Disaster preparedness (case) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Disaster preparedness (case) - Essay Example One of the best strengths was that they were prepared and had a strategy already in force in case of a volcanic eruption. The strategy allowed the eruption area to be classified into zones. The zones helped keep people out of the more dangerous areas. The volcano was constantly monitored so that if there were an indication of an eruption, those in the area could be warned. This is the type of preparedness that is necessary to prevent more than necessary losses. A weakness in the Mount Pinatubo eruption is the way that the people near the volcano were evacuated. The evacuation is controlled by the local authorities. This is not enough. More structured evacuation techniques should have been in place to aid those living near the volcano, a way out. Not everyone may have accessibility to find out that there is a warning. A better effort could have been taken to inform those of the eruption. The Philippine governments never even issued a warning until after the eruption even though they had prepared efforts in place. The people in the village were able move to temporary housing until the evacuation was complete. The temporary housing was like bunkers. This allowed the people of the village to relocate to a safe location. The people that were relocated were also able to find temporary work. This temporary work helped with common living expenses. Plans like this that allowed for temporary housing and work were a great strength to response efforts. Although not all of the efforts were strengths, it was important to do the best and remain calm in a panic situation. Natural disasters like the eruption allowed for future response efforts to be bettered because there was much to learn from the mistakes. Question 2 - Perry et al (2005) describe three critical social management techniques for responding to volcanic disasters. Describe how you would apply these techniques to preparedness and response efforts involving a volcanic disaster such as the eruption of

Organizational Development Change Management of UCS

Organizational Development Change Management of UCS The purpose of this paper is to choose an organization and prepare the first section of a detailed Organizational Development Proposal. Sectin 1., consist of describing the chosen organization in terms of primary purpose, location(s) and size, mission and vision, history as well as the internal and external conditions in which the organization operates. Additionally, this paper will conduct an internal and external analysis of the organization in terms of competencies and competitiveness through the use of relevant analysis tools. Section 1: Organizational Setting Name of the Company Universal Consulting Services, Inc. (UCS) Primary Purpose According to Bloomberg (2017) business profiles, UCS, Inc. provides business and information technology (IT) consulting services for government and industry. It offers consulting services, in areas such as federal acquisition that includes contract close-out, wide area workflow program support, and standard procurement system program support services. It also provides enterprise IT solutions, such as customizable solutions, requirements design and development, testing and evaluation, implementation and training, and help desk and production assistance, as well as system integration, development, and architecture. Additional services include program management, project management advisory services, financial analysis and services, and administrative support for government agencies. Its clients include Department of Defense, such as Department of the Navy, Department of the Army, and other defense agencies; as well as federal civilian agencies, including Department of Treasury, Departm ent of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Peace Corps. Location(s) and Size UCS is headquartered out of Fairfax, Virginia with a satellite office in Frederick, Maryland. The company currently has 265 employees with the majority of the employee working in the Washington, D.C. metro area, and multiple other States across the country, Hawaii and overseas in Japan and Spain (Ascentis UCS, 2017). UCS has experienced a three year growth of 43% with a reported 2015 revenue of $48.3 million (INC. 5000, 2017) Mission and Vision Mission. According to Universal Consulting Services, Inc.swebsite (2017) their mission is as follows: Launched in 2000 by a couple with a vision, UCS has evolved into a robust health and IT service provider armed with a solid reputation for quality and core capabilities aligned with the Governments requirements. Since our founding, we have prided ourselves on employing smart people who give their best to the customers we serve by creating smart solutions that save the Government time, money, and stress. The industry has recognized our services by awarding us with CMMI Level 3, ISO 9001, ISO 20000, and ISO 27001 certifications all of which underscore the quality, ingenuity, and reliability of both our services and our people. In that vein, our goal is to deliver innovative solutions that enable our Government clients to transform their missions into reality. Vision. According to Universal Consulting Services, Inc.s website (2017) their vision is as follows: Our vision is to be a top brand name for federal consulting services thats known for our people-driven culture, innovative perspective, and results-oriented mindset. We will: Be an agent of change for our customers by combining forward-thinking technology with practical problem solving, ultimately creating a distinct, lasting improvement in our customers performance. Empower our employees to develop their unique strengths, build strong teams, and make a tangible impact on the direction of both the company and our customers. Develop a brand that continues to catapult our company to the top of our industry, achieved through winning large, complex opportunities. History UCS is a woman owned business that was founded in 2000 by Mrs. Charu Dhumne and her husband Abhijit Dhumne with the mission of becoming a highly professional and trusted provider of business and technology solutions to the government and industry. Until 2015 UCS was a registered 8(a), minority owned, small disadvantaged business. In 2015 they graduated the Small Business Administrations (SBA) advantage program and now compete outside of the SBA programs. The 8(a) program offers a broad scope of assistance to firms that are owned and controlled