Essay about Global Warming - 1151 Words

The main gases that cause the greenhouse effect are water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane, which comes mainly from animal manure. Other gases like nitrogen oxide and chloroflurocarbons, man made gases, get caught in the atmosphere as well. The decay of animals and respiration are two main natural sources of carbon dioxide. In my opinion, we the people of the world should try to slow down the emission of greenhouse gases and/or find ways to balance the gases so the climate doesn’t change so rapidly. If it did, we would be forced to adapt to the new climate that we brought upon ourselves. If we had an international cooperation to put a damper on the production of chloroflurocarbons and slowed down the use of fossil fuels it†¦show more content†¦Scientist predict that if we continue putting the same amount of gas into the atmosphere, that by the year 2030 the temperature will be rising as much as 0.5 degrees C (0.9 degrees Fahrenheit) or more per decade. O verall, the global temperature could rise anywhere from 5 to 9 degrees over the next fifty years. If the temperatures do rise, as predicted, several things could happen. The increase of temperature could alter the growth of crops in areas near the equator due to insufficient rain and heat. This could really hurt countries that rely in imported food. With the high temperatures the polar ice caps could melt and cause the sea water level to go up 1 to 3 feet. This could take out small islands, coastal cities and some shallow rivers. The Everglades in Florida would be almost, if not totally, wiped right off the map. The Everglades is the home for many animals and plant life. If it did get flooded, they would all have to move northward across very dry land, which they will not be able to endure for very long. When the hot temperatures do spread southward and northward, tropical disease will spread with it. Diseases that were down in Mexico will, maybe, occur in North and South Carolina or eventually Vermont. These new diseases will be hard to deal with causing many more deat hs and illnesses that before. The financial problem with this is that the flooding will cause dams to be built and cities to be reconstructed.Show MoreRelatedGlobal Warming And The Warming1544 Words   |  7 PagesGlobal warming has become a well conversed topic among scientists and peoples in the world today. There are extremists who do everything possible to stop contributing to the warming, but the average person does little to alleviate the issue and in many cases refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem at all. Dating back to millions of years ago, even before humanity was born, the world has always experienced one form or another of warming; so the warming seen today is not as bizarre as many mayRead MoreGlobal Warming And The Warming1353 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Warming With it being the presidential election season the talk of global warming, also known as climate change has come up in conversation more. But should it be associated with whether you are republican or democrat? Global warming should not be rather you â€Å"believe† in because it is a stated fact. The definition by Oxford Dictionary declares that global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect causedRead MoreThe Warming And Global Warming1442 Words   |  6 PagesThe Warming World Around Us The world is warming and we cannot deny it, the longer we deny the larger the problem it will become. 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By the middle of the twenty first century, there is evidence that the Earth will be warmer than it has been at any time in human history, and quite possibly since theRead MoreGlobal Warming1410 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal warming was first mentioned by ‘Svante August Arrhenius in 1896’, but in ‘1753, Joseph Black discovered carbon dioxide’ and in ‘1827, Jean-Batiste Fourier suggested that atmospheric effect kept the earth warmer than it would otherwise be’, (Direct.gov. n.d. A history of climate change). Since this time, reports, and study have be done with graphs to show the impact of global warming and what could happen to our planet. In 1979, the first conference was held this was called ‘International climateRead MoreGlobal Warming1245 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal Warming The major threat of today’s world is global warming. Due to various reasons global warming turns out to be a serious issue in the last few years. Today people believe in global warming while this concept was not so much believed and people interpreted in some other meanings what was happening in the past. Global warming is amplification in the temperature of earth because of industrial pollution, fossil fuels, and agricultural practices caused by human being, other and natural gasRead MoreGlobal Warming1316 Words   |  6 PagesControversy over Global Warming One of the largest argued topics in our world today is over global warming. People argue that is real, and others argue that it is fake. The effects of global warming create a growing danger for the ecosystem we live in by damaging glaciers and weather patterns. Humans contribute to global warming yet non-believers will think otherwise. Global warming is the greatest challenge facing our planet. According to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change) mostRead Moreglobal warming1539 Words   |  7 Pagesof global climate over long periods of time. Climate model projections made by the US Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show that, recently, global temperature has increased. This increase in temperature is referred to as global warming. One of the main causes of global warming is greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb solar radiation to keep the planet warm. These gases have increased, so more solar radiation is trapped ins ide raising global temperaturesRead MoreGlobal Warming1050 Words   |  5 PagesTake a position: Global warming is a real problem. 1000 word Essay. Using persuasive technique Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth’s surface. Since the late 1800’s, the global average temperature has increased about 0.7 to 1.4 degrees F (0.4 to 0.8degree C). Climate change is happening and its effects are real. However, the larger the change in climate, the more negative the consequences will become. Global warming will make life harder for mostRead MoreGlobal Warming1192 Words   |  5 PagesGlobal Warming Essay Global warming is an important issue for humans to consider and science to figure out. Personally I don’t care very much about global warming and have never been active in green movements. The evidence presented in this class is very informative and useful when taking into account the numerous known and unknown causes and cures for global warming. However, my attitude towards global warming is unchanged. According to the Common Attitudes Toward Global Warming handout I think

Inside The Eye Of A Hurricane - 806 Words

Inside the Eye of A Hurricane Outside of our cozy house indoors, the skies unleashed its fury against our town. The rain against our metal roof sounded louder than the thunder that clapped with a large boom every few minutes. The living room was illuminated by a TV in the middle. Our gas fireplace warmed my feet, which had been wet and cold from the nearby beach I had been at all morning watching the storm. We had the news blasted up as loud as it could go just to hear it over the rain and thunder. The wind was relentless as well. Outside, it wasn’t your average storm that was taking place. Living in Hawaii, in the middle of the ocean, we were susceptible to hurricanes. They were simply a menace to us, a threat looming over our town, constantly during the summer and fall. The weatherman called for Hurricane Daniel, but we didn t evacuate. Our family, like many others, ignored the warnings. This hurricane had already ravaged Florida and Georgia and was now directly above us. I wondered if we should have evacuated when we had the chance. I looked outside to see water from the Atlantic Ocean rushing down the streets. The wind more than howled, it screamed and shook our house’s very foundation. Water was up to our ankles now and still rising, so my mother had us go upstairs. My mom, dad, even my cat, Oahu, and I were hunkered down upstairs, terrified. What if we I lost our house? What if I lost my family or my cat? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the terrorShow MoreRelatedHurricane Impact On Tropical And Subtropical Waters963 Words   |  4 PagesA hurricane is referred to a storm that forms over tropical and subtropical waters. Hurricanes have the power to destroy life and property. Hurricanes are referred to as â€Å"Typhoons† in the Western Pacific and â€Å"Cyclones† in Southeast Asia. On average, the â€Å"Hurricane Season† begins on June 1 and ends on November 30. A Hurricane’s intensity is measured on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. 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Hurricanes are massive storms that prowl tropical seas. They usually form during the end of summer to the beginning of fall when vast stretches of the tropical ocean are heated by the sun. The end of the summer brings the most favorableRead MoreEssay about A Short Overview Of Hurricanes1078 Words   |  5 Pages Hurricanes are powerful atmospheric vortices that are intermediate in size. Hurricanes are unique and powerful weather systems. The word â€Å"hurricane† comes from a Caribbean word meaning â€Å"big wind†. Views of hurricanes can be seen from a satellite positioned thousands of miles above the earth. Hurricanes originate as tropical disturbances over warm oceans with trade winds. The tropical turbances intensify into tropical depressions, and eventually into a tropical storm. They only originate in theRead MoreClash with the Hurricane- Personal Narrative Essay822 Words   |  4 PagesClash with the Hurricane- Personal Narrative I woke up early morning and turned on the TV. 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Many had come and gone causing little damage in their wake. This one though, with winds traveling upwards to one hundred and forty miles per hour, proved to be a force to be reckoned with. Hurricane Jeff had left a devastating path of destruction every where it went and made everyone fearful. It was large and it moved extremely slow, as if to relish its work. Many were

Toyota’s Sudden Unintended Acceleration Free Essays

University of Sharjah Electrical ; Computer Engineering Department PRO. SOC. ISSUES IN ENG. We will write a custom essay sample on Toyota’s Sudden Unintended Acceleration or any similar topic only for you Order Now Term Paper â€Å"TOYOTA’s sudden unintended acceleration† Submitted to: Dr. Abdul Kadir Mohammed Hamid Done by: Asma Al-Za’abi ID:20721529 Kawther Aljasmi ID:20721556 Introduction about Toyota : Toyota’s company is a product of many years of experience, production and high efficiency. Toyota has been one of the most successful companies all over the world.Toyota’s company success in leading the Japan’s economy to be NO. 1 in Asia, beside that Toyota is a major multinational car manufacturer headquartered in Japan. It was built by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937. Nowadays this factory is the first factory for cars in the world. And what make Toyota’s so special that it manufactured vehicles with high quality and simplicity in use, beside the less costly compared with the other companies, which make the use of Toyota vehicles so extended.Toyota is the second largest producer of vehicles all over the world with a production of 6 million vehicles per year deployed in more than 160 countries, Also achieve an annual income of 108 billion dollars . Toyota produces a full range models of vehicles and employs 246, 700 staff. It is also one of the top ten companies in the list of Fortune Global 500 largest trading company, There is a survey that has been published in cnnMoney. com that Toyota is one of the most impressive and appreciated company. Kiichiro Toyoda,† founded the company in 1933, when he had just returned from a tour in the United States, he choose the spin factory which was owned by his father to set up a workshop for the vehicles industry. Then he produces the first models in 1935. Introduction about the mechanism : The throttle is a metal plate that connected to the end of the gas pedal this part controls the amount of the air that go to the vehicle’s engine. And the throttle body consists of 4 main parts which is: ? the throttle plate or butterfly valve ? electronic throttle control Sensor ?Engine Control Unit (ECU) Talking about the throttle body we have to give you an explanation about it. The main part on the throttle body is the throttle plate, which is a butterfly valve that controls the Intel gases. The throttle plate is communicated by a site of wire. To move the throttle plate there is an electronic throttle control that connects the throttle linkages and the accelerator pedal to a senso r which take the signal to the Engine Control Unit (ECU), which calculate the angel and give the exact position of the plate depending on the inputs. We can say that this part is controlled partially by the driver when he press on it the throttle the plate or the butterfly valves will be opened and the angle is depending on the force you apply it the more force the largest angle and vice versa. The problem : Unintended acceleration is the main problem in Toyota’s case. Where you suddenly feel like your vehicle’s speed is increasing up without any order from you to increase, and according to some cases what was happen that if you press on the pedals to drive by 80 km speed you notice that the vehicle is move according to 120 km speed and that is the basic problem here.Most of t he people thought that this problem is because of two reasons. The first one that when you drive the vehicle and while you applying your force on the gas pedals it stuck and it can’t be return to its normal position so this lead to our big problem the unintended acceleration . The second reason that the gas pedals didn’t stuck, bu t it take more time to return to its normal position this also cause the unintended acceleration that happen to the vehicle.These two reasons cause a lot of accidents resulting with number of deaths and injuries Toyota documented this problem by recalling 4. 2 million vehicles to replace the floor mats that might impede the pedals and what they did about this point is reducing the length of the floor mat from the top of it so the pedal can return easily without any difficulty, beside 2. 4 million to install a shim behind the electrical pedals assembly to make it return to its normal position at the expected time.All the pedals that are used in Toyota’s vehicles were manufactured by Canadian supplier CTS. Toyota’s engineer thought that the problem is solved for these pedals that it take time to return â€Å" slow down â€Å" or maybe it’s sticking in the floor mat . The problem Contd. : By doing the biggest recall ever Toyota’s thought that this is the end of the problem, but unfortunately and according to the complaints of 24,000 customers received by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) from Toyota’s vehicles users about problems in their vehicles.The cases of deaths and injuri es is still recording , so Toyota has to do something with the system as a whole not only with the parts, and the NHTSA has eventually concluded that there was no mechanical problem !! It was not easy for Toyota to diagnose the real problem and it took long time to identify the issue they got confused if the issue is not about the two recalling or its about the system as whole or there is a problem about the electrical throttle concept. At the same time Mike Allen-senior automotive editor delves into modern car tech, explaining why widespread theories about electrical throttle problems and electromagnetic interference are misguided and he was making his own research about electromagnetic interference from devices. And he conclude that there is electrical devices in the cars contribute to the acceleration problem like : cell phones , navigators , TVs and cameras. The problem Contd. : According to this simple figure we will explain how Mike Allen proved