Palliative Care Situation Reflection

Palliative Care Situation Reflection Introduction Reflective practice enables nurses to critically review their actions through a process of thoughtful deliberation about past experiences, in order to learn from them (Tickle 1994; Atkins and Murphy 1995; Bailey 1995; Spalding 1998). Reflection is important since it provides opportunities for learning and continuing professional development (Hinchliff et al. 1993; Spalding 1998). Furthermore, it allows the nurse to better handle future situations and deal more ably with challenging events in everyday clinical practice (Jarvis 1992; Smith 1995). A number of models of reflection have been developed. Gibbs cycle considers the process of reflection as six key stages: (1) description of the event, (2) feelings, (3) evaluation, (4) analysis, (5) conclusion and (6) development of an action plan (Gibbs 1988). In this paper, Gibbs cycle will be used to reflect on an clinical incident that I have experienced which focuses on communication in palliative care and specifically, breaking bad news to a patient and his family. Palliative care is the care of any patient with advanced, incurable disease (Urie et al. 2000). Palliative care involves the management of pain and other disease-related symptoms, and aims to improve quality of life using a holistic approach that incorporates physical, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of care (Urie et al. 2000). Effective communication between nurses and other healthcare professionals, patients, and their families and carers forms a key component of palliative care, particularly when breaking bad news. Research has shown that healthcare professionals cite a number of challenges in communicating effectively, including cultural factors, deciding on the best process of communication and information to deliver, and the difficulty of conveying hope to patients and their carers (de Haes and Teunissen 2005). The NHS Cancer Plan published in 2000 states that: â€Å"the care of all dying patients must improve to the level of the best†, with good communication between healthcare professionals and patients as central to achieving this goal (Department of Health 2000). The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is a framework designed to ensure a gold standard of care is provided for all patients who are nearing the end of their lives (NHS 2005). There are three stages in this framework: (1) identify, (2) assess and (3) plan, with effective communication a key goal underpinning each of these stages. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on improving supportive and palliative care for adults also stresses the value of good face-to-face communication both between healthcare professionals and patients and also inter-professional communication (NICE 2003). This guidance supports the use of the Liverpool Care for the Dying Patient Pathway (2004) which provides a fr amework for improving communication. It is therefore important that nurses develop the required skills to enable them to communicate effectively with patients and carers, and also with other healthcare professionals within the multidisciplinary care team. Reflection using Gibbs cycle (1) Description of the event Mr Smith is a 39 year old father and company director who discovered a testicular swelling. He chose to ignore this, initially because he misinterpreted it as a sports injury, and later because he felt embarrassed about discussing this with a doctor. Nine months later he presented to the emergency admissions unit as he was becoming breathless far more readily than usual, and suffered a constant backache. These symptoms were found to be due to lung metastases and referred pain caused by metastases in the para-aortic lymph nodes. His prognosis was poor and his family were called so that they could be there when he received the diagnosis to help support him. The consultant delivered the news to Mr Smith and his family in a quiet room, with both myself and another staff nurse present. Understandably, both Mr Smith and his family were devastated. (2) Feelings This case has had a huge impact on me. As this was the first time I had attended a case where bad news of this nature had to be broken to the patient and their family, I was naturally apprehensive prior to the event. On seeing the reactions of Mr Smith and his wife to the news, I was unprepared for the strength of my own emotions and found it hard not to cry. Initially, I felt helpless and unable to do anything to help relieve their suffering. I also felt awkward and as if I was intruding at a time when they should be allowed to grieve together privately. However, these feelings quickly passed and were replaced by a desire to do my best to make Mr Smith’s end-of-life care the best possible and provide as much support to both the patient and his family as I could. (3) Evaluation The consultant broke the news to Mr Smith and his family very well and was able to draw on his considerable experience to handle the situation in a professional manner while showing empathy and sensitivity. The choice of a quiet room rather than an open hospital ward provided an ideal environment which afforded Mr Smith privacy to receive the news. The consultant primarily focused on verbal methods to communicate effectively, but also used non-verbal methods, such as sitting down on their level, rather than standing while they sat down; maintaining eye contact with both Mr and Mrs Smith throughout the conversation; using open body language (e.g. not crossing his arms); and using a soft tone of voice. The consultant did not rush in breaking the news and took time to explain Mr Smith’s diagnosis and prognosis, ensuring that what he was saying was understood and providing clarification where necessary. He was also careful not to give unrealistic answers to any difficult questions that were asked and was as optimistic as possible, while still being open and honest. While the consultant was speaking, the other staff nurse observed the reactions of Mr Smith and his family closely to pick up on non-verbal clues to their thoughts and feelings and was quick to step in to place an arm around the shoulders of Mrs Smith when she began to cry which was clearly of great comfort to her. The only negative aspect of the incident was that I felt that having two staff nurses as well as the consultant present was excessive and initially unsettled the family, serving to emphasise the gravity of the situation. (4) Analysis Effective communication As this was the first time I had been involved in a case like this, my role was largely one of observer. Nonetheless, this was still an excellent learning experience and provided me with the opportunity to develop my verbal and non-verbal communication skills through observation. On reflection, I feel that I could have kept my emotions more under control, but I was unprepared for the strength of Mr and Mrs Smith’s response to the news. The consultant played the key role with support from the other staff nurse, both of whom have considerable experience in palliative care. It was clear that hey had already gained the trust of Mr Smith during previous consultations. Trust has been identified as a major factor in establishing successful relationships between healthcare professionals, patients and carers (de Haes and Teunissen 2005), and this enabled more effective, open and honest communication. In palliative care, it is important to relate to the patient on a personal as well as a professional level (Lugton and Kindlen 1999). There should be consistency between verbal and non-verbal communication in order for the healthcare professional to be perceived as genuine (Benjamin 1981). Evidence has shown non-verbal methods of communication to be more powerful than verbal methods (Henley 1973), with listening and eye contact among the most effective forms of non-verbal communication. Touch has also been identified as an important for nurses in certain situations. The consultant relied mainly on verbal communication which may reflect gender-specific differences in communication with men using verbal forms more frequently and women tending to rely more on non-verbal communication methods (Lugton and Kindlen 1999). Observing the other staff nurse readily use touch to comfort Mrs Smith helped the rest of the family to relax and lessened the tension in the room slightly, also breaking down the ‘barrier’ between the healthcare professionals and the patient/family. I observed that the family appeared to view the nurse as a comforter and more approachable than the consultant, a view that continued throughout Mr Smith’s end-of-life care. Although not relevant to this particular case, it is important to acknowledge that effective communication between members of the multidisciplinary palliative care team is also essential. This can be challenging if, for example, team members have differing philosophies of care. One of the key recommendations of the NICE guidelines on palliative care is the implementation of processes to ensure effective inter-personal communication within multidisciplinary teams and other care providers (NICE 2003). During Mr Smith’s end-of-life care, I had to work closely with other members of the care team and there were instances where it was important for me to consider the perspectives of other team members in order to communicate effectively with them. Regular team meetings were beneficial in creating a forum where difficulties could be discussed and solutions to problems found. Reactions to receiving bad news in palliative care After breaking bad news to a patient, healthcare professionals may have to be prepared to deal with a variety of reactions including denial and collusion, and emotional reactions such as anger, guilt and blame. Denial is often a coping mechanism for patients who are unable to face the fact they have a terminal illness but patients will often begin to face reality as their disease progresses over time (Faulkner 1998). Family members and carers may encourage the patient to stay in denial, as this