at least 51% by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and allows participants to receive sole-source contracts up to a ceiling of $4 million for goods and services and $6.5 million for manufacturing (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2017). The majority of UCS growth was realized under this program. UCS has consistently developed their quality programs and currently hold certifications for ISO 9001-2008, ISO 20000, ISO 27001 and CMMI Level 3 DEV. Conditions in Which the Organization Operates External. UCS currently operates as a mid-sized government consulting firm with limited to no protection or advantages afforded them as an 8(a) small, disadvantaged business which allowed them to receive direct contract wards without having to compete for them. The completion of the 8(a) has placed new economic challenges on the company in that they must now openly compete for work, or partner/subcontract with other small businesses under small business development programs, to gain new work or to retain current work as a re-award. Being located in the Washington D.C. metro area places even greater challenges as it is a highly competitive market for government contractors not just for work, but recruiting talent as well. This is in part due to higher wages and competitive benefits for highly sought after skill sets. Internal. UCS is structured as a typical functional organization which is one of the most common of the organizational structures (Galbraith, 2014) and are set up so that sections of the organization are grouped according to their purpose. Galbraith (2014) discusses how under this type of organizational structure companies divide out into sections and may for example, have a marketing department, a sales department and a production department. UCS is organized by functional and support areas. Under the support areas there is Operations (Administration, Human Resources, IT Management, Security, Facilities Management, and Contracts Management); Finance (Accounting and Payroll); and Business Development (Proposal Management, Graphics, and Marketing). The functional areas consists of client services grouped into Enterprise IT Services (Systems Engineering and Application Development, System Implementation, System Integration, Infrastructure and Operations, and Information Assurance and S ecurity Compliance); and Health Services and Solutions (Strategic Development and Performance Improvement, Advisory and Assistance Services, Portfolio and Program Management, Biomedical Services, Clinical Research and Development, and Health IT and Informatics. The structure is fairly straight forward and is a structure that works very well for many small to medium sized businesses (Galbraith, 2014). The senior leadership is comprised of the President, CEO, Executive Vice President, one support Vice President and three functional Vice Presidents. The culture is one of small business (family) but has recently been feeling the strain of growth and unclear guidance with the appointment of a new Executive Vice President. The workforce is one of diversity in characteristics and talents. The average age of the workforce is 32 (Ascentis UCS, 2017), of which the majority are located on client sites. Internal and External Analysis According to Burk (2014), in order for leadership to identify problems or issues impacting the organization they must understand the environment in which they operate and be able to analyze areas of strengths and weaknesses. Senior leadership and management teams must then determine how to respond to what the environment is telling them and how to establish a more effective alignment for their organization which can allow them to maintain or gain competitive advantages (Burk, 2014). External. One of the tools often used to provide such an analysis is one developed by Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School, called Porters Five Forces of Competitive Position Analysis. It was developed in 1979 as a simple framework for assessing and evaluating the external environment by focusing on the competitive strength and position of a business organization (Grundy, 2006). Grundy (2006) states that Porters theory proposes that there are five forces which determine the competitiveness of an organization by helping to determine the strengths of an organization and their current competitive position. Identifying strengths of an organization may then be used to align the organization to its current direction or move in new directions. Analysts often use Porters five forces to predict whether a new product or service will be profitable and to identify areas to improve weaknesses and to avoid mistakes (Porter, 1980). The justification for the use of this tool is that it provi des an easy to understand method of analyzing some of the biggest areas of external impact on virtually any organization. According to Porter (1980) the five forces to analyze are: Threat of new entry: This is an analysis of new entrants to the market that may dilute the customer base and erode profitability. It also looks at the organizations durable barriers to entry like patents, cost of entry, and external factors like government regulations and policies, all of which can impact profitability. Supplier power: an assessment of how easy it is for suppliers to drive up prices. This can be driven by the number of suppliers for each product, the number of suppliers in an area, the size of the supplier, the uniqueness of their product or service, or even the cost associated with changing from one supplier to another. Buyer power: an assessment of how easy it is for buyers to drive prices down. Key factors here are; the number of buyers in the market or area that can dictate terms, the relevant importance of the buyer to the organization, the cost to the buyer associated with changing from one supplier to another. Competitive rivalry: This is an analysis of the number and capability of competitors in the market to determine how many competitors are offering the same products and services and their strength which could reduce market attractiveness to the product or service being offered. Threat of substitution: This is an analysis of products or services that exist in a market that may be close to what the organization is offering, thereby increasing the ability of customers switching to alternative sources in response to a price increase. This reduces both the power of suppliers and the attractiveness of the market. Applying Porters five forces technique to UCS would