Examples Of Green Technology Methods Environmental Sciences Essay

Examples Of Green Technology Methods Environmental Sciences Essay Green technology is a continuously evolving group of methods of using materials that are being disposed of and recycling them to be used for other things that will not harm the environment. Building materials and landscaping are just a couple of things that can be done with waste materials. Things that can be recycled so that we can reuse them for generating energy to nontoxic cleaning products and other non-harmful things-things that could/can be harmful to our planet, ozone, and environment. We need to find things that we can do to help clean up our environment and planet before we totally destroy what is left of it. By using green technology, we can [meet] the needs of society in ways that will continue indefinitely into the future and without damaging or depleting natural resources. (Green technology, 2010) Examples of green technology are energy, green building, environmentally preferred purchasing, green chemistry, and green nanotechnology. All of these resources can keep our planet clean and we will be able to recycle smartly. We will be able to use, then re-use, as needed. As we build and use, we will be able to tear down what we have built and reuse the waste for other things. According to Green-technology.org, here are the definitions of the examples from above: Energy the development of alternative fuels, new means of generating energy and energy efficiency. Green building encompasses everything from the choice of building materials to where a building is located. Environmentally Preferred Purchasing (EPP) government innovation that involves the search for products whose contents and methods of production have the smallest possible impact on the environment and mandates that these be the preferred products for government purchasing. Green-chemistry the invention, design, and application of chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Green nanotechnology the application of green chemistry and green engineering principals in the field of manipulation of materials at the scale of the nanometer (one billionth of a meter). Green energy is the use of alternative energy other than gasoline. One such alternative is ethanol and corn fuels. These burn cleaner than gas and, in todays automobiles these fuels even provide greater fuel mileage. This has been a concern of consumers for a long time. However, in older model cars, these types of fuels do not work and dry out piston rings but car manufacturers are remedying this and designing cars to run on ethanol and corn fuels. This technology is already being used today. Even battery powered cars are on the roads; cars that dont use any type of fuel except battery power. This is another form of green technology. Solar heat and power are another form of energy that is green. Solar heat can be captured to heat water. This type of energy is already being implemented in the world today. Solar panels capture the suns heat and this is used to heat water plus used for power to run lights in homes. Some homes are totally powered by solar panels as are prototype solar cars. Even geothermal energy is used in certain geographical areas of the world to run generators by steam. Wind power also runs many items, including homes that would normally rely on electricity to power lights, appliances, etc. Manyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦fields of wind turbines are being built in areas of the world to take advantage of constant winds to provide economical and sustainable energy. (EzineArticles, 2010, para. 4) Another source of green energy would be the use of a Magnetic Power Generator (MPG). This would produce free energy indefinitely and power a whole house. This device would not cost much to build-not thousands of dollars-and if you are a do it yourself type of person, you could make one for fairly cheap. According to Greendepot.com, Green building practices, as well as the selection of the appropriate building materials, revolve around a few basic principles of science. (Greendepot, 2010). Using recycled materials to build will result in a totally green building with all parts of the building originating from recycled material from the floor to the walls, ceilings, cabinets, and even furniture can be made from recycled material and when old, can be recycled again. Not only can we build from recycled materials but we can do just about anything with those materials from building homes to landscaping. One material that is being used for home building is called Durisol. These are hollow-core blocks [that] are made from mineralized wood shavings and portland cement, stacked into walls then finished with reinforcing steel and concrete. (Greendepot, 2010) Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) helps the federal government buy green and uses the governments buying power to stimulate market demand for green products and services. (epa.gov, 2010) It helps agencies within the federal government comply with green requirements and agencies are directed by federal law and such to purchase things with the environment in mind. The EPA created the EPP in 1993 to help meet the already mentioned requirements. Green chemistry reduces or eliminates the use of hazardous substances. It applies across the life cycle of a chemical product, including its design, manufacture, and use (epa.gov, 2010) It reduces or eliminates negative environmental impact and is an effective approach to pollution prevention because it applies solutions to environmental problems and situations. The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry was originally published by Paul Anastas and John Warner in Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice (Oxford University Press: New York, 1998) and provides a guide for chemists to implement Green Technology (epa.org, 2010). The twelve principles are as follows: Prevention Atom Economy Less Hazardous Chemical Synthesis Designing Safer Chemicals Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries Design for Energy Efficiency Use of Reusable Feedstock Reduce Derivatives Catalysis Design for Degradation Real-time Analysis for Pollution Prevention Inherently Safer Chemistry for Accidental Prevention (Anastas, P.T; Warner, J.C.; Green, 1998) Currently, China is a world leader in the manufacture of solar panels and research into carbon capture, the process of burning coal while not emitting greenhouse gases. This country is providing a model of how countries should foster a green economy.