Monday, January 27, 2020

Palliative Care Clinical Experience

Palliative Care Clinical Experience Introduction The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on a clinical experience in palliative care and demonstrate the knowledge and skills associated with this. The symptoms, symptom management and government guidelines and standards will also be discussed in relation to how this will impact the care of the patients who are experiencing life threatening illnesses. This will be achieved through using Gibbs (1988) model of reflection. I chose this model of reflection because it is clear and cyclical model which allows the reflector to revisit the same problem and also to examine my practice which will help me to develop and improve in the future. Description As an adult nursing student, I will be reflecting on an experience with a patient who was receiving palliative care that I encountered during my community placement. The patient received palliative care and required management of symptoms to help maintain their quality of life for the patient and their family. This involved a patient, who will be named Mr. Jones for confidentiality reasons. Mr. Jones was an elderly patient who had been diagnosed with bowel cancer along with liver metastases, the cancer was in the advanced stages. Mr. Jones was being cared for at home by his wife and carers who visited him at home twice a day to help with getting him up, washing and dressing and helping him back to bed. The district nursing team also visited him on a regular basis. When meeting with the patient his main concern was his pain control and available options which he would be able to receive to manage this. Feelings Initially when I heard about the diagnosis I was intrigued and wanted to find out more about the patient and their condition. When I met the patient I felt sympathetic towards him and the family and upon discussion he revealed that he felt like giving up and ending it all. A mixture of thoughts entered my mind, although I could understand why he would want to give up, the only reason was because he was worried about the pain he was starting to experience. When the nurse and I discussed the pain control options he appeared to be more positive about the situation and apologized for what he had said. On reflection it was a positive experience as it allowed me to see how people cope differently with terminal conditions, and the impact it has on the family and carers Evaluation During this experience I thought that the nursing team had built a good professional relationship with the patient and their family. The patient had plenty of time to discuss any concerns or issues that he had .The issues discussed such as symptom management were all assessed and prioritized well; how the patient is feeling is important and needs to be taken into consideration. This would also need to be discussed with his wife alone, to find out how she is feeling and to offer her support. When discussed further, the feelings of giving up related to his pain management. This is why the Visual Analogue Scale was used for a couple of weeks to monitor the progression of his pain (Crichton 2001). I found the tool to be beneficial for effective management of pain because it was a good indicator as to when we would need to adjust his analgesia using the World Health Organization (WHO) analgesic ladder (WHO, 2004). This aims to give the correct drug, correct dose, given at the correct time and proves to be inexpensive and 80-90% effective (WHO, 2004). This ensured the patient was in the least amount of pain which enabled them to carry on with activities of daily living. Analysis The World Health Organization (2009) has defined palliative care as: an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems such as physical, psychosocial and spiritual.Caring for those receiving palliative care in the community during the end stages of life requires an extraordinary commitment from the nursing team, not only human resource but also competence, compassion and focus in anticipating the needs of the patient and family. It is a complex activity involving a holistic approach, building relationships together with expert professional skills and decision making processes (Melvin 2003). As well as pain, other common symptoms during advanced cancer are nausea and vomiting, with rates ranging from 50-60% (Kearney and Richardson, 2006). It is important to treat the reversible causes of nausea and vomiting before resorting to antiemetics. This can be achieved by appropriate assessment and documentation of symptoms which evaluate the effect of treatment given and can be completed and reviewed quickly to utilize less patient energy and nursing time (Kearney and Richardson, 2006). Cancer patients