Common Interview Questions for Teaching Jobs

Before walking into any job interview, you should take some time to prepare a few answers to common interview questions. You may even want to write out your answers and practice saying them aloud so that they come naturally to you once youre sitting down for your interview. If youre interviewing for a teaching position, youll want to think specifically about what kinds of education-related questions might come up. At a Title I school, for example, you may be asked,  What do you know about Title I? If you practice answering these questions now, you wont stumble through them later. Basic Questions Expect to be asked a few basic questions about yourself no matter what position youre interviewing for. While some of these questions may seem simple, you still want to be prepared with thoughtful answers. Some common basic questions include: Tell me about yourself.Why are you interested in this position?What are your greatest strengths?What are your weaknesses?Where do you see yourself in five years? Experience Unless you are applying for an entry-level position, you will likely  be asked about your background and teaching experience. The interviewer will want to know how well you work with others and what kinds of environments you are most comfortable in. You may be asked some questions along these lines: What experience do you have using computers in the classroom?Are you a team player? If so, please give me an example of a time you worked well with others.What grade level would you be most comfortable teaching?What type of reading program did you use in  student teaching?Describe your  student teaching  successes and failures. Classroom Management An employer considering you for a teaching position will want to know how you handle yourself in the classroom and interact with students. Expect to be quizzed on classroom management strategies and other logistical issues. Questions may  include: If I walked into your classroom during reading time, what would I see?What methods do you use for classroom management? Describe a  difficult incident with a student and how you handled it.How would you handle difficult parents?Give me an example of a rule or procedure in your classroom.If you could design the ideal classroom for elementary students, what would it look like? Lesson Planning Once your interviewer is sure that you can keep a classroom under control, theyll want to know how you plan lessons and evaluate student learning. You may be asked any number of the following questions: Describe a good lesson and  explain why it was good.How would you go about  planning a lesson?How would you individualize a curriculum for students at various levels?How would you identify the special needs of particular students?What methods have you used or would you use to assess student learning? Philosophy of Learning Finally, your interviewer may want to know how you think about education more broadly, what you consider to be the qualities of a good teacher, what you know about different learning models,  etc. These types of questions may include: Tell me what you know about the Four Blocks  Literacy Model.What is your personal  educational philosophy?What are the most important qualifications for being a good teacher?What was the last educational book you read?

Divorce Argumentative Essay - 1328 Words

Divorce is the legal end of marriage. It is saying despite what we have gone through and overcome I am choosing to give up. Not just on my marriage, but also my partner. Divorce not only rips and divides the assets, but it also splits and rips apart the whole family. It is a horrible process for anyone to go through. It can be amicable for some, but for a majority of others, it brings devastation. It is a mourning process from a loss. It is the loss of that relationship that makes it difficult. Some adults see it as a relief. To them, it is meant to heal them from all the hurt that occurred in that relationship. It has become very prominent in todays society. Divorce not only impacts the two people that partake, but it also has serious†¦show more content†¦Some children even view it as getting double of everything, which to them, is a positive thing. Thus, this means double the presents and for some double the love. All kids want is to see their parents happy. They look up t o them. Happiness is contagious, so seeing the ones you love in a good state makes you feel significantly better about yourself. For some kids, divorce gives them the skill of becoming protective. They may end up as protective of their siblings. Usually, the older one receives this role. They look after them because they feel like no one else will. Some children take problem-solving skills into their future by seeing their parents do it efficiently. Other children do not see divorce as a positive experience. Instead, they see it as a negative experience. A negative experience is usually most common among children. Most kids do not want to see their parents split up. Their parents are all they have. They taught them, loved them, and even showed them of what family consists. In a study done by Robert E. Emery titled â€Å"How Divorce Affects Children† he states facts about how children feel due to their parents divorce. Seventy-three percent of children said they would be a different person if it were not for their parents divorce (Emery, 2000). They feel that the separation had a severe impact and changed how they are. On the other hand, couples who try their hardest to stay together but to noShow MoreRelatedShould Gays Be Allowed to Marry1476 Words   |  6 PagesThe Prusuit of Happiness! Should gays be allowed to marry? Stacey Dockery PHI103: Informal Logic (GSJ1231E) Instructor Name: Daniel Beteta September 3, 2012 Argumentative Essay on Gay Marriage Marriage: a legally recognized relationship, established by civil or religious ceremony, between two people who intend to live together as sexual and domestic partners. Typically this is between a man and a woman, in love, as they come before their families, to pledge to spend the rest of their lives togetherRead MoreDownfall of Education System was No School Prayer649 Words   |  3 Pageswas removed from public school classrooms in 1962, we have had a 6-fold increase in violent crime, our divorce rate has tripled,births to single mothers have increased 5-fold, the teenage suicide rate has tripled, and SAT scores have dropped 10%.(Creation Today). Reasons that represent why prayer and moments of silence should be allowed in the public school system will be expressed. This essay will represent the affirmative stance when regarding this topic of school wide prayer and moments of silenceRead MoreWhat Is Breaking The Love Into Two Essay1159 Words   |  5 PagesSpreading The Love Int o Two Doesn’t parent separation sound like such a bad thing? When parents get divorced, doesn’t it feel like the end of the world? When parents get a divorce they are not the only ones breaking up, it’s the whole family, right? Wrong. In most cases everyone would agree parent separation is a tragic time for a family. Although, not all scenarios makes parent separation seem so bad. In cases where a child might experience a lot of pain and suffering from their parents being togetherRead MoreEmotional Behavioral Disabilities Of Children1470 Words   |  6 PagesThis essay will explain and examine emotional behavioral disabilities in children. It will also explain the many concerns that are related to certain students. Since the passing of many laws, many schools and their district all over the United States have included inclusion as a methods of teaching, because of this, the likelihood of many students in those classrooms will become diagnosed with a EBD which is know n as an Emotional Behavioral Disorder. What is Emotional Behavioral Disorder? AccordingRead MoreArranged Marriage vs Love Marriage1619 Words   |  7 PagesArgumentative Essay Arranged Marriage Vs Love Marriage Marriage is a relationship that bind of a spouse in formal event and registered by law as to declare a husband and wife. Marriage is key to form a family into larger as a basic unit in social system. Marriage also bind of the emotional relationship where both spouse are sharing their life together as to form a family. It is the joining  of two people in a bond that putatively lasts until death,  but unfortunately in a real life is increasinglyRead MoreShould Gay Marriage Be Legalized?1313 Words   |  6 Pagesat the forefront. However, times are different now , and gays are becoming more accepted in the society as well as all that pertains to daily lives such as marriage, gay events just to mention a few. This argumentative essay focuses on the central issues of gay marriage and evaluating arguments on whether the gay marriage should be legalized. During medieval times, gay people were considered immoral. Researchers carried outRead MoreGay Marriage Should Be Legalized1379 Words   |  6 Pagescritics among the church being at the forefront. However, times are different now, and gays are becoming more accepted in the society as well as all that pertains to daily lives such as marriage, gay events just to mention but a few. This argumentative essay focuses on the central issues of gay marriage and evaluating arguments on whether the gay marriage should be legalized. During medieval times, gay people were loathed and were considered as immoral. Researchers plunged into carrying out studiesRead MoreA Doll s House By Henrik Ibsen1124 Words   |  5 Pagesby insisting, â€Å"we can borrow until then† (44), while Torvald’s income will not be there for three months. Nora, claims that previously they used to save each penny they got with Torvald form odd jobs to supplement their income. dolls-house-argumentative-essay-sample Justice is unfulfilled in the play as Nora becomes more selfish and claims that in case something happens to Torvald after borrowing money, â€Å"it just wouldn’t matter† (44) as they bowed the cash from strangers. It shows that they areRead More`` Popular Mechanics `` By Raymond Carver1617 Words   |  7 PagesJosaiah Thomas Professor Tittle ENGWR 303-104 6 July 2015 Essay #2 In the short story, â€Å"Popular Mechanics,† by Raymond Carver, starts with a short rise in action through the introduction of the characters, setting, and plot. The short story has a face paced touch, which moves quickly towards the climax and released the resolution right after. The short story was narrated in third person in order to reveal the actions and the dialogue between a man and a woman which expressed separation, struggleRead MoreCriticism of Fordes Claim on Benjamin Franklins Autobiography1629 Words   |  7 PagesArgumentative Essay on Fordes claim on Benjamin Franklins autobiography Benjamin Franklins autobiography by Steven Fordes was compiled both as a template for the ancient Americans on how they should live and interact with one another in their society and a memoire to his son. The work was received and embraced by many around the world, Asians and Europeans inclusive. The work was also criticized for many reasons. In order to reach his aim or goal, Forde split the work into three distinct topics;

Creative Story free essay sample

Invasion is more harmful to a country than we really understand. Occupation or invasion is a foreign concept to all of us. Living on the other side of the world that doesn’t go through such agony, we don’t tend to understand how it feels to live under military occupation. The proper definition of an occupation is when a foreign army occupies your land, physically and controls your life. What are the consequences of this? Well, this leads to the country being ruled by violence rather than a systematic order of government they were promised. People who will oppose this invasion will fight the authorities in the form of protests, bombs etc. This will result in innocence lives being lost both on their side and our soliders . This will also emotionally affect the families of the soldiers. So, we can see that an occupation can affect both the people of that country and the people of the country that invades it. We will write a custom essay sample on Creative Story or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In addition the violence will make every citizen feel unsafe in their own homes. Imagine living everyday with the fear of being bombed any time. In Iraq, a family was forced out of their home by the military. When the husband protested, he was thrown into jail. The wife and the children were left to live on the streets. One of her daughters attempted to hang herself because she couldn’t tolerate living in the sun anymore. These are people just like us, they don’t deserve to live like this. It is selfish to occupy other countries so we can stay safe in ours.

