Literature Review and Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Literature Review and Proposal - Essay Example However, things did not turned out as expected and it was found that other nations were actually overtaking the national sports of England with relative ease and it was more evident in the last 40 years. According to the fundamental hypothesis it can be stated that foreign influences has much to do with it. This is where the question becomes extremely important. Football is not only the national sports of England it is also an immensely popular sports in the country. It is fundamentally a heritage of England and the current degradation of this sport is a crisis of the national level and it is important to understand the reason behind this. A Qualitative method of study differs from the usual quantitative methods (used in the study of pure sciences) in the sense that it tends to be far more subjective. This is in sharp contrast to the methods used in pure sciences which are exclusively objective. The research methods for marketing are a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Being open to qualitative methods of study also allows social scientists to incorporate non-quantitative data (i.e. non-numerical data, such as words, images, gestures, impressions etc.) in their study. Since human beings tend to operate in terms of such data and not in terms of the terminology used in ordinary sciences this broader outlook is far more applicable in the study of social sciences. In keeping with the methodology employed in marketing researches the theories too are formulated and used keeping in mind that they aren't necessarily applicable to all conditions. Be it psychology, history, political science or economics human events are most likely to influence the rules which define the basic theories of a marketing subject. Success in the field of marketing researches can therefore be achieved if and only if it is understood that the subject has no space or opportunity for water-tight methodologies or theories. (Berkowitz, 2004) It can always be stated that Qualitative research is a process that includes interpretative paradigm under the measures of theoretical assumptions and the entire approach is based on sustainability that is depended on people's experience in terms of communication. It can also be mentioned that the total approach is based on the fact that reality is created on the social formulations. It can also be mentioned that the basic target of qualitative research is instrumented towards social context under normal circumstances where it would be possible to interpret, decode and describe the significances of a phenomenon. The entire process is operational under the parameter of interpretative paradigm that can minimize illusion and share subjectivity under contextualization, authenticity and complexity of the investigation. The basic advantages of qualitative measures are multi fold. Firstly, it presents a completely realistic approach that the statistical analysis and numerical data used in research based on quantitative research cannot provide. Another advantage of qualitative measures is that it is more flexible in nature in terms of collected information interpretation, subsequent analysis and data collection. It also presents a holistic point of view of the investigat

Principles infection control Essay Example for Free

Principles infection control Essay Explain employees’ roles and responsibilities in relation to the prevention and control of infection ANSWER As an employee the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 state that I have a duty and responsibility to ensure that I as an employee have a duty to be responsible in showing reasonable care for my own safety. I have the responsibility of my own safety in terms of cleanliness and hygiene observation and practice; I am responsible for cooperating and following the health and safety guidelines and expectations of my employer; I am responsible for maintaining and taking care of all hygiene equipment and materials and to report when there is a faulty; I am responsible for using PPE appropriately and attending the necessary training in health and safety, keeping my skills up to date; I have a responsibility of to monitor the hygiene practices of my staff as a senior care support worker making sure that they observe practices such as wearing appropriate PPE and washing hands appropriately as well as updating their training. I must be of the attitude that when it comes to infection prevention and control that all individuals (including myself) are high risk and practice my control of hygiene accordingly. This means wearing PPE such as gloves and aprons when assisting a service user to toilet or wash; disposing of the PPE appropriately afterwards and washing my hands thoroughly. It includes using new clean PPE between attending to different service users; making sure pads and soiled linen are bagged and disposed correctly; disinfecting and wiping down areas when necessary; storing foods to correct temperatures; preparing foods to correct temperatures before serving; using clean food implements and equipment and following the instructions of the use and storage of substances hazardous to health. I must also keep my personal hygiene up to standards at work by wearing appropriate clean clothing and  keeping my hair tidy and tied away for my face, no jewellery or dangling parts and sensible foot wear. Wearing inappropriate clothing such as clothes with tassels can drop into food and cause cross contamination; shoes that will cause imbalance and cause me to topple over would be dangerous especially if carrying food, waste or assisting a person to manoeuvre. Not wearing appropriate PPE would increase the chance of cross contamination as substances such as bodily fluids, chemicals and other foreign particles such as hair etc can be easily transferred to ingest or inhale in some way. Reporting faulty equipment is essential as if a dish washer or washing machine breaks down then this increases the risk of the items they would process to not be processed properly or sit around harbouring bacteria for longer thus increasing the risk to cross contamination. Updating my knowledge in subjects such as health and safety and food safety is vital as it reinforces knowledge and practice and informs me of any legislation and practices that have changed. If a service user develops an infection then I must record and report this straight away making sure that the home nurse or manager is aware and that it is handed over to the staff team with instructions of how to provide care. The service user must receive medical attention from the home nurse or a GP. These types of infections must also include reporting to necessary bodies such as RIDDOR at the local authority by the GP, especially in circumstances of food poisoning or contagious infections such as Healthcare Associated Infections (e.g. MRSA, MSSA, C. Difficile and E. Coli which are all very contagious bacteria). If a member of staff has an infection and they pose a risk to others of cross contamination then they should seek medical attention and not come into work advising me by phone call of what the issue is so that I can alert the manager or home nurse and we can check for any risk of cross contamination. This staff member (including myself it affected) should not return to work unless the risk had gone and it is medically safe to do so. A certificate from my (or staffs) GP must be provided in these cases. Continue on a separate page if necessary QUESTION- ( 1.2 ) Explain employers’ responsibilities in relation to the prevention and control of infection ANSWER Employers have a great duty to ensure that health and safety regulations (HASAWA 1974) are met in the prevention and control of infections because they also have a duty of care to ensure it is prevented and/ or kept under control and terminated. Health and safety legislation states that employers must protect employees from danger and