Community Nursing Hat 1 Essay

   I chose as my community El Dorado County in the foothills of Northern California. I live in this community. We are a very healthy and active community with a large retirement group. I will go through the four assessments next. The Population Economic Status Assessment shows our population to be around 181,000. We are made up of 80% white Christian, with the next largest ethnic group being about 15% Mexican. The average household income is around $70,000 with 7.9% of people being at or below the poverty level. The Mexican population makes up the biggest percentage of the poor. El Dorado County’s median household income has been higher than the state average since 2000, indicating that its residents have more spending power than the average Californian (El Dorado Co). The unemployment rate is 11.8%. El Dorado County’s unemployment rate has been consistently lower than the California average since 1990. At any given time, there are 600+ homeless people in this community. Around 9000 people receive food stamps & another 3000 receive cash aid. On an average, we have much fewer people on public assistance than the national average. According to the information I gathered in the Cultural Assessment Tool, the population in this community has slightly more females than males which is very typical in these rural areas. There are 80% white people living here with about a 15% Mexican population (El Dorado Co). 27% of the populous are affiliated with a church, mostly Catholic Christian, compared to the 50% in the USA (Religions). About 85% of the people are covered by health insurance, which is very high compared to the rest of California. Cancer is the leading cause of death, with heart disease being second. The birth rate is 10.1 per 1000. County birth rates are consistently below average compared to the state, which is attributed to the higher senior population of the county (El Dorado Co). There is a high prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse in this community, related to poor or ineffective coping skills in the populous. There is a  real powerful stigma against the homeless community here, which really could benefit from some community teaching and outreach. The Neighborhood Community Safety Assessment shows that the air and water quality is very good in this community. Carbon monoxide levels are below the US average. They do usually have a few bad air days a year due to fires. There is some residual mercury left over from the mining days, but in low levels (El Dorado Co). During the winter snow, flooding and the cold pose health hazards. During the summer, fires are a hazard to public safety. However, there is excellent fire and police response here in this community. Many rivers and lakes in this community pose a risk for drowning; however, there are very few documented drowning’s here per year. There is quite a bit of poison oak & ivy here, and grass and hay fever irritants. Last, I will discuss the Disaster Assessment & Planning in this community. Through my research, I found that this community does follow federal guidelines for disaster management (OES). There is a County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan that was adopted in 2007 (City of Placerville). This plan has four parts that cover administrative, an emergency operations center plan, a recovery plan, & plans specific to a type of emergency (terrorism, multi-casualty incidents, hazard mitigation plan, etc.). This plan meets needs for rescue, medical care, food, shelter, clothing, temporary housing, and employment should an emergency arise. This community also uses the CDC’s Public Health Emergency Response Guide for emergency preparedness & response. I found all this information on line, but it took considerable research and was not easy. In my research, I found that most residents in this community are not aware of any disaster preparedness plan, nor do they know where to find one. There needs to some community wide teaching on disaster preparedness, an d where to find information regarding this. The following is my community genogram and diagnosis. Community Diagnosis Within the parameters assessed above, El Dorado County California is a healthy community. The areas that need improvements are discovering a way to help people respond in healthy ways to painful life events other than drugs & alcohol, to create & implement a plan to help the homeless community, to educate the public regarding the causes and preventative  measures for Cancer & Coronary Artery Disease, and to educate the public regarding emergency & disaster preparedness through community outreach programs. Community Diagnosis Within the parameters assessed above, El Dorado County California is a healthy community. The areas that need improvements are discovering a way to help people respond in healthy ways to painful life events other than drugs & alcohol, to create & implement a plan to help the homeless community, to educate the public regarding the causes and preventative measures for Cancer & Coronary Artery Disease, and to educate the public regarding emergency & disaster preparedness through community