(RONAN McGREEVY.   (2010,  November  13) Nanotechnology is defined as the art and science of manipulating matter at the nanoscale to create new and unique products and materials. (Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, 2010). The nanoscale is the scale of atoms and molecules. As products are made using the nanometer-scale, there is a growing demand for this technology to help clean up the environment by reducing pollution and trying to produce a cleaner environment and economy. It is easier than we may think. Experiments with nanotechnology are happening all the time. Using this nanotechnology, science has been experimenting on all types of things. From using DNA molecules in processes to building nanoscale patterns on silicon chips and other surfaces to print things (versus lithography) to removing arsenic in a solution base and by being able to detect pollutants at the level of parts per billion. (Project on Emerging Technology nano (2007, April 26). Nanotechnology has opened promising routes to improving and lowering the cost of fuel cells and is leaning toward tools for removing toxic and hazardous materials in waste sites. This kind of technology is essential if we are going to clean up our planet and it is a growing technology to be sure and, according to Lux Research, in 2005, more than $30 billion in nanotech products were sold globally. This figure is estimated to grow to $2.6 trillion by the year 2014. Green technology is an every-growing technology to find what is best for our planet and its continued survival and evolution. We cannot continue down the path we started on years and years ago or we will not have a planet that will sustain life. Using green technology will allow us to clean up our rivers, lakes and waterways as well as our environment. Recycling is one way to do this. Not only does this help us use waste materials but it keeps these waste materials out of dumps and landfills. Even appliances are going green. A plug, developed by 2 brothers, called the GreenPlug, plugs into a normal wall outlet, between the wall and the appliance, and stops excess power to the appliance. It stops the flow of unused energy to the appliance thus saving on energy and power. The GreenPlug helps appliances cut down on the amount of energy that they consume and it will add to the life of older appliances as well. There are hopes that green technology can jump-start the economy which has been failing and struggling. By implementing green technology, it is going to be the next global job and wealth creation engine. (McNally, S., 2009) But green technology has a long way to go before it can become a key in the economy. It has not been around long enough to make an effect as yet. Green technology is still so new that it is going to take a long while before it will put any kind of dent in the recession we are currently in. It is going to take a lot of initiative on the parts of companies; both small and large. Green technology will more than likely come first to the health and transportation sector as both are made more efficient by governments. The economic downturn makes companies more susceptible to change and change, like green technology, will probably be embraced quickly because of the openness for change that is currently felt all over the world. There are so many ways that we have already begun to use this technology. The postal service in Key West, Florida, for example, has begun using electric delivery carts instead of automobiles. Not only the postal service but other government agencies as well are trying to make transportation eco-friendly. Other areas are seeing solar power as an alternative to electricity. There are solar powered homes, businesses, and just recently, electronics are becoming solar powered. Like the worlds first solar powered keyboard made my Logitech. It is also wireless which means it can be completely recharged just by putting it in the sun or any other light source. Every part of the keyboard, including the packaging, is recyclable making the first green keyboard. As we continue to evolve, so does the world around us. In order for this world and planet to get cleaned up, we need to keep experimenting with the things that will ultimately make this world cleaner and better. All the cleaning up in the world makes no difference if we do not have a plan to turn green and make things eco-friendly. We will always have some sort of solid waste but even some of that can be turned into something that is usable and reusable. Even sewage can be used as a means of a heat source. Cleaning up our planet is of the utmost importance and finding new way to do that can be done. Recycling and e-cycling need to be important and we need to pursue and continue to pursue every avenue until this planet goes totally green. That is our future; our goal. Social awareness about the need for cleaner, environmentally-friendly products and services is crucial if we are to clean up our environment. Academically, green technology needs to be taught to our children as well as learning about it ourselves. It should be mandatory that our children be taught; not only our elementary children but college students as well. The industrial segment needs to be pushed forward to come out with more environment-friendly production and consumption processes. Various incentives need to be given to the industrial sector, which is ready to innovate and implement green technology. (Green technology is the future at large.  (2010,  November  14). Businesses need to man up and do their part as well by going green and having their employees do the same and give incentives for doing so. We all have to start somewhere and the big and small businesses need to do their part too. By recycling products that we use every day, we come closer to turning our environment green and cleaning up our world. Other countries need to know this technology and need to implement it. Without the technology, we will inevitably end up destroying ourselves and our planet. Going green with green technology is the only viable conclusion.