yield the following analysis: Threat of new entry: Given the market and location in which UCS operates (government contracting in the Washington D.C. area) there is constant threat of new entries to the market. These new entries have relatively low barriers in the form of cost due the service nature of the business. Most new start-ups begin by offering their personal knowledge and skills. Additionally, new entries to the market can most often take advantage of SBA assistant opportunities in helping to succeed in the market. The strongest barrier benefiting established companies is the bureaucracy (time it takes) associated with establishing/registering for certain credentials such as 8(a), Veteran Owned, Service Disabled Veteran Owned, obtaining and meeting security clearance requirements etc. Additionally, it takes time for new entries to build a reputation and past performances in order to expand their services. Supplier power: Suppliers abilities to drive up prices are relatively negligible in that the buyer drives the market more so than the supplier. However, that being said there are certain niche areas in the market such as the newest and hottest programing and development skills that the buyer is looking for and only specific competitors or individuals have, coupled with security clearance requirements, that can in fact drive up prices for talent and drive competitive recruiting/bidding wars for the individual talent to offer to the client. Buyer power: the primary client for UCS is the U.S. Government and as such is subject to extreme scrutiny in pricing as well as performance. Pricing is based on what the client/buyer determines to be fair and reasonable for the services requested. This accomplished through what is known as Independent Government Estimates and level of effort of services being requested. All of which are dependent upon the governments budget and funding levels that are being made available for the requirement. Additionally, the procurement strategy can also have an impact on the pricing (i.e. is the government looking for lowest price for technically acceptable bids or for best value of services based on what they receive for the amount bid). Competitive rivalry: For UCS this one of the primary concerns. The number and capability of competitors in the market are vast. Given that UCS is no longer under a SBA small business advantage program they must now compete with globally recognized companies such as Deloitte, Booz Allen, Northrop Grumman, CACI and more, all of which are offering the same services and have significant resources and brand recognition not just to the clients but to potential talent as well. Threat of substitution: Threat of substitution for UCS is significant due to the buyers ability to determine the procurement strategy and the requirements to assist small businesses in receiving government contracts. As such, the buyer could choose to accept a company that is technically acceptable but not as capable or proven as UCS in order to comply with the procurement strategy and check off their requirement to provide work to small disadvantaged businesses. Basically substitute a lesser qualified competitor in order to demonstrate adherence to procurement guidelines. Internal. My preferredmethod of analysis would be targeted surveys to collect data on areas where we are strong, weak or perceived threats. Burk (2014) discusses how psychologists have long relied on questionnaires for data collection, diagnosis and assessment of various studies. He goes on to discuss how leadership and Organizational Development are also leveraging this tool for data collection and has spawned what is known as the Organizational Survey Feedback Method. He also noted that when discussed the survey results with subordinates, particularly through group discussion, positive change typically occurred. The justification for use of this method is that it is a low cost, simple to use, customizable method of collecting a great deal of information. Additionally, once a survey is sent out, it sets an expectation and a responsibility within the organization for follow-up actions. However, for the purposes of this paper, it would be virtually impossible to conduct an organizational survey in time, so instead I would recommend getting much of the same data through the use of a SWOT analysis. Bradt and Davis (2014) discuss a SWOT analysis as a tool used to analyze the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project, product or service venture, or the organization as a whole. It analysis the internal and external factors that can impact the objective being analyzed. A SWOT analysis can be used to help understand the factors that drive or hinder success in an organization and helps to think through potential scenarios to complete the question of so what? and set up the actions of now what? (Bradt Davis, 2014). This in turn can help get members aligned with the organizations vision and strategy and has been often used in executive brainstorming sessions. For UCS the SWOT Analysis must first define a desired end state or objective and in this case it would be to position itself to compete in a larger pool of competitors. The following will provide the basic analysis criteria as interpreted from Bradt and Davis (2014) and then followed by the specific UCS application. Strengths: These are characteristics of the business, team or individual members that give it an advantage over others in the industry. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Young energetic and dedicated workforce demographic. Ability to attract hard to find skill-sets. More organizationally flexible and able to adapt to change quickly. Focus on low overhead expenses allowing for better rates. Weaknesses: These are characteristics that place the firm at a disadvantage as compared to others and can include those found in business, team or individual. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Weakened communications from senior leaders. Inexperienced member in top leadership position. Lack of strategic focus on NEW clients outside of current client base. The start of disharmony among other senior leaders. Too much focus on biggest client which detracts from the many other clients. Fear of dedicating resources to potential new opportunities. Hyper-focus on reducing already good overhead costs, to the possible detriment of losing talent. Opportunities: These are external chances that can make greater sales or profits, improve market position or stakeholder perception. This can be applied to external from the team, business objective or members. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Use of senior business development leaders talents to open new doors outside of current client base. Rely more on experienced leaderships input to accomplish strategies and change. Be less risk aversive in going after new market segments. Threats: These are external elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business. This can be applied to external from the team, business objective or members. In the case of UCS the following would apply: Hyper-focus of overhead cost reduction policy of making overhead personnel billable. Up and coming companies participating in the SBA small and disadvantaged business programs that can redirect contracts UCS is going after to direct (non-competitive awards to the smaller companies. Employee dis-satisfaction that can result in a damaged reputation thereby impacting recruiting and retention. Summary of Analysis. Review of the external and internal factors impacting UCS show that the company faces its greatest challenges from external forces and should be concerned with the new arena of competition it finds itself in. The loss of the SBA advantage programs significantly impacts the ability to gain new work or retain re-awards without a strong strategy to overcome the barriers it now faces. From the internal perspective UCS has some considerable strengths to leverage in its talented workforce, predominantly experienced leadership and ability to adapt to change. In its new highly competitive environment its ability to be lean and control overhead cost is an advantage and will allow them to be more competitive in pricing. However, while controlling cost is a strength, it can also be a weakness if cost reductions are at the risk of reputation, comfort and confidence of employees, and the ability to attract and retain the needed skills. Additionally, companies must grow and ac hieve new heights through controlled risk. By being overly risk adverse in order to conserve resources, a company may end up moving backwards instead of forwards. References Ascentis UCS (2017). Human Resources Automated Information System. Retrieved from https://selfservice2.ascentis.com/UCS/STS/signin.aspx?c=UCS Bloomberg.com. (2017). Universal Consulting Services, Inc.: Private Company Information Bloomberg. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=108719433 Bradt, G. B., Davis, G. (2014). First-Time Leader: Foundational Tools for Inspiring and Enabling Your New Team (1). Somerset, US: John Wiley Sons, Incorporated. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.edmc.edu Burke, W. W. (2014). Organization Change: Theory and Practice, 4th Edition. [Argosy University]. Retrieved from https://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/#/books/9781452257242/ Galbraith, J. R. (2014). Designing Organizations: An Executive Guide to Strategy, Structure, and Process (3). Somerset, US: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com.libproxy.edmc.edu Grundy, T. (2006). Rethinking and reinventing Michael Porters five forces model. Strategic Change, 15(5), 213-229. doi:10.1002/jsc.764 INC. 5000. (2017). Universal Consulting Services Fairfax, VA. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/profile/universal-consulting-services?cid=full500016-list-1455 Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: Free Press. U.S. Small Business Administration. (2017). About the 8(a) Business Development Program | The U.S. Small Business Administration | SBA.gov. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from https://www.sba.gov/contracting/government-contracting-programs/8a-business-development-program/about-8a-business-development-program Universal Consulting Service, Inc. (2017). Homepage. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from https://ucs-inc.com/

The Greenhouse Effect, A Torrent of Information, and the Politics of Ma

The Greenhouse Effect, A Torrent of Information, and the Politics of Mass Uncertainty Introduction: Global warming, the ozone layer, and deforestation are becoming increasingly discussed topics both in the international community and society. Former Vice-President Albert Gore stated in his 1992 book Earth in the Balance, â€Å"The process of filling the atmosphere with CO2 and other pollutants†¦is a willful expansion of our dysfunctional civilization into vulnerable parts of the world† (Wittwer 21). With statements like this, one might wonder what stops the human race from ending this kind of behavior. Scientists and politicians are paralyzed when addressing the issue of global warming largely from uncertainty of cause/effect relationships, closeness of potential policy making to the everyday individual, and distance of potential effects. What follows is a discussion of this problem, which you will see, is not as clear cut as Al Gore’s statement. Background; a general agreement: The World Book Encyclopedia Millennium Edition defines the Greenhouse Effect as â€Å"a warming of the lower atmosphere and surface of the planet by a complex process involving sunlight, gases, and particles in the atmosphere.† It further notes that the Greenhouse Effect existed long before humans did, for it added about 59 degrees Fahrenheit (~33 C) to the average global temperature (World Book 382-383). An additional increase to the Earth’s natural Greenhouse Effect has been called in general terms ‘global warming’. The World Book Encyclopedia states, â€Å"Since the late 1800’s, the average temperature has increased about 0.5 to 1.5 Fahrenheit degrees.† Attributing the increase in average temperature to the burning of fossil fuels ... ...per, Lee, Scott Murtishaw, Fridtjof Unander. â€Å"International Comparisons of Sectoral Carbon Dioxide Emissions Using a Cross-Country Decomposition Technique.† Energy Journal. 22.2 (2001): WilsonSelectPlus Number BBPI1045462, Schewe Library, Illinois College, accessed 4/15/2003. â€Å"Effects Will Continue for a Century, Even if Emissions are Curbed Now.† USA Today. (June 2002) WilsonSelectPlus Number BRDG02101336, Schewe Library, Illinois College, accessed 4/15/2003. Van Dam, Laura. â€Å"Of Seashells, Ancient Climate, and Fossil Fuels.† Technology Review. (May/June 1995) WilsonSelectPlus Number BRDG95041776, Schewe Library, Illinois College, accessed 4/15/2003 . Wittwer, Slyvan Harold. â€Å"The Great Promise of the ‘Greenhouse Effect’.† Consumers’ Research Magazine. (June 1997) WilsonSelectPlus Number BRDG97047480, Schewe Library, Illinois College, accessed 4/15/2003.

