Commercially Available Testing Tools

Once an application has been developed, the developers must demonstrate that it performs the tasks for which it was designed accurately, reliably and with adequate performance. For this to be fulfilled extensive testing must be carried out and tools have been built to assist with this process. Developers have built different types of tool for addressing different aspects of the same general problem. The importance of proper testing to detect as many errors as feasibly possible has been driven by the increase of malicious or criminal intent on the part of developers that produce applications with functions that facilitate fraud or other criminal activity (an especial risk to the financial industry). This problem has been addressed by European Community Legislation, increasing the onus on software developers to show that they took all reasonable steps to ensure an application was free of defects and suitable for the purpose for which it was developed. Failure to do so could leave the developer liable to be sued by anyone have has incurred a loss in any business as a result of software collapse. The main types of tool that have resulted as a partial result of this are described below. There are a large number of testing tools that are available, but they all work in very different ways. The main types of testing categories are described below. Tools that analyse source code without executing test cases, but in deriving test cases for the software to be tested. There are three different types used in industry that are described below: Code based testing tools accept source code as input and perform a number of analyses that result in the generation of test cases. This type of automated tool can broken down in to four further categories. The first are Code analysers that evaluate test modules automatically for proper syntax; statements are then highlighted where the syntax is wrong, if construction is error prone or if an item is undefined. The second category is Structure checkers where modules are submitted as input and a graph generated, depicting the hierarchy of modules and tools check for structural flaws, for example, determining the location of loops and branches and how they are used within the system. The third type are Data analysers which review data structures, data declarations and module interfaces, and notes improper linkage between modules, conflicting data definitions and illegal data usage. The final type are Sequence checkers where sequences of events are checked and marked if coded in wrong sequence. Specialised testing languages enable a software engineer to write detailed test specifications that describe each test case and the logistics for its execution. An example of one of these languages is Prolog, that is specifically used for test case generation. Requirements based testing tools isolate specific user requirements and suggest test cases (or classes of tests) that will exercise the requirements. Tools that analyse source code during execution of test cases by interacting with a program as it is executing and checking the path coverage, test assertions about the value of specific variables and otherwise instrumenting the execution flow of the program. They can be either intrusive or non-intrusive. An intrusive tool changes the software to be tested by inserting extra instructions or ‘probes† that perform the activities mentioned above. A non-intrusive tool uses a separate hardware processor that runs in parallel with the processor containing the program that is being tested. Systems can be difficult to test because several parallel operations are being carried out concurrently, which is especially true for real-time systems. Therefore it is difficult to anticipate the conditions and generate representative test conditions. However, dynamic test tools can capture a state of events during the execution of a program and so are often called program monitors, because they watch and report the behaviour of the program. The functions of the monitor are to list the number of times a submodule is called or a line of code is executed. These statistics tell testers if the test cases have statement coverage. Another function is to report on whether a decision point has branched in all directions, providing information about branch coverage. System performance information is also provided, including statistics about particular variables e. g. their first value, last value, minimum and maximum values. Breakpoints can be defined for the system, so when a variable attains or exceeds a specific value, the test tool reports the occurrence. Some tools will stop when breakpoints are reached so that the tester can examine the contents of memory or specific data items, as it is possible to change values as the test progresses. Any information captured during the test can be used to provide information about control flow. Another automated tool, analysers, are similar to monitors, except that they can also evaluate captured data to prescribed criteria. A test coverage analyser records the number of each statement executed during a test step and notifies us if certain routines or statements are not executed. A timing analyser works with predefined areas or memory or code and tracks the amount of time spent in each area as system functions are performed. This type of tracking can be useful during performance testing when timing requirements are checked. Tools that simulate functions of hardware or other externals by presenting to a system all characteristics of a system or device without actually having the system/device available. This is particularly useful if another company is developing part of a system; this part can be simulated to allow you to test your own part. The simulator can sometimes be more useful than the device itself as all data regarding the devices' state throughout the test can be stored, aiding in error location. Simulators also help with stress and volume testing, since it can be programmed to load the system with substantial amounts of data, requests or users. Generally, simulators give control over the test conditions, allowing you to perform tests that may otherwise be dangerous or impossible. Test management tools are used to control and co-ordinate testing for each of the major testing steps. Tools in this category manage and co-ordinate regression testing, perform comparisons that ascertain differences between actual and expected output and conduct batch testing of programs with interactive human-computer interfaces. In addition to the functions noted above, many test management tools also serve as generic test drivers. A test driver reads one or more test cases from a testing file, formats the test data to conform to the needs of the software under test, and then invokes the software to be tested. The C/S environment demands specialised testing tools that exercise the graphical user interface and the network communications requirements for client and server. This category can be sub-divided into the following functions: Reverse engineering to specification tools which take source code as input and generate graphical structured analysis and design models, ‘where-used' lists and other design information. Code restructuring and analysis tools that analyse program syntax, generate a control flow graph and automatically generate a structured program. On-line system reengineering tools which are used to modify on-line database systems. Many of the above tools are limited to specific programming languages, although most major languages are addressed and require some degree of interaction with the software engineer. Next generation reverse and forward engineering tools will make much stronger use of artificial intelligence techniques, applying a knowledge base that is application domain specific, i. e. a set of decomposition rules that would apply to all programs in a particular application area. The AI component will assist in system decomposition and reconstruction, but will still require interaction with a software engineer throughout the reengineering cycle. Several testing aids can be combined into one automated tool; a test harness is a monitoring system that tracks test input data, passes it to the program or system being tested and records the resulting output. A test harness can also compare actual with expected output and report any discrepancies. Most test harness tools are environment specific by the nature of the process. Test data set generators can generate test data sets derived from the requirements modelling process. Used in conjunction with test harnesses they will provide a formal documented test environment. In most cases a combination of the above tools will improve chances that a delivered application performs the tasks expected correctly and reliably. All testing tools generate large amounts of information about an applications structure. This information must be interpreted and used to detect and rectify subtle logic and structure error. There is a large amount of interest in producing automated support for this interpretation process; to pinpoint possible problem areas and suggest further lines of investigation. With the exception of Interpreters, that are still in development, the above categories of testing tools are available commercially. There are a large number of products available produced by many different companies, so two case studies have been selected to give an impression of the testing tools commercially available. Where possible, the category of testing tools as described above that each product fits into has been added in brackets after the product name. The current products available from this French company are aimed at user interface testing and there are three product lines. The first, UniTest, is designed to perform unit testing of embedded systems. It can develop test scripts that can run on native, simulator, emulator or target platforms. ATTOL's second product, SystemTest, automates the production and exploitation of integration and validation tests for systems. Both of these two products can be integrated with ATTOL's final product, Coverage (test coverage analyser), which is a code coverage tool that is designed to obtain the level of code coverage during the unit or integration testing. TestStudio is one of four products that make up the software development product, Rational Suite. The TestStudio product is itself made up of other Rational Products. Rational Robot provides thorough testing of an entire application, Rational TestFactory automatically detects run-time errors without user assistance and generates optimal scripts for regression testing. Rational Purify locates hard-to-find run-time errors that cause program crashes. Rational Quantify pinpoints performance ‘bottlenecks' in applications and Rational PureCoverage (test coverage analyser) identifies untested code and provides code-coverage analysis. The nature of many products available is that they perform testing to meet user requirements. To do this they are often a combination of several types of testing tool, which makes it difficult to identify specific categories of testing. However, many of the products available did require the system or application being tested to actually be run, whether on a simulator or real-time, suggesting dynamic testing is used more than static testing. There are however, a huge range of testing tools commercially available, combining many different testing methods.

Student Anti-Intellectualism and the Dumbing Down

I have had many stressful times with homework and exams, staying up past 2 a. M. Trying to finish a certain assignment or review for a test. I realized I had to change my attitude and come up with a plan to lower my stress and accomplish my goals. With this In mind, I turned to my parents and college counselors for guidance to develop this plan. I listened to their suggestions and ended up with my own plan to manage my time more wisely, add physical activity, and focus on one task, not anticipate the future. Dents from Yale university in 1979 faced: financial, family, friends, and self pressures, when trying to succeed in college. Zingier supports his essay with his own observations by working as a master at Bradford university and also uses quotes and examples from deans and students that attend Yale. The author's purpose is to show students that they don't have to plan the rest of their lives at such a young age; they must take chances and find majors that interest them.The author writes in an informal tone mainly for parents, but also to get people's attention that such pressures are not necessary, that students must be tranquil, choose their own paths, and not give Into such high expectations (Zingier Para. 1-48). My first drastic change was time management; organize my schedule so I would get a chance to accomplish all my goals. In fact, a research about stress mentioned that â€Å"both female and male college students perceive an equivalent magnitude of stress and senior college students perceive the highest stress† (Ditz Para. ). Knowing this I knew I would have to start the stress-free plan right away so I would not end up like most senior college students. Furthermore, research has shown that â€Å"universities should play a more active role in helping first-year students to make sense of time management, academic acculturation, self-directed, student transition, study habits, and student workload techniques†(Van Deer Mere, Ellen and Marm oreal Para. ). My best option at this point as a first year student was to go to my counselor and get some tips on how to manage my time effectively.Ever since that day, I have been able to manage my time to my advantage. Every day I will make a list of activities I must get through by placing the events of most Importance up top and work my way down until the one of least Importance. The faster I got these actively done and crossed them off my list the less stress I had. My time management plan was to first use my first half of my homework. After, that I would either do chores, socialize with friends ND family, or work depending on the day of the week.Around the evening time at pm I would then finish the other half of my homework. This time management system so far has been very productive and given me more flexibility to do a little bit of everything in one every day. Another coping mechanism I found to be very helpful is including physical activity to my daily schedule. For this technique I went to my parents for advice since they are exercise fanatics. I Just figured if they could fit all their responsibilities and still make time for exercising then so could l.At the ginning of my plan I would attend the gym about twice a week, but now I go 5 days a week and I always listen to music that is upbeat so it will keep me in a good and healthy mood. I'll run Monday through Friday, then I will lift weights every other day, and on Sundays I'll meditate or use some form of relaxing technique. It's as if I can't live without it, especially after reading a research by various doctors who said that â€Å"research conducted has shown that physical activity is an effective means of reducing anxiety and various indices of stress among college students and adults†(Spirit-Mete,et. L. Para. 23). While another research done showed that â€Å"poor health behaviors were also linked with high levels of collegiate stress and that the college students who reported higher levels of stress also consumed greater amounts of â€Å"Junk food,† less exercise and inadequate amount of sleep†(Miller, et. Al. Para. 34). Both researches only made me want to exercise even more to relieve all that unnecessary stress. Overall I'm very aware of my time schedule and daily exercise systems to cope with stress, but I noticed I still carried some stress when thinking about the future.Finally, in order to get rid of the stress about anticipating the future, I would Just have to think about my present issues and taking one step at a time. I noticed I would focus too much on getting the major of my dreams or making my parents happy and proud instead of focusing in the moment and what my goals are for right now. In fact, this high expectations and stress all start in high school. A study done by a research team at an â€Å"independent school showed that more than one-third of the forty Juniors unidentified that getting into a good college was more important than being a good person† (Westbound Para. ), the worst part is that their parents agreed. This situation is very unfortunate and students especially coming out of high school into college must focus of what they want to achieve and not what others want them to achieve. That is exactly what I ask myself every day, what do I want to achieve today? In fact, a study from Maintaining Positive Attitude mentioned to â€Å"not press fast forward now because then you will Just end up making the same mistakes later on† (Machine et al. Para. 54).Now I make three lists of accomplishments: one for past accomplishments, present accomplishments in the recess, and accomplishments I plan on fulfilling in the future. Lastly, these methods have given me a better visual of how successful and maintain a peaceful, healthy and happy lifestyle. In the end, I believe my decisions to manage my time, apply daily physical activities, and not over thinking about the future have been the perfect st ress-free plan. Of course not all the stress is gone, but the way I cope with college stress now will help me reach my future goals.Another point is that no matter what challenges in life are, I must take one task at a time with a positive attitude and I put it off until last minute and end up overwhelmed and stressed. The key is to keep my plan up to date and taking these challenges as experiences to become a stronger and more successful student. I even remember one of my high school teachers saying that some stress is actually good for the brain, so I think for now I have enough stress to keep myself challenged.

