Chadwick Inc. Essay Example

Chadwick Inc. Essay Case Analysis: Chadwick Inc. case analysis Hamzah. Najib, Mustapha, Syed Hasan Background of Case 6: CHADWICK, INC. : THE BALANCED SCORECARD (ABRIDGED) Chadwick. Inc was a diversified producer of personal consumer products and pharmaceuticals. The Norwalk Division of Chadwick developed, manufactured and sold ethical drugs. The company was respected for the high quality of its products. Norwalk sold its products through several key distributors who supplied local markets. Norwalk relied on its excellent relations with the distributors who promote Norwalk’s products to customers and also received their feedbacks about new products desired. Chadwick’s long-term success depended on how much money distributors could make by promoting and selling Norwalk’s products. But, recent inroads by generic manufacturers had been eroding distributors’ sales and profit margins. With regards to its Research and Development, The development of ethical drugs was a lengthy, costly, and unpredictable process. The development and testing processes had many stages, starting with the discovery of compound, extensive and tedious testing, and documentation. Norwalk’s profitability during the 1980s was sustained by one key drug discovered in the late 1960s. However, no smash hit drug had emerged during the 1980s, and the compounds going through development, evaluation and test was not as Norwalk management desired. Scientists in the RD lab are pressured to increase the yield of promising new products, reduce the time and costs of the development cycle. Scientists were currently exploring new bio-engineering techniques to create compounds that had the specific active properties desired rather than depending on an almost random search through thousands of compounds. However, the bio-engineering procedures were costly. We will write a custom essay sample on Chadwick Inc. specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Chadwick Inc. specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Chadwick Inc. specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A less expensive approach was to identify new applications for existing compounds that had already been approved for use. Suggestions for possible new applications from existing products could be obtained from Norwalk salesmen in the field who were now being trained not only to sell existing products for approved applications, but also to listen to end users feedbacks. Norwalk’s manufacturing processes were considered among the best in the industry as they can quickly and efficiently produce drugs once they had cleared governmental regulatory processes. Challenging financial targets were set for divisions to meet, which were expressed as Return on Capital Employed (ROCE). As a diversified company, Chadwick wanted to be able to deploy the returns from the most profitable divisions to those divisions that held out the highest promise for profitable growth. Bill Baron, Comptroller of Chadwick, had been searching for improved methods for evaluating the performance of the various divisions as division managers complained about the continual pressure to meet short-term financial objectives. He liked the idea of a Balanced Scorecard as it balances short-run financial objectives with the long- term performance of the company. John Greenfield, the Division Manager at Norwalk was sceptical of how much freedom he had to develop and use such a scorecard. Divisional Controller, Wil Wagner, who was involved in the process for creating Balance Scorecards for Norwalk Division lamented that he did not have a clear understanding of the vision and business strategy for Norwalk, which serve as a foundation to build the scorecard. Major Issue: The major issue of the case is with regards to company’s current processes in its RD to develop new products which were lengthy, costly and unpredictable. There is the need to make significant investments in RD to improve the current processes so as to enable the company to sustain and achieve success in the long run. Another major issue is that the company has inadequate or poor performance measurement to ensure managers’ efforts are rewarded for meeting the long term, strategic objectives of the company. Presently, the company only sets Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) as the challenging financial target for the divisions to meet, which places continual pressure on division managers to meet short-term financial objectives at the expense of long-term, strategic objectives in business that requires extensive investments in risky projects to yield long-term returns. Hence, the idea of Balance Scorecard was introduced to the company. SWOT analysis Strength 1)Good reputation: Chadwick Inc. has been established for more than 50 years and it has been known for its high quality products. The quality factor provides the competitive advantage for the company in the pharmaceutical industry. 2)Manufacturing process: The company’s manufacturing process is considered one of the best in the industry. The production process also includes producing separate batches of new products specifically for testing and evaluation purposes. 3)Excellent distributor relationship: This is the main factor that affects the company’s product success. Apart from making the products available in the local markets, the distributors of Chadwick Inc. lso serves the purpose of spokesperson. They will promote the company’s new products and increase the awareness among people about the existence, functions and benefits of the products. They also listen to customer opinions and this enables Chadwick Inc. to receive timely customer feedbacks about their products through their distributers. Weakness 1)Extensive and tedious testing process: In Chadwick Inc. , 30,000 compounds have to be tested before certain products are approves for sale. Although this extensive testing procedures has positive impact towards the product quality and durability, it also causes the production process to be lengthy and costly, resulting in increase of manufacturing and overhead expenses. 