Examining The Booking System Of Web Appointments Information Technology Essay

Examining The Booking System Of Web Appointments Information Technology Essay Every person has to book appointment in GP or hospital before their visit to organization (unless in emergency). The web based appointment booking system simplifies the date, time, and choice of doctor, changing or modifying patient details. Since the internet has become an important part of our lives, organizations either small businesses or big establishments make it part of their business functionalities. The technology is expanding day by day and online sources are also increasing too. According to Hacker, Ease of access, increased availability of information, and the prosperity of web services have universally increased productivity and operational efficiencies (Hacker, 2008). The online system has transformed complete background of information exchange. This research is also related to develop of web based appointment booking system where user only has to type URL provided and they can access it from anywhere in the world and any time. The system will allow patient to log in, r egister, and booking appointment where they will be able to choose time, date and choose of their doctor. The development of web based system can be very demanding if the system was planned well before design. The system will reduce burden of work load of their staff and staff will be more efficient. The research will carry before start developing a system it will help to choose right tools, technologies. The system will reduce queues in GP. The use of web based appointment booking system will allow customer to book appointment anytime for example if they want to book appointment at midnight so they will be able to make it without waiting for GP to open in morning and than call to GP because telephone booking appointment system will work only when GP is open but web based appointment booking system will work all the time 365 days in a year. Background It is important to know how appointment is done currently in organisation. The currently appointment done manually or through phone in which the patient are given choice of dates when they visit their GP or hospital and it should be approved by the member of staff . And if patient book their appointment through phone than they have to wait for automated machine to answer and than choose available date and book appointment. If patient need confirmation then they have to visit GP personally or choose option to send letter by post. This type of situations lead to waste of time, money and it may put load of time and pressure on the administrative staffs as well. As there are human beings involved in the whole process there are high possibilities of human errors. The booking appointment through phone or personally going there the staff can access wrong details and also when staff booked the appointment for person then there may be some mistake. So by considering all these points the devel opment of web based system will help GPs or any organisation to overcome all of these problems by providing an online service to do their booking and to choose their desire date and select them online. Rationale / Significance The online booking system will not work in case of emergency. In emergency there are always places available to go straight there, this system will work for normal booking to visit and see doctor for regular check-up. The rational of this research is to develop a web based appointment booking system and implementation of system for GPs and other organisation. The development of web based appointment system is to overcome the problems faced by the users and staffs while booking their appointment for regular check up. The appointment booking is important for any organisation to deal their user more efficiently. As we discussed in the background of the research there may be some human error. That is why the development of this system is selected which will help organisation to give quality service by providing their users web based online appointment booking system. The main purpose of developing this project is to identify the user needs, to satisfy those needs by selecting the best approach to achieve the objectives of the project. The implementation of this project will help the organisation to reduce the time for user to book appointment. It may also reduce paper work, queuing at the GPs reception, because the major services will be provided online. The implementation of this system will also help organisation financially as well as for their users and it will saves lots of time. The implementations of web based appointment booking system also support multiple users at a time so the system will efficient. Aim and Objectives Aim: To design and implement the Web based online appointment booking system within time. Research Objectives: The research will conduct to collect necessary information for designing a system for GP or hospital. To develop the system, some interviews need to be conducted among people to understand problems with system. The Feasibility study for implementing the system will conduct and the main focus will be on scalability issues. As the GP is growing rapidly the system should support any future expansions such as increasing number of users. The technologies that required to develop the system Client/server architecture (Web based client server applications), Requirement gathering and analysing techniques (the interviews will be conduct and also questionnaires), HTML,XHTML,client side, server technologies (PHP,ASP.NET) Relation database (Oracle, My SQL), System testing tools Practical Objectives: Analysis. The analysis will be done to understand the scope of project. The interview and questionnaires will be conducted to collect user requirements and analyse them to develop a system. System modelling and prototyping The programme language which going to use should be suitable. The testing condition will identify. Testing and implementation The system has to test before deliver to user to check that developed system is working properly and it fulfils requirements. The system will check verification and validation. Maintenance The helpdesk will be provided for user if user face any problem of developed system. Hypothesis / Research questions The current system allows user to book appointment throw phone or user has to go to GP to book appointment. This will result such as long queue at the GP, hospitals. Only few GPs using online booking system. There are some possibilities of problems such as users do not know about the online booking of their appointment. In case if user need to book appointment for repeat visit than they have to go every time to book appointment and problem is that users can miss their repeat visit because they did not have time to go or phone line was busy. The queue at GPs will put pressure