harm as far as reasonably possible so the work premises that they provide for service users to dwell and staff to work in must be safe and free from danger. In terms of infection control, all substances that are hazardous to health including bodily fluids, chemicals and wastes must have provisions so that they can be stored, handled, cleaned, processed and disposed of safely with minimal risk to individuals. Risk assessments must be carried out in the work place to ensure that any risks are identified, minimised and monitored as a way of limiting and controlling the risk of infection. Risk assessment of stored and used substances including COSHH and biohazard substances and risk assessments of working procedures including risk assessments in serviced users care plans must be carried out and updated. Employers must provide the means for staff to access training so that their employees knowledge and skills are up to date; they must provide the means to PPE so that employees can protect themselves and others whilst they work with hazardous substances and they must ensure that regular health and safety checks are carried out so that any issues can be identified and corrected in the building and in the resources. Employers must also provide the necessary infection prevention and control in policies and procedures so that I and my staff team can access the necessary information on how we carry out our work. The main source of Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs) are transferred via hand contact therefore it is vital that my employer provides that  adequate resources for myself and staff to wash our hands and dry our hands regularly, appropriately and to procedure. The facilities to wash with warm water and use a WC should be clean and safe (not damaged and kept clean) provided with necessary hand wash, disposable hand towels and pedal bins. Such resources are vital to the control and prevention of infections. Continue on a separate page if necessary QUESTION- ( 2.1 ) Outline current legislation and regulatory body standards which are relevant to the prevention and control of infection ANSWER As well as the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974 that stipulates that each employee and employers have a responsibility of showing reasonable care for ourselves and others and to provide a safe place to work respectively; other acts that state more specifically how the prevention and control of infections must be met in my work place and these include Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (2002) or COSHH and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulations 1995 or RIDDOR. A hazardous substance is any substance or material with the potential to cause illness or injury to the people whom come into contact with it and are likely to come in the forms of liquids, dust, fumes, gases and living organisms. The control of these substances involve the prevention of accidents and ill health and therefore COSHH stipulates that such hazards must be identified; risk assessed; prevent exposure to or control exposure to and staff should be regularly check if they are continuously working with some high risk substances. COSHH also requires that people at work handling substances should follow the instructions or be trained to handle the substances; know what control measures to take and how to take appropriate action in an emergency In a care home environment the employer must make sure that the storage of any substances is safe and legally adequate i.e. in  correct containers, in suitable room, in suitable temperatures, dry area, off of the floor, locked securely etc; all chemical substances should have their data sheets listing the ingredients; storage rooms sign posted appropriately and have only authorised persons using them etc. The regulation should also explain of how to deal with spillages safely and this would include the spillage of blood and/or urine; how to dispose of sharps and dispose of soiled materials such as pads. RIDDOR (1995) covers the recording and reporting of dangerous occurrences and accidents in the workplace. I must ensure that these reports be kept for 3 years and they must be available for inspection by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as and when required. Work places should have a system of reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences as a result of accidents and incidents. An accident is something that happens that results in an injury or death and an incident is something that almost could have happened that might not have caused harm now but could cause an injury, ill health or a fatality in the future. I must report some incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (via RIDDOR) directly and these include: Death or a major injury Injury resulting in employees being 3 or more Poisoning days off of work Occupational cancers Occupational asthma or lung disease Skin condition such as (from asbestos) skin cancers or dermatitis Musculo-skeletal disorders including fractures Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 a code of practice was established for the prevention and control of Health Care Associated Infections (HCAIs) setting out how the NHS will go about attempting to prevent HCAIs. 1 Systems to manage and monitor the prevention and control of infection. These systems use risk assessments and consider how susceptible service users are and any risks that their environment and other users may pose to them. 2 Provide and maintain a clean and appropriate environment in managed premises that facilitates the prevention and control of infections. 3 Provide suitable accurate information on infections to service users and their visitors. 4 Provide suitable accurate information on infections to any person concerned with providing further support or nursing/ medical care in a timely fashion. 5 Ensure that people who have or develop an infection are identified promptly and receive the appropriate treatment and care to reduce the risk of passing on the infection to other people. 6 Ensure that all staff and those employed to provide care in all settings are fully involved in the process of preventing and controlling infection. 7 Provide or secure adequate isolation facilities. 8 Secure adequate access to laboratory support as appropriate. 9 Have and adhere to policies, designed for the individual’s care and provider organisations that will help to prevent and control infections. 10 Ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that care workers are free of and are protected from exposure to infections that can be caught at work and that all staff are suitably educated in the prevention and control of infection associated with the provision of health and social care. The Department of Health 2010 ‘The Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance’. My employer has to show how it is implementing these codes as best suited to the organisation and assessed and inspected by the Care Quality Commission. The Public Health Control Of Diseases Act 1984 and the Public Health (infectious Diseases) Regulations provides information about disease which are risks such as Dysentery, cholera, diphtheria and food poisoning etc . It explains how an outbreak should be handled, recorded and reported and the responsibility of informing the environmental health officer of the outbreak so that an investigation can be carried out. Continue on a separate page if necessary QUESTION- ( 2.2 ) Describe local and organisational policies relevant to the prevention and control of infection ANSWER Policies that cover the prevention and control of infection at my work place include those of: Hand washing technique procedure: To wash hands thoroughly after assisting service users (for example after assisting them to use the toilet, change their pad or even after dressing them or feeding them) it is of paramount importance that I (and my staff team) follow the established method of hand washing. Transference of bacteria via hand to hand