will delay the time when difficult issues have to be faced and discussed. Collusion between healthcare professionals and families/carers to withhold information from the patient is usually viewed as a way to try and protect the patient (Faulkner 1998). However, honest and open discussion with the patient themselves establishes their level of knowledge and understanding and can help to reassure them about their condition and accept reality. Patients and their families and carers often show strong emotional reactions to bad news. Anger may sometimes be misdirected towards the healthcare professional as the bearer of this news, and it is important that the cause of the anger is identified and addressed. Patients may feel guilt, and that they are somehow being punished for something they have done wrong. Alternatively, the patient may serve to blame their condition on other people. While healthcare professionals are unable to take away these feelings of guilt and blame, ensuring the patient has the chance to talk them through and discuss relevant issues can help them come to terms with these feelings. Mr Smith’s reaction to the news was one of self-blame and guilt – he blamed himself for not visiting a doctor earlier and felt guilty that he was putting his family through so much. He appeared to accept his poor prognosis and asked a number of questions which demonstrated a full understanding of his situation. Spiritual and cultural beliefs can influence an individual’s experience of illness and the concerns of both patients and their families or carers may need to be addressed either at the time bad news is broken or at a later stage during end-of-life care when individuals are facing death (Matzo et al. 2005). Incorporating spiritual care into nursing is therefore particularly important in palliative care; however, since neither Mr Smith or his family were particularly religious, this was not a key issue in this incident or in his subsequent care. Control of cancer-related symptoms in palliative care Patients with advanced cancer are typically polysymptomatic (Grond et al 1994). Common symptoms include pain, fatigue, weakness, anorexia, weight loss, constipation, breathlessness and depression. Effective control of these symptoms is essential for optimal quality of life during end-of-life care. As previously discussed, one of the main processes in the GSF framework involves assessing patients symptoms and planning care centred around these, to ensure that these symptoms are controlled as much as possible (NHS 2005). Three symptoms that required effective management as part of Mr Smith’s care plan were pain, breathlessness and depression. One of Mr Smith’s greatest concerns was that he would suffer considerable pain during the advanced stages of his cancer. This is a common fear held by many cancer patients. Pain is a symptom experienced by up to 70% of cancer patients (Donnelly and Walsh 1995; Vainio and Auvunen 1996). Pain may result from the cancer itself, treatment, debility or unrelated pathologies, and accurate diagnosis of the cause(s) of pain is therefore important. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘analgesic ladder’ (WHO 1996) provides a system for managing cancer pain and has been shown to achieve pain relief in almost 90% of patients (Zech et al. 1995; WHO 1996). Pharmacological interventions for pain management include the use of non-opioids such as paracetamol, aspirin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) for the control of mild pain. In Europe, oral morphine is the dug of choice for the control of moderate to severe cancer pain, but weak or strong opioids may also be used, either with or without non-opioids. Correct dosing of opioids and effective management of common side effects (e.g. constipation) are essential (Walsh 2000), and adjuvant treatment for specific pain may also be required. Non-pharmacological interventions include the provision of emotional and spiritual support, helping the patient to develop coping strategies, use of relaxation techniques, acupuncture or the use of a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS). Evidence from a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials assessing nursing non-pharmacological interventions demonstrated these interventions to be effective for pain management but some trials showed minimal differences between the treatment and control groups (Sindhu 1996). Breathlessness is a common symptom among cancer patients which can be difficult to control and may cause considerable distress to both patients and their carers (Davis 1997; Vora 2004). Appropriate management frequently requires both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions (Bausewein et al. 2008). Pharmacological interventions include the use of bronchodilators, benzodiazepines, opioids, corticosteroids and oxygen therapy (Vora 2004). Non-pharmacological interventions which have been shown to be effective include counselling and support, either alone or in combination with relaxation-breathing training, relaxation and psychotherapy (Bausewein et al. 2008). There is limited evidence that acupuncture or acupressure are effective. Both anxiety and depression are common among patients with advanced cancer but both of these conditions are frequently under diagnosed (Barraclough 1997). Furthermore, these conditions are sometimes viewed as simply natural reactions to the patient’s illness. Pharmacological interventions such as antidepressants should be used if the patient show symptoms of a definite depressive disorder. Non-pharmacological interventions include relaxation, psychosocial therapies and massage (Lander et al. 2000). Optimal management of depression in patients with advanced cancer typically involves a combination of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches (Lander et al. 2000). Ethical and legal considerations in palliative care There are a number of ethical and legal considerations in palliative care such as euthanasia and the right to withhold or withdraw life sustaining treatment. Those aspects which were of importance in this account address the patient’s right to know their diagnosis (i.e. autonomy). Evidence shows that the majority of cancer patients wish to know their diagnosis and the likely progression of their disease (Faulkner 1998). This may present a challenge for clinicians and nurses who may wish to try to protect the patient and convey an optimistic outlook even when the prognosis is poor. In the case of Mr Smith, he wanted to know as much information as possible about his diagnosis and treatment and the consultant and nurse answered his questions as openly and honestly as possible. (5) Conclusion Reflective practice is important both as a learning process and for the continuing professional development of nurses. The use of a model such as Gibbs’s cycle enables the nurse to move logically through the reflective process and provides a structured approach. Effective communication is essential in palliative care. Nurses and other healthcare professionals must be able to communicate effectively both with patients and their families/carers but also with other members of the multidisciplinary care team. The nurse plays a key role in the provision of supportive and palliative care and must develop excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills. Breaking bad news such as that given to Mr Smith is one of the hardest tasks for healthcare professionals, regardless of their level of experience, and it is essential that the situation is handled professionally, but also with empathy and sensitivity, taking full account of the ethical and legal aspects of the situation. The use of non-verbal communication by the nurse is as important as verbal methods of communication. (6) Action plan This incident provided me with a valuable learning opportunity and were I to encounter a similar situation in the future, I would feel much better prepared to deal with this. I have learnt that preparation is important, for example, selecting a suitable environment in which to break the news, and ensuring that chairs are placed correctly within the room. Rather than relying primarily on verbal communication, I would be more aware of the effectiveness of non-verbal methods, particularly touch, if this was appropriate. I have also developed a greater awareness of the ethical issues surrounding breaking bad news in palliative care, and the need to be open and honest with the patient and their family where possible. References Atkins, S. and Murphy, K. 1995, ‘Reflective practice’, Nursing Standard, vol. 9, no. 45, pp. 3135. Bailey, J. 1995, ‘Clinical reflective practice; reflective practice: implementing theory’, Nursing Standard, vol. 9, no. 46, pp. 2931. Barraclough, J. 1997, ‘ABC of palliative care: depression, anxiety and confusion’, British Medical Journal, vol. 315, pp. 1365–8. Bausewein, C., Booth, S., Gysels, M., Higginson, I. J. 2008, ‘Non-pharmacological interventions for breathlessness in advanced stages of malignant and non-malignant diseases’, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, no. 3. Benjamin 1981, The helping interview, 2nd ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Davis, C. L. 1997, ‘ABC of palliative care. Breathlessness, cough and other respiratory problems’, British Medical Journal, vol. 315, pp. 931–4. de Haes, H. Teunissen, S. 2005, ‘Communication in palliative care: a review of recent literature’, Current Opinion in Oncology, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 345–50. Department of Health 2000, The NHS cancer Plan: a plan for investment, a plan for reform. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4009609 Donnelly, S. Walsh, D. 1995, ‘The symptoms of advanced cancer’, Seminars in Oncology, vol. 22, pp. 67–72. Faulkner, A. 1998, ‘Communication with patients, families, and other professionals’, British Medical Journal, vol. 316, pp. 130–2. Gibbs, G. 1988, Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford Further Education Unit, Oxford Polytechnic. Grond, S., Zech, D., Diefenbach, C., Bischoff, A. 1994, ‘Prevalence and pattern of symptoms in paients with cancer pain: a prospective evaluation of 1,635 cancer patients referred to a pain clinic’, Journal of Pain Symptom Management, vol. 9, p. 372–82. Henley, N. 1973, ‘Power, Sex, and Nonverbal Communication’, Berkeley Journal of Sociology, vol. 18, pp. 1–26. Hinchliff, S. M., Norman, S. E., Schober, J. E. 1993, Nursing practice and health care, 2nd ed, Edward Arnold, London. Jarvis, P. 1992, ‘Reflective practice and nursing’, Nurse Education Today, vol. 12, pp. 174–81. Lander, M., Wilson, K., Chochinov, H. M. 2000, ‘Depression and the dying older patient’, Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 335–56. Liverpool Care Pathway 2004, Liverpool Care of the Dying Patient Pathway. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.endoflifecareforadults.nhs.uk/eolc/files/F2091-LCP_pathway_for_dying_patient_Sep2007.pdf Lugton, J. Kindlen, M. 1999, Palliative care: the nursing role. Churchill Livingstone, London. Matzo, M., Matzo, M. L., Witt Sherman, D. 2005, Palliative Care Nursing: Quality Care to the End of Life, 2nd edn. Springer Publishing Company, New York. NHS 2005, The Gold Standards Framework. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.goldstandardsframework.nhs.uk/ NICE 2003, Improving supportive and palliative care for adults. Retrieved 1st September 2008 from: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp?action=downloado=28800 Sindhu, F. 1996, ‘Are non-pharmacological nursing interventions for the management of pain effective? – a meta-analysis’, Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 24, pp. 1152–9. Smith, C. 1995, ‘Evaluating nursing care; reflection in practice’, Professional Nurse, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 593–6. Spalding, N. J. 1998, ‘Reflection in professional development: a personal experience’, British Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, vol. 5, no. 7, pp. 379–82. Tickle, L. 1994, ‘The induction of new teachers’, Castell, London. Urie, J., Fielding, H., McArthur, D., Kinnear, M., Hudson, S., Fallon, M. 2000, ‘Palliative care’, The Pharmaceutical Journal, vol. 265, no. 7119, pp. 603–14. Vora, V. 2004, ‘Breathlessness: a palliative care perspective’, Indian Journal of Palliative Care, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 12–18. Walsh, D. 2000, ‘Pharmacological management of cancer pain’, Seminars in Oncology, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 45–63. WHO 1996, WHO guidelines: cancer pain relief, 2nd ed. World Health Organization, Geneva. Zech, D., Grond, S., Lynch, J., Hertel, D., Lehmann, K. A. 1995, ‘Validation of World Health Organization guidelines for cancer pain relief: a 10 year prospective study’, Pain, vol. 63, pp. 65–76. Vainio, A. Auvunen, A. 1996, ‘Prevalence of symptoms among patients with advanced cancer; an international collaborative group study’, Journal of Pain Symptom Management, vol. 12, pp. 3–10.

Migrant Life in Greece During the Economic Crisis

Migrant Life in Greece During the Economic Crisis Tsiori Maria Abstract For a long time Greece has been a country of emigration. Despite the ongoing economic downturn of recent years the country has turned into a host country for many migrants from Africa and Asia mainly as a gateway illegally, into the EU. Consequently, this migratory movement in this country has attracted a lot of academic interest as the issue is of vast importance to not only the EU but also the Greek government , Greek society and migrants alike. The aim of this work is to provide an in depth view of migrant life in Greece at present both through their eyes and from the perspective of the people their presence impacts upon. Migration to Greece through Turkey, especially has exploded recently and this thesis will explore the reasons migrants have ended up in Greece whilst in transit further west or the reasons they end up settling there and how the current economic climate of Greece itself is directly affecting migrant lives. It will investigate how much the migrants integrate into G reek culture or the extent of the formation of their own social networks within the country and whether this integration or lack thereof affects the air of xenophobia seemingly increasing as of late. Moreover , it will investigate how the Greek government is handling the issue , the related animosity from either side and the positive and negative aspects the migrants have on Greek society both in the immediate area and on a larger scale both economically and socially. Literature view The collection and review of relevant literature went on throughout course of the project and included both empirical and theoretical texts. As far as the former are concerned we reviewed the recent literature on the European emigration at times of crisis as well as academic texts which deal with issue of emigration and economic crises more broadly. A person occupying another country for over a year is defined as a long-term migrant by the EU, and a short-term migrant over three months but under a year (UN DESA 1998) with a clear distinction from tourism but the ultimate intentions of that movement of individuals may be unclear or may even evolve with time and give rise to the use of other definitions of migration as can be seen with seasonal migration. A major factor influencing human societies is that of migration and an ever increasing amount of investigation and analysis into this issue and the effects of it. It is by no means a new phenomenon with many large scale movements of people in history but especially with the improved ease of movement we definitely can recognize this time as the age of migration (Castles Miller, 2009) with some researchers citing that migration never ceases to finish (Schapendonk, 2011). One characteristic of modern day migration is that of irregular migration or illegal migrants as peoples moveme nts infringe upon host countries laws but the latter term reinforces the criminal nature of the act .Such activity can be seen in a major way in the area the Greek-Turkish borders where there exists a significant portal of entry into Europe (Schapendonk, 2011). Whether the migration process stops for individuals depends on the conditions of life the migrants find. It can be seen in the current literature, that investigations into migration highlight the effect that migration has but not the actual migration mechanism (Karczemski Boer, 2010). Furthermore, there exists numerous theories concerning migration internationally and contemporary research tends towards a multidisciplinary angle (Castles Miller, 2009) but there is a large proportion of analysis focusing on how social migrant networks integrate into migration and what part they play (Schapendonk, 2011; Koser Pinkerton, 2002; Spittel, 1998). Academics define these networks as sets of interpersonal ties that connect migrants, former migrants, and non-migrants in origin and destination areas through ties of kinship, friendship, and shared community origin (Gelderblom Adams, 227: 2006). The way in which migration is looked at has changed as Khalid Koser, a Senior Fellow at Brookings Institution says, We used to think of migration as a human security issue: protecting people and providing assistance. Now we clearly perceive-or misperceive-migration as a national security issue. And the risk of securitizing migration is that you risk legitimizing extraordinary responses. Furthermore the problem can be compounded by the demographic nature involved with the migration as former CFR Senior Fellow Charles Kupchan explains, The backdrop to this [migrant crisis] is the difficulty that many European countries have in integrating minorities into the social mainstream. Many of these immigrants are coming from Muslim countries, and the relationship between immigrant Muslim communities and the majority populations is not good. Kupchan also goes on to highlight the fact that geographically this problem has other factors involved too, Europe has historically embraced more ethnic than civic approaches to nationhood, unlike the United States, and that is part of the reason immigration is proving so difficult. Francesc Ortega, a professor of economics in New York conducted an investigation in 2013 into European migration and concluded that it is driven by financial needs and irregular migration is a product of poverty, The migratory pressures to Europe are something thats not going to go away.and the truth is there are very limited legal pathways to migrate to Europe. . . . Those two facts combined make smuggling very profitable. The pursuit for monetary reward by migrants does put pressure on the host nation as can be seen specifically with Greece as the number of jobs and the income has reduced for Greeks everywhere. Animosity towards migrants in Greece is on the rise and according to Anna Trianda fyllidou, attention to immigration as a growing threat to the cohesion of modern Greek society. In fact, racism is on the rise in society and politically with support for immigration constantly on the decline ( http://www.eliamep.gr/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/MIDAS-Policy-Paper-EN.pdf). From my opinion, the integration of immigrants appears to be a complex, multifaceted and contradictory process, touching several aspects of contemporary Greek society: politics and policy, economy and the labour market, geography and space, education and culture. Despite the exclusionary mechanisms that are still in place, immigrants do make a living in the host country and gradually become organic elements, turning Greece into a multicultural society. Outline of the chapters Currently the thesis consists of seven chapters. Chapter 1 will serve as an introduction to the issue and present the aim of the research and the significance of the topic in a contemporary sphere. The second chapter will look at the current policies of both the EU and the Greek government concerning irregular migration and will look at Greek migration elsewhere in the globe. Chapter 3 will focus on the entry point to the EU via the Greek-Turkish