NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays

NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays

NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays

The Informatics system at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) plays an essential role in supporting the delivery of quality patient care and to improve patient satisfaction, features that are very important to maintain the “Magnet Status” achieved by the Clinic. As the CCF mission statement highlights, the goal of the Clinic is to support nursing care and achieve good outcomes along with patient satisfaction. This goal was reached by creating an informatics system that allows an easy access to data information, ensures easy communication between health care providers and promotes nursing and patient education. The mission of CCF is “to support evidence-based nursing practice and improved patient outcomes with technology solutions that enhance nursing communication, documentation and efficiency” ( Nursing Informatics: Nursing past, present and future section, para. 1).

Cleveland Clinics Nursing Informatics implemented an electronic medical record system, called Epic System that is using high technology and considers professional and clinical experience to manage the patient’s information, to improve work, and to deliver higher quality health care for its clients. Nurses and Physicians have easy access to the system, being able to view data and collect necessary information, provide quality client care and document the patient’s condition. health care professionals can document through the electronic medical record system the medical care that was provided to the patients and the patient’s responses to the care given. The Epic System is used not only by nursing professionals, but by a large variety of allied health care departments, too. For example respiratory therapists can document aerosol treatments administered to their patients, adjustments in ventilator settings and the patient’s response to these interventions. The pharmacy department uses the information system to access patient’s data such as medical reconciliation, medications profile, including current and home medications , demographics, health history and medical diagnosis. In this way it will be reducing significantly medication errors. The physicians consider Epic System to be very useful for them, because allows them to easily find their patients file in the system, allowing access to the patient’s prior doctor’s visits and health information, laboratory results, radiology test results as well as interdisciplinary consult results and recommendations. The physician’s orders for medications and treatments can be easily entered into the system through the computerized physician order entry feature of the system (CPOE). This has high significance in reducing medication errors and in delivering care in a timely manner. The CCF website presents a clear explanation about the Informatics system’s role in obtaining and maintaining the high standard achieved by the clinic:

Nursing Informatics, in collaboration with the Information Technology Division, is Implementing an electronic medical records system from Epic Systems of Madison, WI. Electronic documentation of the patient’s medical record is transforming clinical practice for nursing, allied health and medical practitioners at the Cleveland Clinic. After using Epic Care successfully in ambulatory outpatient services for two years, the Clinic is currently undergoing a phased implementation of the Epic system in the inpatient setting-enabling health care providers to examine any patient record across the entire continuum of care in all Cleveland Clinic facilities (Nursing Informatics: More information about the Nursing Informatics specialty section, para. 4).

Another important aspect of the Informatics system in the nursing care provided at CCF is that it contributed significantly to the improvement of communication between medical professionals by improving the accuracy and the speed of communication. It comes very convenient for the physicians to access the computer system from any location, either inpatient or outpatient locations, or either “from the comfort of his or her home or office or even while on the golf course or at the mall” (Hebda, Czar& Mascara, 2005, p.126), to enter orders for the patient. By doing so, the system alerts all departments to carry out physician orders. For example when ordering a chest X-ray for the patient, the radiology department will automatically place a transportation order for the patient, to be transported from the nursing floor to the radiology department. Through the nursing communication tool, the physician can communicate to the nursing staff about withholding diet or medications as preparation for specific tests or even surgery. The same way, the physician, can interpret radiological results in a timely manner, by checking the radiography evaluation report placed in the computer system, without the need to walk to the radiology department to read the film. In this way it could be saved precious time that could save another patient’s life.

A different feature of the Informatics System used at the CCF is that provides a large variety of choices for patient and nursing education, offering multiple educational resources at different levels. For patient education purposes, the CCF intranet has a link called “patient education” that consists of information edited in a simple language, easily comprehensible for non-healthcare personal. This site provides information about specific medications, including their side effects, indications and contraindications; also gives information about diseases or home going discharge instructions, regarding activity, diet, signs and symptoms of complications and many other subjects. The CCF television channel has information about diabetes, advice for smoking cessation, anti-coagulation administration, or techniques to reduce and manage stress, etc. This way patients can be easily educated towards a better understanding of the healing process and can actively participate to their care. At the same time, the CCF Intranet provides valuable information for physicians and nurses that improve their knowledge related to medical diagnoses, policies and procedures as well as giving them the chance of updating themselves with the newest technologies used. The CCF’s Alumni Library has commonly used medical sites like Up to Date, Medline that are handy to use when more information are needed about a healthcare related issue. The COMET helps nurses and nursing aids to maintain an updated level of nursing education, reinforcing policies and standards required by the clinic.

According to its definition, the Nursing Informatics has a primary role in delivering high quality nursing care, Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, and knowledge in nursing practice. Nursing informatics facilitates the integration of data, information and knowledge to support patients, nurses and other providers in their decision-making in all roles and settings. This support had been accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes, and information technology (“ANA Scope and Standards of Nursing Informatics Practice”, 2001, pg vii: NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays).

The convenience of the Informatics system of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation is represented, by easy access to patient data, and resources for patient and nursing education. The valuable communication tool between health care providers, contributed tremendously in attaining high standards in patient care and their satisfaction. All these features are essential factors that helped the Cleveland Clinic to achieve the great award of “Magnet Hospital”.