outreach programs. El Dorado County, California hhhh El Dorado County, California hhhh Population Economic Status Located in Northern California Population 181,058 Mostly white Next largest ethnic group Mexican Median household income 70,000 7.9% households at or below poverty level 11.8% unemployment rate 600+ homeless 9,000 receive food stamps 3,000 families receive cash aid Population Economic Status Located in Northern California Population 181,058 Mostly white Next largest ethnic group Mexican Median household income 70,000 7.9% households at or below poverty level 11.8% unemployment rate 600+ homeless 9,000 receive food stamps 3,000 families receive cash aid Cultural Assessment Slightly more females than males Mostly white Christians Subcultures small Mexican & Asian Many know how to achieve good health-60% put forth effort 85% have health coverage Most know how & where to obtain medical care High prevalence of alcohol & drug abuse due to a variety of stressors Stigmas of homelessness Vast variety of outdoor recreational activities Cultural Assessment Slightly more females than males Mostly white Christians Subcultures small Mexican & Asian Many know how to achieve good health-60% put forth effort 85% have health coverage Most know how & where to obtain medical care High prevalence of alcohol & drug abuse due to a variety of stressors Stigmas of homelessness Vast variety of outdoor recreational activities Neighborhood/ Community Safety Health dept very involved in providing health services, education & information Very good air quality Very good water quality Potential for wildlife disease Vast amounts of rivers & lakes potential for drowning Severe weather events potential Potential for fires due to vast forestry Excellent fire & police response Domestic violence calls 10.5 per 1000 Neighborhood/ Community Safety Health dept very involved in providing health services, education & information Very good air quality Very good water quality Potential for wildlife disease Vast amounts of rivers & lakes potential for drowning Severe weather events potential Potential for fires due to vast forestry Excellent fire & police response Domestic violence calls 10.5 per 1000 Disaster Assessment/Planning El Dorado County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan California Emergency Management Agency & Federal Emergency Management Agency preparedness plan Following federal guidelines Rescue, medical care, food, shelter, clothing Temporary housing, food stamps, employment Public Health Emergency Response Guide by CDC for emergency preparedness and response Most residents unaware of any plan Disaster plan not readily available or easily found Disaster Assessment/Planning El Dorado County Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan California Emergency Management Agency & Federal Emergency Management Agency preparedness plan Following federal guidelines Rescue, medical care, food, shelter, clothing Temporary housing, food stamps, employment Public Health Emergency Response Guide by CDC for emergency preparedness and response Most residents unaware of any plan Disaster plan not readily available or easily found The community genogram shows a relatively healthy mostly white community. As a whole, the people here make a good living, with unemployment below the national average. A small percentage receives food stamps and public cash benefits, also below the national average. Most people have health coverage, and about 60% of the population is proactive with their health. The leading causes of death are cancer and then cardiac disease occurring in the high 80’s of age, due to the large retirement population. The public health department is very involved in providing health services here (CDHP). The air and water quality is good here, with pollution below the national average. There is some potential for bad weather and fires, however, our fire and police response are excellent here. There is a good disaster preparedness plan, however, it is difficult to find, and few know about it. There is a high incidence of alcohol and drug use here, with poor and inadequate coping skills to handle d ifficult life events. The homeless population is really looked down upon here. Within the parameters assessed above, El Dorado County is a healthy community. The areas that need improvement are discovering a way to help people respond in healthy ways to painful life events other than drugs & alcohol, to create & implement a plan to help the homeless community, to educate the public regarding the causes and preventative measures for Cancer & Coronary Artery Disease, and to educate the public regarding emergency & disaster preparedness through community outreach programs. Bibliography CDHP. Retrieved from http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/Pages/HealthyCommunityIndicators.aspx City of Placerville. Retrieved from http://www.cityofplacerville.org/ El Dorado County Economic and Demographic Profile. Retrieved from http://www.eldoradocounty.org/ Office of Emergency Services (OES). Retrieved from http://www.edcgov.us/Government/Sheriff/Divisions/Support/Office_of_Emergency_Services_