How and why did USA become involved in the Vietnam War Essay

In march 12, 1947 with the truman doctrine and the newly introduced policy of containment usa decided to award itself with status of policeman of the world giving themselves a permission to intervene anywhere in the world when they consider it is neccessary. This was the policy that allowed them to interpose in vietnam. Vietnamese people under the leadership of ho chi mihn, founder of viet minh defeated french at diem bien phu who had controll over whole indochina (thailand, vietnam, combodia, laos). Although usa was sending aid to french they didn’t help much because president eisenhower has just been elected to end the korean war therefore he didn’t want to involve usa in another conflict. However after french defeat and the devision of vietnam into north which was communist and south usa started to realize the danger of communism spreading into asia and saw vietnam as a puppet in hands of ussr and china. in convinction that responsibility for the ‘domino effect’ will be theirs if they won’t do anything. n 1954 usa prevented the re-uniting free elections from taking place, foreboding uniting vietnam under communist goverment. this time they showed their resilient attitude, considering their disapproval with ussr, not holding free elections in their sattelites. nevertheless there were no elections and usa picked up anti-communist diem to become a president of south vietnam. This decision led to many protest especially from buddhist monks since diem was ignorat to their religion and culture, he himself being christian. uring his reign he forbade any elections and set members of his family into important positions. his corruption and way of controling south vietnam was the reason for more and more people joining the national front for the liberation of south vietnam, the viet cong. although usa didn’t agree with his governance after his murder they continued to support his equally corrupt successor. Meantime, in usa after kennedy’s assasination new president was elected with completely different attitude. b johnson seemed more considered about vietnam and sent more and more military personel, the so called ‘advisors’ to vietnam. During his leadership he achieved the tonkin gulf resolution under suspicious coincidences of the tonkin gulf incident, giving him ultimate power to launch immediate attack or start war without the need of consulting the idea with senate or advisors. lbj was the most involved president in vietnam war and he started the open war with vietnam. When advisors were not enough and the infiltration of north vietnamese in south vietnam became with increasing number of attacs intorelable problem, in march 1965 lbj decided to launch the operation rolling thunder, bombing of the North Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh’s trail which was the major mean of supplying south vietnam by Viet Cong. within a short time usa realized that this tactics is not appropriate but they were in convinction that easing would signal their weakness. n addition this operation lasted for eight years where high explosives, herbicides to destroy the jungle and defoliant agent orange were used and more bombs were dropped on vietnam than on germany by all the allies during the second world war. despite the growing objections johnson launched full-scale war with the first conventional warfare in ia drang valley which both sides considered as victory. Although americans inflicted greater losses than they have suffered (a:300 v:2000), vietnamese held their position s. This way the war continued for number of years marked with unsuccessful negotiations with main problem of diplomacy frequently undermined by military activity at a critical moment. In 1967 in south Vietnam were held the ‘free’ elections but without any communist party. Thieu was elected with a low vote but finally usa could say they are defending democratically elected goverment. in following years after the failure of previous operations, operations search and destroy was introduced which main aims were defending us bases, launching search and destroy missions. Another operation, an attempt to win the hearts and minds of the peasant was also complete failure, highlighting the main American problem – misapprehension of the culture of Vietnamese people. The Vietnam war being the first televised war hugely influenced it and seeing the happenings in vietnam many student protests took place in usa, especially after the Mai Lay massacre which shocked people being the evidence that something in this war has gone wrong. n 1967 increase of bombing by more than 50%, generals still requsting more men and viet cong still holding their positions even advancing (the tet offesnive 1968) and more than 3 000 000 casualities made johnson slowly realize that this war he will not win. In 1968 johnson after many absurd years of fighting informed public that usa will halt bombing, awaiting peace talks. the president has given up ending this terrible mistake and resignated, Vietnam finally became free, united and communist.

When The Urinary System Fails Health And Social Care Essay

Normal riddance of urinary or nephritic wastes is a basic map that most people take for granted ( Potter & A ; Perry, 2004 ) . When the urinary system fails to work decently, virtually all organ systems will be finally affected. For this ground, intercessions designed to battle nephritic troubles and failures are of paramount importance in my arrangement which is in the nephritic ward. As a nurse in the nephritic ward, understanding and a sensitiveness to all clients ‘ demands are of import. For this paper, a specific clinical scenario that normally happens in the nephritic ward is chosen. This status is urinary tract infection as a consequence of the catheterisation. The ground for taking this clinical status is that this is really common yet if left untreated can present serious injury to the patient. Body Urinary piece of land infections or more normally referred to as UTIs are responsible for more than 7 million physician visits a twelvemonth and are the most common hospital-acquired ( nosocomial ) infections in many states worldwide ( Foxman, 2002 ) . Many instances of urinary piece of land infections result from catheterisation or surgical use. Although several different micro-organisms may do this status, Escherichia coli remains the most common causative pathogen, responsible for 80 % of unsophisticated infections. Bacteria in the piss or bacteriuria may take to the spread of beings into the kidneys and blood stream, taking to urosepsis ( O'Donnell & A ; Hofmann, 2002 ) . Microorganisms most normally enter the urinary piece of land through the go uping urethral path. Bacteria inhabit the distal urethra, external genital organ, and vagina in adult females. Organisms enter the urethral meatus easy and go up the inner mucosal run alonging to the