The Soft Drink Industry Essay Example for Free

The Soft Drink Industry Essay Indiana University-South Bend he average U.S. consumer drinks more soft drinks per capita (2.3 eight ounce servings a day) than any other beverage, including milk. Table 1 shows the per capita consumption of various beverages in the U.S. for 1991-1995. In terms of 1995 retail sales, soft drinks in the U.S. are a $52 billion dollar industry (Standard Poors Corp., 96:11). The U.S. market growth for soft drinks, however, has slowed to single digits since the end of 1980s (Sawinski, 95:550). Fifty-four percent of the worlds soft drink volume is sold outside North America, and in 1995, the per capita consumption of soft drinks in continental markets outside North America ranged from a low of 2.02 gallons in Africa to a high of 13.86 gallons in South America. INDUSTRY PRODUCTS AND VALUE CHAIN The industry, once synonymous with the Cola, has now grown into one with a wide range of products. Additional flavors such as orange, cherry, lime, lemon, pepper, and ginger ales have appeared in the market, and caffeine-free and diet versions of almost all of the industrys products have been introduced. In 1996, Cola brands occupied the top two marketshare positions in the U.S., while non-cola brands such as Mountain Dew, Sprite, and 7UP were also among the top ten best-selling soft drinks. Also, in 1996, sales volume for the top two Colas, Coca-Cola Classic and Pepsi-Cola, grew 3.2% and 3% respectively, while sales volume for Mountain Dew and Sprite grew 5.7% and 17.6% respectively. Table 2 shows the list of 10 best selling soft drinks in the U.S. market. Soft drinks are made by mixing syrup (which is made from raw materials such as sugar, sweeteners, and flavoring additives) with carbonated water. While some of the soft drinks are sold at fountains, others are packaged in bottles or cans. A large portion of the soft drink industrys sales is in the packaged form (Sawinski, 95:549 estimates that 75% of all soft drinks sold in the U.S. were in the packaged form). Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo have historically maintained control over bottling and distribution through part or full ownership of some of their bottling plants. Cadbury Schweppes, on the other hand, has chosen to outsource its bottling function in the U.S. market. Cadbury Schweppes relies on independent bottlers and the bottling operations owned by Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo to bottle its products. Recently, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo decided to drop some of Cadburys brands from their bottling operations to make room for their own brands. As a result,  Cadbury estimates that it has lost about 20 million cases in sales (Theodore, 97a:40). In another recent event, PepsiCo lost a significant part of its Latin American business when its Venezuelan bottler defected to Coca-Cola Co. (Sellers, 96:74-78). Bottling operations and syrup production differ in their capital intensity and profitability. For example, in 1995, Coca-Cola Enterprisesa company engaged primarily in bottling and distributionhad revenues of $0.75 for every dollar invested in assets, while Coca-Cola Co., which is primarily engaged in syrup production, enjoyed revenues of $1.25 for every dollar invested in assets. Also, while Coca-Cola Co. earned a 17% return on sales in 1995, an average company engaged primarily in bottling and distribution of soft drinks would earn between 2 to 5% (Standard Poors Corp., 96:22). INDUSTRY STRUCTURE Industry Players and Competition The U.S. and global soft drink industries are quite concentrated. Long dominated by two companies, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo, the industry saw the emergence of a third significant player when Cadbury Schweppes acquired the Dr. Pepper and 7UP brands in 1995. Table 3 shows that the top three firms accounted for 90% of the U.S. soft drink market in 1996, and Table 4 shows that the same three firms controlled 77% of the world soft drink market in 1995. Appendix 1 provides a list of product lines and their performance for each of the three firms, and Appendix 2 provides selected financial data for the three companies. Soft drink sales volume in the U.S. has grown at an average annual rate of 3.28% over the last five years, reaching 14,199.5 million gallons in 1996. Soft drink sales outside North America represented 54% of the world sales volume in 1995 and have grown at an average annual rate of 6.52% between 1990 and 1995. Table 5 shows worldwide soft drink sales volume by continent, and Table 6 shows worldwide per capita soft drink consumption by continent. New Entry Into the Industry The production technologies required for manufacturing soft drinks is widely available for potential entrants. Competing on a national or global scale, however, requires the ability to manufacture and distribute a well-recognized brand. Soft drinks are among the most advertised products, and soft drink commercials are a regular feature in most high-profile advertising events. In 1996, for example, Coca-Cola Co. had an unprecedented one hundred commercial spots during the Summer Olympics, and PepsiCo had a  number of commercials during the super-bowl. Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, and Cadbury Schweppes spent a total of $469.1 million on media advertising in the U.S. market between January and September 1996, up from the $370.7 million spent during the corresponding period in 1995 (Beverage Industry, 3/97: 40-41). Channels of Distribution As mentioned earlier, there are two main channel categories in this industrypackaged product channels and fountain channels. The packaged product channels include supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drug stores, and vending machines. Fountain channels include fast-food restaurants, sports arenas, convenience stores, and gas stations. While supermarkets are, at present, the largest channel in the U.S., the fountain channel has been growing fast. According to Bill Perely, Senior Vice President/General Manager of fountain/foodservice for Dr. Pepper/7UP, fountain sales in the U.S. grew at an average annual rate of about 5% in the last five years, while overall soft drink sales in the U.S. grew at an average annual rate of about 3% during the same period (Sfiligoj, 97:54). Bill Perely attributes the growth in fountain sales to the increased popularity of fast foodsin particular the carry-out segment of fast foods. Soft drink companies have stepped up their efforts to capture a larger share of the fountain business by