Black Friday Descriptive Essay

There are experiences in life that create an everlasting impact on our character. Seeing first hand what kind of intestinal fortitude one possesses can be both rewarding and humbling. Black Friday is the 1st day used by Special Forces Assessment and Selection to test the individuals who volunteer to serve in the elite Army Special Forces Green Berets. Just as many people before me pushed themselves to the absolute limit; I was about to experience my own test of will. Camp Mackall airfield is located a mile or so from the main training area.The airfield is surrounded on all sides by the thickest pine forest, one that you would think wasn't by accident. The thick summer humidity sucked the oxygen from the air. Amazingly the dew and fog never quite leave the airfield, as if to create a more somber atmosphere. The landing strip itself looks dilapidated and left more as a reminder of a different time. WWII era trucks, rusted and worn, are locked behind a fence as a constant reminder of th e pain that will come week three. The smell is almost pleasant, like a candle, creating a false sense of comfort that will soon be shattered.The trainig begins before dawn, the time wasn't known since watches weren't allowed. The rustling of 400 eager souls, ready for the pain we all knew was coming, filled the air. Loud bullhorns and exploding ordnance coming from every direction drowned out all attempts to organize the mass of candidates. The jog to the airfield was slow but purposeful, and didn't take very long. Once gathered on the airfield some final instructions were given, groups were made and dispersed evenly throughout the field.Like gathering for a little game, Green Berets from all over Fort Bragg position themselves with fold out chairs awaiting the excitement of other peoples torment. Some even have food, which adds to the misery of not having normal food for seven days. A local fire truck comes screaming by horns blazing and lights flashing, and parks just to the right of the mass of candidates. I find myself, rifle in hand, closest to the fire truck wondering what is next. The fun begins with an instructor briefly explaining the first â€Å"exercise.†The simple task soon felt like a mountain that never seemed to stop rising. Shortly after I hit the dirt, face first the fire truck begins to point the high pressure hose at me forcing me to either endure the sting or move faster. I crawl for what seemed like forever until I heard a horn signaling this station was done, for now. I stand up and move to the next station, simple rifle exercise was the task. With the rifle only weighing five pounds the movement seemed easy; lift over the head, then down to the midsection, then back up again.By the hundredth repetition the rifle might as well have weighed a hundred pounds. Next was logs, four hundred pound logs smooth and smelling of past candidates sweat. The task was to lift the log up, as a team, and then lower to the opposite shoulder. This is the first event that tested everyone’s determination and reason for attending the course, sadly candidates began to quit. The weight of the log, and frustration with fellow candidates, contributed to grown men saying they couldn't take it.The beautiful pine forest backdrop was replaced with bright simulated machine gun fire, exploding ordnance and instructors gawking at every sign of weakness. It was somewhere between burpee long jumps and kettle bell swings that I caught a glimpse of a sight that I can still picture today. The fire hose was spraying into the air creating a mist, the muzzle flashes from the machine guns flashed brightly. The three hundred candidates continued moving with such vigor reminding me of why I was there,which gave me the boost I needed to endure several more hours of pure pain.The jog home was quiet and quick, grown men eager for good meals ready to eat (MREs). The pure joy of being pushed to the point of total discomfort and breaking thru a mental barrier radiated from every man there. As abruptly as it began the day simply just ended. Nothing else about Balck Friday is special except the good ole fashioned gut check. The pain, distractions and ridicule were meant to weed out the weak and retain the strong. Realizing this made me appreciate making it thru and now possessing the tools needed to overcome life’s obstacles. Black Friday Descriptive Essay There are experiences in life that create an everlasting impact on our character. Seeing first hand what kind of intestinal fortitude one possesses can be both rewarding and humbling. Black Friday is the 1st day used by Special Forces Assessment and Selection to test the individuals who volunteer to serve in the elite Army Special Forces Green Berets. Just as many people before me pushed themselves to the absolute limit; I was about to experience my own test of will. Camp Mackall airfield is located a mile or so from the main training area.The airfield is surrounded on all sides by the thickest pine forest, one that you would think wasn't by accident. The thick summer humidity sucked the oxygen from the air. Amazingly the dew and fog never quite leave the airfield, as if to create a more somber atmosphere. The landing strip itself looks dilapidated and left more as a reminder of a different time. WWII era trucks, rusted and worn, are locked behind a fence as a constant reminder of th e pain that will come week three. The smell is almost pleasant, like a candle, creating a false sense of comfort that will soon be shattered.The trainig begins before dawn, the time wasn't known since watches weren't allowed. The rustling of 400 eager souls, ready for the pain we all knew was coming, filled the air. Loud bullhorns and exploding ordnance coming from every direction drowned out all attempts to organize the mass of candidates. The jog to the airfield was slow but purposeful, and didn't take very long. Once gathered on the airfield some final instructions were given, groups were made and dispersed evenly throughout the field.Like gathering for a little game, Green Berets from all over Fort Bragg position themselves with fold out chairs awaiting the excitement of other peoples torment. Some even have food, which adds to the misery of not having normal food for seven days. A local fire truck comes screaming by horns blazing and lights flashing, and parks just to the right of the mass of candidates. I find myself, rifle in hand, closest to the fire truck wondering what is next. The fun begins with an instructor briefly explaining the first â€Å"exercise.†The simple task soon felt like a mountain that never seemed to stop rising. Shortly after I hit the dirt, face first the fire truck begins to point the high pressure hose at me forcing me to either endure the sting or move faster. I crawl for what seemed like forever until I heard a horn signaling this station was done, for now. I stand up and move to the next station, simple rifle exercise was the task. With the rifle only weighing five pounds the movement seemed easy; lift over the head, then down to the midsection, then back up again.By the hundredth repetition the rifle might as well have weighed a hundred pounds. Next was logs, four hundred pound logs smooth and smelling of past candidates sweat. The task was to lift the log up, as a team, and then lower to the opposite shoulder. This is the first event that tested everyone’s determination and reason for attending the course, sadly candidates began to quit. The weight of the log, and frustration with fellow candidates, contributed to grown men saying they couldn't take it.The beautiful pine forest backdrop was replaced with bright simulated machine gun fire, exploding ordnance and instructors gawking at every sign of weakness. It was somewhere between burpee long jumps and kettle bell swings that I caught a glimpse of a sight that I can still picture today. The fire hose was spraying into the air creating a mist, the muzzle flashes from the machine guns flashed brightly. The three hundred candidates continued moving with such vigor reminding me of why I was there,which gave me the boost I needed to endure several more hours of pure pain.The jog home was quiet and quick, grown men eager for good meals ready to eat (MREs). The pure joy of being pushed to the point of total discomfort and breaking thru a mental barrier radiated from every man there. As abruptly as it began the day simply just ended. Nothing else about Balck Friday is special except the good ole fashioned gut check. The pain, distractions and ridicule were meant to weed out the weak and retain the strong. Realizing this made me appreciate making it thru and now possessing the tools needed to overcome life’s obstacles.