also experience psychological or affective symptoms of fatigue which include lack of energy and motivation, depression, sadness and anxiety, the sense of willpower and fighting spirit is often lacking and personal resources that have usually kept a person going in the past are ineffective (Juenger, 2002). Fatigue can take away the ability to do things that the patient and family want to do or need to do. The control over life events reduces, further affecting the persons quality of life. An essential part of nursing care for fatigue includes returning some of that control (Porock 2003). Giving information can be a positive way to do this. Nu rses can explain that the person is not alone in the experience as fatigue is an expected occurrence in advanced cancer and discuss the causes of fatigue, effects and side effects of treatment and the impact of stress and depression, this will help the patient to manage the fatigue more effectively (Porock 2003).Mr. Jones was prescribed oral slow-release Morphine Sulphate for his pain, however he was beginning to experience break through pain, nausea and vomiting which was making it difficult for him to take his morphine. We suggested he kept a record of his pain over a couple of weeks using a visual analogue scale (VAS). When we visited him again we were able to use the VAS to assess his pain and make changes to analgesia as appropriate using the analgesic ladder (see appendix). From the assessment it was appropriate to increase his analgesia to step 3 of the analgesic ladder (WHO, 2004). A syringe driver was prescribed to administer morphine and an antiemetic over a 24 hour period which could be increased or decreased as required. Providing drug compatibilities have been checked, a combination of three drugs can usually be administered safely with the advantage that vomiting will not affect absorption, as it is given subcutaneously and the gut is not involved (Thompson, 2004). Although using a syringe driver improves symptom management with minimal inconvenience, complications can arise and nurses should be able to recognize these quickly and solve the problems efficiently (Lugton, 2002). The disadvantages of using this equipment is the painful injection site, infection risks and infusion rate problems (Thompson, 2004). Mr. Jones commented on giving up and after further discussion, we found this related to his pain. Evidence shows that there is a link between chronic pain and depression as they share similar physiological pathways, whilst social and psychological factors appear to affect the severity of it and when they co-exist the severity of both conditions appears to worsen (Gray, 2001). Ineffective management of psychiatric disorders can be caused by failure to recognize, diagnose and treat appropriately in palliative care settings with 50% of psychiatric disorders being undetected (Payne et al, 2007). Patients with cancer should have access to appropriate psychological support and should be assessed regularly by trained professionals as recommended by National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE, 2004).Many people may wish to try complementary and alternative medicines to improve symptoms of their cancer, the reason being many feel dissatisfied with conventional medicine and feel the desir e to experience holistic health care for symptomatic relief with a sense of well being (Nayak et al 2003). Auricular acupuncture (acupuncture to the ear), therapeutic touch, and hypnosis may help to manage cancer pain, whilst music therapy, massage, and hypnosis may have an effect on anxiety, and both acupuncture and massage may have a therapeutic role in cancer fatigue (Mansky and Wallerstedt 2006). However there is a lack of evidence to support that complementary and alternative medicine treatments are effective, the risks associated with them are unknown and can potentially be harmful. There has been increasing concern with the use of botanicals and dietary supplements by cancer patients because of the potential interaction between them and prescription drugs (Mansky and Wallerstedt 2006). During this experience, I realised just how important communication is, not only in this situation, but any situation that includes the patient, relatives, carers and multi-disciplinary team. C ommunication is an essential part of good nursing practice and forms the basis for building a trusting relationship that will greatly improve care and help to reduce anxiety and stress for patients, their relatives and carers (NMC 2008). Groogan (1999) acknowledges that communication is not something that people to do one another, but it is a process in which they can create a relationship by interacting with each other. From Mr. Jones perspective, patient-focused communication