introducing more of their brands at the fountain, by aggressively competing for service contracts with high-profile customers, and by working with fountain outlets on joint promotion and dispensing technologies. Jeff Dunn, Vice President of field sales and marketing at Coca-Cola Co., notes that fountain customers are becoming increasingly brand conscious. He says, For years, consumers have basically asked for a generic kind of soft drink from the fountain dispenser at the restaurant they were in, but thats changing. Now consumers actually ask for a soft drink by its namelike Sprite instead of 7UP, for instanceand wont substitute one for the other (Sfiligoj, 97:60). To fountain outlets like fast-food restaurants or convenience stores, increased brand consciousness means that they can attract more customers by carrying many  soft drink brands instead of just a few. Signs of fountain outlets seeking to diversify the brands that they carry emerged in early 1996 when Circle K corporation took Coca-Cola Co. to court seeking to terminate its fountain contract which precluded Circle K from selling other company brands at its fountains (Sfiligoj, 97:56). Circle K prevailed in its efforts, and its stores now have a range of non-Coke brands along with Cokes products. It remains to be seen if Circle Ks court battle signals a new era in the fountain business, one where fast-food restaurants and other fountain outlets no longer carry the brands of just one soft drink company. In international markets, soft drink companies face a number of distribution challenges. In many of the emerging country markets such as India, China, and Indonesia, for example, poor road conditions and other infrastructure problems render efficient distribution by trucks very difficult. Physical distribution in these markets often involves using an army of people on tricycles and bicycles to haul the products through narrow and winding streets. At the retail end, problems include lack of refrigerators in retail outlets and even lack of power lines in some places. Overcoming these distribution problems has required and may continue to require sizable investments in infrastructure development and giving away or loaning coolers. Supplies Supplies for soft drinks include various ingredients used in the production of soft drinks and packaging materials used for the finished product. Soft drink production involves mixing a number of ingredients including water, preservatives, sugar/sweeteners, flavors, coloring agents, and carbon dioxide. Appendix 3 provides an example of a soft drink production batch sheet. Table 7 shows the worldwide soft drink ingredients consumption for 1996 and consumption estimates for 2001. Bulk sweetener refers to sugar manufactured from agricultural produce such as cane and beat. According to the economic research unit of the U.S. department of agriculture, the world spot price for sugar has been trending down and averaged 12.10 cents a pound in the  last quarter of 1995. Looking ahead, the economic research unit forecasts the world sugar production for 1996/97 (October 1996 to September 1997) at 125.1 million metric tons and the global consumption of sugar for the same period at 123.0 million metric tons (Beverage Industry, 5/97:43). High-intensity sweeteners, in contrast to sugar, are compounds that result from extensive research and development by food product companies. These sweeteners are subject to very close scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before being approved for use in soft drinks and other food products. Currently used primarily in low-calorie and sugar-free beverages, the consumption of these high-intensity sweeteners remains low. A beverage industry report points out that the consumption of high intensity sweeteners in soft drinks is expected to rise as more companies producing these products gain FDA approval. In the 1960s, aluminum cans began to make inroads into the beverage container business. Working diligently to capture a larger share of the container market, aluminum can companies had reduced the cost of using their products by minimizing the aluminum content in cans and by helping their customers develop equipment to produce cans at machine-gun speed and fill them at very high rates (2,000 cans per minute). These innovations enabled aluminum can makers to capture just over a quarter of the soft drink container market by 1985. In the last few years, however, aluminum can companies have faced intense competition from plastic bottle makers. As soft drink companies began to realize that customers valued the way a product looked and felt, and were willing to pay more to get these attributes, they increased their utilization of the more profitable single serve plastic bottles. Brian W. Sturgell, Executive Vice President of the aluminum can maker Alcan, observes that the soft drink companies sell 20 ounces [in plastic bottles] for a buck, while you can buy a 12-pack of cans for $2.39 . . . Its an amazing profitability gap (Baker Harris, 97:108). In wake of these developments, aluminum can makers are attempting to stay competitive and grow their market shares by rethinking their plain looking cans. They are experimenting with new shapes, new feel, and reclosable lids for their cans. Redesigning the cans along these lines will not be easy, however, because the can makers have to invest in research and development to overcome the technical  challenges involved, even as competition forces them to hold or lower their prices. See Table 8 for soft drink container marketshares. Table 8 Soft Drink Container Market Shares (%) (Gallons of Soft Substitute Products Health and fitness concerns, as well as an increasing appetite for something new and different, have resulted in a flurry of alternative beverage product introductions in the U.S. market. For example, 3524 new products were introduced in 1996 compared to 1540 new products introduced in 1986 (Beverage Industry, 3/97:53). The range of new products introduced include cold coffees, caffeinated and flavored water, carbonated flavored milk, fruit and vegetable juice blends, caffeinated orange juice, micro-brewed root beer, and alternative lifestyle products such as anise-based drinks blended with vanilla and other extracts and cinnamon-based beverages flavored with garlic and cayenne pepper. Table 9 shows the sales volume for new beverages between 1990 and 1996, and Table 10 compares the sales of new beverages with soft drink sales. Although some soft drink companies have their own alternative beverage operations, the rapid growth of alternative