Managing Patient Safety Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing Patient Safety Report - Research Paper Example This risked the life of a patient, and a subsequent cardiac event killed him as a result (Sullivan and Ferriter, 2008). The aim of this report is to examine this event in detail and determine what could have been changed to prevent this happen, and to decrease the likelihood of a similar event happening in the future. Patient Safety Advances in knowledge and technology have created a system of healthcare that is highly successful, and able to effectively treat a wide range of conditions. However, these factors have also led to the growth of the complexity of the healthcare system. This is an aspect of considerable concern, and the development of complexity brings considerable risk, and the potential of harm occurring to patients as the result of human or system factors (National Patient Safety Agency, 2004). There are many arguments for why the current systems of care are ineffective at preventing harm to patients, but one of these is that it has a strong reliance of systems and appr oaches that are outdated and based on previous techniques that are no longer relevant (Carayon, 2007). Whatever the driving factors, it has become clear that the safety of patients in healthcare is something that needs to be addressed, and preventable incidences of harm need to be minimised. There has been an increased interest and focus on health safety throughout the world, as well as in the scientific literature. Estimates suggest that approximately ten percent of all patients admitted into NHS hospitals experience at least one incident where patient safety is compromised. Furthermore, it would be possible to prevent a large number of these incidents (National Patient Safety Agency, 2004). Medical errors are a significant problem in the healthcare industry, and a 1999 report identified that up to 98,000 people die every year in hospitals as the result of medical errors that were preventable (Kohn et al., 1999). This report has become well known, and way one of the driving factors for the focus on patient safety. The interest in the area has generated many specific terms that are used to describe what is occurring within institutions, and the desire to prevent such incidents. Two prominent terms are patient safety and adverse events. The concept of patient safety is the prevention of any harm or adverse events occurring to the patient. In literature, the term is used prevalently, but defined rarely. For example, the 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine which spurred the focus on patient safety uses the term extensively throughout the paper, but the authors do not define what the phrase actually means (Kohn et al., 1999). It can be reasonably assumed that health safety is not explicitly defined, both because the term appears to have an intuitive definition and because this makes determining the exact meaning of the term difficult. However, understanding patient safety is a crucial aspect of effectively discussing or implementing this. Therefore, to approa ch this, we will first consider what an adverse event is, then examine how this definition can be used to help define patient safety. The National Patient Safety Agency defines an adverse event as â€Å"Any unintended or unexpected incident that could have or did lead to harm for one or more patients receiving NHS-funded healthcare†. This definition is also taken to apply to the terms patient safety incident and

Having good study skills can improve student Essay

Having good study skills can improve student - Essay Example There are various good studying skills and these skills are of utmost importance as they can lead to provide for betterment in the student with regard to their education. An important studying skill that students should know is that they should choose the most comfortable location for their studies. It is essential that students are easy and relaxed while studying and thus they should choose their spots of studying as per their requirements. An individual should consider his spot according to his own comfort level rather than trying to choose spots where their peers can study well. This is because every individual has his own way of studying and to try to accommodate oneself in a spot where others are comfortable may not be a very suitable option. A perfect example to support this stand is the library. Many students find it easy to study in the library owing to their liking of the studying environment. On the other hand, some students find it very difficult to study in the library as they get distracted by the new people who enter the library or because they feel more comfortable while studying at home. Thus, it is important for a student to choose his specific spot of studying as per his own needs and requirements. ... In this way, the student would be able to stay in pace with the teachings in the class and he would also be able to understand what is required from him during lectures and in his assignments. There are a few students who hesitate to contact their teachers out of fear that their teachers would look down upon them and consider them to inattentive and slow. This is extremely wrong and it further worsens the educational level of an already struggling student. Thus, an important skill of studying is to have a good communication with the instructor. Organization in studying is also a very essential skill that can help students to improve in their studies. Students should not only organize their studying times but they should also organize the way in which they study. Organized schedules allow students to dedicate the required time to their studies. A student should create his timetable by devoting the maximum time to the subjects that he is weak in. In this way, he would be able to concen trate more on his weaknesses and hence improve his performance in those subjects. Apart from creating timetables for studying times, students should organize their study pattern. Haphazard studying leads to more confusion and the students are not able to retain what they study. An easier way is to study the most difficult and important topics and highlight the important points. Very important points that may help at the last minute before an exam can be written down in a notebook for later revision. In this manner, a student can revise his work easily and go through the highlighted sections and the notebook for overviewing the important points. Thus, time organization as well as organizing the study

