Operations Planning and Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Operations Planning and Control - Essay Example However, demand for organizational products is influenced by many factors as explained by Ahlersten (2008, p. 87). These factors include the price of the products, time of the year, price of other substitute and complementary products, taste and preferences of customers and the income of the population. In addition, demand is determined by the expectations of customers in changes of price and quantities supplied in the market. This however depends on all other factors remaining constant. Dilts (2004, p. 68) asserts that demand must be backed by the purchasing power of the customers and is always related to a specific price and time. Consequently, it is critical for organizations to optimize the supply of products during the peak demand period to ensure that the customers are able to access the services demanded. This is the greatest dilemma facing Holly Farm. The Farm at the beginning of 2007 decided to open its doors for paying visitors to view their Farm. The organization is involv ed in both dairy and arable livestock rearing. To ensure the comfort of their visitors, the company invested its entire savings constructing a 50-space car park and a six park for the 40-seater coaches. Furthermore they invested in constructing a safe area for viewing the milking parlour, purchased special trailers to transport passengers around the farm on guided tours and a children’s recreation playground. Behind the shop, the farm constructed a small facility for making dairy ice cream. Through aggressive advertising and events organized in local schools and organizations; the number of visitors to the Farm has grown steadily and by the end of 2010, the annual number of visitors was over twenty one thousand. There are great variations in the number of visitors during different months of the year and time of the day. Although the allowed visiting hours are from 11.00 am to 6.20 after milking is completed, approximately 90 percent of the visitors in cars and coaches arrive after midday picnic until around 1.30pm and make a tour of the farm in the afternoon. By 3.00 pm about 40 percent would leave the Farm while 60 percent wait to view the milking process and there after visit the shop for ice cream and other products. There are more visitors from April to October while demand is too low outside this period. Moreover, visits are high from Friday to Monday, the demand peaking on Saturdays and Sundays. The period between November and March is usually too cold for tractor rides and the animals have to be kept inside. Gillian who is charged with the responsibility of managing the visitors has initiated an ambitious plan to increase the number of visitors to the Farm by forty percent in 2011. Moreover, a state of the art milking parlour has been launched by the Farm where cows are milked on a slow moving turntable and milking is to last from 3.00 to 6.00 pm. To optimize the number visitors visiting the Farm, Gillian has to determine whether concentrate on i ndividual advertising or promoting visits by coaches during the peak time. In case

