Module # 5

How did the readings influence your perception of your own clinical decision making?

I thoroughly enjoyed the readings on heuristics, particullarly the video by Kahneman.  This module helped me analyze how I come up with decisions,a nd why do I make them (based on my knowledge and past experiences).  I liked the fact that I can combine my nursing knowledge with intuition, and experience in order to help a patient solve a heal problem. 
As a school nurse I saw a particular student come into my office every day right after lunch because she felt ill.  I used my knowledge and assessed the student, listened to bowel sounds, talked about what the student had eaten, and questioned her about hand-hashing prior meals.  Everything seemed to be in order, and I could not find anything physically wrong with this student.  Then, I used my intuition and began asking the student what class she had after lunch and she replied Math.  We talked about her group of classmates in math class and if there was anything that was bothering her or making her uncomfortable.  After a long chat, the student admitted that she hated math, and did not want to go because she was "dumb" and could not solve math problems as fast or as well as everyone else.  Finally, my experience kicked in and I was able to help the student by talking to the teacher and getting some tutoring help for her; I also talked to the school counselor about helping this child with her self esteem and to offer her healthy coping skills when she encounters difficulty in school .  Nursing is not balck and white, I was reassured that using my experience, and intuition along with knowledge is beneficial for the patient.  Not everything is learned from a textbook, heuristics also plays an inportant role in nursing practice.

In my practice, I have seen the benefit of using clinical decision support systems because it offers evidence based clinical information at my fingetips.  Thanks to reliable and up to date information, I can offer my patients quality health care that is patient centered, and also provide teaching that will help the patient make the best decisions for their health.

Module #4

link to mobile device wiki

What sort of teaching is done in your professional role? Is there any nursing/health care provider role that does not involve teaching in some manner?
In my professional role, teaching is essential.  As a family nurse practitioner I teach patients medication administration and disease management.  I am also involved in teaching staff at all levels regarding diseases; for example, if a patient is sitting in the waiting room and has a hypoglycemic episode, the receptionist (after receiving the teaching and training), will be prepared to recognize low blood sugar signs and symptoms.  I will be able to teach colleagues as well, after gaining knowledge in a conference or if I have learned some type of special procedure that will be new to our practice.

All nursing and health care provider roles involve teaching in some manner.  Nurses possess a body of knowledge that must be shared with patients, staff, the community, and our families.  I believe that even if nurses did not want to teach, individuals would still ask the nurse for advice.  Teaching is a very important part of nursing, it allows us to improve the health and outcomes of entire communities.