2)Challenging financial targets based on ROCE: The top management in Chadwick Inc. has been setting challenging financial targets for the division managers. The financial targets have been set based on Return on Capital Employed (ROCE), which is considered inappropriate for a pharmaceutical company. Due to the desperateness to meet the specified target, there is tendency for the division managers to try to manipulate the actual data to reduce the gap between the budgeted results and the actual results. 3)Pressure to increase yield: The top management has also been pressurizing the scientists of Chadwick Inc. to increase the yield of the products and to reduce the time and cost of production. Generally, if the top management emphasizes on reducing the cost, it may have negative effects on the quality of the products. Therefore, it may result in customer dissatisfaction or loss of customer loyalty. Opportunities 1)Bio-engineering techniques: The bio-engineering mechanism can help the scientists to identify only the active compounds which desired and useful applications, instead of the random search process currently employed by the scientists. Then, they will perform tests on each and every one of them to find useful applications on the compound. This traditional search process results in wastage and very time-consuming since only one or two compounds may have beneficial applications out of ten compounds developed. On the other hand, the bio-engineering mechanism can save time and cost for testing process. Although it requires a huge amount of investment, in the long-run, it will result in reduction on cost of production and more efficient production process as it can eliminate wastage and other irrelevant testing procedures. 2)Changing global environment: Chadwick Inc. ’s products have only been sold in the domestic markets, despite its good reputation and period of existence of more than 50 years. Nowadays, the awareness about healthcare has been increasing all over the world. This indicates the increased global demand for pharmaceutical products. Therefore, it is best for Chadwick inc. to seek opportunity to enter into the global market. Since it has a good reputation as an established pharmaceutical company, it would be rather easier to venture into the global markets and thus, gaining more customers and higher revenue. Threats 1)Recent inroads by generic manufacturers: Generic products are products which are not patented and therefore, it can be produced by many manufacturers. These products usually have higher demand and since there are many manufacturers, it is competitively-priced. The recent inroads by generic manufacturers may affect Chadwick Inc. ’s competitive position in the industry and one of the new entrants may emerge as a bigger player in the industry compared to Chadwick. 2)Too dependent on the distributors: Chadwick Inc. ’s product success mostly depends on the distributors’ effort in promoting them and increasing the awareness among people. They currently do not have an alternative promotional strategy rather than relying on the distributors. In the long run, this may cause the distributors to have higher bargaining power and make expensive demands to Chadwick Inc. in order to promote their products. Critical Success Factors for Chadwick Inc. †¢Customer’s satisfaction-Being in the pharmaceutical industry where the competition is mostly based on differentiation and the customers value the product based on the quality and not its cost, the most important critical success factor for a company is customer satisfaction. This is related to the quality of the product. So, the company should focus on value added processes to ensure high quality of its product that meet customers’ requirement and fulfil their satisfaction †¢Research and Development- To stay competitive in the long run and meet constantly changing expectations from customers, the company should invest significantly in research and development . Proper investment in RD will ensure efficient subsequent business processes and development of high quality products that meet customers’ expectations, and thus fulfil their satisfaction. Products- Being in the pharmaceutical industry, it is very important that every new drug that has been developed and approved to be unique from other competitors’ and patented. Patented drug could generate enormous revenues to a company as it prevents other companies from selling the same drug, thus making the company who produced such drug to be the sole distributor or seller. †¢Internal Business Process- Internal business proc ess is very critical to the a company’s success. The processes, especially in manufacturing, should be cost-efficient and speedy enough to reach the customers. †¢Information and communication system- Sound information and communication system is critical to a company’s long-term success since it facilitates exchange of information within the company and between the company and the outside parties. Useful information such as suggestions from employees or feedbacks of customers that are communicated in a timely manner will enable the company to make decision more effectively. Problem Identification From the case, Chadwick Inc. faces several problems within the company which can potentially harm its long-term sustainability and profitability unless the top management do something to address these problems swiftly. Among the problems are: 1) Vision and Mission: As complained by the Divisional Controller of Chadwick, the company currently does not have clearly defined business vision and strategy. Without clear understanding and communication of business vision and strategy across all levels and members of the company, the employees or managers, especially, may commit and direct their efforts or the company’s resources in a way that may be deviated from the vision and strategic objectives of the company. By having clear business vision and mission, it will provide goal congruency, which align manager’s fforts with the company’s strategic objectives 2) Research and Development: With regards to its RD, the problem is that the development of ethical drugs was a lengthy, costly and unpredictable process that involves extensive and tedious testing and documentation. This problem may explain why the company has not been able to produce any blockbuster drug in 1980s since the discovery of one key drug in late 1960s. Besides, scientists are pressured by management to develop promising drug and to reduce cycle time and cost. As a result, the new drug quality may no t meet the criteria and approved by government. The current process in development cycle is considered obsolete and needs to be replaced by new systematic technique such as bio-engineering technique that can significantly reduce time and costs, and enhance the potential of developing new promising product. 