Case: Maple Leaf Shoes Ltd., Legal Challenges Essay

The Ontario Human Rights Code states that sexual harassment occurs in situations when one individual is bothering the other by saying or doing unwanted or unwelcome things of a sexual or gender-related nature. This could be characterize in terms of inappropriate touching, offensive remarks about individual, sexual suggestions, unsuitable comments about body parts, exposure to sexually offensive pictures, verbal abuse due to the gender, etc. It is also considered to be a form of illegal discrimination and is a form of sexual and psychological abuse. In terms of the case, this is a clear case of sexual harassment because Rosetta is one of the two women in the department that every morning got called by her male co-workers as risotto, meaning Italian rice with gravy, and teased with Italian greetings. In addition, occasionally they asked her what she was doing with her Italian boyfriend and whether she had a good time with him the night before. Moreover, one of the co-workers asked her whether she prefer Italian over Canadian men and occasionally they loudly bragged to each other about their experience with their girlfriends so that Rosetta can hear it, just to embarrass her. Furthermore, her male co-workers told a dirty jock and asked Rosetta if she understood or if she could tell one as well. Usually, sexual harassment is a pattern of behaviour that happens frequently over a period of time. In this case, there is a pattern of different incidents that occurred over the period of Rosetta’s employment, which created a poisoned effect on the places where she worked. This type of sexual comments made her feel uncomfortable, in some situations even cry, which indicated that the work environment is poisoned. Although, Rosetta tried to make the harassment stop, it is not her responsibility alone, Al also has to make sure that sexual harassment does not occur in his workplaces because sexualized environment can create atmospheres that encourage more serious and direct sexual harassment, such as sexual joking n this case. If in the future more women would have positions in this department, this can create decrease in productivity, increase in team conflict and furthermore, lead to decrease in success at meeting financial goals because of team conflict. Moreover, it can create job dissatisfaction, loss of employees from resignations, and increase absenteeism by employees. In addition, the knowledge that harassment is permitted can damage ethical standards and discipline in the organization in general. Overtime, employees will lose respect and trust in their supervisors who encourage and/or ignored the problem, which can lead to a negative image of the company and create legal actions against the organization. The ignorance of the problem can create large costs to organization through damaged morale, lawsuits and absenteeism. People who harass will have no reasons to stop unless they are challenged. Therefore, it is necessary to support and encourage Rosetta to come forward. Eva can offer suggestions how to solve the problem but only Rosetta must choose what will be the best choice for her. Moreover, Eva can encourage Rosetta to seek help from a counsellor and provide her with helpful telephone numbers; however, it’s up to Rosetta to make her own decisions. In terms of their conversations, Eva should know that conversations that were between Eva and Rosetta are confidential and Eva cannot just go and tell it to somebody. The only time Eva may have to tell someone about Rosetta’s problem without her permission is if Rosetta is in immediate physical danger, which is not the case in this situation. Yet, ignoring or minimizing the problem will not make it go away. To conclude, it’s up to Rosetta to make complains to appropriate authority or to pursue a legal actions against the company in this matter. Eva can only morally support and advise Rosetta but cannot do any legal actions for her. The only think that Eva can try to do is to inform a human resources department in the organization about the situation and ask for the proper investigation about it. The other option that Eva can consider is to have a consultation with the lawyer about this whole situation; however, she should not say any names. All of these options have a good chance for success, as long as all of them conducted in accordance of law. Al’s first responsibility in this case is to properly deal with workplace sexual harassment issues involve the appropriate distribution of the organization’s policy on sexual harassment in the workplace. However, he did not take it serious when Rosetta complained to him, thus she was forced to terminate her employment. The other responsibility that Al should have carried is to show Rosetta that he, as a supervisor of the organization have responded to complain with the process of preventing sexual harassment in the workplace and are dealing with it in a timely and effective manner when it does occur. Al also felled to carry it appropriately, moreover, he blamed Rosetta to be too sensitive and that she takes herself too seriously. And based on his philosophy, such as to be able to laugh at ourselves now and the, it shows that he encourages this type of behaviour in the work place. Furthermore, Al has to take approach to sexual harassment where it involves the development of an internal system for the fair and balanced investigation of every complaint of this nature. Every complaint should be taken seriously. Employees must be aware that they are free to put forward complaints about sexual harassment in their workplace and that they will be free from retaliation and intimidation as a result. They should be encouraged to use and rely upon the company’s internal complaint mechanism and resolution system. In this step, Al also felled to follow the appropriate road. His behaviour with employees encourages them to joke around, which may discourage other employees to complain due to fear of retaliation and intimidation, if Al tells employees about complain. It is absolutely critical that employer who has not yet adopted appropriate policies and attitudes towards sexual harassment in the workplace join the movement towards zero tolerance for these workplace problems. It is critical for the employer not only live up to their legal  responsibility when dealing with issues of sexual harassment, but perhaps more importantly is to show that they have done something. Accordingly, proactive steps are to create sexual harassment policies and well publicized complaint procedures set, which would create the correct tone for the elimination of sexual harassment in the workplace. As a bi-product, the same visible procedures will also help to reduce the employer’s potential exposure to vicarious liability for the acts of employees. Reference Ontario Women’s Justice Network. 6 Jan. 2002. Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children. 10 Feb. 2006 The Ontario Human Rights Commission. 11 Feb. 2007. The Ontario Human Rights Commission. 11 Feb. 2007 Ontario Women’s Directorate. 1 May 2003. Government of Ontario. 9 Feb. 2006 The Canadian Human Rights Commission. 9 July 2004. Government of Canada. 9 Feb. 2006.

