Application of Data to Problem-Solving Discussion

Application of Data to Problem-Solving Discussion

To Prepare:

Contemplate the ideas of informatics and knowledge work as outlined in the Resources.
Envision a hypothetical situation drawn from your healthcare practice or organization that necessitates or would gain from the acquisition/collection and utilization of data. Your situation could revolve around a patient, staff, or management issue or gap.

By Day 3 of Week 1

Share a description of the central theme of your scenario. Explain the type of data that could be employed and outline the methods for data collection and retrieval. What insights could be extracted from this data? How would a nurse leader employ clinical judgment and reasoning to develop knowledge from this scenario?

By Day 6 of Week 1

Engage with at least two peers on separate occasions. Seek clarification on their scenarios and the application of data, or propose additional or alternative approaches for employing nursing informatics principles.

In preparation:

– Reflect on the concepts of informatics and knowledge work presented in the Resources.
– Consider a hypothetical scenario related to your healthcare practice or organization that would necessitate or benefit from data access, collection, and application. This scenario can involve patient-related, staff-related, or management-related problems or gaps.

By Day 3 of Week 1:

– Provide a description of the primary focus of your scenario.
– Describe the specific data that could be utilized and elaborate on the methods for data collection and accessibility.
– Explain the potential knowledge that could be derived from analyzing this data.
– Discuss how a nurse leader would apply clinical reasoning and judgment to generate knowledge from this particular experience.

Definition Argument Essay Assignment

By Day 6 of Week 1:

– Engage with at least two of your colleagues, offering questions to gain further clarity on their scenarios and the application of data.
– Alternatively, propose additional or alternative ideas regarding how nursing informatics principles could be applied in their scenarios.

Discussion Response

In my experience working in long-term care and skilled nursing facilities, I became aware of several challenges that could have significantly benefited from improved data collection. One such challenge is the prevalence of pressure ulcers that develop during a patient’s stay in skilled nursing facilities. According to Lavallée et al. (2019), patients admitted to nursing homes are at a heightened risk of developing pressure ulcers, which can lead to increased healthcare costs, extended patient stays, and potential negative health outcomes. Sweeney (2017) emphasizes the integration of nursing and computer science, known as nursing informatics, as a means to enhance the delivery of high-quality patient care in healthcare settings. Fortunately, the skilled nursing facility where I worked was already equipped with an electronic health record system that could be leveraged for data collection, review, and application.

Some of the essential data that could be gathered to assist in reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers would encompass the total number of new pressure ulcer cases that developed after patient admission. Additionally, the data should include instances where pre-existing pressure ulcers worsened during a patient’s stay. For example, a patient admitted with a stage 1 pressure ulcer may experience its progression to a stage 2 ulcer during their stay. Furthermore, all patients undergo a Braden assessment upon admission, and this data could also prove valuable for analyzing and preventing pressure ulcer development.

Analyzing this data could yield critical insights, including the establishment of a baseline for the rate at which patients acquire pressure ulcers and the rate at which existing ulcers deteriorate. A nurse leader could use this data to initiate a process improvement project aimed at reducing the occurrence of pressure ulcers in long-term care facilities. As highlighted by Nagle, Sermeus, and Junger (2017), nursing leaders have the potential to significantly impact care management through process enhancements. A nurse leader could harness this data to formulate a process improvement initiative that would involve collaboration with a leadership team, a nurse informaticist, and the staff nurses. Ideally, this collaborative team would utilize the data to identify trends and develop an improvement plan designed to mitigate the occurrence of pressure ulcers. This plan might encompass strategies for improved monitoring of patient repositioning, optimized utilization of available bed technology, enhanced skin assessments, and the implementation of pressure ulcer prevention protocols. Addressing this ongoing issue is crucial to enhancing the overall quality of patient care.

References:

Lavallée, J. F., Gray, T. A., Dumville, J., & Cullum, N. (2019). Preventing pressure ulcers in nursing homes using a care bundle: a feasibility study. Health & Social Care in the Community, 27(4), e417-e427.

Nagle, L., Sermeus, W., & Junger, A. (2017). Evolving Role of the Nursing Informatics Specialist. In J. Murphy, W. Goosen, & P. Weber (Eds.), Forecasting Competencies for Nurses in the Future of Connected Health (pp. 212-221). Clifton, VA: IMIA and IOS Press. Retrieved from https://serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_4A0FEA56B8CB.P001/REF

Sweeney, J. (2017). Healthcare informatics. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 21(1).

Discussion Response

Thank you for sharing your insights regarding how the facilities you worked with could utilize data to address pressure ulcer development. I can appreciate how Sweeney (2017) characterizes nursing informatics principles as the integration of nursing and computer science to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery, which is clearly applicable in this context. Your mention of all ulcer patients receiving a Braden assessment upon admission is noteworthy as it can indeed contribute to preventing pressure ulcer development. Additionally, your explanation of how the nurse leader would use the collected data from ulcer patients to initiate a process improvement project aligns with the principles discussed by Nagle, Sermeus, and Junger (2017). This collaborative approach involving various healthcare professionals appears promising for reducing pressure ulcer incidence in long-term care facilities.

I’m curious to learn more about the specifics of how the nurse leader and the interdisciplinary team would analyze and track the data to identify trends that could enhance overall patient care quality. A deeper understanding of this aspect could shed light on the practical implementation of nursing informatics principles.

Furthermore, your suggestions about using data not only for reducing pressure ulcers but also for developing evidence-based protocols/guidelines, educating staff and patients, and optimizing resource utilization are excellent. Improving staffing levels and resource allocation based on data insights can indeed have a significant positive impact. Do you have any additional thoughts or ideas on how data-driven approaches could further enhance patient care in long-term care facilities?

References:

Nagle, L., Sermeus, W., & Junger, A. (2017). Evolving Role of the Nursing Informatics Specialist. In J. Murphy, W. Goosen, & P. Weber (Eds.), Forecasting Competencies for Nurses in the Future of Connected Health (pp. 212-221). Clifton, VA: IMIA and IOS Press. Retrieved from https://serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_4A0FEA56B8CB.P001/REF

Sweeney, J. (2017). Healthcare informatics. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 21(1).