vesica. Womans are more susceptible to infection because of the propinquity of the anus to the urethral meatus and because if the short urethra ( Potter & A ; Perry, 2004 ) . Catheter interpolation is the primary hazard factor for nosocomial urinary piece of land infections. Womans and aged patients are at increased hazard for catheter-associated urinary piece of land infections, but several other hazard factors exist. Pre-existing chronic unwellness, malnutrition, diabetes, nephritic inadequacy, and interpolation of the catheter outside the operating room or late in hospitalization are each associated with increased hazard of urinary piece of land infections ( Crosby, 2005 ) . In work forces, prostate secernment s that contain an antibacterial substance and the length of the urethra cut down the susceptiblenesss to urinary piece of land infections. Older grownups and patients with progressive implicit in disease or decreased unsusceptibility are besides at increased hazard. In a healthy individual with a good vesica map, beings are flushed out during invalidating. Residual piss in the vesica becomes more alkalic and is an ideal site for micro-organism growing. Any intervention with the free flow of urine can do infection. a kinked, obstructed, or clamped catheter and any status ensuing in urinary keeping addition the hazard of a vesica infection. In the infirmary scene, urinary piece of land infections occur as a consequence of catheterisation. Each twelvemonth, urinary catheters are inserted in more than 5 million patients in acute-care infirmaries and extended-care installations. Urinary piece of land infections are the 2nd most common nosocomial infections in infirmaries in Europe and the first in the United States ( Martin, 2001 ) . Catheter-associated urinary piece of land infection ( CAUTI ) is the most common nosocomial infection in infirmaries and nursing places, consisting [ is greater than ] 40 % of all institutionally acquired infections. Nosocomial bacteriuria or candiduria develops in up to 25 % of patients necessitating a urinary catheter for [ is greater than or equal to ] 7 yearss, with a day-to-day hazard of 5 % . CAUTI is the 2nd most common cause of nosocomial blood stream infection, and surveies by Platt et Al. and Kunin et Al. suggest that nosocomial CAUTIs are associated with well increased institutional decease rates, unrelated to the happening of urosepsis ( Tambyah, 2001 ) . For centuries, the urethral catheter system consisted of a tubing inserted through the urethra into the vesica and drained into an unfastened container. The closed catheter system was developed in the 1950s and is still in usage today ( Zweig, 2000 ) . UTIs are the most common nosocomial infection, accounting for 40 % of all hospital-reported infections and impacting about 600,000 patients yearly. Catheter interpolation is the primary hazard factor for nosocomial UTIs. Women and aged patients are at increased hazard for catheter-associated UTIs, but several other hazard factors exist. Pre-existing chronic unwellness, malnutrition, diabetes, nephritic inadequacy, and interpolation of the catheter outside the operating room or late in hospitalization are each associated with increased hazard of UTIs. UTIs besides add to the costs of attention by protracting hospitalization by 1 to 4 yearss and increasing the direct costs of intervention by an estimated $ 593 to $ 680 per infection ( Crosby, 2005 ) . They may affect a urosepsis, which carries a mortality rate that may be every bit high as 25 to 60 % . They frequently occur in patients with an indwelling urinary catheter. The lms and external surfaces of the catheter are the paths for bacterial entry into the vesica. For forestalling infection, the care of a closed unfertile drainage system is described as the most successful method. A closed drainage system was described for the first clip in 1928, and its benefit was appreciated much later ( Martin, 2001 ) . Excluding rare hematogenously derived pyelonephritis, caused about entirely by Staphylococcus aureus, most micro-organisms doing endemic CAUTI derive from the patient ‘s ain colonic and perineal vegetations or from the custodies of health-care forces during catheter interpolation or use of the aggregation system. Organisms addition entree in one of two ways. Extraluminal taint may happen early, by direct vaccination when the catheter is inserted, or subsequently, by beings go uping from the perineum by capillary action in the thin mucose movie immediate to the external catheter surface. Intraluminal taint occurs by reflux of micro-organisms deriving entree to the catheter lms from failure of closed drainage or taint of piss in the aggregation bag ( Tambyah, 2001 ) Catheterization of the vesica involves presenting a gum elastic or plastic tubing through the urethra and into the vesica. The catheter provides a uninterrupted flow of urine in patients who are unable to command urination or those with obstructors. It besides provides a agency of measuring urine end product in hemodynamically unstable clients. Because vesica catheterisation carries the hazard of urinary piece of land infections, obstruction, and injury to the urethra, it is preferred to trust on other steps for either specimen aggregation or direction of incontinency ( Potter & A ; Perry, 2004 ) . The usage of urinary catheters should be avoided whenever possible. Clean intermittent catheterisation, when practical, is preferred to long- term catheterisation. Suprapubic catheters offer some advantages, and rubber catheters may be appropriate for some work forces. While clean handling of catheters is of import, everyday perineal cleansing and catheter irrigation or altering are uneffective in extinguishing bacteriuria. Bacteriuria is inevitable in patients necessitating long-run catheterisation, but merely diagnostic infections should be treated. Infections are normally polymicrobial, and earnestly sick patients require therapy with two antibiotics. Patients with spinal cord hurts and those utilizing catheters for more than 10 old ages are at greater hazard of vesica malignant neoplastic disease and nephritic complications ; periodic nephritic scans, urine cytology and cystoscopy may be indicated in these patients ( Zweig, 2000 ) . Recommendations Build up of secernments or incrustation at the catheter interpolation site is a beginning of annoyance and possible infection. The nurses, in order to avoid such a state of affairs, must supply perineal attention and hygiene at least twice daily or as needed for a patient with a keeping catheter. Soap and H2O are effectual in cut downing the figure of beings around the urethra. The nurse must non by chance progress the catheter up into the vesica during cleansing or hazard presenting bacteriums. In add-on to routine perineal attention and hygiene, many establishments recommend that clients with catheters receive particular attention at least