The knowledgebase concept seeks to address a number of issues that frustrate daily operations in our clinical areas. The knowledgebase is a bespoke electronic web-based resource developed by a nurse for clinical staff. Because of this it is extremely user friendly and relevant to ‘on the ground’ staff.

The knowledgebase project involves:

• content creation (collating information, graphics and other resources);

• an editorial process to ensure consistency and alignment with agreed policies;

• development of the web pages (programming, asset preparation for graphics and videos, layout/design of each page).

The project has a number of goals: People often don’t read policy documents, and if they do, they are unlikely to remember the detail over time. At the moment, finding actionable information on policies and procedures is not straightforward and can be time consuming (and therefore wasteful).

Procedures on the inpatient unit in particular have evolved organically over time and there is inconsistency in the knowledge that individuals retain about both routine and less common procedures and medical conditions.

The knowledgebase can improve patient safety by providing interactive tools to simplify drug calculations and drug compatibility checks. It can also provide simple guides on how to set up and maintain equipment.

Paper documentation, charts, guides etc. are stored in a myriad of locations at present; pigeon holes, box folders, cupboards and drawers. The knowledgebase would provide a central, easy to navigate repository of documentation, including printable resources such as charts.

Each section of the knowledgebase will distil and elucidate the most important aspects of individual policy documents and provide access to the full texts should an individual need to read more.

The knowledgebase will complement and reinforce both online and face-to-face training by providing a permanent information resource for clinical staff.