border and look at the reasons they are found to be there at that moment and what the conditions are like at these holding centers. It will feature points of view from both Greek citizens and migrants. It will include a number of interviews from both sides. Chapter 4 moves on to look at the migrants life-legal and illegal- in the period after the holding centers in various regions and snapshots of their lives as well as their hopes and desires for the future. It will pay particular attention to any racism and antimigrant feeling experienced by those interviewed. Chapter 5 will explore the social networks of the migrants in Greece and how they have developed and to what extent they have improved their lives. The sixth and final chapter will present the conclusions and suggest further areas of investigation including suggestions on political alterations to migrant policy specifically dealing with the Greek legislation. Methodology The methodology that I will use for this research will be a combination of a quantitative and qualitative approach, using interviews and statistics around the migrant and immigrant crisis in Greek life and in EU in general. It will include a field research also in some areas of Greece where they have refugees hotspots. I will interview a number of refugees and Greek citizens comparing their opinions. This sort of research tries to offer responses to inquiries like how or why. Furthermore I will include the political approaches of realism and feminism and liberalism. Also, my research will be exploratory and I will use the empirical method. Finally, it will conclude the foreign policies of Greece around immigration through the years. Bibliography Regarding the bibliography, the paper will be construct both in light of essential and secondary sources. At first it will include official archives from the EU and the UNHCR, (2012), Text of Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs ,European Union Councils decisions for the refugee crisis. Concerning the derivative sources, they will principally include scholastic interviews from refugees and Greek citizens in the areas of Greece, Local and international press coverage regarding the refugee crisis in Greece and in Europe (The Independent, BBC,Guardian,To Vima, Kathimerini ) some of them are listed below: Castles, S. Miller, J. (2009), The Age of Migration. New York: Palgrave McMillan Karczemski, M Boer, A. (2010) Post-Accession Migration: Polish migrants moving from Poland to The Hague, Radboud University, Nijmegen Koser, K. Pinkerton, C., (2002) The Social Networks of Asylum Seekers and the dissemination of information about countries of Asylum, Migration Research Unit, University College London Schapendonk, J. (2011), Turbulent Trajectories. Sub-Saharan African Migrants Heading North, Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen

Essay --

HN 377: Studies in Child & Adolescent Development Unit 6 Assignment- Bullying Among Children and Adolescents Caren Nicole Glover 12/15/2013 Studies in Child & Adolescent Development: Bullying The article, â€Å"Bullies and Their Victims†, by Berk (2010) gives an analysis of how bullies and their victims develop, what makes them persistent and how they and their victims can be assisted. Bullying is an activity that thrives mostly in a school setting because of peers and the various cultures and diversities among them. Interactions are inevitable among children, but bullying is destructive because it aims at peer victimisation. Both boys and girls have the ability to become bullies but the majority of them are boys who use physical and verbal attacks on their victims. In the more recent generations, the means of bullying is amplified in the adolescent stage by using electronic means like cyber bullying. Students will rarely like bullies but if they do, it is because of their leadership abilities or influential personalities. Their peers may join or stand by to watch as the victims are bullied. Victims of bullying will eventually show the effects of bullying by being passive or secluding themselves from other individuals. The background or culture of a victim will most likely determine how they progress or react in a bullying experience. A victim may retaliate to the bully's attacks depending on the level of aggressiveness used. Parenting affects the decisions made by both victims and bullies in the peer interactions. Intervention approaches to this social vice will include changing the victims’ opinions about themselves through encouragement and teaching them how to effectively respond to attackers... ... the bullying activities (Farmer et al, 2011). The majority of these strategies should not affect a limited school budget, as many schools are not able to provide certain services due to budget cuts or limitations. These strategies are possible because they mainly require community involvement, awareness and communication. Bullying is a worldwide problem and it requires immediate attention because it psychologically affects both the victims and the bullies. Victims may ultimately have suicidal thoughts and bullies will have uncontrolled behaviors that carry on through school and after school, but they can be helped. Although cyber bullying is a big obstacle due to the large-scale usage of internet and the ability to conceal identities, technological advancements and child supervision help to single out these individuals to reduce the amount of bullying that occurs.

Assembly :: Essays Papers

Assembly When programming in assembly language, we have to specify operations in a much greater level of detail than we would have to do in a high level language. Furthermore, we get relatively little help from the assembler in finding errors. Assemblers can only check the syntax of each line, and check that every symbol or label used is defined somewhere. We are much less constrained by the structure of the assembly language than we are by the structure of a high level language. This lack of constraint makes the job much harder, not easier. It is much easier to write an incorrect program in assembly language that in C++ or Pascal. It is much more likely that mistakes, will not be found by the assembler, so that we get runtime errors, which are harder to find, rather than compile time errors which are easier to find. For these reasons, we need to be even more careful when programming in assembly language than we are when programming in a high level language. We need to apply all of t he skills we have learned in relation to high level language programming to assembly language programming. Planning our work carefully is equally important, building a design package, by following appropriate style conventions when writing the program, and by providing good documentation with appropriate commenting of the program text. After building the design, it is wise to write a high level language program, to help check out the program logic and to serve as a model for the assembly language program. The high level language program can then be translated little by little into assembly language, perhaps a procedure at a time, and can be used to document the logic of the assembly language program. Clearly, we should use a compiler to translate a high level language program into machine code if we have a compiler at hand. There are circumstances, however; when it is necessary to do the translation on our own. It is nevertheless wise to write out the high level language program, even if you cannot compile it for the machine in question. It is not necessary or desirable for the programming of embedded microprocessors to be done in assembly language. Indeed, assembly language should be regarded as a last resort, to be used when compilers are not available, or in very special circumstances. Assembly :: Essays Papers Assembly When programming in assembly language, we have to specify operations in a much greater level of detail than we would have to do in a high level language. Furthermore, we get relatively little help from the assembler in finding errors. Assemblers can only check the syntax of each line, and check that every symbol or label used is defined somewhere. We are much less constrained by the structure of the assembly language than we are by the structure of a high level language. This lack of constraint makes the job much harder, not easier. It is much easier to write an incorrect program in assembly language that in C++ or Pascal. It is much more likely that mistakes, will not be found by the assembler, so that we get runtime errors, which are harder to find, rather than compile time errors which are easier to find. For these reasons, we need to be even more careful when programming in assembly language than we are when programming in a high level language. We need to apply all of t he skills we have learned in relation to high level language programming to assembly language programming. Planning our work carefully is equally important, building a design package, by following appropriate style conventions when writing the program, and by providing good documentation with appropriate commenting of the program text. After building the design, it is wise to write a high level language program, to help check out the program logic and to serve as a model for the assembly language program. The high level language program can then be translated little by little into assembly language, perhaps a procedure at a time, and can be used to document the logic of the assembly language program. Clearly, we should use a compiler to translate a high level language program into machine code if we have a compiler at hand. There are circumstances, however; when it is necessary to do the translation on our own. It is nevertheless wise to write out the high level language program, even if you cannot compile it for the machine in question. It is not necessary or desirable for the programming of embedded microprocessors to be done in assembly language. Indeed, assembly language should be regarded as a last resort, to be used when compilers are not available, or in very special circumstances.

