Horizontal Violence in Nursing - 1512 Words

The High Cost of Horizontal Violence in Nursing Paisley Rojo Gen 200 July 21, 2015 Dr. Davidov The High Cost of Horizontal Violence In nursing, there is a growing concern called, horizontal violence. Horizontal violence is an act of aggression from one nurse to the other. Horizontal violence impedes teamwork, hinders patient care and causes a negative work environment (Becher visovsky, 2012). Even though workplace politics exists in every profession, the effects of horizontal violence, or bullying, in nursing is a costly behavior. Nurses feel devalued in the workplace and experience psychological effects. Patients are likely to experience less favorable outcomes, and retention is difficult costing facilities†¦show more content†¦If this behavior is a problem for the clinical facility, that facility will likely have a higher turnover rate, which will in turn cost more money in recruitment and education. Moreover, bullying also affects continuity of care with patients and may result in sentinel events as well as legal action against the clinician, and facility from pat ients and family members. According to Aleccia (2008) an estimated 70 percent of nurses involved in a study of horizontal violence believed there was a relation to inappropriate behavior from peers and negative outcomes for patients. Moreover, 25 percent of the study group believed that horizontal violence contributed to patient mortality. Research has shown that there is an estimated $30,000 to $100,000 per annum paid for each victim of horizontal violence. This cost stems from absenteeism, treatment of the psychological effects, and the high rate of turnover (Gerardi Connell, 2007). Woelfle and McCaffrey (2007) investigated the damage caused by horizontal violence to work relationships in nursing to find a solution. The result of that investigation stated that horizontal violence in nursing is commonplace and experienced by nursing students, nurses with limited experience, and seasoned nurses equally. Solutions According to the American Nurses Association, currently federal standards do not require protection from violence in the workplace. Some states have askedShow MoreRelatedHorizontal Violence And Its Effects On Nursing1656 Words   |  7 PagesHorizontal Violence: A Detriment to Nursing Typically, when someone thinks of a bully, childhood memories of scuffles on the playground come to mind. Bullies are not usually people that are associated with adult life. However, nursing has changed this stereotypical view. For many nurses, bullying may be as great a threat every day at work as it was when they were in grade school. This threat is because of what is termed as horizontal or lateral violence in the workplace, and it is a surprisinglyRead MoreHorizontal Violence And Its Effects On Nursing1942 Words   |  8 PagesHorizontal Violence: A Detriment to Nursing Typically, when someone thinks of a bully, childhood memories of scuffles on the playground come to mind. Bullies are not usually people that are associated with adult life. However, nursing has changed this stereotypical view. For many nurses, bullying may be as great a threat every day at work as it was when they were in grade school. This threat is because of what is termed as horizontal or lateral violence in the workplace, and it is a surprisinglyRead MoreHorizontal Violence and Staff Morale Essay1049 Words   |  5 PagesWhen one goes into the profession of nursing it is usually not for the money, job security or the glamour of the job. Those of us who chose nursing as our profession generally care for others and want to make a difference in the world. New nurses are excited to become licensed and to start working in the profession of nursing. When new nurses enter the field of nursing, they are often met with more experienced nurses who have practiced longer and subseq uently has more experience. This maybe anRead MoreHorizontal violence and The Effects on Nurses and Patients Essay1234 Words   |  5 Pages Horizontal violence is not a topic that medical faculties discuss on a day-to-day basis, but it is an enormous problem within the health care system. In this research the author looks at bulling from a registered nurse (r.n.) aspect .The effects on patient centered care can be detrimental for patients and r.n.’s. The work place needs to be a safe place for not only the patients but also the employees. With the rise of new graduate nurses who are employed by the medical facilities, they too areRead MoreThe Effect Of Incivility On Nursing Turnover And Patient Care1640 Words   |  7 PagesThe Effect of Incivility on Nursing Turnover and Patient Care Incivility is an umbrella term used to describe any type of negative behavior directed towards another individual that may impact the way that they behave and/or feel. While incidences of incivility may be visible in most professional careers, it’s significance in nursing has prompted a provisional statement from the American Nurses Association. â€Å"The nurse creates an ethical environment and culture of civility and kindness. Disregard forRead MoreWorkplace Is A Comprehensive Issue Is Not Only Affects A Person s Dignity Essay1458 Words   |  6 PagesISSUES Workplace bullying is a comprehensive issue which not only affects a person’s dignity, but also causes psychological and emotional problems (Park, Cho Hong, 2015). The results of horizontal violence will be job dissatisfaction, physical and psychological stress. The recipient’s of HV will be having sleeping difficulties, low self-confidence and low enthusiasm, feeling isolated from other staff, show depression and utilize lots of sick leave (Longo Sherman, 2007). On a study conducted onRead MoreLateral Violence in the Workplace1270 Words   |  6 PagesLateral violence in the workplace Lona A Smeltzer Southern New Hampshire University Lateral violence in the workplace Abstract This paper explores five published articles as they relate to the concept of Lateral violence (LV) within the nursing profession and how it directly affects the work environment. The concept of LV is also known as abusive behavior, horizontal violence, bullying, aggression, horizontal hostility, verbal abuse or â€Å"nurses eating their young†. There are fourRead MoreNursing Research Study Summary Essay1096 Words   |  5 PagesNursing Research Study Summary There are six levels of violence identified among registered nurses including psychological, physical, vertical, horizontal, covert, and overt. The article research by this author was found in the Nursing Forum Journal, titled Levels of violence among nurses in Cape Town public hospitals (Khalil, 2009). Nursing research was done to identify and understand why the nursing profession lets violence happen among nurses within the profession. Background Violence amongRead MoreDoctor Of Nursing Practice Roles1434 Words   |  6 PagesDoctor of Nursing Practice Roles against Workplace Violence in the Nursing Profession Introduction Workplace violence in nursing has become a serious problem that affects the nursing profession in many aspects (Murray, 2009). According to Skehan (2015), there were few studies or documentation about the perception or management of nurse leaders against workplace violence in nursing. Therefore, doctor of nursing practice (DNP) prepared nurses should become the experts in identifying, analyzing, andRead MoreVertical Violence And Its Effects On The Nursing Profession1107 Words   |  5 PagesNursing is a profession that is based on the principles of caring and ethics. For years nursing has been continuously ranked as the most trusted profession (Riffkin, 2014). Nurses advocate for patients even if it means standing up to doctors and hospital administrators. Shockingly, for a job rooted in compassion, horizontal violence is a devastatingly common occurrence in the nursing profession. Horizontal violence, or workplace bullying, is defined as repeated incidences of aggressive behaviour

