Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Free Essay Example, 1000 words

But the fact is that there are no safe levels of alcohol use during pregnancy. Of course, binge drinking during pregnancy may cause more problems to the fetus, but even single peg of alcohol consumption can cause adverse effects on the fetus. Symptoms Poor growth while the baby is in the womb and after birth, Decreased muscle tone and poor coordination, Delayed development and problems in three or more major areas: thinking, speech, movement, or social skills, Heart defects, Problems with the face, including: Narrow, small eyes with large epicanthal folds, Small head, Small upper jaw, Smooth groove in upper lip, Smooth and thin upper lip etc are some of the major symptoms of FAS (Fetal alcohol syndrome, 2011). Many other problems facing by the current children during their childhood are believed to be caused by the drinking habits of their mothers during pregnancy. Treatments Effective treatments or cure for FAS are still not available. The best and only way to prevent FAS is to stay away from drinking habits at least during pregnancy. Even though medical science has advanced a lot, there is no medication or treatment available to eliminate or reduce FAS related problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now However, early diagnosis of FAS may help to give proper educational classes and essential social services to children with FAS. Early interventions found to be more effective in the management of FAS. Special care and attention should be provided to children with FAS to develop properly. It should be noted that FAS children may behave abnormally on many occasions. Patience and temperament from the parts of mothers, family members and the society are necessary to help the children to come out of FAS. Eaton, et al. (2011) pointed out that â€Å"As there is no cure for an FASD, preventive activities are currently the only successful approach to reduce the risk of an Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancy (AEP) through screening, education, or brief interventions of childbearing age women† (Eaton, et al. 2011, p. 260). Recommendations for preventing FAS â€Å"Despite warnings by the U. S. Surgeon General and others, childbearing age women continue to drink at high levels, even in pregnancy† (Eaton, et al. 2011, p. 260). In other words, many pregnant women are not taking the warnings of healthcare professionals against taking alcohol. Child bearing is a basic right for every woman. However, it should be noted that no woman has moral, ethical or legal right to deliberately engage in activities which may cause harm to their fetus.

Essay on The Discovery Of The Structure Of DNA - 1526 Words

James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, but only by drawing on the work of many scientists who came before them. (Maddox, 2003) In 1944, Oswald T. Avery, Colin M. MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty published â€Å"Studies on the Chemical Nature of the Substance Inducing Transformation of Pneumococcal Types†, which was the first scientific work to identify DNA as the molecule that carried genetic information, and became a breakthrough at that time. (Avery, Macleod, McCarty, 1944) Before Avery and coworkers published their paper, there was very little interest in DNA among scientists in the field of genetics. Very little was known about DNA, however, early analyses suggested that it was a very simple molecule, at least in†¦show more content†¦Griffith worked with two strains of the bacteria pneumococcus, named according to the appearance the colonies grown from each strain. The S-strain possessed a polysaccharide coat and formed large, smooth colon ies. The R-strain did not have a polysaccharide covering, and grew in small, rough colonies. In addition to influencing colony appearance, the polysaccharide shell also protected the S-strain from the host immune response. Griffith noticed that mice injected with the S-strain eventually became ill and died, while mice injected with the R-strain suffered no ill effects. He also noted that S-strain pneumococci that had been killed by heat caused no harm. But Griffith’s breakthrough came when he found that mice injected with a mixture of live R-strain and heat-killed S-strain died from infection. Furthermore, he was able to isolate live S-strain bacteria from these dead mice. From this, Griffith was able to conclude that the heat-killed cells contained a â€Å"transforming code† capable of changing the harmless R-strain bacteria into the pathogenic S-strain. Francis Crick and James Watson are recognized as the main scientists involved in the identification of DNA and its structure, which is one of the most important discoveries of the twentieth century. However, were it not for Rosalind Franklin, Linus Pauling, Colin Avery and Maurice Wilkins, the two men would likely not have madeShow MoreRelatedThe Discovery Of The Structure Of Dna1089 Words   |  5 PagesRosalind Franklin and her Contribution to the Structure of DNA Specific Purpose: To enable the audience to reflect on how Rosalind Franklin contributed to the discovery of the structure of DNA. Introduction: I. Open with Impact: Could you having a significant role in one of the greatest scientific achievements of all time, but not getting credit for it? Not only that, but constantly putting yourself in harm’s way to make this discovery, and eventually dying because of it? II. Thesis Statement:Read MoreThe Discovery Of The Dna Structure2092 Words   |  9 PagesOne of the most important things discovered and understood in biology within science, has been the discovery of the DNA structure. Where DNA is the abbreviation for deoxyribonucleic acid, though it is more known by nearly everyone simply as DNA. The idea behind DNA is that it is a self-replicating material that can be found in all living organisms, especially humans. The structure of DNA was solved in the year 1953, and was solved by four very important scientists who were; Francis Crick, RosalindRead More Discovery of the Structure of DNA Essay2374 Words   |  10 PagesDiscovery of the Structure of DNA On the last day of February in 1953, according to James Watson, Francis Crick announced to the patrons of the Eagle Pub in Cambridge, â€Å"We have discovered the secret of life† (Watson 115, 1980). As Brian Hayes, the author of â€Å"The Invention of the Genetic Code† states, â€Å"If life ever had a secret, the double helix of DNA was surely it† (1). However, it was not the work of these two men alone that led to the discovery of the power the lies within the double helixRead MoreYu Sun Park. Dr. Murphy. Lab Section 4. Discovery Of Dna1394 Words   |  6 Pagessection 4 Discovery of DNA double helix: Related to both Scientific and Humane Aspects DNA, the molecule of life that carries genetic information in humans and almost all other organisms, has been considered as one of the greatest discoveries until now. If DNA could not have been discovered, we would not be able to do or test numerous things such as paternity test and pathological confirmation. There are four main scientists who contributed their lives, knowledge, and ambitions to find out the DNA doubleRead MoreBiology : Structure Of Dna818 Words   |  4 PagesBiology: Structure of DNA The article â€Å"The Structure of DNA: Cooperation and Competition† by the Understanding Science team (the author is Stephanie Stuart, with the editor Anna Thanukos, and the web producers David Smith and Josh Frankel) begins with the history of the discovery of DNA. â€Å"During the early 1950s, the intellectual journeys of a bird biologist, an expert on the structure of coal, a designer of underwater mines, and a nuclear physicist intersected, resulting—not in aRead MoreThe Structure Of Dn Cooperation And Competition949 Words   |  4 PagesThe Structure of DNA: Cooperation and Competition PRACTICAL PROBLEM: The question â€Å"How do living things pass on their traits to offspring† had long been on the minds of researchers. CURIOSITY: Curiosity was a trait of all those who wondered about that question. Gregor Mendel was just one of those people leading up to the four who discovered the structure of DNA. The four people who discovered the structure of DNA built upon the EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY of others: At the time of this discoveryRead MoreThe Importance of the Structure of Dna1582 Words   |  7 PagesKa Zhu The Importance of the Structure of DNA Understanding ideas at a macroscopic scale is simple. Looking at a clock, observing and understanding the movements of the hands over the numbered surface are, in essence, all one requires to use the device. In order for innovation to occur, it is imperative to understand the inner workings of the device on a microscopic scale to modulate its properties. Such is the case for many innovations in science, from the heat engine to penicillin, and is noRead MoreCharles Crick And James Watson On The Structure Of The Complex Molecule Known As Dna Essay1293 Words   |  6 Pageswas awarded to Francis Crick and James Watson for formulating the structure of the complex molecule known as DNA. These discoveries were a direct result of the accumulation of many scientists’ earlier analyses and findings of the DNA. Before Watson and Crick had developed the double-helical structure of DNA, indication of this genetic material had been revealed around the 1850’s. During the century fol lowing the first evidence of DNA, subsequent researchers had been eagerly examining the physical andRead MoreHeredity And Its Impact On The Field Of Heredity976 Words   |  4 Pagesto occur, and this happens during meiosis and fertilization. Throughout history we have seen significant discoveries in the field of heredity. Some of the most well known scientists in this field of heredity are Gregor Mendel, Erwin Chargaff, Rosalind Franklin and finally James Watson and Francis Crick. In 1856 to 1863, Gregor Mendel conducted a series of experiments that lead to his discovery of the fundamental laws of genetics. His research was published in 1866 but it wasn’t fully accepted untilRead MoreContributions Of The Structure Of Dna1683 Words   |  7 Pages Contributions to the Discovery of the Structure of DNA In the early 1950s, James Watson, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Maurice Wilkins and Erwin Chargaff had revolutionized molecular biology through their ground-breaking discoveries, which offered an astonishing view of the molecular mechanisms that underlie all lives. The structure of DNA was ultimately revealed by Watson and Crick in 1953. The specific pairings that Watson and Crick postulated allows an accurate copying mechanism for the