News And Newspapers -- essays research papers

News and Newspapers News is simply delineated as â€Å"a report of a recent event; something one has not heard of before†(Websters, 282). Conceding that it is inelaborate in its definition, news is much more intricate as it succumbs to corporate moneymaking ideologies. The corporate essence of news is prevalent in the form of the newspaper â€Å"a paper published periodically for circulating news† that is sold therefore making news a business. In business the saying goes that the customer is always right making news subject to the demands of these consumers. The underlying purpose of news is to â€Å"provide facts upon which decisions are based† (Mencher, 56). Yet this purpose is tainted to accommodate the newspapers need to sell papers. Journalism is the work of gathering news, therefore making the journalist succumb to the corporate needs of the newspaper. The three major newspapers of Toronto (Toronto Sun, Toronto Star and The Globe & Mail) discord in their journalistic techniques for the purpose of selling their produc t. "News is more often made rather than gathered. And it is made on the basis of what the journalist thinks is important or what the journalist thinks the audience thinks is important" (Postman, 14). The Toronto Sun focuses on the audience that yearns for entertainment and adjuts its word selection and choice of articles to accommodate this need for entertainment. The glitz and glamour of today's celebrities provide a fantasy world in which the reader can escape. The Toronto Sun leaves no stone uncovered as it stays on top of celebrity issues to accommodate their audience ‘ the average Joe' with entertainment. â€Å"Michael Jackson's wife gave birth to a baby boy yesterday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center† (T.Sun Feb. 18/97) in the article titled Oh Baby, Jacko to be a dad soon. What makes this article more ominous than any other birth other than that it is entertaining to the star crazed general public? Hundreds Get To Eye Claudia the so called 'superbabe' as she â€Å"breezes her way into The Bay's downtown Yonge St. Store†(T. Sun Feb. 25/97). â€Å"Up to five hundred people waited for up to two hours for a glimpse of the famed beauty and to hear her speak†(T. Sun Feb. 25/97). Imagine how many looked in the Sun for the article. The article choices of the Sun have a direct affiliation to the need for it as a business to p... ...article Hospital's Blood Stock Almost Exhausted contains human interest through its ability to show the community working together â€Å"Although other hospital blood banks were also short of blood, the Toronto Hospital and St. Michael's Hospital agreed to send blood to Sunnybrook by taxi if needed† (T. Star April 2/97). The aspect of community togetherness provokes human interest and complies with the Star's general theme of family. The Globe and Mail article Toronto Desperate For Blood roused human interest thorough community togetherness â€Å"in case the patient required more blood than was on hand the hospital contacted the Red Cross society and two other hospitals to ensure a continued supply." This articles illustration of human interest is moderated through the exclusion of the agreement of the two hospital's to provide more blood even though they were low. Instead the article stuck strictly to the facts that the Globe's readers pay for. Realistically, the sale of newspapers is the primary objective of the journalist illustrated through their use of techniques. Journalistic content and techniques vary according to the audience towards which the newspaper directs its attention.

Hamlet and Play

Hamlet Essay The act of revenge never fails to accomplish Shakespeare’s goal of keeping the audience in their seats. Hamlet, William Shakespeare’s most well written play carries the theme of revenge or redemption throughout the play. Redemption is defined to be as the desire to undo an injury or a wrongdoing. Many characters felt that they needed to redeem themselves however in doing so, they ended up facing death. For some characters, revenge had sprouted from their urges to redeem themselves. Revenge is defined as the desire to repay an individual for their injury or wrongdoing.A famous American novelist, John Irving has mentioned in work The World According to Garp, that it is a life-redeeming work in which everybody dies. Hamlet, Shakespeare’s most unique play follows in-line with Irving’s idea which is seen through the actions of Hamlet, Laertes and Gertrude. Hamlet, the protagonist of the play was greatly affected by the death of his father, King Ham let who he sought for revenge throughout the play. During the beginning of the play, Hamlet was very distressed at the fact that his father had died. He was very troubled at the fact that his mother Gertrude had remarried Claudius so quickly.Hamlet felt that his mother had betrayed and abandoned his father for another man. After Hamlet’s altercation with the King Hamlet’s ghost, Hamlet raged in anger against Claudius for killing his father. Hamlet felt that he needed to redeem his father so he sought his path of revenge by planning on killing Claudius. Hamlet also tried to redeem himself with Ophelia. Hamlet has acted very rudely and crazy in front of Ophelia where he said, â€Å"Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them† (3. 1. 139-141). However, by the time Ophelia died, Hamlet poured his heart out saying that: Swounds, show me what thou'lt do. Woo’t weep? Woo’t fight? Woo’t fa st? Woo’t tear thyself? Woo’t drink up eisel, eat a crocodile? I’ll do ’t. Dost thou come here to whine, To outface me with leaping in her grave? Be buried quick with her? —and so will I. (5. 1. 252-258) Hamlet realizes how much he actually loved Ophelia and he shows that he will be willing to do anything to redeem himself for the way he acted towards Ophelia before. During the scene at the churchyard, Laertes and Hamlet get into an altercation in Ophelia’s grave however, Hamlet after feels â€Å"very sorry† for his actions towards Laertes (5. . 80). By the end of the play, Hamlet gives a formal apology to Laertes, which he accepts. This signifies that as the play progress and as Hamlet makes mistakes, he attempts redeem himself in the way he was acting crazy. Hamlet wanted to come back to his usual self but at the same time he still wanted seek his revenge against his father. By the end of the play, Claudius does die and Hamlet fulfi lls his goal of seeking redemption just before his death. Laertes is an explosive and hotheaded character who got angry when he found out from Claudius that it was Hamlet who killed his father, Polonius.Claudius plans out a devious plan for Laertes to kill Hamlet during fencing. Claudius shows his true character when he encourages Laertes to choose a sharp sword and to â€Å"[r]equite [Hamlet] for [his] father† (4. 7. 136). However, by the end of the play Laertes realizes that by going against Hamlet, he is doing a wrong thing. Even after betraying Hamlet, Laertes redeems himself by exposing that the king is at fault for events that took place. He finally asks for Hamlet’s forgiveness, which Hamlet accepts.This signifies that even though he fulfilled Claudius’ wishes of killing and betraying his friend Hamlet; he still redeemed himself by telling Hamlet the truth about Claudius. By the end of the play, Laertes faced death while he was seeking redemption. As per Hamlet, Gertrude was seen as a mother who had betrayed her previous husband, King Hamlet by marrying Claudius a few months after King Hamlet’s death. Gertrude did not take Hamlet’s feeling into consideration after remarrying with Claudius showing that Instead, she forces Hamlet to accept Claudius as his father, which shows that she only thinks about herself; she is selfish.Gertrude wasn’t hesitant in telling Claudius that it was Hamlet who killed Polonius. She was willing to betray her own son by further convincing Claudius that Hamlet was mad. By doing so, Claudius began planning on â€Å"sending [Hamlet] away†, which Gertrude agreed to (4. 3. 8). However, it seems that by the end of the play Gertrude has a realization this entire time it was Claudius who was really against her and not Hamlet. She dies by crying out â€Å"Oh, my dear Hamlet! † (5. 2. 305). It seems that Hamlet forgives her because instead of ignoring her death he was furious and h e wanted to know he had killed her.Gertrude redeems herself by the end of the play but unfortunately she was killed by the end of the play. Fortinbras, the son of Old Fortinbras had a goal of attaining all the lands that was lost against King Hamlet. He aims to redeem the death of his father and Norway’s honour by taking over Denmark. Even though Fortinbras was seeking redemption, he did not face the same consequences of death like many characters within Hamlet. Instead, by the end of the play Fortinbras â€Å"embrace[s] [his] fortune† by taking over Denmark even though may not have wished to take over Denmark in the way he did and that is with sadness over the many deaths.Fortinbras is a character whose life was surrounded by redemption did not end with death. William Shakespeare’s best play, Hamlet has one of the most disastrous tragedies in all of English literature. Throughout the play, a common theme of redemption ran through the play. Characters sought ven geance and redemption for their wrongdoings whereas many of them faced the consequences of death doing so. John Irving’s comment that it is in life-redeeming work that everybody dies in does hold true with Hamlet to an extent. Works Cited â€Å"Hamlet. † Enotes. com. Enotes. com, n. d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. .