his results about the electromagnetic inference and how it’s related to our case We will start with process backward. The electronic throttle represented by the Actuators and it’s any part in the vehicles that take the action and the throttle is controlled by the ECU â€Å" Engine Control Unit â€Å" which can be compared to the CPU function in our PCs , All the process that happen in the vehicles must pass through the ECU . Let’s start with the main point of the case when you press on the pedals. There is a sensor that converts your movement into an electrical signal. And when these signals interface with the external signals which are brought by the electrical devices the vehicles become out of control.It speeds up and this is cause the sudden acceleration even the breaks can’t react in this case. We can simply summarize this case as the heart attack. When you go to the hospital and you checked that everything is doing its work very well. You can’t recognize that there is any problem in your body and you can’t estimate when the heart attack will happen it happens suddenly. This is so related to Toyota’s case where the vehicles parts are is our organs and the heart attack is the unintended acceleration. It can be also summarized by the â€Å"Hackers â€Å". When you received a virus from external resource like flash memories and websites you can’t blame the PCs Company because it’s not their fault. Also we can’t blame Toyota because they can’t control this wide problem. Also people notice that this problem become obvious in the snowy weather, because as we know that the vehicle slides if the street is wet , so imagine what would happen if the way is snowy beside that the vehicle is out of control and it’s speeding up , That will lead for disaster for sure !!Why this happen with Toyota only ? 1- Some parts are manufactured by another company, so it differ from one to another like in our case the pedals was manucfaterd by Canadian supplier. 2- The sensitivity of the system â€Å"ECU â€Å"is differing from car to another. 3-This problem happen with more than automotive company , but the media focus on Toyota only because it is one of the successful companies in US and the middle east and the other comp anies like General motors and Ford motor took it as chance to shine ! What did TOYOTA do? Toyoda apologizes in tears Toyoda said that he wanted more than anyone else for Toyota to be safe. He said in English before they start answering questions through an interpreter: â€Å"My name is on every car. †, The Chairman of Toyota’s Akio Toyoda apology to the American Congress and the users of company cars in the United States for a bug in the pedals speed in some categories of Toyota, which have caused traffic accidents, and he conclude this investigation by saying â€Å"we will double the quality â€Å". †¢Recalling processNHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has received complaints from the customers who complain about the unintended acceleration of their TOYOTA’s vehicles, then Toyota asked NHTSA to help them in contacting with their customers. Toyota has recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide for problem related to sudden acceleration, which have been blamed for several accidents resulting in injuries and death . The automaker has repeatedly apologized for the lapses in quality control and TOYOTA technicians are working extended hours to repair the recalled vehicles, and the actual repair takes like 30 min. orks and TOYOTA will cover all costs associated with work. †¢Educating the public On the other hand Toyota focused on educating the users of Toyota vehicles about the problem itself , what to do if the customer face such a problem , what is the procedure that should be taken if the driver face this while he/she is driving , and a lot of information and details posted on their website. Also the concern about contacting with all the customers who has the vehicles that has this bug. What did TOYOTA do in U. A. E.?The Ministry of Economy appointed an officer to follow up on repairs and maintenance carried out by the company  «Al-Futtaim Motors » – Agents of Toyota company in UAE- to address the problem that might occur in these models of cars â€Å" Avalon â€Å" ; â€Å" Sequoia† which are more than 3200 cars during the period ranging from one month (24 February to 24 March ) The Code of Ethics of Toyota : â€Å"At Toyota, safety is a priority in everything we do – from the vehicles we put on the road to the people who drive them. That’s why we sponsor programs across the U.S . That encourage safety for drivers and passenger alike† Akio Toyoda According to this statement we drive the main ethical rule about our case, and Toyota’s case is the only case that was taken from the positive side †¢Obey the law. †¢ To be honest in word and deed. †¢ Respect the values of society. †¢ Being responsible. †¢ Perform their duties in accordance with the law †¢To have rules of conduct use of good governance and to avoid actions that could lead to conflict between the company and personal interests of society.Conclusion At the end, we can say that this problem is out of Toyota’s hand, although they do all what they can do in this case and they tried to limit this case as much as they can. It’s uncontrolled!! What would Toyota do if the guy next to you at a traffic light answered his cell phone? Or some ghost in the machine or a hacker caused a software glitch that made your car run away and the brakes suddenly fail? Toyota deserves a better deal than the media and Congress are giving it. How to cite Toyota’s Sudden Unintended Acceleration, Papers

