Data drives innovations in healthcare. Whether through exploring patient care practices, introducing new care techniques, or providing new lifesaving medicine, data drives the ability to offer these solutions in practice. Data is not compiled, applied, or analyzed using only one approach—therefore, it is important to explore the various strategies used and  consider implications, barriers, and impact of data science on nursing practice.

This week, you will analyze the use of data science applications and processes for healthcare organizations and nursing practice. You will also consider and examine approaches for implementation of data science.

This week also serves as the first week in which you will submit a portion of your small nursing informatics project. You will submit Part 1 of your project, and you will begin working on Part 2. Remember, while using project management skills and techniques, the goal of this project is to demonstrate your understanding of nursing informatics through the implementation, or potential implementation, of your proposed small nursing informatics project.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze data science applications and processes for healthcare organizations and nursing practice
• Evaluate approaches for implementation of data science applications and processes for nursing practice
• Analyze use of predictive analytics for clinical practice
• Develop a small nursing informatics project
• Identify a small nursing informatics project
• Develop a project scope and charter for a nursing informatics project
• Perform a SWOT analysis related to a small nursing informatics project
• Create a GAP analysis for a nursing informatics project
• Analyze the work breakdown structure related to a small nursing informatics project
• Construct a project timeline for a small nursing informatics project
• Identify responsibility roles in small nursing informatics projects
• Develop a communication plan for small nursing informatics projects
• Develop a change management plan for small nursing informatics projects
• Develop a risk management plan for small nursing informatics projects

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Learning Resources

Required Media (click to expand/reduce)

Required Readings (click to expand/reduce)

Data Analytics (click to expand/reduce)

Optional Resources (click to expand/reduce)

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Discussion: Data Science Applications and Processes

• Data mining has been cited as one of the advantages scientists used in the creation of the COVID-19 vaccinations. Data mining was used in the trials of these vaccinations to signal safety concerns and trends more quickly in the trial groups. As a result, these vaccinations were quickly available to support the  effort in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Photo Credit: Colin Anderson / Blend Images / Getty Images

Thinking beyond the scope of a major vaccination effort and pandemic, how might data compiled and analyzed in your healthcare organization or nursing practice help support efforts aimed at patient quality and safety? Why might it be important to consider the how’s and why’s of data collection, application, and implementation? How might these practices shape your nursing practice or even the future of nursing?

For this Discussion, you will explore various topics related to data and consider the process and application of each. Reflect on the use of these applications, but also consider the implications of how these applications might shape the future of nursing and healthcare practice.

To Prepare

• Review the Learning Resources for this week related to the topics: Big Data, Data Science, Data Mining, Data Analytics, and Machine Learning.
• Consider the process and application of each topic.
• Reflect on how each topic relates to nursing practice.

By Day 3 of Week 5

Post a succinct summary on how each topic might apply to nursing practice. Be specific. Note: These topics may overlap as you will find in the readings (e.g., some processes require both Data Mining and Analytics).

In your post include the following:

• Explain how you see the data concepts presented aligning with your current practice. What do you need to know to apply these concepts?
• Do you currently use one of these processes in your healthcare organization or nursing practice? If so, how and in what context?
• If you do not currently use one of these processes in your healthcare organization or nursing practice, what would it take to implement it? What do you see as a benefit for use?
• How is predictive analytics applied to clinical practice? Be specific and provide examples.

By Day 6 of Week 5

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days. Expand upon your colleague’s posting or offer an alternative perspective on how the terms might apply or affect your healthcare organization or nursing practice.

Submission and Grading Information

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 5 Discussion Rubric

Post by Day 3 of Week 5 and Respond by Day 6 of Week 5

To Participate in this Discussion:

Week 5 Discussion

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Assignment: Developing a Small Nursing Informatics Project for Your Organization, Part 1

• You will use project management tools and strategies to propose how you would support and potentially implement a small nursing informatics project. While you may not have the opportunity to implement this proposed project, this project will allow you to apply the skills needed and the considerations that are required in deducing how a project of this scope might take place in your nursing practice. To complete this project, you will define a small informatics project that would be beneficial to your healthcare organization or nursing practice. You can discuss this with upper leadership, in your practice or organization, explaining that you will need to design, plan, and propose how to implement and evaluate a small informatics project that can be completed within a 9-week time frame during this course. This project will be completed in two parts.

• Photo Credit: auremar / Adobe Stock

The Assignment: (10–11 pages)

This week, you will finalize Part 1 of your Small Informatics Project, using all documents completed during Weeks 1–4.

