not know you were interested in, or a way to learn from excellent teachers who don't teach the core subjects. Pro tip: if you hear wonderful things about a teacher, try your best to take a class with that person. It doesn't matter what the class is – the experience of learning from an amazing teacher is something you will carry with you all your life. No school offers the same electives as another school, and there is no way for anyone school to offer every possible elective. Here are some typical offerings, by category: Computer science: programming, graphic design, web design English: journalism, creative writing, speech and debate Family and consumer science: nutrition, child development, culinary courses Math and Science: environmental science, zoology, astronomy, statistics Social Studies: psychology, anthropology, economics Visual and Performing Arts: drawing, painting, photography, choir, band To get some help with figuring out which electives to take, read our guide. What’s Next? Interested to see how your high school choices will impact your choice of college? Check out our guides to: How to decide what college you should go to, How to pick a major for your college application, How to get into Harvard or the other elite colleges, Or what to do if you're worried about getting into college, period. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: Get eBook: 5 Tips for 160+ Points // Free eBook: 5 Tips to 4+ Points on the ACT //

Dynamic Declarations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dynamic Declarations - Essay Example In many ways, then, the Declaration of Sentiments and Revolutions is meant to correct a perceived error in the Jefferson document: that the word â€Å"man† is hardly univocal. Instead, natural rights belong to man and woman equally, and the language used in the Declaration is thereby at best deceptive and at worst mistaken. The very concept of â€Å"natural rights† dictates that they belong to all human beings equally and always, independent or not contingent upon the particular laws or values of any given society. Natural rights are universal constructs that cannot be violated, at least according to the Lockean or Jeffersonian notions of them. Although there are surely natural differences between the sexes of man and woman, this does not entail there are differences in what the individual human being deserves with respect to his or her natural rights. Jefferson and Stanton approach the topic of natural rights with the idea that they are inalienable. Nevertheless, Stanton’s issue is not so much with what natural rights are, but to whom they are given. Jefferson lays the foundation for natural rights, saying, â€Å"[human beings] are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness†. A natural right is thus a freedom, not a power. This declaration of rights does not say that individuals have the right to use others to pursue their own happiness, or to use others to live their life. This would be an example of a power over another person and the Declaration of Independence certainly does not hold to this view, for it is definitive of those things the document was written to combat (namely, the power of the King). Rather, these natural rights are freedoms to not be interfered with in living one’s life and pursuing one’s happiness. A natural right is therefore not

The Civil Rights Movement in 1960 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Civil Rights Movement in 1960 - Essay Example (Encarta, 2008) With the formation of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in 1909 an organized struggle for equality for blacks began. The event that triggered the eventual Civil Rights Movement was when a Black lady, Rosa Parks, refused to give her seat to a White person in a public bus. She was arrested for non-compliance and put in jail. The refusal to give up the seat led to an eight month strike of the bus system in Montgomery. During this time the black community organized their own carpools and deprived the government of the income that came from black riders. The eight-month strike put a severe financial burden on the city and thus the Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional and ended the strike. (Mkmba, 2005) ("Origins of the Civil Rights Movement", 1994) The Civil Rights Movement that started in the 1950s was very important for the people of America as well as people of the whole world. In the US, there were increasing injustices towards the minorities, specially the Blacks. It created the right for all and established the condemnation of discrimination in any form. Because somebody thought to go against the norms and fight for their rights, the minorities realized that such injustices would longer be tolerated and at the same time they set an example for all oppressed people to fight for their rights. The open segregation and oppression ended segregation publicly and legally. The new America promoted independence for everybody no matter if a person was from a different race, creed or sex. African Americans finally got voting rights and it helped path the future for giving voting rights to women. (Roy, 2004) The Civil Rights Movement was also important for other countries apart from the United States. Since US is a superpower and is generally considered the land of freedom and righteousness, other countries look up at US for sense and direction. When equal rights were given to all people, other countries also followed up. Some countries in Europe and Asia that follows America's lead also changed their policies. Furthermore, the US set a good example for others to follow which made others realize that even the leaders of biggest powers of the world cannot hammer their authority on the minorities. What is the impact on the American society The impact of the Civil Rights Movement has time and again been seen from a positive and a negative perspective. The achievement of purpose of the Movement has been questioned and critics have been discussing this for a long time. On a positive front, changes have taken place in the social and legal context. These changes are not only for Blacks, but for all. The human race is imperfect. Everybody has some flaws within themselves which a nation cannot expect to correct. Civil Rights Movement was about making the majorities realize that the minorities existed and they wanted to have some rights. The goal wasn't to remove all racism. Such a happening could never workout since all humans are different and have different values and emotions. What the Civil Rights Movement did was to provide a /legal mean to the minorities to challenge the injustices committed against them. Anyone who feels that he/she is being discriminated,

Doctrine of the Trinity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Doctrine of the Trinity - Essay Example Orthodox Church had believed in certain doctrines but a dialogue to establish proper ecumenical principles was necessary. Trinitarianism exists on the divinity of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, who are the Godheads, with rather unclear entities. One opinion said they are One, representing substance, power and eternity; but the controversy prevailed. The early Church Fathers had diverse views about the doctrine of Trinity. Some of them had difficulty in accepting that Jesus was not the only God. Some were reluctant to say that he was not the God, but only the Son of the God. "To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and for whom we live; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and through whom we live." (1 Cor. 8:6, KJV and NIV). "There is not a single controversy with regard to the Nature of the Trinity, as far as we know, which does not involve the doctrine that Christ is the Wisdom of God as its starting point, and the Old Testament definitions of that Wisdom as its proof-test," p.31, Harris. There were confusions with some saying that Jesus represented all the three, or Jesus himself is God and all the three represented Jesus himself. In the scripture the word trinity is not mentioned and its origin remains a bit mysterious In 382, Pope St. In 382, Pope St. Damascus called a local council in Rome to discuss the doctrine of trinity and a papal commentary is still available with strict terms while laying down rules and regulations of being a heretic. "Understanding the nature of orthodoxy and heresy during the fourth century is further complicated by the need to note not only shifts in the content of Christian belief concerning Trinitarian and Christological issues, but also considerable change in the structures and practices within which right belief is assessed," Ayres, p.79. From there, Trinity went through resistance and Fathers like SS. Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine shaped the doctrine in many stages by writing commentaries and defences based on the Council of Constantinople. Athanasius wrote before the council, but says that the Triad is the creator of all things and emphasises that Father and Son work as the principal force behind creation, protection, life, and they are more or less one. St Gregory wrote after the Council and was clearly influenced by the Council's proceedings. He sees the doctrine on the Blessed Trinity's ad extra as Johannine Theology and of biblical origin. In 390, he wrote Concerning We Should Think of Saying that There are not Three Gods to Ablabius where he upholds the Doctrine and says that Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one and insists that 'no activities of the Godhead are unique to any one'. Around 399 St. Augustine started his work De Trinitate where he cites Gospel of St. John many times and according to him the Doctrine of Trinity could be found in the Gospel of St. John. "Prior to the Cappadocians there scarcely was a concept of person in ancient philosophy. Moreover, the Cappadocians provided a rather complex concept of person" p.14. Turcescu, 2005. Within a period of 264 years from the Council of Nice in 325 AD, a clear definition emerged as the basis of doctrine of the Trinity. In the year 589 AD, the Third Synod at Toledo proclaimed

