Freedman defines a pollutant as "the occurrence of toxic substances or energy in
a larger quality then the ecological communities or particular species can
tolerate without suffering measurable detriment" (Freeman, 562). Although the
effects of a pollutant on an organism vary depending on the dose and duration
(how long administered). The impact can be one of sublethality to lethality, all
dependent upon the factors involved. These factors need to be looked at when
determining an ecosystem's disturbance by a pollutant.
Some of the most frequent pollutants in our ecosystem include: gases such as
sulphur dioxide, elements such as mercury and arsenic, and even pollution by
nutrients which is referred to as eutrophication. Each of these pollutants pose
a different effect on the ecosystem at different doses. This varied effect is
what is referred to as dose and duration. The amount of the pollutant
administered over what period of time greatly affects the impact that the
pollutant will have on an ecosystem and population.
Pollutants can affect both a population and an ecosystem. A pollutant on a
population level can be either non-target or target. Target effects are those
that can kill off the entire population. Non-target effects are those that
effects a significant number of individuals and spreads over to other
individuals, such is the case when crop dusters spread herbicides, insecticides.
Next we look at population damage by a pollutant, which in turn has a
detrimental effect on the ecosystem in several ways. First, by the killing of an
entire population by a pollutant, it offsets the food chain and potentially
kills off other species that depended on that organism for food. Such is the
case when a keystone species is killed. If predators were the dominant species
high on the food chain, the organisms that the predator keep to a minimum could
massively over produce creating a disturbance in the delicate balance of
carrying capacity in the ecosystem. Along with this imbalance another potential
problem in an ecosystem is the possibility of the pollutant accumulating in the
(lipophilic) fat cells. As the pollutant makes it way through the food chain it
increases with the increasing body mass of the organism. These potential
problems are referred to as bioconcentration and biomagnificaiton, respectively.
Both of these problems being a great concern of humans because of their location
on the food chain. These are only a few of the impacts that a pollutant can have
on a population and ecosystem.
Another factor to consider is the carrying capacity when evaluating the effects
of a pollutant on an ecosystem. A carrying capacity curve describes the number
In the article Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches, the authors go into depth about the ways that all the health disciplines, including social work, can use interprofessional communication effectively and efficiently to make sure that all the patient’s safety, health, mental, and emotional needs are being met.
Homeless individuals are known for taking hand outs and they prefer to plead for money rather than to go work for it. People assume most of the the money that is given to homeless people they spend it on drugs and alcohol because of the fact that many homeless people have drug and alcohol addictions. It is not uncommon to come across homeless youth and older homeless population that are known to abuse substances like drugs and alcohol. Because of the fact that homeless people have substance abuse problems, they tend face illnesses and infections. Many hard working Americans ask themselves “why don’t homeless people just get jobs?” The assumption is they are just lazy and unmotivated. Homeless people choose to live the life they live. Everyone goes through problems but not all people take the path homeless people do. The problems homeless people face is not an excuse for them to be helped and maintained by other hard working people. Although homelessness might be a choice to some, no one knows the hardships these people have gone through. Some assume these people are just lazy but in reality a lot of these homeless people have jobs of their own, they just can’t afford housing and a decent life. Everyone has their own opinion on homeless people, but that does not change the fact that one should still serve the homeless. Not because homeless people need help but because we are
For this reason, it is imperative that individuals improve communication among these stakeholders. In the course of 4days in a hospital, a patient can come into contact with about 50 different employees including nurses, technicians and physicians. As a result, for effective clinical practice, critical information MUST be passed on with complete accuracy. According to Rosenstein & O’Daniel 2008, some of the obstacles to Interprofessional Collaboration and Communication include Gender, hierarchy, differences in languages and jargon, the diverse levels of preparation, qualifications and status, the complexity of the care, the historical Interprofessional and Interprofessional contentions, differences in professional routines and agenda, the emphasis on quick decision-making, the fear of diluting one’s professional identity among others. Additionally, those who have the most barriers tend to be physicians and nurses. Despite their numerous interactions in one day, they have differing perceptions about their responsibilities and roles concerning the requirements the patient may have so they end up having different goals for the patient. Due to the ethnic diversity
...Apler, J. P. (2006). Professional nurse communications skills sets in health care team interactions. Journal of Professional Nursing , 22 (2), 180-189.
According to Boykin “Caring is the foundation of nursing” (Boykin et al, 2011), and it is the nurses’ responsibility to understand what it means to be caring toward patients, which can be achieved through having professional communication skills. Not only does not being able to communicate affect the patient, but also it affects how the nurse is able to do his or her job to the best they can. Smith and Pressman say that the Institute of Medicine has released reports, which stress, “good communication is critical to ensuring safe and reliable nursing” (Smith & Pressman, 2010). Bad communication skills have the potential to be more dangerous to the patient and can in tern make a life-threateni...
