African American Studies

American Literature has come a long way. It dates back as far as the pre-colonization-period America which is contrary to the current belief of almost everyone that English has always been the language in America. Although it was noted that â€Å"some fifty years after the political establishment of the United States, the concept of an American literature barely existed† (Delbanco), American literature did exist and is still existing. Literature as a communication involving some degree of emotional or aesthetic response is both an independent discipline and one of the tools of anthropology.The latter is a description and explanation of social behavior in every possible environment-from the primitive to the sophisticated-in every part of the world. (Dennis and Aycock 41) In this regard, looking at how literature emerged and how it evolved, identifies the kind of society and the kind of people living in a certain era. II. Evolution & Era The discovery and/or development of a cer tain type of literature did not just happen in a flash. American Literature, the different types of it, sprouted in a seasoned manner.This means that there would not be political writings, or none of them would be popular, if there were no political issues looming around the corner. It is quite amusing to know that American writing (in English) started not as a seriously intended literary piece but as a work â€Å"chiefly for the benefit of readers in the mother country. † (â€Å"American Literature†). These were the English travelers and explorers who became Americans during those olden times, circa 1583 to 1763. Following is the timeline of the American Literature (Trent):1. English Travelers and Explorers, 1583-1763 – retaining their own language as they travelled to America and became Americans while chiefly influencing the literature with this language: the heritage of the English race; 2. The Historians, 1607-1783 – this was the period of gentlemen adventurers writing about America’s colonies; 3. The Puritan Divines, 1620-1720 – again, Englishmen who gave their intellects to a strict scheme of doctrinaire theology, and gave up their freedom to the letter of the Hebraic Scriptures; 4.Edwards – was a special time when he, Edwards, inscribed a sequence of reflections, foundation to a great metaphysical discourse of his own; 5. Philosophers and Divines, 1720-1789 -a traditional categorization of the human ability giving reason for the American thought in the eighteenth century, which is believed to have led to the overthrow of high Calvinism: those who went after the intelligence were the rationalists, or deists; those who went after receptivity or sensibility were the â€Å"hot† men, or enthusiasts while those who went after the will were the moral or ethical reformers.6. Colonial Newspapers and Magazines, 1704-1775 – the knowledge of and about Europe had erupted so commonly through colonial new spapers; 7. American Political Writing, 1760-1789 — this was the period of â€Å"storm and stress†, of â€Å"revolution and evolution†, bringing forth a literature dominated by politically-themed content. Most of the topics involved â€Å"the nature of the British constitution, the formulation of colonial rights, and the elaboration of schemes of government and administration†; 8.The Beginnings of Verse, 1610-1808- the beginning covered early colonial verse starting in 1610 while in 1700 it began with transition in purpose, subject, and style and later on during, the beginnings of nationalism that is related to the passage of the Stamp Act in 1765 ending with the publication of Bryant's Embargo in 1808. 9. Travellers and Observers, 1763-1846- this was the literature of travels, brand new, wide-ranging, and sophisticated, taking its magic from the sense of wonder; 10.The Early Drama, 1756-1860 –The American native drama, even though it antedated the novel and the short story, has arrived only during the latter half of the eighteenth century having Androborus in 1714, which was noted to be a satirical embarrassment. 11. Early Essayists-during this period the first essays that were in print in colonial newspapers were written with a cognizant ethical purpose. 12. The time of Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859)-a well-known American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century who authored â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow† and â€Å"Rip Van Winkle†;13. The time of Bryant – an American who has the gift of poetic genius, and writing verses that last; 14. Fiction/Novels-the moment for literary lies;† that they served no virtuous purpose; that they melted rigorous minds; that they crowded out better books; that they painted adventure too romantic and love too vehement, and so unfitted†¦Ã¢â‚¬  III. The Role of Printing Press Taking into consideration th e lack of other means of publication those days, early American literature succeeded with the big help of the printing press.Some Americans even had an undying zeal for literary outputs that they were â€Å"stimulated by a desire to render Washington City as well the seat of literature as of government, a number of gentlemen have formed themselves into a ‘ Printing and Bookselling Company† (McMurtrie 266). It may appear funny but it is true. IV. Current Scenario & Conclusion â€Å"Who in the four corners of the globe reads an American book? † (Edinburgh Review, cited Delbanco) Contrary to this insult, there are still the likes of Twain that many people all over the world know and many hunger for their literary pieces.Another noted American literary figure is Toni Morrison, a Nobel Prize awardee for literature. She is noted to be â€Å"a public intellectual, she's influenced how we think about race and storytelling †¦ how we use language, what we do with lan guage, how we keep language alive and well. â€Å"(â€Å"Toni Morrison Society Honors† 15). Thus, American Literature, no matter how it is being viewed, is sure to be existent, alive and persisting. Works Cited â€Å"American Literature. † The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2009. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. Delbanco, Andrew.â€Å"American Literature: A Vanishing Subject?. † Daedalus 135. 2 (2006): 22+. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. Dennis, Philip A. , and Wendell Aycock, eds. Literature and Anthropology. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University Press, 1989. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. McMurtrie, Douglas C. A History of Printing in the United States: The Story of the Introduction of the Press and of Its History and Influence during the Pioneer Period in Each State of the Union. Vol. 2. New York: R. R. Bowker, 1936. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. â€Å"Toni Morrison Society Honors Nobel Laureate with 70th Birthday Tribute.† Black Issues in Higher Education 29 Mar. 20 01: 15. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. Trent, William Peterfield, John Erskine, Stuart P. Sherman, and Carl Van Doren, eds. The Cambridge History of American Literature. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1917. Questia. Web. 19 July 2010. According to Langston life can be equated to a staircase. This can be interpreted to mean that life is not a pain-free experience where people get to walk through with ease. On the contrary, it is a roller-coaster with ups and downs, a long and hard journey which should be viewed as such.Many people in the world have gone through untold suffering and despair and know exactly what a hard life is but none has seen it quite as much as Angel, at least none that I have so far met. Now Angel is not the regular teenager whom you would expect to be fretting about boys, hairstyles, which parties to attend or what to wear. Angel has been to hell and back and such issues would seem petty if you were fortunate enough to meet her. Yes, I say fortunate to meet her beca use most of us trudge through life trifling about very unimportant things which do not matter at all while people go through real problems.Angel is an embodiment of resilience and has proved it by living the life she has and come out triumphant. I met Angel last year while on a volunteer program at a shelter in Chicago, Illinois whose identity will remain undisclosed at the request of those involved. Angel was born 17 years ago to a single mother who was barely a teenager herself. Her father had gone to jail or so she was told whenever she asked. Her mother eked a living by working three jobs to support Angel and her three siblings; two sisters and a mentally challenged brother.The first few years were bliss but she later found out that her mother was shielding her from most of the suffering. By the time she was ten, her mother had been ravaged by the pressure of her jobs and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. To worsen matters she started doing drugs among other vices. A devout Chr istian had given up and Angel and her siblings started witnessing visits from strange men who apparently were her mother’s boyfriends. There was a particular man who was a frequent guest and stayed longer. He was the meanest. He would beat up her mom, regardless of her condition.Then he would turn on Angel and the other kids. Whenever she tried to protect them she would get bruises and broken bones. Her jaw was broken thrice in a span of less than a year and there was nothing she could do about it. As if this was not enough, the man would sneak into her bed every night after her mother had passed out and force himself on her. Angel was forced to leave school and take care of her brother and sister. When she thought things could not get any worse, her mother disappeared for days on end. Her lifeless body was found in a dark alley, stripped naked; apparently it was a drug overdose.Then hell broke loose. Angel was left with two kids to take care of at the tender age of twelve. T hey moved from street to street and foster to foster since no relative would take them in. The things she did to ensure her siblings would live a semblance of a life were too much for a twelve year old. She faces each day at a time. Every morning she wakes up and looks to the sky and asks why her life had to be so rough, so early. Robbed of her childhood and innocence she can only hope for the best and thank the church that runs the shelter.Perhaps she will never know the answers to the several questions she has but you can’t help but admire her courage and hope that someday she will become someone. The system will be forced to eject her once she gets to 18 but she would rather not worry about that now, hope for a better future is all that keeps her going. Essay 2- Original Folk Tale. Since time immemorial, the art of story telling has been used as a source of entertainment and a way of transmitting knowledge and wisdom to the younger generations.Perhaps there is nothing that is as universal as human beings and their ability to stretch their imagination to create stories with so much meaning and entertaining. Folk tales were laden with a group’s culture, tradition and beliefs that were passed on for posterity. From the Americas to Asia and the African continent millions of folk tales abound and though the culture of story telling is fading, most of these tales have been documented for posterity and perhaps someday they will get the attention they deserve.Once upon a time, the little red hen wanted to make bread and so she picked up some wheat grain and headed out. On her way to the farm she met the pig and asked whether she could help plant the wheat. The pig refused to offer any help and so the little red hen decided to plant the wheat by herself and it grew. One day on her way to pick some wheat she met the pig who was rolling in the mud. Once again she asked for her help in picking the wheat to which she refused again. Nobody in the animal kin gdom was willing to help. (Williams, 2009)When the little red hen went to the mill to get flour from her wheat she asked the dog whether he could help and he too refused adamantly. Very tired and weary, the hen climbed the hill and had her wheat ground. On her way back she met the cat and asked her to help her carry the flour to which the cat replied that she was too busy and therefore could not help. When she got home, the little red hen asked the cat and the duck to help her make bread. Both lazy animals refused to help her make the bread. The little red hen had no choice but to bake the bread herself which she did.When the bread was ready, all the animals wanted a piece of it but the hen had it all by herself. (Williams,2009) The story of the little red hen is a very popular folk tale that extols the virtues of hard work and personal initiative. The moral of the story ultimately boils down to the fact that those people who have no intention of contributing to the production of a beneficial product should not expect to benefit from it. This folk tale also emphasizes the biblical teaching that he who does not work should not eat. ESSAY 3- Frederick Douglass.Frederick Douglass was blessed with many feathers in his hat including being a statesman, orator and author but he is best known for his profound contributions to civil and women liberties for which he fought for all his life. Born in 1881 near Maryland, Douglass was a firm advocate for the equal treatment of all people regardless of gender, color and whether they were Native American or immigrants. Douglass' turning point as a slave came in the from of fighting back against Edward Covey, a Maryland farmer and renown slave breaker.Douglass' perceived lack of respect had caused his former master Thomas Auld to send him to Covey perhaps in the hope that Covey would be able to break him. After several months of generous labor and repeated beatings, Douglass snapped one day and fought back. Covey was taken aba ck by the 16 year olds reaction, unnerved he was forced to back down. This action reenergized the young lad and a confidence grew in him that he should live free. From then on he knew that he had to disentangle himself from the bondage of slavery and free his fellow slaves. (Blassingame, 1979)Being an American of Haitian origin is in itself a challenge. My grandparents migrated to the US several years ago with the hope of making a life for themselves and pursue the ever elusive ‘American Dream. ’ We live in the ghetto side of town and there is no easy way of telling how hard life is and the kind of things we are exposed to ranging from drugs, prostitution and so many other vices. For most kids on the block, school is really optional and very few ever make it past the eighth grade. The indifference