Columbine shooting

Columbine shooting

Institution affiliation

Students name

Date

After the occurrence of the shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado, that left 13 dead and other 20 severely injured. The intelligence service group did an investigation at the scene where the shooting occurred to gather information to find out relevant groups that may have ought to get involved in the attack (Birkland, T. A. (2004). Entirely some interviews were done with students, Harris and Klebold who were involved in the shooting were associated with the group called The Trench Coat Mafia. There was a loose group that involved close former social affiliate group of students and some of the current Columbine High school students that had no right leadership democracy, formal organization structure and can only compare to the juvenile gangs that found in the street. Though according to an investigation, this group has got no association worldwide. The Trench Coat Mafia was fascinated by Goth culture.

Trench coat mafia is a group that seems to have got no proper foundation and clear origin. It is said to have begun with a small group of members who started coming to school by putting on black trench coats. Black Trench coat was a common unique symbol that the group used to put on as a sign of membership amongst themselves. The dress code led to several nicknames for instance “outcast” that members used to call themselves and outsiders if you did not belong to the group. Most of the Trench coat members used to take part in different types of activities in school, for instance, playing Doom games, video games as well as producing videos for school projects and most members of the group harassed by the jokes from athletes. In the year 1998, a photographs book was obtained giving identification and the names of people who belong to Trench coat group, and in the following year, a photo was also produced capturing reflecting members posing pointing weapons towards the camera. The image of Klebold and Harris appeared holding guns fantasizing to be firing weapons.

Religiously organized terrorist groups have a more significant influence in the society especially to youth members that have a self-driven ideology. Their actions are personal and secret, and their self-interest hence proper explanations were needed for their cause of such kind of works, their aim and mission should bring to book. Members of the terrorist group are usually devoted and determined to the reason of the whole group. Related Religious groups such as “Trench Coat members’ terrorist groups” use religion ways protect their interest hence in this case, Harris, and Klebold did the shooting to cause revenge and to retaliate for being bullied with other students who based on different religions that were not theirs (Muschert, G. W. (2009). Land, autonomy, and Ethnic difference are frequently the main factors leading to fights amongst the affected religious manner, for instance, the case of the Palestinian – Israeli Conflict and the battle for Jammu and Kashmir (a province in Northern India) between India and Pakistan (Goldstein, 2007).

There are specific implications when individual terrorist groups and individuals are involved and viewed as prominent Eschatology, and terrorist groups come together to form a particular conviction that the end times is almost near and the conditions of violence should prevail to score reward of the holy warrior before their dignity. Most of the Eschatological see themselves as the marshals of end times, and their participation shall be greatly rewarded (Muschert, G. W. (2009). There is no negotiation involvement with the enemy because God doesn’t comprise with wicked.

It sounds so sad that the attack had higher probability chances of being prevented, but it wasn’t

Some years before the attack, the rampage sheriffs the columbine detective’s body law enforcement tried to link a website that belongs to Harris the shooter to the pipe bombs that found near his house. An affidavit was filled for warrant search to be carried out but it was not issued. Within some days shooting occurred that left 13 dead and 20 injured occurred. The report about Harris website asked, but it never brought to court. Information in the affidavit was enough to hold Harris into a count and to ask several questions, and even if the there wasn’t enough information, a search warrant was to be issued to help in the provision of enough information. However, the carelessness of the police, a search warrant was to be released to get more information to do away with suspicion of terror attacks. In today’s world, such kind of information should not assume by the police force or any relevant law enforcement authority.

Terror attack that occurred in Columbine led to a more and better rapid response category. Columbine Response has received criticization widely, but recently a lesson has been learned from their strategy, it has helped save lives of many individuals in Douglas High school in parkland and Marjory Stoneman before the Colorado shooting (Hogan, M. J. (2001). Response officers do set some secular perimeter to surround the crime scene before they could attack the suspected area. Columbine Response has led to the development of more training, police department from the sheriff’s department includes 16 hours course training that prepares responders to distract and isolate. Most of the response officers have trained on the alert programs hence this has helped to save quite some lives.

Americans have created highest priority department called Homeland security this helps in dealing with terrorist attack threats. The United States is facing severe, dangerous terrorist threat; this has enabled a state to use weapons of mass destruction. The nuclear weapons radiological, chemical and biological that has been aimed to harm a large group of people. Homeland security department works tirelessly to prevent terrorist attacks and other threats from engaging in the use of such weapons (Birkland, T. A. (2004). Critical infrastructure is also another physical and cyber system that is important in the united states to, their inability to would debilitate material impact on economic security or public and safety for citizens.

Columbine has acquired some new style of mass shootings and new tricks that both the participant in this case the public and law enforcement responded. Since the attack of Columbine, school security has changed to improve the standard of lives of citizens. Different faculty members undergo thorough training and students are also expected to prepare some attack shooter drills. The police are focused on surrounding a building before the attacking the scene to stop the shooting. Now as from 1999 columbine has never been a deadliest scene so far.

Reference

Lawrence, R. G., & Birkland, T. A. (2004). Guns, Hollywood, and school safety: Defining the school‐shooting problem across public arenas. Social Science Quarterly, 85(5), 1193-1207.

Muschert, G. W. (2009). Frame-changing in the media coverage of a school shooting: The rise of Columbine as a national concern. The Social Science Journal, 46(1), 164-170.

Stretesky, P. B., & Hogan, M. J. (2001). Columbine and student perceptions of safety: A quasi-experimental study. Journal of Criminal Justice, 29(5), 429-443.

College is a Fraud

College is a Fraud

STUDENT’S NAME:

INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION:

COURSE:

PROFESSOR’S NAME:

JULY 04, 2020

College is a Fraud

College used to be the dream for every student in the United States. However, there has been a radical shift in thought about the usefulness of college in helping one achieve the American dream. Nowadays, most college students do not view a college education as a key to their future. Instead, self-acquisition of knowledge on their fields of choice and the accompanying relevant skills has taken the center of the debate. Various research studies conducted on this topic, among college students, have given countless reasons for this thought pattern. The studies mostly infer that, indeed, college is a fraud. College education takes more from the student than what the student gets in return. There are many explanations in support of this assertion.

First, a college education is unnecessarily costly. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the total cost per full-time student for a bachelor’s degree in private institutions and public institutions was at $26,593and $19,488 respectively, for the academic year 2017-18. Apart from the tuition fees, there are other costs such as rent and textbook expenses for various course units where tutors often make particular recommendations for students in order to pass examinations. Statistics also show that these expenses have exponentially increased over the last decade at a rate of 31%. Whereas the key reason given for this increase is the financial inflation that the US economy has been experiencing over the period, I believe the commercialization of higher education has also significantly contributed to it. Most institutions, public and private, have shifted their focus to profits with considerable amounts of institutional revenues being channeled to marketing and public relations with the goal of admitting as many students as possible. This increases institutional expenses which translate to higher tuition fees. Consequently, students who get admission into college have to take up student loans to support themselves through college. In addition to that, high-paying job opportunities are not also a guarantee and most college graduates end up financially constrained due to the requisite loan repayments they have to make. In a nutshell, college students accrue huge amounts of debt on campus due to high tuition costs when they can cheaply learn the same thing through available resources over the internet.

Secondly, contemporary colleges are primarily profit-oriented rather than education-oriented thus making them unattractive for those seeking knowledge and skills. According to Educationdata.Org, the cost of education in the United States has skyrocketed between the years 1978-2019 by 1375%. As stated earlier, this is attributed to financial inflation and the profit-driven nature of colleges. This profit motive has led to bankruptcy and consequent shutting down of some institutions when institutional debts incurred in funding these business practices outweighed the institutions’ revenue. For instance, DeVry University had to pay $100 million settlement to its students in a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit for alleged complain of misleading advertisements on job placement rates and income levels for their graduates in various media outlets. This was the same case for Trump University which had to pay $25 million in settlement. The worst case was that of ITT Tech that had to shut down after being declared bankrupt in 2016. It had misleading job placement rates adverts, a lack of accreditation for some of its programs and expensive private loans to students. The marketing malpractices led to lawsuits which showed that the institution was actually surviving on federal government bailouts. These examples and many more show the greed that is currently driving commercialized college education which has consequently eroded the student’s trust.

Lastly, most employers no longer hire primarily based on college degrees but based on skills. According to statistics by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, nearly 98% of employers see the skills gap among most of their college recruits. It showed that 65% of college students were lacking in oral and written communication skills, application of knowledge and skills learned in school to real-world situations and critical thinking. Additionally, companies such as Tesla Inc., Google LLC, and Apple Inc. have openly stated that a college degree is not a prerequisite for recruitment in their organizations. The majority of employers need recruits to have relevant skills for a particular job before hiring them. This makes college education very unattractive. According to statistics by Educationdata.Org, the general drop-out rate of college students is approximately 40% and 30% are freshmen who drop-out before their sophomore year. Also, over half of all Americans between the ages of 25-35 years do not have any academic credentials beyond a high school diploma. This is a point to the fact that most Americans prefer going for pertinent self-taught skills that will make them employable after high school, rather than attending a college.

In sum, college education actually takes more from a student in terms of, time and money without giving equal returns in the form of relevant skills that leads to employability. Essentially, attending college is a tradeoff since one has to choose to either spend four years of their life in a classroom as well as thousands of dollars in tuition fees or to spend less time teaching themselves a skill and look for employment where the skill is relevant. Whichever the choice, one loses more with a college education than without.

Columbus Custom Carpentry Case Overview

Columbus Custom Carpentry Case Overview

This case is presented as close as possible to the way you may encounter it in working life. Your role is that of a newly hired HR manager. You will learn about the company by reading the employee handbook, talking with various employees and reviewing the human resource information system (HRIS) database.

When you first join an organization, you will have an idea of what the organization is like, and there will be a few things of which you feel certain, but your list of unknowns will be much longer. Each interaction with employees provides more data, but you will find that not everyone agrees on the facts of a particular situation. Sometimes you may find that the people you are speaking with do not know the information you are asking about; at other times, they know a great deal about the issue but choose to manage the information they provide to you for their own benefit.