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 communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice.” Informatics is becoming increasingly present in our profession due to rapidly changing techno logic advances. Healthcare systems are assimilating technology into daily practice at a quick pace. Security and patient privacy must be upheld while achieving the goal of transforming data into useful knowledge. Integrating informatics with evidence-based practice (EBP) can only help improve the care we provide to our patients.

Applying technology to knowledge may help identify potential problems earlier. For example, with the use of electronic documentation, identifying changes in patient status can occur quickly because the information is readily available. Trending of patient vital signs is always accessible and the data are interpreted, systematized, and arranged. The nurse is able to use this knowledge to formalize an appropriate plan of action.

Standardizing nursing language will facilitate acceptance of new methods of documentation in the electronic health record. A template for nursing notes is one method of assisting with our daily workload. The use of a template can remind you of important information required in the documentation of patient care.

Research studies, patient care data, and national and local standards are used to develop informatics programs at healthcare organizations. Other measures include return on investment analysis, patient preferences and/or needs, and infection control data. How’s the need for technology addressed? Let’s say a high rate of medication errors is identified. Analysis of how and why the errors are occurring must be conducted. The research can include collecting data from other facilities in the area to determine if the same problem exists elsewhere. Following data collection, the findings are presented to a review board. A plan to improve the problem is implemented, such as the use of bar code scanners. Data collection continues to determine if implementation is successful. The most important piece of implementation is presentation of the evidence to staff to identify how the change will improve the day-to-day actions of nurses.

Nursing informatics is a growing field. As nurses, we face ever changing and challenging practice situations; competency in nursing informatics promises to strengthen our clinical decision-making skills. Although new technology may be a challenge for some, informatics will enhance nursing practice. We’ll have quicker access to patient information, improve overall efficiency, and see a reduction in potential errors.

The impact of health informatics on nursing practice: NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays

Informatics is changing the face of healthcare. As technology advances, healthcare organizations and providers are able to collect, analyze and leverage data more effectively, influencing the way care is delivered, resources are managed and teams operate each day. You would be hard-pressed to find an aspect of medicine that has yet to be touched by the mass collection and analysis of data that has been ushered in by the Information Age.

One specific area that health informatics is having a significant impact on is the practice of nursing. Though the mission of nursing remains unchanged, the daily work of these professionals is being strongly influenced by informatics, with particular attention to the accuracy and communication of patient data and care.

Health informatics in nursing

The nursing profession is rapidly changing to keep up with advancements and new challenges in the healthcare field. As direct caregivers, nurses are in the front lines of patient care and consequently often feel the impact of changes in best practices more immediately than other healthcare professionals.

Spyros Kitsiou, Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, reported that there are three specific challenges that healthcare is currently facing: the aging population, the incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases – such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and pulmonary disease – and the shortage of doctors and nurses. Though these problems are diverse, there is a solution that addresses all three: data.

“A lot of these challenges can be supported by the avocation of information and communication technologies, particularly as hospitals are becoming more and more interested in reducing their costs and shifting care from hospital care to home care,” Spyros said. “Information and communication technologies, mobile health devices, wearable technologies are all becoming very, very important for supporting remote patient monitoring and home care.”

In nursing, as with healthcare in general, informatics is being used to address the challenges of the day, significantly impacting the way nurses function in patient care.

One of the primary ways that informatics has changed nursing practice is through documentation. Gone are the days of paper charts that had to be meticulously updated with handwritten notes. Today, nurses are more likely to input notes into electronic health records and other systems that keep a patient’s medical history up-to-date and easily accessible.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society reported that as the result of electronic charting, nurses are able to obtain information quickly and efficiently, using the information to improve the daily workflow. Storing the information electronically is more easily available to all members of the care team, including the physician and other care providers, as well as staff teams at other healthcare organizations that the patient may visit. As the U.S. population becomes more mobile, it is increasingly important that their personal medical records can travel with them to any office or medical organization they may visit during their lifetime.

Health informatics is also an important part of care coordination in nursing. The ability to track staffing, workflow and communication can help nurses to identify areas where current processes can be improved. This can also help ensure that staffing levels remain adequate, which is critical for providing patients with the best possible care. If the nurse-to-patient ratio drops too low, patients are more likely to suffer adverse results. Maintaining adequate levels helps nurses provide the best possible care each day without burning out.

Evidence-based practices have long been an essential part of nursing. Today, determining those best practices involves the use of health informatics. Analyzing the mass quantities of data collected regarding patient care and outcomes helps to determine how best to treat these conditions and situations in the future. The more data that is collected and analyzed, the more accurate the resulting conclusions tend to be, providing the best possible information for determining how best to care for patients in the future.

The growing role of informatics in nursing has also created a number of new job titles for those with clinical experience and an interest in working with data.

A nursing career in informatics

Nurses at every level now work with informatics through patient records and other technology. However, some nurses choose to specifically focus their career on the intersection of informatics and clinical practice. There are a number of career options available in this lane, including the following:

• Clinical informatics specialist
• Nursing informatics specialist
• Clinical analyst
• Clinical informatics manager
• Clinical informatics coordinator
• Nursing informatics analyst

These roles can be found at every level and facet of healthcare organizations, including leadership and management, advocacy, risk analysis, compliance, consultation, research, evaluation and education. As informatics becomes a more prominent component of the nursing field, job opportunities will likely continue to develop.

