NRSG 311 Unit 5 – Discussion Board

The topics that most interested me were patient privacy and the PICO research method. The discussion board conversations were lively and compelling. Seven years into my career in healthcare I thought I had heard and read everything about HIPAA (we have to do annual training on it) and was honestly bored with the topic. The conversations on the discussion board renewed my interest. I had no idea that some people out there so willfully and flagrantly violate HIPAA guidelines and reading some of the stories reinforced how important it is to protect patient privacy. I will use this renewed interest in HIPAA to be a lot more mindful about patient privacy and try to guide my peers to err on the side of caution.

The PICO research question project proved to be much more interesting than I thought it would be. The exercise of slowing down and examining how I was researching my question improved my skills in getting the information that I was after. I was able to narrow down my searches enough that I went from thousands of results to less than 50 in some cases. My question was related to the efficacy of a low carb/high fat diet versus a low-calorie diet on sustainable weight loss. Through my research I was able to find a study that concluded that while both diets are effective in the short term, they are very hard to adhere to long term (Joshi, Mohan 2018). Consistency is key and ultimately, a well-balanced diet that is free from extremes (making it easier to stick to) is the most effective way to lose weight and maintain weight loss (Joshi, Mohan 2018).

References

Mohan, V., & Joshi, S. (2018). Pros & cons of some popular extreme weight-loss diets. Indian

 Journal of Medical Research, 148(5), 642. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.ijmr_1793_18

Upon reflection of the information gained from the Nursing Informatics course, some of the most interesting topics was reading all the available consumer products that were available for patient care and where patient data is stored.  Those these topics are generalized, the information in the class further expanded knowledge and put into perspective the large effort and networks required to house confidential information.  Additionally, a new appreciation for keeping the security of this information has formed.  Hebda et al. stated by facilitating data collection, we can measure the quality of our service delivery (2018, p. 6). Participating in discussion posts also assisted in gaining additional insight into the different software applications for consumers as different nurses from varying disciplines may use a different application to suit their patient population needs.

While the learned information does not need additional clarification, it would have been helpful to be able to access a play environment of the different applications to explore and navigate these areas. This knowledge and intimate understanding would certainly hold value in helping future patients navigate the applications or additional questions on use. In a study conducted by Lyles et al. suggests paying attention to a patient’s digital literacy, broadband access, device ownership is important when attempting to engage participation in portals and their health journey (2020, p. S126). Having healthcare workers become familiar with portal access and navigation could benefit all parties involved to increase their current working knowledge.

This course is likely to change perception that was once more narrowed focused to programs developed from a provider aspect into a well rounded process that considers the patient proficiency of usage. Certainly, all providers understand that the ease of program usage and navigation ease for both sides of patient care and participation.  Moving forward, incorporating and promoting EHR portal signup and fielding follow up questions will be added to daily routine of patient care.

References

Hebda, T. L., Czar, P., & Hunter, K. (2018). Handbook of Informatics for Nurses & Healthcare Professionals (6th Edition) (p.75). Pearson Education (US). 

Lyles, C. R., Nelson, E. C., Frampton, S., Dykes, P. C., Cemballi, A. G., & Sarkar, U. (2020). Using Electronic Health Record Portals to Improve Patient Engagement: Research Priorities and Best Practices. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172, S123–S129. https://doi-org.coloradotech.idm.oclc.org/10.7326/M19-0876

To identifying, defining, managing, and communicating data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice, nursing informatics is a specialization that combines nursing science with a variety of information and analytical sciences (Hebda et al., 2018). Some of the most compelling topics covered in this course were ethical concerns and data sharing, EHR, and research. Some of the smallest events can lead to a data breach. We must be very careful with patient information. 

     Taking this course has brought clarity to Nursing Informatics. All before I would have stated nursing informatics involves computers and the charting system you are using for patient care. I also remember saying with charting they continue to add on more work but now I know it is required for several reasons like meaningful use. With meaningful use we are required to document fall risk, smoking risk, depression, social determinants, vaccinations, etc. I can now explain why we need to document and close care gaps and not just look at it as another task to complete. 

     Learning is a continuous process. The posts from the discussion boards help to create a dialog amongst peers and the instructor. It is always good to share work-related experiences so that we can learn from one another. It is also helpful that there are different work backgrounds whether it is critical care, labor and delivery, NICU, pediatrics, or adult primary care, they all come with learning experiences. This course has also helped me to be more careful with patient privacy. I will be more cognitive with locking my computer screen when I leave my workstation even if I am stepping 5 steps away from the computer. 