The Definition of Independence free essay sample

Some people say that the definition of independence is a complex word and idea to try to define. In al truth independence is a perplexing word to try to define. This is because everybody has their own speculations of what independence is. Very Infrequently are their two people that have the same perception of what the definition of independence is. What I perceive the definition of independence is the absolute freedom to do what you want, and to not be held back by any rules or laws of government or man, but by the rules and laws of nature and your own self concise.My view of Independence may greatly differ form your beliefs on the definition but In this paper I will try to show exactly what my perspective on the deflation of independence is by my experiences, my beliefs, my thoughts, and research on the subject at hand. In my beliefs independence can not be the definition of what your government says Is Independent. We will write a custom essay sample on The Definition of Independence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For If you go by what the government says Is Independent than why not go by Chinas definition of independence, or by the communists partys definition of independence. If you go by any governments definition of independence than you are not truly going to be independent.For each governments deflation of Independence you are not truly Independent. In my belief to be truly independent you must be able to do what you want when you want and have nobody to say that you cannot do that. If the government is telling you that you can do this and not do that then how can you have independence. The only true way to have Independence is to make decisions based on you and not based on what society thinks. How can a person be truly Independent If they have to do what other people think is the right thing to do?The answer to that question is that they can not be independent for independence is the ability to do what you want even if it is not what society thinks that It is not the right thing to do. These beliefs Is one of my building blocks for my definition of Independence. In my experience I have only had the feeling of true independence once or twice in my life. I felt this felling when I am by myself and nothing is around you but woods, waterfalls or complete silence. I get this feeling of independence because there Is nobody around to tell you what to do and you can do anything that you want. For example when I went to Colorado two years back I was searching for the feeling of independence by what I thought the definition of independence is. I found it in places that are serine and quite with the only thing around Is the mountains , a waterfall and the woods. I got the feeling I found the feeling of independence their because their was no law governing me, nothing to stop me from doing what I wanted, and the only thing their to hold be back was nature Itself. That feeling and experience was another one of my building blocks for my definition of Independence.Another building block for my definition of Independence Is through my research and my thoughts on the true definition of independence. In Webster Revised 1 OFF the state of being independent and the freedom of being dependent from the control of others and the direction of ones own affairs without interference. Through my thoughts of this one definition of independence which is very similar to mine I can see why the f ight for independence has been fought so much. Through some deliberation on my part I came upon the reason why people fought so many wars and fought so hard for independence.They fought so hard for independence for the mere chance to have to answer to nobody, not to be controlled by anybody, to have the ability to do what they wanted to do without having any interference from others. Thanks to my research and deliberating, my beliefs, and my personal experiences with the definition of independence I believe that I came up with a good strong definition of independence. Which is the ability to live any way you want, to do what you want when you want, not to have to live with the rules and laws of man and government, but only by the rules of nature and what you set for yourself.

Robert Hooke Biography (1635 - 1703)

Robert Hooke Biography (1635 - 1703) Robert Hooke was an important 17th century English scientist, perhaps best known for Hookes Law, the invention of the compound microscope, and his cell theory. He was born July 18, 1635 in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England, and died on March 3, 1703 in London, England at age 67. Heres a brief biography: Robert Hookes Claim to Fame Hooke has been called the English Da Vinci. He is credited with numerous inventions and design improvements of scientific instrumentation. He was a natural philosopher who valued observation and experimentation.   He formulated Hookes Law, a relation that says the force pulling back on a spring is inversely proportional to the distance pulled from rest.Assisted Robert Boyle by constructing his air pump.Hooke designed, improved or invented many scientific instruments used in the Seventeenth Century. Hooke was the first to replace pendulums in clocks with springs.He invented the compound microscope and Gregorian compound telescope. He is credited with the invention of the wheel barometer, hydrometer, and anemometer.He coined the term  cells for biology.In his studies of paleontology, Hooke believed fossils were living remains that soaked up minerals, leading to petrification. He believed fossils held clues to the nature of the past on Earth and that some fossils were of extinct organisms. At the time, the concept of extinction was not accepted.He worked with Christopher Wren after the London Fire of 1666 as a surveyor and architect. Few of Hookes buildings survive to the present day.Hooke serv ed as The Royal Societys Curator of Experiments where he was required to perform several demonstrations at each weekly meeting. He held this position for forty years. Notable Awards Fellow of Royal Society.The Hooke Medal is presented in his honor from the British Society of Cell Biologists. Robert Hookes Cell Theory In 1665, Hooke used his primitive compound microscope to examine the structure in a slice of cork. He was able to see the honeycomb structure of cell walls from the plant matter, which was the only remaining tissue since the cells were dead. He coined the word cell to describe the tiny compartments he saw. This was a significant discovery because prior to this, no one knew organisms consisted of cells. Hookes microscope offered a magnification of about 50x. The compound microscope opened up a whole new world to scientists and marked the beginning of the study of cell biology. In 1670, Anton van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch biologist, first examined living cells using a compound microscope adapted from Hookes design. Newton - Hooke Controversy Hooke and Isaac Newton were involved in a dispute over the idea of the force of gravity following an inverse square relationship to define the elliptical orbits of planets. Hooke and Newton discussed their ideas in letters to each other. When Newton published his Principia, he did not credit anything to Hooke. When Hooke disputed Newtons claims, Newton denied any wrong. The resulting feud between the leading English scientists of the time would continue until Hookes death. Newton became President of the Royal Society that same year and many of Hookes collections and instruments went missing as well as the only known portrait of the man. As President, Newton was responsible for the items entrusted to the Society, but it was never shown he had any involvement in the loss of these items. Interesting Trivia Craters on the Moon and Mars bear his name.Hooke proposed a mechanistic model of human memory, based on the belief memory was a physical process that occurred in the brain.British historian Allan Chapman refers to Hooke as Englands Leonardo, in reference to his similarity to Leonardo da Vinci as a polymath.There is no authenticated portrait of Robert Hooke. Contemporaries have described him as a lean man of average height, with gray eyes, brown hair.Hooke never married or had children. Sources Chapman, Alan (1996). Englands Leonardo: Robert Hooke (1635–1703) and the art of experiment in Restoration England. Proceedings of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. 67: 239–275.Drake, Ellen Tan (1996).  Restless Genius: Robert Hooke and His Earthly Thoughts. Oxford University Press.Robert Hooke. Micrographia. Full text at Project Gutenberg.Robert Hooke (1705). The Posthumous Works of Robert Hooke. Richard Waller, London.

9 Simple Tips to Improve Your Job Search

9 Simple Tips to Improve Your Job Search Keeping up with the things you need to do by maintaining a to-do list is a good idea for those who are job searching. It not only helps keep you on track, it reminds you of those things you need to do to make your search for a job a success. Diligence is the key to finding that perfect job.   1. Check for Jobs Each MorningFirst thing each morning, check the job listings. There are other people out there who would like to have the same jobs you apply for, and being among the first to apply can put you in a better position to get just the job you want.  2. Don’t Put Things OffWhen you see a job that interests you, send your resume and cover letter without putting it off. It is surprisingly easy to tell yourself that you will do it later and then forget about it. By the time you get around to applying, possibly days later, the job may be filled.  3. Follow Up on ApplicationsIf you haven’t heard back on job applications you have submitted, it is a good idea to wait a week and follow up. Sometimes, expressing further interest in a job can get you pushed up in the application process. If you receive a definitive no, you can remove that job from your list.  4. Use Technology to Stay OrganizedUtilize technology by using your cell phone or computer to stay organized with your job search. Making up a spreadsheet with dates and the ability to check off tasks when completed ensures that you are following up on schedule. In addition, it is easier to add on other job hunting tasks as they come up.  5. Learn New SkillsLearning something new is always useful. Factor in a few hours a week to take a class, learn a new skill that relates to your dream job or catch up to date. The time spent doing this will be worthwhile as it shows employers that you take your skills seriously.  6. Research Your Job NicheNew jobs pop up in industries that offer you the ability to apply your skills in new areas. Do research in your field to find new positions that you can enter. If taking a few courses helps you fit the job requirements, take night courses or online courses to expand your employability.  7. Work on Personal PaperworkOnce a week, work on one of the documents you use to apply for a job. You can use this time to recheck your resume, cover letter or personal plan to market yourself. See where you can make improvements. Remember to personalize your applications by studying the company where you are applying, and use your assets and strengths to show how you would be a good match for the company team.  8. Customizing Job ApplicationsOne mistake job seekers sometimes make is sending out a general resume for every job application. Aiming your resume toward particular jobs helps because the hiring manager will know right away whether you are a good fit for the job. Instead of just listing your qualifications, also list what you did that was a benefit to the company. Working as a salesperson, for instance, list how you won a company award for the number of sales you made.  9. Do Volunteer WorkVolunteer work looks good on a resume, whether it is coaching a group of children in soccer or volunteering at a local charity. Add this to your to-do list, and make time for it. It not only lets you make new contacts and help others but shows your potential employer that you have outside interests.  Keeping on top of job applications with a job search site can help you find that perfect job more quickly. TheJobNetwork helps by letting you enter your qualifications and does the search for you. Sign up for our job match alert, and searches are done round the clock, sending you job notifications as soon as they pop up. By receiving job alerts that match your qualifications and job interests, you won’t miss any jobs for which you are qualified. In addition, it gives you the ability to search job sites yourself to be proactive.