Sustainable Technologies For A Green World Environmental Sciences Essay

Sustainable Technologies For A Green World Environmental Sciences Essay The word green designates more than a color. It is a way of life, one that is becoming more and more common throughout the world. The reason for this is green technology helps to sustain life on earth. This not only applies to humans but to plants, animals, and the rest of the ecosystem. This is why throughout the world it is typical to see windmills for air quality or solar panel rooftops for heat control/energy solution. While these are the most typical green technologies available, there are still others that help to protect life on this planet. This article focuses on particular green technologies that are in the works. The technologies are determined to find more innovative methods for keeping the ecosystem alive and active. To make these goals clear, this article tells what each technology is and how it achieves green goals. For now, the technologies are works-in-progress, but it is still important to know what benefits the planet will reap from these in the future. The first of these green technologies is plastic. Decomposable and inexpensive plastic is made into goods such as toys, farming supplies, and construction supplies. After usage, these are often sent to a landfill/digester, and the subsequent methane will be returned to the microbial course. These biodegradable and bio-based plastics will be in high demand due to growing government rules on plastics, a desire to reduce dependence on oil, and consumer preferences for green products. The process starts with methane, a potent global warming gas that is frequently considered waste, which is amply accessible and normally manufactured as a byproduct at waste treatment and agricultural facilities. A second technology involves showering, which represents a huge portion of water and energy use in many houses, so users are happy to access water at a low cost. Fortunately, the innovative shower system can reduce water, energy use, and cost by 70 percent without reducing flow at the showerhead or time spent in the shower. A portable and affordable solar and wind device can be made available to cook, heat, and generate power. It is suitable for city housing and environmentally sensitive for national parks and other natural areas. Buildings are also depending on green technology, especially because of shortcomings with more traditional technology. Expanded polystyrene is one of these traditional types, an insulation material used in buildings. Because this is not sustainable, more companies are applying green insulation as a healthy, affordable, and effective replacement. One of the reasons why green insulation is effective is because of the technology and raw material it requires. It often involves a revolutionary new manufacturing process that uses a growing organism algae or mushroom root fibers to turn waste cellulose into a rigid biological resin. It can also be allowed by flexible platform used to make sustainable materials for different products. Of particular importance to buildings is that green insulations have a significantly better CO2 balance than its competitors, with a low energy footprint and the capacity to bind significantly more CO2 than other fibers. The insulation stores CO2 long-term while cutting buildings energy use. Of particular note is its use for the farming of cattails (a global resource nobody is using up to now). In the biomass, CO2 is stored in large quantities, so even cattail cultivation saves CO2 as degraded wetlands. Additionally, it saves costs, oil, and the health of individuals living in insulated houses. Another frontier technology is computer technology. A small black box can be designed for enhancing and monitoring energy use. It can serve as a router for a Local Energy Network in the neighborhood. A particle board can be made from natural wood which will not contain any formaldehyde. The product has several notable incentives in green technology. It eliminates CO2 emissions by offering farmers an alternative to the customary burning while growing their revenue. The boards do not add to deforestation/water pollution, take little energy to create. They can be recycled in floors, ceilings, and walls. Manufactured from renewable plants and algae (and later, up-cycled into biodiesel), they are sequesters of greenhouse gases. The lubricants non-toxicity aids community welfare and decreases businesses liability. They can be used in most industries that use heavy industrial equipment to meet sustainability goals, reduce liabilities, decrease petroleum use, or support domestic products. The used hydraulic fluids will be up-cycled into bio-diesel with the assistance of bio-refining business associates so that they, too, can displace petroleum and increase the use of renewable products. The influence of non-toxic and recyclable lubricant would mean that personnel in industry who have direct contact with industrial lubricants without being exposed to the cancer-causing toxins found in conventional lubricants. Finally, the low-cost, carbon-neutral technologies comprise green coke, activated carbon, bio-char, and graphite. Its customizable process could slash emissions by replacing fossil carbon in industry, decreasing emissions from organic waste decomposition, and offering companies products made from local materials. These carbon-neutral technologies substitute fossil carbon in current value chains. By using clean energy and bio-fuels, the emissions can be abridged by enabling businesses and publics to create low-carbon cradle-to-cradle resource cycles anywhere in the world. This would enable individuals and industries to considerably decrease carbon emissions and other environmental pollutants, regardless of their opinions about climate change and worldwide reserve exhaustion. Conclusion Motivated by environmental missions, the additional worth to agricultural residues is vital. The aim for these residues is to reduce CO2 emissions, save trees, cultivate forests for the next generation, and alleviate poverty in rural farm communities. Measures are being taken to ensure the technologies are up to standards and are benign for the wellness of its end users, workers, and communities that use them. The solar devices, green insulation, and other items discussed in this article all point to hopeful road for the future of earth. Without their developments, the planet risks intense pollution and overuse of toxic wastes that could kill human and natural life on the planet. It must be noted, however, that these technologies are still in the development stage, which makes it necessary for the planets green goals to be achieved because those who take care of the planet are, in return, taking care of themselves. This respect for nature will encourage users to protect their environ ment and themselves at the same time.