While health informatics roles are open to professionals from a variety of backgrounds, nurses are particularly well-suited for these roles due to their knowledge of clinical workflow, previous healthcare education and experience with healthcare technology and information systems.

If you already have a clinical background in nursing, your next step en route to one of these jobs is to pursue training specifically in health informatics. Though there are several ways to do this, one option is to earn a Master of Science in Health Informatics degree. In a master’s program, you will take courses on important topics such as healthcare information systems, healthcare IT vendor management, health information systems analysis and design and organizational issues in health informatics to prepare for a career in health informatics.

To complete your higher degree while continuing to work in the field, consider enrolling in UIC’s online Master of Science in Health Informatics degree program. The convenient online format makes it easier than ever for you to balance your academic pursuits with existing professional and personal responsibilities. And UIC’s program is a great fit for nurses and others who wish to enter the informatics field from a clinical background.

“People who are interested in integrating their clinical knowledge with the application of information technology or vice versa, would be very much interested in our program,” Kitsiou said. “And people who would like to even transition, make a career change and transition to healthcare would definitely be interested as long as they have a basic understanding of the healthcare system and also the application of IT.” NURS 6401 – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Assignment Paper

With the right informatics training combined with your clinical background and existing medical knowledge, you could make a difference in patient care in a healthcare organization through a career in health informatics.

Healthcare informatics and technology can help nurses….

1. Further Education: Informatics allows for resources like Nursing Reference Center™ Plus to provide nurses with quick and easy access to trusted evidence-based information and education tools. Additionally, platforms like social media expose nurses to a vast array of health information and open the door for collaboration with other care providers.
2. Increase Communication: Informatics simplify communication. New healthcare technology enables clinicians to text, email and instant message.  Gone are the days of paging and calling. Clinician-to-clinician communication is now faster and easier than ever before, helping nurses and other clinicians spend more time with patients and less time having to track each other down to communicate about patients.
3. Save Lives: Everything from telemetry to automated blood pressure cuffs are considered informatics tools and help keep patients safe. As a nurse, you have so much to track and monitor. Being able to rely on equipment and healthcare technology like telemetry monitors helps reduce errors and makes it possible for you to be present and engaged with your patients. NURS 6401 – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Assignment Paper
4. Protect Themselves: Charting via an electronic health record (EHR) helps protect nurses if patient care activities are ever called into question later. All those hard stops in an EHR can feel frustrating, but they are actually there to remind nurses of essential charting pieces, keeping record that the right patient care has been delivered.
5. Increase Efficiency: A well-designed system or electronic health record can help nurses answer questions quickly, chart comprehensively and look up patient information effortlessly. All of this frees up time for the busy clinician that could be better spent with patients.

NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays – How Nursing Informatics Improves Patient Care

The healthcare information revolution is upon us. Clinicians have more access than ever to electronic health records, diagnostics, and treatment plans. Clinical communication and collaboration platforms are making it easier to manage healthcare workflows, improve coordination, and enhance patient outcomes. Systems integration and data access mean that information and analysis are more vital than ever.

The secret to using this data to provide better care comes down to nursing informatics — integrating nursing science with other areas to identify, define, manage, and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom to provide better care.

As the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society says, “The informatics nurse is part of the delivery of care, the building of knowledge, skills, and experience in the use of information technology. They often lead clinical informatics committee meetings that have a major influence for nurses in assisting them to coordinate all the multifaceted technology activities in regards to patient care, documentation, and safety.”

Let’s dig into exactly how nursing informatics achieves that.

Aligning Nursing Best Practice with Clinical Workflows and Care Nursing informatics is focused on the best ways to achieve good patient outcomes — it is about applying the overall process and best practice to maximize patient care wherever possible. As a result, nurse informatics are often involved in process design, clinical workflow reviews, and new diagnostics and treatment plans. They take into account the various options for providing care and use objective facts and analysis to determine the actions that will lead to the most patient-centered, value-based care.

Improving Clinical Policies, Protocols, Processes, and Procedures Data is the lifeblood of nursing informatics. That data and information can be used to measure the success of the various protocols, processes, and procedures used in a healthcare organization. A nurse informatics will measure and analyze how specific parts of the organization are performing, with a focus on the resulting patient outcomes.

They can then make changes to specific parts of the process to streamline activities, avoid bottlenecks, and improve care. Informatics will see what the results are and continue making changes to enhance every part of the clinical care process.

Providing Training and Learning Based on Objective Data One of the most valuable ways a nursing informatics can enhance patient outcomes is through providing training to clinical staff. They can use data to identify endemic issues in a healthcare organization and consult on the best way to resolve these problems. These leanings can be integrated with on boarding new staff, ongoing in-house training, or external education and certification. Nursing informatics can help to create highly-targeted educational programs to deal with specific gaps between ability and provider expectations.

Selecting and Testing New Medical Devices Connected IoT medical devices can provide vast amounts of health data on patients. Nursing informatics are ideally positioned to understand the true value of that data and provide recommendations on how it can be recorded, accessed, and used. Involving informatics in the selection of medical devices will ensure you have additional criteria for understanding how device data can inform diagnostics, treatment plans, and ultimately patient outcomes.

