Car Sharing Scheme To Encourage Sustainable Transportation Tourism Essay

Car Sharing Scheme To Encourage Sustainable Transportation Tourism Essay We have an increase of population size and people will have different needs to have successful healthy and happy lives. For example, a family staying with their aged parents may regard a car as a necessity to ferry his aged parents to their medical appointment. Due to growing need, without a car to provide the mobility they need, many are force to travel in a less desirable manner. Hence, we could see that the majority of mode of transportation used by most of people in Singapore is car. Car however has led to a series of problems including air pollution, congestion and growing greenhouse gas emission because a running cars engine produces large amount of carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere every day. According to Katzev (2003), automobiles are also a major source of carbon dioxide, the so-called green-house gas, which many claim is the principle source of global warming. As such, we need to start as a group of community thinking about more sustainable form of transport in Singapore. One potential alternative to removing cars on the road is through car-sharing scheme. This research will focuses on the opportunities to present to Singapore through this car sharing scheme in our transportations. This is the more sustainable option in the long-run. In 2012, there were more than 520,000 private cars registered in Singapore. The motor vehicle population in Singapore which include private and company cars, rental cars, taxis, buses, motorcycles, goods and other vehicles were increased by 1.45% from 951,307 in 2011 to 965,192 in 2012 (Singapore Police Force, 2013). Such a large number of private cars reduce the efficiency of the transport system by taking up road space that is needed by public transport and commercial vehicles. The government had tried a series of measures to reduce car overpopulation and traffic congestion by heavily taxing the purchase and use of cars as well as with recently announced that COE prices increase to reach more than S$95,000. However, this had the unintended effect of pricing out people who are in need of a car as does not table the problem of overpopulation. This is because as the population grows, the numbers of cars on Singapore growth will continue to grow. The need of Singapore transportation become more sustainable In Singapore, despite there are a lot cars on the road, we need to decrease cars on the road to make the transport more sustainable, one potential ways by doing this is through car-sharing scheme. Singapore is a small island city-state country whereby we cannot afford to ignore the effects that transport that has on health and the environment. The environment is our priority and Singapore needs to keep the environment as pristine as possible. Our economy depends on an efficient transport system to delivery smoothly a flow of goods and personnel to where they are needed. Our limited supply of land also means that we have to allocate resources to transport system very carefully. Hence, its important to adopt a greener form of transport. Nevertheless, we understand that no matter how efficient Singapore public transport system are, can never fully meet every mobility need. Despite of an excellent MRT system and efficient taxi system, alternatives are required to allow for Singaporean to make different choices about going around on the island. Car-sharing scheme is such a choice for such opportunities to remove cars on the road while still allowing people to get around as they need to. Car-sharing scheme, a new approach to sustainable transportation in Singapore Car-sharing is a pay-as-you-drive transportation service introduced in many modern cities to build a sustainable urban transportation strategy and environment-friendly urban community. This amazing green business idea works because people save money, and lose the hassles of ownership, yet still able to access to a car when they need one. The car-sharing growth in Singapore is mainly boosted by the rise of COE price. Higher COE prices are driving people to look for cheaper and more flexible options and therefore would able to push people towards using public transport, or opt for car-sharing. Car-sharing allows individual to gain the benefits of using a private car without the costs of responsibility of owning a car. The benefits of car-sharing can include more careful consideration of the necessity, duration, and distance of automobile trips, resulting in decreased vehicle use and ownership, and reduced parking demand and traffic congestion. Besides, car-sharing will be greater consideration given to alternative mode, resulting in increase of MRT passengers. Car-sharing also provide cost saving to individual and employers, energy savings and air quality benefits as well as reduce the emission of carbon dioxide. Despite to its many potential benefits, car-sharing may gain in popularity in Singapore as demonstrated by increasing North American membership. Through car-sharing scheme, we are able to reduce cars on the road which led to less congestion, less pollution, less dependence on oil, and cleaner, fresher air to breath. Car-sharing Operators in Singapore There are about 300 car-sharing vehicles located in over 100 locations in Singapore. Land Transport Authority (LTA) is working closely with HDB and car-sharing operators to provide more locations across the island to make it more convenient for users to access a car-sharing service in the near future. In Singapore, currently have a few car-sharing service providers: Car Club, Whizzcar and Kah Share. Clean Mobility Singapore, an environmental start-up company that provides electric cars for hire launched in Buona Vista-Ayer Rajah area and have designated parking lots in Pixel Building, Biopolis, Fusionpolis, Insead Campus and Block 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent. Clean Mobility is part of the Energy Market Authority and Land Transport Authoritys three-year, electric-vehicle trial costing $20 million (The Straits Times, 2011). The Straits Times (2013) had reported that more than 150 people have plugged into a year-old electric car-sharing sharing scheme operated under the brand name