of adults does not help much most of whom do not even care to ask how their children are doing or what they are up to.All they worry about is the payment of bills as they are due, everything else they leave to God and fate. It is against this background that I joined a local gang of six. Our activities ranged from carjacking, drug-peddling and robbing local convenience stores. My best friend, Curtis, was also a member of the gang and we have come a long way and through so much, he is like a blood brother. One day, Curtis and I were ordered to rob an African-American owned grocery store along the highway. When we go there, the proprietor’s wife was manning the counter while her husband was in the back.Curtis whipped out a weapon and ordered the lady to empty the till while I looked around for the police. Suddenly, I heard a gun shot and when I looked back Curtis lay in a pool of blood and the shotgun was aimed at me, I ran. When I got home, I could not believe what had just happened-that my best friend was probably dead and all for a few dollars. Then I heard the sirens and I knew they had come for me, I wondered how fast they had put the pieces to gether. I was whisked away to juvenile detention. No one from the gang ever came to see me not even making an appearance in court.Then it hit me that I had lost my best friend for nothing, courtesy of the choices we had made. We did not have to be members of any gang nor did we have to drop out of school. There is so much more to life. There and then I resolved to make something out of my life at least in memory of my dear friend. I first had to pay my debt to society then get back to school. Whatever the cost and however long it takes I vowed to change my life for the better and I did. I have come thus far and I thank God and the local youth support group for who I have become today, I would not even be here without their love, care and patience.Essay 4- Booker T. Washington. Born in 1856, Booker T. Washington was an African-American political leader, orator, author and educator. Washington’s philosophy was based on the principles of racial solidarity, forgiveness, accommoda tion and self help. He urged the African American community to accept prejudice for the time and concentrate their energies on lifting their standards through hard work and material prosperity. Washington believed in the cultivation of virtues like patience and enterprise among the black community.He believed that such virtues would earn Blacks some respect from the White community and ensure that they are fully integrated into the society as equal members. Undoubtedly, his philosophies put him on a collision course with notable leaders of the Black community especially W. EB. Dubois with whom they differed bitterly. (Bauerlein, 2004) Booker T. Washington’s philosophy can be summed up in the following quote, â€Å"With God's help, I believe that I have completely rid myself of any ill feeling toward the Southern white man for any wrong that he may have inflicted upon my race.I am made to feel just as happy now when I am rendering service to Southern white men as when the ser vice is rendered to a member of my own race. I pity from the bottom of my heart any Individual who is unfortunate as to get into the habit of holding race prejudice. † Washington's philosophy may be applied in the Jena Six case that happened in Jena, Louisiana in 2006. The Jena Six were a group of six teenagers of African American origin who were convicted in the beating of Justin Barker, a white student at Jena High school.The case has often been cited as an illustration of racial injustice because many people believed they were charged with grave offences and had received unfair treatment. The convictions of the six resulted in an escalation of racial tensions in the community. Many Jena residents viewed the arrests and ensuing convictions as racially prejudiced and unwarranted. Protesters argued that white youths involved in other incidents were treated mildly by the authorities. Massive protests were witnessed not only in Jena but in other US cities as well as the case rec eived nationwide attention. Booker T.Washington believed strongly that the African American community needed to address their safety and survival needs before seeking belonging, self esteem and self actualization within the community. In Jena, the Black community felt outnumbered and left out. This is illustrated by the emotional outpour that followed the arrests and convictions of the six teenagers. There were deep seated issues that had not been addressed and the Jena Six situation was actually the boiling point. The African-American community had been able to address their self esteem issues yet Essay 5- Marcus Garvey/Harlem Renaissance Vs W. E.B Dubois/Reconstruction Time. The Harlem Renaissance refers to a period between the 1920s and 30s which experienced the flowering of the intellectual life of the African-American community. Although the revolution was based mainly in Harlem, New York, its influence was felt across the world and more especially the in Paris, France where ma ny French-speaking black writers from Africa and the Caribbean lived. Perhaps, the growth and span of the Harlem Renaissance can be attributed to the changes that had been experienced in the Black American community since the abolition of slavery and the advent of industrialization.World War 1 and the social and cultural changes in the US at the turn of the 20th Century. Many black intellectuals played significant roles in the growth and sustenance of the renaissance including James Weldon Johnson, Alain Locke, Walter White and Jessie Fauset among many other prominent Black intellectuals of the time. The Renaissance did not receive unanimous support from the black intellectual community. In fact it received harsh criticism from black intellectual giants of the time including W. E. B Du bois, William Stanley Braithwaite and Benjamin Brawley.These men did not believe in the nature of the Renaissance literature. (Wintz, 1988, p 130) Marcus Garvey, one of the most influential black lead ers of the time had a strained relationship with the movement. Marcus came out as a critic of the renaissance. He is recorded as having hailed the Harlem Survey Graphic as being irrelevant to the Black cause. For instance he said of the Survey graphic that â€Å"it was not built around the needs of Negroes and their grievances but their contributions-around talents still half buried in the napkins of prejudices and underprivileged. † (Helbling, 1999, p60)The Harlem Renaissance declined in numbers and influence in the early 1930s. The dissipation was gradual rather than sudden. The movement failed to attract new recruits and thus there was no injection of new ideas and this led to the stagnation of the once vibrant society. New writers actually strived hard to build and maintain an identity separate from the Renaissance even as older writers were dying or cutting short their productivity. (Wintz, 1988, pg217) The term, Reconstruction, refers to the period that spread from the end of the 1865 American Civil War up till the withdrawal of the Union troops from the South in 1877.It was a defining era in American history and more in particular that of the African Americans because of the end of slavery as an institution. The war had also bequeathed the North and South a considerable amount of anger and mistrust. The African American community met the end of the civil War with hope, joy and anxiety. (Stroud and Schomp, 2007) For a long time, many historians and leaders had viewed the Reconstruction as a colossal failure in US history. They claimed that the leaders of the time especially in the South were corrupt, evil and incompetent.This view was however challenged by one of the most brilliant African American scholar and activist W. EB. Du Bois who portrayed Reconstruction as a brave and fine fight in his book Black Reconstruction in America. He argued that the Reconstruction was a step in the right direction in terms of building a democratic society up from the vestiges of slavery. He acknowledged the existence of the crooked politicians but he adds that the evil of corruption was widespread in the post- Civil War era in both the North and the South among members of both the Republican and Democratic parties.Du Bois goes ahead to support this era as being the time when significant strides were made in the economic and political standing of former slaves. His thoughts compelled many scholars to reshape their ideas on Reconstruction leading to a radically new analysis of one of the most controversial periods in the history of the United States. (Stroud and Schomp, 2007, p65) The Harlem Renaissance and the Reconstruction Era were defining moments in the history of the United States. While both periods received massive criticism they were turning points that brought a lot of change during those respective periods.Marcus Garvey and W, E. B Du Bois were critics of the Harlem Renaissance and did not see what it could contribute to the better ment of America. However, Du Bois comes out strongly to see the brighter side in the Reconstruction, a period that was tainted with a lot of controversy, twists and turns. We live the final judgment of these two eras to posterity. Essay 6- Nikki Giovanni/Black arts Vs Maya Angelou. Nikki Giovanni was born 66 years ago in Knoxville, Tennessee. Since 1987, she has taught writing and literature at Virginia Tech and she is a distinguished professor of English.Nikki is one of the most widely read American poets and she still is committed to the fight for equality and civil rights. Giovanni began writing poetry in the 1960s at a time when she was associated with the Black Arts Movement. Giovanni was one of the most influential figures of the Black Arts movement along with Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez and Johari Amini among so many other leading lights. The Black Arts Movement emphasized the need for Black people to define the world in their own terms. The Black Arts Movement was intrinsica lly tied to the Black Power Movement in more ways than one.It was considered its aesthetic and spiritual sister and envisioned an art that directly spoke to the needs and aspirations of Black America. The credo of the Black Arts Movement was Art is the Arm of the Revolution. † It was also believed that all forms of Black Art were weapons whose sole reason for existence was to overthrow White oppression on all its forms. (Steele, 1998) Giovanni has always displayed profound interest in Black history and black identity. Much of her early poetry was inspired by the civil rights movement and the black power movement.This influence is seen in her first works including Black Feeling, Black Talk and Black Judgment. The themes covered in these books are homogenous but their form, tone and style vary. The poems in these two collections touch upon political events of the time including Martin Luther King Jr's assassination alongside those of Malcolm X and President J. F. Kennedy. (Bloom , 1995) Nikki Giovanni has been described both as an evolutionary and a revolutionary poet. She is also known to speak her mind on prevailing issues that she holds dear ever since her days at the Black Arts Movement.In a magazine article, she points out that the old virus of racism was still rampant in the American society. She goes on to acknowledge the Million Man March where thousands of Black men came together to seek love, oneness, atonement and support from one another. (Giovanni, 1996) Maya Angelou is not much different from Giovanni. Maya is a renown autobiographer and a poet. She has also been very active in the Civil Rights Movement. She has also taught at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.Maya is a recognized and highly respected spokesperson for African American people and women. Her books have traditionally been centered on the themes of identity, racism and family. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 in St Louis, Missouri and she has documented most of her life in her bestselling autobiography, I know why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya has always had a gift of bringing people together and she believes that people are more alike than they are different; Maya also believes that poetry can inspire a whole nation and its strength for the spirit.Her works were inspired from an early age by African American writers like W. E. B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes and also renown European playwright William Shakespeare. Maya Angelou is no stranger to suffering and despair. Her parents had a divorce when she was still a kid forcing them to go live with their grandmother in Stamps. When they moved to Stamps with her brother Bailey, racism was the order of the day and the Blacks were expected to live on a separate side of town. Maya was sexually abused as a child and she had to go through a trial that led to the conviction of Mr.Freeman. (Kite, 2006) Perhaps the differences between these two great women is the fact that there politics are far apart. Where Nikki chooses themes that are sometimes militant and takes strong political stands, Maya is more conciliatory and uses her gift to bring people together. Maybe this is because of the differences in the influences of their formative years. Giovanni was an active member of the Black Arts Movement which was seen to be radical in their approach to solving the issues affecting the African-American community.It is not lost to the eye that both women are exceptionally talented and they have used their unique gifts to bring change to the American society and for that we owe them loads of gratitude. Both women are can actually be described as American living legends. References Bauerlein, M. (2004). Washington, Du Bois and the Black Future. Wilson Quarterly Bloom, H. (1995) Contemporary Black American Poets and Dramatists. Chelsea House, New York, NY Blassingame, J. (1979) The Frederick Douglass papers. New Haven, Conn. : Yale University Press, 1979–. Giovanni, N. (1996) A Million Reasons to Hope. Black Collegian, Vol. 26(3) Helbling, (1999). The Harlem Renaissance: The One and the Many. Greenwood Press. Westport, CT. Kite, L. P (2006) Maya Angelou A Biography Learner Publications Co. Minneapolis, Minnesota Steele, V. (1998) Tom Feelings: A Black Arts Movement. African American Review. Vol 32(1) White, W. F. (2009) The Little Red Hen and other stories. Project Gutenberg, 1914. Stroud, B and Schomp, V. (2007) the Reconstruction Era. Marshall Cavendish. Tarrytown, NY. Wintz, Cary. (1988) the Black Culture and the Harlem Renaissance. Rice University Press. Houston, Tx