CNA outlines seven basic principles which help facilitate in collaborating with other professionals, they are: client-centred care, evidence-informed decision-making for quality care, access, epidemiology, social justice and equity, ethics, and communication. Communication is a common theme that has repeatedly surfaced in my research. What makes communication an important aspect of interprofessional collaboration? Cottrell, Mellor, and Moran (2013), mentions how part of their findings with students who have participated in interprofessional education program was how their interactions and communicating with each other became valued. With knowing each other’s skills and profession, they were able to work well as a team to obtain the best care for the patient. By sharing expertise and perspectives provide a common goal which is, improving the patient’s
Communication in the nursing practice and in healthcare is important because when talking with patients, their families, and staff, the nurse and the nursing student needs to be able to efficiently express the information that they want the other person to understand. “Verbal communication is a primary way of transmitting vital information concerning patient issues in hospital settings” (Raica, 2009, para. 1). When proper communication skills are lacking in nursing practice, the chances of errors and risks to the patient’s safety increases. One crucial aspect of communication that affects the patient care outcome is how the nurse and the nursing student interacts and communicates with the physicians and other staff members. If the nurse is not clear and concise when relaying patient information to other members of the healthcare team the patient care may be below the expected quality.
Within nursing many skills and attributes contribute to a knowledgeable and well rounded healthcare professional, a key concept is of the individual as a lifelong learner which is defined as the process of continuous learning which spans a nurse’s professional life time (Jarvis, 2004). Previously once nurses had been registered they would be fit to practice and no longer be required to further advance their skills, now however the NMC requires mandatory updates to nurses knowledge and training in order to make sure the best and up to date care is provided (Oxford Handbooks in Nursing 2012). Two key skills this essay will explore are communication and working collaboratively. Communication includes at least two people engaged in a meaningful exchange to express facts, opinions and information, using both verbal and non- verbal methods, which can be written or face to face (www.gov.uk, 2010).Working collaboratively requires, equal treatment of all colleagues and the ability to exchange relevant skills and experience with other professionals when appropriate for the treatment of the patient (Barton and Le May, 2012). The essay will subsequently explore these two skills and attributes in more depth and look at how they are used in lifelong learning as a nurse.
One of the most important aspects in the nursing profession is the need for good and effective communication. This is because good communication skills especially in the nurse-patient relationship have a significant impact on patient safety and recovery. Effective communication skills in the clinical setting are critical for the development of nurse-patient relationship and provision of health care information (Bruderle, 2003). Nurses usually exchange information with physicians, patients, colleagues and other people in the clinical setting. This communication is usually done through a variety of levels and ways, which determine whether it’s effective or not. Due to the importance of communication in the nursing profession and clinical setting, there is a range of different communication strategies including:
ü AIR POLLUTION- Sulphur dioxide from burning fossil fuels leading to acid rain, carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels and methane from cattle and rice fields leading to greenhouse effect and global warming. ü LAND POLLUTION - pesticides, herbicides, and nitrates wash into rivers and lakes affecting food chains. Habitat reduction by Humans = ==
In the current health care system change has become constant so it has been recognised that lifelong learning is even more imperative for nurses to ensure that they can develop their skills to keep pace with these changes and improve their performance. One of the nursing registration requirements that are outlined in the current Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Conduct (NMC, 2015, p.17) is to “keep your knowledge and skills up to date, taking part in appropriate and regular learning and professional development activities that aim to maintain and develop your competence and improve your performance.” Nurses are required to involve themselves in lifelong learning activities to ensure that they can practice effectively and maintain their
Oroian, Viman Oana I. "Damaging Effects of Overall Water Pollution." BioFlux (2010): 113-15. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Research from the University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography said that species in the ocean consume a projected 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic every year in the Pacific Ocean (Nall, 2014). Pollution of recyclable materials in the oceans is one of the leading causes of why some marine species are nearing extinction. Many authors of articles and books analyzing this topic tend to agree that pollution of our oceans is a problem. The future of this problem is where their ideas tend to differ. The following four literature reviews attempt to demonstrate and support my belief that pollution is getting worse in the ocean and more marine life ecosystems are being affected, but there are things that we as humans can do to change this. Imagine a world where we didn’t have to constantly worry about the vicious cycle of humans affecting animals and then animals in turn affecting us through consumption.
What is pollution? Pollution is a detrimental enemy to all species that walk on earth. It is a product of mankind carbon foot print on the environment. It consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. Pollution occurs when pollutants contaminate the natural surrounding; which brings about changes that affect our normal lifestyles adversely. Pollutants are the key elements of pollution which are generally waste materials of dissimilar forms. Pollution disturbs our ecosystem and the balance in the environment. With innovation and development in our lives pollution has reached its peaks; giving rise to global warming and human illness. When raw materials, water, energy and other resources
Efforts to improve the standard of living for humans--through the control of nature and the development of new products--have also resulted in the pollution, or contamination, of the environment. Much of the world's air, water, and land is now partially poisoned by chemical wastes. Some places have become uninhabitable. This pollution exposes people all around the globe to new risks from disease. Many species of plants and animals have become endangered or are now extinct. As a result of these developments, governments have passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution.