How does nursing data quality relate to decision support?
There seems to be a connection between the quality of data and decision support. If the quality of the data is inadequate, then our decision making will be inadequate, and vice versa. As proven any research can have biases. This semester I have been taking a research class and it has helped me in learning how to make sure the research is valid both in reading and developing. If a research article is not well written and presented then all the foot work and time behind the research is lost and disregarded a unreliable. As a result searching for quality evidence base practice can be difficult, even though it is vital to evidence based nursing (Thompson, 2003). If nurses have quality information, they can make quality decisions.
After researching the subject of ventilator acquired pneumonia the ICU where I work began an oral care protocol for patients that were intubated. This protocol incorporated swabbing out patients mouth with prescription mouthwashes and suctioning every two hours. After a year of using this protocol the ICU where I work had the lowest ventilator acquired pneumonia numbers in the state. Good quality data was used and good results were seen.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Module #4 Question 1
How did the readings influence your perception of your own clinical decision making?
How do we reconcile the value of nursing experience with known heuristics and biases based in human decision making?
The articles were very attention-grabbing and provoking. As I read the articles I thought about the few times that I have looked up evidence for information to support a decision. Besides researching EBP for protocols or policies that needed to be originated or revised in the ICU I can only remember two times that I looked up information to find out what the best evidence showed. When I was a new nurse I just relied on the supposed expertise of the more experienced nurses where I work. The only other times that I have done any substantial research was for a school assignment. This situation is not because I have a lack of resources either. After much thinking I have come to realize that most nurses’ decision making relies on experience, and if they do not know something they ask someone more experienced. After much research in the year 2003 Thompson stated that nurses rely heavily on past experiences to meet the information needs associated with decision making under uncertainty (and there is probably more uncertainty then any nurse wants to admit too). A great part of uncertainty comes because our decisions are not up to date and backed by evidence base practice.
As I became more experienced and independent heuristics became more of a subject, but until now I didn’t have a name for this unsafe practice. After passing nursing boards I kept working on the same unit for two years and then I began to see the bias that was incorporated into how things were done. Because of this situation I started working in Las Vegas Nevada at the University Medical center to increase my understanding of the healthcare field. It is evident that by using heuristics in nursing it has lead to errors that could have been avoided if nurses would utilize the resources that are available to them.
The readings in this module show how evidence base practice is vital to giving the best care possible to patients. As stated by Thompson “Evidence base nursing is designed to be a systematic means of combating the biases that arise from uninformed decision making”. Nurses need to make a habit of incorporating evidence base practice into their own decision making and be help foster younger nurses.
How do we reconcile the value of nursing experience with known heuristics and biases based in human decision making?
The articles were very attention-grabbing and provoking. As I read the articles I thought about the few times that I have looked up evidence for information to support a decision. Besides researching EBP for protocols or policies that needed to be originated or revised in the ICU I can only remember two times that I looked up information to find out what the best evidence showed. When I was a new nurse I just relied on the supposed expertise of the more experienced nurses where I work. The only other times that I have done any substantial research was for a school assignment. This situation is not because I have a lack of resources either. After much thinking I have come to realize that most nurses’ decision making relies on experience, and if they do not know something they ask someone more experienced. After much research in the year 2003 Thompson stated that nurses rely heavily on past experiences to meet the information needs associated with decision making under uncertainty (and there is probably more uncertainty then any nurse wants to admit too). A great part of uncertainty comes because our decisions are not up to date and backed by evidence base practice.
As I became more experienced and independent heuristics became more of a subject, but until now I didn’t have a name for this unsafe practice. After passing nursing boards I kept working on the same unit for two years and then I began to see the bias that was incorporated into how things were done. Because of this situation I started working in Las Vegas Nevada at the University Medical center to increase my understanding of the healthcare field. It is evident that by using heuristics in nursing it has lead to errors that could have been avoided if nurses would utilize the resources that are available to them.
The readings in this module show how evidence base practice is vital to giving the best care possible to patients. As stated by Thompson “Evidence base nursing is designed to be a systematic means of combating the biases that arise from uninformed decision making”. Nurses need to make a habit of incorporating evidence base practice into their own decision making and be help foster younger nurses.
Module #3 Questions
What strengths were highlighted in the results of your multiple intelligence test?
How do you interpret these results?
What technologies might you incorporate to augment your personal learning based on these results?
Through the multiple intelligence tests I found out that my two greatest learning strengths were logical-mathematical and musical. This was a surprise to me, and very interesting. I really appreciate logic and assimilate it into learning well. However math is something that I do not enjoy doing. I also reaffirmed that I am a hands on learner, and tend to have a little OCD. Even though I scored higher in musical it does not seem practical for learning purposes. I wish that I could focus more of my future learning on hands on / kinesthetic learning opportunities, but sometimes it does not seem possible. One of my most favorite classes was anatomy because in the skills lab I was able to take advantage of dissecting a human body. Also in the nursing program I did excellent at clinical skills because I enjoyed it.
As emphasized by Richardson we all have different learning needs. By knowing what works best for me I will be able to better profit from my strengths and improve my learning skills. I am very surprised that I scored low on the spatial-visual area of the multiple intelligence tests. I really enjoy seeing how things are done and felt an accord with the Zwirn article. As Zwirn said recordings multi-media, and electronically mediated technologies are increasingly used to support and enhance learning. In the future I hope to augment my learning by incorporating podcasts and other media that allows me to multitask and learn while I am driving or going for a run. I would also like to use more visual tools like visual symbols, motion pictures as described in Dales cone of experience.
How do you interpret these results?
What technologies might you incorporate to augment your personal learning based on these results?
Through the multiple intelligence tests I found out that my two greatest learning strengths were logical-mathematical and musical. This was a surprise to me, and very interesting. I really appreciate logic and assimilate it into learning well. However math is something that I do not enjoy doing. I also reaffirmed that I am a hands on learner, and tend to have a little OCD. Even though I scored higher in musical it does not seem practical for learning purposes. I wish that I could focus more of my future learning on hands on / kinesthetic learning opportunities, but sometimes it does not seem possible. One of my most favorite classes was anatomy because in the skills lab I was able to take advantage of dissecting a human body. Also in the nursing program I did excellent at clinical skills because I enjoyed it.
As emphasized by Richardson we all have different learning needs. By knowing what works best for me I will be able to better profit from my strengths and improve my learning skills. I am very surprised that I scored low on the spatial-visual area of the multiple intelligence tests. I really enjoy seeing how things are done and felt an accord with the Zwirn article. As Zwirn said recordings multi-media, and electronically mediated technologies are increasingly used to support and enhance learning. In the future I hope to augment my learning by incorporating podcasts and other media that allows me to multitask and learn while I am driving or going for a run. I would also like to use more visual tools like visual symbols, motion pictures as described in Dales cone of experience.
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