Child’s learning and development

Identifying the beliefs of Children ‘s Learning, Development, and the Social Influences that shaped them.A kid ‘s acquisition and development Begins from the minute they are born, the early old ages from birth to five are an of import milepost in a individual ‘s life, what a kid experiences in the early old ages has a major impact on their hereafter opportunities in life. A safe, secure and happy childhood is of import in its ain right. We can determine a kid ‘s acquisition from an early age, kids learn through experience and grownup engagement, hence interaction with babes and immature kids is basically of import, it helps to construct thoughts, creates believing and helps them develop as scholars. Babies are born with an involvement in people and a thrust to happen out about their universe. Detecting and measuring babes and immature kids is an of import footing in their acquisition and development. ‘Watching kids learn can open our eyes to the capacity of how they learn ‘ ( Pugh, 2001, p. 66 ) , and this shows us the importance of these first few old ages in a kid ‘s life. Over the decennary ‘s early instruction, policies and patterns have seen important alterations. We still use many of the earlier theories and methods through the Early Years Foundation Stage ( EYFS ) in our early instruction scenes today. The EYFS is portion of a 10 twelvemonth Childcare Strategy introduced in 2008, it relates to the Childcare Act 2006, and its purpose is to give immature kids the best start in life, it sets criterions to enable early twelvemonth ‘s suppliers to implement the rich and personalised experience many parents give their kids at place. It provides legal demands associating to larning, development, appraisals and public assistance. The EYFS rules which guide all practicians consists of four subjects ; a Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments, Learning And Development. It implies that all kids from birth to five will get the same accomplishments and cognition in readying for school while at the same clip recognizing that all kids are persons that require single acquisition schemes. The building of early instruction and attention of kids and immature people dates back many old ages, every bit early as the seventeenth century. Friedrich Froebel a major theoretician was born in 1782 in Thuringia what is now Germany and was good known for stating â€Å"play is a kid ‘s work† , he formulated the thought of kindergarten intending ‘children ‘s garden ‘ as a agency of educating immature kids. Play and the out-of-door environment were of import in Froebelian kindergartens. His attack emphasized that kids are able to develop their capacity for larning through drama, and that active acquisition is indispensable with counsel and appropriate way. He believed that preparation of workers within the early old ages was indispensable, and the importance of parents as spouses in the instruction of immature kids. The influence of Froebel‘s methods are good established in early old ages scenes to day of the month, his work was one of the theories that made the footing of early instruction. Many recent theoreticians based their work on these early findings, and state, he was in front of his clip as one of the EYFS subjects and committednesss, of today provinces active acquisition. Active larning it is implemented through the acquisition and development rule of the EYFS, it provides physical and mental engagement, decision-making and individualized acquisition, and it occurs when kids are acute to larn and are interested in happening things out for themselves. Play is a dynamic procedure that develops and alterations, it provides kids with chances for developing cognitive, societal, emotional and physical accomplishments. ‘Froebelian kindergartens were seen to be in-between category ; despite this his methods were adapted for usage with deprived kids and households ‘ within developing twentieth century baby's room and infant schools. ( Pound, 2008, p. 16 ) . The first nursery school opened in Scotland in1816 by Robert Owen ( 1771-1858 ) , he was a factory proprietor who refused to use kids less than 10 old ages of age, he believed that instruction should be a common right for all kids, and that kids are inactive, contrived and by due readying and accurate attending can be formed into any human character. He managed their behavior through kindness, which in the19th century was unusual, kids every bit immature as 2 old ages attended his school. The gap of his nursery school influenced altering attitudes on kid labor, and set the footing of early instruction for immature kids. The start of the course of study method was one of Owens ‘s thoughts, his vision on education-inspired coevalss of militant ; he recognised the nexus between societal public assistance and early instruction this is an of import portion of pattern in modern twenty-four hours scenes. ‘His committednesss to instruction were extremist as were his thoughts on t he importance of equality, although his policies were a bold measure frontward, he was criticised as being rooted in his desire for net income. ( Pound, 2008, p. 13 ) ‘ ‘In the UK the development of early instruction was really slow compared to Europe, it was In 1870 that publically funded instruction became compulsory for kids age 5, the demand to understand these early childhood services is of import as they laid down the foundations of our instruction system ( Pugh, 2001, p. 8 ) ‘ During the 1960 ‘s the voluntary playgroup motion emerged. A missive sent to the Guardian by Belle Tutaev, a immature female parent of a four-year-old expressing concern to the deficiency of appropriate nursery proviso within our instruction system. For many old ages the chief agencies of early instruction was province primary schools, and this was aimed at kids over 5 old ages, after runing to the governments to no help she opened her ain playgroup, this progressed and by the 1970ss playgroups became a recognized signifier of pre-school proviso. Over the following 2 decennary ‘s the altering household forms and employment forms meant early old ages proviso were a much needed beginning, this saw the growing of private baby's rooms. Merely after a reappraisal in 1988 on early childhood and instruction services, ( The Education Reform Act ) did the authorities realise at that place was a turning job. It found defects, in uncoordinated services, which varied between different parts of the state, compared to the remainder of Europe there were low degrees of public support. It had different services ran by a diverseness of different administrations, this meant a broad scope of clients used them, all with different purposes and intents. The instruction system needed the authorities to step in. A figure of national studies was to be published, one of them the Rumbold study published in 1990, expressed concerns about instruction and the deficiency of entree to Early Years services. It highlighted the demand for the development of good quality proviso in the early old ages, and ‘believed it to be critical that all that work, or are involved with immature kids recognize the importance of their educational function and carry through it. She urged those who make proviso recognize the turning demand for and the enlargement of high quality services to run into kids and parents demands ( rumbold, 1990 ) . The study besides highlighted the manner in which immature kids learn are every bit of import as what they learn, and argued against the debut of formal acquisition. At the clip, this study was ignored but it is now used as a footing for best pattern in today ‘s Early Old ages scenes. ‘The constitution of the Early Childhood Education forum in 1993 meant conveying together all national bureaus working in the field, ‘ ( Pugh, 2001, p. 11 ) it clarified that an early twelvemonth ‘s policy is needed, and an enlargement in services, the forum gathered strength with over 45 national administrations by 1998. Its purposes were to defend kids ‘s rights and entitlements, back up the preparation development and instruction of early childhood practicians, and all those who work with kids and their households. The authorities took action and in 1995, funding for the instruction of 4 twelvemonth olds was introduced this was in the signifier of verifiers that could be redeemed in private, voluntary, or local authorization baby's rooms, the verifiers were highly criticised at the clip and was abolished in 1997 when Labour Government was elected. The election of the Labour Government brought large alterations in the manner our whole Education System was run, particularly Early Education ; its cardinal issue is to eliminate child poorness, and supply more household friendly policies and kids ‘s Centres. The Certain Start enterprise, launched in 1999 under the National Childcare Strategy plays a major function in making this, by assisting households in local communities of demand with kids under 4years old. The authorities pledged 1.4 billion lbs over 6 old ages. This meant that parents had entree to a multi bureau of services within the Certain Start Children ‘s Centres. They are now a cardinal influence within our communities assisting kids, households and society, by larning and developing life accomplishments in the early old ages so that immature kids turn up to be happy, healthy and are able to accomplish their ends in life. The Centres are at the Heart of the Every Child Matters Change for Children 2004. The green paper Every Child Matters was published in 2003, in response to a study by Lord Laming in 2001, into the decease of Victoria Climbie. Victoria was a immature miss who was horrifically abused, tortured and killed by her great aunt, Marie-Therese Kouao and spouse Carl Manning ; they were the people who were supposed to be caring for her. Black weaknesss within a figure of systems meant on 12 occasions over 10 months the opportunities to salvage Victoria were missed. Evidence from this Inquiry demonstrated the dangers of staff from different bureaus non carry throughing their separate and typical duties. The decease of Victoria showed a cardinal demand for an incorporate service that would be portion of a political docket for many old ages, despite the Children Act 1989 commissariats, kid protection schemes and services stayed within the societal service system, and the degree of communicating and co-operation between these and other services in wellness and instruction were v ariable. The Every Child Matters docket is recognised by five results ; be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, do a positive part, and achieve economic well-being ; these results are a cosmopolitan aspiration for the authorities, and organize a strong footing for the EYFS course of study used in Early Education Settings to day of the month. The transportation of duty for kids under 8-years-old were made from the Department of Health, to the Department of Education and Skills and from 2001, an incorporate review service was introduced, conveying together all the services, enabling multi-agency working, which was an of import measure frontward. The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership in local governments were besides introduced, assisting to increase degrees of proviso in Childcare. Working in partnership with the Local Education Authority, each authorization completed an audit, with a program to make the authorities ‘s marks for early instruction topographic points for all 3- and-4year-olds. This was made easier in the alteration of policy earlier, that allowed not maintained sectors to use for baby's room grants, ‘children in private twenty-four hours baby's rooms, pre-schools and some childminders could now entree their free half-day nursery proviso. In this manner the scheme started to undert ake the long-run split between Early Years instruction services and the child care services. ‘ ( Macelod- Brundenell, and Kay 2nd edition 2008 pg 352 ) . It has been without uncertainty that Early Education has come a long manner since Froebel in the seventeenth century, and the gap of Owen ‘s nursery school in 1816, but non many things have changed, it was apparent so that kids learn through drama and geographic expedition, and early acquisition is of import in the first five old ages. Possibly many coevalss of kids have missed out the opportunities given to immature kids of today. The EYFS has been an of import milepost for early instruction and immature kids, and is now the manner frontward in fixing a kid for school, but its existance is still in the primary phases, and many little nursery scenes may happen accommodating to these alterations and prolonging them quiet hard as the criterions and public assistance demands set are extremly high.Mentions( Department of Children Schools and Families. ( 2008 ) . The statutory Framework for the Early old ages Foundation phase Every kid affairs change for kids. Puting the criterions for Learning Development and attention for childeren from birth to five. Macelod-Brudenell Iain and Kay Janet ( 2nd Edition 2008 ) . Advance Early Old ages And Education For Foundation grades and degree 4 & A ; 5. Heinemann Oxford Pound, Linda. ( 2008 ) . How Children Learn From Montessori to Vygotsky. London: Step frontward publication. Pugh, Gillian ( 2001 ) . Contemporary Issues In The Early Old ages. Paul Chapman. London