3) Performance Measurement: Currently, Chadwick only has one financial measure to evaluate the performance of its various divisions, which are Return on Capital Employed (ROCE). The challenging financial targets set for the various divisions to meet may lead to unnecessary cost cutting measures which can undermine the quality of products. Besides ROCE, does not address long term objective of the company, in which divisions’ managers may disregard critical long-term investments such as buying new equipment or replacing the old obsolete assets if their minimum rate of return is less than the divisions’ current ROCE. This is because, making such investment will reduce their ROCE, which can give negative impression in the performance evaluation Recommendations: The main problems faced by the Chadwick as discussed earlier are particularly in the aspect of goal congruency and the performance measurement. To solve such problems, the company is recommended to adopt a strategic performance measurement system that takes into account â€Å"What gets rewarded, really counts; what counts, get measured; what gets measured get done; what gets done, get rewarded† Therefore, we recommend the company to use Balance Scorecard which provides comprehensive measure of performance for each division and to ensure each business activities of the company are directed towards achieving the strategic objectives of the company . But firstly, the company should establish clear and proper business vision and mission for the Balance Scorecard to work effectively. By having clear business vision and strategy, efforts and resources will be committed towards achieving such vision. For example, the company’s vision could be â€Å"We strive to be the most valued company to customers, employees, investors and business partners†. The company’s vision will provide broad guidelines on how Balance Scorecard is to be designed and is communicated in terms of goals which will be identified in the Balance Scorecard. Balance Scorecard basically provides a four perspectives framework to translate strategy into operational terms. The four aspects of Balance Scorecard are financial, customer, internal business process and learning and growth. These aspects are critical success factors, on which the performance of organizational units can be assessed, which also function to achieve the company’s vision and mission. Balance Scorecard links strategy to operations, serves as a record of results achieved, indicates expected results and focuses on drivers of future performance In each of the perspectives, the main objective will be defined, along with measures to be taken, specific targets and initiatives to be carried out to achieve this objective. Performance will be measured based on how effective the division’s or manager’s efforts and activities in achieving the objectives in each of the four perspectives. Financial perspective of Balance Scorecard how the company’s financial position or performance will be looked by the shareholders. In this aspect, the main indicators of performance is the company’s profitability, cost reduction, and the shareholder value. For example, the company, instead of just using ROCE, can also use Residual Income(RI) and Economic Value Added (EVA) as a basis of performance evaluation for financial perspective. Since RI and EVA are based on monetary value, not in term of percentage as in ROCE, the managers may be motivated to accept investments (which may be critical to the company’s success) as long as they provide positive net income, although the minimum rate of returns of such investments are lower than the current ROCE. Customer Perspective relates to how a company serves the needs of customers and fulfil their satisfaction to be successful. The issues to be addressed are to identify market, how to attract new customers and retain existing customers. Among the important criteria to in relation to this perspective are price and quality of products, service, customer relationship, and reputation. For example, one specific measure to evaluate the performance could be the response time to customer’s inquiry Internal Business Process basically addresses how a company can improve its internal business processes that will satisfy and add value to customers or shareholders. Among the key performance indicators are reduced cycle time, cost per unit, and increase in productivity. For example, the objective could be to improve the quality of work place and the specific measure could be the percentage of employee who report that they are satisfied, while the target set is 80% of employee report that they are satisfied, and the initiative to be taken to achieve this objective is to establish comprehensive HR plan. As internal business process is important aspect of company’s long term success and included in the performance measurement, manager may be motivated to improve the current business processes by making new investments. For Chadwick case, for example, manager may switch to bio-engineering technique to replace the current process in RD as this initiative will ensure the company’s sustainability and profitability in the long run, which are in line with the long term strategy or vision of the company. Learning and growth perspective commits a firm to continually learn to excel and be flexible in their process to adapt to changing economic environment, and to meet changing customer demands and shareholder expectations. Among important aspects of this perspective are new skills acquired by employees and intellectual assets. In this aspect, a firm identifies the infrastructure that an organization must build to create long-term growth and improvement. For example, Chadwick may invest in information technology and systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to facilitate exchange of critical internal and external information such as distributors’ feedback about the customers or suggestion from employees that will improve the overall process and satisfy customers.

