Culture and Communication Essay

According to new research done in the field of linguistics and cognitive science, the balance is starting to tilt again in favor of linguistic relativity. This concept proposes that there is a systematic relationship between the nature of the language a person speaks and the way the person understands the world. Although, it is still not known how much influence language wields over thought, it is now agreed that it does affect the way we perceive and understand the world. At an individual level, we take for granted the role language plays in our thought processes. But, every time we formulate a thought, we almost subconsciously express it in a tongue we are most comfortable with. Language has, over our growth period (especially the formative early childhood years), become intertwined without cognitive faculties. A majority of our thoughts and memories employ language as an expression tool. As such, one must agree that it most influence our thought processes to a certain extent. The intricate features of any language such as grammar and the role of gender to play a significant role on how we perceive the world. Although this influence plays a lesser role when it comes to tangibles like objects for instance, it does have a significant influence on abstract concepts such as time, space and even political concepts. For example, Dan Slobin of the University of California in Berkeley tells us in Alison Motluk’s article You Are What You Speak that while a third of the world’s languages describe locations in absolute terms, many Pacific Islanders use phrases such as â€Å"north of that tree†. Benjamin Whorf, one of the pioneers of linguistic relativity, in his famous analysis of the differences between English and Hopi language, claimed that a Hopi speaker would find relativistic physics easier to understand that an English speaker due to the structure of Hopi language. This facet of language becomes even more important when it comes to worldview and religion. As both of them are in essence, abstract concepts, it can be understood that language does have a significant relationship with them. One can for instance compare how the same religion is interpreted by groups with different languages. Also, once we consider the use of metaphors in languages, we can see how they relate to people’s culture. As the worldview of a people is formed due to the shared experience of a people and the sharing of this unique experience largely employs language, it can be understood that language wields an influence over it. Coupled with the effect of language on an individual basis, one can clearly see the significance a person’s language plays on not only his/her own thought processes, but on the formulation of grander systems of thought. Therefore, one can conclude that language helps shape a people’s worldview and their understanding of religion. The diversification in religion can then potentially create new religions due to conflicts with other prevalent interpretation. The extent of language’s influence can still be argued and should be argued until a conclusion can be reached. But all languages in general should be preserved as we never know when a particular language’s insight might come in handy for resolving modern problems. How has the internet changed global communication? What effect might this have on cross-cultural communication? The Internet probably ranks among one of greatest inventions man has yet made. A relatively young invention, it has revolutionized global communication, and yet, its true potential remains to be seen. It has transcended geographical borders and provided people with a forum to convey their thoughts to the world, unfiltered and unregulated. It has led to the rise of new social groups, ones which have no need for proximity, and given rise to whole new cultures. Although global communication has existed for centuries, never before has it been observed at such an unprecedented scale. With the advent of the internet, rapid information sharing became possible and at virtually no cost. Today, one can find material of any nature on the internet and can access it almost anywhere in the world. One can share information of any nature, be it audio or video or plain text. The fact that it’s unregulated allows people to channel their thoughts in the purest form possible. Social networking sites have created new online societies with their own set of rules and cultures. Instant messaging has provided us with a facility to engage in real time conversations with people from halfway across the world. Used in conjunction with webcams and microphones, we have in essence, the next best thing to face to face conversation. As such, one can see that we are witnessing a new chapter in cross-cultural communication. The internet has the potential to bring people together, from diverse backgrounds, and to promote understanding regardless of geographical, religious, political and ethnic division. One can interact with people at an individual level and due to the vast spectrum of opinions that the internet holds, one can form a more neutral worldview. Hence, in theory, the internet should usher in a new age of global understanding and ultimately form a global worldview. But there still is a catch to it all. Yes, in theory this should all be true, but there still are factors that hamper us all from achieving this. These begin with our own preconceived notions. The internet contains a lot of unregulated information. How do we decide what is true? We use our preconceived notions and hence keep our limited understanding of the world. Furthermore, the internet provides a highly selective information and communication tool, meaning that a person can choose what he/she wants to access and who he/she wants to talk to. Furthermore, the vast majority of people in the world still lack access to the internet and of those that have access to it, a large number still lacks unregulated access. For example, countries such as China monitor internet content and limit access to sites which carry â€Å"inappropriate† material. As such, the internet is still far away from reaching its true potential. But this is no cause to lose hope. The internet is still in its infancy and it still has a lot more avenues to explore. Also, if one is to consider the rate at which the internet has grown so far, one can conclude that it will grow a lot faster in the future. Perhaps ultimately, the internet will truly let us share our thoughts worldwide and finally transcend language and cultural barriers. If so, we can then truly reach a new era of global understanding and perhaps, create more than a global worldview; we can create a collective consciousness. In conclusion, the internet is an extremely powerful tool for global communication and will have far reaching consequences on cross-cultural communication. Works Cited 1. Motluk, Alison. â€Å"You Are What You Speak. † New Scientist. 30 Nov. 2002: 34-38 2. Carroll, John B. â€Å"The Relation Of Habitual Thought And Behavior. † Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. 1997 3. Lakoff, George and Johnson, Mark. Metaphors We Live By. 1980 4. Cass, Stephen. â€Å"How Much Does The Internet Weigh? † Discover Magazine. June 2007 5. D’Emanuele, Antony. â€Å"The Internet: A global communication tool† International Pharmacy Journal. 1995: 68-72

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms One charter of Right I feel passionate about is the one that talks about each and every person having freedom to live, to have liberty, and to have security. This charter states, â€Å"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. â€Å" This charter protects all citizens of Canada from any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment from others.People who do not treat others to the standards will get punished by the judicial system. Another Charter of right I feel strongly about says, â€Å"freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication† Not all counties are lucky enough to have this freedom and so I cherish this one. Because we have this freedom, Canadians are able to be very social and more connected throughout communities. We have the freedo m to express our ideas, and I like this a lot because we can be a stronger, more collected country.My final charter I have chosen is the democratic right. This rights enables every individual the right to vote and the right to hold office. (become a politician or an elected representative) Everyone has an equal say in our communities, provinces, and our federal government. We get to choose a leader that will befit us where and when we need him or her. With these Charters I am free to live my life the way I want, and I'm free to think what I want. This article, When rights collide with freedoms talks about what happens when religion and human rights collide.

Partnership Building for Social Capital Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Partnership Building for Social Capital - Essay Example (Whelan, 1999) Various organizations like the London Sustainable Development Commission are of the belief that there are a number of gaps and issues that need to be looked into in order to provide more comprehensive facilities for these areas. These issues and gaps are in respect of the regular provisions that are made for the people on a day to day basis. Lack of resources is a major problem apart from faulty resource allocation of already scarce resources. (Elsdon, 1998) This is where partnership building comes into play. Manpower acquisition and allocation is another major issue for which widespread recruitment of volunteers and other employees needs to be carried out with a special focus on interns from the creation of awareness and psychological field. Further, apart from the financial problems, there is a lack of specialist services that will cater to these issues and find out the key problem areas that will help curb the problem of lack of development and focus on the detrimental effects of such lack on the region as a whole. (Whelan, 1999) These services must be available to carry out widespread work with the families and other people related to the region. Further, these services must have the strong backing of management tools so as to develop the plans and implementation process in a strategic fashion. This points strongly to partnership building. (Lsdc, 2006) Further, these strategies for partnership building need to operate at a regional and local level so as to bring maximum benefit to maximum people, owing to the fact that most people from socially deprived areas in East London, are unaware of the national policies in most matters. Purpose and Advantages of Instigating Partnerships: Placement of the right man at the right place, at the right time. A study of the motions and material handling practices within the organization or situation, so as to find the fastest and easiest way of carrying out an activity. The implementation of cost accounting in all areas of operation, tactical and strategic activities. De centralization of responsibility and authority so as to place a group of men under the supervision of one commander per area of operation. To create room for four to eight functional officers who will take care of various aspects of the overall task, so as to ensure that each sub task is carried out as regards minimum motion and cost per person. (Ervitt et al, 1994) The creation and use of partnerships in an effective manner can be furthered through adequate training and development tactics even when there is no incident. This can be done as follows: ( i ) Definition of specific knowledge requirements - this stage to examines the skills and knowledge level that is required to be developed within the overall social system in order to meet the new objectives identified by the training needs. This helps the management gain perspective as to which kind of training strategy will be the most effective one when adopted for the situation at hand. (Lsdc,

How readily could terrorists can acquire nuclear weapons Essay

How readily could terrorists can acquire nuclear weapons - Essay Example different nations had the information about nuclear weapon empowerment of different terrorist organizations across the world, why adequate measures have not been taken to prevent such attempts? The reasons is that despite having knowledge about such devastating plans of the terrorists such attempts could not be stopped as terrorists are not some kind of creatures belonging to a particular species group who could be identified through their appearances. They are very much part of the society, of the mass and they are actually utilizing the brighter aspects of human innovations in wrong ways. The general course experimentation of nuclear weapons has showed them the avenues that nuclear weapons are great tools by which a great deal of mass destruction can happen and such attempts would definitely add to the purpose of the terrorists. Nuclear weapon empowerment of terrorists actually started due to the infamous Cold War between two global superpowers, United States of America and Soviet Union. As either of these nations was on the desperate attempt to prove them superior to the other that is why, for the purpose of making their respective economic as well social bonds weak they encouraged terrorism. In the process of such encouragement they actually trained those terrorists, who were actually mercenaries in the hands of both the countries, to use modern weapons properly and taught them about the use and invention of nuclear weapons. Use of such nuclear weapons by the terrorists actually belongs to the category of â€Å"non-conventional weaponry.† (Cameron, 1999, p. 1) Once of the most horrific instances of the recent day use of such â€Å"non-conventional weaponry† can be cited through the attack of Aum Shinrikyo, a terrorist organization in Tokyo. â€Å"On 20th March 1995, members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released a lethal nerve agent, sarin, on the Tokyo underground. The attack killed 12 people and injured over 5,000 others, and was the first majo r sub-state use of a