Implementing A Nursing Dementia Care Bundle Tool Nursing Essay

Implementing A Nursing Dementia Care Bundle Tool Nursing Essay The purpose of this paper is to complete a diagnostic assessment and analysis to determine organisational readiness for an evidence-based service change linked to an action plan within Outer North East London Community Services (ONEL CS) Inpatient Unit within the London Borough of Havering. This paper will discuss how change can be achieved through completion of a diagnostic analysis. The evidence based change to be implemented and discussed in the paper, is the introduction of a Dementia Care bundle to improve dementia nursing care on the inpatient wards within Havering ONELCS. Through the use of a service improvement audit conducted within the Inpatient Unit; this paper will reflect upon the application of research methodologies that can support the diagnostic analysis; and the development and implementation of the action plan developed to achieve service innovation. The paper begins by giving the background information on the area of health care selected for review and service innovation. This will include the rationale for choosing this area, it importance and the explanation and definition of the key terms that will be used throughout the paper. The process by which the literature review was conducted will be detailed so that it could be replicated by the reader where necessary. Following on from this, the evidence pertaining to the chosen area of health care will be critically appraised to identify its merit in informing the diagnostic analysis assessment. Diagnostic analysis is the process of gathering information prior to the implementation of change, and is designed to identify the barriers and facilitators for change within an organisation; assessing organisational readiness for change (Hamilton, McLaren and Hamilton 2007). Theories and models relating to organisational change will be discussed; with the aim to informing and developing a strategy or action plan tailored to the local context for implementation. Background Dementia care is generally often overlooked on the acute inpatient hospital wards (Leung and Todd 2010). Up to 70% of acute hospital beds are occupied by older people (Department of Health (DOH) 2001; Alzheimers Society 2009). It is estimated that up to a of these patients, up to half of these patients in general acute care at any one time may have cognitive impairment including delirium and dementia (Royal College of Psychiatrists 2005). The unacceptable variation in the quality of dementia care provided on general wards in hospitals across England is well documented in numerous reports such as the Counting the Cost: Caring for people with Dementia on Hospital Wards report(Alzheimers Society 2009). The Healthcare for London: A framework for Action document (2007) and the National Audit Office report Improving services and support for people with dementia (2007), highlight the fact that services were not provided consistently well across London for people with dementia and their care rs; that people with dementia in general hospitals have worst outcomes in terms of length of stay, mortality and institutionalisation. Patients with dementia and their carers experience, have confirmed the above reports: patient feedback has highlighted an urgent need for research into care for older persons in general hospitals as is recently reported in media reports and Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman(2011) report investigating ten complaints into National Health Service(NHS) care of older people. Furthermore the National Audit Office(NOA) report (NOA 2007) provides potent evidence of the current costs of care for those with dementia diagnosis in the hospital setting; and highlights that acute general hospitals are not delivering a value for money service. As results of all this evidence the National Dementia Strategy (DOH 2009) (- a five year plan to transform dementia care) was developed by the Department of Health. It is against this backdrop that this paper was developed; to focus on the improving dementia nursing care provided on the inpatient wards by implementing a dementia nursing care bundle.. Definition of key terms: For the purpose of this paper key terms have been defined in particular the meaning of Dementia and care bundles. What is Dementia? The term dementia is used to describe a collection of symptoms, a syndrome which includes changes in memory, reasoning and communication skills, with a gradual loss of ability to carry out daily activities (Alzheimers Society 2009, Commissioning Support for London 2009; DOH 2009 NDS-a/b). There are a number of different types of dementia; with the most common being Alzheimers disease that accounts for about 60% of cases (Gupta, Fiertag and Warner 2009). The different types of dementia are outlined in Appendix one. Dementia in Havering- the local picture Dementia presents a unique challenge for London; with estimates of around 65000 people over the age of 65 in London diagnosed with dementia(Commissioning Support for London 2009); projections suggest that the number of people over 80 in London with dementia can be expected to rise by almost 50 per cent to 96000 by 2030(POPPI 2010). Dementia is an under-diagnosed condition in the London Borough of Havering. This paper focuses on improving inpatient nursing care delivered for dementia patients at St Georges Hospital. St Georges Hospital is a community hospital within Havering. Predominately for patients aged 65 and over it consists of a day hospital and 45 in-patient beds across two wards. There is one rehabilitation/assessment ward; and a stroke unit. In common with all members of the community, people with dementia can become physically unwell and require general hospital care. St Georges Hospital admits patients with dementia from the neighbouring acute hospital, Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospital NHS Trust. Demographic changes and an ageing population in Havering mean there will be a disproportionate increase in the common conditions of old age, such as cancer, stroke, and dementia. A Freedom of Information (FOI) Request revealed that the estimated number of people with dementia is 1015. this represents 0.4% of all registered General Practitioner population and is below the national average of 1.1%. This figure is anticipated to rise and as is outlined by Appendix two. The evidenced based change to be introduced is a nursing dementia care bundle with the aim of improving the nursing care provided on the inpatient wards. What Is A Care Bundle? A care bundle is an evidence based protocol (Resar, Pronovost and Haraden, Simmonds, Rainey and Nolan 2005). Successfully used in Critical Care; it is a collection of interventions (usually three to five) that may be applied to the management of a particular condition (Fulbrook, and Mooney 2003, Resar, Pronovost Harden et al 2005; Belt 2006). The theory behind care bundles is that when several evidence-based interventions are grouped together in a single protocol, it will improve patient outcome (Resar, Pronovost and Haraden, et al 2005). The concept of care bundles was introduced by the NHS Modernisation Agency (DOH 2004) and continues to be fully supported by the Department of Health. A heavy reliance on the use of care bundles is evidenced the development and recent review of High Impact Interventions in reducing Healthcare Associated Infections by the Department of Health(DOH 2010). Although most specialities are using care bundles for the dementia care they are relatively a new concept. It is expected that by grouping dementia related evidence based practices or interventions together, within a single protocol that guides patient management, the overall quality of care nursing care delivered to dementia patients will improve. A dementia nursing care bundle has been developed by the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust, through a freedom of Information (FOI) Request (Appendix three); a copy was requested and was to be locally adapted for the inpatient unit at St Georges Hospital ONELCS-Havering. Method of Searching for Literature An electronic search of the literature was undertaken on dementia care on hospital wards on the 30th of January 2011. Using an Athens NHS Log in details and advanced search of healthcare databases using the  Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) was completed. Appendix four outlines how literature was identified and selected for appraisal. Literature Review: The evidenced based change to be introduced is a nursing dementia care bundle with the aim of improving the nursing care provided on the inpatient wards. The current health care policy context and recent national reports along with initiatives, have recognised the need to improve care in hospitals on general wards; these include the Lord Darzi report, High Quality Care for all (DOH 2008); the National Service Framework for Older People'(DOH) and the National Institute of Clinical Excellence(NICE) dementia clinical guidelines(NICE/Social Care Institute of Excellence(SCIE) 2006). Increasingly there has been a move towards a more focused attention on dementia care in the acute setting (Alzheimers Society 2009). Delivering nursing care for people with dementia is a challenging (Borbasi , Jones , Lockwood and Emden 2006) and stressful task (Cunningham and Archibald 2006). Behaviours associated with dementia include wandering, agitation, aggression and resistance to care (Prtichard and Dewing 2001, Cunningham 2006, Cordwell 2010). It is expected that these behaviours will change with time however this is dependent on the type of dementia (Insel and Badger 2002). As a patients dependency increases, their care becomes more complex and demands more direct nursing time for both patients, relatives and or carer(Cunningham 2006). Given the challenges of caring for patients with dementia and their at most time their inability to communicate care needs or report concerns about care, they are at risk of suboptimal care, neglect, or abuse(Ballard, Fossey, Chithramohan, Howard, Burns, Thompson, Tadros and Fairbairn 2001, Ouldred and Roberts 2004, Sturdy 2010). This can leave nurses experiencing stress wh en trying to respond to such behaviour (Burgess and Page 2003). Following on from this, researchers (Cunningham and Archibald 2006, James and Hodnett 