A Cost Utility Study Health And Social Care Essay

In critically measuring this cost-utility survey the Drummond ‘s checklist was used as a guideline ( Drummond et al. 2005 ) . This checklist was chiefly created as a tool for critically measuring published documents but could be used by writers as a usher for bettering their studies. There are several grounds for utilizing such a published methodological guideline for economic ratings, this includes: It may increase the transparence of the survey – makes it easier to measure what the writers have done. Using such a checklist may let comparings between surveies – the reader is confident any differences in reported results between surveies are non due to methodology differences, if writers apply a similar format. The usage of a standard format may turn to the considerations of methods and lead to the betterment in quality of ratings. An analysis of the usage of different wellness economic guidelines to compare surveies found 75 % understanding between methodological analysis ( Hjelmgren et al. 2001 ) . The dissensions that did originate were in the pick of position, which cost included in analysis, rating methods and resources. As reported, such differences are expected given issues like differences in state wellness attention systems, and intent of the guidelines ( Drummond, Sculpher, Torrance, O'Brien, & A ; Stoddart 2005 ; Hjelmgren, Berggren, & A ; Andersson 2001 ) . Therefore, utilizing such a checklist, as a method of careful and systematic scrutiny of the published paper, allows opinions on its relevancy, value, and trustiness in that context.Health EconomicssHealth economic sciences and its application is a technique and theoretical account by which decision-makers can measure the costs of two or more disease intervention or wellness services, which can help in determination devising between the possible picks ( Robinson 1993c ; Shiell et Al. 2002 ) . The overall purpose of any survey that includes an economic rating is to supply information, which shows the advantages and disadvantages of a wellness intervention or service based on its cost-effectiveness and non merely on the clinical effectivity. It is now recommended by wellness guidelines, such as the one quoted in the appraised paper National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence ( NICE ) , that economic ratings are carried out at the same clip as clinical tests ( Birch and Gafni 2004 ; Weatherly et Al. 2009 ) . Therefore, it is really of import that the appropriate method of economic rating be used. There are many different ways of mensurating the results of economic ratings. Two similar types of economic rating of programmes or intercessions are Cost-utility analysis ( CUA ) , in which the result is a individual â€Å" public-service corporation † based measuring, and cost-effectiveness analysis ( CEA ) , in which the result is a natural unit based measuring ( Robinson 1993b ) . CUA and CEA estimate the comparative costs of different intercessions or interventions when they successfully achieve ends ( Levine and McEwan 2001 ) . Table 1 shows the difference between cost-utility analysis ( CUA ) and cost-effectiveness analysis ( CEA ) . Both techniques are used in health care to compare alternate methods or interventions etc, in footings of results and costs ( money ) . Table 1: Differences between two types of analysis ( Torgerson and Raftery 1999 )Type of analysisCostssConsequencesConsequenceCost-effectiveness ( CEA )Money Different magnitude of common step Cost per natural unit of outcome e.g. cost per unit of blood force per unit area reducedCost-utility ( CUA )Money Single or multiple effects – valued as â€Å" public-service corporation † Cost per unit of effect e.g. cost per QALYCost-effectiveness analysis ( CEA ) The primary result of a CEA is the ratio of cost per natural unit of result. As a consequence, CEA can merely be used to compare costs within the same disease ( Robinson 1993a ; Robinson 1993c ) . The strength of CEA is that it merely combines cost and effectivity informations to make a comparing. However, its failing is that it can merely compare within the same disease type and this attack does non give any indicant of whether the entire benefit of a intervention exceeds its entire costs.Cost-utility analysis ( CUA )The primary result of a CUA is the ratio of cost per QALY. As a consequence, CUA can be used to find the comparative strength of a penchant for each result ( Levine & A ; McEwan 2001 ) . Health attention ratings use the â€Å" public-service corporation † step of quality adjusted life old ages ( QALY ) in this type analysis ( Drummond, Sculpher, Torrance, O'Brien, & A ; Stoddart 2005 ; Petrou and Renton 1993 ; Robinson 1993b ; Torgerson & A ; Raftery 1999 ) . For the last three decennaries, research workers have used QALYs in the appraisal of wellness intercessions ( Sassi 2006 ) . For the QALY, the benefits are measured in footings of the overall index of wellness addition based on the impact on measure and quality of life ( Kernick 2003 ; Sassi 2006 ) . However, one challenge to this is that public-service corporations are a step of wellness that relies on pick to pull out a penchant. An advantage of utilizing CUA is that it can be used to compare costs across different diseases or wellness programmes as a standard step cost per QALY is used. The disadvantages of utilizing CUA are in the adequateness of the QALYs in capturing all the wellness attention costs of an intercession.Study DesignIn the debut to the paper, the research inquiry is clear in that this is a survey to show the cost public-service corporation of a supervised walk, plus beef uping and stretching exercising programme versus â€Å" best attention † . The pick of the aged ( aged 60 plus old ages old ) and reasonably down adult females as the survey group is based on old research demoing rate of significant physical inaction in this group. The paper does province the economic importance of the research inquiry in footings of the secondary results of physical inaction in aged, such as increased hazard of cardiovascular disease or musculoskeletal upsets. In add-on, the importance is besides stated in term of a quality of life addition in older grownups set abouting moderate physical activity. It is really of import to within an economic paper to stipulate the point of view taken, since an point may be from one point of view may non be from another. As a consequence, the point of view of the CUA can impact act upon the cost/ benefit ratio ( Robinson 1993c ) , and the point of view is clearly stated in the paper. This CUA is being looked at from the wellness system perspective, peculiarly decision-makers in Primary Care, instead than hospital position. Examples of this are: The statement, â€Å" †¦ , the present survey could assist determination shapers to heighten the preventive function of primary attention†¦ . † , found in the decision of the abstract. The statement, â€Å" †¦ , as a wellness system resources are limited, the decision-maker often selects the schemes†¦ † , found in the debut. In this paper, the intercession ( exercise programme ) is clearly stated but inside informations of the control â€Å" best attention † is brief, an premise is made by the writers that the reader is cognizant of what this entails. This is of import because â€Å" best attention † may change from state to state will do it hard to reiterate the test or even use the consequences straight ( Greenhalgh 1997a ) . One inquiry asked by the Drummond Checklist in the subdivision of â€Å" Study Design † ( Drummond, Sculpher, Torrance, O'Brien, & A ; Stoddart 2005 ) looks at whether the paper reviewed has described viing options. Within this paper, the viing options are good described, within its debut and treatment. In footings of a survey designed as a randomized controlled test, the survey described in the paper seems reasonable, with clear inclusion and exclusion standards stated and a clear flow chart of the participants throughout the trail. However, a point about to do about the paper is the intercession was over a six-month period and follow-up appraisal was at six months, hence hard to see any impact of sustainability of the intercession.Data CollectionThe paper used the EQ-5D questionnaire as one of the measuring tools in the trail for primary results and it clearly states this is used for the economic rating. The common construction of economic ratings is that it involves the measuring of inputs ( costs ) and the results ( benefits ) ( Weatherly, Drummond, Claxton, Cookson, Ferguson, Godfrey, Rice, Sculpher, & A ; Sowden 2009 ) .EQ-5DThe benefits of the intercession demand to be identified, so it is important when looking at results of wellness attention to be able to mensurate provinc es of wellness in a simple standardized manner ( Anon 1998 ; Kind et Al. 1998 ) . As a consequence, the EQ-5D questionnaire was developed and validated as such a generic province of wellness measuring tool by the EuroQuol Group, an international research web established in 1987A ( Brooks 1996 ; Kind, Dolan, Gudex, & A ; Williams 1998 ) . Subsequently, the EQ-5D being able to mensurate these alterations in wellness province is used in economic ratings. However, there are restrictions to the EQ-5D. It is deserving observing that a study of a representative population utilizing the EQ-5D did happen of import differences in bomber groups, such as higher rates of anxiousness or depression systematically reported by adult females than work forces ( Kind, Dolan, Gudex, & A ; Williams 1998 ) .CostssThe paper describes the method used for the measures of resource and the currency used for the unit costs, Euros. However, the survey examined merely direct costs incurred after each participant had seen the physician and does non include indirect costs. There are grounds for this given in the paper: The statement, â€Å" †¦ did non include other possible costs because the clinical analysis did non happen statistically different alterations in the usage of the National Health System†¦ † in the Methods. The statement, â€Å" †¦ the enlisting did non necessitate any extra clip by the practician. † in the Methods. There is no ground to believe that the costs used do non reflect the true costs for the resources used. However, the paper does non province implicitly the costs for the control group, those acquiring â€Å" best attention † . The chief cost incurred in this survey is for the intercession, which was the fixed cost of wage for a alumnus in athleticss scientific discipline in wellness publicity and this is referenced from authorities guidelines. This cost is shown in â€Å" Table 2 † , which reports the incremental cost per individual, i.e. the extra cost to bring forth one extra unit of result. This survey did non set or dismiss the costs. This would be necessary if more resources were outlaid at the beginning ( Robinson 1993a ) , for illustration in purchasing capital outgos like exercising equipment. This was clearly non the instance with respect to the intercession studied.Analysis and reading of consequencesWithin the tabular arraies of the paper, the consequences for the primary result are clearly reported and the types of statistical and economic analysis carried out.Statistical analysisIn theory, systematic prejudice is avoided in a randomized controlled test by choosing participants from a population and randomizing them to the different groups ( Greenhalgh 1997a ) . In a survey, the baseline informations collected on each group is compared with each other to look for choice prejudice ( Bruce et al. 2008 ) . But, there may hold been possible for choice prejudice in this test, as there were some systematic differences between groups, with the intercession group being somewhat less down and less over weight and younger than control group. However, the paper does describe that these differences seen were non statistically important. As there were differences well in the agencies of the datasets, the paper used the nonparametric Kolgomorov-Smirnov trial utilizing the rectification of Lillifors, a trial to see whether two samples are from the same distribution. As consequence the paper presents information to take the uncertainty of choice prejudice, nevertheless, in the paper it was non clearly stated if the randomization was blinded.Economic AnalysisIn the appraised paper, CUA is clearly stated as the signifier of economic rating used, because the two intercessions â€Å" best attention † and supervised exercising programme are non straight comparable in footings of a natural unit of result. In this paper, CUA is the most appropriate as the results of the intercession studied are multi-dimensional ( Greenhalgh 1997b ) . In the â€Å" Analysis and Interpretation of consequences † ( Drummond, Sculpher, Torrance, O'Brien, & A ; Stoddart 2005 ) in the Drummond Checklist in the subdivision of expressions at whether the paper reviewed has described attack taken to sensitivity analysis and this paper, within its methods and consequences, covers this subject. The ground for including a sensitiveness analysis within a paper is of import as economic theoretical accounts may be utile as a tool by decision-makers there are countries of uncertainness within economic analysis ( Robinson 1993a ) . Therefore, it is of import to when analyzing the information to see what impact alterations in the certain parametric quantities affect the consequences. Thus the hardiness of the informations can be tested ( Robinson 1993a ) . In the analysed paper, a simple attack was taken with a few cardinal parametric quantities changed. The consequences of the survey are shown in â€Å" Table 3 † and the referee can b e confident of the theoretical account used, as the sensitiveness analysis of the information is robust over a scope of premises e.g. assessment clip, figure of participants excess. For the economic analysis, the paper states that a non intent-to-treat analysis was carried out. By utilizing this attack there is a possible for prejudice within the informations ( Bruce, Pope, & A ; Stanistreet 2008 ; Hollis and Campbell 1999 ) . Those who dropped out were excluded from the analysis as they did non hold follow-up informations, nevertheless these drop-outs may be unrepresentative of all participants in each group so bias may be introduced. If an Intention-to-treat analysis was carried out in this survey the intervention affect seen may be diluted, but this is seen as a better manner in that it is more realistic in pattern, as it allows for divergences from standard pattern, in that it includes people who are non willing or unable to follow with the intervention ( Bruce, Pope, & A ; Stanistreet 2008 ; Hollis & A ; Campbell 1999 ) . As this survey presents its ego in its decisions as a â€Å" †¦ matter-of-fact and cost-efficient scheme†¦ † an intentio n-to dainty analysis would hold been more suited.Reported Results of the surveyWithin its treatment subdivision of the paper, the findings of the survey are outlined. Using the Drummond Checklist in the subdivision in the â€Å" Analysis and Interpretation of consequences † ( Drummond, Sculpher, Torrance, O'Brien, & A ; Stoddart 2005 ) the fulfils the inquiries in the checklist in the treatment subdivision. Clearly this survey answers the survey inquiry. Reports on the decisions are drawn from the informations presented. In add-on, the strengths and failing of the survey are looked at in footings of similar surveies.DecisionsIt is of import in research into wellness services that economic rating rules are applied, so that the wellness services produced from the research outcomes provides the best wellness attention, based on the allotment of scarce resources, for the population studied. As with any other research, economic ratings require critical assessment and cardinal inquiries need to be asked. The guidelines in the Drummond Checklist are really utile as a tool to measure critically any economic rating research, assisting readers to separate the good from bad surveies. Even though there are some restrictions in the paper of the cost-utility survey, overall the good points outlined supra would hit this paper overall as a good economic rating utilizing the Drummond Checklist.

