To Prepare: Review the concepts of informatics as presented in the Resources. Reflect on the role of a nurse leader as a knowledge worker.

To Prepare:

• Review the concepts of informatics as presented in the Resources.
• Reflect on the role of a nurse leader as a knowledge worker.
• Consider how knowledge may be informed by data that is collected/accessed.

The Assignment:

• Explain the concept of a knowledge worker.
• Define and explain nursing informatics and highlight the role of a nurse leader as a knowledge worker.
• Develop a simple infographic to help explain these concepts.NOTE: For guidance on infographics, including how to create one in PowerPoint, see “How to Make an Infographic in PowerPoint” presented in the Resources.
• Your PowerPoint should Include the hypothetical scenario you originally shared in the Discussion Forum. Include your examination of the data that you could use, how the data might be accessed/collected, and what knowledge might be derived from that data. Be sure to incorporate feedback received from your colleagues’ responses.

This is the discussion

Nursing informatics is defined as the combination of nursing science, information science, and computer science (McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G.,2 018). “Nursing informatics roles have taken many forms in focus and function over the last decades. Whereby the role of nursing informatics specialists will continue to evolve at an increasingly rapid rate in the and unfolding of new health care paradigms and connectivity between care providers and patients” (Nagle, L. M., Sermeus, W. & Junger, A. (2017). My focus is on how my current and previous experiences in different organizations collect blood samples/specimens from patients. Organizations should utilize existing data such as the patient’s hand band and employee identification card or numbers more efficiently. When drawing a patient’s blood sample, it should require a scan by the staff drawing the blood specimen. All employee already has an identification number, and patients have a medical identification number that is already in use for other purposes, such as when administering medications.

After the employees scan their badge or input, their identification first, then they will proceed to scanning the patient identification band before collecting the blood sample/ specimens.  scanning patient’s wrist band and employee badge will assist in determining the accurate time the blood sample was collected, the time it was received in the lab, and when the results are recorded into patients records or nurses is informed of the outcome. In some cases, I personally place multiple calls to the laboratory to get lab results for my patient. The laboratory stating the specimen is processing. When the specimen results are finally ready, the time that the sample was received initially is the time the laboratory documents the specimen results. Furthermore, a nurse leader should collect data from patients scheduled lab orders from the time the order is placed, specimen collections time, time received in laboratory and the time the results is available to other clinicians. By doing this, it will eliminate the delay, discrepancies of specimens among nurses, laboratory staffs, and provide timely efficient treatments from physicians.