Smove. Mea ntime, Kah Share, Whizz Car and Car Club have reported an increase of between 15 per cent and 35 per cent each in membership numbers (The Straits Times, 2011). Government Intervention Like many other cities, Singapore faces the challenge of managing traffic congestion. With a fixed quantity of road space, each additional vehicle adds to the demand of road space and increases congestions for every other vehicle and pollutes the environment. Singapore is a land of scarcity, the country does not have the luxury to allow everyone to own a car and that car ownership cannot be put under the same category as basic necessity such as housing (Channelnewsasia, 2013). As part of effort to reduce carbon emission from car, the Singapore government implemented the Vehicle Quota System (VQS) which allows the government to control the amount of cars on the road. Vehicle quota system The VQS is controlled by the Certificate of Entitlement. The purpose is to limiting the number of newly purchase vehicles and aims for sustainable growth in vehicle population. The buyer has to bid to purchase a COE which is valid for 10 years before the vehicle can be use on road. The government had decided to reduce the allowable vehicle growth rate from 3 per cent per annum which was the rate since vehicle quota system introduced in 1990, to 1.5 per cent per annum in 2009, and further reduced it to one percent per annum in 2012 and 0.5 per cent per annum in February 2013. The COE premiums for small cars (up to 1,600cc) breached the $90,000 mark, finishing the years first bidding session at $92,100 on January 2013. This is up 12.4 per cent from last months bidding where prices ended at $81,889. Prices for big cars in Cat B (above 1,600 cc) also reached a new high, ending at $96,210. The previous record-breaking price was $94,502 in August 2012 (icarsclub, 2013 ). Figure .1: COE Open Bidding Result (Source: sgcarmart.com, 2013) Taxes and fees on vehicles Every car in Singapore is taxed by an import (Customs) duty, registration fee, an additional registration fee, and road tax which make owning a car in Singapore very expensive. The import duty is 31% of the import value of the car, on top of that, a Registration Fee is charged for private cars and on top of that, an Additional Registration Fee (ARF) is charged. The (ARF) is 100% of the Open Market Value (OMV) of the vehicle. Public parking charges have been raised and also additional surcharges were levied to discourage car use. Others cost such as insurance, Electronic Road Pricing (ERP), petrol and maintenance cost which are extremely costly for an average earning individual and thus it helps to control car population. Hence, implementation of government regulations with soaring premiums for COEs, taxes and fees or charges, it had directly boosted the use of car-sharing for the people who need to travel around the island. For a successful car sharing scheme in Singapore, Singapore government has to play its part in addressing the problems of climate change and looking at ways and measures to reduce our emission. Research Question Our research will focus on the primary and secondary question in view of the solution to road congestion, pollution and other environmental and resource consequences of automobile dependence through car-sharing. 1.2.1 Primary Research Question Our research question is what are the benefits and opportunities for using car-sharing scheme to make Singapore transports system become more sustainable. 1.2.2 Secondary Research Questions The scopes that this research is focusing on: What is car-sharing scheme and how does Car-sharing works; What are the benefits of car-sharing scheme; Who benefits from car-sharing scheme; Which countries have already develop car-sharing scheme The Scope of the Research The study will focuses on the benefits of car sharing scheme in our transportation option for many people in meeting the transportation needs in an economically and environmentally responsible manner in Singapore. Research Method The research method we will be using is both qualitative and quantitative research approach. The quantitative method will be based on the research question analyses based on the current situation and analyses through literature review. The qualitative method shall be gathering information through sets of questionnaire on a focus group of employees, employers and retirees at a few point of location in Singapore. Research Objective The main objective of the research is to understand the problems of increasing car population which led to a serious problem of air pollution, congestion and growing of greenhouse gas emission and to identify the opportunities and benefits of car-sharing scheme as an alternative transportation mode towards sustainable form of transport in Singapore. Limitation This research will be discussing the benefits of car-sharing scheme using normal car and only within Singapore based on the knowledge and understanding gather from collected information sources and data. There will be limitation to forecast whether of the impact and growth car-sharing scheme by using electric car. It may impractical at this moment although electric car have the potential to reduce our carbon emission significantly if adopted on a large scale and government play its part promoting green vehicle by provide a range of incentives or rebates. However, the technology is still in the early stages of development. Beside, in order for electric car to have a positive impact on reducing emission, the energy grid empowering these cars need be from a sustainable source like solar or wind. Due to the cost of buying a hybrid vehicle is much higher than of a normal car, users, limited range of electric vehicle as well as the charging time. The information and data will be obtained f rom published news and journals except the information from questionnaires. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Definition and explanation of car-sharing scheme Car sharing is a revolution in personal transportation urban mobility for the 21st century. Carsharing is designed to replace car ownership for people who do not need to drive to work every day, and to significantly reduce road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. It is a service that provides 24/7 self-serve access to a network of cars stationed around the city (and increasingly, cities world-wide), which can be reserved by the hour or day via smart phones, Internet and call centres (Carsharing, 2013). Automobile, despite its numerous benefits, is largely responsible for many of the environmental and social problems in the world today (Katzev, 2003), which Singapore is one of such countries. The dependence on automobile has contributed traffic congestion and pollution to the air of Singapore. Therefore, in order to reduce traffic congestion and reduce the environmental impact contributed by automobile in Singapore, numerous efforts have been made by the government to reduce vehicle population growth rate by increasing the Car of Entitlement (COE) prices for cars or reducing the quota for COE. Car-sharing is first introduced in Singapore by NTUC Income in 1997 since the rise of COE prices and over the years, the interest in car-sharing has risen as car-sharing is the ticket for drivers who cannot afford or do not want to own a car (The Strait Times, 2012). Differ from car-pooling, car-sharing is a process whereby people share or rent a car without having to bear the responsibilities of car ownership and costs. Whereas in car-pooling, it is a group of individuals taking the same car together to get to a common destination at the same time. In car-sharing scheme, the car-sharing companies pay all of the costs of vehicle maintenance, service, and repairs. This includes insurance coverage, parking, and the cost of fuel (Katzev, 2003). Also differ from conventional car rentals, car-sharing companies operate by placing cars near to members home or office when the needs to use the cars arise. (Martin Shaheen 2011). The pay-as-you-drive or pay-per-use transportation service which provided by the car sharing companies offer drivers another alternative and freedom of using the car. Drivers get to enjoy the benefits of a car without having to own one for a short period of time based on their travelling needs, such as hourly or daily basis. The d rivers are also allowed to choose the types of cars according to their needs. This scheme is introduced in many modern cities to build a sustainable and environment-friendly urban community (Land Transport Authority, 2013). A research done in the North America shows that one shared vehicle can take 6 to 33 privately owned vehicles off the road. This is made possible by reducing the number of private vehicle required to complete non-work trips (Green Business Times, 2013). Hence, car-sharing reduced congestion on the road as it reduces car ownership and people dependency on privately owned vehicles. Car-sharing also has environmental impact to the environment. According to the article stated in Green Business Times (2013), vehicle miles traveled by members dropped by 67%, yet they were able to maintain mobility and convenience of transportation while getting access to a wider variety of cars. The drop in vehicle miles traveled will have a huge environmental impact that results in a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions from 39% to 64%. Since its inception, car-sharing has grown rapidly and it has become more common worldwide, especially in Europe and North America (Shaheen, Sperling Wagner 1999). Car-sharing membership has  increased by 360% worldwide between 2006 and 2010 (Carsharing, 2013) and as of January 2011, North American car-sharing companies served almost 604,000 members with about 10,000 vehicles. (Martin Shaheen 2011). 2.1.1 How car-sharing works in Singapore It usually takes less than 5 minutes from reserving to collecting a car-sharing vehicle and the whole process is automated and it is self-service just like having a own car. To use the car, the user can follow the steps listed below: Join as a member User who wishes to car-share must first join as a member at any of the car-sharing company. After which, members will receive a personal keyfob/ smartcard. The keyfob/ smartcard is use to unlock an electronic box where the car keys are kept. Making reservation for the car When there is a need to use the car, member can make reservation via smart phones, Internet and call centres. The reservation can be made within a few minute notice or few days in advance. The booking will be keyed into a computer and transmitted to the electronic box. Collecting the car The cars are normally parked near to users home or office in designated car park spaces.   The electronic box is located in the members estate and the member can unlock the box when the member slots in their keyfob/ smart card. His booking particular will be copied onto the keyfob/ smart card and he can then collect the key. Driving the car During reservation period, member will just use the car just like his own. Returning the car When member has finished using the car, he needs to return the car back to the same location where he has collected the car. He also needs to place the key back to the electronic box. The trip usage is automatically recorded and the member can view their usage record online. Payment The invoice is then generated and payment will be made through GIRO or credit card monthly to the car-sharing service companies. If a member does not return the car on time, he will have to pay a penalty, which will be used to compensate the next member who had booked the car but was inconvenienced due to late return from the former member (Carsharing, 2013). Benefits of car-sharing Due to recent high COE, it is getting more and more difficult for one to own a car in Singapore nowadays. Some of the major social benefits of car-sharing are such as lower emissions, ease traffic congestion, convenience and cost savings for individuals and businesses, better utilization of land and energy resources and reduce the demand for car park spaces. 