Privacy Laws and Policies Debate Essay

Taking a closer look at the privacy laws and policies of companies debate, I believe that it makes perfect sense for companies to monitor employees when they are on the job. Making sure employees are working is the first thing that comes to many people’s minds when this subject comes up, but the monitoring of employees also helps to make sure that their equipment is not being used unethically. Harassment and discrimination are just two of many ways in which communication technologies can be misused at work and a company may be held responsible for these actions. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) is the primary piece of legislation that suggests employees have a right to privacy on the job, but there are three exceptions under the ECPA that effectively eliminate any substantial expectations of privacy at work. 1) If the company owns the internet, phone, or email services it falls under the â€Å"provider exception. † 2) According to the â€Å"ordinary course of business† exception the company is allowed to monitor employee communication to insure legitimate business objectives, such as quality control, preventing sexual harassment, or unauthorized use of equipment. ) Finally there is the â€Å"consent† exception; if at least one party of a communication consents to its interception then there is no violation of the ECPA (E-Monitoring, 2006). Both points for and against were discussed in the forum this week and I believe both sides had very valid points, but the reasons for monitoring were much more based in facts. Based on the responses I read I believe that while a company may have the right to monitor their employees, they should strive not to go overboard. This is because they may inadvertently create an us versus them mentality in the work place or lose important people who do not feel comfortable with how much or how they are monitored. That type of environment would greatly damage productivity, which is the opposite of what a monitoring policy is supposed to do. Mutual respect and understanding is needed first before a sensible and just monitoring plan can be created.

Information System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information System - Research Paper Example However, the use information systems have been made more interesting with the emergence of social media platforms. These platforms include the facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, and instagram (Hu, et al., 2014). Social media as a whole has played a significant role in revolutionalising marketing strategies; however, instagram has the edge because of features and the ease that one can apply the platform in building the business (Das and Sahoo, 2014). Unlike other social media platforms, the Instagram adopts a unique way of telling stories. The platform uses pictures to convey the message (McCune, 2011). The use of pictures can be tailored to have captions that resonate with the message in the picture. The Instagram has a business blog that offers guidelines on how to use the platform for building business (Das and Sahoo, 2014). This business platform is called Instagram for business and appears as shown in the diagram below (figure 1). The instagram for business is an application that provides easy ways of enabling people exploit the platform to build their business. The strategies have to follow the simple steps that the application provides. It is such a simple way of enhancing business because the user does not have to have many years of experience in using the application to make the most from the application. Building a business brand will require massive following or better the interaction with a massive number of target customers. The best way to popularise a brand is by getting a gauge viewership. This can be a huge task especially when a created post does not have a large following (Aric, 2009). Therefore, the best way of beginning is to cultivate a following. There are several tips that can help an individual attain these objectives. The best way is to connect friends from other social media platforms like facebook and twitter (Das and Sahoo, 2014). This is the easiest way

Principles of Home Microeconomics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Principles of Home Microeconomics - Assignment Example Newspaper vending machines are designed so that once you have paid for one paper you have access to all the papers in the machine and could take multiple papers at a time. However, other vending machines dispense only one item (the item you bought). You do not have access to all the goods (sodas, candy, snacks, etc.) at one time. Using the concept of marginal utility, explain why these vending machines differ? Newspapers are mutually exclusive, once the first paper is picked; the marginal utility of picking the second paper is almost zero. Note that the news found in the second newspaper picked are the same as the first newspaper hence picking the second paper constitutes negligible utility gain hence no need for restriction. However, customers will always have an incentive to pick different goods from the other vending machines since every second good picked has a utility gain, hence the restriction. For instance, a combination of soda and snacks yield to a higher utility than soda alone. Contrary to the normal supply curve, labor supply curve is not purely positively sloped but bends backward changing to negative slope at higher wages. This is due to contradicting forces of substation effect and income effects as wage rises. Workers substitute working hours for leisure. Wage rise increases the incentive to work hence positive substitution effect. On the other hand, increase in wage implies that workers can achieve their target income by working fewer hours hence the negative income effect. At low wages, substitution effect is more than income affects hence the total effect s positive. However, as wages rise, income effect increases and at a certain point the total effect becomes zero, then negative, hence the backward turn.

History research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

History - Research Paper Example Evidently, the Iroquois Confederacy has elicited much interest from an archaeological perspective. This has largely been due to the comparative analysis of the various artefacts from the different villages that offer insight into the social and political influence on the human material culture over the course of time. Prior to the establishment of the Confederacy, all of the founding nations were bitter nations who fought each other. To this end, the historical literature of the Iroquois reveals that leaders know as Dekanawidah also known as the Peacemaker came to the nations preaching peace and unity(Fenton, 112). In this regard, the Dekanawidah was assisted by the Hiawatha in persuading the entire five nation to embrace the ‘Great Law of Peace.’ Consequently, a government known as the Iroquois Confederacy was established. The government promoted peace, respect and cooperation in work among all the nations. Evidently, the Confederacy had been in existence even before th e European exploration began in North America. Moreover, the Tuscarora nation migrated from the Southern homeland to join the Iroquois Confederacy in 1702due to European settlement. ... To this end, the members of a clan tracked their ancestors and family members through their mothers. In this regard, there was a common female ancestor within each clan set up consistent with a group of families. Moreover, a man moved into the female’s longhouse once they were married. The longhouses were housing shelters for members of the same clan(Fenton, 114). Children conceived by both parents were henceforth members of the mother’s clan. In this regard, all the members of the same clan regarded each other as family and therefore did not intermarry. The longhouses played a pertinent role in the governance of the Iroquois Confederacy. To this end, apart from housing clan members, the longhouses acted as meeting venues. In this regard, the women and men assembled in different groups to discuss pertinent events, issues as well as offering advice to the leaders. There were different roles associated with all the members of the Iroquois Confederacy. Foremost, the childr en often listened in to the various discussions undertaken in the longhouses. In this regard, the art of listening enabled them to learn about the issues affecting them as well as the skills involved in decision making. Women and men held positions of importance in the Iroquois Confederacy and the children were groomed into these roles once they grew up. The issues affecting women were articulated through two major avenues. These were the Clan mothers and the women councils. The most respectable and oldest women within the clans were known as the Clan Members. The position was hereditary and passed down across generations. Their roles pertained to maintenance of balance and harmony within the nations and clans.

Risk Management Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Risk Management Program - Research Paper Example Risk is the uncertainty surrounding future outcomes and events, and it is an expression of the impact and likelihood of the occurrence of an event, which is regarded to have the potential of influencing the achievement of the objectives of an organization. For every risk, there are two calculations needed, including its probability or likelihood, and the extent of the consequences or impact. Schwartz  (2014) recognizes that in certain organizations, risk management is used in issues that are predetermined as causative of unwanted and adverse consequences. In such firms, risk is understood in terms of the function of probability of the unwanted or adverse event, as well as the magnitude or severity of the event consequences. Effective application of management requires that the organization develops a risk-management culture, which should support the general mission, vision and objectives of the organization. There should be establishment and communication of boundaries and limits in relation to the acceptable risk outcomes and practices (Pà ©rez-gonzà ¡lez & Yun, 2013). Since the management of risks is directed towards the uncertainty associated with future outcomes and events, it is assumed that all exercises for planning incorporate a certain level of risk management. As a manufacturing company, Nike understands that production innovation, through a sustainability lens, is important towards the achievement of the company’s growth vision, which is independent of the constrained resources. In fact, creation and building of a business that acknowledges and accommodates constraints, as well as thriving through them within the natural setting is the sole way through which an organization can realize growth within the modern world, and this would not affect the company’s ability to succeed in the long term. The transition has been evidently challenging for the company as a