Parkinson and vitamin D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Parkinson and vitamin D - Essay Example The Advanta Vitamin D 3 supplement contains 5000 IU of the vitamin D 3 composition. They are packed in a bottle containing 90 capsules. Vitamin D 3 is considered as the most common form of vitamin D in terms of composition and activity. The supplement dosage is supposed to be one tablet on daily basis. The Advanta Vitamin D 3 supplement is said to have a high absorption rate hence it is capable of restoring the levels of vitamin D that are required in the body instantly. The choice of this supplement is based on the proposition by Dr Oz that half of the population suffers from the deficiency of Vitamin D and there are few or no diagnosis that have been done concerning them. They also argue that the supplementation with the vitamin D can be the predictor of whether an individual will be well or sickly. In addition, the relationship of vitamin D3 deficiency has been linked with autoimmune diseases, cancer, and dementia. Advanta vitamin D 3 supplements is compliant with the requirements of the law passed by Congress in 1994, Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Vitamin D 3 is purposely developed as a dietary supplement and is highly rich in Vitamin D3. The product has been well labelled and it appears in form of capsules (NIH 1). No major side effects that have been associated with the supplementation of Vitamin D 3. However, when consumed in high dosage, it can result to fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, sleepiness, and general body weakness. This indicates that the supplement is highly safe and should be consumed in desirable doses. Studies have been done to establish the specific role of vitamin D in the Parkinson’s disease. Evatt et al.(2008) established that vitamin D has a potential role in the development of the Parkinson’s disease. This means that the vitamin is vital in the prevention of the disease. Similar results were

The controversy of using non-human primates in medical research Essay

The controversy of using non-human primates in medical research - Essay Example They are useful in safety testing of new drugs and substances meant for human medication and dentistry (Arnold, 2012). The urgency that is there in the development of vaccines, antibiotic drugs and antiretroviral for the current crop of new diseases facing humans, primates are used. HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis attribute their research success on the use of primates. Experiments with primates are important in studying of the human brain and organ transplant in human beings (Arnold, 2012). The other reason why primates are used in animal testing is their similarity to human beings since they share 98 percent of human genes (Arnold, 2012). Primates and humans develop in a similar manner in their infants and young stages and this makes them a rich source of reference and testing of drugs for use by infants and children (Arnold, 2012). Due to their similarity immune system to that of human beings, primates are the most suitable species to conduct studies on various infectious

Energy Sources Of The Future Essay Example for Free

Energy Sources Of The Future Essay Since Industrial Revolution, the use of fossil fuels has been the main source of power for their extensive use in industries, vehicles and in various scientific discoveries. This is continuing till today especially as some of the energy sources are being used up, but the needs of the current power are on the increase whereas the different sources of the planet continue to deplete. Notwithstanding electricity being generated in the power plants is making extensive use of the fossil fuels. The way human is interfering in the natural process for meeting his varied needs is causing the depletion of the fossil fuels at 50 million times more at the rate, which it is being formed. Coal, Oil and Natural gas are the three forms of energy found very near to the surface of the earth. Coal as a source of energy is being extensively used in United States. Oil is another major source of fossil fuel getting extracted every year in the form of petroleum like gasoline, kerosene, gas oil, lubricating oils, and fuel oils to be used in vehicles. Another form is Natural gas mainly being used is methane and is highly inflammable. All over the world scientists are declaring non renewable form of sources as scarce with the continuous search for the alternative renewable sources of energy like wind, air, sun power, heat etc. These forms of energy sources can be replenished continuously. Renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, biomass etc. are dependent on the solar energy directly or indirectly while on the other hand hydroelectric power is not essentially a renewable source of power because in case it is used in the large scale projects, it can result in ecological damage and irreversible consequences. (Farret Simoes, 2006) In 1991, a national wind resource wind inventory by the United States Department of Energy found that three states of the United States, North Dakota, Kansas and Texas have enough of the wind energy to meet the electricity needs of the whole nation. It was found that wind has much greater capacity to produce electricity than any other form of energy would produce. Much of the advancement made in the designs of the wind turbine since 1991 enabled the turbines to operate at lower wind speeds for harnessing more of the wind energy and for harvesting it at much greater heights. Comparatively very large share of the land area can be utilized for generating wind in very scarce populated wind rich areas like Patagonian region of Argentina, Great Plains of North America, Northwest China, and eastern Siberia. In 2002, it was found that it has comparatively higher rate of generating capacity of around 31, 100 megawatts (electricity forum. com) and is increasing continuously satisfying the needs of 40 million Europeans. Utilization of the wind is cheap, conducive to the environment, available in plenty and best renewable source of power. (Associated Press, 2008) Another form of alternative source of energy being experimented on a large scale is the power of sun. Though rate of solar power striking earth is in a very small fraction yet it provides around 10000 times of total commercial energy used by humans on planet. Solar power is an attractive dominant long-term alternative sustainable source of energy. The benefits are manifold- its availability is limitless, environmental friendly, and can be transmitted to earth from sun without any cost. (National Academy of Engineering, Online) Solar panels constitute most common means for tapping solar energy. Sunlight is converted to electricity through the use of solar cells photovoltaics. No doubt solar panels are used for capturing light energy, scientists are still working for improving methods of harvesting sun’s energy. Stephen Maldonado and his team of Michigan University are working upon the designing those systems that can be used for converting solar energy into chemical bond energy, which in turn can be used for producing electricity. The main disadvantage of solar energy is that it cannot be stored for long period and has to be consumed immediately. To overcome this limitation, they are using plants as model because plants are able to convert solar energy into chemical bond energy for producing chemical fuels so they are hoping to devise that system which is able to store solar energy in the form of chemical bonds for long periods of time. (Steinberg, 2009) Geothermal form of energy may not be as conducive as far as its effects are concerned as compared to solar or wind, but it is also best renewable source of energy for the next generation and is one of the most cheaper forms of energy producing 50 times less quantity of CO2, nitric oxide, and sulfur emissions than other conventional use of fossil fuel power plants with other benefit being not requiring power storage. Geothermal energy is limitless and inexhaustible and â€Å"Geothermal power plants run at 89 to 97 percent uptime, in contrast to 75 to 90 percent uptime being offered from coal and nuclear. † (triplepundit, 2009) There is no doubt of the fact that our future lies in tapping nuclear power responsible for extricating 16 per cent of the world’s electric power. There are around 442 nuclear plants which are under operation in 30 countries with most of them operating in Western Europe and North America. Nuclear power creates no impact on global warming, as their emission level of greenhouse gases is virtually nil. From the uranium mining process to waste disposal including reactor and construction, in the whole of nuclear chain emanates only 2-6 grams of carbon per kilowatt-hour. This is very similar to the wind and solar power. It is a fact that if all over the world 440 nuclear power plants had to be closed down and in place are used the mix of non-nuclear sources, there would be an increase of 600 million tones of carbon every year. Though the nuclear plant is costly affair but it is more feasible if its long terms benefits are seen. (The International Atomic Energy Agency, 2004) Among the other sources of energy Algae is being rendered as an important alternative source of energy to biofuels on account of its higher level of energy contents, and yield per acre and its capacity to grow best in water. Its capacity to grow in water is quite huge. As per U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), algae have a potential capacity for producing 100 times more oil per acre than soybeans. Due it’s a higher content level, oil from algae can get refined into biodiesel, green gasoline, jet fuel or ethanol. Moreover, algae require only water, sunlight and CO2 for its growth. (Donovan Stowe, 2009) Looking at the benefits of the several alternative sources of energy, along with their cost effectiveness and the non pollutant properties, the need of the hour is to put an end to the use of the conventional source of energy and make use of the most cost effective alternative sources of energy. The innovative and technologically advanced use of the gift of nature will create an environment of the fresh air with more comforts for the whole human race. Reference List Associated Press. 2008. Wind energy could fuel future power needs. Retrieved on June 14, 2009 from W.W. W. : http://www. electricityforum. com/news/aug03/windenergy. html Donovan, J. Stowe, N. (2009). Is the Future of Biofuels in Algae? Retrieved on June 14, 2009 from W. W. W. : http://www. renewableenergyworld. com/rea/news/article/2009/06/is-the-future-of-biofuels-in-algae? cmpid=rss Farret, F. A. Simoes, M. G. (2006). Integration of alternative sources of energy. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. National Academy of Engineering. 2008. Make solar energy economical. Retrieved on June 14, 2009 from W. W. W. : http://www. engineeringchallenges. org/cms/8996/9082. aspx/

Essay example --

Major George E. Pickett was from a Virginia family that came to the Colony in 1635. George was a friendly and brave man who made the decision to attend West Point Military Academy, later graduating last with the class of 1846, but with George B. McClellan and Thomas J. Jackson. Due to George’s academic standings at his graduation, he was placed in the infantry and became an army officer, who received two brevets in the Mexican War with officers that he would later have to fight against. When the 9th U. S. Infantry was established, Pickett was soon promoted to Captain stationed within Washington Territory. He and 68 of his men went against hundreds of British troops, giving him a victory in what is known in history as â€Å"the Pig War†. After serving 15 long years in the United States army, Pickett was assigned as a brigadier general for the CSA in January 14, 1862. When the Seven Days Campaign began, he injured himself while serving with his command during the Battle of Gaines Mill. With all his hard work acknowledged upon rejoining the army, his rank went up to being Major General Geor...

Organisational Behaviour Essay

Accoring to Agarwal, (2007) organisation and management have been analysed and theorised since man first collaboratively worked together to achieve common goals. Motivational theory explores â€Å" forces acting on or within a person that cause the arousal, direction, and persistence of goal-directed, voluntary effect† and is a frequently investigated area of organisational behaviour (Barnet & Simmering, 2006. P. 563). With no one unanimously supported theory, it is not surprising that each theory’s development attracts a flock of critics, each dedicating time and resources to questioning validity. Miner, (2007) gives a comprehensive account of theory, describing a good theory as one that presents unique insights, is interesting, purposeful, testable and well written, adding depth to the literature it is grounded in. It is from this yard stick that this essay aims to evaluate the two content theories developed by Frederick Hertzberg and David McClelland. Initially, each theory will be overviewed, to develop a general understanding of the conclusions made regarding motivational strategy. An evaluation of the strengths and limitations each theory presents will follow, identifying how these assessments can be applied to contemporary organisations. Through this it will be shown that regardless of the limitations theories experience, their development and subsequent scrutiny, continues to uncover the enormous potential associated with understanding and respecting the internal motivational make up of individuals. Hertzberg’s Two-Factor Theory Fredrick Hertzberg developed the Two-Factor Theory after conducting a study in the 1950s, which approached 200 engineers and accountants from different companies. Using the critical incidence technique, Hertzberg asked open questions, encouraging interviewees to identify and prioritise factors effecting their job fulfilment (Kondalkar, 2007). From this research Hertzberg suggested job satisfaction be approached by identifying ‘motivational factors’ with the potential to lead to satisfaction and ‘hygiene factors’ that risk dissatisfaction if not maintained to an appropriate standard (Kondalkar). Motivating factors were found to be associated with job content whilst hygiene factors stemmed from the context in which the job was performed (Wood et al, 2010). Diagram one, lists these factors and illustrates the limitations Hertzberg discovered in linking high-level motivation with hygiene factors. That is, â€Å"any improvement in hygiene factors do not motivate workers but their reduction below a certain level will dissatisfy them† (Kondalkar, p. 106). Also, it can be seen that no overlapping factors relating to both satisfaction and dissatisfaction exist, as the conclusion was made that they were independent â€Å"rather than opposite extremes on a single continuum as traditional views had held† (Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2010, p. 130). Diagram one: (Content taken from Kondalhar, 2007, pp. 105-106) Upon evaluation, a number of criticisms have come forward, many relating to the breadth of Hertzberg’s study. The research involved limited respondents; all male white-collar workers in accounting and engineering firms; therefore the needs of many occupational groups were not reflected (Wagner & Hollenbeck, 2010). Also the study failed to recognize individual diversity and the varying prioritisation of needs relating to ones age, gender and culture (Wood et al, 2010). Wagner and Hollenbeck (2010), question Hertzberg’s â€Å"critical-incident technique† claiming that it â€Å"is a questionable research method, subject to errors in perception†¦memory and†¦subconscious biases† (p. 31). This view is echoed by Wood et al (2010), who are concerned that Hertzberg’s method may have encouraged respondents to attribute positive experiences at work to their own management of situations, and negative experiences to environmental conditions beyond their control. For this reason the theory has been labelled ‘method bound’ indicating that similar resul ts could not be achieved through any other approach, thus limiting its credibility and successful application in other work settings (Kondalkar, 2007). Finally, there is ambiguity surrounding the labelling of motivational versus hygiene factors. Many factors showed up as both satisfiers and dissatisfiers, especially those related to salary, relationship and status (Miner 2007). So, managers wishing to apply the theory must be aware of these limitations, rather than assuming Hertzberg’s motivational and hygiene factors will be relevant to all organisations. Despite it’s imperfections, Hertzberg’s theory has been successful in developing a framework through which organisations can approach job design and enrichment. It may provide managers with a starting point for understanding and explaining individual performance, and offer suggestions for improving employee output (Wood et al 2010). Broadly categorising motivational factors as being internal, and factors leading to dissatisfaction as external, has highlighted that natural human motivation comes from ones desire to improve themselves, be engaged in meaningful activities, and be recognized for their efforts, rather than purely for monetary gain. Furthermore, Miner (2007) considers employees who focus solely on hygiene factors, as an employment risk, being less driven, and more dependent on frequent external incentives to stay motivated. This information may be useful if these factors can be assessed within the recruitment process. In practical terms this theory encourages organisations to take a more personal approach to their staff. To assess the presence or absence of these contributing factors, organisations could work closely with their workers, developing their own unique set of hygiene and motivational factors specific to their people in their industry. With open communication channels and improved workplace relationships, organisations have the potential to increase transparency into individual motivational needs of employees. This would put them in a better position to ensure their workforce remains motivated, whilst environmental conditions are appropriately maintained to facilitate optimal performance. Motivational factors could be addressed through addressing performance feedback, development of internal or external client relationships, knowledge acquisition and individual influence over ones time and schedule (Herzberg 1976 as cited in Miner 2007). For hotel employees, an intranet website could be utilised for charting individual performance results, customer/interdepartmental feedback, posting educational programs on offer and a feedback forum to make suggestions sent direct to management. Giving employees transparency into departmental running costs, the responsibility to manage their own costs, and allowing employees to direct justifiable funds into areas they feel could improve unit output, could also empower and motivate individuals (Miner). McClelland’s Achievement Motivation Theory McClelland used an â€Å"arousal based approach to studying motives† which began by linking hunger and the influence of food images on thought processes (Miner J. , 2005 pp. 47-48). This was later applied to such areas as achievement (nAch), affiliation (nAff), and power (nPow). The Thematic Apperception Test measured needs by evaluating stories written by people after viewing particular images, which were categorised, according to which need they appealed to (Wood et al, 2010). Through this study McClelland found that although most people presented a combination of nAch, nAff, nPow characteristics, one usually dominated, and the identification of the predominant need could help provide insight into an individual’s behaviour, management style and therefore, job suitability (Miner, 2007). He also explains how all three groups learn through experience, which circumstances evoke the strongest sense of personal satisfaction, and are gravitated to activities that regularly provide that experience (Miner, 2007). McClelland’s theory in some way helps to provide an explanation for those people who may not fit into the motivational model proposed by Hertzberg. McClelland was interested in the influence of unconscious motives on human behaviour (McClelland, 1987 ) and his acquired needs theory would categorise the 200 accountants and engineers interviewed by Hertzberg, as being nAch. That is, all their motives relate to the intrinsic desire to improve ones abilities and reach ones goals in order to obtain the feedback that they are ‘achieving’ something (Wood, et al 2010). Diagram two outlines the conditions required to engage nAch individuals, many of which could be applied to someone with entrepreneurial ambition (Miner, 2005). Although those seeking such conditions could be perceived as valuable employees, their shortcomings may surface when required to manage others if they do not possess the emotional intelligence required to understand those whose need for achievement is not as strong (Miner). Diagram Two: (Content taken from Miner, 2007, pp. 36-44) McClelland’s theory goes on to identify two other categories of people. Those with nAff bias have a desire to be liked by everyone, enjoy human interaction and working towards team goals. For this reason nAff individuals may find management challenging when they are required to make tough decisions that are not supported by subordinates, however may still perform well in project management roles (McClelland, 1987). NPow people may be better suited to upper management as they are less likely to put the maintenance of amicable relationships before the needs of the organisation (Miner, 2005). As with all three categories, the nPow group also has its negative tendencies. As outlined in diagram two, according to McClelland (1987), there are four sequential stages of power, and those that reach the final stage, have the highest prediction for managerial success. Others who may become entrenched in personal power motives may manage people poorly due to their preoccupation with their own needs, and fail to develop respect due to high inhibition and low affiliation behaviours (McClelland). According to Wood et al (2010) the main significance of McClelland’s research was that it proved nAch behaviour could be successfully learnt throughout life, and did not have to be acquired in early childhood as originally thought. Also McClelland clearly established a link between nAch motives and entrepreneurial activity and performance (Miner, 2007). This has important practical implications for organisations as it indicates that appropriate training of employees could increase the presence of nAch and nPow motives, which have been supported indicators of high-level performance (Miner). McClelland has successfully developed and implemented such programs around the world (Miner, 2007) and believes this finding could be applied to developing nations and create considerable improvements in the performance and output of entire countries (McClelland, 1961). Alhtough McClelland’s theory recieves more support than many other early theories, its key limitation lies in the convenience of practical implementation (Robbins, 2009). Whilst managers may benefit greatly from knowing and understanding the implications of needs biases of employees, such subconscious patterns re difficult to assess (Robbins), and the methods used to do so, such as psychometric/motivational testing or motivational interviews/surveys can prove time-consuming and costly. Therefore the time and financial commitments required to assess subconscioius needs of employees is a barrier for many organisations (Robbins). Another drawback of the theory relates to the lack of relevance for female employees. The theory was formulated after analysis of male subjects alone, and when women were later studied the results were inconsistent, despite achievement motivation being significant with women entrepreneurs (Miner 2007). Such concepts as fear of success reduced achievement motivation scores, with high inhibition and power motivated behvaiours operating in completely different ways (Miner). Organisations should therefore be mindful that McClellands methods may only be relevant to the male contigent of their workforce when considering practical implementation. Managers may overcome these limitiations if equipped with the knowledge of the three core needs and practice recognition of the behaviours which represent them (both within themselves and others). Once educated individuals may, with experience, become skilled needs assessors. Until individuals have had an opprotunity to experience a range of nAch, nPow and nAff related situations, they themselves may not have a clear understanding of their own needs bias. They may feel dissatsified or unmotivated or both, without really understanding why. For this reason it may be useful to give employees a chance to experience the various factors, then assess their responses, in order to help them identify with their own subconsicous motives. Also educating employees about the various tendencies, may in itself help employees to recognize where they fit within the needs theory model. During a workshop, the various needs concepts could be explained, then each individual could map their needs on a scale such as shown in diagram two, in order to see where their tendecies lie. A questionaire could be developed with each answer having a particular rating within each of the categories to assist employees with identifying with their needs. You are working on a team project with three others, and they are disinterested and not pulling their weight. Would you: a) Be happy that you could run the project in your own way and be motivated by the challenge? b) Organise a social function and try and get everyone engaged through developing positive relationships?