Patient Faces With Pre Eclampsia Health And Social Care Essay

On scrutiny her blood force per unit area was elevated at 171/107 mmHg. Her pulse 81 beats per minute, respiratory rate 15 breaths per proceedingss, and temperature was 36.4 & A ; deg ; C. Her piss sample showed ++ 2 albuminuria. There was grounds of hydrops in her face and upper and lower appendages and her lower deep sinew physiological reactions were alert but without any clonus. JB denied any ocular perturbations and epigastric hurting. On palpitation of the venters, the symphysio-fundal tallness was 38cm. The foetal prevarication was longitudinal and the back appeared to be on the right. The presentation appeared to be cephalic and the caput was 3/5 engaged. Electronic fetal monitoring showed foetal bosom rate at 135 beats per minute ( beats per minute ) , with reassuring variableness. There was no slowing and acceleration was normal. It was besides noted no contractions were present. Her prenatal attention had been shared between the infirmary and her general practician and was uneventful until she was admitted to hospital on this juncture. On briefly reexamining JB ‘s past medical history she has seasonal allergic reactions every bit good as long standing asthma in which she uses a salbutamol inhalator to alleviate her symptoms. JB besides has a history of depression. In her household history her male parent suffers from high blood pressure every bit good as cirrhosis and her female parent has a singular medical history of extended medical conditions such as high blood pressure, angina, and transeunt ischaemic accidents. Both her maternal grandparents had a history of type 2 diabetes. With respects to her societal history, JB works as a client helper and lives with her spouse. JB has ne'er smoked, and has non taken intoxicant since happening out she was pregnant. Her past obstetric history is singular for recurrent abortions. She had two abortions at 6-8 hebdomads and one ectopic gestation a twelvemonth and a half ago which miscarried of course at 10 hebdomads. The initial probes showed ; a normal full blood count, liver enzymes and creatinine. However urate ( 0.37 ) and the protein: creatinine ratio ( 44 ) degrees were elevated. JB is showing cardinal central symptoms of pre-eclampsia including high blood pressure, albuminuria, hydrops, and increased physiological reactions. A diagnosing of terrible pre-eclamptic toxemia of pregnancy was made, JB was admitted and intervention was commenced, with 10mg Procardia. With JB being admitted onto the ward, there was uninterrupted monitoring of blood force per unit area and foetal monitoring utilizing CTG. The following forenoon JBs blood force per unit area stabilised to 128/74 and JB reported feeling better. With her BP stalls and a reassuring CTG a determination to bring on bringing was made and she was given 3g prostin over three twenty-four hours ‘s. However there was hapless response and the neck remained stubbornly unchanged and so it was decided the babe would necessitate to be delivered via cesarean delivery.Section B: PathophysiologyPreeclampsia is portion of a spectrum of conditions known as the hypertensive upsets of gestation. It is defined as a multisystem upset characterised by the new oncoming of raised blood force per unit area ( ?140/?90 millimeter Hg ) and albuminuria ( at least 1 + on dipstick or ?0.3 g/24 hours ) after 20 hebdomads of gestation. Although the triping event originating the syndrome is unknown, a two phase th eoretical account of pre-eclampsia has been proposed. The primary phase is symptomless, characterized by failure of placental vascular reconstructing during the first trimester ensuing in decreased placental perfusion taking to placental ischaemia and release of placental merchandises into the maternal circulation. Consequently this initiates the 2nd, diagnostic phase, the maternal syndrome in which endothelial disfunction precedes the clinical manifestations of the disease including characteristic high blood pressure, albuminuria, and glomerular endotheliosis. There is besides hazard for developing the HELLP syndrome ( haemolysis, elevated liver map enzymes and low thrombocytes ) , eclampsia, and other end-organ harm. Phase 1 In normal gestation, following nidation, the surface trophoblast cells of the adhering blastodermic vessicle differentiate into an interior cellular bed, the cytotrophoblast, and an outer syncytiotrophoblast. The uniform cytotrophoblasts found in the interior bed can develop into hormonally active villous syncytiotrophoblasts, extravillous grounding trophoblastic cell columns, and invasive intermediate trophoblasts. The extravillous trophoblastic cells proliferate from the tips of grounding chorionic villi to organize the cytotrophoblast shell which line the uterine pit. Cytotrophoblasts continue to migrate through the uterine endometrium until they reach the coiling arterias, by which clip they have differentiated into an endothelial-like cell type. Endovascular trophoblast cells begin to reconstruct the coiling arterias by replacing the endothelium and smooth musculus cells ensuing in the devastation of median elastic, muscular and nervous tissue. These physiological alterations re sult in an increased vas diameter taking to the creative activity of a low-resistance arteriolar system and an absence of maternal vasomotor control, which allows the dramatic addition in blood supply to the turning foetus. In pre-eclampsia this physiological distension does non happen adequately therefore ensuing in placental hypoperfusion and ischaemia. The ischaemic placenta may take to the production of cytokines and growing factors every bit good as simulate placental programmed cell death or mortification, ensuing in release of humoral or particulate stuffs into maternal systemic circulation that promote generalised maternal vascular endothelium disfunction, climaxing in the clinical manifestations of pre-eclampsia. The invasion of trophoblast cells is regulated by factors expressed by the decidual barrier. These factors include cell adhesion molecules ( CAMs ) , extracellular matrix ‘s ( ECMs ) , proteases, growing factors and cytokines. Malfunctions in any these factors may take to hapless trophoblast invasion and later preeclampsia. Immunological factors play a chief factor in preeclampsia. Abnormal placentation may be the consequence of maternal immune rejection of paternal antigens expressed by the fetus. Normally HLA-G, a category 1B MHC antigen, expressed by the extravillous trophoblasts protects from natural slayer cell lysis. Womans who develop preeclampsias do non look to show this HLA-G and hence are non protected. Phase 2 The clinical manifestations of pre-eclampsia can be linked to the pathophysiological alterations that occur including vasoconstriction, activation of curdling cascade and decreased plasma volume. Development of high blood pressure is a primary characteristic of pre-eclampsia. During normal gestation, although through maternal physiological versions there is a 30-50 % addition in cardiac end product, the lessening in peripheral vascular opposition consequences in reduced arterial blood force per unit area. However, adult females who develop preeclampsia experience widespread vasoconstriction, increased peripheral vascular opposition, and decreased cardiac end product. Evidence shows at that place to be an overdone sensitiveness of the vasculature of adult females with pre-eclampsia to all vasopressors endocrines, best known is the increased reactivity to angiotensin II. This addition in vascular responsiveness is thought to be mediated as a consequence of change in the balance of prostaglandins due to the harm to vascular endothelial harm. JB BP when she present was 171/107 mm Hg. This is a well elevated force per unit area. Although unstable keeping and hydrops occurs in patients with pre-eclampsia they are besides a characteristic of normal gestation. Plasma volume additions by 50 % in unsophisticated gestations and normal gravidas sometimes experience hydrops. However in preeclampsia plasma volume is decreased by 15-20 % and in these instances adult females experience rapid weight addition and generalized hydrops as a consequence of an unnatural displacement of extracellular fluid from the vascular to the extravascular compartment hence keeping a low plasma volume and an increased interstitial fluid volume. With inordinate accretion of interstitial ECF, the presence of peripheral hydropss peculiarly in the face and custodies is seen, as in the instance of JB. Besides as a consequence of the lessened plasma volume, comparative hemoconcentration is observed in pre-eclampsia. JB heamoglobulin was 120g/l which is the lower bound of being high. Womans with pre-eclampsia besides have markedly decreased nephritic plasma flow ( RPF ) and glomerular filtration rate ( GFR ) . The diminution in RPF is attributed to vasoconstriction, whereas the autumn in GFR is related both to the diminution in RPF every bit good as to the morphological alterations in the kidney. These characteristic pathological alterations of pre-eclampsia are termed glomerular endotheliosis and consist mostly of pronounced puffiness of the glomerular endothelial cells sufficient to obstruct the capillary lms, with some inclusions in the capillary cellar membrane but with practically no alteration in nephritic podocytes. The structural lesion is accompanied by functional alterations in nephritic hemodynamics which correlates best with the magnitude of hyperuricemia and albuminuria. Early to middle gestation serum uric acid normally falls good below 0.24 mmol/l in patients with pre-eclampsia degrees frequently rise & amp ; gt ; 0.27 mmol/l as seen in the instanc e of JB ( 0.37 ) . A figure of surveies have correlated the rise in serum uric acid with the badness of pre-eclampsia and with the extent of glomerular hurt. Left untreated, pre-eclampsia can come on to life endangering paroxysms signifier termed eclampsia. Another peculiarly unsafe signifier of pre-eclampsia is the HELLP syndrome. This discrepancy is characterised by the sudden visual aspect of a microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, a quickly falling thrombocyte count, and ample increases in hematoidin and liver enzymes. Emergency break of gestation is needed to avoid hepatic or nephritic failure, sepsis, eclampsia, and decease.ManagementTreatment for high blood pressure in gestation nowadayss a alone series of challenges to the health care squad. An in-depth cognition of the adaptative physiological, psychological and societal procedures is required in order to take the optimum direction for the female parent and her foetus. Incomplete apprehension of the etiology in pre-eclampsia has hindered efforts at bar. However effectual and equal prenatal attention direction of preeclampsia has lead to the reduced mortality related to this upset. This includes early sensing and referral of adult females at high hazard, careful monitoring with bar and intervention of complications, and a determination sing timely bringing. Delivery remains the lone healing intervention for pre-eclampsia although the disease procedure may non decide instantly. After diagnosing, subsequent intervention will depend on the consequences of initial maternal and foetal appraisal. The chief end for direction of pre-eclampsia is finally to protect the safety of the female parent and prevent patterned advance to eclampsia and so the bringing of a healthy neonate. Although bringing is ever appropriate for the female parent, it might non be best for a really premature foetus. The determination between bringing and anticipant direction depends on foetal gestational age, foetal position, and badness of maternal status at clip of appraisal. JB direction was given in conformity to guidelines from Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Based on JB diagnosing at 36.5 hebdomads she was admitted to hospital with the determination to bring on labor and let a vaginal bringing. Observations of critical marks including BP, bosom rate, O impregnations, and respiratory rate were recorded every 15 proceedingss along with uninterrupted CTG monitoring. A 10 milligram dosage of unwritten anti hypertensive Procardia was given to stabilise her blood force per unit area before she could be induced. The exclusive demand to handle is to forestall the haemorrhagic squeal of high blood pressure, in peculiar intellectual bleeding, instead than change the patterned advance of the disease procedure. Antihypertensive drug therapy is recommended for pregnant adult females with systolic blood force per unit areas of ?160 and diastolic blood force per unit areas ? 110 millimeter Hg. The end of intervention is to take down systolic force per unit area to 130-150 mmHg and diastolic force per unit area to 80 to 100 mmHg. It is besides of import that blood force per unit area is lowered bit by bit to forestall hypotension as placental perfusion can be adversely affected and comprom ise the foetus. With a conservative direction program in topographic point and JB was stable, the BP was measured every four hours during the twenty-four hours. Other appraisals required in this instance were full blood count, liver map and nephritic map trials, which were carried out daily. There are many possible picks of antihypertensives that are appropriate in gestation. Methyldopa and Trandate are first line antihypertensive drugs used in intervention of pre-eclampsia. Methyldopa is a centrally moving alpha2 agonist that reduces sympathetic escape activity. Although it has a long path safety record, due to the common drug side effects of depression, in the instance of JB with a history of depression it was agreed an option should be used. The usage of Trandate was besides contraindicated in JB instance as she is wheezing. Labetalol is a non selective beta blocker and a selective alpha blocker. As both of these were contraindicated in JB instance, nifidipine was prescribed alternatively. Nifidipine is a type 2 Ca channel blocker which is normally used as a 2nd line agent in instances where blood force per unit area is defiant to intervention with alpha methyl dopa and beta blockers. It acts by suppressing the inward transportation of Ca ions from extracellular infinite and by the suppression of uptake by smooth musculus cells. Its primary consequence is that of doing relaxation of smooth musculuss. Due to the ability to vasodilate the vasculature with full reversibility on halting the drug has resulted in it going a widely used antihypertensive. Once the BP was stabilized, initiation of labour commenced. It is recommended that adult females in presence of terrible pre-eclampsia at or beyond 34 hebdomads ‘ gestation to be induced to forestall the patterned advance of the disease to eclampsia. Initiation of labour was stimulated via prostin E2, which contains dinoprostone. Its mechanisms of action are similar to the natural cervical maturation procedure. It is administered intravaginally to bring on cervical maturation by straight softening the neck, loosen uping the cervical smooth musculus, and bring forthing uterine contractions. There has been some argument of the usage of dinoprostone in adult females with a history of asthma ; nevertheless PGE2 is a bronchodilator, therefore non contraindicated to utilize, in JB instance. For adult females whom there is a concern about the hazard of eclampsia, it is recommended they receive Mg sulfate as a contraceptive to protect against ictuss, nevertheless in JBs instance it was held off. The MAGPIE survey demonstrates that the hazard of eclampsia is more than halved in these adult females. However, it is besides deserving observing that merely 1-2 % of preeclamptic adult females in the UK had fitted in the absence of anticonvulsant intervention. Specific cautiousness is needed when administering Mg sulfate when nifidipine has antecedently been taken as it increases plasma concentration and hence the authority of the drug. If magnesium sulfate is given, it should be continued at least 24 hours station partum, as the hazard of eclampsia does non decide instantly after bringing. Most adult females with terrible pre-eclampsia will necessitate inpatient attention for 4 yearss or more undermentioned bringing. JB was discharged on.. twenty-four hours after careful reappraisal of her clinical marks. She was continued on her anti hypertensive intervention, and was to be followed as an outpatient. JB was besides offered a formal postnatal reappraisal to discourse the events of the gestation every bit good as prepossession guidance.EpidemiologyPreeclampsia complicates about 2-8 % of gestations and may hold serious effects on the female parent and kid, which makes it of import menace to pubic wellness in both developed and developing states. Worldwide maternal mortality and morbidity from pre-eclampsia and eclampsia remain high, it is estimated to be responsible for about 14 % of maternal deceases per twelvemonth ( 50000- 75000 ) . Pre eclampsia is estimated to account for fifth part of prenatal admittance, two-thirds of referrals to day-care assessment units and one -fourth of obstetric admittances to intensive attention units in the UK. The cost of handling pre-eclampsia varies between & A ; lb ; 500- & A ; lb ; 10000, amount of infirmary stay, initiation costs, and manner of birth, and pre-admission costs. Due to betterments in prenatal attention in the UK, syndrome of eclampsia and development of HELLP syndrome is now rare. Eclampsia is reported in 1 in 200 gestations. Besides perinatal mortality rates are bit by bit bettering, due to progresss in prenatal attention, early sensing, improved anesthesia, early bringing and adept neonatal paediatric attention. Factors that increase the hazard of pre-eclampsia include nullparity, Afro-american cultural background, multiple gestations, fleshiness, chronic high blood pressure, molar gestation, household history of pre-eclampsia and a old history of pre-eclampsia.PsychosocialWomans developing pre-eclampsia are exposed to considerable sum of psychological and societal emphasis. These stress perturbations in bend may hold a important impact on the female parent and babe during the of import early months following bringing. Preeclampsia is a disease which develops without warning hence as JB reported, she found herself holding to cover with the unexpected and dramatic alterations in foetal wellness hazard every bit good as her ain all of a sudden. The diagnosing of pre-eclampsia involves a grade of daze, fright and sometimes even disbelief peculiarly to those sing it good before term. Shock comes from the fact that they were being hospitalised and felt unprepared for bringing. JB was really nervo us after being admitted to hospital as she and her babe were on a regular basis monitored and the realization of the serious effects the disease possess. There was besides a sense of defeat every bit good every bit disempowerment as JB felt she had no control over the state of affairs, and it was no longer merely a personal duty. These experiencing were amplified through the deficiency of sufficient information given on the disease, non wholly informed about her existent state of affairs, and on the medical determinations being made. There was besides an emotional load of experiencing responsible for developing pre-eclampsia and the guilt to the hazards it may hold propelled on her unborn kid. Other psychological emphasiss were demand of bed remainder, ennui and being separated from spouse during hospitalization. For those adult females who are diagnosed good before term, there is a greater hazard of prematureness. These adult females being unprepared for the experience of presenting a premature babe can be a major constituent of daze and fright experienced. When patterned advance of disease leads to complications, an exigency cesarean delivery subdivision which is normally performed can be really traumatic experience and life can all of a sudden be thrown into pandemonium. These adult females normally have less early contact with there babe and are less likely to breast provender as they are retrieving from surgery. For those who unluckily loose their babe, they will be faced with the complex and traumatic events of sorrowing. This sorrowing procedure can be coupled to relationship jobs as spouses normally grieve otherwise. Womans with pre-eclampsia are at increased hazard of developing it with subsequent gestations ; therefore it is of import they are advised of this. The experience of terrible pre-eclampsia may be overpoweringly nerve-racking. There is small clip to set to new worlds. Womans may fault themselves adding the load of guilt to the acute emotional pandemonium that follows diagnosing. Decision In decision, pre-eclampsia remains a planetary job and a clinical challenge. The mortality and morbidity for the female parent and their kid related to preeclampsia, and its complications are a major load,

