Staff Retention in Nursing

Staff Retention in Nursing Arlena Davis, Stephanee Thurman STAFF RETENTION IN NURSING Introduction Staff retention is one of the strategies nurse administrators employs in preventing high rates of nurse turnover. Currently, the rate of nurse turnover is quite high, and this problem is more common in nurses at the entry level. The high rate of nurse turnover is one the major contributors of the shortage of nurses experienced throughout the country (Brunetto, 2012). Apart from prevention of nurse turnover, retention of nurses has a lot of benefits accrued to it. The strategy is useful in keeping nurses in a particular organization, and this helps to retain the skills and knowledge accrued in the process of serving at the organization. Other benefits associated with nurse retention include a reduced number of new nurses or â€Å"rookies,† thus reducing cost of training, fewer terminations that lead to reduced termination cost and increased productivity. However, the retention of nurses also comes along with increased cost. Some of the nurse retention costs include salary incre ases, rewards, bonus programs, ongoing â€Å"education and promotion,† among others (Ley, 2007). Therefore, as a nurse manager, it is essential to devise ways of dealing with challenges that arise as a result of nurse retention. Possessing the knowledge on nurse retention is vital for career development as a nurse manager. Hence, this paper provides an analysis of research articles regarding the issue of nurse retention. Staff Retention in Nursing Part A: Summary of Each Study Article 1: Retention Priorities for the Intergenerational Nurse Workforce by Wieck et al., 2010 The researchers in this particular study focused on the retention priorities for nurses belonging to different generations. The purpose of the study was â€Å"to conduct an assessment on the environment, job satisfaction, and desired traits of managers in a bid to improve nurse retention† (Wieck et al., 2010). As mentioned earlier, nurses’ retention is important in any organization since it helps reduce the problem of nurses’ shortages that is felt across the whole country. Work environment, job satisfaction, and qualities portrayed by nurse managers have direct impacts on nurse retention. As part of the methodology, this study was purely quantitative and entailed collection of data from 1,773 nurses from 22 hospitals. The survey was conducted online and included aspects such as â€Å"nurse manager desired traits, safety perceptions, nursing work index and job satisfaction† (Wieck et al., 2010). The findings of this research indicate that the satisfaction with work environment were high among all the participants. The satisfaction was highest where there existed nurse-physician relationship, and lowest where there was nurse control of practice, and younger nurses were less satisfied compared to nurses aged over 40 years. 40% of nurses involved in the sample expressed safety concerns. Additionally, 61% of all the participants indicated that they were planning to leave their jobs within the next ten years (Wieck et al., 2010). In order to halt the alarming findings contained in this research, the researchers assert that health organizations should create model managers since the characteristics of the manager are among the major factors influencing nurse retention. Hence, it important for nurse managers to possess qualities that promote a good working relationship with the nursing staff. The nurse managers should empower the staff nurse councils, which are very useful in advancing the grievances raised by nurses, hence improving job satisfaction. The other recommendations are revamping of the incentives, stabilizing staffing, and focusing on their safety during service delivery (Wieck et al., 2010). Article 2: Study on Nurse Retention by Brunetto The study aimed at improving the rates of nurse retention by focusing on the factors that make nurses stick into their professions (Brunetto, 2012). The study took three years, and it sought to determine nurses’ satisfaction levels concerning the relationship with supervisors, ability to solve problems during service delivery, and communication structures (Brunetto, 2012). The findings of the study show that nurses leave their jobs due to lack of autonomy. 20% of the nurses involved in the study felt that they did not possess the relevant skills to solve the problems they were facing, thereby forced to consult from their superior. This practice leads to erosion of the autonomy in nursing. Other findings indicate that younger nurses are faced with the greatest challenges of retention. Another factor that contributes to nurses leaving their job is random changes in the hospital management that complicate the work relationships between the nurses and supervisors. Well-organized structures in the hospital have the potential to reduce the number of nurses leaving their jobs (Brunetto, 2012). The insights contained in this study can be very beneficial if they are applied in a hospital. First of all, increasing the autonomy of nurses can help lower nurses turnover and retain more nurses in the hospital. In the cases where nurses lack autonomy due to lack of knowledge on how to deal with certain situations can undergo further in training to increase their knowledge (Brunetto, 2012). The supervisors should create proper working relationships with nurses. Good relations between the nurses and their supervisors will help reduce the rate of nurse turnover. Article 3: â€Å"Keeping Nurses on the Job: Retention is part of the Answer to the Nursing Shortage† (New York University, 2009). The purpose of this study was to â€Å"establish