three times a twenty-four hours and after laxation or intestine incontinency to assist minimise uncomfortableness and infection. Keeping a closed urinary drainage system is of import in infection control. A interruption in the system can take to debut of micro-organisms. Sites at hazard are the site of catheter interpolation, the drainage bag, the tap, the tubing junction, and the junction of the tubing and the bag. In add-on, the nurse has the duty to supervise the patency of the system to forestall pooling of piss within the tube. Urine in the drainage bag is an first-class medium for micro-organism growing. Bacterias can go up drainage tubing to turn in pools of piss. If this piss flows back to the patient ‘s vesica, an infection will probably develop. Suggestions for ways to forestall infections in catheterized patients are the undermentioned: Follow good manus hygiene techniques. Make non let the tap on the drainage system to touch a contaminated surface. Merely usage unfertile technique to roll up specimens from a closed drainage system. If the drainage tubing becomes disconnected, do non touch the terminals of the catheter or tube. Wipe the terminal of the tube and catheter with an antimicrobic solution before reconnecting. Ensure that each client has a separate receptacle for mensurating piss to forestall cross taint. Prevent pooling of piss in the tube and reflux of piss into the vesica. Avoid raising the drainage bag above the degree of the vesica. If it becomes necessary to raise the bag during transportation of a patient to a bed or stretcher, clamp the tube or empty the tube contents to the drainage bag foremost. Provide for drainage of piss from the tubing to the bag by positioning the tube. Empty the drainage bag at least every 8 hours. If big end products are noted, empty more often. Promote unstable consumption, if it is non contraindicated. Inclusion of cranberry juice has been shown to diminish the attachment of bacteriums to the vesica wall and to catheter lms. Remove the catheter every bit shortly as clinically warranted. Tape or procure the catheter suitably for the patient. Perform everyday perineal hygiene per bureau policy and after laxation R intestine incontinency. Good wellness depends in portion on a safe environment. Practices or techniques that control or prevent transmittal of infection aid to protect persons, particularly patients and wellness attention workers from disease. Patients in all wellness attention scenes are at hazard for geting infections because of lower opposition to infective micro-organisms, increased exposure to Numberss and types of disease-causing micro-organisms, and invasive processs. In acute attention or ambulatory attention installations, patients can be exposed to pathogens, some of which may be resistant to most antibiotics. By practising infection bar and control techniques, wellness attention workers can avoid distributing micro-organisms to patients and fellow wellness attention workers. In all scenes, the patients and their households must be able to acknowledge beginning of infections and be able to establish protective steps. Patient learning should include information refering infections, manners of transmittal, and methods of bar. The first major progress for forestalling CAUTI since the wide-scale acceptance of closed drainage 35 old ages ago is the development of catheters with antiinfective surfaces. These progresss should non be considered the concluding reply, nevertheless. Other engineerings that should be pursued include new, more powerful antiinfective stuffs ; microbe-impervious antireflux valves ; urethral stents ; conformable ( collapsable ) urethral catheters ; and vaccinums for enteral Gram-negative B and staphylococcus. Antiseptics are far more likely than bactericides to confabulate greater opposition to come up colonisation and non to choose for infection with antimicrobial-drug immune bacteriums or barms. New surface engineerings that release far greater measures of ionic Ag or other antiinfective agents into the aqueous environment immediate to the catheter surface might even forestall CAUTIs caused by intraluminal contaminations ( Tambyah, 2001 ) . Prevention of catheter-associated UTIs is more effectual, peculiarly for indwelling catheters, than trusting entirely on antimicrobic agents. ( 8 ) The most effectual pattern intercessions for cut downing catheter-associated UTIs include placing patients who no longer necessitate indwelling catheters, sing other catheterisation options or options to catheterisation, and supplying patient and health professional instruction when long-run indwelling catheterisation is needed ( Crosby, 2005 ) . Reducing the clip a patient is catheterized can be accomplished by systematic reminders to reexamine the continuance of catheterisation for each patient. In add-on to pattern intercession, the pick of catheters and related equipment can besides cut down UTIs well. Other methods of catheterisation should he considered before infixing an indwelling catheter. Catheterization options are based on the ground for catheterisation and the expected continuance of demand. Other options include condom catheters for males, suprapubic catheters for patients who require long-run indwelling drainage, and intermittent catheterisation for patients with spinal cord hurts. Patients who must utilize an indwelling catheter should hold a closed catheter system with a little catheter. Manufacturer ‘s recommendations for rising prices and deflation, system care, procuring the catheter, and decently positioning the drainage bag below the patient ‘s vesica should be followed. Preventing incrustati on and obstruction are besides really of import. Following these stairss and decently keeping closed drainage catheter systems has been shown to well cut down the hazard for UTI ( Crosby, 2005 ) . Summary and Conclusion Patient safety should be the figure one concern before, during and after each process in any infirmary. A elaborate cognition of the epidemiology, based on equal surveillance methodological analysiss, is necessary to understand the pathophysiology and the principle of preventative schemes that have been demonstrated to be effectual. In my country of work which is in the nephritic ward, the rules of general preventative steps such as the execution of criterion and isolation safeguards should be reviewed. Urinary catheterisation can do many wellness jobs. Options to catheterisation should be used whenever possible. Decrease of catheter-associated UTIs is based chiefly on preventative infection control patterns. The success of the nurse who patterns infection-control techniques is measured by finding whether the ends for cut downing or forestalling infection are achieved. A comparing of the patient ‘s response, such as absence of febrility or development of lesion drainage, with expected results determines the success of nursing intercessions.