Reducing Medical Errors and Costs Nursing informatics can reduce the chance of medical errors in a healthcare organization, together with associated costs. A combination of staff training, process improvement, and best practice will enhance the quality of care and limit patient risks. There are four main areas that drive medical errors:

• Communication doesn’t take place when it should
• Incorrect or incomplete information is communicated
• Information is shared with the wrong recipient or third party
• The message lacks critical facts or is unclear, meaning it isn’t understood correctly

Informatics can look at how your organization communicates and collaborates around patient information. They can audit individual cases, identify gaps, and provide recommendations for avoiding errors in the future. In 2015, an analysis discovered medical errors cost healthcare providers $1.7 billion, over a five year period.

Enhancing End-to-End Treatment and Continuity of Care A patient’s care may involve several areas, many teams, and dozens of individuals. Nursing informatics can create protocols and processes to ensure proper communications and interactions between departments, teams, individuals, and patients. They can help healthcare employees to seek out “one view of the truth” through electronic health records, so everyone has the context and insight they need to ensure excellent continuity of care.

As you can see, nursing informatics is vital to improving patient outcomes and driving efficiency and best practice throughout your healthcare organization.

Yasnoff et al(2000)stated that effective public health requires timely, accurate, and informative information from a wide variety of sources. Not surprisingly, public health professionals have been among the earliest users of computers , other information technologies from which numerous and useful computerized information and surveillance systems have been developed(Yasnoff et al, 2000).A more systematic and informed approach to the application of information science and technology needs to be utilized in order to take full advantage of its potential to enhance and facilitate public health activities(Yasnoff et al, 2000: NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays).

However, O’Carroll et al(2002)defined public health informatics as the systematic application of information and computer science and technology to public health practice, research, and learning. Public health informatics is primarily an engineering discipline and a practical activity ungirded by science and oriented to the accomplishment of specific tasks(O’Carroll et al, 2002).

How informatics impact or improve public health?

The scope of public health informatics includes the conceptualization, design, development, deployment, refinement maintenance, and evaluation of communication, surveillance, information, and learning systems relevant to public health(O’Carroll et al, 2002). Using strategies and standards, practitioners employ public health informatics tools and training to maximize health impacts at local, state, and national levels(CDC, 2006).They develop and deploy information technology solutions that provide accurate, timely, and secure information to guide public health action(CDC, 2006).

Public health informatics involves the application of knowledge and practice from numerous disciplines that contribute to public health(O’Carroll et al, 2002). Advances in public health informatics resulted in public health innovations and added value to interventions by providing the capability for more timely detection of health problems and more complete and efficient health communications (CDC, 2006). Surveillance is an aspect of public health that can be dramatically transformed by the application of information technology(Yasnoff et al, 2000: NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays).

How public health informatics is different from medical informatics?

The primary focus of public health informatics is on the applications of information science and technology that promote the health of populations while the primary focus of medical informatics is on the health of specific individuals who presents with a specific disease or condition requiring diagnosis and treatment(O’Carroll et al, 2002).

A primary focus of public health informatics is on the applications of information science and technology that prevent disease and injury by altering the conditions that put populations of individuals at risk while whereas medical informatics is on the application of information science and technology for the treatment of individuals who already have a disease or high risk conditions(O’Carroll et al, 2002).

Prevention approach in public health informatics is not predetermined by professional discipline, but rather by effectiveness, expediency, cost, and social acceptability of intervening at various potentially vulnerable points in a causal chain whereas medical informatics preventive interventions is within the context of each professional discipline with focus on one or a few points in the causal chain(O’Carroll et al, 2002). Public health informatics is not restricted to particular social, behavioral, or environmental contexts whereas medical informatics is restricted to clinical and surgical encounters(O’Carroll et al, 2002).

Public Health Informatics – NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays

The term public health informatics (PHI) came about due to the work of Dr. John Snow. In 1854, Dr. Snow tracked cholera related deaths to a single water pump in London. The removal of that pump ended the outbreak. This was the first recorded community policing by a health care practitioner. In investigating the infected population as a whole, Dr. Snow was able to track the source of the cholera virus (Vachon, 2005). Florence Nightingale was also instrumental in public health informatics. The data she collected about hygiene and the mortality related to such, changed the face of medical data gathering which still exists today (Dossey, 2000). PHI incorporates skills and knowledge from many different areas including: statistics, microbiology, toxicology, epidemiology, management, and psychology (O’Carroll, Yasnoff, Ward, Ripp, & Martin, 2003, p.5).

One of the most important tools for a public health nurse or organization is a surveillance data system such as an infectious disease tracker (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). This tool is an incredible resource for tracking adverse health events and allows for the planning and implementations of interventions designed to combat adverse outcomes caused by a disease or other catastrophic instance.

In examining the information gathered about a possible influenza epidemic, the PHI nurse and others would look at past data to extrapolate data for the new season and how many people may be affected by the influenza outbreak and what information they have on strains of vaccine that have worked in the past. Other data that would need to be collected in this case would be information about the community at large such as high risk groups (children and elderly), those parts of the community with little or no access to healthcare and those populations that can afford to, and usually get a vaccine without any advance direction to do so.