Patient Safety

â€Å"There is a huge missed opportunity for health care professionals to contribute to hand hygiene as they miss 1 in 2 of all hand cleaning opportunities. † –WHO, 2006 â€Å"What kills women with childbed fever is you doctors who carry deadly microbes from sick women to healthy ones! †Ã¢â‚¬â€Louis Pasteur, 1870 1 . 1. Background of the Study 1. 1. 1. Nosocomial infection burden Nosocomial infections or healthcare acquired infections can truly be a grave toll for hospital management as much as it is for end-beneficiaries, customers, and stakeholders.Mortality reaches 80,000 annually ; 3 patients die per minute ; 10-20% % incidence globally, and figures are expectedly higher in Third World settings. This is not to mention the corollary problem of emerging microorganisms resistant to overuse of prophylactic and anticipatory shotgun antibiotic therapy as empirical solution. The damage wrought is paramount, reaching a cost of one billion pounds per year in Europe a lone, resulting from these. 1 excluding priceless, needless mortalities and morbidities 1 1. 1. 2.Role of Hand Hygiene Institute of Medicine has identified nosocomial Infection to be the most common complication for hospital patients and hands are the most common mode of transmission. In 1991, Harvard Practice Study on adverse events in health care indicated that surgical site infections were the second most frequent type of adverse event for inpatients, constituting 13%. One study established an excess mortality caused by NI to as high as 44% in ICU patients. 2 In a local study at Makati Medical Center by Tupasi & Littaua, mortality rate was reported to be all NI cases documented 4. 6 % of n the intensive care unit , and authors conclude that risk factors included invasive and manipulative procedures. â€Å"Majority of deaths from NI were associated with the use of respiratory equipment and Foley catheters which were potentially preventable by strict adherence to aseptic technique s†. 3 1. 1. 3 Reality of Poor Compliance Despite it being a seemingly simple practice, and despite the acknowledged fact that proper hand hygiene is considered the most critical, the most cost-effective measure of adequate infection program, compliance behavior management has been a protracted managerial headache globally.Indeed in our age of ever increasing sophistication, those seemingly simple practices but with grave implications ironically are difficult to address. While the techniques involved in hand hygiene are simple, the complex interdependence of factors that determine hand hygiene behavior makes the study and management of hand hygiene complex. 2 1. 1. 4. Hand Hygiene Compliance : A Managerial Challenge It is now recognized that improving compliance with hand hygiene recommendations depends on altering human behavior and managing the environment.Input from behavioral and social sciences is essential when designing studies to investigate compliance. Interventions to increase compliance with hand hygiene practices must be appropriate for different cultural and social need4 Speaking for all levels of health care workers , probably the major reason this seemingly simple problem is always taken for granted is the reality that the impact of something not so visible daily to the naked eye will always be swept under the rug amidst more outright demands concerns in patient care.The rest of the justifications like forgetfulness, lack of time, inconvenience, complications, etc. are simply alibis. Given this, the greater burden falls on health care managers to do something so that compliance can be improved, and for health sector in general to come up with more evidence-based materials to convince HCW as well as policy-makers and managers about its importance. 1. 1. 5 Nosocomial Infection & Patient Safety Nosocomial infection control is a large part of patient safety, whose importance is currently being highlighted in the light of increasing adverse even ts which are at most preventable.Prior to this study, the researcher delved into assessing the patient safety culture profile of QMMC, as a general backgrounder, and as part of re-packaging a new approach to an old problem. 3 1. 2. Statement of the Problem Understanding the patient safety culture profile of Quirino Memorial Medical Center gives us the over-all conceptual perspective to the problem at hand. The researcher finds it convenient to discuss it in terms of the Donabedian theme. 1. 2. 1. The Macroenvironment’s Patient Safety Profile 1. 2. 1. 1.The QMMC Patient Safety Structure In alignment with the recent health care thrust, QMMC has revised in 2008 its mission to being â€Å" a tertiary hospital providing a safe, accessible, affordable quality specialized healthcare that is dynamically responsive to the needs of its patients. † Its unwavering commitment is towards delivering health care to all its clients regardless of socio-economic status and to continuousl y upgrade the services offered in terms of technical expertise, support service, equipment and infrastructure. Patient safety is first and foremost in its goals.Its core values include cleanliness in all aspects including the physical environ, and Its fourth priority is â€Å" to develop and sustain a hospital environment that embraces and practices a culture of safety†. The 7 core values it internalizes include the 7Cs: clean physically, mentally, spiritually, Christ-centered, compassionate, competent, culture-friendly, community-oriented, communicative. At