Dismissing A Worker For Misconduct

As an HRD Manager what steps you will initiate before dismissing a workman found guilty of misconduct where there is the presence of a strong employees union.Union or no union, any employee at any level within an organization, should not be spared for misconduct and appropriate action should be taken as per the organization’s policies and principles. Having said that the employee in question should be given ample scope, support and assistance to defend his or her case.Upon knowledge of such incidence with a worker, the HRD manager,1. Check with the file of the worker, the details of such as the date of association and other relevant information. 2. He has to check whether it’s a case of habitual misconduct or a gross misconduct. 3. In case of habitual misconduct he has to gather the information of the previous incidences, actions taken and remedial corrections on part of the worker, if any. 4. Habitual misconducts include late coming, absenteeism; taking frequent breaks etc. the worker and the supervisor should be sensitized on the gravity of the misconduct and corrective course suggested.5. In case of a grave misconduct, the worker should be called in and asked to give an explanation. 6. The case has to be briefed to him in detail and he should be asked to present his side of the story. 7. The HRD Manager has to ensure beforehand that all details regarding the case are with him and he is through them thoroughly before sitting with the worker. 8. After the worker has put his case, the manager has to come to a conclusion whether there is a case in the first place. When evidence of misconduct is apparent, he should seek whether the worker accepts the charges. 9. There could be three consequences:a. the worker accepts the charges b. the worker partially accepts the charges c. the worker still denies misconduct.10. When the worker has accepted having done misconduct, appropriate disciplinary action should be initiated as per the policies of the establ ishment. 11. The same needs to be intimated to the union.12. Any further interference on part of the union becomes wrong and chance are that no such interference will take place once the worker has agreed in writing of the misconduct. 13. When the worker has accepted only some of the charges, the HRD manager ahs to establish whether the charges accepted amount to any substantial punishment or not. 14. Show cause notice needs to be issued to the worker and appropriate action taken. Union should be intimated of the same.15. In case of non acceptance and partial acceptance to other than grave issues, a domestic inquiry should be initiated using a designated internal investigating officer. 16. When the report of the internal investigation substantiates the misconduct, the union needs to be informed and taken into confidence. 17. When there are chances of resistance from the union, the HRD manager should sit with the representative of union and win his confidence. One can use lines such as, â€Å"this time he has done this with the establishment, next time he may as well ruin the union reputation†.18. Post union’s confidence appropriate action should be taken. 19. In case of disagreement and incorrect interference and influence by the union, the case should be taken to a tribunal or labour court. 20. In the state of Tamil Nadu, a worker found guilty of misconduct should be given a Final Show Cause Notice, after the report of the internal inquiry. 21. Disciplinary action may, depending on the gravity of the issue, be warning, suspension for a maximum period of 4 days or dismissal. 22. When the worker in question is an office bearer of the union, the relevant provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act should be referred to and adhered.

Descriptive Magical Memories Essay Example

Descriptive Magical Memories Essay Example Descriptive Magical Memories Essay Descriptive Magical Memories Essay The dark before Christmas. the odor of warm homemade cocoa bit cookies baking for Santa filled the air. Our tree stood so tall and was covered with colourful bows and bright flashing visible radiations ; the aroma of fresh pine was merely godly. As the bright beautiful Sun began to put. I knew that it wouldn’t be excessively much longer before Christmas was eventually here. Bedtime came and so did the rain. but I snuggled in my warm cosy bed and listened to the cold rain beads round against my window and the blustery wind whistling outside. I was so sleepy that every oscitance made my eyes fill with cryings. but I was determined to wait up for Santa this twelvemonth. Peering through my window. the forenoon Sun began to lift. I jumped up retrieving my parents stating that I had been particularly good that twelvemonth. I ran and leaped on my parent’s bed and agitate them both so difficult. I was so dying to see what Santa had brought but it seemed like the clock had stopp ed and clip was standing still because we couldn’t acquire to the life room fast plenty. We eventually made it to the life room. the cocoa bit cookies and milk were gone. but the odor of java brewing was decidedly strong. I was certain that my eyes were lead oning me because attractively cloaked nowadayss seemed to be everyplace. I didn’t even know which one to open foremost. My pa was reclined in his favourite leather chair. sipping on steaming hot java from his favourite orange mug and my ma armed with her camera determined to acquire a image of my every smiling. and out of the blue the buzzer rings! For a disconnected second. all I could believe about was who could be sing us so early in the forenoon. I looked up at my ma as she told me to travel answer the door. She was seeking her best to conceal the smile on her face. I ran to the door filled with fright of non cognizing who it could be on the other side. I easy opened the door and peeked through the cleft and with great delectation. I saw the soothing sight of my grandparents’ faces. I was so aroused to see them that I merely ran into their weaponries. I could non wait for them to see everything that Santa had brought me! One by o ne. eventually every nowadays was unwrapped. I was one lucky small male child because Santa had brought me everything on my list. I crawled around delving through the wrapping paper and bows that had covered the full floor to do certain that I had opened all the gifts. I eventually cleared a way to the tree and when I looked up. there was a large ruddy envelope hanging on the tree. My name neatly written on the forepart. I opened it up and it was a card signed with love from my grandparents. As I slowly read it out loud. my eyes filled with cryings and I thought I certainly had to be woolgathering when it told me to look outside because there was a large Nice rented van sitting in our private road with everybody’s baggage already packed indoors. The new wave was merely waiting for all of our household to merely leap in because we were Disney World edge! The house one time tidy and orderly now was demolished with paper and bows. We all worked together and cleaned up the muss because we were all so aroused to travel rapidly up and travel. I was the first to leap in. armed with my favourite new gifts to mai ntain me entertained on this long route trip. I couldn’t stop smile and my cheeks began to ache. Through the curvey state roads and eventually to the interstate. I was certain that I would be able to remain wake up the full clip. I was glowering out the window looking at the leafless trees as we drove by. my eyes began to go heavy. but I was determined to non lose a individual memorable sight. We stopped several times to stretch our legs and to eat our tiffin but I was still so aroused that I still couldn’t take it all in. Armed with my new game system and the full back place to myself. someplace in Georgia my heavy eyes became excessively much for me to bare. It seemed like I was merely asleep for a few proceedingss when I heard everyone shouting that we are eventually at that place! The sky now dark but the metropolis was brighter than any Christmas tree that I’d of all time seen. We easy walked into the condo that was traveling to be ours for the following 10 yearss. The condo was filled with all elegant things. from soft satiny sheets to crystal pendants and I was merely seeking to take it all in. A small male child from such a little town. how was I traveling to happen my manner around? We unloaded our baggage and settled in for the dark. Bedtime was traveling to be earlier for us because we were all so exhausted from the long trip. The odor of Daddy’s java brewing woke me from my deep slumber. I jumped out of bed tidal bore to see what this charming twenty-four hours would convey. With our best walking places on. we made our manner to the entryway of Disney World. The palace was absolutely decorated with 1000s of motley visible radiations. As we walked throughout the park. I was squashing my Grandma’s frail manus so tightly out of joy and exhilaration non desiring to go forth her side. so we can see the minute together. I couldn’t acquire over the gift that she had given us. The exhilaration in her hazel eyes watching us see all the charming things at Disney for the first clip was all she truly wanted and that made her smile even brighter. She had ever dreamed about traveling to Disney World all of her life and she particularly wanted to see it with all of her household. Unbeknownst to us at the clip. Grandma knew her wellness was neglecting fast and that God was in demand of another angel and it wasn’t traveling to be excessively much longer before He needed her to come to her new celestial place to be with Him. She blessed us non merely with her presence. but gave us memories that we will care for for our full life. Disney World. a charming topographic point where dreams truly do come true.

What to Do If You Didn’t Get the Promotion

What to Do If You Didn’t Get the Promotion Not getting a promotion you really thought you were in a good position to get is almost as bad as not getting a job you had a really good chance at. It’s disheartening, to say the least. No one likes to think they aren’t doing well enough. And certainly no one likes to go into work after being passed over, only to watch someone else assume the new and fancier role. If you  didn’t get the  promotion, there are a few things you can do to keep from losing hope (and perspective).Strive to improveJust because you were told you’re not going any further at the moment doesn’t mean you should stop trying. You not only have to survive this bump in the road, you need to overcome it and set yourself up to get back on the path to success.Don’t quitYou may feel like quitting and/or burning the office down, but it’s never a good solution. You could take a bad moment and make it much, much worse. Better to have a bit more patience with yourself an d with the situation. Take a moment to mourn the loss of something you wanted, then get back to work with a smile on your face and an eye toward new opportunities- even new jobs.Ask  for feedbackIt may have been out of your control entirely, but there also could have been a few things you might have done differently that in another world would have affected the outcome and turned it in your favor. See if you can’t get the ear of the decision maker. Ask honestly and listen openly, then say thank you and close the conversation. This is not the time to defend yourself or to argue. If you can’t get a straight answer, try finding another source you can trust for information.Don’t just complain, actYou get to wallow for a day or two, and mope, and maybe even grumble. But then you have to stop all that and get back to work building your career. This does not include complaining to HR about the unfairness of it all. If you want to have another crack at advancing at yo ur company in future, try sitting down with HR or your boss instead and ask what you could do in the meantime to make yourself a more attractive candidate for future promotions. They’ll appreciate the initiative. If you’re given any feedback about your performance, take it to heart.Soul searchWhy did you really want this promotion? Are you unsatisfied with the level of challenge you have now? Did you just want a bit of extra money or prestige? Did you really want the extra work and stress, or were you after something else? Once you’ve answered these questions for yourself, you can move forward with a more clear picture of your career goals- and can set about achieving them.NetworkEven if you’re not interested in leaving your company right now, keep your options open by staying engaged with your network. If you’re ready to leave- i.e. you’re unlikely to move any further forward in your current company- it’s time to start opening window s and sending out resumes. Make sure Opportunity can find you when it wants to come and knock.  Often, there is nothing wrong with your actual performance, but the perception of your work is what is getting in your way. It’s always best to know so you can truly prepare for taking your necessary next steps.Just remember: wait to cool off before acting. Ask the hard questions that will help you improve your chances in the future. Keep networking. And don’t, under any circumstances, bad mouth any one you work with or for. Also don’t blow this one disappointment out of proportion. Keep on moving in the right direction, minor or major setbacks be damned.