Dickinson and William Cullen Bryant, ” Contemplation of Death” Essay

Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the world paid witness to an intellectual and philosophical revolution that forever changed the perception of life itself. The Great Awakening caused people to become more in tune with their spiritual self, and the Great Enlightenment caused people to question, to think, and to pursue the unknown. This new wave of thinking, helped writers of the Romantic and Transcendent era, such as William Cullen Bryant, and Emily Dickinson, express their feelings of life. Thanatopsis†, by William Cullen Bryant, and â€Å"Because I could Not Stop for Death†, by Emily Dickinson, both exemplify the indisputable facts, that death is an inevitable, natural part of life, and there is no reason to be afraid of death. Even though the two poems both share the same underlying themes, they are presented in different ways. William Cullen Bryant and Emily Dickinson both perpetuated their belief that death is inevitable, but in very different ways. In â€Å"Thanatopsis†, by William Cullen Bryant, he expresses that death inevitable, by explaining that eventually, everyone dies, and that it is essentially part of a â€Å"life cycle†. Death is inevitable no matter whom you are, and everyone will die. He accentuates this idea when he says, â€Å"Thou shalt lie down with patriarchs of the infant world – with kings, the powerful of the earth, the wise the good†¦ † (Lines 33- 35). Cullen uses this line to say that no matter who you are, everyone has the same fate. We all end up the same, as he says in lines 25-28, â€Å"Thine individual being, shalt though go, to mix forever with the elements, to be a brother of the insensible rock†. Dickinson, however, presents her belief that death is natural in a completely different way. Dickinson believed that death was a part of the cycle of death. In lines 9-12, Dickinson stated, â€Å"We passed the School, where Children strove, at Recess- in the Ring – We passed the Fields of Grazing Grain – We passed the setting sun†. These lines are metaphors for the stages of life, from childhood to maturity to old age and then death. Dickinson presented those metaphors, to say that her â€Å"carriage ride with death†, was just another stage. We all are once young, we all will grow, and we will all die. Another difference between the two authors expressing that life is inevitable is that Bryant simply believes â€Å"shalt though go mix forever with the elements†, while Dickinson believes, â€Å"Were toward eternity†. Bryant believes that death is final, and Dickinson is perhaps more religious, and believes that there is still life after death. Even though William Cullen Bryant and Dickinson got their point across in different ways, they both were able to express their belief that death is certain. Even though Bryant and Dickinson have very different writing styles, they both further accentuate their belief that death is inevitable by writing about how life is short. Bryant writes about how life is short in lines 17-20 when he says, â€Å"Yet a few days, and thee all beholding sun shall see now more†. This means that in just a short amount of time, you will no longer be here, your life will end, and your â€Å"sun† will burn out, ceasing to exist. There is no way around it. Dickinson is able to express this idea, in a completely different way. From lines 14- 16 Dickinson said, â€Å" The Dews drew quivering and chill ,For only Gossamer, my Gown , My Tippet , only Tule â€Å". When Dickinson says this, she is using her clothing to have an even deeper meaning; A Gossamer is a thin, light cloth, and â€Å"my tippet, my tule†, means that â€Å"my shawl was only a fine net cloth†. She dressed lightly, even though it was cold out, ( â€Å" the dews drew quivering and chill† ) because it would not take death long to take her on the carriage ride, watching her life pass her by. Life is short, and death is inevitable. The carriage ride throughout her life will come to an end, which is why she did not dress properly. Although Bryant and Dickinson have very different writing styles, they are both able to express how they believe that death is inevitable by writing about how life is short. Usually, when an author writes about death, the writing is dark, and brooding. However, â€Å"Thanatopsis†, and â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death†, both offer solace that death is nothing to fear. William Cullen Bryant says we are to live so that when it is time for us to die; we should not fight it, but welcome it. We should not be afraid like a slave at night in a dungeon but instead we should be sustained an soothed with an unfaltering trust approaching our grave like one who wraps the covers from his bed around him and lies down to pleasant dreams, as Bryant says from lines 73 – 81, â€Å"So live, that when thy summons comes to join , The innumerable caravan, which moves , To that mysterious realm, where each shall take , His chamber in the silent halls of death,  Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed, By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave , Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. â€Å" Bryant is simply saying that we should welcome death, and look forward to it, for it is nothing to fear. Dickinson is able to offer solace by personifying death from lines 1-8, â€Å" Because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me, the carriage held but just ourselves, and immortality, we slowly drove, he knew no haste, and I had put away, my labor and my leisure too , for his civility. Dickinson personifies death as a kind, civil man. He waited for her, did not rush her, and he respected her. Dickinson personifies death as a gentleman; to express that death should not be feared, because there is no reason to be afraid. Although many writings about death are very dark, and pessimistic, â€Å"Thanatopsis† and â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death†, are both very comforting, but in very different ways. The new wave of thinking during the 19th centuries, helped Romantic and Transcendent era authors such as William Cullen Bryant, and Emily Dickinson express their thoughts of death, in a way that it had not previously been expressed. â€Å"Thanatopsis† and â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death† both exemplify the same indisputable facts, that death is an inevitable, natural part of life, and there is no reason to be afraid of death. Even though the two poems both share the same underlying themes, they are presented in different ways. Bryant accentuates his belief that death is inevitable saying that eventually, we all die, no matter whether royalty, or a peasant. Dickinson is able to do this by giving a metaphor to various stages of life, which is to say, that death is just another stage. Death is part of the cycle. Bryant also pointed out that life is short, by giving an analogy to not seeing the sun any more. Dickinson did this by stating that she was underdressed for her ride passing through her life, because it was short, and she knew she would soon die, and go onwards towards eternity. Both Bryant and Dickinson offer solace about death. Bryant offers solace by saying that there is no need to worry, but that we should embrace it. Dickinson offers solace by personifying death, calling him civil, and kind, to accentuate her belief that there is nothing to fear. William Cullen Bryant and Emily Dickinson were two of the greatest writers of their time, and both wrote about the same underlying themes, but expressed them in completely different ways.

Chemistry of hazardous materials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Chemistry of hazardous materials - Essay Example The sooner the explosive is named, the quicker a response team can put together a plan of action. Explosives are classified by DOT (2012): Explosives must have a driver that is physically and mentally fit to understand all local, state, and federal laws regulating explosive transport. The Department of Labor (2012) explains that no smoking or weapons can be carried on their transport. Metal should be covered so no spark occurs. These transports should not be left alone. Like other hazardous materials, explosive transports shall be clearly marked as such. Finally, the Department of Labor (2012) requires a working fire extinguisher that drivers are trained to use in the transports. Explosives are different from other hazardous materials due to the mass destruction caused. For example, an explosion can destroy a road, railway, or ship and everything in the vicinity. A toxic gas leak can lead to evacuations, but can be cleaned up with little or no life loss. The property damage is less as well. Once something explodes it cannot be taken back. It damages, kills, and can potentially lead to other explosions. These are a few reasons explosions are different from other hazardous

Swa chp 47 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Swa chp 47 - Research Paper Example ment of appropriate tools to combat corporate fraud, penalize corporate offenders, and dissuade corporate deception making use of threat of stiffer penalties. The Act minimizes the risk of losses incurred by investors in case of fraud and theft. Additionally, the act encourages fraud reporting by setting aside benefit of reliable financial reporting, transparency, and answerability. Generally, the SOX Act addresses the issue of regulation for public companies and their auditors who are required to confirm organization reports on the efficiency of internal financial control as provided by Section 404. The Act’s aim was to help companies audit their accounts (Protiviti 22-30). Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) of businesses and accounting firms must verify that company accounts and other financial statements are a true representation of the firms or businesses financial situation. Additionally, the firms and business managements must acknowledge annually that they are accountable of the company’s financial control and that the internal systems involved in company financial control are operational accounts. Additionally, the firms and business must ensure that all the departments fully document every practice that impacts on the financial processes of the organization. Furthermore, the organizations must ensure that all the possible risks of occurrence of fraud or financial mismanagement are identified and that relevant controls to counteract such risks are put in place. The Act holds the company CEOs and CFOs personally responsible for all the information comprised in their firms or business financial statements and systems of internal financial regulator accounts. Section 201 made it illegal for public accounting firms to deliver definite audit services to audit clients. However, the public accounting firms are free to provide other non-audit services if they are but they must be pre-approved by the audit committee. The