Aseptic Techniques free essay sample

Aseptic techniques may be adopted in a number of environments including surgery, community and ward based nursing. There are many procedures which require asepsis such as inserting a catheter, suturing a wound (Aziz 2009) or inserting a vascular access device (NICE 2013). I will be looking at the use of aseptic techniques when dressing a wound in particular. Wounds can be divided into two categories, surgical and traumatic. Surgical wounds are produced and closed under controlled conditions intended to prevent the access of microbes, healing by primary intention. Traumatic wounds may be heavily contaminated with microorganisms and are left open to cleanse and heal by secondary intention (Ayliffe et al 1999). Wound dressings are carried out frequently on wards and in the community and can involve leg ulcers, pressure sores and less superficial wounds healing by primary intention. Wounds healing by secondary intention are left open to allow the free drainage of exudate and the formation of granulation tissue to fill the cavity (3M 2013). I will explain the importance of the techniques used, when it is required for them to be used and why it is relevant to contemporary nursing practice. I will discuss the risks associated with the techniques, how they should be performed with a range of opinions from evidence based practice including the rationale behind the technique. The aseptic ‘non-touch’ technique (ANTT) is based upon theoretical framework and best available evidence (ANTT 2011). It is adopted when attending to wounds which require aseptic conditions. The procedure is comprised of four points which focus around timing, equipment, the patient and the technique (Aziz 2009). Rowley (2010) describes aseptic non-touch technique as a method of changing a dressing without directly touching the wound. Ayliffe et al (2000) concludes; by ensuring that only sterile fluids or uncontaminated objects make contact with the wound, an aseptic field can be maintained by preventing the contamination of susceptible sites. Firstly the nurse must make the decision about which technique to adopt, this may be dependent on a number of factors. The location the procedure is being performed in may influence the nurse to choose one technique over the other. District and community nurses may choose the clean technique as it is believed that it is not always possible to achieve a completely aseptic field in a patients home. The longevity of the wound will also contribute to the decision to use the clean or aseptic technique. Chronic wounds may be treated as infected and therefore a clean procedure will be used however an acute short-term wound may be treated aseptically (Flores 2008). According to Aziz (2009) the technique is comprised of effective hand washing, maintaining an aseptic field and glove choice. A clean, flat surface is required to place sterile equipment on, this should be a dressing trolley on a ward. In a patients home it may be a chair, table or even the floor. A ‘wound dressing’ kit is made up by the nurse and should have a sterile dressing pack, the appropriate dressing, bandages, scissors, hypo-allergenic tape and syringes for irrigation. It should also contain personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, an apron and also alcohol hand rub. A solution for cleaning or irrigation which may consist of sodium chloride (normal saline), sterile water or an antiseptic solution should be included depending on the type of wound and method chosen for cleansing (Pegram and Bloomfield 2010). The procedure involves creating a sterile environment, removing the old dressing or cleansing the wound and area surrounding it. Depending on the type of wound this may include debridement, swabbing or using fluids to remove debris and necrotic tissue. Some patients may even prefer to shower their wounds with tap water. This should be discussed with the nurse as a preferred and more suitable method for irrigation, as swabbing may damage fragile granulation tissue (Briggs 2008) as cited by Griffiths et al (2001). Once the wound has been cleansed a new dressing appropriate for the type of wound should be applied as quickly as possible to minimise airborne contamination (Pegram and Bloomfield 2010). All equipment used in the procedure should be put in the waste bag provided and disposed of in an appropriate bin. The ANTT may be used by nurses when they are cleansing wounds or changing dressings. Wounds healing by primary or secondary intention should be approached in the same manner whether the wound is open or closed ensuring asepsis throughout. A solution that is non-toxic to the tissue is used to remove debris, wound exudates and metabolic wastes, these processes are used to cleanse the wound and help to promote wound healing (Briggs 2008). The ANTT should be adopted when attending to surgical site wounds, pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, leg ulcers and less superficial wounds such as skin tears and scrapes where the integrity of the skin has been breached or compromised and no longer provides an effective barrier to microorganisms. Aseptic technique skills are relevant to contemporary nursing practice as they limit the spread of contamination from infected wounds to other parts of the body or to healthcare staff. Methods such as