Collaboration in Professional Practice

Collaboration in Professional Practice Effective Interprofessional Collaboration is key to providing good quality patient centred care This essay will discuss the principles of patient centred care and their relationship to multi-disciplinary team working and identify and explain key concepts of individual and team communication within the practice setting. Reference will also be made to experiences in practice and the effect of these experiences on the patient. My personal experiences of multi-disciplinary team working will be reflected upon, as will my strengths and weaknesses in relation to my skills as a collaborative team member. Patient confidentiality will be protected at all times when reflecting on personal experiences in placement in accordance with the NMC code of professional conduct (NMC 2004). The term patient-centred care refers to the participation and involvement of the patient in the decisions taken concerning their care and treating the person as an individual, recognising the differing needs amongst individual patients (Barrett, Sellman and Thomas 2005). The importance of involving the patient in their own care has become increasingly important over the last half of the 20th century, with more people living into older age than ever before, and with this increase of life expectancy has come an increase of those living with chronic or long-term illness (Department of Health 2001). This has led to a heightened number of people becoming, in many instances, more knowledgeable of their condition than the healthcare professionals that are involved in their care and treatment, and therefore, rather than being merely recipients of this care they are increasingly taking responsibility for the management of their illness by making informed decisions concerning their treatment, alongside those of healthcare professionals (Department of Health 2001). As the significance of patient centred care has been identified it also important to understand the relationship between patient centred care and multi-disciplinary team work, which is that to enable the provision of patient-centred care a number of different professions will need to be involved, as it is not possible for one profession to have all the knowledge required to provide effective care, therefore the multi-disciplinary team must work collaboratively to be effective, with effective communication between professions making this collaboration possible (Barrett, Sellman and Thomas 2005). Furthermore, as healthcare teams are not comprised solely as a solitary department a patient may need to attend clinics in many of the different hospital departments in order to gain the desired treatment. In order to provide the patient with the best quality treatment and care, it is essential that there is high level of effective Interprofessional collaboration between all members of the healthcare team. Ensuring efficient communication between healthcare professionals will not only increase the quality of the service, but it could also help reduce hospital waiting lists for treatments and ultimately, increase patient satisfaction. For example, when considering a department such as radiology it is becomes clear why effective communication between all members if the team is essential. A radiology team is composed of many different interdisciplinary professionals not only doctors, radiologists and nurses working within the radiology department, but it also comprises the individuals w ith whom these members of staff interact within their different, complementary departments. For example, a patient will have been referred to a radiologist from a different department e.g. gynaecology. The patient will also go to meet the staff at the admissions desk, outpatients staff, perhaps ward staff if they are to be admitted. Thus, the coordination of this team of practitioners is vital in order to ensure that the patient is treat efficiently and that their care needs are met. When there is a lack of communication between professions the quality of care will inevitably suffer. There are many examples, and consequences, of good and poor communication and one example is that of a scenario my colleagues and I were asked to consider as part of our online learning for the Collaboration in Professional Practice (CIPP) module, which was of a student nurse attending a ward round with a doctor. In the scenario the student nurse had concerns as to the patient having little opportunity to ask the doctor any questions or allay any concerns that he had, which the student nurse perceived to be due to a number of reasons, including the lack of privacy on the ward and the doctor making it apparent that he was short of time. When she reflected on this incident she felt that she had not communicated with the doctor efficiently and acted as advocate for her patient, therefore, the consequences are that he was possibly left with many unanswered concerns. There were many opini ons relating to this scenario put forward on the group discussion board (see appendix 1) and many of us felt that this emphasised the importance of having a mixed number of professions on ward rounds, including a nurse whose responsibility it is to act as advocate for the patient. The student nurse in the scenario pointed out that she felt she had let her patient down in favour of showing the doctor that she was efficient and good at her job and it could be argued that this need to impress the doctor was due to the hierarchical structure within which hospitals tend to operate, with doctors being at the top of this structure, which could affect communication between doctors and nursing staff. One of the objectives of a study which was carried out by Kinley et al (2001) was the investigation of the quality of communication between senior medical staff and ATN (Kinley et al 2001: 2) (The ATN are appropriately trained nurses) and the study was conducted in retrospect of the plans to implement nurse-run clinics and to give nurses some duties which were previously considered to be that of a doctor. This is of importance and relevance to the provision of patient centred care, as the ability of members of a healthcare team to effectively communicate and articulate any problems, concerns or even advice which