Introducation to organisation and management Assignment

Introducation to organisation and management - Assignment Example The two firms that are the subject of these case studies are really night and day as far as culture and leadership goes. The first case study is Watson’s. Watson’s has a hierarchy that is authoritative, which means that employees have little input in decision-making and are really not respected. Management and unions have a toxic history due to a lack of trust. The managing director, Gordon Watson, is man who is stuck, in that he is not proactive, but prefers to keep things the status quo. He is also older and ready to retire, and does not interact with the workers. His underling, Ahmed Khan, however, does seem to have more vision, and he has excellent ideas that would be very beneficial to the company’s productivity. However, he is not being heard by the people higher up in the hierarchy. The same situation is present with the staff, in that they, too, have good ideas, but these ideas are not heard of given respect. The people in the organization do not have flu idity, in that they do not move between different positions, therefore there is little flexibility in fulfilling orders, so part of the staff is overburdened, while others are underburdened. The different departments do not communicate with one another. The staff is having high absenteeism, and there is also high turnover. The Human Resource Manager, instead of trying to find solutions to the high absenteeism and retention, makes excuses and does not take sexual harassment seriously. Consequently, the firm appears to be falling apart. On the other hand, H&M Consulting seems to have it together. Where Watson’s is a dinosaur, in that it refuses to go forward with new technology and ideas, H& M is the opposite, as they use new technology and ideas as their focus. H&M is not hierarchical, and centralized leadership is not strong, as it is composed of groups that have team leaders, and uses technology to coordinate what the different teams are doing. The teams are constantly chang ing, and constantly going to different projects. All this is not to say that there is not leadership, because there is. Theo Wolf, who is the CEO, is a visionary, his staff respects him, and has been called inspirational. He is communicative with his staff, and is very motivational. He encourages his staff to try new approaches and be proactive with company issues. Its staff is valuable, and learning and development are encouraged. The employees are given autonomy, so that they are responsible for their own development. In short, this organization values their employees, has trusted leadership who creates a shared vision, encourages its employees to be proactive with solutions, and does not have tyrannical leadership. Discussion Examining these two different companies is a study of a difference in organizational culture. The culture is â€Å"the coding of values and deeply-held beliefs that mold an organization's decision patterns, guide its actions, and drive individual behaviorâ €  (Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 190). Culture is also belief patterns that come from group norms, informal activities and values (Ivancevich et al., 2008, p. 503). The culture of an organization is visible to the members and to outsiders as the way things are done(Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 190). It is also subtle and invisible, in that it makes up the values, beliefs and attitudes that go throughout the organization. Culture can be an asset, if it is in line with company's vision, thus catalyzing the vision. Or it can be a drawback, hindering the vision if the culture is not so in line and the fit between the culture and the vision is flawed, as the beliefs that permeate the organization propel it to mediocrity, not to greatness. According to Dauphinais & Price, culture and culture change are not triggered from the top down, but from the bottom up and is created by â€Å"practical tools such as measures, rewards, and carefully structured people practices† (Dauphinais & Price, 1998, p. 191). The two companies cultures are night and day –

Analysis of Sex Offences Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Sex Offences - Coursework Example This affects the issue of identifying them in that: If the plaintiff cannot prove that the acts resulted to harassment, alarm or distress, and it was to other people outside the accused person’s household and that an order is required to prevent further antisocial behavior, then the accused cannot be charged or granted the order. A good example of an order to prevent antisocial behavior is that of two Manchester teenagers, who were barred from wearing one hand glove, as it was a symbolic representation of belonging to a certain terror gang. The reporter can only be required to leave if the case at hand is very sensitive, for example, a case dealing with serious matters such as national security, rights of vulnerable children or crime victims. If the case is about any other issue, then the judge is not right to tell the reporter they are not supposed to attend (Banks and Hanna). The clerk can only refrain from giving such names of the magistrate if the case they are handling is of such a sensitive nature. Otherwise, they should provide the names and other relevant details, that are relevant and in the best of the public interest. The order to abolish the publication of any information that would disclose the identity of the victim is only valid if it was a sexual or criminal offense perpetrated against the victim, who is still alive (Banks and Hanna). For example, in the Watergate scandal, the name of the witness was barred, with him being referred as ‘Deep Throat. Since the victim was killed in our case, there is no reputation being preserved or any avoidance of victimization, and therefore the order given is invalid. The judges have issued opinions in conformity to this. As a journalist sitting on the press bench, I would challenge the validity of such an order. Â  

Capacity Strategy Game Exercise Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Capacity Strategy Game Exercise - Outline Example Building too much capacity and selling my product at a very low price would mean being in the red and paying out interest on accumulated debts during every period (Henderson 2008, p.16). I think that the capacity cost (at GBP 10 per period) is relatively low, and therefore once I have put up entry costs I will stick around for a long time. In this scenario, even if you end up with profits that are relatively low (on top of your starting cash) you will probably earn more than most of your competitors (An & Fromm 2005, p.11). After taking into consideration all the factors mentioned above, I think that a capacity of 200 units would be the best option for me; let me explain why. First of all, minimum demand was 140 BTS while maximum demand was 260 BTS; this gives us a mean of 200. Apart from this, most of the time demand fluctuated between 160 and 240 BTS; this also gives us a mean of 200. In light of the fact that the two most important factors here (the average demand and the average fluctuating figure) both equal 200, it would only be wise to hold 200 units because it appears like that is what the market dictates (Klammer 2006,

Introdution To Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introdution To Management - Case Study Example d with a business opting for operating from another location; more often these include low cost, higher quality, lower risk, lower employee turnover, higher profits, to bring about a change in the way business is done, etc. The parent company’s goals can be varied, and accordingly the goals and objectives of outsourced company are laid (Bangeman, 2005). Exactly for these reasons, Gail Lee, the managing director of Melbourne’s fashion retailer, Leethal Fashion Accessories, offshored some of its business to India; this included creation of ready-to-wear garments based on Australian designs that were sent by Leethal Fashion Accessories and also imported jewelry to be sold in local departmental stores. Besides the reasons for this business offshoring, LFA had to face some issues with respect to receiving the completed products on time due to delay in transport. Other issues were caused due to language and cultural barriers, which sometimes lead to misinterpretations and misunderstanding in the business dealing. These issues lower the confidence of Australian entrepreneurs in Indian business systems; yet, the huge difference in labour costs tends to outweigh losses caused by other issues (Hatch, 2006). Indian economy is diverse, and ranges from traditional village farming to modern manufacturing and services. The contribution of services sector is said to be the maximum to the growth of India’s economy, which indicates availability of surplus labour. Statistics indicate that major portion of the services is provided by the English-speaking educated people in the field of Information Technology in the form of software services export (Rushton & Walker, 2007). Another major contributor to the economy is the small-scale industry segment which plays a pivotal role in employment generation with low capital investment. Estimates indicate that over 18 million people are employed in this industrial segment (John, M.S, 2002). Cottage industries are mostly run by

