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Data Mining: Directed data collection exercise


Submitter Information


Name: Lisa Day
Title: Assistant Clinical Professor
Credentials: RN PhD
Co-Authors:

Elaine L. Smith RN, MSN, MBA, CNAA QSEN Project Manager University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing Chapel Hill, NC US


Organization: UCSF, School of Nursing, Dept. of Physiological Nursing
Email: lisa.day@nursing.ucsf.edu
Address 1: 2 Koret Way, Rm N631
City: San Francisco
State: CA
ZIP: 94143-0610

Teaching Strategy


Competency Category(s):
Learner Level(s):
  • Pre-licensure ADN/diploma
  • Pre-licensure BSN
  • RN to BSN
  • New graduates/transition to practice

Learner Setting(s):
  • Clinical settings

Strategy Type:
  • Individual Lesson Plans

Learning Objectives:

Students will: 1. demonstrate skills in gathering data using a variety of sources including electronic and computer systems.

  1. demonstrate skills in identifying and analyzing those data which indicate variations in care.
  2. demonstrate attitudes that reflect a desire to engage in nursing practice that attends to the quality of care these data indicate.

Strategy Overview:

During a clinical day in an acute care setting, instruct students to complete data mining forms in the course of caring for one patient. The forms are designed around a particular aspect of care; eg: fluid balance and nutrition or bowel elimination. Once the data collection is complete students share with one another during clinical conference the information they have gathered.

Questions for group discussion:

What difficulties did you run into while gathering the information?

How might the data be used to improve the care of your patient today?

How might the data, if they were collected on all of the patients on the unit, contribute to quality improvement?


Submitted Materials


Media Type(s):
  • PDF files

File(s):



Evaluation Description


Students will be evaluated on their ability to find data, record data accurately and draw conclusions as to how data might be used. During discussion, students will generate ideas for quality improvement and literature review that may be appropriate to share with nurse leaders in the institution.

In my experience students are interested in searching out the information to complete their forms. They need to be guided as to how the information should be interpreted and used to draw conclusions about their patient. Some find the exercise frustrating when they can’t find the information or the documentation is incomplete or difficult to read/understand. This exercise gives students an appreciation for clear, complete documentation and incentive to improve their own documentation.

Other ideas for data mining exercises include pain management, blood glucose monitoring and control, and pressure injury care and prevention. For new graduate nurses, these exercises might also be tied to a documentation audit.