2009) write that the rapid nature and capacity demands of general hospital care; the focus of care is strongly geared towards treating acute medical problems, discharging patients and meeting the demands of the service such as staffing levels, fast turnover of patients; these alone present challenges to nursing staff in the hospital environment. Patients with dementia may find this difficult to conform and adapt to rapid treatment protocols and to a dominant culture of curing the patient(Archibald 2002, 2003); for example they may find the regular ward moves confusing; the busy, noisy clinical wards frightening and stressful for people with dementia; adversely affecting how they behave (Schofield and Dewing 2001, Cunningham and Christie 2009, Dewing 2009). Cunningham (2006) goes so far as to suggest that dementia patients can feel disempowered, infantilized and intimidated; and the likelihood of thi s increases in busy hospital settings. What is clear is that the hospital staff; faced with the challenges of decreasing length of stay statistics, creating capacity, meeting other performance targets dementia patients present a challenge to nursing staff; leaving them at risk of receiving sub-optimal care. Sub-optimal care- for someone who is frail and vulnerable with a dementia diagnosis, and needing additional time and support from nursing staff, with perhaps displaying behavior which is not perceived as normal by staff, can be seen as difficult(Cunningham 2006). Norman (2006) found that nurses perceptions of the person with dementia were central to whether their experience was positive or negative in hospitals settings. A study conducted by the Alzheimers Society (2009) reported that almost nine out of ten respondents working with dementia patients do not have enough time to spend with patients and provide one to one care. Nolan (2006, 2007) and Cordwell(2010) recognize that although nurses strive to provide optimum care they find that practically day to day- this is not always achievable. It is interesting that Archibald (2006a, 2006b) in his work noted that outcomes for dementia patients are usually poor, they note that nutrition, hydration, pain management, communication needs a re often overlooked. Other studies confirm that dementia patients have the worst outcomes in relation to length of stay and mortality(Sampson, Gould and Lee 2006, Sampson, Blanchard and Jones 2009) Whilst this is not surprising, the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman report (2011)Care and Compassion found similar outcomes for in their report on ten investigations into NHS care of older people. Fennessy (2007) writes that this should be expected as dementia care is often carried out in general hospital settings and not in designated dementia units where specialist knowledge is available to help manage these challenges effectively. Furthermore, a lack of knowledge and understanding among nurses on how to respond to dementia-related challenging behaviour is also likely to contribute to the provision of sub-optimal care (Fennessey 2007). Packer (2001) suggests that few staff understand what dementia is and how to cope with the behaviour that can ensue. The primary aim of this work is to support frontline staff in changing practice-improving dementia care delivered within the inpatient unit by introducing a dementia care bundle. Completing a diagnostic analysis will identify barriers and facilitators to implementing this tool. METHODOLOGY NICE (2007) guidance on changing practice, suggests that a number of methods can be used to assess barriers to change. They suggest that a choice of methods should be based upon local context, resources and the number of staff(NICE 2007). Previous studies (Pollock, Legg, Langhorne and Sellars 2000; Davis, Jamison , Brumley, Engu and Danos 2006; Solomons,and Spross 2011) in their work exploring barriers and facilitators to implementing evidence based change; utilising diagnostic analysis identified a mixed methods approach to be of benefit in planning for successful implementation of the planned change. Following on from this Solomons and Spross (2011) write that the chosen method should be valid and reliable; the choice of model will depend mostly on what the target for change is and the group involved in changing (Lewin 1951, Bennis, Benne and Chinn 1985, Haffer 1986). The mixed method approach was therefore chosen for this diagnostic analysis. The premise behind the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods would allow the researcher to best answer the research question or problem(Andrew and Halcomb 2009); specifically for this paper, it would allow the researcher to capture the multiple realities and the various individual staff perspectives that made up the social situation of dementia care at the Trust. The notion of multiple realities was important in this work (Lincoln and Guba 1985), the use of a mixed methodology, would allow the researcher to capture the views of both the powerful stakeholders/decision makers as well as the frontline staff. Furthermore it had the potential to add breadth, rigor and credibility (Cresswell 2002/2009). Cresswell, Vicki and Clark (2011) write that mixed method designs combine the benefits of qualitative methods and quantitative methods to create a more complete picture. The study received Audit approval from the ONEL CS Audit department as well as sign off by the Associate Director of Operations Havering. Three data collection methods were used: as part of the triangulation of data, documentary analysis was conducted; focus groups was held along with a questionnaire, that was circulated to all staff involved with dementia care at the 2 inpatient wards at St Georges Hospital Documentary analysis: Documentary analysis was completed on six authentic, verifiable Trust documents in the public domain to obtain evidence on supporting evidence-based practice, clinical effectiveness, organisational priorities and quality outcomes. The range of documents analysed included the ONEL CS Monthly Board report for December 2010, ONELCS Trust profile online, Havering Primary Care Trust (PCT) Human Resources and Organisational development strategy(2005-2008);ONELCS Clinical Audit and Policy strategy(2009), Havering PCT Education Training and Development Strategy( 2008-2011) and the ONEL CS five-year vision for health service delivery-Intergrated Business plan(2009-2014). Documentary data was abstracted and analysed thematically. Focus groups: Focus groups were used to elicit the views and experiences of professional staff who would be affected by changes in implementing the dementia care bundle. Andrew and Halcomb(2009) write that focus groups can capture the particularities and breadths of opinions about a particular topic; and are useful as they provide the social context of how opinions are formulated. The participants, eight staff with strategic or operational accountability for aspects of inpatient care were purposively sampled. In attendance was a Ward Manager, Modern Matron, Medical Senior House Officer, Practice Development Lead, Physiotherapist and 3 ward- based staff nurses. The focus group focused on organisational culture, dementia assessment, and documentation. The focus group schedule was semi- structured, containing sequential questions exploring staff experiences caring for dementia patients from the time of admission to discharge, focusing on care processes, satisfaction with care delivered, activities of daily living, physical problems/challenges encountered, and the awareness of these potential problems on assessment. The focus group was tape-recorded and transcribed with the permission of the participants, and analysed thematically. Questionnaire The study population consisted of 90 staff members who regularly participated in the care of dementia patients. This included registered nurses, nursing health care assistants, clinical administration staff and inpatient therapy staff. The questionnaire chosen for this work used was the approved Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire developed by Lintern, Woods Phair (2000); a Likert-type instrument with 19 items. The ADQ measures hopefulness and person-centered approaches. The ADQ questions were graded on a Likert scale of response alternatives including: strongly agree, agree, uncertain, disagree and strongly disagree. A copy of the questionnaire is included in appendix five. The ADQ is made up of two domains: the hope attitude items and the person -centred attitude items (Lintern 2001). The hope attitude items were measured with eight questions, whereas the person-centred caring attitude items were measured with 11 questions. The dimension of hope is made up of questions relating to the participants thoughts about characteristic disease-related features, for example there is no hope for people with dementia, or dementia sufferers are sick and need to be looked after. A person-centred attitude was indicated by a response in the positive to questions such as It is important for people with dementia to have stimulating and enjoyable activities to occupy their time and people with dementia are more likely to be contented when treated with understanding and reassurance. Questionnaires, with an accompanying memorandum, were then sent to the Ward Managers to distribute the memorandum to staff, who were directly involved in the daily care of persons with dementia; including administration staff. The memorandum outlined the aim of the project, provided brief information about the aims of the questionnaire. The questionnaires were collected after two weeks. Reminder letters were sent to non-respondents with another copy of the questionnaire. Results Data Analysis The researcher took an interpretative approach to analyse the data for themes (Grbich 2007). Following verbatim transcription of the focus groups, each transcript was read several times to determine what is going on here. That is, what meanings, values and intentions were coming through and what competing or alternative perspectives are being put forward? The Data were then classified into themes. Results Documentary analysis: three themes were identified: 1. Innovative forward thinking organisation 2. Staff training, development and empowerment 3. Improving patient health and care Theme one Innovative forward thinking organisation The ONELCS Trust Profile on online provides a clear