Book Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Book Critique - Essay Example In this story Moraley furnished a scarce view of life between the lower classes in England and the middle colonies of America through the early eighteen century. His adventure as indentured servants from England to the â€Å"American Plantations†, where he served in different jobs, saunter on the country side, and jumbled with black and white bonds people, the worker, craftsman, Indians, and other ordinary people. The special interest in the story is the comments of Moraley on servants, bondservants, and Native American. The story is about the lower class lives in England and American Colonies during the eighteen century. One of the major characters of the story is Willaim Carr who took him from his job and taught him the Trade of Watch making. The main character of his stories is his father, brother and mother as well as his wife who affected his life too much. Sir George is another character of his story. He wrote about Sir George while he was sailing on towards America. He has written about his masters daughter as well. When he met up with the daughter of his master he was removing his rags and given a torn shirt and an old coat, but was assured that the clothes were provisional and that he could anticipate better. This was the first time in the story when Moraley thus a feeling of respect among a master and an indentured servant (Moraley, Klepp, & Smith, 2005, pp. 18-20). After spending her time on the boat they went to Philadelphia where the slaves were to be sold all the slaves were sold except Morely. He went to Philadelphia and wants to spend his life in good manners, he started to search for a job but he failed and sold to a master. During this time period he fell in love and want to settle there but he sold. When he was working for his master he ran away from there but caught. His masters bailed him from jail and free him before his ending time period of serving. After that he engaged with a

Question about the novel The outsider Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Question about the novel The outsider - Essay Example As the storyline continues to unfold, we see many adolescents as irrational. They act without thinking just as is the case with Ponyboy when he finds the church on fire. He jumps out of the car, runs and enters into the burning church intending to rescue the children (Hinton 6). He does this without thinking about his safety and because he has no skills on firefighting, and also because he does not have the right outfit for fire rescue. Pony agrees with this assessment; that he is not reasonable when he says that he sometimes does not think. Adolescence is a phase in life when a teenager considers himself/ herself as an adult and expects to be treated as one. The reality is, they are still teenagers and are under control and guidance to others with parents, and teachers. Therefore when their elders advise them on how to live, the teens start to feel like the elders are dictating them on how to live their lives. The loss of control makes teens feel life is not fair. For instance, Ponyboy knows that he is not safe walking on the streets of his neighborhood, but he still does it. Adolescents also have another behavior of bullying others as well as defending themselves, for example in the outsider, as Ponyboy comes from strolling he is attacked by a gang. Also, Pony is thinking of how he can defend himself and is looking around for a pop bottle or stick or something anything to defend himself. It is at this point that we hear Pony remembering how Steve Randle, had once held off four guys with a busted pop bottle. Such, and other examples in the book go a long way in showing us that adolescents have a bullying habit and are also

Religions of the World Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religions of the World - Essay Example lieve that the reason behind the decline in the Protestant membership in America can be traced back to the problems in the separation of church and state. While there are still devoutly religious Americans, they draw the line when the church begins to use the pulpit as a political mouthpiece aimed at furthering the cause and beliefs of the church. We also have the fact that there seems to be an influx of â€Å"designer† religions that people seem to be willing to try out just to see how it fits. Religion is not an outfit that one can try on and take off but the people seem to think that religion should be exactly like that. In fighting among the church leaders have also caused a decline in the church membership as each leader seems to believe that he is the one with the right answers to lifes questions. Whenever the disagreement cannot be resolved, one of the parties more often than not opts to spin off into his own religion in order to promote the values that he believes to be true. Not to be forgotten is the fact that the modern 21st century person simply does not have the time to spare when it comes to fulfilling their religious obligations that they did not ask for in the first place. It was thrust upon them when their parents had them baptized as a baby. Since the modern person is more of a thinking individual now, and does not generally believe in blind faith, they begin to question their religion and often times end up seeking the answers to the questions they have elsewhere. The modern person thinks of religion as a part of a lifestyle that can be picked up and set aside depending upon their need. Since the religion has yet to catch up with the modern ideals of the average American, one can expect that he will not be practicing the religion, if he has not converted yet or simply convinced himself to stop being a follower of an organized cult, then the generational gap between the church and the individual will continue to create a divisiveness between

Using a PC Correctly and Safely Essay Example for Free

Using a PC Correctly and Safely Essay Born in 1812 the second child of a Navy Pay officer, life was never going to be easy for Charles Dickens. In his infant years Dickens had his fair share of bad luck. He knew how it felt to be cold, miserable, poor and altogether unhappy. Soon Dickens father was in debt and was sent to Marshalsea Prison, London. This unfortunate turn meant a 12 year old Dickens had to go and work in a shoe-blacking factory. This embarrassed him for all his life and he felt it was humiliation. Born in 1812 the second child of a Navy Pay officer, life was never going to be easy for Charles Dickens. In his infant years Dickens had his fair share of bad luck. He knew how it felt to be cold, miserable, poor and altogether unhappy. Soon Dickens father was in debt and was sent to Marshalsea Prison, London. This unfortunate turn meant a 12 year old Dickens had to go and work in a shoe-blacking factory. This embarrassed him for all his life and he felt it was humiliation. Dickens was determined not to be the same as his father and managed to get work as a solicitors clerk, and then moved onto a form of journalism for the political debates. Dickens successfully managed to convey what he felt about Victorian England in his books; often they featured under privileged children (Oliver Twist), and other aspects of being poor and needy. Dickens tried hard to let people know about the people working in the workhouses and the terrible conditions they worked in (David Copperfield). He tried to make the more noble class respect the less fortunate and be kinder to the homeless and needy. In his lifetime Dickens influenced the English and worldwide public with his moving stories and made a lot of money for his family in the process. Dickens is well remembered for books like A Christmas Carol but he wrote many others like, Nicholas Nickleby, A Tale of Two Cities, Hard times and of course Great Expectations. Once you turn the first page of A Christmas Carol you are struck by Dickens amazingly detailed descriptions, long sentence structures and incredible vocabulary he uses incredibly intricate words to describe things which really livens up your imagination. Scrooge is introduced to us as a miserable old miser; he hates Christmas and the poor. He dislikes giving and is generally a nasty person who, we as a reader are not meant to have any sympathy for. Dickens sets him up with phrases such as a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, covetous old sinner. . Scrooges nephew, Fred, who is full of Christmas spirit, visits him and is nice about the poor, life and Christmas. Scrooge replies every idiot who goes about with a Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding this is insulting to the Christian faith and a lot of peoples beliefs. Scrooge sees the figure of his 7-year dead partner Marley morph onto his doorknocker. He goes in and lights a candle Darkness is Cheap! . Marley visits Scrooge in the night and warns him that three spirits that will change his ways will haunt him. Marley trails a Ponderous Chain which is made of ledgers, moneyboxes and other money related objects that Marley was obsessed with, much like Scrooge. From this we can see Dickens is trying to tell us that money is not everything and the chain Marley wears acts as a symbol that Scrooge and us as a nation have to take notice of. When the Ghost of Christmas Past arrives at Scrooges place of residence, Scrooge is taken on a journey through his prior years as a schoolboy. He is shown as lonely and unloved until his sister comes to pick him up. Here Dickens is showing us that family is important and can bring happiness; she addresses him as dear, dear brother. When Scrooge is taken to his old work he is reminded of how wonderful Christmas used to be. He is given the night off with a, Yo-ho reminding him of how mean he was to his clerk when he told him it was a, poor excuse for picking a mans pocket every 25th of December. This implies that we leave our mark on society; Fezziwig would leave a good one, Scrooge would not be so lucky. When Scrooge is transported to the scene of him and his fianci e together he is reminded of how he chose money over love something Dickens proves to be wrong What idol has displaced you he rejoined a Golden one. The fianci e knows Scrooge is totally in love with money and frees him from the contract they have she departs with May you be happy in the life you have chosen. This shows us as a reader that Scrooge is mean and still takes money over his life we feel sadness for the fianci e and more bitter towards Scrooge. Next Scrooge sees the ghost of Christmas Present and a throne of wonderful food to form a kind of throne, were turkeys, geese, game, poultry This shows Scrooge how wonderful Christmas can be and the amazing food that could be available to him. The people who were shovelling away on the house tops were jovial and full of glee. . Dickens shows us that if Christmas is kept in out hearts we can be warm and happy whatever the circumstance. We then read about Christmas at the Cratchits, an incredibly poor family where Bob, Scrooges clerk, is the father of several children. We read about the extreme lack of money they have and how poor Tiny Tim is supported by an iron frame. They have very little; a small pudding for a large family but they do not mind as they are with each other and that is what is important to them; the family, not the money spent. Scrooge asks about tiny Tim and finds out he is likely to die, however, the ghost quotes Scrooge saying decrease the surplus population exactly what Scrooge had said to two men collecting for the poor and needy. Scrooge begins to feel bad about what he has done and is ashamed of his prior beliefs he realizes money is not everything and you can be happy without it. Scrooge is whisked through three scenes of people celebrating Christmas joyfully even though there conditions are appalling. Scrooge then goes to his nephews party; here he sees how others interpret him, an old miser. He feels sad then Fred makes a toast to him and this brings a tear to Scrooges eyes. He is loved and knows family is important which is what we must recognise. The spirit then produces two children. One is want the other is ignorance, Dickens is trying to say we have major faults in our society that need to be corrected. People want so much, yet are ignorant about other peoples faiths or beliefs. Scrooge now sees the last of the spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Future. We first travel through the streets to a building of business to see men discussing an unnamed mans death and how they wouldnt go to his funeral unless a lunch is provided. Here Dickens is trying to say that if you live a lonely life then you will die lonely. Scrooge then travels through filthy back streets to a dingy hole where women are getting money for things they have accumulated. One of the women has taken down bed curtains from the dead mans bed you dont mean to say you took em down, rings and all, with him lying there? Yes I Do! . Dickens shows that if you die a lonely, unloved and hated person, in your death your shirt will be literally ripped off your back, like the washer women did to Scrooge. Scrooge and the spirit go to a graveyard where no mourners are present here Scrooge finds his neglected grave and realises it was his body they saw in the room and the people were talking about. Scrooge now realises all the wrong doings he has done, He sees he needs to change his ways. Dickens shows we need to be charitable and to change our ways if we are to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive. Scrooge learns many valuable lessons, from which we can learn to, the spirits transform him from this hideous hook nosed demon to a Christmas loving human all in the course of one night. He learns the true meaning behind Christmas and things like family, charity and good will. He sees his ways are wrong, his obsession with money, much like most people who fight over who has the best this and the fastest that but dont see themselves as a Scrooge. He gives money to poor people and is happy with his life finally. This world acclaimed novel has been made into many films, as it is still highly relevant and can be learnt from still. His literary genius conveys, feelings emotions and other amazing literary devices authors recently seem to have lost touch with.