In testing the efficacy of the campaign and the effect of the vaccination, researchers and others would have to examine all information on the amount of people vaccinated and the number of those people who actually contracted influenza. In analyzing this information, the public health department and those within that organization will have a better idea of what to expect in the years to come when dealing with influenza and ensuring those at high risk for contracting influenza get vaccinated before the season begins.

NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays – Electronic Health Record

Since more and more organizations are changing to an electronic health record (EHR), there have been questions raised as to the privacy of the EHR and who ultimately owns the EHR. Protecting a patient’s privacy it of the utmost importance when initiating an EHR. In doing so, organizations must be able to keep this record private and keep the patient’s protected health information (PHI) private and secure.

The ability to maintain security and privacy must work hand in hand with an organization’s ability to have a continuity of care for patients. This continuity of care comes for the interoperability of a patient’s record. In sharing certain amounts of patient information such as demographics, allergies, past medical history, and medications organizations can save time and money in allowing this information to be shared with others who are an integral part of the patient care team (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015).

In sharing a patient’s EHR within an organization or outside an organization if it relates to the continued care of that patient, the practitioner must ensure that all PHI remains protected as the misuse of this information could prove catastrophic to both the patient and the practitioner. If the information contained within a chart were to be leaked to the wrong individual, that person could use said information negatively and hurt the patient. Organizations both sending and receiving patient information must undertake the proper steps to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to the information and that the information remain secure when transmitted either physically or electronically. Having a shared EHR and interoperability is important to a patient’s continued medical care. It needs to be handled with the respect it is due to allow for a seamless transition between practitioners and the peace of mind for the patient knowing that the information is secure.

“Nursing is a dynamic, evolving profession that presents limitless career opportunities for nurses with graduate degrees” (American National College of Nursing). Today, more than ever, that is evident in nursing informatics (NI). Nursing informatics involves the use computer software systems to enhance and improve patient care documentation tools, indirectly improving the quality of care patients receive worldwide. Nursing informatics is an expanding, fast-paced, ever changing nursing career that continues to grow worldwide.

Key words: Nursing informatics, computer software systems, quality, patient care

Professional Portfolio Self-Marketing Plan

Nursing Informatics is the “integration of nursing science, computer and information science, and cognitive science to manage communication and expand the data, information, knowledge, and wisdom of nursing practice” (American Nurses Association Nursing Informatics Scope and Standards, 2008). Nursing informatics utilizes health information technology to improve the health of patients and their families worldwide. A nurse informatics specialist streamlines the management and communication in nursing, vastly enhancing productivity, minimizing healthcare services costs and improving patient care quality. The field of nursing informatics is one of the fastest growing specializations in healthcare today. The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) estimates that within the next few years 70,000 nursing informatics specialists will be needed to fulfill jobs (AMIA, 2013).

Purpose of Nurse Informatics Specialist

With the implementation of the Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR), documentation has become an essential communication tool among healthcare providers in providing quality care to patients. The purpose of a nurse informatics specialist is to outline and apply computerized documentation systems that enhance accuracy, reduce workload, and facilitate the analysis of clinical data between healthcare providers. A nurse informatics specialist determines ways to improve the rate, usability, readiness and precision of healthcare provider’s documentation, thus simplifying and enhancing documentation.

Required competencies and scope of practice standards for Nursing Informatics

The Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER) Initiative was formed to develop competencies for the field of nursing informatics. The TIGER initiative identified a list of competencies grouped into three basic categories: computer competencies, informatics skills and informatics knowledge (TIGER Sumit). A nurse informatics specialist must have working knowledge of basic software applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and knowledge of software design and project management. Specific nursing informatics skills include experience with template editing and the capability to develop methods to test for validity. Overall the nursing informatics specialist must be highly self-motivated and have excellent people skills.

Nursing Informatics scopes and standards of practice are outlined in the 2008 ANA Nursing Informatics: Scopes and Standards of Practice. The book highlights nursing informatics characteristics, development and trends, educations and training, and ethical and conceptual roots (ANA, 2008).

Type of Facility and Department

The nurse informatics specialist can work at a variety of healthcare facilities; anywhere clinical nurses are found, a nurse informatics specialist can be found. From companies like Cerner, a public company focused on health information technology, which employs mainly traveling nurse specialists, to a community hospital, a nurse informatics specialist can be employed. The nurse informatics specialist generally works within the information technology department.

Primary Responsibilities and Knowledge required of the Nurse Informatics Specialist

The nurse informatics specialist is responsible for all aspects of planning, design, development, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of clinical information systems (Nursing informatics). The nurse informatics specialist assists with the development and implementation of quality tracking and reporting systems and utilizes knowledge and skills of nursing practice to determine clinical functions. The nurse informatics specialist utilizes computer software systems to enhance and improve patient care documentation tools, indirectly improving the quality of care patients receive worldwide.

Educational and Professional Requirements

The nurse informatics specialist should be a registered nurse with three-five years of clinical experience. Possess at least a BSN, although a MSN is preferred. The job applicant must also demonstrate the ability to plan and implement clinical information systems. A Nursing Informatics Certification is necessary, and Certified Professional in Healthcare Information & Management Systems (CAHIMS), and Certified Professional in Healthcare Information & Management Systems (CPHIMS) are highly recommended.