Diary Of Internship Essay

My first day at work, on practice, to be more accurate, was mainly about getting familiar with the staff I will be working with. When I first got contacted from the UniCredit bank, I was told to go to business office of this bank that was located in street Zelenih beretki 24, and to talk with the person that was in charge of this business office, Mrs. Suzana Krajina Jusupović. I spoke with her, and she immediately introduced me to the staff, first with the people that have been working in section Payment operations, and then with other staff. People from the Payment operations section were my co-workers for that week. I taught were highly of these people, because I could see how much business are they doing. Monday was usually a day when a lot of business was done, since people accumulated their bills and obligations on weekends. I used this day to see how are the things done, since they gave me no responsibilities. Tuesday was the day in which I was introduced to the business of Payment operations and I have immediately begun to clarify the credit transfers, bills and to make stamps, because they couldn’t give me more authorities and power. I was in some way disappointed with this, because I wanted to prove that I can do more and help them in more ways than this. The thing I liked is that I had a contact with the people that were coming in the bank, and I could see how does it look to be on the other side. Day after that, I continued doing the same thing, and I was getting pretty good at communicating with people that were coming. My co-workers also explained me the division between the bills that we were getting. We were dividing them into the inner ones- the ones that had the sender account and the receiver account from UniCredit, the ones that were going from UniCredit bank to other banks, and the ones that had a connection with income. My job was to divide the accounts into these three categories, and then to give them to the next office, where these accounts were sent to further arrangement. Thursday was the day that I changed my workplace. They have sent me to the next office where I could see the next part of the process of the Payment operations. This was the part in which we were to scan all the accounts and then send them, in groups that are called batches, to Mostar, because the main UniCredit bank is located there. Then the people from Mostar would send us via mail the announcement if any of these batches had a mistake in it or were bad in any way. Batches were sent through very complex but yet easy to use application, that has been made by the IT support in Split. Batches were also divided in the same manner as accounts. In Friday, they have allowed me to work with scanner and I have pretty much enjoyed in this area, because all business was done with the computer, and I like this, because the possibility of error is minimal, and doing business is easier and faster. This was a very interesting job, although I had a feeling that I would be annoyed doing the same thing all over again. That is the thing I didn’t like in this job. I spend only a week in this section, and I could immediately know almost everything there is to know, and the job was the same from day to day, with a little possibility that something different will happen. Second week 19.-23. March When I came to a job on 19th March, I was immediately informed that I will be working on cashier that week. This branch of UniCredit bank was consisted of four cashiers, and one of them was in some way special, since it was a cashier for legal persons. Other three were regular cashiers. This special cashier had a special office, and the person working here, Sanjin, was separated from other cashiers and he was in contact with legal persons only. He was in contact with other cashiers though, since they were all connected in a case of, for example, lack of money. I was sent in this office, and since it was separate, I could do some things and make mistakes without of risk of being seen by other staff or by the clients. All the employees were working with the same software, and they called it Core. Basically, the persons with the bigger knowledge and skills had access to more applications in this program. Sanjin gave me a big responsibility from day one. My first assignment for that day was to input and register the transactions of one big client that was operating with the bank on daily basis. I couldn’t make a mistake, since I had a supervisor, and I wasn’t in a direct contact with the client, everything was done electronically. At the end of the day, we had to check if our balance of payments was zero, and to check if we have as much money in our cashier, as we have in our computer database. Tuesday was also very exciting day. I had a lot of job, and I was getting to know more about the cashier and the business related to it. Then, one big client came, and we had to give him a lot of money that we didn’t have in the cashier. I wasn’t aware of the fact that the money was sent to the vault that was in the building. I was given that privilege to go there, and I was very pleased with this, since they have told me that I was a first student that has been given this chance. I was impressed by the amount of money there- I thought that I have to go to a movie theatre to see that. The vault had about eight men employed there, and they were counting the money. The whole sight was impressive. After all this, I came back to office and continued with regular activities. The next day, nothing excited happened really, I was just given some more responsibilities since I was allowed to do transactions with clients that came in (this also had to be done electronically). I could also count the money on those awesome machines, and I was pretty satisfied because I always had a desire to do that . Thursday was the day I found out that Sanjin was in charge of cash dispenser machines, and he was ought to keep them full of money. He would send an e-mail to persons that could check the status of these machines with the computer, and they would say if there is a need for a refill. I was very pleased when I found out that we have to go and place the money in those machines, because I was interested to see how it works. We first put the money in boxes that were made to be placed in the machines. We went to those machines, locked the door so nobody could come in, and replaced those boxes full of money with the empty ones. It wasn’t complex machine at all, inside of it there was a keyboard similar to the one that you can see on the computer, and with the keyboard we could insert the amount of money that we have put there in the computer memory. Friday was the day when I continued doing business with regular clients, and I felt so natural in doing this, I could almost see myself doing this for the rest of my life. This job was very unpredictable and full of action, and that is what attracted me. Third week 26.-30. March Since there was obviously my goal to find out more about this job, because I can really see myself doing some of this work, Suzana wanted me to go to the retailing sector for two remaining weeks. As I knew from before, banks have a problem of tangibility of their business, since all the services have that problem. Banks decided to represent some of their services as products, so the people could see these tangible parts, such are credit cards or cash machines. They also represent their credit loans as products, and I was sent to the retailing sector to see how are credit loans actually sold. These credits can be divided into mortgage credit, cash/money credit, bilateral credit etc. During my work in UniCredit I have only been introduced to cash credits. This branch, its retailing sector to be more precise, was segmented into two parts: in one part family bankers were employed, and in other part these bankers were called personal bankers. The difference was not actually in the number of the people who were operating with bankers, but in the income of the people. If someone had an income of 2000 KM or more, he would be assigned to the personal banker. If not, they would be assigned to family banker. There are four family bankers, and two personal bankers employed in that branch currently. I was given the freedom of choice to go where ever I want, and to watch who ever I want while doing business. Monday was the day when I was introduced with the meaning of the credits and with the way in which these bankers were communicating with people. I immediately saw that this part of work is a lot harder that all the others I have seen so far, since these people had enormous amount of work. They had to prepare the credits, to form a map and a plan of credit, to validate it, to send it to approval, and in the same time, they had to communicate and encourage other people to „buyâ€Å" credits. I didn’t have much to do, since I was asked just to watch and listen them doing work. Next day was a little bit more interesting. I had an opportunity to see software designed for credits. This application was pretty complex, but just like everything based on computer, it had a possibility of correcting any possible mistakes. The thing is that this application had numerous steps and fields you need to fill in order to make a credit map. This map is a foundation of credit, and the map is sent to the Board of Credit Risks, when finished, and this Board then makes the decision whether to approve this credit or not, based on information from the map. In Wednesday I was getting some more information about credit. For the first time, I’ve watched credit development from the start. When client came, he wanted to know if he can get a cash credit in 10,000 KM amount. First thing that had to be done was that the banker had to check if he had any other credits and debits in other banks. Banker could automatically see whether or not the client has some credits and debits in UniCredit bank from the database. Only way in which the banker could find out about the full list of obligations of the client was to send an e-mail to Central bank register, and to get this information from the people employed in Central bank. Then, when given this information, the employee could see if the client is in a possibility to get a loan. After this step, the banker needs some additional information, such as if the person needs a guarantor or not, his ID number, his credit card status etc. After this, the banker is making credit map. I also learned how to scan all the files necessary for the credit, how to separate them, and how to index those files. I was asked the same day when I have learned this to track this new scanning program, and to inform the IT support if I had any problems. Thursday was very interesting because I could speak to the clients now, since I already had some knowledge about credits. I was, of course, constantly mentored by other bankers, and I have tried to prove myself as much as possible. I have soon realized that it is not easy communicating with people on a daily basis, since they sometimes don’t have patience and understanding of delays and possible mistakes. I have continued scanning all the credits, and then sending them to further editing. These credits were then sent to a segment that is called Credit administration, and then to Board of Credit Risks. Next day I have been granted with more opportunities of proving myself since they let me input client information and data in the computer. I was a little bit scared, since I knew how big responsibility this was and how one wrong click can slow things down, but I did just fine. It was the end of the month, and all of the credits were ought to be send in order to be approved, so everybody was pretty nervous. I had a lot of obligations and tasks, since they all needed help to catch up and to finish their business. I continued with scanning the files, and with sending them to Credit administration. Deadline and its influence could be seen on these employees, and I felt a need to help them as much as I could. Fourth week 2.-6. April My final week of the practice started at the same place as the third one. First day of this week was regular one, since I continued doing my job with the credits. I was spending more time with personal bankers, who were doing the business with the clients who had income of 2000 KM or more. They, of course, had a smaller number of clients, but these clients were very rich and they were bringing more money to the bank, so the bankers that are in contact with these clients need to have a good communication skills. Tuesday was the day when I was assigned with the most boring job I’ve done there. I had to go to the archive and find some old credits and database. This wasn’t the thing I was hoping to do, but I realized that this is also the way in which I can contribute. I’ve looked through these old files, and I had opportunity to compare old and new way of making credit maps. Next day, when I came, I was told that I have already done on every job they have planned me to work on, so I had a full freedom of doing whatever I want. I have decided to stay in the retail sector that day, since it was the place in which I had the best connection and communication with the people, and it was the most dynamic place. I have also been asked to help with the cash dispenser machines, and I did that again. I have given my report to the IT sector regarding the scanning software, and they were pretty satisfied with my results. In Thursday I have decided to go back to the cashier, since I have enjoyed there very much. I counted the money again, and got the opportunity to see all the foreign currencies, like Canadian dollar, Australian dollars, and others, which was great. I’ve met a lot of interesting people that day, and since we finished with all legal persons, we could invite and do transactions for other people as well. My last day at work was 6th April. I was disappointed by this, since I had really liked spending time here and learning new things. I spend the whole day in retail sector, and I was once again looking at credits and loans. At the end of the day, I’ve gave my evaluation sheets to Suzana and asked her to fill it. I finished with all the best marks, and she told me I left a strong impression on her. She also wished me to be her co-worker one day. I was very happy about this, since I had a desire to satisfy all the expectations and to do my practice in a fine manner. Before leaving, I’ve said goodbyes to everyone and thanked them for their faith in me.