Computerized Financial Mangement System

Chapter I Introduction Nowadays one of the major lending businesses that exist today is money lending. It has entered different institutions like banks, government, lending companies and even cooperatives which they offers the kind of business in order for them to gain more profit in an easy way and also to help client by giving loans for special purposes. As the world moves in a globally competitive electronic place, there’s a lot of competition in a technological way but many infrastructure and establishments were still not upgrading their own computers to the latest modern features.They just assure their clients satisfaction by giving a quality service and a friendly environment to every client which is not good enough. Majority of the lending companies nowadays are still using a manual transaction which were indeed a time consuming problem. More on these facts there is also a hard time in computing monthly dues, and balances that made the data not that accurate. This happe ns because of manual calculations in the computer. The proponent is very much concerned in conducting proper studies and implementation of better processes.The proposed system is for Sifcor Lending incorporation by using an automated transaction solution for lending and financial management to improve the current existing method of manual operations. With the advancement of the technology most of the tasks are done in an instant to be competitive nowadays we must experience what really the technology can do. 1. 2 Background of the Study The Sifcor Lending Inc. is a company who let out money for temporary use on condition of repayment with interest. Like other existing loan transaction process Sifcor is also manually operated.They give loans to those who will comply to their requirements, one of these is that an applicant should have shown monthly pay slip and income for the past months or a proof of managing any business. Due to manual operations of the company they are having a har d time in recording and calculating the loans of their clients in a fastest way, but this can be lessen by the use of computer system which could facilitate any operations at faster and easy way. The company only uses their computers for documentation and client’s record keeping purposes and not for their system.Were in fact they are just using Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel that are usually used Microsoft Office work today and not merely doing the exact specific task they wanted to happen, in this case using of their computer does not help to make their process faster and accurate. Manual calculations were indeed a burden and consume a lot of time on the part of the employees. By developing a Finance Management system the company will have more time in giving emphasis to their other works and responsibility in the company. 1. 3 RationaleNew technologies have become integral to lives of children and young people in the home, industry, business, leisure and communication w ithin a global society. The internet and other digital and information technologies are powerful tools, which open up new opportunities for everyone. As technology grow, so do the demands for better services. The primary reason why the proponent pursue this study is to provide financial management system that will provide the proponent the best chance to apply the knowledge they learn in their years of studying at AMA Computer College.It also gives them opportunity to enhance and practice their ability and creativity. The proposed system will organize the process in which the school conducts its business. The main reason why the proponent came up to an idea of implementing Finance Management System for Sifcor Lending Inc. The proponent proposed a system which can develop a finance management system that will integrate it with the present technology to make transaction easier, faster and user friendly to the employees that will answer the needs of the locale. 1. 4 Information Technol ogy innovationSystem integration is the process of bringing together the different component subsystem into one system and ensuring that subsystem s function together as a system. In information technology, system integration is the process of linking together different computing systems and software application physically or functionally, to act as a coordinated while. In today’s generation technology plays a vital role in our society. The computer technology changes the way we communicate. SIfcor Lending Inc. adapts a system that helps them in managing its company The proponent will be using different kinds of software to develop the proposed system.The technologies used to develop the system are programming language such as Microsoft Visual Basic 6. 0 and My SQL for the database. The proponent will also use Adobe Photoshop CS5 in creating the graphics for the system. This software’s will help the proponent to easily finish the proposed system with the help of their function. 1. 5 Statement of the Problem This section stated the problem being encountered in the existing system. 1. 5. 1 General Problem The general problem as seen by the proponent is to generate a Financial Management System for Sifcor Lending Inc. that will provide an easier, faster and a useful way of lending. . 5. 2 Specific problem The purpose of the study is to generate a Financial Management System for Sifcor Lending Inc. that will provide an easier, faster and a useful way of lending. Specifically, this should be able to solve the following: 1. 5. 2. 1 How to develop a system that will computerized the payment process of SIFCOR Lending Inc. 1. 5. 2. 2 How to develop a system that will enhance security of client records/information? 1. 5. 2. 3 Computation of loans is time consuming and inaccurate due to the use of manual system in computing the loans of the clients using the calculator, paper, and pen. 1. 5. 2. Hard copies of client information are vulnerable to theft, alte rations and misplace. 1. 6 Objectives of the Study 1. 6. 1 General Objective The general objective of the study is to develop a Financial Management System for SIFCOR Lending Inc. 1. 6. 2 Specific Objectives 1. 6. 2. 1 To develop a system that will computerized the payment process of SIFCOR Lending Inc. 1. 6. 2. 2 To develop a system that will enhance security of client records/information? 1. 6. 2. 3 The system will develop a quick and accurate computation of loans by making a system that will automatically compute the loans of the client. . 6. 2. 4 Securing client loans and information. * To develop a system that is secured and free from unauthorized person. 1. 7 Scope and Delimitation 1. 7. 1 Scope The focus of this study is mainly directed towards the design and development of Finance Management for Sifcor Lending Inc. which includes the following procedures1)automatic data calculations 2) loan management; 3)balance inquiry; 4)monthly dues notices; 5) list of clients with approv ed loans; 6) and a loan ledger for the customers payments and balances. 1. 7. Delimitation Transaction such as passing of requirements, loan application, signing of contract, issuance and printing of receipts are no longer included in the system. These are done manually and they need physical appearances of the borrowers. 1. 8 Significance of the study The significance of the study is to give the lending company owner and employees a knowledge and awareness about the new and smart way of using computerized system in their financial management which until at present they are still using manual method.This study will simplify the employee’s workload by automatic calculations of their client’s loans and will minimize their time spent. Doing this automation they could able to finish their other important task timely. 1. 8. 1 Educational The proposed study will serve as a basis of learning for all Information Technology students, this will give an understanding to the Finan cial Management for Lending Companies and will inspire students to develop and make research with the same concept. This will also serve as a reference or related study for future researchers. 1. 8. 2 SocialThe proposed system is socially significant in a way that it is user friendly and is convenient to use. The completion of this research gave the proponent the opportunity to develop his own confidence as he was able to express himself and his ability as an Information Technology student with numerous people who submitted themselves for an interview. 1. 8. 3 Economical The use of the proposed system will help Sifcor Lending Inc. to reduce paper based system like using many ledger cards and to lessen administrative works because the system will automatically compute the clients loan and balances on the expected date of payment. . 8. 4 Technological The proposed system is technologically significant to the proponent and also to the user it’s because with the use of new improv ised system in the computer. The proposed system will help the user to update their knowledge about computer and system use for the benefit of their financial management in Lending to be fast and easy. 1. 9 Definition of terms These terms are defined and included in this chapter for the readers to understand the whole documentation easily. Lending. Disposing of money or property with the expectation that the same thing (or an equivalent) will be returned. Financial.A branch of economics concerned with resource location as well as resource management, acquisition and investment. Simply, finance deals with matters related to money and the markets. To raise money through the issuance and sale of debt and/or equity. Client. Customer  of a  professional  service provider, or the  principal  of an  agent  or  contractor. Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND STUDIES This section contains materials, summary and excerpts of researches and related literatures about the proof of the current study about the proposed solution the proponent deems relevant to the conceptualization of the whole researches. . 