Question

How does data become knowledge and finally wisdom? Explain the relationship between knowledge acquisition, knowledge processing, knowledge generation, knowledge dissemination, and wisdom. Then provide examples from your clinical practice (or past work experiences) according to the following:

1. Examples of knowledge acquisition
2. Examples of knowledge generation
3. Examples of knowledge processing
4. Examples of knowledge dissemination
5. Examples of the use of feedback

Answer 1

Data - Knowledge- Wisdom

Data:

Information , especially in a scientific or computational context, or with the implication that it is organised , is called Data. A Data is a representation of facts or ideas in a formalized manner capable of being communicated or manipulated by some process .

Knowledge is information or intelligence about something. It is the fact of knowing about something . The information consist of data and information about something is knowledge . Wisdom is the ability to apply relevant knowledge in an insightful way, especially to different situations from that in which the knowledge has gained. It is the ability to make decision based on the combination of knowledge, experience, and intuitive understanding.

In conclusion, data become knowledge , when it is processed. Data can be processed into information , then it become interpretable and can gain the clarity and significance. Information is knowledge and the knowledge can be used for acquiring wisdom . So this three things are related in a significant way.

Relationship between Knowledge ; acquisition, generation, processing, dissemination and wisdom:

Knowledge acquisition is the process of acquiring knowledge by means of absorbing and storing the new information especially by humans or computers. Knowledge generation is the process of creating knowledge and it is often an instantaneous and complex  process that happens in human mind. The sources of knowledge generation are intuition / insight ( immediate cognition), inductive reasoning, authority and empiricism. Whereas knowledge dissemination is the process of propagating the knowledge, that one has generated or acquired. It is to sow and  scatter principles, ideas, opinions etc. Wisdom is the ability or quality of a person as a result of acquiring the knowledge and the Wisdom is the discretionary use of knowledge for the greatest good. It is the ability to make decision based on the combination of knowledge , experience and intuitive understanding.  

Examples:

* Knowledge acquisition: By reading jounals , research articles, and taking official courses from accredited bodies, nurses can acquire knowledge. Day to day patient encounters are the good way of knowledge acquisition .

* Knowledge generation: By doing research, health professionals can generate new knowledge. The researches that studied the cause- and - effect relationship between smoking and lung cancer proved that or generated a fact that Smoking is a great risk factor for lung cancer. It is an example of knowledge generation.  

* Knowledge processing: After collecting the subjective data from patient and objective data , nurse process the information/ knowledge and making nursing judgements or nursing Diagnosis. This is an example of knowledge processing. Entering every new birth and death into hospital records or to the hospital computer system, then the information/ data from all the hospital or health care setting of the locality , can be processed to know the total birth rate and death rate of that locality .

* Knowledge dissemination : By publishing research articles in the journals , online, presenting the research reports in international or national seminars or workshops etc.  

* Use of feedback : After implementing the planned interventions, nurses evaluate the client's condition by taking feedback from client or by vital signs. for example , after giving pain management interventions, nurse takes the feedback from client. Client's feed back will be used for the basis of next intervention . If client says that pain still remains, she can plan an alternative method. If the client says that 'pain relieved ', she can concentrate in another problem. Feedback can be very useful in health care.