Cultural Integration and Workforce Diversity

Diversity in the workplace focuses on similarities and differences all employees bring to the organization. Diversity such as education, cultural, gender, geographical location, and ethnic background should be encouraged and valued. Employees should consider how work policies, communication, and practices have a different impact on their colleagues.

Using the South University Online Library, search the article, “All of Us: Embracing Diversity in Healthcare.”

Based on your research, summarize your thoughts and provide answers or comments to the following questions:

• Discuss diversity in healthcare with examples and support from your research.
• Summarize any cited special characteristics and problems in the workplace regarding diversity.

Now, let’s read the following scenario.

You are just promoted to a health administration management position. Your organization currently manages a home health unit where you are responsible for seven RNs, three dieticians, two billing and coding staff members, one physical therapist, one social worker, one accountant, and one health administrator overseeing the administrative duties of the organization.

The community is culturally diverse consisting of Hispanic, Arab Americans, and American Indian populations. Additionally, your staff is diverse consisting of one male RN, several RNs near retirement age, two newly graduated dieticians, and a few staff members representing several cultures. You find the staff does not seem to work well together and there appears to be several groups who do not include others at the lunch table. You have a vision to develop the team to promote unity, increase motivation, and share the same vision for a successful collaborative effort. You think how you will gather information so you can further develop your plan of action to turn the unit from one where there appears to be miscommunication and misinformation to a well-functioning team unit.

Based on the above scenario, answer the following questions:

• As you begin to develop your plan of action, what important considerations will you address to improve the communication and collaborative effort among the group?
• What perceived or real barriers do you anticipate based on the wide diversity of the staff and patients? For example, do seasoned and newly graduated staff members develop team cohesiveness immediately? How can language barriers between the team impede proper communication across department lines?
• What potential conflicts can arise when you do not understand or accept cultural, gender, ethnic, or age diversity?
• Develop four important steps for how you will implement your plan to improve communication and acceptance of various cultures and diverse workers for each of the perceived or real barriers for staff and patients.

Reference:

Birk, S. (2012). All of us: Embracing diversity in healthcare. Healthcare
           Executive, 27(4), 30–32, 34–36, 38.

284 CHAPTER 10 Capital Budgeting Problems

 

 

 

Capital Budgeting Problems

 

1. Gander, Inc. is considering two projects with the following cash flows.

Year	Project X	Project Y
0	($100,000)	($100,000)
1	$40,000	$50,000
2	$40,000	$0
3	$40,000	$0
4	$40,000	$0
5	$40,000	$250,000

 

Gander uses the payback period method of capital budgeting and accepts only projects with payback periods of 3 years or less.

a. If the projects are presented as standalone opportunities which one( s) would Gander accept? If they were mutually exclusive and Gander disregarded its three year rule, which project would be chosen?

b. Is there a flaw in the thinking behind the correct answers to part a?

2. A project has the following cash flows

C0	C1	C2	C3
$(700)	$200	$500	$244

 

a. What is the projects payback period?

b. Calculate the projects NPV at 12%.

c. Calculate the projects PI at 12%.

4. Clancy Inc. is considering a project with the following cash flows.

C0	C1	C2	C3
$(7,800)	$2,300	$3,500	$4,153

 

a. Clancy has a policy of rejecting all projects that dont pay back within three years and analyzing those that do more carefully with time value based meth-ods. Does this project warrant further consideration?

b. Should Clancy accept the project based on its NPV if the companys cost of capital is 8%?

c. What conclusion will the firm reach based on PI?

6. Hamstring Inc. is considering a project with the following cash flows.

C0	C1	C2	C3	C4
$25,000	$10,000	$12,000	$5,000	$8,000

 

The company is reluctant to consider projects with paybacks of more than three years. If projects pass the payback screen, they are considered further by means of the NPV and IRR methods. The firms cost of capital is 9%.

a. What is the projects payback period? Should the project be considered further?

b. What is the projects NPV? Does NPV indicate acceptance on a stand- alone basis?

c. Calculate the projects IRR by using an iterative approach. Start by using the cost of capital and the NPV calculation from part ( a). Does IRR indicate acceptance on a stand- alone basis?

d. What is the projects PI? Does PI indicate acceptance on a stand- alone basis?

7. Project Alpha requires an initial outlay of $ 35,000 and results in a single cash inflow of $ 56,367.50 after five years.

a. If the cost of capital is 8%, what are Alphas NPV and PI? Is the project accept-able under each of these techniques?

b. What is project Alphas IRR? Is it acceptable under IRR?

c. What are Alphas NPV and PI if the cost of capital is 12%? Is the project acceptable under that condition?

d. What is Alphas payback period? Does payback make much sense for a project like Alpha? Why or why not?

