Managing Data and Information in Clinical Practice - Coursework Example

? MANAGING DATA & INFORMATION Nurses found in clinical practice to a large extent manage most of the patient –related information. Nurses in clinical practice are mandated to provide care to their patients. Based on the definition of nursing by the ANA (the promotion, protection, and optimization if abilities and health, prevention of injury and illness, alleviation of suffering via the identification and treatment of human individual response, and advocacy in individuals, communities, families, and populations care) the management of most patient related information stands critical in undertaking these duties. A study to ascertain this claim was conducted by Phyllisis and Lilian (1996) where they examined the use of computers by nurses to accomplish their work. The study observed the use of computers by 528 nurses found in three urban teaching hospitals by comparing the perceptions of staff nurses and nurse managers towards computers. The time spent at the systems and computers frequently used for completing work were examined. The study reported a greater access to computers by nurse managers, an indication that nurses managed most of the patient related information in accomplishing their work. Systems such as EHR (Electronic Health Record) becomes handy every time the nurse admit and attend to a patient. 2. An information management problem that can be solved with a database is updating of the system. Some institutions such as hospitals and clinics in the current technological era still have the file system of keeping records or the database management system. However, most hospitals, institutions, and businesses have already computerized their data and thus posses’ databases containing critical information necessary for the running of the institution. The management of information is very vital for every institution and business. On the contrary, when a system is being installed, the influence or impact of growth of the institution or business necessitating the growth of the amount of information handled is supposed to be anticipated and thus factored in as part of the long term plan. When institutions wait for a very long time to update the system or database, a loss of fundamental information may be incurred as the old system struggles to cope with the changes. The need to update a database arises from the fact that the ability to retrieve and update data forms a fundamental component of a database management system essential to the management of the database. Updating of data in a database comprises of the addition of new records (as a result of growth), deleting of the existing records and the alteration or changing of information within the records to allow easy access and retrieval of information. When databases are not updated, most patients will have problems with the privacy of the data in respect to their medical history, reduced efficiency in patient safety management, and inability of nurses to access appropriate and correct information regarding patients’ medical history (Haux, Winter, Ammenwerth, and Brigl, 2004). A situation for which data would be captured over an extended period of time comprise of patient discharges from the hospital. The three questions of the database that would be asked include how many patients are discharged everyday, which patients have the highest number of discharges from the hospital, and does the discharges indicate a link between patient/nurse relationships. 3. One of the databases that are used in the work setting is the EMR database. A clinic that aims at keeping its operations under budget perceives the implementation of the EMR technology in the work setting as a priority. EMR database is an increasingly common alternative to the traditional patient records that permits medical facilities to update and access vital records within a few keystrokes from several multiple locations. A number of large hospitals and medical practices in the present era have already implemented the switch to the new EMR record keeping form. The system is regarded for its convenience and ease of access that it provides besides the wealth of benefits for the practices and clinics using them. The database contains all the patient information consolidated into a smaller and less expensive storage sites. The database is current given that the database management team responsible for the management of the database in the work setting updates the database on the daily basis. 4. The situation of the patient discharge from the hospital, which will involve collecting data over a period of time, necessitates the creation of a patient information system. The patient information system aids the accessing of the earlier visit histories of any particular patient, a search for the name of the patient and several other properties. The entities that will form part of the database comprise of the patient, the doctor (incase assigned to a single patient), the bed (in which case the patient is an inpatient), the visit (previously admitted or not), and discharge date. The patient has been selected as an entity because it refers to the individual visiting the hospital for treatment of a particular disease; the doctor forms the second entity given that every inpatient will be accorded a single doctor, and the bed form the third entity owing to the fact that inpatients are allocated a separate bed. Visit is selected to ascertain whether the patient was admitted for the first time while discharge outlines the patient leaving the hospital after a treatment during the hospitalization period. 5. The use of the nursing nomenclature recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA) (2012) fit in that they pass on a number of advantages for the direct bedside/care nurse. The communication found among the nurses and the other healthcare providers is improved, which eventually results to an improved patient care, enhanced collection of data in evaluating nursing care outcomes, improved adherence to the care standards, and facilitation of the nursing competency assessment. 6. The project is at the stage of mapping attributes of the database life cycle at this particular point. Mapping of the attributes involve the composite and simple component, and the multi-valued attributes. 7. One view of displaying data is in an Excel view. This is contrary to the default view done in the ALV Grid Control view (Chrurcher, 2007). When displaying data in an excel view, data is first transferred to Excel and then displayed in an Excel sheet inside the window rather than on the grid. The application of the Excel view requires the installation of Excel on the PC. One form for entering data involves the Microsoft Access forms, which are designed and also customized for safer and easier data viewing and entry (Powell, 2005). 8. McGonigle and Mastrian (2011) define data as the discrete entities objectively described without interpretation, information as data that has been structured or organized or interpreted, and knowledge as the information that has been synthesized in order to identify and formalize the relationships. Drawing from these definitions, wisdom is defined as the right or appropriate application of knowledge to the management and solution of the problems of humans. Data, knowledge, information, and wisdom may be of great concern to nurses in all the practice areas. Decision making management strategy relates to the data-information-knowledge-wisdom model in that data obtained from direct nursing care can be compiled and aggregated to enable nurse administrators, nurses, and health professionals make good and sound decisions. 9. The project on database will be evaluated based on the improvement realized by the project and the improved efficiency in nursing care as a result of adoption of the project in the work setting. 10. The costs that results from completing a small project include human and environmental costs. 11. Studies have indicated that nurses spend as minimum as 15percent of their time undertaking direct patient care. Most of their times more than half is spent on documentation. Busy nurses may not necessarily remember or have the time to go through the notes of the other nurse. The information entered by the other nurses may seldom be integrated into the nursing documentation in order assist clinicians manage decision probabilities. Several healthcare organizations have started incorporating the evidence-based clinical knowledge , integrated financial and clinical information, and point-of-care technologies into a number of departments, capabilities that will greatly influence the role and decision making process of nurses. Having various information systems containing various information regarding evidence based clinical knowledge and treatment besides patients information in a database is critical in assisting nurses manage decision probabilities. References American Nurses Association (ANA). (2012). ANA recognized terminologies that support nursing practice. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/npii/terminologies.htm Chrurcher, C. (2007). Beginning Database Design: From Novice To Professional. New York, NY: Apress. Haux, R., Winter, A., Ammenwerth, E.,& Brigl, B. (2004). Strategic Information Management in Hospitals: An Introduction to Hospital Information Systems. U.S.A: Springer. McGonigle, D., & Mastrian,K. (2011). Book Only: Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge: Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge. London: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Phyllisis, N., & Lilian,M. (1996). Computer Use for Work Accomplishment: A Comparison Between Nurse Managers and Staff Nurses. Journal of Nursing Administration, 26(3): 47-55 Powell, G. (2005). Beginning Database Design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Read More