(Ethics and Communication) Thieves Found Citigroup Site an Easy Entry Article

(Ethics and Communication) Thieves Found Citigroup Site an Easy Entry - Article Example As indicated in the report, â€Å"the expertise behind the attack, according to law enforcement officials and security experts, is a sign of what is likely to be a wave of more and more sophisticated breaches by high-tech thieves hungry for credit card numbers and other confidential information† (Schwartz and Dash 1). The hacked information are sold to the underground market for data of stolen goods (Internet bazaars) where goods and merchandise are purchased using credit card information and the money remitted to points of origin through Western Union or Money Gram. This scenario, apart from being considered a breach of security from the technological perspective, is also an ethical and communication issue in terms of violating ethical codes and the ability to magnify the infraction through the use of the internet as a communication medium. By hacking, vital information is stolen being regarded as an ethical issue of violating human rights. Communication issue is likewise an issue here in terms of announcing these stolen goods in the underground market using the Internet where buyers and sellers abound undetected. Works Cited Schwartz, Nelson D and Eric Dash. "Thieves Found Citigroup Site an Easy Entry." New York Times 13 June 2011: A1.Web. 4 July 2011.

Uninary tract infection ,hysterecomy,cirrhosis,Diabetic,cast Case Study

Uninary tract infection ,hysterecomy,cirrhosis,Diabetic,cast care,lntermittent claudication, eczema, - Case Study Example A teaching session is planned to be undertaken with Amy & her mum on prevention of constipation. Q2. Maria Poulos, a 40-year-old woman with two children, consulted her doctor about experiencing menorrhagia and occasionally metrorrhagia for the past 5 months. She was diagnosed with leiomyomas and a total abdominal hysterectomy was recommended. Q4. Sally Smith, aged 14 yrs, has been admitted for review of her diabetes. Sally’s diabetes has been rather uncontrolled lately and her parents are extremely worried. She is now on insulin TDS and her diabetes appears to be more controlled. You are on night shift and are doing a round of checking the patients - you check Sally and find her unresponsive, cold & clammy. Q5. Tara Smith aged four (4) years had a fall off the monkey bars at her day care centre. She fell on her outstretched arm which resulted in a Greenstick fracture of her distal R) radius. She is to have a synthetic cast applied to her forearm for 3-4 weeks. Bob underwent a left femoral–popliteal bypass graft 5 years ago and is complaining of intense right foot pain for past 6 weeks. He states â€Å"I sleep in the recliner with my right leg hanging down to get some relief from the pain†. On assessment he

How are our oceans Are there plenty of fish in the sea Research Paper

How are our oceans Are there plenty of fish in the sea - Research Paper Example The other major problem that has resulted in the displeasing state of the oceans as it stands currently is the issue of overfishing. This vice has also resulted in the reduction of the viable offspring of the major fish species that are endangered, resulting in further endangerment of the marine life (NRDC, 2011). Further, the oceans have now become a source of health risk for the human population, owing to the sedimentation of the plastic, heavy metals and other pollutants in the beaches and in the rivers, which eventually finds way into human homes. The result is that there is a high risk of health associated with the ocean pollution (NRDC, 2014). In this respect, the state of the ocean is not suitable is not in good shape, and thus there is a need to address this problem, lest the ocean eventually fails to support life. Are there plenty of fish in the sea?   The saying that there is plenty fish in the ocean does not hold any more in the modern world. This is because, with the cu rrent trend of ocean pollution and dangerous fishing practices, there will be virtually no wild fish in the oceans by 2050 (NGS, 2014). One of the major problems that are causing the decline in the population of the fish in the oceans is the high demand for seafood globally, considering that fish meat is not associated with high cholesterol levels. Thus, combined with the effects of pollution in the ocean and the subsequent climate change, the whole environmental setting has become less supportive for marine life.

Ethical Dilemmas Managers Face Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethical Dilemmas Managers Face - Research Paper Example Thereby it helps to take the decisions by maintaining the ethical point of view. Employees of an organization may have varied responses towards the most ethically appropriate or inappropriate action for a particular situation. In such cases managers of the organizations often face with problems to identify what is right and what is wrong. And to add to that they also sometime gets ragged between qualms and their duties towards the organizations. Even sometimes when the managers feel that something is unethical they want to take a stand on that but prevent themselves by the fear of losing their job (Lane & Daft, 2009, p.130). Ethical standards are always not codified therefore divergences and dilemmas often occurs about the correct behavior. Principally Ethical dilemmas occur in a situation which is concerned about the correct and incorrect, when moral values and principles are in conflict. The reason for existence of these dilemmas occurs because every time acknowledgement of right a nd wrong cannot be done evidently. The report will highlight on the areas such as the ethical dilemmas faced by manages of organizations. The report is also principally focused to highlight the approaches by which ethical behavior can be evaluated. In order to this the report will also explain the concepts of utilitarian, individualism, moral-rights, and justice approaches. And at the end of it all the report will try to put a conclusion on how these ethical dilemmas can be overpowered. The approach for dealing with conflict situation and overcome the same will be studied in this report. It will also highlight the advantages of ethical behavior for the organization. Ethical dilemmas faced by managers In the everyday operations, almost all managers of different field are faced with some principled and ethical dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas can arise due to many reasons. Efforts made by the management to achieve the organizational objectives may clash with employee’s endeavor of fu lfilling their personal goals. There can be a conflict of interest where an action promoting or benefitting one group has all the likelihood to harm another group. As such, there can be a violation of honesty and integrity which may lead to conflict and one example for this could be the misuse of internet in office. There might be a clash between loyalty and truth. This happens when reality about the company does not seem approving and individuals have to choose between honesty and loyalty. (Boone, & Kurtz, 2011, p. 41-42). Ethical dilemmas are a situation that occurs when the state of affairs demands an individual or a group to choose between several options that might be right or wrong. It is a situation in which two or more options get equally strong support. For example a manger might be faced with a situation when they have to choose between reductions in salaries of local staff versus outsourcing of functions. Another typical example could be the case of the hiring manager who is face with a situation when asked to choose between a qualified female candidate and a disabled person who is equally qualified. In such situations chances of making decision that are absolutely correct is very low. Also managers have to make decisions starting from hiring of the employee till the termination and they are faced with unusual ethical dilemmas at all stages (Morally right, n.d.). Managers are entrusted with the duty of

Research propsal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Research propsal - Essay Example Diabetes Mellitus is an incurable chronic disease and is a debilitating health problem which is increasing worldwide. Extreme outcomes can leave the person disabled causing further strain on healthcare costs due to a high incidence of amputations requiring rehabilitation programs (Dunning, 2005) The purpose of this research proposal is to investigate the attitudes and experiences of the diabetic client and to establish which factors prevent effective foot care and compliance. Thus, enhancing the nurses’ understanding of the patients perceptions of the disease and what influences their lifestyles in order to meet compliance or non-compliance toward a holistically devised treatment plan as well as establishing client autonomy to implement effective foot care are the goals of this project(Greenwood, 2000). ‘Patients with diabetes are vulnerable to damage to their feet, and minor problems can deteriorate rapidly’ (Clapham, 1997, p. 851). The successful management of diabetes requires the adherence of a patient to a prescribed self-care plan. This often presents a challenge to health care professionals in order to ensure that the plan of care is implemented. The framework for this literature review is multilevel, moving from the global aspect of diabetic complications, to the more specific aspects of patient’s attitudes and experiences in relation to education and compliance, focusing on the foot care problems experienced by the diabetic client. As the topic of diabetes and lifestyle is reviewed, it is impossible to discuss the complications and implementation of foot care without including the major intervention of patient education. Gallichan (1997, p. 100) states, ‘Diabetic foot problems are usually preventable, through education, early intervention and treatment’. On review of the articles it

Patient safety in the operating room Term Paper - 1

Patient safety in the operating room - Term Paper Example ip, culture and behavior---rather than the science that proves to be the weak link in the chain of health-care delivery and patient safety.† In fact, patient’s safety in the operating room has a direct impact on nursing. Therefore, the procedure and methodologies used to ensure ultimate objective of patient safety are required to be studied for effects on nursing behavior and practices. Throughout the history of healthcare and especially in the recent decades the operating room nursing practices are primarily influenced by the patient safety. Operating Room (OR) nursing is gauged by the preventive measures and safe handling of the patient. The Operating room safe handling is closely monitored, and a mere negligence can bring the devastating results. Under these circumstances pressures and stress are the natural outcome in OR nursing practices.   â€Å"Focusing on the structure, processing and outcomes of care, a behavioral health patient safety program continually emphasizes changing the system to make treatment safer for consumers through evolution of the evidence.† (Fowler & Susan, n. page). This focus and monitoring at all levels demand an extra bit of vigilance and strict compliance with laid down procedures and standing orders to ensure patient safety. However, it reduces the margin of decisions, which is a major instrument for safety management in op erating rooms. Drawing on the importance and sensitivity of decision in operating rooms Pikaar, Ernst &, Paul (239) states, â€Å"The surgical domain is a fragile and a complex web of experts with constant decision making and uncertainties linked to patient safety. Any unwanted technological interference in key treatment strategies or surgical tasks can lead to fatalities.† The complexities of decision-making are not limited to technological domains, the psychological pressures and overriding stress can be equally distressing for nursing staff. The Patient Safety precautions can also affect the operating