The Confederate Flag Essay Example for Free

The Confederate Flag Essay Within the United States of America, arguments, involving the Confederate Flag, are solved every sngle day. However, some controversies have managed to carry on from the 1800’s until present day without any solution. The text and symbolic meaning behind the â€Å"Confederate Flag† is a perfect example. The Confederate Flag is one of America’s most embattled symbolic controversies. Created in 1861in a battle between the South, Confederates, and the North, Union, two men by the name P. G.  T. Beauregard and Congressman William P. Miles designed and created a flag that would represent the true southern pride and demands that would not only bring about conflict with one half of the nation but also with our American society today. The South wanted to fulfill their demands of a new government with a victory, but the North opposed that thought. Today, people in our society misunderstand and misinterpret the true meaning behind the Confederate Flag and what it represents. People have came to believe that the Confederate Flag represents slavery in the 19th century, but in actuality it represents people wanting to govern themselves. The Confederacy had two flags. One being a national flag or â€Å"the stars and bars† and the other to be a battle flag. The southern people believed their national flag was to be respected and not to be used in battle so they wanted a battle flag. Two men by the names, P. G. T. Beauregard and Congressman William P. Miles came up with the design. These men were chosen because of their active duty within the Confederacy. Both showed much pride and served with active duty. P. G. T. Beauregard was chosen as one of the eight full leading generals and led the Confederacy to their first win in battle in the â€Å"battle of Manassas† and commanded at the Battle of Shiloh after Albert Sidney Johnston’s death. Given such great honor, he was chosen to be one of the designers of the flag. William P. Miles was appointed by the Provisional Congress as chairman of the Flag and Seal Committee. William Miles took much pride in the Confederacy and what they represented so was chosen to help design flags for the nation and approval of them as well. Their design was similar in comparison to the national flag. The battle flag would have a blue X on a red field. The flag had thirteen stars to represent the thirteen states in the Confederacy, often referred to as the Rebel Flag,† Southern Cross, or â€Å"Dixie Flag. † It represented a battle for a lesser government, just as P. G. T, Beauregard and Miles followed. These men and their fellow Southerners wanted less taxes and for people to govern themselves. The flag was flown in honor of those fighting for these demands and the pride of the confederacy and their struggle to win. In conclusion, both men shared great dignity in the Confederacy and wanted to represent their people and demands with reason to overturn the government. This flag was first flown in July 21st, 1861 and is still displayed in the United States. Both men, today, continue to receive much honor for their active duty served and creating a flag that symbolizes the Southern nation as one. The typical audiences portraying the â€Å"Rebel Flag,† in a majority, are whites. Back in the 1800’s during the battle of the Civil War, blacks were mainly looked down upon and used as slaves. Blacks had no power amongst the white people in the southern states and were to work for them and follow their orders. Due to this, only white people had taken pride in their flag. Whites were fighting for their demands of a better government. Thus, only white people played a main role during this time period. Yet, blacks, being viewed down upon at this time, are viewed in the audience as well. Today, blacks look at the situation as a major issue with their race at the time and hopes for survival. But why is this? When the flag is presented in our society today, some look at the flag, with disgust, as representation of racism because the flag was flown during a time period in which racism dominantly occurred. Also, based upon the text I had chosen, it consists of white people in battle. The audience of the text promptly follows the text with pride. These audience members were not just white or black people, but also southerners and northerners. In the battle it was the southerners of the thirteen confederate states of America who portrayed the flag as a new government ran by the people when the North portrayed the flag as a banishment of a perfectly ran government. No northerners opposed the idea that the Confederacy should be erased as the no southerners opposed the idea of a new government. Thus, made the issue more complicated due to disagreements. The reaction of the southern white audience would portray anger due to their loss in battle as well as pride in their sacrifice. The audience would have hoped for a different conclusion to the battle giving the Confederates the victory and joyfulness of their people at the time. The northerners reacted the exact opposite. They celebrated their victory and the government was given more dominance. The author intended the reaction of the audience to be very informed because a great amount of information and history was given. The author knew what the flag truly represented and wanted the readers to know the same. Given so much information, the audience would become very informed and learn to understand the flag in a respectful manner. However, people in this present day continue to fly the flag with no knowledge of the meaning or respect. Some, with no knowledge, look at the flag as a gang or group symbol while others respectfully present it as a historical time period. So why get rid of this flag? Being a nation that prohibits slavery in written law, some Americans who continue to believe the false rumor that the flag represents slavery and racism or are less educated with the history behind the flag and want to get rid of it. Our society has represented the Confederate flag in a disrespectful manner and needs to change that. Hear the Northern thunders mutter! Northern flags in South’s winds flutter! To Arms, To Arms, To Arms in Dixie! Send them back your fierce defiance! Stamp upon the cursed alliance! To Arms, To Arms, To Arms in Dixie! Advance the flag of Dixie! Hurrah! Hurrah! For Dixie’s land we take our stand, And we live or die for Dixie! To Arms! To Arms! And conquer peace for Dixie! To Arms! To Arms! And conquer peace for Dixie! –Confederacy chant. Many people praise it, display it, and chant it, yet others view it with pure disgust. Once again, the Confederate or â€Å"Rebel Flag has been shoved onto the table of debate due to the raising of the flag in front of the South Carolina State House. So much debate has arose that President Obama was questioned where this flag should be placed? President Obama replied with a very considerate answer. His answer was, â€Å"In a museum. † But why would he want to take down the flag and retire it? Many have applauded him upon the issue, yet others are left confused as to why? Many people fly the Confederate Flag with pride and none of which are racist. In fact, the flag does not even represent anything considering racism. Only current connotation has led people to believe that. People today do not understand the true meaning and history behind the flag so they are unknowingly spreading false information. It is compared to the Nazi flag as a white supremacy symbol today. Another fact is that the Confederate Flag was never once flown on a slave ship; it was the present American flag that had been flown. The true meaning behind the flag was a lesser or new government. Southern people were getting tired of being overtaxed and wanted to govern themselves. Following these demands, arguments between the North and South grew more intense. Slaves were more acceptable in the south rather than the north. Southerners’ main use of slaves was to work in plantations to help incorporate a better and more profitable farm. This was not ok with the northerners. The northerners’ believed slavery was uncivilized and should be abolished. Prior to his election, Abraham Lincoln said he wanted to â€Å"free the slaves. † This quote developed more controversy especially since Lincoln, at the time, had slaves of his own. Southerners became furious such an ironic statement and began stating their opinions about the presidency towards Lincoln while demanding a lesser government, lower taxes, and to keep slavery. Northerners began to stand behind Lincoln and would speak on behalf of him. More issues and controversies developed which lead to a feud between the North and South. This feud is now known as, the American Civil War (1861-1865). In mix of battle, the Confederacy respected their national flag and did not want it to be displayed in mix of battle. This is when the â€Å"Rebel† or â€Å"Battle† Flag was created. As Confederates would rush into battle, they would carry the thirteen-stared blue X on a red field flag with pride and dignity. The Confederates then formed secession from the United States becoming, the Confederate States of America as the northerners became referred to as the Union. After carrying their flag for four bloodshed/devastating years, the Confederacy fell to the Union. Slavery would then become abolished as would the Confederate States of America. The Rebel Flag then slowly began to disappear. Due to the, all of a sudden, emergence of the flag in our society today, people argue that it should be rid of or as Obama said, â€Å"In a museum. † The flag, to a majority people, is a historical symbol that brings back the thought of their ancestors who fought in battle and our nation falling apart when the North and South fought killing 620,000 of our nation’s people. The flag stood out in Civil War as a symbol of the South wanting a change in government. Our society needs to become more educated when it comes to the understanding of Confederate Flag and learn how to display it in a correct manner. With great debate over the embattled symbolic meaning behind the Confederate Flag, our society has yet to reach a solution. Many people are continuing to spread false information while others are arguing the true meaning behind the flag. Who knows how long this controversy will last. P. G. T. Beauregard and William P. Miles created the flag to represent the southern demands of a lesser government with no disregard towards racism. Confederates used the flag’s symbolic meaning to connect their nation as one and to fight together to overcome this battle with the North. As I previously mentioned, our society needs to learn to become more educated when it comes to understanding the Confederate Flag and learn to display it in a proper manner. As a nation we must learn to solve and consider our issues rather than speaking with fault and resorting to violence.