one may have in order to help another member of the healthcare team to treat a patient is one of the keys to effective collaboration within the multidisciplinary environment of a hospital (Barrett, Sellman and Thomas 2005). The conclusion made by the research team was that there is no reason to inhibit the development of fully trained nurse-led pre-operative assessment, provi ded that the nurses are appropriately trained and maintain sufficient workload to retain skills (Kinley et al, 2001: 3). However, the qualitative counterpart of the study indicated that the use of ATN for pre-operative assessment was agreeable to patients but there was no indication that there was any improvement in the communication between senior medical staff and those carrying out the pre-operative assessments’ (Kinley et al 2001: 3). Hence, this study could be viewed to be indicative of the fact that if interdisciplinary communication and collaboration was to be improved within the healthcare team and hospital settings, perhaps the abilities of nursing staff to fulfil roles and complete duties previously associated with a doctor, such as completing pre-operative assessments and taking medical histories would be enhanced. I myself have witnessed examples of both good and poor interprofessional collaboration and communication whilst out in practice. For example, whilst caring for an elderly lady in hospital who was recovering from surgery it became apparent that she was suffering from acute constipation. Numerous healthcare professionals worked collaboratively to eliminate her constipation, including doctors, nurses, a dietician and physiotherapist and in the end a satisfactory result was achieved. On reflection of this incident I felt that although there was clearly excellent communication and collaboration between professions, once they were working together in the treatment of this problem, there was also an unnecessary delay in the nurses involving these other professions in her treatment for this particular problem, which led to unnecessary suffering and pain for the patient. I referred to this incident on the CIPP group discussion board (see appendix 2) and found that this concern as to the lengt h of time it can sometimes take to involve other professions was shared. Therefore, it is worth noting that even when communication is good between professions the quality of patient care will still suffer if there are delays in bringing about their collaboration. The ability to reflect on incidents such as these is an essential component of nursing as it enables us to analyse what we did, if we did it well or if it we could have done it better, and then how we can develop our skills further to do better in the future (Brooker and Nicol 2003). When considering that nurses are expected to make certain decisions as to the care of a patient the benefits of reflective practice become apparent, reflecting on past mistakes can help greatly when deciding what action should be taken in the care of patient, particularly when it is a situation that one has previously experienced and thus gained knowledge from (Brooker and Nicol 2003). I feel that although I have made significant progress in my ability to reflect over the last year there is still much room for improvement, something which I have referred to in my action plan for the formative assignment (see appendix 3). I listed the priority of this ‘action point’ as being medium to high as although it is to be achieved throughout my career, as part of my lifelong learning, I feel that it is also an essential skill whilst being a student as it will my greatly aide my learning at present as well as in the future when qualified. Being self-aware is vital to the reflective process as it is through our knowledge of ourselves that we are able to recognise our strengths and weaknesses and identify areas where more learning is required (Burns and Bulman 2000). Self-awareness is to be conscious of who we are, to be aware of our own values, beliefs and strengths and weaknesses (Burns and Bulman 2000). Being self-aware is essential to nursing as not only does it form the basis upon which reflection is built but it also contributes to how we communicate with others and aides our interpersonal development with our colleagues, as well as enabling us to build and maintain positive relationships with our patients (Bulman and Schutz 2004). When reflecting upon my own strengths and weaknesses, in relation to my collaborative skills, I feel that whilst I am beginning to acquire an in depth understanding of the role of the nurse in the care of the patient I feel that I lack substantial knowledge of the roles of the other healthcare professionals that I work alongside in the care of these same patients. This point is also referred to in my action plan for the formative assessment (see appendix 3) and I listed the priority of this as being medium to high as I feel that it is not possible to become an effective collaborative healthcare professional without having an understanding of the roles of others with whom you are working alongside. If there is a lack of understanding of the roles of others I feel that it would be difficult to see why they are involved in the care of my patient, or even when it is appropriate to involve other healthcare professionals, inevitably leading to the quality of the care for the patient to suf fer. As we have identified the importance of Interprofessional collaboration in the provision of effective patient centred care and satisfaction within the hospital environment it is important to look at methodologies which can be utilised in order to improve the interactions and communication between members of each multidisciplinary team within the healthcare setting. Buchan and May (2007) describe how the process of skill mix; can be used to as a method of organisational change within a healthcare team and it has a role to play in improving the effectiveness of the organisation and quality of care. The four stages of a skill mix cycle are the evaluation of the need for change, the identification of opportunities and barriers for change, the planning for change and finally making the change happen (Buchanan and May 2007: 1) Therefore, we can see that the methodology of skill mix is one option available to