Knowledge, a source of power for nurses

In relation to the delivery of patient care, knowledge can empower nurses to take motion, while a lack of expertise can leave nurses powerless to offer secure and effective care. Evidence of information as a source of power is the proven fact that during this difficult economic period, many employers prefer to rent experienced RNs moderately than incur the prices of coaching recent graduates.

Anderson and Willson (2009) offer a conceptual framework for nursing knowledge management that supports using technology to offer health care providers with multiple tools to effectively use data to rework it into knowledge. Clinical decision support software, resembling those integrated with electronic health records or those accessed by physicians via mobile applications, are examples of the effective use of information to support competent clinical interventions. An example of how powerful this will be is when two nurses sharing a clinical rotation have access to texts for purchase on the bookstore and mobile apps they’ll use on their smartphone. One nurse is more comfortable using text, while the opposite is adept at using information technology, including mobile applications. A nurse with a mobile product completes a drugs more quickly because she finds all of the medications in her reference number, whereas a nurse with a book skips the most recent medication releases, requiring the additional step of calling the pharmacy or trying to find medications online.

There are many other examples, and a few can have life-threatening consequences, resembling drug interactions, which IT systems indicate are sometimes missed by healthcare employees. In an age where quality health care is a mandate, organizations and professionals who apply knowledge effectively will give you the option to take control of costs and achieve higher insurance reimbursement rates resulting from fewer complications.

Reference: Anderson, J. A. and Willson, P. (2009). Knowledge management Organizing knowledge about nursing care. 1 – 9.

Author: Karen Innocent, MS, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, CMSRN