Challenges to Infection Control of Hep C, B and HIV

Challenges to Infection Control of Hep C, B and HIV Infection control and cross contamination prevention are imperative to ensuring high quality patient care and quality of life for all patients. In the hemodialysis clinics and hospital units where patients are in end stage renal disease the prevention of infection is of utmost concern as it is directly correlated to lowered morbidity and mortality rates. Blood borne pathogens and bacteria are transmitted through poor infection control practices and lack of cross contamination prevention procedures. To understand the importance of infection control and cross contamination prevention, it is first imperative to understand the risks and consequences of infection transmittal in the hemodialysis unit. The hemodialysis unit is unique in that the procedure allows pathogens to enter the body through access sites, injection sites, and catheterization, all of which increase risk of infection for already ill patients. The following explores the most common concerns in infection transmittal as He patitis C and B, HIV, and common bacteria found in hemodialysis patients. This is followed by an exploration of methods in infection control, focusing on the procedures of cleaning, sterilization, and disinfection. An examination of staff education and training procedures that impact infection control and patient care follows. The research concludes with a summary and commentary. Research has often compared the incidences of HCV infections in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in patients, finding that patients undergoing clinical bloodstream invasive hemodialysis procedures have three times higher rates of HCV infections (Horl et al 2004). This is reflective of nosocomial transmission of HCV within the clinical dialysis setting (Horl et al 2004). HCV is transmitted through cross-contamination, occurring through blood, shared cannulas, and equipment, and blood transfusions (Horl et al 2004 p 1390). A comparison of the outcome of hepatitis virus-positive and -negative kidney transplant and hemodialysis patients involved 384 kidney transplant patients (67 HBsAg positive, 39 anti-HCV positive, 278 hepatitis negative), transplanted between 1987 and 2001, and 403 hemodialysis patients (128 HBsAg positive, 83 anti-HCV positive, 192 hepatitis negative) who had started hemodialysis and were referred to the kidney transplant waiting list during the same period (Visn ja et al 2008). Comparison of the groups survival rates, adjusted for patient age, showed that all kidney transplant patients survived longer than hemodialysis patients (p Thirty-two outpatient hemodialysis providers in the United States voluntarily reported 3699 adverse events to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) during 2006 (Klevens et al 2008). Among the 599 isolates reported, 461 (77%) represented access-associated blood stream infections in patients with central lines, and 138 (23%) were in patients with fistulas or grafts (Klevens et al 2008). The microorganisms most frequently identified were common skin contaminants (e.g., coagulase-negative staphylococci) (Klevens et al 2008). Hepatitis C (HCV) among maintenance hemodialysis patients has limited data on the incidence and prevalence. According to Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis (2007 p 360): In 2002, 63% of dialysis centers tested patients for anti-HCV, and 11.5% reported having (symbol) 1 patient who became anti-HCV positive in 2002. The incidence rate in 2002 was 0.34% among centers that tested for anti-HCV, the prevalence of anti-HCV among patients was 7y.8%, a decrease of 25.7% since 1995. In the facilities that tested, the reported incidence was 0.34% and the prevalence3 was 7.8%. Only 11.5% of dialysis facilities reported newly acquired HCV infection among their patients. The most efficient transmission of HCV is through direct percutaneous exposure to blood, central to the epidemiology of HCV transmission is the infected patient (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007 p 360). Staff members in hemodialysis clinics have similar rates of infection as other healthcare workers, between 1-2% (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007). The risk factors of HCV infection in hemodialysis clinics include blood transfusion from unscreened donors and the number of years the patient has undergone hemodialysis treatment (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007). The years of hemodialysis treatment is an independent risk factor that is strongly associated with high HCV infection rates, where the time of hemodialysis treatment increases the prevalence of HCV infection (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007). Patients undergoing hemodialysis for less than five years have a 12% chance of infection, while patients receiving dialysis for more than 5 years have a 37% chance of infection (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007). Dialysis related HCV outbreak research is indicative that HCV transmission occurs due to inadequate infection control practices of supplies and machinery (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007). During hemodialysis, monitors such as the venous pressure monitor is used to as a protective system against external blood loss, wh ere blood may leak through clamps on infusion lines (Horl et al 2004). Pressure of the leak is sense through an air-filled tube that connects the venous bubble to the monitor, which senses the pressure of the blood flow; however blood losses up to 40 ml/min may be undetectable by the sensor equipment (Horl et al 2004). Cross-contamination during invasive practices occurs when blood enters the air-filled tube and contacts the monitoring machinery where the pressure protectors are inserted into the line or connective areas (Horl et al 2004). Hydrophobic and impermeable flexible membranes used may become wetted with blood, and thus pressure changes are not transmitted to the sensor and the monitor itself does not function accordingly, indicating that cross contamination may have occurred (Horl et al 2004). The CDC reported three outbreaks of HCV infection from 1999-2000 for patients in chronic hemodialysis centers (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007). Cross contamination opportunities were the common indicator of infection, where observations of cross contamination included: Equipment and supplies that were not disinfected between patient use (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007 p 360). Use of common medication carts to prepare and distribute medications at patient stations (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007 p 360). Sharing of multidose vials, which were placed at patients stations on the top of the hemodialysis machine (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007 p 360). Contaminated priming buckets that were not routinely changed or cleaned and disinfected between patients (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007 p 360). Machines surfaces that were not routinely cleaned and disinfected between patients (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007 p 360). Blood spills that were not cleaned up promptly (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007 p 360). The sharing of multidose vials or injectable medications has been a source of high cross contamination. According to Finelli (et al 2002 p 58: â€Å"In 2002, 52.8% of centers reported that medications from multidose vials were drawn into syringes in preparation for patient administration in a dedicated medication room or an area separate from the treatment area, 24.6% reported that medications were prepared on a medication cart or a medication area within the treatment area, 3.7% at the dialysis station, and 18.9% in other areas. In 2002, the incidence of HBV infection was significantly higher among patients in centers where injectable medications were prepared on a medication cart or medication area located in the treatment area compared to a dedicated medication room (Table 13). However, the incidence of HCV infection was not significantly different by location where injectable medications were prepared. The incidence of HBV results are of particular concern because all medications, supplies, and equipment for HBsAg-positive patients should be dedicated for their use and not used by HBV-susceptible patients. Outbreaks of HBV infection have occurred when multipledose medication vials were available in the treatment area and used for both infected and susceptible patients, although isolation procedures for HBsAg-positive patients were in place for equipment and other supplies. To avoid contamination in the general hemodialysis population, medications should be prepared in a centralized area separate from the treatment area, and supplies and equipment should be shared only if they are disinfected between patients.† Furthermore, in dialysis centers where multiple infections clustered around timeframe a common exposure event is suggested as being likely due to supply carts moved from station to station which carried clean supplies and blood contaminated items such as biohazard containers, sharps disposal containers, and other containers contaminated or used to contain patients blood (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007). Due to the cross contamination opportunities and incidences, it is recommended that routine testing of hemodialysis patients for anti-HCV occur on admission and reoccur every six months (Bennett, Brachman and Jarvis 2007). HIV patients often undergo hemodialysis over other options of dialysis therapy when they are in advanced stages of the disease, as hemodialysis has lowered incidences of protein loss and peritonitis (Henrich 2003). Hemodialysis is also preferred over CAPD for patience with cognitive motor dysfunction (Henrich 2003). However, concerns of transmission of HIV infection during hemodialysis in clinical dialysis units exist as patient to patient, patient to staff, and staff to patient risks of cross contamination (Henrich 2003). The risks of HIV transmission from patient to patient is extremely unlikely in dialysis units that conform to the practice guidelines recommended by the CDC† (Henrich 2003 p 341). The CDC examines that individual dialysis units had no HIV nosocomial transmissions for patients undergoing hemodialysis treatments in clinical settings (Henrich 2003). Furthermore, a study of multiple dialysis centers across the USA found no instances of HIV seroconversion over a 48 week period (Henrich 2003). Thus there is a negligible risk of HIV transmission, and therefore HIV patients do not require dedicated machines or isolation while undergoing hemodialysis when the clinicians follow the CDC guidelines (Henrich 2003). HIV has not been shown to be transmittable through hemodialysis machines as the pore size of dialyzer membrane is between 1 and 7 nm, and the HIV virus is 105 nm (Henrich 2003). The use of the same dialysis machine between HIV positive and negative patients is not correlated with the transmission of HIV in the clinical setting, provided that disinfection procedures for dialyzers and dialysis machines are followed for both non-HIV positive and HIV positive patien ts (Henrich 2003). It is important to note that when the disinfection and cross contamination procedures are ignored, HIV outbreaks in dialysis clinics can occur (Henrich 2003). This is represented by recent outbreaks of HIV in Columbia, Argentina, and Egypt hemodialysis clinics. In Columbia it was found that the transmission of HIV was due to the cross contamination of dialysis access needles and sharing of inadequately disinfected site access needles (Henrich 2003). In Argentina the cross use of filters and multidose heparin vials was shown to be the likeliest reason for the transmission of HIV (Henrich 2003). In Egypt, syringes were used for more than one patient, allowing the cross contamination to occur (Henrich 2003). While HIV patient to patient transmission has not occurred in Westernized clinics, it is imperative that adequate procedures for dialyzer and dialysis access devices are continuously utilized as a precautionary and preventative method (Henrich 2003). For healthcare workers, patient to staff transmission is a high concern. Interestingly, only one incidence of patient to staff HIV transmission has been recorded in the United States, which occurred through a needlestick injury (Henrich 2003). Yet risk still exists, where research statistics show reported incidences of 5 needlestick exposures and 28 skin and mucous membrane exposures for every 10,000 dialyses. (Henrich 2003 p 320) However, only one instance of HIV seroconversion due to patient to staff transmission has been reported by the CDC, but that should not diminish the risk that HIV transmission can occur, most likely due to needlestick injuries in hemodialysis clinics (in peritoneal dialysis, it may occur through improper handling of PD effluent) (Henrich 2003). Staff to patient transmission is also a concern. According to Henrich: To date, there have been no reports of transmission of HIV from a health care worker to a patient in a dialysis setting. There are other important issues in dialysis units that accept patients with HIV infection. Patients with HIV infection are prone to infection with myobacterium tuberculosis. In contrast to HIV, M. tuberculosis infection is an aerosol-transmitted infection, and, therefore, precautions to prevent the spread of this infection to other patients should be taken. Importantly, M. tuberculosis infections among HIV infected patients are often multidrug resistant. Nosocomial transmission of multidrug tuberculosis has been described. In addition to tuberculosis, HIV infected patients are at increased risk of other communicable infections. Appropriate precautions should be observed to protect other patients in the dialysis facility and the staff caring for these patients. (Henrich 2003 p 342). Nontuberculosis mycobacterial (NTM) infections are a concern for all hemodialysis patients, particularly in clinics that practice the reuse of dialysis machinery (Nissenson and Fine 2005). NTMs have a predilection to colonization in water utilized for hemodialyzer reprocessing, where the CDC examined 115 dialysis centers in 1988 (Nissenson and Fine 2005). NTM recovery from water was found in 83% of these centers and 50% of all water samples of these centers (Nissenson and Fine 2005). An outbreak in Loiusiana that occurred in 1985 was due to inadequate sterilization of hemodialysis equipment, where 27 patients became infected with mycobacterium chelonei, 14 patients died over a one year period (Nissenson and Fine 2005). Similar outbreaks have occurred over the last twenty years, where bacterial contamination of reprocessed dialyzers was the main culprit (Nissenson and Fine 2005). No bactermias were found in patients who used only new dialyzers (Nissenson and Fine 2005). In a 1995 repo rt, an outbreak of klebsiella pneumoniae bactermia was shown to be due to cross contamination (Nissenson and Fine 2005). These incidences are attributed to failure to adequately use aseptic techniques during the reprocessing of dialyzers used by patients with bacteremia infections, thus allowing the contaminated dialyzers to spread to other patients in the hemodialysis clinics (Nissenson and Fine 2005). Viral infection has been the main epidemiologic concern in the hemodialysis units; however, bacterial infection is responsible for more than 30% of all causes of morbidity and mortality in Portuguese hemodialysis patients, vascular access infection being the culprit in 73% of all bacteremias (Ponce et al 2007). A prospective multicenter cohort study of bacterial infections incidence, conducted from January to July 2004 in five hemodialysis units, to record and track bacterial infections, using a validated database from CDC’s Dialysis Surveillance Network Program (Ponce et al 2007). The results are surmised: 4,501 patient-months (P-M) were surveyed, being dialyzed through a native fistula (AVF) in 60.6%, a graft (PTFE) in 31.3%, a tunneled catheter (TC) in 7.6%, and a transient catheter (C) in 0.5%. 