Do We Need Professional Or Non Professional Nurses Nursing Essay

Do We Need Professional Or Non Professional Nurses Nursing Essay This project plan entitled Insufficient Nurse Staffing Problem versus Economic Crisis: Do We Need Professional or Non-Professional Nurses? discussed about the importance of choosing between a Professional Nurse and a Non-Professional Nurse to meet the divergence of supply and demand that is evidenced in the insufficient nurse staffing against economic crisis, with significant implications for patient safety, which is also what Nursing profession faces continuously. The aims/objectives of this project plan are (a) to explore the nurse education and patients quality of life in a broader sense, (b) to determine the divergence between demand and supply that is evidenced in insufficient nurse staffing with significant implications for patient safety is what Nursing profession faces continuously. Background discussed about the Level of Nursing Education the Quality of Care taken from researched articles correlated to the topic. Methodology used is Literature Review. Conclusion: In the issue of economic crisis versus staffing problem, the institutions will be the one to decide in managing changes needed to make both ends meet, provide an adequacy on staffing and financial crisis of the institutions/hospitals, but should consider the quality of care and that the standards of nursing practice must be met in order not to demoralize the image of nursing, whether the nurse provider is a professional or non-professional nurse. Key concepts: Professional and Non-Professional Nurses, Occupation, Profession I. INTRODUCTION: Nursing profession is a great human elements provided great services to humanity. Since the earliest times to the present, the healthcare workers in the nursing profession help individuals and families in their communities and countries. Nursing as a profession focused on assisting individuals and families. Workers in nursing participate competently and bravely in health care in all countries of the world. In war and peace, work in difficult circumstances and contribute to the development of their communities. All nurses must remember as what has been stated in nurses pledge by Florence Nightingale: I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. (American Nurses Association, 2010) e However, in recent years, questions have been raised about whether nursing is a profession or an occupation. This is important for nurses to consider for several reasons, starting from differentiating the terms à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ºprofession and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ºoccupation, professional and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ºnon-professional nurse. An occupation is a job or a career, whereas a profession is a learned vocation or occupation that has a status of superiority and precedence within a division of work. In general terms, occupations require widely varying levels of training or education, varying levels of skill, and widely variable defined knowledge bases. Indeed, all professions are occupations, but not all occupation is profession. (McEwen et al., 2007). Therefore based on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ºnursing as an occupation, a professional nurse is a healthcare professional who, in collaboration with other member of a healthcare team, is responsible for treatment, safety and recovery of acute or chronically ill individuals; health promotion, and maintenance within families, communities and population; and treatment of life-threatening emergencies in a wide range of healthcare settings. (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurse) While, the term non-professional means one who is not of, relating to, suitable for, or engaged in a profession or not undertaken or performed for gain or by people who are paid. (Farlex, 2010). Therefore the term non-professional nurse is a person responsible for assisting in the delivery of non-professional nursing care, under the direction of a Registered Nurse/Professional nurse in a defined care team and in accordance with scope of practice. (NWJobs, 2010) This research work is presenting the current problem nowadays: (1) In the problem of insufficiency of nursing staffs versus the economic crisis; do we need a professional or non-professional nurses? II. BACKGROUND: A. Level of Nursing Education: Diploma programs: diploma programs are hospital based educational programs that provide a rich clinical experience for nursing students. These programs are often associated with colleges or universities. Baccalaureate degree programs: Baccalaureate degree programs are located in senior colleges and universities and are generally 4 years in length. Masters programs: Masters Programs provide specialized knowledge and skills that enable nurses to assume advanced roles in practice, education, administration, and research. Doctoral programs: these programs further prepare the nurse for advanced clinical practice, administration, education, and research. (Berman et al., 2008) B. Quality of Care: The quality of care can be more precisely described as seeking to achieve excellent standards of care. It includes assessing the appropriateness of medical tests and treatments and measures to improve personal health care consistently in all areas of medicine. (Duffy, 2009) Issues nowadays tackled the changing image of nursing as profession in the community due to the economic value caused by cost-containment strategy played out in restructuring and redesigning care delivery, decisions were made to replace registered nurses with non-professional, less skilled, unlicensed personnel/nurses because professional/registered nurses were seen as too costly. Also implemented were new models of patient-centered care delivered by cross-trained, non-professional unlicensed personnel. (AACN,2010) A divergence between demand and supply that is evidenced in insufficient nurse staffing with significant implications for patient safety is what Nursing profession faces continuously. Many believe this shortage of registered nurses is entrenched in long-standing problems related to the value and image of nursing and the limited role nursing has had in identifying priorities within health care delivery systems. (AACN, 2010) There is a predicted shortfall of qualified nursing staff in both low and high-income countries. A combination of demography, restructured health care systems and social values has made lack of nursing personnel a main concern for health care administrators, politicians and the nursing professions. The growing shortage of health care workers has become an international challenge. (Sorgaard KW et al. 2010) One of the central tenants of professional self regulation is the ability to maintain and control a professional register. To this end self regulating professions, such as nursing, have been responsible for controlling entry to their register. This is done through the setting of the standards to be achieved before entry is possible (Irving, 1997). In addition, the professions also have responsibility for the removal of practitioners who are considered unfit to practise. (Unsworth J. 2010) The Practice nurses are an integral part of general practice/ family medicine teams in the UK, with a role which encompasses general treatment room duties, nursing duties and chronic disease management. (ODonnell et al., 2010) There has been little or no attention paid to professional isolation as it impacts on practice nurses. These developments need to be considered in the wider context of nursing recruitment and retention. Recruitment and retention of staff presents challenges for both nursing and medicine, in the UK and abroad. (Shields et al., 2001; Camerin et al., 2006) Doctoral education, which systematically helps to develop nurse scholars, has been offered the longest in the USA, since the 1930s (Redman Ketefian 1997). Over 30 years ago Andreoli (1977, p. 53) described the struggles of that countrys nurses to overcome prejudice in higher learning institutes, and the steps needed to prepare nurses professionally for scholarship and research if they were to be accepted and survive in academia. Such struggles were mirrored in other countries, including the UK and Australia where academics stated their predictions and preferences for the development of nursing within academia (Deans et al. 2003). In South America, several countries now offer doctoral programmes for nurses, but there is significant work to be done because poverty is the norm. In a number of European countries, nursing research is also beginning to flourish (Turale et al. 2009). The number of nurses currently in the workforce based on their educational preparation: those with undergraduate education (diploma, associate, baccalaureate degrees) and those with graduate education (masters and doctoral degrees). The figure depicts a much higher number of nurses prepared at the diploma/associate degree level compared to all other categories and the relatively small number of nurses prepared with graduate degrees. The limited number of nurses prepared with graduate degrees presents a significant problem for educating future nurses and furthering effective nursing practice; masters-prepared clinicians are needed to teach and provide primary care, and doctoral faculty are needed to teach and conduct research. Without an adequate number of nurses prepared at the graduate level, we will be unable to educate enough nurses to meet the demands for care at all levels in the near future (Ellenbecker ., 2010). III. Aim / Objective: A. To explore the nurse education and patients quality of life in a broader sense. B. To determine the divergence between demand and supply that is evidenced in insufficient nurse staffing with significant implications for patient safety is what Nursing profession faces continuously. IV. Method: Literature review : a critical summary of research on a topic of interest, often prepared to put a research problem in context (Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T, 2008). The authors searched in the books, and accessed for free on the internet through the pubMed website . We found 142 search serves the purpose in one way or another, but, according to the Plan of Action Research the authors selected 10 was very close to the idea that foucas to study Which served in our aim. The authors used all the elements in the full text can be printed on Library. The authors have read the articles lists and review them, and looking such research in the knowledge that related to the our aim. V. Research Ethics: The authors foundation from the article was clear and the researchers displayed respect for human dignity. The author did the job for searching by honest and professional way, without hidden or disappear any good or truth result. (Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T, 2008). VI. Relevance: The author conveyed the informations through this research to increase awareness for the staff nurses about knowing the difference between professional and non-professional nursing is important and vital to the life process. This research shows that professional development can enhance the skills of both new and long time staffers. Though the concept of professional development is not new, its significance for youth workers has been gaining momentum slowly. This research summarizes the importance of professional development, identifies core competencies for youth workers, highlights professional development training delivery models, and sets forth next steps for professional development that can benefit youth programs. In the issue of economic crisis versus staffing problem, the institutions will be the one to decide in managing changes needed to make both ends meet, provide an adequacy on staffing and financial crisis of the institutions/hospitals, but should consider the quality of care and that the standards of nursing practice must be met in order not to demoralize the image of nursing, whether the nurse provider is a professional or non-professional nurse.

