DIAGRAMMING A DATABASE DESIGN

DIAGRAMMING A DATABASE DESIGN

Blueprints are used by others besides architects. New home buyers may use the blueprint of their future home to better understand the architect’s vision and to consult with the architect on changes. Municipalities will use the blueprint to issue building permits. Builders will use it to plan construction and estimate costs.

Likewise, you don’t have to be a database designer to apply visual tools such as database diagrams. For example, creating or studying a database diagram can help you, as a leader in a healthcare organization, understand the data needs of the organization or of your team.

This in turn can create efficiencies and drive improvements at varied levels of patient care. As a nurse, database diagrams can help you analyze the data structure and how to make best use of the available data and functionality in the provision of care. At every level of an organization, an understanding of database diagrams can help in providing feedback to database managers that in turn can help drive improvements.

TO PREPARE:

· Consider a clinical research question you might ask that could be informed by the data in your database.

· Restate your clinical question as a PICOT question.

ASSIGNMENT (2- TO 3-PAGE PAPER AND A DIAGRAM OF A DATABASE AS AN APPENDIX):

Using a scenario, create a diagram of your proposed database using Microsoft Word.

· Complete the diagram first, but place it as the final page or pages of your submission. The diagram is separate from the required page count.

In the narrative portion of the assignment:

· Explain how your diagram articulates your planned design.

· Explain the principles behind selecting key fields and defining relationships. Be specific and support your response with evidence.

· Write a sample PICOT question (i.e., a query) you might ask based on the information in the database created to demonstrate your understanding of the connection between data and research.

· List the tables in the database that you would need to include when answering your question.

Reminder: The College of Nursing requires that all papers submitted include a title page, introduction, summary, and references. The Sample Paper provided at the Walden Writing Center provides an example of those required elements (available at  http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/57.htmLinks to an external site. ). All papers submitted must use this formatting.

LEARNING RESOURCES

· Harrington, J. (2016).  Relational database design and implementation (4th ed.). Cambridge, MA: Morgan Kaufmann.

· Chapter 6, “Relational Algebra” (pp. 107–140)

· Chapter 7, “Normalization” (pp. 141–162)

· Echevarria, I. M. M., & Walker, S. D. (2014).  To make your case, start with a PICOT questionLinks to an external site. .  Nursing, 44(2), 18–19.

This article contains guidance on writing PICOT questions.

· Stillwell, S. B., Fineout-Overholt, E., Melnyk, B. M., & Williamson, K. M. (2010).  Evidence-based practice, step by step: Asking the clinical question: A key step in evidence-based practiceLinks to an external site. .  American Journal of Nursing, 110(3), 58–61.

This article contains guidance on writing PICOT questions.

· Melnyk, B. M., Fineout-Overholt, E., Stillwell, S. B., & Williamson, K. M. (2010).  Evidence-based practice: Step by step. The seven steps of evidence-based practiceLinks to an external site. .  American Journal of Nursing, 110(1), 51–53.

This article contains guidance on writing PICOT questions.

· Walden University: Academic Skills Center. (n.d.-b).  Microsoft Word resourcesLinks to an external site. : Flowcharts. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ASCsoftware/word/flowcharts

· Walden University: Academic Skills Center. (n.d.-c).  Microsoft Word resourcesLinks to an external site. : Tables, cells, and figures. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/ASCsoftware/word/tables

· Document: Database Diagram Template (Word document)