and concise vision; ONELCS clearly pride themselves as forward thinking and innovative; this is noted in their Integrated Business Plan and online profile, so much so that the organisation is described as: In our view ONEL CS is an exemplar of a community provider organisation. It is believed that this ethos benefits both patients and staff; with delivering quality care to patients at the heart of the organisation. Theme two Staff training, development and empowerment A strong emphasis on staff training and development was identified in all the documents analysed, explicit commitment to training and development was demonstrated in all documents reviewed. A high profile was given to education as part of continuing professional development, and explicit links were made between education and improved patient care. Education was also presented as creating a positive environment that would improve staff recruitment. ONELCS is committed to involving staff engagement in shaping the organisation and ensuring improvements in patient care. Valuing people involves developing education, training and career pathways that focus on individual as well as organisational need and demonstrate an appreciation of the staff and the vital role they have in ensuring quality services. (Organisational Development and Human Resources Strategy 2005-2008) Strategically the Trust publicly shows its support from board level to ensuring all staff have equal access to training and development opportunities to meet the requirements of the Knowledge and Skills Framework. This commitment to the ethos of lifelong learning is demonstrated in their Training and development policys the online Trust profile. Again staff development is linked to delivering and developing a quality service for patients: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ It should enable the Trust to deliver its strategic aims and objectives, through a workforce and organisation that is competent, motivated and confident to continuously learn, change and develop in order to deliver high quality and responsive patient care and services. (Education, Training and Development Strategy 2008-2011) While there was clear support for education and training none was demonstrated for research and research development. Theme three Improving patient health and care The Integrated Business Plan (2009-2011) ONELCS shows a commitment to Improving patient health and care; it hasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ always been our priority. Our vision is that ONELCS will be an independent organisation that delivers consistent and excellent healthcare, proven to be safe and effective. The organisation emonstrates that it supports evidence-based practice and initiatives identifying opportunities to change practice and to improve the quality of patient care. The Clinical Audit Policy (ONEL CS 2009)is concise in describing the organisations objectives: It is the responsibility of all health professionals to critically review their work to ensure care is given according to the best available evidence. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.The Objectives for 2009-2011 are: Ensure that audit results lead to changes in clinical practice and inform policy and training needs. Focus groups Four themes were identified: dementia knowledge and skills, attitude towards dementia patients and organisational change- constant change at the Trust Theme one: dementia knowledge: skills and assessments Lack of knowledge and understanding about dementia and the needs of dementia was strong theme. Both qualified and unqualified staff (HCSW and RGN) expressed: I am not even sure what having dementia meansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.are there different types of dementia Staff commented that they had not received dementia specific training The assessment of dementia patients was fragmented, separately documented, and lacked cohesion. Medical staff in their patient clerking- noted a diagnosis; nursing and therapy staff in their individual initial assessments noted dementia diagnosis. One Registered Nurse asked the following: do we actually provide personalised dementia care that we can evidence; for example in our care plans? Currently the teams have no specific dementia documentation such as care plans for dementia care. The medical teams utilise The Abbreviated Mental Test( Hodkinson 1972) whilst the therapy teams utilise the Mini Mental State Examination(Folstein, Folstein and McHugh 1975) validated assessment tools Furthermore the staff felt that the teams could have specialist links with the community mental health teams to obtain specialist training and assessments and to develop dementia champions. Theme two: Multidisciplinary working Staff expressed the multidisciplinary team working was not working well and would impact on improving dementia care. Staff present at the focus group, acknowledged that comprehensive multidisciplinary working did not occur, The level of multidisciplinary working varies, they could work better on the for dementia patients'(registered nurse) Lack of communication was highlighted as a major issues as part of multidisciplinary working, with mixed views expressed :the nursing staff expressed that .. Its hard keeping track of patients, theres no dedicated Dementia care pathway, thats the problem, if there was a specific pathway/guidance it would be so much easier for all staff to liaise with therapists and other professionalsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Theme three: Organisational change Participants expressed that organisation changes were most recently frequent and difficult to understand; the concept of Change fatigue came to mind. Currently the organisation has a new management structure, at present the inpatient wards are participating in an consultation with reduction in substantive posts Staff do not feel they are involved in current management decisions Staff expressed that there was limited communication and moral amongst staff was very low; furthermore, shortages of nursing staff were evident. we do not know what is going on Too many changes at present and these are poorly communicated first TUPE transfer to NELFT, then Reducing managing costs consultation, now inpatient reduction beds consultation all within 3 monthsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. No one listens to usà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦staffing levels are being reduced and we cannot provide the care we want to The general consensus from participants was that the Trust responded positively to change and that this was a constant feature of working in the NHS. Staff are open to change and understand that change is the nature of the NHS Many exemplars of well-managed change were cited, including the implementation of the Productive Ward Series, where staff were fully involved in the programme. Key characteristics of these changes were good communication, planning, involvement of staff, and training provided prior to implementation. Questionnaires: A total of 90 questionnaires were distributed. Initially, there were 33 respondents (36.7%), however, this rose to 43.3% after the reminder memorundum was sent (n = 39). Hence, a total of 39 (43.3%) respondents were included in the study. Thirty of the respondents (76.9%) were clinical staff, 4 (10.3%) were Non clinical administration staff and 5 (12.8%) respondents did not identify their role. . Hope attitude Items Where the positive hope attitude was obvious, more staff members selected it and this is evident in the response to statement 5- Nothing can be done for people with dementia, except for keeping them clean and comfortable where 62.9% of the respondents strongly disagreed. However when it was not so obvious, there emerged a variety of responses. Consider the statement People with dementia are unable to make decisions for themselves; a variety of responses are obtained. People with dementia are unable to make decisions for themselves Answer Options Response Percent 1 strongly disagree 25.7% 2 disagree 25.7% 3 neither agree nor disagree 25.7% 4 agree 14.3% 5 strongly agree 8.6% dont know 0.0% answered question skipped question This is a similar outcome for the remaining 7 hope attitude questions. With the remaining 7 of the questions, almost equal numbers of respondents agreed or disagreed with hope and non-hope approaches. Consider the question Dementia sufferers are sick and need to be looked after- are dementia sufferers sick? And in what sense are they sick? Those questions pose a dilemma and therefore it is not surprising that the respondents show this in the data below. Dementia sufferers are sick and need to be looked after Answer Options Response Percent 1 strongly disagree 17.1% 2 disagree 17.1% 3 neither agree not disagree 20.0% 4 Agree 14.3% 5 Strongly agree 31.4% dont know 0.0% answered question skipped question This again demonstrates the lack of consistency in the choices of approach, with some choosing the best considered approach and some not. It also highlights a need for further development of understanding and knowledge of the best available approach to caring for those with dementia as almost half the respondents agreed or strongly agreed the non-hope items for each of these questions. This indicated that staff have some knowledge and ability in delivering dementia positive care, but that this is usually only evident where this is a clear option. When it is a less obvious choice, some dilemmas are raised. The hope attitude items are characteristics of disease related features;, the responses suggest that indeed, some staff may have limited specific dementia care awareness and skills or perhaps there are areas of practice or experience that gives them some understanding of the dementia; it is remains clear that there is a gap in their knowledge. This supports the premise that more learning is required. Person Centred Attitude Items Responses to 9 out of the 11 person centred attitude items were strongly positive; and as they were obvious the responses were selected by most staff members. The questions raised issues of trying to maintain independence, choice and dignity while attending to physical care needs and managing the care. The responses suggest that as these were standards of caret hat healthcare staff strive for, in their day to day practice; however these are aspects of

