An essential paradigm for comprehending how information is changed and applied in numerous contexts, including healthcare, is the idea of data-information-knowledge-wisdom (DIKW). DIKW can be used in clinical decision-making, quality-improvement efforts, and research in nursing practice (Jones, 2018). For example, I had a 36-year-old woman patient at the OB-GYN office for her initial pregnancy appointment. I filled the patient’s medical chart with information on her vital signs, medical history, and lab results. Her weight, blood pressure, heart rate, previous operations, and current medications are all included in the report. This data was then organized, classified, and analyzed using a variety of tools, including flowcharts, graphs, and algorithms to transform it into information. Following that I analyzed this data in light of the patient’s clinical presentation and medical background, applying my expertise and knowledge to spot patterns, trends, and potential issues.
In order to support this implementation of DIKW, nursing informatics is essential. Nurses may collect, organize, and analyze data in real-time with the use of informatics technologies like EHRs, decision support systems, and clinical decision-making algorithms, giving them the timely and accurate information they need to make judgments (Zhang et al., 2019). My active participation in this process as an INS is to make sure that nurses have access to and are trained in using these informatics tools. I may also promote the adoption of evidence-based informatics methods that support the transformation of DIKW in nursing practice, enable the integration of new technologies into practice, and offer continuous support and education.
The DIKW framework, in summary, offers a helpful foundation for comprehending how information is changed and applied in nursing practice. By giving nurses the skills and resources required to gather, arrange, and analyze data in real-time, nursing informatics plays a crucial part in assisting this shift (Jones, 2018). My active role in this process as an INS is to encourage evidence-based informatics practices that support the transformation of DIKW in nursing practice as well as to support the practice-integration of these technologies.
References
Jones, M. (2018). Information to knowledge: charting and measuring a course of lifelong learning. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 106(2), 235-237. Web.
Zhang, J., Crouch, M. A., & Yu, P. (2019). Data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in healthcare: a literature review. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 8342498. Web.