beverages brings forth many new companiesinc luding Starbucks, Campbell Soups, Tropicana, and Quaker Oatsthat soft drink makers need to contend with. TRENDS General Economy The annual GDP growth in the U.S. averaged 2.32% between 1991 and 1995. During the same 1991-95 period, inflation in the U.S., measured by the consumer price index, averaged 3.19%, and the lending interest rate charged by U.S. banks on loans to prime customers averaged 7.34%. Table 13 summarizes these numbers and also provides corresponding numbers for two earlier five-year periods. Table 14 provides key economic indicators for twenty other countries of the world. Technology Advances in technology have improved all aspects of the soft drink industry. For example, advances in additives such as sugarless sweeteners, caffeine free products, and new flavorings have enabled the industry to provide products that meet changing customer tastes and preferences. Computerized manufacturing technologies have contributed to higher efficiency and quality in bottling operations. Computerized systems can now be used to measure key aspects of beverage production such as syrup usage, Brix count (per cent sugar), and beverage carbonation (Sawinski, 1995:552-553). Advances in logistics and information technology are helping companies enjoy better inventory control, faster truck check-in and check-out, better stock rotation at the warehouse, and eliminate truckload errors (Sawinski, 1995:552-553). Technological advances have also helped the sales end of the business. The so-called smart vending machines use electronic components to track sales patterns, stocks, and equipment breakdowns. When equipped with wireless  communications software, these machines can also automatically reorder stock, eliminating the need for manual stock checks. Faster fountain dispensers are also being developed to better serve customers on the go. Another innovation that could revolutionize the business is the self-chilling can developed by The Joseph Company (Dawson, 97:74-78). The technology for this product involves mounting a small aerosol can filled with pressurized liquid refrigerant upside down in a 500-ml beverage can, leaving room for 330 ml of beverage. The aerosol valve head and the activator button is located at the bottom of the can. When the activator button is pushed, the liquid refrigerant draws heat from the warm beverage and escapes out as gas through the valve in the cans base. In the process, the temperature of the beverage drops by 30 °F in 120 seconds. This product would eliminate the need for refrigeration and is slated for commercial introduction in the last quarter of 1997. Initially targeted to the high-convenience sector of the U.S. market, the self-chilling can could eventually help soft drink companies overcome refrigeration problems faced in emerging country markets. Political Many countries that were once inaccessible to foreign companies are opening up their markets. Countries that have opened their markets in recent times include China, India, and Indonesia, which together account for nearly half of the worlds population. These countries also have among the lowest per capita soft drink consumption levels in the world. While the mere opening of these markets does not assure success for multinational soft drink companies, they do provide an opportunity previously unavailable to them. Success in such new markets will depend on learning to operate in dissimilar cultures, managing political and currency risks, and overcoming infrastructural problems. Regulative Environment The soft drink industry is subject to a range of government regulations. In particular, regulations in two areas are noteworthy. First, as a food  product, soft drinks come under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. and corresponding regulative bodies overseas. The FDA, for example, tests and certifies new ingredients such as high-intensity sweeteners before they are allowed to be used in soft drink production. The second area of regulation that is of particular interest to the soft drink industry relates to the natural environment. The impact of soft drink packaging materials on the natural environment has been one of the most important issues in this respect. In the U.S., in response to public concerns, there has been a series of legislative activity at both the federal and state levels (Beverage World DataBank, 1997:213-226). While individual proposals may differ in some respects, most federal legislative proposals address one or more of the following objectives: (1) Minimize the quantity of packaging material entering the nations solid waste system; (2) minimize the consumption of scarce natural resources; (3) maximize the recycling and reuse of packaging materials; and (4) protect human health and the natural environment from adverse effects associated with the disposal of packaging materials. In addition to the federal efforts in this regard, many states have adopted laws to govern packaging materials. Fifty-one states enforce laws dealing with litter control and prevention and administer recycling and public awareness programs. Nine states have adopted deposit laws for beverage containers, and twenty-seven states place restrictions on multi-pack carrier materials. The multi-pack carrier restrictions require that the plastic ring carriers be made of degradable material that decomposes when discarded. Also, thirty-eight states have laws that regulate the sale of beverage containers with detachable metal pull tabs. In most of these thirty-eight states, it is unlawful to sell a beverage in a container designed with a detachable metal opening device. In a demonstration of social responsibility, the major players in the soft drink industry and the national soft drink association have joined the Environmental Protection Agencys voluntary program WasteWi$e (Beverage Industry, 9/97:39-41). The program requires members to commit to implementing/expanding their waste reduction programs in three areaswaste  prevention, recycling, and purchasing or manufacturing recycled products. A charter member of the program, Coca-Cola Co. recycled more than 1.2 million pounds of corrugated paper and other recyclables in 1995. Coca-Cola Co. also purchased $2 million in recycled content materials. PepsiCo has made modifications to its soda cans and the containers that transport them. For example, PepsiCo has replaced single-use corrugated transport containers with reusable plastic cases for its 1-liter and 20 ounce packages, eliminating 196 million pounds of corrugated material in the process.