healthcare managers when they are aiming to improve the Interprofessional collabor ation between members of their healthcare teams, the method does however require careful planning. Furthermore, it is important to realise that skill mix is more than just a technical exercise, as it is also a method of achieving organisational change which requires careful planning, communication, implementation and evaluation if it is to achieve its main objectives (Buchanan and O’May 2007: 1). Sibbald, Shen and McBride (2004) value the strategy of changing the skill mix of the healthcare workforce and highlight that factors promoting success in the improvement of the patient care service and the interactions and collaborations of members of the healthcare interdisciplinary teams include: introducing treatments of proven efficacy, appropriate staff education and training; removal of unhelpful boundary demarcations between staff or service sectors; appropriate pay and reward systems; and good strategic planning and human resource management (Sibbald, Shen and McBride, 2004 : 28). It is important to identify the areas which can help to improve staff communication because this will help with the planning and implementation of change and improvements within the healthcare setting. Education and training opportunities appear to be beneficial in two ways, firstly they provide a method for improving the staff morale and self-respect as they feel more satisfied and qualified to hel p others and thus communicate with other members of the healthcare team and additionally the training will provide opportunities for members of staff to become acquainted with other employees and to interact (Sibbald, Shen and McBride 2004). This may then help in the collaboration in the work place. Education and training strategies which could train doctors and nurses simultaneously would be beneficial in reducing the hierarchical boundaries between these disciplines (Freeth, 2005 and Dominelli, 2002). The subject of this essay is increasingly significant at present due to the recent changes observed within the structure and function of the National Health Service (NHS) and the demands placed upon it to reduce the waiting times of patients and increase patient centred care, whilst at the same time cutting the costs and expenditure within the NHS (The Department of Health 2000). This puts pressure on medical staff, not only to increase their efficiency of treatment, but also to cope with and adapt to changes which are being made within their departments (The department of Health 2000). One of these changes which may be difficult for medical staff to adapt to in particular is the replacement of doctors with nursing staff in the carrying out of some of the duties and roles which were previously associated solely with the doctor. As the primary aim of the NHS is to provide the best healthcare possible for each patient, it is important that the staff employed to take over some of the du ties and responsibilities previously associated with the doctors we must ensure that the nursing staff are fully trained and able to perform the tasks to the required standard and in order to do this it is important that there is an effective level of collaboration between the doctors and nursing staff and that the doctors provide a support network, to which members of the nursing team can turn to and ask advice when and wherever appropriate. However, as there may be negative feelings towards this change, perhaps felt more so by the doctors, this may prove to be difficult. Hence, it is necessary to enhance the levels of cooperation and team spirit in order to work more efficiently and make the most of the skills of all the professionals in the NHS workforce (The Department of Health 2000). In conclusion, it is clearly apparent that the effective collaboration and consequentially the communication between members of a healthcare team is of vital importance when considering the accuracy and efficiency in which care can be provided to patients in a patient focused manner, and as this is an important aim of the NHS plan to reform, plans must be put into action to ensure that the levels of communication between members of the healthcare team are achieved to enable the goals made by government bodies to be reached and to aid staff moral in the workplace. Reference List Barrett, G, Sellman, D and Thomas, J (2005) Interprofessional working in health and social care. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Brooker, C., Nicol, M (2003) Nursing Adults, the Practice of Caring. London, Mosby Buchan. J, O’May. F (2007) Determining Skill Mix: Practical Guidelines for Managers and Health Professionals [online] last accessed on 16th December 2007 at: http://www.who.int/hrh/en/HRDJ_4_2_07.pdf Bulman, C., Schutz, S (2004) Reflective Practice in Nursing. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing Burns, S and Bulman, C (2000) Reflective practice in nursing: the growth of the reflective practitioner (2nd Edition) Oxford, Blackwell Science Department of Health (2000) The NHS Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform [online] last accessed 16th December 2007 at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4002960 Department of Health (2001) The expert patient: a new approach to chronic disease management for the 21st century [online] last accessed on 15 December 2007 at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4006801 Dominelli, L (2002) Anti-oppressive social work theory and practice. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Freeth, D (2005) Effective interprofessional education: development, delivery and evaluation. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing Kinley et al (2001) Extended scope of nursing practice: a multicentre randomised controlled trial of appropriately trained nurses and pre-registration house officers in pre-operative assessment in elective general surgery Health Technology Assessment. Vol 5: No 20 Nursing and Midwifery Council (2004) The NMC code of professional conduct: standards for conduct, performance and ethics, London, Nursing and Midwifery Council Sibbald,B, Shen, J and McBride, A (2004). Changing the skill-mix of the health care workforce. Journal of Health Service Research and Policy 9(1), 28-38.