the factors that can help keep new nurses from leaving their jobs† (New York University, 2009). The topic of study was important because nurses turnover not only results in a shortage of nursing staff in the hospital, but also results increased hospital budget as the hospitals tries to cater for turnover costs (New York University, 2009). This study was funded by the Robert Wood Foundation, and it incorporated a sample size of 1,933 newly licensed nurses that were sampled from various hospitals across 34 states in the USA† (New York University, 2009). The results of the study showed that nurses stayed on their jobs based on factors that included perceptions of the working conditions, job opportunities available, personal characteristics and specific workplace attributes. According to the researchers, nurse retention can be useful in cutting the costs of running the hospitals. Nurse retention is also useful in improving patients’ outcomes since it increases the staff stability. Whenever the nurses are satisfied with their jobs, bear the organizational commitment, possess autonomy, and have opportunities for promotion, such nurses have minimal chances of leaving their job (New York University, 2009). The knowledge contained in this research article is applicable in addressing problems with nurses’ retention. Health organizations should try to create equal chances for promotion for the nurses. Some nurses should not feel sidelined for promotions whereas others are favored. As the results of the study show, the hospitals can reduce high workload for nurses in a bid to increase job satisfaction. Increasing job satisfaction can result in the high rate of nurses’ retention. The nurse managers should provide supervisory support in the efforts to increase the organizational commitment among younger nurses. Nurse Managers should also avoid some practices such as mandatory overtime since they lead to reduced organizational commitment (New York University, 2009). Article 4: â€Å"Effective Strategies for Nurse Retention in Acute Hospitals; A mixed Method Study† by Koen et al., 2013 Nurse retention is one of the best strategies in countering the problem nurse shortage within the organization. Therefore, â€Å"the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of nurse education, nurse staffing and nursing practice environment on the nurse reported intention to leave the hospital† (Koen et al., 2013). The study also sought to â€Å"provide best practices in the nursing care that can lead to a sound practice environment and thereby improving nurse retention rates† (Koen et al., 2013). The study involved 3186 bedside nurses drawn from 56 Belgian acute hospitals. The results show that 29.5% of the participants were planning to leave the hospital. â€Å"Two factors, namely, nurse work environment and patient-to-nurse ratio were among the leading reasons for the intentions of nurses to leave† (Koen et al., 2013). Further results indicate, â€Å"high performing hospitals with high rates of nurse retention had a participative management style, structured education programs, and career opportunities for nurses† (Koen et al., 2013). However, the study contains several limitations. The RN4CAST nurse survey conducted did not cover all the components. Important elements like magnetic force 11 were locked out of the study. The qualitative data was collected from six Flemish hospitals and thus it hard to make generalizations of the findings. Therefore, the knowledge contained in this research article is applicable in addressing problems with nurses’ retention, and this can be achieved by mentoring nurses and addressing their dissatisfactions in a timely manner (Koen et al., 2013). Article 5: â€Å"Exploring the Key Predictors of Retention in Emergency Nurses† by Sawatzky Enns, 2012 The objective of this study was specifically â€Å"to explore and describe the influencing and intermediary factors that predict the retention of nurses working in the emergency departments† (Sawatzky, Enns, 2012). The researchers employed cross-sectional survey designed in the collection of the data (Sawatzky Enns, 2012). The results indicate, â€Å"Engagement emerged as the most convincing predictor for intermediary factors† (Sawatzky Enns, 2012).The intermediary factors use in this case included job satisfaction, fatigue, and burnout. An inverse relationship was evident between â€Å"engagement and influencing factors such as nursing management, collaboration with nurses, available resources, and shift work† (Sawatzky Enns, 2012).There are limitations contained in this work. The purposive sampling method used can elicit biased findings. The other limitation is that the despite the fact that framework used in the research was â€Å"based on scientific evidence,† it had not been tested (Sawatzky Enns, 2012). In addition, since the subjects used in the study were drawn from the nurses operating in the emergency departments, the findings of the study cannot be applied in the entire nursing population. According to the findings of this study, engagement is a key factor in retainin g nurses working in the emergency departments. Hence, nurse managers should work on factors that increase engagements. Some of these factors include engaging the nursing management in providing guidance, collaboration with physicians, and shift work. Article 6: â€Å"The Mediating Role of Organizational Subcultures in Health Care Organizations† by Lok et al., 2011 The objective of this study was â€Å"to investigate the mediating role of the organizational subculture between job satisfaction, organizational commitment and leadership culture in health care organizations† (Lok et al., 2011). The study used