Free Essays on Baseball Strike

On August 12, 1994 professional baseball players went on strike for the eighth time in the sports’ history. Since 1972, negotiations between the union and owners over contract terms has led to major economic problems and the absence of a World Series in 1994. All issues were open for debate due to the expiration of the last contract. Until 1968, no collective bargaining agreement had ever been reached between the owners and the players (Dolan 11). Collective bargaining is the process by which union representatives for employees in a bargaining unit negotiate employment conditions for the entire bargaining unit (Atlantic Unbound). Instead, the players were at the mercy of each owner who possessed the exclusive right, at the close of each season, to resign each player on his roster. If the owner chose to renew a players contract, that player had the option of agreeing to those terms or not playing baseball. As a result of the obvious imbalance in the labor situation, the players attempted on several occasions to organize a union. Although this process may seem like a simple one, baseball has proven that it can be very difficult. The players have been represented by various unions in the twentieth century, all of which have failed until the current union, the Major League Baseball Players Association. After fourteen years of negotiations between the current union and the owners’ representative, the first ‘basic labor agreement’ between the two parties was reached. Led by Marvin Miller in 1968, the players received higher minimum salaries, better health insurance plans, and increases in retirement benefits. These so called â€Å"Basic Agreements† in major industries usually turn out to be more complex. As a result, strikes and lockouts have occurred ever since (Koppett 23). The baseball strike which occurred in 1994 was really about one thing; money. Two major issues led directly to the interruption and eventually the cancellatio... Free Essays on Baseball Strike Free Essays on Baseball Strike On August 12, 1994 professional baseball players went on strike for the eighth time in the sports’ history. Since 1972, negotiations between the union and owners over contract terms has led to major economic problems and the absence of a World Series in 1994. All issues were open for debate due to the expiration of the last contract. Until 1968, no collective bargaining agreement had ever been reached between the owners and the players (Dolan 11). Collective bargaining is the process by which union representatives for employees in a bargaining unit negotiate employment conditions for the entire bargaining unit (Atlantic Unbound). Instead, the players were at the mercy of each owner who possessed the exclusive right, at the close of each season, to resign each player on his roster. If the owner chose to renew a players contract, that player had the option of agreeing to those terms or not playing baseball. As a result of the obvious imbalance in the labor situation, the players attempted on several occasions to organize a union. Although this process may seem like a simple one, baseball has proven that it can be very difficult. The players have been represented by various unions in the twentieth century, all of which have failed until the current union, the Major League Baseball Players Association. After fourteen years of negotiations between the current union and the owners’ representative, the first ‘basic labor agreement’ between the two parties was reached. Led by Marvin Miller in 1968, the players received higher minimum salaries, better health insurance plans, and increases in retirement benefits. These so called â€Å"Basic Agreements† in major industries usually turn out to be more complex. As a result, strikes and lockouts have occurred ever since (Koppett 23). The baseball strike which occurred in 1994 was really about one thing; money. Two major issues led directly to the interruption and eventually the cancellatio...

Anti-Bribery Convention and OECD

Anti-Bribery Convention and OECD The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)Â  And the Anti-Bribery Convention The International Initiative The Anti-Bribery Convention was originally conceived in 1989, it has under gone many changes since its conception, to begin with the group was designed to enable the review in to national legislations and the bribery of officials, in 1994 the review was turned into recommendations for actions and this was eventually replaced by a treaty agreement in 1997. The Anti-Bribery conventions main aim is to decrease the amount of corruption in underdeveloped countries, in doing this they can create a fair and level playing field, therefore encouraging sanctions against any form of bribery in International business transactions. Things That Are Right The Anti-Bribery Convention has developed a set of legally binding standards to criminalize bribery. The Anti-Bribery Convention works with all countries to improve the standards of international business tran sactions. The Anti-bribery convention welcomes all countries to join the convention; no one is singled out or excluded as long as they follow the guidelines and legislation recommendations. Things That Are Wrong The Anti-Bribery convention has no governing authority; the OECD only over sees it. The countries involved in the Anti-Bribery convention have the sole responsibility to implement the legislations so that bribery can be criminalized. According to the Transparency International report (Hardoon, Heinrich, 2013), at least half the countries that are signed to the Anti-Bribery convention have had only a few and in some cases no prosecutions. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Founded in 1961, The OECD’s main headquarters are in Paris, France, To date there are currently 34 member countries, although the OECD do work closely with Russia, China, Brazil, India, Indonesia and South Africa, but they are yet to agree to join the organ ization. Whilst the OECD’s main aim is to help improve the social, economic, safety and welfare of people across the globe, they do also maintain relations and work closely with other international organizations like the IMF, World Bank, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Labor Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization in an effort to promote and improve other aspects of peoples well-being globally. The Good Things The OECD uses peer reviews to evaluate its work and implement new changes and ideas, giving a wider perspective on the organization. The OECD has established a unilateral forum to allow governments to share their issues and experiences and work together to resolve the problems. The OECD defies conventional wisdom and works towards a resolution that is beneficial to all. Things That Need To Be Changed OECD has no authority over the Anti-Bribery convention, it purely over sees it. The OECD is not self-executing; it requires the governing country to enforce the legislations and uphold the laws Companies using the OECD guidelines aren’t bound by them as they aren’t compulsory. How anti-bribery convention and the OECD affect global politics Example 1 The OECD has established a unilateral forum to allow governments to share their issues and experiences and work together to resolve the problems. This is a great step for achieving success in global policies because it is an airing point for ideas and resolutions, governments can get together and discuss issue past and present and provide information on how they were able to resolve or work around certain common issues. The forum is based on facts and real life experiences and enables governments to proactively take part in the forming of global policies that are beneficial to all. They have the ability to collect data from governments and analyze this for possible trends that could potentially help other countries from avoiding situati ons like, austerity and unemployment during economic downturns. The Anti-bribery convention has established a set of legally binding standards to criminalize bribery; this implementation will boost the transparency of global politics for the member states that are included in the convention. In creating transparency and ensuring everyone is implementing the recommended standards there will be more cohesive trade agreements that will propagate healthy globalization. The creating and implementation of these legally binding standards has failed to force member states to follow the implementations, this will have an overall effect on globally policies because other member states will see that this type of implementation can be ignored with no real repercussions. The implementations will only work successfully if the Anti-bribery convention attains the legal jurisdiction to implement these standards. Currently they don’t have this and there seems to be no way of getting the ju risdiction so the implementation of legally binding standards is just that, An implementation, There is no law so the member states don’t have to implement the standards. The anti-bribery convention has placed the responsibility for implementing the legislations solely on the governments, this will have a massive impact on global policies because will still be left up to that country to implement the legislations, a majority of corrupt officials are in the government sectors and will not implement such measures if they feel it could impact on their corrupt enterprises. Such implications could unravel the social and economic standings of that country, they could undermine trade agreements and have a devastating effect on all policies globally, there is always going to be an issue of trust and if the governments of the countries don’t implement the legislations that will undermine this trust element globally. The Anti-Bribery Convention has failed to close a massiv e loophole in the system and is in part facilitating the continuation of bribery amongst public officials. The convention will only truly be successful if they find a way to close this loophole and prevent the continuation of bribery globally. Where it went wrong!

