Data Unlocked: Real-Time Insights Empowering Every Nurse
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Introduction:
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board aimed to increase meaningful use of nursing data by 50% within a year to support evidence-based, confident clinical decision-making. Prior to this, data was fragmented, underused, and disconnected from daily practice, leaving nurses without timely insight to manage risks, staffing, and patient care effectively.
Methods:
A data analyst was embedded within the Corporate Nursing team, replacing the traditional centralised analytics model. Using an agile, user-centred approach with multiple PDSA cycles, the team co-designed interactive dashboards focused on nurse staffing data. These dashboards used familiar nursing language and were shaped by frontline input to ensure usability and relevance. Workshops, iterative feedback, and cross-team collaboration supported rapid development and ownership.
Outcomes:
Dashboard use exceeded the 50% growth target, rising to over 1,400 monthly views, and becoming embedded in daily nursing practice. Key outcomes include:
- A 50% reduction in agency spend, with data-informed decisions maintaining care quality.
- One ward reduced patient falls from an average of five to 2.5 per month following data-informed staff uplifts.
- Nurses report improved confidence, ownership, and visibility in workforce planning.
- Dashboards became a trusted tool for escalation, used from ward to executive level.
Learnings:
True impact comes not from data availability, but from trust, access and usability. Embedding a data analyst directly within the nursing team enabled deep alignment with clinical needs. Co-design was essential, involving nurses earlier in the process would have improved usability and data quality from the outset. Maintaining a nursing-led focus preserved credibility and relevance.
What next?
The team is expanding dashboards to support forward planning, accreditation, and triangulation with wider data sources. Recognised by the Dragon’s Heart Institute, the model is now being shared across NHS Wales to promote nurse-led digital improvement.