nurses drawn from 26 wards in indifferent hospitals (Lok et al., 2011). The results obtained â€Å"shows that in the innovative ward, subculture was found to bear greater impact on nurses’ commitment and retention. In the bureaucratic ward, â€Å"subculture had a significant negative direct relationship with commitment† (Lok et al., 2011). On the supportive ward, â€Å"subculture had small but positive indirect relationship with job commitment, and this was achieved through job satisfaction† (Lok et al., 2011). Some limitations contained in this research calls for further research. In the first instance, this research is only applicable in Australia due to differences in culture across the different countries of the world. Another limitation is that the study was conducted in a hospital in which nurses spend long periods in the ward. Hence, in organizations where nurses move more frequently, they may not have adequate time to form subcultures that influence commitment (Lok et al., 2011). The findings of this research can be applied in healthcare organizations by creating an environment that promotes commitment. Servant leadership is critical in increasing the level of commitment among the employees. Hence, the nurse managers should embrace a transformative style of leadership in order to boost the level of commitment among the nurse Article 7: â€Å"Which Organizational Culture Moves Towards Organizational Excellency† by Gogheri et al., 2013. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate â€Å"the relationship of types of culture and the execution of organizational excellencies based on the EFQM model in government organizations† (Gogheri et al., 2013). 311 questionnaires were used to collect the data contained in this study (Gogheri et al., 2013). According to the descriptive data collected by the researchers, culture is a major determiner of the organization’s boundaries (Gogheri et al., 2013). Culture creates a stable and sustainable social system. The result findings found out that the majority of the respondents viewed culture as a label that is capable of connecting components of the organization through proper standards. The findings found it essential for nurse managers to understand culture issues in groups and the organization at large. However, the study was faced with several limitations. One of the limitations was lack of cooperation from personnel and organizations during the process of collecting. There were also some previous studies conducted on â€Å"the relationship between organizational culture and organizational excellence performance† that made the findings no original (Najmi Hosseini, 2006). According to the findings of this study, organizational culture is important in any organization since it affects goals and strategies set by the organization. Organizational culture can be a strength or weakness in the organization. Since nursing managers have an essential role of developing organizational culture, they should ensure they develop positive organizational culture that will impact the organization positively (Najmi Hosseini, 2006). Part B. Critique and Overall Summary The above articles address the issue of nurse retention in health organizations. The information contained in this articles can be successfully applied in addressing problems associated with retention of nurses in health care organizations. In the first article, the knowledge can be applied in health organizations by creating model nurse leaders and empowering the nursing councils. In the second article, the application of the insight collected can be done through increasing the autonomy of nurses, and this strategy can help lower nurses’ turnover rate and eventually retain more nurses in hospitals. The supervisors should also create good relationships with the employees. Nurse Managers can apply the findings of the third article by providing supervisory support to nurses during service delivery in the efforts to increase the organizational commitment among younger nurses (New York University, 2009). Nurse Managers should also avoid some practices such as mandatory overtime since they lead to reduced organizational commitment, and thus increased turnover. In the fourth article, the knowledge obtained can be applied by creating a more participative work environment where nurses collaborate freely with the management (Koen et al., 2013). Nurse Managers can apply the knowledge on the fifth article in healthcare organizations by working on factors that increase engagements. Some of these factors include nursing management, collaboration with physicians, shift work and resources (Sawatzky, Enns, 2012). The findings of the sixth and seventh research article can be applied in health care organizations by creating an environment that promotes commitment and as well as cultural sensitive work environment (Manojlovich, 2006). In summary, all the summarized articles are very credible, and they provide evidence-based practices that can be applied by nursing managers to avert the increasing problems associated with retention of nurses. Apart from the interventions identified in the articles, nursing managers can also address problems of retention among nurses by addressing shortages of nurses, adopting top-notch recruitment and retention policies, effective planning and use of the available nursing resources, and providing incentives that motivate nurses. Therefore, all the strategies identified in the articles when implemented effectively can increase nurses’ job satisfaction thus reducing problems of retention (Ley, 2007). Conclusion Nursing retention is an effective measure in curbing the problem of nurses’ shortages in heath care organizations. For nurse managers, understanding the mechanisms of retaining nurses is essential for the purposes of career development. This research paper has provided five articles addressing the issue of nurse retention, and two articles addressing organizational culture and it influence on retention. In regard to nurse retention, the style of leadership adopted by nurse administrator has direct impacts on the nurse retention. Hence, nurse administrators should create an environment that promotes commitment. In regard to organizational culture, leaders are largely responsible for developing an organizational culture and it important for nurse managers to use their positions to develop a positive culture that promote retention of nurses. References Brunetto, Y.