The advantages and disadvantages of rationalism Essay

The advantages and disadvantages of rationalism - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the organizational context, rationalization can be described as the reorganization of a company with the intention of increasing its efficacy; this can be done through a variety of ways. For one, the size of the organization in question may be reduced, alternatively, there could be a change in policy or alteration of strategy concerning a given product or service. From a sociological point of view, rationalization often denotes the replacing of traditional values as well as emotions as key motivators in society; instead, people are expected to apply calculated and set goals with objective means and ends. Examples of such scenarios include the bureaucracy in government and to some extent in the private sector; decisions are made not according to the ideas of feelings of any one individual by through strictly following a set of pre-set rules. One of the main benefits of rationalization is it facilitates efficiency in social organizati ons such that the people involved follow the rules which guide them in making the right decisions and by extension meet the goals of their society. Nevertheless, rationalization has also been highly criticised, for one, it is seen as a force for the dehumanization of people in favor of rules organizational behaviors. In addition, the fact that rationalization has been retrospectively dubbed as progress has been opposed on the basis of its tendency to move modernity away from the tenets of enlightenment.

Devastation of War Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Devastation of War - Research Paper Example The poem â€Å"refugee ship† is more explicit about one being a stranger to her own ethnicity. A mother who did not like the idea of her daughter being a slave to the Spanish culture and as such tried to keep the daughter in the darkness about her ethnicity brought up the girl. The mother did not teach the girl about the culture neither did she teach her about the language. The grandmother of the girl tries to do what the mother did not do by trying very hard to teach her the culture and the language so that she can be conversant with the Spanish lifestyle. Though she tries to learn, she struggles to pronounce the words though that was expected, as she had no up bringing on that matter. The girl feels so confused and hence feels trapped between the kind of personality her mother raised her to be and who she is expected to be by the society. She is conflicted because is a refugee from two different cultures and the "ship...will never dock..." because the ship represents her lif e and she must live that life to become what she is to be. In the poem the â€Å"refugee ship†, a picture is painted of one who is confused because of the two cultures she has to deal with. In fact, she does not know what the meaning of the things mean and misuses some words inappropriately. She voices her frustrations while talking about the ship never docking. In fact, it can be deduced that she is culturally homeless. This poem provides a clear picture of what could have happened as a result of immigration. Learning another culture would be difficult as one would not be aware of what he or she becomes as a result of the confusion that emanates from not being able to comprehend the other culture and master it for the sake of survival. The poem â€Å"refugee ship† is a classical picture that tries to paint a picture of the experience of the Vietnamese while using the boat as a transportation mode (Chmidt and Crockett, 5). An in-depth analysis of the poem would paint a picture of what happened from a different perspective. In the poem, there is a granddaughter and the grandmother trying to get along, but one major challenge is that they are not in agreement as they cannot understand one another because of the language barrier. It seems though that the two are in a different world. This paints a picture of the Vietnamese during the time of fleeing the devastations of war. As an immigrant the first challenge one would face is the problem of communication as one is not a position to talk back because they cannot understand. During the war that turned the Vietnamese as refugees and immigrants, majorities were exceptionally affected. The culture shock was one of such that was a big challenge. At that time, racism was also a major issue and thus, they had no choice, but to face the challenges that came with their new status are immigrants. Canada was one of those countries that hosted a number of immigrants from Vietnam. For instance, if any of the refugees or immigrants looked at the poem refugee ship, then it would remind them who they were in the past and how they acquired their status. As refugees, the Vietnamese lost a lot in terms of cultural preservation and development in life. For example, many children missed some important stages of childhood at the time of war, as some could not enjoy or have the privilege of growing up with their friends a factor that is very important for childhood development. Some could not also attend school and it therefore meant they lagged behind as their ability to read and write were not enhanced. A major devastation of was the traumatic experiences of war. War has the staggering capacity to destabilize a society in a short time. Many individuals who we re aware and unaware of the war have felt the devastation of that combat. A lot of people were forced to flee from their native home because the war had become a serious issue and lose of life had become eminent. Almost 2.5 million people were said to have

