MN531 Unit 8 Blog Entry 1: Case Study: Acquiring Previous Knowledge

 

During rounds, Charles encounters a rare condition he personally has never seen and only vaguely remembers hearing about in nursing school. He takes a few moments to prepare himself by searching the internet. That evening, he researches further to learn how to treat, administer, and assess the patient safely. The sources he researches include online clinical databases and his own school textbooks. Most of the information seems consistent, yet some factors vary. Charles wants to provide the highest quality in patient safety. He wonders which resources are best.

What should Charles do when he encounters direct contradictions in information from two sources?

When Charles encounters direct contradictions in formation from the two sources he used, he should first determine how old the information is from both sources. There has been some difficulty reported in locating websites and its content, so when using websites, the user should determine “… is the website findable, useful, usable, valuable, accessible, desirable and/or credible” (Gaitsgory, Burgess, & Mellis, 2013, p. 370)?  By following these guidelines it will help Charles to determine the credibility of the website and information source used.

Which resources are the most trusted, and how do you determine this?

The school textbooks should be considered a trusted source in the context that it is a school textbook, but depending on the year of the textbook, the information could be older and there may be newer up to date information available, especially information retrieved from a credible website.

Which resources are the most accurate, and how do you determine this?

One way Charles can determine if the resources he is using are the most accurate is by using Health on the Net Foundation (HONcode). This site can help Charles identify the authoritative qualities of the authors, whether information is complementarity, the attribution of information, the justifiability of site to back up claims, the transparency of the site, any financial disclosure and the sites advertising policy. The HON was founded to help professionals, patients and the general public to gain access to quality health information via the internet that is relevant and up to date. The HON represents ethical standards and displays the transparency of websites and their intent to offer quality health information (HONcode, 2015).

What criteria should Charles use to identify credible resources to enhance his clinical practice?

Criteria Charles should use to identifying credible resources is to look at the credentials and qualifications of the author in relation to the subject matter. Charles should also ask himself the following questions: is the author associated with an organization or institution and is there a link or contact information, does the author have any peer-reviewed publications on the web or is there a hard copy available, is the author bias, is web content up to date, does the information presented provide references or cited works that are credible and what type of site does the information appear on? If Charles can answer yes to all the questions, then the website is most likely a credible site (Montecino, 1998).

 

References

Gaitsgory, O., Burgess, A., & Mellis, C. (2013). Opinion piece: 'Medical students-learning from textbooks or electronic media?'. Journal Of Paediatrics And Child Health, 49(9), E370-372. doi:10.1111/jpc.12180

HONcode. (2015). Retrieved from Health on the net foundation: http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Patients/Visitor/visitor.html

Montecino, V. (1998). Guidelines for critiquing www resources. Retrieved from Education & Technology Resources: http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/web-eval-sites.htm

MN531 U7 Blog 2: Implications of Information Technology for Evidence-Based Practice

Evaluate two implications of information technology on evidence-based practice.
Retrieve and read the following article from the Kaplan University Library:

·         Matter, S. (2006). Empower nurses with evidence-based knowledge. Nursing Management, 37(12), 34–37.

Identify two ways evidence-based practice is used in your institution. Using the processes described in the article, evaluate how information technology impacts your use of EBP. What are two implications of using technology? How can it be improved?

 

Evidence-Based Practice at my Organization

The evidence-based practices used in my organization include the use of Healthwise and Care Considerations alerts.  Healthwise is a global provider of health information with over 65 years of experience in developing health education that is evidence-based and used to promote behavioral change in making better decisions about health (Healthwise, 2016). Care Considerations are alert driven notifications sent to healthcare providers and communicated to patients regarding pertinent health information generated from patient data such as claims, labs, pharmacy and PHRs including diagnoses that is compared to evidence-based guidelines to identify potential lapses in care (UBM, 2015).