McDonald adapts culture difference between USA and INIDA Assignment

McDonald adapts culture difference between USA and INIDA - Assignment Example Henceforth, Ray Kroc purchased the whole chain from the McDonalds before proceeding to expand it further (Newcomb). Perhaps it is appropriate to mention that McDonalds commands presence in most states globally whereby the corporation, franchisees, and even the affiliates are responsible for running the various McDonalds restaurants (Dash 8). In this regard, the company has adapted a culture difference between USA and India in order to offer products which best resonates with the local population and in the process, maximizing on revenues (McDonalds). This paper therefore, compares the business models of McDonalds between USA and India in in term of products, services, advertisements. McDonalds’ Business Strategy Since the major sources of revenues for McDonalds include rents, royalties, and the fees collected from the franchisees (Hannon). In addition, the company draws huge income from restaurant-related businesses that take place within the company premises and it is worth n oting that in 2012 alone, the company made profits amounting to $5.5 billion in addition to collecting annual revenues totaling to $27.5 billion (McDonalds). When it comes to the major products offered by the company subsidiaries, there are wide range of fast foods from which customers around the world can choose from depending on their tastes and geographical location (Dash 12). These food products include hamburgers,  chicken,  cheeseburgers,  French fries,  soft drinks, breakfast  items, desserts, and milkshakes (Newcomb). Comparison between USA and India in the Business of McDonalds While USA is a nation whose citizens prefer junk food to lean foodstuffs, India is a more considerate nation when it comes to matters pertaining to food and the citizens revile the junk foods (Li). Since quality is the mirror through which all organizations gauge their performances, McDonalds has taken the quality of the foods offered in its subsidiaries very seriously (Newcomb). This means that while in America, the restaurants have to offer the foods that the Americans love and those McDonalds restaurants that operate in India do their very best at offering the Indian cuisine (McDonalds). Products and Services With a careful approach to product differentiation, the McDonalds chain of restaurants has regionalized every form of its menu to suit the local residents (Newcomb). In this respect, the competition is kept at bay as all the people who flood various McDonalds restaurants know the specific foods to find and consume at certain times of the day (Dash 8). The Unites States of America, being the headquarters of the McDonalds Corporation has restaurants and stored that specialize in the selling of ‘McGrilled’ sandwiches that are loved by many Americans (McDonalds). When it comes to the products offered by the chain in India, it is worthy to note that India is a strictly vegetarian country with a strong prohibition for beef mainly due to religious reason s (Li). In this regard, the major food products offers by the McDonalds in India include ‘McMasala’, Local flavors, Health conscious items, and vegetable products. This means that beef and pork products cannot fetch much profit in India as they do in the USA and the McDonalds chain of restaurants has considered this (Newcomb). Advertisements and Marketing Strategies Although it is common knowledge that the McDonalds Cor

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 73

Reflection - Essay Example I have taken this concept of leadership from the leader of Starbucks where he consults and engages the low level staff before making a decision. Thirdly, and lastly, I have learnt the concept of objectivity and subjectivity in relation to financial management and asset acquisition. This is from the considerations that the Starbucks Company has to consider some aspects accepting offers. All these concepts that I have learnt apply both to my professional and personal life in terms of being an effective resources manager pertaining to corporate resources and making personal budgets to avoid spendthrift activities (CheckMate, 2009). Leadership also applies to both professional and personal life in that I will engage the junior employees in a company once employed and even in my personal life I will be an effective leader. Lastly, the concept of critical analysis and subjectivity and objectivity applies in my professional life in terms of assessing all aspects before making decisions on taking or dropping offers or venture g into a certain activity. This applies in my personal life as well since it can help me in making a decision with first assessing the different

My Plans for Nursing Essay -- Career Planning Nursing

If you are trying to pursue a career in nursing you should do your research on this field. I have learned so much about what it takes to pursue a career in nursing and that there is so much more to it than just choosing what kind of nurse you want to become, to find out all about nursing you have do all the research possible. There are many roles that a nurse has such as a caregiver, educator, advocate and many more. The practice level of nursing is very broad also, there are plenty of degrees that you can get as a nurse, along with the specialty areas of practice I want to become a pediatric nurse which would be a specialty area. The practice settings of nurses vary from a hospital, community, outpatient, or school there is an endless amount of them. A nurse has many responsibilities and roles to their patients that they have. A nurse is a caregiver to their patients they are responsible for meeting the physical and emotional needs of the patient, they are to be able to identify, prevent or treat an illness or disability. A nurse could also be an educator, they could teach a class of future nurses, they also educate by helping other workers with things they do not know or need help with. â€Å"A Masters degree is usually needed to teach in a school of nursing, however, if you would like to teach in a school of nursing, you must have baccalaureate in nursing. Nurses with a baccalaureate usually teach under the supervision of an experienced teacher with a master's or doctorate. In some states, it is possible to teach with a master's in a related discipline but the majority of nursing schools require a master's in nursing.† (Being a Nurse Educator) Nurses must also be able to speak for their patients when needed. For example If a nurse ... ...e Programs From Top Colleges | DegreeFinders.com. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. . Keefe,Sandy. "Flight Nurse Job Description | EHow.com." EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. EHow. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . "Nurses For A Healthier Tomorrow." Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow. American Nurses Association. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . Ullman, Melanie. "Exploring a Variety of Nurse Practice Settings." EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints. 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. .