Management of Asthma in Children Amelia Taylor †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Management of Asthma in Children. Answer: Introduction: Asthma is a common chronic disease in most of industrialised nations and is predominant in children of family with historyatopy. (Andr Andrew, 2013; Andrew, 2015).The associated symptoms of asthma are aggravated by various factors including viral infections, exposure to allergens and poor quality of air (Bekmezien et al, 2013). In the present scenario Amelia Taylor has been presented to ED with history of asthma, although her mother denies any. Medical history reveals treating child for same in past few months and discussing management plan with parents (care takers). The child is presented with rhinorrhoea and is responding with only yes or no due to anxiety and improper breathing pattern due to bilateral expiratorywheezes which is noted on auscultation. With this information on the patient two primary concerns (priority problems) are Ineffective breathing pattern (Problem 1) Management of Asthma (Problem 2) The need for prioritising the above has been dealt in detail below. Ineffective breathing pattern (Problem 1): Asthma is characterised by difficulty in breathing because of respiratory tract infections, allergic reactions and bronchospasm. Bronchospasm result due to allergic reactions which elicit production of IgE mediated antibodies triggering early phase of reaction. This induces rise in activation of airway mast cells and macrophages which release pro-inflammatory mediators such as eicosanoids, ROS and histamine which induce smooth muscle contraction, mucus secretion and vasodilatation which results in accumulation of mucus thereby blocking the airway (Britto et al, 2014; Danielle et al, 2017; Federico Kanwalijeet, 2013; Ronit Susanna, 2011) Pathophysiology of Asthma: Airway narrowing is associated always with bronchial hyper responsiveness leading to mucosal oedema and mucus plugs Wheezing and cough will increase in night or early morning making difficult to breath (Susan et al, 2013) Cytokine imbalance with T helper type 2 cells promotes IgE synthesis leading to allergic reactions leading to asthma (Andrew Sejal, 2010) Studies reveals infection with mycobacterium, hepatitis reduces risk of asthma. An increased use of fish in diet also reduces risk of asthma (Susan, 2017) Asthma is differentiating into mild and severe depending on oxygen saturation, wheezing and cough. A nonspecific respiratory disease can also present similar symptoms but a well trained professional and nurse can differentiate between two easily (Susan et al, 2013) Epidemiology: Asthma is leading cause for hospitalization in Canadian children The prevalence of asthma is 10 times more in developed countries in comparision to developing countries Asthma is leading cause for school absenteeism in children of USA The prevalence of asthma is more in blacks and hispanics in comparison to others Rapid urbanization is paving way for increased number of asthma cases From the given details and history it is evident that the child is suffering from too much cough and breathlessness in night and has been aided by ventolin and paracetomol to ease the situation in morning without any positive results. This may be due to the bronchospasm in which airways are constricted and filled with mucus due to allergic reactions. The child still suffers from breathlessness and anxiety with oxygen saturation90%. She is also presented with cough (at night) lasting for more than a week worsened by cold weather and running nose. This is one of the common symptom associated with asthma. Differential counting of blood components will enumerate rise in level of eosinophils and IgE antibodies (Sills et al, 2011; Ullmann et al, 2013; Zemek et al, 2012). As its well documented in medical history of patient, she has wheezing problem and unable to speak fluently which is an associated symptom in case of asthma In this present patient scenario, the nurse first has to provide care for easing the breath which can be aided by administration of bronchodilators along with humid oxygen. After comforting with breathing, nurse has to document the vitals and basic information and has to review the medical history for recent medication and past complications. As it is always said, a nurse should have thorough knowledge about the clinical condition before making decision. The child is suffering from severe type of asthma as given by classification of asthma (increase breathlessness, oxygen saturation90%) In this case patient is child with less than 5 years of age which makes tougher to strict to medication and due to patients past experience in hospital she is in anxiety which is correlating factor with respect to asthma The nurse once recorded with heart rate, respiration rate, bp and other vitals, they have to be continuously monitored at regular intervals so that any significant variation (deviating from normal) is taken care discussing the situation with health professionals The child initially has been prescribed with salbutamol puffs (bronchodilators) until further review, during which vital such as heart rate has to be continuously observed since salbutamol has been found to have adverse effect on cardiac function Since the patient vomited soon after consuming prednisolone, hydrocortisone has been administered through IV to reduce inflammations and allergic reactions if any Since the patients age is less than 5, use of spirometer test may not be advised and if the patient is asymptomatic spirometer cant be employed for testing Analyse the peak flow monitor value to suspect severity of asthma If asthma is mild can go for chemotherapy to regulate further worsening of situation and if situation is severe then immediate actions are need to tae care of patient A nurse with thorough knowledge of asthma will look into eosinophil count or IgE level in blood with any explanation for the variation (if any) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) also presents some of the features presented by asthma, well trained nurse can differentiate between both On the evidence based practising, any increase and decrease in heart rate, bp, respiration rate must be immediately taken care to avoid further worsening of the situation Nurse has to demonstrate comprehensive skill in both physical and mental health, ethnic and cultural dimensions A nurse to client (patient) relation should be based on trust and mutual understanding and in the meantime nurse should not interfere with cultural or ethnic belief and should not impose any of her decisions to follow without discussing with patient or care taker Nurse will provide holistic treatment to patient with proper discussion with care taker and health professionals regarding the uses and adverse effects of the medication being administered. Management of Asthma (Problem 2): Asthma similar to diabetes mellitus cant be cured but can be managed to increase the quality of life of patient. Management of asthma requires strict dedication towards medication or pharmacotherapy failing which may increase the severity of disease worsening the condition (Campbell, 2011; Fleming et al, 2013). Patient and the care takers should be advisedon used of medicationsand devises such as nebulisers, spacers and metered dose of inhalers Patients condition should be discussed with care takers along with the precautions to be taken and dos and donts with respect to asthma In the present scenario, patient is a child of 4 years of age with anxiety and fears for hospitalisation because of previous bad experience. The care takers should be well educated in this case so that they can keep an eye on medications and devices used by the child and they also can assist in the severe cases or if the diseased condition get worse. Although medical history with previous admission of the patient clearly indicates the discussions and plan to be taken with respect to disease, patients mother fails to memorise it claiming she never had such problems. Regular check-up and follow up to the hospital will avoid readmission to hospital due to disease severity. Improved living style and getting less exposed to allergens will favour the recovery. In this condition patient is suffering from running nose with light fever, which can be attributed to allergic reactions caused by hay leading to hay fever. In the present scenario the child has been diagnosed for asthma for past 6 months and her care taker fails to manage the condition properly which resulted in worsening condition with rhinorrhoea and a frequent moist cough. The condition was elevated by the cold weather and wheezing and patient mother ignorant of underlying causes and her past medical history (Antoinette et al, 2015; Britto et al, 2014; Fitzgerald, 2011; Ortiz-AlvarezMikrogianakis, 2012). During the present hospitalisation, nurse has to intervene to educate patient and her care taker regarding the management of asthma by increasing health literacy of her mother. She has to be educated with use of the spacers and nebulisers in case of difficulty in breathing for her child, and also to maintain the strict regime of over the medication which helps in further complications. The nurse should intervene with things and food to avoid, management of the asthma outside hospital by giving suitable precautions. Although pharmacotherapy doesnt cure the illness it assists it managing the disease with reduced complications. If the conditions of asthma are not shown continuously for more than three months then step down can be considered (Fleming et al, 2012; Kathleen et al, 2016; Sills et al, 2011; Ullmann, 2013) The literature has well documented the fact that tobacco smoke exaggerates asthma, by making child a passive smoker, the smooth muscle of trachea contract creating further inconvenience to child. If any in home is a smoker, nurse should ask them to practise strictly outside home or to avoid. Further child and care take has to be educated regarding the complications associated with the change in weather such as cold and foggy conditions which are not suitable for the patient. The food allergens or any other household mould allergens has to be checked along with allergy to pets.Regular check-ups and follow up must be strictly maintained to assess the level of severity underlying with disease. Continuous follow helps in managing illness more effectively and if the condition has not improved or medication has shown any adverse effects, then the nurse can discuss with health professional for further treatment. The asthma if not managed properly then may consider step up 1 step and alterna te diagnosis can be considered if any of adverse effects have been visualised. The condition of the patient should be assessed for every 2-6 weeks for any benefits. If the condition is still not controlled then short course of corticosteroids can be considered with follow up for every two weeks to assess disease severity (Andrew Sejal, 2010; Jacqui, 2016, Kathleen et al, 2016; Zemek et al, 2012) Since the patient in this case is child (4 years) she has to avoid comorbidities such as obesity, rhino-sinusitis, dysfunctional breathing, and psychosocial problems which results in elevating asthma conditions. Nurse can intervene with multifaceted treatment if the disease severity increases. Challenges in paediatric evidence based practise: Need for developing a system where the errors are reported without blame which assists in reducing number of errors in future aspects To provide better education and training for the nurses to reduce the errors Bridging the gap between scientific evidence for practise and application of same in clinical care of the patients Management of pain very much difficult and which vary the dosage calculation Care for the patient is provided in complex system where time is limited which affects decision making ability of the nurses. Thorough knowledge and training on same will reduce number of errors and increase capacity of nurse to make quick decision depending on the best evidence available at that time In the difficult situations, nurses has to practise based on the best evidence available along with discussion with patients care taker and their preferences. This evidence based practise of nursing maximises the clinical outcome especially with concern to paediatric patients and their families. Improving communication between the groups of same hospital or between institutions will enhance the understanding and management of the disease in severe conditions. Conclusion: The child has been presented with the problem of breathlessness along with the complications associated with the asthma. Immediate care for the patient to be provided for easing breathlessness aided by Salbutamol 6 puffs via spacer and oral dose of prednisolone to reduce inflammation and allergic reactions if any. The child has asthma complication for past six months and even after the nurse has discussed with the care taker (mother) and asked for proper management plan of the same, her mother fails and claims her child has no previous symptoms of asthma (The symptoms, medication and discussion has been well documented in the medical history). The condition is worsened by her rhinorrhoea and a frequent moist cough with anxiety and fear to get hospitalised due to past bad experience. The immediate care although provided through bronchodilators further the nurse has to intervene with the patient on easing many of associated complications such as management of disease, dos and donts. The patient and her mother has to be educated for the complications associated with asthma and precautions to minimise the complications. Also, along with this parents and child has to be made well acquainted with use of strict regime of the medications and use of devices such as inhalers and spacers under difficult conditions. A thorough increase in health literacy of the patient and her care taker will reduce further complications and readmission to the hospital for the severity of the same disease. References: Andr, S., Andrew, C.M. (2013). Outpatient Management of Asthma in Children. Clinical Medicine Insights: Pediatrics, 7, 1324. doi: 10.4137/CMPed.S7867 Andrew, B. (2015). Diagnosis and management of asthma in children, clinical review, BMJ, 350:h996 doi: 10.1136/bmj.h996. Antoinette, G., Barbara, K., Wendy, B., Diane, K.M., Susan, R., Lynne, M., Kathy C.E., Mullen, A., Karen, R., Donald, A. (2015). National standards for asthma self-management education. Annals of Allergy Asthma Immunology,114, 178-186. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2014.12.014 Bekmezian, A., Fee, C., Bekmezian, S., Maselli, J.H., Weber, E. (2013). Emergency department crowding and younger age are associated with delayed corticosteroid administration to children with acute asthma. Pediatric Emergency Care, 29, 107581. Britto, M.T., Vockell, A.L., Munafo, J.K., Schoettker, P.J., Wimberg, J.A., Pruett, R.(2014). Improving outcomes for underserved adolescents with asthma. Pediatrics, 133, 418-427. Campbell, J.D. (2011). Managed care opportunities for improving asthma care. American Journal of Managed Care, 17(3), 90-96. Clinical Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation and Management of Adults and Children with Asthma retrieved May 7, 2017, from New York State Department of Health website, www.health.ny.gov Danielle, K. M., Nadia, K.,Courtney, M. R.(2017). Pediatric asthma severity score is associated with critical care interventions. Retrospective study, World Journal of ClinicalPediatrics, 8, 6(1), 34-39. DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v6.i1.34 Federico, F, N., Kanwaljeet, J. S. (2013). Severe Acute Asthma Exacerbation in Children: A Stepwise Approach for Escalating Therapy in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Journal ofPediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics,18(2), 88104 Fitzgerald, J. M. (2011). Targeting lung attacks,Thorax, 66, 365-366. Fleming, L., Tsartsali, L., Wilson, N., Regamey, N., Bush, A. (2013). Longitudinal relationship between sputum eosinophils and exhaled nitric oxide in children with asthma. American Journal of Respiratoryand Critical Care Medicine,188, 400-402. Fleming, L., Wilson, N., Regamey, N., Bush, A. (2012). Use of sputum eosinophil counts to guide management in children with severe asthma. Thorax,67, 193-198. Jacqui, W. (2016). Processed meat is linked to asthma symptoms, study finds. BMJ,355, i6807 doi: 10.1136/bmj.i6807 Kathleen, B., Sabah, I., Su-Lin, S., Jennifer, F., James, C., Paul, C. M. (2016). Improving timeliness for acute asthma care for paediatric ED patients using a nurse driven intervention: an interrupted time series analysis. BMJ Quality Improvement Reports, 5:u216506.w5621. doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u216506.w5621 Ortiz-Alvarez, Mikrogianakis, A. (2012). Canadian Paediatric Society, Acute Care Committee. Managing the paediatric patient with an acute asthma exacerbation. Paediatric Child Health, 17(5), 251-256. Andrew, B., Sejal, S. (2010). Management of severe asthma in children. Lancet. 376(9743), 814825. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61054-9. Ronit, H., Susanna, C. R. (2011).Pediatric asthma: natural history, assessment and treatment. Mt. Sinai Journal of Medicine, 78(5), 645660. doi:10.1002/msj.20285. Sills, M. R., Fairclough, D., Ranade, D., Kahn, M. G.(2011). Emergency department crowding in associated with decreased quality of care for children with acute asthma. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 57, 191200. Susan, L., Janis, B., Smith, Karen, C. (2013). Chapter 15. Paediatric Safety and Quality. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses,1, 405-434. Susan, M. (2017). High dose fish oil supplements in late pregnancy reduce asthma in offspring, finds study. BMJ, 356:i6861 doi: 10.1136/bmj.i6861 Ullmann, N., Bossley, C. J., Fleming, L., Silvestri, M., Bush, A., Saglani S. (2013). Blood eosinophil counts rarely reflect airway eosinophilia in children with severe asthma. Allergy, 68, 402-406. Zemek, R., Plint, A., Osmond, M.H. (2012). Triage nurse initiation of corticosteroids in pediatric asthma is associated with improved emergency department efficiency. Pediatrics,129, 67180.

Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay Example

Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief Essay What is the outcome of a scheme devised by two desperate men in need of money? The outcome can be just preposterous, as in the comical short story â€Å"The Ransom of Red Chief† by O. Henry. In this story, Sam and Bill are two-bit con men who need money to pull off a scheme. The con men are faced with unexpected obstacles that cause them to take extreme measures to obtain what they want. The author uses literary devices such as figurative language, allusions, and irony to create a humorous and amusing tale. One literary technique the author uses throughout the story to illustrate comedy is figurative language. This paints vivid pictures for the reader on what is occurring in essential scenes. Bill said, â€Å"the boy put up a fight like a welter-weight cinnamon bear.†(pg.) This is a humorous simile that gives the reader a clear picture of a small boy putting such a struggle that he resembles a professional fighter. This simile also refers to a red colored bear of North America that is wild and ferocious. The combination illustrates quite a fight. Also, when Johnny asks to keep on playing a â€Å"look comes† into Bill’s eyes â€Å"like a rabbit’s when you catch it in a trap† (pg.55) This illustrates how poor Bill feels about having to play with Johnny again. The continued belittling and badgering by the boy and the surrender that Bill feels are expounded upon when the boy speaks.The dialect and language used in the text provide humor and exaggeration to the actions and tone of the characters. Furthermore, another way the author establishes humor is through the utilization of allusions. The ideas and emotions created by allusions contribute to what the author is conveying. When Bill recuperates from Johnnys assault with the slingshot, Bill states that his â€Å"favorite Biblical character is â€Å"King Herod† (pg.53).This allusion is a reference to King Herod, who once ordered the deaths of all boys under the age of two. This offers the re We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis Ransom of Red Chief specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Clothing company HRM

In contemporary business environments, companies need to adopt effective human resources management policies; an effective personnel management strategy goes further than ensuring that employees are motivated to perform their duties diligently to involve respecting their human rights and fundamental freedom.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Clothing company HRM specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper is a response to a case study of an international clothing company that has had issues of disregard of human rights. The paramount factor for the company as far as human capital is concerned According to the case, the company saw employees as the line or pathway through which they would earn profits and revenue for the company. The main focus of the management was to have increased revenue and disregarded the way employees gave the results. With the managing style, the management was kept to ensure that emplo yees were loyal to the company and worked for the benefit of the company. However the challenge that the company had was that the management was not willing to listen to the demand of employees. The management never was willing to negotiate with unions and neither did it to respect human fundamental rights and freedom. Business risk and Merits to Do nothing with the situation When the company decides not to react on the demand of human capital and opt to retain the same method of operation, the company might get negative publication. Negative publication means that the company will lose business as it will be portrayed as an un-ethical company that does not respect the demand of its employees. Customer loyalty will be eroded by negative publicity of an organization; it will give competitors an upper hand. Cease using contractors Given a chance to control people directly, I will use an integrated human resources management system. The management system I would enact would ensure that human rights have been respected and employees have been motivated. When such policies are adopted, the company will gain positive publicity which will work for its benefit. The risk that would be there is to change organizational culture that the company already had. Make changes to contractors When the structure of contractors’ human resources management is changed to adopt an effective leadership method, the company will be able to adopt policies that will ensure human rights have been respected and staffs are motivated. What should be changed is the approach taken by the contractors and ensures that the policies adopted are quality.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Recommendations for the best approach For an effective operation, organizations need human and physical resources; properly managed organizations have an appropriate number of personnel’s in number, experience and expertise. To ensure that the right number of people is available when required, a company’s human resource management should develop effective framework of planning human resources. The following are the main objectives that the human resources management approach should have: To ensure optimum utilization of human resources; this will be attained through effective personnel motivation and empowerment programs To forecast future requirements for human resources. To integrate the human resources plan with the organization plan. To establish ideal management development programs and ensure it meets the needs of expansion and diversification programs. To assess the surplus and shortage of human resources and anticipate the impact of technology on jobs and human resources. This case study on Clothing company HRM was written and submitted by user Alyvia N. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Evaluation of Milgrams study into obedience Essays