2.2.1 Less pollution to the environment Motor vehicle usage is a major source of air and noise pollution in the world today. It has contributed 70% of the carbon monoxide, 45% of the nitrogen oxides, and 33% of hydrocarbon emissions in the world (Katzev, 2003). The combustion process of fuel in motor engines emit Carbon Monoxide (CO) will not only pollute the air quality, it also harm the human body through respiration (Sing Health 2013). Motor vehicles are also a major source of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, which many claim is the principal source of global warming (Katzev, 2003). Besides carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide, methane and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are also released from the combustion process of fuel in motor engines. These gases caused global warming to the Earth which the temperature will increase and trap the radiated heat from escaping out (Nutramed, 2011). In the United State, low emission motor vehicles contribute to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. AutoShare and U Car Share offer additional greenhouse gases reductions through partnerships with carbon-offset companies. Many customers report an increase in environmental awareness after joining a carsharing organization (Shaheen, North American car-sharing, 2008). Noise pollution is also an issue to the environment. With more motor vehicles on the road, the noises created from the engine revolutions can be a nuisance to the environment. Especially during traffic congestion, the noise level can be high and it may disrupt the concentration of ones mind. With fewer vehicles on the road through car sharing, the level to Carbon Monoxide (CO) will eventually be reduced, thus causing lesser carbon monoxide emitted to the environment. 2.2.2 Less traffic congestions http://driving-in-singapore.spf.gov.sg/services/driving_in_singapore/images/information/traffic_statistics/fatality.jpg Figure .1 : Fatal and Injury Accident Rate Per 10,000 Vehicle Population (Source: Singapore Police Force, 2013) Car-sharing helps to tame traffic because it reduces solo driving (Wang, 2011). According to the graph, Singapore has an increasing figure in vehicle population by 1.45% from 951,307 in 2011 to 965,192 in 2012 (Singapore Police Force, 2013). This is a great number for Singapore as our country is limited in land area and the increasing vehicle population creates more traffic congestions. Traffic congestion is an increasingly serious problem in many cities. For example United States, traffic tie-ups, especially during peak hours timing, are estimated to cost the United States 1.2 billion hours of lost time and 2.2 billion gallons of gasoline each year, to say nothing of the estimated $30 billion annual loss in productivity alone (Katzev, 2013). Due to the increasing numbers of motor vehicles on the road, the danger faced by the road users, especially motorcyclists are still an issue. Despite last years drop in the fatal and injury accidents, there are still a significant number of deaths on our roads. The increase in the number of traffic violations remains a concern as every traffic violation can potentially result in a fatal or injury accident and the loss of lives (Singapore Police Force, 2013). As an alternative measure of reducing the amount of vehicle population, car sharing can provide road users with a choice. Some of Singapore car sharing companies such as CarClub provides to their customers a wide variety of motor vehicles to choose from to cater for different kind of occasions (CarClub, 2013). Because the drivers of the car sharing scheme are charged accordingly to the amount of mileage logged, therefore drivers would plan their trip carefully in order to make unnecessary drive trips. The implementation of car sharing can also reduce the amount of motor vehicles on the road if 5 people sharing a car to the common destination rather than driving on personal motor vehicles. 2.2.3 Reducing the cost of traveling to destination Traveling to a destination by private vehicles can be costly. With Singapore implemented ERP (Electronic Road Pricing), It will be expensive to travel to CBD area during peak hours by personal vehicles. In addition, the cost of parking in business towers in CBD area can be costly too. The cost of owning a private car can be a burden in Singapore. As the price of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) is hiking, a measure by the Singapore Government in order to maintain or reduce the amount of motor vehicles on the road, which can be costly. According to report, a price of a Cherry QQ in Singapore with COE can match up for a Porsche Boxster Black Edition in the US (AsiaOne, 2012); this shows how the soaring COE price has turned the ownership of motor vehicle as a huge expenditure. Car sharing is different from rent a car from car rental, car sharing gives individuals access to a car for brief trips, in some cases as short as a half hour, charging only for the time and duration of each trip. In contrast, car rental companies charge the full daily rate, regardless of the duration or distance of travel. In addition, customers that rent a car must pay for the petrol cost required to fill the vehicles tank at the time it is returned, while the car-sharing companies pays all the costs of fuel, as well as insurance, vehicle maintenance, service, and repairs (Katzev, 2003). As car sharing scheme in Singapore, drivers can save amount money on the cost of owning a private motor vehicles including maintenance fees, annual road taxes and motor vehicle insurance payable. Car sharing not only offers to non-car owners the driving experience; it has also offers a much cheaper alternative to travel to their destination that in private motor vehicles. Car sharing has also provided Singapore a much cheaper alternative to travel than by taxi. Traveling by mode of taxi can be expensive. The rates and surcharges can add up to a high cost. Surcharges such as peak hour charges, midnight charges and location charges are included in different timing and location. Some of car sharing companies in Singapore such as CarClub provides to their customers with different price plans. CarClub comes with value plan and standard plan to cater to every customers needs. Value plan is cater for more for regular drivers whereas standard plan is cater more occasional drivers (CarClub, 2013). With different available price plans, drivers can choose the most appropriate plans to suit their driving frequency and save money. University students and low-income households also benefit from the flexibility and mobility that carsharing offers (Shaheen, North American car-sharing, 2008). With the recently tightening measure by the Singapore government, it has become more difficult for low and middle income group to purchase a private motor vehicle as buyers have to foot a down payment of 40 per cent or more for a new vehicle and have a maximum of five years to service their car loans (ChannelNewsAsia, 2013). Therefore, car sharing can be a more afford to the market for low and middle income groups. 