Standardized work descriptions
This is one of the case studies initiated by InterMedia, the University of Oslo in collaboration with a large Norwegian University Hospital. The organization is in transition and will relocate to new work environments, reorganized workflow and become extensive reliant on new digital artifacts. Contact persons for the cases: Anne Moen, anne.moen(at)intermedia.uio.no, Sturle Nes, sturle.nes(at)intermedia.uio.no,
This case study set out to explore and investigate what happens to knowledge practices as Ahus' (Akershus University Hospital HF) re-organize, systematize and harmonize the nursing service's clinical procedures. We will study this implementation based on observation, interviews and video based data, over a longer period of time. Our main focus will be how the clinical procedures will be used in the everyday practices.
Purpose of case study
This case study set out to explore and investigate what happens to knowledge practices as AHUS' (Akershus University Hospital HF) re-organize, systematize and harmonize the nursing service's clinical procedures. We will study this implementation based on observation, interviews and video based data, over a longer period of time. Our main focus will be how the clinical procedures will be used in the everyday practices.
Description of the setting, tools and practices.
As part of their quality improvement and competency development activities, AHUS has established a project to re-organize and systematize their clinical nursing procedures. The overarching goals are to promote and facilitate for evidence-based practice, improve computer and informatics literacy and simplify representation of nursing practice in the integrated Electronic Patient Record (EPR).
The purpose of the project is to improve the knowledge management by
- harmonize and systematize their local, in-house pool of clinical procedures for the nursing service and the commercially available PPS (Praktiske Prosedyrer for Sykepleietjenesten).
- make all the clinical procedures available electronically; as stand-alone application accessible in the intranet and as a component accessible from their EPR and integrated with representations of nursing practice.
PPS is a repository for documentation and quality assurance of clinical nursing procedures, purchased from Akribe Forlag (www.akribe.no). It is a repository of approx. 300 procedures nurses performs. PPS integrate research based knowledge and new evidence, and adhere to legal regulations and recommendations as well professional guidelines and national standards if available. New releases and updates of PPS are distributed to the customers annually. AHUS has also an existing pool of clinical procedures, written in-house and classified according to institution-wide, department or unit specific applicability. To systematize and harmonize the two repositories of clinical procedures they plan to eliminate their own if existing in PPS, and add to or write new ones if procedure is necessary for the institution but not available in PPS yet.
The repository of clinical procedures (when synchronized) will be used for several purposes; to support the representation of nursing practice (as a reference), to improve quality of nursing practice and nursing documentation, and to focus on why a clinical procedure should be performed a specific way (beyond what to do). The procedures will be available and accessible from the EPR and as a knowledge repository in the intranet for employee orientations, introduction to the students and as part of their competency development efforts.