A Midsummer Nights Dream - Hermia And Helenas Relationship Essay

Hermia and Helena's relationship has changed greatly after the intervention of Puck with the love potion. Once best friends, they have become each others enemies, and all for the love of Lysander and Demetrius. Hermia and Helena were best friends when they were at school. "All school-days' friendship, childhood innocence?" (Act 3, Scene 2, Line 201, Helena) They had complete trust in each other, telling each other their deepest secrets. "Is all the counsel that we two have shared, The sisters' vows, the hours that we have spent," (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 198 - 199, Helena) They worked together on everything they did including sewing and singing. "Both on one sampler, sitting on one cushion, Both warbling of one song, both in one key," (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 205 - 206) To some people, Helena and Hermia became the same person, saying the same things, thinking the same thoughts and having the same morals and principles. "As if our hands, our sides, voices, and minds Had been incorporate. So we grew together," (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 207-208) Behaving in the same way, they spent as much time as possible together. This time passed quickly, whilst the time spent apart was slow and seemed pointless. "When we have chid the hasty-footed time For parting us-O, is all forgot?" (Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 200 - 201, Helena) Although Helena and Hermia were two separate people, they were, "a union in partition", compared to a ...

How to succeed in the first semester: Guide for the freshman Essay

Succeeding in a freshman’s first semester is a challenging task as it presents a whole new level of academic inquiry, excitement, adventures, and challenges. The independence acquired in college is never an assurance that it would be a smooth sailing. Rather, it would give the student a topsy-turvy ride and the first semester is a whole big loop that is with more twirls than the rest of the journey.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are certain steps that a college student may take to ensure that the first semester will do well as this would determine how far a student could go in the next years and semesters to come. Though this would not bring magic but, at the very least, it would help in making the students see this experience as an exciting one.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, one should be able to discipline oneself with regard to matters relating to academics. The act of attending to classes is important and strict adherence to such would contribute towards academic achievement. One should look at the classes similar to that of a favorite television series. Once the student misses one episode, he/she misses out on the opportunity to learn what was taught in the class, is unable to participate in the class discussion, losses the opportunity to interact with his/her fellow students, and does not have the chance to earn points on pop quizzes and recitations. In addition to all these, there would be some difficulties following the next lecture especially if the past and present lectures are related. Second, be familiar with the rules and guidelines maintained by the university or the college. These are the things which would serve as the general guide of the student in surviving through college. It is important to familiarize oneself with these and ensure that it is fully understood. These rules are to be seen simply as recommendations made by the university as they would want their students to become the best they could ever be. These are not punitive or a prison that should be followed strictly. Rather, these are things that would make life easier and would maintain peace and order and understanding between the faculty, the students, and the staff. Third, know the right time to study and know when is the right time to reward the self for a job well done. It is helpful to have good study habits because the regularity of events would make learning easier and recall of ideas a lot faster. Being prepared for anything, even without any quizzes, exams, or graded recitations, would facilitate the discussion of the future lessons and would even be helpful for long exams as it has already been read. In doing so, one would only have to scan the required readings and lecture notes and would also have the time to relax and rest the mind a day before the examination. Just as much as you would work hard in studying, it should be the same for the reward for doing all the hard work. It would also serve as a good motivation when the mind and the body could not keep up with the difficulty of the task or when boredom hits. For a short-term reward, it would be good to reward the self with a movie and a sumptuous dinner after an examination that was passed with flying colors. On the other hand, a long-term reward would have to be an expensive item that one longs to have when a certain average is met. However, one should also remember the expenses needed for such and this is where discipline would come in again for saving money for the rewards. Lastly, meeting people and making good friends would make the experience a lot better. This is because of the fact that friends who go through practically the same subjects as you do would make the burden lighter by having someone understand you and would lend a helping hand a listening ear.