can be the most important aspect of treatment, due to its capacity to exacerbate or relieve the fear that often accompanies cancer, with evidence of effective communication resulting in decreased anxiety, greater coping ability and adherence to treatment (Dickson 1999). Communication can be divided into three types; cognitive, emotional and spiritual. Cognitive communication involves the giving and receiving of information, emotional communication involves the feeling and expression of psychological responses and spiritual communication involves the expression and feeling of thoughts relating to existing issues beyond the person (Fallowfield Jenkins 1999). When speaking with Mr. Jones and his family the language used was clear and easy to understand. Stress, emotions and fatigue that accompany a terminal illness make it necessary for the information to be repeated to ensure the patient and family have absorbed it and feel reassured (Latimer 2000).Mr. Jones was given enough time to discuss his concerns and issues without feeling like he had a limited period or that the nurses had many other patients to see, however, what often matters is the quality of interaction rather than the length of time. Giving a few moments of time which are totally focused on the patients communication needs can often limit the amount of time spent communicating later when further explanation or clarification is needed (Faull et al, 2005). Mallet and Dougherty (2000) suggested that patients tend to be more dis satisfied with poor communication than with any other aspect of their care and concluded ineffective communication continues to be a major issue in health care.The Department of Health has produced the End of Life Care Strategy (DoH 2008) which promotes high quality care for all adults at the end of life which is the first for the United Kingdom and covers adults in England. Its aim is to provide people approaching the end of life with more choice about where they would like to live and die. In addition, the Macmillan Gold Standards Framework (2003) is another way of combining many different practices. The framework includes 7 Gold Standards which relate to key aspects of care, and guidelines for best practice on teamwork and continuity of care, advanced planning, symptom control and support for patients and their carers. Primary Health Care Teams who join the programme are guided and supported through a combination of workshops, resource materials and networking (Macmillan Cancer R elief 2003). In place is also the NICE clinical guidance on supportive and palliative care (NICE 2004) which advises those who develop and deliver cancer services for adults with cancer about what is needed to make sure that patients, their families and carers, are well informed, cared for and supported. These initiatives had a positive impact on Mr. Jones as the nurses were able to use these guidelines to offer Mr. Jones the best care suited for him and he was then able to make informed decisions regarding the care he would like to receive. These initiatives also have a positive impact on health care professionals as they are supported and encouraged to improve their knowledge through workshops and resource materials. Action Plan/Conclusion My reflection of this experience has taught me how complex it is caring for someone receiving palliative care. It requires a holistic approach to ensure the patient and the family receive the best possible care in accordance with the guidelines and standards, in which they must remain empowered and make informed choices regarding their care and treatment with the help of health care professionals. I now understand how complicated symptom management can be; cancer patients experience many symptoms from their condition and also side effects from their medication. Assessments are vital to ensure the appropriate treatment and management of symptoms. The importance of communication has been brought to my attention once again, in my future nursing practice I will focus on my communication skills as this is an essential part of good nursing practice and plays a vital role in palliative care. Although this was an upsetting experience it has also been a positive one as this will affect my fut ure nursing practice a great deal as I have gained vital skills to look after those receiving palliative care and I am now aware of the various strategies and frameworks in place to ensure patients and families receive a high standard of care.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 33

