Module 6

• What did you like or dislike about taking an asynchronous online course?

I really enjoyed the flexibility of the on-line format, especially in summer when vacations and activities with the kids are prevelant.

• What topic did you learn the most about and what was your favorite topic? What did you like least?

I like the Information Retrieval the most. I think we need more focus on how to quickly and accurately retrieve evidence-based information in order to make informed decisions. I know at my work we use Up To Date very frequently. The Np's and Md's use this application often.

My least favorite thing is blogging! I honestly don't have time to look at anyone's blog and do not feel the value.

• Do you have any other comments for us?

I thought this class would be more of what it is like to be a Nursing Informaticist. And maybe it is. I know we have nurses in the IT department that incorporate data and teach classes to RN's. I think this class is more of how IT is utilized by APRN's than what an Informaticist does. And that is OK it was just not my expectation.

Module 5

Why would a patient want to create a blog? What might they gain from this?

Blogs are created by people for a variety of reasons. Patients may feel that a blog is a way to keep family and friends updated on their health progress, without having to talk to each person individually. It is a mechanism for mass communication. The advantages are that by taking some time to tell everyone your status, then you can afford yourself the opportunity to, perhaps, not be inconvenienced by frequent phone calls from people seeing how you are. The disadvantage is that you may enjoy talking to your friends and family.

Why would a health care provider create a blog?

A health care provider may create a blog as a vehicle for mass information to his/her patients/families. I have seen on facebook where pediatricians offices have created accounts and send out weekly information on various topics in order to keep your clientele aware of any information that you see as beneficial.

What are ethical considerations when blogging on a public website, such as we've used for this class?

You need to be aware of any personal information that could violate HIPPA. You have to be careful that you are not offensive to anyone and realize that whatever you do or say will be in public view and will likely be permanent.

How did the readings influence your perception of your own clinical decision-making?

The readings help me to understand the bigger picture. They allowed me to perceive the influences in my decision-making so that I can step outside of myself and view things objectively. Also, incorporating CDSS (clinical decision support systems) into decision making can be beneficial and provide positive patient outcomes.

Heuristics is woven into our lives on a daily basis and this can be hard to overcome when a clinical decision needs to be made. Utilizing EBP as our driving force with clinical decisions will improve our patients outcomes and ensure that we maintain a solid practice.

Teaching in nursing

What sort of teaching is done in your nursing role? Is there any nursing role that does not involve teaching in some manner?

In my role as an RN, teaching generally occurs when we have precepting students. On occasion we might teach a fellow nurse about something, but generally everyone knows how to do what we do. We do have mandatory skills days (like last week) when fellow nurses and managers educate the department about topics including: anaphalaxis kits, defibrillator, and airway issues.

I think that if you are in a role that does not involve teaching then you are doing yourself and your environment a disservice. Teaching should be an ever-present theme that is always occurring in the background.

Sources of Information

The subject matter that I referenced was to try and find if there was a standard of care for the treatment of croup with oral steroids.

PubMed was a fantastic source full of evidenced-based guidelines and research that had been completed detailing dexamethasone versus prednisone. Understanding how to tailor searches takes time and practice, but once accomplished leads to great rewards of knowledge.

I used National Guideline Clearinghouse, but was unable to locate any guidelines on croup. I found this website somewhat frustrating as I tried to modify my search for better results.

Finally, Google (scholar) was able to provide me with many of the same articles available in PubMed, however when I tried to access the full copies of the articles, it required me to be a member of a website or pay a subscription.

So, in conclusion, I found PubMed to be the most worthwhile in terms of its content, searching capabilities, and access to full copies of the articles.

Introduction - Module I

Hello my name is Chris Cook and I have never seen an episode of LOST. I have been a nurse for over 1800 days. My specialty is pediatrics. I work in Primary Children's Emergency Room and absolutely love it. I am in the PNP program.

1. Why do you as a graduate level nurse need to know about information management?

Information management is integrated into all facets of nursing. It is imperative to be knowledgeable about information systems in order to access patient info and serve our patients better.

2. Describe what is happening related to IT in your clinical or practice setting?

In the past few years IHC has implemented Help2 which allows users to access a wide variety of information including: clincal notes, labs, radiology, and other information. In the ER, we have changed our patient platform to a new program that is integrated with Help2.