NURS-6051N Week 1: Discussion THE APPLICATION OF DATA TO PROBLEM-SOLVING

NURS-6051N Week 1: Discussion THE APPLICATION OF DATA TO PROBLEM-SOLVING

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.

NURS-6051N Week 1 Discussion

Discussion: The Application of Data to Problem-Solving

In personal nursing practice, collecting patient data on admission is one of the most vital areas of data collection. Working at a facility that deals in adolescent psychiatric and behavioral health, it is essential to collect enough background data on patients before they are fully admitted. It has to be ensured that the patients meet the admission criteria before they are accepted. The knowledge acquisition process begins soon after admission to learn more about patients.

The data collected before admission is mostly patients’ electronic medical record that is typically fed to the computer systems. The collected information would comprise primary and secondary diagnoses, hospitalization history, prior assessments, past treatment history, obtained lab results, and medications. According to Stoots (2015), psychiatric nurses involved in optimizing EHR to support behavioral health population management improvements can be generated cost-effectively. These efforts are regarding preventing and treating mental health disorders and preventing the myriad of co-occurring health conditions. Regarding developing new plans, it is essential to note what has been done in the past. Documenting the plans that failed and those that succeeded is vital in creating a successful strategy and attaining positive patient care.

The computer era has brought significant changes and efficiency. Safety alerts and more information have been provided through such systems as technology continues to expand. Knowledge is inevitably embedded into electronic patient records. New algorithms that assist in decision-making are also taken care of. Despite EHR not being the latest form of healthcare technology, it is constantly updated to ensure that the provided information is valid (Nagle, Sermeus, Junger & Bloomberg, 2017). Besides gathering the necessary information and providing care, educational material can also be provided to patients to improve them.

The hypothetical scenario I chose to discuss involves the awareness of a patient’s adverse psychiatric reaction to a medication prescribed during hospital admission. Extreme distress can result from an undesirable response to psychiatric medication. Even though patients may not achieve the desired reaction from psychiatric drugs, such are not explicitly listed as “allergy” in the patient’s records. In the electronic records, it may be indicated in the patient’s chart that they had the specific medication, but it needs to be apparent where such a drug was discontinued. At times, discussing all prior medications with patients may be imperative. For patients who are not in their right state of mind may not be able to tell particular events in their life. Using patients’ medical records, staff notes, and past providers’ notes can be looked through and determined by the patient’s health state. Upon a nurse reporting findings to the provider, all patient behaviors must be recorded. A better level of care can be utilized and reviewed, given the information collected is helpful.

Understanding how a patient experiences a specific reaction to a medication is vital. This is critical to the psychiatric field. We would ensure that the drug was not used again during care for patients who have had manic, aggressive, or self-injurious behavior in response to previously used medication. We could also flag the medical record to alert others of the reaction if that was not already done. There have been previous dangerous situations; under such circumstances, quick adjustments are necessary. Such adjustments are essential in helping care for patients. It is known that most adolescents are hesitant to discuss sensitive information with adults they are not close to. The experience I have had has helped me obtain information ahead of time. This is vital as it plays a role in understanding what teens indulge in and the situations they usually are in. In addition to the recorded medical record, verbal information and reports are extremely important. Oral information, in addition to medical records, gives a clearer picture of the state of patients. The care team is always set to realize any notable patient changes.

Communication and continued collaboration among team members are critical for overall patient care. I’m grateful that my facility uses computer systems linking local hospitals and providers. In addition to verbal communication among our care team, progress notes can also be read by coworkers and outside providers that care for patients. Critical information gives the team all the necessary advantages to handle various patient issues. With all the information I can acquire from the verbal report, record, and patient, I can then analyze what has been found to develop a plan to move forward. McGonigle and Mastrain (2017) shared the necessary steps to using information and applying knowledge to solve problems, acting with wisdom based on nursing practice science. Knowing where my patient stands and their situation is key to developing a starting point and creating a care plan with which the patient and care team feel most comfortable.

References

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Nagle, L. M., Sermeus, W., Junger, A., & Bloomberg, L. S. (2017). The evolving role of the nursing informatics specialist. Stud Health Technol Inform, 232, 212-22.

Stoots, M. (2015). Unlocking Electronic Health Record Data Helps Drive Behavioral Health Population Management. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 21(5), 348-350.

NURS-6051N Week 1: Discussion THE APPLICATION OF DATA TO PROBLEM-SOLVING