Audit report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Audit report - Essay Example The two major perceptions are in line with the Audit Report’s adding significant credibility to the companies’ financial statements. A credible financial statement is a good basis for making a more informed management decisions as well as stakeholders’ decisions (Asare, 2009). Consequently, the IAASB is currently processing the enhanced auditor’s report. The IAASB’s research focuses on adhering to the different stakeholders’ demand for a more informed audit report. The new audit report will serve as a global solution to global popular demand for a change in the current audit reports’ standardized formats. The stakeholders’ audit report request is grounded on the growing complexities of the financial reports. The stakeholders include the investors, residents, managers, community, and employees. The standard audit report formats include the qualified opinion format, unqualified opinion format, and the adverse opinion format. The same board correctly affirms that international leaders must do their share to ensuring the audit report contains additional information needed by the decision makers. A more informed audit report contains additional relevant and valid information pertaining to the fairness or trueness of the finan cial report data (IFAC.org, 2013). The new audit report will include some notable changes. One of the major changes is to necessarily allow the external auditors to include comments to their audit reports (Gold et al., 2009). One of the reasons for the changes are necessary is that the comments will deliver additional relevant and valid information to the stakeholders, in terms of auditor’s specific audit responsibilities and tasks. The external auditor’s favorable comments will surely encourage the investors, community leaders, creditors, customers, and other affected stakeholders to invest or enter into any relevant business transaction with the company. In this regard, the IFAC accounting board is

Social Responsibility and Governance Research Paper

Social Responsibility and Governance - Research Paper Example The paradigm shift in the affairs of Trans-National Corporations of moving from corporate philanthropy to corporate social responsibility began in the 1990s. CSR and globalization, though theoretically miles apart, are in practice complementary to each other with their roles, at times, overlapping. In this report, we carried out a review of the literature to prove the hypothesis that CSR is a key issue in globalization. All authors studied are of the view that CSR is currently playing an important role in the conduct of global business. The larger is the size of a company, the greater is the onus on it for taking up a socially responsible role. According to Kotler and Lee (2005), corporate social responsibility includes those set of voluntary business practices and contributions that a company makes to improve community well-being. Community, here, refers to buyers, suppliers, employees and the social milieu, the company operates in. CSR also stands for operating and exceeding ethical, legal commercial and public expectations of business. For a business to be socially responsible, it is important that its practices and processes should have positive outcomes on the community. CSR is driven by the ‘moral marketplace factor’ creating increased mortality in choices made by consumers, investors, and employees (Hess, Rogovasky, and Dunfee quoted in Kotler and Lee, 2005). Companies value being perceived as good citizens and good corporate citizens. The importance of corporate social responsibility, today, is such that any large corporation can ill-afford to ignore. CSR is about wealth creation by making products and delivering services that are sustainable socially and environmentally. Advantages of CSR extend beyond immediate profit-making and bring long-term multiple benefits. Prior to the current state of globalization, corporate social responsibility was restricted to  philanthropic causes.

Pause for thought............. How does Pinter's use of language and Essay

Pause for thought............. How does Pinter's use of language and rhythm influence his subtext - Essay Example ally gives meaning to the plays, enhance tonalities, brings out the element of characterization, and helps in developing and strengthening of the major themes in the subtexts. The language Pinter uses is highly performative, and this serves as a reinvention to subtext. The Birthday Party is Pinter’s play that mainly explores the absurd, mysterious, secretive, and insidious forces that underlie the lives of the main characters and their relentless efforts to find peace, normalcy, and acceptance in the natural order (Raby 41; Pinter 752). Therefore, Pinter makes sure to use a language form that will bring out the state of the characters as they are. To achieve this, Pinter uses language aspects such as description, repetition, and syntax. All these in the subtext serve the purpose of bringing out the absurd and confusing elements of the main characters in the play (Pinter 750). By basing on syntax, as an element of language, the play achieves good description of the relevant scenes. For instance, the playwright uses a combination of both short and long sentences in different scenes of the play. The conversation between Petey and Meg is primarily composed of short sentence: â€Å"What?, Is that you?, Yes, its me., What? Yes,† (Pinter 751). This aspect of language use impacts on the subtext in different ways. First, it helps establish the atmosphere in the couple’s house. To an extent, one might read tension in this kind of conversation. Secondly, this aspect of language depicts the nature of relationship between Petey and Meg, in addition to the calm or mundane nature of their existence. The deceptive calm and tranquility is effectively brought out through language in order to be contrasted by the disruption and chaos that is to follow (Pinter 750). Moreover, the short sentences enhance the steady and relaxed rhythm of language, which enhances the description of the characters and the uninterrupted nature of their setting as the play unfolds. Today, most

A New Strategy for Kodak Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A New Strategy for Kodak - Assignment Example The fall of Kodak began around the 1970s. The emergence of new (digital) imaging technologies and the entrance of more competitors in the photography sector saw the giant enterprise experience decreasing sales thus fewer profits and slow growth (Jones, 2011). This downfall led to the emergence of the debate as to whether Kodak could regain its position in the imaging industry, or whether it would diminish until it vanished at the start of the 21st century. The following study text discusses the implementable new strategies for Kodak which would not only revive its stance in the imaging industry but also help it advance its business model to match the new era and the demands of cloud services. In integrating the Kodak Company into the cloud service industry, thus striving to retain its dominance in the imaging sector, Kodak requires several objectives. The first objective is to align all its segments to match with digital imaging, which is the key determinant of business in the 21st century. This means that its licenses, products, and services should match the acceptable standards of digital imaging. The second objective would be training its employees and all involved partners in production to adapt to new technologies of production so as to match the demands of cloud services. The third objective is to come up with data and financial systems which are accurate and reliable since data and financial control are a necessity in cloud services. Fourth, Kodak should partner with an established cloud enterprise which can overly advertise the reformed Kodak in the cloud community. Finally, Kodak should acquire flexibility when it comes to cloud services in that it has to customi ze its services depending on some specific target market segments. In so doing, it is bound to attract more clients by satisfying needs specific to particular segments.

Devotion of St Augustine to the Sacrament of Penance Essay

Devotion of St Augustine to the Sacrament of Penance - Essay Example At a very impressionable age Augustine was quite impressed and influenced by Cicero’s dialogue â€Å"Hortensius† and therefore left to Carthage for further studies in rhetoric. He was very unfortunate as he gave up his Christian faith and practiced the Manichaean faith which really broke his mother’s heart when she heard about it. Augustine lived a hedonistic lifestyle in his youth and hence developed a close relationship with a young woman who remained his concubine for fifteen years and got a son by her named Adeodatus. By the age of thirty, Augustine had carved an enviable niche for himself in the Latin world. â€Å"Confessions† written by Saint Augustine, gives us a vivid account of the pagan life he had led as well as his spiritual transformation as a devout Christian. The word â€Å"Confessions†, take on two meanings – one is to confess ones sins before God and the other is to acknowledge the truth about God. Therefore â€Å"Confessions†, can be taken as praise and glory to God Our Father. (Warner, Rex 1963) Augustine is considered as one of the most steadfast and important figures in Christianity and is considered as a great saint and a patron of the St. Augustine religious order. In Book One, Augustine tells us of how he hated going to school and used to get beaten by his elders. He also claimed dishonest victories and pilfered things from his parents and traded them with other children. He was also gluttonous and had other disgusting habits. Finally, when realization comes to him he cries out to the lord in despair saying, â€Å"Oh, God! Woe to the sins of men! When a man cries thus, thou showest him mercy, for thou dids’t create the man and not the sin in him†. In his ‘Confessions’, St. Augustine tells us of how he lived a dangerous and precarious life and it was only because of Ambrose that he was brought back to the Christian faith. Referring to the topic of

Business Research Methods Essay Example for Free

Business Research Methods Essay As baby boomers age and the need for health care continues to grow, the nursing shortage in health care facilities seem to increase, as well. Many believe that â€Å"a shortage of registered nurses is projected to spread across the country between 2009 and 2030† (AJMQ, 2012). Dr. Peter Buerhaus wrote in Health Affairs that the United States nursing shortage is projected to grow to 260,000 registered nurses by 2025 (2009). Researchers must develop a solid research question, construct a research design, and identify a sample design to collect data. Organizational Dilemma Research Question Turnover problems like those experienced by the hospitals that participated in the HSM research lead to multiple research questions, such as (i) what are the reasons for high RN turnover rates that lead to job vacancies and (ii) how can the organization resolve turnover problems. In the organizational context, the dilemma here is: why are there high RN turnover rates that lead to job vacancies? Identify and Analyze Research Question The research question identified is â€Å"Why is there high turnover rate for acute care nurses?† The problem defined by the team is the inability to retain acute care nurses. A study performed by the American Organization of Nurse Executives states that there was an average of 21.3% turnover rate for RN’s in 2000, but percentage rates were higher for RN’s in specialty hospitals (2001). The practices and policies of an organization allow employees to remain within the organization for an extended period. There is a significant financial loss to the facility if the nurse leaves the organization after training is complete Research Design Learning Team C will adopt a formal research design to answer the research question. We will use monitoring as opposed to communication in most circumstances unless otherwise specified. The research will be ex post facto or experimental. The research will be cross sectional because of time constraints. The study will be a statistical study of proportions. A case study could be used, if time allows. We will treat this study as a lab assignment although simulations and field work is a possibility. If communication is used care should be taken to optimize participant awareness (Cooper Schindler, 2008, p. 141-145). Some questions to take into consideration would be what the reasons for high turn-over rates are for nurses. Does education play a part? Do work conditions come into consideration? Does pay and benefits play a part? Do personal matters play a role in turnover? The study probably will be descriptive or causal although exploratory work may need some consideration. Sample Design In an effort to obtain the data for our research it is important to sample from group that will best represent our population. There are four basic questions that need to be answered in sample design. The first is the subject of our research, or target population. The next question is the parameters of our interest, which is high turn-over rate. The third question is the sampling frame. Because the subjects of our study are acute nurses, we should use the membership directory from the American Nurses Association. With the availability of the directory probability sampling is the best sampling method, which addresses the fourth question. The last question is the size of the sample and according to Cooper Schindler (2008), â€Å"the greater the desired precision of the estimate, the larger the sample must be,† and â€Å"the higher the confidence level in the estimate, the large sample must be† (p. 385). Conclusion Going forward this research will strive to come to conclusions to answers to the key question and based on the answers derived. These answers will create solutions that will help alleviate the anticipated nursing shortage in the coming years. The statistical data of this study can be used to understand what is causing the high turnover rates and high job vacancies.