Porters 5 forces analysis

Porters 5 forces analysis The porters 5 forces is a simple tool to understanding where the company power lies in a business situation. The porters forces also helping company understand the strength of a current competitive position. The porter 5 forces includes bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of supplier, threat of new entry, threat of substitute and rivalry among competitors. The bargaining power of buyer is described as the market of outputs. The bargaining power of buyers ability of the customers exert pressure on businesses by demanding reduce price and increasing the product quality. Company must recognize consumer want and need. In order to boost sales volume, manufactures follow changing consumer trends. The bargaining power of buyer will be high when the large volume buyer are concentrated buying the product or services. There is a concentration of buyers. Other factor will be increasing bargaining power of buyers is the products available replaces by substitutes in the market. In automotive industry the buyers have the greatest power because they can the low switching costs associated with selecting from competing brands. If buyers become disenchanted with some automaker, they can look for alternatives especially foreign cars. Automotive industries have many automakers can substitutes replace General Motors Corporate such as Toyota, Honda, Ford, a nd so on. General Motors Corporate in order to avoid replaces by other automakers, General Motors Corporate always carve out unique line of cars and trucks like fuel cell electric and hybrid vehicles. The bargaining power of supplier is described as the market of inputs. Supplier is provided the raw materials and machinery to company than the company can carry out its business operations. When the bargaining power of supplier will be high is an industry relies on just few suppliers or there are not substitutes available for suppliers product. If bargaining power of supplier higher, the company will be often faces to high pressure on margins from supplier. For example, if General Motors Corporate have one supplier to supply raw material, then the supplier increase their price this will lead General Motors cars and truck also will increase the price because General Motors dont have other supplier to supply raw material. In order to reducing the bargaining power of supplier, the company will be increasing dependency means partnering with many suppliers. Some biggest company maybe will take over a supplier. The threat of substitutes is described as an industrys profitability depends on the relative price to performance of the different types services or product to which customer can turn to buy other product that almost has the same functions. The threats of substitutes exist when a products demand is affected by switching costs. This means the costs of switching to substitutes. In the automotive industry the threat of substitutes product is very huge because automotive industry has many automakers. In order to avoid substitute product replace the General Motors cars and trucks, General Motors Corporate has carve out its own unique product. For example, General Motors carve out alternative fuel vehicles like fuel cell electric and hybrid vehicles. Product differentiation can reduce the threat of substitute so each company also attempts to carve out unique products. Some company will be buy patent developed by potential substitute because avoid the substitute entry markets. The rivalry among competitor is described the intensity of competitive rivalry. The rivalry among competitor means have the major determinant of the competitiveness of industry. The rivalry among competitor is most obvious of any industry. The competitor normally will offer the same product or services as your company. Competitive battles include price wars, new product introduction or advertising campaigns. In order to gain more market share and increase sales, every company often use comparative advertising to emphasize areas where it outperformance its competitor. Rivalry among competitor can reduce the profitability of company but these maybe good things of publics. The rivalry among competitor exist when the industry growth. In order to reduce the rivalry among competitor, General Motors Corporate avoid price competition with other automakers and focus on different segments. Company communicates with competitor also can reduce the rivalry among competitor. This also can build wi n-win relationship with competitors. The threat of new entry is described the new competitor or firms entering into industry. In order to reduce the threat of new entry, the company needs to create a good brand image. If the company have a good brand image, then customer would like to stay with the brand products. The customer loyalty is a barrier entry into market. The threat of new entry depends on economics of scale. For example, company minimum size requirement for profitable operations. Automotive industry is a high threat of new entry but some industry low threat of new entry like shipbuilding because shipbuilding industry has high entry barriers. The government restriction also can reduce threat of new entry. For example, Malaysia government restricts new entry into automotive industry because government wants to protect of local cars (PROTON). Limitation of Porter Analysis The porters 5 forces is a useful framework for competitive analysis within industry. Competitive analysis is lead into strategic planning and the development of a tailored competitive strategy that expects to exploit the situation. The porters 5 forces model has some limitation and weaknesses. In general, porters analysis focuses on company external competitive environment. In order to complete a full competitive analysis, the porters 5 forces need to be compensated. The porters 5 forces has further limitation in today market environment because porters analysis is assumes relativity static market structures. This means porters 5 forces are applicable for simple market structures not best