Free Essays on The Professors House

that Willa Cather lived by. In the novel, The Professor’s House, Cather’s life is directly parallel to the life of the main character, Professor Godfrey St. Peter. Through St. Peter, the reader is able to observe the struggles as well as triumphs that occurred at that point in Willa Cather’s life. Her struggle with materialism versus idealism, discovery of religion, and her own mid-life crisis are all shown through the character of Godfrey St. Peter. In 1922, Cather became â€Å" increasingly distressed with the growing mechanization and mass-produced quality of American society† (Norton). This was the time her writing took a new direction and became more concerned with finding alternative values to the materialistic life she increasingly felt around her. This is shown through St. Peter’s character in many instances. St. Peter was extremely idealistic and generally avoided anything that even remotely seemed materialistic. In Book 3 of The Professor’s House, St. Peter reflects on Tom Outland’s untimely death. He describes how the only way to remain idealistic in today’s society is to die. â€Å"A hand like that, had he lived, must have been put to other uses, His fellow scientists, his wife, the town and State, would have required many duties of it†¦.he had escaped all that. He had made something new in the world-and the rewards, the meaningless conventional gestures, he had left to others† (237). St. Peter believes that Tom was only able to retain his idealism through his death, leaving all the materialistic matters behind for others to handle. One of the more subtle ways that St. Peter demonstrates his idealism is through his new house. â€Å"He couldn’t make himself believe that he was ever going to live in the new house again. He didn’t belong t... Free Essays on The Professor's House Free Essays on The Professor's House The Professor’s House: The Life of Willa Cather as Compared to the Life of Godfrey St. Peter Write what you know. These are words that Willa Cather lived by. In the novel, The Professor’s House, Cather’s life is directly parallel to the life of the main character, Professor Godfrey St. Peter. Through St. Peter, the reader is able to observe the struggles as well as triumphs that occurred at that point in Willa Cather’s life. Her struggle with materialism versus idealism, discovery of religion, and her own mid-life crisis are all shown through the character of Godfrey St. Peter. In 1922, Cather became â€Å" increasingly distressed with the growing mechanization and mass-produced quality of American society† (Norton). This was the time her writing took a new direction and became more concerned with finding alternative values to the materialistic life she increasingly felt around her. This is shown through St. Peter’s character in many instances. St. Peter was extremely idealistic and generally avoided anything that even remotely seemed materialistic. In Book 3 of The Professor’s House, St. Peter reflects on Tom Outland’s untimely death. He describes how the only way to remain idealistic in today’s society is to die. â€Å"A hand like that, had he lived, must have been put to other uses, His fellow scientists, his wife, the town and State, would have required many duties of it†¦.he had escaped all that. He had made something new in the world-and the rewards, the meaningless conventional gestures, he had left to others† (237). St. Peter believes that Tom was only able to retain his idealism through his death, leaving all the materialistic matters behind for others to handle. One of the more subtle ways that St. Peter demonstrates his idealism is through his new house. â€Å"He couldn’t make himself believe that he was ever going to live in the new house again. He didn’t belong t...

Of Mice And Man Essays - English-language Films, Of Mice And Men

Of Mice And Man Essays - English-language Films, Of Mice And Men Of Mice And Man The book that I have read that has really stayed with me is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I really enjoyed reading it which is unusual because I usualy don't enjoy reading to much. There was something about George and Lennie's friendship that really made me think. Seeing how they were and how they shared life was really intresting. George didn't have to bother with Lennie, he could have abandoned him and gone on his own way. But he did not do that, he stayed with Lennie watching over him almost like a parent to a child. Even though Lennie always got Georege in trouble, George never stoped loving him and always stood by him. The friendship they shared went beyond what was transparent they each shared a dream and both knew they ment the world to each other. I felt that if these totaly different people could get along and look out for each other, why can't we get along with people who are different than us. They made me realize that I could learn something from how to treat people who are differnt than me. What I also liked about it was the way they never stopped trying to reach their dream. This made me think that if they could work hard for there dream why can't I. It showed me that it does not matter were you come from or what you do, it is okay to dream and work as hard as you can to reach it. For all it shows for friendship and loyalty it also shows how sometimes you have to do things you never thought you would do. For example in the end when George is forced to shoot Lennie in the head you would never have thought he would do that, but you can see that under the circumstances he had no other choice. He only had two choices let the other people get to him first and watch them torture Lennie while he died a long horrible death or do it himself and get it over quick were Lennie did not know what hit him. This is also true in life, many times we are faced with tuff choices and even though they may be the hardest you will have to go through, you know that that is the only way. You come to the realization that everything you thought you was about, can all change with a blink of the eye.