Nurse's Role in Informatics
Nurse’s Role in Informatics
In this modern era, due to advancement of technology, nurses must have knowledge about computers, software and information technology because it enhanced the scope of nursing, quality assurance, patient care and safety, improved the co-ordination as well as communication between health care members.
The term informatics refers to the science of gathering, organizing and recalling the information (Masters. & Hughes, 2018). Moreover, in field of nursing, the identification of the problem and exchange the information as well as knowledge are crucial functions performed by nurse informatics.
Definition
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society defines nursing informatics as “a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communication data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice (Lee, 2014)”. To better outcomes, informatics nurse provide support to staff nurses, patients, families, healthcare team and other personnel in various roles and circumstances. (Fig.1 https://884863.smushcdn.com/2024606/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/informatics_nursing_nurse_info_tech_science_computer_nursing.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)
Role of Nurse in Informatics
Nursing informatics is very important in clinical area because it provide the knowledge and information to nurses about how to provide safe care to patients (watch video: https://youtu.be/N5Lsf7RZMTA ). In addition, informatics helps to easy access the patient’s present and past history, medication list, diagnostic reports and physician as well as staff notes to make efficient decision regarding patient’s health. Informatics nurses paly role in different ways such as: (Fig. 2 https://674711443289410500.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/8/2/12823743/6352421.jpg?516 )
According to Menkiena (2021) states that there are three essential responsibilities of informatics nurse that are:
Understand and communicate the “why” behind new process
Implement new technology and procedure
Validity data with three Vs which explained as:
Understand and Communicate the “Why” Behind New Process:
It is very essential for accuracy and adoption to know the rationale behind any procedure and explain it to nursing personnel and other professionals. Informatics nurse when define the significance of documenting the key observations and measurements such as allergies, weight, height etc of patients, nurse can learn the long-term impacts of wrong or incomplete data of patient’s health and become more responsible for collecting the accurate information which enhance the nurse’s confidence in system data to make accurate decisions.
Implement New Technology and Procedure:
The responsibility of nurse informatics is to provide education and introduction about new procedure and electronic implementation in hospital settings. No doubt, new protocols provide opportunities for further development, but they can come with challenges which may demotivate the workforce. So, from beginning, nurse informatics guide the individuals about right instructions and applications of procedure which can lead to become successful procedure and easy for healthcare team.
Validity Data with the Three Vs:
The role of nurse informatics is enhanced to become more accountable with data collection and analysis that encourage the utilisation of accurate data collection and implementation in healthcare practice. Data can be validating through volume, velocity and variety.
Volume:
Nurse should be familiar with actual volume of data such as vital signs, admission assessments, medications and other data sources of an organisations that can use to assist the data driven decision making. Moreover, the nurse have to manage and validate the information correctly.
Velocity:
To provide holistic care to patient, nurse must know about at which velocity or speed, the complete information is share within healthcare system because delayed access data can lead to impact on decision making regarding the condition of patient.
Variety:
Nurse informatics have knowledge about different types of data sources and know how to analyse the data and information that provide a clear image of patient. The best care based on accurate and complete data sets, it is essential that nurses have the ability to look deeper into data variations and after that change the methods or processes to harmonise the data.
Inter-professional Collaboration and Communication:
Informatics nurses have to work with all healthcare professions to maintain an environment of mutual respect and share the values. She has to communicate in responsive manner to address the needs of patients and clinical workforce. According to their issues, nurse should find best alternative methods to resolve it. With best communication skills, nurse can easily provide education about the usage of technology in good way.
Developing and Improving Technology:
Informatics nurses contribute to design and improve the digital technology such as electronic health records and computerized provider order entry as analysis of technology aids to reducing medical errors, delays in patient care as well as cut the cost of health care. For example, traditionally, physicians gave orders by hands which is very hard to read and understand their handwriting, that leads to medication errors (Registered Nursing Org, 2022).
Promoting Quality of Health Care:
Nurses can organise interventions and exchange the important data with multiple departments by using digital connections to access complete demographic as well as pharmaceutical records. By using informatics tools, nurses can detect the patients who are at higher risks, and they initiate early preventive measures.
Education Across the Range of Healthcare Systems:
To enhance informatics competencies and fulfill the demands of end users, they assist in creating, planning, and implementing learning solutions and educational services.
Telepractice and Virtual Care:
According to CNO (2020) describes that nurses should provide co-ordinate care by utilizing information and communication technologies such as video and audio conferencing, internet and telephones etc.https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41041_telephone.pdf . For instance, in COVID 19 telepractice become more beneficial for both patients and professionals to give best care at home. (Fig. 3 https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwL5cqTc4RTyE55teIW-mMeipn07YqmFACxg&usqp=CAU )
Maintain Health Records and Systems:
Nurse should gather evidence-based data to improve the clinical practice. She should have knowledge, computer skills and capabilities to operate an electronic medical records and other clinical systems to enhance the healthcare outcomes.(Fig. 4 https://egyptinnovate.com/sites/default/files/ehr.jpg )
Reference
College of Nurses of Ontario. (2020). Practice standard : Telepractice. Standard of care. https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41041_telephone.pdf
Lee, A. (2014). The role of informatics in nursing. Nursing made Incredibly easy!, 12(4), p55. https://journals.lww.com/nursingmadeincrediblyeasy/fulltext/2014/07000/the_role_of_informatics_in_nursing.12.aspx
Masters,K., & Hughes, C. K. (2018) Role Development In Professional Nursing Practice: Informatics in Professional Nursing Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
Menkiena, C. (2021, February). The three essential responsibilities of a nurse informaticist. Health Catalyst. https://www.healthcatalyst.com/insights/nurse-informaticist-3-essential-responsibilities
Registered Nursing Org. (2022). Nursing Informatics. https://www.registerednursing.org/nursing-informatics/
https://674711443289410500.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/8/2/12823743/6352421.jpg?516
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwL5cqTc4RTyE55teIW-mMeipn07YqmFACxg&usqp=CAU
https://egyptinnovate.com/sites/default/files/ehr.jpg
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