We will not intentionally mislead you in this case, but do not expect everything to fall neatly into place. Uncertainty, differences of opinion and competing priorities are the norm in the professional world.

In your role as the HR manager, you are expected to analyze the situation, identify the problems and develop workable solutions. For the purpose of this case, you are asked to provide a written and oral presentation to the company president (your professor). While there is no single best answer, you must identify the key issues so that the solutions you propose are appropriate to the situation.

Columbus Custom Carpentry is a small, successful company. Recently, though, labor costs per unit have risen faster than gross revenue per unit. The company president has also found that human resource issues are taking up more and more of his time and frequently result in production problems. Both overtime and late shipments are increasing. Until now, the president’s administrative assistant has handled all HR-related administrative activities. You are the newly hired HR manager.

Subject matter knowledge you will apply in this case includes:

Internal and external pay equity.

Job grades and pay range/structure creation.

Market pricing using salary data.

Turnover.

Job analysis and job description development.

MANAGEMENT INTERVIEWS

Monday, 7:45 a.m. Jennifer Reen, receptionist

“Good morning, welcome to Columbus Custom Carpentry. You must be our new HR manager. Here is a copy of your schedule for today. The president has already sent out an announcement about you. We are not a big company, so you should get to know the office employees pretty fast. Manufacturing is a bigger department, so getting to know those employees will take more time. The warehouse employees come and go so fast, you will probably get to know them only through the recruiting process. Mr. Cooney told me not to schedule any interviews for you today, but there is a stack of applications in your inbox. Cary Dobbins wants three new hires for next Monday morning.”

Monday, 8:00 a.m. Anthony Cooney, president/CEO

“Welcome to the Columbus Custom Carpentry family. We have a busy day laid out for you, so I won’t take up too much of your time. You will begin with Barbara Duff, my administrative assistant. She will take you through our employee orientation and get you set up for payroll and benefits. Next, Matt Lee from accounting will give you your computer password and explain our network and backup procedures. The rest of your day will be devoted to meetings with various employees so you can get to know everyone and learn more about our company. “We had talked during your interview about the employee issues we are having, and I hope your outside perspective will help us get a better understanding of what the underlying problems really are. I would like to meet again on Friday, and you can give me a preliminary idea of what you see as the primary issues. After that, we’ll give you a couple more weeks to develop an action plan to deal with these problems. That may seem like a very fast schedule, but I want you to jump on this before your time gets filled up with other activities. I recently read about the concept of a ‘honeymoon’ during an HR manager’s first 100 days. The article indicated that during this period, you are able to accomplish things that will become impossible later. I want—we need—to make the most of this opportunity.”

Monday, 8:15 a.m. Barbara Duff, president’s administrative assistant

“I have been doing the employment tasks and record keeping. I’m sure you will find everything in order. I’ll take you through the regular orientation and benefits enrollment process. I’m glad you are here, because I have been asking Mr. Cooney for help for quite a long time; all this HR stuff keeps me from getting my real job done. We will get started by completing the I-9 form.”

A couple of videos and reams of benefit forms later, she gives you the employee handbook and returns to her desk.

Monday, 10:00 a.m. Matt Lee, accounting database administrator

Matt meets you at your office to go over the company network and show you how to access the HRIS database. At this company, the HRIS is an Excel file maintained by the president’s administrative assistant. Your e-mail inbox has already been created and contains 87 messages. As he is leaving, Matt says, “I’ve been doing the payroll because we didn’t have an HR department. Now that you are here, we should talk about transitioning that function over to you.”

Monday, 10:30 a.m. Mike Cooney, chief financial officer (CFO)

“We operate in a narrow niche market. We have to maintain a price advantage over the true custom manufacturers, or our customers will have no reason not to take advantage of the wider choices and individualized solutions. This means 6 © 2010 Society for Human Resource Management. Douglas Reys, SPHR that efficiency of operations is our primary competitive advantage. If we lose that operating cost advantage, our business plan collapses like a house of cards.

“We cannot produce at the incredibly low-cost level maintained by the mass market manufacturers. We would not get costs that low even if we mimicked their limited product lines and quality levels. We compete with them by creating styles and options that they don’t offer. Finding the balance between production costs and proliferation of models is a continuing struggle.

“We need to cut out the current levels of overtime to maintain our cost structure. It is not clear why we need this overtime. Our labor hours per unit made have stopped going down and are even up somewhat. Adding overtime to that increases our labor cost per hour as well. Turnover has been useful in the past, allowing us to replace higher-paid workers with more lower-paid new hires, but the pattern seems to be changing, and now it is our new hires who are leaving. The warehouse manager wants to increase wages in his area, but that raises our costs per labor hour without explaining how it will help us get our total costs down.”

Monday, 11:30 a.m. (lunch meeting) Derwin Boyer, manufacturing manager

“A variety of people issues are hindering our productivity. We have bottlenecks in the warehouse areas. These bottlenecks spill into our manufacturing area because we have to pull people off assembly work to get their own raw materials or to move finished product out of the production area. This also means that we are doing with more expensive manufacturing labor what should be done with less expensive warehouse labor. To operate at our needed levels of efficiency, employees need to be doing the jobs they are trained for. Driving around on a forklift just to find materials or to find a place to put finished units is not efficient.

“We operate under the concept of mass customization. Using modular parts, we can produce designs with features that appear to the end user as custom work but have the manufacturing advantages of mass production.

“The assembly jigs we have developed are the heart of our system. You can think of them as big clamps. They hold the material in just the right arrangement. If the assembler puts in the wrong part, the jig will not close, preventing the assembler from wasting materials. Once the materials are in place, the jig closes, and a single lever pull will drill any needed holes in the right place, in the right size and to the proper depth. It is fast, mistake-free and simple for the operator. Much of our assembly is gluing. Here is where the big clamp analogy is the closest. Once the jig is locked with just a couple of levers, proper clamping pressure is applied at exactly the right places. Assemblers no longer spend time placing individual clamps. Once closed, the jigs are tilted upright and rolled on their own rollers to a drying area. If they are to get painted, the paint hanger goes on before the jig is released and no one even has to touch the door unit until it is crated. Zero damage and zero waste in this part of the process.”

Monday, 1:30 p.m. John Brown, manufacturing supervisor

“It is hard to keep the guys working efficiently. We are always running out of raw materials, or the finished product builds up and I have to pull guys off the production floor to deal with it. The warehouse manager doesn’t do his job, but if I have my guys take loads over, he complains that they did not get stacked right and that the damage is our fault.”

Monday, 2:00 p.m. Cary Dobbins, warehouse manager

“We are treated like stepchildren; the manufacturing department pays more and has the best equipment. If I do get a good employee, this person transfers to manufacturing at the first opportunity. I tried blocking a transfer once, but the employee got mad and quit. If we get behind, manufacturing just drops product anywhere, and when it gets damaged, they blame it on us. They think anybody can do our job, but they can’t seem to put a blue crate into a blue bin without hitting something.

“I waste time interviewing and training when I should be working on the crating jig project that is supposed to reduce our damage ratio and make packing easier. My best guys can pack better than the jig right now, but I have to train new people all the time, and some just don’t seem to get it. Crating may not be rocket science, but putting nails in crooked damages the doors. Miss a corner—and the whole thing will fall apart the first time we try to move it. People get the idea that because it is manual labor rather than an automated machine, it is simpler. The opposite is closer to the truth. My forklift drivers don’t want to do crating because it has so much bending over and lifting that it is much harder physically than their regular work. The crating jig should make it possible for less-skilled people to do the crating job. This will eventually allow us to save money both on labor costs and the cost of replacing damaged goods.”

Monday, 3:00 p.m. Brandon Swift, marketing manager

“It is critical that we are seen by our customers as top quality because we charge more than the prices they see at the big-box stores. Damaged goods and shipping problems reflect poorly on our product, even if it is good quality. How many end users can truly judge the quality of our product? Not many; it’s all perception.

“We work directly with the homeowners in the design process, but the builders are the ones who refer the homeowners, do the sizing, place the orders and install the product. They are the ones who take the heat for shipping delays or damage. When they need service, parts or replacements, they want them now, not tomorrow or the day after. Time is money to contractors. We have to win on design but deliver at a price that makes our products a better value.”

Monday, 3:45 p.m. Stephen Moore, crater (new hire)

“I took this job to get off of second shift, but I am hoping to transfer to the manufacturing group as soon as I can. My friend who works over there told me about this place, but they make you start in the warehouse and work your way up. What I don’t get is why the crating job pays less than the forklift job; running the forklift is easier work. Besides, working on the crating jig is really like working in the manufacturing side, where they use similar jigs to make the doors. The manufacturing techs get paid a lot more than craters. It sure is nice being home with my family in the evening, but if I don’t get that transfer and the raise that goes with it, I will have to get a second job to make ends meet.”

Monday, 4:00 p.m. Nathan Smith, production technician (manufacturing assembly)

“When I first got here, we made the doors from scratch. You could take pride in a door you made yourself. Now we just throw parts into a jig and stick them together. It allows new people to make a quality door with little training, but it is kind of sad for those of us who consider ourselves craftsmen. Most of my old co-workers have moved into the housing industry as finish carpenters. I came from there originally, and I’m afraid of going back just in time to lose my job due to a downturn in the housing market.”

Monday 4:15 p.m. Jeffery Green, raw materials warehouse

“I like running the forklift in raw materials. I know I could make a little more in production, but I think it would be boring doing the same thing all day. We have a good team in my area; most of us have been here awhile and know our jobs. The supervisor spends most of his time working on orders and inventory issues rather than standing over us. I like that. It’s not the same in production. The supervisors are always on their tails, and if anything goes wrong, there is lots of yelling. They are always trying to blame other departments because they are under so much pressure to produce. They’ll switch models on the fly, then complain that we don’t have the parts bin correctly stocked. The worst is when they try to help. Talk about screwing things up in a hurry! We should take away all of their forklift licenses.”