The Caribbean People

Saladoid culture is a pre-columbian indigenous culture of Venezuela and the Caribbean that flourished from 500 BCE to 545 CE. [1] This culture is thought to have originated at the lower Orinoco River near the modern settlements of Saladero and Barrancas in Venezuela. Seafaring people from the lowland region of the Orinoco River of South America migrated into and established settlements in the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola. [1] They displaced the pre-ceramic Ortoiroid culture. As a horticultural people, they initially occupied wetter and more fertile islands that best accommodated their needs.These Indigenous peoples of the Americas were an Arawak-speaking culture. Between 500-280 BCE, they immigrated into Puerto Rico and the Lesser Antilles, eventually making up a large portion of what was to become a single Caribbean culture. [edit]Culture Saladoid people are characterized by agriculture, ceramic production, and sedentary settlements. [1] Their unique and highly decor ated pottery has enabled archaeologists to recognize their sites and to determine their places of origin. Saladoid ceramics include zoomorphic effigy vessels, incense burners, platters, trays, jars, bowls with strap handles, and bell-shaped containers.The red pottery was painted with white, orange, and black slips. [1] Distinctive Saladoid artifacts are stone pendants, shaped like raptors from South America. These were made from a range of exotic materials, including such as carnelian, turquoise, lapis lazuli, amethyst, crystal quartz, jasper-chalcedony, and fossilized wood. These were traded through the Great and Lesser Antilles and the South American mainland, until 600 CE. [1] The Taino of the Greater Antilles represented the last stage of the Ostionoid cultural tradition.By about AD 1100-1200, the Ostionoid people of Hispaniola lived in a wider and more diverse geographic area than did their predecessors; their villages were larger and more formally arranged, farming was intensi fied, and a distinctive material culture developed. They developed rich and vibrant ritual and artistic traditions that are revealed in Taino craftsmanship in using bone, shell, stone wood and other media. Social stratification is thought to have become more pronounced and rigid during this period as well. This stage of intensification and elaboration after AD 1100 is known as â€Å"Taino†.The Taino people, as characterized by archaeologists, were not a unified society, and have been categorized into subdivisions according to the degree of elaboration in their artistic and social expression. The Central or â€Å"Classic† Tainos are identified with the most complex and intensive traditions, and are represented archaeologically by â€Å"Chican-Ostionoid† material culture. They occupied much of Hispaniola, including En Bas Saline. The â€Å"Western† Taino occupied central Cuba, Jamaica, and parts of Hispaniola, and , are also associated archaeologically with the â€Å"Ostionoid-Meillacan† material tradition.The Lucayan Taino lived in the Bahamas, and the â€Å"Eastern† Taino are thought to have lived in regions of the Virgin Islands and the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles. As many archaeologists have emphasized, however, the Taino were but one of the recognizable cultural groups in the Caribbean at the time of contact. They co-existed and interacted with other Ostionan peoples and perhaps even Saladoid-influenced Archaic peoples, such as the Guanahatabey of Cuba and the Caribs of the Lesser Antilles.