166 hospitalisations were registered as target events and 182 intravenous antibiotic courses were assessed (Ponce et al 2007). Of these 182 antibiotic treatments, 47.8% included van comycin, only 30% had blood cultures drawn pretreatment, and only 36% were positive. The research found 98 infections at the vascular access site and 2.13 infections at other sites. The isolated microorganisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis in 40.1%, Staphylococcus aureus in 30.1%, Pseudomonas in 13.3%, and Escherichia coli in 3.3% (Ponce et al 2007). Researchers found that the number of target events and the bacterial infections incidence were remarkably homogeneous in the five Portuguese centers (Ponce et al 2007). The research concluded with the following major points: (1) High incidence of bacterial infections, causing major morbidity; (2) infectious risk is vascular access type-dependent, with dramatic rise in catheters; (3) underutilization of blood cultures to orient diagnosis and therapy, and (4) high rates of vancomycin prescription (Ponce et al 2007 p 136). Cetin (et al 2007) compared microbial findings and their resistance to antibiotics between hemodialysis patients and patients without end-stage renal failure with diabetic foot infections. An 18-month-long descriptive study analyzed bacterial isolates obtained from 32 hemodialysis (HD) patients with diabetic foot infection in an Antakya hemodialysis center and 65 patients with diabetic foot infection admitted to the Education and Research Hospital of Mustafa Kemal University, Turkey (Cetin et al 2007). The occurrence of gram-positive bacteria in the hemodialysis patients was found to be 59.0%, this rate in the other patients was 53.1% (Cetin et al 2007). The frequent bacterial species isolated in the hemodialysis patients were S. aureus (22.9%), followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. (CNS) (19.7%), the microorganisms in the other patients were found as CNS (20.7%), followed S. aureus (18.0%) (Cetin et al 2007). The researches recommend that antibiotic therapy in HD patien ts with diabetic foot infection should be more closely guided by culture findings and antimicrobial susceptibility results (Cetin et al 2007). Patient’s exposure to dialyzer reprocessing allows for a potential for blood borne bacterial infections to occur, where the majority of NTM infections are due to the improper reprocessing techniques (Nissenson and Fine 2005). In recent history, there have been few indications of invasive infections from reprocessed dialyzers; however there are no current and reliable estimates of infection risk attributed to dialyzer reuse in hemodialysis (and other dialysis) clinics (Nissenson and Fine 2005). Standardization of reprocessing techniques has resulted in acceptably low risk of bacterial infections of modern dialyzer reuse (Nissenson and Fine 2005). Infection control practices in hemodialysis units reduce the risk of patient to patient transmissions through directly or indirectly contaminated devices (Mayhall 2004). Devices may include equipment, supplies, environment surfaces (floors, tables), and the personnel’s hands (Mayhall 2004). Practices should be routinely carried out for all patients in the hemodialysis units as there is increased potential for blood contamination during hemodialysis, where many patients undergoing hemodialysis are colonized or infected with pathogens (Mayhall 2004). Practices established for infection control include stringent measures for the prevention of HBV due to the ability of HBV to survive on surfaces and contaminate dialysis machines (Mayhall 2004). Patients with increased risk for transmission of pathogens such as antimicrobial resistant strains may require additional precautions such as dedicated (non-reuse) dialyzers (Mayhall 2004). Infection surveillance and other events is importa nt to monitor the infection control practices and ensure their effectiveness (Mayhall 2004). Chronic hemodialysis patients should have routine HBV and HCV infection tests and these tests should be reviewed promptly (Mayhall 2004). This allows the facility to identify potential cross contaminations before they result in an epidemic, allowing for proper infection control measures and possible staff retraining based on the test results (Mayhall 2004). It is important to note that test results must be communicated to other units of the facility when patients are moved for care, for example a HCV positive patient moves from hemodialysis to ICU allowing for better patient care (Mayhall 2004): Routine HCV testing should include use of both a screening immunoassay to test for anti-HCV and supplemental or confirmatory testing with an additional, more specific assay. Use of NAT for HCV RNA as the primary test for routine screening is not recommended, because few HCV infections will be identified in anti-HCV negative patients. However, if alanine amino-transferae levels are persistently abnormal in anti-HCV negative patients in the absence of another etiology, testing for HCV RNA should be considered. Blood samples collected for NAT should not contain heparin, which interferes with the accurate performance of this assay (Mayhall 2004 p 1152) Procedures for cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization for infection control in a hemodialysis center are important to reduce cross contamination, and do not differ greatly from those in other health care settings. However, the uniqueness of the hemodialysis setting allows for higher potentials for blood contamination due to the routine vascular system access that increases the potential for cross contamination of blood borne pathogens (Mayhall 2004). Critical medical items that require stronger disinfection and disposal techniques include needles and catheters and other equipment that requires invasive procedures (Mayhall 2004). Semicritical equipment includes those that come in contact with the mucous membranes, such as endoscopes (Mayhall 2004). Noncritical equipment is that which comes into contact with the skin, such as blood pressure cuffs. Hemodialysis units should maintain infection control policies that prevent cross contamination based on these critical levels to ensure t hat infection potential is reduced (Mayhall 2004). Specifically related to needles as critical medical equipment in the hemodialysis unit, the CDC issued the following statement regarding infection control and cross contamination: â€Å"To prevent transmission of both bacteria and bloodborne viruses in hemodialysis settings, CDC recommends that all single-use injectable medications and solutions be dedicated for use on a single patient and be entered one time only. Medications packaged as multidose should be assigned to a single patient whenever possible. All parenteral medications should be prepared in a clean area separate from potentially contaminated items and surfaces. In hemodialysis settings where environmental surfaces and medical supplies are subjected to frequent blood contamination, medication preparation should occur in a clean area removed from the patient treatment area. Proper infection control practices must be followed during the preparation and administration of injected medications. This is consistent with official CDC recommendations for infection control precautions in hemodialysis and other health-care settings. Health departments and other public health partners should be aware of the n ew CMS conditions for ESRD facilities. All dialysis providers are advised to follow official CDC recommendations regarding Standard Precautions and infection control in dialysis settings. Specifically, CDC has recommended the following: ‘Intravenous medication vials labeled for single use, including erythropoietin, should not be punctured more than once. Once a needle has entered a vial labeled for single use, the sterility of the product can no longer be guaranteed’. (MMWR 2008:875-876). Environmental surfaces that are frequently touched, such as equipment and tables, should be cleaned after each patients hemodialysis procedure with a detergent or detergent germicide (Mayhall 2004). This cleaning step is imperative to preventing cross contamination, but may be often overlooked. The cleaning process interrupts the cross contamination and transmission routes, and should be completed each time the equipment is used (Mayhall 2004). Patient to patient transmission of viruses and pathogens through the hemodialysis machine and its various components is an environmental risk, where the external surfaces such as the control pane and attached waste containers used for priming, as well as blood tubes and other items such as dialyzer caps and medication vials that may come into contact with the machine surfaces are all potential vehicles for cross contamination (Alter et al 2001). Microorganisms, including resistant bacterial spores, are killed by sterilization. The procedures for sterilization are generally steam cleaning or ethylene oxide gas used on critical medical equipment. However for equipment that is heat sensitive, FDA approved liquid chemicals can be used according to the manufacturer’s directions and with appropriate exposure timeframes (Alter et al 2001). High-level disinfectant may kill viruses and bacteria, but is not adequate for killing bacterial spores that exist in high numbers (Alter et al 2001). High-level disinfection includes heat pasteurization and chemical sterilants (also must be FDA-approved). The sterilants and high-level disinfectants can be used on medical devices, but not on environmental surfaces (Alter et al 2001). For environmental surfaces, the CDC recommends intermediate-level disinfectants that kill bacteria and most viruses (Alter et al 2001). This includes tuberculocidal hospital disinfectant and diluted bleach. Lo w-level disinfectants such as general purpose cleaners kill most bacteria and are designed for environmental surfaces, these can also be used on noncritical medical devices in accordance with manufacturer’s labels (Alter et al 2001). It is important to note that antiseptics such as chlorhexidene and iodine are designed for use on skin and are ineffective for cleaning medical equipment and environmental surfaces (Alter et al 2001). Prior to disinfection and sterilization, it is imperative that hemodialysis clinics support the use of germicidal detergents (Alter et al 2001). Germicidal detergents remove organic material such as blood and feces, as well as dirt and debris (Alter et al 2001). Dirt, debris, and organic material act as a protective shield for microorganisms by blocking or inactivating disinfectants and sterilants (Alter et al 2001). Therefore, hemodialysis clinics must add germicidal detergents to their cleaning and sterilization regimens (Alter et al 2001). Training and education of staff and patients is underlined as the most imperative component to ensuring the quality of infection control practices. Chronic hemodialysis clinics should update practices and policies to ensure that they are implemented and rigorously followed, where efforts should center on the education of new staff members and continuing education for tenured staff. Emphatically, hemodialysis units should consult CDC recommendations and approved practices to ensure that they are following the most appropriate and up to date infection control procedures. Staffs working in renal units are frequently unaware of the level of microbiologic contamination in their dialysis fluid arising from the presence of biofilm in the dialysis machines and the water distribution network (Hoenich and Levin 2003). Bacterial fragments generated by such biofilms are able to cross the dialysis membrane and stimulate an inflammatory response in the patient (Hoenich and Levin 2003). Such inflammation has been implicated in the mortality and morbidity associated with dialysis (Hoenich and Levin 2003). The desire to improve treatment outcomes has led to the application of more stringent standards for the microbiologic purity of dialysis fluid and to the introduction of ultraclean dialysis fluid into clinical practice (Hoenich and Levin 2003). Other researchers found that blood exposure is common for healthcare workers in hemodialysis, requiring the use of gloves when in contact with patients and patient equipment followed by appropriate hand washing techniques. Researchers examined staff members from a sample of 45 US hemodialysis facilities though anonymous survey questionnaires. The results show that of the 420 (69%) responses as: registered nurses, 41%; dialysis technicians, 51%; and licensed practical nurses, 8%. Only 35% of all respondents reported that dialysis patients were at risk for blood borne virus infections, and only 36% reported always following recommended hand hygiene and glove use practices (Shimokura et al 2006). Technicians, over registered nurses, reported more frequent compliance and measures for cross contamination prevention (Shimokura et al 2006). Compliance with recommended hand hygiene and glove use practices by hemodialysis staff was very low, and understanding of the reasons for compliance is seemingly ignored by some licensed nurses (Shimokura et al 2006). Infection control practices specific to the hemodialysis setting, and the reasons for these practices, was poorly understood by all staff (Shimokura et al 2006). This underlines that infection control training should be tailored to this setting and should address misconceptions of cross contamination and the risks of infections (Shimokura et al 2006). In one case of staff education, researchers reported an increase in Gram Negative Bacillus (GNB) infection in patients with long term catheters (LTC) (Mayor et al 2005). An objective was set to design an action plan and a new working methodology in order to eradicate the infection and the cause (Mayor et al 2005). Three periods were established in the prospective follow-up of LTC patients: the pre-epidemic period (01/94 to 03/99), with a bacteraemia every 144 days per patient, the epidemic period (04/99 to 12/00) with a bacteraemia every ten days per patient, and the post-epidemic period (01/01 to 04/02) (Mayor et al 2005). A multidisciplinary working group was established, which produced action plans for nursing and technical staff (Mayor et al 2005). The working methodology of the service was studied and analysed by means of a review (Mayor et al 2005). The dialysis and connector cultures were positive for GNB, confirming that they were of the same genetic origin (Mayor et al 2005) . An evaluation of the periods was carried out, studying the working methodology, to which no changes were made between the pre-epidemic and epidemic period (Mayor et al 2005). In the post-epidemic period, a number of changes were made to the care dynamic, with no other bacteraemia arising to date (Mayor et al 2005). Adapting and improving protocols is a good indicator of quality. The role of nursing staff communication, education, training and practices are vital in prevention of GNB (Mayor et al 2005). At Sentara Bayside (SBH), Leigh (SLH), Norfolk General (SNGH) and Virginia Beach General (SVBGH) Dialysis Units, researchers examined the ability of hemodialysis clinical areas of each hospital according to The JCs National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) knowledge of Standards of Care/ANNA (Grier-Smith 2008). The research found that staff is able to articulate standards and requirements, where monthly and hourly rounds at each unit occur as well as peer to peer unit evaluations and daily huddles prior to work day based on behavior based expectations, the environment of care, and constant daily checks and balances (Grier-Smith 2008). The adherence to peer to peer communications, behavior support, and team work has been instrumental in supporting staff ability in the hemodialysis clinics to maintain strong positive scores in knowledge of standards of care, this underlines the importance of staff training and education that is continuously supportive of behaviors associated with lowering i nfection risks and