College Is a Scam

Smith Sharmaine

Ms. McCormick

ENG 1010-20

01 July 2020

College Is a Scam

As the top of the education system, college attendance is the primary goal of every school-going student right from kindergarten to high school. While college was initially a pride of place for one to be in, the lack of employability of graduates in the job market has casted a shadow of doubt on its significance. In the 19th and 20th century, colleges and universities were places where young men and women were molded into responsible citizens with the aim of passing the mantle of steering the nation into prosperity to them. However, the commercialization of higher education has made attending college to no longer be a coveted experience. This is grounded on so many reasons.

First, the growth of many college institutions and commercialization of education has watered down the quality of higher education. Prior to the concept of viewing higher education as an investment with financial returns in the form of a well-paying job, there were few colleges with dedicated students and academicians who took pride in being thinkers for the society on any social issue. The limited number of colleges ensured that the quality of education offered within those citadels of knowledge was consequently very high. However, while the government’s agenda to increase literacy levels by chartering more public and private higher learning institutions was gentle, it also bore the downside of decreasing the quality of education being offered. Most colleges thus are like every other business investment centered on financial returns to their owners. Consequently, the institutions toss out half-baked graduates who are not employable in the job markets thus making college education a scam in the long run.

Secondly, most colleges offer courses that are geared towards the white collar economy where there are limited job opportunities. The deep-rooted belief of most college going students as well as graduates that they are at the top of the intellectual chain makes blue color jobs an anathema to them. Consequently, the white collar part of the job market is awash with many graduates seeking employment especially in respected professions such as Law and Engineering thus tipping the demand-supply scale in favor of employers who as a result are at liberty to lower wages in accordance with these forces of the market. With increased joblessness among graduates, there is meaning for college education.

Thirdly, most current students attend college primarily to have a record of campus experience and exposure. Higher learning institutions have recorded high numbers of drug substance abuse and sexual transmitted infections which can be primarily credited to lack of education goals and laziness among college students. According to the National Library of Medicine National Institute, more than 37% of college students have abused illegal drugs such as opioids and alcohol on a regular basis (Witt, Glassman and Federman). This is chiefly inspired by their new found personal freedom away from parental supervision and frequent partying in campuses. Similarly, studies show that one in every four college students have or has ever had a sexually transmitted disease and more than 80% of them have no noticeable symptoms (Allen,2017). Both of these statistics show a high level of laziness due to lack of purpose in higher education for most college students. To them college is a place where they explore their bodies and discover themselves.

In conclusion, most learners no longer find meaning in going to college and if they do, most are motivated by freedom from control by their parents after high school as well as the chance to have control over their own finances in the form of student loans. This is because most do not think going to college will lead to any job preferring self-employment instead.

References

Witt, D., Glassman, T. A., Federman, S., & Bott, K. (2017). The Case for Implementing the Levels of Prevention Model: Opiate Abuse on American College Campuses. Journal of American College Health, 518-512.

Allen, W. (2017). Increasing Knowledge of Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adult College Students through Video Education: An Evidenced-based Approach. ABNF Journal, 28(3).

Columbus letter on his first voyage, 1493

History

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Columbus letter on his first voyage, 1493

Christopher Columbus wrote a letter to the king Ferdinand and Queen Isabella who had assisted him to finance his exploration trip (Buckley, Veronica, and John, 2015). Columbus wrote the letter on 15th march of the year 1493 upon his arrival from his return journey from the Caribbean. The author was not administrative personnel but a missionary explorer. By his description of the nature of the inhabitants of the regions he visited as being timid indicates that he was a learned person. In fact, an explorer has to be educated enough so that he is capable of determining the routes and recording the encounters in his diaries.

Columbus wrote the letter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella as the primary audience, though some of the people had access to read the letter. In his letter, he used a more formal language in Spanish where it was later sent to Italy for translation to Latin. The king could not be able to read in Latin, and therefore this necessitated Christopher Columbus to make efforts for translation. The main reason behind writing the letter to the king was due to the debt owned for financing his journey, his success to subdue the native people that he found on the islands as well the thrilling environmental nature of the region. The area was full of rich indigenous culture with the people know neither possessing weapons. The matter amazed Columbus and saw this as an opportunity to show allegiance to the king through taking control of the area and converting the people to Christianity.

The storyline behind the letter is Columbus’ letter to the king with detailed accounts of what he witnessed during his journey to the Caribbean. He tells of how the people in the regions are fearful and timid and how they become friendly after realizing that there was no harm to them. He continues to narrate how he exchanged items with rifles and to sometimes nothing in return claiming that the people were so generous. In an attempt to convince the king, Columbus says that the people had a potential to obey the king and serve him without questioning and even love the king’s people.

The document was written due to the necessity to acknowledge the king’s effort to finance the voyage and therefore, as a matter of fact, a subject must show allegiance to his master. It is in this quest that Christopher Columbus wrote the letter to the king immediately after his return from the voyage. The king together with the queen had interests in the exploration journey, and therefore it was a necessity for them to be notified of the success of the crew. Columbus had to report whatever he saw and anything that was of value to the kingdom. All these made him write the letter immediately after his return as it was like an exam although he was so much excited about his success of subduing the indigenous people. The letter is more of a scholarly thesis as it was more of research than just a mere trip.

The letter is more of a political document though to some extent it might be seen as a private letter. The reason as to why it can be regarded as a political letter is due to Columbus claim that the area and its people could pay allegiance to the king and thus somehow indicates that there was some economic along with political motives (Graziano, 2017). Furthermore, the letter says that the people could easily be converted to Christianity a religion which proves the letter to be more political due to exploitation. On the other hand, the letter may be deemed to be private; this is because the king and the queen were the personnel behind the financing of the voyage and thus a special finding could be directly addressed to them just like Columbus deed indication the king’s and queen’s name on the letter. The inclusion of the names may, therefore, proof the letter to be more private.

In the letter, Columbus made no assumptions. He wrote the letter in Spanish and sent it to Italy to be translated into Latin. He knew the king and the queen could not be able to read the Spanish language and could need a translator prompting him to translate the letter in advance before it reached to the king. Yes, I can believe the document as it is the original document written in Spanish making me believe that Columbus was the original writer also his address to the king and the queen are present. Furthermore, the letter is written in the first person singular.

The letter indicates that the people from Columbus region were opportunists who took advantage of the weaker people making them their subjects forcing them to adopt their culture (Olwell, Robert, and Alan, 2015). The people were used to slavery as Columbus took several individuals with him along his return journey were on some made it through. Just a few individuals making it to Spain indicate that they were subjected to torture that threatened their existence. It is also evident that the Spanish people were Christian and therefore were in the urge to make colonies and convert the inhabitants to Christianity.

Columbus’ letter is an important document in history as it indicates the pioneers of exploration and confiscation as well (Winsor, 2018). Though it might not be of much relevance in today’s political activities, it can be used as a reminder of the indigenous culture and how people used to conduct their daily lives. It is through such documents that we come to realize how the world was viewed during the past days in history by inhabitants of the areas. The document is important to me; this is because it has an original data, a letter showing a method of communication by then. Also, the contents of the letter are of much value to historians as they get to know the events that happened in the past and to which evidence may be lacking thus act as a bridging gap. The letter is also important to me as it is an original script written by a famous historian and explorer who in many aspects influenced the lives of many individuals.

Work cited

Buckley, Veronica, and John Middleton. “A LASTING LEGACY.” Lifelines in World History:” The Ancient World”,” The Medieval World”,” The Early Modern World”,” The Modern World” (2015): 241.

Graziano, Manlio. In Rome We Trust: The Rise of Catholics in American Political Life. Stanford University Press, 2017.

Olwell, Robert, and Alan Tully. Cultures and Identities in Colonial British America. JHU Press, 2015.

Winsor, Justin. Christopher Columbus. BoD–Books on Demand, 2018.

College of Nursing and Health Innovation, The University of Texas at Arlington

The Impact of ED provider Education regarding the Management of Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Pediatric patients

Olasumbo T. Oladunni

College of Nursing and Health Innovation, The University of Texas at Arlington

Abstract

Background: Asthma is one of the top five chief complaints of pediatrics patients presenting to emergency departments (Children’s Health, 2015). Emergency Department (ED) return visits are quality indicators for patient care and safety worldwide (Alshahrani et al., 2020). Patients who return to the ED within short periods contribute to wasted ED resources, delayed treatments, patient dissatisfaction, overcrowding, and increased health care costs (Alshahrani et al., 2020).

Methods: A pre-and post-test questionnaire, the Asthma Self-Management Questionnaire (ASMQ), was used to evaluate ED provider knowledge of asthma management. Randomly selected electronic charts which meet inclusion criteria were reviewed before and after intervention for ED revisit outcomes in pediatrics with asthma exacerbations.

Design: A quality improvement (QI) design was utilized in this project. Educational sessions were implemented to improve ED provider knowledge and evaluate ED revisits within 48 hours with a nurse practitioner-led asthma education program over ten weeks.

Population/setting: Fifteen ED providers, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physicians, and registered nurses practicing at a busy level 1 trauma center pediatric emergency department in North Texas and charts of ED revisits in pediatric patients with asthma exacerbations

Data collection/implementation plan: Asthma education knowledge was rated before intervention. Asthma education intervention was implemented during the fifth week of the study. Before the study, chart audits of 48 hours revisit to ED and hospitalizations were compared. At week 6, new education and practices were implemented into provider practice. Evaluation of provider knowledge and ED 48 hour revisits evaluated after the education program was delivered.

Analysis Plan: IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistical software was used to analyze standard deviations of provider knowledge, and ED revisits pre- and post-educational intervention.