• Identify and initiate a conversation with a nurse leader at your nursing practice or healthcare organization. Discuss what you will need to develop Scope and Charter Documents.
• Conduct a SWOT analysis which will provide information for the Scope and Charter. You can use a Word document and insert a table. Directions can be viewed in the Week 3 media piece, How to Perform a SWOT Analysis, found in this week’s Learning Resources. Some of the content is relevant to both the project for this course as well as organization of your doctoral dissertation. Overall, the first step for any project, work or your dissertation, requires a plan: what you will and will not do. That information is defined in a charter and scope.
• Create a visual using the Gap Analysis map of the identified gap, documenting the flow from the point of origin to the destination. After watching the Week 3 media piece, How to do a GAP Analysis, identify the gap and analyze the flow or lack of flow of information as the gap in a process. The visual map will include the flow from the point of origin to the destination.
• Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) using PowerPoint slides or another method. Be sure to review the media piece, What Is a Work Breakdown Structure? in the Week 3 Learning Resources.
• Create a Project Timeline Gantt chart, which defines who is responsible, due dates to start /finish activities. (You might also use this as you track your dissertation IRB submission for your proposal). You can find an example on pp. 95–96 of your text, using PowerPoint slides, or another method. Be sure to review the Gantt Charts, Simplified media piece in this week’s Learning Resources. 
• RACI (responsibility chart) which outlines who will be responsible for which tasks, if working with a team. An example can be found in the Sipes text on pages 102–103.
• Communication plan – Include documentation of all communications, status reports, changes made, and next steps, especially if others will be responsible for helping you acquire documents such as IRB site documents if applicable. An example can be found in the Sipes text on page 109 and on pages 141–143.
• Change management plan – Document all changes as they occur (e.g., meetings moved, revisions of drafts of project, due dates moved due to changes, changes in scope of project, change in team members). An example can be found in the Sipes text on page 106, 108, 138 and on pages 156–157.
• Risk management plan– After viewing the Week 4 media piece, “Risk Analysis How to Analyze Risks on Your Project,” document the impact of COVID-19 on current processes and potential for change. Be sure to also document how risk may be mitigated if possible. An example can be found in the Sipes text on pages 103–105.

Compile all updated and current documents from Weeks 1–4 to submit.

Include a description and application to practice for each of the tools you developed. Include the rationale in your submission. Address the following:

• How and why it was developed and its function (all activities will be identified in the WBS)
• How it will be applied to your project? Is it new technology?
• Who was involved in changes and what are their responsibilities? (This is the stakeholders, leadership, end users – (use the RACI chart)
• In what way has this changed with the onset of the pandemic, if at all? This might be the gap analysis, change management plan. What were the changes?
• Are health information system/application upgrades scheduled or planned? Why or why not?

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available at https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates/general#s-lg-box-20293632). All papers submitted must use this formatting.

Submit your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 5.

Submission and Grading Information

To submit your completed Assignment for review and grading, do the following:

• Please save your Assignment using the naming convention WK5Assgn+last name+first initial as the name.
• Click the Week 5 Assignment Rubric to review the Grading Criteria for the Assignment.
• Click the Week 5 Assignment link. You will also be able to “View Rubric” for grading criteria from this area.
• Next, from the Attach File area, click on the Browse My Computer button. Find the document you saved as WK5Assgn+last name+first initial and click Open.
• If applicable: From the Plagiarism Tools area, click the checkbox for I agree to submit my paper(s) to the Global Reference Database.
• Click on the Submit button to complete your submission.

Grading Criteria

To access your rubric:

Week 5 Assignment Rubric

Check Your Assignment Draft for Authenticity

To check your Assignment draft for authenticity:

Submit your Week 5 Assignment draft and review the originality report.

Submit Your Assignment by Day 7 of Week 5

To participate in this Assignment:

Week 5 Assignment

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Looking Ahead: Developing a Small Nursing Informatics Project for Your Organization, Part 2: Implementation

• With the documents from Part 1, you will construct a scholarly paper and presentation for Part 2 of your small nursing informatics project.
  The scholarly paper will include a minimum of 10 current citations from peer-reviewed journals. Every statement made in a scholarly report must be supported by a reference. Please note that only primary sources are to be used. Peer-reviewed journal articles should make up the bulk of your references (90%). If referring to a book, be sure to include all information in APA style, including specific page numbers when necessary.

• Photo Credit: auremar / Adobe Stock

Note that an article referred in a book is a secondary source. Please review the APA Publication Manual (APA; 7th ed.) and in the Walden Writing Center. See also “Policies on Academic Integrity.”

As you construct your paper, please be advised that an outstanding paper demonstrates breadth and depth of knowledge and critical thinking appropriate for doctoral level scholarship. The report must be free of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors.

In addition to the scholarly paper, you will construct a 10- to 15-slide, narrated presentation for the stakeholders in your project. You will share your presentation with your colleagues, prior to the final submission, for critique and feedback. Part 2 will consist of this Assignment, the narrated presentation, and final revisions to the Part 1 submission incorporating Instructor review and feedback.

The complete project will be submitted by Day 7 of Week 9.

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What’s Coming Up in Week 6?

Next week, you will continue your exploration of emerging technologies in healthcare and nursing practice by focusing on digital medicine. You will also explore various devices, barriers, and impacts through your completion of the assessments and review of the Learning Resources.