Information Literacy and the Scholar-Practitioner Leadership Model

Introduction: Leadership and Information Literacy

Leadership is generally described as the ability to direct or guide others and to contribute to their knowledge and professional growth. Effective leaders possess knowledge, understanding, and a broad comprehension of what an organization requires to conduct business in a manner that supports growth for both its shareholders and the company itself. The ability to process information efficiently and effectively is central to becoming an effective leader, and organizations actively seek individuals with characteristics that will drive the organization toward success.

A leader is competent when he or she is knowledgeable and can apply learned theory in order to accomplish established goals. Information literacy — the capacity to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use information — is a foundational component of this competence, and its relationship to the scholar-practitioner-leadership (SPL) model is the focus of this paper.

Leadership, Scholarship, and Critical Thinking

Leaders must have a scholarly perspective on the constraints an organization faces, meaning there must be an application of critical thinking when making decisions. According to Lipman (1995), critical thinking is interpreted as "skillful responsible thinking that facilitates good judgment." By using critical thinking skills, leaders can analyze methods and develop strategies that fit the organization, and beyond that they can address constraints and risks even before these become large problems.

When leaders connect their research to practice, they become true scholarly practitioners. They become able to challenge their own ideas, revise current beliefs and practices, and create new strategies (Winter, Griffiths, & Green, as cited in Thomson, 2007). This integration of scholarship and practice is the defining characteristic of the SPL model.

Recognizing the importance of evidence-based practice, effective healthcare leaders have implemented many systems and resources to keep professionals informed about the latest technology and research findings, including online medical references and Internet-based continuing education. Many healthcare institutions have adopted evidence-based practice as a scientific research model for clinical decision-making and for quality care improvement. One example of this is the development of myocardial infarction protocols, which represent just one of many measures implemented based on research outcomes, with the goal of increasing patient survival rates.

Information Literacy in Health Care

A throughput time process was developed for emergency room units to improve patient satisfaction by increasing patient flow and decreasing waiting periods. This is one specific example of information literacy leadership being applied in healthcare institutions. It demonstrates how scholarly inquiry, when connected to practice, produces measurable improvements in care delivery.

Surgical procedures were considerably more complex in the past and required long hours to complete, with recovery phases that demanded extended hospital stays. Today, surgeries are increasingly faster and more minimally invasive. For example, the conventional approach to removing brain tumors required a craniotomy — the surgical removal of a portion of the skull — whereas a newer procedure now allows the tumor to be removed through the nose, resulting in faster recovery with less pain and scarring.

Healthcare is a field in which information is constantly and rapidly changing, rendering yesterday's procedures obsolete in the light of today's advances. This makes information literacy imperative in the field. Professionals who fail to remain current risk delivering substandard care based on outdated knowledge.

Nurses specifically are expected to be information-literate in order to increase competence, because every day a new treatment, medication, or procedure becomes available for use. Remaining properly informed is essential for a nurse as much as for any other medical practitioner, and perhaps even more so. As the primary caregiver in many medical situations, a nurse's knowledge can go a long way toward improving a patient's quality of life and reducing their risks.

Conclusion

Information literacy is a vital element of the scholarship-leadership-practice model. It influences leadership by providing the necessary tools and resources to lead a successful institution or business. Information literacy empowers scholars and leaders with the confidence to share important information and guide others effectively.