contact is the most common way of the spread of infections and pathogens that cause them so it is vital that I carry this out throughout my working practice. My work place has this method displayed in appropriate places (i.e. above hand wash basins) so that it is there to guide me and my staff team. It is a process that should take no more than 15 to 30 seconds and it is a process that is carried out frequently, even if disposable or non disposable gloves are used – hand washing technique is still necessary. The facilities must be available and this includes the basin with hot water, soap and disposable towels. My work place has policies and procedures outlining what to do in the event of the outbreak of infection. It will outline a procedure of recording and reporting on the necessary forms not only for our records but also for RIDDOR. It will direct me to report and outbreak or the suspicion of an outbreak to the home manager or nurse so that they can report to the Environmental Health authorities. If needed a GP will be called in to tend to the service user and will also advise to or report to the local  environmental health inspector for RIDDOR of a notifiable disease such as dysentery, cholera, MRSA, MSSA, C, Difficile or E, Coli (to name a few). The policy will outline the various circumstances of which to notify the Environmental Health Authorities because even though sickness like diarrhoea and influenza are quite common and most people can overcome them with over the counter medications, for elderly people these can pose more of a threat an cause pneumonia or even death if they are not supported straight away because of their weakened immune system or if they already have a chest condition. The procedures outline what to do if there is an outbreak in the home depending on what the suspected infection is i.e. best practice in cases of influenza should instruct along the lines of making the conditions present indicate the threat i.e. The signs and symptoms of influenza e.g. Onset of fever, headache, myalgia, cold or runny nose, sore throat etc; symptoms like these in 2 or more individuals in the home within a 3 day period and the preventative treatment that needs to be put into place as a result. Policies of storage and use of substances that are hazardous to health also cover chemical products that are used throughout the work place (i.e. detergents, cleaners, disinfectants, aerosols etc) and the routine and schedule of cleaning areas particularly areas such as bathrooms, wet rooms, toilets and kitchens. Policy and procedure are also provided on how to dispose of items such as sharps and soiled pads; Soiled pads should disposed of in yellow sanitation bags which can be disposed of in the clinical waste bin; needles and other forms of sharps during drug administration or phlebotomy must be disposed of in special sharps containers that are collected and incinerated. Some service user may have to use certain aids to help them in their day to day lives and these can also require care and attention so as to reduce infection and spread of infection. Such items as catheters need to be cleaned and the service user would need to clean or assistance to clean their most intimate areas so as to prevent infections. Procedure advice on how to clean and care for the aids and how to protect ourselves with appropriate PPE before tending to them. All new catheter bags will be  inside of sterile packaging and we must ensure that these are kept sealed and renew according to care plan. Policy and procedure instructing on care of service users stoma bags would also be another example of such aids where infection prevention and control is of great importance. Continue on a separate page if necessary QUESTION- ( 3.1 ) Describe procedures and systems relevant to the prevention and control of infection ANSWER My work place also has guidance in the form of policies of when to use Personal Protective Equipment such as gloves, aprons or gowns, masks and eye protection. These are vital as a protective barrier against transference of pathogens from service user to me (or staff) and from me to service user. These must be worn when assisting the service user to toilet, change pads, wash, dress and a fresh set when preparing food. They should also be worn when changing bins or clearing up spillages, especially of hazardous substances. The gloves and aprons must be disposable as this reduces the harbouring of pathogens and cuts down the spread of infections. The procedures cover how to don and remove such items as carrying out such methods in sequence cuts down the risk of the spread of infections and transference of pathogens e.g. it may outline a process such as: Carry out hand hygiene immediately before and after donning and removing PPE. Don a gown Don a mask (if used) Don eye wear (if used) Don gloves. Such donning of protection must be carried out in this order as to put gloves  on firstly would make it difficult to tie and adjust other garments; also if hands are gloved it may encourage the user to touch things that may carry infection and then they would transfer when donning other PPE. Donning a mask or eye wear firstly would also be impractical as they would get in the way when donning other items. It is best to don the gown firstly as this has to be done up at the back and then the others (where applicable) and gloves lastly. The procedure will also outline how to don each item of PPE e.g. for donning gloves it may say to don them lastly by inserting hands into gloves and then making sure that the gloves also cover the wrists; and also how to (and in what order to) remove each item of PPE in order to cuts down the risk of the spread of infections and transference of pathogens. Cleaning of certain rooms and facilities in the care home require regular cleaning and decontaminating, disinfecting and sterilisation. Toilets, bathrooms, commodes, equipment such as hoists, bath chairs and handle rails all need to be cleansed in line with the procedure of the home. For example procedure in my care home stipulates that the commodes must be generally cleaned and decontaminated and disinfected after each use, as well as the resident’s toilets. Soiling may not be visible to the eye however the bacteria still persists so this must be cleaned and disinfected immediately. Similarly bathrooms and wet rooms must be cleaned and disinfected after each use as residue from the service users body would be left behind causing bacteria to build up, especially in a damp place. According to procedure I ensure that staffs or myself frequently check the resident’s toilets (hourly). A checking schedule is placed in the toilet where we tick off that it has been checked. In addition to this when we assist the service user to use the toilets after their use we used disinfecting wipes to clean down the seat area and a spate wipe to clean the flushing handle whilst applying disinfectant to the toilet bowl. If debris is in the toilet bowl, this must be scrubbed away using the toilet brush. Many service users need our assistance to use the toilet however some are able to use the toilet themselves and may not remember or be able to disinfect the toilet appropriately after use so we check the toilet hourly  for this purpose. After we finish assisting the service user, making sure that they wash their hands and they are made comfortable outside of toilet we change gloves to clean gloves (as to not cross contaminate from assisting them to other surfaces) and use cleaning materials that are stored in a secure cupboard in the toilet firstly applying toilet bowl disinfectant to the bowl and scrub bowl with toilet brush (if required); use a disinfecting wipe to clean top of bowl, a fresh one for the seat and another last wipe during the flush. We clean the flushing handle lastly using the wipe so as to not risk contamination after touching anywhere else. Where wipes are not used or have run out we use colour coded disposable cleaning cloths and liquid detergents (to remove physical