Yellow pages: It is all about file management

Abstract

File management is one subset of the broader term Personal Information Management (PIM). PIM subsets incorporate Web site bookmarking and e-mail management,1 “managing appointments, to-do lists, and contact management.”2(p42) There are five organizing categories of PIM: “hierarchical, flat, linear, spatial, and network.”1(p1) PIM is the system used to store electronic and tangible (hard copy) materials such as documents, spreadsheets, photos, e-mail messages, books, and magazines1,3 gathered over time by a perioperative registered nurse (RN). This article explores organizing categories as a framework for PIM. A brief exploration of the role of memory in PIM and rationale for using a predefined method for storage and retrieval of data are provided. Purposes for using a PIM system identified in this article are related to quality improvement, staff development, and patient and academic education. One application example activity/assignment illustrates the use of file management to gather, store, and distribute evaluated Web sites. Barriers that must be overcome and benefits to PIM are also discussed. Specific implications regarding perioperative nurses and nursing relative to PIM are suggested throughout the article.