Chapter 33 Ship of Fools Tommy led them down a narrow hallway and into a large room paneled in dark walnut and furnished with heavy, dark wood furniture. Paintings and bookshelves filled with leather volumes lined the walls; strands of gold wire running across the front of the shelves to hold the books in place in rough seas were the only evidence that they were on a boat. There were no windows; the only light came from small spotlights recessed into the ceiling that shone on the paintings. Tommy paused in the middle of the room, fighting the urge to stop and look at the books. Lash moved to his side. â€Å"See that?† Lash asked. He nodded toward a large painting – bright colors and bold shapes, squiggles and lines – that hung between two doors at the far end of the room. Tommy said, â€Å"Looks like it should be hung on a fridge with ladybug magnets.† â€Å"It's a Miro,† Lash said. â€Å"It must be worth millions.† â€Å"How do you know it's an original?† â€Å"Tommy, look at this yacht; if you can afford a boat like this, you don't hang fakes.† Lash pointed to another, smaller painting of a woman reclining on a pile of satin cushions. â€Å"That's a Goya. Probably priceless.† â€Å"So what's your point?† Tommy asked. â€Å"Would you leave something like that unguarded? And I don't think that you can run a boat this size without a crew.† â€Å"Swell,† Tommy said. â€Å"Jeff, let me have that shotgun.† Jeff, still shivering from his dunk, handed over the gun. â€Å"Shell in the chamber,† Jeff said. Tommy took the gun, checked the safety, and started forward. â€Å"Keep your eyes open, guys.† They went through the door to the right of the Miro into another hallway, this one paneled in teak. Paintings hung along the walls between louvered teak doors. Tommy paused at the first door and signaled for Barry to back him up with a speargun as he opened it. Inside, row upon row of suits and jackets hung on motorized tracks. Above the tracks, shelves were filled with hats and expensive shoes. Tommy pushed aside some of the suits and peered between them, looking for a set of legs and feet. â€Å"No one here,† he said. â€Å"Did anyone bring a flashlight?† â€Å"Didn't think about it,† Barry said. Tommy backed out of the closet and moved to the next door. â€Å"It's a bathroom.† â€Å"A head,† Barry corrected, looking around Tommy's shoulder into the room. â€Å"There's no toilet.† â€Å"Vampires don't go,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'd say this guy had this boat built for him.† They moved down the hall checking each room. There were rooms full of paintings and sculpture, crated, labeled, and stacked in rows; another with oriental carpets rolled and stacked; a room that looked like an office, with computers, a copy machine, fax machines, and filing cabinets; and another head. They followed the hallway around a gentle curve to the left, where it traced the line of the bow of the boat. At the apex there was a teak spiral staircase that led to a deck above and one below. Light spilled down from above. The hallway curved around the bow and back to the stern. â€Å"The hallway must go back to that other door in that big room.† Tommy said. â€Å"Lash, you, Clint, Troy, and Jeff check the rooms on that side. Your Majesty, Barry, Drew, come with me. Meet us back here.† â€Å"I thought we were going to stay together,† Jeff said. â€Å"I don't think you're going to find anything down there. If you do, yell like hell.† The Emperor patted Lazarus's head. â€Å"Stay here, good fellow. We shan't be long.† Tommy pointed upward with the shotgun and mounted the stairs. He emerged onto the bridge and squinted against the light coming through the windows. He stepped aside and looked around the bridge while the others came up the stairs behind him. â€Å"It looks more like the bridge of a starship,† Tommy said to the Emperor as he came up. Low consoles filled with switches and screens ran along the front of the bridge under wide, streamlined windows. There were five different radar screens blipping away. At least a dozen other screens were scrolling figures and text; red, green, and amber lights glowed along the rows of toggle switches over three computer keyboards. The only thing that looked remotely nautical to Tommy was the chrome wheel at the front of the bridge. â€Å"Anybody know what any of this stuff is?† Tommy asked. Barry said, â€Å"I'd say that this is the crew that we were wondering about. This whole thing is automated.† Barry stepped up to one of the consoles and all the screens and lights winked out. â€Å"I didn't touch anything,† Barry said. The foghorn on Alcatraz sounded and they looked out the window toward the abandoned prison. The fog was making its way across the bay toward shore. â€Å"How's our time?† Tommy asked. Drew checked his watch. â€Å"About two hours.† â€Å"Okay, let's check that lower deck.† As they came down the steps, Lash said, â€Å"Nothing. More art, more electronics. There's no galley, and I can't figure out where the crew sleeps.