Walmart Security Issues Free Essays

string(61) " finding a needle in the haystack, they are making more hay\." Review our  cookies information  for more details Special report:  Managing information A different game Information is transforming traditional businesses Feb 25th 2010 | from the print edition * * IN 1879 James Ritty, a saloon-keeper in Dayton, Ohio, received a patent for a wooden contraption that he dubbed the â€Å"incorruptible cashier†. With a set of buttons and a loud bell, the device, sold by National Cash Register (NCR), was little more than a simple adding machine. Yet as an early form of managing information flows in American business the cash register had a huge impact. We will write a custom essay sample on Walmart Security Issues or any similar topic only for you Order Now It not only reduced pilferage by alerting the shopkeeper when the till was opened; by recording every transaction, it also provided an instant overview of what was happening in the business. Sales data remain one of a company’s most important assets. In 2004 Wal-Mart peered into its mammoth databases and noticed that before a hurricane struck, there was a run on flashlights and batteries, as might be expected; but also on Pop-Tarts, a sugary American breakfast snack. On reflection it is clear that the snack would be a handy thing to eat in a blackout, but the retailer would not have thought to stock up on it before a storm. The company whose system crunched Wal-Mart’s numbers was none other than NCR and its data-warehousing unit, Teradata, now an independent firm. A few years ago such technologies, called â€Å"business intelligence†, were available only to the world’s biggest companies. But as the price of computing and storage has fallen and the software systems have got better and cheaper, the technology has moved into the mainstream. Companies are collecting more data than ever before. In the past they were kept in different systems that were unable to talk to each other, such as finance, human resources or customer management. Now the systems are being linked, and companies are using data-mining techniques to get a complete picture of their operations—â€Å"a single version of the truth†, as the industry likes to call it. That allows firms to operate more efficiently, pick out trends and improve their forecasting. In this special report * Data, data everywhere * All too much *  »A different game * Clicking for gold * The open society * Show me * Needle in a haystack * New rules for big data * Handling the cornucopia Sources acknowledgementsReprints Related topics * China * Nestle * IBM * Royal Shakespeare Company * Walmart Consider Cablecom, a Swiss telecoms operator. It has reduced customer defections from one-fifth of subscribers a year to under 5% by crunching its numbers. Its software spotted that although customer defections peaked in the 13th month, the decision to leave was made much earlier, around the ninth month (as indicated by things like the number of calls to customer support services). So Cablecom offered certain customers special deals seven months into their subscription and reaped the rewards. Agony and torture Such data-mining has a dubious reputation. â€Å"Torture the data long enough and they will confess to anything,† statisticians quip. But it has become far more effective as more companies have started to use the technology. Best Buy, a retailer, found that 7% of its customers accounted for 43% of its sales, so it reorganised its stores to concentrate on those customers’ needs. Airline yield management improved because analytical techniques uncovered the best predictor that a passenger would actually catch a flight he had booked: that he had ordered a vegetarian meal. The IT industry is piling into business intelligence, seeing it as a natural successor of services such as accountancy and computing in the first and second half of the 20th century respectively. Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, IBM and SAP are investing heavily in their consulting practices. Technology vendors such as Oracle, Informatica, TIBCO, SAS and EMC have benefited. IBM believes business intelligence will be a pillar of its growth as sensors are used to manage things from a city’s traffic flow to a patient’s blood flow. It has invested $12 billion in the past four years and is opening six analytics centres with 4,000 employees worldwide. Analytics—performing statistical operations for forecasting or uncovering correlations such as between Pop-Tarts and hurricanes—can have a big pay-off. In Britain the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) sifted through seven years of sales data for a marketing campaign that increased regular visitors by 70%. By examining more than 2m transaction records, the RSC discovered a lot more about its best customers: not just income, but things like occupation and family status, which allowed it to target its marketing more precisely. That was of crucial importance, says the RSC’s Mary Butlin, because it substantially boosted membership as well as fund-raising revenue. Yet making the most of data is not easy. The first step is to improve the accuracy of the information. Nestle, for example, sells more than 100,000 products in 200 countries, using 550,000 suppliers, but it was not using its huge buying power effectively because its databases were a mess. On examination, it found that of its 9m records of vendors, customers and materials around half were obsolete or duplicated, and of the remainder about one-third were inaccurate or incomplete. The name of a vendor might be abbreviated in one record but spelled out in another, leading to double-counting. Plainer vanilla Over the past ten years Nestle has been overhauling its IT system, using SAP software, and improving the quality of its data. This enabled the firm to become more efficient, says Chris Johnson, who led the initiative. For just one ingredient, vanilla, its American operation was able to reduce the number of specifications and use fewer suppliers, saving $30m a year. Overall, such operational improvements save more than $1 billion annually. Nestle is not alone in having problems with its database. Most CIOs admit that their data are of poor quality. In a study by IBM half the managers quizzed did not trust the information on which they had to base decisions. Many say that the technology meant to make sense of it often just produces more data. Instead of finding a needle in the haystack, they are making more hay. You read "Walmart Security Issues" in category "Essay examples" Still, as analytical techniques become more widespread, business decisions will increasingly be made, or at least corroborated, on the basis of computer algorithms rather than individual hunches. This creates a need for managers who are comfortable with data, but statistics courses in business schools are not popular. Many new business insights come from â€Å"dead data†: stored information about past transactions that are examined to reveal hidden correlations. But now companies are increasingly moving to analysing real-time information flows. Wal-Mart is a good example. The retailer operates 8,400 stores worldwide, has more than 2m employees and handles over 200m customer transactions each week. Its revenue last year, around $400 billion, is more than the GDP of many entire countries. The sheer scale of the data is a challenge, admits Rollin Ford, the CIO at Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. â€Å"We keep a healthy paranoia. † Not a sparrow falls Wal-Mart’s inventory-management system, called Retail Link, enables suppliers to see the exact number of their products on every shelf of every store at that precise moment. The system shows the rate of sales by the hour, by the day, over the past year and more. Begun in the 1990s, Retail Link gives suppliers a complete overview of when and how their products are selling, and with what other products in the shopping cart. This lets suppliers manage their stocks better. The technology enabled Wal-Mart to change the business model of retailing. In some cases it leaves stock management in the hands of its suppliers and does not take ownership of the products until the moment they are sold. This allows it to shed inventory risk and reduce its costs. In essence, the shelves in its shops are a highly efficiently managed depot. Another company that capitalises on real-time information flows is Li Fung, one of the world’s biggest supply-chain operators. Founded in Guangzhou in southern China a century ago, it does not own any factories or equipment but orchestrates a network of 12,000 suppliers in 40 countries, sourcing goods for brands ranging from Kate Spade to Walt Disney. Its turnover in 2008 was $14 billion. Li ; Fung used to deal with its clients mostly by phone and fax, with e-mail counting as high technology. But thanks to a new web-services platform, its processes have speeded up. Orders flow through a web portal and bids can be solicited from pre-qualified suppliers. Agents now audit factories in real time with hand-held computers. Clients are able to monitor the details of every stage of an order, from the initial production run to shipping. One of the most important technologies has turned out to be videoconferencing. It allows buyers and manufacturers to examine the colour of a material or the stitching on a garment. â€Å"Before, we weren’t able to send a 500MB image—we’d post a DVD. Now we can stream it to show vendors in our offices. With real-time images we can make changes quicker,† says Manuel Fernandez, Li ; Fung’s chief technology officer. Data flowing through its network soared from 100 gigabytes a day only 18 months ago to 1 terabyte. The information system also allows Li Fung to look across its operations to identify trends. In southern China, for instance, a shortage of workers and new legislation raised labour costs, so production moved north. â€Å"We saw that before it actually happened,† says Mr Fernandez. The company also got advance warning of the economic crisis, and later the recovery, from retailers’ orders before these trends became apparent. Investment analysts use country information provided by Li ; Fung to gain insights into macroeconomic patterns. Now that they are able to process information flows in real time, organisations are collecting more data than ever. One use for such information is to forecast when