The Foundation of Knowledge Model in Practice and Leadership

There is always an increase in the environment of healthcare in the use of technology that has been obvious in all organizations such as mobile computers, electronic health records with automated exchanges between providers and patients, telehealth, and online virtual visits and appointments. Due to the rapid development of technology, it became essential to emerge it in all aspects of the nursing profession and be focused on Nursing Informatics (NI). Nursing informatics has been addressed as a specialty in the profession which requires expanded knowledge, and the processing of data through science and system (Booth, 2016).

McGonigle and Mastrian (2018) presented an overview of the building blocks of Nursing Informatics (NI), computer sciences and cognitive sciences. They introduced the Foundation of Knowledge model as the conceptual framework of NI which I have chosen to describe briefly for the purpose of this paper and how it is intended to provide a useful foundation for an overarching model for NI in general.

The Foundation of Knowledge model focuses on nursing science and the practice of nursing informatics. The essence of nursing practice science requires data that leads to information, which – in turn - leads to knowledge that would be applied to a problem and acting with wisdom (Nelson, 2018). The model integrated four kinds of knowledge: Knowledge acquisition, knowledge dissemination, knowledge generation, and knowledge processing. Nurses are knowledge acquirers that collect and provide knowledge; knowledge disseminators distribute and share the knowledge; knowledge generators generate new knowledge based on practice, and education, and knowledge processors, analyze, produce, and convey the knowledge. The model meant to show that - as knowledge grows - it becomes more transparent and tends to generate new knowledge (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2018).

Nursing is a dynamic field that consistently use and manipulate knowledge to alleviate errors and improve the quality of patient’s care. The conceptualization of the model applies the building blocks of nursing informatics. It expands the scope of practice in nursing informatics and incorporates additional information and knowledge to drive the movement towards nursing praxis (Ronquillo, Currie & Rodney, 2016).

Application to Nursing Practice

The Foundation of the knowledge model can be applied in the daily practice of nurses. For example, once a nurse gets hand-over of her/his patients, the knowledge acquisition will be utilized by gathering information about the patients (patient history, etc.), and then the nurse will process and analyze this knowledge to develop a patient-care plan. Later on, knowledge about the patient’s health will be disseminated to other healthcare providers for continuity of care or treatment advices. By following the fundamental component of the Foundation of Knowledge model, nurses generate new knowledge and experience. This is based on each specific situation. The development of wisdom needed is followed by applying that which they have learned. Wisdom has been called the foundation of the art of nursing (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2018) and knowledge learning is a lifelong commitment that nurses have to apply in the practice of nursing science.

The remarkable growth of nursing informatics and the massive amounts of technological changes over the last ten years caused the rebuilding of the role of the nurse leaders and nurse educators, aligning around data, information, knowledge, and wisdom (Booth, 2016). The human / computer interaction concept is an essential element for NI where leaders and educators have to have sufficient skills and tools to support the management of processing knowledge in nursing practice to benefit and apply the best care for patients (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2018). Leadership have already realized the significant role that computers play in knowledge acquisitions and distribution, which interfaces dramatically in their roles to become a powerful tool to help nurses to become more efficient and effective dealing with technology, and attaining the competencies needed to be experts at information management and decision making.

During the implementation of the electronic health record system in our hospital, the nursing management team experienced strong resistance to this change. As a manager and super user at that time, I had to walk many extra miles to prepare my nursing management colleagues to face the challenges of technology and emerging it in their practice. Nursing leaders must think on how to prepare the nurses on the ethical use of technology by providing strategic preemptive leadership maps related to the adaption of nursing informatics and communication technologies (Kassam, Nagle & Strudwick, 2017). In this technological age, the ability to integrate rapid technological change in the healthcare system has become part of the role of nursing leaders and educators. They are expected to create educational models in order to assure that nurses receive the adequate training and excel in informatics competencies integrated in their practice.

In conclusion, the integration of technology in healthcare, particularly in the form of Nursing Informatics (NI), has become indispensable for the nursing profession. The Foundation of Knowledge model provides a conceptual framework that emphasizes the importance of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. As the nursing field continues to evolve, nurses must adeptly utilize technology to acquire, process, disseminate, and generate knowledge, ultimately enhancing patient care. The dynamic nature of nursing practice requires a commitment to continuous learning and the application of wisdom gained through experience. Nurse leaders and educators play a crucial role in facilitating this transition, ensuring that nursing professionals are well-prepared to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements. The resistance encountered during the implementation of electronic health record systems underscores the importance of strategic leadership and education in promoting the ethical use of technology in nursing practice. In this technologically-driven era, nursing leaders and educators must spearhead efforts to equip nurses with the necessary informatics competencies, fostering a culture of innovation and efficiency in healthcare delivery.