this time, the plus factor is having a medical director who is passionate about the cause, much involved in regular meetings with Department of Health advocates on the matter. â€Å"In QMMC, Dr.Rosalinda Arandia is seen as a charismatic figure in the improvement of health and medical 4 services offered by the hospital and in making recommendations on and implementing the hospital’s quality improvement program. â⠂¬  5 QMMC is a 350-bed national government hospital that stands in a 42,000-sqm lot between Katipunan Avenue and JP Rizal St, Project 4 Quezon City, Metro Manila. It has in recent years undergone a major upgrading and expansion of its buildings and facilities. Compared to the old infrastructure, the new building and facilities, provide a more sophisticated ambience.Better equipment and architectural upgrading seem to inspire and motivate employees, and the architectural design seems to promote greater staff interaction and communication. Its occupancy rate is 120%. . QMMC is a corporatized government hospital, still waiting for complete privatization. When faced with budgetary constraints and too bureaucratic processes they generate their own resources through private solicitations, the biggest of which are donations and affiliation fees from training institutions.As to equipment & supplies due to its being a government hospital, only about 60% of its equipment and supplies are pr ovided for and is functioning at any given time. Maintenance and regular checks are being done and complied with as required. It has a total of 564 employees, 35% of whom are contractual. Among the permanent about half have worked for more than 10 years. Among the 549 employees, 159 are doctors (consultants, residents, interns) , 180 are nurses and 225 are administrative personnel. This number does not include those who are fielded from affiliate institutions for training, such as clinical clerks and allied 5 rofessions (nursing, pulmonary therapy, radiologic therapy, medical technology, dental, dietary, midwifery and caregiving). For the consultants and doctors, ratio to patient load is quite acceptable.There are 69 resident physicians and 55 interns. In the wards, roughly the ratio is 1:5 per day; however in the out-patient department, the staff ratio is much higher 1:25 . In the intensive care unit, ratio can be improved to as good as 1:2 depending on the number of rotators from affiliate hospitals , for all professional groups. Attitudes of staff are an important aspects of culture. In QMMC, initial preliminary interviews ith staff revealed that there is some awareness of the concept of patient safety, in all levels of care and even administrative strata. Incident reporting is very minimal such as it is generally perceived that underreporting is rampant. 1. 2. 1. 2 The QMMC Patient Safety Process Profile Teamwork in respective clinical areas is perceived to be good by key administrators, although with the high rate of staff turnover due to training hospital affiliations, this is affected more often than not in a negative fashion. In terms of feedback and communication, there is no systematic evaluation of staff performance .QMMC has been active in the Patient Safety Task Force of the Department of Health. Underway are devising standardized hospital forms, such as interdepartmental referral forms to enhance communication and lower risks of errors being comm itted in patient care. 6 In lieu of risk reduction, hand hygiene educational program has been recently revived by the Infectious Disease Team headed by Dr. James Tiu. Educational trainings as well as policy reinforcement are being conducted as the need arises among nursing staff. 1. 2. 1. 3. The QMMC Patient Safety Outcome ProfileAt the time of study, there were no baseline data available as indicators such as compliance rates, nosocomial infection rates, or patient satisfaction surveys. There are no performance indicators that can be used as feedbacks to improve standards of care. This is a work in progress and hopefull this study becomes a tiny contribution. 1. 2. 2. QMMC’s UncontrolledNosocomial Infection Problem Analyzing the above profile of QMMC, and amidst the track record of physical and service upgrading efforts, the main problem of the hospital regarding patient safety is still nosocomial infection control.Evidences of uncontrolled nosocomial infection are certain o ccurrences pointing to infection control problems in QMMC in the past 12 months have caused alarm, as follows: (a) Post-surgical wound dehiscence Anecdotal incidents of nosocomial infection getting out of control have been almost part of everyday work in a public hospital like QMMC. However, a situation that occurred last AugustOctober 2008 was particularly notable, wherein dehiscence occurred in a succession of ten postsurgical patients in two wards including the surgical ICU, during Day 5 to Day 11 of their hospital stay.Culture studies revealed the usual notorious nosocomial Proteus microorganisms, E. coli, and 7 Staphylococcus areus , responsive to very expensive intravenous third generation cephalosporins and aminoglycosides, with or without re-suturing of the wounds (Appendix 1) . 6 Aside from the cost of these medications, the prolonged hospital stay with all its accompanying indirect costs to both patient and hospital were staggering. (b) Perennially high incidence of ICU pn eumonias and urinary tract infectionsBased on the latest QMMC Morbidity and Mortality Audit 2008, 7 among ICU patients hooked to ventilators for protracted duration, nosocomial pneumonias are still the leading cause of death. 