Weak Legal Environments in Asia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Weak Legal Environments in Asia - Essay Example While in 1977 the economic crisis was triggered by the Thai baht, this time the crisis began on Wall Street. Many South Koreans are of the opinion that their economy is vulnerable to western market panic and destabilization because it is more transparent and open to foreign capital than its neighbors3. This is the reason that countries like Japan and China have not been as seriously affected by the global crunch as South Korea has been. However the reason behind South Korea being affected is that the Korean banks have huge foreign debts unlike the neighboring nations and as the global credit market dried up, the banks were in trouble as they needed dollars to repay the maturing foreign currency loans. What added to the pressure was that the foreign banks refused to roll over the existing loans. Before the 1997 crisis occurred in the Asian countries, the corporate sector in Korea showed very high debt-equity ratios and low profitability and they were still expected to yield high profitability.4 Such crises do not occur overnight and in Korea even ten years before the actual meltdown took place, the return on capital fell short of the oppurtunity cost. Profitability declined even after control of firm-specific and industry-specific factors and the macro-economic conditions. The rate of return on assets (ROA) was much lower in Korea than in other countries. The corporate governance in Korea was very weak as the system failed to provide sufficient monitoring and discipline. The larger firms did not face exit threats and the Korean laws protected incumbent controlling shareholders.5 Because of the Korean family structure, in the chaebols or the business groups, ownership is heavily concentrated to the extent that an individual has almost total control over all the firms within the group.

Case Study Analysis Campus Response to a Student Gunman Essay

Case Study Analysis Campus Response to a Student Gunman - Essay Example The research approach used in the study under examination has similarities with the traditional paradigm, as a tool for identifying the causes and consequences of a particular problem – as in the study of Asmussen and Creswell. However, the traditional paradigm is not appropriate for the case under discussion, since it involves in the following problems: it cannot be used when the sample available in the research is quite small; moreover, it cannot be used when the variables of the research are not stable – another problem of the research conducted by Asmussen and Creswell. The interpretivist paradigm used in the case under examination can face the above two problems, using the above rules: the assumption that is most reasonable is set as a priority – referring to the case that the testimonies on the events examined are contradictory, as in the research conducted by Asmussen and Creswell. Moreover, the interpretivist paradigm is differentiated from the traditiona l paradigm at the following point: the findings of the research are likely to be descriptive – and not quantitative, as in the case of traditional paradigm.... The interpretivist paradigm used in the case under examination can face the above two problems, using the above rules: the assumption that is most reasonable is set as a priority – referring to the case that the testimonies on the events examined are contradictory, as in the research conducted by Asmussen and Creswell. Moreover, the interpretivist paradigm is differentiated from the traditional paradigm at the following point: the findings of the research are likely to be descriptive – and not quantitative, as in the case of traditional paradigm. What is its ontological assumption? Phenomenography – as part of the interpretivist paradigm – on which the research developed by Asmussen and Creswell is based – refers to the following ontological assumptions: a subjectivist one and a non-dualistic one; the former implies that the status of the world is pre-defined, cannot be changed, everything is placed in accordance with a particular order; the second implies that there are no two different worlds – the one of the researcher and the one described by participants; the world is one and this fact needs to be reflected to the discussion on the findings retrieved through phenomenography. What is its epistemological essence? The epistemological essence of phenomenography is reflected in the following principle: the assumptions produced in regard to the findings of the research need to be extensively justified – in the context that each fact is followed by its interpretation. However, at this point the following issue needs to be taken into consideration: the description of the events under examination may be different – across the participants; for this reason, it is necessary

Should the united states government provide the affordable health care Essay

Should the united states government provide the affordable health care - Essay Example Health consumers are not only assured of affordable healthcare but also assured of provision of quality medical services. However, critics have emerged on whether the provision of affordable medical services is appropriate. The critics are based on the assumptions that the creation of affordable care act is expensive and the burden would be transferred to the tax payer. Additionally, medical institutions have also cited that they have incurred minimized profits since the creation of the affordable care act. However, the government stills maintains the position that the affordable care act is helpful for both individual as well as health institutions. This paper will analyze whether the provision of affordable act is appropriate. In addition the paper will create a balance between the main critics of the act and the benefits of the act and determine the appropriate position. In an argument by McDonough since the creation of the affordable act in the United States significant changes has been experienced in the health care field (42). The author cites the number of health consumers that have been enabled to access quality health care services (McDonough 42). Before 2010, many consumers were not able to access quality medical services due to their financial status. They depended on small pharmacies and health clinics to access medical care. The quality of medical care provided in these facilities is below the required by the national health bodies. However, this remained the only healthy option available for poor persons. After the creation of the affordable act, people have been enabled to access medical care in more resourceful medial institutions at prices they could afford. In an argument by Donald this has significantly reduced immortality rates in the United States (44). The author presents data that proves the assumption that the number of death re corded after the creation of the affordable

Principles of advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Principles of advertising - Essay Example However, the vast variety of brands and products may also be the companys biggest weakness as it makes it almost a certainty that some items will not become popular. It also makes it difficult to give all of their products enough attention when it comes to staying up-to-date with market changes. Regardless, PepsiCo has the opportunity to increase sales at almost any time simply by exploiting their strongest markets through raised prices and the introduction of new, well-researched, and desirable products. The biggest threat to the continued growth of PepsiCo is the Coca-Cola Company, whose focus on beverages has kept it on top of the market. PepsiCo is a strong company with a lot of power and much to offer the public. Moving forward, they will likely be focused on overtaking Coke. The only way to accomplish this may be to become less diverse, so that more time and resources can be given to their top