Evaluate the Possible Ways to Market a New Business Essay Example for Free

Evaluate the Possible Ways to Market a New Business Essay For my business studies coursework, my new business will be a Junior Tennis Academy for talented tennis players aged 3-18. Its name will be named after where it is based, at St Georges College, Weybridge. Therefore its name will be The Weybridge Tennis Academy. It will provide top coaching for young talent, as well as providing state of the art facilities which include four indoor tennis courts, three artificial clay, eight acrylic and three grass courts, as well as a gym where the players can train to help get fitter and stronger to help give them that physical edge over their competitors. We offer these services because tournaments are played on many different surfaces and we need to train our players to the highest possible standard. We also offer a re-stringing service at extremely competitive prices as well as official Weybridge Tennis Academy merchandise supplied by a top sports company, which is available for purchase at a discounted price. These facilities will help the business because Tennis Parents will see that our company has better facilities for their child than another tennis academy down the road. Tennis is a very expensive sport, so therefore our business is not only aimed at the players playing, but also the parents paying. Tennis parents are notoriously pushy people and they are usually quite well off, so therefore the more facilities we can offer, the more likely they will come to us. Usually, when money isnt a factor, people go for the best product, and by offering so many facilities, we have that competitive advantage over our competitors. With our location being in Weybridge, we automatically have good transport links, such as the M25 and Addlestone and Weybridge train stations. This will target all people living in and around London. London is the biggest city in Britain, so therefore we have many more potential customers compared to a tennis academy in for example Northumberland. My business aim is to fill a gap in the market. It will meet a demand for a Tennis academy open to all standards, rather than one where you have to be invited to join. For example the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton, a 32 million pound facility is only open to players who have been invited. The Weybridge Tennis Academy is open to young players of all standards but with the same facilities as the National Tennis Centre. Therefore many more players will pass through the doors of my academy because it is open to a wider range of players. This will then lead to my business making a profit because there is not any other competition in the local area. During this coursework I will need to investigate the potential market and location to enable me to situate my business in the best possible location to help make as much profit as possible. I will also have to research the local competition to identify my main competitors and the buying habits of the local consumers to see what they look for most when investing in a product. The importance of Marketing Marketing is selling the right product, at the right place, at the right time and at the right place. The marketing mix, sometimes known as the four Ps is used to describe the key elements that a consumer wants and needs when buying a new product. I will need to find out what a consumer looks for, and make sure I find the right elements to help make my business successful. My business has to offer the customer a better thing than the local competition otherwise my business will fail. This means that my business will have to offer the customer something that no other tennis academy offers in the local area. This is because obviously if every academy offered the same thing as my business my business would have no competitive edge which will lead to failure. The Weybridge Tennis Academy needs to offer the customer what they want and need. This will then identify the first stage of the marketing mix which is product. The second stage of the, marketing mix is place. Place means how the customers are going to access my academy. There are many factors affecting this decision. It has to be in a place where customers can easily get to, as well as somewhere where there are many potential customers. My business will be situated in St Georges College, Weybridge (hence the name of the business). By being in Weybridge, there are many convenient transport links, such as the M25 or Weybridge or Addlestone train station. Addlestone train station is in fact situated less than a mile away from the centre, which means that there are many good transport links. This will then draw customers in from all around London and the South East. The third section of the Marketing Mix is Price. The Price is how much the product is being sold for. The price is very important to any business because it is normally one of the first things to be looked at when a consumer is considering buying a product. The customer has to think that the business is good value for money, and by comparing the prices of local competition, I will come up with an appropriate pricing method for my business. It is important that I take into account how much the business has cost to build because obviously if the expenditure is higher than the income, I will have made a loss rather than a profit There are many pricing strategies available to me, for instance cost plus pricing, which means setting a price by adding a fixed amount or percentage to the cost of making the product. This means that however much I spend on my Tennis Academy; I will add a percentage of money to this amount and charge the customers that amount. By doing this, I will always make a profit because I will be getting my money back on the expenditure, plus an added amount. The second pricing strategy I could use is to set a price based on competitors pricing. This means that I would look at the price of my competitors product and I would make that cheaper or better value to help make customers buy into my product. The fourth and final section of the Marketing Mix is the promotion. Promotion means how your product is shown to the customer, obviously if the customer does not know the business is there they cannot buy it. One example of this is advertising. There are many ways of promoting a business; it could be through a newspaper, television, internet and radio. These are examples of advertising through the media. Another way of promoting your business is through merchandising. This is a crucial way that I plan to promote my business through players buying official Weybridge Tennis Academy Merchandise, wearing it to tournaments and promoting the company through people seeing the companies name or logo on a back of a players shirt. Most players at my academy will be competing against players from other academies. This is a way of promoting because other players will see the companys logo and the tennis parents may well look into the possibility of sending their child to my academy. However ways such as sales promotion, which could include special offers, price discounts or free gifts, would not be appropriate because my business is looking for long term customer rather than short term customers. To get the best results I will conduct numerous experiments and research which will help me to find what the customers want and need. I will conduct questionnaires, surveys and interviews with other people finding out what they look for in investing in a tennis academy. I will also research statistics such as the number of competing juniors in the south east and also the amount of tennis academies in that area. This will then help me gain a competitive advantage over my competitors. Market Research Market Research is used by a business to try and find out what people want and also what competitors and doing and planning. Market Research helps find out who the customers are, whether they will like the product, how the business can be promoted, how much the customers willing to pay, what type of customer will be interested, how the profile of the customers can be built, whether the business is in the right location and how the products will be distributed. There are two main ways of conducting research. Field/Primary research is used to find out new information, and Desk/Secondary research is useful for looking at an entire market, and analysing trends for future reference. I will use both to research how my business can best achieve its goals and how it can beat competitors to getting customers. Field/Primary research is the process of manually entering the population and asking first hand questions. The advantage of using this method is that it is specific to my business, meaning that it is up to date and relevant. This means that I can ask any questions on any subject, and receive answers that are highly relevant and suitable for my research. There are many techniques which can be used, such as surveys, questionnaires and interviews. I believe that by conducting the research in the area where my business will be situated, I will achieve the most relevant and suitable results. However, to ensure that the data is accurate you need to use large field samples which can be expensive and very time consuming. Desk research is useful for looking at an entire market, whilst analysing past trends for future reference. For example I would have to look at the trends of tennis academies across Britain. Desk research has already been researched and accessed by other companies, so it therefore already exists and therefore it takes no time to conduct or find the data you want. The data can be accessed through the internet, newspapers, government records and market research. Desk research is good because it is easy to obtain and it is cheap. The disadvantage is that it is not specific or relevant to your business. It can also be biased or out of date which severely affects the reliability. I will try and collect Qualitative data so I can then see exactly what people want, as well as their thoughts and feelings. This will then help me know what customers want which will help me gain an edge over the competitors. I will do this by interviewing a select amount of people and