machines will break down. This hardly ever happens out of the blue: there are usually warning signs such as noise, vibration or heat. Capturing such data enables firms to act before a breakdown. Similarly, the use of â€Å"predictive analytics† on the basis of large data sets may transform health care. Dr Carolyn McGregor of the University of Ontario, working with IBM, conducts research to spot potentially fatal infections in premature babies. The system monitors subtle changes in seven streams of real-time data, such as respiration, heart rate and blood pressure. The electrocardiogram alone generates 1,000 readings per second. This kind of information is turned out by all medical equipment, but it used to be recorded on paper and examined perhaps once an hour. By feeding the data into a computer, Dr McGregor has been able to detect the onset of an infection before obvious symptoms emerge. â€Å"You can’t see it with the naked eye, but a computer can,† she says. Open sesame Two technology trends are helping to fuel these new uses of data: cloud computing and open-source software. Cloud computing—in which the internet is used as a platform to collect, store and process data—allows businesses to lease computing power as and when they need it, rather than having to buy expensive equipment. Amazon, Google and Microsoft are the most prominent firms to make their massive computing infrastructure available to clients. As more corporate functions, such as human resources or sales, are managed over a network, companies can see patterns across the whole of the business and share their information more easily. A free programming language called R lets companies examine and present big data sets, and free software called Hadoop now allows ordinary PCs to analyse huge quantities of data that previously required a supercomputer. It does this by parcelling out the tasks to numerous computers at once. This saves time and money. For example, the  New York Times  a few years ago used cloud computing and Hadoop to convert over 400,000 scanned images from its archives, from 1851 to 1922. By harnessing the power of hundreds of computers, it was able to do the job in 36 hours. Visa, a credit-card company, in a recent trial with Hadoop crunched two years of test records, or 73 billion transactions, amounting to 36 terabytes of data. The processing time fell from one month with traditional methods to a mere 13 minutes. It is a striking successor of Ritty’s incorruptible cashier for a data-driven age. from the print edition | Special report Recommend 140 * * * Submit to reddit * inShare2 * View all comments (4) Related items TOPIC:  China  Ã‚ » * Recommended economics writing: Link exchange * Trade: Mexico rising * The Economist: Digital highlights, November 24th 2012 TOPIC:  Nestle  Ã‚ » * Consumer goods in Africa: A continent goes shopping * Schumpeter: Pretty profitable parrots * Nestle buys Pf izer Nutrition: Feeding little emperors TOPIC:  IBM  Ã‚ » * Schumpeter: Taking the long view * IBM’s mainframes: Old dog, new tricks * Phase-change memory: Altered states TOPIC:  Royal Shakespeare Company  Ã‚ » * William Shakespeare: A digital reinvention Culture: Going for gold * Green architecture: The retrofit revolution More related topics: * Walmart Want more? 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By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Review our  cookies information  for more details Special report:  Managing information A different game Information is transforming traditional businesses Feb 25th 2010 | from the print edition * * IN 1879 James Ritty, a saloon-keeper in Dayton, Ohio, received a patent for a wooden contraption that he dubbed the â€Å"incorruptible cashier†. With a set of buttons and a loud bell, the device, sold by National Cash Register (NCR), was little more than a simple adding machine. Yet as an early form of managing information flows in American business the cash register had a huge impact. It not only reduced pilferage by alerting the shopkeeper when the till was opened; by recording every transaction, it also provided an instant overview of what was happening in the business. Sales data remain one of a company’s most important assets. In 2004 Wal-Mart peered into its mammoth databases and noticed that before a hurricane struck, there was a run on flashlights and batteries, as might be expected; but also on Pop-Tarts, a sugary American breakfast snack. On reflection it is clear that the snack would be a handy thing to eat in a blackout, but the retailer would not have thought to stock up on it before a storm. The company whose system crunched Wal-Mart’s numbers was none other than NCR and its data-warehousing unit, Teradata, now an independent firm. A few years ago such technologies, called â€Å"business intelligence†, were available only to the world’s biggest companies. But as the price of computing and storage has fallen and the software systems have got better and cheaper, the technology has moved into the mainstream. Companies are collecting more data than ever before. In the past they were kept in different systems that were unable to talk to each other, such as finance, human resources or customer management. Now the systems are being linked, and companies are using data-mining techniques to get a complete picture of their operations—â€Å"a single version of the truth†, as the industry likes to call it. That allows firms to operate more efficiently, pick out trends and improve their forecasting. In this special report * Data, data everywhere * All too much *  »A different game * Clicking for gold * The open society * Show me * Needle in a haystack * New rules for big data * Handling the cornucopia Sources acknowledgementsReprints Related topics * China * Nestle * IBM * Royal Shakespeare Company * Walmart Consider Cablecom, a Swiss telecoms operator. It has reduced customer defections from one-fifth of subscribers a year to under 5% by crunching its numbers. Its software spotted that although customer defections peaked in the 13th month, the decision to leave was made much earlier, around the ninth month (as indicated by things like the number of calls to customer support services). So Cablecom offered certain customers special deals seven months into their subscription and reaped the rewards. Agony and torture Such data-mining has a dubious reputation. â€Å"Torture the data long enough and they will confess to anything,† statisticians quip. But it has become far more effective as more companies have started to use the technology. Best Buy, a retailer, found that 7% of its customers accounted for 43% of its sales, so it reorganised its stores to concentrate on those customers’ needs. Airline yield management improved because analytical techniques uncovered the best predictor that a passenger would actually catch a flight he had booked: that he had ordered a vegetarian meal. The IT industry is piling into business intelligence, seeing it as a natural successor of services such as accountancy and computing in the first and second half of the 20th century respectively. Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, IBM and SAP are investing heavily in their consulting practices. Technology vendors such as Oracle, Informatica, TIBCO, SAS and EMC have benefited. IBM believes business intelligence will be a pillar of its growth as sensors are used to manage things from a city’s traffic flow to a patient’s blood flow. It has invested $12 billion in the past four years and is opening six analytics centres with 4,000 employees worldwide. Analytics—performing statistical operations for forecasting or uncovering correlations such as between Pop-Tarts and hurricanes—can have a big pay-off. In Britain the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) sifted through seven years of sales data for a marketing campaign that increased regular visitors by 70%. By examining more than 2m transaction records, the RSC discovered a lot more about its best customers: not just income, but things like occupation and family status, which allowed it to target its marketing more precisely. That was of crucial importance, says the RSC’s Mary Butlin, because it substantially boosted membership as well as fund-raising revenue. Yet making the most of data is not easy. The first step is to improve the accuracy of the information. Nestle, for example, sells more than 100,000 products in 200 countries, using 550,000 suppliers, but it was not using its huge buying power effectively because its databases were a mess. On examination, it found that of its 9m records of vendors, customers and materials around half were obsolete or duplicated, and of the remainder about one-third were inaccurate or incomplete. The name of a vendor might be abbreviated in one record but spelled out in another, leading to double-counting. Plainer vanilla Over the past ten years Nestle has been overhauling its IT system, using SAP software, and improving the quality of its data. This enabled the firm to become more efficient, says Chris Johnson, who led the initiative. For just one ingredient, vanilla, its American operation was able to reduce the number of specifications and use fewer suppliers, saving $30m a year. Overall, such operational improvements save more than $1 billion annually. Nestle is not alone in having problems with its database. Most CIOs admit that their data are of poor quality. In a study by IBM half the managers quizzed did not trust the information on which they had to base decisions. Many say that the technology meant to make sense of it often just produces more data. Instead of finding a needle in the haystack, they are making more hay. Still, as analytical techniques become more widespread, business decisions will increasingly be made, or at least corroborated, on the basis of computer algorithms rather than individual hunches. This creates a need for managers who are comfortable with data, but statistics courses in business schools are not popular. Many new business insights come from â€Å"dead data†: stored information about past transactions that are examined to reveal hidden correlations. But now companies are increasingly moving to analysing real-time information flows. Wal-Mart is a good example. The retailer operates 8,400 stores worldwide, has more than 2m employees and handles over 200m customer transactions each week. Its revenue last year, around $400 billion, is