SWO Service Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

SWO Service - Case Study Example However, in recent years it is facing various problems related to maintaining sustainability of its business. It has acquired a substantial sales order for the upcoming six months but it needs to decide upon whether to expand its business further or not. This study discusses about the detailed company and industry analysis to have conclusive evidence to decide upon the sustainability of the business in future. First of all the key issues related to the company performance have been identified. Then the industry analysis has been performed which discusses about the internal and external business factors which have an impact on the company. Then the consumer analysis has been done which includes segmentation strategies and the product mix associated with each segments. Then the trade analysis, competitive analysis and external analysis of the company has also been done. An alternative analysis has been performed which discusses about the targeting of the particular segment consisting o f the mid-sized distributors and the relevant positioning and promotional strategies to be employed by the company. Lastly, a recommendation has been provided regarding the best strategy needed to be applied by the company to regain its competitive advantage in the market and have a sustainable growth and development in future. Table of Contents Problems and Analysis 5 Issues 5 Constraints 5 Objectives 5 Industry Analysis 5 Internal Factors 6 External Factors 6 Key Success Factors 7 Consumer Analysis 7 Trade Analysis 8 Competitive Analysis 9 External Analysis 9 Political Factors 10 Economical Factors 10 Technological Factors 10 Corporate Capabilities 11 Alternative Analysis 11 Recommendation 12 Works Cited 13 Problems and Analysis Issues SWO Service is experiencing different kinds of issues which are having a significant impact on the performance and growth of the company. The company has failed to generate revenues at a steady rate since its inception. The penetration pricing strat egy followed by the company initially helped it to increase its market share but now it is facing problems to successfully position its products and is losing sales on various grounds. Constraints The constraint that can be identified as regards to SWO Service is the financial constraint. It does not have adequate fund sources available to them to expand its business on a large scale. Objectives The personal objectives include more profit required by the owners of the company. It is in accordance with the company objective which is to decide upon expansion of its business to increase the profitability of the company. Industry Analysis In order to facilitate the formulation of a successful strategy and help in its decision making process regarding the sustainability of the business processes followed by SWO Service it requires to have a comprehensive analysis of the industry in which it is operating its business activities. Industry analysis actually involves identification of the ec onomic factors that helps a company to boost its performance and profitability in the operating industry (Palepu, and Healy 2-16). Industry analysis of SWO Service includes identification and analysis of its internal and external business environment which is explained below: Internal Factors Strengths George, one of the owners of SWO Service is one of its strength. George is experienced in the field of software industry and has the acumen of all different technical aspects of the software industry. Moreover SWO Service develops quality software which is acknowledged by the customers. Weaknesses The organizational structure of SWO Service is one of its major weaknesses. The various business activit

The ONLY goal of the corporation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The ONLY goal of the corporation - Research Paper Example This principle means to say in a nutshell that a company’s sole interest is to maximize profits. According to Milton Friedman, a company should not focus on issues of social responsibility, but should focus on the welfare of the shareholders, as well as its profits. When it tends to concentrate on improving the society in matters such as reducing inflation, it can lead to autocracy. The social responsibility of the business is to use its resources to maximize its profits so long as it does so within the set rules. Milton comes out strongly to oppose any move that would seem to spend the shareholders money in a way that is not in their interest. The reason for this is that the stockholder is not able to decide how the corporate executive spends his money, for which projects and the amount to spend for such projects. Even charitable activities that are not geared towards generating revenue should not be taken up. This view by Friedman suggests that an enterprise should only undertake a certain activity because it is good economically and not because ethics dictates so. Though this view has been criticized by many, it has been taken up by business