† â€Å"There is no crew,† Tommy said as he started down the steps to the lower deck. â€Å"It's all run by machines.† The floor of the lower deck was made of diamond-plate steel; there were no carpets and no wood: pipes and wires ran around the steel bulkheads. A steel pressure hatch opened into a narrow passageway. Light from the bridge two decks above spilled a few feet into the passageway, then it was dark. â€Å"Drew,† Tommy said, â€Å"you got a lighter?† â€Å"Always,† Drew said, handing him a disposable butane lighter. Tommy crouched and went through the hatch, took a few steps, and clicked the lighter. â€Å"This must lead to the engines,† Lash said. â€Å"But it should be bigger.† He knocked on the steel wall, making a dull thud. â€Å"I think this is all fuel around us. This thing must have an incredible range.† Tommy looked at the lighter, then back at Lash, whose black face was just highlights in the flame. â€Å"Fuel?† â€Å"It's sealed.† â€Å"Oh,† Tommy said. He moved a few more feet and barked his elbow on the metal ring of a pressure hatch. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"Open it,† Drew said. Tommy handed him the shotgun and lighter and grabbed the heavy metal ring. He strained against it but it didn't budge. â€Å"Help.† Lash snaked past Drew and joined Tommy on the ring. They put their weight on it and pushed. The wheel screeched in protest, then broke loose. Tommy pulled the hatch open and was hit with the smell of urine and decay. â€Å"Christ.† He turned away coughing. â€Å"Lash, give me the lighter.† Lash handed him the lighter. Tommy reached through the hatch and lit it. There were bars just inside the hatch, beyond that a rotting mattress, some empty food cans, and a bucket. Red-brown splotches smeared the gray walls, one in the shape of a handprint. â€Å"Is it the fiend?† the Emperor asked. Tommy moved back from the hatch and handed back the lighter. â€Å"No, it's a cage.† Lash looked in. â€Å"A prison cell? I don't get it.† Tommy slid down the bulkhead and sat on the steel floor, trying to catch his breath. â€Å"You said this thing had an incredible range. Could stay out to sea for months, probably?† â€Å"Yeah,† Lash said. â€Å"He has to store his food somewhere.† Inside the vampire's vault, just above his face, a computer screen was scrolling information. A schematic of the Sanguine II lit up one side of the screen with nine red dots representing the vampire hunters and Lazarus. Green dotted lines traced the patterns of their movements since they had boarded the ship. Another area of the screen recorded the time they had boarded and another showed exterior views of the yacht: the raft tied up at the rear, the dock, fog sweeping over the Saint Francis clubhouse. Radar readouts showed the surrounding watercraft, the shoreline, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate in the distance. Optical disk drives recorded all the information so the vampire could replay it upon awakening. Motion detectors had, upon sensing Barry's presence near the console on the bridge, activated switches that rerouted all of the ship's control to the vault. The Sanguine II was wide awake and awaiting its master. â€Å"How's our time, Lash?† Tommy asked. â€Å"About an hour.† They were gathered at the stern of the yacht, watching the fog roll into shore. They had searched the entire ship, then gone back through it again, opening every closet, cupboard, and access panel. â€Å"He's got to be here.† â€Å"Perhaps,† said the Emperor, â€Å"we should go ashore and set Bummer on another trail.† At the mention of his name Bummer yapped and worked his head out of the Emperor's pocket. Tommy scratched his ears. â€Å"Let him out.† The Emperor unbuttoned his pocket and Bummer leaped out, bit Tommy on the ankle, and shot through the hatch. â€Å"Ouch!† â€Å"Follow him,† the Emperor said. â€Å"He's on the trail.† He ran through the hatch, followed by the Animals and Tommy, limping slightly. Five minutes later they were standing on the diamond-plate floor of the engine room. Bummer was scratching at the floor and whining. â€Å"This is stupid,† Barry said. â€Å"We've been through this area three times.† Tommy looked at the section of floor where Bummer was scratching. There was a rectangular seam, ten feet long by three feet wide, sealed with a rubber gasket. â€Å"We didn't look under the floor.† â€Å"It's water under the floor, isn't it?† Jeff said. Tommy got down on his knees and examined the seam. â€Å"Troy, give me one of those swords.† Troy Lee handed him a fighting sword. Tommy worked the tip under the rubber gasket and the blade sank into the seam. â€Å"Get that other sword into this crack and help me pry it up.