more than the GDP of many entire countries. The sheer scale of the data is a challenge, admits Rollin Ford, the CIO at Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. â€Å"We keep a healthy paranoia. † Not a sparrow falls Wal-Mart’s inventory-management system, called Retail Link, enables suppliers to see the exact number of their products on every shelf of every store at that precise moment. The system shows the rate of sales by the hour, by the day, over the past year and more. Begun in the 1990s, Retail Link gives suppliers a complete overview of when and how their products are selling, and with what other products in the shopping cart. This lets suppliers manage their stocks better. The technology enabled Wal-Mart to change the business model of retailing. In some cases it leaves stock management in the hands of its suppliers and does not take ownership of the products until the moment they are sold. This allows it to shed inventory risk and reduce its costs. In essence, the shelves in its shops are a highly efficiently managed depot. Another company that capitalises on real-time information flows is Li Fung, one of the world’s biggest supply-chain operators. Founded in Guangzhou in southern China a century ago, it does not own any factories or equipment but orchestrates a network of 12,000 suppliers in 40 countries, sourcing goods for brands ranging from Kate Spade to Walt Disney. Its turnover in 2008 was $14 billion. Li ; Fung used to deal with its clients mostly by phone and fax, with e-mail counting as high technology. But thanks to a new web-services platform, its processes have speeded up. Orders flow through a web portal and bids can be solicited from pre-qualified suppliers. Agents now audit factories in real time with hand-held computers. Clients are able to monitor the details of every stage of an order, from the initial production run to shipping. One of the most important technologies has turned out to be videoconferencing. It allows buyers and manufacturers to examine the colour of a material or the stitching on a garment. â€Å"Before, we weren’t able to send a 500MB image—we’d post a DVD. Now we can stream it to show vendors in our offices. With real-time images we can make changes quicker,† says Manuel Fernandez, Li ; Fung’s chief technology officer. Data flowing through its network soared from 100 gigabytes a day only 18 months ago to 1 terabyte. The information system also allows Li Fung to look across its operations to identify trends. In southern China, for instance, a shortage of workers and new legislation raised labour costs, so production moved north. â€Å"We saw that before it actually happened,† says Mr Fernandez. The company also got advance warning of the economic crisis, and later the recovery, from retailers’ orders before these trends became apparent. Investment analysts use country information provided by Li ; Fung to gain insights into macroeconomic patterns. Now that they are able to process information flows in real time, organisations are collecting more data than ever. One use for such information is to forecast when machines will break down. This hardly ever happens out of the blue: there are usually warning signs such as noise, vibration or heat. Capturing such data enables firms to act before a breakdown. Similarly, the use of â€Å"predictive analytics† on the basis of large data sets may transform health care. Dr Carolyn McGregor of the University of Ontario, working with IBM, conducts research to spot potentially fatal infections in premature babies. The system monitors subtle changes in seven streams of real-time data, such as respiration, heart rate and blood pressure. The electrocardiogram alone generates 1,000 readings per second. This kind of information is turned out by all medical equipment, but it used to be recorded on paper and examined perhaps once an hour. By feeding the data into a computer, Dr McGregor has been able to detect the onset of an infection before obvious symptoms emerge. â€Å"You can’t see it with the naked eye, but a computer can,† she says. Open sesame Two technology trends are helping to fuel these new uses of data: cloud computing and open-source software. Cloud computing—in which the internet is used as a platform to collect, store and process data—allows businesses to lease computing power as and when they need it, rather than having to buy expensive equipment. Amazon, Google and Microsoft are the most prominent firms to make their massive computing infrastructure available to clients. As more corporate functions, such as human resources or sales, are managed over a network, companies can see patterns across the whole of the business and share their information more easily. A free programming language called R lets companies examine and present big data sets, and free software called Hadoop now allows ordinary PCs to analyse huge quantities of data that previously required a supercomputer. It does this by parcelling out the tasks to numerous computers at once. This saves time and money. For example, the  New York Times  a few years ago used cloud computing and Hadoop to convert over 400,000 scanned images from its archives, from 1851 to 1922. By harnessing the power of hundreds of computers, it was able to do the job in 36 hours. Visa, a credit-card company, in a recent trial with Hadoop crunched two years of test records, or 73 billion transactions, amounting to 36 terabytes of data. The processing time fell from one month with traditional methods to a mere 13 minutes. It is a striking successor of Ritty’s incorruptible cashier for a data-driven age. rom the print edition | Special report * Recommend 140 * * * Submit to reddit * inShare2 * View all comments (4) Related items TOPIC:  China  Ã‚ » * Recommended economics writing: Link exchange * Trade: Mexico rising * The Economist: Digital highlights, November 24th 2012 TOPIC:  Nestle  Ã‚ » * Consumer goods in Africa: A continent goes shopping * Schumpeter: Pretty profita ble parrots * Nestle buys Pfizer Nutrition: Feeding little emperors TOPIC:  IBM  Ã‚ » * Schumpeter: Taking the long view * IBM’s mainframes: Old dog, new tricks * Phase-change memory: Altered states TOPIC:  Royal Shakespeare Company  Ã‚ » William Shakespeare: A digital reinvention * Culture: Going for gold * Green architecture: The retrofit revolution More related topics: * Walmart Want more? Subscribe to  The Economist  and get the week’s most relevant news and analysis. * Print edition X Feb 27th 2010 Feb 20th 2010 Feb 13th 2010 Feb 6th 2010 * Next in The world this week X Politics this week * Next in The world this week X Business this week * Next in The world this week X KAL’s cartoon * Next in Leaders X Technology The data deluge Businesses, governments and society are only starting to tap its vast potential * Next in Leaders X Argentina and the Falklands The beef in Buenos Aires The Kirchners could have more oil if they stopped bullying Argentine business * Next in Leaders X Japan’s frustrating politics Nagasaki fallout Japan’s prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, should jettison his Svengali, Ichiro Ozawa * Next in Leaders X India Ending the red terror It is time India got serious about the Maoist insurgency in its eastern states * Next in Leaders X Genetically modified food Attack of the really quite likeable tomatoes The success of genetically modified crops provides opportunities to win over their critics Next in Letters X Letters On Spain, al-Qaeda, Yemen, torture, Britain, juries, stereotypes, Benjamin Disraeli * Next in Briefing X Argentina under the Kirchners Socialism for foes, capitalism for friends While some private businesses in Argentina have faced harassment or even nationalisation, others†¦ * Next in Briefing X The first family’s businesses Welcome to the Hotel Kirchn er Such a lovely little earner * Next in United States X Health reform Seizing the reins, at long last After leaving Congress in charge for too long, Barack Obama unveils his own plan * Next in United States X Mitt Romney and the Republicans Fired up, ready to go Mitt Romney takes centre-stage * Next in United States X The administration’s economists Grading the dismal scientists How good is the Council of Economic Advisers? * Next in United States X The economy Back to the crash The American economy has just had its worst decade since the 1930s * Next in United States X Arkansas politics Democrats beware A spirited scramble for suddenly open Democratic seats * Next in United States X Schools and testing The finger of suspicion Is too much weight given to testing? * Next in United States X California’s prison-guards’ union Fading are the peacemakers One of California’s most powerful political forces may have peaked * Next in United States X America’s children Protecting the weakest The recession may hurt America’s vulnerable children * Next in United States X Lexington Is Barack Obama tough enough? Conservatives call him too weak to be a warrior. Tell that to the Taliban * Next in The Americas X Corruption in Brazil The money trail Many corruption scandals stem from the high cost of politics, and unrealistically tight†¦ * Next in The Americas X Presidential ambitions in Peru Political satire Jaime Bayly’s breath of fresh air * Next in The Americas X Latin American summitry In ever-closer union, divided we stand * Next in The Americas X Canada’s Mohawks Get out of our canoe When a Canadian is not a Canadian * Next in Asia X Tackling Japan’s bureaucracy Floundering in the foggy fortress The DPJ is finding that it needs to befriend its bureaucrats, as well as bash them * Next in Asia X India’s Naxalite insurgency Not a dinner party India’s Maoist guerrillas carry out two slaughters, then offer a truce * Next in Asia X Western aims in Afghanistan Played for fools Hamid Karzai’s shenanigans make the going even harder for NATO * Next in Asia X Migrant workers in Thailand Inhospitality Life gets harder for Thailand’s guest-workers * Next in Asia X China’s National People’s Congress Democracy in action Making sure that China’s supreme legislative body is toothless * Next in Asia X Animal welfare in China Off the menu The right to eat cats and dogs is under threat * Next in Asia X Banyan The mother of all dictatorships To understand North Korea, look not to Confucius or the Soviet Union, but to fascist 1930s Japan * Next in Asia X How to cite Walmart Security Issues, Essay examples