Edit the essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Edit the - Essay Example Adolescent girls today face a lot of confusion on dating and relationships, which was not experienced by young women in earlier generations. The older women today when they were growing up not allowed involving themselves in any sexual activity as it was taboo in most of the communities for girls to associate with boys at that tender age. This was advantageous to the girls since they eased away from the confusion about dating and pre-marital sex, which is now the biggest source of frustration for the teenagers. The teen girls disclosed that after their bodies have changed and have started to mature, they do experience the desire for affection toward men. As a result most of them engage in premature relationships where they end up being hurt since they usually lead to break-ups. Others end up being pregnant and they find a lot of frustration about the state of their bodies, which they never expected. Since at this age they do not have adequate education on sexuality and are not prepar ed psychologically, physically and financially to have a baby, they end up being depressed. The consequences of this is abortions and babies being born and thrown away or even sold to people with bad motives. All these problems of relationships and sexuality make it difficult for the young girls to maneuver smoothly through this stage of adolescence .Some of the immature adolescence have ended up in the hands of wrong people. Such wrong people have done evil things to them, like cold murder, robbing and even raping them. Such cases been reported in many instances, people like criminals have taken advantages for them luring them with cheap gifts and ends up doing to them all those evils. In the past, young women tended to move from childhood to adulthood directly, and marriage, done at an early age, this acted as the turning point. After marriage, the woman adopted all adult responsibilities and would start her household immediately. The situation today has

The Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is a very useful model and it Essay

The Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is a very useful model and it is used widely in the industry even though it is based on v - Essay Example In this sense, a high quantity of a security’s beta would result in a high expected return of an asset and vice versa. After CAPM was published, and after actual returns were compared with expected returns, many economists have since then criticized the simplicity of and the reality of application of CAPM. The CAPM is still subject to empirical and theoretical criticism despite it being the basis for over a hundred academic papers and having affected non-academic fiscal community considerably. Although it has an apparent invalidity, the CAPM is still widely used by companies as a valuable model for computation of capital cost through justification of high returns in correspondence to higher beta. Therefore, this paper will discuss the implications with regards to the current developments in the area. The paper will first explain and discuss various assumptions in relation to the model and thereafter discuss the key theories as well as the whole debate that surround this area p articularly through the criticizing the assumptions. There are numerous economic applications of the CAPM. It is used in valuation of a company’s common stock, for acquisition and merger analysis, capital budgeting and the valuation of convertible and warrants securities (Naylor & Tapon 1982, p.1166). To ensure validity of the CAPM, William Sharpe came up with numerous assumptions designed for investors in the creation of market equilibrium. The supporters of the model postulate that the capital market functions as though the above assumptions were met. The model derives the price to be commanded by any asset to make the investors happy to retain the present market portfolio. Under the CAPM, each person carries similar risk in diverse amounts. Investors have different portfolios, and they will need a return for their portfolio’s systematic risk because the removal of the unsystematic risk has been done and therefore, can be disregarded. An investor will give a ranking to the portfolio in accordance with a utility function which is dependent on the expected return rate of this portfolio. Because everyone has the same risky assets’ portfolio; it is normal that everyone is exactly happy to purchase the market portfolio, that is, the portfolio of every asset available in the market. Furthermore, part of the risk can be diversified through purchasing many dissimilar assets. The level of stock risk not necessarily related to how variable its return is. The variability is an appropriate measure only if one investor invests all his/her money in one asset. In reality, part of the risk is diversified through purchasing many dissimilar assets. In fact, through diversification, there is a possibility of averting the risk associated with each stock as opposed to the risk which the whole market may decline. The non-diversifiable risk originates form macroeconomic factors which affect all assets simultaneously. For instance, in the credit-crunch many fir ms have the tendency of having negative cash flows and low profits. As much as the assumptions contained in CAPM permit it to concentrate on the relationship between systematic and return risk, they propose an idealized world that is different from the real world where investment decisions are majorly made by firms

Communication and organizational Performance Essay

Communication and organizational Performance - Essay Example As a result, they have been forced to adopt strategies and behaviors that can help them improve their performance and profitability and therefore remain relevant. Over the years, communication has proved to be one of the most central factors to individual and organizational performance (Abugre, 2007, p. 42). Effective communication has the potential of significantly improving individual and organizational performance. On the other hand poor communicant can considerably compromise individual and organizational performance. Communication is indeed any organization’s lifeblood. Communication directly influences employee trust, productivity, and morale (Ng et al, 2006, p. 474). Studies have shown that effective communications can maximize efficiency, company operations, increase organization’s overall success, and accelerate the corporate strategy execution. Most managers have realized the essence of communication in organizational performance and are extensively using corp orate communication to achieve organizational goals and objectives (May and Mumby, 2005, p. 29). This paper will critically evaluate the extent to which managers use corporate communication to manipulate understanding and encourage compliance with management direction. Corporate communication enables corporate organization to relay information to its employees, shareholders, stakeholders, agencies, media, and the general public. It is important that an organization communicate the same message to its publics and especially its employees in ethical, credible, and coherent manner. According to Robson, Skarmeas and Spyropoulou (2006, p. 585), corporate communication enables employees of an organization to coordinate tasks, learn from each other and help them to create and maintain viable relationships. Several studies have shown that corporate communication is linked to improved performance in the sense that it enhances employees’ commitment in the workplace, provides opportunit y for learning, and is critical in enhancing employee satisfaction (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010, p. 70). While corporate communication in itself is central to individual and organizational performance, it is not enough for an organization to have corporate communication as part of its strategies. Corporate communication of any organization should be designed in such a way that it achieves its objectives and significantly contributes to the achievement of overall organizational goals and objectives. It should be packaged in such a way that it has huge and positive managerial impacts; in other words it should be a channel to flow of information, policies, and even resources (Cornelissen, 2011, p. 18). Corporate communication is a managerial tool that is often expected to coordinate activities, share information, policies, and resources with employees, reduce unnecessary managerial rules and burdens, and eventually improve organizational performance (Robson, Skarmeas and Spyropoulou, 2006, p. 589). In the absence of corporate communication, organized activities of organizations would cease to exist and organization would have many uncoordinated activities which in return would lead to poor organizational performance (Abugre, 2007, p. 45). It is in the light of this fact that managers use corporate communi