Is Biomedical Model out of Date Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Biomedical Model out of Date - Essay Example From this study it is clear that  the main focus of this model is on the pathology, the biochemistry and the physiology of a disease. The role of the person's mind or society in the cause and treatment of the disease is discarded in this model. The main reason behind the birth of this model was the influence of Cartesian paradigm on medical thought. This model is considered as the conceptual foundation to the modern medicine. There is a growing perception, however, that the biomedical model cannot fully reflect the broad realities of modern health care.This discussion highlights that disease is considered to be malfunctioning of certain part in the body. It is based on 'the notion of the body as a machine, of disease as the consequence of breakdown of the machine, and of the doctor's task as repair of the machine.' This approach has a serious shortcoming because by focusing on smaller parts of the body we lose the sight of patient as a human being. Also by considering health as pro per functioning of organs we are unable to deal with the phenomenon of healing as it is not only based on physical factors but on psychological factors of the human body.  The concept of health and the concept of life are closely related. Around the globe people follow different cultures and life styles.  They are adapted to different environment and slight change in the environment may lead to change in their health.... So here the ecological dimension is also considered while considering the concept of health. This contradicts the bio medical model. In the biomedical model, health is defined as the absence of disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as 'a dynamic state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity'. This clearly shows that the biomedical model fails to address the social and psychological issues and thus can be considered to be outdated. The new era of medical science witnessed tremendous advancement in technology and physicians succeeded in knowing human body deeper and deeper. In spite of much advancement physicians are failing to deal with the unique self of their patients. The medical profession, which is mainly based on reductionistic biomedical model of human being, has left no room for the social, psychological and behavioral dimensions of illness. Due to this patients are unable to communicate their exact problem to the physician and are responding only with a spate of malpractice suits. This clearly shows that by following the outdated biomedical model physicians were failing to treat their patients well. There has been difficulty in assessing the relation between medicine and health as most health statistics use the narrow biomedical concept of health which defines it as the absence of disease. The correct approach is to consider the health of the individual and also health of the society .this should include mental illness and social pathologies. This clearly shows that the biomedical model can only contribute to the elimination of certain diseases but cannot guarantee complete restoration of health. Holistic view of illness tells that

Constructionist Model in Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Constructionist Model in Apple Inc - Essay Example Individuals are driven by some forces which make them confident to buy a product after gaining full knowledge about it or the drives can often be negative which does not lead to the purchase of the product. The famous multinationals like Apple Inc. gives a lot of effort on their PR activities so that they are successful in communicating their message regarding the new products to the mass. The public relation activities by the companies involve communication of the useful ideas and the message regarding the changes and modification of the products. It also includes the launch of new products. The communication process is executed through various technologies which are mediated by the Public Medias some of which are also face to face communications. Background Brief about Apple Inc Apple Inc. which is formerly known as the Apple Computer, Inc. is a multinational corporation that is headquartered in California. It develops designs and sells, computer software, consumer electronics and personal computers. The best product line of the company is the Mac line of computers, iPhone Smartphone, iPod music player and iPad tablet computers. Its consumer software comprises the iOS and OS X operating systems, Safari web browser, iWork creativity iTunes media browser and iLife and productivity suites. The company was inaugurated on April 1, 1976 and was incorporated as Apple Computer, Inc. on January 3, 197. Apple is the second largest information technology company in the world after the famous Samsung Electronics and the third largest mobile phone makers after the established companies like Nokia and Samsung. Apple Inc. belongs to the computer hardware and software industry which have experienced incessant changes for the past five years. The changes are due to the advancement in technology and invention of new computer designs. The introduction of the new tablet computers has created huge demand for the retailers. In spite of the demand for the new technologies, sales ha ve faced erosion because of price deflation. Methodology and findings In the Part A-Portfolio-Media Analysis, the study has used multiple tasks in order to understand dimensions of advertising promotion of iPad of Apple Inc such as Placement of the advertisement, Audience Reach, Length of the advertisement, Tone and pertinent stakeholders for the advertisement. Is the study used mentioned task purely in Ad Hoc basis? Not really, because certain well defined public relation theories have guided the researcher to select the mentioned tasks. The researcher has taken help of traditional public relation theories in order to highlight role of each task within the communication cycle. Therefore, it can be said that In the Part A-Portfolio-Media Analysis, the study covered application of PR theories while key objective of this section is to make direct reference to academic text that are being the theoretical concept behind the tasks mentioned in Part A. In such backdrop, next sections of t he study will dig deep into the theoretical context of public relation and communication cycle. Public Relation (PR) Public relations (PR) can be defined as the practice of administration of the wide spread information between the organization and an individual or public. It may comprise of individual or organization which gains exposure by communicating with the audience using their interest and this activity does not require direct payment.

Czech Political Parties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Czech Political Parties - Essay Example The upper house, or Senate, elects members every two years for six-year terms (81 total); the lower house, or Chamber of Deputies, has 200 members who are elected for four-year terms. The political parties often join together in coalitions to form a majority or other bloc of votes in the government. Five parties have 10 or more representatives in the Chamber of Deputies; one deputy is an independent (Czechcentrum.cz). More parties hold seats in the Senate, but only two hold more than 10 seats, the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and the Coalition of Four (tykoalice), a coalition of four smaller political parties. The country's oldest political party is the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD), formed in 1878 under the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. According to the official Czech government website, the CSSD helped in the formation of Czechoslovakia after WWI and merged with the Communist Party in 1948. It favors a "social market" economy but has also led the drive to privatize former state-owned industries, including the country's large telecommunications system. It is considered left-of-center. The CSSD is most popular with working-class voters in industrial centers, trade union members and public service employees. It is similar to the Social Democratic Party in Germany and the British Labour Party and strongly in favor of the European Union, which the country joined in 2004.

Competencies Variations Between Associate Degree and Baccalaureate Degree Nurses Essay Example for Free

Competencies Variations Between Associate Degree and Baccalaureate Degree Nurses Essay Competencies Variation between Associate Degree and Baccalaureate Degree The difference in competencies between the associate degree and Baccalaureate degree nurse has been a topic for discussion for many years. Prior to the modern practice of nursing the sick was taken care of by non skilled persons such as sinners, saints or mothers (Fact Sheet). Modern nursing began with Florence Nightingale, but has evolved over the years to become a rich history that includes advances in education of nurses, thus forming three entry level of nursing, Diploma, Associate and Baccalaureate of nursing. This discussion will address the difference in competencies between the associate degree and Baccalaureate degree nurses. The ADN program was started to facilitate the need of nurses in the post war years. This is a two years program that teaches the nurse to provide comfort the physiologic stability and peaceful death. (Yoder 2010). This program was also seen as an ideal course for those who prefer a faster and inexpensive route of becoming a registered nurse. Even though the bedside practice of the ADN and BSN nurses are similar, the ADN nurse focuses on the practical assistance more than the theory. The difference in competencies can be seen in the extra two years required for the BSN program. These graduates are exposed to more prerequisites theory, leadership management, research and community based health courses. (Spensor 2008). They are more prepared for the ever changing heath care field because their main focus, are evidence –based practice. They are taught to think independently, use judgment, critical thinking, reasoning and decision making skills, to understand the situation at hand before providing care, and by utilizing these skill they are better able to work within interdisciplinary team and have better patient care outcome. An example of this was observed in a patient care situation on a med surgical unit, where the ADN nurse was taking care of a patient with history of uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension who was about to be discharged. His blood glucose was regularly monitored, medication was dispensed appropriately and she made sure that he was receiving the appropriate diet tray from the kitchen. However when his call light was answered by the BSN nurse she noticed that he had a packet of potato chips and some cookies on his bedside table that was open. She addressed his need, then told him that she noticed the cookies and potato chips at his bedside, which he admitted to be snacking on, and added that the cookies were sugar free and chips were not very salty and that was all he could really afford. The BSN nurse was able to address the situation at hand and was able to teach the pt that even though a packet may read sugar free did not mean it was ok to have. Since it can be loaded with carbohydrates, which break down into sugar. She then collaborated with interdisciplinary team of dietician and social services to prepare this patient for discharge, where this patient and his family were taught how to comply with his diet, by learning how read labels, choose foods, and the important of doing so. Social services ensure that he was provided with the information of community based resources in his neighborhood that will attend to his financial as well as his social needs. Even though the ADN nurse’s bedside nursing was appropriate, it was clear that the two extra years of understanding the concept behind the skills separated a nurse that use critical thinking from one that performed task. In response to the ever changing healthcare system a higher degree of nurses are sought. Therefore the nursing programs help to equip graduates to provide excellent and holistic care while encouraging them to achieve lifelong quest for knowledge and the pursuit of advance professional degree.