debridement and cleansing with tap water or normal saline help to remove metabolic wastes, slough and dead skin cells. However Briggs (2008) explains that there is no research to support or refute swabbing or scrubbing wounds to cleanse them. Applying the correct dressing such as an interactive dressing promotes the wound healing process by creating and maintaining a moist, warm environment ideal for the growth of microorganisms (NICE 2013). This environment is also favourable to microorganisms which are pathogenic, which is why maintaining an aseptic field is vital to prevent contamination of a patients wound. In order to stay relevant the original ANTT guidelines have changed slightly in keeping with a reduction in healthcare costs and time spent on individual patient care. Forceps were once used to remove dressings however this required sterilization of equipment prolonging the procedure. The modern day technique encourages using the hand placed in the sterile waste bag to remove dressings, this reduces the time taken performing the technique and the need for unnecessary cleaning of equipment. A breach in skin integrity such as a wound reduces the skins protective mechanisms, due to a reduction in the body’s defences the patient is more vulnerable to acquiring a healthcare associated infection (HAI) (PRACTICE NURSE 2003). The (hand in hand 2008) DVD recorded that 9% of the UK population have suffered from a HAI. HAIs account for more than 5000 deaths annually at a cost of ? 1 billion to the NHS (AZIZ 2009). Due to the increasing risk factors patient safety should be of the highest importance when performing the aseptic technique (Preston 2005). Aziz (2009) has a similar opinion in that all healthcare workers should exercise universal infection control precautions whether the risk is known or unknown in order to protect themselves and their patients from the transmission of nfection. Before, throughout and after the procedure has been performed risks should be taken into account and the appropriate tools to recognise, monitor and manage a risk should be used (Flores 2007). Hand hygiene, aseptic techniques and use of PPE are risk elements identified by the DoH (2006). The necessary education, training and assessment should be provided to all healthcare workers performing the procedure, so that their tec hnique is kept up to date and relevant. (Unsworth 2011). In addition audits and review tools could be used to monitor and improve the quality of infection prevention and control when performing aseptic techniques. Nurses’ are required to keep their knowledge and skills up to date (NMC 2008) and should adhere to risk assessment protocols, including audits and attending updates on developments in healthcare practice (Preston 2005). By completing these checks the nurse is aiming to eliminate the risk of infection in the procedure. It is difficult for nurses in practice to perceive the relationship between contamination, colonization and infection (Preston 2005) when the threat cannot be seen. Meers et al 2001) conclude that it is not known at which point open wounds, which have been colonized by the patients own microbial flora become infected. This reiterates the need for aseptic conditions as wounds have the potential to be infected by multi-resistant hospital strains of bacteria (Meers et al 2001). Health and safety risks can be lim ited by getting to know your patient. The success of the procedure may depend on the cooperation of the patient, this may prove difficult if the patient lacks mental capacity or has a learning disability. Depending on the environment, type and location of the wound it is the nurse’s responsibility in deciding which technique to use. In some community settings such as a client’s home it may only be possible to achieve a clean field rather than an aseptic field. Hallett (2009) has shown this is often the case, in his research nurses have highlighted the difficulties of maintaining control over an aseptic procedure due to the unpredictable nature of the environment. The technique is reliant on the nurse carrying out effective hand washing before, after and each time they believe their hands to be contaminated. The World Health Organisation recommend using the ‘5 moments for hand hygiene’ approach when providing patient care. This involves washing the hands before patient contact, before an aseptic task and after body fluid exposure. Hands must be cleaned each time after touching a patient or any items in their immediate surroundings (WHO 2009). This approach may not always be possible in community settings and in this instance alcohol hand rubs should be used. Personal protective equipment must be worn in the form of disposable gloves and an apron. The dressing can be removed by placing the hand inside the waste bag which comes in the sterile pack. Some guides will recommend washing the hands again however there is no research evidence to support this. Alcohol hand gel should be used at this point before donning sterile gloves, assessing, cleansing and dressing the wound. PPE should then be removed and discarded along with the sterile dressing pack followed by washing the hands (Preston 2009). Before starting the procedure it is important to gain consent from the client and ensure they understand what is going to happen. It is the nurse’s responsibility to minimise pain and promote the general wellbeing of people in their care (NMC 2008). Through communicating with the patient the nurse