debris) then liquid disinfectant to disinfect the surfaces. These are readily made up to the correct solutions (according to manufactures specifications) and are bottled in colour coded plastic bottles and labelled. For cleaning supplies used in toilets the spray bottles containing the detergent and disinfectants, cleaning cloths, mops and mop-buckets are all red. This gives a clear indication that these are the materials and equipment to be used in the toilet areas only and ensures that these are not used elsewhere in the home providing a procedural barrier against cross contamination. When using the liquid cleaners/disinfectants and cloths we clean and disinfect the flush handle firstly and then work our way down to the bowl to spread of infection from toilet bowl to flush handle. If there is a spillage of urine on the floor then we use water and detergent with a designated mop and mop-bucket (colour coded red) to clean away the spillage. After the physical debris has been removed then we use disinfectant to disinfect the area, ensuring that hazard warning signs are put in place whilst cleaning is taking place so as to warn others of slippery floor surfaces. We open the window so as to encourage quicker drying of the floor and monitor it for safety and remove signage when drying is complete. After cleaning these areas and supplies are securely pit away, we discard of our PPE in a specific manner which also acts as a procedural preventative  barrier against the spread of infection: gloves (turned inside out), apron and then hand hygiene. At the end of a residency and once the room has been voided and all belongings have been removed it is the procedure of our workplace that it should be cleaned and decontaminated, disinfected and sterilised. To do this we have a void team who remove any leftover items to throw away at a local authority refuse centre and get ready to refurbish the room. Wearing PPE we clean, disinfect and use a steam steriliser to sterilise the bed frame and commode (a new mattress is always ordered at the beginning of new residencies) and move these temporarily into a storage room. We also strip the windows of curtains and drapes to launder. The void team then remove the lino and sterilise the room walls and ceiling, skirting door and door frame and handles; repaint and lay new lino to flooring. We then replace the window dressings, bed frame and commode. Many other procedures are particular to our home some of which include: Daily, weekly and monthly cleaning of the kitchen and its contents. The storage and maintenance of products and equipment e.g. cleaning chemicals and the required documentation, food stores and the stock rotation, health aids particular to each service user (such as catheters, stoma bags, dressings and pads), hoists, commodes, stand and twists, transfer boards, PPE etc. Disposal of clinical wastes. Safe handling and disposal of sharps. Managing spillages of blood and bodily fluids products. How to report and record and manage occurrences or suspicions of an outbreak. How to report and record accidents and incidents. Best practice of hand hygiene. Handling and laundering of soiled clothes and linen. Continue on a separate page if necessary QUESTION- ( 3.2 ) Explain the potential impact of an outbreak of infection on the individual and the organisation ANSWER The potential impact of an outbreak of infection on the individual can be devastating because it not only means that they have to be cared for in isolation to limit the risk of infection to other service users but it also means that the infection poses great risk to the individual’s life as their immune system is usually compromised and an infection poses a greater threat to their life. The symptoms of having an infection can be very uncomfortable for them in the mean time as their body is trying to fight the infection they can suffer symptoms such as fever and weakened muscle pain. If their skin is fragile and they are bed bound extra care must be taken to make sure that they are cleaned well and turned often to limit the onset of bedsores that can lead to even more complications. In cases of their treatment using some antibiotics (particularly stronger antibiotics that can give risk to the onset of other bacterial infections such as C. Diff because these antibiotics can have the effect of killing the initial infection in the digestive tract but can also kill beneficial, naturally occurring bacteria essential to the health of the digestive system. The resultant imbalance can give rise to C. Diff (which also naturally occurs in the system) to multiply causing an imbalance by over population that is toxic to their system. The resulting symptoms include can give the side effect of diarrhoea and vomiting which in turn create aerosols and risk of airborne transmission. The isolation that follows when the individual needs to be cared for and treated separately from others so as to reduce the risk of spread of infections to others can also affect the individual’s emotional/ mental wellbeing as they may feel more lonely and depressed during this time and this can affect their self esteem. It is therefore essential that myself and members of staff visit the individual often to maintain social contact  with them and ensure support of their mental health. Visits to the individual from friends and relatives must be stopped until the outbreak has cleared so as limit the risk of cross contamination to the visitors and also protect the resident from bacteria the visitors may unwittingly bring with them. The potential difficulties that follow an infection outbreak for the individual are complex and life threatening. The impact of an infection out break on the organisation can also be devastating as it can be costly for the treatment that has to be implemented and the organisations reputation can suffer as if poor practice or negligence was discovered after an investigation of the outbreak then it is within the rights of the HSE to prosecute individuals and this can lead to a fine or imprisonment. QUESTION- ( 4.1 ) Define the term risk ANSWER A risk within a care setting applies to a number of possibilities that can involve the risk posed from use of equipments, the use of substances or the danger of a service user to themselves and others. In terms of infection prevention and control the term risk applies to the level of risk posed from biological hazards or biohazards to people (including service users, staff and visitors). Some biological hazards are those substances that come from living organisms such as people and they can be found in bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, waste matter, saliva etc. Organisms that exist in bodily fluids include HIV, MRSA, influenza, MSSA, C. Difficile, E. Coli and many others. Once a biohazard in my workplace has been identified then I must be able to identify the level of risk that it poses to all people which means at what rate and by what means can the organism spread? Is it likely to spread  without precautions put in place? What level of harm is posed to others if precautions are not implemented? I would need to rate the level of risk to these factors as low, medium or high. QUESTION- ( 4.2 ) Outline potential risks of infection within the workplace ANSWER In a care home setting the potential for the risk of infection greatly increases because the service users are more vulnerable to getting infection then most people. Their susceptibility to infection is increased by a great many factors that affect their immune system, such as their age. Very old people’s immune systems are weaker due to their age and therefore are more susceptible to getting infection. Service user’s may also be suffering from certain terminal illnesses and this may compromise their immune system or they may be receiving medication or treatment for a terminal illness and this may compromise their immune system e.g. chemotherapy for cancer weakens the immune system. When people are ill or are elderly and suffer from