Compare and Contrast Literature Essay

I have chosen to compare and contrast a short story, written by Kate Chopin titled â€Å"The story of an hour,† and a poem written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson titled, â€Å"In Memoriam. † I chose these two pieces of work because I was drawn to the short story and when I read the poem it had the same theme of hope in the face of death. The topic, or theme of these particular literary works is death and impermanence. I will compare and contrast the elements of symbolism, point of view, theme, and setting. The comparison of these particular works will provide deeper insights to the hope that develops within a person when confronted with death, as well as further insight to the symbolism used within the choice of words written by the authors to convey their feelings at that particular time that the work was written. Authors are sometimes likely to deal with the superficial appearance of things rather than showing genuine knowledge of what is actually real (Evans, 2010). In the poem by Lord Tennyson the genuine knowledge of reality is definitely present, however, the short story by Kate Chopin seems to become somewhat illogical in the end when the wife dies of â€Å"joy that kills† In an analysis of short fiction, the text points out that authors will know how to manipulate words but not know how to examine the ideas seriously (Evans, 2010). â€Å"In Memoriam,† is a poem that was written in response to the death of a close friend of the author. His reflection is written to show that hope may be a sustaining factor in the face of death (Clugston, 2010). The author of this work is showing his hopefulness for all, not just himself or the deceased. â€Å"That not one life shall be destroy’d, / or cast as rubbish to the void† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). Which sounds like he feels as if his friend was â€Å"cast as rubbish to the void. † The author continues on with his words as if he is trying to gain hope for himself, along with others, and hopes that he is not cast to the void as well. The story of an hour,† is a short story that was written to coincide with the author’s personal quest for freedom, along with upholding a woman’s strength in spite of her adulterous life, and developing hope in the face of death (Clugston, 2010). This author is describing an epiphany of hope that comes in a sudden wave of emotion and confusion. â€Å"There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know. † (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). Mrs. Mallard had just been given the tragic news of her husband being in the train accident, yet she is trying to fight off the emotions of joy and freedom as best she could. To no avail, she realized that there was so much life and detail in everything around her. The birds were singing in the trees, the clouds piled in the sky above her house, and the sudden feeling of what seemed like joy! Both the poem, and the short story are made up of the emotions that surround death. An elegy, which is a lyric poem about death, has the emotions of uncertainty, confusions, hope, sadness, and even symbolism to show some of these emotions. In both works there is the mention of spring, which symbolizes birth and new beginnings. The poem says, â€Å"I can but trust that good shall fall / At last – far off – at last, to all, / and every winter change to spring† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). The short story describes the setting in this detail; â€Å"she could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). The reference to spring is the hopefulness that both authors have for the future. In contrast, the poem, compares the spring to a change from winter to spring, which symbolizes the transition from death (winter), to birth (spring), and the continued hope for new beginnings. The difference in these two literary works is how the setting and point of view are written. The poem does not have a real clear setting, and is done in first person. The short story describes the setting, minor details of the characters, and is written in third person which allows for the author to relate with the feelings and thoughts of the other characters as well as the protagonist. Even though the overall theme of death is what links these two works together, the point of view is what sets them apart. The setting of â€Å"In Memoriam† seems to be within the author’s mind or dream. â€Å"So runs my dream; but what am I? † (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). There is no definite place or time in this poem, whereas the story is set at the protagonist’s house, where she goes to be alone in her bedroom. Once there, she notices the sky and the trees within her yard that are described in detail, also with some added symbolism. For example; â€Å"There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). The patches of blue sky is where the symbolism for calm and peaceful is conveyed. In spite of the day’s events there is a calmness in the air that leads into the coming of Mrs. Mallard’s epiphany. Once I interpreted this symbolism, there was a sense of foreshadowing that I did not relate to the story the first few times I read it. I would describe the details of this setting as a ‘symbolic setting. ’ The whole picture the reader gets out of the window of Mrs. Mallard’s room is calmness, new beginning, and joy. In contrast to the story, the poem’s lack of setting leaves the reader in wonder. There is only symbolic emotion and metaphors with no clear reason or event. It is clear the author is relating his emotions of sorrow with words, but there lacks clarity in the why or whom. The work is somewhat vague, leaving the emotion of the poem in a generalized form to which anyone could connect. In the same sense, a reader may not connect with the poem because there is not a specific or personal connection within the writing for the reader to relate to. The reader must have some knowledge of the author outside the poem to fully understand the meaning and symbolism. Continuing, with a thought on symbolism, there is a metaphor in both literary works which compares emotions to a crying baby. It was not until I read the works side by side that I noticed the reference. In the poem the author writes; â€Å"So runs my dream; but what am I? An infant