2.2.4 Better connection Car sharing has provided users a better connection between different modes of transports, making it easier for the public to connect major transport nodes and therefore reducing the need to drive to their destination. Car sharing can provide better access to place where has limited access. For example, HDB residential area where the distance to the nearest public transport node is far away, it may be difficult for elderly or disabled people to travel. Motor vehicles in the car-sharing fleet are usually located close to the users residence, whereas those belonging to the rental companies are parked in central areas or major transportation hubs. Finally, those who want to rent a vehicle are required to complete time-consuming paperwork before they can drive the vehicle, whereas car sharers need only phone or go online to reserve a vehicle prior to using it (Katzev, 2003) In Singapore, CarClub has offered their customers with over 60 HDB car parks around Singapore to pick up the vehicles and available on 24/7 which provides ease and convenience (CarClub, 2013). Who benefits from car-sharing? The ultimate purpose of car-sharing are reducing the number of cars, increasing the efficiency of transport infrastructure and also changing behavior through alterations in mobility patterns. This has actually benefits to environment, social and government. 2.3.1 Environment 2.3.1.1 Creation a Potential for Better Quality of Life and Urban Form Car-sharing has proved its potential to reduce the negative impacts of social and environment. Monitoring of air quality takes place at stations around Singapore, and plays an important role in keeping the population up to date on haze conditions (National Environment Agency, 2013). Air emissions from the industries and motor vehicles are the two key sources of air pollution domestically (National Environment Agency, 2013). Each car-sharing vehicle can replace 4 privately owned vehicles (CarClub, 2013). Thus, car-sharing reduces the numbers of cars on the road; fewer cars equal fewer emissions of greenhouse gases. This means less pollution; decrease congestion on the road as well as reducing the amount of space used for parking and helps to regain space for environmental and other social uses. 2.3.1.2 Reduction of COà ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Burden of Transport Car-sharing is a pay-as-you-drive transportation service introduced to build a sustainable and environmentally-friendly urban community. This service provides an incentive for people to use car less and instead use public transport, a bike or walk. People have a greater variety of transport options available to them as when deciding the best way to reach their destination. Commuting by public transportation reduces your carbon emissions by 20 lbs per day, 4,800 lbs per year, which is more than if you weatherized your home, converted to fluorescent bulbs and replaced an old refrigerator, combined (PromotingPublic Transport, 2013). 2.3.1.3 Reduction of Energy Consumption An environmentally friendly car-sharing operator provides a wide range of vehicles to choose. They can choose different types of vehicles to fit their needs. Example, a small city car is usually most energy-efficient and less pollution; an estate cars are likely to be necessary for family trips; and a van may require for group travel. Users choose the vehicle type that best meets their needs for a particular trip. This benefits consumers, and may provide external benefits by reducing the use of oversized vehicles when smaller vehicles are adequate (Litman, 1999). 2.3.2 Society Car-sharing helps make communities more alive, attractive, safe, and less dependent on the private automobile, and contribute to a range of transportation, housing, economic development and social justice goals (City Car Share, 2013). 2.3.2.1 Save Money and Go Green Car-sharing is an ideal for people who only need a car occasionally and or when the need arises. By car-sharing scheme, people still can access to a private car without having responsibilities of ownership such as obtain a Certificate of Entitlement (COE), car insurance premium, car maintenance and repair costs, monthly installment, season car parking charges and road tax. In Singapore, 87% of members in NTUCs car-sharing co-op average only 2,000km in distance driven each year, which is much less than average mileage of the average private car owner (Singapore Environmental Vision, 2013). Car sharing saves you money, its greener, more affordable, and less stressful than driving and paying for a car you dont even need anymore (Cereplast, 2013). 2.3.2.2 Provide Mobility Car-sharing provides access to a vehicle for low-income households and others without a car, helping them to fully participate in the regions opportunities (CityCarShare, 2013). Low-income households may not be able to afford the expenses as a car ownership, thus public transport maybe their only option. Car-sharing can provide access for job interviews, serve as an emergency ride home, and meet the demand for occasional shopping and leisure trips (CityCarShare, 2013). With car-sharing scheme, they are now financially possible to join, in turn improving mobility by providing access to a vehicle. 2.3.2.3 Improves Commuting Options Car-sharing offers a commuter option that may work better than other methods of transportation. With a car-sharing option, a public commuter is empowered to decide the best way to reach his or her destination, i.e. by bus, MRT, taxi or to drive a car (CSAS, 2013). Currently, there are about 300 car-sharing vehicles located in over 100 locations in Singapore (Land Transport Authority, 2013). It is very convenient for users to access a car-sharing. Also, car-sharing provides the flexibility and convenience of a car when driving is a better choice compared to the buses, MRT or taxis. 2.3.3 Government Transport issues affect the average Singaporean in a very intimate manner.