on the staff and may take more time. It is important that complete project should fulfil all the requirements of system and also how system will work, features of system and functionality. The system will work on the basis of authentications and authorizations which will be achieved by providing the unique ID which is username and password to each user. The patient will be able to select of their desired date and time and also able to change if they want to. The online booking system will not work in case of emergency. In emergency there are always places available to go straight there, this system will work for normal booking to visit and see doctor for regular check-up. 1.5 Expected outcomes: This is a real time project, so the purpose of this project is to develop a web based appointment booking system for GP and Hospitals where users will able to book appoint from anywhere in world. This will be a client and server application where client will be used for just entering the data and submitting it. The server side will be capable of processing. This is academic level project, therefore the structure of this project will be little bit different than the usual professional project. Professional people mostly have the relevant knowledge about how to make the project but in academic level student first learn then make it into practice than they provide the application. Theory Practice Application (Dawson, 2005) 1.6 Risk in this Project and way of minimization: The identification of risk in projection development is important because risk can put project on halt or destroy complete project. The project risks are those which will affect the quality and performance of project (Summerville I 2001).Some of the risks are highlighted are below. Hardware problem: The occurrence of hardware problem can happen while a lot of software is being used to develop a system. So laptop can crash. The virus can also be responsible for laptop crash. To conquer this problem the code always saved on another device like (flash drive or friend computer).So if the computer crashed than the old code can be taken without losing anything. This is one project risk. Software complexity and connection: The software installation and making connection between them is could be a problem. The installation of Mysql software, apache server and make connection between apache, PHP and Mysql. For this problem first all software will be use but if there is problem then Xampp where the old code can be generate. This is a project risk. Tools and software problem: The Tools and software is always important for development any kind of project. If some software is giving error while development a system then there is always new software is available to use. Time: The Time limit into any project is a high risk. If time is not enough then it will lead to affect the performance of system and also quality. For example if any hardware problem or software problem occur in development of project where all the time is spent then at the end is not enough time to finish project. In his case the development of project will carry on and delivered as much done on 19h of November. Illness: The involvement of human into anything can delay. If human is handling a project there is chances that person get sick which will delay the project. If this happens then try to finish project on time but if could not then delivered on 19th Novemberas much as possible. Plan risk management approach Risk management plan Project objective achieved Risk Register Risk identification Analyze the project to identify the sources of risk Risk Assessment Assess the risk in terms of: Severity of impact Likelihood of occurrence Controllability New Risks Risk Response Aim to reduce possible damage Create contingency plans New risks Risk Reduction Implement risk strategy Monitor and adjust plan for possible new risk Change Management, if possible New risks Figure Risk Management Process Technology to be used The technology which will be use to develop a system are followed. The system will develop using back-end and front-end technology. XHTML, CSS, MySQL, JavaScript, PHP and Apache Web Server. XHTML: The XHTML will be used for web interface. CSS: The CSS will use to enhance web site for better view. MySQL: The MYSQL is a database language, it will be used to store database. JavaScript: The use of this is to validate data. PHP: The server side programming will be done with PHP. Apache Web Server: This will use to test the system before implement system. Chapter 2 Literature Review According to Burke Project management, Control and Management Techniques. This book will give idea about what should be Aims and Objective of project. This book described that how to find a good AIMS and Objective of project. By using this book it help me to give idea about my project Aims and objective. The Aims and objective is most important part of project which will lead my project throughout the end. So this book helps me a lot to achieve perfect Aims and object for my project. According to Stein in How to setup and maintain the web site is described about how to construct a web site and also how to maintain about development. This helps me throughout project to construct web pages. The technology HTML, PHP and JAVA are described with examples. Stein has described everything in details about technology and this will help full for beginner and also for professionals. The appointment booking system is very important to run organisation successfully. The GPs appointment booking system is important because every person who wants to be seen by doctor should make appointment. The GPs (NHS) appointment system is always in news for delays, patient were not able to see doctor when they want. The government always introduce new system to tackle the problem, the government introduced SMS system as well as online booking for some GPs.The two national survey were published in 1998 and 2000 highlighted the difficulty in accessing GPs.The government was promised that by 2004,patient will be able to see primary care within 24 hours and GP with in 48 hours. The request for appointment into GP has become very important. The new GP contract in United Kingdom. The National Primary Care Development Team(NPCDT) was set up to deliver the governments modernisation agenda in primary care by using the national primary care collaborative to implement change. The solution is based on five principles, namely: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ understand the access demand on the practice à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ clear the backlog of appointments à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ review the appointment system à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ develop contingency plans à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ widen the mode of patient consultation. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2296/6/39 The web based appointment booking system will help customer sociologically because some people does not like to hear machine voices for example phone appointment booking system customer will call and automated machine will answer and that will put customer away because they do not like and web based appointment booking system will attract more customer. The other problem is that if disable person want to book appointment with GP or hospital by phone than person has to wait until carer will come and phone for appointment because mostly GP phone appointment booking system runs in morning most GP want their patient to call for appointment in morning. The NHS introduces new Plan for primary care in England promises access to healthcare professional within 24 hours and General practitioner (GP) within 48 hours. The new plan is given financial helps to achieve targets. The new plan will allow patient to see GP of their choice, the main focus on achieving targets could lead to reduced choice of doctor. The National Primary Care Development Team (NPDT) has find out that some general practioner (GP) have adopted a restricted booking. They have limited the option for pre booking appointments or completely stoped.The NPDT did not allow that because it will frustration among those people who want to book appointment in advance (British Journal of General Practice, 2004). The NPDT analysis was based on interviews conducted in the East Midlands, study centre. The focus was on patients and carers. The approval has been taken from Leicester Research Ethics Committee, 41 interviewees were recruited through 14 GP and more 15 were recruited from other organization, such as community centres, a charity. At least one has used their GP practice once in last 12 months. The participants were interviewed in 2002 and 2003 and interviews were recorded (British Journal of General Practice, 2004). The another problem is GP telephone appointment booking system will only work until GP is open and telephone is attend by member of staff after closing time phone appointment booking system will not work. Project Development Approach: The project development approach is all about that what type of software project going to do and how much information about system already gathered. According to this project we have idea about problem which company is facing and what can do to new system to attract the attention of users towards the company. So it is confirmed that we need to build a web site where customer and company can attract each other. For this we need to visit company and try to find out what exactly they are expecting and will help them to increase their business. The information which is already collected will be very helpful to build a project. The project development approach which is considered in development is Incremental Development approach. This approach starts from the initial planning and it will end when development of system is finished. In this approach the development is done in small portion and it will help to develop next stage. The advantage of this approach is that the system is divided into different stages once first stage is completed then the next stage will start. This approach consists of Initialization step at this step the basic idea of system is created and given to company with some functionality. If the organization is satisfy then the next stage which is redesign and implemented and also analyzing the current system. The development of project carries on step by step. The following steps which is important while developing a project. Designing of project Writing of coding Testing of the codes Final implementation The development of system and also functionality of each section will process step by step. The each step functionality will be processed and if it is successful then consider as a project part. The approach give clear idea that project, the project is completed at step by step as in this way it is easy to find error and fix them as compare to at the end when it is very tough to find and fix. 2.1 Problems with current system The problem using phone appointment booking system is always staff is not free to answer call and other is customer has to wait in a queue to be answered call and it could take up to minutes. The other problem is that sometime operator make a mistake and forget to book appointment and without booking appointment disconnect call and customer will think appointment has been booked whatever date they want but unfortunately when they go for check up there is no appointment for customer into system because staff did not put into dairy. Another problem is that the patient can book their appointment only that time when GP is open they would not be able to book appointment all the time. The current system only runs by a member of staff, it costs more than web based appointment system. The company has to hire more staff to run organisation. There are number of other system in place in different locations like in some GPs automated phone system is also in place which runs 365 days in year but problem with that some people does not like to wait long time for to get answered and also some people does not like to go with machine. This kind of system put people off to use that system. The current system which is phone booking system people may not use because it is costly to access for example if patient need to book appointment they have to call and they need credit in their phone to call GP.So in this case some people may not like to waste their money and do not use system but as compare to online system they just pay small money and get access to many things and happily use new system. The other problem is that the patient do not want to speak their personal details publically so they have to find private place to phone GP and book appointment. Integrating system with the tools to be used In these days the development of software can be develop using different technology which is available in market and it can also happen that all the tools which been used may not integrate with each other. So it is really important to choose right technology which can integrate with each other. The technologies which are chosen to develop the system are PHP, MySQL, XHTML, CSS and JavaScript to be used in the development. The main reason using PHP is a server-side scripting language that allows website to be truly dynamic (Naramore E. et al, 2005). The open source HTML-embedded scripting language. The reason for using MySQL is it is good integration with PHP as it is recommended by most developer and writers. The apache web server will facilitate to experiment the system so we can make sure how the system will work online and if there is some error. Programming Language PHP The PHP is a server-side scripting language that allows website to