Alice Walkers The Flowers Essay -- English Literature Walker Flowers

Alice Walker's The Flowers 'The Flowers' is a short story written by Alice Walker. Walker is a black American writer, who is renown around the world, especially because of the ?book, turned movie? The Colour purple. Walker is extremely interested in the history of human rights, particularly the history of black women in the United States. Her writings often reflect this interest and they usually have dual meanings. Walker interpretates struggles of black women in her books, and The Flowers is no exception. It is about the end of innocence, of a young black child living in the 1930s. It reflects the unfairness of life, and the circumstances of the black people during that period in time. ?The Flowers? is about a girl named Myop, she is from an agricultural background (as most black Americans were in the 1930s). She is described as carefree and innocent. ? It seemed to Myop as she skipped lightly from hen house to pigpen?they days had never been as beautiful as these?. This suggests she is young and holds no major responsibilities, there are also connotations of lower class roots. The story goes on to describe her mini- travels throughout the fields, picking flowers and singing songs. This suggests the innocence she possesses as a young child. ? She was ten, and nothing existed for her but her song?. This openly tells the reader her young age, thus her lack of responsibility, which allowed her to skip around the fields aimlessly. The structure of the short story is basic. Each paragraph is more or less six lines long. It is set out in traditional short story style, each part coming in short bursts. The layout of the text makes it easier to read, and interpretate. It allows the story to ?f... ...e and purity within Myop. The wild pink flower used towards the end is used as symbolism. ? Very near where she?d stepped into the head was a wild pink rose.? The flower was a type of metaphor type factor, it symbolized the young and innocent Myop in the midst of a cold world full of brutal truths. Elements of weather is used to foreshadow what is coming. This was an effective tool which set the mood of the coming paragraphs. Walker also uses ongoing themes of racism, culture and struggle throughout the story, which is present in many of her writings. Alice Walker?s writing is beautifully written, and urges the reader to read between the lines. There is a theme of duality throughout, which is tactfully used. ?The Flowers? is a thought provoking story which highlights the struggles of black women that lived in the U.S.A during the 30s and onwards.