can ascertain whether any pain relief will be required. This is an important factor as having a painful wound can be disabling and interfere with self-care, sleep and can cause anxiety and depression (Benbow 2009). Throughout the procedure it is also important to inform the patient and involve them in the process, this can help to alleviate any anxiety (Pegram and Bloomfield 2010). In some situations there may be barriers to providing the best possible care, for example a client may have a learning disability, mental health problem or cognitive impairment. Age and gender may be an issue when attending to patients’ wounds. For example a female patient may not wish for a male nurse to attend to a wound that is situated in a sensitive location that may be embarrassing to them. It is always important to consider actions that may compromise a patient’s dignity and to respect their choices. Younger clients including children and infants may not understand the procedure and therefore are uncooperative. It is imperative the nurse has the permission and cooperation of the parent or guardian. There may be a language barrier if English is not the patient’s first language, in this case it is the nurses responsibility to act in the best interest of the patient. This may mean using an interpreter or asking a family member or friend who speaks English to translate for the nurse so that the patient understands and is comfortable with the procedure. In extreme circumstances a patient may have an adverse reaction or sensitivity o part of the equipment required for the technique such as the gloves, saline or type of dressing. It is helpful to be aware of this, check patients past medical history and use alternative products which have been authorized by infection prevention and control. Furthermore when adhering to patients with mental health problems it is sensible to have another responsible adult present who recognises their needs. A third party such as a carer, nurse or family membe r will be able to account for the nurses actions and provide evidence that they attempted to provide the best possible care for that patient. Legislation is vital in the nursing profession, the correct documentation will protect the nurse if there are any problems and hold the correct person responsible, providing it is completed correctly. On a ward a patient will have a wound care plan in which the nurses’ will document the type of care they have provided and the type of dressing they have applied, it is a similar format in the community. This ensures that there is a record of what care has been given, why and who performed it. In addition location, size and depth may prove difficult when dressing a wound. For example a client with a pressure sore on their sacrum will need to be on their side for most of the procedure, this may require another nurse or healthcare worker depending on the cognitive ability, cooperation and mental capacity of the patient. The Aseptic technique is relevant to contemporary nursing practice as it provides a framework for maintaining an aseptic field when attending to wound care. It aims to protect patients and other healthcare workers from healthcare associated infections and to prevent the transmission of microorganisms to wounds (Preston 2005). Aziz 2009) argues the technique needs to be given a higher priority as we cannot physically see the problem and some nurses become complacent with infection control due to this fact (Preston 2005). Despite the ANTT being implemented across NHS trusts to standardize the procedure, there is still little evidence to suggest that the aseptic technique is more beneficial than the clean technique (Aziz 2009). With regards to hand washing it is widely recommended that hands must be decontaminated before and after direct contact with a patient which could result in the hands becoming contaminated (Pratt et al 2007). However this does not always occur as it should. Hanna et al (2009) established that compliance with hand washing guidelines decreased as workload and stress increased. Hanna et al (2009) and Aziz (2009) agree that the healthcare workers perception of risk of infection and their own susceptibility play a part in adhering to effective and regular hand washing. The use of sterile or non-sterile gloves are part of standard universal precautions and hands should be washed before and after donning gloves as they cannot always provide complete protection against hand decontamination (Flores 2007). In conclusion the aseptic technique is relevant and beneficial to contemporary nursing practice however in some circumstances it may not always be possible to achieve an aseptic environment and in this case the ‘clean’ technique should be adopted. It is widely agreed that the aseptic technique has become incorporated into nursing ritual and is often based more on tradition than on rational reason or research evidence (Wilson 2006). With regards to wound care the clean technique could be adopted in many circumstances, particularly with chronic wounds such as leg ulcers (Unsworth 2011). The only difference between the two procedures is the use of clean rather than sterile gloves. In my opinion there is much uncertainty about when exactly the aseptic technique should be used. There needs to be more research from evidence based practice to support the procedure especially in community settings, due to the increase in developing out-of hospital care based in patients’ homes (Unsworth 2011).