Evaluation of Milgrams study into obedience Essays Evaluation of Milgrams study into obedience Essay Evaluation of Milgrams study into obedience Essay I am writing to you regarding your research into obedience. After carefully analysing your study, I have concluded that, while it is very interesting to read, your case has many ethical and theoretical flaws. Primarily, you deceived your participants by using confederates that were thought to have been given real shocks when, in fact, they were not. This clearly is not a good way to start an experiment. You also revoked their right to withdraw, often saying things that would make them feel intimidated, such as, ‘You have no choice, you must go on. ’ The participants should have been able to say comfortably that they did not want to continue. I read your statement on the topic of the participants’ protection, where you claimed that you had no way of knowing how much stress the study would cause. However, I would have to disagree. As a psychologist, I would have thought it instantaneous for you to consider the psychological effect the study would have on your volunteers. Honestly, I just cannot see how you could not predict these reactions (if you need me to refresh your memory – anxiety, horror, disgust, trauma). It is not irrational to feel horrified that you had ‘administered’ a fatal dose of shocks several times, and then ashamed when you were told that it wasn’t real, or disgust at the fact that you are capable of killing someone in the first place. Could you not have created a scenario in your head in order to see a potential outcome? Your study lacked ecological validity, as nobody would actually be put in that situation in real life. It is also possible the volunteers acted the way they did because it was an experiment, and so they presumed it was not real, and they would not actually do that in real life. Finally, you only used male participants, therefore the study lacked representativeness, as it is possible that women would have been more unsettled by the shocks and would have dissented both verbally and physically, so you cannot generalise the findings. I hope you take these criticisms into consideration the next time you decide to carry out an experiment.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 28

Assignment - Essay Example There are also people, who have faith in this third generation mode of transaction. Despite the rapidly increasing Bitcoin’s exchange rate against fiat currencies, there has been a lot debate that whether Bitcoin has a value or not. An article published last year in April on Business Insider argued over the intrinsic value of Bitcoin. Joe, the author of that article, referred to various voices that in some way either supported the idea or went against it. Some of the questions that were raised and answered in this article were pretty obvious one. The first assertion that has been made by the proponents of Bitcoin is that its value will continue to rise, there will be no deflation, and since there is only a certain limit to which Bitcoins will be produced i.e. twenty one million. Joe argues that Bitcoins are not collectable items that are to be stored and hope that their value will rise due to scarcity in production, because it is not compulsory that anything which has a limited production will eventually gain some value. Moreover, since it is a virtual concept, it can be cloned easily and replaced. He further explains the concept of fiat currency in comparison to Bitcoin, and he has tried to prove that why it i s necessary for a currency to have backing from strong authorities, and the volatility of currencies that are not being authorized by governments. Authorities not only maintain regular check and balance while fortifying currency, but they also provide a specific degree of insurance security in certain cases. Another factor that will prevent Bitcoin from attaining a slot as an alternate to fiat currency is that there are only few people who are ready to trade virtually. Therefore, Joe believes that there is no reason to consider Bitcoin as Gold 2.0. Jay Yarow (n.p.), probably Joe’s colleague at Business Insider, wrote earlier this year an article about Bitcoin and one of its ardent proponents. In his article he referred

To find out whether consumer confidence in online purchasing has Essay

To find out whether consumer confidence in online purchasing has increased or decreased over the last few years - Essay Example n evaluating the trends of online buying (as identified through the empirical research made on the specific issue); even the indications regarding the consumer preferences around the world – regarding the goods/ services offered online – seem to present significant differentiations. In most cases, the motives that lead consumers to purchase online are not clearly identified; however confidence has been proved to be a quite important criterion on which the decision of consumers to purchase online is based. The above assumption is proved not only through the studies published in the literature but also through the empirical research conducted for this paper. More specifically, a high number of consumers (approximately 185) have participated in a survey that has been conducted online; the results indicate that when having to purchase a specific good or service, consumers think first its potential availability in the Internet; if the specific good/ product is available onli ne then it will be preferred by the consumers; of course the relevant decision is always based on specific criteria (quality of the product, price, availability and so on) but mostly on the confidence of the consumer on the particular firm; the development of this confidence through the last years is analytically examined in this study. The development of Internet around the world has offered a significant support to all commercial firms that have chosen to enter the WWW in order to promote their activities. The level of improvement of corporate activities because of the intervention of Internet cannot be precisely estimated – different levels of success have been noticed across the various firms in modern market in accordance with the preparations made by their managers towards the incorporation of Internet as a valuable strategic tool as well as the perceptions of consumers towards the relevant efforts. In other words, it is possible that operating through the Internet is profitable for the

Management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Management accounting - Essay Example This paper focuses on management via accounting and applies the same for Ryanair. Importance of Management via accounting The main theme of The Visible Hand is that modern business enterprises utilise the market mechanism for allocating resources and coordinating the activities of the economy. According to Chandler, the traditional American business enterprises were single-unit operations and small in size, which used to produce single product within a small geographical area. The activities of the traditional enterprises were monitored and coordinated by the price mechanism and the market. Eventually, the modern business firm evolved which were larger in size and conducted multi-unit operations, which monitored the production of different products from different locations. The activities of those enterprises were not coordinated and monitored by market mechanism, but by the salaried employees. In simple words, the modern enterprises had suspended the market because the administrativ e coordination provided higher profit, better productivity and lower cost, compared to the coordination by market mechanism. He emphasised on the fact that management via accounting has created advantages that gained precedence over all other previous forms. The main advantages that it draws are: Lowering internal transaction costs by ‘routinizing the transactions between units’: The organizations with high value supply chain ends up increasing the transaction cost. This requires paying immediate attention by framing policies for reducing the cost. Properly organizing the information or goods between the units involved in the production of goods and services will lead to decrease in the transaction cost (Spulber, 2009; Swinnen, 2007; Pollitte, 2008). Reducing costs for information on markets and supply sources by ‘linking the administration of producing units with buying and distributing units’: Market failures may result from asymmetric and inadequate info rmation. The appropriate and full information is not always perfect since goods information is also expensive. In a market that deals with good and services, inadequate information can lead to various social costs like, market power, low innovation or inefficient allocation of resources resulting from customer deception. Thus, the cost of information available to the market and supply sources linking between the various units like, administration, production and distribution, should be reduced (Kouvelis et al., 2011; Sunstein, 2002). Faster and cheaper flow of goods or services and of information from one unit to another: Goods and services are seen to travel through manufacturers, warehouses, retailers, wholesalers, distributors and customers. The organization should link the sellers and the buyers together via an ongoing communication that can enable the business to effect the decisions taken by each of the business units. Therefore, the organization should emphasize on the fast a nd cheaper flow of goods, services and information through both down and up the supply chain. By making this flow cheaper and faster, the organization will be able to save lots of cost incurred that can be utilized in other forms (Finch, 2008). Management via accounting provides the organization with lots of value added benefits. They provide information for decision making and

The Largest Brands Of Cadbury Chocolate Brands Marketing Essay

The Largest Brands Of Cadbury Chocolate Brands Marketing Essay The Cadbury product range addresses the needs of each and every consumer, from childhood to maturity, from impulse purchase to family treats. For example an analysis of the gift sector highlights the importance of developing innovative products to address specific markets. Cadbury designs products to coincide with Christmas, Easter,Valentines, Mothers and Fathers Day and other calendar landmarks.Cadbury use marketing strategies such as the Choose Cadbury strategy to encourage a link between chocolate and these events ensuring there is a Cadbury chocolate product suitable and available for every occasion.Ex.celebrations 3.With the launch of Cadbury Land in July 2000, in a separate building to the rear of the site, and the complete replacement of the play area with a state-of-the-art themed play area, Cadbury World had achieved a shift in appeal to encompass the entire age range from 0-90 and beyond.Feedback from visitors in 2001 indicated that the attraction hadshifted from a very adult profile, to a strong child profile. The improvements made to the attraction since 2001 have been of more adult interest in order to re-address this balance, whilst more recent additions and improvements have attempted to be cross-generational. 4.Consumer Trends Good business and good values go hand-in-hand at Cadbury. They approach consumer  trends with a commitment to put actions before words and to respect and protect the long history of trust they have with their consumers. 5.Listening to consumers Listening to customers and consumers is fundamental to the business success its something they do every day and it helps to offer products that are safe, delicious and enjoyable. They talk to their customers the people who sell their products to the people who consume them to better understand consumer trends. Cadbury also deal directly with consumers and have substantial resources at the business unit level to listen and respond to consumer queries and complaints. 6.Responding to consumer needs The issues of food and balanced diets are now high on the consumer agenda, along with product quality and safety.  Cadbury use their intuition and consumer insights to understand consumer needs and issues and they demonstrate their responsibility by taking appropriate action to ensure they create tomorrows business today. They will continue to give consumers the great tasting products they love in a variety of different formats, recipes and sizes.  Research plays a large role in their innovation agenda, exploring opportunities for new products, product enhancement and packaging and are always checking that their recipes and ingredients are right for todays consumer. 7.Purple Goes Green The Cadbury Purple Goes Green initiative launched in July 2007 sets a vision for their company to tackle climate change.   They intend to shrink their global environmental footprint by cutting their energy use, reducing excess packaging and managing water use. They are setting new targets which build on the commitments they have already made in their CSR report. Cadburys environmental programme has been in place for around 15 years and corporate responsibility has always been at the heart of their business. Promotion mix A Radio Promotion with stations such as 98FM and BeatFM where the prizes consisted of hampers with all you need for a night-in: Snaps; DVDs, slippers and gift membership of screenclick.com. Advertisement during prime time shows on TV. Product Placement: Samples were sent to Faircity for display in the shop or possibly for evening scenes in homes. Samples were also given to major interior design trade shows for placement ontables in living room displays. Point Of Sale (POS): Naturally, given that the product is sold in retail outlets, in-store marketing support was also developed. This consisted mainly of attractive floor units, shelf headers and glorifiers to give standout in-store. Decorations: Christmas tree decorations given to support the creative image of Cadburys. Core purpose behind PROMOTION 1. 2.BUILDING PRODUCT AWARENESS: To showcase a newer product or an expanded product line. 3.CREATING INTEREST: Sales promotions are wonderful when it comes to generating interest.Cadbury creates the interest to buy chocolates during festival seasons like CHRISTMAS,EASTER,DIWALI etc. 4.INCREASE DEMAND: Besides building product awareness, the best way to use promotions is to get customers to buy your product .Special packs offered by Cadbury on special occasions increase their demand. Pull or push strategy and why: Cadbury promotes its products mainly using pull strategies creating demand during special occasiones or festival seasones.Consumers always ask their retailers for the product, the retailers will ask the wholesalers, and the wholesalers will ask the producers. Using a pull strategy alone would not reach all the desired consumers.So push strategies to push the product down the distribution channels;this involves persuading retailers to sell the product is also used by Cadbury. Critical appraisal The success of the Cadbury brand can be seen in how its image is continually maintained over time. Identifying brand values, and matching these to consumer lifestyles in specific market segments can help develop a clear advertising message. In previous advertising messages quality and taste were emphasized. Cadbury is now building on this through its Choose Cadbury strategy to underline the feeling a premium brand can bring to its customers.The Cadbury brand has proven itself to be a leader in a highly volatile and competitive market with players like Nestle and Hersheys because it has successfully established, nurtured and developed its umbrella brand and growing portfolio of products.So the promotion policy of Cadbury is working in a positive way for them.