Adn vs. Bsn Essay

The nursing profession continues to argue whether a nurse who holds a BSN is desirable to the Associates-Degree-prepared nurse. This has been a topic of debate since 1965, when the American Nurses Association published an opinion paper advocating for the baccalaureate degree to be the minimal standard for entry-level nurses. While some say that the level of education isn’t relevant once you orient a nurse to a certain setting, others disagree and assert that the baccalaureate degree prepared nurses demonstrate higher levels of skill in communication, delegation, assessment, teaching and supervision. Most agree, however, that each degree program provides a different level of preparation and competencies for the graduating nurse. The focus of ADN programs has been to prepare the nurse with considerable clinical experience and technical nursing skills needed to provide patient care at the bedside, while the BSN program concentrates on evidence-based practice, research, leadership skills and communication. An additional difference is the target client. Associate-degree graduates are prepared to meet the needs of the patient. The baccalaureate graduate’s scope is widened to include the family and interdisciplinary groups. According to a study done in 1988 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, nursing competencies across the spectrum of nursing education, â€Å"varied in complexity, depth, and breadth. †(Poster, 2006) Entry-level competencies were evaluated on three categories: provider of care, coordinator of care, and member of a profession. There was virtually no difference noted in the provider of care category other than the use of an evidence-based analytical approach by the baccalaureate-prepared nurse, as opposed to a critical thinking approach to decision making by the associate-degree-prepared nurse. In the category of coordinator of care, the major contrast was between how the advanced-degree-prepared the nurse to act as more of a facilitator of care between multiple factions of the healthcare team. As a member of a profession, the BSN nurse acted as a leader rather than in the participant role of the ADN nurse. Where the major differences occurred was in the â€Å"knowledge required for achievement of competency. †(Poster, 2006)The diploma prepared nurse bases her plan of care on the nursing diagnosis. The advanced-degree nurse’s basis for developing the plan of care uses â€Å"evidence-based and theoretical analysis of available data. †(Poster, 2006) An example of this difference might be in the care of patient who has a chronic condition, such as congestive heart failure. This patient undoubtedly is seen multiple times in the course of a year for symptoms pertaining to his health condition. Nurse A, with the associate’s degree, does a good job of taking care of the patient. She sees to it that he gets all of his medications in a timely fashion, and that he completes all of his scheduled tests; that his basic needs are met. Her plan of care would include all of the interventions to reflect such care. She would weigh him daily, make sure his meals followed the proper diet, and etc. Nurse B, with the BSN, also provides the afore-mentioned care. However, in addition, she may look at why this patient has frequently been admitted to her floor. She would perhaps investigate whether the same symptoms precipitated his decline and question the patient as to whether he is weighing himself daily, what types of food he is eating at home, and whether he has been taking his medications on a routine basis. She might find that he doesn’t have a scale at home, does not have access to his medications all of the time, or is simply non-compliant. Her plan of care may include a social worker and case management are more involved in his discharge planning to insure that the patient has the equipment and resources required to manage is illness at home. Nurse B might also collaborate with the patient to develop a plan he can agree to follow and provide a list of community resources that are available. Both Nurse A and Nurse B have seen to it that the patient got what he needed during his hospital visit. The healthcare industry is changing rapidly. The life expectancy of the average patient has extended due to the increase in technological advances and life-saving measures and requires that professional nurses have the ability to mange these complex patients. The baccalaureate-degree program provides an opportunity to build on the communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills taught in the ADN program to facilitate better patient care. Whether it be a an associate-degree-prepared nurse or one holding an advanced degree, one thing I am sure we can all agree upon is that better educated nurses will better serve the profession as a whole.

Narrative Observation of a Child Essay

Mother enters the room with takeaway from KFC and places it on the dining table. Subhaan (3:5) is the first child to approach the table and sit down on the seat. While aunt takes out food from the carrier bags, she asks Subhaan, â€Å"Is that your plate?† Subhaan replies â€Å"Yeah† and right before the aunt is about to put the food on his plate he immediately says†No, is that mine?. Aunt replies, â€Å"Yes† and places his meal on the plate. Subhaan sat on his knees and started bouncing on them as he picked two french fries to eat. While the aunt is emptying the bags, Subhaan stands on his knees and peeks into the carrier bags then sits back down to eat his food. Aunt ignores him as she continues talking to Subhaan’s mother. Subhaan attempts to pull out a paper cup from the stack and then hold it in both his hands. Ayesha (5:0) asks Subhaan, â€Å"Do you want water?† to which Subhaan holds up his empty paper cup and replies, â€Å"No, this is mine†. He starts playing with his cup as he tries to hold it to his mouth and then placed it on his eye, pretending it was a telescope, Subhaan started scanning the room from side to side. Subhaan puts his empty cup down and grabs another bite. He then makes a cranky high pitched noise that grabbed his aunt’s attention who noticed he was pointing at his empty cup. The aunt poured the drink half full in the cup. He takes a sip and watches Ayesha eat her meal happily. Subhaan continues his meal bouncing while sitting on his knees and then swaying from side to side as he eats. Subhaan notices a sealed straw on the table, picks it and points it at his mother loudly saying, † Mama.. mama, please open†. During the period the mother and aunt are continuously involved in a table conversation. His mother takes the straw and starts unwrapping when Ayesha asks, â€Å"Mama, what does he need that for?