Management Information Systems at Wal-mart Essay

Management Information Systems at Wal-mart - Essay Example The intention of this study is Wal-mart as the largest retail company in the world that has been on the top of Fortune’s 500 list for several years. It is also the largest employer in the world. Wal-mart deals in general merchandise as well as specialized product lines such as pharmacy, tire and lube express and photo processing. Wal-mart sells high quality branded products to its customers at the lowest prices. Wal-mart achieves this seemingly contradictory combination right using advanced management information systems. In addition, it makes special long term contracts with big suppliers and removes middlemen. The basic idea behind Wal-mart’s business is discount merchandising that is keeping margins low by selling at a large discount but improving the top-line by selling a very large volume of products. In realizing Wal-mart’s corporate strategies in practice, management information systems have played the most significant role. Wal-mart’s supply chain is considered the best in the world due to a very efficient use of information technology. This is the company’s core competency. Wal-mart has been a pioneer of many supply chain management practices based on advanced information systems. The use of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is the biggest and most recent of these. The following sections discuss the use of management information systems used by Wal-mart and the strategic advantages derived by the company as a result of them. 3. Wal-mart’s Inventory Management System Wal-mart uses an inventory management system called Retail Link. This system allows the suppliers to have a look at the number of products of each type at the shelves in each retail store of Wal-mart at any given time. In addition, the system gives information about the sales rate for any period say an hour, a day, a week or a year. The suppliers also get real time information about the time of the day their products sell, the accompanying produ cts which it sells and other details. All this information helps the supplier companies in efficient inventory management. In many cases, Wal-mart leaves the stock decisions entirely to the supplier companies. This saves considerable costs in administration. The inventory risks such as stock-outs are hence transferred to the suppliers. This leads to a significant cost reduction (PriceWaterHouseCoopers, 2010). 4. Channel Partnership with big companies through information systems Wal-mart has forged several strategic partnerships with major supplier companies. These partnerships have been facilitated by modern information systems and flawless execution. A prominent case study is the strategic partnership between Wal-mart and Procter & Gamble. Both the companies are major players in their sectors. They have developed a common supply chain information sharing channel to better co-ordinate the supply chain activities. What began as a data sharing activity slowly permeated through strateg ic, operational and tactical levels in the two organizations. For achieving their objectives, Wal-mart and P&G together came up with a data highway that allowed the companies to share information on sales at all stores, types and time of sale, shelf information and so on. This drove down costs of both companies and increase customer satisfaction. The conceptual diagram for the data highway is shown in Figure 1.4.1. Figure 1.4.1: Channel Partnership Data Highway between Wal-mart and P&G Source: Grean, Michael; Shaw, Michael J. Supply Chain Integration through Information Sharing: Channel partnership between Wal-mart and Procter & Gamble In this approach, Wal-mart used scanners inside its retail stores to study their own business. The observations were critically analyzed. P&G used consumer buying patterns and compared it with the customer information available from market research or other activities. All the information collected and analyzed by the two companies was collected. This led to

Analyzing Ethical Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyzing Ethical Behavior - Essay Example usiness should behave, and this goes a long way in creating an organizational culture which will see the business increase its efficiency (Mallor, Barnes, Bowers & Langvardt, 2010). Business ethics will stipulate how the business relates to its stakeholders to ensure that there is a good relationship hence reduces cases of lawsuits, make high profits and ensure business continuity. In the past, unethical business practices have resulted to various scandals, which have resulted to serious economic disasters. Since firms have the need to increase their profits they will engage in lucrative practices, which will make them earn unfair profits and benefit from unethical practices. For any company to be successful, it has to protect all their shareholders since everyone will feel comfortable in an environment where they see their needs are being considered. Trust created by the business to all its stakeholders goes a long way in increasing the businesses’ success and profitability. This paper will look at the financial events surrounding Bernie Madoff, and ENRON and elaborate on the consequences and implications related to a lack of code of ethics. Enron Corporation was a company in the energy sector located in Texas and had an employee base of 21000 workers in 2001 before it went out of business. The company fell due to false accounting techniques, which made it to be listed as one of the largest companies in the United States with a rating of seventh overall (Lashinsky, 2001). The company was expected to control the market since it had securities in communications, energy and weather portfolios. The company had a well set out fraud plan by using support from political powers to get favors and get an unfair advantage. The company could shut down power plants so that they could get extra money by charging high rates for energy due to the shortages they created. The company used favors from president bush and Clinton to get an unfair advantage, and it is said that