Rationale for Nurse Informatics Specialists

According to ANA Nursing Informatics: Scopes and Standards of Practice, “Nurses trained in NI support improved patient outcomes through their expertise in information processes, structures, and technologies, thus helping nurses and other care providers to create and record the evidence of their practice” (American Nurses Association, 2008, Pg.2). Through the use of technology and computerized documentation, the nurse informatics specialist indirectly improves the lives of patients and their families worldwide. The nurse informatics specialist improves the efficiency of healthcare provides thus enhancing patient care through the implementation of accurate, simple to use patient documentation tools.

Services of Nurse Informatics Specialist

Electronic documentation is the primary responsibility of the nurse informatics specialist. After all, documentation is how healthcare providers communicate with one another. A nurse informatics specialist, through the use of computer software and information technologies, finds ways to enhance and simplify documentation thus improving the quality of patient care. The goal is to develop a clinical system that is user-friendly, effective, and enhances patient care.

Benefit to the Organization and Customers

The ultimate go of healthcare is better health for all. Employed and utilized properly, a nurse informatics specialist is able to help healthcare organizations and patients achieve their ultimate goal. Nursing informatics utilizes health information technology to improve the health of patients and their families worldwide. A nurse informatics specialist improves information management and communication in nursing, thus improving efficiency, reducing costs and enhancing the quality of patient care (American Nurses Association, 2008). A nurse informatics specialist gives back valuable time to healthcare providers by enhancing the efficiency of the healthcare organizations documentation system allowing them to spend more time on direct patient care activities.

Characteristics of a Master’s Prepared Nurse

A master’s prepared nurse is a well-rounded nurse with diverse experiences, knowledge, and insight. A master’s prepared nurse is determined, highly motivated, well-educated employee. A master’s prepared nurse is a critical thinker with invaluable leadership skills; eager for new challenges and professional growth. It’s this skill set that allows the master’s prepared nurse to flourish in the quick paced, ever changing field of nursing informatics.

Unique Attributes

Anywhere a clinical nurse is employed, a nurse informatics specialist is employed. Nurse informatics specialists can work in virtually all healthcare settings; from a public health agency to a public health information technology company, nurse informatics specialists are employable in every healthcare setting in the world.

To be successful as a nurse informatics specialist, one must possess certain competencies. The nurse informatics specialist must have excellent computer skills with an understanding of how to effectively use computer software programs (Microsoft Word, Excel), knowledge flow of clinical workflow in hospitals and outpatient care settings, and knowledge of Federally Qualified Healthcare standards (JCAHO).

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 mandated that by January 1, 2014, all public and private healthcare providers and other eligible professionals (EP) must have adopted and demonstrated meaningful use of electronic medical records (EMR) in order to maintain their existing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement levels” (Centers of Medicare and Medicaid, ). This act also provides healthcare providers with financial incentives if they are able to demonstrate “meaningful use” of EHR.

The field of nursing informatics is unlike any other nursing field today. Nursing informatics utilizes the technology advances of the 21st century to influence and improve the quality of patient care in an indirect patient care role. Unlike the specialties of clinical systems management or nurse educator, a nurse informatics specialist works side by side with healthcare providers to outline and apply computerized documentation systems that enhance accuracy, reduce workload, and facilitate the analysis of clinical data between healthcare providers. A nurse informatics specialist determines ways to improve the rate, usability, readiness and precision of healthcare provider’s documentation, thus simplifying and enhancing documentation.

The field of nursing informatics is one of the fastest growing specializations in healthcare today. Nursing informatics utilizes health information technology to improve the health of patients and their families worldwide. A nurse informatics specialist streamlines the management and communication in nursing, vastly enhancing the productivity, reducing healthcare services costs and improving patient care quality. The nurse informatics specialist must have excellent computer skills with an understanding of how to effectively use computer software programs (Microsoft Word, Excel), knowledge flow of clinical workflow in hospitals and outpatient care settings, and knowledge of Federally Qualified Healthcare standards.

In today’s dynamic health systems, technology plays an important role in education and nursing work. So it seems necessary to study the role of nurses and highlight the need for appropriate information technology educational programs to integrate with the ever-increasing pace of technology. A review accompanied by an extensive literature search in databases and a library search focused on the keywords were used. The criteria used for selecting studies primarily focused on nursing informatics and the importance of expertise in the effective use of information technology in all aspects of the nursing profession. In a critical assessment of emerging technologies, the key elements of nursing informatics implementation were considered as healthcare promotion, advanced systems, internet and network. In view of the nature and the development of the information age, it is required to receive necessary IT training for all categories of nurses. Due to the fast development of technology, in order to effectively take advantage of information technology in nursing outcome and quality of health care and to empower nurses; educational arrangement is recommended to set short-term and long-term specialized courses focusing on four target groups: studying, working, graduate, senior undergraduate, and graduate doctoral. The result of this study is expected to assist educational providers with program development.

Health Informatics

Karla is a nurse on a unit that has just transitioned to computer charting on its patients. Integrating computer-based software into her patient care has been a welcome challenge.

Health informatics is the use of technology combined with the science of healthcare to design and build software that stores patient information where it is accessible to those caring for the patient. The electronic health record (EHR) is the hub of the health informatics wheel. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has spearheaded the movement from paper charts to computer-based records. Health information technology has clinical and administrative functionality.

