Mocule 4 question 2

The nursing process directs us to assess, evaluate, intervene and plan. There are many data points that are collected in that process and the integrity of that data impacts the quality of the decision making whether it is done through a computer program or by the nurse making a clinical judgment. Incorrect or omitted information can result in inappropriate or possibly harmful care of a patient.
In Hebda and Czar they describe the impact that computer systems can make on minimizing errors in the medical record. Specifically systems that do not allow medication or radiology orders to be entered unless a crucial data point like patient allergies is entered. Certain systems also alert the provider if a duplicate order is entered. Most systems will also generate alerts for the nurse if certain orders have not been documented as given when that time period has passed by. More sophisticated decision support systems and expert systems are being implemented to improve the compliance with evidence-based practice. Three different types of clinical decision support systems were identified, these include decision support systems, clinical decision support and expert systems are described by
Anderson and Willson describe the use of some of these systems and the response of the nurses to their utility. I thought the report on the use of the Toowoomba Adult Triage Trauma Tool interesting. It seemed that the nurses found this tool to give them both good education through the use of simulations and easy access to decision support. One of the concerns voiced was that this program was so sophisticated in its ability to guide decision making that perhaps nurses would be taken out of the role of triage and a non-nurse with the aid of TATTT would triage patients. I have heard others verbalize this fear of decision making software.