4 semester credits

Healthcare professionals must have the knowledge and skills to make data-based decisions that lead to effective practice and improved patient care. Students in this course examine database systems as a foundation for studying concepts of data modeling, techniques of data definition, and data manipulation. They explore concepts of information and knowledge management with emphasis on application to the practice setting. Students discuss a variety of topics, such as information management in practice, data modeling, maximizing database performance, and human error in decision making, among others. They also engage in an integrative, collaborative project through which they investigate a current nursing or healthcare issue, plan and build a relational database to address the issue, and assess and provide feedback on plans presented by peers.