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay Education Does the perfect high school exist? Is there a school out there in which the students are all nice and responsible, every teacher enforces learning on the classroom, and the school system always makes wise decisions? No, probably not. At least, not any school I have ever heard of. There are multiple problems affecting high schools today, usually being either issues personally affecting an individual student, or issues affecting the whole school. Some examples of these problems may be: bullying, dropping out, not studying or doing homework, getting pregnant, not being taught to a full extent, financial issues, and etcetera. Like most problems, there is always a solution that we could benefit from. One of the most major issues hurting high schools today has to do with students being lazy. Teens go to school for the majority of their day, which is typically seven hours. Once they finally get home, it is safe to assume that the last thing on students’ minds is homework. They think â€Å"I have been at school allllll day! This is my time to relax; I do not want to do school work anymore! † So instead, they choose to sit down and watch Jersey Shore or log onto their Facebook accounts. In â€Å"The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut† by Todd Gitlin, he talks about comedy writer Larry Gelbart referring to media as â€Å"weapons of mass distraction. † If you think about it, this is pretty accurate. Televisions, the internet, etc are nothing but examples of distraction. Most teenagers are not responsible enough to think â€Å"I cannot watch TV right now, I have to study,† so they usually spend the rest of their night watching TV, causing a failing grade on the next day’s test. Teens in high school are not fully matured. Obviously, if they were mature, they would realize the importance of their grades as opposed the importance of who got in a fight on Jersey Shore. Due to this fact, I think we should â€Å"Let Teenagers Try Adulthood. † In this passage, Leon Botstein supports his idea to give teens a chance at adult life. As I have mentioned, teenagers are not mature enough to make decisions that will be good for their future. So why not let them graduate at the age of sixteen in order for them to understand the significance of being a responsible, mature person? Letting them graduate earlier could more than likely help students realize that it is time to grow up and take action for their lives. And maybe then, less time will be spent watching television, and more time will be spent on productive things†¦ mainly because they would not have a choice! Another major problem in high schools is the extremely high rate of students dropping out of school early. Teens drop out of school for multiple different reasons. Some leave school to escape bullying. There is always that one kid who is bullied so much, he just cannot stand it any longer. This is usually the kid in the back of the classroom, trying to stay hidden from everyone else, not doing assignments or paying attention. Scurrilous peers tend to make students want to stay at home forever, and never come back to school. Dropping out of school may be the victim’s way of getting away. Some students drop school simply because of boredom. They get tired of doing the same thing, every day. They feel as though they are not getting anything from it. In David S. Broder’s â€Å"A Model for High Schools,† he states that â€Å"Too many students are dropping out of high school, bored or dissatisfied with what it offers. † Throughout my three years of high school, I have seen numerous issues arise. Due to these many issues, personally, I do not like high school a bit. The problem most chronic would definitely have to be teen pregnancy. I remember during my freshman year, there were about twenty different young girls roaming the halls with a baby bump. During my sophomore year, there were twelve. The majority of the young women in high school that are getting pregnant end up dropping out and totally ignoring their education in order to raise their child. Those who do not drop out still have to miss tons of days due to their pregnancy and child birth†¦ which means, these students will get very far behind in their work, and will have to catch up on their own. Now, I am not saying that these girls should not raise their children, or that they do not have a reason to be absent frequently, I am simply saying this: Do not get pregnant in the first place! Education should always come first. Once they miss that month of school, it is going to be extremely difficult for them to catch up on their work. Because of this, most students will just give up and drop out. No one wants to be stupid, have a child at 16, and have to work at McDonald’s just to buy diapers and a box of Cheerios! Although there are still many issues arising in high schools all throughout America, these are more than likely the worst. Laziness and irresponsibility, dropping out, and getting pregnant can all cause students to end up with no education whatsoever, and lead them to a life of serving customers at the local Wal-Mart.

Features of Effective Communication in Healthcare

Features of Effective Communication in Healthcare Laura Abayomi This essay shall discuss the act of communication as it relates to the health care industry. Communication is described as the act of sending and receiving information and this could either be verbal, non verbal or written. Communication in the Health care industry is very vital for effective health care delivery. This need cannot be over emphasized in that it is the only means by which appraisal can be made to determine the level of performance and success of both the health professional and the establishment. There are different methods of communication suitable for different range of situations for example, under verbal, in order to effectively communicate with the blind and partially sighted patients, there is the need to use large print fonts size to enable them read without further strain to the eye Information that is being communicated via the written format should be legible and accurate especially for people with sight difficulty. The use of Braille, audiotapes, electronic text can be very helpful. Health care organisations such as NHS also make use of telephone and voice mail when booking and confirming appointments in order to effectively communicate with this and other group of people. Patients with hearing difficulties can be assisted by making available written material that convey information and also the use of BSI and text phone could be very helpful. Signs, symbols, gestures and body language can also be used in this situation. Communicating with individuals with impaired speech could pose some form of challenge however; technological aid such as a special computer in which the patient can type in their thoughts or feelings and this message will then be spoken out loud can be used. Patients with learning disability can be supported through their care givers and also by using illustrations, videos and audio tape and pictured pamphlets. People whose first language is not English could find it difficult communicating in a care setting. For this set of individuals, language translator and the use of audio and videotapes that addresses that individuals need can be of immense help. Communication is considered as the act of transferring information between two or more individuals. It is like two way traffic. For communication to be said to have taken place, information must have been exchanged that is, the sender and the receiver must have benefited mutually. There are many factors that constitute a barrier to communication, among these are; Language: This could be a serious barrier to communication. There is the need for both the sender and the receiver to understand each other in order for communication to be effective and to avoid misunderstanding. Environment: The environment in which communication takes place matters a lot and determines how effective the communication will be for example, carrying out conversation or trying to pass on information in a crowded and noisy ward could be quite distracting and this could act as a barrier. The use of Jargons is another factor that constitutes a barrier to communication for example, when professionals use technical jargons or unfamiliar and overcomplicated terminologies when dealing with patients. Experience has revealed that when health practitioners use medical terminologies that the patient is not used to, communication will not be effective and this could even lead to confusion and misunderstanding Culture is another aspect that could be a form of barrier to communication for example, in some culture it is deemed as inappropriate for a male health practitioner to relate in any capacity with a female patient and this could be a barrier. Also, some matters are considered taboos in some cultures therefore communicating such matters could be difficult to the person concerned Emotional factors such as anger, stress or even ill health could act as a barrier to communication for example, the emotional state of mind of the receiver at the time the information is being relayed will determine if the massage is understood or accepted. Also excessive shyness could act as barrier to communication because this could prevent the patient from expressing him or herself clearly. Barriers to communication can be overcome by addressing each barrier as it relates to the situation and environment one is dealing with which in this case is the health sector. Language as a communication barrier is prevalent among individuals from the ethnic minority whose first language is not English. This group of people may find it difficult to communicate and express themselve adequately. To overcome this barrier, it is best to get a language interpreter and translator. Also leaflets and picture pamphlets can be used. Overcoming environmental barrier to communication can be achieved through creating an atmosphere that is free of external distractions such as noise; when this cannot be effectively controlled, Individuals and organisations can adopt the use of earplugs and earphones in order to cut out outside noise. Health practitioners should avoid the use of difficult terminologies and medical jargons when dealing with patients to avoid misunderstanding and confusion. Speaking in simple English or the agreed mode of communication will help eradicate communication barrier. Inability to read could be a barrier to communication and this may be due to poor sight or too small letters (fonts) or illegibility of printed materials. To overcome this barrier, audio and video tapes as well as vocal interpretation can be used. Printed materials with large fonts will help alleviate the difficulty and promote good communication Hearing Difficulties: This form of challenge can be taken care of by using of BSL and text phones. Learning disability could be a barrier to communication. To overcome this, illustrations, videos and audio tapes can be used to simplify and make communication better. From the tone of the first response, one can sense cheerfulness because of the sing song tone of the voice. The message that comes across to the listener is that of a satisfied patient. The second voice sounds angry. This deduction is due to the sharp and abrupt tone of response to the greeting. The signal that comes across is that of a dissatisfied and angry patient. This anger could be the result of lack of adequate care given. The third tone evidenced an emotional tone. It reveals that of a person with a broken spirit which may be due to a loss or having received bad news concerning a diagnosis such as Cancer. Having considered the different tone of voice, it can be concluded that words as a medium of communication is the outward or verbal expression of what a person is actually thinking or feeling and this feeling can be interpreted in different ways judging from the tone of voice and response to even simple greetings. â€Å"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (The Bible,NKJV). The health professional’s approach to these different responses will differ. While the individual with the angry tone will be approach with caution, the other two tones are more welcoming however; they all need our understanding, re-assurance and empathy. The Oxford dictionary defines empathy as â€Å"the ability to understand and share the feelings of another† (oxford dictionary 2015). This definition of empathy is very important in the health care sector because it truly mirrors how the health practitioner’s role should be seen and carried out. The ability to feel another person’s pain as if it is yours is a virtue that is essential in efficiently carrying out ones role as a health practitioner. The patient or family member that comes to the hospital is in most cases at a very vulnerable state and needs all the support and understanding they can receive at this time. The ability to do this can only happen if the practitioner can understand and puts himself in the place of the patient. Evidence has shown instances where care practitioners have failed in doing this for example, the Winterbourne case where â€Å"vulnerable people were mocked and even tortured by the very staff that should have been supporting them†. (BBC news) At the end, eleven workers from the care home were convicted and six were sent to prison Another example that made headlines was the Stafford Hospital case in which it was revealed through the help of hidden cameras how patients were rough handled, treated without dignity and left unattended to for hours and some were â€Å"left sitting on their own urine†( the guardian 2015) The failure to listen empathically by people from whom this virtue is expected can be ascribed to several reasons. Firstly, it is best to understand that the ability to empathise can come naturally as an instinct or could also be learnt as a skill and through life experiences. While some people find it easy to show empathy, others find it a struggle and a challenge. Though this is a skill that is required in this sector, some practitioners lack it both as a skill and as an instinct. Empathy emanates from truly listening to and giving of one’s time but when the professional is constrained for time, he or she may be distracted and thus be able to understand the patient’s pain. The inability or failure to listen to others empathically could be the result of the individual’s upbringing such as growing up in a home devoid of outward show of emotions or empathy or may be due to some psychological disorder such as â€Å"antisocial personality disorder† or ASPD (psych central 2015) Confidentiality is an essential part of the act of communication. In large establishments such as NHS, there are sets of rules or policy put in place to protect the privacy of patients. The health care sector as a people centered organisation is built on trust therefore, there is the need for the patient to know for certain that every information that he or she has divulged in moments of vulnerability is handled with utmost care and used solely for the purpose for which it was given. It is therefore the responsibility of the health care practitioner to safeguard information that is given. Personal medical records are of enormous importance and should be so treated; however; statistics has revealed breeches in NHS data record. According to big brother watch; â€Å"between 2011 to 2014, there have been at least 7,255 breaches†. (Big Brother watch 2015) The list of breeches includes: â€Å"At least 103 instances of data loss or theft. At least 206 instances of data being shared inappropriately via e-mail, letter or fax. At least 251 instances of data being inappropriately shared with a third party† (Big brother watch 2015) The breech of a patient’s confidentiality could lead to lack of trust in the system. The consequence of broken confidentiality can be far reaching in that it affects not just the patient, but the institution and the individual through which the breech was committed. It will cause the patient to lose faith in the system and may want to press charges and take legal proceedings against the health organisation and this could be costly and will affect the public image of the health organisation. Also, records have revealed that disciplinary actions have been taken against the individuals that have been found guilty of breeching confidentiality laws and some have been sacked from their jobs and some of them prosecuted. (Big brother watch 2015) There are instances where it is permissible to break confidentiality. In situations where the person divulging the information is perceived by the health practitioner as a possible threat either to himself or to someone else for example, if the person is suicidal or has revealed that a crime has been committed or there is the intention of committing one it is therefore the responsibility if the practitioner to break confidentiality and report the matter to the appropriate authority. (Answers.com 2015) Besides the need for privacy and confidentiality, the need for a thorough record keeping in the health care setting is crucial for several reasons; 1. Records serve as Proof and evidence of medical procedure and medication that has been carried out on a patient. It helps to further Continuity: In a hospital setting were drugs are administered, proper record should be kept so that the next practitioner that takes over will know what sort of medication had been administered to a patient. Record keeping also helps scientists in their medical research to evaluating precedence in patient treatment and their reaction to drug and medication. In conclusion, man as a social being had learnt to rely on each other through the ages and to do this; there is the need to communicate. The desire to meet this need has evolved from sheer words of mouth to include more sophisticated means and channels of transferring and receiving information thanks to modern technological advancement which has helped in no small measure in reducing the barriers which had hindered communication in the past. Communication as one of the underlying aspect of human existence can be said to be dynamic and forward looking in its evolution and now includes other aspects such as record keeping for the sake of posterity, confidentiality and empathy. In the health care sector, these aspects of communication are paramount in effectively carrying out ones role as a professional. References: Bbc.co.uk, (2015). [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-2277304 [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015]. Answers.com, (2015).When can confidentiality be broken. [online] Available at: http://www.answers.com/Q/When_can_confidentiality_be_broken [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015]. Belsten, L. (2015).Can Empathy Be Learned?. [online] The-iseiblog.com. Available at: http://the-iseiblog.com/communication-skills/can-empathy-be-learned/ [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015]. Bigbrotherwatch.org.uk, (2014).New Report: Patient confidentiality broken 6 times a day | Big Brother Watch. [online] Available at: http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/home/2014/11/new-report-patient-confidentiality-broken-6-times-day.html [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015]. Nugent, H. (2012).Care home worker jailed for abuse of 89-year-old caught on hidden camera. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2012/aug/29/care-home-worker-hidden-camera [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015]. Oxforddictionaries.com, (2015).Oxford Dictionaries. [online] Available at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/ [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015]. Matthew 12:34 The Holy Bible, The new king James version. Psych Central.com, (2015).Antisocial Personality Disorder Symptoms. [online] Available at: http://psychcentral.com/disorders/antisocial-personality-disorder-symptoms/ [Accessed 24 Jan. 2015].