( 2012). Study on Nurse Retention. The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 34, 28-38. Duffield, C. M., Roche, M. A., Blay, N., Stasa, H. (2011). Nursing unit managers, staff retention and the work environment.Journal of clinical nursing,20(1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 2), 23-33. Gogheri, A. S., Nawaser, K., Vesal, S. M., Jahanshahi, A. A., Kazi, R. (2013). Which organizational culture moves towards organizational excellency. Asian Social Science, 9(11), 221-236. Koen, V., et al. (2013). Effective strategies for nurse retention in acute hospitals: A mixed method study. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 50(2):185–194 Ley, L. (2007). ‘Shortage of Nurses.’ Journal of medical practice. 3(1), 23-43. Lok, P., Jo, R., Westwood, B. (2011). The mediating role of organizational subcultures in health care organizations, Journal of Health Organization and Management, 25(5): pp.506 – 525. Manojlovich, M. (2006). Enhancing nurses job satisfaction through improvements in the practice environment and effective nurse physician communication. Journal of Nursing Administration, 36(5), 229-230 Najmi, M., Hosseini, S. (2006). EFQM Excellence Model, From Idea to Execution. Ronas (6th ed.). Tehran, Iran. New York University. (20130). Keeping Nurses on the Job: Retention Is Part Of The Answer To The Nursing Shortage. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 29, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090330154802.htm Sawatzky, V. Enns, C.(2012). Exploring the key predictors of retention in emergency nurses. Journal of Nursing Management., 20(5); 696-707. Wieck, K., et al. (2010). Retention priorities for the intergenerational nurse workforce. Nursing Forum, 45(1), 7-17.

Columbus?s Arrival :: Christopher Columbus Essays

Columbus’s Arrival A lot of people would agree that Christopher Columbus was the founder of and first to discover America. On the other hand, people have come to the conclusion that Christopher Columbus was the worst thing that could have ever happened to America. This is the question were trying to find, would it have been better if he never even discovered this unexplored continent? Through all of my research and interviews I’ve come to this conclusion. There are to many good and bad arguments dealing with Columbus, too many to even make my own decision but here are a few things that other people in my generation have to say. Before Christopher Columbus came, life in this unexplored territory was vast and extremely empty except for the native Americans that inhabited a few separated acres of this continent. They were here before anybody they had discovered Cuba, the west coast and even the Pacific Coast of California. Life was plain and simple for the Natives, they had adequate amounts of food and water they had treatments for almost all diseases they were just fine and dandy except for the occasional tribal war over land. Soon that life was about to change and all credit is given by most to Christopher Columbus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"First of all he never even reached America, he landed in Cuba. Second he, not personally, was the reason for thousands of Native Americans deaths†. Indigo Rodriguez. â€Å"He brought over so many diseases that there really was no chance for the natives to survive.† Cort Zimmerman. His arrival brought so many horrific things but the one that really caught my attention from what people said was that of the forcing of the Christian religion on the natives. The Spanish (Columbus), came over with a mentality of, our religion is the only one that will lead you to heaven so either you convert or we’ll kill you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m sorry to say this but if things didn’t happen the way they did, society and religion wouldn’t be as prosperous as it is today. We could still be learning how electricity works if it weren’t for him†¦ This county might not even of turned out Democratic, the Russians could of got here first and actually of prospered with a communist society.