1. Introduction

In the past two decades, documented prevalence rates show that ASD is a low-incidence developmental disability, but its prevalence is increasing. From an estimated prevalence of 0.5-2 per 1,000 children in 2002, rates have increased to about 1 per 68. This has made ASD one of the fastest-growing disability categories. ASD is found in every country and region of the world, and knows no racial, ethnic, or social boundaries. In the United States, it is estimated that over two million individuals have some form of autism (PDDs, Asperger’s, Rett’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder). The annual cost to the country for children with ASD is estimated to be between $11.5 billion – $60.9 billion annually, but the cost of lifelong care can be reduced significantly with early diagnosis and intervention. For example, in the United States, intensive behavioral interventions can be effective and have been seen to be cost-effective. Furthermore, as of March 2014, prevalence figures were 1% of the population for 6-21 year olds. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 14.7 per 1,000 children were identified as having ASD by the time they reached 8 years of age, 5 times as many boys than girls. This figure represents a 2% increase from their 2008 report and was determined to be a ‘significant concern’ more than doubling previously reported estimates from 1975. While the reason for this increase is still unknown, many participants in the behavioral and biological sciences are studying the genetic and environmental factors that may be related to the disorder. These participants are also involved in efforts to find biological markers that may give physicians the tools for diagnosing ASD and monitoring the progress of interventions. The most exciting recent development has seen the endorsement and use of early intervention by the AAP such as applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and similar therapies. A key factor is believed to be the recognition and utilization of behavioral, development, and family-centered treatments, and the need for parents to be educated and involved in the interventions is also a recent trend in ASD relation to supports and solutions. Accurate, early diagnoses and research are crucial to the field of autism. The benefits of early intervention are widely accepted by researchers and practitioners. Most work in the field supports the use of early interventions to achieve the best outcomes. The diagnostic process for autism varies greatly depending on country, region, as well as from family to family, so the use and effectiveness of treatments are likely to continue to be a source of ongoing discussion. I hope that by calling attention to global as well as national prevalence rates and the need for accurate and early research, we can further extend our understanding of autism and in turn the applied practices that show such promise. The first step is to recognize and support the evidence that exists. Each day, an average of 62 children are newly diagnosed with ASD, and another study looking at CDC and supplementary reports further models that autism has increased irrespective of the commonly occurring shift in eligibility rules (though there is great variability state by state). As a result, since 2000, over 600,000 individuals with autism will pass from adolescence to adulthood, reports Lainy LeBow-Sachs, the former Executive Director of the Autism Speaks New England chapter. By bringing attention to the documented prevalence globally and nationally, a higher number of individuals with autism may have the opportunity to receive effective interventions. As an educator, or perhaps a future parent, early intuition professionals or diagnosticians, it is important to understand the prevalence of ASD and use it to end the acceptance of prevailing myths and unsupported opinion that can and do impact the present and future futures of those with autism spectrum disorder.

1.1. Definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

I would now like to take this opportunity to provide a concise, clear and formal definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and refer to some statistical facts to support it. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), “Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a group of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterized by repetitive and characteristic patterns of behavior and difficulties with social communication and interaction. The symptoms are present from early childhood and affect daily functioning.” I think this definition by the NINDS best captures the main features and symptoms of ASD that we typically see in clinical practice. Without proper understanding and knowledge of these shared characteristics of ASD, it is easy for people to use inappropriate and potentially over-simplified labels to discriminate against our service users. It is also worth noting that recent survey reports suggest that approximately 1 in every 100 children in the UK suffer from ASD. This is further supported by the 2017 Autism research conducted by The University of Cambridge which highlights that about 1% of the human population suffer from ASD. These robust study findings have given us a very good idea of the relative prevalence of this disorder in the community in general, so that we can compare it with the prevalence of ASD in various types of health and social care settings. Why is comparing these two prevalence rates important? Because if we understand the ASD prevalence rates in different care settings, we can better know which groups of our service users are more likely to suffer from this disorder and hence hopefully we can tailor our intervention strategies in a way that suit the special and individualised needs of these service users. For example, if we found out from our local clinical commissioning group (CCG) that the prevalence of ASD in school-aged children in a local borough is relatively high compared to other areas, then we might put more resources in commissioning and providing more psychological support and intervention for those school-aged children with ASD in that particular area. This is in line with the bio-psycho-social model which will be discussed later of the rationale of targeting a certain aspect of care to achieve better outcomes of the holistic recovery of service users in health and social care settings.