Kubla Kahn :: Author, Literary Analysis

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem â€Å"Kubla Kahn† is an example of imaginative poetry due to an opium addiction. This poem creates its own kingdom and paradise while Colridge expresses his ideas of Heaven and Hell through his own drug induced thoughts and opinions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coleridge paints the picture of a kingdom, Xanadu, and the surrounding scenery is described with a heavenly, dreamlike vividness that can only result from smoking a little too much opium. This kingdom has a â€Å"pleasure dome† that was created by Kubla Kahn. The paradise-like kingdom consists of ten miles of â€Å"fertile ground† and is surrounded by walls that are securely â€Å"girdled† around the property. The gardens are â€Å"blossoming with many an incense baring tree† and are watered by a wandering stream. There is a river, and it gives life to Kubla Kahn’s creations and runs â€Å"through caverns measureless to man.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The landscape is described in an interesting fashion with contrasting adjectives. It is described as â€Å"savage,† but it is â€Å"holy† and â€Å"enchanted.† The enchantment is compared to a â€Å"woman wailing for her demon lover.† This image of sexuality leaves the impression that the Earth is anxiously mourning for a fulfillment of evil. The chasem below Kubla Kahn’s paradise â€Å"pleasure dome† is beset with â€Å"ceaseless turmoil† and chaos. It is described as â€Å"breathing in fast pants† and there is a powerful eruption, resulting in rock fragments bursting out and being flung from the river. The same river that sustained life for the â€Å"pleasure dome† floods the land. Additional to the noises of the chaos are â€Å"ancestral voiced prophesying war† and these voices of war are a reminder that the

Vehicle Drive Train Systems Essay -- physics car automobile vehicle

Before the advent of the automobile, buggies were typically propelled by one or more horses. Even with the first automobiles there was a need for a drive system, though, since those horses were no longer there. One thing that has remained common to every car is a motor and transmission system of some sort, but what varies greatly between cars is what is between the transmission and the wheels, also known as the drive train. There are many different styles of drive trains, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Front Wheel Drive The most common style of drive train is that of the front wheel drive, abbreviated FWD. Front wheel drive was not, however, the first drive system. Front wheel drive first made its appearance in the automobile market in 1933 with the French Traction Avant, which literally means "pull from the front." At the time, the idea of having a car pulled by the front wheels was rather different, but this style of getting the power to the wheels worked rather well. What made the Traction Avant successful was that it was lighter and more fuel efficient than other car models made at the time. This increased efficiency was a result of not only eliminated weight, but also reduced power loss in moving the rotational energy to the back. The idea of front wheel driven cars was not embraced immediately by major car manufacturers, though, since having all the driving mechanisms placed right under or in front of the engine added complexity in production and maintenance that was not worth the extra gas mileage. It was when the gasoline shortage hit America in the early 1980s that the front wheel drive car first became popular. Chevrolet first implemented the system in its "Citation," in 1979, which became an... ...front and rear differentials. Taking this into consideration, all wheel drive systems are almost always on full time. In order for all wheel drive to work, a specialized computer and a matching set of sensors is needed to tell which wheels are spinning and to which wheels the power should be transferred to. The change is done through a series of automatic wheel braking, adding another complicated and costly mechanism to the brakes system. For this reason all wheel drive systems were usually only used in vehicles like Mercedes and Porches. Lately, though, due to the advances in manufacturing technology, there have been a few domestic vehicles released, like the newer Ford Explorers and the Saab 9-2X, both of which feature all wheel drive. Should the cost of production of all wheel drive systems continue to decrease, more domestic vehicles will feature it in the future.

Andrea Yates Essay -- Killers Murder Crime Criminals

Andrea Yates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Yates does not fit the profile of a mother who kills her children† said Hay of Child Protective Services. (Glenn par. 14) Most mothers who kill their children are younger and generally start out as teen-age moms. However, thirty-seven year old Andrea Pia Yates killed her five children and is now on trial to receive a punishment for her actions. She claims the reason she committed the crime is because she suffers from a severe case of postpartum depression. Andrea Yates possesses many problems and no matter her state of mental health, she will be punished for the crime she committed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On June 20, 2001, Andrea Pia Yates drowned her four sons and one daughter ranging from ages six months to seven years. She drowned Noah, 7, John, 5, Paul, 3, Luke, 2, and Mary, six months, in the bathtub in their home. The children were apparently killed approximately one hour after their father, longtime NASA Johnson Space Center computer engineer, left for work. The bodies of three of her sons and her infant daughter were found on a bed, covered by a sheet. The oldest boy was found in the bathtub, Houston Police said. (Glenn par. 2) She was arrested without bond on June 22 for the charge of murdering her five children. Andrea was arrested after summoning the police to her home located in Clear Lake. Andrea called her husband Russell after phoning police and said he had â€Å"better come home†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (qtd. in Glenn par. 15). When he arrived, police were already at the scene and would not allow him to enter his home. 2 Looking dazed, the skinny long-haired woman said: â€Å"I killed my kids.† (qtd. in Glenn par. 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrea Yates claimed that the reason she killed her children was because she suffered from postpartum depression. Postpartum depression, which affects approximately eight to fifteen percent of mothers in America, usually starts four weeks after the birth of a child and can last for months (Post Partum Depression screen 1). It causes feelings of panic, confusion, and hopelessness, and can change the sleeping and eating patterns of the one suffering. Postpartum depression is usually mild and is easily treated with medication. Yet, in come rare cases, it can lead to violence. Postpartum depression is classified in three different categories. The ... ..., yet experts believe that she really does not know everything that is going on around her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since June 20, people across America have been confused and disturbed by the actions of Andrea Pia Yates. The hearts of everyone go out to her poor husband who is now left with no one to call his immediate family. Russell Yates made a website which is dedicated to his five children. The website has pictures and home videos of each of the children. The world can only hope and pray that such tragic and shocking events like the one that occurred on June 20 will not occur in the future. Works Cited 1 Christian, Carol. â€Å"Makeup of Yates Jury Many Hint at Defense Strategy.†, â€Å"The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yates Jury Trial.† Houston Chronicle 31 January 2002. 2 Christian, Carol. â€Å"Yates Murder Trial Starts Today.† Houston Chronicle 18 February   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2002. 3 Christian, Carol. â€Å"Jury Gives Yates Life with out Parole for Forty Years.† Houston   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chronicle 16 March 2002. 4 Glenn, Mike. â€Å"June 20: Mom Held in Killing Five Kids.† Houston Chronicle 21   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  June 2001. 5 Post Partum Depression. 18 March 2002. http://www.ask.com Ask Jeeves results.

Implementing change Essay

Managers are entrusted with a leadership role for an organization with an aim to set out objectives and create the right environment and effective techniques to meet those objectives. There are supposed to come up with creative ideas on the change needed in the organization and how that change should be implemented with minimal difficulties while at the same time reaping maximum benefits from the change. A manager’s role and responsibility in implementing change One major step towards achieving this is of course through having a very clear sense of goals. When the management is equipped with a clear sense of goals and objectives, then it will be possible for an organization or an institution to have a new direction. The manager is important at this stage. He or she is responsible for coming up with specific objectives and determining what direction the institution is supposed to take. It is imperative that the leader or in this case the manager learn to be patient because in many cases change demands patience. As a manager, one should be well informed on his or her team so as to have a good knowledge on which members can be best used. Banutu & Banutu 2003) The task of management in times of implementing change demands good communication skills. One of the manager’s main tasks is relaying ideas, mission, goals, and objectives of the institution to the subordinates. It is therefore important that the manager is skilled in communication so as to effectively hammer the point home. Good communication skills are two way. The manager should also be a good observer and listener so as to understand any information or feedback that may be coming from the team members. Managers should also act as role models to their team by for instance setting an example of sacrifice. To make the process of change easier, the manager’s behavior should provide a model for motivation. He or she should be ready to listen to team members, respect them, delegate some powers to them, and assist them. Such characters and actions go a long way in motivating the team and elevating their interest to the task at hand. Team members are not only inspired with a mission but also motivated to initiate novelty and new ways of thinking. For a change process to be successful, the manager is supposed to build trust among group members and ensure that they think and work as a unit as opposed to working as individuals. The manager should be able to nurture intimacy among members, demonstrate self confidence, integrity, and honesty. He or she should be able to connect real life personal experiences with transformational requirements or behaviors of the institution. The manager should have a strong sense of involvement with the team and its activities. This way, the influence process becomes easier and more effective. It is imperative the manager fully understands the task ahead and relays that to the subordinates. This attribute should be coupled with high level commitment to the institution. Integrity and consistency are paramount in the change process if the laid down objectives are to be realized. (Banutu & Banutu 2003) Handling staff resistance to change One of the most common characteristics in the change process is resistance towards change by members of the organization. Though resistance to change is mainly viewed negatively, it can have positive outcomes too. For instance, staff resistance can lead to a functional conflict. This sought of conflict stimulates a healthy debate among members and the leadership as well. Such a debate sheds light on the various faces of change and ultimately leads to a better decision in the end. Staff resistance though could act as a major obstacle to an organization’s pursuit to achieve change and progress. If the staff is adamant to change its mindset to fit and adapt with changing times, then the organization will experience difficulties adapting and achieving progress. Managers are supposed to come up with ways to deal with staff resistance and ensure that the staff is collaborative instead of the other way round. (Kelly 1992) Communicating with staff members is a significant step in dealing with resistance. The leadership should take its time in demonstrating the logic of change to the staff and get rid of any chances of misinformation or misunderstanding. As indicated earlier, involvement of the staff in decision making is a beneficial tactic in ensuring that staff members not only implement change but also feel as being a part of it. This reduces the level of resistance, increases the change quality of the staff, and achieves commitment from the staff. The manager can also provide individuals who can handle and manage change activities or act as one. The manager or the change agents can offer facilitation and support to staff members so the idea of change and its actual implementation can be easier and more understandable. (Holton 2003) Another method through which managers can avert potential resistance is through negotiation with the staff. The management can offer the staff something like a reward in exchange of lessened resistance. The manager should however be wary of blackmail because some staff members may take advantage of this and demand rewards in any event of a change process. When ‘clean’ strategies fail or deemed unreliable to avert staff resistance, the manager can use cooptation and manipulation techniques so as to achieve his or her ends. Making facts look appealing more than they really are and hatching force rumors can get the staff to accept change and actually look forward to its implementation. The personalities leading the resistance can be bought off by the manager by offering them important positions in the change process. They are made to feel as if they engaged in opposing change but in actual sense the plan goes unhitched. The last trick on the book is the use of coercion. The manager gives direct threats to the staff members and applies direct force. Other measures include transfer of members, demotion, poor letter recommendation, or outright firing. It is important that the staff understands they are not indispensable as the change that the organization is seeking is more important than an individual career. (Bass & Avolio 1994) Steps of the change process The management with the collaboration and active participation of the staff should engage themselves in assessing the organization’s goals and objectives. There should be an extensive understanding of why the organization is taking the change path and how well equipped it is to actually implement its objectives. In the event that the management feels time is not ripe for a particular change process to be initiated, then it can be shelved until the right time comes. The management should put all facts on the table and analyze them before it starts to implement them. All possible scenarios to the process should be considered. In the planning process, it is important that the manager ensures that staff members fully comprehend the plan ahead of them. It is also important that staff members are to a certain level involved in the process. The reasons for using participation, as discussed earlier, is to gain the collaboration of the staff and reduce chances of resistance. Carrying out the actual change process calls for dedication from everyone involved. Any challenges such as staff resistance should be dealt with swiftly. During the evaluation, the management should go back to the aims and objectives outlined during the planning process. External evaluators should be invited so as to avoid any chances of bias. (Banutu & Banutu 2003) Conclusion Only one thing is certain in any place and that is change. Organizations, just as human beings, are in a process of change. It is up to the management to ensure that this is change is to the positive. The modern world is characterized by cutthroat competition and there is no room for being stagnant.