† Dimitri Boyd. I asked people of what they thought of science and evolution and the response from a majority was that of â€Å"I’m all for it, I wouldn’t have such a cool car if it wasn’t for science. Columbus?s Arrival :: Christopher Columbus Essays Columbus’s Arrival A lot of people would agree that Christopher Columbus was the founder of and first to discover America. On the other hand, people have come to the conclusion that Christopher Columbus was the worst thing that could have ever happened to America. This is the question were trying to find, would it have been better if he never even discovered this unexplored continent? Through all of my research and interviews I’ve come to this conclusion. There are to many good and bad arguments dealing with Columbus, too many to even make my own decision but here are a few things that other people in my generation have to say. Before Christopher Columbus came, life in this unexplored territory was vast and extremely empty except for the native Americans that inhabited a few separated acres of this continent. They were here before anybody they had discovered Cuba, the west coast and even the Pacific Coast of California. Life was plain and simple for the Natives, they had adequate amounts of food and water they had treatments for almost all diseases they were just fine and dandy except for the occasional tribal war over land. Soon that life was about to change and all credit is given by most to Christopher Columbus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"First of all he never even reached America, he landed in Cuba. Second he, not personally, was the reason for thousands of Native Americans deaths†. Indigo Rodriguez. â€Å"He brought over so many diseases that there really was no chance for the natives to survive.† Cort Zimmerman. His arrival brought so many horrific things but the one that really caught my attention from what people said was that of the forcing of the Christian religion on the natives. The Spanish (Columbus), came over with a mentality of, our religion is the only one that will lead you to heaven so either you convert or we’ll kill you.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m sorry to say this but if things didn’t happen the way they did, society and religion wouldn’t be as prosperous as it is today. We could still be learning how electricity works if it weren’t for him†¦ This county might not even of turned out Democratic, the Russians could of got here first and actually of prospered with a communist society.† Dimitri Boyd. I asked people of what they thought of science and evolution and the response from a majority was that of â€Å"I’m all for it, I wouldn’t have such a cool car if it wasn’t for science.

Microsoft Vista and Home Computing Essay

In 2005, Microsoft announced that it was working on a new version of their Windows operating system that would fix many security problems that were plaguing Windows-XP users. Consequently, many software lovers eagerly anticipated the launch of the upgraded operating system, named Widows Vista. Unfortunately, after Vista was released in 2007, it disappointed most users and critics because of its lack-luster performance, high cost and incompatibility with XP software. It is worse than Windows XP, and home-computer users today are better off using Windows 7 Home Premium. Windows Vista was released five years after XP, taking longer to produce than previous versions of Windows. XP had numerous security flaws that allowed hackers to manipulate or destroy a computer user’s data or cripple network communication, and Microsoft aimed to fix these with Vista (Ricadela 2006). Viruses, spyware, trojans and other forms of malware can easily infect XP, especially when users access the internet. Microsoft’s preoccupation with fixing these bugs in XP eventually delayed the production and release of Vista (Ricciuti 2004). Unfortunately, after Vista was released in 2007, it met harsh criticism from press reviewers, corporate users and home-computing users. A corporate satisfaction survey launched in 2008 indicated that only 8% of Vista users were very satisfied compared to 40% for XP users (Keizer 2008). Netmarketshare (2010) also estimates that Vista has the smallest portion of users (14. 34%) among the currently-used Windows operating systems, with Windows 7 at second place (14. 46%) and XP with the most users at 61. 87% (2010). Home users will find it difficult to use Vista, especially if they have been used to the more stable XP operating system. XP users will realize that Vista’s system requirements are higher than XP’s. Consequently, existing users have to upgrade their computer hardware or buy a new computer altogether if they want to upgrade to Vista. Microsoft recommends at least a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of Random Access Memory (RAM), a 128-MB video-graphics card capable of DirectX 9. 0, at least 40 GB of Hard Disk Drive (HDD) capacity with at least 15 GB of free space, and a DVD-ROM drive to install the software (Microsoft 2010). It may be possible to run Vista with less, but the performance will crawl. In reality, one needs much more than the stated requirements to achieve reasonable performance. Vista’s performance is also slower compared to XP and Windows 7. XP users will immediately notice the difference in speed when they start using Vista. Many tasks seem to crawl compared to XP. Benchmark tests run by Tom’s Hardware indicated that XP is generally faster than Vista, and the testers recommend sticking with XP because â€Å"it cannot perform better than Windows XP† (Schmid 2007). For example, basic tasks, such as copying files, are much slower than XP. Microsoft released a Service Pack upgrade to fix this problem, but ZDNet benchmark tests indicate that the upgraded Vista is still slower than XP (Kingsley-Hughes 2008). In fact, computers that were purchased pre-installed with licensed Vista software performed so poorly that customers wanted to downgrade it to XP, but retailers charged a fee for it. Consequently, customers sued Microsoft for this (Melanson 2009). Avid gamers will also be very disappointed if they use Vista in their home computers. Just like Tom’s Hardware, Techgage processed comparative tests using different games running in both Vista and XP. Naturally, XP was faster than Vista (Williams 2007). The graphics drivers of Vista are simply not developed enough, and the basic requirements of Vista itself are heavier than XP. Microsoft attempted to fix this again through a Service