finding out what they look for in a tennis academy. The questions asked will be based on how much people will pay, how the location will affect their decision and once again what they look for when investing in a tennis academy. After I have found out the information, I will access it and make it relevant to my business. By knowing what customers look for in a company, I will know what to include when I am trying to promote my business. For instance if a lot of people want indoor courts to make sure that it can never be cancelled or so that there child can play all year round, I will make sure that the fact that my academy has indoor courts is highly publicised. Also, by knowing what customers want, I will have an advantage over my competitors. Evaluation Number of Competing Juniors: Berkshire-149 Essex-343 Hampshire-274 Kent-338 Middlesex-450 Surrey-536 Total number of competing juniors in the south east-2090 Information obtained from www.lta.org.uk Juniors includes all players born in 1990 Tennis academies in the south east: Clive Asprey Tennis Academy-Aldershot Sutton Junior Tennis Centre The National Tennis Centre-Roehampton Win Tennis-Bisham Abbey Esporta-Croydon Westway-London These are all TENNIS ACADEMIES this does not include any LAWN TENNIS CLUBS. Lawn tennis clubs are open to any people and are therefore not relevant to my business. These academies are my main competitors because it is invitational only. There are roughly 2000 competing juniors in the South East and there are six tennis academies (not including my academy) in this area. Therefore on average there are around 300 children to every academy. Obviously this would not be the case in reality but it gives a good idea of the Academy/Player Ratio. INFORMATION OBTAINED BY WWW.YELL.COM 1st Interview 1) What are the 3 main things that you look for in a tennis academy? The three main things I look for are the ability for the academy to get my child to its full potential, therefore I know that I am paying for excellence and I know my moneys being put to good use. The ability to play all year round is very important because I therefore know that sessions can never be cancelled due to weather and my child can therefore train all year round. Lastly the coaches have to be highly qualified and I would like to know a bit about them so I know that they can emphasize with players when they are going through tough times. 2) How would the location affect your decision of where to send your child? There would have to be good roads such as motorways because obviously I dont want to be travelling all the time. Also if my child is of an age that he could travel on his own, I would like there to be easy to access buses and trains for him/her to use. 3) How important is the cost of the tennis academy? I wouldnt mind paying a lot of money as long as the results were shown. Also if I had a younger child, I would want to pay less at first until I see that he/she was improving and that he was committed. As he/she improves I would be more inclined to pay more. 2nd Interview 1) What are the three main things you look for in a tennis academy? I would firstly look at the academys credentials, for instance its results of members, and the proof of its results. It would also have to be good value for money, so therefore I would need to be seeing an improvement in my childs progress. Also the location is important because I dont wish to be travelling all the time. 2) Why is the location an important factor in choosing where to send your child? I have got a busy life and I dont wish to be travelling all across the countryside after Ive had a long day at work. It has to be easy to attend so therefore good transport links are vital. 3) How important is the cost of the tennis academy? Obviously there is the factor of whether it can be afforded but the price is not important. I would have to see that my money is being put to good use so therefore the investment has to match the progress. 3rd Interview 1) What are the three main things you look for in a tennis academy? I look at the facilities of the academy, for instance whether it has indoor courts. I would also like to know the standard of the players that attend the academy and the background of the coaches. The attitude and the atmosphere of the academy are crucial because I have to know where I am sending my child. 2) Is the location an important factor in choosing where to send your child? Obviously I dont want to be travelling too much and it has to be reasonably local otherwise well spend more time travelling than actually playing. Also I dont want to be paying a fortune for the transport fees, for instance petrol or train/bus fares on top of the price of attending the academy. 3) Is the cost important? The cost is obviously very important otherwise our whole life would be being run by tennis. I would prefer to pay less at the start and once I have seen an improvement or a commitment start to increase the price. Evaluation of Questionnaires: I have found out that what most people want is value for money. This means that however much they put in, they want out. This therefore means that the more they pay, the bigger the improvement in their childs ability they would expect to see. Therefore I think I will give special offers to new customers, such as they get the first term half price so that they know that it is what their child wants to do and also if they do not see an improvement they have the opportunity to pull out. This was suggested to the people that I interviewed and it seemed a popular idea. Secondly, they found the factor of indoor courts crucial as that meant they could play all year round. As my academy would have this facility, this is a good thing, however many other academies have indoor courts and this therefore does not separate us from our competitors. Many people thought that the location was an important factor. Many parents have busy lives and they do not wish to be travelling all over the place. My academy is situated in a place with good public transport links, there are two train stations within two miles of the academy, and it is situated two miles from the M25. This was once again explained to the interviewees and they seemed to be in favour of the placement of my academy. Many people didnt mind about the cost of the academy, as long as they saw the results. This was touched upon earlier and I will use a penetration pricing method, which means that I will make the price quite low at the start to try and draw customers in and then increase it as they see an improvement. This was a major aspect that the people that I interviewed would look for in tennis academy and this will help me gain that competitive advantage. Overall the research I conducted was extremely useful as it told me what customers wanted and needed, as well as giving me statistics that would help me gain a bit more knowledge in this type of business. I found out the amount of competing juniors in the south east, as well as the number of academies. It also told me how customers felt, for instance about the price and location of the academy. The information I have found out will help me in making the decisions about the academy, such as the pricing, structure and promotion of the business. Conclusion/Judgement Overall I believe that my tennis academy will work. There are six full time academies in the South East, not including my one, and there are over two thousand regularly competing juniors in the same area. This means that the ratio of Academies/Players is 6:300. Obviously in reality some academies have more players than others because of reputation, facilities, transport and cost. My academy has state of the art facilities, as explained earlier. It is also situated in a place where there are good channels of distribution and good transport links. This means that customers will be attracted because it is easy to get to. The cost will be determined by a Penetration Pricing Method. This means that my prices will be low for new customers, so that parents then know that their child is improving, or enjoying the experience. Most parents interviewed wanted their money to be payed back through improvement of their childs development. Therefore if I charge low prices at the start, for instance half price for your first term, and the child makes a big improvement, the parent is more likely to want to pay more from then on. If the child does not improve, the parent will then be giving the option of continuing with the programme. This will then help company/customer relations. This will then help my academies reputation, which will then attract more customers. As my academies reputation builds, more profit will come in and we can start charging higher prices. To help promote my academy, I will seek sponsorship from sports companies such as NIKE, Adidas, Wilson, Babolat, Prince, Head, Dunlop, TTK and Lacoste. I will also sell official Academy merchandise such as training kit, match play kit, and tracksuits which will be worn to tournaments by players and other players will see them. This is a way of free advertising as the children/parents would be paying for the kit and wearing it around showing it off to other players and parents. I will also look to gain funding from the Lawn Tennis Association who gives funding to academies that have regularly competing juniors. These are called Satellite Clubs and they are given funding which helps pay for the costs of balls, rackets and other training equipment. As my academy builds in reputation, I will look to gain more funding which will help me make more profit. Overall there is a lot of potential in this product. I believe that people will be attracted to my product because of the facilities, meaning the product itself; the price, meaning that I will make it cheaper at the start to draw customers in; the promotion, for instance the official merchandise that will be seen in tournaments; and finally the place; meaning the channels of distribution. This will attract customers because of where it situated, meaning that it is easy to get to. However my tennis academy does have a lot of competition, which means that I will have to use the knowledge that I found out through the market research to help gain the competitive advantage over my rivals.