1. 2. 3. Need for upgrading quality of hand hygiene practice During one root cause analysis done by the management, the Infectious Disease Committee, and the department concerned with the last year’s outbreak of dehiscence, the senior management surmised that the root problem or one of the root problems could be failure for proper andwashing among health staff. The intervention consisted of culture and sensitivity tests followed by proper antibiotic coverage. Policy on handwashing was also tightened up in terms of posting reminders on doors and walls and subsequent refresher educational modules by the Infectious Disease Head were conducted among nursing staff. However, no actual monitoring or evaluation of hand hygiene practices were done .Despite educat ional training interventions, and despite the presence institutional policies posted on walls and doors, compliance to the practice among QMMC hospital staff has persisted to be unsatisfactory. 8 1. 3. Objectives of the Study GENERAL OBJECTIVE This study aimed to demonstrate the impact of a hand hygiene intervention package to QMMC MICU and SICU, using comparison of intervention.SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES In more detail, this study aimed to : (a) Characterize the current hand hygiene practices in QMMC ICU according to its using structure-process-outcome dimensions; (b) Craft and implement an intervention package addressing manipulable areas of the structure issues identified in the structure-process-outcome dimensions of hand hygiene practices; (c) Measure hand hygiene structure-process-outcome variables as a function of healthcare worker factors and work area factors , pre- and post-intervention, as a way to evaluate impact of above intervention. d) Formulate recommendations to the QMMC m anagement and its stakeholders based on the findings and lessons learned. structure-process-outcome variables pre- and post- 9 1. 4. Significance of the Study The study is valuable in the following general areas of health concern: (a) Infection Control. The study’s advocacy counts very significantly in terms of contributing towards decreasing the grave toll on preventable morbidity and mortality burden on patients and their families.As we see more systematically the outcome of our efforts towards hand hygiene as it impacts infection control, we learn to rely less on antibiotic use which also lead to emergence of resistant microorganisms that are and will be potentially harder to control eventually. This study will then be part of fulfilling what WHO advocates to be done , i. e. â€Å"for better monitoring of outcomes for hand hygiene studies, reduction of infection rates must be demonstrated, high complexity to evaluate, but high priority requirement. 8 (b) Preventive thrust . Hospitals’ mission is supposedly preventive as much as curative. However, review of literature shows that hospitals, even in the First World settings, tend to so conveniently rely on antibiotic use both prophylactically and empirically in managing and controlling nosocomial infections. Hospital care need not be a double-edged sword nor do we need to stop mitigating phenomena which are in our hands to control, if only we heed the evidence-based principles put forth.Prevention remains to be the better direction that health care must devote its resources on. (c) Cost savings. According to WHO, â€Å"direct costs of intervention and indirect costs associated with hand hygiene time & its promotion corresponds to less than 1% of costs of managing nosocomial infection. Studies on the costs of nosocomial infection caused its toll in terms of protracted hospital stay, expensive drug and antibiotic acquisition in addition to intensive care 10 nit stay, hematological, biochemical, mi crobiological and radiological tests, extra surgical procedures and working hours. (d) Healthcare management learning. WHO asserts that â€Å"measurement of the compliance of health care workers to hand hygiene measures is a recommended performance indicator of the quality of care†. (e) Compliance behavior management has been a protracted universal problem, as lack of interventional studies to convince policy makers, esp. local, both government and private, predispose health care systems prevalent to sustain awareness and implementation.With the lack of attention given to the problem’s facets and determinants, this study can be a humble contribution. Relevance of this study to the institution and its various stakeholders include the following: (a) Study institution. Often, organizations take action based on some comparison of their measures to a set of benchmark measures. Armed with specific incidents about the organization's culture, effective action plans flow logica lly and integrate into existing change processes.QMMC can better select programs and tailor-fit strategies that will be most beneficial to upgrade the attitudes and mindset of the employees, to design the working environment, and to align with its vision-mission pursuit of quality and safety , and better service to patients. It will be helped to see patient and hospital outcomes in a better light. It will eventually have a baseline which will be useful for tracking impact of certain interventions for a sense of comparison. As it uses internationally known research methods, it will provide 1 internal as well