Components Constituting A Business Environment Commerce Essay

Components Constituting A Business Environment Commerce Essay The rapid changes in the healthcare environment have exerted significant pressures on the hospitals to pay attention to marketing strategies in general and health service strategy in particular. Therefore this research investigates the influence macro environment factors have on the health service strategy made by the hospital managers. This study proposes and tests a four factor macro environment model that explains the considerable variation in health service strategy in the hospitals. These factors include political, Economic, Social, and Technology, namely the PEST Analysis. The study goes on to conduct a SWOT Analysis of the organisation and critically evaluate how the organisation can accomplish to meet the stakeholders expectations, and the influence that specific stakeholders have on a health and social care organisation. We will critically assess the role of information management systems for improving the performance of a health and social care organisation, and the decisio n making techniques that the management uses to come up with the business strategies of an organisation. Components constituting a business environment The two broad categories that any business environment can be classified into are external and internal environments. A macro environment is thus a part of the external environment. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT MACRO ENVIRONMENT MICRO ENVIRONMENT Figure 1: Business environment and its components MACRO ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS OF AN ORGANISATION The new environment reality affecting the operation and performance of organizations is being characterized by continuous and often unpredictable change. As a result, many calls have been voiced for organizations to build the ability to respond and adapt to changing and uncertain environmental conditions, in order to sustain their competitive situation (Cardwell Bolon, 1996; Godiwalla et al., 1997; Chung, 2008; Aapo Tomas, 2008). Macro environment has been the subject of considerable research in both business and marketing literature recently. Furthermore, it became an area of primary concern to all organizations, depending critically on a subtle understanding and analysis of both the industry within which the hospital will compete, and the competitors working in same arena. Studying macro environment factors is an important issue in terms of the increased pressure placed upon hospitals and the competition that exists between hospitals. Any attempt at conceptualizing the term macro environment should, at some stage, involve an attempt to answer certain questions, such as: 1. What is the meaning of macro environment in hospital industry? 2. What are the main factors of macro environment? And how do they influence health organizations? MACRO ENVIRONMENT Macro environment is largely external to the business enterprise. Macro environment factors are uncontrollable factors and beyond the direct influence and control of the organisation. Its factors are powerfully influence to its functions. External environment consists of individuals, groups, agencies, organisations, events, conditions and forces. These are frequently contacted by the organisation for its functions. It establishes good interaction and interdependent relations in form of conducts business transitions. Proper designing and administration of macro environment enable appropriate strategies and policies to cope with and make changes. The major forces represent uncontrollable variables that hospitals must monitor and to which they must be respond. Marketers must also pay attention to interactions among forces to identify and take advantage of new opportunities and threats. For example of the offerings are affordable (economic), they may actually change attitudes and behaviour (social cultural) (Kotler et al., 2008). Macro-environment consists of broader forces that affect the actors in the micro environment (Armstrong Kotler, 2011). There are several elements for a macro environment, a detailed picture of which is given below. Figure 2: Macro Environment Elements The importance of analyzing the macro environment arises from the critical role it plays in the growth and profitability of organizations. This fact has been clearly highlighted by Kotha and Nair (1995), and later by Wagner and Gooding (1997). Thus, by understanding an organizations external environment, Fombrun and Shanley (1992), Gimeno and Woo (1996) indicate that strategic decision-makers can not only help improve its competitive position but also increase its operational efficiency, and win battles in the field of global economy. Based on this conclusion, Hill and Jones (1998) have further argued that to succeed, an organization must either fit its strategy to the industry/sector environment in which it operates, or be able to reshape the industry/ sectors environment to its advantage through its choice of strategy. Thus, companies typically fail when their strategy no longer fits the environment in which they operate (Hill and Jones, 1998). Crucially, any study of the external environment should include the identification of four major factors, namely Political, Economic, Social and Technological. PEST ANALYSIS Political Factor: A Political environment consists of laws, government agencies, and pressure groups that influence or limit various organizations and individuals in a given society (Armstrong Kotler, 2011). The political factors that may influence the health service strategy in healthcare scenario in particular are government objectives, policies, decisions, legal restrictions, various governmental units sharing legislative authority, laws concerning taxation, and privatization decisions. The clinical governance structure has, at its fundamentals, the foundation philosophy of continuous quality improvement (CQI) and total quality management (TQM). These two philosophies were developed first in manufacturing and industry, and then adopted by health services institutions in the early 1990s (Berwick, 1989; Kitson, 1994). The overall philosophy is to generate a culture of continuous quality based on effective cooperation between staff, systems spotlight, investment in people and staff, and self-monitori ng (McLaughlin and Kaluzny, 1999; Ovretveit, 2000). The political environment is based on the uncertainty. In some countries with multiple numbers of political parties, a political party does not get clear majority to form a government. In this situation, business activities collapse due to minority supported government. The political parties are unable to formulate stable government; it affects and fluctuate the government policies. Therefore, business organisation and public need a stable government to function smoothly. Economic Factor: The economic environment consists of factors that affect consumer purchasing power and spending patterns (Kotler et al., 2011). It includes the economic conditions, economic policies, and the economic system that is important to external factors of business. Economic fluctuations in the home market and inflationary factors are also impacts that have an influence, because they can produce both positive and negative effects on the demand for goods and services. For example, they could affect the specifications of certain goods or may require workers to receive specific types of training or preparation (George, 2009; Girijasankar Bhar, 2011). The economic conditions of the country include nature of the economy of the country, the general economic situation in the region, conditions in resource markets like money, material, market raw material components, services, supply markets and so on which influence the supply of inputs to the organisation, their costs, quality, availability and reliability of supply of products and services. The application of economic analysis in healthcare decision making, however, particularly with regard to medical necessity, has proven to be highly controversial. Evidence varies regarding the extent to which decision makers actually use economic analysis. Socio-cultural Factor: Social and cultural environment is made up of institutions and other forces that affect a societys basic values, perceptions, preferences, and behaviours (Kotler et al., 2011; Armstrong Kotler, 2011). Socio-cultural trends can present both threats and opportunities for many hospitals. They are reflected in customer wants and needs in terms of a health service. Some of the constituents of the Socio-cultural factor are population, health, education and social mobility, and attitudes to these. Socio-cultural environment is an important factor that should be analyzed while formulating company business strategies. If a company ignores the customs, traditions, tastes and preferences and education, it can affect the business. It consists of factors which are related to human relationships and the impact of social attitudes and cultural values. These are bearing on the business of the organisation. Technological factors: The technology is perhaps the most dramatic force now shaping, our destiny (Kotler et al., 2011). Technological factors include impact of emerging technologies, Impact of Internet, reduction in communications costs, increased remote working, research and development activity, and impact of technology transfer. Technological factors sometimes pose serious problems. A firm that unable to cope with technological changes may not be survived. Further, the differing technological environment of different markets may be called for service modifications. Technology in health services organizations has released such good things antibiotics, robotic surgery, MRI. The technologies environment change rapidly. In the past most of healthcare managers did not know about the ever-updating technologies that they get to know of nowadays. New technologies create new markets and opportunities. Therefore, the healthcare managers should study these updating technologies around the world to adopt them in their healthcare business or hospitals. Dramatic advancements in updating technology affect not only the products and services offered by organizations to customers but also the work processes needed. They can offer opportunities to those who can take benefit of such advancements. Otherwise, expecting and responding to technological trends can prove to be costly (Kotler et al., 2008). SWOT ANALYSIS In order to determine factors both within the external environment and within the organisation, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis have been carried out, the findings of which are enumerated as follows. Strengths: Healthcare brand in the UK is a universally known and well-respected brand. An important sector in all local economies that is a major source of skilled employment. National government prioritisation of the sector for assistance and skills development. Future employment growth on an upward trend. There is scope for greater integration and higher profile of social care There are strong links between Department of Health and the other healthcare institutions like NHS There are several dedicated communications resources working on social care There are healthcare companies with working groups with key stakeholders already set up Weaknesses: Every healthcare organisation has strong links to the Department of Health, therefore are unable to establish as an independent organisation. The complexity of the sector and its institutions. A negative public perception of the sector as being characterised by low pay, anti-social hours and working conditions. Substantial recruitment difficulties and skills gaps. The healthcare staff come from different and varied cultures and countries and need to create a common identity of working. Intensive training has to be provided yet to all the staff, in addition to communication training; everybodys still learning the job. Information collected has essentially remained the same for some time. Decreased relevance and usefulness. Perceived burden of collection among stakeholders. Healthcare branding, for example the NHS, is a barrier for social care stakeholders. Opportunities: To be seen as a source of information independent from government and Department of Health. Large-scale recruitment of new and skilled staff. Engage new stakeholders. Improved levels of service associated with a better trained and motivated workforce. Potential for improved IT systems and skills to increase patient focus of care and early reporting of medical successes and shortcomings. Radical pay reform agenda in the NHS which for the first time aligns pay and reward with knowledge and skills development. Improve the online presentation of statistics. Move from measuring activities to measuring outputs and outcomes will make information of more practical use in implementation and monitoring of services. Chance to be seen to streamline collection processes. Threats: Loss of proper skills and knowledge. Vast diversity in the cultural and communicational backgrounds of the staff and not being able to follow a single agenda. The highly politicised nature of the NHS undermining medium and long term planning. An older age profile than the average for all industries with proportionately low numbers of young employees entering the workforce. A relatively high turnover of staff in some sub-sectors and occupations. Lack of management skills. Slippage to delivery of a common initiative, and its effect on the credibility of the programme. Failure to adequately consult with and engage all stakeholders. Wider local government agenda may be obstructive. STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR The term Stakeholders refers to everybody who has an interest in the health and well being of the local population and the delivery and development of health and social care services. They can range from individual service users and carers to service providers such as primary care professionals, other statutory organisations and local Councils as well as the voluntary and community sectors and the wider public. SERVICE PROVIDERS CARE COMMISSIONERS SERVICE USERS Figure 3: Stakeholders that constitutes core elements of health Stakeholders can be classified into four groups: Key Players Keep satisfied Keep informed Minimal effort Key Players: These are the most important Stakeholders they have high power and high interest in healthcare sector and its activities. Such stakeholders need to be involved in all relevant developments and could have a considerable influence over the future of healthcare sector. They include health commissioners, Practice Based Commissioning (PBC) Groups, the NHS, specialist commissioners (For example, Neuro), healthcare providers, local full time officers of recognised unions, patient representative groups, healthcare sector employees, public health, GPs, board members, and local trusts. Keep Satisfied: This is a particularly difficult group to deal with. In this group, we often find regional representative or legislative bodies. They behave passively most of the time, but that can exert an enormous impact on the organisation. It is therefore necessary to analyze potential intentions and reactions of these groups in all major developments, and to involve them according to their interests. This group includes MPs, Interest Groups, Health Scrutiny Committee, CFT members, local media, Local Strategic Partnerships, Health and Well Being Board, Care Quality Commission, and other professional bodies Keep Informed: Stakeholders in this group have a high interest in the organisation and its actions. However, they have limited means to influence. Despite their lower influence, such stakeholders could be valuable allies in important decisions. Therefore, it is advisable to keep them informed about the issues they are interested in. This group of stakeholders may include voluntary organisations, local communities, communities that are hard to reach, Mental Health Trust, Care givers and users, and other independent sector organisations and competitors. Minimal Effort: Stakeholders in this group have little interest in healthcare corporate plans. They also has little power to exert much impact. It is therefore appropriate to keep these groups informed, but not invest too much effort into them. They include housing, police and national media. Focused on users, carers and communities, stakeholder involvement must focus on directly accessing the views of service users and carers who are using health and social care services as well as those living in communities who are experiencing the greatest levels of health inequalities to ensure they are having appropriate influence in shaping future priorities. Following are the principles that will underpin all stakeholder involvement: Stakeholders must see that their input has a real impact on the decisions made and that they are making a real difference to how local services are being planned and delivered. It is essential that feedback from involvement processes is communicated to participants and that the reasons for why particular decisions were taken are clearly outlined. The level of involvement should be proportionate to the scale of the issue being considered. The method of involvement should be tailored to ensure that appropriate stakeholders are accessed. It is important that all stakeholders are provided with an opportunity to participate and are actively supported to become involved either at a locality level or on a specific issue basis. It is recommended that, as far as possible, across Health and Social Care organisations, involvement with stakeholders on needs assessment and strategy development be taken forward jointly by the Regional Board, the Agency and Trusts. Staff working in each of the organisations should seek to form close working relationships to ensure that there is minimal duplication in involving local stakeholders and agree joint processes for taking forward this work. By adopting a more collective approach it will maximise the use of available resources both in terms of staff and information, minimise the time required from stakeholders to contribute to involvement exercises and ensure that all sections within the health and care sector hear the same messages and can plan services accordingly. ROLE OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SECTOR Information management systems have much to offer in managing healthcare costs and in improving the quality of care (Kolodner et al. 2008). In addition to the embedded role of information technology in clinical and diagnostics equipment, Information systems are uniquely positioned to capture, store, process, and communicate timely information to decision makers for better coordination of healthcare at both the individual and population levels. For example, data mining and decision support capabilities can identify potential adverse events for an individual patient while also contributing to the populations health by providing insights into the causes of disease complications. All types of business need robust and comprehensive quality and business management systems however this takes on added importance when lives are in the hands of the business involved. Healthcare is certainly in that category. Another hallmark of healthcare information is that it is highly personal. As a result, any transfer of information between parties via technology involves risks that the information could fall into the wrong hands. Although electronic information can be made as secure as paper records, electronic storage may be perceived as having a higher likelihood of leakage, and such fears get further compounded by media attention. Thus, patients perceived probability of compromised privacy is often higher than the actual probability. An ideal Information management system should help the clients: Provides complete data protection and privacy Meet the business improvement objectives. Provide interfaces to other existing database repositories. Strategically unite and align quality and business process information that produces reliability improvement and meets standards Enable business governance and organizational communication. Streamline access and utilization of data repositories and analytical systems needed for long-term business improvement. Provide analytics and robust search features for healthcare process performance, analysis, management review, and planning. Healthcare costs have been increasing and the demand for reasonably priced high quality services is also on the rise. Effectiveness of a hospital or nursing home depends on the efficiency of its operations and management systems. Some of the major factors determining the efficacy of a health institution include patient care management and patient satisfaction. In order to meet these requirements there has been the growing need to implement hospital information systems. The healthcare industry has witnessed an increased spending on IT with most of the hospitals and healthcare organizations shifting to electronically-based information systems. Healthcare Information management system should provide equal access to medical records throughout the country by making the diagnosis online through different digital tools. This could make sharing information among physicians for treatment and consultation much easier. It should ensure improved quality and assurance, archiving capabilities. This is is a major tool to measure clinical outcomes and control budget. It needs strong infrastructure to broadly utilize the data available online to provide continuity on database and information integration. When you take a healthcare organisation, for example a hospital, the information management system should provide decision making processes based on qualitative information and knowledge. There should be a continuity of medical data and care information. This will aid in improving and increasing the efficiency of healthcare processes. It will also help in increasing clinical safety and the quality of the results. It is with no doubt that it can be said that better Information management system can provide better documentation and better customer services. The following diagram depicts an example of what an Information Management System in a hospital should include. DEMOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS VISITS AND HOSPITALIZATION IMAGING TREATMENT INFORMATION MEDICATION INFORMATION LAB RESULTS FAMILY HISTORY MEDICAL HISTORY PATIENT Figure 4: Patient Information Management System DECISION MAKING IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE SECTOR Most decision-making techniques use a process used by leaders and managers to make decisions. This includes the following steps: Identifying and defining the problem. Gathering information, facts and assumptions. Analyzing the situation. Developing options and solutions. Comparing and evaluating these options and solutions. Select the solution that best addresses the problem, or a best alternative decision. Acting on the decision. The way in which decision making is approached is recognised as an important function of leadership and management in health care. This increasing interest in the process of decision making as a function of management is evidence of a much larger shift in management thinking among the academic community. Although we traditionally associate leadership and management in health care with individuals, the complexity of change required in the health care system means a new paradigm of management is required. Relational approaches to healthcare management offer an alternative view. Rather than being the function of an individual, leadership is considered to be an outcome of the processes that emerge when several individuals interact. Relational processes are being recognised as just as influential in changing peoples attitudes, behaviours and actions as the direct influence of a formal manager. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS In conclusion, this study mainly focuses on the healthcare sector and the external factors that affect the management of the healthcare issues. Macro environment is a very important aspect in the healthcare sector. The study assesses the macro environment and its impacts on the health service strategy with the help of analytical tool like PEST analysis. The empirical conclusions drawn from this study are multi-faceted and as a consequence it is important that healthcare managers pay attention to the influences of PEST environment elements on health service strategy. The study concludes that healthcare scenario requires new health services, for enabling the hospital to meet the needs and wants of the largest possible market. Also if medical technology worldwide is updated it helps hospitals to gain opportunities that lead to increased market share and new market penetration. This study has outlined the stakeholder management strategy for healthcare sector to support the delivery of its organisational objectives and its development. It has established the current state of understanding of stakeholder power and impact, identifies key stakeholder groups and the influence of each group on the healthcare organisation. It also identifies the how the key strategic priorities and action plan for improving stakeholder relationships will be developed. The decision making process has been shifted from the main management and doctors to a wider range of management. Some recommendations for further research in this area: The study could be replicated with other services to further examine the transferability of the macro environment in the healthcare industry. Study the proposed model in other European countries in order to gain more validation for the model and more generalised findings. Study other service sectors, like public sector, in order to develop a model that represents the service sector more generally, rather than representing the healthcare sector alone.

