Application: Creating a Flowchart
Workflow analysis aims to determine workflow patterns that maximize the effective use of resources and minimize activities that do not add value. There are a variety of tools that can be used to analyze the workflow of processes and clarify potential avenues for eliminating waste. Flowcharts are a basic and commonly used workflow analysis method that can help highlight areas in need of streamlining.
In this Assignment, you select a common event that occurs regularly in your organization and create a flowchart representing the workflow. You analyze the process you have diagrammed and propose changes for improvement.
For this assignment you can choose ordering medication or rooming a patient .
Please refer to the AHRQ website for more workflow samples
Include the AHRQ in the reference list as well McGonigle and mastrian( 2012) Niursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Use other scholarly references.
To prepare:
Identify a common, simple event that frequently occurs in your organization that you would like to evaluate.
Consider how you would design a flowchart to represent the current workflow.
Consider what metrics you would use to determine the effectiveness of the current workflow and identify areas of waste.
To complete:
Write a 3- to 5-page paper which includes the following:
Create a simple flowchart of the activity you selected. (Review the Sample Workflow of Answering a Telephone in an Office document found in this week’s Learning Resources for an example.)
Next, in your paper:
Explain the process you have diagrammed.
For each step or decision point in the process, identify the following:
Who does this step? (It can be several people.)
What technology is used?
What policies and rules are involved in determining how, when, why, or where the step is executed?
What information is needed for the execution of this step?
Describe the metric that is currently used to measure the soundness of the workflow. Is it effective?
Describe any areas where improvements could occur and propose changes that could bring about these improvements in the workflow.
Summarize why it is important to be aware of the flow of an activity.
Remember to include a cover page, introduction, and summary for your paper.
This week’s assignment requires you to diagram a process using a flowchart. You must create a standard flowchart and apply the common symbols used with this method. Also to get an excellent rating on this assignment you need to integrate outside resources in addition to course resources and to get a good rating you need to integrate course resources.
In my view of the course resources, the link to a Sample Workflow is missing. I have added this file “ NURS_6051_Week07_sampleWorkflow-1 CR” to Doc Sharing.
I would consult the AHRQ site “Workflow Assessment for Health IT Toolkit for Flowchart Examples. Here is the link: http://healthit.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resources/workflow-assessment-health-it-toolkit/all-workflow-tools/flowchart
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement is also a great site to find resources on healthcare topics and workflow issues. You can often find an example of a flowchart for specific processes. Here is the link: http://www.ihi.org/Pages/default.aspx.You are required to register for this site, yet it is a free site and well worth the time it takes to register.
I would consult the ASQ website for a great summary of the construction of a flowchart and the use symbols: http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/process-analysis-tools/overview/flowchart.html
Here are some additional links to flowcharts.
Shapes:
http://www.breezetree.com/article-excel-flowchart-shapes.htm
http://www.edrawsoft.com/Basic-Flowcharts.php
Creating flowcharts in Word and PowerPoint
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/draw-flowcharts-with-word-and-powerpoint-HA001055266.aspx
For a PC: http://ase.tufts.edu/its/trainDocuments/word07Flowcharts.pdf
For a Mac: http://ase.tufts.edu/its/trainDocuments/word08Flowcharts.pdf
Posted to: NURS-6051D-40,Transforming Nursing & HC.2013 Summer Qtr 06/03-08/25-PT1
AHRQ Website
Posted on: Sunday, July 14, 2013
Looks like the AHRQ site is not accessible. I found the attached on the HIMSS website. I believe you will find it useful for your discussion board assignment.
201111_WorkflowAssessmentHealthITAmbulatoryCare_CarayonPascale.pdf(356.9kb)
I have uploaded a sample paper to make it easier.
Creating a flow chart
Your Name
University
Course number and section
Date
Creating a work flow
Type your paper here. The references belong on a page of their own. So does the title page. This is your introduction so tells us about the process you are going to use in your diagram.
Workflow Diagram of the Process
Diagram 1 Workflow of Sample Process
put workflow diagram here ( page 2)
Stakeholders (Who does this help?)
Start paragraph here…………………………. As noted in Diagram 1…..
Technology Used
Describe the technology used here.
Policies and Rules
Describe the policies involved here.
Metric used for Workflow Evaluation
Start here
Areas for Improvement
Conclusion
Conclude here
References
(Most likely only the course material or statistical data for this paper. I left some of my samples.)
Bradley, P. (2006). The history of simulation in medical education and possible future directions. Medical Education, 40(3), 254-262. Retrieved February 2, 2010, from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.
Good, M. (2003). Patient simulation for training basic and advanced clinical skills. Medical Education, 3714-21. Retrieved February 1, 2010, from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.
Gordon, C., & Buckley, T. (2009). The effect of high-fidelity simulation training on medical-surgical graduate nurses’ perceived ability to respond to patient clinical emergencies. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 40(11), 491-500. Retrieved February 1, 2010, from CINAHL Plus with Full Text database.