Reflective Paper

Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Theresa Tapley BUS 303 Dr. Kevin Righter March 13, 2010 Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Effective Human Resources Management (HRM) plays a major role in ensuring that an organization will survive and prosper. The HRM facilitates the most effective use of people or employees to achieve organizational and individual goals. The HRM consists of numerous activities which include, equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, the recruitment, selection, motivation, and orientation of employees, performance evaluation and compensation, the training and development of employees, labor relations, and the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. Effective human resources management plays a vital role in the success of an organization and is an active participant in charting the strategic course of competitiveness, productiveness, and efficiency. An effective HRM focuses on action rather than on record-keeping, written procedure, or rules. Although the use of rules, records, and policies are incorporated, â€Å"action† is the focus. The HRM emphasizes the solution of employment problems to help achieve organizational objectives and facilitate employees’ development and satisfaction. An effective HRM is, also, people-oriented. Whenever possible, the HRM treats each employee as an individual and offers services and program to meet the individual’s needs. An effective HRM program is concerned with helping an organization achieve its objectives in the future by providing for competent, well-motivated employees. Human resources are incorporated into an organization’s long-term strategic plans to assist with ensuring that future growth needs will be adequately staffed with qualified, trained employees (Ivancewich, 2010, pg 5). EEO and Affirmative Action One external factor that has a powerful influence on my company's HRM unction is the equal employment opportunity and human rights legislation, which has a profound effect on our policies and procedures concerning recruiting, selection, evaluation, and promotion. The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and retaliation for reporting and/or opp osing a discriminatory practice. This commission is empowered to file discrimination suits against employers on behalf of alleged victims and to adjudicate claims of discrimination brought against federal agencies. No other regulatory area has as thoroughly affected HRM as the EEO programs have. It has implications for almost every activity in HRM and sets standards for hiring, recruiting, training, terminating, compensating, evaluating, planning, disciplining, and collective bargaining. Employers, to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace or to take remedial action to offset employment discrimination implement EEO programs, (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 65). According to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) website, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The laws also apply to all type of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, demotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. During the employment selection process, each candidate should be evaluated on their qualification of the job requirements, based on their experience, education, and skill set. Many corporations use testing as an important tool. Rae T. Vann, general counsel of the Equal Employment Advisory Council, a national association of large federal contractors, observed, â€Å"When done properly, testing can be a very important tool in the employment selection process, and we commend the Commission on its efforts to improve the quality and fairness of tests and other job screening methods† (Title VII: Affirmative Action, 2006). I encourage my Clinical Managers to become familiar with the provisions of the EEO standards and guidelines. It is essential that they make every effort to seek counsel from our HR dept when initiating the interview and hiring process, dealing with poor performance, disabilities, demotions, appearance of harassment, and training and re-training. Throughout my five years of administrative management, I have unfortunately had to learn HRM and EEOC laws the hard way, through trial and error. With each mistake that I have made, such as not consulting the HR department before decreasing a dual role employee’s hours so that she could focus on one role due to extremely poor performance, I have learned the proper steps to come to the same conclusion. The decrease in hours caused her to lose her benefits and subsequently she filed an EEOC claim of discrimination and retaliation. Fortunately, due to proper documentation of the corrective actions, developmental action plan and the documented counseling, our HRM has adequate information to refute the claim. Now, I consult my HRM representative with any concerns, questions, or updates related to employee situations. Planning, Recruitment, and Selection Human resources planning are the processes by which management ensures that it has the right personnel, who are capable of completing those tasks that help the organization, reach its objectives. It involves forecasting of human resources needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies (International Labour Organization, 2010). An effective HR plan, also, provides mechanisms to eliminate any gaps that may exist between supply and demand. HR planning determines the numbers and types of employees to be recruited into the organization or phased out of it (Ivancevich, 2010). The Human Resource Planning Process incorporates strategic planning which will have a direct effect on the organization's profitability. The strategic plan must adapt to environmental circumstances. It must forecast how many and what employees are required for the organizations staffing requirements. Next, it must determine how many and what kind of employees are currently employed with the skills and training necessary for the future needs. Finally, after the HR system has analyzed the supply of and the demand or future workers, these two forecasts are compared to determine what action should be taken. Effective workforce planning is a critical element of effective strategic and operational planning. Workforce planning provides managers with a strategic basis for making human resource decisions. It allows managers to anticipate change ather than being surprised by events, as well as providing strategic methods for addressing present and anticipated workforce issues. The US Department of Health and Human Services states, â€Å"Organizational success depends on having the right employees with the right competencies at the right time. Workforce planning provides managers the means of identifying the competencies needed in the workforce not only in the present but in the future and then selecting and developing that workforce† (US Dept. Health and Human Services, 2010). The HR department for my company has implemented a staffing model tool that projects future, potential, or expected growth versus the actual census, the current staffing and skill set of that staff, and calculates the hiring needs of specific positions within the direct and indirect patient care. Once the future needs are determined, then the hiring process begins. Human Resources Development Training and development are processes that attempt to provide an employee with information, skills, and an understanding of the organization and its goals. Training and development are designed to help a person continue to make positive contributions in the form of good performance and advancement within the organization. A solid orientation program is the first step in developing an employee. It reduces anxiety and fears, reduces start-up costs of a new employee, reduces turnover, saves time for supervisors and co-workers, and develops realistic expectations, positive attitudes toward the employer and job satisfaction. Once will established in a specific position, then the manager and employee must set goals for development and advancement. Management and professional development is designed to reduce obsolescence and to increase employees’ satisfaction and productivity. An important part of development is the evaluation process. Performance management is the process by which executives, managers, and supervisors work to align employee performance with the firm’s goals. An effective performance management process determines and evaluates performance, provides feedback to the employees about their performance, and measures and monitors skill-set (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 251). The company that I work for has an excellent formal performance evaluation process that is very effective in the development the employee and the motivation to succeed. Appraising and managing performance at my workplace starts form the day of hire. Each newly hired direct or indirect patient care must attend a through and intensive training program. After 90 days, from date of hire, the new staff member is evaluated for suitability for the position. The manager will present a written 90-day evaluation to the staff member. This evaluation will result in a successful completion of the introductory period, determine a need for an extension of 30 days to improve and meet expectations, or termination due to being unsuitable for the position (this usually occurs when the staff member continually fails to follow policies and procedures and/or causing patient endangerment). Every manager must complete an annual evaluation for staff members under their direct supervision. The score on the evaluation determine the merit increase and caps set forth by the company. When a staff member is failing to follow policy and procedure, putting patient’s safety in jeopardy, tardiness or excessive absenteeism, insubordination, breaking confidentiality and HIPPA regulations, and etc. the manager will conduct corrective action in the form of documented counseling, written corrective action, final corrective action, 3 day suspension, and/or termination. To make this process more effective and ensure compliance with EEOC and federal and state regulations, both next level supervisor and the HR dept representative must approve all final corrective actions, 3-day suspensions, and terminations. Compensation and Benefits There are several reasons that an employer or corporation will offer benefits and services to their employees. One reason is to keep the organization competitive in recruit and retaining employees. Another reason is to keep a union out or because the union has won this during negotiations. Finally, is the fact that providing benefits and service contributed to increased employee performance and job satisfaction (Ivancevich, 2010, pg358). Federal and state governments mandate three benefits programs offered by private and not-for-profit employers. The three mandated programs are unemployment insurance, social security, and workers’ compensation. In addition to the benefits required by law, many employers provide other kinds of benefits voluntarily, such as, compensation for time not worked, insurance protection, retirement plans, FMLA or medical FMLA, life insurance, short and long-term disability, and various retirement programs and stock ownership plans. Some organizations offer tuition reimbursement and flexible benefits plans. Whenever I am interviewing a candidate for a position, I always spend a portion of the interview discussing and explaining our benefit package. Sometimes our hourly rate is not quite as high as our competitor, but our benefits and employee services usually out ways the difference in compensation. Safety and Health The Human Resource Management team of the dialysis company of which I am employed, works very closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to ensure that the most acceptable and innovative concepts in employee safety and health are used. The NIOSH is the primary federal agency that conducts research on the safety and health of the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, to provide research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health established it in 1971 (Bradley, 2002). The NIOSH develops and promotes the use of national and state-based surveillance systems to identify, quantify, and track injuries and illnesses. Epidemiological analysis of these databases helps identify unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions. NIOSH also supports laboratory and field research to further identify, assess, and control occupational hazards and exposures and the diseases and injuries they cause. In addition to identifying risks, the NIOSH develops and evaluates prevention measures such as control technology, personal protective equipment, and work practices. Through research internally within our company and the NIOSH, many improvements and standards have been put into place for water treatment safety and personal protective equipment. We have strong policies and procedures that protect both the employee and the patient from exposure to health or safety hazards. There are several reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards. First, on a moral note, an employee should not have to risk injury or death at work, nor should others associated with the work environment. The second is economical in nature. Many governments realize that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State, through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the employability of the worker. The employing organizations also sustain costs in the event of an incident at work, such as legal fees, fines, compensatory damages, investigation time, and lost production, lost goodwill from the workforce, customers, and community. Lastly, from a legal standpoint, the occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal law. It is a known fact, that without the extra â€Å"encouragement† of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations. During a Frontline interview with assistant secretary of labor for occupational health and safety, John Henshaw, the question was asked, â€Å"How successful do you think OSHA has been at protecting workers in the United States? † Mr. Henshaw replied, â€Å"In the last 30 years, OSHA has made some tremendous strides in reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. In the last six to eight years, injuries have gone steadily down and fatalities have gone down to the point where they are the lowest ever (Frontline, 2002). The dialysis industry is carefully scrutinized to uphold acceptable OSHA safety and health standards. We, also, have internal auditors that simulate inspections to ensure compliance and safe practices. Employee and Labor Relations Labor relations can refer broadly to any dealings between management and workers about employment conditions. Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations are thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces. In the United States, labor relations were profoundly affected by the National Labor Relations Act passed during the 1930’s, which gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively. Labor relations have been drastically affected by the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which prohibited the â€Å"closed shop†, as well as, the introduction of right-to-work laws in more than 20 states (Ivancevich, 2010, pgs 477). By the early 21st century, labor relations were less affected by labor unions, to which only 8 percent of private sector workers belonged in 2004, about half of the rate in 1983. The decline reflects the increase in labor relations consultants, who have helped managements avoid unionization (Anonymous, 2010). The presence of a union directly affects most aspects of Human Resources Management, including recruiting, selection, performance evaluation, promotion, compensation, and benefits, among others (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 34). Unions were once thought of a being for blue-collar factory workers, but now even engineers, nurses, teachers, secretaries, salespersons, college professors, professional football players and even physicians belong to unions. Within my workplace, we have an ongoing informational and educational campaign against the unethical practices of recruitment and enticement for our employees. We offer seminars and counseling in regards to the unionization tactics. While facing declining membership, union officials have turned to highly questionable practice of organizing new members through a process called â€Å"card check†. With card checks, paid union organizers try to persuade workers to sign cards saying that they favor union representation. This persuasion comes in the form of deception, coercion, and harassing visits to worker’s homes. John Ivancevich describes this practice as the â€Å"authorization card† (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 480). Under current laws, as soon as more than 50 percent of the workers sign a union authorization card, all employees within that organization will be required to participate in the union and pay union dues, even though not a single employee has actually been able to cast a personal, private vote. Often times, individual will sign the cards under intentional or unintentional misunderstandings or to get the organizer to stop harassing them, even though the employee may have no desire to join a union (Anonymous, 2010). Conclusion Human Resources Management is the heart of every organization. It serves as an advocate for each employee, while also protecting the organization from legal repercussions. Whether it is ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, providing job analysis, planning for the future staffing needs and subsequent recruitment and selection of qualified candidates, each of these areas are vital to a well-organized corporation. The HRM is paramount in the motivation, training, and development of employees. Ensuring a positive orientation experience, and concise performance evaluation and compensation will aid in retention and job satisfaction. Finally, the HRM has an extremely important role in labor relations and ensuring the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. References Anonymous. (2010). When voting isn’t Private. Retrieved on February 26, 2010 from website: http://www. unionfacts. com/articles/cardCheck. cfm Bradley, J. (2002). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved on 3/1/2010 from website: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh EEOC Office of Legal Counsel staff members (2006). Title VII: Affirmative Action. Retrieved on February 12, 2010 from website: http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2006/vii_affimative_action. html Frontline. (2002). A Dangerous Business. Frontline Interview with John Henshaw. September 30, 2002. Retrieved on 3/2/2010 from website: http://osha. gov International Labour Organization. Retrieved on February 11, 2010 from website: http://wwwilo. org Ivancevich. J. (2010). Human resource management (11th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073381466. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on February 10, 2010 from website: http://www. hhs. gov/ohr/workforce/wfpguide. html Reflective Paper Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Theresa Tapley BUS 303 Dr. Kevin Righter March 13, 2010 Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Effective Human Resources Management (HRM) plays a major role in ensuring that an organization will survive and prosper. The HRM facilitates the most effective use of people or employees to achieve organizational and individual goals. The HRM consists of numerous activities which include, equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, the recruitment, selection, motivation, and orientation of employees, performance evaluation and compensation, the training and development of employees, labor relations, and the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. Effective human resources management plays a vital role in the success of an organization and is an active participant in charting the strategic course of competitiveness, productiveness, and efficiency. An effective HRM focuses on action rather than on record-keeping, written procedure, or rules. Although the use of rules, records, and policies are incorporated, â€Å"action† is the focus. The HRM emphasizes the solution of employment problems to help achieve organizational objectives and facilitate employees’ development and satisfaction. An effective HRM is, also, people-oriented. Whenever possible, the HRM treats each employee as an individual and offers services and program to meet the individual’s needs. An effective HRM program is concerned with helping an organization achieve its objectives in the future by providing for competent, well-motivated employees. Human resources are incorporated into an organization’s long-term strategic plans to assist with ensuring that future growth needs will be adequately staffed with qualified, trained employees (Ivancewich, 2010, pg 5). EEO and Affirmative Action One external factor that has a powerful influence on my company's HRM unction is the equal employment opportunity and human rights legislation, which has a profound effect on our policies and procedures concerning recruiting, selection, evaluation, and promotion. The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and retaliation for reporting and/or opp osing a discriminatory practice. This commission is empowered to file discrimination suits against employers on behalf of alleged victims and to adjudicate claims of discrimination brought against federal agencies. No other regulatory area has as thoroughly affected HRM as the EEO programs have. It has implications for almost every activity in HRM and sets standards for hiring, recruiting, training, terminating, compensating, evaluating, planning, disciplining, and collective bargaining. Employers, to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace or to take remedial action to offset employment discrimination implement EEO programs, (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 65). According to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) website, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The laws also apply to all type of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, demotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. During the employment selection process, each candidate should be evaluated on their qualification of the job requirements, based on their experience, education, and skill set. Many corporations use testing as an important tool. Rae T. Vann, general counsel of the Equal Employment Advisory Council, a national association of large federal contractors, observed, â€Å"When done properly, testing can be a very important tool in the employment selection process, and we commend the Commission on its efforts to improve the quality and fairness of tests and other job screening methods† (Title VII: Affirmative Action, 2006). I encourage my Clinical Managers to become familiar with the provisions of the EEO standards and guidelines. It is essential that they make every effort to seek counsel from our HR dept when initiating the interview and hiring process, dealing with poor performance, disabilities, demotions, appearance of harassment, and training and re-training. Throughout my five years of administrative management, I have unfortunately had to learn HRM and EEOC laws the hard way, through trial and error. With each mistake that I have made, such as not consulting the HR department before decreasing a dual role employee’s hours so that she could focus on one role due to extremely poor performance, I have learned the proper steps to come to the same conclusion. The decrease in hours caused her to lose her benefits and subsequently she filed an EEOC claim of discrimination and retaliation. Fortunately, due to proper documentation of the corrective actions, developmental action plan and the documented counseling, our HRM has adequate information to refute the claim. Now, I consult my HRM representative with any concerns, questions, or updates related to employee situations. Planning, Recruitment, and Selection Human resources planning are the processes by which management ensures that it has the right personnel, who are capable of completing those tasks that help the organization, reach its objectives. It involves forecasting of human resources needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies (International Labour Organization, 2010). An effective HR plan, also, provides mechanisms to eliminate any gaps that may exist between supply and demand. HR planning determines the numbers and types of employees to be recruited into the organization or phased out of it (Ivancevich, 2010). The Human Resource Planning Process incorporates strategic planning which will have a direct effect on the organization's profitability. The strategic plan must adapt to environmental circumstances. It must forecast how many and what employees are required for the organizations staffing requirements. Next, it must determine how many and what kind of employees are currently employed with the skills and training necessary for the future needs. Finally, after the HR system has analyzed the supply of and the demand or future workers, these two forecasts are compared to determine what action should be taken. Effective workforce planning is a critical element of effective strategic and operational planning. Workforce planning provides managers with a strategic basis for making human resource decisions. It allows managers to anticipate change ather than being surprised by events, as well as providing strategic methods for addressing present and anticipated workforce issues. The US Department of Health and Human Services states, â€Å"Organizational success depends on having the right employees with the right competencies at the right time. Workforce planning provides managers the means of identifying the competencies needed in the workforce not only in the present but in the future and then selecting and developing that workforce† (US Dept. Health and Human Services, 2010). The HR department for my company has implemented a staffing model tool that projects future, potential, or expected growth versus the actual census, the current staffing and skill set of that staff, and calculates the hiring needs of specific positions within the direct and indirect patient care. Once the future needs are determined, then the hiring process begins. Human Resources Development Training and development are processes that attempt to provide an employee with information, skills, and an understanding of the organization and its goals. Training and development are designed to help a person continue to make positive contributions in the form of good performance and advancement within the organization. A solid orientation program is the first step in developing an employee. It reduces anxiety and fears, reduces start-up costs of a new employee, reduces turnover, saves time for supervisors and co-workers, and develops realistic expectations, positive attitudes toward the employer and job satisfaction. Once will established in a specific position, then the manager and employee must set goals for development and advancement. Management and professional development is designed to reduce obsolescence and to increase employees’ satisfaction and productivity. An important part of development is the evaluation process. Performance management is the process by which executives, managers, and supervisors work to align employee performance with the firm’s goals. An effective performance management process determines and evaluates performance, provides feedback to the employees about their performance, and measures and monitors skill-set (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 251). The company that I work for has an excellent formal performance evaluation process that is very effective in the development the employee and the motivation to succeed. Appraising and managing performance at my workplace starts form the day of hire. Each newly hired direct or indirect patient care must attend a through and intensive training program. After 90 days, from date of hire, the new staff member is evaluated for suitability for the position. The manager will present a written 90-day evaluation to the staff member. This evaluation will result in a successful completion of the introductory period, determine a need for an extension of 30 days to improve and meet expectations, or termination due to being unsuitable for the position (this usually occurs when the staff member continually fails to follow policies and procedures and/or causing patient endangerment). Every manager must complete an annual evaluation for staff members under their direct supervision. The score on the evaluation determine the merit increase and caps set forth by the company. When a staff member is failing to follow policy and procedure, putting patient’s safety in jeopardy, tardiness or excessive absenteeism, insubordination, breaking confidentiality and HIPPA regulations, and etc. the manager will conduct corrective action in the form of documented counseling, written corrective action, final corrective action, 3 day suspension, and/or termination. To make this process more effective and ensure compliance with EEOC and federal and state regulations, both next level supervisor and the HR dept representative must approve all final corrective actions, 3-day suspensions, and terminations. Compensation and Benefits There are several reasons that an employer or corporation will offer benefits and services to their employees. One reason is to keep the organization competitive in recruit and retaining employees. Another reason is to keep a union out or because the union has won this during negotiations. Finally, is the fact that providing benefits and service contributed to increased employee performance and job satisfaction (Ivancevich, 2010, pg358). Federal and state governments mandate three benefits programs offered by private and not-for-profit employers. The three mandated programs are unemployment insurance, social security, and workers’ compensation. In addition to the benefits required by law, many employers provide other kinds of benefits voluntarily, such as, compensation for time not worked, insurance protection, retirement plans, FMLA or medical FMLA, life insurance, short and long-term disability, and various retirement programs and stock ownership plans. Some organizations offer tuition reimbursement and flexible benefits plans. Whenever I am interviewing a candidate for a position, I always spend a portion of the interview discussing and explaining our benefit package. Sometimes our hourly rate is not quite as high as our competitor, but our benefits and employee services usually out ways the difference in compensation. Safety and Health The Human Resource Management team of the dialysis company of which I am employed, works very closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to ensure that the most acceptable and innovative concepts in employee safety and health are used. The NIOSH is the primary federal agency that conducts research on the safety and health of the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, to provide research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health established it in 1971 (Bradley, 2002). The NIOSH develops and promotes the use of national and state-based surveillance systems to identify, quantify, and track injuries and illnesses. Epidemiological analysis of these databases helps identify unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions. NIOSH also supports laboratory and field research to further identify, assess, and control occupational hazards and exposures and the diseases and injuries they cause. In addition to identifying risks, the NIOSH develops and evaluates prevention measures such as control technology, personal protective equipment, and work practices. Through research internally within our company and the NIOSH, many improvements and standards have been put into place for water treatment safety and personal protective equipment. We have strong policies and procedures that protect both the employee and the patient from exposure to health or safety hazards. There are several reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards. First, on a moral note, an employee should not have to risk injury or death at work, nor should others associated with the work environment. The second is economical in nature. Many governments realize that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State, through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the employability of the worker. The employing organizations also sustain costs in the event of an incident at work, such as legal fees, fines, compensatory damages, investigation time, and lost production, lost goodwill from the workforce, customers, and community. Lastly, from a legal standpoint, the occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal law. It is a known fact, that without the extra â€Å"encouragement† of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations. During a Frontline interview with assistant secretary of labor for occupational health and safety, John Henshaw, the question was asked, â€Å"How successful do you think OSHA has been at protecting workers in the United States? † Mr. Henshaw replied, â€Å"In the last 30 years, OSHA has made some tremendous strides in reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. In the last six to eight years, injuries have gone steadily down and fatalities have gone down to the point where they are the lowest ever (Frontline, 2002). The dialysis industry is carefully scrutinized to uphold acceptable OSHA safety and health standards. We, also, have internal auditors that simulate inspections to ensure compliance and safe practices. Employee and Labor Relations Labor relations can refer broadly to any dealings between management and workers about employment conditions. Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations are thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces. In the United States, labor relations were profoundly affected by the National Labor Relations Act passed during the 1930’s, which gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively. Labor relations have been drastically affected by the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which prohibited the â€Å"closed shop†, as well as, the introduction of right-to-work laws in more than 20 states (Ivancevich, 2010, pgs 477). By the early 21st century, labor relations were less affected by labor unions, to which only 8 percent of private sector workers belonged in 2004, about half of the rate in 1983. The decline reflects the increase in labor relations consultants, who have helped managements avoid unionization (Anonymous, 2010). The presence of a union directly affects most aspects of Human Resources Management, including recruiting, selection, performance evaluation, promotion, compensation, and benefits, among others (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 34). Unions were once thought of a being for blue-collar factory workers, but now even engineers, nurses, teachers, secretaries, salespersons, college professors, professional football players and even physicians belong to unions. Within my workplace, we have an ongoing informational and educational campaign against the unethical practices of recruitment and enticement for our employees. We offer seminars and counseling in regards to the unionization tactics. While facing declining membership, union officials have turned to highly questionable practice of organizing new members through a process called â€Å"card check†. With card checks, paid union organizers try to persuade workers to sign cards saying that they favor union representation. This persuasion comes in the form of deception, coercion, and harassing visits to worker’s homes. John Ivancevich describes this practice as the â€Å"authorization card† (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 480). Under current laws, as soon as more than 50 percent of the workers sign a union authorization card, all employees within that organization will be required to participate in the union and pay union dues, even though not a single employee has actually been able to cast a personal, private vote. Often times, individual will sign the cards under intentional or unintentional misunderstandings or to get the organizer to stop harassing them, even though the employee may have no desire to join a union (Anonymous, 2010). Conclusion Human Resources Management is the heart of every organization. It serves as an advocate for each employee, while also protecting the organization from legal repercussions. Whether it is ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, providing job analysis, planning for the future staffing needs and subsequent recruitment and selection of qualified candidates, each of these areas are vital to a well-organized corporation. The HRM is paramount in the motivation, training, and development of employees. Ensuring a positive orientation experience, and concise performance evaluation and compensation will aid in retention and job satisfaction. Finally, the HRM has an extremely important role in labor relations and ensuring the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. References Anonymous. (2010). When voting isn’t Private. Retrieved on February 26, 2010 from website: http://www. unionfacts. com/articles/cardCheck. cfm Bradley, J. (2002). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved on 3/1/2010 from website: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh EEOC Office of Legal Counsel staff members (2006). Title VII: Affirmative Action. Retrieved on February 12, 2010 from website: http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2006/vii_affimative_action. html Frontline. (2002). A Dangerous Business. Frontline Interview with John Henshaw. September 30, 2002. Retrieved on 3/2/2010 from website: http://osha. gov International Labour Organization. Retrieved on February 11, 2010 from website: http://wwwilo. org Ivancevich. J. (2010). Human resource management (11th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073381466. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on February 10, 2010 from website: http://www. hhs. gov/ohr/workforce/wfpguide. html