Why Kedarnath Happened

A scientific analysis of the reasons for the disaster that struck Uttarakhand, particularly the temple town. THE primary trigger for the Uttarakhand disaster following the very heavy rain during June 16-18 was the extremely unusual behaviour of the monsoon this year over north India. The incessant, heavy rainfall over three days, perhaps accompanied by a few cloudburst-type events (which cannot be confirmed), resulted in flash floods and associated landslides. The devastation all round in their wake has been huge but the largest impact has been at the temple town of Kedarnath, which was in the midst of the annual pilgrimage season, with tens of thousands of people thronging the town and the downstream region along the Mandakini river . 1). Rainfall measurements for June 16 and 17 at the Dehradun station, of 220 millimetres and 370 mm respectively, indicate the severity of the rain during these days in the region. Haridwar received 107 mm and 218 mm of rainfall on the two days. Uttarkashi received 122 mm and 207 mm. While Mukteshwar (altitude over 2,000 metres) received 237 mm and 183 mm respectively on June 17 and 18, Nainital on the same days received 176 mm and 170 mm. Though rainfall over a 24-hour period in different parts of Uttarakhand has greatly exceeded these figures in the past (on many occasions above 450-500 mm and once even 900 mm at Rajpur near Dehradun), prolonged heavy rainfall for nearly three days over a large area is perhaps unprecedented, and the cumulative effect, compounded by geophysical, meteorological and environmental factors, may be the reason for the enormity of the disaster. More pertinently, these numbers do not give the actual quantitative picture of the very heavy rainfall in the higher reaches of the Himalayas (above 3,000 m) in Uttarakhand, where Kedarnath, Gangotri and Badrinath are located and where the impact has been most severe. This is because the rain gauge stations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) are all located largely in the lower Himalayan reaches (below 2,000 m) and there are no stations in the higher reaches (above 3000 m). This is probably because snowfall data is regarded as more important than detailed rainfall data in these regions. As a result, there is no proper estimate of the rainfall in the affected regions. Unexpected advance What was peculiar about the monsoon this year? On June 14, the monsoon front was located over eastern India. In fact it was a trifle sluggish compared with the normal progress of the front (Map 1a). But within a day (Map 1b), the front advanced right across Uttar Pradesh and the western regions to cover the entire country by June 15, exactly a month ahead of its normal date of July 15. While the IMD had forecast a rapid advance with the announcement that the monsoon would strike Delhi before the normal scheduled date of June 30, its advance right across to the west just within a day was entirely unexpected. This has never happened in the past, according to M. Rajeevan, Adviser in the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). A system of westerly winds from the Arabian Sea had also been active during the same period and had covered Pakistan. It was a strong westerly system, and Rajeevan noted that it was similar to the system that stayed anchored over Pakistan in July 2010 and caused widespread flooding in Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan. Of course, by July 2010 the south-west monsoon had covered entire India, but this time around the system had formed in June itself. It was the interaction between the well-formed low-pressure system of the south-west monsoon from east to west and the upper air westerly trough running from north-west Rajasthan to the east that resulted in the heavy rainfall over Uttarakhand. In fact, the westerly system dragged the monsoon trough, which was anchored over Rajasthan and central India until then, towards the north across Haryana. A monsoon trough facilitates the movement of rainfall-causing low-pressure systems along its path. Its rapid movement northwards enabled the low-pressure system that was in the eastern part of the country to quickly traverse and locate itself over north-west India. According to Rajeevan, while the phenomenon of the monsoon trough being dragged northwards by the advancing strong westerly trough is known to occur, the exact dynamics of interaction between the two systems is not well studied. Thus, as the press release of June 20 of the IMD noted, â€Å"North-west India became the zone of an unusual confluence of the two branches of the monsoon—the Arabian Sea branch and the Bay of Bengal branch. The geology and orography of [the Himalayan regions] of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh resulted in the unprecedented impact in these two States. † While the IMD had issued warnings of widespread severe rainfall in the region soon after the observation of the advancing monsoon systems, the scale of impact could not be anticipated. Geophysical dynamics The peculiarity of the monsoon apart, the other interesting question is what geophysical dynamics channelled the major part of devastation along the Kedarnath valley and downstream of Kedarnath on the Mandakini. The region around Kedarnath is known to geologists to be prone to landslides. This is also clear from an early 1882 Geological Survey of India photograph of Kedarnath (Picture 2), which shows that the temple site is located not far away from the snouts of two mountain glaciers. David Petley, an expert on landslides at the Department of Geography at Durham University, United Kingdom, has analysed the calamitous event at Kedarnath on the basis of images from the remote-sensing satellites of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the U. S. Landsat. He points out that the amount of debris and rubble below the glacier on the left side of the 1882 picture suggests that transportation of sediment and debris from the upper reaches was active even then, and adds that the steep slope that is visible would have aided rapid transportation. It should be borne in mind that the geology is still roughly the same (Picture 3). It is evident from the post-event images of Kedarnath town around the temple that the massive destruction was the result of largescale debris carried by the huge volume of water from the upper reaches above the town. One of the compounding factors was that the glacial regions above Kedarnath had received fresh and excess snowfall when heavy rainfall hit the region (Pictures 4a & b), according to scientists of the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of ISRO. Rainwater, with higher temperature, falling on the snow must have led to heavy snow melt and this runoff would have added to the rainwater runoff, resulting in a huge water flow that carried with it a huge debris flow, which struck the town with enormous ferocity. The snow cover has, in fact, increased in general subsequent to the extreme rainfall and flooding events (the satellite image on May 28/June 1 shows less snow cover). According to the NRSC scientists, the detailed dynamics of water flow due to snow melt caused by rain, particularly when snowfall is in excess, and the hydrology of it are not well understood. The NRSC recently released excellent high-resolution pre-flood and post-flood images of the Kedarnath region (Pictures 5a & 5b) taken by ISRO’s remote-sensing satellites Cartosat-2A and Resourcesat-2. The NRSC, on the basis of remote-sensing images from Resourcesat-2, has carried out an inventory of the landslides that occurred between Kedarnath and Sonprayag, a distance of approximately 20 km on the Mandakini. According to the preliminary report, the study identified a total of 192 landslides in this Himalayan stretch (Picture 6). Many landslides were triggered in the glacial regions in the mountains above Kedarnath. The large-scale debris flows from above were the result of these massive landslides. Double whammy Actually, for Kedarnath it was a double whammy. The massive damage caused to Kedarnath town can be seen clearly in the post-flood image. Just as there was an unusual confluence of two monsoon streams up in the atmosphere, in the mountainous terrain around Kedarnath, too, there was a coincidental reinforcing of two massive debris flows from above, one from the north-western side of the Kedarnath temple and the other from the north-eastern side. Petley has analysed these images to arrive at a plausible scenario as to what caused the massive onslaught on the town, virtually flattening it. This flow cascaded further and caused heavy damage downstream as well. The NRSC scientists, too, in their analysis, have come roughly to the same general conclusion. According to Petley, the two different but reinforcing events that caused the disaster were landslide-induced debris that came from the glaciated area in the north-east and a glacial-related flow that originated from the north-west glacier. From the images, one can distinctly identify the two flows. Petley, from his analysis of the images, the-cause -of-the-debris-flow-disaster-is-now -clear/), has inferred the following: 1. The flow from the north-east came down the margin of the glacier and spread out to strike the town. 2. The north-west flow descended from the other glacier to hit the town. 3. While a large part of the flow from the north-west passed the town on its west side, a part also struck it directly. On the basis of the pattern of overlay of sediments and their nature, Petley concludes that the flow from the north-west occurred after the one from the north-east. According to him, the debris flow from the north-east was triggered by a large, 75 m wide, landslide caused by heavy rainfall high on the mountains, which then came down the steep slope about 500 m, gathering the debris in its path. The flow was initially channelled into a narrow gully formed by the glacier and on exiting it the flow spread out in the floodplains before striking the town over a large area. The steepness of the slope would have given the debris enormous velocity when it struck the town. The total length traversed by this debris flow is estimated to be about 1,200 m. The event from the north-west was, however, quite different, points out Petley. The spot marked 1 in Picture 7 is a moraine, which had created a block for a basin to form, allowing the water to build up in it as a pool or a lake. This is what the local people call the Chorabari Tal, to which, in fact, pilgrims trek a few kilometres along the west side of the valley to have a dip. The Chorabari glacier has been retreating constantly in modern times, and according to D. P. Dobhal of the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, it has retreated about 300 m since 1960. The effect of the retreat is to leave a moraine that can allow lakes to form, which can then collapse,† pointed out Petley in an e-mail message to Frontline. â€Å"In Kedarnath, this is exactly what happened. I am not sure when the lake basin formed—it may not have been in modern times—but this is a dangerous situation. Of equal concern is the trend towards more intense rainfall, especially if this occurs early in the year (that is, during snowmelt),† Petley added. Wall of water Eyewitness accounts say a huge wall of water swept the Kedarnath town in a flash. The spot marked 2 shows that the moraine had been breached by the rapidly building up water because of heavy rainfall and the water overtopping the moraine wall. The breach led to the sudden release of the impounded water and resulted in a massive wall of water sweeping across the Kedarnath valley and the town and causing a huge flash flood. According to the NRSC scientists, this lake would have had a depth of about 15 m, and the event was not exactly a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), which occurs when a dam or moraine wall is breached because of the sheer pressure exerted by the stagnant glacial water and ice that it encloses. This was a case of lake flooding because of excessive rainfall and consequent overtopping of the moraine wall, which eventually breached. The flow was so huge and forceful that it overtopped the moraine on the other side of the glacier as well, at the spot marked 3, resulting in three flows: one moving south-east to join the earlier debris flow from the north-east and enhancing it before turning southwards and striking the town. The third flow is a new channel that opened up, perhaps exploiting an existing old channel, because of the breach at spot 3. Heading down the slope towards the town at great velocity, it gathered sediment and debris en route and resulted in a muchwidened flow closer to Kedarnath. However, the bulk of the debris flow, as Picture 7 shows, moved southwards towards the town down the main channel on the south western side, which is the normal channel for glacial water flow. The spot marked 4 shows heavy erosion due to the flow in the area, suggesting that the flow must have carried a huge volume of water. According to Petley, this flow must have carried the many huge boulders and rocks seen in the post-flood image of the temple town. Closer to the town, the flow spread before striking. As a result, the debris and water flow moved to the east side of the town as well, engulfing the town from both sides. According to this picture supplied by Petley, which others too are in general agreement with, Kedarnath was first pounded by an earlier debris flow from the north-east, then a later pounding by the flow from the north-west. Petley suggests that the latter flow must have been more efficient because of the preceding events and also because it struck the town from both the west and the east simultaneously. The image also shows a dark patch just above Kedarnath on the north-eastern side (to the right of the spot marked 5) suggesting the formation of a new depression, which could have turned into a small-sized lake because of the heavy rainfall. It is also possible that water built up in this new depression, which would have been substantial, overtopped it and hit the town from the eastern side, enhancing the effect of the runoff and debris flow from the north-eastern side, an aspect that Petley has not considered. Downstream of Kedarnath, the flow remained contained within the channel. As a result, there was massive erosion of the banks of the Mandakini Further, smaller villages downstream were also severely damaged, and some of them, such as Rambara, were totally destroyed ). The damage caused to the Kedarnath region and downstream villages by the natural destruction resulting from unusual meteorological and geophysical processes was undoubtedly greatly enhanced because of the general environmental degradation caused by the massive and unregulated influx of pilgrims year after year, the haphazard development fuelled by tourist traffic, and the unplanned and poor construction of buildings and roads. Given the vulnerability of the region, the town itself has come up in a very dangerous location, points out Petley. Therefore, how much of the destruction in this event was actually man-made is a moot question. Besides the challenges of disaster management on such a massive scale, the Uttarakhand floods have also thrown up a lot of scientific challenges in the detailed understanding of monsoon dynamics as well as in the geophysical processes of landslides and large-scale debris flow and the heavy damage they can inflict on life, property and the ecology of a region.