Keywords: provider, asthma education, pediatrics, reducing emergency visits

Table of Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Project Framework PAGEREF _Toc77361732 h 11Project Question PAGEREF _Toc77361733 h 12Project Objectives PAGEREF _Toc77361734 h 12Methods PAGEREF _Toc77361735 h 12Project Design PAGEREF _Toc77361736 h 12Population/Setting PAGEREF _Toc77361737 h 13Measurement Method PAGEREF _Toc77361738 h 14Data Collection/Implementation Plan PAGEREF _Toc77361739 h 15Data Analysis Plan PAGEREF _Toc77361740 h 17Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc77361741 h 18References PAGEREF _Toc77361742 h 20Appendix A PAGEREF _Toc77361743 h 25Appendix B PAGEREF _Toc77361744 h 26Appendix C PAGEREF _Toc77361745 h 30Appendix D PAGEREF _Toc77361746 h 31Appendix F PAGEREF _Toc77361747 h 33Appendix G PAGEREF _Toc77361748 h 34Appendix H PAGEREF _Toc77361749 h 35Appendix I PAGEREF _Toc77361750 h 62Appendix J PAGEREF _Toc77361751 h 63Appendix K PAGEREF _Toc77361752 h 65Appendix L PAGEREF _Toc77361753 h 66Appendix M PAGEREF _Toc77361754 h 67Appendix N PAGEREF _Toc77361755 h 68

The Impact of ED provider Education regarding the Management of Acute Asthma Exacerbations in Pediatric patients, on the 48-hour ED, revisit rate in an Urban Pediatric Hospital Setting.

Asthma is one of the top five chief complaints of pediatric patients presenting to emergency departments (Children’s Health, 2015). Asthma is characterized by chest tightness, cough, wheezing and recurrent shortness of breath (Ozair et al., 2017). The frequency and severity of asthma vary from person to person, and exacerbation of asthma increases the risks of hospitalization and impairs quality of life (Ozair et al., 2017). An estimated 7.0% of children living in Texas had an asthma diagnosis in 2016 (Texas Department of State Health Services, 2016). Asthma has become the leading cause of hospitalizations, with approximately 5% of all pediatric hospital admissions being asthma-related (Glick et al., 2016). Asthma is also a leading cause of school absenteeism and can lead to children missing three times more school, which impacts their education (Nadeau & Toronto, 2016). Medical and absenteeism costs contribute to a significant economic burden in Texas, and approximately $961 is spent per child younger than 18 with asthma (Orsak et al., 2018). Dallas County has the most significant number of child asthma hospitalization rates for asthma among children ages 0-17 (Children’s Health, n.d.). In this busy pediatric hospital where the research study was conducted, there were 2173 total patients presenting to the Emergency Department(ED) with a chief complaint of “asthma with breathing difficulty,” with 1546 discharged and 512 admitted in 2019 (C. Cantu, personal communication, July 7, 2021). Asthma exacerbations can be prevented with proper assessment, education, and management.

Emergency Department (ED) return visits are quality indicators for patient care and safety worldwide (Alshahrani et al., 2020). Patients who return to the ED within a short time contribute to wasted ED resources, delayed treatments, patient dissatisfaction, overcrowding, and increased health care costs (Alshahrani et al., 2020). ED revisits can also be associated with increased mortality (Sri-on et al., 2016). Monitoring and auditing patients with screening tools are necessary for improving the quality of care (Sri-on et al., 2016). ED revisits between 24 and 72 hours occur due to the patient, illness, or physician-related factors (Sri-on et al., 2016). Physician-related factors can be suboptimal treatment or correct diagnosis followed by an error during treatment (Sri-on et al., 2016). Another physician factor is misdiagnosis, an incorrect diagnosis made by the physician determined from chart review (Sri-on et al., 2016). Other common physician-related factors leading to ED revisits include inappropriate discharge instructions, a patient left not receiving discharge instructions, and not arranging appropriate follow-up (Sri-on et al., 2016). According to a chart review study, approximately 50% of ED revisits are due to physician-related factors, and misdiagnosis was the most common reason (Sri-on et al., 2016). Physicians must improve their knowledge and skills to avoid redundant or unnecessary ED diagnostics and resource-utilization (Sri-on et al., 2016).

There is a gap in asthma competency and awareness among health workers, which influences disease management (Ndarukwa et al., 2019). Health care providers generally do not adhere to asthma guidelines (Ozair et al., 2017). The common reasons for poor adherence by health care providers include; failure to remember classification parameters for the severity of asthma and failure to remember various brand names and exact dosages of inhaled steroids according to the severity of the asthma severity (Ozair et al., 2017). Providers also forgot to ask about asthma triggers and do not have sufficient time or resources to provide an asthma action plan or education program before patient discharge (Ozair et al., 2017).

Improving physician knowledge and management skills helps avoid unnecessary and redundant ED diagnostics and the use of resources (Sri-on et al., 2016). One study mentioned that 33% of asthma patients did not receive an oral corticosteroid which led to a revisit to the Emergency Department (ED) within 48 hours of the asthma attack (Ozair et al., 2017). Fifty-seven percent of patients received delayed asthma care due to symptoms not being identified in triage, and 50% did not receive the standard dose of asthma medication during their visit (Ozair et al., 2017). This inconsistency in treatment can lead to different diagnoses between primary care providers, allergists, and pulmonologists (Ozair et al., 2017). Inconsistency in diagnosing among providers and the under referral of patients to specialty care are also considered barriers to asthma management (Ozair et al., 2017). Referrals to specialty care often occur following significant asthma exacerbations and ED visits by moderate-to-severe asthma patients. However, according to step 5 of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a referral to an asthma specialist is recommended when a patient requires a high-dose ICS-LABA to control their disease (Ozair et al., 2017).

Current literature on asthma research recommends that healthcare providers be familiar with how inhaler devices work and have a standard validated checklist identifying techniques that account for patient development level. The repetition of correct techniques should occur every visit so that children can recall steps better (Root & Small, 2019). Clinical meetings on asthma, asthma training manuals, and guidelines for asthma diagnosis and management could improve healthcare providers’ knowledge about asthma diagnosis and management (Ndarukwa et al., 2019). With proper assessment, education, and management, most asthma complaints and exacerbations can be prevented. ED staff should improve discharge instructions and ensure that patients understand to decrease hospital revisit rates (Sri-on et al., 2016).

Review of Literature

The author of this paper used the library databases CINAHL and Academic Search Complete at the University of Texas at Arlington and searched for the following keywords to obtain articles review. “asthma education,” “providers,” “reducing emergency visits,” and “pediatrics.” The author selected 21 articles for review related to providing asthma education and examining possible reductions in emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations. Articles researched ranged between 2015 and 2021, with the inclusion criteria of “asthma diagnosis” and taking at least one type of “asthma” medication. The common themes identified within this review noted non-adherence, encouragement of self-management behaviors, caregiver involvement, and the initiation of asthma education resources for providers and patients.

Healthcare providers were reported to lack the ability to effectively manage asthma cases and educate patients on asthma control (Ndarukwa et al., 2019; Sico et al., 2021). A study found that 33% of asthma patients did not receive an oral corticosteroid and had to revisit the ED within 48 hours of the asthma attack, 57% of patients received delayed asthma care due to symptoms not being identified in triage, and 50% did not receive the standard dose of asthma medication during their visit (Ozair et al., 2017). These values reveal that 40% of asthma patients receive treatment not aligned with the recommended guidelines (Ozair et al., 2017). This inconsistency in treatment can lead to different diagnoses between primary care providers, allergists, and pulmonologists, thus hindering asthma management in conjunction with the under-referral of patients to specialty care (Ozair et al., 2017). Referrals to specialty care often occur following significant asthma exacerbations and ED visits of moderate-to-severe asthma patients; although according to step 5 of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), a referral to an asthma specialist is recommended when a patient requires high-dose ICS-LABA to control their disease (Ozair et al., 2017). Root and Small (2019) found that nearly 80% of individuals with asthma do not use inhalers correctly and that 67% of providers caring for patients with asthma cannot demonstrate correct device use. Incorrect inhaler techniques result in inadequate asthma control. Also, asthma medications must be used correctly to be effective (Root & Small, 2019). The clinical expertise of the physician or health clinician is essential in reducing the effects of the disease in asthma patients (Aref et al., 2017).

Patients also lack information, have misconceptions about asthma, and lack health education and promotion (Ndarukwa et al., 2019). Sico et al. (2021) stated that healthcare providers’ assistance could improve non-adherence in children with asthma. Sico et al. (2021) used a Delphi method to identify solutions for poor asthma control and adherence to therapy. The solution included (a) incorporation of patient outcomes to asthma management; (b) asthma education for providers; (c) moderate-to-severe asthma redesign; (d) a coordinated, evidence-based protocol for management; (e) a designated asthma management coordinator; and (f) a digital support tool. These factors helped increase adherence, resulting in positive effects for asthma patients, reducing asthma exacerbations, admission rates, and increased payers (Sico et al., 2021). Another study evaluated the provider’s adherence to asthma guidelines in an urban clinic for 3,500 children; the study showed decreased percentages of hospitalizations and emergency visits for asthma treatment (Jafamejad & Khoshnezhad, 2020). In a cross-sectional mail survey, pediatricians posed their beliefs and support for recommended national guidelines, 83% of primary care providers ( PCPs) supported ED providers initiation of asthma control medications, but 80% of PCPs also reported that they never or rarely experienced this practice (Sampayo et al., 2015). ED providers are not utilizing the national guidelines, which could help initiate medication adherence for patients. At times, patients are discharged from the ED and rarely follow up with a PCP when their asthma exacerbation has been stabilized.

National guidelines recommend that patients be offered self-management education and written asthma action plans (Aref et al., 2017). A randomized clinical trial data review of educational and behavioral interventions for asthma revealed physician-led interventions were most successful if patient-clinician communication and education were used (Aref et al., 2017). This study of interventions achieved a 50% reduction in health care utilization and a one-third increase in symptom control (Aref et al., 2017). Serametakul (2019) implemented a study of adolescent self-management interventions to motivate independent behaviors for asthma care. He used a cross-sectional study design to evaluate 442 adolescents with asthma from 13 hospitals to be educated on self-management behaviors for asthma (Serametakul, 2019). Results of this study concluded that self-management behaviors were influenced by need satisfaction, intrinsic and extrinsic life goals, and parental support (Serametakul, 2019). Secondly, a randomized control trial design evaluated children in grades 2-5 from 33 schools in rural Texas for self-management behaviors (Horner et al., 2015). Self-management behaviors were conducted in an asthma class and day camp in 16 sessions over five weeks. Post-asthma camp outcomes revealed improved asthma symptoms in children with asthma. Both studies expressed how self-management interventions can equip adolescents with the tools to become competent in their asthma, self-care, and self-efficacy, decreasing emergency visits and hospitalizations (Horner et al., 2015; Serametakul, 2019).