† Troy worked his sword into the seam and they counted to three. The edge of the panel popped up. The other Animals caught the edge and lifted. The floor panel came up, revealing a coffin-length stainless-steel vault two feet below the floor. Bummer leaped into the opening in the floor and began running around the vault, leaping and barking. â€Å"Well done, little one,† the Emperor said. Tommy looked at the Animals, who were holding the floor panel up on its edge. â€Å"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet the owner of this vessel.† Drew let go of the floor panel and jumped into the opening with the vault. There was just enough room in the opening for him to move sideways around the vault. â€Å"It's on hydraulic lifts. And there's a shitload of cables running in and out of it.† â€Å"Open it,† Troy Lee said, holding his sword at ready. Drew pulled at the lid of the vault, then let go and knocked on the side. â€Å"This thing is thick. Really thick.† He reached up and took Troy's sword, worked the blade under the lid, and pried. The sword snapped. â€Å"Christ, Drew! That sword cost a week's pay.† â€Å"Sorry,† Drew said. â€Å"We're not going to pry this baby open. Not even with a crowbar.† Tommy said, â€Å"Lash, how's our time?† â€Å"Forty minutes, give or take five.† To Drew, Tommy said, â€Å"What do you think? How do we get it open? A torch?† Drew shook his head. â€Å"Too thick. It'd take hours to get through this. I say we blow it.† â€Å"With what?† Drew grinned. â€Å"Common items you can find in your own kitchen. Someone's going to need to go back to the store and get me some stuff.† Cavuto watched Troy Lee's Toyota turning around, put down his binoculars, and quickly backed the cruiser into a driveway behind the shower buildings. He hit the redial on his cell phone and the gate guard answered on the first ring. â€Å"Saint Francis Yacht Club, gate.† â€Å"This is Inspector Cavuto again. I need to know the registered owner of the Sanguine Two.† â€Å"I'm not supposed to give out that information.† â€Å"Look, I'm going to shoot some guys in a minute. You want to help, or what?† â€Å"It's registered to a Dutch shipping company. Ben Sapir Limited.† â€Å"Have you seen anyone coming to or from that boat? Crew? Visitors?† There was a pause while the guard checked his records. â€Å"No, nothing since it came into harbor. Except that it fueled up last night. Paid cash. No signature. Man, that baby's got some fuel capacity.† â€Å"How long has it been here?† Another pause. â€Å"A little over three months. Came in on September fifteenth.† Cavuto checked his notebook. The first body was found on the seventeenth of September. â€Å"Thanks,† he said to the guard. â€Å"Those guys you had me let in are causing trouble. They took a boat.† â€Å"They're coming back through the gate. Let them do what they want. I'll take responsibility.† Cavuto disconnected and dialed the number of Rivera's cell phone. Rivera answered on the first ring. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Where are you?† Cavuto could hear Rivera lighting a cigarette. â€Å"Watching the kid's apartment. I got a car. You?† â€Å"The kid and the night crew are on a big motor yacht at the Saint Francis yacht club-hundred-footer. Boat's called the Sanguine Two; registered to a Dutch shipping company. They've been out there a couple of hours. Two of them just left.† â€Å"He didn't seem like the yachting type.† â€Å"No shit. But I'm staying with the kid. The Sanguine Two pulled into port two days before the first murder. Maybe we should get a warrant.† â€Å"Probable cause?† â€Å"I don't know – suspicion of piracy.† â€Å"You want to call in some other units?† â€Å"Not unless something happens. I don't want the attention. Any movement from your girl?† â€Å"No. But it's getting dark. I'll let you know.† â€Å"Just go knock on the damn door and find out what's going on.† â€Å"Can't. I'm not ready to interview a murder victim. I haven't had any experience in it.† â€Å"I hate it when you talk like that. Call me.† Cavuto rung off and began rubbing a headache out of his temples. Jeff and Troy Lee were running through the Safeway aisles, Troy shouting out items off Drew's list while Jeff pushed the cart. â€Å"A case of Vaseline,† Troy said. â€Å"I'll get it out of the stockroom. You grab the sugar, and the Wonder Grow.† â€Å"Got it,† Jeff said. They rendezvoused at the express lane. The cashier, a middle-aged woman with bottle-blond hair, glared at them over her rose-tinted glasses. â€Å"C'mon, Kathleen,† Troy said. â€Å"That eight-items-or-less bullshit doesn't apply to employees.† Like everyone who worked days at the Safeway, Kathleen was a little afraid of the Animals. She sighed and began running the items over the scanner while Troy Lee shoved them into bags: ten five-pound bags of sugar, ten boxes of Wonder Grow fertilizer, five quarts of Wild Turkey bourbon, a case of charcoal lighter, a giant box of laundry detergent, a box of utility candles, a bag of charcoal, ten boxes of mothballs†¦ When she got to the case of Vaseline, Kathleen paused and looked up at Jeff. He gave her his best all-American-boy smile. â€Å"We're having a little party,† he said. She huffed and totaled the order. Jeff threw a handful of bills on the counter and followed Troy out of the store, pushing the cart at a dead run. Twenty minutes later the Animals were scrambling through the Sanguine II with the bags of supplies for Drew, who was crouched in the opening with the stainless-steel vault. Tommy handed down the boxes of fertilizer. â€Å"Potassium nitrate,† Drew said. â€Å"No recreational value, but the nitrates make a nice bang.† He tore the lid off a box and dumped the powder into a growing pile. â€Å"Give me some of that Wild Turkey.† Tommy handed down some bottles. Drew twisted the cap off one and took a drink. He shivered, blinked back a tear, and emptied the rest of the bottle into the dry ingredients. â€Å"Hand me that broken sword. I need something to stir with.† Tommy reached for the sword and looked up at Lash. â€Å"How we doing?† Lash didn't even look at his watch. â€Å"It's officially dark,† he said.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Drexler’s Bar-B-Que

ENVIRONMENT OUTPUTS PROCESS INPUTS | 3. Apply the systems model to illustrate how Drexler’s Bar-B-Que operates within its environment. Before applying the system model to Drexler’s, first we will discuss a little bit about the system theory itself. The organization itself is an element of a larger system, the environment. Within time, every organization takes, processes and returns resources to the environment. The decisive factor of organizational effectiveness is whether the organization survives in the environment.In simpler meaning, systems theory is when an organization takes resources (inputs) from the larger system (the environment), processes the resources and returns them in a changed form (output). Input – Mrs. Scott talks to her customers, new and old, about what they are looking for within the restaurant. Process – Mrs. Scott gathers and analyzes the customers’ suggestions. Output – Mrs. Scott implements her action plan and the en vironment (customers) receive the service they suggested. This process is basically a revolving system to improve customer service and business activity. Due to Mrs.Scott’s actions, she has closed down the restaurant and upgrade to a bigger building to accommodate her new and regular customers. Managers need to possess two key ingredients: authenticity and social intelligence Mrs. Scott possess both of these assets because she makes sure that Drexler’s menu is the same with the same ingredients, she makes sure that the restaurant is original in its deliverance. She also knows that to be successful she needs her customers’ input to keep them coming back for more. There are 5 dimensions of social intelligence: Â   empathy, presence, situational radar, clarity and authenticity which Mrs. Scott all possesses.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Science Throughout the Ages - 912 Words

The term Science comes from the Latin word scientia, meaning knowledge. The definition of science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. An older term of science refers to a body of knowledge itself, of anything that can be successfully applied to a situation. Someone who practices science is known as a scientist. Modern science has been traced back to the early modern period and in particular to the scientific revolution. Scientific methods are considered so fundamental to modern science that some would even consider early inquiries to be pre-scientific. In modern times, science is the way of pursuing knowledge, not just the workings of knowledge itself. Science continues to be used to indicate teachable and reliable knowledge about a topic. Science existed long before the modern era, but modern science is so precise in its approach that it now explains what science is in the slightes t of terms. A turning point in before the modern era was the rise of natural philosophy in the Greek world. Before modern times science was known for a type of knowledge rather than the study and pursuit of knowledge. Philosophy is described as the communication between people through each type of knowledge or in other words the â€Å"natural way†. This was the knowledge of the working of natural things which was studied long before recorded history. Early philosophical studies showed a successfulShow MoreRelatedThroughout the age of science and theology, there has been a constant controversial debate900 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout the age of science and theology, there has been a constant controversial debate regarding the existence of an