Evaluate how Information Technology Impacts use of EBP

Information technology provides automated access to EBP data related to the patient’s health condition or medication use in order to provide education to promote and support self-healthcare management.  Information on specific conditions and medications can be generated into a brochure that is sent to the patient via email, mail or sent to their health portal for immediate access.

Two Implications of using Technology

Two implications to using technology involves how the design, content and delivery of health information is presented in the educational brochures sent to patients.  Technology can also be used to enhance the nurse’s knowledge base in making informed decisions and improve critical thinking processes in providing care (Matter, 2006).

How can it be improved?

To improve the overall process of how EBP is used in my organization it would be beneficial to engage and gather input from the nurses in the development and design phases of content to maintain a solid framework in enhancing knowledge and improving access to best evidence in providing safe patient care (Matter, 2006).

 

References

About Healthwise. (2016). Retrieved from Healthwise, Incorporated: http://www.healthwise.org/about.aspx

Aetna to electronically deliver care alerts. (2015). Retrieved from Insurance & Technology: http://www.insurancetech.com/aetna-to-electronically-deliver-care-alerts/d/d-id/1310388

Matter, S. (2006). Empower nurses with evidence-based knowledge. Nursing Management, 37(12), 34-37.

MN 531 U7 Blog 1: Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies

Your organization has finally decided to do away with the antiquated practice of wearing shoe covers in the operating room. Because your hospital has practiced this way for many years, you know there will be resistance to change. You must determine what evidence-based teaching strategies will be best in educating staff on the new practice. Identify three teaching strategies you will use. How will you use them? Identify three or more challenges you expect to encounter when developing your evidence-based teaching strategies. How will you anticipate and overcome these challenges? A thorough method or plan for anticipating and overcoming these challenges should be selected and justified.

Evidence-Based Practice

Personal protective equipment reduces the risk of acquiring infections by providing a physical barrier between micro-organisms and the wearer if it is used effectively, correctly, and at all times, especially when coming into contact with blood and body fluids (Wenbin, Zhiping, Shengyun, Jianghua, & Yuhong, 2014). Using PPE such as shoe covers in the operating room may give a sense of protection to the wearer but according to (Mangram, Horan, Pearson, Silver, & Jarvis, 1999) per OSHA regulations shoe covers should only be worn in situations when gross contamination is anticipated such as with orthopedic operations or trauma cases.

 Teaching Strategies

The evidence-based teaching strategies that will be best in educating staff on the new practice is the utilization of on-line tutorials, face-to-face instruction and video. On-line tutorials will promote active learning by prompting staff to answer set questions or complete a quiz on the information presented (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). Face-to-face instruction incorporating the use of video in demonstrating concepts will promote engagement through guided discussions to assist staff in using critical thinking skills to enhance knowledge and understanding (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015).

Challenges

Challenges encountered in teaching or implementing evidence-based strategies is due to the fact that evidence is constantly evolving and may not be readily available to guide practice interventions. Other challenges that may be encountered involve the lack of knowledge of current best evidence, resistance to change, and perceptions that using EBP can be overwhelming and time consuming (Flynn Makic, Rauen, Jones, & Fisk, 2015).

Overcoming Challenges

           Overcoming the anticipated challenges can be achieved by promoting a better understanding and belief that EBP will improve outcomes by presenting best evidence such as guidelines and research that will support the proposed change resulting in leadership modeling EBP in daily practice (Flynn Makic, Rauen, Jones, & Fisk, 2015).

 

References

 

Flynn Makic, M. B., Rauen, C., Jones, K., & Fisk, A. C. (2015). Continuing to challenge practice to be evidence based. Critical Care Nurse, 35(2), 39-50. doi:10.4037/ccn2015693

Mangram, A. J., Horan, T. C., Pearson, M. L., Silver, L. C., & Jarvis, W. R. (1999). Guideline for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection, 1999. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 20(4), 247-266. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/guidelines/SSI_1999.pdf

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Wenbin, L., Zhiping, H., Shengyun, L., Jianghua, H., & Yuhong, Z. (2014). To determine the effect of wearing shoe covers by medical staff and visitors on infection rates, mortality and length of stay in intensive care unit. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 30(2), 272-275. doi:10.12669/pjms.302.4384

 

Survey Analysis

What did the survey reveal? What was good and bad about your presentation? What did you learn from the survey results? What will you do differently with your next presentation?