Discuss the contribution that psychology has made to contemporary society

Since Psychology has been known as a subject, it is very broad, and has contributed to many areas of society to the work place, school, prison and institutions. In the work place, managers are trained to deal and communicate effectively with employees and customers alike. This helps to keep both parties happy, and this causes less distress. Most work places are under law in which even people with mental health issues are allowed to be employed, and only in severe cases they will be unaccepted to the job. An occupational psychologist is able to find a job for those who are disabled and that would be able to meet their skills and knowledge. A couple of centuries ago, people who had mental illnesses wouldn't be able to get a job, and are likely to be distinguished as ‘insane' or ‘crazy', because of the lack of help that was given at that time. In the school, the National Curriculum has been helped by the research of Psychology by the reflection of Piaget's stages – showing that children are likely to cope with ideas when they are ready or at a given age. For example, those children who are at the concrete operation stage at age 11 should not be given anything to do with formal reasoning. Although, Vygotsky believed in scaffolding, this means by actively participating in groups to their level of understanding to be able to make them understand what they are being taught better. In prison, they use token economy systems which is based on operant conditioning for those who have good behaviour they are reinforced with tokens, and these can be saved up to be able to have a privileges to go out. The token economy system allow for prisoners to continue their repeated good behaviour. During court sessions they need to know whether someone is classified as insane, and whether they should go to psychiatric hospital or ward, or to prison because they are a criminal. In institutions, they also use the operant conditioning of token economy systems to be able to have the patients do good behaviour and to be reinforced with tokens. This allows to substitute the tokens to be able to have leave or be able to do more activities within the institution. Institutions also have social skills to help those with mental health issues to be able to understand how to make social interactions with other people – many of both offenders as well as patients lack these skills, and these can be developed through number of ways such as role play and rehearsal.