8. The Sampson Company is considering a project that requires an initial outlay of $ 75,000 and produces cash inflows of $ 20,806 each year for five years. Sampsons cost of capital is 10%.

a. Calculate the projects payback period by making a single division rather than accumulating cash inflows. Why is this possible in this case?

b. Calculate the projects IRR, recognizing the fact that the cash inflows are an annuity. Is the project acceptable? Did your calculation in this part result in any number( s) that were also calculated in part ( a)? What is it about this prob-lem that creates this similarity? Will this always happen in such cases?

c. What is the projects NPV? Is the project acceptable according to NPV rules?

9. Calculate the IRR, NPV, and PI for projects with the following cash flows. Do each NPV and PI calculation at costs of capital of 8% and 12%. Calculate IRRs to the nearest whole percent.

a. An initial outlay of $ 5,000 and inflows of $ 1,050 for seven years.

b. An initial outlay of $ 43,500 and inflows of $ 14,100 for four years.

c. An investment of $ 78,000 followed by 12 years of income of $ 11,500.

d. An outlay of $ 36,423 followed by receipts of $ 8,900 for six years.

11. Calculate the NPV for the following projects.

a. An outflow of $ 7,000 followed by inflows of $ 3,000, $ 2,500, and $ 3,500 at one-year intervals at a cost of capital of 7%.

b. An initial outlay of $ 35,400 followed by inflows of $ 6,500 for three years and then a single inflow in the fourth year of $ 18,000 at a cost of capital of 9%. ( Recognize the first three inflows as an annuity in your calculations.)

c. An initial outlay of $ 27,500 followed by an inflow of $ 3,000 followed by five years of inflows of $ 5,500 at a cost of capital of 10%. [ Recognize the last five inflows as an annuity, but notice that it requires a treatment different from the annuity in part ( b).]

16. Bagel Pantry Inc. is considering two mutually exclusive projects with widely dif-fering lives. The companys cost of capital is 12%. The project cash flows are sum-marized as follows.

	Project A	Project B
C0	$(25,000)	$(23,000)
C1	$14,742	$6,641
C2	$14,742	$6,641
C3	$14,742	$6,641
C4		$6,641
C5		$6,641
C6		$6,641
C7		$6,641
C8		$6,641
C9		$6,641

 

a. Compare the projects using payback.

b. Compare the projects using NPV.

c. Compare the projects using IRR.

d. Compare the projects using the replacement chain approach.

e. Compare the projects using the EAA method.

a. Compare the projects using payback.

 b. Compare the projects using NPV

. c. Compare the projects using IRR. d. Compare the projects using the replacement chain approach.

 

e. Compare the projects using the EAA method. f. Choose a project and justify your choice.f. Choose a project and justify your choice.

Many patient symptoms can be tied to multiple disorders, which may lead to misdiagnoses. For instance, consider two digestive disorders of the gastrointestinal tract—inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. These two disorders are commonly confused because they present similar symptoms. As an advanced practice nurse, you must know the differences to properly diagnose and treat the disorders. How does the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease compare to the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome? How do treatments for the two disorders compare?

To prepare:

·         Review Chapter 34 in the Huether and McCance text and Chapter 13 in the McPhee and Hammer text.

·         Identify the pathophysiological mechanisms of inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Think about similarities and differences between the disorders.

·         Consider common treatments for inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Reflect on whether treatments for one disorder would work for the other disorder.

·         Select one of the following patient factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior. Reflect on how the factor you selected might impact the pathophysiology of and treatments for each disorder.

Questions to be addressed in my paper:

1.     An explanation of the pathophysiological mechanisms of inflammatory bowel disorder and irritable bowel syndrome, including similarities and differences.

2.     Then describe common treatments, addressing whether treatments for one disorder would work for the other disorder.

3.     Finally, explain how the patient factor you selected (Select one of the following patient factors: genetics, gender, ethnicity, age, or behavior) might impact the pathophysiology of and treatments for each disorder.

4.     Summary with Conclusion

 

 

REMINDERS:

1)      2-3 pages (addressing the 4 questions above excluding the title page and reference page).

2)      Kindly follow APA format for the citation and references! References should be between the period of 2011 and 2016. Please utilize the references at least three below as much as possible and the rest from yours.

3)     Make headings for each question.

 

Readings

·         Huether, S. E., & McCance, K. L. (2012). Understanding pathophysiology (Laureate custom ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.

o    Chapter 33, “Structure and Function of the Digestive System”

This chapter provides information relating to the structure and function of the digestive system. It covers the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs of digestion.

o    Chapter 34, “Alterations of Digestive Function”

This chapter presents information relating to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs of digestion. It also covers the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, evaluation, and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.

o    Chapter 35, “Alterations of Digestive Function in Children”

This chapter presents information relating to disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and liver that affect children. It focuses on congenital impairment, inflammatory disorders, metabolic disorders, as well as the impairment of digestion, absorption, and nutrition.