Pollution Essay: Strategies for Dealing With Global Warming :: Environmental Global Climate Change

Global warming effects the world on three different levels, the most obvious is the international level, then national and local level. Global affects everybody and should the levels continue we could see significant sea level rises. Many countries are very bad offenders when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions especially the U.S.A and the Russians. Due to this and many other climatic and diplomatic reasons, world summits are held every five years, Rio in 1992, Kyoto in 1997 and most recently Johannesburg in 2002. In the kyoto summit of 1997 an agreement was decided upon, in this pact all the countries that attended agreed to reduce carbon emissions down to the levels of 1990. All the countries that attended the talks signed up to the pact and agreed to reduce carbon emissions. Although they had signed up to it, the americans, could not ratify what they had agreed upon in kyoto because the senate did not pass it. By the time of the johannesburg summit in 2002, the Americans were being villified by the world press as they were now trying to go back on the agreement they signed and trying to find loopholes. The U.S.A and other nations are trying to put forward the idea of convergence. This idea suggests that the developing world is allowed to increase their carbon emmissions and the developed world reduces theirs: [IMAGE] Fig 1. Idea of convergence The idea suggests that the developing world is allowed to industrialise, while the developed world, with its technology and know-how reduce theirs to an acceptable level. On a national level, i will look into two nations that are dealing with the kyoto agreement in different ways. The U.K is firmly sticking to what it signed up to in Kyoto, it is the leading country in carbon emission reduction and it is leading the way in many initiatives it has set up. It is leading the way in the use of low sulphur fuels, which do much less damage to the environment.

What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses in English?

There are a number of both strengths and weaknesses which I possess in regards to English and the areas of reading and writing. My strengths are that I have a passion for reading, I have a good understanding of grammar and its correct usage and I am a decent speller. I also understand and respect that English is an important part of everyday life. My weaknesses are that I do not enjoy writing, I do not have a good writing process for when I do have to write and I tend to procrastinate when faced with an English assignment. I think that my biggest strength in English is that I love to read. One of my favorite pastimes is curling up with a good book, particularly a good murder mystery or suspense novel. I am pretty good at being able to extract information and understand the authors meaning from the piece of writing I am reading. It is also through my love for reading that I gain a broader view of the world and become more knowledgeable. Reading for enjoyment is a great way to learn about new things and not even realize it at the time! Another of my strengths in English is that I have a good grasp on grammar and word usage. This is something that I learned as a child but has improved over time, especially due to my work environment. Whether the goal is to achieve a higher education or persuade a company to use a service, using correct grammar can be the difference between succeeding and failing. This includes the proper use of vocabulary, punctuation, and standard grammar rules such as subject and verb agreement. The goal of communication is to be understandable; proper grammar is a crucial step in reaching this goal. The ability to spell is also an important strength in English. I was lucky when it came to spelling in school and had a certain gift for spelling. I never had to study much, if at all, for a spelling test. This helps a lot in my career when composing memos and proposals for clients. And although I am grateful to Microsoft Words spell check and auto correct functions they have â€Å"dulled† some of my skill in this area. English and writing are important and necessary in everyday life. English is used everyday both written and orally. It is a very important subject because it is a form of communication and is very important all around the world. How would businesses function with out some sort of base communication? They wouldn't. From letters to books to resumes, reading and writing is used by everyone. My biggest weakness in English is that I hate to write. I seem to have a hard time trying to articulate myself and get my ideas into words on paper. I especially do not enjoy writing about personal experiences. I think the main reason for this is that I am a private person and do not want my emotions to â€Å"pour† out on paper for everyone to see. Another contributing factor to writing being one of my weaknesses is my writing process. Well, actually I don't even have one! Usually, not always, but usually, I wait until the night before the paper is due and then begin to brainstorm and write out my thoughts. This is very ironic to me, because for every other class I have a scheduled study time and follow that very closely. Maybe because I dislike writing so much I don't plan on doing it. My lack of a writing process adds to another one of my weaknesses, being a procrastinator and having a lack of motivation (when it comes to English). When I am required to write a lengthy paper on a subject that is boring or unimportant to me as a person, the writing process is often tedious and mind numbing. I can mull the topic over and over in my mind and get no where! My only thoughts being that â€Å"I am NEVER going to get this done! † After looking at and thinking about several of my strengths and weaknesses in English, I would conclude that the best course of action for me would be to continue to use and practice activities that use my already strong skills. Making time in my busy schedule for brainstorming and critical thinking could be the first step in trying to overcome my weaknesses in English as they all pretty much stem from not wanting to write.

