Data warehouse approach to nursing management.
OBJECTIVE
This article describes a data warehouse approach when designing an information system to meet nursing management needs in acute hospital setting.


BACKGROUND
The rapidly changing health care environment has created new challenges for nursing leaders and requires appropriate, accurate and timely data for decision-making.


METHODS
Key aspects of current information needs were identified by a nursing expert group. A data warehouse-based Nursing Management Information System was produced and piloted in nine wards. A survey and interviews were conducted to evaluate the piloting.


RESULTS
Data from the patient administrative system together with nursing rostering data and measures for nursing care intensity brought new opportunities for nursing management.


CONCLUSIONS
A Nursing Management Information System is suggested to be built using data warehouse model. Successful implementation of a Nursing Management Information System requires systematic data quality checks. An information analyst is essential for interpreting and communicating nursing data to multi-professional management groups.
Junttila
Kristiina
K
Helsinki University Central Hospital, Jorvi Hospital, Espoo, Finland. kristina.junttila@hus.fi
Meretoja
Riitta
R
Seppälä
Anja
A
Tolppanen
Esa-Matti
EM
Ala-Nikkola
Taina
T
Silvennoinen
Leena
L
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003200:Computer User Training; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D005103:Expert Systems; D005387:Finland; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D007297:Inpatients / Q000145:classification*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D048108:Nursing Informatics / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D009738:Nursing Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010562:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010934:Planning Techniques; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D016526:Workload