as external benchmarking, especially with national government hospitals, both international and local. (b) Leadership. Since QMMC under the present leadership is into the process of advocating patient safety as a goal, this study will help them examine alignments of their policies and systems with their vision-mission statements , goals and core values. Later on when like in inte rnational settings and patient safety will be a government regulatory requirement, this hospital can provide benchmarking. (c) Hospital staff.This study provides the staff the much-needed feedback about themselves, the colleagues they work with, and the patients they serve. Feedback is the first step to change. Studies such as this are advantageous in themselves in that it just the simple process of assessment baseline will in itself raise awareness of not only patient safety, specifically, infection control, but of the need for structure (staff attitudes) as well as process variables (teamwork, communication) relevant to safety and other hospital performance.Moreover, they themselves can be target victims of nosocomial infection, so that studies like this could help boost their safety as well. (d) Affiliate training healthcare institutions. The importance of good hand hygiene practice and its observance will be highlighted among the trainees from more than 20 various health care sc hools, a value that they will most likely carry back to their respected institutions .This is rather crucial and innovative as patient safety, specifically preventive practices to 12 nosocomial control such as hand hygiene are not yet that well-emphasized in the traditional medical and para-medical curricula. (e) Hospital management trainees. The results of this study can be a benchmarking study to compare, study and upgrade other hospitals, both local and international. The study becomes a venue to validate some of the tools that will be used for the first time locally.Results of the study can be utilized by trainees for future research on patient safety and infection control and behavior modification techniques. (f) Healthcare community. This study will help control NI, emergence of resistant organisms for similar government hospitals. It provides significant research for Department of Health which is specific on approaching infection control through Total Quality Management asses sment and strategies under their recent thrust on patient safety and quality assurance.Since QMMC could very well be a good prototype of the other government hospitals , the results of this study can largely be of help in implementing the various enabling mechanisms stated in the Philhealth Benchbook. 9 (g) Patients. Above all, since awareness, education , and practice towards patient safety, specifically infection control will be highlighted in this study, the end beneficiary would ultimately be the patients and their families and guests whom this institution is servicing, no matter how indirect and long-term this impact would be. 3 1. 5 . Scope and Limitations of the Study †¢ Being a primarily TQM research project, this study does not attempt to establish cause-and-effect relationship between hand hygiene and nosocomial infection . †¢ This study does not include cost estimates and budgetary implications of intervention if eventually adopted by study institution. †¢ Relative merits of the specific parts of the intervention is beyond the scope of the design.†¢ Time and budget constraints were real such that research design were limited in various ways and means. . 6. Definition of Terms and Acronyms TERMS: For purposes of clarity and reference in the discussions all throughout this study, the following definitions and acronyms would be used and referred to: Hand hygiene (HH)- refers to one of the areas in infection control that deals with systems of diminishing pathogenic microbe transmission through evidence-based philosophy and set of practices regarding the hands in relation to direct patient handling during the process of care. 0 14 Hand hygiene practice/practices (HHP) – refer/s to any form of action referable to disinfecting the hands prior to and after patient handling, in the most basic terms defined as â€Å"washing hands with soap/water or (rubbing with) disinfectant, for at least 15 seconds before and after patient contac t, after any contact with a source of microorganism, and after removing gloves†. ( Healthcare Infection Control Practice Advisory ).Hand hygiene event (HHE) – defined as the event involving any of the HH practices (washing, rubbing with disinfectant, donning with gloves) done before or after patient contact; (if both done before and after, they are considered independent events ; if both washing and donning with /removing gloves are done during one instance, it was counted as one event; this regardless of the correctness or adherence to other details as presently prescribed by currently available universal guidelines. 1 Hand hygiene opportunity (HH0) – defined as any event with a high-risk of microbial transmission, executed before and/or immediately after patient contact, regardless of whether gloves. They included all contact with body fluids, or involving manipulative contact with anything in the patient’s body or immediate environment .Over-all hand hy giene compliance – includes all hand hygiene-related behavior in accordance with current institutional , (in this study, QMMC’s ) policy â€Å" to wash hands before and after patient contact† regardless of its alignment with the most currently recommended international standards based on indication, technique, cleansing agent and duration ; this by strict classification based in literature definition, falls under â€Å"incomplete compliance†. 