National Identity Cards

Identity (ID) cards are known for their utility and integrity, which led to the adoption of its use by many countries all over the world. Some countries even have national IDs, which are officially released and which use is mandatory to all who sojourn in said territories. Examples of these countries that have a national ID system are France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, Spain, and Greece. On the other hand, many developed countries such as Australia, Sweden, Canada, and the United States, did not adopt such an identification system. National ID systems are established to serve two main purposes. The first one is to increase the police powers of the State. Consequently, ID cards can help the State reduce crime rate, conduct social engineering, and reduce the threat of insurgents or political extremists. The second purpose is to establish a comprehensive and useful administration of government services. The technology behind modern ID systems, such as the magnetic stripes and the microprocessor technology, ID cards offer a valuable towards the more efficient delivery of government services. However, while it appears that having a National ID system may offer many advantages, such a system could also pave the way for abuses on civil rights, invasion of privacy, and discrimination. In addition, the establishment of such a comprehensive registration system, would entail a huge amount in costs, which is an important consideration to make. All of these considerations should be weighed in order to reach at an intelligent decision on the issue of whether citizens of the United States should be required to carry National IDs. Â   Â   Â   Â  

When Most is Enough

When Most is Enough When Most is Enough When Most is Enough By Maeve Maddox It must be one of those in your face gestures of defiance. It cant be that they dont know better. Im referring to the way so many bloggers create headlines that place a most in front of an adjective that already has the superlative -est suffix: The internets Most Rudest and Obnoxious people Mumbai, India is the MOST RUDEST city in the world The Seven Most Awesomest Idol Moments This Season A Gawker Guide to the Most Awesomest Election Ever Sometimes least is used instead of most in order to compare in the opposite direction: 100 Least Awesomest Things ever Then there are the online novels: at that very moment the most awfullest, most terriblest, most unpleasantest thing imaginable happened! Such pervasive examples of incorrect usage cant be much help to readers for whom English is not the first language. English adjectives form their comparative/superlative forms in one of two ways: 1. by adding the suffixes -er and -est: dark/darker/darkest; simple/simpler/simplest; mean/meaner/meanest 2. by using the words more and most in front of the basic adjective: pleasant/more pleasant/most pleasant awesome/more awesome/most awesome I wont go into the various rules based on number of syllables and stressed or unstressed vowels. Its probably enough to know that adjectives that are short and/or easy to say, form their comparatives with -er and -est. Polysyllabic adjectives that sound clumsy with those endings form their comparatives with more and most. Sometimes the choice is a matter of individual preference. For example, one speaker may prefer handsome/more handsome/most handsome while another likes the sound of handsome/handsomer/handsomest. When in doubt, go with the more/most construction. Most awesomest is not an option for the writer who desires to write standard English. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite AdjectivesTaser or Tazer? Tazing or Tasering?Quiet or Quite?

Free Essays on WAr In The Air

THE WAR IN THE AIR For a saving grace, we didn't see our deceased, Who rarely bothered coming home to die But simply stayed away Somewhere out there, in the clean war Seldom the ghosts come back bearing their tales Of hitting the lithosphere, the incompressible sea, But stayed up there in the passing winds, Shades fading in the mind, The dead who had no graves but only epitaphs Where never so many spoke for never so few At home widows wait and wait Crying for their man That was the good war, the war we won As if there was no death, for goodness’ sake. With the help of our â€Å"protests† towards war They died†¦. In the air, in the empty air.... Free Essays on WAr In The Air Free Essays on WAr In The Air THE WAR IN THE AIR For a saving grace, we didn't see our deceased, Who rarely bothered coming home to die But simply stayed away Somewhere out there, in the clean war Seldom the ghosts come back bearing their tales Of hitting the lithosphere, the incompressible sea, But stayed up there in the passing winds, Shades fading in the mind, The dead who had no graves but only epitaphs Where never so many spoke for never so few At home widows wait and wait Crying for their man That was the good war, the war we won As if there was no death, for goodness’ sake. With the help of our â€Å"protests† towards war They died†¦. In the air, in the empty air....