1.2. Prevalence of ASD in Children

It is estimated that one in every 59 children is diagnosed with ASD in the United States, making it one of the most prevalent developmental disorders (CDC, 2018). Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than girls. The disorder affects children of all races and nationalities, although white children are more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than other ethnic groups. ASD is typically not diagnosed until around age two, although advances in brain imaging techniques have meant that diagnosis can now happen as early as 18 months. Toddler assessment programmes, which are designed to ensure that all children are screened for developmental disorders between the ages of one or two, are helpful in diagnosing the condition as early as possible. Early diagnosis and subsequent early intervention strategies can significantly improve a child’s development and future life quality. Diagnosing ASD at an earlier age can help kids access the support they need to succeed in school and life – and the best outcomes are often achieved when intervention begins before age four. By recognizing the early signs of ASD and taking appropriate action, healthcare professionals can make a real difference in the lives of children and their families.

2. Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder

2.1. Characteristics and Symptoms of ASD

2.2. Different Types of ASD

3. Challenges Faced by Families of Children with ASD

3.1. Emotional Impact on Families

3.2. Financial and Social Challenges

3.3. Educational and Support Services

4. Importance of Nurses in Supporting Families

4.1. Role of Nurses in ASD Care

4.2. Collaboration with Other Healthcare Professionals

5. Strategies for Nurses to Support Families

5.1. Building Trust and Establishing Rapport

5.2. Providing Emotional Support and Counseling

5.3. Educating Families about ASD

6. Enhancing Communication and Advocacy

6.1. Effective Communication Techniques

6.2. Advocating for Families’ Needs and Rights

7. Promoting Positive Parenting and Coping Strategies

7.1. Parenting Techniques for Children with ASD

7.2. Stress Management and Self-Care for Parents

8. Collaborating with Schools and Community Resources

8.1. Working with Schools to Support Children with ASD

8.2. Connecting Families with Community Support Services

9. Addressing Specific Challenges in ASD Care

9.1. Managing Challenging Behaviors

9.2. Supporting Children with Sensory Sensitivities

10. Transitioning to Adulthood and Independence

10.1. Planning for Transition Services

10.2. Supporting Families during the Transition Period

11. Cultural Considerations in ASD Care

11.1. Understanding Cultural Beliefs and Practices

11.2. Providing Culturally Sensitive Care

12. Conclusion

1. Introduction

The term “resilience” can be very vague and broad, and evaluating it in a supply chain context needs systematic analytics and indicators. By boiling down the performance of a resilient supply chain, we can have profit-centric measures, customer-centric measures, and internal efficiency measures, which categorize three dimensions of resilience: robustness, agility, and responsiveness. Robustness measures how well the supply chain can handle and resist changes of state, for example, disruptions in the operation of the supply chain. Agility measures how well the supply chain allows for rerouting of resources, for example, being able to switch suppliers in response to changes in the manufacturing plan. Responsiveness measures how quickly the supply chain can return to a steady operational state given an external disturbance. Each of the measures can define different elements and types of resilience, and it will all depend on the perspective of the company’s operation.Whilst different literature seems to provide different definitions and metrics for supply chain resilience, they will all revolve around the same idea, which is the ability of a supply chain to return to a desired level of performance after it has been disrupted by an unexpected event. When supply chain disruptions carry more severe consequences such as damages to revenue, loss of market share, or companies’ reputational damages, the ability to recover and the speed of recovery are crucial. Hence, the concept of resilience involves not only the capability to absorb temporary damages but also the ability to reconfigure and recover so that the supply chain will sustain and thrive in the long run.An integral part of the logistics industry is managing the movement of goods throughout the entire world, or global supply chains. The importance of these global supply chains in today’s society requires them to be efficient and effective, but in many of the popular supply chains today, this is not necessarily the case. Given the advent and ongoing spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting severe regional and international shutdowns and restrictions, as well as the increased emphasis on environmental protection and social responsibility, the notion of resilience in global supply chains is becoming ever so crucial and important.

