Nursing Informatics
Daniel O’Brien
University of Louisiana Lafayette
Introduction Informatics, and more specifically, nursing informatics, is continuously playing a larger role in patient care. Informatics is the use of technology and science and making it available to continued and wide spread use (McGonigle, Hunter, Sipes,, & Hebda 2014). McGonigle et al. continues to discuss nursing informatics as using this science of technology to enhance patient care, outcomes, and satisfaction. This tool of informatics allows the nurse to store data, trend this data, and extract useful information for the continuity and improvement in care (McGonigle et al., 2014). Informatics aims to improve the overall knowledge of nursing professionals …show more content…
Nearly sixty percent of nurses practicing today have an associate’s degree or less (Watts, 2016). This provides a challenge for these programs to include formal education and use of electronic health records, which are generally only taught as part of the bachelor’s level education (Watts, 2016). This allows better patient by presenting an entry level nurse with the knowledge necessary to use informatics as a benefit as opposed to an obstacle (Watts, 2016). Gassert (1998) shows that even though computers and information are available to students and teachers for use, that not all programs are connected via a network that enables to communication of care. Ethics is also a concern for the use of nursing informatics. Curtin (2005) explains that source and access to information via informatics is not the issue, but rather how the information is used. It is important that providers retain consent from patients prior to access of previous medical record information (Curtin, 2005). Another concern for using information that is connected via network is the security of that network (Curtin, 2005). This can potentially be a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act …show more content…
Many of these cons depend on education of the provider and nurse. There must be a system put in place that educates the healthcare team. This will provide for efficient and convenient care to patients. The effectiveness of informatics depends on the knowledge of the user and consumer. In order for this to be effective, there must be continued education on the ever evolving world of informatics. Included in this education should be informatics ethics. This will ensure that healthcare providers, nurses, and consumers are protecting sensitive information related to their health
Daniel O’Brien
University of Louisiana Lafayette
Introduction Informatics, and more specifically, nursing informatics, is continuously playing a larger role in patient care. Informatics is the use of technology and science and making it available to continued and wide spread use (McGonigle, Hunter, Sipes,, & Hebda 2014). McGonigle et al. continues to discuss nursing informatics as using this science of technology to enhance patient care, outcomes, and satisfaction. This tool of informatics allows the nurse to store data, trend this data, and extract useful information for the continuity and improvement in care (McGonigle et al., 2014). Informatics aims to improve the overall knowledge of nursing professionals …show more content…
Nearly sixty percent of nurses practicing today have an associate’s degree or less (Watts, 2016). This provides a challenge for these programs to include formal education and use of electronic health records, which are generally only taught as part of the bachelor’s level education (Watts, 2016). This allows better patient by presenting an entry level nurse with the knowledge necessary to use informatics as a benefit as opposed to an obstacle (Watts, 2016). Gassert (1998) shows that even though computers and information are available to students and teachers for use, that not all programs are connected via a network that enables to communication of care. Ethics is also a concern for the use of nursing informatics. Curtin (2005) explains that source and access to information via informatics is not the issue, but rather how the information is used. It is important that providers retain consent from patients prior to access of previous medical record information (Curtin, 2005). Another concern for using information that is connected via network is the security of that network (Curtin, 2005). This can potentially be a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act …show more content…
Many of these cons depend on education of the provider and nurse. There must be a system put in place that educates the healthcare team. This will provide for efficient and convenient care to patients. The effectiveness of informatics depends on the knowledge of the user and consumer. In order for this to be effective, there must be continued education on the ever evolving world of informatics. Included in this education should be informatics ethics. This will ensure that healthcare providers, nurses, and consumers are protecting sensitive information related to their health