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Tech Report kmi-06-10 Abstract


Knowledge work in nursing and midwifery: an evaluation through computer mediated communication
Techreport ID: kmi-06-10
Date: 2006
Author(s): Fiona Brooks, Peter Scott
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Recent changes in policy and culture require health workers to incorporate ??knowledge work?? as a routine component of professional practice. Innovative computer-mediated communication technologies provide the opportunity to evaluate the nature of ??knowledge work?? within nursing and midwifery. This study embedded an online discussion system into an acute NHS Trust to support interaction within communities of practice. The complete record of online communications was analysed. Nurses were found to predominantly engage in information work with knowledge work restricted to senior-to-senior level exchanges. In contrast, midwives were observed to employ the technology to support knowledge work between all grades. The study indicates that technology can support knowledge work, including conveying tacit knowledge effectively.

Publication(s):

International Journal of Nursing Studies, Vol.43, 1, (83-97), Elsevier.
 
KMi Publications
 

Knowledge Management is...


Knowledge Management
Creating learning organisations hinges on managing knowledge at many levels. Knowledge can be provided by individuals or it can be created as a collective effort of a group working together towards a common goal, it can be situated as "war stories" or it can be generalised as guidelines, it can be described informally as comments in a natural language, pictures and technical drawings or it can be formalised as mathematical formulae and rules, it can be expressed explicitly or it can be tacit, embedded in the work product. The recipient of knowledge - the learner - can be an individual or a work group, professionals, university students, schoolchildren or informal communities of interest.
Our aim is to capture, analyse and organise knowledge, regardless of its origin and form and make it available to the learner when needed presented with the necessary context and in a form supporting the learning processes.