·         McPhee, S. J., & Hammer, G. D. (2010). Pathophysiology of disease: An introduction to clinical medicine (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Medical.

o    Chapter 13, “Gastrointestinal Disease”

This chapter provides a foundation for exploring gastrointestinal disorders by reviewing the structure and function of the GI tract. It also describes mechanisms of regulation of GI tract disorders such as acid-peptic disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. 

o    Chapter 14, “Liver Disease”

This chapter reviews the structure and function of the liver. It then explores the clinical presentation, etiology, pathogenesis, pathology, and clinical manifestations of three liver disorders: acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, and cirrhosis.

o    Chapter 15, “Disorders of the Exocrine Pancreas”

This chapter begins by reviewing the anatomy, histology, and physiology of the exocrine pancreas. It then examines the clinical presentation, etiology, pathology, pathogenesis, and clinical manifestations of acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic insufficiency, and pancreatic cancer.

·         Gasiorowska, A., Poh, C. H., & Fass, R. (2009). Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)—Is it one disease or an overlap of two disorders? Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 54(9), 1829–1834. 
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. 

This article examines the similarities between gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome. It focuses on symptoms presented in patients with the disorders, as well as management and treatment options.

Media

·         Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012c). The gastrointestinal system. Baltimore, MD: Author.

This media presentation outlines the pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal system and associated alterations. 

·         American Liver Foundation (2011). Retrieved from http://www.liverfoundation.org/

·         National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. (2012). Retrieved fromhttp://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/index.aspx

 

 

Write a response for each discussion.

Loutsch, 2.1

Topic: Stress reduction

Question: Is individual therapy as effective as physical activity to reduce overall stress?

Variables:

Dependent Variable: Stress

Independent Variable: Treatment method: physical activity or individual therapy.

Operational Definitions:

Physical activity: Three 45 minute sessions of physical activity per week where the heart rate is maintained between 50-80% of the maximum heart rate.

Individual Therapy: One 45 minute session of individual therapy per week with a licensed certified individual counselor with focus on stress management/reduction.

Stress: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) which measures the degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful.

Conceptual definition:

Stress:   A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation.

When looking at the research to determine if conceptual definitions or operational definitions are of greater importance, it is my stance that operational definitions are more important.  Although conceptual definitions are critical to give understanding of what meaning you are focusing on when there are often many meanings of the word “stress”, the operational definition will shed light on exactly what is being measured and how stress is being assessed in the particular research project.  “Operationally defining a variable helps others replicate and expand upon your study.” (Efford, 2017, p. 30).  Efford (2017) goes on to note that if a term is operationally defined it will allow for the reader and replicator of a study to know that they are studying the same thing as the research project that is being considered.

 

 

Parker 2.1

COLLAPSE

Topic: Alternative treatments for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

 

Research Question: Does eliminating gluten offer the same results as popular medications for alleviating the symptoms of ADHD?

 

Independent Variable: Gluten Free diet

Dependent Variable: ADHD

 

Conceptual Definitions:

According to Meriam-Webster Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is the most common pediatric psychiatric condition, estimated to affect 2 percent to 9 percent of American children, mostly boys.—Susan Gilbert, The New York Times, 16 Sept. 1997

A Gluten Free Diet is described by Vocabulary.com as: a diet prescribed to treat celiac disease; eliminates such foods as wheat and rye and oats and beans and cabbage and turnips and cucumbers that are rich in gluten (vocabulary.com, n.d.)

 

Operational Definitions

Gluten Free Diet: The FDA has established the following guidelines for consumers to better be able to determine truly gluten free foods from questionable others. For the purposes of this research a “gluten free diet” will be a diet consistently free of any of the following items (FDA.gov, 2017).

-an ingredient that is any type of wheat, rye, barley, or crossbreeds of these grains

-an ingredient derived from these grains and that has not been processed to remove   gluten

-an ingredient derived from these grains and that has been processed to remove gluten, if it results in the food containing 20 or more parts per million (ppm) gluten

 

The DSM-V describes Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as : A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development (DSM-V, 2013.)

ADHD Symptoms: ADHD Rating Scale IV (ADHD-RS-IV) for children and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale for adults.

 

Utilizing my limited knowledge thus far and viewing other’s research, I would have to choose Operational Definitions as most helpful simply because there is more detailed information which is crucial in replicating and understanding the research.