To Build or Buy a Small Business

402 Small Business Professor, Ricardo Toye| To Build or Buy | Week 4 Assignment 1| Cornelius Gaskins 1/22/2013 | Craft a brief (1-2 pages) strategy for a business concept that would directly compete with the small business you selected. Explain the rationale for the strategy in detail. â€Å"It Bakes Good,† with a delicious flavor that is sure to please. Watching customer’s satisfaction is the goal. Developing a Bakery as a counter business with a competitive strategy to navigate through barriers set up by existing Bakeries is the plan at hand. The initial bakery is deals with astries, breads, croissants and coffee, teas and other beverages. Also you can read  Business Ethics Comprises This new business strategy involves a similar menu with other cooked foods served at breakfast, lunch and dinner from soups, salads, potato dishes, sea foods and beef dishes. The floor plan will include a rail like leader to guide the people through the food ordering line. The pickup counter will be positioned away from the ordering line to give customers quick access to sitting if they have not already chosen their seating. The food menu will sit on the wall above the ordering counter in big letters easy to read among picturesque background to add a serene touch of comfort while the customers enjoy their meals. The beverage counter will be located in an area away from eating customers yet close by to allow access to water, coffee and other drinks. The location of the business will be in the inner city in a high density area, well lighted, with street parking and clean sidewalks. The building exterior will be freshly painted with freshly installed windows allowing both customers on t he inside to see out and people passing by the clear view of seeing within. Large colorful neon lights will advertise the business at night and day.The Bakery will operate as a Partnership. Three Partners will initially start the business although others may join at a later time. It is projected that the initial investment of the partners will be enough to start and operate the business for at least six months while additional investment capital can be sought after and obtained. This plan is looking to find a niche in the current business district to both serve eat and go customers while providing doggie bags for the same and catering to those customers who want to take their purchases home. I will be open to the possibility of selling ingredients for those ustomers who may be interested. The rationale behind this new business is to appeal to the customer base having cooked food on the menu that is freshly cooked served on china and eaten with silverware. The aim is to provide an at home environment with a touch of fast food convenience. Determine if it would make more sense to open the new business you describe or to purchase the existing business you selected. Explain your reasoning. The option of buying the existing business has the appeal of adding the menu additions and the dinning room modifications to this business.Would the temporary modifications lose money for the new owners while the remodeling is done or could regular operations continue? Would the business changing from the existing business to a Partnership have an impact on the bottom line? Or would it be necessary to change the current form of ownership? Could buying the existing business be converted to the new dinning floor plan while still meeting any fire codes for customer access to safety in the invent of a fire? Considering that both businesses would exist in similarly constructed structures it is believed that the first requirement ould be met. The usage of the current customers has an appeal since the current business operations has been consistent on the profit where the purchasing of inventory and the cash register receipts have indicated. The lack of similar Bakery businesses in the general area continue to be a plus for the location and buying the existing Bakery would limit competition for awhile. Considering remodeling cost, purchase price as opposed to starting a new business cost buying the existing business appears to be a better financial bargain. For the existing usiness the baking and dishwashing equipment are in satisfactory working order. The purchasing a grill to prepare food has a reasonable cost and the food prep area is already in place. The dinning area will require the purchase of tables and chairs that would have to be bolted to the floor during remodeling. Comparing the requirements for initiating a new business as opposed to buying an existing business, the buying of the existing business has the better appeal based on how the later is up a nd running. While the new business has some hurdles may exist as far as the condition of the uilding foundation, plumbing, electrical systems and the roofing condition and whether the business is responsible for repairs or the building owner. It is important to note that the existing business could have problems that cannot be seen but has to be investigated to be discovered. Problems such as ill-will between the suppliers and a customer as well with other neighboring businesses. â€Å"Jump starting the cash flow will have better potential due to existing operational elements such as customers, inventory and equipment already in place. † (http://www. sba. gov/content/buying-existing-business)Discuss the most appropriate form of ownership for your new business (assuming your current financial situation). Considering the new business Partnership as the form of ownership and considering the current form of ownership used buy the owner of the existing business, both really has no thing to do with what form one owner prefers over what form another owner prefers. Each form has both advantages and disadvantages. The most noticeable concern over owner a business is liability responsibility, what can be taken from the owners to cover liabilities and cannot which taxes hould be a major concern. â€Å"You report and pay taxes on a partnership like you would in a sole proprietorship; you and your partner pay income taxes on individual shares of the profits, but no tax is paid on the partnership. You report your share of the profit earned during the tax period that ends within the year being reported (by December 31or June 30). This is done whether or not profits are actually distributed. The rate of tax is the same as for the individual, and the income is reported on an individual 1040 form (Schedule E). A partnership return has to be filed with the IRS for nformation purposes only (Form 1065). You and your partner are personally liable, including personal assets, for debts and judgments. Creditors can collect from either you or your partner — even if you did not necessarily contract the debt. † (CIS/0939/pdf) â€Å"Sole proprietorships and partnerships are easy to set up — you don't have to file any special forms or pay any fees to start your business. Plus, you don't have to follow any special operating rules. LLCs and corporations, on the other hand, are almost always more expensive to create and more difficult to maintain.To form an LLC or corporation, you must file a document with the state and pay a fee, which ranges from about $40 to $800, depending on the state where you form your business. In addition, owners of corporations and LLCs must elect officers (usually, a president, vice president, and secretary) to run the company. They also have to keep records of important business decisions and follow other formalities. If you're starting your business on a shoestring, it might make the sense to form the simplest ty pe Of business — a sole proprietorship (for one-owner businesses) or a partnership (for businesses with more than one owner). One note has to be included regarding the Partnership which is the dissolution procedure following the quitting or death of a Partner. Following the attempted sale of the quitting partners share of the business or attempted sale to the current partners who may or may not be able to afford the price, the initial Partnership business has to be dissolved and a new Partnership established with the exclusion of the previous partner that left the partnership. Thus both buying an existing business as well as forming the rigt form of ownership both present issues that has to be considered by the new owners.Considering the Partnership dissolution aspect a Partnership still can be entered into with each original pertners with ca n agreement on how any quitting partners share is dispursed. Outline a business plan for your business. Visit http://www. sba. gov for tools and templates. The initial feasibility test for the business seems to have passed certain test through the current numbers produce by the existing Bakery. The location is good, customer interest in the product is proven while competition for Bakery goods comes from large retailer in limited quantities unlike he freshly baked items or freshly cooked menu dishes. It is estimated the initial investment cost less the estimated earnings would yield between a 7 to 9 percent return. Each member of the partnership has a hand in the formulating of the business plan. The initial outline of the business plan will include the following elements: Simple business plan outline Executive Summary: The Bakery is designed to provide customers with freshly baked goods while also giving them the opportunity to have a sit-down meal or just grab a cup of coffee with a pastry.Having conducted a feasibility study on the success potential of this business in the location chosen it was found that potent ial customers enjoyed the products sold by the previous bakery and enjoy the option of lounging while eating a restaurant style meal. The objective is to provide customers with a competitive products located their homes. To earn a 7 to 9 percent return on the initial investment during the first year. The mission of the Bakery is to provide customers with freshly baked goods that they enjoy eating minus the plastic wrapped brands sold in the big box retail outlets. Company Description:The store location is neatly situated in a business district catering to a wide range of business on a busy thorough fare moments from the residential area in every direction from the Bakery. This location is already familiar to most of the customers from the previously owned bakery. The operation of the Bakery is from 6am to 10pm. Orders can be called in on the phone or placed on the internet site at www. It Bakes Good. net The store policy for payment of gods is cash and credit card only. Product or S ervice: The main products of this Bakery are freshly baked pastries, croissants, donuts, breads and cakes.On the menu freshly prepared menu foods includes sea food dishes, soups, sandwiches, Beef , chicken and pork dishes. The main benefits customers receive from the store is freshly baked goods, the option to place orders ahead of time by phone or on the internet or within the store. Market Analysis: The location has proven to be profitable for the previous bakery. Its customer base remained loyal to returning to purchase goods as well as using the bakery to prepare special occasion dishes for birthday parties, anniversaries, and other customer defined events.Strategy and Implementation: Be specific. Include management responsibilities with dates and budgets. Make sure you can track results. Web Plan Summary: For e-commerce, include discussion of website, development costs, operations, sales and marketing strategies. Management Team: Describe the organization and the key management team members. Financial Analysis: Make sure to include at the very least your projected Profit and Loss and Cash Flow tables. Strategy and Implementation Summary SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities ThreatsCompetitive Edge Marketing Strategy Sales Strategy Sales Forecast Management Summary Personal Plan Financial Plan Important Assumptions Breakeven Analysis Projected Profit and Loss Projected Cash Flow Projected Balance Sheet Business Ratios Considering this is just an outline a few of the elements were addressed to give an idea of what the plan entails. Of course there are the remaining elements that have to be explained. (http://www. cals. uidaho. edu/edcomm/pdf/CIS/CIS0939. pdf) http://www. sba. gov/content/buying-existing-business