Psychology Reflective free essay sample

After having various lessons, I would like to have a deeper evaluation of the chapter â€Å"Behavior in Social and Cultural Context† especially the concept of attributions . It is known that there are two types of attributions which are internal attributions and external attributions that we generally use to explain our own or other’s behaviors. Internal factors concern a person’s traits while external factors concern the external environment. In addition, I am actually shocked by the fact that there is a fundamental attribution error when we are explaining others’ behaviors. There is a real-life example that I would like to share. Last Monday, I was stuck in a traffic jam for half an hour on Nathan Road. I had a lesson at 8:30 am in Core A and I reached the pedestrian bridge at 8:25 am, so I was rushing to the classroom. At that moment, a scene annoyed me most and stopped my way to school. We will write a custom essay sample on Psychology Reflective or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A boy who was around six years old was too energetic. He dashed and rushed around on the footbridge that disturbed others’ way. He also guffawed and touched or played with anything and everything he saw. Suddenly, he paced around and glared at his mum. Don’t walk like a stupid pig! Do you know how to walk? I have been waiting for you for so long! †He shouted at his mum. At that moment, I was very angry and strongly believed that the boy was so naughty and disrespectful that he showed his emotions with no restraint and did whatever he likes without regard for consequences. Based on the above case, the correspondence bias leads me to explain the boy’s behavior by ignoring the influence of situation on behavior. For example, actually he is a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, so he cannot be patient and always dash around. However, we tend to emphasize the dispositional attribution that the boy is so naughty and disrespectful. Apparently, we tend to overestimate internal factors and underestimate external factors when explaining others’ behavior. After understanding the concept of fundamental attribution error, I have an enquiry related to it. Is there an error too when we explain our own behaviors? In order to find out the answer of it, I do some researches on it. Afterwards, I found out that the concept of actor-observer bias which is proposed by E. E. Jones and R. E. Nisbett in 1971 gives a clearer picture on the error of explaining our own and others’ behaviors. It states that we as an actor are more likely to attribute our own actions to the particular situation than to a generalization about our personality while the reverse asymmetry held for people being an observer and explaining others’ behaviors. Nevertheless, I have doubts about both the fundamental attribution error and the actor-observer bias. In my opinion, I think that both of the ideas only firmly established when describing negative events. For instance, on the one hand, as an actor, when we get bad result on an exam, we usually attribute the reason to the difficult exam (situational). On the other hand, as an observer, when our friends get bad academic result, we usually attribute the reason to his or her lazy character (dispositional). If the event is positive, the reverse error occurs. With the same example but with the condition that both we and our friends get high marks in the exam, we will attribute the reason to hard-working (dispositional) and easy exam (situational) to explain behaviors respectively. Malle (2006) agrees that a reverse asymmetry held for positive events after conducting a mental-analysis. He states that the discrepancy may indicate a self-serving pattern in attribution that we attribute success to internal factors and failure to external factors. Therefore, I believe that we are explaining others’ by using both the self-serving bias and fundamental attribution error. Overall, the lessons build up my foundation for the psychological concepts and theories and we need to explore the psychological world by ourselves in order to find out more details, conflicts about and relationships between different ideas. For instance, in order to finish this reflective journal, I used Google scholar to search about the actor-observer bias and the criticisms about it that I did not learn on the book and in lessons. By experiencing the searching process, I have deeper understanding on it and it strongly impresses on my memory. The process also enhances my analysis skill, to determine which sources are useful and which sources are not related to my topic. Therefore, I enjoy the process of exploring the psychological knowledge by ourselves.

When bad things happen to good people an Example of the Topic Literature Essays by

When bad things happen to good people The very title of the book (When Bad Things Happen to Good People) certainly would appeal to people in general. The question of evil has been around since time immemorial, and there are many books written to address the subject mostly from theological standpoint. I think it is only right to address the problem of evil and suffering from the vantage point of theology because it engages the ultimate and the metaphysical when dealing with issues of evil and sufferings. Harold S. Kushner dealt with the question of suffering from the most practical sense that any human being could by trying to make sense of tragedies in life generally. In an excerpt taken from his best-seller book (http://www.myjewishlearning.com), he outrightly stated what he had come to believe about God. Constraint as a descriptive word is now not only applicable to humans but also to God. He said, God has His limitations. Nature has laws that even God has no power to break. Need essay sample on "When bad things happen to good people" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Students Frequently Tell Us: How much do I have to pay someone to write my paper online? Essay writer professionals recommend: It Is Very Easy And Convenient To Buy Essays Online Of course, this is his way of making sense out of the troubles and tragedies that have become part of existence since the beginning of the history of man. In order for us to keep our balance psychologically in turbulent times, and at the same time keep ourselves from abandoning our faith in God and still perceive Him as loving and caring in spite of the bitterness of lifes misfortunes, we must change our concept of a God who is in total full control of everything. To keep on believing that God is sovereignly over everything is nonsense. It will automatically follow within the argument that if God is in full control and He allowed catastrophes in any form to have happened, then He is responsible no matter how grand His design might be by permitting such calamities to take place. Moreover, God is not only responsible, but also cruel. And Kushner could not conceive of such a God. So, the first thing to settle within ones mind is this wrong concept of God: that He is sovereign. It might be a good idea to entertain a supreme God who rules everything if the entire scenery of mans history has no record or not tainted with so much trouble; but unfortunately, history is riddled with so much atrocities. God does not cause misfortunes. We can think of other things to blame like our finiteness, other people who are evil, or bad luck or simply the limitations exerted on us by natural laws of nature, but never blame God. This is one of Kushners arguments. God is as outraged as we are by what has happened to the victims of 911 terrorists attack. We can turn to Him for help like He will see us through in the midst of our difficulties. Another thing that is very important to Kushner is the sense of meaning which people undergoing some kind of difficulties must have a grasp of. Most of the messes which people got into are bearable and surmountable if only those experiencing them can find some sense of meaning out of those ordeals. Indeed, to many, this is the case. And this is true. We need to only have a sense of purpose in everything and to put up with the ramifications would be easier. It makes no sense dying of cancer at home while doing nothing, whereas to spend or be spent in a cause more worthwhile is more sensible and hence, people who are engaged in political activism at times opted rather to be incarcerated for what they deem a more noble cause. According to Kushner, we can impose our own meaning on our tragedies. Misfortunes in and of themselves have no meaning, but we can create or think of some good meaning for them. A good perspective to add is the biblical perspective that says all evils in this world are caused directly and indirectly by the Fall. Why there is evil in the world? The Scriptures answer to this is: because of mans disobedience to God. If there is any reason for calamities in this world, it is for all humanity to realize the seriousness/gravity of Gods word. God takes sin seriously. When God restricted the first couple through His command not to eat of the fruit of the tree, it was as serious as the consequence of disobeying the command. God warned them that the moment they disobey and eat of the fruit of that tree, they will surely die. Since that time death and all evils have become the part and parcel of life in this world. There is nothing good in us if we are left alone. But to those who are really good people those who have been made good by the grace of God tragedies, if perchance they happen to them, there is definitely some purpose behind them, and meaning as well. Works Cited Kushner, Harold. Suffering and Evil: An Excerpt from When Bad Things Happen to Good People Published by Schocken Books.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Although the term is sometimes used loosely to refer to any factory farm, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is a designation by the United States Environmental Protection Agency meaning any operation in which animals are fed in confined spaces, but specifically those which store a large number of animals and produce a large amount of water and manure waste as well as contributing pollutants to the surrounding environment. The disambiguation of the term CAFO from AFO can be a bit confusing, but the main focus of the distinction lies in the size and impact of the operation, with CAFO being worse all around - which is why it is often associated with all factory farms, even if they dont meet EPA standards to qualify as a CAFO. The Legal Definition According to the EPA, an Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) is an operation in which animals are kept and raised in confined situations. AFOs congregate animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals, and production operations on a small land area. Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing or otherwise seeking feed in pastures, fields, or on rangeland. CAFOs are AFOs that fall under one of the EPAs definitions of Large, Medium or Small CAFOs, depending on the number of animals involved, how wastewater and manure are managed, and whether the operation is a significant contributor of pollutants. Although nationally accepted as a federal mandate, state governments can choose whether or not to enforce punishments and restrictions the EPA sets on these facilities. However, a repeated lack of compliance  with EPA regulations or repeat excessive pollution from factory farms could result in a federal case against the company in question. The Problem with CAFO Animal rights activists and environmentalists alike argue against the continued use of factory farms, especially those that qualify under the EPA as Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. These farms produce an inordinate amount of pollution and animal waste as well as consuming large amounts of crops, manpower, and energy to maintain.   Furthermore, the harsh conditions animals kept in these CAFO are often seen as violating the basic rights U.S. citizens believe animals are entitled to - although the Animal Welfare Act  excludes farms from classification and investigation from their agencies.   Another issue with commercial animal farming is that the population of cattle, chickens, and pigs cannot be maintained at the current rate of global consumption. Either the food used to nourish cows to edible health will disappear or the cattle themselves will be overeaten and eventually go the way of the Wooly Mammoth - extinct.