Managing Oneself By Peter F Drucker Management Essay

Managing Oneself By Peter F Drucker Management Essay In his article, Managing Oneself, Peter F. Drucker establishes the correlation between success and self-awareness. Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves, their strengths, their values, and how they best perform. We will be able to achieve results, remain competitive and be successful by knowing our strengths and limitations. Furthermore, by knowing our strengths and limitations, we can position ourselves where we can best contribute and excel within the organization. Drucker suggests a self-assessment using the following questions. What Are My Strengths? Learning more about our strengths can be done through feedback analysis, and also by comparing expectations versus results. Knowing what our strengths are will allow us to maximize our potential in areas in which we can excel, instead of wasting time trying to cultivate skills in areas of little or no proficiencies. Knowing our strengths will let us determine where we belong. How Do I Perform? The way we perform is a matter of personality. Everyone performs differently and how we perform is unique. Recognizing if we are a reader or a listener, as well as, identifying how we learn, can help us find out how we perform. Understanding how we perform is essential to prevent wasting time and effort in trying to change the way we learn and operate. Instead, it is far more advantageous to improve our performance and try not to take on work we cannot perform well or perform at all. What Are My Values? To work in an organization whose value system is unacceptable or incompatible with ones own condemns a person both to frustration and to non-performance. People and organizations have values. In order to perform well or be effective in an organization, both the values of the organization and the individual must be close enough so they can co-exist. Value conflicts can result in frustration and poor or non-performance; therefore, values should be a primary focus in situations in where personal values are not in sync with an organizations. Where Do I Belong? Knowing our strengths, how we perform and our values can help us answer the question, where do we belong. This is important because by knowing where we belong, we can place ourselves where we can make the greatest contributions within the organization. It also can help us to select the tasks and responsibilities in which we are more likely to excel based on what we know about our strengths, performance and values. What Should I Contribute? Or what should my contributions be? Contributions to our organizations should make a difference for the better. Its results should be visible and measurable. In addtion, contributions should be based on our given strengths, performance and values, and follow a course of action: what to do, where and how to start, and what goals and deadlines to set. Managing oneself requires a high degree of self control, self awareness and social skills. Since we are all part of society, we all should be aware of our relationship responsibilities. This is recognizing that an organizations composition includes people with different values, strengths and performance levels, knowing them will help us work better with others and accomplish more. With regard to relationship responsibilities, it is also important to take responsibility for communication. Effective communication helps to build consensus, increasing efficiency and building trust. Through effective communication, we can learn and understand members of our organizations to ensure we are in sync to achieve our goals and provide our greatest contributions to our firms and society. What Leaders Really Do By John P. Kotter In his article, What Leaders Really Do, Kotter establishes the difference between managing and leading. The key distinction he makes is that management involves coping with complexity and leadership has to do with coping with change. Good management brings a degree of order and consistency to key dimensions like the quality and profitability of products. According to Kotter, managers promote stability while leaders press for change, and only organizations that embrace both sides of that contradiction can thrive in turbulent times. Although there are clear differences between managing and leadership, effective leadership cannot be achieved without good management. Management has to do with objectives and results. It does require planning, organizing, leading and controlling. An effective manager will find or will administer the necessary technical and human resources to get things done effectively; this is, with the lowest cost and in the fastest time. Leadership, in contrast, has to do with the social aspect of managing. In our organizations, leaders set up the direction and vision. A manager will make sure to plan accordingly and direct the necessary resources to follow the direction or vision of our leaders in their organization. Kotter also lists the following as activities that leaders dont do; They dont make plans, they dont solve problems, they dont even organize people. What leaders really do is prepare organizations for change and help them cope as they struggle through it. Leaders inspire change and prepare organizations to manage change. However, based on my work experience, I disagree with the author on the idea that leaders dont plan, solve problems or that they dont organize One can argue that a leader may not has the same level of involvement as a middle manager or supervisor in performing these activities; however effective leaders do have to make plans, resolve problems and organize even move people. The degree of contribution of a leader carrying out these actions will depend on the type of leader they are, the situation they are in and organization they are leading. Another idea that is presented in this article is that leadership has nothing to do with having charisma or other exotic personal ity traits. Although it is true that being charismatic is not a requirement to be a leader, it has been demonstrated by many studies and theories that a charismatic leader has a positive effect on their followers. People want to be led by these individuals They inspire and motivate, which in turn makes it easier for a leader to effectively influence others to act or change and work toward achieving the leaders vision. After all, this is the very essence of effective leadership, to inspire and influence others to act and change. What makes a leader? By Daniel Goleman The term emotional intelligence was introduced by Daniel Goleman in 1995. In his research at nearly 200 large global companies, he found that in addition to intellectual abilities and technical skills, effective leaders are alike in having a high degree of emotional intelligence. The five components of emotional intelligence are: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. The first three components of emotional intelligence are self-management skills, the last two have to do with the persons ability to manage relationships with others. Why emotional intelligence is so important for leaders? Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation: The ability to recognize, understand and control our emotions plays an important role in decision making in business. People who know how their feelings and impulses affect them and affect others, can make better decisions and can adapt to changes more easily. Motivation: Effective leaders are driven to achieve. Their passion goes beyond money and status. Motivation ensures organizational commitment and plays a role in the levels of optimism within the organization. Empathy: Carefully consider employees feelings along with other factors in decision making. People feel better when they are led by someone who cares and understands them. Empathy impacts productivity and effectiveness in team work and in retaining talent. Social Skills: Knowing that in business, as well as, in many other professional fields, nothing important is accomplished individually. Using effective interpersonal skills and networking allows leaders to effectively get the job done through others. In the organizations in which I have been a member of, emotional intelligence has made the difference between effective and ineffective leaders. On many occasions, high technical and intellectual skills of managers have not been enough to make them effective in their efforts to lead teams or the organization in general. In contrast, managers and CEOs who seem to know themselves well, understand and control their emotions, seem to project their positive attitude and approach onto other members of the organization. They can see the bigger picture in situations of conflict or problems. They remain in control, not allowing their feelings or emotions to interfere with their decision making process, and come up with creative solutions that others within the organization were unable to see (perhaps because they let their feelings and negative thoughts get in the way). They remain optimistic and can efficiently motivate others even in situations when the odds for success seem against them. T hey also show empathy and genuinely care about others; many of them are involved in activities or programs that help their communities or are mentors for their employees. There is consensus in the way they are perceived. Everyone agrees they are people persons with a natural ability to maintain and build relationships in and outside the organization. More than relationships, they establish bonds, partnerships and networks that help to influence to get the job done effectively. More importantly, they seem to always look for the upside or positive side of an issue and make people feel good about being part of the organization, which has a direct effect on productivity and success. They lead by example and treat everyone with respect. For me, these traits and abilities represent what emotional intelligence is and they are as important as technical and intellectual skills in order to lead effectively. Mastering the components of emotional intelligence can make the difference in the effe ctiveness of a leader. What Every Leader Needs to Know About Followers By Barbara Kellerman There is no leader without follower(s). The relationship leader-follower can be described as interdependent. They need each other to exist, and they impact each others actions and behaviors. Many of us share the perception that a follower is someone who willing accepts anothers ideas, vision or assignments, sometimes unconditionally or without questioning the purpose or reason their leader has. Historically, because leaders were in positions of power or authority, followers simply acted as compliant subordinates. According to Barbara Kellerman in her Harvard Business Review article, What Every Leader Needs to Know About Followers, the relationship leaders-followers has changed. A confluence of changes- cultural and technological ones in particular- have influenced what subordinates want and how they behave, especially in relation to their ostensible bosses. The advances in technology and globalization have resulted in less usable power for leaders. Followers now have access to inform ation and tools that were not available to them in the past. The trend in todays business environment is that followers think of themselves and act more as free agents by not being totally dependent on or submissive to their leaders ideas or objectives. More often than not, followers now can challenge leaders decision. For this reason, leaders are now more careful in the way they treat their followers. They are aware that their actions may be subject to scrutiny, not only by their followers, but also by their organization and the society as a whole. Additionally, because power is now shared in most modern organizations, leaders look for followers feedback and support. At the same time, followers can impact a leaders behavior. For example, they can withhold support from a bad leader and support good ones, or organize themselves to pursue an objective that challenges or blocks their leaders action. Just as there are different types of leaders, there are different types of followers. In general, having high technical skills, knowledge and emotional intelligence are associated with being a good leader. Leaders and followers have similar traits or characteristics; their differences are related to their behaviors and roles. In my personal experience, good followers challenge their leaders. With their knowledge and use of available information, they invest time in making judgments about their leaders. They also contribute to a cause or organization with their engagement and passion. Good followers also actively support a leader who is effective and ethical, and will actively oppose an ineffective or unethical lerader. Good leaders are essential for successful businesses. At the same time, good followers have a direct impact on strengthening their leaders actions through their support or weakening their leaders to their lack thereof.