Parental involvement in the care of children with uncontrolled asthma requires education to effectively care for their child and increase caregiver control (Paymon et al., 2018). In a pre-and post-test survey of 30 caregivers on an asthma action plan and the use of peak flow meters, parents reported improved perception of control of their child’s asthma exacerbations and a decrease in hospital visits (Paymon et al., 2018). Serametakul (2019) noted that parental support and need satisfaction accounted for 78% of total variance in self–management behaviors. In another design, Everhart et al. (2018) conducted a momentary ecological assessment of 59 caregivers over 14 days to identify their comfort levels associated with asthma. The assessment results revealed that when caregivers are comfortable in their environment, they will gain more ability to control their child’s asthma from home (Everhart et al., 2018). Another example of parental support is a prospective study in rural Texas, where 102 pediatric patients and caregivers were evaluated after receiving an asthma education program (Agusala et al., 2018). Results revealed that parents or /caregivers felt more confident managing their child’s asthma. The program reduced school absences, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations over ten months (Agusala et al., 2018). The addition of educational resources was effective in improving asthma outcomes. Campbell et al. (2015) also found that the asthma education group experienced a reduction in urgent health utilization to 1.3 visits fewer over 12 months. Acute asthma symptoms should be identified early and treated promptly in the ED with an organized and coordinated performance team (Ndarukwa et al., 2019). Educational training should be provider-specific and address diagnoses and treatment patterns to ensure that the latest evidence-based guidelines are used in clinical practice (Sico et al., 2021). Data collected through in-depth interviews of health care providers’ results indicated a lack of clinical education and inexperience with asthma awareness (Ndarukwa et al., 2019). Proposed solutions include providing refresher courses, clinical mentoring, and strengthening health promotion (Ndarukwa et al., 2019). Having clinical meetings on asthma, training manuals, and educational sessions will help improve asthma awareness and knowledge (Ndarukwa et al., 2019). A randomized parallel-group design of 373 children with asthma and caregivers received home visits by community health workers (Campbell et al., 2015). The addition of the community, health worker asthma home program, reduced urgent care visits, improved health outcomes and yielded a return on investment (ROI) of $633.88 less than the control group (Campbell et al., 2015). Another study evaluated a mobile pediatric asthma clinic. The Breath of Life Mobile Pediatric Asthma Clinic evaluated and managed patients over two years in the outpatient setting (Orsak et al., 2018). The program yielded a positive return on investment of $263,853.01, approximately a 32% benefit during that time frame (Orsak et al., 2018). This quality improvement (QI) project focused on improving provider education to align with national asthma guidelines to decrease 48- hour ED patient revisits hospitalizations and improve asthma pediatric patient outcomes.

Project FrameworkThe Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) was the framework model for this quality-improvement project. The PDSA model supports increasing ED provider knowledge on asthma management and evaluating the 48- hour ED revisits of asthma pediatrics. PDSA focuses on logical improvement with ongoing adjustment and refinement of the plan (White et al., 2016). Each step was addressed through this project.

Plan: to evaluate provider knowledge before and after asthma education session; to evaluate patient ED visits and hospitalizations after the implementation of education is conducted over four weeks.

Do: observe ED providers and current asthma workflow and practices.

Study: provider knowledge and asthma education in their current practice; evaluate provider management and alignment to current asthma guidelines.

Act: implement an asthma education session to improve current management and decrease ED revisits and hospitalizations; encourage ED providers to increase their efforts to improve patient outcomes and reduce revisits.

Project QuestionWhat is the impact of ED provider education regarding the management of acute asthma exacerbations in pediatric patients on the 48-hour ED revisit rate in an urban ED setting?

Project ObjectivesTo increase ED provider knowledge on asthma disease and management using national guidelines.

To evaluate the impact of implementing education sessions on asthma exacerbation rates within 48-hour ED revisit rates in pediatric patients with asthma exacerbations.

MethodsProject DesignThis quality improvement project used a pre-and post-intervention evaluation to measure ED provider knowledge after an asthma education session and evaluate ED revisits within 48 hours after implementing the asthma educational session. This intervention program ran over ten weeks with weekly educational sessions. A chart review evaluated disease management, and outcomes of the program’s overall effectiveness in ED revisits.

Population/SettingThis QI project occurred in a busy urban pediatric hospital emergency practice in Southwest Texas, in the United States. The ED had approximately 124,992 visits in 2017(Children’s Health, 2015). This area serves predominately Hispanic and African American populations with Medicaid or no insurance. The ED is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week, with physicians, residents, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, patient care technicians, and other multi specialties available for support. Asthma is the third most common chief complaint of pediatric patients presenting to their ED (Children’s Health, n.d.).The target population was the ED providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses) working in the pediatric emergency department. Participants enrolled in this project were recruited by “word of mouth” through volunteer recruitment and organizational email. Participants enrolled in this project needed to attend educational sessions in the ED for ten weeks. Small gift cards, prizes, and raffles were available to entice participants to continue attending and completing the program. For this project, at least 15 providers within the ED were recruited as participants by convenience sampling. In a 24-hour time frame, the ED is staffed by six advanced practice providers (nurse practitioners or physician assistants) and 12 emergency physicians (attending physicians and resident physicians).

Depending on the patient census, about one to three registered nurses work in the asthma bay or unit. Patient charts with the diagnosis of “asthma with breathing difficulty,” “wheezing,” and “breathing problem” were reviewed and identified for the QI project. The patient charts were examined for the number of asthma-related ED revisits in the previous three months; these charts were obtained before project implementation from the electronic health record systems (EPIC). After implementing asthma management education, the number of ED was obtained and compared to previous asthma-related ED revisits. Inclusion criteria included health care providers, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurses working in the pediatric ED. Charts were evaluated through EPIC for ED revisits, including children ages 0 to18 years with asthma diagnosis and who had visited the ER more than twice in six months for asthma-related complaints. Exclusion criteria include health care providers who work in specialized areas such as pulmonology or allergies or who are certified asthma educators; we also excluded charts of asthma pediatrics enrolled in outpatient asthma programs or pulmonary specialty clinic patients, or with a current COVID-19 illness and more than three comorbidities.

Measurement MethodThis QI project ran for ten weeks with weekly educational sessions. There was a pre-and post-survey/questionnaire measurement of ED provider asthma knowledge and disease management. The project leader contacted the tool developer to seek permission to use the tool in the project (see Appendix A). The Asthma Self-Management Questionnaire (ASMQ) was used for provider asthma-knowledge measurement. It was administered before and after the asthma education session (see Appendix B). The 16- item tool is composed of multiple-choice measures of asthma knowledge, prevention strategies, inhaler use, and medications (Mancuso et al., 2009). The ASMQ is valid and reliable and is associated with clinical markers of effective self-management and better asthma outcomes (Mancuso et al., 2009). The ASMQ is valid and reliable with a Cronbach α of 0.71and with correlations between administrations of 0.78 (Mancuso et al., 2009). The scores for the tool are calculated as follows: (a) assign one point for each preferred response; (b) sum all points to generate a raw score that ranges from 0 to 16; (c) the raw score was transformed (raw score/16 x 100); and (d) report the transformed score and the higher scores to indicate more knowledge of asthma self-management (Mancuso et al., 2009). A chart review was conducted to evaluate the number of asthma pediatrics 48-hour ED revisits in the past three months before education sessions; to compare to the ED revisits after the project is implemented. ED was evaluated through EPIC, the electronic health records (EHR) system. Validity and reliability did not apply to the hospital’s EHR system.

Data Collection/Implementation PlanBefore Educational intervention. This two-phase quality improvement (QI) project entailed an educational intervention on asthma management according to asthma guidelines for ED providers and a chart review of patients’ ED revisits rates pre-and post-intervention to assess compliance and improvement. The first phase of the QI project involved chart audits and reviews. The project leader conducted a review three months before the project to determine the 48-hour ED revisit rates among pediatric providers seen for an acute asthma exacerbation (see Appendix C). Provider asthma management following the recommended guidelines was also extracted through the electronic health record (EHR) system (see Appendix D). The charts were also evaluated for patient demographics, asthma diagnosis, and less than two comorbidities. The inclusion criteria for charts included patients diagnosed with asthma who have utilized the ED at least twice in the last six months (Appendix E). This project excluded patients with COVID diagnoses and asthma symptoms. These patients may require revisits or increased reevaluations due to COVID symptoms and were not included in the patient chart review. The number of pediatric ED revisits within 48 hours of discharge was compared to before and the implementation of educational sessions.

Before implementing the educational intervention, the ASMQ asthma education questionnaire was administered to ED providers to evaluate asthma knowledge, medications, inhaler devices, and anticipatory guidance (see Appendix B). The survey took approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. The chart audit of pediatric asthma patient charts to evaluate the number of ED revisits in 48 hours to the pediatric emergency department was collected on a dashboard (Appendix C). This P-value was used to compare the number of ED revisits within 48-hours over ten weeks for pediatric patients with asthma exacerbations. Charts for inclusion are patients 0-18 years with the following criteria: (a) demographics, (b) asthma diagnosis, and (c) less than two comorbidities (Appendix E). Charts were excluded if the patients were in the specialty pulmonary clinic or enrolled in the hospital’s outpatient asthma program, had current COVID-19 illnesses, or had more than three comorbidities. The participants, ED providers, signed a consent agreeing to the terms of the project (Appendix F).