Using Behavioral Objectives in IEP Goals

Using Behavioral Objectives in IEP Goals When a student in your class is the subject of an Individual Education Plan (IEP), you will be called upon to join a team that will write goals for her. These goals are important, as the students performance will be measured against them for the remainder of the IEP period, and her success can determine the kinds of supports the school will provide.   For educators, its important to remember that IEP goals should be SMART. That is, they should be Specific, Measurable, use Action words, Realistic, and Time-limited.   Behavioral objectives, as opposed to goals linked to diagnostic tools such as tests, are often the best way to define progress for mild to severely mentally disabled children. Behavioral goals show clearly if the student is benefiting from the efforts of the support team, from teachers to school psychologist to therapists. Successful goals will show the student generalizing the skills learned in various settings into his daily routine. How to Write Behavior-Based Goals Behavior goals are statements that will describe no more than three things about the individuals behavior.They will state precisely the behavior to be exhibited.  Describe how often and how much the behavior is to be exhibited.Indicate the specific circumstances under which the behavior will occur. When considering desirable behavior, think about verbs. Examples could be: feed self, run, sit, swallow, say, lift, hold, walk, etc. These statements are all measurable and easily defined. Lets practice writing a few behavioral goals using some of the above examples. For feeds self, for example, a clear SMART goal might be: Student will use a spoon without spilling food on five attempts to feed. For walk, a goal might be: Student will walk to the coat rack at recess time without assistance. Both of these statements are clearly measurable and one can determine if the objective is being met successfully or not. Time Limits An important aspect of the SMART goal for behavior modification is time. Specify a time limit for the behavior to be achieved. Give students a number of attempts to complete a new behavior, and allow for some attempts to not succeed. (This corresponds to an accuracy level for the behavior.) Specify the number of repetitions that will be required and state the accuracy level. You can also specify the level of performance you are looking for. For example: student will use a spoon without spilling food. Set the conditions for the pinpointed behaviors. For example: Student will eat meals, using a spoon without spilling food on at least five attempts at lunch time. Student will  motion for the teachers attention after a task has been completed when the teacher is NOT busy with another student. In summary, the most effective techniques for teaching students with mental disabilities or developmental delays come from changing behaviors. Behaviors are easily evaluated in students for whom diagnostic tests are not the best option. Well-written behavior objectives can be one of the most useful tools for planning and evaluating the exceptional students educational goals. Make them a part of the successful Individualized Education Plan.

Information Systems Architecture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Information Systems Architecture - Research Paper Example Increasing expenditures have coerced vivid transformations in the healthcare industry, with an attempt towards controlled care. Managed care tries to incorporate healthcare delivery procedure and persistently advance them via feedback based on analysis of care upshots. The accomplishment of supervised care relies on the collection, evaluation and flawless exchange of details inside and across institutional boundaries. In an inter-institutional arrangement, the architecture must give complicated deliberation maintain abilities. Information structure incorporation is a significant dimension of an organization’s information structure maturity. Additionally, it plays a pertinent function in addressing needs and responsibility goals. Nonetheless, there is no definite structure incorporation in health care institutions. Adoption of information structure architecture enables availability of massive quantities of health care details that give precious facts. This structure aims at dim inishing expenditures and advancing efficiency. Medical explorers wish to exploit clinical details to find facts regarding patients’ wellbeing details. These novel uses of clinical details potentially implicate wellbeing since the relationship of a physician and a patient relies on utmost trust. Efficient functioning requires comprehensive and accurate details about a patient (Shortliffe, 2012). Utilization of information structure design results in distinction that information technology safety is of main significance to the current community. This is recent in healthcare, but data technology safety is a well instituted domain. A massive body of information exists that can be utilized to safeguard healthcare details. An overall comprehension of the safety can be achieved by comprehending precautionary components, security standards as well as dangers. In addition, it is significant to comprehend management measures, information

GRAMMAR PROJECT 2- Analysis of Internet Resources Research Paper

GRAMMAR PROJECT 2- Analysis of Internet Resources - Research Paper Example Other than nouns and articles, ESL students may also find it difficult to avoid usage of passive voice, a grammar structure discussed further in this paper. The first exercise is from http://www.world-english.org/articles.htm. The basic rules for using articles are clearly outlined. First, articles fall under two categories, that is, definite and indefinite. â€Å"A† is an indefinite article used before nouns describing non-specific objects or one object in a group of many, which begin with consonants (World English, 2004). Examples given include: Other rules provided by the exercise expressly state that articles should not be used with names of states, provinces or natural features, unless they are referring to a collection of the mentioned items. Additionally, articles should not be used when speaking about items in general. The principal purpose of this exercise is to enable learners to distinguish between definite and indefinite articles, as well as, to determine the article to use with specific nouns (World English, 2004). This is achieved through extensive use of credible examples. There are also exercises that give direct answers, enabling the learners to practice lessons learned about articles. The second article came from http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v5n5/miller/paper.pdf. The article begins by recognizing the fact that the use of articles is largely problematic for non-native English speakers. The principal factor to consider in usage of articles is the category under which nouns fall as either countable or uncountable. Indefinite articles (â€Å"a† and â€Å"an†) can therefore be used with countable nouns but not the uncountable ones (Miller, 2005). The article is free of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, thus placing emphasis on its accuracy and credibility. Additionally, the resource gives detailed results of exercises done by ESL students showing their

An Honest Farmer Essay Example for Free

An Honest Farmer Essay The dictionary defines integrity as â€Å"an uncompromising adherence to a moral code† and ssys the word traces its origins to a Latin term meaning â€Å"untouched. † Here is integrity, untouched and unshaken by altered circumstances. There was a war in Germany long ago, and thousands of soldiers were scattered over the country. A captain of the cavalry, who had a great many men and horses to feed, was told by his colonel that he must get food from the farms nearby. The captain walked for some time through the lonely valley, and at last knocked at the door of a small cottage. The man who opened it looked old and lame. He leaned on a stick. â€Å"Good day, sir,† said the captain. â€Å"Will you kindly show me a field where my soldiers can cut the grain and carry it off for our army? † the old man led the soldiers through the valley for about a mile, and in the distance they saw a field of barley waving in the breeze. â€Å"This is just what we want. We’ll stop here,† exclaimed the captain. â€Å"No, not yet,† said the old man. â€Å"You must follow me a little farther. † After another mile or two, they came to a second field of barley. The soldiers dismounted, cut down the grain, tied it in sheaves, and rode away with it. Then the captain said to the old farmer: â€Å"Why did you make us walk so far? The first field of barley was better than this one. † â€Å"That is true, sir,† answered the honest old man, â€Å"but it was not mine. † farmer