Supply Chain Management in Hospital

Pantai Hospital Ipoh (PHI), registered under Paloh Medical Centre Sdn. Bhd, was established in year 1996 owned by Pantai Group, part of IHH Healthcare Berhad; one of the most significant healthcare operators in the world that provide premium healthcare services in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The hospital is strategically located in Ipoh and easily accessible within a 5 minutes drive from the North-South Highway Interchange and the Ipoh City Centre.Pantai Hospital Ipoh was started to serve the local communities of Ipoh, and has since grown to become one of the private premier healthcare providers in Perak, and the northern region of Malaysia. Pantai Hospital Ipoh started with just only 76 beds, and now has 180 beds and 82 consultant specialists, providing quality care and treatment aided by qualified nurses and other allied healthcare professionals.In partnership with various health insurers and corporate organizations, PHI has established itsel f as a preferred provider, allowing greater and easier access to its healthcare services, which extends beyond just a single hospital through the extensive network of more than 10 Pantai and Gleneagles Hospitals, all part of IHH Healthcare Berhad. Through the use of appropriate technology and skills, Pantai Hospital Ipoh is firm in its vision to be the trusted professionals of healthcare delivery, from prevention, detection to treatment and care, when it matters most.Apart from providing a wide range of modern facilities and the expertise of many consultant specialists, the hospital is staffed with warm and friendly personnel who are dedicated to give our customers the personalized attention and quality care they deserve. Central to its commitment towards quality healthcare, PHI strives to provide excellence in service and its future will be built on welcoming change innovation, today and tomorrow. In year 2005, Pantai Hospital Ipoh has successfully obtained ISO 9001:2008.The Hospit al continuously seeks to improve the organization’s performance and the outcome of cares. With this, PHI has started the adoption the best and safe practices for all the clinical and non-clinical areas which guided by Malaysia Society in Healthcare Quality. Since the inception of Pantai Hospital Ipoh in 1996, the hospital has increased tremendously the disciplinary medical and surgical specialties. Listings below are the specialties provided by Pantai Hospital currently: †¢ Anaesthesiology †¢ Cardiology †¢ Colorectal Surgery †¢ Cardiothoracic Anaethesiology Cardiothoracic Surgery †¢ Dental / Oral Surgery †¢ Dermatology †¢ Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery (ENT) †¢ Gastroenterology †¢ General Surgery †¢ Haematology †¢ Immunology †¢ Infertility †¢ Internal Medicine †¢ Nephrology †¢ Neurology †¢ Neurosurgery †¢ Orthopaedic Surgery †¢ Obstetrics and Gynaecology †¢ Ophthalmology †¢ Paediat rics †¢ Pain Management †¢ Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery †¢ Psychiatry †¢ Urology †¢ Rheumatology †¢ Respiratory †¢ Radiology To facilitate the services mentioned above, Pantai Hospital Ipoh has established the following facilities and services: a. 24hrs Accident & EmergencyTo provide 24-hour services for emergency as well as less urgent cases that uses a triage system to determine the severity of each case, to ensure that priority is given to patients with the most urgent medical need. b. Ambulance Services Our ambulance service provides transportation of patients throughout Malaysia with includes: †¢ 24-hour Prompt Emergency Response-Time †¢ Specialized transport services †¢ Inter-hospital / inter-clinic transfers †¢ Doctor / nurse escort to provide immediate in-ambulance care †¢ Ambulance pick-up for calls within Ipoh City c. Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation CentreThe centre offers a wide range of rehabilitation progr ammes to help patients to achieve functionality and mobility. Amongst the broad spectrum of services include preventive care, and the treatment as well as management of movement disorders arising form medical conditions and lifelong disabilities. d. Imaging Service Pantai Hospital Ipoh has a complete range of imaging services including Multi-slice CT Scanner, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), X-rays, ultrasound & doppler scans and mammography. The department operates 24 hours, serving in-patients, outpatients as well as patients referred from external healthcare providers. e.Dietetic Counselling PHI’s dietitian provide individualized programs and counseling for patients, based on the doctor’s recommendations and patient’s condition. The dietitian also ensure that all food served to patients are low in fat, salt and sugar and ultimately meet the specific nutritional requirement of individual patient’s medical conditions and the doctor’s diagnosis. f . Pharmacy Service The hospital’s pharmacy is open 24 hours, dispensing medications for both inpatients and outpatients. Pharmacy staff also offer Patient Counselling Service; to advice patients on the correct way of taking as well as storing their medications.This service also extended to bed-side counseling for inpatients. g. Pathology and Laboratory Services PHI’s pathology services are managed and provided by Pantai Premier Pathology Sdn Bhd, The lab offers a full range of laboratory services and tests that are performed by skilled and experience personnel with sophisticated equipments. Pathologists are available for clinical consultation on concerns related to appropriate test utilization, assistance in test result interpretation or any other concerns which may occur in the course of patient management. h. Diagnostic and Endoscopic CentreThe centre provides treadmill to perform Stress Test to facilitate cardiac assessment; nad machines for ECG and Echo Cardiograms as well as Carotid Duplex to assess arterial blockages. The centre also carries out Dobutamine Stress Echo as an alternative method for those patients whose condition makes them unsuitable to undergo a Stress Test but urgently need cardiac assessment and 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring as well as Holter Monitoring which provides round-the-clock ECG monitoring especially for patients who complain of palpitations and/or sudden blackouts.The Endoscopic Centre facilitates varies type of scopes including gastroscopy, colonoscopy bronchoscopy, cystoscopy and ERCP. i. Brain and Nerve Centre The centre is equipped with machines which carry out the following procedures: †¢ Electroencephalogram (EEG) †¢ Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) †¢ Electromyogram (EMG) †¢ Visual Evoked Potential (VEP) Study †¢ Brain Auditory Evoked Potential (BAEP) Study j. Sleep Study Sleep Studies are conducted is a sleep laboratory; help doctor confirm certain sleep disorders. k. H aemodialysis CentreThe Putri Dialysis Centre is a well equipped centre that is designed to provide patients with a comfortable environment including waiting areas for accompanying family members, light refreshments and audio-video entertainment. l. Dental Services PHI has a well equipped dental clinic with a resident dentist and aided by visiting dental surgeons, who can undertake and perform complex dental procedures. m. Health and Wellness Centre It provides a wide range of premium screening programmes that will equip the customer with the knowledge and awareness to help to maintain optimum health. . Parking & Valet Service Pantai Hospital Ipoh offers complimentary parking services, further enhanced by a free Valet Service, which operates during the following hours: Monday to Friday- 7. 00am – 7. 00pm Saturday- 7. 00am – 5. 00pm Sunday- 9. 00am – 5. 00pm o. Concierge Service Complimentary concierge services are provided for patients who discharged from the hos pital, to help to transport their bags and belongings from their respective ward to the lobby, where Customer Care Assistant are at hand further assist the patient to alight their mode of transportation. . Financial Counselling Financial Counselling service was initiated to assist patients and their family members in managing the medical cost incurred from seeking treatment at Pantai Hospital Ipoh by offering cost estimation prior to procedure and assistance in getting financial aid from Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and relevant financial institution, should be arise. q. Other ServicesOther services that provide by Pantai Hospital Ipoh include; †¢ Hospital Cafetaria – certified halal providing a variety of local and international cuisine †¢ Bread Legend – offering wide choice of breads and buns †¢ Convimart – a mini convenience store selling magazines, snacks, drinks, gifts and fruit baskets. †¢ Natural Health Farm – Offering various health products that promote better health and longevity of human body, skin and hair. †¢ Ipoh Medical Supplies – offering a range of common medical supplies and equipment. †¢ Banking facilities – An ATM machine is strategically located at the hospital lobby. Internet Access – provides free WIFI access through-out the hospital for everyone Patient that require for inpatient treatment could be admitted through the Emergency Department or through Specialist Consultant or General Practitioner Clinic. Pantai Hospital Ipoh offers a range of room types, to cater individual needs and demands; however theses are subject to availability and if a particular room type is not available, option will be provided and efforts will be made to have the requested room type provided as soon as it is available. Below are the room rates which are subject to 6% Government Tax.Meals are complimentary to all patients. Room TypesRates Per Day (RM) †¢ Executive Del uxe Room330. 00 †¢ Deluxe Room250. 00 †¢ Single Room160. 00 †¢ Double-Bedded Room110. 00 †¢ Four-Bedded Room60. 00 †¢ ICU / CCU150. 00 †¢ Isolation Room 150. 00 †¢ Nursery25. 00 †¢ Day Case35. 00 †¢ Incubator 105. 00 Supply chain is the lifeblood of a healthcare organization. The supply chain process is the essential link for all programs and services offered by a hospital, and hence any improvement in managing the supply chain can positively impact bottom line profitability of any hospital’s operations.As most departments in Pantai Hospital Ipoh depend heavily on supplies, materials management can ease or cramp a hospital’s operations. From a low cost needle to a high-end orthopaedic implant, special instruments or pieces of linen, supplies are indispensable during a patient’s stay at the hospital. Quality care cannot be provided on time unless required material is available in adequate quantity. As such Pantai Hospi tal Ipoh, has established a purchasing department to centralize the purchasing all medical supplies, medical equipment and instrument, consumables, stationeries and toiletry within the hospital.The department not only to purchase but to perform price negotiation to ensure every item that purchased is the lowest price but of course without comprising the quality. Together with Store Department, Purchasing Department determines the minimum and maximum level for every single item for re-ordering purposes. To determine the minimum and maximum level, a few factors will be observed; the usage of them item / product, location of the supplier, the availability of the item / product in the market and delivery schedule.Thus, the purchasing needs to communicate with all the relevant departments and the supplier to ensure that is no shortage of all supplies and at the same time to ensure our store department is not holding too much stock. At our Pharmacy Department, the department also performe d the similar task as purchasing department but limited to pharmaceutical products. This is because pharmaceutical products need specialized person who is the pharmacist with the consultation of specialist consultants to understand the drugs usage and its complication.Pantai Hospital Ipoh not only subscribes to patented / original drugs but also generic drugs that provide the same effectiveness comparing to the original drugs but much lower in price. As generic drugs are less expensive, it could help to lower down the overall treatment cost that could enjoyed by the patient. The supply chain does not stop at the purchasing and pharmacy department. It is important that the purchased medical supplies and drugs are delivered to all the respective wards, clinics, operation theatre and other relevant departments to ensure no interruption of patient care.Hence, a supply chain system has been developed from early stage of sourcing and ordering to the patient consumption. As mentioned earli er, sourcing and ordering is done by purchasing and pharmacy department. Once the goods arrived to hospital, the respective store; general store and pharmacy store, will received their goods. The respective store will entered the stock into our Hospital Information System, and from