Educational Intervention. In the second phase, the project leader conducted asthma educational sessions for the ED providers for five weeks. The author, a nurse practitioner, led the QI project. ED administration received an outline of the asthma education program (Appendix G). The project leader conducted a one-hour educational session provided each week for five weeks on asthma knowledge, management, improving compliance, identifying patient barriers, and tips to decrease ED revisits. The educational program consists of educational resources compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) (Appendix H). Inhaler devises education and demonstration during the education session (Appendix I). Providers received an asthma action plan for learning and patient management (Appendix J). After four weeks of education, staff providers completed the ASMQ for the second time as a post-test to evaluate knowledge (Appendix B). The provider education and practices were implemented in week 5. Provider demographics were analyzed, and data collection from ASMQ pre- and post-questionnaire to a dashboard (Appendix K). After implementing the acquired knowledge from asthma education and practice guidelines, ED visits and hospitalizations were evaluated starting weeks six to ten for changes and improvements in ED revisits and hospitalizations. The revisits within 48 hours for asthma exacerbations were compared to the four weeks before the asthma education sessions. The hospital EHR, EPIC, extrapolated the data showing whether ER/hospital revisits had decreased for the asthma patients following the educational intervention. Patient identifiers, including name and other information, were blacked out and removed from chart information. The demographic information age identified patient charts, race, gender, and a chief complaint was a part of the data collection (Appendix E) and used to compare ED visits/ hospitalizations to compare pre-and post-intervention findings (Appendix C). Before this project was implemented, approval was required from the pediatric hospital organization. The hospital’s Clinical Inquiry Committee obtained approval for this project on June 28, 2021 (Appendix L).

Data Analysis PlanAfter consultation with a hired statistician, the project leader selected the statistical program appropriate for this project; the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). SPSS can perform methods such as descriptive statistics, frequencies, analysis of variance (ANOVA), means, correlation, and prediction of linear regression (Alchemer, 2021). The p-value was derived from the number of ED revisits four weeks before and after implementing the electronic health record systems (EPIC) from September through November (J. Thompson, personal communication, June 23, 2021). The statistician recommended using descriptive statistics such as the mean or standard deviation to determine the t-test value to evaluate the number of daily ED revisits before and after the provider education (J. Thompson, personal communication, June 23, 2021). SPSS can also identify other detailed factors affecting asthma exacerbations, the relationship to emergency or hospital revisits, and demographics. The project outcomes were measured on the pre-and post- questionnaires of 15 providers for increased provider knowledge and management. Provider data collected through this project included; provider title, age, gender, years in practice, and responses to an asthma management questionnaire. For evaluation, charts were de-identified to remove any patient identifiers. Charts were evaluated for patient asthma diagnosis, ED utilization and revisits, demographics, and other comorbidities. For protected health information, the project leader was the only individual with crucial access to a locked filing cabinet where this data was kept to prevent a breach of privacy. The Information Technology (IT) department was consulted to identify data security and compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines. The project leader discussed using an encrypted thumb drive with IT to store computed patient data. Patient information was stored in a locked file cabinet for the project time frame. Printed PHI information was shredded in facility bins. Providers were provided with a unique number, and all identifiers were removed to decrease bias.

ConclusionAsthma is a chronic illness affecting children and adults in the United States, with a prevalence in children at approximately 8% (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2019). Emergency Department (ED) return visits are quality indicators for patient care and safety worldwide (Alshahrani et al., 2020). Pat

Columbus Letter to Lord Raphael Sanchez, 1493

History

Students Name

Institution of Affiliation

HIST 1302Date

Columbus Letter to Lord Raphael Sanchez, 1493

Christopher Columbus wrote a letter to Lord Raphael Sanchez who was among his patrons and had assisted him to finance his exploration trip (Wadsworth, 2016). Columbus wrote the letter in March of the year 1493 upon his arrival from his return journey from Cathay, which would later be named as America. The author was not administrative personnel but a missionary explorer as well as an economic scout in search of treasures. By his description of the nature of the inhabitants of the regions he visited as being timid indicates that he was an educated individual. In fact, a scout and explorer who is in charge of a voyage have to be educated enough so that he is capable of determining the routes and recording the encounters in his diaries.

Lord Raphael Sanchez was the intended recipient of the letter. In his letter, he used a more formal language that was in Spanish where it was later sent to Italy for translation to Latin. Lord Raphael Sanchez could not be able to read in Latin, and therefore this prompted Christopher Columbus to make extra efforts for the conversion of the letter. The main reason behind writing the letter to Lord Raphael Sanchez was due to the debt owned for financing his journey, his success to subdue the native people that he found on the islands as well the thrilling environmental nature of the region. The area was full of rich indigenous culture with the people know neither possessing weapons. The matter amazed Columbus and saw this as an opportunity to show allegiance to Lord Raphael Sanchez through taking control of the area and converting the people to Christianity, paying loyalty to the king and the people of Spain. The other reason for writing the letter was because Lord Raphael Sanchez was among the patrons of Christopher Columbus voyages and thus he was required to report all his discoveries to Lord Raphael Sanchez.

The storyline behind Columbus’ letter to Lord Raphael Sanchez is the detailed accounts of what he witnessed during his journey to America. He tells of how the people in the regions are fearful and timid and how they become friendly after realizing that there was no harm to them. He continues to tell how he exchanged items with rifles and to sometimes nothing in return claiming that the people were so generous. The generosity of the people in the region amazed Columbus making feel ashamed for trading useless items with the most precious items in the region such as gold. In an attempt to convince Lord Raphael Sanchez, Columbus says that the people had a potential to obey the king and serve him without questioning and even love the king’s people (Wadsworth, 2016). Columbus also tells Lord Raphael Sanchez that he could organize that they could obtain more men as slaves from the region to work as soldiers and provide other labor in the home country. Columbus further continues to claim that with Lord Raphael Sanchez’s assistance he would ask his men to search for medicine and other valuables such as gold in as many contents as possible.

The document was written due to the necessity to acknowledge Lord Raphael Sanchez’s effort to finance the voyage as well as being the patron of the voyage and therefore as a fact, a subject is expected to show allegiance to his master. It is in this quest that Christopher Columbus wrote the letter to Lord Raphael Sanchez immediately after his return from the voyage. Lord Raphael Sanchez had interests in the exploration journey, and therefore it was a necessity for them to be notified of the success of the crew as the patron. Columbus had to report whatever he saw and anything that was of value to the kingdom including all the treasures that he found in the regions of the visit. All these made him write the letter immediately after his return. Columbus was so much excited about his success of subduing the indigenous people and also their willingness to work with him devoting whatever they had to the crew as they were seen as gods to whom the people referred to as the people who fell from the sky. Columbus’ letter is more of research than just a mere trip as he was assigned the duty of searching the valuables and reporting back to the patron (James, 2016).

Columbus letter to Lord Sanchez can be termed as more of a political and economic document though to some extent it might be seen as a private letter. The reason as to why it can be regarded as a political letter is due to Columbus claim that the area and its people could pay allegiance to the king. Also, there were economic motives along with political motives. The reason to why it can be referred to as economic letter is the claim that if he had more support from the government, he could bring along more treasures such as medicine, gold and men to work as soldiers and provide the necessary labor in the land. Furthermore, the letter says that the people could easily be converted to Christianity a religion which proves the letter to be more of a spiritual encounter for missionaries in the attempt to convert more people to Christianity (Young, 1983). On the other hand, the letter may be deemed to be private; this is because Lord Raphael Sanchez was a patron to the crew and among the personnel behind the financing of the voyage and thus a unique finding could be directly addressed to him. The inclusion of Lord Raphael Sanchez’s names may, therefore, proof the letter to be more private.

In the letter, Columbus made no assumptions to Lord Sanchez. He wrote the letter in Spanish and sent it to Italy for its translation to Latin. He knew Lord Raphael Sanchez could not read Spanish and a translator would be needed. Taking into consideration that it was a private letter, he was prompted to translate the letter in advance before it reached to his patron. Yes, I can believe the document as it is the original document written in Spanish making me think and believe that Columbus was the original writer of the letter. Also, his direct address to Lord Raphael Sanchez and as well the letter is written in the first person singular meaning that whatever was written was the personal encounter to which he narrated to the recipient in the form of a letter.

The letter postulates that the people from Columbus region were opportunists who took advantage of the weaker people making them their subjects forcing them to adopt their culture and making them slaves to the extent of making them worshipped (Hickman, 2016). The people were used to slavery as Columbus took several individuals with him along his return journey were on some made it through as they were subjected to torture threatening their lives. It is also evident that the Spanish people were Christian and therefore were in the urge to make colonies and convert the inhabitants to Christianity. The issue of economic exploitation is not new in his homeland, as he tells Lord Sanchez that if he had the support, he would bring all the treasures such as gold and medicine along with the slaves to work as soldiers.

Columbus’ letter is an important document in history as it indicates the pioneers of colonization and economic exploitation in the world (Phillips & Phillips, 1993). Though it might not be of much relevance in today’s political activities, it can be used as a reminder of the indigenous cultures of the early people. It is through such documents that we come to realize how the world was viewed during the past days in history by inhabitants of the areas.

The letter is important to me as it contains Columbus own views on the indigenous people of the new world to which he explored. It is through this letter that I understand the kind of relationships to which the explorers had with the indigenous people and how they traded. It is to my surprise that the explorers took advantage of the indigenous people’s fear to exploit them both socially and economically. The letter is also of vital importance to historians and navigators as the explorers were the pioneers of navigation.

References

Hickman, J. (2016). Black Prometheus: Race and Radicalism in the Age of Atlantic Slavery. Oxford University Press.

James, M. (2016). The Great Explorers. New Word City.

Phillips, W. D., & Phillips, C. R. (1993). The Worlds of Christopher Columbus. Cambridge University Press.

Wadsworth, J. E. (Ed.). (2016). Columbus and his first voyage: a history in documents. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Young, J. D. (1983). Confucianism and Christianity: The first encounter (Vol. 1). Hong Kong University Press.

Collecting Resources Worksheet

Collecting Resources Worksheet #1

(30 raw hw pts)

Name: Mireya Ibanez

Research Question:

Options for Asking a LibrarianUA Specific Research SupportMore TutorialsWorksheet Table of Contents

TOC h u z n Activity #1: Search the Library CatalogActivity #2: Search for Resources in PeriodicalsActivity #3: Search HumanitiesActivity #4: Search Natural SciencesActivity #5: Social SciencesActivity #6: Applied FieldsActivity #7: Reflect on Disciplinary Learning

Activity #1: Search the Library Catalog

You will find a wide variety of types of resources just searching the library catalog.