Study On Hand Hygiene In Optometry Nursing Essay

Study On Hand Hygiene In Optometry Nursing Essay Hand hygiene is a term used to describe any act of hand cleansing. There are various methods of decontamination each with their own level of efficacy (Lucet et al., 2002; Kampf, Là ¶ffler and Gastmeier, 2009). It is an essential practice among health care workers (HCWs) to prevent the transmission of microorganisms and spread of nosocomial infections in a clinical setting. Despite this knowledge, compliance among HCWs remains low averaging 40% which increases the risk of patients contracting hospital acquired infections (Boyce and Pittet, 2002). The World Health Organisation (2005) recognise hospital acquired infections as being a major cause of death and mortality in hospital bound patients, averaging 5000 deaths a year in England. Improving hand hygiene practice among HCWs is the cornerstone in reducing nosocomial infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcis aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile (C. diff.). However, implementing this change in behaviour is complex and difficult to achieve. An integral factor for improved hand hygiene compliance relies on HCWs educational training and the introduction of motivational programmes designed specifically to influence behaviour. Monitoring and encouragement will be necessary for these procedures to be successful (Boyce, 2008; Saint et al., 2009). 1.2 Hand hygiene in Optometry There is an apparent lack of research into hand hygiene practice in a primary and community care setting; optometric practice included. Currently there are no evidence based studies directly linked with Optometry to support the recommended guidelines set out by The College of Optometrists. Instead these guidelines are based on expert opinion with little conclusive evidence of efficacy in primary care. The importance of effective hand hygiene in the prevention and control of infection is stressed. They have adopted recommendations set by The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE 2003), which are for the use of professionals in primary and community care. A minimum standard of hand hygiene practice would be to decontaminate hands before each and every episode of patient contact and after any procedure or contact that would cause hands to become contaminated. The College of Optometrists (2009) expand upon this stipulating that there is no set regularity in hand was hing episodes and that instead it should be adhered to in circumstances such as contact lens insertion and removal, after going to the toilet, when hands appear visibly unclean, before and after contact with ocular surfaces or the adnexa, before and after administering topical ointments or drops, after any possible microbial contamination, after handling soiled or contaminated materials and before wearing and after removing gloves. Furthermore, an instruction of appropriate hand hygiene technique in clinical practice is suggested: Wet hands under running water. Dispense soap/antiseptic into cupped hand (N.B. bar soap should not be used). Rub hands vigorously and thoroughly for 10-15 seconds without adding more water. Ensure all surfaces of the hands are covered. Rinse hands thoroughly under warm running water. Dry hands with a disposable paper towel. The use of non disposable towels is not good practice. Advisory recommendations for optometrists regarding hand hygiene in the community setting remains at a robust level. To improve standards, further research must be conducted as it is widely regarded that sound clinical practice requires conclusive clinical evidence (Smith, 2009). Optometrists in a primary care setting could benefit from adopting higher standards of hygiene expected in hospital environments. 1.3 Hand hygiene guidelines and technique Due to the clinical and economic implications of health-care associated infection the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have formulated guidelines to promote improved hand hygiene adherence among health care workers (Boyce and Pittet, 2002; Pittet, Allegranzi and Boyce, 2009; Sax et al., 2009). These guidelines include specific indications for hand washing and hand antisepsis episodes. A detailed description of appropriate hand hygiene technique is also included. The recommendations are categorised on the basis of published scientific data, theoretical knowledge, applicability in a clinical setting and economic involvement. The CDC/HICPAC created a system for categorising hand hygiene recommendations. These categories are shown in Table 1 Table 1 showing the CDC/ HICPAC categorisation of guidelines (Boyce and Pittet, 2002) Category Criteria IA Strongly recommended for implementation and strongly supported by well-designed experimental, clinical or epidemiologic studies IB Strongly recommended for implementation and strongly supported by certain experimental, clinical, or epidemiologic studies and a strong theoretical rationale. IC Required for implementation, as mandated by federal or state regulation or standard II Suggested for implementation and supported by suggestive clinical or epidemiological studies or a theoretical rationale or a consensus by a panel of experts. No recommendation Unresolved issue. Practices for which insufficient evidence or no concensus regarding efficicacy exist. Sections 1, 2 and 6 of the CDC/HICPAC recommendations advise specifically on handwashing and hand antisepsis indications, hand-hygiene technique and other aspects of hand hygiene. Each guideline is given a classification category relevant to Table 1. These recommendations are as follows: 1. Indications for handwashing and hand antisepsis A. When hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with proteinaceous material or are visibly soiled with blood or other body fluids, wash hands with either a nonantimicrobial soap and water or an antimicrobial soap and water (IA). B. If hands are not visibly soiled, use an alcohol-based hand rub for routinely decontaminating hands in all other clinical situations described in items 1C-J (IA). Alternatively, wash hands with an antimicrobial soap and water in all clinical situations described in items1C-J (IB). C. Decontaminate hands before having direct contact with patients (IB). D. Decontaminate hands before donning sterile gloves when inserting a central intravascular catheter (IB). E. Decontaminate hands before inserting urinary catheters, peripheral vascular catheters, or other invasive devices that do not require a surgical procedure (IB). F. Decontaminate hands after contact with a patients intact skin (e.g., when taking a pulse or blood pressure, and lifting a patient) (IB). G. Decontaminate hands after contact with body fluids or excretions, mucous membranes, nonintact skin, and wound dressings if hands are not visibly soiled (IA). H. Decontaminate hands if moving from a contaminated-body site to a clean-body site during patient care (II. I. Decontaminate hands after contact with inanimate objects (including medical equipment) in the immediate vicinity of the patient (II). J. Decontaminate hands after removing gloves (IB). K. Before eating and after using a restroom, wash hands with a non-antimicrobial soap and water or with an antimicrobial soap and water (IB). L. Antimicrobial-impregnated wipes (i.e., towelettes) may be considered as an alternative to washing hands with non-antimicrobial soap and water. Because they are not as effective as alcohol-based hand rubs or washing hands with an antimicrobial soap and water for reducing bacterial counts on the hands of HCWs, they are not a substitute for using an alcohol-based hand rub or antimicrobial soap (IB). M. Wash hands with non-antimicrobial soap and water or with antimicrobial soap and water if exposure to Bacillus anthracis is suspected or proven. The physical action of washing and rinsing hands under such circumstances is recommended because alcohols, chlorhexidine, iodophors, and other antiseptic agents have poor activity against spores (II). N. No recommendation can be made regarding the routine use of nonalcohol-based hand rubs for hand hygiene in health-care settings.(Unresolved issue). 2. Hand-hygiene technique A. When decontaminating hands with an alcohol-based hand rub, apply product to palm of one hand and rub hands together, covering all surfaces of hands and fingers, until hands are dry (IB). Follow the manufacturers recommendations regarding the volume of product to use. B. When washing hands with soap and water, wet hands first with water, apply an amount of product recommended by the manufacturer to hands, and rub hands together vigorously for at least 15 seconds, covering all surfaces of the hands and fingers. Rinse hands with water and dry thoroughly with a disposable towel. Use towel to turn off the faucet (IB). Avoid using hot water, because repeated exposure to hot water may increase the risk of dermatitis (IB). C. Liquid, bar, leaflet or powdered forms of plain soap are acceptable when washing hands with a nonantimicrobial soap and water. When bar soap is used, soap racks that facilitate drainage and small bars of soap should be used (II). D. Multiple-use cloth towels of the hanging or roll type are not recommended for use in health-care settings (II). 6. Other Aspects of Hand Hygiene A. Do not wear artificial fingernails or extenders when having direct contact with patients at high risk (e.g., those in intensive-care units or operating rooms) (IA). B. Keep natural nails tips less than 1/4-inch long (II). C. Wear gloves when contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials, mucous membranes, and nonintact skin could occur (IC). D. Remove gloves after caring for a patient. Do not wear the same pair of gloves for the care of more than one patient, and do not was gloves between uses with different patients (IB). E. Change gloves during patient care if moving from a contaminated body site to a clean body site (II). F. No recommendation can be made regarding wearing rings in health-care settings. Unresolved issue. These guidelines were developed for the use of health care professionals in a clinical setting and were not specifically designed with optometric practice in mind. However, many of these recommendations remain highly relevant when adopted to an optometric environment and are strongly supported by The College of Optometrists. The World Health Organisation have extended the recommendations on hand-hygiene technique and produced a visual publication poster detailing the hand hygiene technique for use with alcohol-based formulations and the handwashing technique for use with soap and water. These are shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively. Figure 1 showing recommended hand hygiene technique with an alcohol-based formulation (World Health Organisation 2006) ***online access reference 2 Figure 2 showing recommended handwashing technique using soap and water (World Health Organisation 2006) **online access reference 1.4 Hand hygiene practices among health care workers Hand hygiene practice among health care workers is poor with many observational studies reporting low compliance rates in a number of indicative areas. Hence, understanding current trends among health care workers is critical in planning and implementing the necessary modification in behaviour (Allegranzi and Pittet, 2009). Hand hygiene adherence can be investigated over a range of parameters such as duration spent cleansing or disinfecting, frequency of hand washing episodes over a given time and observing the variations in performance with regard to clinical setting, physician status and gender (Boyce and Pittet, 2002). Employing the appropriate hand hygiene technique is essential. Consider the situation in which hand hygiene episodes per hour compliance is high. If insufficient hand hygiene technique is being performed e.g. inadequate coverage of hand surfaces and a short cleansing time, then the overall standard of compliance will decrease. This confirms that hand hygiene practic es among health care practitioners involves both multimodal strategies and multidisciplinary approaches to improve adherence (Pittet, 2001; Dierssen-Sotos et al., 2009). Multiple factors are associated with the suboptimal hand hygiene performance among health care practitioners and they vary in relation to resources available and the setting involved. For example, the lack of appropriate infrastructure, equipment and materials will hinder good hand hygiene practice, the cultural background and perhaps even religious beliefs can also affect performance (Ahmed et al., 2006; Allegranzi et al., 2009). The most commonly reported causes of poor hand hygiene compliance are: (i) physician or nursing status, (ii) clinical care setting e.g. ICU, AE, surgery units (iii) understaffing and overcrowding (iv) male (rather than female) gender and (v) inaccessible hand hygiene supplies (Pittet, 2000). (Erasmus et al., 2010) conducted a systematic literature review of studies based on observed or self-reported hand hygiene compliance rates in hospital practice, mainly intensive care units. The median compliance rate was low at 40%. Physician status was found to be a factor affecting adherence, lower among doctors (32%) than nurses (48%). In general, a lower compliance rate was found in physicians reporting a high level of activity in clinical practice. Compliance rates improved in situations whereby physicians or nurses associated the task as being visibly dirty or unhygienic, alcohol-based hand rubs or gels were available, feedback performance was introduced and when materials and facilities were easily accessible. Hand hygiene compliance among optometric practitioners is an area yet to be investigated. Opticians are encouraged to follow the recommended guidelines set by organisational bodies such as the World Health Organisation and The College of Optometrists. 1.5 Hand hygiene behaviour Hand hygiene behaviour can be investigated in relation to factors such as social cognitive determinants. A number of situations trigger a hand cleansing episode to occur and therefore affect compliance e.g. knowledge and perception of the risks associated with cross contamination, social expectations for adequate hygiene, self evaluation of the perceived advantages against the existing hindrances and the initial motivation to perform the hand hygiene action (Pittet, 2004; Whitby et al., 2007). This cognitive behavioural response falls into two categories (Whitby, McLaws and Ross, 2006). Inherent hand hygiene behaviour arises in circumstances when individuals deem hands to be visibly soiled, sticky or gritty. This type of intrinsic hand washing behaviour is initiated when a task is recognised as being unhygienic or has a potential risk factor involved to the individual concerned. The other component of hand hygiene behaviour is denoted as elective hand hygiene behaviour. This type of behaviour is represented in situations such as tactile social contact e.g. shaking hands to greet someone. This will not induce a response for many individuals to wash their hands and instead it becomes an elective response. Similarly, health care workers may partake in non-invasive impersonal contact with patients when taking pulses or touching inanimate objects in their surroundings. This type of social contact is not perceived to be a danger and does not drive a hand cleansing episode to take place. Instead an elective response has to be made. However, hand cleansing or disinfection after such contact in a hospital setting is crucial, because failure to do so may lead to microbial hand contamination, with the increased risk of cross-infection. 