be truly dynamic (Naramore E. et al, 2005).The PHP is used widely for general purpose scripting language and it can be used with open source HTML.The PHP was originally developed to design a dynamic Web sites it is also HTML embedded. The PHP can also use as a graphical application. The PHP was created in 1995 by Rasmus Lerdorf and it has been in development continuously. The PHP runs on server so we used WAMP server to run PHP language on computer the PHP is very user friendly language. The PHP output is mostly in HTML.The PHP is having over 20 million internet domain (April 2007) .The PHP used to develop a web site it is easy to use and it can be downloaded free and it will give result quickly. The PHP used to access database because it also provide fast access to database. The use of PHP is for example if patient request a page, the server which is apache will execute PHP script and send output to show on page. The PHP is a only execute code which is written within its delimiters if anything written outside that then it will come as a output as you written. The PHP will be used to validation the pages and it is based on server side and validate requests of users. 2.4 Database Management System: The Database is place where all the data will stored about patient details their appointment. It is easy to find database on every type of computers i.e. personal computer, large computer. My SQL provide a facility to handle and manage a relational database in very efficient way. The Database Management system is used to allow database to create tables. It also let create relation, foreign key, and primary key and insert data into table in form of rows and columns. My SQL will be used as the database for our project. It is open source database and more than 10 million copies of My SQL are downloaded by the user / Developers. My SQL is owned by the Sun Microsystems. It was first developed by the Swedes and Fin in Sweden. (mysql.com) Advantages of using MYSQL are followed. Performance is very good. Easy to understand and use. Connectivity with pages is easy. Interface is simple. MySQL, pronounced as my sequel, stands for My Structured Query Language. MySQL is a relational database system and free software. MySQL is very fitting software to use while developing the proposed system because it is open source software and can function as either a database management system or a relational database system. Because of its open source feature, this means that anyone can download it for free, use the software and can modify it as they please without having to pay anything. MySQL will allow PHP and the Apache server to work together in order to have access to data and display them in a more readable format in a web browser. WAMP Server The WAMP is a server package which is independently created programme and installed on Microsoft window. The WAMP package components are Apache, MYSQL and PHP.The Apache is a server which uses to execute PHP code and MYSQL is a database which used to create database for patient and also their appointment booking details. The WAMP make the computer server and computer acts like a server to run web pages and helps user to use all services on same computer. In some package also include phpmyadmin which is used to provide a graphical interface of MYSQL database. The WAMP is easy to use and it is free to download. It is a mini server and runs on all servers. 2.6 JavaScript The JavaScript is also a scripting language and it is primarily used in client side. The JavaScript is used into web browser for client interface. The JavaScript was developed by Brendan Eich. The JavaScript is embedded into HTML code and as well Microsoft gadgets, Google desktop gadgets. The many scripting language is available to use like VBscript, etc. The use of JavaScript in this system chosen because it is spread widely and it is accessible easily. The most web browser use JavaScript in these days ((Firefox, Internet Explorer and others).The use of JavaScript is that to collect information from user and validate their request or action. For example while patient is booking appointment if they choose date which is already gone then JavaScript show a message and invalidate a data. 2.7 Architecture The appropriate architecture has to place in and examined that architecture. The multi-tier architecture is available (known as n-tier architecture) which is client and server architecture. The most communally used architecture is 3-tier architecture because it is much secure compare to other architecture (2-tier architecture).The benefit of using tier architecture is that the user only add a particular layer rather than writing a fully application again. The 3-tier architecture uses a middleware. The middleware is a layer which is between client and server which does not allow client to access database directly. The benefit of using 3-tier architecture is that there is no need of connection with database from every client only from server side. It make sure that only valid data is updated, So the client does not have direct access to database it makes business more secure because the database of customer is placed on server side. The project is also client server based so 3-tier architecture is used to make sure that the system is much secure and middleware is there to provide a security to database. The clients send a request to server then server process it and send back to client. The database need to update only on server side each time if some changes happen to database and it does not disturb all clients. The 3-tier application is much difficult to compare to 2-tier application to develop but it is provide much higher security to organisations and their consumer as well. The data or functions which are critical are not processed on client side all critical function or data are processed on server side. The 3-tier is associated with many databases but in this system the database used is MYSQL and it is associated with MYSQL as well. The information flow on both direction between client and server and one client can send one or more request to server and server process them (comer E, 2001).So the 3-tier application is used which is much secure and communally used architecture. Figure 1: 3-tier Architecture Model 2.7 Web Security The web security is a critical component for any web based business. The web security is very important when developing something which is web based, the developer should consider this. The user must be fully satisfied that all the data which is given is confidential. The web security will detect threats and it will take more time to recover threats. The client and also server both side have to be secured while they are working with web security. But there are the positive side which is providing two protocols to secure the accessibility on the web through Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Secure HTTP. SSL uses public key authentication and encryption technology and the SSL handshake protocol has to be completed before an application is transmitted or received. Secure HTTP is related to security over the general socket based communication and facilitates encryption methods at the application layer. Chapter 3 Research Methodology 3.1 Available Researches The research method is that how the data is going to collect for project. This part will show the method which has been used to carry out whole research. There are many research methodologies available such as quantitative research, qualitative research, exploratory research, primary data collection, secondary data collection and empirical research. 