Enable Rights and Choices of Indivduals with Dementia Whilst

ENABLE RIGHTS AND CHOICES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA WHILST MINIMISING RISKS 1 UNDERSTAND KEY LEGISLATION AND AGREED WAYS OF WORKING THAT SUPPORT THE FULFILMENT OF RIGHTS AND CHOICES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA WHILE MINIMISING RISK OF HARM 1.1 The key legislations are Adult and Incapacity Act 2000, Mental Health Act 2007, Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Human Rights Act. These are all core principals of legislation regarding an individual with dementia. Policies and procedures and agreed ways of working and safeguarding Individuals is another key factor. All organisations and authorities have a duty of care towards an Individual with dementia, GPs, Social Workers, Health Visitors, Family and Carers. All Individuals with dementia have the rights to make choices. Individuals with dementia should be encouraged to make as many decisions as possible for them; however they must be guided so they stay within the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Related article: Legal and Organisational Requirements for Dealing With Complaints We must assume that the Individual with dementia has capacity unless it has been assumed that they lack the capacity to make choices. We must not think that an Individual is not to be treated as unable to make a decision unless this has been established. An Individual is not to be treated as unable to make a decision because they might not always make a wise decision. If a decision is made under the Mental Capacity Act on behalf of the Individual, the decision must be made for the best interests of the Individual. Before a decision can be made on behalf of the Individual we must ask ourselves whether the purpose of the decision can be effectively achieved in a way that would not restrict the Individuals rights and freedom of choice and action. We also have to adhere to the Human Rights Act and code of Practises. The Individual with dementia will have to be risk assessed. The Individual will be encouraged to make their own choices and decisions, if they make an unwise decision they should be offered other options which will help lead them to make a wise decision. Risk needs to be balanced with Independence and Individuals choices and working within legislations. We should not assume that all Individuals with dementia are vulnerable; this depends entirely on the stages of dementia. We should not restrict the Individuals from having choices and making decisions for themselves. Risk assessments can be very complex as no two assessors will come to the same conclusion regarding the Individual. We have to let the Individual with dementia take a certain amount of risk for themselves, allowing this to happen makes the Individual feel worthy and independent and more at ease with their illness. If we were to put everything an Individual did down as a risk the Individual would feel worthless, inadequate, and useless and they would feel that they are a burden on their family. We have to weigh up the risk against the danger this is the key. If we were to take away all the choices and decisions and have someone else make these decisions and choices on behalf of the Individual this would have a negative impact on the Individual as they would be having everything took away from them and they wouldn’t feel in control. A positive impact on allowing the Individual to take risks, the Individual can still do their day to day activities etc, make their own meals, make cups of tea, do their own housework, laundry, take bathes, go for walks. Wherever possible we should eliminate high risks and look at ways to reduce these risks so they become low risks etc, supporting an Individual to make their meal observing them so they don’t hurt themselves, or accompany them on a walk etc. 1.2 People with dementia may have other difficulties too, like loss of hearing, make sure that the hearing aids are working well and that you speak to them in a loud clear voice so they can understand you. The person could also be in pain or discomfort, they could be having side effects from medication which will affect the way they communicate with you. Other problems would be eyesight, make sure they are wearing the correct prescription of glasses. Dentures are important as well, if the dentures are loose fitting then this will affect the person’s speech and this will be frustrating for them . 3Personal Information comes under the Data Protection Act 1998. We have to make sure personal Information is confidential. We have to know how to handle the personal Information, agreed ways of working, policies and procedures are all legislation frameworks. The Information should be processed fairly and lawfully. The Personal Data should be processed for limited purposes. The informat ion should be adequate, relevant and the information should be for the purpose of whom the information is processed for. The information should be kept up to date and accurate. The information should not be kept longer than intended for. The Persona Data will be processed in accordance with the rights of data subject under the Act. Measures are in place to avoid the information being lost or unauthorised and unlawfully processed or damaged to. The Personal Information shall not be transferred to another country outside the European Economic Area unless that country ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data. Personal Information may be shared with others, consent is needed to do this at all times from the Individual or in the case of an emergency, abuse, or if neglect is suspected. If the Individual is mentally