crying in the night; / An infant crying for the light; / And with no language but a cry† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). An infant crying for the â€Å"light,† is crying for hope, knowledge, truth, and safety (Clugston, 2010). The metaphor in the short story is described as; â€Å"†¦ when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). Similar to the first metaphor, the meaning is the same, babies cry for comfort and safety. Both characters are in a state of confusion and are relating their feelings to a baby because they want comfort and safety to reassure them, and they can hold on to their hope. When using the formalist approach to analyze the literary works, I was faced with the questions of; what makes the setting so memorable? How were the characters described, contrasted and developed? Why was the plot intriguing? Did surprise occur? And, what point of view was used? To recap on point of view, as mentioned earlier, the poem â€Å"In Memoriam† is written in first person, whereas â€Å"The story of an hour’ is written in third person omniscient. It is not limited omniscient because thoughts and feelings of characters, other than the protagonist, are conveyed to the reader. â€Å"Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too, near her. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of â€Å"killed. † He had only taken time to assure himself of its truths by a second telegram, and had hastened to forstall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). When first reading the short story, it was not the setting itself that was memorable. The theme and plot is what kept my attention as the reader. However, after analyzing the symbolism, there is more to the meaning within the story that further captured my curiosity. â€Å"The story of an hour† is set at the home of the Mallard’s, but is not described in full detail. Just before Mrs. Mallard realizes the importance of her life and freedom, there is detail of the outside setting of the house, followed by Mrs. Mallard being able to see the beauty, life, and colors that everything has to offer. The narrator even describes the sparrows singing in the trees. Mrs. Mallard never would have appreciated this simple joy previous to the ‘accident,’ and was able to finally feel everything during her hour of personal discovery. Moving on to the question of how the characters are described, contrasted, and developed, the characters in the short story are not described in detail, if at all. There is a slight emotional description of Mr. Mallard’s friend, Richards, but in the poem there is virtually no character description. Since the poem is from a first person point of view, only the emotions and thoughts are described in detail. The plot of the short story was intriguing because it started off with a surprise, followed by suspense, unlike the poem. The poem starts and ends with simple feelings of hope and uncertainty, where the short story goes on to explain the death and detail of the husband’s accident. The story starts with sudden tragedy, and the suspense develops because the reader knows the story does not end there. It must contain a climax, which is not generally given at the very beginning of a story. When reading the poem, I was able to relate with the feelings of the author, however, there is not a defined plot or turn of events. The poem starts, as well as ends, with only emotions of hope, uncertainty, and sorrow in the form of metaphors. Figurative language is used to create mood and reveal the theme in the short story. When the narrator described how the sister, Josephine, was going to break the tragic news to Mrs. Mallard, there was an immediate mood of sadness and shock that developed. â€Å"In broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. ). The theme of death and tragedy is also reiterated at this point because this is not the first mention of the accident. This is figurative because it does not make a straight forward statement, it implies that the sister is trying to communicate the information, but that alone does not mean that she will succeed in the task. It sets a mood because the reader immediately feels sad for both Mrs. Mallard and her sister who is trying to tell her in the easiest way possible. With regard to the poem, the figurative language here sets a mood, but an unsure mood. It too reveals a theme of death, but in more of a generalized way and is not specific to a certain character. â€Å"oh, yet we trust that somehow good / will be the final end of ill† (as cited in Clugston, 2020, 11. 6). Using the words, â€Å"we trust,† and â€Å"somehow,† it is difficult to know where the poem’s mood is headed. It could be happy and hopeful because it might show the possible trust that has evolved into a not so tragic death, or it may go on to reveal the â€Å"final end,† being unexpected and depressing. It is, however, obvious there will be sorrow throughout the writing. The figurative language goes on to develop hope with a form of symbolism. There is always a form of hope that develops within the mind and emotions of people when they are confronted by death. Whether it is hope that the deceased did not suffer, hope that they have moved on to a better world, hope that they knew who the people are that cared and will miss them, or hope for one’s self, and that the surviving can find enjoyment within the future, move on and be happy, along with the hope that their own death is far enough away that they will not have to live in fear of confronting death as well. The writer ends the poem with hope described as an infant would hope, for love and attention. â€Å"The story of an hour,† and â€Å"In Memoriam,† are two very similar but very different literary works, they use symbolism in the face death to convey the development of hope within the diverse emotions of a person dealing with tragedy that ultimately results in death. Finally, both authors, Kate Chopin and Lord Tennyson, not only demonstrated genuine knowledge of what reality is without a superficial appearance, but they also were careful to examine the ideas before simply manipulating words to capture attention. These literary pieces of work were a joy to read and evaluate, with the simple idea, â€Å"That nothing walks with aimless feet;† (as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6).