there the stock will be arranged in the store systematically. The wards, departments and operation theatre will requisite their items based on their pre-set minimum and maximum level.For those high activities department for example operation theatre, they are allowed for three time requisition a week and as for less or average activities, will allowed to requisite their stock two times a week. As if any urgent requisition, store will allowed with valid reason. The receiving wards or departments will then store their stock in their respective store and label all stocks. The ward or department will consume the item(s) based on ‘first in first out (FIFO)’ method to ensure no there is no expiry p roducts. Ward and departmental clerk will ensure all the availability of the stocks is at a path level.At Pantai Hospital Ipoh, we also understand that supply chains may be more efficient and inexpensive by outsourcing of certain services. The main services that outsources are housekeeping. UMC Service Master, a well-known company in healthcare providing housekeeping services, has been appointed to manage housekeeping in the hospital. The programs offered by UMC Service Master has successfully provided measurable results by improving quality, containing costs, training and motivating employees and minimize risks. The company also takes over some of the nurses’ daily routine jobs for example bed making for inpatient and discharge patient.This enables the nurses to concentrate on the more critical matter which is patient care. Beside the purchasing, stock management and outsourcing, Pantai Hospital Ipoh also involved in a supply chain with international and local insurance comp anies and managed care organization or third party administrator. The insurance companies, managed care organization and third party administrator will signed a partnership agreement with the hospital to become panel hospital and to provide cashless healthcare facilities for their policyholders that are covered under their purchased policy.The treatment requested could be outpatient, daycase and/or inpatient depending on their policy terms and conditions. The process started when a patient requested for treatment; front office staff will request a guarantee letter (GL) from the respective insurance company, managed care organization or third party administrator by providing an initial medical report to them. The company will process the claim based on the initial report and if the case is covered, the company will issue the hospital a guarantee letter for payment.If the patient was admitted, hospital would to provide discharge summary and the total bill to the respective company for payment guarantee. Some companies do cover for the post-hospitalization up to 60 days of discharge. Our Marketing department also practices supply chain in their marketing activities. They has established a programme known as ‘Pantai Putri Member of Affiliation Program (PPMAP)’ to recruit general practitioner (GP) in Perak region to become part of PPMAP member.The objective is to obtain referral of patients to the hospital from the GPs, as Pantai Hospital Ipoh understands that GPs could be a good source of generating business. In return of the referral, Pantai Hospital will support their clinic by providing them on-going education and promoting their clinic by recommending to the local public and during any road show organized by Hospital Pantai Ipoh. This will generates a strong back to back support and mutually benefited.For the past few years, there was a lot of development and improvement taken place in Pantai Hospital in related with supply chain management but th e hospital is still facing challenges in managing the effectiveness of supply chain system. The challenges can be classified at below: a. Lack of Product Management b. Limited Sourcing and Services c. Outdated IT systems d. Lack of Inventory and Distribution Management Lack of Product Management First, the hospital could categorize the products in terms of cost, criticality and other criteria.For instance, bed linen may be less critical and represent a low cost to the hospital; paracetamol may be urgently required but inexpensive; while specialist cancer drugs may be both urgent and costly. This product categorization will dictate supply chain design. For example, drugs and medical equipment might be ordered directly from the manufacturers’ own stock, often at short notice and in unpredictable quantities, requiring storage relatively nearby. Medical supplies, on the other hand, will be subject to a more regular supply chain, providing greater flexibility in responding to emer gencies.Secondly, hospital and specialist doctor should work under one vision and direction in providing the best service at a reasonable cost. In heealthcare industry, we understand specialist consultants are independent contractors with considerable clout and specific preferences for supplies and some variations in supplies and processes are accommodated to ensure patient safety. These Preference Items accountable for more than 50% of total medical supply spending in PHI. This provide an opportunity for supply chain savings in the area of physician buy-in especially with respect to changes in purchase and use of high-cost clinical items.It is commonly perceived that physicians are resistant to change. He points to the fact that data which supports the decision to use a particular supply can go a long way in convincing a physician to use a particular supply. PHI could establish a product evaluation and review committees which consist of clinical experts, purchasing and finance pers onnel to overcome the problem. The purpose of the committee is to decide to purchase and universally adopt cost-effective items for use within all hospitals and the decision making is by team consensus.The finance and purchasing personnel could educate the clinical experts on the financial impact of various supplier options. Therefore, the use of consensus, instead of majority rule, in the decision making process minimizes any postsourcing disagreement and results in the high compliance rate and buy-ins from all physicians. This will helps purchasing to further negotiate and obtain lower price from the supplier as the hospital is now buying exclusively from the supplier only with bigger quantity.Thirdly, in PHI product cost assessment, hospital must evaluate the ‘total cost’ rather than just ‘unit product cost’ in determining the types of products to purchase. The cost of a product is evaluated from the types of raw materials used for the product and how th is will impact the disposal cost associated with the product. For example, the use of analog X-Ray equipment may have a lower unit cost initially, but the tool utilizes X-ray film that contained mercury, may result in a significant disposal fee which needs to be calculated in the total cost.Hence, hospital should to considering total cost has resulted in significant cost savings. Sourcing and Services Effective management of the external supply chain typically covers every facet of procurement activity – such as supplier selection, contract negotiation, planning and implementation, distribution and delivery – while taking factors such as risk, reward into account. There are 9 Pantai Hospital and 2 Gleneagles Hospital in whole Malaysia, as such Centralize Group Purchasing is possible.Centralize Group Purchasing have provided significant cost saving opportunities for hospitals by taking advantage of economies of scale in purchasing from select vendors for many hospitals at once. Cost saving includes better contract terms, price reduction, rebates and overhead costs. Purchasing Systems and Technology Pantai Hospital Ipoh has an outdated Hospital Information System (HIS) to manage their supply chains, known as Procare. These outdated data management systems do not have the capacity to meet the changes and needs today.The challenge faced by PHI is how to seamlessly transition the wealth of data without disrupting the existing purchasing system and inter-departmental integration. One identified area in supply chain structure that PHI could further improve on is in the area of purchasing systems and technology. PHI can explore new technologies and leverage on what has been successfully done in other Pantai hospitals to enable staffs to access faster, more valuable and easier access to necessary supply information when ordering.At time hospital spend significant resources to reconcile purchase orders and invoices due to mismatched item numbers and units of measure. Another challenge that PHI faces is in identifying personnel capable of understanding the old technology used by the existing IT systems to effectively move it to a newer platform. Although this is not a unique problem faced by PHI, there is no industry standard that can easily help provide a cost- and time-effective solution.Hence, the technology upgrade for PHI’s purchasing system remains an area to be addressed and recognized by the management. Once improved, the flexibility of the system will allow KP a more detailed view of its purchasing process and use of products, which will in turn provide better insight into creating a more effective cost structure. Inventory and Distribution Management It is critical for PHI to maintain a sufficient level of inventory at all times to ensure the needs of patients are always met. Failure to do so could result in the loss of life.In a hospital, managing its inventory is not easy as there are thousands of inventories, both medical and non-medical products. The distribution mechanism is also very important to ensure the product(s) is delivered to the end user in the hospital. PHI’s general store often mismanaged of the inventories, the current inventory system is ineffective and inefficient. The challenge that PHI is facing is that the management is unable to provide a sufficient storage and no proper and experience staff to head and managed the store.To overcome the issue, first PHI need to engage an experience staff who has know about inventory management and to review and examine the overall existing available storage space to maximize the current storage with the assistance of shelf, cabinet or compactor. Secondary storage could be developed to separate the medical and non-medical items. PHI could incorporate radio frequency identification technology (RFID) into its inventory management system. RFID systems have a broad range of potential benefits for the health care industry.These include m edical device and asset tracking, improved visibility of inventory and supply chain management, and improved patient safety by preventing drug counterfeiting. In our current distribution, the store depend on the departmental clerk to requisite their stock. As mentioned early, some departments / patient care units replenish their stock 3-times a week but some are only 2-times a week. Especially, the patient care unit, inventory management for them is a hassle as they are focusing on patient care. At time, the unit forgot to replenish their stock; patient care was affected due to unavailability of the product.This challenge often faced by the medical staff. The distribution system should be improved to be more effective to prevent and to solve the issue. The general store could establish a system whereby there will be person in the store to monitor the availability of the stock via our Hospital Information System – Procare and since minimum and maximum ordering has already been fixed, the general store staff could deliver the stock(s) which is under path level to the respective patient care unit. The store would have better control of overall inventory and distribution and improvement activities could be carried out more efficient and effective.A good inventory management programme is always patient-centred. While inventory is concerned with financial issues, hospitals are in the business of serving patients. Although technology has an important role to play, the emphasis should be on using it in a way that makes a difference to the quality of patient care. Automating inefficient processes may not yield any productive result. Processes should be reengineered to make them more patient-friendly. Cost-effectiveness, time consciousness and safety are key drivers of a patient-centered approach.Once this goal is clear, technology can support and drive the efforts towards realizing efficiencies and improving the quality of health care services. Reference: 1. Pan tai Hospital Ipoh’s company profile (K. K. L. I. U. No. (0320/2012/C) 2. Asian Hospital & Healthcare Management – article on Materials Management in Healthcare ‘A patient-centred approach’ 3. Supply Chain Management in Hospital: A Case Study by Samuel Toba, Mary Tomasini, Y. Helio Yang, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA – published in California Journal of Operations Management, Volume 6, Number 1, February 2008