intelligent designer, specifically, the idea of irreducibly complex systems. Michael Behe defines this as â€Å"a single system composed of several well-matched, interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the rem oval of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning†¦ An irreducibly complex biological system, if there is such a thing, wouldRead MoreThe Middle Ages And The Renaissance1137 Words   |  5 PagesThe Middle Ages is thought to be a time period of obliviousness by many historians, where diminutive or no developments took place. The church was the focus of attention, and rather than a logical outlook of the world, beliefs were concentrated around fallacies; on the other hand, the resurgence of education and innovations that followed the Middle Ages and was branded as the Renaissance. 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Brave New World was published in 1932, during this time the Great Slump was happening throughout England, which would be understandable because Huxley describes his novel as a negative utopia, or dystopia. The novel is a great read for one who is interested in utopias, dystopias and how society would be different if history had not panned outRead MoreA Brief Biography of Sir Francis Bacon Essay1409 Words   |  6 Pages2nd, 1561, in the city of London, England. Bacon was educated at home in his early years due to poor health. He received tuition from an Oxford graduate and by the age of 12, he entered Trinity College in Cambridge. For three years, he lived with his older brother Anthony Bacon. Bacon’s education followed curriculum of the medieval ages and was directed largely in Latin. He first met Queen Elizabeth at Cambridge, who was impressed by his intellectual characteristics and called him The Young Lord KeeperRead MoreThe medieval Islamic world of science started as a controversial field to be working in. The1600 Words   |  7 PagesIslamic world of science started as a controversial field to be working in. The scientific practices went against the beliefs of the people because it stated things that were the opposite of the readings in the Koran. Religious peoples said that Allah created everything in existence himself while scientists said that everything occurred natural ly. Even though there was conflict over the beliefs of the people, the Islamic scientists still managed to prosper and produce a Golden Age of Science in the medievalRead More Age Of Reason Essay988 Words   |  4 Pagesknow as the Age of Reason discovered many knew inventions and advancements to improve the quality of life. When experimented with, these advantages brought forth knew ideas to extraordinary people who forever changed the way we look at life. Although many people found these discoveries to bring a great revival to mankind, others rejected these new improvements and felt as if they were defying god. These years were full of discoveries, conflicts, and new visions that of the world. The age of reasonRead MoreThroughout civilization, religions have come a long way in impacting modern society and600 Words   |  3 Pages Throughout civilization, religions have come a long way in impacting modern society and civilization. One of the major Abrahamic religions, Islam, has made many advances and has contributed a variety of concepts, ideas and inventions to western civilization. Most of these contributions have gone unnoticed throughout the years, and have been credited by various people, when in reality Muslim scholars have formulated these concepts. Although some may believe that these contributions are irrelevantRead MoreAlbert Einstein s Theory Of Relativity And The Father Of The Atomic Age1174 Words   |  5 Pagesdone for not only the scientific community, but for the entire world, it is easy to label him as one of the most qualified candidates. Throughout his career, he developed many names for himself. Most notably, he was known as the father of relativity and the father of the atomic age. These two titles alone speak volumes about his achievements and contributions to science, but it is important to examine how he got his name in the history books, and how he made such a big name for himself in his seventyRead MoreBrave New World Discussion Questions1321 Words   |  6 Pagessociety being presented. In what ways is it like and unlike our own society? In Aldous Huxley’s science fiction novel Brave New World, a distinct society is illustrated. The author depicts a civilization that is specifically based on several economic classes, extreme measures of social manipulation, marginalization, and technologic advancement. Huxley often emphasizes the ranked divisions of society throughout Brave New World. Alpha, the utmost superior caste, possessed those of fair skin, intelligence