3.2 Primary Data The primary data collection is collect a data from real world which include focus group, taking an experimental approach, experience gained from past. It also include the formal and informal interviews and mixed this with the data which collected from secondary method ie, books, journals and internet etc.The data which is collected through observation is given less importance because observation is not perfect always Research Method Used The research method is important and research method which is used for project is Action Research Method. This methodology means simply learning by doing, identify the problem. The action of system will be considered and if outcome is fine that is good otherwise it will start process from same point again. The research method is secure and efficient in way of accuracy. This research method is mostly used. This research method will continues working until problem solved. This kind of research method is also called qualitative research method. In this method feasibility study will be carried to setting up interviews and discussions with organisation as they are users. Chapter 4 Design The design of project is important so design will be made before start developing a project i.e. the tools like use case and also use entity relational diagram to show relation. Use Case The use case is a interface between user and a system. The use case diagram use to display a relationship between actors and use cases. The main components of use case diagram are actor and use case, an actor in this system is the patient who uses this system to booking appointment. The user access a web page (home page) which uses to inform a user about effectiveness and efficiency of the system. The user then can click on health news, opening time and appointment booking to log in and choose date and time and also choose of doctor to book their appointment. Register Details Choose Date and Time Web Page Make appointment Log In Patient Details Database GP Or Hospital In this diagram shows that patient can Register their details with GP or Hospital, Log In, Visit web page and main thing is that they can make appointment where they can choose date and time which are available. 4.2 Entity Relation Diagram Booking PK Ref Name Email Doctor Date Time Account PK User name Username Password Email Address Primary and foreign keys are also established between the entities, in the account table primary key has been defined to username As a unique number is allotted to each and every Product in the database it is taken in to consideratio

Dysfunctional Medical Insurance Essay -- Argumentative

Dysfunctional Medical Insurance A mom is waiting frantically in the local emergency room while her little girl continues to cry with pain. An hour goes by without any news as to when she will finally be treated. At last, their number gets called and they go over to the registration desk. The lady behind the desk opens their file and shakes her head in disbelief as she turns to look at yet another mother with remorse. She continues to tell the mother that the hospital has refused to provide medical attention to her little girl due to insurance problems. This scenario is sadly very common in the lower class families with little or no insurance coverage, in fact â€Å"20% of the U.S. population lacks medical coverage† (Richman). While the initial idea of medical insurance seems more beneficial than not, the current health insurance situation has caused many negative repercussions for both the patients and the physicians. Some of these disadvantages include: denial of health care, compromised medical att ention, astronomical billings, privacy issues, discriminatory plans, and even possible risks of fraud. The original idea of medical insurance should have been a noble way to help Americans afford medical bills in a case of an emergency or just routine physicals and check-ups. A lot of Americans coming from different financial situations could not afford the emergency or even the customary treatments and would therefore go without medical attention. This obviously had dire consequences on the patients’ health, thus forcing the need of an alternative option. â€Å"Fortunately, a handful of physicians associated with Sacramento's Sutter General Hospital saw beyond the despair. Seeing a need for an alternative health care financing vehicle in the early 1930s, the doctors created the first open enrollment hospital insurance plan in the United States† (Sutter Health). As originally planned, this new medical insurance proposed benefits to both the doctors and the patients; patients could afford to be treated, while doctors could see more patients-even of the lower income clas s. Somehow—between then and now, the plan has been twisted and turned around so much that it has lost some of its greatest benefits and reputation. Because of the numerous loop holes in the current insurance plan, I believe that right now the drawbacks and disadvantages are overshadowin... ...been hit with a half of billion dollars in claims. As the extensity of this crime allows, there are many other issues to be dealt with besides just the insurance aspect. However, if insurance wasn’t implemented into our society or even if loop holes didn’t exist in this case, then this crime could not have been possible. Since insurance was introduced to our society, there have been many problems. Much like the little girl who was denied medical attention, many people suffer from these disadvantages of medical insurance. I believe that the medical insurance idea is argumentative, because there are a lot of repercussions that people may or may not have thought about. Besides the recent crimes being committed against them, the insurance companies are benefiting immensely, but are we? The prices of medical treatments are rising, the doctor’s attention to actual patients as opposed to who has insurance is diminishing, and less people are benefiting from health insurance. I do not think that medical insurance should have been proposed in the first place. I do admit that it should have been a benefit to Americans, but I have yet to see everyone benefit as initially planned.

