Museo de la muñeca del Dr. E: Feliz Navidad!!

Museo de la muñeca del Dr. E: Feliz Navidad!!: Antique Doll Collector Magazine

Blog Post: Supply Chain Management Nightmare by RaShawn Moss

Blog Post: Supply Chain Management Nightmare

      Whenever I mention that my college major is Global Supply Chain Management, I find myself always having to explain what it is and its role in the world of commerce. I try to sound prideful when I tell them that it “is the art of providing the right product, at the right time, right place, and for the right cost to the customer”. Usually, there is a brief silence followed up with “that sounds boring but probably pays well”. Before I found this article, I would have agreed. The article I have chosen to write about is “The Cargo Theft Threat” by author Jared S. Palmer http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/the-cargo-theft-threat/.

      In the article, the author talks about how cargo is strategically stolen by violent gangs, crime syndicates, and possibly terrorist groups. The author also discusses how the thieves find out about loads, where are they targeted, and how to transport them internationally. These operations are very complexed and well organized. They even produce false government documents like a Bill of Laden to get through customs. Majority of readers may not realize how increasingly serious this issue has become internationally. $30 billion in cargo is stolen annually in the United States alone (Palmer). Just imagine how this effects our economy. As a consumer, we may pay a little extra for a certain product due to the retailer having to recoup money spent to have a replacement shipment sent by a second trucking company. Then there is a ripple affect where the retailer loses the customer, the trucking company loses the retailer’s business, and the insurance company charges the trucking company a higher premium because they are now considered high risk. Looking back at the original “Fast N Furious” film, some would probably agree that most fans were rooting for the wrong team. Where is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson when you need him? It is not likely that he would show up and save the day in the very much overexaggerated but entertaining way that he does. However, we do rely on the National Cargo Theft Task Force (NCTIF). The NCTIF is a combination of various organizations such as trucking companies, insurance providers, and law enforcement that work together to find solutions to this growing problem (Palmer). For more information about the NCTTF, go to www.nationalcargothefttaskforce.org.

      A list of proposed actions that could be used to prevent theft, is also given in the article. For example, providing additional screening and training would help employees recognize internal threats as well as external.  Applying additional locks and GPS will discourage some thieves from making attempts. Most importantly, the author states that companies need to report incident. Some companies do not report thefts because they prefer to avoid the negative perception that may come with it. Waiting to respond increases the chance that goods are not recovered.

   The cargo theft epidemic has been a problem for many years. The number of cargo thefts will continue to grow so long as the worldwide economic crisis continues to grow. Demand and increased prices determine what cargo thieves target. As more companies become more pro-active and report more thefts, the NCTTF will be able to keep record of the incident and the cost. This info is given to the government who decides to give more funding and create stricter laws. Until then, cargo theft will continue to be a Global Supply Chain Management nightmare.

    

     

Blog Post on Nurse Burnout by Maeghen Erick

 . The article that I chose is “Why Good Nurses Leave the Profession” by Nachole Johnson on May 6, 2015. I chose this article because I am a CNA. I have worked in the medical field as a CNA for 10 years. When I first became a CNA, I wanted to go to school and get my degree in nursing. That was 10 years ago. Now when people ask me if I am going to school for nursing I laugh and tell them that you couldn’t pay me enough to be a nurse. I tell them that I don’t want to end up crazy. But there are a lot more reasons why nurses leave the profession.

Poor Management: This is one of the biggest issues nurses have with their bosses. Nurses feel that management doesn’t listen to anything that they have to say. They feel that management is not supportive of them. They feel like management favors one shift over the other. Well I for a fact that lots of people feel this way. There could be many different reasons that management acts the way that they do. But you will never know those reasons unless you are a manager or you find out for sure from a manager.

Lack of Advancement  Without a Degree: After going into the profession, many nurses find out that you are not able to move up the corporate ladder without an additional degree. Then there is the time away from work just to get that other degree. But when you get that degree, you will feel accomplished. You will then have what you need to move up the ladder.

Underpayment: Nurses work anywhere from 4 to 16 hour shifts. From 3 to 6 days a week. They work holidays and weekends. They sacrifice vacations and family events. Nurses always are picking up overtime to meet the needs of the patients. It’s no wonder nurses feel like they are over worked and under payed.

Too Many Tasks:  Nurses do a lot. They administer meds, take vitals, and do assessments. They also have to help the patients with dressing, bathing, and going to the bathroom. They can have anywhere from 4 to 14 patients. It’s all very time consuming. With multiple call lights going off and patients needing things all at the same time, nurses are getting stressed out fast. Nurses doing too many tasks at once are feeling burned out and the turnover rate is a lot higher.

Short Staffing: Bold subheadings and use a colon, but I think these are effective.  This is the greatest concern for nursing. So instead of the patient to nurse ratio being 4:1, it ends up being 14:1. Multitasking is what nurses do. But it is hard to do when you have too many patients. One call in or a person quitting throws the whole shift off to a bad day for whoever is working. Then nurses are eventually tired of working short and will then quit as well.

To Stay or Go? That really is the major question. It all comes down to whether you love your profession enough to put up with all the issues that come along with it. There is always going to be another profession for you to fall back on. But will it pay the same as nursing? Do you get your degree and try to move up the corporate ladder? These are all questions that you need to answer before you stay or go.

References

Miss Charlotte Bronte meets Miss Barbara Pym: Happy Birthday, Emily Dickinson! 186th!

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