incapable, informed consent should be given by the family or next of kin. Information that is shared with an advocate should be information that is for the Individuals best interest, Exchange of information from one organisation to another should be shared and done securely and access to the information should be controlled. Personal Information may be shared with carers who have access to the information regarding the service user. The carer will write up her findings when she has visited the service user and they will be on the log sheets in the care plan. When another carer goes to visit the service user they will look at the previous notes the other carer had documented and they will have a better understanding of the service user’s situation and needs. This is one form of information sharing also the carer will access information from the care plan and from the med sheets. If a service user was to be hospitalised the paramedics may need the care plan and log sheets so they can read up and see if any information documented is relevant to the response of the paramedic. Also if a service user was to go into a care home the care plan and log sheets would be taken in to the home so the relevant members of staff could read the data and have a better understanding of the service user. The Medication sheet would also be in with the care plan; a key factor is getting consent to access information. BE ABLE TO MAXIMISE THE RIGHTS AND CHOICES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA 2.1 SEE STANDARDS 2.2 It is very important not to assume that an Individual with dementia cannot make their own decisions. From the time the Individual has been diagnosed the time scale is important as this gives the Individual time and may be capacity or limited capacity to make own choices and decisions. This is the time when the relevant authorities should prompt the Individual and gather as much information about the Individual; this information can come from the Individual, the family, the next of kin. Information on preferences, choices and decisions and wishes. Information on Individuals life experiences, strengths and abilities, family history, favourite foods, pastimes, hobbies, favourite drinks, dislikes, likes, favourite radio station, favourite tv programmes, routines, clothes the Individual likes to wear and socialising. All the information and choices and preferences will help the Individual and the people supporting the individual prepare for the future. Early diagnosis of an Individual will give the Individual the rights to their freedom and this must be respected. As dementia advances the risk assessment plan will need to be reviewed and the care plan may need to change to accommodate the changes within the Individual. We should still encourage the Individual to make decisions and choices as much as possible, bearing in mind the risks which come with these decisions and choices. All the choices and decisions should be monitored and recorded. Taking away the rights of an Individual with dementia can be soul destroying, it can be frustrating, the Individual may become depressed, withdrawn, feel isolated, worthless, a burden, emotionally detatched and angry. Every emotion a normal person feels, the Individual with dementia will feel the same but on a higher scale. Dementia Individuals need to be in an environment of comfort and empowerment. The Individual will respond better to a person centered approach. The Individual needs to feel a sense of belonging and attached, they need to feel included and feel part of a group or physical setting, they need to be occupied and kept busy just as they was in their everyday life before they got the illness. Their environment needs to be created so that the Individual has support and can do the things they have always enjoyed doing. All Individuals with dementia have their own personal Identity they are all unique so learning about their life stories and experiences can be of benefit to the care they receive as the information learnt can be built into their interactions within their care plan needs. 2.3 SEE STANDARDS. 3 BE ABLE TO INVOLVE CARERS AND OTHERS IN SUPPORTING INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA 3.1 SEE STANDARDS. 3.2 There can be conflicts and disagreements between carers and Individuals with dementia and also conflicts with family members. When the problem arises we have to address the problem and try and resolve the problem as soon as possible. We have to take into account the rights and choices of the Individual and balance this with the risk and safeguarding of the Individual. An Individual who has dementia may not want carers to come into their homes; they may not want anybody doing things for them and refuse the help. This can be frustrating for the carer however the carer may talk to the Individual in a subtle way and explain that he or she is not here to take over their lives but just here to help support them when they need help and just here to see that the Individual has had their medications. The carer will find it useful to read the Individuals notes and care plan and get as much information as possible on the Individual. The carer will have to reassure the Individual and try and gain their trust. The carer may ask the Individual if you could accompany them to the shops or to an appointment etc. The Individual must be allowed to take risks however if the risks look like they are dangerous or appear to be harmful we must explain the reasons to the Individual. If we cannot resolve the problem there and then, we must record the information and report it to the manager of the company supplying the service. The manager will take the appropriate action with the relevant authorities. The safeguarding of the Individual is paramount and we should never ignore potential high risks or dangers to the Individual, and we must work to policies and procedures and agreed ways of working at all times. 