 

The results of my survey revealed that the power point presentation was engaging and the content of the presentation was helpful. In regards to second life and screencast, the survey revealed that navigating second life and screen cast was somewhat difficult. The survey revealed that the preferred training method was split between virtual reality and blended method. The respondents agreed that VR and simulation enhanced learning and that using technology to learn a new skill was important. Neither of the respondents were eager in wanting to use second life as a teaching tool. In regards to the respondents comfort level in using technology, the survey revealed that they were comfortable in using technology.

If I were to change anything in my next presentation, I would probably add a short video clip to make it more engaging and maybe add a few multiple choice questions to make the presentation more interactive and I would elaborate more on the content being presented.

Validating the Credibility of Websites

 

Blog Topic: Your neighbor has just been diagnosed with Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). He has a lot of questions regarding the disease and treatment options. He has gone to the following websites (see below) to do some research and now has come to you to ask for your educated opinion. Compare and contrast these sites in regard to the validity and reliability of their information. What credible resources might you advise your neighbor to review? How can you validate the credibly of a website?

www.wikipedia.org

www.webmd.com

www.cdc.gov

 

According to McGonigle & Mastrian (2015) “clinicians should be cautious when recommending websites to patients and families, because not all sites are reliable or valid” (p. 295). It is important for the clinician to know how to identify websites that are credible and to recommend websites that can meet the learning needs of the patient. One such resource that is used to identify credible websites for health information is the Health on the Net (HON), which was created as a platform to distribute quality health information to patients, healthcare providers and the public as well as provide access to the most up to date medical data via the internet (HONcode, 2015).

Comparing and Contrasting Websites

In comparing and contrasting between Wikipedia, WebMD, and the CDC, Wikipedia- is a free encyclopedia that can offer valuable and accurate information, but does not guarantee that the content presented has been reviewed by experts and it cannot guarantee the validity of the information. Wikipedia doesn’t offer any formal peer review of the content, nor does it provide professional advice (Wikipedia, 2015).  WebMD on the other hand, is certified by Honcode, is Urac accredited, and the privacy of information is certified by Truste.  WebMD provides credible, original and timely health information content by well know providers. The contributors to the site are board-certified physicians, award-winning journalists, and trained community moderators. The qualifications of all medical professionals on the site are verified; including health professionals, experts, editorial professionals and contributors with a specialty license (WebMD, 2015). The CDC is a website that offers information that increases the health security of our nation by putting science into action and by providing health information that will protect us against unnecessary and dangerous health threats (CDC, 2014).

Credible Resources

Some common domains used for websites are .edu - education sites, .gov - government sites, .org - organization sites, .com - commercial sites, and .net - network infrastructures (Montecino, 1998).  In recommending a credible website for the neighbor to use to research his condition, I would recommend using government sites that use the domain .gov, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ health finder site (www.healthfinder.gov), the National Institutes of Health (http://www.nih.gov) and Medline Plus (www.medlineplus.gov) (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015, p. 296).

Validating Websites

To validate whether the website is credible, I would direct him to examine the web domain or URL address, and to look for the credentials of the author or organization. According to Lane (2010) “the author or organization should be clearly displayed on the website. If the credentials are missing, consider this a red flag” (p. 12). I would also direct him to determine if the website has been updated regularly and to determine what the websites intent is, such as, is it to inform, instruct, or is it to persuade and does it have advertisements (Lane, 2010, p. 13). Many websites that are considered reliable will have a seal of certification from a trusted accrediting organization such as the Health on the Net Foundation (HON). This seal of certification verifies the websites transparency of information regarding the authority, authorship, confidentiality, funding, and that it is up-to date, and honest about advertising and provides a clear distinction between advertisement and editorial content (HONcode, 2015). Doing these things can help in determining the quality of the information presented as well as help to ensure that the information is credible.  