applicable for today dynamic markets. Today dynamic markets are highly influenced by technological innovation such as information technology, so porters analysis cannot analyze today dynamic changes. The second limitation of porters analysis is generally based on the idea of competition. In porters analysis just described how to company or business to achieve competitive advantages. Porters analysis just focuses on competitive advantages and then ignores other important consideration strategy. For example, company not really into consideration strategy such as electronic linking of information system of all company along a value chain, virtual network or enterprise and strategies alliances. The third limitation of porters analysis is porters 5 forces are designed for analyzing individual business strategy. Porters analysis cannot cope with interdependencies and synergies within the portfolio a large company. The fourth limitation of porters analysis is the sources of value are structural advantages. Sometimes may be possible to create barriers to entry. This mean porters analysis possible will create completely new market rather than selecting existing ones. Although porters analysis are not best applicable for today dynamic markets but porters analysis still can compensated with other analysis such as SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, Value Chain analysis and etc. Porters analysis in conjunction with other tools such as PEST and SWOT can define effective competitive strategy. General Motors Corporate also uses SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, and Value Chain analysis to compensated limitation of porters analysis. PEST analysis also can uses to compensated limitation of porters analysis. PEST analysis is described macro environment such as political, economic, social and technological. PEST analysis is strategy tool for understanding markets growth or decline and potential and direction for operations. For example, General Motors must be doing market research before carve out new cars or new markets. The markets research includes economic condition, political and government policy. Government decision can affect organization directly like employments law, tax policy, trade restrictions and tariffs and environmental regulation. The economic condition also can affect company profitability like oil price, interest rates, and economic growth and financial crisis. Especially financial crisis because many people lose job, then almost people temporary dont want buy a new cars. This is can influence company make lose. We can refer to appendix 2; we can understand how PEST analysis is function. SWOT analysis is a strategic planning used to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for company or business. SWOT analysis applicable to measures a business units, and a proposition. SWOT analysis also can understand where the company strengths and weaknesses and then minimize the affect of weaknesses on company and maximizing or maintain company strengths. When company have know weaknesses and strengths itself then can making good decision for strategy of business proposition. For example, General Motors strengths are have large market shares, global experience, and variety of brand names and current development of alternative vehicles. So General Motors always maintain them strengths. The weaknesses of General Motors are poor customers perception, stagnant profitability, higher labor costs and overly dependent on U.S market. So General Motors try to gain more market share and increase sale volume at other countries such as China, Japan, and Malaysia and so o n. General Motors also need to increase customers perception. We can refer to appendix 3; we can see how company uses SWOT analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses themselves. Value Chain analysis can overcome the limitation of porter 5 forces. Value Chain analysis described the activities that take place in a business and relates them to an analysis of the competitive strengths of the business. Value Chain analysis will help the company pursue a competitive advantages. Porters described value chain have two different categories of activities that is a primary activities and support activities. The primary activities of company include inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales and services. The support activities include procurement, human resources management, technology development and firm infrastructure. Value Chain analysis will help the company pursue a competitive advantages. We can refer to appendix 4. In appendix 4, we can see how to value chain contribution from different functions of an organization in the value adding process. Balanced scorecard is a good way to overcome the limitation of porters 5 forces. Balanced scorecard is defined are strategic planning or management system that is used extensively in industry and business to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization and monitor organization performance against strategic goals. Balanced scorecard can help company known how well business is running. Balanced scorecard also allows company measures economic value added and operating income. For example, General Motors use balanced scorecard to measures customer satisfaction and market share in target segments. . We can refer to appendix 5; we can see how 2 balanced scorecard running. Product life cycle can overcome the limitation of porters 5 forces. Product life cycle is defined a new product progress through a sequence of stages from introduction to growth, maturity and decline. When companies produce some product like cars or trucks they must take cars market life and services life into account. Recently more and more company is attempting to optimize profit and revenue over entire life cycle. Company does this need to consideration product warranties, the ability to upgrade existing product and space part. For example, General Motors cars have 3 years warranty. . We can refer to appendix 6; we can see the new product progress thought life cycle.