How slaves were affected Essay

When the African Americans were introduced to slavery, they didn’t accept what was happening to them and how they were being treated, but as time passed working for their masters, not only physical, but mental abuse took its toll and soon they began to believe the way they were living was normal and alright. Punishment played a giant role in slave life. It showed the consequences of not doing what was asked or disobeying their master thus instilling fear in every single slave the owner possessed. Charity Anderson recalls, â€Å"But honey chile, all white folks warn ‘t good to dere slaves, cause I’se seen poe niggas almos’ to’e up by dogs, and whipped unmercifully, when dey did’nt do lack de white folks say.† Mary Reynolds remembers, â€Å"I seed them put the men and women in the stock with they hands screwed down through holes in the board and they feets tied together and they naked behinds to the world. Solomon the [sic] overseer beat them with a big whip and massa look on. The niggers better not stop in the fields when they hear them yellin’. They cut the flesh most to the bones and some they was when they taken them out of stock and put them on the beds, they never got up again.† These two accounts show just what these poor slaves had to deal with. They were constantly watched, and felt that if they just as much as gave a superior a wrong look, they would be beaten, or even worse, killed. Of course slaves saw this as inhuman but had no choice to obey as their masters said. There is much evidence that shows how quick they learned to do as they were told and after a period of time, many slaves accepted the idea of being just that†¦a slave. This transformation started with the servants becoming fearful. Surviving was a game of smarts, hard work, and willpower. In order to live, slaves would allow their masters to beat and punish them without questioning so as not to risk a painful and senseless death. Snitching on other slaves who planned to escape was a good way to show their masters how loyal they were. Many slaves went as far as calling their masters â€Å"nice† and sometimes even boasting about their masters to other servants on different plantations. These small acts helped many stay alive but living oppressed lives affecting their minds and emotions forced themselves to cope with their sadness. Singing was common among slaves to express themselves and their hardships. Frederick Douglass recollects, â€Å"They told a tale of woe which was then altogether beyond my feeble comprehension; they were tones loud, long, and deep; they breathed the prayer and complaint of souls boiling over with the bitterest anguish.† The servants shared their feelings with each other through these hymns and so it made them strong enough to have the willpower to keep living by obeying and doing as they were told. Dogs lived a better life than many slaves, â€Å"We had very bad eatin’. Bread, meat, water. And they fed it to us in a trough, jes’ like the hogs. And ah went in may [sic] shirt till I was 16, nevah had no clothes. And the flo’ in ouah cabin was dirt, and at night we’d jes’ take a blanket and lay down on the flo’. The dog was supe’ior to us; they would take him in the house.† -Richard Toler. The serfs accepted that they lived worse than dogs and at this point, it becomes evident that slaves began accepting the life of slavery. They knew escaping was a bad idea because they would have no shelter, food, or clothes. If they were caught, they would be in the worst kind of trouble so they were forced to keep living the oppressed life. Being beaten and abused had them physically and mentally feeling that they were a lower race. Being intimidated all of the time had a harmful affect and they started to see slavery as acceptable. Their owners didn’t allow them to read or write so living with a roof over their head made them feel privileged. Mr. William McNeill says, â€Å"The escaped slaves were always trailed down by hounds; they never got away, there were always some good slaves to tell on others. I was glad when the slaves gained their freedom, even though we had a large number and lost plenty of money. They made many people rich and got nothing but punishment as a reward. They tell that some of the masters were good but I never did see a good one.† This man is one that didn’t buy into slavery and kept his mind from being brainwashed like many other slaves. He knew deep down that slavery was wrong and kept the truth in his reality. Even after the slaves were â€Å"freed,† life for them wasn’t as great as they hoped it would be and they soon realized that being freed was near as bad as being slaves. Being freed toyed with their minds; just like they became slaves and felt out of place in the beginning, they were put into another  tough position to have to readjust once again. â€Å"An’ after, soon after when we found out that we was free, why then we was, uh, bound out to different people. An’all such people as that. An’ we would run away, an’ wouldn’ stay with them. Why then we’d jus’ go an’ stay anywhere we could. Lay out a night in underwear. We had no home, you know. We was jus’ turned out like a lot of cattle. You know how they turn cattle out in a pasture? Well after freedom, you know, colored people didn’ have nothing. Colored people didn’have no beds when they was slaves. We always slep’ on the floor, pallet here, and a pallet there. Jus’ like, uh, lot of, uh, wild people, we didn’, we didn’ know nothing. Didn’ allow you to look at no book. An’ there was some free-born colored people, why they had a little education, but there was very few of them, where we was. An’ they all had uh, what you call, I might call it now, uh, jail centers, was jus’ the same as we was in jail.† -Fountain Hughes. This man described how, after being freed, he and his family lived the life that nomads lived. They traveled around aimlessly, trying to find any place they could possibly stay. He described themselves like cattle which was an understatement because cattle could at least count on being fed. They could eat the grass of the land but the newly freed slaves would be lucky if they could find a piece of fruit. The freed slaves had no money, no beds like Fountain said, no education, basically they had nothing to call their own. Living free was as if they were living in jail Hughes thought, and many others agreed. â€Å"An’ my father was dead, an’ my mother was living, but she had three, four other little children, an’ she had to put them all to work for to help take care of the others. So we had what you call, worse than dogs has got it now. Dogs has got it now better than we had it when we come along.† -Richard Toler. Families were torn apart when all members had to work in order for the family to be able to buy the essential necessities they needed to live. Toler said dogs have better lives now than the lives of black families after being freed which shows just how much of a mess the south was in. Many white people did not accept this idea of freeing the slaves so this had many colored people feeling insecure and out of place. Some white people would go out of their way to try and hurt the colored people like the KKK did.  Frederick Douglass talks about the idea of trust in â€Å"Getting Help from Others† He said he met an Irishman who felt it was a pity for Douglass to be a slave. He then told Douglass to run away to the north where he would find friends there to help him. â€Å"I pretended not to be interested in what they said and treated them as if I did not understand them; for I feared they might be treacherous. White men have been known to encourage slaves to escape, and then, to get the reward, catch them and return them to their masters.† Douglass had this distrust when he was a slave but these feelings were carried on even after people like Douglass were freed. They felt they could not trust anyone but their own people. This idea is seen in the Tar Baby story as well. The main purpose of this tale was to show black people that they shouldn’t go out of their way to talk to others. It was better to keep their mouths shut and thoughts to themselves because opening up to white folks could only get them into trouble. Since the colored people did not fit in, they kept to themselves which didn’t seem like true freedom. Douglass also said in â€Å"Thoughts of Escape† that he and the slaves â€Å"rather bear those ills we had, than fly to others, that we knew not of.† Once he and every other slave was freed, this is essentially what happened. They had to move and re-adapt to new ‘ills’ and complications which challenged them as slavery had challenged them once before. The whole time being slaves, black people finally started believing that slavery was what they were meant to do and it was alright for them to be treated at a lower level. Setting them free in an unaccepting world with no help or direction forced them once again, to cope with new problems and start a new theory about what it was they were really supposed to be doing or could be doing if it wasn’t working and slaving for the white man.