†. Mother ignores Ayesha as she continues the conversation with the aunt. Subhaan starts chewing his food slowly and sits back in a lazy manner. He then sits up and starts reading the children’s meal box in front of him. He sits up on his knees again to be able to drink directly from the straw fixed in his cup to his mouth using just the index finger and thumb of his dominant hand (right-hand). He sits back down, shakes his head a few times then starts looking under the table. He sits back up and starts slapping the wall on his left. He pauses to look at everyone else at the table still busy with their conversation, then returns back to his meal box and peaks inside it. He pushes away the meal box and looks at his mother to see if she noticed. However the mother is still occupied socially with his aunt. Subhaan makes a random loud noise, â€Å"Tadaaaaaa!† which made his aunt notice him and puts his meal box infront of him again saying, â€Å"Subhaan, you haven’t finished†. Subhaan does not reply instead he sinks back in his chair. After a few seconds he sits back up and drinks directly from the straw without using his hands or fingers to touch the cup. Subhaan rotates on the chair turning his back towards the table and facing towards the tv lounge. Soon he starts to rock the chair slightly from side to side. He turns back around and get off his seat to approach his mother and say,† Mama, mama† Mother replied,† Yes, son?† Subhaan answered shyly, â€Å"Toilet† and ran off towards the door and takes a glance back to see if his mother is following him or not. Meanwhile everyone has finished their dinner and settle down in the tv lounge. Subhaan enters the room followed by his mother. He quickly runs up to the sofa to join Ayesha who is running up and down the two joined sofas while singing, â€Å"I like you- I like you- I love you-I like you†. Subhaan follows Ayesha jumping behind her while repeating what Ayesha is singing. Ayesha comes down from the sofa and starts dancing and singing on the floor. Subhaan stands on the sofa leaning slightly on the wall behind to watch what ayesha was doing next and then runs off to his mother sitting on the chair. Mother looks up at ayesha and says, † Ayesha take him up and change, I’m coming†. Subhaan walks towards the door and waits there for Ayesha but notices ayesha avoid her mothers orders, instead shows off a paper sailboat to her aunt. Aunt smiles and replies, â€Å"Thats nice! come on lets go upstairs now.† Subhaan watches as ayesha ends her play by bowing down t o the audience and says, † Thank you for listening to my song†. Subhaan grabs their attention by walking up to his aunt and saying, † I want something from upstairs, come†. He then open the door and runs off towards the stairs as his Aunt and Ayesha followed him. Subhaan stopped at the entrance of the room to look upto the light switch but Ayesha pushes him gently to push the button on herself. At the same moment he says, â€Å"Put the lights on† and when the light switches on he expresses by saying, â€Å"Ahhhh, yes†. He then walks towards the end of his bed while Ayesha invites their aunt in bowing down once again to say, † Happy†¦..umm happy gentlemen and, and ladies. Subhaan stands in the corner and looks at her carefully. At this time the observation came to its end at 8:25 pm. Evaluation: During the 25 minute observation Subhaan (3:6) showed almost continuous play activity demonstrating his physical development and fine motor skills like a typical child of his age. For the most part Subhaan was happy playing by himself showing both physical and imaginative skills in solitary play. According to Parten ‘Solitary Play’ (Hughes, 1991) is when a child plays by himself. Often in this form of play children develop play and activities generating from their imagination as children in the pre-operational stage have vast imagination that helps them revise, repeat or practise their knowledge and skills into a playful activity (Sheridan, 1997). As I observe Subhaan invest time and energy in play I can see him learn and develop concepts about movement, noises and skills. Most of the time Subhaan was involved in ‘Locomotor Play’, including exercise play (e.g bouncing, running, etc) (Hughes, 1991). His ability to be engaged in continous exercise play supports the muscular and motor development of children his age as they are able to move freely with pleasure and confidence in a range of ways ( L.Dryden et al, 2007).For example, Subhaan sits with his feet up on the seat and elevates himself by sitting on his knees and bouncing up and down and moving from side to side during his meal. â€Å"The rocking, bouncing, hanging upside-down, skipping and hopping with which young children often express their excitement and enthusiasm- stimulates the brain and has a role to play in its development† ( Elliot(1991) in L.Dryden, 2007). For children 2 to 4 years of age, Field (1994) reports physical activity play accounting for 10% of all day-care behaviour. Children his age also run skilfully and negotiate space successfully adjusting their speed or direction to avoid obstacles (L.Dryden et al, 2007). This was identified when in later part of the observation Subhaan followed his sister running up and down the sofa. He was seen carefully balancing himself and slowing down while negotiating space to pass by when he would face an intersection from his sister coming from the opposite direction in a narrow space to cross. At an another occasion I observed Subhaan’s the moving and handling skills similar to children his age when he jumps of the chair and land appropriately balanced on his two feet. Subhaan attempts to sit on the chair with his back towards the dining table folding his legs against the back of the chair. At this time he attempts to rock the chair and succeeds to balance the chair while sitting backwards. Once he has attempted and achieved the action two to three times,he no longer felt the need or urge to perform it again. Bateson’s (1976) view of such play is â€Å"scaffolding†: Play functions in skill assembly, and then is disassembled when the skill is mastered. This could also be relevant to the observation. In the initial part of the meal Subhaan used his right hand fingers to stabilise the straw so that he could put it in his mouth; however towards the end of the meal he manages to place the