degenerative diseases such as dementia their diets can change and they can begin to eat less or not feel like eating at all. For instances if they undergo a major operation like a hip replacement or have part of their digestive tract removed and acquire a stoma then they may have lost their appetite or find it difficult to change their diet risking them of becoming malnourished. Their nutritional status becomes poor as a result hence compromising their immune system. If they have had surgery and have wounds, stitches or some kind of skin trauma as a result, this greatly increases the risk to infection as the skin has been breached and this is the body’s greatest defence barrier against infection. These areas of the skin are undergoing healing and must be kept cleansed regularly to reduce bacteria. Stomas for the exit of excrement via the bowl or urine, catheters for the drainage of urine from the bladder via the urethra and cannulas inserted into the service user’s arm for the administration of intravenously all give a way to entry directly into the body. This increases the risk to the  service user of infection not only as a direct passage but also if the bags, needles or tubing are not sterile when used or if they become blocked and bacteria can then quickly build up. As mentioned before the use of some drugs can increase a service user’s risk to infection e.g. strong antibiotics changing the levels of natural bacteria in the body and causing an imbalance creating C. Diff infection or chemotherapy drugs weakening the immune system exposing the service user to risk of infection. The service user in a weakened state also becomes at greater risk of carrying infections and can spread pathogens themselves. There are highly contagious blood borne diseases such as Hepatitis B, HIV or MRSA that can be transferred to others who have to interact with them such as myself and staff who are providing care. Friends and relatives and other visitors can also be exposed to these infections. Aerosols from air borne pathogens such as the norovirus or influenza can transfer to others from the carriers vomit. The same is true of outside visitors bringing in such pathogens and risking infection to the service users who have weakened immune systems and who would find it more difficult to fight off such pathogens and sometimes fatal. People coming into the care home environment from outside also include myself and the staff team. We must be aware of our own personal hygiene and health as we can also be carriers of air borne viruses such as colds, flu, diarrhoea and vomiting. As care workers staff and myself need to be even more vigilant about our personal hygiene, state of health and our infection control practice. We must be extra vigilant when working within the care home as we are tending to different service users so it is vital that we practice a high standard of infection control procedure and adhere the requirements as set out in our organisations procedures so as to prevent cross contamination and the spread of infections between potentially contagious and vulnerable service users. We must ensure that we are clean and tidy for work and that our personal hygiene and attire does not pose a risk of infection to the service users and we must be responsible for our health and monitor this as if we do have a cold or flu it is best that we do not enter the work place as these illnesses can be detrimental to our  service users. It is therefore vital that we follow our organisations procedure on our fitness for work and take the appropriate action and inform our manager of our state of health as this could save a person’s life. It is therefore essential that I and my staff treat all individuals as high risk in the light of potential risk factors of infection in a care home environment. The equipment that we use with the service users often come into contact with the service users. Equipment such as hoists, stand and turns, banana boards, commodes, walking frames, profiling beds all come into contact with service users who may be carrying infections or pathogens that will cause infections. In addition areas such as toilets, bathrooms, doors and door handles and stand rails are also areas where bacteria and pathogens can sit and survive. Some pathogens are very resistant and can survive in a dormant state until the conditions in their surroundings becomes right then they can multiply e.g. the spores of C. Diff. It is therefore essential that regular cleaning to the schedule is carried out thoroughly as to limit the opportunity for pathogens to harbour.

Macro Environment Influences Of The Airline Industry Tourism Essay

Macro Environment Influences Of The Airline Industry Tourism Essay In terms of the case, it suggests that the environment of airline companies is not very stable, especially the increasing price of fuel which is the key driver of change. From Ryanair profit statement (Exhibit 1a) it shows the fuel and oil cost has increased by â‚ ¬200 million from 2005 to 2006. The increase in fuel costs is 74 percent. The impact to the airlines companies is obvious and the budget airlines may face the trouble more so than normal airlines. Moreover, airline companies also have to concentrate on some other issues. For example, according to the case, they are facing the risks from terrorist attacks which are difficult to predict. It is not difficult to find the changeability, however it is complex to the airline environment. Some factors, such as legal action and customer demand, also have influence on them. Some of these such as the price of fuel and oil can be predicted, while some of them cannot. Stage 2 Audit environmental influences The Pestel Analysis is employed to identify macro-environment influences of the airline industry. Political: Government wants to strengthen the economy and, consequently, will support local airlines by setting rules, such as preferential rights. Every government however, will probably do so. Therefore theres no obvious advantage between competitions. The political issues have a wide range of effect, so they are not the key points that budget airlines are facing. Economic: This is identified as the most crucial factor to airline companies, especially to budget airlines. The influences refer to the macro-economic factors such as the national growth rates and the exchange rates. As budget airlines, they will pay more attention to the operation costs such as fuel cost. It became a big issue for budget airlines because of the increasing cost of fuel. That may reduce the advantages and the companies will be less competitive than before. On the other hand, the recession will lead more people to choose budget airlines. Social: With the development of Asian countries in particular China, there are more and more people deciding to study or travel in Europe. In recent years, the lifestyle of local people has also changed. They tend to travel abroad to enjoy their lives. Most of these people are not wealthy such as student. The budget airlines therefore, will be their best choice to reduce the travel costs. Technological: The innovation of technology helps the airline companies reduce costs and carry out tasks more effectively. The new type of aircraft can help to reduce the burning of fuel; and new technology can also make the security check more efficient and accurate. Environmental: European countries pay more attention on environmental issues, especially greenhouse gases from carbon emissions. Moreover in terms of the case, airline companies have to pay the environmental taxes for the contributions they make to global warming. In particular, it is bad news for budget airlines. Costs will increase and the companies want to maintain good brand image in the consumers perception. Furthermore, noise pollution and energy consumption cannot be ignored under such conditions. Legal: Some legal actions such as preferential airport rights are directed against the specific airlines. As budget airlines, which have higher competitive power, they