Go to the UA Library homepage and use the search engine for a general search. The general search will pull up books, both paper and digital, as well as other digital sources (journal, magazine, and news articles, films, etc.). Keep track of your more promising search results; write down titles, authors, and URLs below for at least two (2) results (make sure you know where/how to find the sources again; you might want to download a PDF if you have the option).

Resource #1:

Title: Sports- related concussions-media, science and policy

Author: Rebekah Mannix, William P. Meehan iii and Alvaro Pascual-Leone

https://arizona-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1h28lag/TN_cdi_pubmedcentral_primary_oai_pubmedcentral_nih_gov_5333496

Resource #2:

Title: It’s Not All Fun and Games: Sports, Concussions, and Neuroscience

Author: Christopher C. Giza, Mayumi L. Prins, and David A. Honda

https://arizona-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1h28lag/TN_cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_1913398832

Activity #2: Search for Resources in Periodicals

These search results will most likely provide both popular (non-academic) and academic sources.

Academic Databases: click on the “databases” tab from the UA Library homepageUA Library Databases by Subject PageGoogle Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/ (I suggest you go to settings and connect Google Scholar to the UA Library)

Newspaper Databases (searched the UA library database list)

Be sure to keep track of your more promising search results; write down titles, authors, and URLs below for at least two (2) results (make sure you know where/how to find the sources again; you might want to download a PDF if you have the option).

Resource #3:

Tittle: Why is it hard to stop sports concussions?

Author: Stephen Piazza

http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43707837

Resource #4:

Tittle: Schools should heed concerns over sports’ brain injuries

Author: Julie Underwood

http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24893267Activity #3: Search Humanities

Go to the UA Library Databases by Subject page. Search one arts and one humanities database using some/all of your research search terms (it doesn’t matter whether you think your research is related to the arts or humanities). Find at least one (1) source (you must be able to read the full text) about your subject/topic in each database, two (2) sources total. Seriously consider limiting your database search results to only peer-reviewed/refereed sources. For each source, write down titles, authors, and URLs below (make sure you know where/how to find the sources again; you might want to download a PDF if you have the option).

Resource #5:

Tittle: Traumatic brain injury reduction in athletes by neck strengthening

Author:

https://arizona-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1h28lag/TN_cdi_doaj_primary_oai_doaj_org_article_62a012f58d334d3a869d651a9c81cdf5Resource #6:

Tittle: Concussions: A sport ethics commentary

Author: Dr. rob Hudson and Dr. Brandon Spradley

https://thesportjournal.org/article/concussions-a-sport-ethics-commentary/

Activity #4: Search Natural Sciences

Go to the UA Library Databases by Subject page. Search two different sciences databases using some/all of your research search terms (it doesn’t matter whether you think your research is related to the sciences). Find at least one (1) source (you must be able to read the full text) about your subject/topic in each database, two (2) sources total. Seriously consider limiting your database search results to only peer-reviewed/refereed sources. For each source, write down titles, authors, and URLs below (make sure you know where/how to find the sources again; you might want to download a PDF if you have the option).

Resource #7:

Tittle: Cerebral Microhemorrhages in a collegiate Football Player: Clinical Implications in the Management of Sports ConcussonsAuthor: Irfan M. Asif, Kimberly G. Harmon, Jonathan A. Drezner, John W. Okanehttps://doi-org.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/10.1177/1941738110374628Resource #8:

Tittle: Prevention of Sport-Related Concussion

Author: Peter K. Kriz and William O. Roberts

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csm.2020.08.007Activity #5: Social Sciences

Go to the UA Library Databases by Subject page. Search two different social sciences databases using some/all of your research search terms (it doesn’t matter whether you think your research is related to the social sciences). Find at least one (1) source (you must be able to read the full text) about your subject/topic in each database, two (2) sources total. Seriously consider limiting your database search results to only peer-reviewed/refereed sources. For each source, write down titles, authors, and URLs below (make sure you know where/how to find the sources again; you might want to download a PDF if you have the option).

Resource #9:

Tittle: Concussion Epidemiology in Youth Sports: Sports Study of a Statewide High School Sports ProgramAuthor:Benjamin Chun, Troy Furutani, Ross Oshiro, Casey Young, Gale Prentiss, Nathan Murata

http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sph&AN=147578669&site=ehost-live

Resource #10:

Tittle: Concussion Knowledge, Attitude, and Risk Management Practices of High School Girls’ soccer coaches

Author: Kim Sungwon, Daniel P. Connaughton, Michael Sagas, Yong Jae Ko

http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sph&AN=147377265&site=ehost-liveActivity #6: Applied Fields

Go to the UA Library Databases by Subject page. Search two different applied field databases using some/all of your research search terms (it doesn’t matter whether you think your research is related to the social sciences). Find at least one (1) source (you must be able to read the full text) about your subject/topic in each database, two (2) sources total. Seriously consider limiting your database search results to only peer-reviewed/refereed sources. For each source, write down titles, authors, and URLs below (make sure you know where/how to find the sources again; you might want to download a PDF if you have the option).

Resource #11:

Tittle: Implications for concussion assessments and return-to-play standards in intercollegiate football: How are the risks managed?

Author: John J. Miller, John T Wendt, Nick Potter

http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/scholarly-journals/implications-concussion-assessments-return-play/docview/1730037906/se-2?accountid=8360

Resource #12:

Tittle: Reducing Traumatic Brain Injuries in Youth Sports: Youth Sports Traumatic Brain Injury State Laws, January 2009-December 2012

Author: Hosea Harvey

http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/scholarly-journals/reducing-traumatic-brain-injuries-youth-sports/docview/1399924101/se-2?accountid=8360Activity #7: Reflect on Disciplinary Learning

You just read about your topic from a variety of different perspectives. What did you learn? What surprised you? What would you like to know more about? Free write for at least 2-3 paragraphs.

I learned a variety of ways and clinical studies that were being conducted regarding concussions in general. I was able to see the different ways people were being affected by concussions not only in high school. As well as some techniques being made to help prevent but also to help after the concussion was attained. This was very interesting to look at the different ways concussions were incorporated in different peoples lives. Although I did find some research that wasn’t narrowed down to high school, I believe learning about all ages is important. I also think it was crucial for me to get research that looked at before, during, and after the injury has occurred.

I was surprised at the facts and statistics that were being presented in the research. As well as the fact that I thought about neck strengthening and then I found an article regarding that. I was very surprised at how common and universal concussions were. They occurred all over and there was an abundance of research being done to learn more about the topic. I was also surprised at the type of studies that were being conducted involving young athletes.

I would like to know more about the repercussions from getting a concussion. So, what short term affects there and what long term affects there are. As well as does playing sports from a young age have any affect? Does continuing on to college ball or professional have any affect? If so, what are they? I would also like to know if age and gender have any affect with obtaining concussions? As well as if a certain time period is better for recovery and prevention?

Collection (2)

Student name

Course

Tutor

Date

Blackfish Film and Ethics

Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics refers to a philosophy developed by Aristotle. It is a character-based approach to mortality. This theory indicates that practice is vital in the process of virtue acquisition. Virtue ethics contrasts with the view that virtue is present in the world as a natural representation of goodness. Virtue ethics being character-based means that there are different traits and forms of virtue, but all come from constant practice in one’s moral character. For instance, courage would be considered a type of bravery and resoluteness, but bravery comes from years of constantly acting bravely, whereas resoluteness is often displayed when you are angry or feel threatened. Virtue ethics also suggests that healthy interpersonal relationships can have their own virtues (Van Zyl, 46). For example, generosity would be one such virtue for many people around the world since it’s seen as a way to give and express care for others without expecting anything in return.

Critique of Virtue Ethics

An alleged problem or issue with virtue ethics is that it fails to appreciate the intractability of dispute, theory ladenness, and the perspectivai. A debate may be intractable because there is a lack of consensus, or because the issue it addresses cannot be resolved. Theory ladenness refers to the idea that our moral theory should not be biased but include all relevant factors. Virtue ethics is perspectivai since it rejects Kantian or utilitarian formulations that are based on specific perspectives. In virtue ethics, people choose actions that seem good at the time and can change their minds as new evidence arises. An article by Connie Whitenack from 2005 entitled “What’s Wrong With Virtue Ethics” outlines these criticisms by stating a number of common features which have been argued to make virtue ethics deficient as a guiding principle for behavior decision-making.

Virtue Ethics assumes that moral goodness is a matter of following the right rules and displaying the right virtues. We must always do what is considered morally good and refrain from doing anything considered morally bad. Never mind that we may not know for certain what we ought to do; we should simply follow our conscience and hope that it is reliable enough to guide us correctly. This philosophy has many flaws, as can be seen in some of its particular rules about how people should behave. For example, if a person has been taught since childhood to revere those who have authority, they may find themselves naturally obeying those with authority even if those people are doing something harmful or wrong.

The blackfish film is closely related with virtue ethics. The blackfish documentary shows the lives of people working with Orcas. It follows the life of a famous orca trainer, Dawn Brancheau, who was killed by an orca in 2010 at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. While it seems that few people would care about the death of a whale trainer, this film sparks controversy on how animals are treated in such places. This movie is praised for its engaging and emotive portrayal of animal abuse and exploitation in captivity; therefore, it can be said that it is virtuous. The film portrays the lives of whales and what really goes on behind closed doors at places like SeaWorld.

Ted Talk Related to Animal Rights

Buhazza, Noura talks about animal torturing. She describes how humans with no humanity torture animals for their own benefits. The ted talk discusses that humans feel a sense of power when they torture an animal, which is what they rely on (Buhazza, 2). They are humans who need to have control and feel superior to the animal victim. The talk describes how animals tend to react differently depending on what part of their body is tortured. If it’s their back then the animal will be aggressive and try to flee, but if it’s their leg then they will be in pain until the torturing stops. This shows that different emotions can exist when animals are tortured, depending on what part of their body is hurt or killed.

This ted talk shows that there should be laws that control human interaction with animals. Animals must be protected. Humans are the only animals on this planet that torture animals for their own gains and no one should be allowed to go against that. Humans are under a code of morality, which is why we shouldn’t hurt any living thing cause it’s just wrong and humanity should never go against morality.

