Archive for May, 2011

May 27th, 2011

Displaying a Menu

When you enter a restaurant you are instantly presented with a concept or theme, whether it is obvious or subtle. Everything from the sign to the interior design to the music being played, or the absence of music, combine to create an overall experience that supersedes and hopefully accentuates the food that you will be eating.

Think of how you experience the menu of a given restaurant. If it is a fast or fast casual restaurant or perhaps a coffee shop, you will stand in line and peruse a menu that is mounted on the wall or suspended from the ceiling. It may be hand written on a blackboard, displayed on a lighted box or appear on tastefully design posters. Each of these creates a different ambiance, as does the script and colors used as well as the words and pictures that are chosen to describe the food.

In a sit down restaurant you will be handed a menu at your table or booth. Some restaurants will use menu covers that may be made of plastic, vinyl or leather. They may hand you a simple menu that is printed daily to reflect changing specials. A waiter may even recite the day’s menu to you or, in the case of dim sum or dessert, show you the actual food that you can choose from. Again, each type of menu informs and enhances your dining experience. You get a feel for the concept behind the restaurant and the attention and care being put into every aspect of the food, service, and presentation.

May 15th, 2011

Vocational Nursing Careers

Nursing is one of the growth industries of the new millennium. This is in part due to the aging of the American population and partly a result of the growth of the overall population. More people means an increased need for health care which means more students enrolling in LVN schools .

Licensed Vocation Nurses serve an important role in the health care profession. They work closely with Registered Nurses and physicians in patient care. This includes conducting basic assessments and being involved in the planning and implementation of patient care. That means that they are present during intake, recoring patient histories and checking vital signs as well as providing actual care such as assisting with procedures and administering medications. This requires students to be grounded in medical subjects such as pharmacology, physiology, and anatomy as well as techniques of nursing care ranging from preventative to therapeutic to rehabilitative practices. They should also master the administrative, legal, and ethical aspects of nursing.

A growing number of LVNs are finding jobs in long term care facilities. This includes rehabilitation hospitals as well as assisted living centers and nursing homes. Others work in hospitals and clinics or as part of a private medical practice. Some serve as school nurses while others find fulfilling positions offering in home patient care through hospice agencies and other organizations. Another group of nurses are employed by government and community agencies.