What did you like or dislike about taking an asynchronous online course?
I really liked being able to work on the course at my own pace and convenience. I have a 45 minute commute to the University, so it was nice to save some time on driving as well as gas money. I have to admit, I prefer going to class rather than taking it on-line because I prefer the personal interaction and discussion. However, being on-line does open you up to different perspectives and by having discussions online, students are able to research their ideas more and present more complete ideas at times.
What topic did you learn the most about and what was your favorite topic? What did you like least?
I liked the teaching with technology topic the best. I found the YouTube videos really interesting especially when I remember being in college for my first undergraduate degree and having a type writer and not even knowing that email existed until after I graduated! Teaching has changed so much over the years and I found some of the statistics about today’s college students pretty amazing.
I think I learned the most in the information retrieval module. I still have so much to learn to be more efficient and capable when both searching for and citing information.
I have to say that I got a lot out of this course, and the topic that I enjoyed the least was probably the most beneficial! (Information retrieval) I still get a bit frustrated with APA and programs such as Endnote.
Do you have any other comments for us?
The class was informative and structured well. There seemed to be enough time to complete the modules without being too overwhelmed.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Module 5
1. Why would a patient want to create a blog? What might they gain from this?
A patient may want to create a blog in order to share their experiences with others in a forum that they are comfortable with. A friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer and blogs about it as a way to share it with her family and friends. It is a highly personal subject, and hard often hard to bring up the topic in conversation. On her blog, she can share what she feels comfortable sharing and her friends and family can keep updated. She can also network and find other women in similar situations to share her concerns and worries. Patients can gain support from friends, family members, and even meet new people who have shared the same experience either in the past or in the present. It can be a great way to share and gain new knowledge as well.
2.Why would a health care provider create a blog?
A health care provider might create a blog for a number of reasons. An acquaintance of mine who is an orthopedic surgeon has a blog dedicated to running. He has been through some injuries and uses the blog as a way to talk about his personal experiences with injury and how has been coping and recovering. It is interesting to see the provider in the role of a patient when reading his blog.
Another reason a health care provider may create a blog is for education. I found a blogs that were created as a way to educate the general public about medicine. A provider may also create a blog to participate with other providers and colleagues. I did see some blogs that were attached with medical centers and residency programs.
3. What are ethical considerations when blogging on a public website, such as we've used for this class?
Privacy is a consideration when blogging on a pubic website. It is important to know who has access to the blog you are posting when you are giving information. It may not be appropriate to share personal information on a public site since anyone may access it. Another consideration is accuracy of information. When reading anther person's blog, it is important to understand that the information may or may not be accurate and may be opinion based. This is important when using a blog for educational purposes. Also, the information posted on your own website may be personal opinion, but you use information from others, it should be acknowledged.
A patient may want to create a blog in order to share their experiences with others in a forum that they are comfortable with. A friend of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer and blogs about it as a way to share it with her family and friends. It is a highly personal subject, and hard often hard to bring up the topic in conversation. On her blog, she can share what she feels comfortable sharing and her friends and family can keep updated. She can also network and find other women in similar situations to share her concerns and worries. Patients can gain support from friends, family members, and even meet new people who have shared the same experience either in the past or in the present. It can be a great way to share and gain new knowledge as well.
2.Why would a health care provider create a blog?
A health care provider might create a blog for a number of reasons. An acquaintance of mine who is an orthopedic surgeon has a blog dedicated to running. He has been through some injuries and uses the blog as a way to talk about his personal experiences with injury and how has been coping and recovering. It is interesting to see the provider in the role of a patient when reading his blog.
Another reason a health care provider may create a blog is for education. I found a blogs that were created as a way to educate the general public about medicine. A provider may also create a blog to participate with other providers and colleagues. I did see some blogs that were attached with medical centers and residency programs.
3. What are ethical considerations when blogging on a public website, such as we've used for this class?
Privacy is a consideration when blogging on a pubic website. It is important to know who has access to the blog you are posting when you are giving information. It may not be appropriate to share personal information on a public site since anyone may access it. Another consideration is accuracy of information. When reading anther person's blog, it is important to understand that the information may or may not be accurate and may be opinion based. This is important when using a blog for educational purposes. Also, the information posted on your own website may be personal opinion, but you use information from others, it should be acknowledged.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Module 4
How did the readings influence your perception of your own clinical decision-making?
The readings in this assignment caused me to look a little closer at my clinical decision-making. I have very little exposure to clinical decision support (CDS)interventions and this assignment opened my eyes to new tools to use, which is great. However, even the best tools are subject to error and only as good as the design of the system and the accuracy of the data that it contains. These are great tools to use, but must be used with caution.
As I have gained more experience as a nurse, I see how my decision-making skills have changed. I was not really very conscious of it until I started thinking about it after I read the material in this module. I realize that when I was a new nurse, I looked up and double checked almost everything I did. As I have become more comfortable in my role and more experienced, I realize I rely on my knowledge more and question less, which can be both good and bad. Intuition can be extremely valuable when you just have a "bad feeling" about something. It can make you more thorough and question the process more closely. However, intuition can also be dangerous when we don't worry about a situation that needs attention, because we have dealt with it before and nothing bad happened. It can lead us to become complacent. So, after reading this material, I will try to pay more attention to what influences my decisions.
