Knowledge Workers

Peter Drucker coined the term knowledge worker to describe the self-motivated individual who uses knowledge and ideas to generate additional knowledge.Knowledge work plays a critical role in healthcare delivery today, and nurses are knowledge workers. Forty percent or more of workers in knowledge-intense businesses, such as a healthcare organization, are knowledge workers ( Sorrells-Jones, 1999).

Knowledge workers recognize that change is inevitable and that the best approach is to be ready for change and view it as an opportunity for learning and improvement. Nurses use knowledge daily in their work—both routine and nonroutine—and must have the characteristics of the knowledge worker. They work in an environment that expects healthcare providers to use the best

Nurses are now able to utilize their knowledge based on clinal assessment as a worker and encrypt data via the computer and other advanced technologies that were implemented. The nurse as a knowledge worker can now gather all patients clinical information or data and store it on the computers. They can also access information from the internet to help them to understand better with the standardized uses of technology and information and apply it to the healthcare setting. This would be beneficial because the nurses will gain knowledgeable information based on patient care or health-related issues so that they can apply in their practices. They would be able to provide crucial care to patients and assist them in any way possible.

Advances in evidence-based practice stem from the generation of ideas, the analysis of information, and the use of specialized expertise to answer questions. Accessing and staying current with the latest information on best practices to treat patients is a constant challenge for nurses. It is important for nurses to continually engage in research to develop evidence-based practices for those areas that may currently be