should pay more attention to the legal forces to prevent loss. On the contrary, they can also take the initiative over illegal aid to rivals. Stage 3 Determine industry specific factors (this stage will be analysed in Question 2) Stage 4 Identify competitive position (this stage will be analysed in Question 3) Stage 5 Identify key opportunities and threats There are many potential opportunities for the airline companies. For instance, the recession may lead to more people choosing the budget airline rather than the expensive ones; new technology which helps to reduce the usage of fuel; government set the tax at a lower percentage. On the other hand, the increasing cost of fuel may be the most significant issue most budget airlines face. Whats more, the compensation to passengers, terrorism and security, and customers satisfactions will all have potential negative impacts on the airline. In order to achieve lower costs, budget airlines will have to reduce costs from many departments and operations. Thats why lots of customers are not satisfied with the budget airlines except for the price. Question 2 Prepare a Porter Five Forces analysis of the budget airline industry. Express Ryanairs perspective of these forces. The threat of entry There are high barriers to enter the budget airline industry. i) High investment requirements. Economies of scale are important in the airline industry. It is difficult for new entrants to match others existing competitors. In addition to this, the operational experiences cannot be acquired in such short space of time. ii) Expected retaliation. Retaliation will take place when new entrants appear for budget airlines, it will probably be in the form of a price war due to costs of entry being very high for them. iii) Legislation or Government action. Government wont let new entrants enter the market if the industry is saturated. With regards to Ryanair in the budget airline industry, there will not be large impacts to existing budget airlines if new entrants appeared. Budget airlines always focus on the costs and price, so does Ryanair. According to the case, Ryanair was the first budget airline in Europe and now its ticket prices are much lower than the other rivals. Therefore it will be impossible for new entrants to set a low price to win the market. The threat of substitutes Before discussing the threats, some comparative data is showed below. Round Trip by Ryanair Flight: London Stansted Milan Going Out Regular Fare Adult 8.99 GBP Tue, 2 Dec 08 Flight FR 4184 8:15 Depart 11:15 Arrive Coming Back Regular Fare Adult 12.99 GBP Sun, 8 Dec 08 Flight FR 4185 6:45 Depart 7:50 Arrive (Source: Ryanair.com) One way by Rail Europe: London (ST Pancras) Milan Standard Class Adult 227 GBP Tue, 2 Dec 08 8:40 Depart 21:20 Arrive (Source: Raileurope.co.uk) Most of the travellers will prefer the short journey, in addition to the cheaper way to travel. From the tables it is obvious that taking a plane from Ryanair is much cheaper than taking the train in a similar situation. Although some airlines may be expensive, budget airlines such as Ryanair will usually be the best choice. The impact of substitutes, therefore, has less impact on the budget airlines. The power of buyers Buyers of airlines tickets can sometimes be the travel agency.  In other cases, Ryanair caters to ultimate consumers. Majority of the buyers are not concentrated buyers and they come from all over the countries. Individuals can select the budget airlines according to their preference, because the switching costs are low and the differentiation of such service is weak. It is extremely expensive for people to own an aircraft. When there is a choice of budget airlines to use, with low prices. So there is a low buyer competition threat. Like Ryanair, with less concentrated buyers and buyers competition threat, the power of buyers is low. The power of suppliers The high power of suppliers may be one of the most significant threats among the budget airline industry. The increasing price of fuel, which leads to a high cost for airlines, is a basic issue they are facing. As we know, fuel industry is now concentrated in the hands of few producers. Therefore, in this situation it is difficult to cut the price for this essential material. In addition to this, it is useless to change fuel suppliers when the global price is growing. Moreover there are no practical substitutes. Ryanair is facing this problem with other budget airlines. Furthermore Ryanair sells all the ticket directly through the website. Thus there is no intermediary. Competitive rivalry Rivalry is influenced by these four competitive forces and each of them may have different levels of impact on the competitive rivalry. In this market, every airline provides the same services which are poorly differentiated. Low differentiation and switching costs in this industry, therefore, cause the price competition. Ryanair, which has the first mover advantages, still holds the dominant position. Although many of the competitors were losing money or even have been taken over, Ryanair remains steady in incremental growth. For industry growth rate, this industry is in the maturity situation of life cycle, which means the growth is low. Price war is therefore playing a crucial role throughout the competition. Question 3 Evaluate Ryanairs particular strengths and weaknesses and explain, with reasons, what Ryanair must do to retain a sustainable competitive advantage. As the first-mover of budget airline industry, Ryanair still holds the dominant lowest-cost position. This is also the one of the strengths it has. Whats more, Ryanair was announced being the most profitable airline in the world according to the case. The revenue is still increasing, despite the price of fuel did not stop growing in recent years. The brand image of Ryanair is also one of its strengths. Customers are attracted by the lower price. Its traffic is the highest among the competitors (see Exhibit 2) and it is still increasing due to the enlargement of the company. On the other hand, there are still some weaknesses of this budget airline leader. In terms of the case, Ryanair win the market mostly depends on the costs. However, the costs of its major raw materials are increasing rapidly these years. This will be a serious issue. Further, minimize costs largely will cause the lack of service and training quality and so on. The Skytrax star rating (See Exhibit 2) indicates Ryanair is below the average level. Besides, competitors contribute big influence to Ryanair. For example, Easyjet which is a young upstart of the European budget airline industry grows quickly with a large number of market shares. It is obvious Ryanair makes success base on its price advantage, and how to sustain this advantage become very crucial issue in recent situation. Keep first mover advantages. Long history with experiences, well-known brand image and economy of scale, these are the unique resources of first mover advantages. It is difficult for competitors to get these resources at a similar level. Therefore, in order to prevent the competitors from copying the same strategy as cost reduction, Ryanair must make good use of these unique resources and try to dominate the market. Technology. Purchase and introduce the latest technological support. Although the fixed costs will be high, they can help the airline carry out tasks more efficiently and effectively such a new security check machine. Moreover it can also help to reduce the variable costs. For example, according to the case, new type aircraft produced 50 percent less emissions, 45 percent less fuel burn and 45 percent lower noise emissions per seat. They help Ryanair reduce the fuel cost with a lower pollution to environment. Unique cost structure. A cost structure which aims to minimize the costs must be set up. In particular to fuel cost, the fluctuations are subject to unpredictable and volatile world events according to the case. It is important for Ryanair hedge the risks before the price