1. 1 Foreign Literature According to the thesis of Kristine Mae Mallari, Carissa Garcia the development of development of technology through the years has enabled us to do more with less effort. (Ralph M. Stair; 1999) As the technology continues to advance, computer is becoming more part of our lives. Computers are everywhere at work, at school, and at home. Many daily activities now may involve the use of computer maybe because computers are used in almost every field and profession like education and office works to perform large number of computer application.According to the thesis of Kristine Mae Mallari, Carissa Garcia the database system makes faster for every institution. For the mere fact that instead of doing things manually, with the use of computer technology everything is done faster (Dan Gurewich; 1999) Database management system (DBM S) consist of a collection of interrelated and set of function to access data. DBMS provides an environment that is both convenient and efficient to use in retrieving and storing information. It is also consist of programs for storing, retrieving and manipulating large amount of data.With this article the proponent decided to use a database in storing thee large amount of information taken from the clients profile. It can also enhance manual way of record keeping by having a database. An article found to be linked at http://www. nos. org/htm/sad1. htm, stated that System is created to solves problems. One can think of the systems approach as an organized way of dealing with a problem. In this dynamic world, the subject system analysis and design mainly deals with the software development activities. System life cycle is an organizational process of developing and maintaining systems.It helps in establishing a system project plan, because it gives overall list of processes and sub-pr ocesses required developing a system. 2. 1. 2 Local Literature With the development of the computers, almost half of the business establishments, commercial companies, schools and computer center in the Philippines are completely automated – airlines, hotels, supermarkets and department stores are computers to provide instantaneous and accurate data. And it seems that companies are now taking notice of society’s changing lifestyle. Computers are being compared with the human brains.Like the Brain the advised if, the computer can take data and process it, it can store the data either in raw form or in processing result and can deliver the raw processed data to the outside world demand. Computer works in a very fast way that you can ever imagine. It involves almost everything especially in work like business or school or we can just say a very large population of people. Our country here in the Philippines we can say that we can compete because new technology from other countries has flowed to us. Imagine running a school with large population of students and how will you handle it.Also it affects the kind of environment we have. Here in our country not all business people can provide the needs of their companies. But still with the help of other technology we create a strategy on how will we go on with this kind of problem. People create a system that supports either big or small company. It will be reasonable because these systems meets the requirements of the company and best solutions are suited both environment and networked environment. 2. 2 1 Foreign Studies According to the thesis of Gascon,Arcely M. , Pamintuan, Joseph Carlo C. In an Advance Data System Corporation entitled information and Billing System supports medical Billing Systems, 2011 stated that â€Å"Medical Billing System allows the practice to manage all patient billing and accounting seamlessly and efficiently. It is fully integrated with the EMR, appointment system and charg e capture. Taking advantage of the information flow, it allows quick and easy billing while ensuring a high degree of accuracy and traceability. The system interfaces with leading electronic clearinghouses for electronic claim submission and tracking.With a comprehensive set of reports, it presents all practice management information in an effective manner for analysis and tracking. According to the thesis of Franco,George Ferman M. , Mariano Jr, Romeo C. , Yambao,Mary Grace M. , Automation of the system prove that it generates aped and accuracy, lessen the errors done by manual means and eliminate wasted time that will result for a better service that will cater the company and the employee as well. According to the thesis of Grona, Rusell, manlapaz, Joana Marie M. Business use data processing for such tasks as payroll preparation, accounting, record keeping, inventory control sales analysis, and the processing of bank and credit card account statements. Engineers and scientist use data processing for a wide variety of application, including the processing of seismic data for oil and mineral exploration, the of new product designs, the processing of satellite imagery, and the analysis of data from scientific experiments. Data processing is divided into two kinds of processing: database processing and transaction processing.A database is a collection of common records that can be searched, accessed, and modified, such as bank account records, school transcripts, and income tax data. 2. 2. 2 Local Studies According to the thesis of Elsie Punsalan, Criz Angel Garcia, stated that â€Å"to maximize the usefulness of information, business must manage it correctly, just as it managed other resources manages need to understand that costs are associated with the production, distribution security, storage and retrieval of all information. Although information is all amount us; it is not be taken for granted.In the unpublished thesis entitled manila central cooperative accounting System with Decision Support System by Bautista Catherine and Dela Cruz Juliet A. , Septerber 1996 stated that: â€Å"Computerized Accounting System ffor MMC. Intended to replace the existing manual system in order to make a accounting office work more efficient and beneficial to the members of the employees as well as to the cooperative†. In the unpublished thesis entitled Billing System for Castro Maternity and General Hospital by Maglonzo and Cruzon, 2005 stated that: The system is a major leap forward in computing. It makes computation easier and more fun to use with many user interface and performance enhancement. It will get more work in less time. Professional in every field is discovering knowledge to meet thus change†. Chapter3 3. 1 Theoretical Framework of the Study The Theoretical framework of the study is used to show how the existing and proposed system works. It also illustrates how the proposed system evolved from the existing system. 3. 2 Con ceptual Framework of the Study Figure 3. 2 illustrate how the system flows.Conceptual framework is a group of concept that are broadly defined and systematically organized to provide a focus, a rationale, and a tool for the integration and interpretation of information. 3. 3 Research Setting The proponent conduct a research in SIFCOR LENDING INVESTOR INC. who are also the intended beneficiaries of the proposed system. SIFCOR Lending Investor Inc. is located at Sindalan, City of San Fernando. 3. 4 Research Population The Research Population composed of the company’s employee who gives information that helped the proponent in developing their system.Respondents answered question which expressed their perspectives about the current and proposed system that helped the proponent to further analyze the flow of the system. The Research Population of the proponent composed of the employees and as well the consumers, who are the intended beneficiary of the proposed system. 3. 5 Resear ch design the proponent aim is to satisfy the needs of the users of the study by providing the users with the reliable information which could be a great help. It also discusses the methods uses by the proponent to come up with he procedures on how to identify existing problems in the current system and the procedures on how to develop the proposed system. 3. 5. 1 Descriptive Method This method of research is a fact-finding technique with sufficient meaning. It can help the proponent understand how the current system is supposed to work and determine the comparison and analysis of the existing and the proposed system. It is a way of gathering information to complete the study. This shows the activities that will observe for the development of the existing system.Descriptive Research, also known as statistical research, describe data and characteristics about the population or phhenominon being studied. Descriptive research answer the question who, what, where, when, and how. Althoug h the data description is factual, accurate and systematic, the research canno9t describe what caused a situation. Thus, Description research cannot be used to create a casual relationship, where one variable affect another. In other words, descriptive research can be said to have a low requirements for internal validity. The description is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical calculations.Often the best approach, prior to writing descriptive research, is to conduct a survey investigation. Qualitative research often has the aim of description and researchers may follow-up with examinations of why the observations exist and what the implications of the finding are 3. 6 Methods of Research Used This type of research, as the definition implies, will helps the proponent to collect all the necessary information needed for the implementation of the project. To provide an accurate, fast, efficient and a more convenient way for applying loans is the objective of this project . . 6. 1 Creative Method This research method implies the stylistic approach and aesthetic concept of human experiences that the proponent must acquire in order to develop the proposed system. The proponents used this method in such a way that they made sure that the system would look enticing to its users yet serve the same expected funntionality. 