12 15Complete compliance- refers to all hand hygiene-related practices aligned with the most-updated, most current evidence-based globally recommended guidelines, as required by WHO guidelines 2006 (with QMMC, being a government hospital). Hand hygiene structure-refers to staff factors and work area factors. Staff factors include inherent demographic characteristics, such as professional group, age, sex and duration of service. It also refers to more malleable factors such as staff attitude and training.Work area fac tors refer to existing policies or specific protocol, logistic infrastructure and supplies, staff volume, patient volume, hospital type, work settings, organizational structure, etc. Hand hygiene process- refers to practice as to how it is done in terms of indication for method, duration, temporal relation to patient contact, cleansing and technique, and how it abides to the currently recommended evidence-based a guideline or protocol .Hand hygiene outcome- refers to measurable events or indicators, for both patients, employees as well as organization; like overall healthcare worker compliance rates, as well as indirect outcomes of good hand hygiene proven in literature, such as nosocomial infection rates, transmission rates, colonization rates. ACRONYMS: For purposes of brevity of certain words and identities mentioned quite repeatedly all throughout the study, the following apply: 6 HCW- Healthcare worker; refers to any staff involved with direct handling of patients in a health f acility NI- nosocomial infection; also HAI (healthcare acquired infection); refers to infection developing after 48 hours after admission or confinement in a health care facility. ABHR- alcohol-based hand rub-refers to a hand rub disinfectant with any alcohol of any concentration as the basic ingredient.

The Career Path Of Attending College - 1656 Words

The options for a career are endless and it can be problematic to choose from all of those choices. No matter which option is chosen, the general populace and their frustrating traits are a constant dilemma that must be faced every day. After choosing the path that will be taken, the next choice to make is how to best prepare for that path. Attending college is the best way to prepare for just about any career, and it generally creates the best outcomes and the greatest opportunity to have a good future. The challenge, as stated before, will be in dealing with other people, whether it be subordinates, peers, or supervisors. Psychology will help in the understanding of myself and others and can help me be more productive in the workplace. The first career path that I chose to take was to be a soldier, but now I will embark on a different path, that of an educational psychologist. Studying psychology will help me to understand the complex mental processes that students have with their learning disabilities. I will be able to apply my understanding of human behavior to various instances and use my knowledge to help students in their everyday lives. Communication is vital in every aspect of life and by helping students develop a better understanding of communication skills, I can increase the effectiveness of their communication efforts with others. Verbal communication is the most advantageous mode of correspondence that we as humans possess, but there are those who are notShow MoreRelatedSchool And College Similarities802 Words   |  4 PagesSchool and college are both requirements in life for a job. School and college has many similarities and many differences. When you attend a college you are entering adulthood. When you attend a college you have to learn to adapt to adulthood and school is the first step to get you to where you are wanting to go. The similarities between school and college are that in school you are required to take what are called â€Å"core classes†, these classes include a history class, a science class, a mathematicsRead MorePersonal Statement : Physical Design Engineering934 Words   |  4 Pagesknow but now I know some qualities I would prefer in a career. I desire a career I truly enjoy, not one based off of pay. Having a career where I follow instructions will be ideal. Despite following instructions, others must acknowledge and consider my ideas. However, the most important aspect of a career to me is to improve the quality of life of the community. It is vital to start exploring careers now to make a good lifelong decision. A career that both intrigues me and has qualities I desire isRead MorePositives And Negatives Of College Students1518 Words   |  7 Pagesinstitutions. The number of colleges has decreased in since 1930, as the trend was to consolidate small schools. In the fall of 2015, there is an estimated 20.2 million students expected to attend American colleges and Universities (Fast Facts, 2016). This is an increase of about 5 million since the fall of 2000. Females are expected to account for the majority of college students; about 12 million students are female while 9 million students are male (Statistics about College Students, 2016). WhileRead MoreTwo Year College versus Trade School816 Words   |  3 PagesCollege (Two year) vs Trade School For some students, the question of