1.1. Overview of global supply chains

It is almost impossible to think of a final product that does not involve global supply chains at some point of its manufacturing process. Global supply chains refer to the production and distribution of goods, starting from raw materials all the way to the final product, in a way that adds the most value at every stage and serves the end customer most effectively. In recent years, as companies strive to become more efficient in meeting customer needs, global supply chains have become a major area of emphasis. For instance, there are more and more degree programs offering specialization in global supply chains, due to the increasing demand for people who could make good strategic decisions and manage the flow of materials in a cost-effective manner along the supply chain. With the continuous advance in technology and globalization, the scope and complexity of global supply chains will only become larger and more intricate. For example, the development of the internet and information technology has been used to ‘shrink’ the supply chains, because now companies are gradually building competitive edges by offering customers what they want, how they want it, at the lowest price and in the fastest time possible. On the other hand, globalization should imply longer supply chains because of the involvement of more and more countries, from suppliers of raw materials, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers to end consumers. With the emergence of new markets, especially in the developing world, we could expect to see even more complex supply chains in the future. The significance of global supply chains could also be evidenced by the amount of managerial attention and capital investment that it has been receiving. Which of course makes sense – a lot of your cash can be tied up along the chain! And also, by managing it effectively, a company could improve the balance between revenue and costs. Ergo, a comprehensive understanding of global supply chains will be beneficial to professionals in so many different ways. However, as pointed out by Monczka and Morgan, no matter what your company strategy is, effectively managing supply chains could make the difference between success and failure. In the upcoming sections, which might be beneficial for the reader to know where the potential issues are and how a particular supply chain could be improved, we will discuss the challenges faced by global supply chains and how these challenges can be confronted.

1.2. Importance of resilient supply chains

It’s not good enough to have a standard level of resilience measures in place; best practice would be to have regular testing and assessment of the vulnerabilities of a system, security experts say. This approach, known as ‘stress-testing’, is where the chain is put under the pressure and scrutiny of a simulated disruption event so that issues can be ironed out, before it’s too late. Specialist insurance product can help to implement this ‘stress-test’ regimen, and paints a useful picture of how the capabilities and considerations of stakeholders within the chain can vary.Resilience, essentially, is the ability of a supply chain to anticipate, adapt to and/or recover from an external hazard. These hazards can include natural disasters, such as earthquakes or hurricanes, but also human-centric dangers, like terrorism or theft. This means that there is a broad range of issues that can create a disruption. Resilience will differ from supply chain to supply chain and, indeed, for a single supply chain over time. It will need to be adapted to consider both dynamic and evolving sources of disruption and also physical changes to the chain itself.Resilient supply chains are critical to the success of businesses and the economies in which they operate. It is not simply a case of providing a buffer against disruption; it is about providing a competitive advantage that can drive economic growth. These are the words of the UK’s Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), highlighting the importance of resilience in the wake of global disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic or large-scale cyber-attacks. CIPS is a not-for-profit organisation that provides training to professionals working on supply chain management.

2. Current Challenges in Global Supply Chains

2.1. Disruptions in supply chains

2.2. Shortages of essential goods

2.3. Logistical bottlenecks

3. Root Causes of Challenges

3.1. Impact of pandemics on supply chains

3.2. Geopolitical tensions and their effects

3.3. Reliance on single-source suppliers

4. Strengthening Supply Chains

4.1. Importance of resilience in supply chains

4.2. Diversification as a strategy

4.3. Near-shoring and its benefits

4.4. Technology adoption for supply chain optimization

5. Proposed Solutions

5.1. Enhancing supply chain visibility

5.2. Strengthening supplier relationships

5.3. Investing in risk management strategies

5.4. Collaborative approaches in supply chain management

6. Conclusion

1. Introduction

Lastly, a broad definition of critical care outreach is given as, in practice, it has become an important method for intervention. This is followed by the competencies and standards, highlighting specifically the need for life support courses as outlined in the guidelines. The guidelines emphasize the uniqueness and importance of critical care nurses and demand a high standard and ongoing development of professional expertise, and this is reflected right the way through the essay.Subsequently, the focus is shifted from the patient onto the broader working team within the critical care setting. The essay reiterates the fact that within critical care, effective interdisciplinary communication skills are learned because a number of multidisciplinary teams contribute to the care of patients. In addition, the key national policies that highlight the central nature of communication and the commitment to person-centered care.After that, the essay will present the patient as the central focus in critical care and deliberate upon patient-centered care and the different components to this. From hydration to the environment, each element that creates a holistic approach to well-being is considered. Next, the importance of prevention and health protection is explored in how to ‘allow for guiding and coaching in the delivery of nursing care’. Also, strategies like the WHO surgical safety checklist are discussed. However, in practice, it is recognized that effective managerial and leadership skills are also essential in the delivery of healthcare.Critical care is defined as the direct delivery by a physician of medical care for a life-threatening condition, injury, or impairment and provide continual life support for organ system failure. Thankfully, these technical skills are a required minimum standard. However, in practice, this is just the starting point. The first section of the essay will delve into competence, underpinning a lot of the skills from this essay, as well as self-management and accountability. Critical care nurses could need to demonstrate critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, time management, and the ability to multitask, all of which are covered in this section.Most critically ill patients are cared for in high acuity, fast-paced environments by a highly specialized team. Although each member’s professional role differs, a common goal of optimum patient-centered care is aimed for. In order for this to be achieved, the “Core Competencies for Nurses in Critical Care Settings” have been developed. These guidelines set out the essential skills and knowledge that a nurse working in critical care should have. This essay will explore and justify the relevance of these guidelines.