Essay --

It is widely known that in EFL learning situations, many students â€Å"exhibit fear of foreign language speaking† (Yaikhong & Usaha, 2012, p. 23). In Asian countries, EFL learners suffer even more in language classroom anxiety because of insufficient language environment. According to Scovel (1978), anxiety in language learning is â€Å"a state of apprehension, a vague fear† (p. 134). Such anxiety may exist in many aspects of language learning process. Language classroom anxiety is one of the most common concerns. Many researches showed that students’ classroom anxiety will greatly affect their language learning effect (Young, 1986; Horwitz & Young, 1991; Phillips, 1992; & Aida, 1994). For example, Wariyachitra (2003) stated that classroom anxiety will reduce students’ motivation in communication, and if students avoid interaction in English, they will not succeed in learning the target language. Arnold and Brown (1999) believed that anxiety might be the most important reason that causes obstruction of language learning. Another researcher Boonkit (2010) did a research in Thai, and the result revealed that the undergraduate students are not confident enough to communicate in English, even in language classrooms. These findings tell us many EFL students are lack of communication opportunities, which are very crucial to their language learning, because they dare not use the language. In the learning process, this classroom anxiety is the key element that causes students’ lack of confidence and poor language performance. In China, situations are quite the same. Reading, writing, even listening are always much easier for Chinese EFL learners, and Speaking is always the most suffering course. People don’t have chance to speak English in their ... ...age skills and cognitive abilities. Harris, etc. believed that students with speaking anxiety will â€Å"often avoid anxiety-producing social or performance situations†, because they don’t know how to change their negative response in such situations, if they cannot avoid such situations, the will suffer a lot (2002, p. 543). The problem is what will happen after they repeated suffering and practice? Can they improve themselves with proper training and sufficient practice chances? Few researchers have done investigation in this field. In this study, I will try to answer the following question based on previous researches and a survey: a) Can EPS tasks lead to EFL students’ language classroom anxiety reduction? b) Can EPS tasks lead to EFL students’ language public presentation improvement? c) Is there any relation between students’ anxiety level and language performance?

The Unification of Germany Essay example -- History Historical German

The Unification of Germany   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1871 the thirty-eight states of what was once the Holy Roman Empire, re-united to become what was known in the early twentieth century as simply, The German Empire, united under the rule of the German Emperor, or Kaiser. There are many factors which led to the unification of the German states; liberalism, nationalism, Otto Von Bismarck, fear of ‘another Napoleon’, the Prussian King William I, and the three wars Prussia fought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the key factors which led to the Unification was nationalism. Nationalism is the idea that certain things such as race, culture, religion, language or territory set them apart from those around them, and they could identify their interests with a group of people not just a local monarch. This idea created the belief that one’s loyalty was first to the ‘nation’ not the monarch. On 23 February 1848, there was a demonstration in Paris that resulted in the abdication of King Louis Philippe. Then on 13 March students in Vienna staged a rebellion which later that day forced Prince Metternich to resign as Austrian Foreign Minister. Prussian King, Frederick William IV, stood against reform and used troops to break up demonstrations. But on hearing of Metternich’s resignation he lost his nerve and called together a Diet, granting a constitution. When a crowd gathered at the Palace in Berlin the royal guard opened fire. The resulting revolution ended by November of that year as the people began to fear the consequences of prolonging it. The failure of this revolution, and the failure to achieve national unity, broke the link between liberalism and nationalism. In the end it was the nationalistic ideals of the German aristocracy, not the general populace that brought about the Unification of the German States in 1871. (1) ** I remember to have been so entirely absorbed by what was happening that I could hardly turn my thoughts to anything else. Like many of my friends, I was dominated by the feeling that at last the great opportunity for giving the German people the liberty which was their birthright and to the German fatherland its unity and greatness, and that it was now the first duty of every German to do and to sacrifice everything for this sacred object. We were profoundly, solemnly in earnest. **   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Liberalism was an important factor of the German Unification. ... ...ded and supremely outmatched. These three wars achieved Bismarck’s goals of obtaining support for the army reforms and unifying Germany under Prussian leadership (which meant the expulsion of Austria from Germany’s affairs). So, the unification of Germany in 1871 was achieved through a combination of factors; the idea held by the German people of a unified nation (nationalism), the fear held by the German aristocracy of anything which may result in a reduction to their power, such as liberalism and the ‘Napoleonic Fear’, the Prussian King William the first whose most important roles were appointing Bismarck and the introduction of the army reforms, and of course, Otto Von Bismarck. Bismarck was the reason for the three wars against Austria, France and Denmark, the implication of the Prussian army reforms and he made sure that the German states finally unified under the rule of a Prussian monarch, or ‘German Kaiser’, ruler of the newly founded German Empire in 1871.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Works Cited www.schoolshistory.org.uk/ ASLevel_History/unificationofgermany.htm mars.acnet.wnec.edu/~grempel/ courses/wc2/lectures/germanunif.html www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/germanunification.html

An Analysis of Anti-technology Themes in The Machine Stops and WALL-E E

In 1909 E.M. Forster wrote the ground-breaking short story â€Å"The Machine Stops†, it foretold of a dystopian society where mankind entrusted itself to a machine which took care of al their wants and needs, and ultimately lead to their demise. In Forster’s â€Å"The Machine Stops†, he illustrates the need for man to become less dependent on machines and technology for their livelihoods and life in general. In Disney’s â€Å"WALL-E† we se many of these themes again. In both cases humans have become so inept at taking care of themselves that the loss of the machine or machines that care for them would be catastrophic and deadly. Humans have invested so much trust and power into these machines that they no longer have any real control, in addition their dependence on technology has severely distanced them from nature and more importantly their own human nature. In both stories one of the major themes is the autonomy of the â€Å"Machine†, and the lack of control the humans have over them. In â€Å"The Machine Stops† this theme is best illustrated through the â€Å"Mending Apparatus† (Reader, 153), it automatically â€Å"mends† any problem it sees, including retrieving Kuno when he ventures to the surface as well as killing one of the surface dwellers who â€Å"was entangled by the worms, and, †¦, was killed by one of them piercing her throat.†. This shows the ruthless autonomy of the machine. Later in the story we see how little the people who inhabit â€Å"The Machine† have over it, when it begins to break down, they have so little understanding o its workings that they are powerless to fix it, without the â€Å"Mending Apparatus† to fix â€Å"The Machine† they are unable to save themselves. In Disney’s â€Å"WALL-E† the ship aboard which the humans are living is c ontroll... ...oth depictions people communicate almost exclusively through machines, in â€Å"The Machine Stops† face to face contact is rare and essentially feared. In â€Å"WALL-E† people are shown talking to each other on screens while they are right next to each other and they seem completely lost when it comes to face to face conversations. In conclusion, â€Å"The Machine Stops† and â€Å"WALL-E† both use anti-technological themes to illustrate the dangers of technological advance, in particular our dependence on machines and technology for our survival. They showed that the combination of a dependence on an autonomous and out-of-control machine, a disconnection from nature, and an extreme loss of humanity can have disastrous consequences for us and our society. The question now is whether or not we can learn from these works and works like these and prevent a dark and inhuman future.

Personal Reflection †My life compare to the Amish Essay

The Amish had first been discovered in 1693, they are known for simple living and plain dressing. Even though they have been around for a very long time their ways of living are still very similar to what it was since the beginning. Unlike my ways of living, I have been on this earth for 16 years (still counting) and my ways of life have changed dramatically year after year. The Amish and I have some similarities and many differences. From the way the use of technology, our gender, our roles and status and even our religion. my life revolves around technology, from the moment I wake up to the moment I step into bed at the end of the day I am surrounded by technology. we might think technology is what makes the world go round. But the Amish thinks differ, they live their life with no use of technology what so ever. this means no phones, no television, no laptop, no electricity (only allowed in certain areas) and definitely no cars. they believe if too much technology is used, the community will slowly be separated from each other. which I believe is very correct. instead of using cars for transport, they would use horse – drawn buggies. my daily routine, everything I do most likely consist of the use of technology. throughout the day I use my phone, use my computer, I use car as a transport, and I am surround by electricity. I feel ashamed of myself because I think the use of technology is the only way someone can get through a day. As for gender, the Amish always had the male(father) as the head of the family. But in my house hold my mum(female) is the head of the house, which is completely opposite to the Amish. The Amish said that unmarried could work and married women had to work within the home . But in my life, women have a choice whether they want to work or stay home whether they’re married or not. when working I have the choice whether to give my pay to my mother or not. but according to the Amish, working children have to give all their pay to their father to support the family. The Amish are very close to one other and families are usually always nearby even after marriage. but where I am living, at the age of 18, family member are able to leave as they please and as far away as they want. since birth my mum never forced me into a certain religion, I was given the choice to choose which religion would suite me best. unlike me the Amish aren’t as lucky as I am, from birth have Christianity forced onto them, and every since that day their lives are now devoted to god. this means devoting  yourself to god before being accepted as an adult member. they are believe that they must obey god at all times. They strongly believe in peace and cooperation. unlike us people who think technology and money makes the world go round and that power is the key to happiness. And lastly our roles and statue, from a young age the Amish were taught their roles, kids would go to school till year 8. The males are always the leader of the family and the person who makes decisions for the entire family and sometimes community. they are also expected to have to work on farm to provide for the family. the females are expected to take care of the family and maintain the house. females usually don’t have jobs outside the house, but young women are usually school teachers. in our society the roles and status can be similar and very different compare to the Amish, in our society males can be the leader but so can the females, the roles in our society are more equal. both males and females can find jobs, do house chores and both can look after the family. And kids finish school at a much older age. in conclusion, the Amish ways of living compare to mine are very different. there is no right way or wrong in living life, both cultures have different views to thin gs so their beliefs to think will be different. At the end of the day we are all human, and we should all respect each other instead of stereotyping one another.