The History Of Oxygen Therapy Nursing Essay

The History Of Oxygen Therapy Nursing Essay The nursing process, which is an organized approach of planning, delivering, and evaluating individualized care for clients in any state of health or illness was not followed in this case. Kamila, after moving the patient from the bed to the commode should of assess the oxygen saturation of the client since the client was on 2 L via nasal cannula. The nursing process is recurrent with each steps depend on the accuracy of the previous one. With the nursing process being decisive, the goal is to provide outstanding, individualized, client-centered care. I found it vital to know the baseline assessment of my patient. As soon as Melissa informed me about the status of my patient; I assessed the patient, vital signs were within the normal range and I failed to report it to either the nurse or my team leader. Although during report the ongoing nurse failed to mention the patient was on 2 L via nasal cannula, as the student nurse assigned to that patient I should of report the incidence and my assessment to the nurse to prevent future escalation of the patient condition. This assessment of the patient being short of Breath on exertion could be helpful in the development of the care plan of the patient in response to actual or potential health conditions or needs. Excellent communication between the healthcare team is fundamentally imperative in taking care of a client. Constant follow up is important in comparing the baseline assessments and the actual findings to determine if the outcomes are met. In this case I didnt communicate it to nurse nor the team leader who could of reported to our clinical instructor. I was in the receiving end, and didnt take it further. This kind of poor communication is not beneficial toward the patient outcomes or a modification in the plan of care. As patient advocate, in taking care of a patient we need to critically think about the outcomes we want to achieve in planning care. Because Critically thinking is an intelligently well-organized process of actively and competently conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, or evaluating information collected from, or created by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a pilot to confidence and action. I failed to critically think in taking care of my patient by not anticipate that the nurse contact the healthcare provider, to ask for an order foe oxygen which is at this point very important in the plan care of this patient. Oxygen therapy is a medical intervention, which involves administration of oxygen in both acute and chronic care. Oxygenation of body tissues is vital for cell metabolism and subsequent physiological functioning of the body (PLoS Medicine, 2008). According to Bailley (2010), continuous oxygen therapy is often prescribed for patients with severe Hypoxemia and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). There are three common modes for oxygen administration. These include; compressed gas, liquid gas and oxygen concentrators. Physicians need to be extra vigilant to ensure that patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease receive continuous and long-term oxygen therapy. There is significant evidence that proves administration of long-term and continuous oxygen therapy increases survival of patients with severe hypoxemia but not nocturnal desaturation (Bailley, 2010). When subjected to long-term oxygen therapy for 24 months, the mortality rate of patients with a PaO2 not exceeding 58 mm Hg reduced significantly as compared to nocturnal therapy. In a separate experiment, patients with a PaO2 ranging between 40 and 60 mm Hg on long-term oxygen therapy increased their survival rate by 5 years as compared to patients under placebo (NNT, five) (Bailley, 2010). Bailley (2010) also notes that other nursing interventions found effective in COPD treatment include inhaled corticosteroids, anti-cholinergic agents, long-acting beta2 agonists and pulmonary rehabilitation. However, choice of any intervention depends on the stage of the disease. Ranchord (2009) notes that although most clinicians understand the hazards of oxygen therapy in chronic pulmonary disease and hypoxemia-induced respiratory drive patients, there is little appreciation that exposure to higher than normal physiological levels of oxygen (a condition called Hypoxemia) is associated with detrimental effects in patients with ischemic heart condition. According to Ranchord (2009), in the past years, clinicians were made to believe that inhaled oxygen increased oxygen in the arteries during acute myocardial infarctions, however; this may reduce the cardiac output, increase blood pressure and resistance to blood flow. This incident had lead to some potential negative outcomes like the patient being short of breath. If Melissa didnt go to the room to do her initial assessment, patient could of gone to respiratory arrest. One of the probable cause of respiratory arrest is decrease respiratory drive. If respiratory arrest is prolonged, cardiac arrest rapidly follows because continuing hypoxia damages cardiac system, harmful effect is brain damage cause by lack of oxygen to the brain and death. Evidence-based practice is the reliable and thoughtful use of recent best indication to improve the quality care of the patients. It is important for me to provide safe and accurate patient care to avoid any negative outcome that could lead to deterioration of the patient condition. (Issel, 2010) identify patient safety has freedom from accidental injury, It has become established as a foundation of quality care for acute care institutions and, subsequently, for other health care settings in which direct care is provided. As healthcare professional I need to be vigilant in providing the safest care and anticipate that the best current evidence is use in making decisions about patient care.

