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.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
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.
By Day 3 of Week 1
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?
By Day 6 of Week 1
Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days, asking questions to help clarify the scenario and application of data, or offering additional/alternative ideas for the application of nursing informatics principles.
*Note: Throughout this program, your fellow students are referred to as colleagues.
Solution
Medication errors are a significant concern in healthcare, often leading to adverse patient outcomes and increased hospital costs. In the United States of America, preventable adverse events lead to an estimated 44,000 to 98,000 hospital deaths annually, surpassing the number of deaths attributed to motor vehicle accidents (Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson. 2000). These events are estimated to cost between 37.6 to 50 billion dollars of added health care costs, disability, and lost productivity (Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson. 2000). This scenario focuses on reducing medication administration errors by leveraging nursing informatics to enhance patient safety.
There is mounting evidence that systems that use information technology (IT), such as computerized physician order entry, automated dispensing cabinets, bedside barcoded medication administration, and electronic medication reconciliation, are key components of strategies to prevent medication errors (Agrawal, 2009). To identify patterns and root causes of medication errors, nursing informatics would use IT to collect and analyze the data of medication error reports, patient health records (EHRs), barcode medication administration (BCMA), staffing, and current real-time clinical alerts.
Knowledge derived from the data may include which drugs are most frequently associated with errors, common error patterns regarding certain shifts or patient populations, the effectiveness of safety interventions before and after implementation, and insights on nurse staffing levels and training programs.
Nurse leaders role is crucial in interpreting data and applying clinical reasoning and judgment to enhance patient care. By integrating nursing informatics, clinical reasoning, and leadership judgment, this data-driven approach not only improves patient safety but also enhances nursing practice, and contributes to the broader body of healthcare knowledge on medication safety.
Agrawal A. (2009). Medication errors: prevention using information technology systems. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 67(6), 681–686. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2009.03427.xLinks to an external site.
Kohn, L. T., Corrigan, J. M., & Donaldson, M. S. (2000). To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. National Academies Press (US). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25077248/