Gay Marriage Rights

After the legalizations in Massachusetts and, most recently, California, gay marriage has been a growing trend in the United States. In the 8 months since the legalization, more and more gay couples have been rushing to California to tie the knot. However, California and Massachusetts are not the first to make an effort to strengthen the bonds of homosexual couples some European countries including Denmark, Holland, some Scandinavian countries, and others have legalized same-sex marriage and have found the results positive. Gay marriage has been a contradictory issue since gay men and women began requesting marriage licenses.However, gays are denied their rights to marriage licenses, which is denying then their rights as American citizens. Gays should be treated equally to heterosexuals and granted their rights to marry the person they love, whether they are the same or opposite gender. Although the idea of a same-sex wedding hasn’t been legal long enough for statistics to be developed on children of same-sex marriages’ developmental upbringing, or that they are harmed by their environment, many people seem to think that they will be less healthy or normal if the couple that raises them are homosexual.People believe that the children will grow up to be gay, or different from any normally raised child, if they don’t grow up in a â€Å"normal† family. The results of studies testing these ideas are quite contrary to the popular belief of heterosexual couples. In fact, the studies show that children raised by gay couples seem to be more adjusted than the â€Å"normally† raised ones. The argument that children raised in homosexual households will grow up to be gay is completely illegitimate.In a study of over 300 children of homosexual parents, there have been no indications that there are any disturbances in the development of the child’s sexual identity, or the lifestyle that the child will live later in life. In reality, most children raised by heterosexuals are not raised in normal households. With divorce also becoming popular we have families with three kids and only one parent. There is no doubt that homosexuals want to have children, and not only is the ban of gay marriage denying their rights to be married, but also denying them their rights to have a two-parent family with children.Some also say that marriage is between a man and a woman for procreation purposes, and that gays cannot naturally produce children. If this were the case then wouldn’t the state prohibit marriage between heterosexuals when one, or both, are sterile? If the purpose of marriage is, in fact, for procreation then who’s to say that post-menopausal women should have the right to marry? Children in foster care and orphanages are also a problem, so why not kill two birds with one stone and give gays their rights and orphans or unwanted children a home and a family that loves them?Another argument against gay marriage is that it is against religion. Whose religion? Some religions, such as Buddhism, actually celebrate gay marriage. The fact that gay marriages are illegal goes against not only the gays’ rights, but their rights also. And the fact that people are bringing the bible into their arguments also means that other religions religious rights are being infringed. The bible has no standing in American law, this was made clear by the first amendment of the United States constitution, and no one has any right or authority to set rules based on something they take as a moral injunction stated by the bible.The Christian and catholic religions cannot speak for all religions, and the United Stated government is allowing them to do just that. The main purpose of our government is to preserve the rights of the citizens, and at this, our government has failed. Homosexuals are not the only people being denied their rights, but also the members of certain religions that support same-sex marriages. Along with this, people also say that gay marriage would force churches that have an objection to perform gay marriage to perform same-sex weddings.There is no law stating that any church would be required to marry any couple, heterosexual or otherwise, that they do not wish to. Gay marriage would not change the churches right to refuse to sanctify any marriage that they do not wish to. It would only give churches the opportunity to legally wed gay couples if they would like to. None of the arguments above are valid. So now, let us examine the true reasons that people oppose the marriage of homosexual couples.Most people just are not comfortable with the idea. For years now, society has promoted the idea that two men or two women being married is wrong. This is mostly because of the arguments mentioned previously. However, none of those objections make sense! So neither does the idea that gay marriage is wrong. Being uncomfortable with a proposal is not a valid reason to oppose it. It is selfish to infringe other human beings’ rights for your

How Does Steinbeck Present the Relationship Between George and Lennie in the Novel?

Steinbeck presents the relationship between George and Lennie by utilizing a number of literary techniques and devices, particularly in the first 3 section. The skilled and careful presentation of this relationship forms the foundation upon which almost all of the novella's prevailing themes are structured, from the preciousness of companionship to the futility of dreams (and, in particular, the so-called American Dream). The first paragraph focussing on the men (second paragraph, page 4) opens with the sentence: â€Å"They had walked single file down the path, and even in the open one stayed behind the other†.Immediately, Steinbeck portrays the essence of George and Lennie's relationship through this first quote about the men: that this relationship had a hierarchy; it was a leader-and-follower relationship, with one member guiding the other. The entire book revolves around this concept (George being Lennie's carer as Lennie cannot lead himself), so it is appropriate that Ste inbeck chooses this idea to be the cornerstone of the reader's understanding of their relationship.However, in order to avoid any assumption that one man was better than the other, Steinbeck dissolves the idea of a hierarchy immediately as he details the similarities between the two men, all of which refer to clothing and possessions, such as them both being â€Å"dressed in denim trousers and denim coats with brass buttons†, and having â€Å"black, shapeless hats† and â€Å"tight blanket rolls slung over their shoulders†.Through their sole similarities being material possessions, Steinbeck shows that these two men are completely equal in circumstance and situation, intensifying attention on and the significance of their physical and mental differences. Steinbeck follows this with detailed and highly contrasting descriptions of the two men. He first describes the leader, using words such as â€Å"small and quick†, â€Å"slender† and â€Å"sharpâ⠂¬ .This does not create the image of a traditional leader, a fact which is compounded with the description of a â€Å"huge man† with â€Å"wide, sloping shoulders† as his follower. Steinbeck uses these departures from convention to indicate that there is an alternative reason why the leader leads the follower other than the traditional case of the pack following the strongest member. It is obvious that, although Lennie is the stronger and bigger of the two, he is content following a man who is several degrees smaller than him. The reason behind this is hinted

Recently a small Young Enterprise Essay

Recently a small â€Å"Young Enterprise† group has set up a Sweet Stand, which sells a variety of sweets and soft drinks. The staff working at this Sweet Stand are Dave Currall (The Manager), Natalia Gelder (Assistant Manager). At the moment, the records which hold the information, are all paper based. This problem requires for Dave Currall to keep records in order, and also wastes time in writing the information down for the records. A stock check takes a lot of time to do although Nature of the problem User’s requirements 1. Stock checking forms. 2. Stock not re-ordered. 3. Wrong Minimum re-order quantities. 4. Don’t know who supplies which item. 5. Takes time and is difficult to prepare orders. 1. Form to use for stock checking. 2. Automatically identify when stock is low. 3. Items have a re-order quantity. 4. Each item has its known supplier. 5. System creates printed orders. Details of the problem Details of the user’s requirements 1. Stock checking form – its paper based. This means that too much time is taken filling in the stock check form. Paper can be easily lost; also after a period of time it begins to look all messed up. Repeating the tasks again and again wastes time. 2. Stock is not re-ordered which leads to that the items are running out, and customers will go elsewhere. 3. Wrong Minimum re-order quantities – re-order levels are being guessed, therefore at times too much, stock is being re-ordered. As a result, there are problems with the storage space; items go passed their sell-by-date and have to be thrown away. 4. We don’t know whom supplies which item, it also takes time to find the items, and the items could go to a wrong supplier leading to a loss of money. 5. Takes time, and is difficult to prepare orders – we need to know which items are low on stock, what items are needed, and who the order is coming from (the supplier). 1. Stock checking form – computer generated list of items that can be used to record the number of each item in stock. 2. Automatic low stock warning – the system needs to identify when a current item is below a certain mark of stock and will need to be highlighted for re-ordering. 3. Item re-order quantity – each item has a number, which is used as a re-order quantity. 4. Each item has its own supplier – the system needs to know if the supplier for each item, this could be coded, used to order items from the correct supplier. 5. System creates printed orders – the items that need re-ordering, are put on an order form which is then reading to be ordered with its certain No. in Stock. There will be a different order form for each supplier. This order form will require all of the important information. Method of collecting data Information collected   Items sold   No. in Stock of stock * Supplier   What the supplier suppliers/ what item(s)   Sell-by-date. Re-order level of items Method Used Items sold – The staff count the items and write all the stock items onto a list. So when an item is sold, the staff will write down what has been sold.   No. in Stock of stock – The staff will count how much stock of each item they have, and write it down on paper.   Supplier – The staff would contact the supplier and retrieve the information they need to know on what the supplier supplies.   What the supplier supplies/ what item(s) – The staff would contact the supplier and find out what stock the supplier has via telephone, letter, etc. Sell-by-date – each box of items shall have the same sell-by-date so the staff can write down the sell-by-date for that box and keep up to date with the items.   Re-order level of items – levels of items need to be monitored manually to see what items run out of stock quickly, and some items which don’t sell very much. This way different levels are aquired for each item. Suggested Alternatives Alternative solutions shall improve the Sweet Stand; these should be improving the capture of the records by inserting them into a database so that they are kept safe. It should be able to identify when an item should need to be recorded. Also, it will control the No. in Stock of each item. Also it will be able to identify which item has come from which supplier. Also, these orders will be prepared when an item needs to be reordered. Inputs, Processing and Outputs required Inputs Processing Outputs   Stock items   No. in Stock of stock   Supplier details   Re-order level   Formulae Stock check form   Order form   Stock listing report Detail of inputs, processing and outputs Name of input Detail of input Stock items. The items of stock that need to be ordered need to be input into the system No. in Stock of stock The number of items in stock will need to be an input into the system Suppliers details The information on the supplier will need to be input. This information is the address, name, and contact numbers. Re-order level The re-order level will need to be input for each item of stock. This is so that the calculation can alert the user that the item needs to be re-ordered. Name of Processing Detail of processing Formulae IF(‘RE-ORDER'