America Needs Affordable Housing Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research

America Needs Affordable Housing It is often easy to castigate large cities or third world countries as failures in the field of affordable housing, yet the crisis, like an invisible cancer, manifests itself in many forms, plaguing both urban and suburban areas. Reformers have wrestled passionately with the issue for centuries, revealing the severity of the situation in an attempt for change, while politicians have only responded with band aid solutions. Unfortunately, the housing crisis easily fades from our memory, replaced by visions of homeless vets, or starving children. Metropolis magazine explains that â€Å"†¦though billions of dollars are spent each year on housing and development programs worldwide, ? At least 1 billion people lack adequate housing; some 100 million have none at all.? In an attempt to correct this worldwide dilemma, a United Nations conference, Habitat II, was held in Istanbul, Turkey in June of 1996. This conference was open not only to government leaders, but also to community orga nizers, non governmental organizations, architects and planners. â€Å"By the year 2000, half the world’s people will live in cities. By the year 2025, two thirds of the world population will be urban dwellers ? Globally, one million people move from the countryside to the city each week.? Martin Johnson, a community organizer and Princeton professor who attended Habitat II, definitively put into words the focus of the deliberations. Cities, which are currently plagued with several of the severe problems of dis-investment ?crime, violence, lack of jobs and inequality ?and more importantly, a lack of affordable and decent housing, quickly appeared in the forefront of the agenda. The dis-investment is present in many large citie... ...ary 1997: 66+ Johnson, Martin. â€Å"United Nations Habitat II Conference in Instanbul, Turkey,?The Advocate, December 1996: 2+ Outline I. Introduction A. International situation 1. Habitat II conference in Istanbul a. Article written in Metropolis magazine b. Personal account by community organizer II. Body A. Bergen county 1. HUD statistics for county 2. Studies shown in graphs, charts, tables 3. Maps showing minority, unemployed, and low income areas a. This is to draw a possible conclusion of course b. Statistics show ownership : housing problems B. NYC situation 1. Less statistics, more stories and examples a. Drawing from NYT article 8 part series III. Conclusion(s) A. Are there relationships of race : housing? B. Is the government pulling its weight? C. Are there solutions at hand?

Religion and Coming of Age in Olive Ann Burns’ Novel, Cold Sassy Tree E

Religion and Coming of Age in Olive Ann Burns’ Novel, Cold Sassy Tree In the small southern town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, at the turn of the twentieth century, teenage boys had to grow up fast. They were not in any way sheltered from the daily activities of the town. This was especially true for fourteen year old Will Tweedy. Olive Ann Burns’ first, and only completed novel, Cold Sassy Tree, tells of young Will’s coming-of-age. His experiences with religion, progress, and death in Cold Sassy escorted him along the path to manhood. During the early 1900s, the south was full of religious fervor. Most small communities were based around two or three church families. Cold Sassy Tree, which is a recounting of Will’s memories, contains many references to religion and God. Rucker Blakeslee,...

Jean-Paul Sartre Essay

Existentialism focuses on the idea that life has no meaning and is considered absurd. Existential philosophers believe that humans create their own values and determine a meaning for their lives because, from the start, the human being does not possess any inherent value or identity. â€Å"Existence precedes essence† is one of the most well-known existential statements and describes how our concrete being is more important than its purpose. The existentialism movement introduced a new way of perceiving life and was illustrated through poetry, visual art and lecturing. Using these methods poets, artists and philosophers were able to convey the understanding that searching for a meaning to life is futile, and pursuing it can lead to the brink of complete comprehension about one’s purpose for existing, and in turn can cause one to recognize that life is only as meaningful as one makes it out to be. In â€Å"Freedom vs. Determinism† by Tom Greening, the poet rhetorically questions how the universe works in order to show the reader the impossibility of knowing why things happen. Greening uses the line â€Å"While we argue, life goes by† to illustrate the point that no matter how much time and effort is put into fighting over why things happen, life will continuously move forward. He is arguing that if we waste time attempting to understand the meaning of life, we will only reach the edge of understanding. Through the struggle to achieve this â€Å"understanding,† our personal lives can begin to elude us. In â€Å"Untitled† by Jackson Pollock, the artist uses abstract paint dripping and brush strokes to express the idea that life is not meant to be understood. With the painting, Pollock is showing how life is abstract at times, especially when its meaning is pursued. This is similar to the idea in the unifying thematic statement of the futility of searching for the meaning of life. Life’s conceivable meaning is not meant to be understood, much like the painting. In â€Å"Existentialism is a Humanism† by Jean-Paul Sartre, the lecturer defends existentialism from criticisms of being pessimistic and gloomy. He explains that man materializes at birth, and only after this occurs can he make something of himself, creating his own life without any outside force pushing him. He states that man is what he conceives himself to be, and nothing else. Sartre says â€Å"man is nothing other than what he makes of himself,† to convey the idea similar to the one in the unifying thematic statement, that life is only as significant as an individual makes it out to be. All three existentialists used their mediums to come to the conclusion that there is not one concrete meaning to life. Each individual puts meaning to their own lives. Through understanding this principle meaning of existentialism, Greening, Pollock and Sartre exhibited the fact that one should realize the mere existence of life is the only thing that matters, and should not be wasted on vain attempts to understand its meaning.