Comparing Four Countries essays

Comparing Four Countries essays An established democracy has two main parts. They need to have free and fair elections and they should also have equal voting rights. When free and fair elections occur it means the absence of barriers to the full participation of all citizens, without any form of discrimination; the absence of any form of intimidation (What is a free and fair election). The term equal voting rights means to be able to have equal access to the voting process. Based on free and fair elections and equal voting rights, the following nations are ranked; one being the best and four being the worst; Germany, South Africa, Colombia and Saudi Arabia. Germany is an established democracy because they have elections every for years for the person they want to run the country. But at the same time the citizens also have to vote for the party they want to run the region. To be able vote in Germany that person has to eighteen years old and they have to at least live in Germany for three months (German Culture). Germany also is an established democracy because they show traits of equal voting rights. For example, when someone is done voting they put their ballot in an envelope and put it in the box (Voting in Germany). This means that there is not someone with a gun, threatening you to vote for someone they do not want to. Another example of how Germany shows equal voting rights is if that person cannot vote on their day then they would vote by proxy. If a citizen is an absentee voter, they have to have the following problems: professional reasons, illness or advanced age or disability or other physical condition which would prevent t he voter from getting to the polling station, or if a person moves out of the area immediately prior to the election and there is not enough time to re-register on the electoral roll at the new voting office (Voting in Germany). South Africa is another example of an established democracy because as like Germany they ho...

Hiring New Employees Example

Hiring New Employees Example Hiring New Employees – Coursework Example EMPLOYEE RETENTION TOOLS al Affiliation: Employee Retention Tools Employee retention refers to the ability of an organization to hold its human resources characterized by low worker turnover. There are numerous personnel benefits that managers can extend to their workers to motivate and retain them in the organization. One of the strategies an organization can use to retain employees is by exhibiting gratitude through rewards and benefits (Niles, 2012). Employers have an obligation to provide health cover plans, incorporating vision and dental plans, sick leave and retirement plans and holidays to their workers to motivate them and earn their trust, which often translates to low employee turnover. The retention of employees is a beneficial strategy and less costly exercise in the long-run lieu recruiting new employees.Additionally, it is imperative for the HR management to offer rewards such as competitive salaries, earnings sharing, extra programs and paid time-off. Retirement and h ealth benefits also enable the employee to feel secure and certain about their future. Moreover, holiday breaks and vacations allow the employees to manage their work-related stress, and provide an opportunity for rejuvenation. Employers have a platform to avail other benefits such as education refunds and child or old-age care services. Singer and Goodrich (2006) argue that the education refund packages convey a vital message to the employees that the firm highly regards them.An organization can also roll out mentoring programs in the firm. A mentoring program with a goal-oriented feedback arrangement provides a structured system for building strong relations within a company and is a concrete foundation for human resources retention (Devereux, & Hart, 2006). Further, mentoring programs in an entity match a worker that is more experienced in a field with a less experienced one in a related field. Pairing of employees develops definite competencies, presents performance feedback and devises a customized career development plan for the workers. In addition, the employers can provide recommendations and recruit from within (Devereux, & Hart, 2006). Hiring workers from within the company decreases employee turnover since employees are already familiar with the organization’s operations and policies.ReferencesDevereux, P. J., & Hart, R. A., 2006. Real wage cyclicality of job stayers, within-company job movers, and between-company job movers. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 60(1), 105-119.Niles, N. J. (2012).  Basic concepts of health care human resource management. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.Singer, P., & Goodrich, J. (2006). Retaining and motivating high-performing employees.  Public Libraries-Chicago-Public Library Association,  45(1), 58.

Newly engaged couple hears that you are taking a course in Research Paper

Newly engaged couple hears that you are taking a course in interpersonal communication, and wants advice for their relationship - Research Paper Example (Krauss and Fussell, n.d). 1. The principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communications The level of communication in any particular situation determines what kind of social behavior will take place between the concerned individuals. (Krauss and Fussell, n.d). For example, with a couple like yours who are newly engaged and experiencing problems with interpersonal communication have to concentrate extremely hard on improving the communication between the two of you if the said relationship is to be sustained and nurtured over time. In couple’s relationships, communication sort of becomes the glue that holds the two people together. The more open and honest the communication level is between the two of you, the closer you will be and the less open and more strained the communication level is between the two of you the farther apart you will be and the more chances there will be of this relationship falling apart. Research on the matter has determined that commu nication does mediate behavior, but it is still hazy on how exactly it accomplishes this. (Krauss and Fussell, n.d). This could be because the topics under question are very intangible and cannot be quantified and tested easily and also because they vary with situation. Since every situation is case specific, we cannot generalize completely how exactly communication will affect interpersonal relations. For example, imagine a scenario where you guys have a fight. Both of you are angry, but your reactions as a result of this anger may be completely different. Sara, you may prefer to fume quietly and be more passive aggressive and Tim, you might be more vocal in your anger. Another couple in the midst of an angry fight might have completely different reactions. When communicating with one another you also have to be careful to catch, identify and correctly respond to any signs and symbols used during the communication by your partner. Knowledge and understanding of signs comes from kno wledge of the world. (Krauss and Fussell, n.d). For example, tears are a sign of sadness and smiling is a sign of happiness. However these are simplistic examples and in reality in your relationship you two will be faced with more complex signs to interpret. You both will have to watch out for facial expressions, body language and posture etc of the other as signs of what they are feeling. These signs may be specific to each one of you, but being around each other will provide you knowledge about them and help you interpret them better. Symbolic behavior includes the use of language; for example, Sara, if Tim says ‘I am upset’ it is a symbol of how he is feeling and this symbol helps him express his inner feelings to you. (Krauss and Fussell, n.d). One more thing to note is that the production of signs is inherent, while the production of symbols is learned. (Krauss and Fussell, n.d). Further, the two of you must realize that not only the spoken word counts as communica tion. All behavior counts as communication because even the smallest facial expressions and mood swings have the tendency to emotionally affect the other person. (Krauss and Fussell, n.d). Both of you should be aware of your own and each other’s behavior and how it affects you emotionally. Often talking about these indications will clear matters out and avoid them from

Developmental Influences in the Prenatal Eveironment Essay

Developmental Influences in the Prenatal Eveironment - Essay Example Regardless of the conditions, it is a well-known fact among health care professionals that those women bearing a child are always exposed to factors may it be genetic predispositions, teratogenic agents or even stresses levels. Throughout the course of the gestational period, the woman as well as her partner and family support must be sufficiently equipped with the appropriate knowledge and latest information regarding childbirth. With a huge number of factors to consider, the only weapon that will effectively combat any hazards is knowledge. It is imperative that people have the correct understanding of the determined elements that greatly influence this miraculous bearing of a life inside one’s womb. Developmental Influences in Prenatal Environment Fortunately, in a specialized study and field of medicine, there have been already extensive researches and study about the most significant determinants whether for the worse or better effects on the process. Among the vast array of agents that bear bad effects, prescription drugs, caffeine, use of tobacco and alcohol are the worst because it is associated with a person’s lifestyle. Furthermore, some pregnant women are skeptical about the accuracy of such advices as these habits do not really cause harm to the health of the mother. However, once the baby is born, the effects become more apparent on the neonate and it might already be too late. First and foremost, prescription drugs, particularly thalidomide which was the earliest detected harmful drug, have been proven to cause congenital defects such as absence of limbs. This caused such an alarm and elicited immediate and subsequent researches on other drugs that would otherwise be therapeutic in normal conditions. The results conclude the detrimental effects that anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, selected antibiotics and artificial hormones bear on the fetus. Moreover, drinking caffeinated beverages are declared to be harmful despite the lack of em pirical basis. While it is still unclear of the possible outcomes of coffee or tea as well as some carbonated soda intake, it would be wise to stay away from them or at least limit the amount. The expecting mother should stay on the safe side and not risk the spontaneous abortion or low birth weight infant that often results with caffeine. Smoking and alcoholism are considerations that have tremendous significance. Even when not pregnant, these two lifestyle choices already have a questionable effect on the health of an individual; what more with pregnant women who have heightened sensitivity to a number of environmental factors? Based on the previous cases, there are many possible ill outcomes on the smoking mother’s developing fetus. Neonates with low birth weight or congenital defects are the most prevalent reactions but the worst possibility is death of the infant. The nicotine’s degree of effect is also dependent on the dosage. Alcoholism during pregnancy is carri es along with it the serious, ill consequences. They have even established the fetal alcohol syndrome which equals a group of anomalies and malformations in the brain, eyes, hearts, head, joints and face. The connection between the amount of alcohol allowable to the detrimental effect is still a blur. Therefore, to guarantee the absence of such physical and cognitive deformities, it will be wise to maintain sobriety as well as stay away from the occasional drinking throughout the whole gestational period.