I am currently a dialysis nurse. During my dialysis treatments, I collect various data points. These data points ultimately give an objective picture of what went on during the prescribed dialysis treatment. For example, we collect blood pressure and HR readings every 15 minutes to evaluate the patients tolerance to the treatment. We also collect data regarding the patient access pressures, and what parameters those fit into, in respect to how good the blood flow is. We collect data about the amount of ultrafiltrate obtained at the same 15 minute intervals as the access and blood pressures. Finally, we also collect data on the rate with which we remove the fluid from the patient.
Once analyzed, these data points can tell you exactly how the treatment went at different points in time, what changed and how the patient tolerated it. When a patient tolerated the treatment well, the data can be used as a testament to that. When the treatment is not tolerated, we can use the data to figure out at which point in time things strange to decline, and adjust parameters as needed, in future treatments.
Data collection and analysis is an integral part of nursing care. Trends in health can only be determine through objective data points.
This aspect of nursing care is crucial to establish an evidence based practice. A clinical leader will use the data to improve outcomes for individual patients. The data collection and analysis process is dynamic and it follows all aspects of patient care. Different analysis tools are available to nurses, such as a simple plot graphs imbedded in charting software, where trends can be clearly visualized (MBA HealthGroup, 2015).
Currently, nurses spend around 5-7% of their time collecting vitals from patients (Nagle et. al, 2017). In the future, this data will be automatically obtained, and a nurse’s skill set will be better used at analyzing the data and putting proper responses in place (Nagle et. al, 2017).
MBA HealthGroup. (2015, November 23). Epic inpatient tip of the week: Using synopsis activity.
Nagle , L., Sermeus , W., & Junger , A. (2017). Evolving role of the Nursing Informatics Specialist. Studies in health technology and informatics.