 

                                                                                       Reference:

Hebda, T. L., Czar, P., & Hunter, K. (2018). Handbook of Informatics for Nurses & Healthcare Professionals (6th Edition)(p.2).        Pearson Education (US). https://coloradotech.vitalsource.com/books/9780134677064 

Important information for writing discussion questions and participation

Welcome to class

Hello class and welcome to the class and I will be your instructor for this course. This is a -week course and requires alot of time commitment, organization, and a high level of dedication. Please use the class syllabus to guide you through all the assignments required for the course. I have also attached the classroom policies to this announcement to know your expectations for this course. Please review this document carefully and ask me any questions if you do. You could email me at any time or send me a message via the “message” icon in halo if you need to contact me. I check my email regularly, so you should get a response within 24 hours. If you have not heard from me within 24 hours and need to contact me urgently, please send a follow up text to

I strongly encourage that you do not wait until the very last minute to complete your assignments. Your assignments in weeks 4 and 5 require early planning as you would need to present a teaching plan and interview a community health provider. I advise you look at the requirements for these assignments at the beginning of the course and plan accordingly. I have posted the YouTube link that explains all the class assignments in detail. It is required that you watch this 32-minute video as the assignments from week 3 through 5 require that you follow the instructions to the letter to succeed. Failure to complete these assignments according to instructions might lead to a zero. After watching the video, please schedule a one-on-one with me to discuss your topic for your project by the second week of class. Use this link to schedule a 15-minute session. Please, call me at the time of your appointment on my number. Please note that I will NOT call you.

Please, be advised I do NOT accept any assignments by email. If you are having technical issues with uploading an assignment, contact the technical department and inform me of the issue. If you have any issues that would prevent you from getting your assignments to me by the deadline, please inform me to request a possible extension. Note that working fulltime or overtime is no excuse for late assignments. There is a 5%-point deduction for every day your assignment is late. This only applies to approved extensions. Late assignments will not be accepted.

If you think you would be needing accommodations due to any reasons, please contact the appropriate department to request accommodations.

Plagiarism is highly prohibited. Please ensure you are citing your sources correctly using APA 7th edition. All assignments including discussion posts should be formatted in APA with the appropriate spacing, font, margin, and indents. Any papers not well formatted would be returned back to you, hence, I advise you review APA formatting style. I have attached a sample paper in APA format and will also post sample discussion responses in subsequent announcements.

Your initial discussion post should be a minimum of 200 words and response posts should be a minimum of 150 words. Be advised that I grade based on quality and not necessarily the number of words you post. A minimum of TWO references should be used for your initial post. For your response post, you do not need references as personal experiences would count as response posts. If you however cite anything from the literature for your response post, it is required that you cite your reference. You should include a minimum of THREE references for papers in this course. Please note that references should be no more than 5 years old except recommended as a resource for the class. Furthermore, for each discussion board question, you need ONE initial substantive response and TWO substantive responses to either your classmates or your instructor for a total of THREE responses. There are TWO discussion questions each week, hence, you need a total minimum of SIX discussion posts for each week. I usually post a discussion question each week. You could also respond to these as it would count towards your required SIX discussion posts for the week.

I understand this is a lot of information to cover in 5 weeks, however, the Bible says in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. Even in times like this, we are encouraged by God’s word that we have that ability in us to succeed with His strength. I pray that each and every one of you receives strength for this course and life generally as we navigate through this pandemic that is shaking our world today. Relax and enjoy the course!

Hi Class,

Please read through the following information on writing a Discussion question response and participation posts.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Important information on Writing a Discussion Question

• Your response needs to be a minimum of 150 words (not including your list of references)
• There needs to be at least TWO references with ONE being a peer reviewed professional journal article.
• Include in-text citations in your response
• Do not include quotes—instead summarize and paraphrase the information
• Follow APA-7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

Participation –replies to your classmates or instructor

• A minimum of 6 responses per week, on at least 3 days of the week.
• Each response needs at least ONE reference with citations—best if it is a peer reviewed journal article
• Each response needs to be at least 75 words in length (does not include your list of references)
• Responses need to be substantive by bringing information to the discussion or further enhance the discussion. Responses of “I agree” or “great post” does not count for the word count.
• Follow APA 7th edition
• Points will be deducted if the above is not followed

• Remember to use and follow APA-7th edition for all weekly assignments, discussion questions, and participation points.
• Here are some helpful links
• The is a great resource