1.6 Relation of hand hygiene with the acquisition of nosocomial infections Hand hygiene reduces the transmission of microbial contamination and the spread of health-care associated pathogens from one patient to another via the hands of health care workers (Pessoa-Silva et al., 2007; Pittet et al., 2007; Allegranzi et al., 2010). Hand hygiene is the cornerstone in securing adequate patient safety. Failure to comply with this standard prolongs duration of hospitalisation, causes unnecessary suffering, increases costs as well as mortality rates (World Health Organisation, 2009). Thus, to raise awareness and combat the problem of health care associated infections, (Sax et al., 2007) produced an evidence-based, user-centred design to promote improved hand hygiene adherence termed My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene, shown in Fig.3. This highlights the five most common routes of transmission which HCWs are exposed to in daily clinical practice. The model is based on the World Health Organisations hand hygiene guidelines. It recommends hand washing episodes to occur before touching a patient, before clean/aseptic procedures, after a body fluid exposure risk, after patient contact and after touching patient surroundings. Although designed specifically for HCWs in a clinical setting, this model could be adopted for use in community practice to include an optometric environment. Optometrists should be aware of the risks of cross contamination and demonstrate an understanding of appropriate infection control methods (Lakkis et al., 2007). Figure 3- My 5 moments for hand hygiene model 1.7 Infection control in optometry Modern optometric practitioners are offering an expanding area of services and care with regards to the treatment and management of eye diseases and eye injuries. Therefore, more specialised procedures and techniques are being carried out in the primary care setting which have the potential to spread infection and disease via blood borne and air borne transmission. Hence, practitioners have an obligation to carry out adequate infection control measures to ensure a high standard of patient safety and protection (Tyhurst and Hettler, 2009). The majority of optometric procedures are considered low risk for the spread of disease and infection. However, in a few occasions the risk increases e.g. when instruments come in direct contact with an infected patient and when blood, cuts or abrasions are exposed (AOA Primary Care and Ocular Disease Committee, (1993). Other procedures which have the potential for infection include the collection of eye culture samples, foreign body removal, contac t lens fitting, lacrimal lavage and the treatment of patients exhibiting ocular trauma. 1.7.1 Hand hygiene and protective barriers to infection A basic measure of infection control begins with effective hand hygiene. Many eye diseases and infections are spread manually, and it is the responsibility of the optometrist to minimise this transmission to patients by adhering to appropriate hand washing techniques before and after examinations and procedures. Appropriate hand hygiene technique refers to the standard described in section 1.2. In addition, the use of protective barriers such as disposable medical gloves, gowns, masks and protective eyewear has been suggested in specialised circumstances as a precautionary control to minimise the transmission of microorganisms (Lakkis et al., 2007). 1.7.2 HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Diseases can be spread by direct contact between individuals, via blood or other bodily fluids and as a result of airborne transmission. Considerable awareness has been directed towards the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the Hepatitis B and C viruses, (HBV) and (HBC). HIV has been isolated from tears, contact lenses and ocular tissues, but there is no evidence to support transmission of the disease through these medians (Cantrill et al., 1988; Tillman, Klotz and Maino, 1992). Studies have reported the detection of the hepatitis B surface antigen in tears and aqueous humour, suggesting that optometrists must take all necessary precautions in clinical practice (Temel, Seber and Gunay, 1990; Tsai et al., 2009). Although these are areas of concern, the risk of transmission in an optometric setting is remote. 1.7.3 Influenza A (H1N1) virus In 2009, the emergence of the influenza A (H1N1) virus in humans has led to the first global pandemic in 41 years. It is more commonly referred to as swine flu and is made up of porcine, avian and human genes. Although a potentially fatal disease, the mortality rate is expected to be less than previously known influenza pandemics and is more likely to cause harm to young people and individuals with compromised health (CDC 2009). In order to contain the spread of this infection, health care personnel were advised to heighten infection control measures. (Kiely et al., 2009) discussed specific infection control guidelines applicable in an optometric environment. A basic measure of infection control begins with frequent handwashing. Due to the close proximity to patients throughout the eye examination, in a more extreme guideline, it was recommended that optometrists should wear personal protective equipment such as surgical masks, goggles, gowns and gloves when treating a suspected infe ctious individual. It was indicated that influenza A (H1N1) should be treated like any other form of influenza. 1.7.4 Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease The theoretical transmission of prions, implicated in Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (CJD) and variant Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease (vCJD) is an area of concern in optometric practice (Lakkis et al., 2007). These diseases are degenerative neurological conditions that are incurable and invariably fatal. Reusing ophthalmic devices such as RGP trial lenses and contact tonometer heads has been identified as a possible risk factor in spreading this disease from one patient to another but has been described as highly improbable (Armstrong, 2006). 1.7.5 Summary of infection control in optometric practice Due to the potential risk factors in an optometric environment, practitioners must abide by the recommended guidelines in order to control the spread of infection and disease. Lack of motivation and insufficient knowledge of expected protocol will lead to non-compliance among optometrists. Hence eye care personnel are advised to develop and implement a suitable infection control policy within practice (Seewoodhary and Stevens, 1999; Stevens, 2008). 2.0 Aim The purpose of this survey was to examine the typical hand hygiene practice among optometrists in a primary care setting. It investigates the level of compliance among practitioners to include the type of hand products used, hand hygiene technique and the hand hygiene facilities available in various optometric environments. 3. 0 Method 3.1 Survey design In order to determine the role of hand hygiene in optometric practice, a questionnaire was designed to gain an insight into hand hygiene product use, hand hygiene technique, facilities and general compliance among practitioners. The questionnaire was split up into three sections, All About You, Facilities and Hand Hygiene Technique. It consisted of 28 questions, the majority being mandatory to answer. The format of questions was either on a yes-no basis, multiple choice, tick box and rating of answers using a scale based response. Questions were designed on the basis of international guidelines regarding hand hygiene. A detailed literature review was conducted to ascertain appropriate hand hygiene technique, hand hygiene facilities and reported barriers to hand washing. The questions from the survey are shown in the Appendix. 3.2 Survey circulation The questionnaire was launched using Bristol Online Surveys. This is a site used by over 200 UK organisations in order to develop, distribute and analyse web-based surveys. It was sent to volunteers via e-mail using a webpage link. 3.3 Volunteers A total of 124 individuals responded to the survey which included optometrists working in university, hospital, multiple, franchise and independent optometric practice around the UK. If an individual worked in a combination of practices, they were instructed to answer questions based on the place they worked most of the time. All participants were asked to answer honestly as the survey would remain anonymous. 3.3 Survey analysis Results were recorded online within the Bristol Online Surveys (BOS) site. Key features of the BOS results section included the option of statistical investigation, cross tabulation of answers, looking at individual responses and the export of data to a spreadsheet document on Microsoft Excel. The data was analysed and arranged into a variety of tables, graphs and pie charts for easier interpretation of results. 4.0 Results 4.1 All about you A total of 124 optometric practitioners took part in the study. An almost even distribution of gender was found totalling 61 males and 63 females, with an average age  ± SD of 41.4  ± 15.5. The majority of individuals who responded to the questionnaire were Cardiff University graduates totalling 26%, followed by City University, Aston University , The University of Bradford , The University of Manchester and Glasgow Caledonian. The remaining sector of individuals were grouped in the category other and included graduates from Auckland University, Bradford College, Dublin Institute of Technology, Northampton Polytechnic, Rand Afrikaans University, Southern College of Optometry, University of Durban and the University of Ulster. This is shown in Figure 4. Figure 4. University attended by each participant The number of years qualified as an optometrist was investigated and is shown in Fig. 5. Most respondents have been qualified for 21-30 years, followed by participants who have been practicing for less than 5 years. A small minority of individuals have been qualified for more than 40 years. Figure 5. Years qualified as an optometrist Over half of respondents work in independent practice, with a smaller proportion working in a variety of practices such as multiples, hospital based settings, a combination of practices and franchises. The minority fall into the category named other e.g. domiciliary practitioners, retired optometrists and University based optometrists who no longer practice. This is shown in Fig. 6. Figure 6. Type of practice participants work in Figure 7. Gender related response regarding hand washing or disinfection between each patient episode Fig. 7 illustrates that more females than males wash or disinfect hands between each patient episode. 71.1% of the male and female optometrists who wash or disinfect hands between each patient episode, do so in front of the client. Table 2. Reasons for not washing or disinfecting hands between each patient episode Reasons Male response as a % Female response as a % Busy clinic 24 57 Forget 20 43 Unnecessary 48 76 Lack of facilities 4 5 Sore skin 8 19 Other 12 14 Practitioners who do not wash or disinfect hands between each patient episode (25 males and 21 females) were asked their reasons for not doing so. More than one answer could be selected and is shown in table 2. The majority of these individuals deemed hand washing or disinfection an unnecessary practise. Twice as many females compared to males report that the busy clinic prevents such behaviour occurring, they forget or blame sore skin as reasons for not washing hand between each patient episode. Refer to Table 3 for Other responses. Table 3. Other reasons for not washing or disinfecting between each patient episode Other responses from optometric practitioners: Never been part of routine Was never stressed during University or Pre-reg Only recently became an issue Wash hands for each contact lens patient, but not all refraction patients Hand wash during the appointment and not between Figure 8. Practitioner response as a percentage regarding patient greeting with a handshake Fig. 8 illustrates that just under half of respondents do not greet patients with a handshake. The remaining individuals answered yes or sometimes to this form of patient contact. 39.5% of male optometrists and 44% of female optometrists who greet patients with a handshake, wash or disinfect their hands after this contact. Figure 9. Satisfaction of hand hygiene practises The vast majority of individuals have a high level of satisfaction with the hand hygiene practices currently employed at the practice where they work. Collectively, 8.9% of individuals are fairly unsatisfied or unsatisfied with current hand hygiene practises. Results are illustrated in Fig. 9. 4.2 Practice facilities and structure The questionnaire investigated the number of staff members in each individual practice to include optometrists, locum optometrists, dispensing opticians, optical assistants and receptionists. These results were calculated as a median function to include the range and are shown in Table 4. The frequency of patient appointments in an average working day were investigated and appointment duration. Practice facilities were reported upon such as number of consulting rooms and number of bathrooms. Results were averaged or calculated as a median function to include the range and are illustrated in Table 5. Table 4. Number of staff members in practice Position held (Median, range) Optometrist (1, 1-20) Locum Optometrist (0, 0-5) Dispensing Optician (1, 0-6) Optical assistant (1, 0-35) Receptionist (2, 0-8) Table 5. General practice statistics and available facilities Average ±SD (Median, range) Number of patients seen per day per optometrist 13.8 ±3.74 (14, 10-25) Appointment length (in minutes) 30.7 ±6.21 (25, 15-60) Number of consulting rooms (2, 1-12) Number of bathrooms (1,1-5) In regard to practice facilities, greater than half of all participants are assigned to their own personal consulting room and report that the hand washing facility is separate from the toilet Three quarters of individuals said that there is at least one wash basin in each consulting room. Fig. 10 illustrates these findings. A large proportion of individuals reported that the practice they worked in did not display a poster detailing official recommendations on the hand washing and hand rubbing technique. Just under half of participants were aware of the poster being displayed in practice. The minority were unsure and this is shown in Fig. 11. Figure 10. Practice facilities Figure 11. Guidance poster detailing the advised handwashing and hand rubbing technique 3.3 Hand hygiene products Figure 12: The gender related practitioner response as a function of hand hygiene product use. A variety of hand hygiene products were listed. Participants rated how often they used each product in relation to the scale provided (always, most of the time, occasionally, very rarely or never). Results were plotted as a function of gender. Fig. 12(a) illustrates that the majority of male