1.1. Importance of Core Competencies

In addition to explaining specific competencies that are necessary for nursing in critical care, the article will also support the range of skills necessary to properly navigate emergency and high-intensity nursing. These skills include technical skill, critical thinking, and emotional and mental well-being. Next, the article will introduce and explain the core competencies for nursing in critical care. These competency areas include technical skills, critical thinking and decision making, communication and collaboration, emotional resilience and coping, leadership and advocacy, and continuous learning and professional development, according to the article. This section explores the importance of these competencies in general and to a successful career in critical care. Finally, the article will discuss how the competencies are used in emergency nursing. It will explain that using these competencies, nurses are able to provide the high-intensity, high-quality patient care that is required in critical care. The article will also describe how these competencies are used by emergency nurses, and why those competencies make a successful emergency nurse. Specifically, the focus will be on accuracy but also speed and the ability to adjust to unpredictable and dynamic environments. So, the topic to be researched is “Core Competencies for Nursing in Critical Care Settings”. Because the article provides a comprehensive overview of the competency requirements as well as how they must be utilized in a high-intensity medical field, the article would be appropriate for a nursing or medical journal.

1.2. Definition of Critical Care

Critical care is provided for patients with life-threatening illnesses and injuries, which often require invasive medical interventions and constant monitoring by a team of specially trained health professionals. It requires close, constant attention by a team of specially trained health professionals and can take place in a variety of settings such as in emergency departments, in the intensive care unit, at the site of an emergency, or during the transportation between hospitals. There are two levels of care: intensive care and critical care. In general, “intensive care” refers to the level of care provided to patients who are critically ill or injured and who require intensive monitoring and care, usually in a specially designed area of a hospital called the intensive care unit. “Critical care” refers to the care provided to patients with life-threatening medical conditions which require sophisticated organ support and invasive monitoring. The key aspect of critical care is that the care is being delivered by a specially trained team, and the patient’s conditions are going to be, or may become, life-threatening at any minute. The intensity and complexity of critical care has increased, and many patients in critical care units require comprehensive assessments and the need for organ support, resulting in more critically ill patients and an increase in patient acuity. Therefore, it is very important to constantly progress and improve the education and training of the staff, the establishment and maintenance of quality assurance processes, and the continuous advancement of the equipment and facilities available. Critical care aims not only to provide a standard of care for the patient that cannot be provided in any other area of the hospital but also to ensure that standard is being improved and developed by the staff and the service on a daily basis. Users of the critical care services are generally unable to express their gratitude for the care provided because they are too ill, sedated and ventilated, or sometimes may have lost their capacity to appreciate the care given due to a profound injury or illness of the brain. As a result, it is important that the critical care staff develops the skills and attitudes which promote a close and trusting relationship with the patients’ families and help to allay their distress and fears.

2. Technical Skills

2.1. Proficiency in Operating Medical Equipment

2.2. Ability to Monitor Vital Signs

2.3. Competence in Administering Medications

2.4. Skill in Performing Emergency Procedures

3. Critical Thinking and Decision Making

3.1. Analyzing Complex Patient Cases

3.2. Prioritizing Patient Care

3.3. Making Rapid and Accurate Assessments

3.4. Adapting to Changing Situations

4. Communication and Collaboration

4.1. Effective Interdisciplinary Communication

4.2. Collaborating with Multidisciplinary Teams

4.3. Providing Clear and Concise Patient Updates

4.4. Communicating with Patients and Families

5. Emotional Resilience and Coping Skills

5.1. Managing Stressful and Traumatic Situations

5.2. Maintaining Emotional Stability

5.3. Practicing Self-Care and Work-Life Balance

6. Leadership and Advocacy

6.1. Taking Charge in Critical Situations

6.2. Advocating for Patient Safety and Rights

6.3. Mentoring and Guiding Junior Staff

7. Continuous Learning and Professional Development

7.1. Staying Updated on Evidence-Based Practices

7.2. Pursuing Advanced Certifications and Education

7.3. Participating in Continuing Education Programs

7.4. Engaging in Research and Quality Improvement