Pack upgrade. However, even after the â€Å"fix,† game developers still recommend Vista users to double the requirements of XP users. For instance, Capcom, the publisher of the game Devil May Cry 4, requires a minimum of 2 GB of memory for Vista users. However, XP users only need 1 GB (PC Game Requirements 2010). Some XP software and hardware are also not compatible with Vista. Existing home computer users who already spent a considerable investment in software will be frustrated again with Vista’s inability to run some of their existing computer programs such as virus scanners. Even many businesses did not bother to upgrade from XP to Vista when it was released because of this incompatibility issue (Deare 2007). The US Department of Transportation has also banned any upgrades from XP to Vista citing software incompatibility issues, costs and the lack of additional features that could prove to be useful or advantageous (McDougall 2007). Using Vista with WiFi will also be difficult. While connecting to networks with XP is not a problem, Vista sometimes refuses to connect with some networks (Claerr 2008). Even if one is able to connect to the router, the Internet may be absent or access to network files and printers may not be available. The user may also be disconnected intermittently from the router if he or she is able to connect, or the speed may be very slow. Fixes may involve upgrading routers, but if the router is not owned by the user, such as in airports, cafes or other public Wifi hotspots, then connections are not possible unless XP or other compatible operating systems are used. Vista also consumes more power than XP. This means that laptop batteries will drain faster using Vista. It is due to Vista’s higher hardware requirements that use more energy. Attempting to turn off some of Vista’s features, such as its fancy graphical interface, will make it more energy-efficient. However, doing the same with XP still makes it greener than Vista. Vista is also more expensive than XP or Windows 7. Microsoft Vista Home Premium currently retails for $239. 95 in online software retailers. On the other hand, Windows 7 Home Premium retails for only $199. 99. And if one buys a new, discounted, old-model personal computer today, with a CRT screen, a tower CPU and an extended keyboard for around 200 to 250 dollars, sometimes Windows XP is already bundled together with the entire package, making it virtually free. This is why Vista is not cost effective. Some of the new features of Vista are also not impressive compared to its predecessor, Windows XP and its successor Windows 7. The new graphical interface of Vista is more aesthetic than XP, but it slows down performance to the point where it is not worth it. The new versions of bundled software such as the internet browser, media player, email manager, photo manager, appointment manager and movie maker are either downloadable for free for XP users or available for free either from third-party vendors or packaged together with purchased hardware like cameras and scanners. The new security prompts can also be nagging or annoying. The most noticeable new feature for Vista is the Aero graphical user interface. Compared to XP, it appears more three-dimensional. The new eye candy has improved icons, animations and thumbnails that are live. The transparencies are also new. However, since Aero uses more energy, it drains the battery life of laptops. Turning it off will save power (Murph 2007). Another new feature that is immediately noticeable is the Windows Sidebar. It is a transparent panel where various applets or small programs called Desktop Gadgets can be attached or removed. These applets include gadgets such as clocks, weather information, news, photographs, currency converters and so forth. In Windows XP, a similar panel called Google Gadgets can be downloaded for free, courtesy of Google. Internet Explorer 7 also comes with Vista. This version has new features including multiple tabbed windows, the ability to zoom pages, a filter against phising (hackers attempting to gather important data such as passwords from users), additional security features, including restricting suspected malicious software from writing beyond the Temporary Internet Files folder without consent, and International Domain Name (IDN) support. However, these features and many more are included in free internet browsers such Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome, which can be downloaded and installed using Windows XP or other operating systems for free. A new version of Windows Media Player, version 11, is also bundled with Vista. A new feature in this version allows users to search for music or video files while they type. This is called â€Å"word wheeling. † It also includes a new media library Graphical User Interface (GUI), a photo organizer and an Internet file-sharing feature. However, new versions of Media Player can be downloaded from Microsoft’s website under Windows XP for free. Moreover, there are other third-party software applications that provide free video and audio software, including codecs, to play all the latest types of media for free. Again, these can be downloaded from the Internet using XP or other operating systems. Vista also includes a new version of Outlook Express which was renamed Windows Mail. It features continuously-updated junk-mail and phishing filtering. However, there are better email management programs, such as Mozilla’s Thunderbird, that can again be downloaded for free from the Internet using XP or other operating systems. Windows email systems have also always been the prime target of hackers and malware authors, so using a different email