Analyse Contribution Of Engagement In Biopsychosocial Assessment Client Nursing Essay

Analyse Contribution Of Engagement In Biopsychosocial Assessment Client Nursing Essay In this essay the process of building a therapeutic relationship and assessing clients own circumstances within the inpatient admission and the framework found in practice will be uses analysed and criticized by using Johns (1994) model of reflection. The framework that has been used in mental health services is the Care Program Approach (CPA), which it has been profoundly criticised since it was introduced. Therefore the reflection will look into other model of nursing, Tidal Model, which offers a different philosophy of care. The reflection will also explore the interpersonal interactions theories which the nursed used during the assessment and how these aided to engage the client in the biopsychosocial assessing process. It also will be discussed other intervention models and the possible usage in similar situations. In order to begin the analysis of the above points, engagement needs to be defined. Thurgood (cited by Norman and Ryrie (2004) p.650) described it as: can be broadly defined as providing a service that is experienced by service users (including carers) as acceptable, accessible, positive and empowering. Although this definition gives an idea of the concept, it lacks to define the key elements of engagement, which Cutcliffe and Barker (2002) identified as forming a human to human relationship, expressing tolerance and acceptance, and hearing and understanding. Both definitions gather the professional values of the service and the interaction itself. Yet, Cutcliffe and Barker (2002) definition can be considered more practical when holistically assessing clients. However, these definitions do not acknowledge factors of engagement that are behind the interpersonal relationship, such as personal or organizational perspectives of engagement. The personal perspective for the nurses practice is underpinned by poor structural organization, occupational cultures and stress, bureaucratic constrains, lack of time and nursing culture driven by measurable targets (Hosany et al (2007) and Addis and Gamble (2004)). On the other hand, clients and their families are conditioned by the mental illness, their past experiences with other services, the trust in the service and the relevance of it. Additionally, the organizational issues effect upon engagement and care by reducing services budgets, by not providing resources and also by politics. Engagement has been recognized as an important part of mental health services users care. The National Service Framework (NSF), the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Department of Health (DoH) appoint that users under CPA should be provided with resources to build a therapeutic relationship, optimise engagement and reduce risks. These documents also highlight the need to provide a therapeutic environment in order to provide best care and to engage the clients and their families with the service. Taking into account all the above information a reflective account will be taking place in the following pages by using Johns model of reflection (1994). 1. Description of the experience The clinical environment where this assessment took place was in an acute adult ward. The ward is based in an old mental health hospital, which has old and pilling off wooden windows, untidy roofs and old fashioned flooring. The ward had untidy carpets, the curtains did not draw appropriately and the painting on the walls was peeling off. These are the organisational barriers affecting engagement. This particular client was known by the service already, to protect his right to confidentiality he will be referred as John (NMC code of practice 2008). John had been stable for 10 years, but in the past few months his mental state had worsened. His psychosis and levels of anxiety increased; he distrusted neighbours and other acquaintances as well as strangers. Consequently, he stopped going out of his house and began to self medicate with over the counter sedatives. Crisis and Resolution Home Treatment Team (CRHTT) was involved and as they felt that John was not able to cope at home, they decided that an inpatient admission would be beneficial. Before the admission the CRHTT forwarded the CPA form 1A, which updated the ward staff about the latest assessment of the clients biopsychosocial needs. Once John arrived to the ward, he fully understood the situation where he was in. He was able to consent and had capacity to agree with treatment and, thus, he was admitted as an informal client. This facilitated the initial interaction and the initial grounding for the nurse/client relationship. Before the beginning of the assessment Tom (Johns named nurse) introduced everyone to John, roles were explained, a welcome pack with the ward information and a CPA booklet were given and Tom provided all the information in an oral and written manner. The nurse started the assessment by formulating open questions. However John gave single direct answers (yes, not, not sure ). Consequently, the nurse decided to change to more direct questioning. After that the client was very co-operative and was answering all the questions. He reported to be very anxious, which also was noticeable by looking to his body language (he was sweaty, clenching his fingers, rubbing his hands on the chairs arms and removing his spectacles several times during the interview). At this stage the nurse decided to undertake an anxiety assessment by using the scales tools available on the ward the Becks Anxiety Inventory (BAI, see Appendix 1). Following this assessment, John began to answer the questions more in depth and he appeared more eased, stating several times that he was in hospital for help and was going to do everything that was available for his recovery. Following the local trust policies and NICE guidelines, the CPA 1A assessment was concluded (as it must to be completed within 72 hours of the admission); the Integrated Care Pathway for Inpatient Safety and the Patient Property Liability Disclaimer were filled in and signed by nurse and client. 2. Reflection The whole assessment was intended to gather as much information as possible about John in order to understand the clients actual biopsychosocial situation (holistic assessment) and the context that led to the admission, which would highlight the needs and strengths of the client. However, inpatient admissions are more likely to focus on a more medical approach to health, mainly because social interventions cannot be implemented until the clients mental state has stabilized and he is ready to move on to community settings. Along this process the multi-disciplinary team organizes care to build up the grounds to enable recovery (Simpson 2009). This particular ward was focus on treatment and stabilizing, working on one to one interventions (nurse-client), building a therapeutic relationship through structured and unstructured interventions, and used CPA as a nursing intervention framework. Alongside these individual interactions, the activity nurses and the occupational therapist offered daily social and leisure activities. These groups provided skills and entertainment to the clients on the ward, but did not follow a particular model of nursing, such as the Tidal Model, and they offered activities to spare the free time on the ward without promoting recovery. The Tidal Model provides structured group-work centred on recovery (Barker and Buchanan-Barker 2005). This model centres its assessment on a holistic approach for the short and long term needs, viewing the mental illness as a unique experience of each individual, their families and social environment. It looks into the lowest point of the illness (such as an inpatient admission like Johns) as the point where the recovery begins with a positive approach to the illness. There are three working groups recommended in this model: discovery, solutions and information (see appendix 3), where therapeutic relationship is built and issues common to the individual and others are discussed and explored. As mentioned above, the ward nurses had more structured interventions with clients, and the issues discussed in these interviews were correlated to the Tidals Model theme groups. In these interviews the clients engage with their primary nurses and they discuss their concerns in relation to their care or other personal matters. These interventions or interviews were intended to happen at least twice weekly for at least an hour. However, for organizational issues (usually low number of staffing) not all the clients had the opportunity to benefit from these one to one interventions on a regular basis. Initially, the Tidal Model research was criticised for being bias, for lacking to fully describe clients pre and post intervention with the model, not taking into account Hawthorne effect and most of physiological factors and by not reasoning the need for a new model in mental health care (Noak 2001). However, further research and analysis showed that the Tidal Model provides tools and structure to improve care in acute ward admissions filling the gaps in care pointed in the NSF and The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (Gordon et al 2005). One could say that this model has been shown to improve mental health services, fulfil the historical gaps within nursing practice and to be grounded on evidence-based practice. However, the author of this essay believes, after reading the relevant literature, that for the implementation of the Tidal Model the levels of staffing (and therefore the service budget) should be increased and nursing practice cultures must be changed by re-educating th e workforce. Arguably both implementations are very difficult to achieve as the health service has seen budgets cut downs in the recent years and nurses practiced has been subject to negative ward cultures towards nursing models. On the other hand CPA, which is the framework used on the ward, was first designed after a series of fatal incidents which involved mentally ill people. It was aimed to be introduced in Wales by 2004 (in England was done by 1991). CPA is person centred focus which promotes social inclusion and recovery, through assessment and planning of individualized needs and strengths, working with the clients and their families or carers (Care Programme Approach Association (CPAA) 2008). Despite the initial intention that the CPA was brought to improve service users quality of care, to increase inter agencies communication and to be a case management tool, some critiques appeared. Simpson et al (2003a) researched showed CPA was thought to be an over-bureaucratic duty within the professionals. The author of this paper has observed in practice, not in this particular assessment, that some professional do not reassess clients when they are admitted. Instead the latest CPA 1A form (usually filled in by the CRHTT) is photocopied or copied-pasted and re-used to speed up the process. This would be acceptable if the client was assessed the day or night before the admission, because the social, psychological or biological needs would have not changed in that period of time. When older assessments are used, changes in circumstances might have not been updated. In the worst case scenario a health professional could have misunderstood the clients needs and have documented them wrongly. This misunderstanding could be carried over, therefore care would be affected. This hypothetical scenario shows that CPA assessments should be done every time when needed. CPA as a case management tool fails to compile the most important features which promote therapeutic relationship. In contrast with other case managements models the role of the care co-ordinator is more of an administrative and as an alternative service prescriber (Simpson et al 2003a). This means that there is no need for a specific training or skills related to therapeutic relationship, partly because other services (or service providers) will engage with the client, and the care co-ordinator just oversees the process of care. Moreover, CPA also lacks a nursing model background and fails to define specific roles within the multi-disciplinary team. These factors reduce the teamness feeling between the health professional (Simpson et al 2003b). Although, it could be argued that the reason, why CPA is lacking nursing background, is that it was not designed as a mental health nursing framework but for the use of mental health services. In this particular reflexion the care co-ordinato r was not present in the admission and never mention during the assessment. Whether it was a usual situation or not it is something that never was discussed, but it shows Simpson et al (2003a and 2003b) critiques of CPA as a case management were factual. CPA and Tidal Model are intended to provide holistic care for clients and their families. However, the Tidal Model is more clients centred than CPA, and it also looks into the more positive side of the clients situation, foreseen the now and future as a whole. It explains the illness as an accumulation of life factors. The Tidal Model complements other health and social care professionals, as well as it searches to nurse by building a special relationship between health practitioner and client. Moreover, CPA always looks for risk signs in the short-term and from a psychiatric approach. As this assessment took place in an inpatient admission it is important to bear in mind that in this particular environment CPA forms (1A, 2, 2A and 4) were used for assessment, planning, implementing and evaluation of inpatient care and for the liaison with other health professional in tertiary care (such as physiotherapist, dietician or occupational therapist). Perhaps CPA would benefit from sharing some principles of a nursing model (like the Tidal Model), by using it as a tool more than as a paperwork and from a better staff training and promoting adherence to nursing models (Barker 2001). Whether the ward uses Tidal Model or CPA to structure care, an inpatient admission is always stressful and uncomfortable experience for clients and their families. John saw the nurse as a stranger in an unfamiliar place, however, Tom was there to guide the client throughout his care, to provide information and to be somebody he could relay on. This first encounter related to the orientation phase described by Peplau (1952) (cited by Sheldon (2005), see Appendix 2). In this phase Johns past experiences, expectancies, culture and believes were to condition the initial interaction. Following this phase John went into the identification stage, where he sought assistance for anxiety relief techniques, shared needs and strengths when and co-designed care plans and began to have feelings of belonging and capability, therefore decreasing negative feelings. This exchange of feelings is going to lead to exploitation and resolution phases, where John will engaged with treatment (medical, physic al and social), having different needs at different times, starting to be informed about all the help available towards the final stage, feeling as an important part of the whole nursing process and finally ending the professional relationship when discharged. The exploitation and resolution phases were not observe as at the time of writing John was still an inpatient. John had had previously one bad inpatient admission. He reported that he was very unhappy when he was in the other hospital 10 years ago. He explained that the bad experience was related to the other clients and organizational issues rather than staff. John stated that he was feeling anxious but happy that he was getting help. His positive attitude helped to engage him in the assessment process and on the ward activities, which were the first steps towards the identification phase. Therefore, John could begin to have professional input from other members of the multi-disciplinary team. Tom interacted in a way that John felt understood, respected and individualized. Tom did not appear to have preconceived ideas of the client after reading the CPA forma 1A. And certainly, Tom treated John respectfully and as an equal human being. He followed the NMC code of practice 2008, which states that: you must treat people as individuals and not to discriminate in any way those in your care. Tom tried to adapt the pace of the questioning to the clients needs, involving him and asking in a respectful manner. Tom also acknowledged Johns anxiety feelings, and showed it when taking further (BAI see appendix 1) assessments to empathize more with Johns situation. This reinforced the approachability and genuineness of the nurse and led John to open and engage with the assessment process and the health professional. 