The Baby Boom and the Future of the Economy

The Baby Boom and the Future of the Economy Whats going to happen to the economy as all the baby boomers get older and retire? Its a great question that would need an entire book to properly answer. Fortunately, many books have been written on the relationship between the baby boom and the economy. Two good ones from the Canadian perspective are Boom, Bust Echo by Foot and Stoffman, and 2020: Rules for the New Age by Garth Turner. The Ratio Between Working People and Retired People Turner explains that the big changes will be due to the fact that the ratio between the number of working people to the number of retired people will change dramatically over the next few decades: When most boomers were in their teens, there were six Canadians like them, under the age of 20, for every person over 65. Today there are about three young people for every senior. By 2020, the ratio will be even more frightening. This will have profound consequences on our entire society. (80) Demographic changes will have a major impact on the ratio of retirees to workers; the ratio of the number of people ages 65 and over to the number ages 20 to 64 is expected to grow from about 20% in 1997 to 41% in 2050. (83) Examples of Expected Economic Impact These demographic changes will have both macroeconomic as well as microeconomic impacts. With so few people of working age, we can expect that wages will rise as employers fight to retain the small pool of labor available. This also implies that unemployment should be fairly low. But simultaneously taxes will also have to be quite high to pay for all the services that seniors require such as government pensions and Medicare. Older citizens tend to invest differently than younger ones, as older investors tend to buy less risky assets like bonds and sell riskier ones such as stocks. Do not be surprised to find that the price of bonds rises (causing their yields to fall) and the price of stocks to fall. There will be millions of smaller changes as well. The demand for soccer fields should fall as there are relatively fewer people will the demand for golf courses should rise. The demand for large suburban homes should fall as seniors move into one story condos and later to old-age homes. If youre investing in real estate, it will be important to consider the change in demographics when youre considering what to buy.

Environmental Microbiology Lab Report Essays

Environmental Microbiology Lab Report Essays Environmental Microbiology Lab Report Paper Environmental Microbiology Lab Report Paper Materials Distilled water Test tube 6 Unopened packages of 1 sterile cotton swab 2 sterile nutrient agar Petri dishes 1 sterile blood agar Petri dish Incubator Refrigerator Bunsen burner Gas connection Plastic tubing Inoculating loop 12 sterile glass slides Wax pencil Igniter Crystal violet dye Grams iodine Ethyl alcohol Seafaring dye Paper towels Wire rack Sink Brightened compound microscope Lens paper Immersion oil Pen and paper Methods I. Collecting the environmental specimens: 1. Place some distilled water into the test tube. 2. Open one package of sterile cotton swabs by peeling apart the packaging at the top. Do not peel the package apart completely, just at the top. 3. Take out the cotton swab, dip it into the test tube of distilled water, and place it back into the original package with the cotton tip facing down. 4. Repeat the previous two steps for three more unopened packages of sterile cotton swabs. 5. Choose four locations from which environmental samples can be taken. For example, use the bottom of a shoe, a light switch, or a sink handle). Write these locations down on a piece of paper and number them El -EH for later reference. (For example, El is the sink handle). 6. At each location, take out one of the wetted sterile cotton webs and rub it against a small area of the surface being sampled. Make sure to turn the swab as well to ensure that the sample is on all sides of the cotton swab. After swabbing, p lace each swab back into its original package, with the cotton tip facing downwards. Keep track of which swabs were used for which samples. Label them if necessary. II. Collecting the throat and nose samples: steps for one more unopened package with a sterile cotton swab. 5. Take one of the wetted sterile cotton swabs and rub it against the inside of ones nose. Make sure to turn the swab as well to ensure that the sample is on all sides of the tone swab. After swabbing, place the swab back into its original package, with the cotton tip facing downwards. 6. Repeat the previous step, but instead take a sample from the back of the throat. Ill. Aseptic transfer of the environmental specimens: 1. Take the two nutrient agar Petri dishes and turn them bottom side up. Then, using a wax pencil, draw a line down the middle of each dish. Label each of these four sections El, EH, EH, EH so that the origin of each sample is known for later. 2. Take out one cotton swab that was used on an environmental surface out of its packaging. Keep this swab in one hand. . With the other hand, open the lid of one sterile nutrient agar Petri dish slightly at an angle. 4. Take the cotton swab in the other hand and gently swab it against the appropriately labeled half of the nutrient agars surface evenly. . Close the lid of the nutrient agar Petri dish and place the cotton swab back into its packaging. Dispose of the cotton swab and package in the appropriate container. 6. Repeat the previous four steps for the other three cotton swabs used on the environmental surfaces. Make sure to use the appropriate swab for the appropriately labeled section of the Petri dish. 7. Place the two inoculated nutrien t agar plates into the incubator in an inverted position, or with the lid facing downwards, to prevent condensation on the agars surface. IV. Aseptic transfer of the nose and throat specimens: 1. Take the one blood agar Petri dish and turn it bottom side up. Then, using a wax pencil, draw a line down the middle of the dish. Label each of these two sections N and T so that the origin of each sample is known for later. 2. Take out the cotton swab that was used on the inside of the nose out of its packaging. Keep this swab in one hand. 3. With the other hand, open the id of the sterile blood agar Petri dish slightly at an angle. 4. Take the cotton swab in the other hand and gently swab it against the appropriate half 5. Close the lid of the blood agar Petri dish and place the cotton swab back into its packaging. Dispose of the cotton swab and package in the appropriate container. 6. Repeat the previous four steps for the other cotton swab used on the back of the throat. 7. Place the inoculated blood agar plate into the incubator in an inverted position, or with the lid facing downwards to prevent condensation on the agars surface. V. Making heat fixed bacterial smears of all the samples: . Take the twelve sterile glass slides and label their corners using the wax pencil. Use the igniter to ignite the Bunsen burner flame. 6. With one hand, take the inoculating loop and pass it through the flame until it is red 7. With the other hand, open one of the Petri dishes slightly. 8. Take the sterilized inoculating loop and lightly touch it to one of the colonies on the agars surface. 9. Close the Petri dish lid and take the inoculating loop and gently smear it in the drop of water on the appropriately labeled slide so that it coincides with the sample you took from. Smear from side to side to create a thin film. Let this slide air-dry. 10. Pass the inoculating loop through the flame again until it is red-hot. 1. Repeat the previous eight steps for the rest of the samples and slides. Remember to take two samples from each of the six locations, each from a different colony. Also remember to place the colony samples on the appropriately labeled slide. 12. Once the twelve slides have dried, pass each one through the Bunsen burner flame once or twice. Do not hold the slide in the flame, as this will cause the sample on the slide to burn. 13. If the nutrient gar and blood agar Petri dishes are going to be used again, place them in the refrigerator, if not, place them in the appropriate container. VI. Gram staining all of the samples: 1 . Separate the twelve heat fixed slides into three groups of four. This makes it easier to apply the dyes to the slides for the appropriate amount of time. 2. Take one of the three groups of heat fixed slides and place them on the wire rack on top of the sink. 3. Take the crystal violet dye and apply it to the slides on the rack generously, making sure to cover the entire slide. Leave the crystal violet dye on the slides for thirty seconds. . Rinse the crystal violet dye off of the slides with distilled water, and place the slides back onto the wire rack. 5. Place the Grams iodine generously onto only one of the slides and let it sit for ten seconds. Rinse the slide immediately with distilled water and return it to the wire rack. Repeat this step for the other three slides, making sure to do each slide individually to ensure that the Grams iodine does not stay on the slide for more than ten seconds. 6. Take one slide and hold it at an angle over the sink. Take the ethyl alcohol and carefully place ten drops of it onto the slide, allowing it to slide off quickly. Immediately rinse the slide with distilled water and place it back on the wire rack. Repeat this step for the other three slides, making sure to do each slide individually to ensure that the ethyl alcohol does not stay on the slide for too long. 7. Take the seafaring dye and apply it to the slides on the rack generously, making sure to cover the entire slide. Leave the seafaring dye on the slides for thirty seconds. 8. Rinse the seafaring dye off of the slides with distilled water, and place the slides onto a paper towel to dry. The excess water on the slides can be blotted off gently with another paper towel. . Repeat the previous seven steps for the other two groups of four slides. VII. Determining the morphology and the gram stain results of the samples: 1 . Take out the brightened compound microscope, plug it into an outlet, and turn the power switch on. 2. Use the lens paper to wipe off the objective and ocular lenses. 3. Take one of the gram stained slides and place it onto the stage of the microscope. Use the stage slips to keep the slide in place. 4. Focus using the xx low power objective lens by first using the coarse adjustment knob to bring the lens as close to the slide as possible. Focus by moving the coarse adjustment knob to move the lens away from the slide. . Use the knobs on the stage to move the slide up and down, and side to side to find a portion of the slide with a good amount of sample on it. 6. Get the immersion oil and place a small drop of it onto the slide where the light is shining through it. 7. Switch into the xx oil immersion objective lens and focus using only the fine adjustment knob. 8. If necessary, use the light source and the condenser to alter the illumination of the slide. 9. Observe the color shown on the slide and determine if it is pink or rupee. If it is purple, it is gram positive, if it is pink, it is gram negative.