The Application of Data to Problem-Solving
In the modern era, there are few professions that do not to some extent rely on data. Stockbrokers rely on market data to advise clients on financial matters. Meteorologists rely on weather data to forecast weather conditions, while realtors rely on data to advise on the purchase and sale of property. In these and other cases, data not only helps solve problems, but adds to the practitioner’s and the discipline’s body of knowledge.
Of course, the nursing profession also relies heavily on data. The field of nursing informatics aims to make sure nurses have access to the appropriate date to solve healthcare problems, make decisions in the interest of patients, and add to knowledge.
In this Discussion, you will consider a scenario that would benefit from access to data and how such access could facilitate both problem-solving and knowledge formation.
To Prepare:
• Reflect on the concepts of informatics and knowledge work as presented in the Resources.
• Consider a hypothetical scenario based on your own healthcare practice or organization that would require or benefit from the access/collection and application of data. Your scenario may involve a patient, staff, or management problem or gap.
Post a description of the focus of your scenario. Describe the data that could be used and how the data might be collected and accessed. What knowledge might be derived from that data? How would a nurse leader use clinical reasoning and judgment in the formation of knowledge from this experience?
Today, informatics is everywhere. Almost every industry is using informatics in some way. Saba and McCormick (2015) describe healthcare informatics as “the integration of health-care sciences, computer science, information science, and cognitive science to assist in the management of healthcare information” (p. 232). The healthcare system still has a lot to learn to become fully efficient. Norris, Hinrichs, and Brown (2015) noticed that “gaps are present between the technology and the process” (2015, p. 11-12). Essential skills like “data collection, storage, and extraction, in addition to an appreciation for the power of data to drive and inform practice,” can help seal that gap. (Norris, Hinrichs, & Brown, 2015, p. 11-12).
Data collection is essential for healthcare providers to assess, diagnose, and establish an appropriate care plan based on the data collected. Physicians and nurse practitioners base their care plans on my unit based on the same morning data. This data collection includes vital signs, a head-to-toe assessment on both the mother and the baby, and issues reported during the night. All these data are collected on a piece of paper before we, nurses, can get the chance to find an available computer to chart. The protocol requires us to chart everything before 9:00 am, which is impossible due to the number of patients each nurse has. By the time we finish charting, physicians and nurse practitioners are generally done with their rounds and have left the unit. This breach in efficiency can be detrimental to patients. Physicians do not have access to updated data during their rounds and therefore are not aware of any potential complications.This results to delay treatments and so delay patient recovery.
To resolve this issue, I came with an idea to use Ipads. According to Brown, McCormack, and McGarvey (2005), Ipads are great tools that have the potential to transmit information more rapidly and efficiently. Nurses and physicians would receive an Ipad at the beginning of their shift. On this iPad, nurses would assign their patients on the Ipad and have direct access to patient’s files, like labs, previous vital signs, medications, etc. The nurse would have the possibility to bring the Ipad in the patient’s room and chart directly on it while performing the assessment. It would be a significant gain of time. Physicians would be able to access data collected by the nurse right away and would be able to make a change in the plan of care. Knowing that time can be detrimental to patients, it is imperative to ensure that the healthcare system uses every informatic tool at its disposal to improve patient safety.
Nurse leaders rely on their nurses on the unit to notice any inconsistency and any issues affecting patient safety and workflow. Based on this information, the nurse leader will convert with her team to find an adequate solution to improve the unit’s efficiency and safety. The nurse leader can then develop a plan that the hospital directors can approve if judged sufficient.
References
Brown DN, McCormack BG, McGarvey H. Factors influencing the control of post-operative pain in older people. Rev Clin Gerontology. 2005;15(2):149–56.
Norris, B. J., Hinrichs, D. J., & Brown, D. A. (2015). Meaningful Use Clinical Quality Measures and Beyond: Meeting the Challenges of eMeasurement. Nursing
Informatics Today, 30(1), 8-12 5p
Saba, V. K. & McCormick, K. A. (2015). Essentials of nursing informatics (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
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