Benefits of Health Informatics

Karla has all her patient information in one place — her computer workstation. No more searching for the paper chart — all information is accessible to those caring for Karla’s patient.

The benefits of healthcare informatics have pronounced effects on communication among providers, staff, managers, and patients across many applications. The EHR is providing the framework for caring for patients using software that is specifically designed for access to critical information such as:

• Lab and X-ray results
• A patient’s history and physical notes
• Provider orders
• Medications, allergies, and immunizations
• Discharge planning

Accurate documentation assists the next person caring for the patient, insurance companies reviewing the record, and administration responsible for managing patient care.

NURS 6401 Assignments – Informatics in Nursing and Healthcare Essays – Clinical Decision Support

Having information at the right time is what clinical decision support is all about. Clinical decision support creates knowledge and informational support strategically placed at vulnerable decision points, allowing staff to consider safety, options for care, and education prior to proceeding with care decisions. For example, Karla is on the surgical unit, and her patient is being prepared for a procedure; the protocol requires a shower using a soap the patient is allergic to. The chart sends an alert to inform Karla that her patient is allergic, and then Karla informs the physician who orders a different soap. The patient is protected from an allergic reaction.

Improved Administrative Functionality

Leadership is supported by data that can shape the policy for the organization. Understanding what is happening in the facility can assist leadership to determine education needs, improve quality programs, and create a culture of safety and accountability for the managers and staff.

Improved Quality and Safety

Quality of care delivered with access to knowledge and information are two important factors that can reduce errors and improve positive outcomes. Karla has information available to her as links in the orders and other key areas for quick reference. Technology is improving quality and safety in the following key areas:

• Clinical workflow can be built into the software that allows a smoother, safer approach to care. For example, Karla has five patients; two of them are more unstable. She has those two on monitors that feed the vital signs to the EHR. Karla can follow their vital signs in the records as she completes her care with the other three patients. This allows her to check on them quickly and intervene if she notes a problem.
• Nurses can receive alerts regarding a patient’s care to prevent orders from being missed.
• Sharing of data can aid in decision-making with the patient. For example, Karla’s patient has a low lab result that needs to be reported to the physician. Lab results are readily available for staff.

Improved Compliance of Accreditation Standards

Many EHR software packages come with the Joint Commission standards embedded into the documentation for providers and staff. Karla’s patient is receiving sedation for a procedure. The Joint Commission has standards to address sedation in the documentation that covers all aspects of the care including identification of the correct patient, medication dosage, route, and effect.

Improved Education

Healthcare technology has many facets of patient and staff education embedded in the patient’s record. One of Karla’s patients is being discharged to go home and needs information about blood thinners. Karla finds the discharge information sheet for her patient in the EHR and prints off a copy for her patient to review and discuss prior to leaving the facility. In the EHR, education tools regarding procedures, medications, and disease processes are available.

Improved Access to Information

Access to information for patients and providers can increase the quality of decision-making and reduce errors resulting from missing documentation. One of the assignments from the ACA for healthcare is to increase interoperability — an ability to share information between providers caring for the patient, third-party payers, and reporting agencies such as public health.

Reasons Why Every Nurse Needs to Have Informatics Skills.

One much-discussed topic in modern health care is informatics, the application of computers and information technology to health care. A fundamental competency in informatics is especially important for nurses. They are the largest health care profession, with over 2.7 million registered nurses and a further 750,000 licensed practical and vocational nurses practicing in the United States as of 2011. For contemporary nurses to achieve their full career potential, there are several reasons they need to embrace informatics electronic Health Records

Adopting a new electronic health record has significant implications on the landscape of social change within healthcare set up and particularly in a small hospital as in this case. Electronic health records have the ability to address public and population information needs (Fickenscher & Bakerman, 2011). This way they facilitate delivery of health services in addition to enabling the government to be in a position of financing and developing sound health policies. Additionally, information that has been accumulated in the electronic health records (HER) can be used in promoting environments and health lifestyles of the public. More so, this information can be used to reveal how a disease is prevalent and as such provide a significant amount of data that can be used to develop strategies and policies for dealing with such situations (Fickenscher & Bakerman, 2011). However, implementing such a program in a hospital may not be easy particularly if it is met with resistance from nurses as it is in this case. Nevertheless, Rogers Diffusion of innovations theories provides certain qualities that can facilitate successful implementation of a change as outlined in this paper.

Diffusion of Innovations and how it can Facilitate Successful Implementation

Adoption of a new technology is influenced by the ability of the adopter to make a judgment of whether the benefits of using innovation will surpass the risks of using that innovation (Green, Ottoson, Garcia & Robert, 2009). The other factor that affects adoption of a new technology is whether that innovation will improve the existing technology. If people anticipate more benefits from adoption of the innovation, then diffusion of that technology will be rapid. This is what Rogers call relative advantage, one of the qualities that affect adoption of new technology.

Relative Advantage

Everett Rogers argues that relative advantage is expressed as social prestige, economic profitability, and any other benefits. Having a sophisticated technology is important to many hospitals so that they can be competitive. It increases prestige. Additionally, it would attract many innovative physicians. Patients too would aspire to be treated in a hospital that is well equipped (Gruber, Darragh, Puccia, Kadric & Bruce, 2010). To most patients, adequate health care services are equated to up to date technology. In this regard, EHR would project the image of the hospital as a reputable health system. As a facilitator who would want to see that there is full implementation of this new EHR system in the hospital, there is the need to understand who the end users of technology are. This involves identification of the persons who is measuring the benefits of the new adoption against other decision-influencing and decision-making entities. Convincing these people in implementation process would be a milestone to adoption.