Drama: Alive And Well Essay -- essays research papers fc

Drama: Alive and Well There have been many dramatic plays over the centuries. Many of these plays have died in their time, while others have lived on. What makes these plays endure time and continue to be influential over time? Perhaps it is the storyline or the interesting nature of the play is what makes these dramas last. I think that it is the focus on human nature and its essential truths that keep these plays alive. Most of the plays, still enacted in theaters today, deal with social issues that people can learn from and relate to. Social relationships seem to remain constant over time. Technology has changed dramatically, but human interaction is still basically the same. Human relationships have been recorded and interpreted by many authors in different literary genres through time. Drama has produced many lasting works. They have lasted because peoples ability to relate to them in any time frame due to the social theme, specifically, individualism, reality versus fantasy, actions and consequences, social standing, lies and deceptions, and human talents. In ancient Greece, the people believed in many gods. It was thought that going against the will of these gods would result in punishment. The famous Greek writer, Sophocles, made a very good interpretation of this relationship between the people and the gods in the tragedy titled "Antigone." This play focused on the actions of the characters in the play, and the consequences that would result. It made a direct link between the consequences and the power of the gods. Creon, the stubborn king, would not bury Polynices even though it was the will of the gods. The blind prophet Tiresias warns Creon of this. He says â€Å"all men make mistakes, it is only human... a man can turn back on his folly, misfortune too, if he tries to make amends† (Sophocles). Creon would eventually lose his son and his wife in this ordeal. Creon was too stubborn to succumb to the gods, and that was the consequence he faced. We can relate to this scenario today. The gods may not be that are the source of our consequences, but everyone knows that actions always bring about consequences, either by law or just life. This play may urge a reader to consider his actions when thinking of what happened to Creon. ... ...erie" and its theme of escape is recognized by many people and is then kept alive in the literature world. Tennessee Williams’ ability to bring us into the mind of Tom makes the play interesting and gives it a lasting effect. The ability to relate to characters in drama and to the social theme is the key to the lasting effect of these plays. There are many other reasons for the plays' remaining existence, but none compare to the personal relationships that are built in the dramas such as "Doll's House" and "Everyman." People enjoy this relationship, and it is those people who keep the plays in existence by purchasing the paperback or attending the play at a theater. Works Cited Anonymous. Everyman. Discovering Literature: Compact Edition. Ed. Guth and Rico. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 1060-1071. Jokinen, Anniina. Everyman: an Introduction. 29 October 1999. http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/intro.htm (2000-MAR-27). Sophocles. Antigone. Discovering Literature: Compact Edition. Ed. Guth and Rico. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. 738-776.

Gabriella :: Personal Narrative Russia Judaism Papers

Gabriella Sometimes I still say your name, just to hold it in my mouth, to twirl it past the curves of vowels and into the trill of the l, the lilt of the final a. Gabriella, I still see your sharp, strange face, in street crowds and in airports, the flutter of your long hands tracing my belly button. I can’t remember Gabriella’s last name, something quite Russian and excitingly foreign to the five year old self of mine who last saw her. I don't know which part of Russia she lived in before coming here as part of a refugee plan for Soviet Jews, never even thought to ask. In 1983, I only knew that Russians were communists, and communists were bad, which was why Gabriella (stop, wait, say the name again, slowly). Gabriieeelllaaa ran away. I am four years old and have to read one whole book with chapters before starting kindergarten next week at Ezra Academy, a Jewish day school in Woodbridge, Connecticut which requires all students to read and write both Hebrew and English at a basic level upon entrance. When we met the principal over the summer, he said that I would be the youngest pupil by more than a year. For my book, I pick Meet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from a shiny shelf at Stop n’ Shop while dangling over the front of the child seat in my mother’s shopping cart, already too round to fit in comfortably. That night, I curl into my pink flannel princess nightgown to read in my mother’s big maroon rocking chair. "Mommy, were the Jim Crow people commu..commm...communin,..cc...communinists?" "Communists?" She smiles, and I watch for the crinkles at her eyes to tell me if she noticed my tangled pronunciation. "Are the people who hated Dr. King the same people who hate Gabriella?" "Who?" My mother drawls over the who, dangling the word like the glass in her hand, one sip left of pale rose colored wine so perfect I want to place it like dew on my tongue "Wine is only for mommies" "If I’m not allowed to drink more than one glass of ginger ale why can you drink five glasses of wine?" "Because it’s different for grownups, our stomachs are bigger" "Big enough for the whole bottle?" "Don’t be silly. Who were you asking me about before?" "Remember! The girl who is going to be in my class who you said Rabbi Scolnik helped rescue from the cc.

Certainty is Decartes Discourse of Method Essay -- Rene Descarte Pape

Rene Descartes' overall objective in publicizing "Discourse of Method" is to developing a new system of knowledge that is free of prior prejudices for establishing the truth of things. In Part 4 of the book he explains the philosophical basing (the meditations) for establishing the new system. These meditations were based on the epistemological theory of rationalism: that is if someone truly knows something then they could not possibly be mistaken. He goes on to provide solid argument for his ideas. In Meditations he comes to term with three certainties: the existence of the mind as the thing that thinks, the body as an extension, and God as the supreme being. He attests that he came to these conclusions by doubling all that had been taught to him in his formal education, and all he received through the senses. In the "Discourse of Method" he states his first uncertainty when he says, " I found myself embarrassed with so many doubts and errors that it seemed to me that the effort to instruct myself had no effect other than the increasing discovery of my ignorance". He has difficulty embracing the diverse, and sometimes hypocrtical, ideas that he encountered in his studies. He thought all of his confusions and indeterminate ideas were caused by the senses. Therefore, he first jettisons any information, knowledge or truths that are based on his senses. Here, he applies the "Dream Argument, " (32) where he states that based on senses alone, there is no definite way of proving that you are dreaming or that you are awake. After all, derams are indistinguishable from reality because during a dram, a person is unaware that he is dreaming. In fact, no sing... ...d, which is of an infinite being, cannot arise from a mortal, a finite being. The idea of infinite must therefore be due to the existence of an infinite, which must have placed this idea in him. Thus, proving his theory of the existence of God. From the nature of the perfection that God is, Decartes comes to conclusion that God is the ultimate causeless cause. Decartes holds that the innate idea of God that rises in the mind is sufficient proof of God's having made man in His own image. God's existence is the precondition of the existence of all other things, including the individual souls, and also of His idea in the human mind. Since there cannot be an idea of God without the existence of God. God is incorporeal, intelligence, all-knowing, good and just. He is omnipotent, eternal. He has no changes, no modes of attribute, no modifications.