program such as Thunderbird is more secure and safe. There are also new multimedia applications that are included In Vista, but these programs are usually included for free with the hardware that they support. For example, Vista includes Windows Photo Gallery, which allows users to import pictures from digital cameras, organize them, adjust their properties and produce slideshows. But software that is bundled for free with digital cameras is more advanced than Vista’s basic Photo Gallery. There are also new games included with Vista. A new chess and mahjong game is included. A folder is also included to organize all of the games. Unfortunately, like previous versions of Windows, the bundled games are not the type of commercial games that users like or want to play. And if they have an existing game collection already, they will run slower on Vista and may not even run at all. Vista also has speech recognition software integrated within Vista. It allows users to hear words in computer applications by allowing the computer to speak them out loud in a robotic voice that may not be comprehensible occasionally. This feature may be useful for those with visual problems, but usually the visually impaired purchase better speech recognition software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, which is available in XP and other operating systems. Vista also has other minor new features. It has new fonts and improved international fonts. For mobile computer users, there is also a centralized control panel called the Windows Mobile Center for controlling properties needed by laptop user such as battery life, wireless connections, brightness, screen orientation and other settings. There is also a new version of Netmeeting renamed Windows Meeting Space. This allows different users to share their entire desktop or individual applications over the Internet with other users. And there is also a new version of the back up and restore application which facilitates the restoration of damaged data. The improvements however are not significantly new. In conclusion, home computer users should avoid Windows Vista altogether. If one is an existing XP user who is thinking about upgrading, one should just forget about it since it may make home computing worse. It is also overpriced. However, if one is purchasing a brand new state-of-the-art PC or laptop with an option for choosing one’s operating system, then Windows 7 is the answer. On the other hand, if one is on a budget and wishes to purchase new, discounted, old-model PCs pre-installed with licensed versions of Windows XP, then that is a satisfactory option as well. But whatever one does, one should always avoid Vista. It’s a lemon. References Claerre, J. (2008). Vista Problems With WiFi. eHow. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. ehow. com/about_5106461_vista-problems-wifi. html Deare, Steven. (2007, May 14). Gartner: App testing delaying Vista rollouts. ZDNet. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. zdnetasia. com/gartner-app-testing-delaying-vista-rollouts-62012902. htm Devil May Cry 4 Game Requirements. (2008, Jul 26). PC Game Requirements. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. pcgamerequirements. com/game-index/devil-may-cry-4-game-requirements/ Keizer, G. (2008, Mar 26). Leopard drubs Vista in corporate satisfaction survey. Computerworld. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. computerworld. com/s/article/9072218/Leopard_drubs_Vista_in_corporate_satisfaction_survey? nlid=1&source=NLT_AM Kingsley-Hughes, A. (2008, Feb 15). Vista SP1 vs. XP SP2 – Benchmarked. ZDnet. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. zdnet. com/blog/hardware/vista-sp1-vs-xp-sp2-benchmarked/1332 McDougall, P. (2007, Mar 2). Microsoft Hit By U. S. DOT Ban On Windows Vista, Explorer 7, and Office 2007. Information Week. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. informationweek. com/news/security/showArticle. jhtml? articleID=197700789 Melanson, D. (2009, Feb 16). Microsoft gets sued over Windows XP downgrade fees. Engadget. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://www. engadget. com/2009/02/16/microsoft-gets-sued-over-windows-xp-downgrade-fees/ Microsoft. (2010). Windows Vista Enterprise Hardware Planning Guidance. Technet. Retrieved August 13, 2010, from http://technet. microsoft. com/en-us/library/cc507845. aspx Murph, D. (2007, May 3). Vista’s Aero interface blamed for truncated battery life. Engadget. Retrieved Aug 13, 2010, from http://www. engadget. com/2007/05/04/vistas-aero-interface-blamed-for-truncated-battery-life/ Netmarketshare. (2010, Jul). Operating System Market Share. Retrieved Aug 13, 2010, from http://marketshare. hitslink. com/operating-system-market-share. aspx? qprid=10 Ricadela, A. (2006, Feb 14). 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The Original 13 States of the United States