Under this relative advantage quality, the next step would be to recognize the effects of behavior change (Gruber, Darragh, Puccia, Kadric & Bruce, 2010). As a facilitator, the ability to illustrate how the new technology would offer greater benefits if adopted would be important in easing tension and resistance from nurses. More so, considering the business case to embracing this new technology is paramount. This involves calculating return on investment to help the adopters and the parties involved in the process of implementation understand the tangible benefits of the new EHR to be adopted. Testimonies and success stories from those who have adopted EHR may affirm these tangible benefits

Trial ability

The ability to try out a new technology with minimal investment and little commitment are what Rogers call Trial ability (Green, Ottoson, Garcia & Robert, 2009).  If it is easier to try out a new technology without much commitment or heavy investment, then prospects for adoption will be better. Trying out a new technology or innovation would allow the adopters of it opportunity to reduce benefits and risks uncertainty. Even if some pieces of evidence argues against or for the advantages of adopting EHR, personal experience may overcome this if it is used well.

As a facilitator, therefore, it is important that one look for a chance to carve out any part of the system which is more trial able despite the fact that a new technology may not lend itself to trials. Dividing the whole process into components that can be tried without full commitment or investment would be helpful in convincing the parties involved in the process of implementation (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2014). Again, it would be useful at this stage to demonstrate the tangible benefits of this innovation and how more powerful they would be in the case of a complete system. Therefore, this quality demands one to try out the new technology with minimal investment and with a little commitment for the betterment of adoption prospects.

Observability

This involves seeing how the new technology is working by watching another person use it and after that acknowledge that the innovation is beneficial and safe (Green, Ottoson, Garcia & Robert, 2009). The ability to demonstrate the benefits of technology would augur well with nurses and reduce cases of resistance that may arise. If the evidence of increased functionality, improved experience, and better results can be achieved, then the likelihood of adopting the new technology for users increases (Kaminski, 2011). As a facilitator of seeing the successful implementation of this technology, making the invisible to be visible would be core. A challenge exists if one is not able to make an adoption that is non-observable to be visible. However, by focusing fully on the need to articulate the visibility of the new adoption and diffusion, one will win the support of the users of the new technology.

Compatibility

This defines the degree or extent to which innovation is seen as in line with the past experiences, needs, and existing values of the users (Hyrkäs & Harvey, 2010). Regarding increasing the likelihood of adoption, the new technology must address the issue that nurses see as a problem. Procedures and tests that are likely to offer solutions to nurses must be demonstrated. In this case, the benefits of EHR to the hospital must be spelled out clearly by demonstrating how the new technology would contribute to reliability, convenience and easy retrieval of information for public consumption. Easy retrieval of a patient’s data is compatible with quality services, and as such, it would pay if the new technology is adopted.

Complexity

This measures the extent to which the new technology would be perceived complex to use or understand it. A clinical product or procedure will be adopted if it is simple to use or understand. If a procedure is complex to use and understand there is a high probability of receiving resistance (Hyrkäs & Harvey, 2010). Training on a complex procedure may be unwelcome to nurses. It, therefore, requires simplification of any procedures or product before it can be introduced to health professionals. In this context, it would be significant first to simplify the contents, procedures involved and any specifications of the EHR system before it can be introduced to nurses. This would help quell any the current resistance from hospital nurses.

Nurses as Agents of Change in Facilitating the Adoption of New Technology

Nurses have a great effect on the failure or success of adoption of EHR. It is good that nurses understand their duties as change agents and how they can impact on others when addressing the various challenges that emanate from change. A nurse has the role of improving the process of implementing the new technology through engaging in research and being a visionary, idea person and a facilitator (Gruber, Darragh, Puccia, Kadric & Bruce, 2010). Being a visionary nurse would entail communicating, coaching and advising where necessary on how best to adopt the new change within the health care sector. To bring that change, it is important that a nurse act as a facilitator by educating others on why change is needed and demonstrating the tangible benefits of this new idea that is being implemented.

A nurse should function as a change catalyst. Through the provision of clinical expertise, commitment and theoretical expertise by nurses, the results of any project within the health sector is likely to be successful (Kaminski, 2011). Consequently, nurses should be in a position to evaluate, analyze, plan and implement the process of change in a diligent manner for the benefit of the hospital. Being an agent of change in the healthcare sector is one of the vital roles of nurses (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2014). Point to underscore is that change is a reality that is taking place almost every time and nurses should not be barriers to change rather; they should facilitate it. This is achievable if nurses put the focus on the safety of patients and the reliability of health care services.

Conclusion

Diffusion of innovation depends on ideas being passed from one person who knows about the technology or innovation to another individual who is not aware of anything about the innovation. Paying critical attention to these qualities as presented by Rogers would be important in seeing implementation success of this EHR system. Additionally, Effective communication is vital in ensuring that nurses and other health professionals are aware of any procedure or product and how it will be used or impact upon their profession. To adequately inform nurses about the innovation, in this case, would require an appropriate media or cosmopolitan sources.