what to do after high school may be a burden to even contemplate as it approaches quicker and quicker. The pressure to continue another four (or more) years of education after high school can be overwhelming considering twelve years of schooling has already been completed; why go right back to school again? When’s break time? Some people are simply just not ready for college and they know it, or at least until afterRead MoreAn Opportunity At The 4 + 1 Program878 Words   |  4 PagesAn Opportunity in the 4+1 Program In reality, each person decides their destination, whether they want to take the path of success or not. I have decided to take the path that I perceive to be correct in life ever since I was a little kid, who was starting to understand about life, until now. I started developing my career goal since I was a teenager in middle school. As time passes, my goals have changed from wanting to be a police officer, to now striving to be a judge. My family has been veryRead MoreThe Year Program : An Important Role For Helping People Transition Between Careers By Providing The Retooling981 Words   |  4 PagesObama says â€Å"community colleges play an important role in helping people transition between careers by providing the retooling they need to take on a new career†. Junior year of high school is where students starts to think, and prepare for college. There’re some students that are well prepared, and knows exactly what career path to take. Also, there’s thos e students that are set to go to their dream school, but there’re also those students who struggles until they reach college school still tryingRead MoreLouis Menands Three Theories990 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween the Lines More people than ever before are attending college due to the endless opportunities that it provides. Louis Menand, a college professor and the author of â€Å"Live and Learn: Why We Have College,† explains the meaning of college through three theories that have been developed. Theory 1 supports the idea of the sorting-out process that separates the highly intelligent from the less intelligent. Menand’s second theory explains that college provides opportunities for developmental growthRead MoreThe Path Of Seeking Higher Education862 Words   |  4 Pageswhether we want to follow a path of education, or to entire directly into the workforce. Among those who choose the path of seeking higher education, there is a more narrow decision. Whether to directly enroll into a four year institution/university or to attend a community college, two year institution, seeking to receive an associates degree or to eventually transfer to a four year institution. Many factors come into play in making the educational choice, and both paths have unique pros and consRead MoreEssay on Benefits of Attending College1135 Words   |  5 Pagesimportance of attending college Time after time you hear about going to college; whether at work, family, friends, and even when you are in high school you might have been repeatedly told of how it can benefit you in the long run in regards to your future. They say a good education can take you far in life. Students in high school may still question the importance of a college education. In the world of today people find themselves asking, â€Å"Why is it important to go to college?† An importantRead MoreThe Importance Of College Education1593 Words   |  7 Pages Most parents encourage their children to achieve a college degree because they believe it is a passport to success. Nationwide it has been known in order to get ahead, go to college. College helps young adults socialize, be independant, and allows them to find themselfs. College graduates have been known to posses higher employment rates, and greater work benefits. Also, college can be a huge milestone in ones life. That being said, these are most likely the reasons why the majority of high school

Gentrification Of The South Parkdale Neighborhood - 857 Words

The gentrification process can be seen through the demographic and physical changes of the South Parkdale neighborhood. Gentrification is â€Å"the invasion of working-class areas by the upper- and middle-classes, who upgrade shabby, modest housing into elegant residences, resulting in the displacement of all, or most of the original working-class occupiers†. (Lyons, 1996) South Parkdale is a neighborhood in downtown Toronto that faces problems of gentrification. This problem has been ongoing since the nineteen fifty’s’. Thesis: Therefore, focusing on the principal factors that led to South Parkdales economic decline and social problems, consisting of The creation of the Gardiner Expressway started South Parkdales abrupt decline. By 1959, the neighborhood was detached from Lake Ontario; they no longer had access to the waterfront. Due to the placement of the Gardiner Expressway, â€Å"more than one hundred and seventy homes were torn down†. (Slater, 2004) Displacing those whom were forced to pick up and leave. As early as the beginning of the nineteen sixty’s, several high rise apartments were getting built. They built these apartments with the intent to keep those citizens who had lost their homes in the area. In spite of this, because they were low income rental properties, many of the higher and middle class occupants moved to the suburbs. Prior to building the Gardiner Expressway the intensions of building it were to make South Parkdale a place for business; advertising to the