The readings in this assignment caused me to look a little closer at my clinical decision-making. I have very little exposure to clinical decision support (CDS)interventions and this assignment opened my eyes to new tools to use, which is great. However, even the best tools are subject to error and only as good as the design of the system and the accuracy of the data that it contains. These are great tools to use, but must be used with caution.
As I have gained more experience as a nurse, I see how my decision-making skills have changed. I was not really very conscious of it until I started thinking about it after I read the material in this module. I realize that when I was a new nurse, I looked up and double checked almost everything I did. As I have become more comfortable in my role and more experienced, I realize I rely on my knowledge more and question less, which can be both good and bad. Intuition can be extremely valuable when you just have a "bad feeling" about something. It can make you more thorough and question the process more closely. However, intuition can also be dangerous when we don't worry about a situation that needs attention, because we have dealt with it before and nothing bad happened. It can lead us to become complacent. So, after reading this material, I will try to pay more attention to what influences my decisions.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Module 3
What sort of teaching is done in your nursing role?
It seems as if there is always quite a bit of teaching involved as my role as a nurse. Working in the ICU, we have a bit of turnover, so we always have new staff training. The VA is also a teaching hospital and it is not unusual to have nursing students every day of the week. It seems as if almost every shift involves teaching new staff or a student. We also have mandatory skills and unit-based skills that we are required to attend as well as expected to teach.
Is there any nursing role that does not involve teaching in some manner?
If there is a role that does not involve teaching, I am unable to think of it. We teach our patients and their families every day. We also have to help educate our co-workers and new staff. And it seems to me like there is always one of my nursing colleagues who has to teach me something every day!
It seems as if there is always quite a bit of teaching involved as my role as a nurse. Working in the ICU, we have a bit of turnover, so we always have new staff training. The VA is also a teaching hospital and it is not unusual to have nursing students every day of the week. It seems as if almost every shift involves teaching new staff or a student. We also have mandatory skills and unit-based skills that we are required to attend as well as expected to teach.
Is there any nursing role that does not involve teaching in some manner?
If there is a role that does not involve teaching, I am unable to think of it. We teach our patients and their families every day. We also have to help educate our co-workers and new staff. And it seems to me like there is always one of my nursing colleagues who has to teach me something every day!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Module 2
You used an electronic index, a guideline index, and a web search engine to retrieve information relevant to your clinical problem. Compare and contrast your results. Which resources were useful/ not useful for your information retrieval task, and why? Identify some alternative strategies for retrieving relevant information - would context relevant information retrieval be useful? (You must be detailed enough here, so that your blog entry evidences your use of both NGC and Google).
The clinical problem I chose was the use of aspirin to prevent miscarriages. I recently heard about research being conducted at the University of Utah regarding the use of aspirin in pregnant women to reduce the risk of miscarriage. I was interested in finding out what previous clinical trials had discovered and if there was reliable research that showed taking aspirin while pregnant reduced the risk of miscarriage in women with recurrent miscarriages.
The electronic index I chose to use was PubMed, since in the past I have used other indexes, such as CINAHL more often and after viewing the tutorial, I realized that there was a lot of information I could use. I was able to the clinical trials and meta-analyses that I searched. After looking through the information, I found some data supporting the use of aspirin and other anticoagulants, but also some data that showed no difference in outcomes. From the information I was able to find, it appears as if aspirin may be beneficial, but more research is needed.
The National Guideline Clearinghouse listed one guideline for recurrent miscarriages. In the information I found, aspirin was recommended preconceptionally, then in combination with heparin during pregnancy. Consultation with a specialist was also advised.
When I searched Google for recurrent miscarriages and aspirin, I was able to find quite a few results. I found a Cochrane Review, which had good information as well as several journal articles. The results also pulled up consumer friendly sites, such as Medscape which could also be useful, depending on the type of information needed.
All of these resources provided good information, however they each have their limitations as well. By using PubMed, I was able to find very specific and reliable information regarding my clinical problem, however it did take me quite a bit of time to navigate and figure out how to use it. The Guideline index pulled up a guideline that I could view quickly and easily, however only guideline on my topic was from the Netherlands. However, I am sure this resource could provide more applicable guidelines for other topics when needed and it was fast and easy to use. Google provided me with the most information, however, it requires the person doing the search to take quite a bit of time to filter through the results and determine what type of information they need and if the information found is from a credible source. I found good, credible information surprisingly quickly, but this will vary greatly depending on the topic searched.
This assignment was an excellent exercise in learning how to retrieve data. I realize that even though I have some experience in searching for data, I still have so much to learn in order to be more effective and efficient. Technology changes quickly and new resources are available all the time. Providers must stay current and up to date in order to have access to the best information to be able to provide the best care.
The clinical problem I chose was the use of aspirin to prevent miscarriages. I recently heard about research being conducted at the University of Utah regarding the use of aspirin in pregnant women to reduce the risk of miscarriage. I was interested in finding out what previous clinical trials had discovered and if there was reliable research that showed taking aspirin while pregnant reduced the risk of miscarriage in women with recurrent miscarriages.