3. 6. 2 Library Method 3. 6. 3 Internet Research Method 3. 7 Data Gathering Techniques and Instrument 3. 7. 1 Observation. The observation of current operating procedures is another fact-finding technique.Seeing the system in action gives the proponents an additional perspective and a better understanding of the system procedures. A personal observation also allow them to verify the statements made in the interviews and determine whether procedures really operate as they are describe. Through observation, they discover that neither the system documentation nor the interview statements are accurate. It provide important advantages as the d evelopment process continues. 3. 7. 2 Interview. The proponent personally interviewed some of the respondents.Personal interview is usually the most expensive fact-finding technique because it is a costly time consuming process. An interview is more familiar and personal than a questionnaire. Respondents who are unwilling to put critical or controversial comments in writing might talk more freely in person. 3. 7. 3 Questionnaires. The proponent used this method because it gives the respondents an opportunity to provide inputs and suggestion. This methods helps distinguish the viewpoint of the respondents who are mainly concern in collecting valuable information about the existing system.Questionnaire construction is critical to the success of a survey. 3. 7. 4 Evaluation These are forms with criteria that evaluate the performance of the existing study. These forms are given to the users that will evaluate the existing system with respect to their efficiency, reliability and effectiv eness. With the help of evaluation form, the proponent were able to analyze the feasibility of the proposed system based from the ratings given by respondents. 3. 8 Analytical tools 3. 8. 1 Ishikawa Diagram 3. 8. 2 Data Flow Diagram Is a graphical representation of the â€Å"flow† of data through an information system.DFD’s were introduced and popularized for structured analysis and design. DFD’s show the flow of data from external entities into the system, showed how the data move from one process to another, as well as its logical storage. The proponents considered the following: In creating the DFD, where does the data that passes through the system come from and where does it go, what delays occur between the inputs and outputs. Using DFD, the proponents can easily analyze the flow of the system that will enable to describe what part of the processing needs to be prioritized. 3. 8. 3 Visual Table of ContentIt is a pictorial means of preventing data. It helps the proponents to display the information needed. It illustrates present systems and describes a proposed system to the user, programmer or operations. 3. 8. 4 Input – Process – Output IPO Model  is a  functional model  and  conceptual schema  of a general  system. An IPO chart identifies a program’s inputs, its outputs, and the processing steps required to transform the inputs into the outputs. Along with a definition, many times you will be asked to draw a diagram to show the stages. It is essential that you learn the diagram below, along with the direction of information flows.You need to be able to reproduce it exactly. 3. 8. 5 Flow Chart 3. 8. 5. 1 Program Flow Chart A program flowchart is a diagrammatic representation that will illustrates the sequence of operations to be performed to get the solution of a problem. The flowchart is a means of visually presenting the flow of data through an information processing systems, the operations perform ed within the system and the sequence in which they are performed. In this lesson, we shall concern ourselves with the program flow chart, which describes what operations are required to solve a given problem.The program flow chart can be likened to the blueprint of a building. As we know a designer draws a blueprint before starting construction on a building. Similarly, a programmer prefers to draw a flow chart prior to writing a computer program. 3. 9 Method Used in Developing the System 3. 9. 1 System Planning. To create a project basic thing to do is to create a plan. The system analyst determines and identifies the planning phase. Identify meaning, to identify the project goals and needs of the system. 3. 9. 2 System analysis. This phase refines project goals into defined functions and operation of the intended application.It analyzes end-user information needs. This is used by the proponent in integrating the lending system to understand and document in detail the business nee ds and the processing of requirements of the proposed system. 3. 9. 3 System Design. A sample structure of the entire study is created in the phase and all necessary data are gathered. It describes the describe features and operations in detail, including screen layouts, business rules, process diagrams and other documentation. The output of this stage will describe the new system as a collection of modules or subsystems.This is used by the proponent to design the proposed system based on the requirements defined and decisions made during the analysis. 3. 9. 4 System Implementation. Modular and subsystem programming code will be accomplished in this phase. Unit testing and module testing are done in the phase by the proponent. This phase is intermingled with the next in that individual modules will need testing before integration to the main project. It is used by the proponent to build, test, and install a reliable system with trained ready to benefit as expected from use of the sy stem. 3. 9. 5 System operation and support. . 10 Justification of Method Used. 3. 11 Method for Product Evaluation. 3. 11. 1 Technical Feasibility. Determines the verification and proving of system accessibility and availability in the local market of the system requirement peripherals such as software and hardware. 3. 11. 2 Operational feasibility. This method determines if the proposed system gives the satisfactory result and output for its target users and market, whether there will be problems in applying and implementing the system in its operational environment in determining the operational feasibility. 3. 11. 2. 1 Efficiency.The ability to complete the result without wasted energy and effort. 3. 11. 2. 2 Reliability Refers to the dependability of the system in performing its intended functions and giving satisfactory results. 3. 11. 2. 3 Effectiveness The degree to achieve the usability of the system and its ability to solve problems encountered of the locale’s curren t system. The Likert’s was applied to the qualitative data collected because its appropriate in evaluating the feedback obtained from respondents. A Likert’s scale measures the extent to which a person agrees or disagrees with the question. Scale| Range of Mean| Verbal Interpretation(VI)| 5| 4. 1-5. 00| excellent| 4| 3. 41-4. 20| Very Satisfactory| 3| 2. 61-3. 40| Satisfactory| 2| 1. 81-2. 60| Fair| 1| 1. 00-1. 80| Poor| Table 3. 1 Likert’s Scale 1. Mean. This was used to determine the average rating of each criteria that was set in the proposed system that the respondent evaluated. The formula for getting the mean is as follows: M= f(X1+X2+X3+†¦Xn) N Where: F=refers to the frequency (f) or the number of times that a given number (x) was chosen by the respondents. (X1 + x2 + x3 + †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Xn) or any of the numerical ratings (5,4,3,2,1) representing the evaluator’s rating n= represents the sample size of the total number of respondents. . Weigh ted Mean. The weighted mean was used to describe the perception of the respondents concerning the proposed software. To determine the weighted mean, the proponent used the following formula: E f (X1+X2+X3+†¦Xn) N Where: Ef(X1+X2+X3+†¦Xn) = summation of means of all criterion. N= Total number of respondents 3. 12 Statistical treatment of Data This study is essential in order to make used of data in right form by computing them mathematically. The proponent used z-test, this is use by the proponent to make comparative studies between two samples. (See to Appendix M) 1. Formula for Frequency Mean (FM): (X1 + X2 +X3 + †¦ Xn)FM = f _________________________________________ n Where: f = product of the frequency and a particular numeric rating for a given criteria. n = sample size represented by the total number of respondents (X1 + X2 +X3 + †¦ Xn) = any numeric rating 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 representing the evaluators rating option for each given criteria. 2. Formula for Wei ghted Mean (WM): ? f(X1 + X2 +X3 + †¦ Xn) WM = _______________________________________________ N Where: ? f (X1 + X2 +X3 + †¦ Xn) = the summation of all frequency mean N = total number of criteria 3. T-Test Computation __ __ t =X1 – X2 n1-1(S1)2+ (n2-1)(S2)2n1+ n2-2 1n1+1n2 3. 13 System Development Cost The following formulas are used in computing the total cost in developing the proposed system. Salvage value = (Total Hardware Cost/Life Expentancy)*(Development Period) Months per year Annual Depreciation Cost = (Total Hardware Cost-Salvage Value) Life Expentancy Monthly Depreciation Cost = (Annual Depreciation Cost) Months per year Hardware Development Cost = (Monthly Depreciation Cost * Development Period) Software Development Cost = (Monthly Depreciation Cost * Development Period) Labor Cost = (Developer’s Fee per Month * Development Period)KWh used by Computer = (number of watts * number of hours per month) 1000w KWh used by Electric Fan = (number of watt s * number of hours per month) 1000w KWh used by Light = (number of watts * number of hours per month) 1000w Total Monthly Power Consumption = KWh used by Computer + KWh used by Electric Fan + KWh used by Light Total Basic Charge = Generation Change + Transmission Change + System Loss Change + Distribution Change + Supply Change Total Development Cost = Hardware Cost + Software Cost + Labor Cost + Miscellaneous Cost + Total Overhead Cost