NURS 6051 The Application of Data to Problem-Solving
The Application of Data to Problem-Solving
In the current nursing practice, data is instrumental in problem-solving and the continuous delivery of patient-centered care. Through timely and accurate data, healthcare practitioners examine health problems in-depth and initiate innovative interventions. Data also helps public health providers to implement evidence-based interventions to optimize health and safety (Hedberg & Maher, 2018). My focus scenario is care improvement in the emergency room by addressing patient delays. The delays stem from long waiting times. In this case, patients with emergency health needs spend unnecessarily longer time between arrival and the time when they receive medication.
The data that could be used to address this situation include patients’ health problems, waiting time, and possible health complications. As Paling et al. (2020) observed, long waiting time in the emergency room is associated with poor health outcomes, including complications and mortality. The data might be collected and accessed via a patient tracking system. In the emergency room and other units, patient tracking systems allow healthcare practitioners to log and monitor patients’ progress while receiving care and staying in the hospital. Typically, the data would be readily available in the system and would be accessed by authorized users. System security is crucial to avert the dangers of unauthorized access, such as privacy and confidentiality breaches.
The data can provide knowledge regarding the magnitude of waiting time in the emergency room. Typically, longer waiting time risks patients’ health and safety. A nurse leader could use clinical reasoning and judgment to form knowledge by applying analytical skills to make informed decisions. From a health perspective, clinical reasoning and judgment entail an in-depth analysis of issues to develop creative solutions for complex clinical situations (Hong et al., 2021; Guerrero, 2019). A nurse leader would benefit from a similar approach by analyzing patterns to understand the potential causes of patient delays and sustainable solutions. Such a response is a foundation of safe nursing care.
References
Hedberg, K., & Maher, J. (2018). Collecting data. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/eis/field-epi-manual/chapters/collecting-data.html
Guerrero, J. G. (2019). Practice rationale care model: The art and science of clinical reasoning, decision making and judgment in the nursing process. Open Journal of Nursing, 9(2), 79-88. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojn.2019.92008
Hong, S., Lee, J., Jang, Y., & Lee, Y. (2021). A cross-sectional study: what contributes to nursing students’ clinical reasoning competence?. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(13), 6833. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18136833
Paling, S., Lambert, J., Clouting, J., González-Esquerré, J., & Auterson, T. (2020). Waiting times in emergency departments: Exploring the factors associated with longer patient waits for emergency care in England using routinely collected daily data. Emergency Medicine Journal, 37(12), 781-786. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/emermed-2019-208849
ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE
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.
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.
NURS_5051_Module01_Week01_Discussion_Rubric
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Main Posting |
|
50 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Main Post: Timeliness |
|
10 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome First Response |
|
18 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Second Response |
|
17 pts | ||||
| This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Participation |
|
5 pts | ||||
| Total Points: 100 | ||||||