The electronic index I chose to use was PubMed, since in the past I have used other indexes, such as CINAHL more often and after viewing the tutorial, I realized that there was a lot of information I could use. I was able to the clinical trials and meta-analyses that I searched. After looking through the information, I found some data supporting the use of aspirin and other anticoagulants, but also some data that showed no difference in outcomes. From the information I was able to find, it appears as if aspirin may be beneficial, but more research is needed.
The National Guideline Clearinghouse listed one guideline for recurrent miscarriages. In the information I found, aspirin was recommended preconceptionally, then in combination with heparin during pregnancy. Consultation with a specialist was also advised.
When I searched Google for recurrent miscarriages and aspirin, I was able to find quite a few results. I found a Cochrane Review, which had good information as well as several journal articles. The results also pulled up consumer friendly sites, such as Medscape which could also be useful, depending on the type of information needed.
All of these resources provided good information, however they each have their limitations as well. By using PubMed, I was able to find very specific and reliable information regarding my clinical problem, however it did take me quite a bit of time to navigate and figure out how to use it. The Guideline index pulled up a guideline that I could view quickly and easily, however only guideline on my topic was from the Netherlands. However, I am sure this resource could provide more applicable guidelines for other topics when needed and it was fast and easy to use. Google provided me with the most information, however, it requires the person doing the search to take quite a bit of time to filter through the results and determine what type of information they need and if the information found is from a credible source. I found good, credible information surprisingly quickly, but this will vary greatly depending on the topic searched.
This assignment was an excellent exercise in learning how to retrieve data. I realize that even though I have some experience in searching for data, I still have so much to learn in order to be more effective and efficient. Technology changes quickly and new resources are available all the time. Providers must stay current and up to date in order to have access to the best information to be able to provide the best care.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Module 1 Blog entry
1. Introduce yourself to the group. Include your graduate area (e.g., teaching, acute care NP, etc.).
My name is Amy Anderson. I am in my 3rd semester of the Family Nurse Practitioner program. I currently work at the VA hospital in the surgical ICU as well as at the Snowbird Emergency Clinic during the winter months. Right now I am taking time off from work to take care of my 1 month old baby boy (yes,he is very cute!)
Working as an RN at the VA hospital has exposed me to computerized charting and medication administration. We also do the majority of our continuing education on-line as well and we are continually learning new systems.
2. Why do you as a graduate level nurse need to know about information management?
As a graduate level nurse, it is important to learn about information management in order to be able to more effectively and efficiently manage both practice and patient care. I find that working as an RN part-time is difficult due to the fact that technology changes so quickly and each time I go into work there is some type of new technology to learn and incorporate into patient care. As a graduate level provider, we need to be able to access all of the information about a patient in order to provide the best care. Providers must be aware of the information available as well as be able to access this information. It can be difficult to navigate at times, but the availability of information can provide a more accurate history and clinical picture of the patient's condition.
Also, as a graduate level nurse we need to be able to participate in as well as conduct quality improvement projects. This is something that is expected at my workplace and necessary to meet the next level of competency. Being knowledgeable about information management can help to design a better project.
3. Describe what is happening related to IT in your clinical or practice setting.
My workplace has implemented computerized medical records as well as incorporated computerized medication administration. Computerized records help to provide continuity of care when patients are seen at various facilities. Computerized medication administration has allowed us to decrease medication errors as well as to keep more accurate record of medications that patients have received and effectiveness.
My name is Amy Anderson. I am in my 3rd semester of the Family Nurse Practitioner program. I currently work at the VA hospital in the surgical ICU as well as at the Snowbird Emergency Clinic during the winter months. Right now I am taking time off from work to take care of my 1 month old baby boy (yes,he is very cute!)
Working as an RN at the VA hospital has exposed me to computerized charting and medication administration. We also do the majority of our continuing education on-line as well and we are continually learning new systems.
2. Why do you as a graduate level nurse need to know about information management?
As a graduate level nurse, it is important to learn about information management in order to be able to more effectively and efficiently manage both practice and patient care. I find that working as an RN part-time is difficult due to the fact that technology changes so quickly and each time I go into work there is some type of new technology to learn and incorporate into patient care. As a graduate level provider, we need to be able to access all of the information about a patient in order to provide the best care. Providers must be aware of the information available as well as be able to access this information. It can be difficult to navigate at times, but the availability of information can provide a more accurate history and clinical picture of the patient's condition.
Also, as a graduate level nurse we need to be able to participate in as well as conduct quality improvement projects. This is something that is expected at my workplace and necessary to meet the next level of competency. Being knowledgeable about information management can help to design a better project.
3. Describe what is happening related to IT in your clinical or practice setting.
My workplace has implemented computerized medical records as well as incorporated computerized medication administration. Computerized records help to provide continuity of care when patients are seen at various facilities. Computerized medication administration has allowed us to decrease medication errors as well as to keep more accurate record of medications that patients have received and effectiveness.
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