Religion In Relation To Slavery essays

Religion In Relation To Slavery essays Religion is the basis for a lot of things good and bad. It is often used as a scapegoat to justify the wrong doings of some people. The verses of the Bible are often twisted to mean what people want them to mean. In fact religion is the foundation of bondage during the Slave Era in Frederick Douglass story Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. In Douglass narrative he describes the brutality to which he and his fellow slaves were often subjected. He speaks of the harsh beatings they received for doing no wrong, and how the slaveholders believed it to be Gods will to commit the horrid acts that they committed. In this narrative Douglass states I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, a justifier of the most appalling barbarity, a sanctifier of the most hateful frauds, and a dark shelter under, which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of slaveholders find the strongest protection (346). There is a woman slave in Douglass narrative, which he does not name, whose back was constantly raw due to the callous whippings her master would give her simply because he felt it was his duty to do so. It is apparent that the slaveholders believed they had religious endorsement for their vindictiveness. As they would beat the slaves they would quote scriptures from the Bible to rationalize their actions. Douglass elaborates on this as well. He states I have seen him tie up a lame young woman, and whip her with a heavy cow skin upon her naked shoulders, causing the warm red blood to drip; and, in justification of the bloody deed, he would quote this passage of scripture [He that knoweth his masters will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes] (336). How ...

Making Ethical Decisions in Healthcare Organizations Research Paper

Making Ethical Decisions in Healthcare Organizations - Research Paper Example A good healthcare professional never wavers in his approach and makes the right decision quickly. This differentiates him from the rest or other healthcare professional. Not only making the right decision is important but also the timing of the decision is critical. It is hardly the case that a healthcare professional has ample at his disposal. Hence, healthcare professionals usually have to make right decisions keeping in might the ethical aspect as well as the rules setup by the management of the healthcare organization. One important theory that explains how healthcare professional should act is Utilitarianism. This theory is an important theory in resolving different ethical problems and dilemmas. This theory states that all healthcare professionals should choose the action that benefits the society more. An action should only be undertaken if it provides greater good to the society. There should be more benefits accruing to the society as a result of this action than the costs o f undertaking such action. For example, suppose a criminal comes to a healthcare organization and is about to die and officials in that organization has very little time to decide whether to inform the police or to heal the patient. ... Now according to the utilitarianism theory it is better for the healthcare professionals to report the criminal to the police. This would ensure that the lives of thousands of people living in a far flung rural area will be saved at the expense of the criminal in the society who is likely to spread more evil in the society if he is saved. Hence, Utilitarianism clearly marks out the correct option in this situation, that is to inform the polices and possibly save the lives of thousands of people in a village who would get more budgets from the government as it will not have spend thousands of dollars to capture the criminal. The feminist theories have been raised to prominence in 21st century. Many ethics experts these days are paying more important to feminist theories as a critical part of making right ethical decisions. These theories call for showing greater concern for women and their issues. In the past, men used to get upper hand on all issues and women issues were not dealt wi th great concern. However in the recent times the pendulum has shifted and women are getting much needed support for their issues and rights. According to these theories, the decision made must show concern for women. For example, in recruitment and selection many organizations are now bound to have a quota for women and should show them as equal opportunity employers. Many healthcare organizations are now hiring women for the important jobs and they are given special decision making powers to run these organizations on their consent. This has helped organization to grow and women have become an important cog in the growth machinery of organizations around the world. There are also special laws passed in order

Police Discretion Position Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Police Discretion Position - Essay Example One will find that it is very common throughout the country that virtually all of police work involves discretion, with the exclusion of mandatory arrests. Furthermore, it is not just the police officer who has to use discretion, but it is also the prosecutor deciding what charges to file or how the offender should be sentenced, and the judge who has the most discretion of all when it comes to setting the ultimate punishment at the culmination of the case. Therefore, it is unlikely that discretion is a myth. It simply must exist for the criminal justice system to function as is. Laws cannot be passed to cover every possible scenario, which makes the practice of using discretion necessary in law enforcement. According to Maggs (1992, pg. 1), "Few issues in criminal justice presently arouse the public's attention more than how much flexibility and discretion the police should have. Police departments and their officers traditionally have had broad authority to decide how to perform their work, and most people simply have trusted that they will exercise their powers in a professional manner. Yet, acceptance of the traditional arrangement has diminished, perhaps more in the past year than ever before. Disturbing incidents of misconduct, incompetence, and unresponsiveness have suggested to many a need for closer control over individual officers and for external constraints on departmental policy-making." There are a number of causes of discretion that should be taken into consideration. They are commonly grouped into three categories: offender variables, situation variables, and system variables. There are stern but true facts that surround each of these variables (APSU, 2007). The first group is offender variables. Juvenile complaints are taken less seriously than those made by adults. African Americans are more likely to receive excessive force or be arrested than other races. People who are polite and cooperative with police are treated better by them. Better police service is given to individuals with middle to upper income levels than other those in lower income brackets. Police also tend to handle situations involving individuals suffering from mental illnesses differently. Gender plays a role in how individuals are treated by police. Only some offenders are lectured and sympathized with by police (APSU, 2007). The second group is situation variables. Matters involving crime are taken more seriously by police than matters not involving crime. Police often overact to the presence of weapons or to resistance by an offender. Police actions are also affected by the type of property that is involved in a property crime and their decision whether or not to pursue any investigation on that crime. If a police officer initiates an act versus a citizen, it is more likely to be acted upon. When it comes to vice enforcement, visibility of the vice is the major factor in acting upon it. When the media, an audience, or witnesses are present, the police are far more likely to behave more bureaucratically than they would otherwise (ASPU, 2007). The final category is system variables.