Evaluation of the Fractal Dimension of a Crystal :: Chemistry Chemical Papers

Evaluation of the Fractal Dimension of a Crystal Abstract The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of voltage and molarity changes on the fractal dimension of a Cu crystal formed by the re-dox reaction between Cu and CuSO4. Using the introductory information obtained from research, the fractal geometry of the Cu crystals was determined for each set of parameters. Through the analysis of data, it was determined that the fractal dimension is directly related to the voltage. The data also shows that the molarity is inversely related to the fractal dimension, but through research this was determined to be an error. Introduction A fractal is a geometric pattern that is repeated indefinitely that it cannot be represented with typical mathematics. Fractals can be seen in nature in the way minerals develop over time, the manner in which trees limbs shoot from the trunk, and the development of the human body (i.e. the lungs)1. These fractals determine a way to attempt to simplify the randomness of the universe via probability and theories regarding diffusion and intermolecular attractions. The way dimensions in typical geometry are the typical 0-D, 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D. However, much matter does not fit these basic categories. A great example is a snowflake. If the negligible depth of a snowflake were ignored, it would be considered a 2-D object. However this is not completely true. A 2-D object can always be described by a finite number of tiles all in the same plane, because the snowflake cannot be described with only planes and also requires lines, it can be assumed it possesses properties of both a 1-D and 2-D object. A snowflake can be loosely approximated as a ~ 1.5-D object. This is fractal dimension of the object. In order to determine a more exact fractal dimension of an object, smaller and smaller pieces are zoomed in upon and used to determine a rough estimate of the amount of pieces that exhibit the same pattern (self-similarity) as the whole object. The relationship between the zoom and self similarity of the object determine the fractal dimension:

Articles of Confederation : an Ineffective Government

Articles of Confederation : An Ineffective Government Whoever said that the Articles of Confederation provided the United States with an effective government was completely incorrect. The United States were not united under this government. The United States could not stand up for itself against other countries. Also, the United States were not stable economically under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation did not provide a good government for America. Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States were not united at all.The Articles of Confederation created a central government that was not strong at all. The government established a tax quota for each of the states and asked them please to contribute their share on a voluntary basis. They were lucky if the states paid one-fourth of the requested amount. America had just gotten away from England and all of its taxes, so there was no reason to let their own government do the same. In John Jay’s letter to George Washington in 1786, he says that he is more worried about impending crisis caused by the Articles of Confederation than he was about the Revolutionary War.He was thinking that some people were not in agreement with the government and wanted it to be completely gone. He was worried for a good reason because three years earlier there was an attempt by a group of farmers from Pennsylvania to run the government out of Philadelphia. Also, the states acted like their own countries and only looked out for themselves. Rhode Island is a good example of this because they rejected a request by Congress to put a tax on imported goods. They ignored the fact that America was in a massive amount of debt to the Spanish, French and Dutch.They chose to better themselves rather than to better the country. They said that the tax would be hard on their state and would go against the constitution of their state. Rhode Island denied a tax that was suggested by the country’s central government because it conflicted with their own government. Also, based on the map of WESTERN LANDS CEDED BY THE STATES, the states were claiming territories as their own and not as a whole nation. Virginia claimed more than two-thirds of the Northwest Territory from the other states. There were also disputes over boundaries and taxes put on goods from state to state.New York taxed firewood from Connecticut and cabbage from New Jersey at one time. Also, there were a few rebellions. A noticeable one was Shay’s Rebellion, which had debt-ridden farmers tried to free themselves from the demands of the government. All these different conflicts and incidents point to the nation being not united due to the weakness of the Articles of Confederation. While under the Articles of Confederation, the United States could not stand up for itself. The Articles of Confederation stopped the country from successfully raising an army.To do so, the government had to ask the state to meet their t roop quotas, which usually did not happen. The government had no power to enforce this. The weak central government also did not have the power to back its foreign policies with military strength. John Jay had experienced other nations not taking the United States seriously. When Jay negotiated with the Spanish Minister de Gardoqui, he attempted to regain use of the Mississippi, which had been closed to American Commerce in 1784. Jay said that the Spanish should be careful because the American population was growing rapidly and de Gardoqui denied him.The minister of Spain said that the Americans should relinquish their right to navigate the Mississippi. Despite Jay’s warning, the Spanish Minister refused to take the United States seriously. Since the Articles of Confederation would not allow the government to raise an army effectively, Spain had no reason to take the United States seriously. The country had no way of standing up for itself. England felt that America stabbed t hem in the back and for that, did not send a minister to the capital for eight years.England poked fun at how little unity the states had by saying that if they sent one minister, they might as well send thirteen. John Jay gave specific instructions to the United States Minister to England. He wanted the minister to be very respectful and make the United States look better. Since the United States could not actually stand up for itself under the Articles of Confederation, Jay wanted it to look like they did. Also, Spain gave the United States trouble. Spain took Florida which had been given to the United States by England in 1783.No country took the United States seriously and would continue to walk all over them until the United States could stand up for itself. The United States were not economically stable while under the Articles of Confederation. One main reason for economic struggle was that there were so many types of currency being used that trade with other states was near impossible. There were fourteen total types of currency, one from each state and the rarely used Continental. The Articles of Confederation did not allow the government to control commerce.This left states free to make different, often contradicting, laws of navigation and trading. With all of this conflict, making money was very difficult because one state always had to pay another for some navigation law to do any trading at all. The Articles of Confederation also left the government unable to levy taxes. The government could ask the states nicely, but couldn’t actually enforce the payment. Another economic struggle was caused by European countries such as England and Spain. England declined to make a commercial treaty and also would not remove its old navigation laws.England was just trying to be a â€Å"thorn in the side† of the United States. If the United States were under a better government, they could make up for the monetary losses to England by levying taxes of their own. Based on the chart showing the United States’ value of exports to England and population, it seems like the numbers are all over the place. The export profits are never constantly increasing even though the population is increasing. Usually, if the population goes up, so do the number of goods exported and prices will go down.That is true for this time period, however, England is not buying all that the United States have to export. The central government of the United States cannot regulate trade at all and it is deeply affecting the profits. Also, Spain closing the Mississippi River does not help the American trade. The entire western part of the United States uses that river for exporting. That cut off a large amount of profit for Americans. None of that would have happened if the United States were under a stronger government than the Articles of Confederation provided.The Articles of Confederation did not help American trade. Some people may have thought t hat the Articles of Confederation provided an effective government, but they did not. The United States were not united at all under the Articles of Confederation. The United States could not stand up for itself and be taken seriously under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation caused the United States to be economically unstable. The Articles of Confederation never provided the United States with an effective government.

Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices Life Cycles Essay

This paper will outline the systems development life cycle as it pertains to both the development of a custom application and the selection of proprietary systems. The major types and classifications of health care information standards and specific organizations that develop and regulate standards will be explained. The need for security information systems will be revealed and the methods to accomplish security of these systems will be addressed. Three best practices for effective IT alignment and strategic planning will be outlined. Running head: Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices 3 Description of Systems Development life Cycle as it Pertains to Both the Development of a Custom Application and the Selection of Proprietary Systems The Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), is a six step project development process that was designed to help the development team develop the end product. The players involved are the users, systems analysts, programmers and technical specialists (Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), 2006-2013). In the first step of the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), an examination of the economic, technical, behavioral or organizational aspect of the business is reviewed. A determination will be made as to what needs to be done during this step (Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), 2006-2013). In the second step, the organization examines any identified problems that need to be corrected. Proposals may be drafted outlining the solutions that must be satisfied. The third step identifies how the system will accomplish the tasks. The physical and logical designs come together in this step of the process; the computer hardware is joined with the communication and security issues (Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), 2006-2013). In the forth step, the new system is actually developed. Once all the necessary components are received and programs installed, then all the users of new system must now be trained. Once the system is up and running and users are using and becoming acclimated to the new system, the system’s performance must also be tested. Adjustments will be made accordingly and respectively (Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), 2006-2013). During the fifth step, the system is now being used. Either the old system is going to be shut down completely and the new system used immediately, or the new will be implemented Running head: Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices 4 and the old system will be gradually phased out (Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), 2006-2013). During the sixth step, the system has been in operation for a while and has been evaluated many times over. It is important that the users are kept in the loop regarding any changes to the system (Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), 2006-2013). After the six steps have been completed and accomplished, the system must go on, therefore, it is important to maintenance the system accordingly ensuring updates, are being done, new features installed properly and debugging when necessary (Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), 2006-2013). Description of Major Types and Classifications of Health Care Information Standards and the Specific Organizations That Regulate These Standards The Standards Development Process consists of four methods: Ad hoc, De facto, Government mandate and Consensus. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is and organization that oversees the flow of documentation and the international approval of standards developed by its members. The members of the organization hale from many different countries. ANSI (American Nation Standards Institute) is the United States body of the ISO (International Organization for Standardization). ANSI (American Nation Standards Institute) as stated is the United States body of the ISO (International Organization for Standardization). The ANI (American Nation Standards Running head: Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices 5 Institute) oversees the work of SDO (Standards Development Organization) and publishes the SDO (Standards Development Organization) standards. SDO (Standards Development Organization) must be accredited by the ANSI (American Nation Standards Institute) and must follow strict guidelines to develop standards within the ANSI (American Nation Standards Institute) criteria. There are well over two hundred fifty SDOs (Standards Development Organization) which represent many industries to include health care. It is noteworthy to point out that recently within the last ten years, the IT industry has moved away from the formal process of development standards through the SDO (Standards Development Organization). The route that IT is taking is a less formal approach. The Linux is an example of IT establishing a standard with little formal input (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). There are many types of vocabularies and to date there is still no one single vocabulary. Common coding and classifications systems include ICD-9, CPT and DRGs. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) is used in the United States for the purpose of coding diseases and procedures. The federal government publishes an update each year and it can be used by virtually everyone. It is also noteworthy that many companies also republish the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), creating a more user-friendly version. Initially it was created to compare illness and death all over the world but then it took a role in hospital reimbursement (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). Current procedural Terminology (CPT), introduced in 1966, is published and updated each year by the American Medical Association (AMA). Originally the Current procedural Running head: Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices 6 Terminology (CPT) was used in the medical field as a source for uniform language to describe any type of medical and surgical services. Currently the Current procedural Terminology (CPT) is being used as standard for reimbursement services in doctor’s offices, facilities offering outpatient services and also ambulatory care (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). Diagnosis related Groups (DRG) are used for insurance purposes for determining inpatient reimbursements. The Diagnosis related Groups (DRG) is a classification scheme that basically identifies the types of patients a hospital treats in relation to what said treatment cost the hospital. Diagnosis related Groups (DRG) are divided into twenty major systems and then they are further subdivided into over five hundred subdivisions the Medicare reimbursement (Diagnosis-related group (DRG), 2013). Discuss the Need for, and Identify Methods of, Accomplishing the Security of Information Systems Threats the health care information systems come in many forms, such as technology malfunctions and tampering. Human nature, which we have no control over, can also cause threats to security information systems in the form of floods, fires or power outages (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). Whether the threats are caused by internal, external, intentional or unintentional factors, the organization has to safeguard itself from all types of threats. Internal threats can be caused by employees logging on to inappropriate websites. External threats can be caused by someone outside the company such as a hacker. Intentional threats can be caused by an employee who was terminated. Because of the termination, the employee may sabotage documents, files or the hardware on the computer itself. For this reason, employers do not allow employees to return to Running head: Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices 7 the work area after they have been terminated. If the employee is permitted to return, it is with a security officer and then only long enough to collect personal effects. Another more serious example of an intentional threat is computer viruses. They can pose serious damage to patient information (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). Unintentional threats are also very serious and these are the threats that occur when the employee logs on to a website or checks his personal email from work and that website attaches a virus. Computer viruses as stated above are considered intentional, but in this respect, I believe that the employee is not thinking about viruses when he or she is checking personal email or going on websites such as Facebook, but the virus can be critical to the organization. For this reason, most employers have the employee sign an Affidavit stating that the employee understands and agrees with the organizations policies about computer and even phone use. The necessity for a security information system is a must as this can be vital to the success of the organization. The organization’s information must be protected. The company needs to ensure that there is no unauthorized disclosure of classified information. In order to do this, the organization must put administrative, physical and technical safeguards in place (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). Administrative safeguards come in the form of risk analysis which is an eight part process designed to identify risks and threats that can cause vulnerability in any area within the organization. Risk analysis is quite new to the healthcare industry. It has also established policies and procedures and specific consequences for all employees that do not adhere to these policies and procedures (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). Running head: Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices 8 Physical safeguards are necessary to protect all equipment and computer hardware and software. Certain employees may be assigned to specific duties to ensure the safeguard of computers and workstations (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). Technical safeguards are vital as the organization must protect patient information. It is important for employees not to share passwords. All computers must be logged off or shut down appropriately after use. The organization should do audits often to ensure the safeguard of data and files. The internet is used commonly in all organizations. In an effort to further safeguard the organization, firewalls are built between the organization’s network used in house and the internet (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2009). One of the most common problems with computers in general is viruses. Virus can come in many forms and can be fatally destructive. The most typical type of virus is the worm which can come in the form of an email. The unsuspecting person opens the email; the worm stores itself on the computer and then starts to duplicate itself over and over again. This type of email usually is mass produced to many email addresses and each person may be subject to this virus. This is why people are encouraged not to open suspicious looking email or email from unknown parties. To help prevent becoming victim to such viruses, antivirus software is recommended. Create at Least Three (3) Best Practices for Effective IT Alignment and Strategic Planning In an effort to reach the goal of IT alignment and strategic planning, there must be a sound relationship between what IT invest will cost and the organization’s goals. Both the alignment and the organization’s strategy must be understood by the organization and both meet the organizational needs. Running head: Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices 9 The three best practices for effective IT alignment and strategic planning I found that will be suffice in creating the relationship between IT and the organization’s goals are diversity within the groups, looking at the big picture and open dialogue among senior management of all levels. In order to achieve the set goals, the organization must realize that excluding areas in the organization may be harmful to the success and some people may feel slighted. This is why it is imperative for the company to include people from all areas of the company. Those people included in the group should also include all types of managers from lower level management all the way up to senior an executive managers. Including all types of managers provides the diversity among the group. They understand the day to day operations of the organization and each area, each manger can bring something viable to the table (Strategic Communications, 2010). No one should be stifled. Everyone should have a voice. This open dialogue should be encouraged and it should be understood from the beginning that no one is there to criticize and because there is diversity among the group, there will be times that something is said that may not set well with another department or perhaps a manager. It should be understood that all dialogue should be constructive. Strategic planning is not an easy task and everyone should realize that it is for the betterment of the organization that everyone works together in an effort to accomplish the goal (Strategic Communications, 2010). Everyone in the organiztion must keep their eyes on the big picture. The organization’s misison, vision and values must be kept in the forefront of everyone’s mind. During the strategic planning process, there will debates as everyone will not agree, but it is important for the goup to Running head: Life Cycles, Standards and Best Practices 10 remember why they are holding the planning process and also what goal they are attempting to achieve. In summary, the organization must include all the key players, but it must not forget about the key stakeholders. The key stakeholders are those people that will be charged with implementation of the plan. The orgaziniation may also find it beneficial to give these stakeholders a voice along the way as well. With open dialogue, management at all levels and a sound plan, the organization will most likely stay on the path to success.