Vouchers and School Choice - First Step Towards a Discriminatory Educa

School Vouchers:Â   The First Step Towards a Discriminatory Educational System On November 9, 1998, Jennifer Marshall, Education Policy Analyst for the Family Research Council, declared in a press statement: "Parental choice in education just got a green light from the Supreme Court." Her statement came as a response to the decision made the same day by the Supreme Court to deny a petition for a writ of certiorari in Jackson v. Benton, a case in Wisconsin which challenges the constitutionality of vouchers in public education. By refusing to take this case, the Supreme Court lets a decision made in the state supreme court stand, in which the court upheld the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program as constitutional. The United States Supreme Court voted almost unanimously to deny cert, indicating either that they agree with the Wisconsin court's decision or that the case is not worthy of their time or consideration, or both. (Neither the lone dissenter, Justice Stephen Breyer, nor the 8-justice majority released any explanations of their actions.) Legally, their choic e not to hear the case sends a passive but clear message: vouchers in public schools are valid under the Constitution of the United States. However, questions remain surrounding the particulars of the Wisconsin program, as well as the larger questions over the concept of vouchers in general. One that is raised is: Can the government in good faith sanction the removal of children from the public schools, at its own expense and at the expense of the children who remain in those public schools? The Court has been strangely inconsistent in its treatment of voucher cases. In 1973, The Court found that vouchers for religious schools violated the establishment clause, but ... ...The reasons given for extant voucher programs are admirable; what decent-minded society could object to giving disadvantaged students a greater chance? The fundamental problem with voucher programs is that they only treat the symptom, and in the process create a whole new community of disadvantaged children. By refusing to review Jackson v. Benton, the Supreme Court is simply ignoring a question the justices will soon be forced to answer: do voucher programs violate the Constitution on grounds other than the separation of church and state? It is a question they will have to consider thoroughly for its ideological, sociological, and political implications. A vote in favor of voucher programs will give the go-ahead to a construction that could lead to nothing more than an educational model of residential urban sprawl, separating the desirables from the undesirables.

Dont Concentrate on Camps Essay -- essays research papers

Don’t Concentrate on Camps   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A concentration camp can be defined as a camp were particular people are confined or detained for a period of time, although ironically the term death camp is commonly used as a synonym. Between the years of 1942 and 1945 the German Nazi Party initiated concentration camps for all Jews and other peoples that were considered by Adolf Hitler to be inferior. This is a commonly known fact, although extensive knowledge is limited to most people. The majority of concentration camps established have been used for the containing and eventual extermination of its prisoners. Camps have been located all over the world for many different reasons. Survivors (though rare) do exist and always have gruesome, life altering stories kept away in there souls. Undoubtedly Auschwitz in Poland is the most well known camp, but the future existence of concentration camps in the United States has even been discussed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although one of the first uses of concentration camps was by Britain in 1899 against the Boerevolk people, Adold Hitler took them to extreme during World War II (Berwick 85). The first concentration camps of the 1930’s were simply meant to hold political enemy’s of the Nazi state such as Communists and Socialists, but eventually, bigger camps were created for the extermination of inferior groups and races (Swiebocka 1). The original intention of concentration camps was not specifically to murder mass numbers of people although that was though of as a plus side. In his raging insanity Adolf Hitler molded the concept of concentration camps from containment to extermination. Hitler located his primary concentration extermination camps in Poland focusing on six main camps, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec, Chelmno, Majdanek-Lublin, Sobibor, and Treblinka (Sheehan 6). In these camps alone over 2,700,000 Jews were murdered, along with tens of thousands of Gypsies, Soviet prisoners of war, Poles, and others (Sheehan7). The prisoners in these camps died from many different causes. Some simply died from starvation and illness, others were told to â€Å"dig a hole† and then when they finished were shot only to fall inside there own grave. Most were sent to gas chambers to be chemically destroyed. Nazi guards would give the prisoners a small piece of soap and tell them to go into a designated room and â€Å"s... ...exico border, they would immediately be under containment. Supposedly there intention is strictly precautionary, but could the United States actually be considering using them in the future? After all, the government has showed in the past its ability to imprison a group of peoples. During World War II the United States Government demanded that all Japanese Americans be put into concentration camps for holding until the end of the war. They did not intend to kill anyone, although some did die, the U.S. was simply attempting to protect itself against any further Japanese attacks. Concentration camps were used then, and if necessary they could be used again. The origin of concentration camps was simply to hold a group of dangerous peoples. Adolf Hitler obliterated this idea and created his own version of concentration camps to exterminate the Jews and all other inferior people. Auschwitz will remain in infamy as the most horrifying place on earth, and its survivors will forever be scarred. Unfortunately the future might hold concentration camps for American again if it becomes necessary, but honestly, the world will be a better place when concentration upon camps desists forever.

Chapter 11 Problems

I. Payback period computation; even cash flows Compute the payback period for each of the following two separate investments (round the payback period to two decimals): 1. A new operating system for an existing machine is expected to cost $260,000 and have a useful life of five years. The system yields an incremental after-tax income of $75,000 each year after deducting its straight-line depreciation. The predicted salvage value of the system is $10,000. Payback period=Cost of investment/ Annual net cash flow =$260,000/ $125,000 =2. 08 years Annual depreciation= $260,000 -$10,000 / 5 = $50,000 Annual after tax income $75,000 Depreciation 50,000 Annual net cash flow$125,000 2. A machine costs $190,000, has a $10,000 salvage value, is expected to last nine years, and will generate an after-tax income of $30,000 per year after straight-line depreciation. Payback period=Cost of investment/ Annual net cash flow =$190,000/ $50,000 =3. 8 years Annual depreciation= $190,000 -$10,000 / 9 = $2 0,000 Annual after tax income $30,000 + Depreciation 20,000 Annual net cash flow$50,000 II. Payback period computation; uneven cash flows Wenro Company is considering the purchase of an asset for $90,000. It is expected to produce the following net cash flows.The cash flows occur evenly throughout each year. Compute the payback period for this investment. Part of year= Amount paid back in year 4/ Net cash flows in year 4 = $10,000 / $60,000 = 0. 167 Payback period=3 + 0. 167 = 3. 1367 years = 3yrs 2 mos. III. Accounting Rate of Return A machine costs $500,000 and is expected to yield an after-tax net income of $15,000 each year. Management predicts this machine has a 10-year service life and a $100,000 salvage value, and it uses straight-line depreciation. Compute this machine’s accounting rate of return. Average investment=$500,000 + $100,000 / 2 $300,000 Accounting rate of return=$15,000 / $300,000 = 5% IV. Computing Net Present Value K2B Company is considering the purchase of equipment that would allow the company to add a new product to its line. The equipment is expected to cost $240,000 with a 12-year life and no salvage value. It will be depreciated on a straight-line basis. The company expects to sell 96,000 units of the equipment’s product each year. The expected annual income related to this equipment follows. K2B concludes that the investment must earn at least an 8% return. Compute the net present value of this investment. Round the net present value to the nearest dollar. ) Net cash flows from net income 1. Payback period=$240,000 / $44,500 = 5. 39 years 2. Accounting rate of return=$24,500 / $120,000 = 20. 42% V. Net Present Value Interstate Manufacturing is considering either replacing one of its old machines with a new machine or having the old machine overhauled. Information about the two alternatives follows. Management requires a 10% rate of return on its investments. Alternative 1: Keep the old machine and have it overhauled. If the old machine is overhauled, it will be kept for another five years and then sold for its salvage value. 1.Determine the net present value of alternative 1. Keep the old machine and have it overhauled Alternative 2: Sell the old machine and buy a new one. The new machine is more efficient and will yield substantial operating cost savings with more products being produced and sold. 2. Determine the net present value of alternative 2. Sell the old machine and buy a new one 3. Which alternative do you recommend that management select? Explain. Interstate should keep the old machine and overhaul it. The cost savings and additional revenue generated on the new machine are not enough to overcome the high initial cost of the new machine.

