Module 4

What sort of teaching is done in your professional role? 
In nursing, there is a continual thread of education in all that we do.  We continue our education and we constantly educate patient, colleagues, and the community.  My personal favorite is education in patient care.  I love the one-on-one intimacy when I am monitoring a labor patient  and educating the parents to the technology we use, what it means and what to expect.  It brings us closer to the patient and their family when we are all on the same page and also builds a great relationship of trust. 


Is there any nursing/health care provider role that does not involve teaching in some manner? I really can't imagine anything that a nurse does that doesn't involve education or teaching in some manner.  Even when we are "off duty" we are educating family members about what to do about this or that.  We educate neighbors about that growth on their nose that should be be looked at.  At the grocery store we help when someone passes out or ask someone if they are feeling alright when we can clearly assess they don't feel well or will pass out any minute.  We go to schools, community centers, AFRICA to teach and educate society on health and safety.  It's a wonderful calling and I can't imagine doing anything else!


Add a link in your blog to the mobile device wiki created for this course and available for your contribution http://editthis.info/nurs_6004_mobile_devices/Main_Page

Yale Medical School, Medical library (2012) http://www.med.yale.edu/library/services/computing/pdahardware.html

Module 2

What is one way you could become involved in designing, selecting, evaluating, or implementing an information system in your workplace?
 Simply ask to get involved if you see a need!  I actually had this opportunity in a Labor and Delivery unit where Cerner was being introduced.  In order to help the designers become familiar to our needs, they shadowed us for a shift to see the various charting that we did.  I was able to give my input on things that would make charting easier, forms that would be helpful for assessment, education and fetal monitoring, and discharge check lists.  As a unit, we made a list of things we needed, and we also were able to work side by side with the designers before it went live for test run's to make sure the charting was adequate, efficient and helpful to the nursing process.  I learned a lot during this process and didn't realize how much I liked the IT area of healthcare.  I think that EMR are limited in a "point and click" manner that could become 'mundane' to the worker but it is so helpful to be able to share a person's EMR with many providers and help coordinate care more efficiently. 

Introductions for Module 1

1. Introduction: Hello wonderful ladies and Gent (Mr Black).  I am excited for a great summer class!  For those of you that don't know me, I am starting my 3rd year.....yes 3rd and I can't believe where the time has gone.  I am in the DNP for Women's Health and Midwifery program and I love it!!  I have an incredible husband, Josh, and a growing beautiful 7 almost 8 year old son Jacob. They are my life and I couldn't do this without them.  I love my cohort and couldn't make it without them either.  We are a force to be reckoned with.

1. Why do you as a graduate level nurse need to know about information management?  In the world of smart boards, smart phones, iPads, and apps it is imperative we as clinician's know how to navigate and use these tools to improve our patient interaction and care.  With an EMR, we have the improved experience to be connected with our patients even from home.  Although technology is blessing and a curse (can't get away from it), I believe that it is a great tool for good to be used to improve healthcare and a great way to be utilized to partner with patients on their care. 
2. Describe what is happening related to IT in your clinical or practice setting.  I worked on a Nurse Care Line and it was completely run by technology.  A patient would call in and have a complaint of some type and we would use programs to rule out/in diagnoses and then create a treatment plan.  This was a phenomenal tool to help elevate the MD's time with the things nurses could take care of and helped with timely response to patient care.  I really enjoyed that technology and most of the technology that I have worked with in within health care over the last 5 years.