3. Influencing factors John scored 45 points in the BAI (see appendix 1), which is a high scoring. This could have been influenced by the hospital admission and the assessment process. Despite these factors and Johns actual mental state he engaged in the assessment actively. The BAI scales consist of 21 observable and self-rating symptoms of anxiety, rated from 0 to 3 (0 being the lowest score), which can also be easily transformed in direct questions or self rating. At the end of the assessment the scores are added up and compared against the scales. There are several assessment tools available such as Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (HADS) or Hamilton Anxiety Scales (a collection of them can be found in the Appendix 1 reference). The BAI is shown to be a quick and reliable when measuring clients anxiety levels and it also differentiates General Anxiety Depression and depression (Fydrich et al 1992). Although, these characteristics appear to be positive, it could be argued that BAI is just a merely adaptation of the DSM-IV panic symptoms and therefore it could also be said that measures panic attacks rather than anxiety levels (Cox et al 1996 and de Beurs et al 1997). On the other hand, HADS which achieves good levels of anxiety and depression screening could have been more appropriate for hospital settings and more accurate (Bjelland et al 2002). It is important to point out that NICE clinical guideline for management of Anxiety (2004) does not recommend a specific tool for assessment of anxiety, which gives to the professional practitioner choice on the usage of available tools. This affects practice as these scales are not used as often as they should be. Most practitioners relay on their observations and experience to perform informal assessments, rather than using research based scales. It is perhaps understandable when dealing with clients unable to fully understand these assessments. But in practice it can be noticed that nurses do not tend to use anxiety inventory even with clients that could engage with the process. Tom designed care plans in partnership with John and made him realise which were more realistic goals in the short and long term. Tom had shown knowledge and understanding of the professional capabilities that the NSF defined in the documents The Ten Essential Shared Capabilities (2004) and The Capable Practitioner (2001). These documents set basic principles that underpin positive mental health practice as well as providing the basic grounding for service workers to continue developing and learning skills. Therefore, it was observed during the placement that along the whole admission the nursing team also guided care and practice as appointed by these documents. They provided patient-centred care, which is accountable for each client and respecting the individual. The team also had a broad knowledge of national legislations as well as local policies and services, and worked under the same professional and ethical principles recognizing the rights of the clients and their families. T hey promoted recovery and self-realisation by identifying people needs/strengths and empowering the individuals. Most of the team members were undertaking further training, to keep their skills up-to-date or be able to transfer their existing skills to new environments. They also worked in partnership with family, carers, lay people and external agencies, such as community care services, voluntary associations and vocational services. 4. Evaluation In the interview Tom used a Rogerian approach (Roger (1961) cited by Sheldon (2005)). He also showed knowledge of Peplaus interpersonal theories and applied them in practice by creating a shared experience of care. However, it also would be appropriate to use the Herons six-category intervention framework (Heron 1989). This framework was designed to enable a practitioner (nurse) taking the lead to facilitate the clients specific needs or arising issues. Therefore this intervention could have been used in the admissions assessment and the following one to one sessions, which have been described in this essay. The framework is made off two categories, which are subdivided in three more. The first category is authoritative which it can be prescriptive, in which the nurse influences and directs behaviour, gives advice and prescribe goals. It also can be informative providing information or giving feedback for the clients behaviour. The third subcategory is confronting, in which the pract itioner challenges the clients beliefs or actions. The second category is the facilitative which is divided into cathartic, in which the nurse tries to release the clients painful feelings and talks about or express them with actions (tears, anger or shouts). Next subcategory is catalytic, where the nurse tries to help the client and encourage self-discovery and learning. Finally, supportive is the category where the client is supported in an unqualified manner. The facilitative stage of the framework would have been the most appropriate to use in the first assessment. Johns mental state would not have benefit from an authoritative approach as he might have felt threatened by the staff, therefore his willingness to engage with the service could have reduced greatly. This approach shares the same goals as the one that Tom used. The outcome would have been the same, which was the beginning to build a relationship towards recovery. However, it is important to know different ways to practice and to interact in order to provide an individualised care. This principle is shared by the models discussed in the essay (CPA and Tidal Model) and also by the nursing professional code (NMC code of practice 2008). 5. Learning Although, it was difficult to deal with Johns anxiety levels and his initial unwillingness to engage with the assessment, it was possible to create a therapeutic relationship between nurse and client. After this reflexion it was learnt that nurses knowledge and usage of the right nursing models, strategies and tools can be adapted to individual situations and their own circumstances. It is also important to share principles of care and to change some nurses cultures regarding models of care. It was positive to reflect upon this experience and, therefore, to realise how the theory learnt was applied in practice. Since nursing studies and practice are moved towards research based knowledge it seems that the human connection and relationship building have lost their place in the nursing profession. As a student it is good to see that values based nursing promoted safe, trustful and supporting environment, which led to a healthy therapeutic relationship (Hewitt 2009). In conclusion, the reflection and analysis of engagement through a biopsychosocial assessment illustrated how personal and organizational factors effect on clients care. It was found out that applying specific intervention techniques, mental health screening tools and the adequate adaptation to the individual and the situation promote engagement and build a healthy therapeutic relationship. Furthermore, the research showed that the relevant mental health regulations and nursing professional code recognise the need to keep up-to-dated knowledge and skills in order to provide the best care. All the above techniques and tools were found to be used in a very individual way between the nursing professionals. In addition to this, it was found that theses personal adaptations to practice and clients care were beneficial when reducing barriers for engagement and personalising the care. The positive and negative characteristics of the actual mental health framework CPA were brought forward and it was found that it lacks a nursing model background. CPA and Tidal Model when compared and contrasted, showed that both mental health frameworks differ gratefully from each other but at the same time they could benefit from each other. Despite the ward worked under CPA and used a more medical approach to nursing, the nursing team shared the same professional capabilities and worked towards holistic goals and recovery. Over all, in order to engage and to provide relevant services for clients and cares biopsychosocial needs there should be a continues connection between practice and theory in nursing. References Addis J Gamble C (2004) Assertive outreach nurses experience of engagement. Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 11 (4) 452-460. Barker P (2001) The Tidal Model: developing an empowering, person-centred approach to recovery within psychiatric and mental health nursing. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 8 233-240. Barker P Buchanan-Barker P (2005) Tidal Model: A guide for mental health professional. Brunner-Routledge. Hove. UK. Bjelland I Dahl A A Haug T T (2002) The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: An updated literature review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 55(2) 69-77. Cox B J Cohen E Direnfeld D M Swinson R P (1997) Does the Beck Anxiety Inventory measure anything beyond panic attacks? Behaviour Research Therapy 34 (11/12) 949-954. Cutcliffe J R Barker P (2002) Considering the care of the suicidal client and the case for engagement and inspiring hope or observations. Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 9 611-621. Department of Health (2002) Mental Health Policy Implementation Guide: Adult Acute Inpatient Care Provision. Department of Health (2004) The Ten Essential Shared Capabilities. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4087169 Accessed: 29/12/09 de Beurs E Wilson K A Chambless D L Goldstein A J Ulrike Feske U (1997) Convergent and divergent validity of the Beck Anxiety Inventory for patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia Depression and Anxiety 6 140-146. Fydrich T Dowdall D Chambless D L (1992) Reliability and Validity of the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Journal of Anxiety Disorders 6 55-61. Gordon W Morton T Brooks G (2005) Launching the Tidal Model: evaluating the evidence. Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 12 (6) 703-712. Heron J (1989) Six-Category Intervention Analysis (3rd EDN) Human Potential Resource Group, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK. Hewitt J (2009) Redressing the balance in mental health nursing education: Arguments for a values-based approach International Journal of Mental Health Nursing 18 368-379. Hosany Z Wellman N Lowe T (2007) Fostering a culture of engagement: a pilot study of the outcomes of training mental health nurses working in two UK acute admission units in brief solution-focused therapy techniques. Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing 14 (7) 688-695. Johns C Graham J (1996) Using a Reflective Model of Nursing and Guided Reflection. Nursing Standard 11 (2) 34-38. National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Clinical Guideline for Management of Anxiety (2004) http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/pdf/cg022fullguideline.pdf Accessed: 26/11/09 National Service Framework (NSF) Modern Standards and Service Models for Mental Health (1999) NHS our Healthier Nation. Noak J (2001) Do we need another model for mental health care? Nursing Standard 16 (8) 33-35. Norman I Ryrie I (2004) The Art and Science of Mental Health Nursing: A Textbook of Principles. Open University Press. Maidenhead. UK. Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) The Code. (NMC, London). Sheldon L K (2005) Communication for Nurses: Talking with Patients. Sudbury; Jones and Bartlett. Simpson A (2009) The acute care setting. In Barker P (2009) Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing: The craft of caring. Edward Arnold Ltd. London. Simpson A Miller C Bowers L (2003a) Case management models and the care programme approach: how to make the CPA effective and credible. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 10, 472-483. Simpson A Miller C Bowers L (2003b) The history of the Care Programme Approach in England: Where did it go wrong? Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 10, 489-504. The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health (2001) The Capable Practitioner. http://www.scmh.org.uk/publications/capable_practitioner.aspx?ID=552 Accessed: 29/12/09 Appendixes Appendix 1 Beck Anxiety Inventory Below is a list of common symptoms of anxiety. Please carefully read each item in the list. Indicate how much you have been bothered by that symptom during the past month, including today, by circling the number in the corresponding space in the column next to each symptom. Not At All Mildly but it didnt bother me much. Moderately it wasnt pleasant at times Severely it bothered me a lot Numbness or tingling 0 1 2 3 Feeling hot 0 1 2 3 Wobbliness in legs 0 1 2 3 Unable to relax 0 1 2 3 Fear of worst happening 0 1 2 3 Dizzy or lightheaded 0 1 2 3 Heart pounding/racing 0 1 2 3 Unsteady 0 1 2 3 Terrified or afraid 0 1 2 3 Nervous 0 1 2 3 Feeling of choking 0 1 2 3 Hands trembling 0 1 2 3 Shaky / unsteady 0 1 2 3 Fear of losing control 0 1 2 3 Difficulty in breathing 0 1 2 3 Fear of dying 0 1 2 3 Scared 0 1 2 3 Indigestion 0 1 2 3 Faint / lightheaded 0 1 2 3 Face flushed 0 1 2 3 Hot/cold sweats 0 1 2 3 Column Sum Scoring Sum each column. Then sum the column totals to achieve a grand score. Write that score here ____________ . Interpretation A grand sum between 0 21 indicates very low anxiety. That is usually a good thing. However, it is possible that you might be unrealistic in either your assessment which would be denial or that you have learned to mask the symptoms commonly associated with anxiety. Too little anxiety could indicate that you are detached from yourself, others, or your environment. A grand sum between 22 35 indicates moderate anxiety. Your bod