Understand Procedures For Res

Also it would put my colleagues at risk of becoming ill so more staff would be off work and they in turn would be taking the illness back to their homes thereby spreading the bug even further. So by making sure hands are thoroughly washed after aiding each service user, wearing the appropriate aprons gloves mask etc I can help prevent spreading any by germs and bugs and by keeping good hygiene I will help keep myself healthy and if I was to become ill to make sure I did not go back to work until I was given the all clear by doing this I will help to keep the service users, work colleagues family and friends from catching any germs. . 3 Explain the most thorough method for hand washing. . Wet hands with hot water. . Apply enough soap and handsaws to cover all hands surfaces.. Rub hands palm alma. . Right palm or the other hand with interlaced fingers and vicar versa.. Palm to palm interlaced. . Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked.. Rotational rubbing of left th umb clasped in right palm and vice versa.. Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa.. Rinse hands with warm water. . Dry thoroughly with towel. Duration of procedure at least 15 seconds. 4. Describe when to use different types of personal protective equipment. . Gloves= when aiding each service user to help prevent the spread of any germs.. Asks= To cover mouth and nose when dealing with the service user who may be ill or have a contagious bug, So I will not catch or help spread the bug.. Goggles= A shield against body fluids, blood, faces, urine. This helps to stop these fluids from getting injured or contaminated.. Aprons= When aiding a service user with washing or personal care, I will keep my clothes clean and I can dispose of apron afterwards so will stop any spread of infection..Shoe covers= If a service user has a contagious so my shoes will not spread any germs through the home. Outcome 5 know how to move and h andle equipment and other objects safely. . 1 Identify legislation that relates to moving and handling. Manual handling operations regulations (MOOR) 1992 amended 1998 Provision and use of work equipment regulations 1992 (POWER) Lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations 1998 (LOWER) 5. 2 List principles for safe moving and handling 1. Plan the move and prepare the environment. 2. Starting position. 3. Lifting effort. 4. Completing the move. Ensure that the object is light enough to lift, is stable and unlikely to shift or move.. Heavy or awkward loads should be moved using a handling aid.. Make sure the route s clear of obstructions. . Stand as close to the load as possible, and spread your feet to shoulder width.. Bend your knees and try and keep the backs natural upright posture.. Grasp the load firmly as close to the body as you can. . Use the legs to lift the load in a smooth motion as this offers more leverage reducing the strain on your back.. Carry the load close t o the body with elbows tucked into the body..Avoid twisting the body as much as possible by turning your feet to position yourself with the load. 5. 3 Explain why it is important for moving and handling tasks to be carried out allowing specialist training. By having the correct training I can lift safely and know how to use the correct equipment for the Job intended and know how and when to use it. By also attending the courses and training my employers are meeting the health and safety regulations to make myself and other staff safe and also the service user is safe during the transfer.If I had not been trained correctly and got injured through lack of training they could be accountable , also they would be putting the service user at risk if I did not know how to assist them correctly. So by having the erect training every body is safe and also we are meeting the policy and procedures of the home. Outcome 6 Understand the principles of assisting and moving an individual. 6. 1 Expl ain why it is important to have specialist training before assisting and moving individual. By having specialist training I can move or assist the service user safely.Also by having the correct training I can use the correct equipment safely needed to assist myself and the service user to be able to move, If I did not have specialist training I could not assist the service user safely and I would not know how o use the equipment correctly or safely. As I will be trained how to fit the equipment trained so I will know how to lift correctly so I will not injure myself, and I will not put the service user at risk. 6. 2 Explain the importance of following an individuals care plan and fully engaging with them when assisting and moving.By reading an individual ‘s care plan I will know the mobility and capabilities of the service user, also what equipment is needed to assist the service user. When I need to assist the service user by talking to the service user and engaging them in t he whole process hey will feel confident about the procedure and in control as the service user will be able to tell me if they are comfortable, and if they are ready to start the movement process, thereby the service user will stay calm and relaxed and in control making the whole process calm and easy for all involved. Outcome 7 know how to handle hazardous substances. . 1 Identify hazardous substances that may be found in the social care settings. 1 Urine 2 Blood 3 Vomit 4 faces 5 cleaning chemicals bleach, sprays, carpet cleaning chemicals. 6 medications 7. 2 Describe safe practices for: Storing hazardous substances= Cleaning chemicals are to be kept in a locked cupboard. Medication can be harmful so these are kept in a medicine cabinet with only authorized personal to have the keys, other medication that needs to be refrigerated will also only be accessed by relevant personnel. Make sure no chemicals are left out unattended if in use.Using hazardous substances= When using hazard ous substances like cleaning fluids, wear the appropriate equipment ‘e: gloves, masks, goggles,and aprons, this will help from getting splash back and stop chemicals getting clothes, skin or in the eyes, this will also apply when aiding a arrive user with their personal care so the career will not get contaminated by urine, vomit, faces, they will keep clean when aiding the service user in washing, dressing, or personal care, the career can on finishing take off the gloves and apron etc and dispose of them safely and therefore prevent any cross contamination or spreading of germs whilst keeping themselves clean. Disposing of hazardous substances; .Sharps- When using a needle make sure you have a sharps box so the needle can be disposed of safely and the nurse/career does not risk the chance of scratching or rocking themselves by carrying the needle around trying to find a sharps box. Make sure it is kept closed when not in use, also to make sure it is not over filled, and when it reaches the full limit that it is taken away and disposed of correctly.. Clinical waste- Pads or soiled clothes or soiled bed linen need to be disposed of safely to prevent cross contamination. Pads need to go into a yellow bag and disposed off in the clinical waste bin this is collected by a company that deals with clinical waste. Load or faces this can be put into a washing machine on a high temperature and after the wash the bag is disposed off safely thereby the soiled linen does not have to be touched by staff or contaminate the other laundry. .Medication- Medication that has been refused or no longer needed must be documented and disposed of in the correct manner ‘e: deposited in a container and sent back to the pharmacy to dispose of correctly. Outcome 8 know environmental safety procedures in the social care setting 8. 1 Outline procedures to be followed in the social care setting to prevent; . Fire= You can prevent fire by first identifying hazards and who could b e at risk. Evaluate them ND take action to reduce them. Record findings and actions and develop a plan.

Compare and Contrast: Claudio and Benedick Essay

Shakespeare’s comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, is a play that follows a small group of friends from a high-class society in Massina. Two of this group are friends are Claudio and Benedick. In the beginning of the play they are seemingly similar, in that they both are of an upper-class upbringing and do their best to maintain their social reputation. The characters are made as to enhance their differences by the end of the play; they are foils to one another. Both Benedick and Claudio find themselves fooled by other characters in the play and have to decide what they are willing to believe is true and what is false, furthermore both characters find love by the end of the play, but which means they use to get there differ. In the beginning of the play Claudio is introduced as an accomplished young military man who has just come back from a successful battle. He claims to be â€Å"in love† with a woman named Hero. Before confronting her about the feelings he has for her, Cl audio asks his friend Benedick to tell him what he personally thinks about Hero. In the hopes that he will confirm that she is in fact as fair and lovely as Claudio thinks she is. â€Å"I pray thee tell me truly how thou lik’st her.† (Much Ado About Nothing 1.1.171-172) The â€Å"love† Claudio feels for Hero is based on the approval of his friends. Claudio goes on to ask, yet another associate, Prince Don Pedro, how he to feels about Hero. Claudio is clearly a shallow minded individual with a limited capacity to think of only a few thoughts occupy his mind at one time. Claudio even makes not of it himself when talking to Benedick about when he first came to love Hero. I look’d upon her with a soldier’s eye, That liked, but had a rougher task in hand Than to drive liking to the name of love: But now I am return’d and that war-thoughts Have left their places vacant, in their rooms Come thronging soft and delicate desires, All prompting me how fair young Hero is, Saying, I liked her ere I went to wars. (Much Ado About Nothing 1.1.289-295) Foil to Claudio is Benedick, an arrogant young man who, also like Claudio, took part in the war and was brought up in a high class society. Benedick is also concerned is his public image. He considers himself a ladies’ man of sorts and does not want to be tied down by any woman and would rather die than be wed because he does not trust women. That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks. But that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me. Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor. (Much Ado About Nothing 1.1.229-237) As if that did not make his point, Benedick goes on to say that he would prefer then to be bound by holy matrimony. He tells his friends that if he ever does anything so ridiculous as to fall in love that as his friends they should shoot him for his follies. â€Å"If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat and shoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapped on the shoulder, and called Adam.† (Much Ado About Nothing 1.1.248-250) Because at this time Benedick truly believes that love is the worst fait for any man. Read Also:  Compare and Contrast Essay Definition In his attempts to find public acceptance, Claudio proves to be easily fooled into believing anything he is told despite obvious lack of proof of what he is being deceived into thinking is true. When approached by Don John the bastard, the brother to Don Pedro and the least trusted person in Messina. Claudio falls for the lie that his friend, Don Pedro, who offered to help Claudio woo Hero has actually planed to woo her for himself, Claudio as gullible as he is believes Don John’s lies. â€Å"Claudio permits the masked Don Pedro, prince of Arragon, to woo Hero in his place but then is misled into believing that the prince has betrayed him and courted Hero for himself.† (Shakespeare’s Comedies 104) Once the treason is proven false Claudio goes right back to being his pleasant self and accepts Hero with no questions asked. â€Å"Lady, as you are mine, I am yours: I give away myself for you and dote upon the exchange.† (Much Ado About Nothing 2.1.304-306) Ben edick is so back and forth with his feelings for Hero it makes his love appear to be very uncertain. After being bombarded by all the recent talk of love from all of his friends, including Claudio, a military man he would have thought would never have let himself be attached to any lady. Benedick begins to wonder if he too might fall for someone, because if a solder like Claudio can be swayed to fall in love, surely Benedick himself could also. He then decides what sort of woman would be able to win his heart. Benedick’s standers are high and very specific. One woman is fair, yet I am well; another is wise, yet I am well; another virtuous, yet I am well; but till all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace. Rich she shall be, that’s certain; wise, or I’ll none; virtuous, or I’ll never cheapen her; fair, or I’ll never look on her; mild, or come not near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good discourse, an excellent musician, and her hair shall be of what colour it please God. (Much Ado About Nothing 2.3.26-35) With the prospect of love already in his mind Benedick becomes a victim of his cohorts plan to fool him into that believing that Beatrice, an equally idealistic character with a witty personality, who Benedick’s friends think would be perfect for him, is in love with him. After hearing how much she loves him, Benedick changes his views entirely. â€Å"a bachelor in words more than sentiment, so that, during his monologue in 2.3, we watched with sympathy and knowing as he persuaded himself, easily, into love.† (Much Ado about Nothing (review) Shakespeare Bulletin 25.3 (2007) 119-122) Skeptical at first, Benedick has a moment of realization as he looks in himself. Through this introspection Benedick leads himself to the conclusions that Beatrice is indeed the perfect match for him and fits his criteria for the only woman that could make him fall in love. â€Å"-’tis so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving me; by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her. I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me, because I have railed so long against marriage† ( Much Ado About Nothing 2.3.228-234) Though his own insight, Benedick changes his whole view about love all together. In conclusion both Claudio and Benedick are deceived at one point or another in believing something that they are told with no real proof, and both find love by the end of the play, but the means by which they find their way to love differs. Benedick’s path is much more liner and though introspection on how he feels about Beatrice. Were Claudio’s path is sways back and forth due to his insecurities and follies. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. New York: Signet Classic, 1998. Print. Vaughn, Jack A. Shakespeare’s Comedies. New York: Fredrick Ungar, 1980. Print. Finlayson, Caitlin. Much Ado about Nothing (review). Shakespeare Bulletin 25.3 (2007). Web. Oct 18, 2011.