American Religion

Religion might be considered as a means or method of expressing ones belief in and devotion to a being or entity that transcends the human individual. The idea of an American religion is sustainable to a certain degree, as historically the nation has been subject to the developing influence of certain traditional religious groups.However, because of the splintering of religion as well as the desire to keep the nation free from religious tyranny, it has also been apparent that the United States exists without any governing or unifying religious requirement. Furthermore, if one considers religion to be expressed through belief in and devotion to a particular being, entity, or idea, then the United States might be seen to be populated by a group of persons who devote themselves to several different ideologies, so that no single American religion exists.Yet despite these dissenting views, when one judges by the underlying sentiments of the majority of the nation toward non-Protestant rel igions, as well as the existence of elected or appointed officials of the Protestant arm of Christianity in governmental positions, it might be said that the overarching religion of the United States is in fact Protestant Christianity. The United States was first populated in the seventeenth century by Pilgrims and Puritans who sought liberation from tyrannical oppression specifically through the freedom to practice their non-conformist Protestant religion (Seelye, 58).These persons sought to build a community based on the religious practices they desired the freedom to perform. The fact that these advocates of the Christian religion were founders of the American nation gives credence to the idea that the American religion is steeped in Christianity. Certainly, the laws that govern the society are based on many laws advocated by the religion. The actions of the American settlers during and subsequent to the time of the Pilgrims also point toward Protestant and Non-Conformist Christi anity being the religion of the United States.Expansion was often effected through the missionary efforts of Americans, who acted in the name of Christianity as well as of the United States. Other factors that lead to the idea of Protestantism as being the religion of America are the prevailing fear and distrust of Catholicism that has existed within the country throughout its years (Carty, 11). This fear has been seen in several areas, but is markedly represented in the sentiments surrounding the election to the U. S. presidency of John F. Kennedy (11).This president was known to be a Catholic, and during his candidacy, his affiliation with that religion was widely considered a significant barrier to his election. Father Thurston Davis, editor-in-chief of the Jesuit magazine America, made a telling comment concerning JFK and the religious sentiments of the general American population. He said Kennedy had been found to conduct himself â€Å"more or less as almost any Catholic Presi dent might have been expected to conduct himself in a land largely dominated by a strong residual Protestant tradition† (â€Å"Catholic view,† 1962).Other politicians and leaders, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, have been known to oppose American governmental support of Catholic schools (Carty, 69), and this too gives the impression that Protestantism might be considered America’s religion. It is also possible to oppose the idea of Christianity or any other religion as being the religion of the American state. It has been argued that the United States constitution forbids the imposition of religion of any sort upon an individual residing in the country (Young).Therefore, no form of religion should, according to the American constitution, be required in schools, courts, or any other governmentally run or chartered institution. This gives the impression that the United States has no particular religion, as this separation of church and state was mandated in an effort to preserve the practice of all varieties of religion within the country. However, one may still counteract this idea of America’s not entertaining Christianity as its state religion when one considers the continued existence of chaplains in Congress and in the military.This points to the existence of a double standard, and hints that although America pretends to be welcoming of all religions and partial to none, a strong undercurrent of devotion to the peculiarly Protestant brand of Christianity still exists within the country. According to John Young in his essay entitled â€Å"Why Does Congress Still Have a Chaplain,† James Madison â€Å"had warned way back when that Catholics and other non-Protestants had virtually no chance of serving in such a capacity. Since then, only two Catholics have been House chaplain. No Jews. No Hindus. No Muslims. No Buddhists. No surprise.† Young expresses the idea that since so many Americans are at least nominally or traditional ly affiliated to Protestant organizations, the existence of any chaplain in the U. S. Congress would lead to the appointment of mainly the religious representatives of Protestant Christianity to fill that position. Since this has proven to be the case, one might argue that despite opinions to the contrary, the official American religion is in fact Protestant Christianity. The separation of church and state, which is considered to be advocated by the United States Constitution, points toward America’s having no official religion.The fact that prayer and Bible reading is now restricted within schools and other governmental institutions would give the impression that Christianity is certainly not the religion of choice for most Americans. Yet, America was founded by a group of people whose main reason for crossing the Atlantic was to garner the freedom to practice their Protestant religion. Furthermore, the existence of strong anti-Catholic sentiments throughout the country and the continued existence chaplain positions in governmental bodies defies this idea. This points instead to the presence of a deeply Protestant tradition to which most Americans adhere.References Carty, T. A Catholic in the White House? Religion, politics, and John. F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. New York: Palgrave-MacMillan, 2004. â€Å"Catholic view of JFK. † Time (in partnership with CNN). 19 January 1962. 29 April 2007. http://www. time. com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,895853,00. html Seelye, John. Memory’s Nation: The Place of Plymouth Rock. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998. Young, John. â€Å"Why Does Congress Still Have a Chaplain. † Sun Networks. December 1999. 29 April 2007. http://www. sunnetworks. net/~ggarman/young. htm