Origin And Applications Of Formwork Construction Essay

Origin And Applications Of Formwork Construction Essay Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent moulds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the false work supports the shuttering moulds. Most of the buildings which are made to stand for a long time are made of concrete and mortar. These building materials are strongest and most suitable but at the same time they are a bit tedious to deal with. They do not acquire the desired shape and need help of some sort of support or any frame which can be detached as the concrete solidifies. Actually concrete is a material without any shape. For most applications the shape matters, and concrete has to be molded or formed. ORIGIN Concrete has been in use for the thousands of years. The dome of Pantheon in Rome is made of lightweight concrete, and the under face shows the moulding effect of formwork used two millennia ago. But it was only at the end of nineteenth century that the use of concrete became common, with the invention of reinforced concrete. Some of the earliest examples of concrete slabs were built by roman engineers. Because concrete is quite strong in resisting compressive loads, but has relatively poor Tensile strength, these early structures consisted of arches, vaults and domes. To mold these structures, temporary scaffolding and formwork built in the future shape of the structure. These building techniques were not isolated to pouring concrete, but were and are widely used in Masonry. Because of the complexity and the limited production capacity of the building material, concretes rise as a favored building material did not occur until the invention of Portland cement and reinforced concrete. Pantheon Dome SIGNIFICANCE The construction industry forms the largest single sector in any economy. In the USA for example the construction sector is responsible for 14% of the GDP (US National Statistics Bureau). Formwork is the single largest cost component of concrete buildings structural frame. The cost of formwork exceeds the cost of concrete or steel and in some situations the formwork costs more than the concrete and steel combined. For some structures, placing priority on the formwork design for a project can reduce the total frame cost by as much as 25%. This saving includes both direct and indirect costs. Formwork efficiencies accelerate the construction schedule, which can result in reduced interest costs during construction and early occupancy for the structure. Other benefits of formwork efficiency include increased job site productivity, improved safety, and reduced potential for error. Concrete is a material without shape. For most applications the shape maters and the concrete has to be molded or formed. Formwork is one of the integral parts of construction industry. This is the basic of any architectural structures on which the whole building is made. The formwork is basically used to hold the whole structure until the whole building is capable to stand on its own. Even we use some solid iron rods in buildings but the concrete need some time to bind with that for a firm structure to stand as and in the desired shape. CLASSIFICATION OF FORMWORKS Under this section of the study we will get in depth of four aspects of each and every type of the form work. These four aspects would be: Analysis of various components of formwork. Safety aspects of formwork. Economy aspects of formwork. Selection process of the material of formwork. The formworks are broadly divided in four categories based on the material, of which it is made. This categorization is as follows: Timber Formwork. Metal Formwork. Plastic Formwork. Fiber Formwork. TIMBER FORMWORK This is the oldest kind and most basic formwork used in the construction industry. Its moisture resistant property makes it utilizable in this industry. Though it is easy to manufacture the timber formwork but it is time consuming when formwork is to be prepared for big structures. It is relatively cheap and easy to shape as required. It is relatively light in weight for handling, but it is of limited durability. ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS: Sheathing is supported by horizontal members called joists or runners. Joists are made from dimension lumber spaced at constant intervals that are a function of applied loads and type of lumber. It is a recommended practice to round down the calculated joist spacing to the lower modular value. Joists are supported by another set of horizontal members perpendicular to the joists, called stringers. The stringers are supported by the vertical members called shores. In all wood conventional formwork [ i.e. 4 4 in. or 6 6 in.]. Shores are rested on heavy timbers called mudsills, to transfer the vertical loads to ground. In case where a slab on grade exits, shores are directly rested on them. Once the bottom of the beam is constructed and leveled, one side of the beam is erected first with the holes drilled in it for installing the tie roads. Tie rods are steel rods that hold the two sides of beam together. After the first side of beam form is erected, the reinforcement is placed inside the beam and then the other side of the beam is erected. Tie rods are then inserted into all holes on both side of the beam. The tie rods function is to resist horizontal pressure resulting from the freshly put concrete and thus keep the sides of the beams in their proper location. SAFETY ASPECTS FOR TIMBER FORMWORK: Though Timber formwork is the basic formwork but it has some drawbacks relating to the safety which prove to be harmful for the structure to be build and the laborers. The following safety aspects must be considered while dealing with the Timber Formwork. Care should be taken in presence of Moisture: The biggest disadvantage of Timber Formwork is that the timber get softens when it is wet. If the moist is too much then timber soften up to a extent that it can be poked with the help of nail tip. Though dry timber is hard enough to bear the stress developed by concrete but it is not the same when it get wet. When timber comes in contact with moisture, the methanol molecules get activated and are responsible for weak intermolecular bond and thus softening. This problem is commonly known as Wet Rot. Care should be taken in presence of mini organisms and micro organisms: Biggest threats to any wooden structure and article are Termite and Fungus. Both of these organisms live on almost every type of wood as parasite and cause damage to huge quantity of wood. As far as Timber formwork is considered the damage occurs mainly in damp and dark regions of storage. Termites eat the wood from the inner side making it hollow and weak within. The wood thus left is so weak that it can be broken with bare hands. The damage caused by fungus is known as Dry Rot. Dry-rot fungus is often thought of as a building cancer, rampaging through buildings and rapidly destroying any timber in its path. The fungus, which thrives in moist unventilated conditions, will penetrate brickwork to get to more timber and can cause widespread destruction of structural timbers, skirting boards and door frames, and wood flooring. In short, the fungus can be thought of as living in masonry and eating wood, and because t he fungus thrives in damp, unventilated conditions, it can occur in the areas of a property that are not often seen, such as floor voids, or behind timber paneling, so damage may be extensive before the attack is discovered. Fire Safety: We already know that wood is flammable and porn to fire if considerable precautions are not taken specially for those constructions sites which are near by to a gas station or any such location. Fires on construction sites have, for many years, been recognized as a serious problem for construction companies and insurers, but less of a public safety issue since there are relatively few fire deaths in such incidents. However, the trend for ever-taller buildings, particularly in the Gulf and Far East, has resulted in a number of significant fires during construction which have caused deaths and demonstrated the difficulties facing fire brigades when tackling such incidents. On several occasions, helicopters have had to be used for fire suppression and rescue. Insurers have long had concerns about the potential for loss on tall building projects, and these fires have demonstrated that their concerns are well founded. Causes can involve electrical risks, hot work, smoking, rubbish burning, overheating equipment and escapes of gases or flammable liquids all of which are well recognized and should be amenable to normal fire safety measures. DIFFERENT TYPES OF TIMBER FORMWORK Plywood: plywood has some strength in both directions, but because the outer veneers give greater strength in the direction of their grain, the sheet should always span that way. Plywood is a few millimeters thick used as lining material, which is fully supported from behind. With thickness of 12-19 mm the strength of plywood itself can be used, and the framing members spaced out the economical distances. There are three main types of poly wood: Finnish Birch American Softwood Tropical Hardwood Sheets are normally 8ft by 4ft except for Finnish Birch, the outer grain runs in the length of the board. The first two types are produced to appropriate national standards. Hardwood ply comes from a variety of tropical countries so obtaining reliable data about them is difficult. Block board: Stripes of timber are made into a panel with veneers on both sides. The glue should be of high quality else the surface may not be flat enough as the stripes tend to show through. Block board is made up of a core of softwood strips. These strips may be up to about 25mm wide. The strips are placed edge to edge and sandwiched between veneers of hardwood. The sandwich is then glued under high pressure. Block board is not suitable for outdoor use because the glues used are interior glues. It is important to ensure that the core runs lengthways in order to achieve maximum strength. The core can be joined by hands or by machine. There are only few small core gaps or even no core gaps in machine-made core. But core gaps are common in man-made cores. Machine-made core is much better than man-made core. Block board is sold in sheets of 2440 x 1220mm and are normally 30mm thick. Screws and nails may be used to attach block board but you have to ensure that you make contact with th e strips of softwood and not the gaps between the softwood strips. Chipboard: Small chippings are pressed into sheets. As with all boards depending significantly on plastic as the matrix, the stiffness is poor, and a greater thickness than plywood is frequently needed. It is heavier than plywood but give better finish. Gluing together wood particles with an adhesive, under heat and pressure makes chipboard. This creates a rigid board with a relatively smooth surface. Chipboard is available in a number of densities: -normal, medium and high-density. METAL FORMWORK This kind of Formwork is the most suitable formwork for high rise buildings. This system is eco friendly and proves to be more economical on long run due to good durability. In the conventional metal system, joists and stringers are made of aluminum or steel supported by scaffold-type aluminum or steel shoring. In todays construction practices, joists and stringers are made of aluminum and are supported by scaffold-type movable shoring system. This formwork is built out of prefabricated modules with a metal frame (usually steel or aluminum) and covered on the application side with material having the wanted surface structure (steel, aluminum, timber, etc.). ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS COMPONENTS: In this system, steel joists and stringers have the advantage of supporting greater spans and fewer joists and stringers. The main problem with using steel as joists and stringers for forming concrete slabs is their heavy weight, which makes it difficult for one person to handle. A standard steel W-section is used because its wide flange makes it easy to connect stringers with shore legs. A composite action open-web steel joist, supporting beams and girders, and reinforced concrete slab interconnection. Upper apex portions of the steel joist webbing protrude through the upper chord members of the joist and through apertures provided in the sheet metal formwork placed over such joists prior to the pouring of the concrete slab. The improvement relates to a continuous round rod secured near the apex of each projecting web member parallel to the longitudinal axis of the joist and a reinforcing wire mesh draped between said rods, thus permitting greater spacing between said joists, whereb y said protruding apex portions, said rods and said draped wire mesh will be encased within the slab to act as shear interconnection and reinforcement devices therein, to secure the joist and formwork together, to enhance the locking of the concrete slab to the protruding joist apex portions, and to the supporting beams through the joist end connection welded to the beam or girder, and to reinforce said concrete slab. This improvement makes optional the use of wedge members forced between such protruding joist apex portions. SAFETY ASPECTS OF METAL FORMWORK Though there is no need worry for any fungal or organic decay to the metal formwork but still there are same issues which must be paid attention to, relating to corrosion and careless handling. Now lets discuss these issues one by one. Corrosion: the corrosion problem may occur to any formwork if it is not maintained in proper way. Any part of formwork may be corroded due to direct contact with moisture. This direct contact is either because of lack of proper oiling techniques or due to standing water. If even an inch or even a centimeter is left out of oiling then it proves to be dangerous for the formwork. Many times it happens that water is leaked out and left standing. This tends to corrode the dipped part of formwork. Rusting of formwork also leave stains over the concrete unit. These stains if thick, crystallize later and pose a threat to plater layer. Mishandling while assembling: There have been several cases causing accidents of laborers at the site due to mishandling of the formwork. These accidents occur while lifting, if the load is not properly tied or hydraulic jack is not applied properly. Other reason responsible for on site accidents is loose screws and bolts which lead to collapsing of the erected formwork. Electricity: If the site location is nearby any sort of electric network then the metal formwork should be handled with utmost care. A safe distance should be maintained and if possible any such network or device should be avoided in nearby vicinity of the site. DIFFERENT TYPES OF METAL FORMWORK Extruded Aluminum Joist: The first component of the conventional metal system is the aluminum joist. The extruded aluminum joist takes the shape of a modified beam with a formed channel in the top flange in which a wood nail strip 2 by 3 in. is inserted. Tha plywood deck is then nailed to the nail strip. Aluminum Beams (Stringers):The purpose of stringers is to transfer the loads of the surface panel to scaffold. Extruded aluminum joists can also be used as stringers unless the loading is too excessive, in fact it is good practice to avoid using a mixture different beam types. Aluminum beams are commercially available for the lengths ranging from 4 to 30 ft. Aluminum Scaffolding Shoring: The aluminum scaffolding shoring system has been available for several years as a substitute for the steel scaffolding shoring system. The system consists of several frames connected together by cross bracing. Aluminum shoring is lighter and has load carrying capacity equal to or greater than steel shoring. Load carrying capacity of aluminum shoring can reach up to 36,000 lb. Fig 10 Aluminum Scaffolding Shoring Post share: A Post Shore is a single member made of steel or aluminum and support stringers. Post shores can be used to replace, or in combination with, scaffold shoring. Post shores can also be used re-shoring after striping of formwork elements. ECONOMY OF FORMWORK The concrete subcontractor must achieve 3 goals in his formwork workmanship: Quality formwork must be designed and built so that the resulting cast concrete attains the desired size, shape, position and finish. Safety formwork must be designed built strong enough to support all dead and live loads without blowouts, collapse, danger to workers, and risk of damage to the structure. Economy formwork must be designed, built and re-used in an effort to save time and money for the general contractor and the owner. Now as far as the economical aspect of formwork is concerned let me make you aware of the fact that formwork share a considerable site budget. If we design the formwork intelligently and plan its use, then we can save a lot of money. As metal formwork is more durable and reusable as compared to the wooden formwork, it should be used. There are several advantages which make metal formwork a better option.