EBP and Nursing Informatics: IV Charting Best Practices
This paper examines evidence-based best practices in nursing informatics as applied to the development of an electronic IV charting pathway. It discusses three core strategies: the use of standardized clinical terminologies such as SNOMED CT and LOINC to ensure consistency and interoperability; relational database models to minimize redundancy and improve data retrieval through SQL querying; and data integrity and security measures, including primary and foreign keys and access controls to protect patient confidentiality. Together, these practices improve the uniformity, accuracy, and reliability of clinical data collection.
- Introduction to EBP and Nursing Informatics: Context for electronic IV charting best practices
- Standardized Terminologies in Clinical Data Collection: SNOMED CT and LOINC for consistent clinical data
- Relational Database Models for Data Management: Structured tables and SQL for data retrieval
- Data Integrity and Security in Electronic Charting: Keys, constraints, and security for patient data
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- Concisely organizes three distinct best-practice strategies into a logical sequence, moving from terminology standardization to database structure to security.
- Grounds each recommendation in cited sources, linking practical clinical recommendations to academic and professional literature.
- Uses plain, accessible language to explain technical concepts (e.g., relational databases, SQL) in a healthcare context, making the content approachable for nursing students.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied synthesis — taking evidence-based informatics principles from the literature and translating them into concrete recommendations for a specific clinical task (electronic IV charting). Rather than simply summarizing sources, each strategy is framed around a practical problem and justified with a rationale drawn from cited evidence.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief framing paragraph identifying the clinical context. It then devotes one focused paragraph to each of the three best-practice strategies — standardized terminologies, relational database models, and data integrity/security — before closing with a brief synthesis sentence. The references follow APA format. This tight, task-focused structure suits a short applied informatics assignment at the undergraduate or early graduate level.
Introduction to EBP and Nursing Informatics
The task of creating an electronic IV charting pathway can certainly benefit from best practices regarding data collection elements that would improve uniformity and the overall retrieval process. Some of the best practice strategies for this include the use of standardized terminologies, relational database models, and ensuring data integrity and security.
Standardized Terminologies in Clinical Data Collection
Standardized terminologies can be helpful as a best practice because they keep things consistent and meaningful (Alexander et al., 2019). Using standardized clinical terminologies and coding systems, such as SNOMED CT or LOINC, ensures that data entered into the database is consistent and can be uniformly interpreted across different systems. This is necessary for coherence and consistency; it reduces ambiguity while also improving the way data is shared among various healthcare providers and teams. When everyone agrees on meaning, better care results (Zhang et al., 2021).
References
Alexander, S., Frith, K. H., & Hoy, H. (2019). Applied Clinical Informatics for Nurses (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Zhang, T., Wu, X., Peng, G., Zhang, Q., Chen, L., Cai, Z., & Ou, H. (2021). Effectiveness of standardized nursing terminologies for nursing practice and healthcare outcomes: A systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Knowledge, 32(4), 220–228.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.