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