Module #4 Question 2

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.