straw in his mouth and drink without using his hand and fingers to touch the cup or straw. Therefore the initial play helped Subhaan gain more control of his activity and action once its assembled. I also observed exercise play affect Subhaan’s cognitive performance as it lead to heightened arousal and hyper-activity as he experiments with different ways of moving. Without a break Subhaan was rocking, bouncing, looking under the table, peeking into the boxes. According to the â€Å"In-verted-U hypothesis (Easterbrook, 1959) moderate levels of arousal lead to better performance than highly increased arousals that may lead to narrowing of attention to the core tasks. In Subhaan’s case this can be eating and finishing his meal. However I observed that by breaking up cognitive tasks while exercise play, Subhaan found the specifically playfully nature of the break to be considered more important than the meal, table conversation or any other activity that was taking place around him. The effects on his cognitive behaviour mediated by breaks and enhanced attention seemed to depend on enhanced feelings of mastery, well-being, after exercise play. This was noticed when every time Subhaan would master a movement he would return to his meal and find satisfaction and interest in eating once again. On the other hand Subhaan also showed interest in play with sounds as he slaps the walls beside him a few times to register the noise/sound it made (L.Dryden, 2007). There was some evidence of ‘Symbolic Play’ (Piaget in Macleod-Brudenell & Kay, 2008) when Subhaan uses the paper cup as a microphone when he puts it over his mouth and then later as a pretend telescope when he places it on on of his eyes and scans the room around him from left to right. Apart from these observation I also noticed another very common attribute in Subhaan of children his age. He likes to get attention and often he made a loud sound or noise to attract an adult’s attention when he feels neglected. For example when he shouts, â€Å"Tadaaaa† or at other occasion he would resort to calling his mother a few times until she listens or approach an adult physically to grab their attention by touch; such as Subhaan approaching his aunt to convince her to go upstairs by saying, â€Å"I want something from upstairs†.However in a different time and setting , for example at the dining table during the meal, Subhaan showed the ability to distract himself when neglected or upset by engaing in new play activity (Lindon, 1996) I would conclude by saying that Subhaan is showing typical normative motor skills and level of play even if some behaviour towards the adults can be interruptive, it might be a way to seek attention or an attempt to engage in interactive form of play.

Do You Know What Your Weather Forecast Is Telling You

We all consult our local weather forecast on a daily basis and have done so since memory serves. But when it comes down to it, do we fully understand what the information thats presented to us means? Heres an easy-to-digest explanation of what the basic weather elements included in your daily forecast -- including air temperature, air pressure, chance of rain, sky conditions, dewpoint temperature, humidity, and wind -- are telling you. 1. Air Temperatures When someone asks what the weather is like outside, air temperature is often the first condition we describe. Two temperatures -- a daytime high and a nighttime low -- are always given for a 24-hour calendar day full days forecast. Knowing what time of day the max and min temperatures are reached is just as important as knowing what they will be. As a rule of thumb, you should expect the high to happen near 3 or 4 oclock pm local time, and the low, near sunrise of the following day.   2. Probability of Precipitation (Chance of Rain) Next to temperature, precipitation is the weather condition we want to know most. But what exactly does the phrase â€Å"chance of precipitation† mean? The chance of precipitation tells you the likelihood (expressed as a percentage) a location within your forecast area will see measurable precipitation (at least 0.01 inch) during a specified time period. 3. Sky Conditions (Cloudiness) Sky conditions, or cloud cover, tells you how clear or cloudy the sky overhead will be throughout the days entirety. While this may seem a frivolous weather observation, clouds (or a lack thereof) influence air temperature. They determine how much of the sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s surface to heat it during the day, and how much of this heat that was absorbed gets released from the surface back out into space at night. For example, thick stratus clouds block sunrays, while wispy cirrus clouds allow heat to penetrate and warm the atmosphere.   4. Winds Wind measurements always include the speed and direction of where winds are blowing from. Sometimes your forecast wont mention wind speed outright, but will use descriptive words to suggest it. Whenever you see or hear these terms, heres how to interpret how fast that is: Forecast Terminology of Wind Intensity Wind Speed Calm 0 mph Light/Variable 5 mph or less -- 5-15 mph Breezy (if mild weather). Brisk (if cold weather) 15-25 mph Windy 25-35 mph Strong/High/Damaging 40+ mph 5. Pressure Guilty of never paying much attention to air pressure? Well, you should! Its an easy way to assess whether the weather is settling down or storms are brewing. If pressure is increasing or is over 1031 millibars (30.00 inches of mercury) it means weather is settling, whereas pressure thats falling or is near 1000 millibars means rain may be approaching. 6. Dewpoint Although it resembles your air temperature, dewpoint temperature isnt a regular temperature that tells how warm or cool air feels. Rather, it tells what temperature air needs to be cooled to in order for it to become saturated. (Saturation precipitation or condensation of some sort.) There are two things to keep in mind about dewpoint: It will always be lower than or equal to the current air temperature -- never higher than it.If it equals the current air temperature, it means that the air is saturated and humidity is 100% (that is, the air is saturated). 7. Humidity Relative humidity is an important weather variable because it tells how likely precipitation, dew, or fog is to happen. (The closer RH is to 100%, the more likely precipitation is.) Humidity is also responsible for everyones discomfort during hot weather, thanks to its ability to make air temperatures feel much hotter than they actually are.