The first 13 states of the United States of America were comprised of the original British colonies established between 17th and 18th centuries. While the first English settlement in North America was the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, established 1607, the permanent 13  colonies were established as follows: The New England Colonies New Hampshire Province, chartered as a British colony in 1679Massachusetts Bay Province chartered as a British colony in1692Rhode Island Colony chartered as a British colony in 1663Connecticut Colony chartered as a British colony in 1662 The Middle Colonies New York Province, chartered as a British colony in 1686New Jersey Province, chartered as a British colony in 1702Pennsylvania Province, a proprietary colony established in 1681Delaware Colony (before 1776, the Lower Counties on the Delaware River), a proprietary colony established in 1664 The Southern Colonies Maryland Province, a proprietary colony established in 1632Virginia Dominion and Colony, a British colony established in 1607Carolina Province, a proprietary colony established 1663Divided Provinces of North and South Carolina, each chartered as British colonies in 1729Georgia Province, a British colony established in 1732 Establishment of the 13 States The 13 states were officially established by the Articles of Confederation, ratified on March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states operating alongside a weak central government. Unlike the current power-sharing system of â€Å"federalism,† the Articles of Confederation bestowed most governmental powers to the states. The need for a stronger national government soon became apparent and eventually led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.The original 13 states recognized by the Articles of Confederation were (in chronological order): Delaware (ratified the Constitution on December 7, 1787)Pennsylvania (ratified the Constitution on December 12, 1787)New Jersey (ratified the Constitution on December 18, 1787)Georgia (ratified the Constitution on January 2, 1788)Connecticut (ratified the Constitution on January 9, 1788)Massachusetts (ratified the Constitution on February 6, 1788)Maryland (ratified the Constitution on April 28, 1788)South Carolina (ratified the Constitution on May 23, 1788)New Hampshire (ratified the Constitution on June 21, 1788)Virginia (ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788)New York (ratified the Constitution on July 26, 1788)North Carolina (ratified the Constitution on November 21, 1789)Rhode Island (ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790) Along with the 13 North American colonies, Great Britain also controlled New World colonies in present-day Canada, the Caribbean, as well as East and West Florida by 1790. Today, the process by which U.S. territories attain full statehood is left largely to the discretion of Congress under Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which states, in part, â€Å"The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚   Brief History of the US Colonies While the Spanish were among the first Europeans to settle in the â€Å"New World,† England had by the 1600s established itself as the dominant governing presence along the Atlantic coast of what would become the United States. The first English colony in America was founded in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia. Many of the settlers had come to the New World to escape religious persecution or in hopes of economic gains. In September 1620, the Pilgrims, a group of oppressed religious dissidents from England, boarded their ship, the Mayflower and set sail for the New World. Arriving off the coast of what is now Cape Cod in November 1620, they established a settlement at Plymouth, Massachusetts. After surviving great initial hardships in adjusting to their new homes, colonists in both Virginia and Massachusetts thrived with the well-publicized assistance of nearby Native American tribes. While increasingly large crops of corn kept them fed, tobacco in Virginia provided them with a lucrative source of income. By the early 1700s a growing share of the colonies’ population was comprised of African slaves. By 1770, the population of Britain’s 13 North American colonies had grown to more than 2 million people. By the early 1700s enslaved Africans made up a growing percentage of the colonial population. By 1770, more than 2 million people lived and worked in Great Britains 13 North American colonies. Government in the Colonies On November 11, 1620, before establishing their Plymouth Colony, the Pilgrims drafted the Mayflower Compact, a social contract in which they basically agreed that they would govern themselves. The powerful precedent for self-government set by the Mayflower Compact would be reflected in the system of public town meetings that guided colonial governments across New England. While the 13 colonies were indeed  allowed a high degree of self-government, the British system of mercantilism ensured that the colonies existed purely to benefit the economy of the  mother country. Each colony was allowed to develop its own limited government, which operated under a colonial governor appointed by and answerable to the British Crown. With the exception of the British-appointed governor, the colonists freely elected their own government representatives who were required to administer the English system of â€Å"common law.† Significantly, most decisions of the local colonial governments had to be reviewed and approved by both the colonial governor and the British Crown. A system which would become more cumbersome and contentious as the colonies grew and prospered. By the 1750s, the colonies had started dealing with each other in matters concerning their economic interests, often without consulting the British Crown. This led to a growing feeling of American identity among the colonists who began to demand that the Crown protect their â€Å"Rights as Englishmen,† particularly the right of â€Å"no taxation without representation.† The colonists’ continued and growing grievances with the British government under the rule of King George III would lead to the colonists’ issuance of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the American Revolution, and eventually, the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Today, the American flag prominently displays thirteen horizontal red and white stripes representing the original thirteen colonies.