NURS 6051 Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker

NURS 6051 Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker

• The Nurse Leader as a Knowledge Worker
• Transforming Nursing and Healthcare Through Technology

• The Concept of Knowledge Workers

• 
• Greatly related to the purpose of nursing and its process
• A serial and goal-oriented endeavor that involves:
• Steps and actions
• Operations
• Performance
• The concept has evolved consistent with healthcare reform’s emphasis on:
• More access
• Higher quality
• Lower costs
• Today, knowledge workers utilize technology and data systems to:
• Engage in evidence-based decision making
• Speed up diagnosis and treatment NURS 6051 Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker

The Concept of a Knowledge Worker

The concept is significantly related to the purpose of nursing. According to Conrad and Sherrod (2011), any exploration of the epistemological foundation of the profession must consider nursing as a process. It is a serial and goal-oriented endeavor that involves various steps, actions, operations, and performance between a patient and a practitioner. The concept of a knowledge worker has evolved consistent with healthcare’s reform emphasis on more access, higher quality, and lower costs (Pritchard, 2006). These factors have incentivized the application of technology and the creation of systems for data aggregation and analysis. Furthermore, the concept of knowledge workers has changed as the need for standardization has grown. Today, knowledge workers are required to utilize technology and data systems to engage in evidence-based decision-making. They should also use the technology to speed up diagnosis and treatment through better medical and nursing information sharing NURS 6051 Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker.

• Nursing Informatics

• Combines nursing with information and analytical sciences
• Supports identification, description, administration, and representation of data
• Nursing informatics plays roles, such as:
• Aiding in healthcare promotion
• Dealing with current challenges like an aging population or nurse shortages
• Most value stems from documentation

Nursing Informatics

As a specialty, nursing informatics combines nursing with information and analytical sciences to support identification, description, administration, and representation of data, information, and knowledge in practice. According to Darvish et al. (2014), nursing informatics plays numerous roles. It aids in healthcare promotion. Tellingly, a technologically rich environment facilitates a higher quality of care and improves patient safety. Nursing informatics also helps healthcare institutions and organizations better deal with current challenges, including an aging population, shortage of doctors and nurses, and incidence and prevalence of chronic conditions through the provision of data. Majorly, value has been realized through documentation – electronic charting – which ensures that nurses can obtain information quickly and efficiently to improve workflow NURS 6051 Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker.

• Nurse Leaders as Knowledge Workers: Their Role

• Nurse leaders need skills to gather and analyze data.
• They play key roles, including:
• Harnessing the potential of electronic systems
• Translating patient findings
• Advocating for the integration of technology
• Empowering others to aggregate data and recognize patterns
• Technology role models and change agents

The Role of a Nurse Leader as a Knowledge Worker

Nurse leaders need to develop skills for gathering data, its analysis and have the capacity to identify clinical trends and patterns. In patient-care delivery and decision making, they should possess essential knowledge worker skills, including data gathering and knowledge usage and building. The nurse manager should also be equipped with the required tools necessary to harness the potential of electronic data systems. They should be ready and prepared to translate patient findings and associated information into knowledge to inform and drive positive patient outcomes (Westra et al., 2015). Nurse leaders should also advocate for integrating electronic technologies in their departments, motivate adoption by instilling a sense of excitement for the changes and promote literacy. Additionally, the nurse leader must empower others to aggregate data and recognize patterns to deliver seamless and effective patient-care services. As technology role models, nurse leaders must possess competence in dealing with data, EMRs, and online research. They are also change agents and departmental gatekeepers regarding the need to implement new systems or not. Finally, as critical communicators, nurse leaders appraise others of data findings, benchmarks, and the outcomes posted by a department or unit NURS 6051 Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker.

• Hypothetical Scenario

• Involves a male patient
• Complained of a cough after visiting the psychiatric medical surgical unit
• Patient had labored breathing, limited oxygen, and elevated respiration
• Data that could be used in the scenario includes:
• Values from the DynaMap, vitals machine, or respiratory rate
• Images from the x-ray
• Numeric data from digital monitors and magnetic resonance imaging outputs
• Other data includes the patient’s complaints and any further assessment

The hypothetical scenario involved a personal experience, where a male patient complained of a cough after visiting the psychiatric medical unit. The patient experienced labored breathing, oxygen was on the lower end, and the respiratory rate was elevated. A chest x-ray was ordered. Data that could be used in the scenario includes values from the DynaMap, vitals machine, and the respiratory rate. Other data includes the x-ray image, graphic monitor displays, and a magnetic resonance imaging output. Furthermore, the patient’s complaints and further assessment can be done to provide more data. The EMR provides an archive for future reference NURS 6051 Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker.

• Hypothetical Scenario Cont’d

• The data can provide knowledge, such as:
• Steps or actions needed to identify the cause of the problem
• The condition presented by the patient, such as pneumonia or pulmonary embolism
• Whether presented symptoms are just a false alarm and inconsequential
• Knowledge-based systems can show steps to be taken or evidence-based practice
• New or entry nurses can rely on knowledge based software, including:
• Mosby Nursing Skills
• Lippincott Nursing

Knowledge provided by the data includes steps to identify the problem facing the patient, the exact condition they suffer from, or establishment of a false alarm. Nurses can use knowledge-based systems to identify the steps to follow or evidence-based practice. Common systems used by entry level nurses include Mosby Nursing Skills and Lippincott Nursing NURS 6051 Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker.

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• References

• Conrad, S., & Sherrod, D. (2011). Nurse managers as knowledge workers. Nursing Management, 42(2), 47-48.
• Darvish, A., Bahramnezhad, F., Keyhanian, S., & Navidhamidi, M. (2014). The role of nursing informatics on promoting quality of health care and the need for appropriate education. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(6), 11.
• Pritchard, A. M. (2006). Leadership, innovation, and knowledge workers in health-care reform. The Canadian Nurse, 102(5), 13.
• Westra, B. L., Clancy, T. R., Sensmeier, J., Warren, J. J., Weaver, C., & Delaney, C. W. (2015). Nursing knowledge: Big data science—Implications for nurse leaders. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 39(4), 304-310.

Assignment: The Nurse Leader as Knowledge Worker

The term “knowledge worker” was first coined by management consultant and author Peter Drucker in his book, The Landmarks of Tomorrow (1959). Drucker defined knowledge workers as high-level workers who apply theoretical and analytical knowledge, acquired through formal training, to develop products and services. Does this sound familiar?

Reference: Drucker, P. (1959). The landmarks of tomorrow. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.