3.3 All organisations and service providers have a system for complaints and procedures these are legal requirements. Everybody has the right to complain about poor quality services, services not being delivered, services that Individuals need but are not being supplied, conflict with carers, service providers. The Individual will have a document of complaints within their care package. The document should be clear and informative on how to make a complaint. The document will state who the complaint should be made to and timescales for when the complaint will be dealt by. If an Individual with dementia wanted to make a complaint I would support them and if they wanted I would read the document to them and support them in filling out the form. If the Individual with dementia didn’t have full capacity to fill out the form I would liaise with the next of kin, family members or advocates. I would inform them that the Individual would like to make a complaint and if they would like to help the Individual to fill the form out providing the Individual gave consent. I would explain how the complaints system works and when they would receive a response to the complaint. I would inform my manager that the service user or service user’s family have made a complaint and I would take the complaint in an addressed envelope to my manager as soon as possible. When handling a complaints document with an Individual with dementia I would work within the Mental Capacity Act 2005. I would explain to the Individual and the next of kin that the document is confidential and that it will be dealt with in a professional manner and that the complainant has nothing to worry about regarding the complaint and explain that it is their right of choice to complain. I would also explain that whilst complaints are being dealt with it makes the service user resolve the problems and also it is of benefit to the organisations in ensuring the problems don’t occur again and that they get it right first time and this will have a positive impact on the organisations. If a carer wanted to make a complaint about another carer they would follow the same procedure in filling out the document and they would take it to the manager. The manager would explain that in making the complaint it does not jeopardise their employment as they have a right and choice as whether to make a complaint. The manager would work towards resolving the complaint in a professional manner so that the employees can move forward and be happy in their work. 4 BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE PRIVACY DIGNITY AND RESPECT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DEMENTIA WHILST PROMOTING RIGHTS AND CHOICES 4.1 From a personal experience of supporting an Individual with dementia to maintain privacy and dignity, I have found that the more I get to know the Individual and them getting to know me the easier it has become for both of us to feel comfortable about maintaining privacy and dignity. Personal care and hygiene is a key factor. We should support the Individual to maintain their personal hygiene and appearance and their living environment to the standards that they want. We should respect their choices and decisions of choice of dress, hairstyle etc. We should let the Individual with dementia make own choices and decisions. We should not make assumptions about standards of hygiene for Individuals. We should respect cultural factors and take them into consideration when supporting the Individual. Supporting the Individual to have a clean appearance and pleasant environment is good for the Individuals self esteem. Supporting female Individuals with dementia helps them to keep their home nice and clean and helps towards maintaining their dignity and self respect. Supporting a male Individual with dementia, he may need support with shaving, maybe prompting the Individual to shave will all it will take and the Individual may go to the bathroom and have a shave and this will allow him to maintain his dignity and respect for himself. Supporting an Individual to have good hygiene will also reduce the risk of infection and promote well being. We should ensure that the Individuals personal preferences are respected as well as their choice in how to support them. Personal hygiene can be of many aspects, washing, bathing, showering, denture care, oral hygiene, foot care, hair care, grooming, nail care, toilet care , continence needs, dressing and undressing, laundry and housekeeping. We should treat every Individual with dementia with respect like we would anybody else. We should provide a person centered approach towards their care, putting the Individual at the centre of care. Communication shows how we respect the Individuals and this will help maintain their dignity and respect. Privacy is also a key factor for an Individual with dementia; privacy must be respected at all times. We should respect privacy where people have personal relationships and sexual relationships. We should always ask permission and knock before we enter an Individuals personal space. We should get permission before accessing Individuals possessions and documents; we should provide space and privacy for Individuals private conversations. We should make sure the Individual receives their personal mail unopened, we should always pull the door too if the Individual is getting dressed or undressed and doesn’t require support. We must comply with the Human Rights Act 1998 as this gives the Individual the rights for respect, dignity, privacy and a private family life. Individuals with dementia should receive care and treatment in a dignified manner that does not embarrass them, humiliate them or expose them. Legislation states that the Individual with dementia are to be treated as equal to everybody else. If an Individual with dementia had a toilet accident or was having regular toilet accidents, I would support the Individual by assuring them that it is ok and that it doesn’t matter and that it can be cleaned up. I would encourage the Individual to go to the bathroom whilst still assuring them. I would close the bathroom door and support the Individual to take off their soiled clothing and prompt the Individual to maybe shower or have a bath or a wash whilst still ensuring them everything is ok, I would encourage the Individual to have a bath in privacy that’s if they didn’t need support with getting in the bath or shower, I would let them wash themselves in privacy and when they had finished I would knock on the door and ask if they were ok and support them to put clean fresh clothes on so they feel fresh and clean again. If the problem was ongoing I would report the problem to my manager as the Individual may need extra support and may need continence pads or pants, I would also discuss this with the Individual in a subtle way. I would work to policies and procedures and agreed ways of working and adhere to professional boundaries. 4. 2 SEE STANDARDS. 4. 3 SEE STANDARDS.