 

References

About us: What we do for our users. (2015). Retrieved from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/about-webmd-policies/about-what-we-do-for-our-users

General disclaimer. (2015). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer

HONcode. (2015). Retrieved from Health on the net foundation: http://www.hon.ch/HONcode/Patients/Visitor/visitor.html

Lane, R. V. (2010). Stop! Evaluate website before use. Dental Assistant, 79(4), 12-45.

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Mission, Role, and Pledge. (2014). Retrieved from Centers for disease control and prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/about/organization/mission.htm

Montecino, V. (1998). Guidelines for critiquing www resources. Retrieved from Education & Technology Resources: http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/web-eval-sites.htm

      





MN531 U5 Educational Technology Survey

Surveys



https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y6Q6GHL

Web-based surveys are becoming more popular due to their quick, low-cost, flexible way of obtaining the views of a study sample. They are useful in assessing opinions and views in business, commerce and education. There is almost no cost involved in the use of online survey tools and they can be embedded within social media sites, placed into websites and included in emailed links. An example of a web-based survey is the Survey Monkey. Survey Monkey is a very popular and well known survey tool that ranks highly on search engines. The basic package which is free offers the subscriber 10 questions per survey with a maximum number of 100 responses. It also provides examples of survey formats from a pre-installed library (Phillips, 2015).

Survey Monkey is an interactive site that can be used to set up questionnaires that offer a variety of responses using drop down menus and yes/no responses. Tutorials and information sheets are provided for those new to the site and services. This online web survey is also a great tool to use to conduct health research with appropriate ethical approval (Waclawski, 2012).

 

References

Phillips, A. (2015). OH research: How to conduct surveys. Occupational Health, 67(1), 27-30.

Waclawski, E. (2012). How I use it: Survey Monkey. Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England), 62(6), 477. doi:10.1093/occmed/kqs075

MN531 U4 Educational Technologies Screencast

http://www.screencast.com/t/LakqQWSro1x

According to (Hartley, Ludlow, & Duff, 2015) “virtual reality is a computer simulation of the real world in which users engage in actions and/or interact with others in life-like environments…” (p. 21). According to (Cooke-Plagwitz, 2009) (as cited in Hartley, Ludlow, & Duff, 2015, p. 21)  “SL contains the most critical components for successful virtual learning: an immersive environment for situated learning, an avatar that allows active learning, and text and speech interactions with other learners to enable socially constructed learning”.

Pros of VR

The pros to using the technology in Second life includes the following: it engages you visually and simulates reality, it provides “How To” instructions on how to use the different features, it offers the opportunity to interact and engage with other users in different environments or destinations and the option to share content.  According to Rahim (2013) “Second Life provides ample teaching and learning opportunities for learner-centered teaching and learning. It allows the flexibility for students to learn to create 3D objects on their own, supports virtual commerce, communication and interaction in an innovative 3D environment” (p. 2).

Cons of VR

 The cons associated with using Second life is that I found it difficult to navigate the site while using a laptop, it was a little easier to navigate using a desktop. Despite learning how to control the avatar, I still found it confusing as to how I was going to use the site to create a learning environment. The tutorial videos did not peak my interest to want to use the site. I did not find it very helpful. Also I found the site to be slow in uploading or sharing to screencast. Other cons or challenges associated with the site may include resistance to the technology, especially by those who have no experience working with virtual worlds, logistic issues related to transitions between activities (Hartley, Ludlow, & Duff, 2015, p. 23).

 

References

Hartley, M. D., Ludlow, B. L., & Duff, M. C. (2015). Second life®: A 3D virtual immersive environment for teacher preparation courses in a distance education program. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 34(3), 21-25.

Rahim, N. F. (2013). Collaboration and knowledge sharing using 3D virtual world on second life. Education for information, 30(1), 1-40. doi:10.3233/EFI-130928