goes up suddenly. On the other hand, choosing the secondary and regional airport destinations is a good way of the structure. Moreover, the internet is used to reduce distribution costs. Service quality / Customers satisfaction. Customers will normally associate low price with low service benefits. Ryanair was voted the worlds least favourite airline due to its bad service such as unfriendly staff and poor legroom. However it still won a great number of customer base on the price. Thus if some competitors cut down the ticket price to a low level, Ryanair will get into a big trouble due to the similar prices but lower service quality. Therefore it must not only focus on the price but also the service. In order to gain competitive power, for example, brand loyalty can be one of the aspects. Government / legal actions. Ryanair should take care of the government and legal actions and moreover, can take the initiative over illegal aid to rivals. These may prevent the unnecessary loss. In summary, Ryanair, as the cost leader in budget airline industry should not only focus on the costs but also lots of other issues. Although it is developing rapidly and successfully, the future is unknown. The uncertain environment is changing all the time, thus Ryanair should always follow it and make the long-term plans in order to retain a sustainable competitive advantage. Grasp the opportunities, and it will has a bright future. Word:2123

Sexual and Spiritual Freedom :: essays research papers

Sexual and Spiritual Freedom The key to humanities freedom lies in its religious and sexual paradigms. Religion, as a social control mechanism, has sought to limit mans sexual freedom. The stigma associated with sexual promiscuity permeates every level of our society. I believe that in time people will demand freedom in the sexual and spiritual aspects of their lives. In order for this to occur a paradigm must be established that emphasizes wholism. Without this wholistic thought conflict can still exist and dogmatic religion is needed to band all the individuals into a splintered and confused mass. Within our current Newtonian paradigm, material realism, true wholistic thought is impossible. The scientific rules of strong objectivity, the notion that objects are independent from the mind and determinism prevent it. Strong objectivity was established when Descartes divided the world in to the objective and subjective spheres. This was done mostly as a compromise with the then all-powerful church, which would rule in matters of the subjective mind while science enjoyed freedom in the world of “reality';. Determinism is easiest under stood through analogy. Think of the universe as a bunch of billiard balls in a three dimensional pool table called space. If one were to know all the forces acting on these balls at any time it would be possible to extrapolate all future or past positions. This creates determinism and determinism destroys free will. The best example of this phenomenon in society would be the partisan political system and foreign policy. Sociologists and the public in general, see themselves and each other as one of these pool balls being kicked around. In this environment neither self-worth nor confidence is cultivated. These traits are vital in a society that increasingly asks its population to work unsupervised and off of the job site. In 1665 Isaac Newton drafted the theories which set us on the course that led to the materialism dominating our culture. The philosophy of materialism matches the paradigm of classical physics, material realism. Since this revolution our vision has been a mechanistic one. This vision was formed as a direct result of the changes in philosophical and political knowledge that came to light in the mid seventeenth century. The power and simplicity of Newton’s three laws of motion and the success of scientific empirical method caused nearly every influential thinker of the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to use them as a model.

Alison Bechdel Essay

Female comic creators made a great impact on the comic industry although they are not so many. They gained recognition since they have beginning to create comic novels. Women creators have worked an every genre from superheroes to romance, westerns to war, crime to horror. Their subjects of discussion have expanded as women’s role in society has changed. They are on pressure in the society because the model of women is determined by the society and they have to write like that. However women comic creators still have found mainstream or underground success telling the stories they want to tell. This underground comic movement attracted women artists, as it allowed more mature themes and personal work than the commercial newspaper and comic book industry of the time. Underground comics are the self-published comics which are socially relevant and satire in nature. The underground market allowed for a more open depiction of sexuality and in the 70’s and 80’s openly lesbian and bisexual artists told their stories in comic book form, such as Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For and graphic novel Fun Home. Alison Bechdel is an American cartoonist who was born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. She interested in the underground comics and she began to write in this field. She is lesbian feminist artist and her works consist of the feminism and lesbianism movement. Her work, Dykes to Watch Out For, was one of the earliest ongoing representations of lesbians in popular culture. The strip mainly follows the life and times of a group of lesbian friends in an unspecified location in the USA. But as time passes, some straight and male characters are also introduced. The strip focuses on a wonderful group of counterculture friends, most of whom are lesbians. And this book gathers a rich collection of the strips spanning from 1987 through 2008. This book also contains an introduction, also in comic form, about how Alison Bechdel came to spend her career writing this incredible comic. In the book, Bechdel Test is introduced which is used to identify gender bias in fiction. Many award-winning collections of Dykes were published in book form by an independent feminist press, and were translated into several languages. According to Bechdel, her strip was â€Å"half op-ed column and half endless, serialized Victorian novel†. The op-ed column refers to the fact that they’re all highly engaged with the social and political issues of their time. The central character Mo Testa is a lesbian feminist who is always complain everything and Mo looks like Bechdel herself. The characters are political activist who rarely miss LGBT demonstration. LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. They debate how to combine their ideals and their lively days. They constantly analyze race and gender and how these impact their lives. They work at domestic abuse shelters, or alternative bookshops, or as college professors, or as environmental layers. They feel betrayed when one of them gets involved with a man and then realize that this reaction goes again everything they believe in. They write theses on how literary representations of hypersexual lesbians and women of color contrast with their actual experiences of desire. And whatever else they’re doing, they never lose the ability to laugh at themselves. This work seems as a lesbian feminist novel, it is actually how very universal and how human it is. Anyone who struggles to be the best person they can be and to live according to their ideals. They will probably be able to relate to these characters and their conflicts. Bechdel says in her introduction that her goal in writing the strip was, first of all, to make lesbians visible; and secondly, to â€Å"explode essentialism† by portraying them as complex and diverse human beings. She succeeded brilliantly Mo and company is nothing if not completely human. Her other work is Fun Home which is an example of underground comics. It is a graphic