Farmers dbq Essay

In the late nineteenth century, twenty years after the Homestead Act, farmers used their land in the western plains to produce both crops and profits. The farmers of this time struggled in the agricultural way of life by facing economic and political obstacles that were impossible to avoid, requiring them to do something about their complaints. Although the farmers had plausible arguments for most of their criticisms, their beliefs of the silver standard and overproduction sometimes could not be backed up. However, farmers continued to struggle between inevitable issues like the currency debate, constant debt and rising costs. The debate over United States currency was a huge obstacle for farmers to overcome because they were in direct relation to the money crisis. In 1890 and 1892 with the Ocala and Omaha Platforms, farmers wanted free and unlimited coinage of silver so they could pay off any debt. A chart showing United States Population and Money in Circulation in 1865-1895 (Document C), shows how after a period of less money in circulation in the 1870s was resolved in the 1880s by the Bland-Allison Act which was later replaced by the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1890. Both of these acts were passed in Congress to provide free coinage of silver. The reasoning for the silver standard in the Populist platform in 1892 (Document A) was justified by the same reasoning as William Jennings Bryan in his â€Å"Cross of Gold† speech. Both describe how the conspiracy that the gold standard is better because England still uses it questions why America became an independent nation. However, the farmers still remained defeated on the currency debate because of the gold bug president gaining control of office. One of the biggest struggles for the farmers was not being able to pay off debt. They borrowed extravagant amounts of money from the bank at high interest rates, but this complaint was reasonable because one could not be a farmer without taking these risks. During Grover Cleveland’s second non-consecutive year in office a horrible four-year depression occurred called the Panic of 1893. This panic was caused by over speculation in the stock market and over expansion of railroads; both of these decisions made by the eastern president, Cleveland. As depicted in A Farmer’s Voice, a Chicago newspaper, (Document D) an eastern leader, Cleveland, takes his western slaves, the farmers, to the courthouse because the farms have been foreclosed. Farm foreclosures, a twenty percent unemployment rate and the cause for Cleveland to return to the gold standard, were effects of the Panic of 1893. Ultimately, this depression added to the unavoidable obstacle of debt.

Loewen Case

This growth through acquisitions was funded primarily through debt which was evident as long term debt increased $922. Lion from 1994 to 1998; this was a 195. 88% increase. One benefit of debt financing was that it provided a tax benefit. From 1994 to 1998 Lone had paid $488. 6 million in interest. Lowness tax rate was 45% therefore; debt financing resulted in a tax savings of $219. 87 million. Another advantage of debt financing was that It did not afford the lender ownership. Therefore, the lender had no say In how one's business was conducted. In order for one to reap the benefits of debt financing though one must be able to comply with all aspects of the debt agreement.When unable to do so the consequences can be devastating too equines. Unfortunately, aggressive growth through debt financing did not bode well with the Lone Group. With the 30% average revenue growth one would expect to see their earnings grow too, but this was not the case. Lone lost $599 million for 1998 compare d to earning $43 million the previous year, an approximate 149% decline in one year. Within 5 years of the start of their â€Å"acquisition frenzy† of larger established funeral chains they were facing what one in the financial world would call â€Å"financial distress†.Financial distress is defined by Investigated as â€Å"A condition where a many cannot meet or has difficulty paying off its financial obligations to its creditors. The chance of financial distress increases when a firm has high fixed costs, illiquid assets, or revenues that are sensitive to economic downturns. † Lone Group unfortunately had a few of the above Issues and then some. Fixed costs for funeral homes were approximately 65%; this was due In part to the fact that a funeral home may only have one to two funerals a week but still had to be maintained.Their competitor, SIC, would â€Å"cluster† the funeral homes together which reduced fixed costs to an average of 54%. 4% is still hig h but better than 65%. Such a plan also afforded SIC the ability to sell off assets, eliminating redundant cost and reducing the total cost of the acquisition. Funeral home assets were not in great demand at this time as the death rate had declined; therefore funeral home assets were very illiquid. Though the above financial distress pre-cursors were in place, internal issues also played a large role in creating Lowness financial distress.Lowness aggressive acquisition strategy seemed only to focus on the acquisition with little to no thought to the next step of the process. Lowness competitor, SIC, acquired full ownership of all acquisitions whereas Lone took a majority ownership and made payments for the rest to help ease taxes. These calculations were funded largely with debt in which the terms of such debt were very complicated Succession with Blackstone Group. If Lone bought out Blackstone by exercising their option it would effectively pay an amount that would give Blackstone a 24% return on its investment.Lenses' ROAR (using actual assets as bag assets were not given) in 1996 was only 1. 83%. This was an extremely high return to negotiate. Blackstone also had a put in which they could sell their stock to Lone using a calculation based on EBITDA. This definitely did not favor Lone due to most acquisitions were purchased largely through debt. Lone did not market the acquisitions instead decided the funds would be better spent on courting independent funeral home and cemetery owners who were potential acquirers. Though they did not market their acquisitions their SO &A increased by 25. 3% to $125. 2 million from 1997 to 1998 whereas their competitor's SO remained constant at $66. 8 million. Marketing and integrating acquisitions into one's business are a ere important part of the success of an acquisition. A reversal of $3. 7 million in sales plus a $2. 1 million increase in allowance for loan losses were attributed to the decrease in gross margin. Such an increase in allowance for loan losses would lead one to believe that due diligence in evaluating the collegiality of the accounts receivable of the acquired companies had not been performed.The $5. 7 million adjustment resulted in a 9. 07% decrease in income for 1996. A lawsuit awarded in the amount of $500 million occurred from accusations of Lone reneging on the purchase of two homes, plus certain insurance services. Lone reported an expense of $165 million for the year to settle this and other lawsuits. Had Lone honored the agreement the properties were only worth a few million therefore, it would have saved them a considerable amount of money. Also, after the announcement of the award Lowness stock decreased in value by 15%.In 1996, an offer to purchase Lone stock was made by SIC in which they offered to purchase the stock at $43 per share which was $3. 00 per share higher than it was trading for at that time. SIC increased their offer to $45 per share yet Lowness Board of Dire ctors effused the offer stating the stock was undervalued due to the lawsuit. At the end of 1996, Lowness debt/equity ratio was 1. 4:1; company policy was in the range of 1 to 1. 5. Lowness plan was to reduce the debt/equity ratio with equity issues.Due to concerns over an antitrust lawsuit Lone had filed against SIC and Lowness current high debt to equity ratio SIC withdrew their offer to Lone. This leads us to the Board of Directors who are appointed to act on behalf of the shareholders to run the day to day affairs of the business along with ensuring the availability of adequate uncial resources, evaluating the CEO and approving the budget. One can see from the description of the responsibilities of the Board of Directors that Lowness Board of Directors had greatly failed their shareholders.Lone, now facing financial distress, as they had not yet missed a payment but had $875 million in debt due the next year, had to determine how best to recover from too much debt, too little de ath and too little governance. John Lackey, the newly appointed CEO, was to begin his daunting task of bringing Lone back from the brink of death. With $875 million in debt due in 1999 Mr.. Lackey had little time to develop a plan of action. Unfortunately, Lowness original plan of reducing debt by issuing equities was no longer an option as the stock price year; a decrease of 67. 2%. Lone should have given this option consideration earlier and they might not have found themselves in this position. Mr.. Lackeys options all had pros and cons but a decision had to be made and made fast. Option one would be to meet with creditors regarding the soon to be due debt obligations and discuss amending the terms, a workout. Most creditors cringe at the word bankruptcy so that may help to earn the ear of their creditors. Prior to approaching the bank or their creditors, Lone must first determine whether there is any way to turn the business around.Creditors are normally repaid by future cash fl ow, new financing, or equity infusion. Lone must first devise a restructuring plan that would demonstrate it can be sustainable on a going forward basis. Mr.. Lackey must review the historical financial of the business and prepare projections of cash flow, profit and loss, and balance sheet through the term of the proposed repayment plan. The projections should demonstrate that the business not only has sufficient ash flow to maintain current operations but also has enough additional cash flow in the foreseeable future that will enable creditors to receive a return on the delinquent debt.The amount of such additional positive cash flow will determine the amount of time necessary to repay creditors. The pros of this option would be that it would be less expensive than bankruptcy. Bankruptcy would require attorneys, court costs and other expenses. Costs that would have been spent on bankruptcy can be used in restructuring the business. It would also give Lone the opportunity to addres s the tuition privately between the creditors and themselves. This would hopefully help to minimize negative publicity. The cost of negative publicity knows no bounds.This option would also buy Lone some time in which to begin the process of possibly selling off less profitable operations and time to evaluate expenses and cut the fat. A workout is also effective in preventing creditors from taking legal action which again would buy Lone some time. The cons of this option would be the terms of Lowness's debt were very complicated in that the company's debt was almost all secured, or collateralized by various assets. There were also covenants that restricted the company's ability to sell assets.Creditors would have to all agree to the terms of the sale of assets. Lone had a covenant in their bonds that stated if the ownership of the company's stock changed significantly Lone had to repurchase the bonds for 101% of face value. The scofflaws may not be sufficient to show the company sus tainable enough going forward for the creditors. All of these covenants and restrictions would make it difficult to restructure the company's debt. Option 2 would be to recommend Lone meet with a professional in the equines of securing equity investors for troubled companies.Pros would be though it may be costly it would still be cheaper than bankruptcy and may be the only option for Lone to continue its operation should no agreement be reached with its current creditors. Cons of course would be the cost. With Lowness current situation equity investors would be hard to come by also. Option three would be to meet with their three main competitors to discuss each entity purchasing some of the acquired funeral homes and cemeteries. This option would allow Lone to sell their assets for cash. Avoid bankruptcy and the additional sots associated with bankruptcy.Big is not always better. Lone could then focus option would possible be the anti-trust laws. If the sale of assets to Lowness thr ee main competitors was seen as threatening fair competition then the sale could not take place. Another con is again the terms of Lowness debt would make this a difficult task. Option four would be the last resort, Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The con of this option is that it would give Lone the ability to develop a plan to restructure on their terms. Lone would no longer be required to pay interest on unsecured debt.They would also be able to borrow from new lenders through debtor-in-possession financing. A con of this plan would be the costs incurred to file bankruptcy. Another issue is the company conducted about 10% of its business in Canada where the bankruptcy law made it much simpler for creditors to remove management. Canadian law also only provided one chance to provide a reorganization plan. In conclusion our recommendation would be to develop a reorganization plan showing the company was a sustainable company going forward, positive cash flow would provide payment on delinque nt debt and then present it to its creditors for approval.