Blackfish Film and Animal Rights

The documentary titled ‘Blackfish’ is mainly regarding natural history of whales on the basis of how they were treated by humans before shooting one’s attack against them. The Blackfish film illustrates the segregation, hunting practices, and annihilation that face the sea world which comprise of the whales and other animals. These practices are effectively demonstrated in the Tilikum captivity ordeal, the dolphin hunting procedure and many other ways in which the hunt practices are conducted during whale hunts of sea creatures. The movie reveals these incidents to the audience and tells them that there is no need to have a look at these cruel acts which are happening in the field. The people who are involved in these activities have thought it fit to kill whales and other marine animals thinking of their own safety and convenience. In this way, they also avoid being seen as criminals by the people who are watching them doing this activity.

In this film, Orca is discussed to demonstrate great aggressiveness after being incarcerated in the SeaWorld. However, SeaWorld has been fighting against that idea. Since the film was released, it has caused a great amount of controversy on the trainers working in such places and the killers have been removed from captivity. The film is not just about killer whales but also about how they are treated by humans. In general, Blackfish documentary is a great piece on how we treat animals, including whales and dolphins, in captivity at SeaWorld in John Krasinski’s directorial debut. It is an emotional documentary with power conversations to help change our perspective of animal rights and treatment.

This movie has greatly demonstrated the role of ethics in the society and how the society must truly have ethical and moral values to have a better society. The film has shown us that the real leaders of this world are the people who are kind and give love to everyone (Cowperthwaite). The people who are cruel and hate to others will be thrown away from his or her position. This has been showed by the documentary and I can’t state it more properly than that. This article discusses ethical issues surrounding the use of exotic or trained marine mammals for entertainment purposes and how Blackfish, as well as other films such as Dolphin Diary helped to raise awareness in this topic. This is an important discussion that needs to be more widely discussed.

During the film, I felt so sorry for the animals of SeaWorld, who live in small aquariums and must experience horrible things. They are beaten and forced to perform extremely unnatural acts while they were helpless and defenseless. There are stories about orcas attacking their trainers in their habitats at SeaWorld, something that is always talked about in this documentary film. No one seems to believe what really happened to these orcas before the attack or why did it happen at all. Blackfish wants to give its opinion on why those killings happened because of ethical issues inside SeaWorld company.

The film teaches us to always think twice before taking an action. This is mostly vital when those actions tend to infringe other people’s rights of expression or liberty. The people who are cruel like those in this film will never be rewarded and they will be erased from the society. The importance of showing the good and bad sides of this world can never be over emphasized, especially when you are seeing it on large screen. Those who have such values in mind must see this film to foster their ethical and moral values into what they do for a living. In a time where we have to share our opinion about many things whether good or bad, we must still remember that these opinions may not just be expressed by us but also by people around us too. Even if a few people do not support you, it does not mean that you are wrong.

From the film, we can also see how the marine family face harsh training and punishments. These shows the level of lack of empathy in the society and its effects. In this article, we can read the following: “Blackfish would probably be a better film if it had not been produced to make a point about the ethics of keeping marine animals in captivity. Yet despite its intent, Blackfish also humanizes marine animals and exposes their suffering and desperation.”

Thus, animal rights have been a major topic since the production of the Blackfish film. The movie has demonstrated animal abuse on a grand scale, with the orcas being kept in captivity and abused by SeaWorld. The documentary rightfully gained much attention from the people of the world who care about animal rights (Stokes 160). Not to mention, the film has also received criticism throughout its run-on different channels such as social media and traditional news media. When it turns out that these supposed “animal rights activists” are actually just taking advantage of this marine park, Animal Rights Organization has created an action plan for what needs to be done in order to help save these animals and make them happy once again. The Blackfish film is a must watch for anyone who is interested in animal rights or activism as a whole (whether they care about orcas or not).

The article, “SeaWorld should set captive orcas free” stipulates Jean-Michel Cousteau’s calling on the SeaWorld to release its captive orcas. The Oceanographic explorer, indicates that “They need to be released and put back into a place where we can keep an eye on them and they can reconnect with nature,”. Cousteau and his organization Ocean Future Society has been advocating for the release of marine mammals in captivity, a movement that has created conflict with advocacy groups such as People for the Ethical treatment of Animals which are calling for the closure of all marine mammal parks. The article indicates that SeaWorld is “one of the most controversial institutions in North America” due to its poor treatment of orcas. The article also mentions that this type of treatment is not limited to SeaWorld, but it is instead industry-wide phenomenon. Nowadays, there are at least 81 orcas currently held captive in marine parks, zoos and aquaria across the globe (Jean-Michel 4).

Works Cited

“Jean-Michel Cousteau: Seaworld Should Set Captive Orcas Free”. The Guardian, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/27/seaworld-free-captive-orcas-jean-michel-cousteau. Accessed 1 Feb 2022.

Buhazza, Noura. “Animal Rights”. Ted.Com, 2022, https://www.ted.com/talks/noura_buhazza_animal_rights. Accessed 6 Feb 2022.

Cowperthwaite, G., Oteyza, M. V., Despres, E., Ingalls, J., Towey, C., Beal, J., Blackfish. Magnolia Pictures (Firm), Magnolia Home Entertainment (Firm). (2013)

Stokes, Ashli Q., and Wendy Atkins-Sayre. “PETA, rhetorical fracture, and the power of digital activism.” Public Relations Inquiry 7.2 (2018): 149-170.

Van Zyl, Liezl. Virtue ethics: A contemporary introduction. Routledge, 2018.

Collection Association

1. Information Security Breach at the American Medical Collection Association

In June 2019, the US experienced one of the worst instances of breach of security within the medical sector. Precisely, the American Medical Collection Association (AMCA) was hacked, leading to exposure of critical details of over 20 million patients (Hodge, 2019). Accordingly, AMCA and its contracting firms encountered detrimental consequences that entail numerous lawsuits which led to their bankruptcy. Similarly, the victims’ (patients’) addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, medical information, social security numbers, and payment data were exposed. Thus, this incident exhibits loopholes and weaknesses on matters about information security. Subsequently, it means that interested professionals and firms should conduct further research and development strategies to promote better protection of information, hence avoiding similar incidents in the future. Besides, this occurrence suggests that information security practice is a highly-challenging and sensitive endeavor that demands lots of diligence. Finally, the unfortunate incident shows that an information security breach is a catastrophic event that attracts massive damages and losses to the victims. 

2. University of Delaware (UD) has a corporate vision statement that focuses on promoting information security through the development of a suitable institutional framework and culture for effectively managing information risk. Accordingly, the vision statement strives to ensure effective, efficient, and secure operations of every unit of the University. Hence, UD has a suitable vision statement that encourages information security by influencing and shaping its operation strategies. UD’s vision statement could be accessed through the following link –

https://www1.udel.edu/security/mission.htmlThe main challenge in finding an appropriate vision statement is that several organizations do not vividly and explicitly express their focus in promoting information security. Besides, many organizations focus on information security at a departmental rather than a corporate level. That is, several firms have offices that focus on information security. Moreover, the use of terminologies that entail vision, mission, and information security as search terms does not offer suitable vision and mission statements. Instead, it provides vision and mission statements for organizations whose aims are to provide advice and strategies for encouraging information security. 

Lack of attention to information security at a corporate level could discourage the allocation of sufficient resources and efforts toward the promotion of information security. Accordingly, organizations would fail to secure their information adequately. It could mean that an organization does not prioritize information security by not expressing interest and focus on information security at a corporate level. 

The University of Delaware’s vision statement exhibits a link to relevant strategies for encouraging information security. Specifically, the vision statement strives to explain how the institution would realize its goal of ensuring the safety of its information. 

Case Study Report “Gambling with Security”

The prevalent loopholes and weaknesses in the organization could facilitate information security breaches. The article reveals that human elements serve as the main weak points through which social engineers use to access and manipulate firms’ information (Ashenden, 2008). Besides, a weak organizational culture could encourage leakage of sensitive information to intruders. For instance, a practice of not deactivating accounts and login details of outgoing employees could render a firm vulnerable to hacking and unauthorized access to critical and sensitive information by malicious persons. Besides, the failure of employees to handle their roles diligently discourages the security of data. For example, security guards could allow a stranger into their facility by not using applicable identification documents to confirm the identities of incoming persons. Moreover, the practice of revealing sensitive information to strangers makes the organization more vulnerable to hacking and information security breaches. Also, technical challenges such as poor generation and storage of access tools such as badges and the use of weak or no passwords tend to promote information security breaches (Mitnick, 2005). For example, an individual could have access to and ownership of more than one badges that are used for accessing different places in the facility. Similarly, organizations could lose their information by making them easily accessible, modifiable, and readable to virtually everyone. More so, the use of single and simple restriction tools such as badges could make it easier for hackers to access firms’ information. 

Accordingly, organizations should embrace the use of strong passwords and other relevant strategies to regulate access to their information (Miloslavskaya & Tolstoy, 2019). Moreover, firms should use coding to make it difficult for unauthorized persons to read and retrieve vital details from their databases. Likewise, firms should adjust their information to make them more resistant to unauthorized modification and other forms of alterations. Besides, firms should train and develop their employees to ensure that they remain vigilant and well-informed about suitable strategies for encouraging the safety and security of their information. Also, employees should exhibit sufficient diligence while handling their jobs to ensure that all the established strategies for encouraging information security are implemented. Therefore, firms could significantly reduce instances of information security breaches by developing their human and technological resources.

References

Ashenden, D. (2008). Information Security management: A human challenge?. Information security technical report, 13(4), 195-201.

Hodge, R. (2019, December 27). 2019 Data Breach Hall of Shame: These were the biggest data breaches of the year. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/news/2019-data-breach-hall-of-shame-these-were-the-biggest-data-breaches-of-the-year/

Miloslavskaya, N., & Tolstoy, A. (2019). Internet of Things: information security challenges and solutions. Cluster Computing, 22(1), 103-119.

Mitnick, R. (2005, March 8). Gambling with security. Retrieved from https://www.theage.com.au/technology/gambling-with-security-20050308-gdkvl2.html