memoir which chronicles the author’s childhood and youth in rural Pennsylvania, United States, focusing on her complex relationship with her father. The themes of work are sexual orientation, gender roles and family life. It includes photographing herself in poses for each human figure. Bechdel combine comics and memoirs in this book. Fun Home has been both a popular and critical success, and spent two weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. It was nominated for several awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and three Eisner Awards. The memoir focuses on Bechdel’s family and the relationship between Alison and her father. Her father was a funeral director and English teacher. The book’s title comes from the family nickname for the funeral home. Her father’s two occupations reflect in the work focus on death and literature. Her father had homosexual relationship in the military and the high school. Her father was killed in the Sunbeam Bread truck however Alison Bechdel concludes that he committed suicide. She writes this novel as an autobiography and she tells everything about her father, their relationship and his death. She keeps to the reality and she does not escape to telling the realities. She mentions her father’s homosexual aspect and she does not conceal this. The story is also deal with Alison Bechdel’s struggle to find her own sexual identity. She realizes that she is a lesbian and her coming out to her parents. The memoir frankly examines her sexual development, including transcripts from her childhood diary, anecdotes about masturbation, and tales of her first sexual experiences with her girlfriend, Joan. She and her father share their ideas about this situation and both of them express their dissatisfaction with their given gender roles. In the Fun Home, there are so many themes but the biggest theme is sexual orientation. Bechdel tells her journey to finding her own sexuality in this book. Alison is not alone choosing her partner because her father is also homosexual. Bechdel and her father are in the same situation. One of them is lesbian and the other one is gay or bisexual. In the book, her mother discovers her husband’s situation and this makes the book as a tragedy. They have problems because of her father’s situation. Bechdel shows how people encounter some difficulties when they identify their sexuality. However Bechdel and her father’s conversation reflect their respects to find the sexual identity. The other theme is death in Fun Home. Bechdel family always encounters the death because of the father’s job. Alison Bechdel reflects the death in the novel and she believes that her father’s death is not an accident. According to Alison Bechdel her father commits suicide because of his own sexuality or Alison’s sexuality. This is not clear in the book; it remains as an unclear death. Bechdel shows the death in two different aspects. One of them is the job of her father and the other one is causing of her father’s end. The job combines with her father’s death. Moreover she combines his death because of his own sexuality. Being a homosexual causes her death and she does not believe his death as an accident because of this reason. She examines his death in the book and she reflect her views about his death in Fun Home. She uses some allusions in the novel and these allusions come from the Greek mythology and visual arts. The events of Bechdel’s family life during childhood and adolescence are presented through these allusions. Bechdel questions whether her decision to come out as a lesbian was one of the triggers for her father’s suicide. Bechdel closely examines the connection between her father’s closeted sexuality and her own open lesbianism. Bechdel, as the narrator, considers her relationship to her father through the myth of Daedalus and Icarus. As a child, she confused her family and their Gothic Revival home with the Addams Family seen in the cartoons of Charles Addams. [43] Bruce Bechdel’s suicide is discussed with reference to Albert Camus’ novel A Happy Death and essay The Myth of Sisyphus.

Free Essays on Spurgeon

Spurgeon Heir of the Puritans by Ernest W. Bacon Spurgeon Heir of the Puritans is the biography of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, one of the greatest and most popular preaches who ever lived. Spurgeon was born on June 19, 1834, in Kelvedon, Essex, to John and Eliza Spurgeon. At the age of 18 months, for reasons unknown, Charles was sent to live with his grandparents who had strong influences on his life. Even though his grandfather and father were both pastors, it wasn’t until Spurgeon was nearly 16 that he gave his life to Christ. On a Sunday morning, January 6, 1850, Spurgeon started to church looking for answers to the many question he had on salvation. Because of a terrible storm he could not attend the church he had planned on. He ended up at a Primitive Methodist church where God used a simple preacher to explain that all he had to do was look to Christ and trust His work on the cross. Spurgeon’s one desire was for God to use him to preach the gospel as his father and grandfather did. At the age of 16 Spurgeon preached his first sermon and at the age of 17 became the pastor of a small village church called Waterbeach. At the age of 19 Spurgeon was called to pastor the New Park Street Chapel in London. He became very popular and by the time he was 21 his sermons were being published and to the this very day he remains very popular. Shortly after he came to the New Park Street Chapel, Charles Spurgeon met and married Susannah Thompson. Spurgeon considered her as a gift from God and a much needed helpmeet for his ministry. Spurgeon was preaching to crowds of 6,000 in the newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle. Although Spurgeon never received a college education, he was known for his intelligence and knowledge of the Word of God. The time spent on preparations for his sermons was Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. At one time Spurgeon was ... Free Essays on Spurgeon Free Essays on Spurgeon Spurgeon Heir of the Puritans by Ernest W. Bacon Spurgeon Heir of the Puritans is the biography of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, one of the greatest and most popular preaches who ever lived. Spurgeon was born on June 19, 1834, in Kelvedon, Essex, to John and Eliza Spurgeon. At the age of 18 months, for reasons unknown, Charles was sent to live with his grandparents who had strong influences on his life. Even though his grandfather and father were both pastors, it wasn’t until Spurgeon was nearly 16 that he gave his life to Christ. On a Sunday morning, January 6, 1850, Spurgeon started to church looking for answers to the many question he had on salvation. Because of a terrible storm he could not attend the church he had planned on. He ended up at a Primitive Methodist church where God used a simple preacher to explain that all he had to do was look to Christ and trust His work on the cross. Spurgeon’s one desire was for God to use him to preach the gospel as his father and grandfather did. At the age of 16 Spurgeon preached his first sermon and at the age of 17 became the pastor of a small village church called Waterbeach. At the age of 19 Spurgeon was called to pastor the New Park Street Chapel in London. He became very popular and by the time he was 21 his sermons were being published and to the this very day he remains very popular. Shortly after he came to the New Park Street Chapel, Charles Spurgeon met and married Susannah Thompson. Spurgeon considered her as a gift from God and a much needed helpmeet for his ministry. Spurgeon was preaching to crowds of 6,000 in the newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle. Although Spurgeon never received a college education, he was known for his intelligence and knowledge of the Word of God. The time spent on preparations for his sermons was Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. At one time Spurgeon was ...