Role of Nursing Informatics Essay
Week 5 Project Compilation Summarize, in 3-4 pages, this assignment that provides information from Weeks 1 to 4. In addition to the work you completed in the last four weeks, your assignment should also: Include an introduction and a conclusion. Implement the recommendations from the instructor. Describe the role of nursing informatics. Explain how nursing informatics or technology in health care will help or hinder your leadership. On a separate references page, cite all sources using APA format. Use this APA Citation Helper as a convenient reference for properly citing resources. This handout will provide you the details of formatting your essay using APA style. You may create your essay in this APA-formatted template. Submission Details Support your responses with examples. Role of Nursing Informatics Essay Name your document SU_NSG4029_W5_Project_Last Name_First Initial.doc. Submit your document to the Submissions Area by the due date assigned.You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized.
Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes. k 5 Project Compilation
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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.Role of Nursing Informatics Essay 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).
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”.
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.Role of Nursing Informatics Essay
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.”Role of Nursing Informatics Essay
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:Role of Nursing Informatics Essay
- 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.”
Nursing may be considered a noble profession because it appears to deal mainly with health of individuals in the society. Nurses are viewed as second doctors due to the fact that most of the times whenever doctors make their patients diagnosis, nurses are present and administer treatment ordered by the physicians. Nurses are people who provide care hence they are care providers.Role of Nursing Informatics Essay
Nurses help to promote good health and prevent diseases and injuries to various people in the society. Before modern nursing, there existed traditional nursing. In most cases, a priest seemed to play two roles. One was the role of a priest and the other one appeared as the role of a physician. The role of nurses was left to nuns.
The nursing profession makes differences in people’s lives because the major role of nurses is providing health. In the process of proving this health, they would seem to be making a major difference in someone’s life. However, it should be noted that nurses do not necessarily work in hospitals alone. There appear to be various working opportunities for the nursing career. They can either practice in nursing homes, residential homes and cruise ships among other places. Nursing appears to be among the top ten occupations with amazing job opportunities.
Career opportunities for nursing vary accordingly. There exist doctoral level researcher and entry-level practitioners. When a nurse qualifies as a professional, there appear to be various specialties he/she can venture into. They include clinical nurse leader, community health nursing, dermatology nursing, genetics nursing, domestic violence nursing, emergency nursing, forensic nursing and informatics nursing among others. (Daly, 2009)
Informatics Nursing
Informatics nursing is commonly referred to as NI and mainly deals with integration of nursing science, information science and computer science. This integration helps in the management, passing of data, information, wisdom and knowledge in the practice of nursing. It involves the use of digital computers in the practice of nursing or medicine. A nurse’s venturing in nursing informatics generally supports patients, nurses and various health providers in making decisions. They mainly offer this support through information structures, information processes and technology.Role of Nursing Informatics Essay
Informatics nurses are experienced nursing clinicians when practicing nursing. The analytical and critical thinking techniques of informatics nurses are considered as high. Their documentation is done automatically due to their understanding of patient care. Informatics nurses should be experienced in implementation of the process of nursing hence referred to as clinicians harboring extensive clinical practice. They also should have extra education and be well acquainted with technology systems and systems of information (Buckis, 2006).
There happen to be a similarity between the project management and nursing process hence informatics nurses emerge as good project managers because of their expertise in nursing process. However, many might be arguing that informatics nursing cannot be deemed as nursing. This piece of argument may be disputed since the year 1992, when nursing informatics was declared as a specialty by the American Nurses Association. During this time, nursing informatics’ requirements have been established.
An informatics nurse applies his or her skills in various areas of nursing including dentistry, public heath, clinic care, therapy and research. Informatics nursing kicked off in the United States around the 1950s. There appeared various informatics certifications that have been used to assist informatics nurses and make them easily recognized (Basavanthappa, 2003).
For one to be eligible as an informatics nurse, various requirements must be met. A bachelor’s degree in nursing or relevant field of medicine must be obtained. Work experiences are also required for one to obtain the status of an informatics nurse. Two years’ experience of working as a registered full time nurse is also a requirement for informatics nursing. Also, one must have finished up to 30 hours of education concerning informatics nursing for the previous three years.
A graduate program in informatics nursing must be completed with a minimum of 200 hours of supervised practice in informatics nursing. An informatics nurse must have a current RN license. The license must be an active license and be legally recognized in other countries.Role of Nursing Informatics Essay
There are various certifications on informatics nursing. For example, in radiology informatics the certified imaging informatics profession requires proof of work experience in imaging informatics and formal testing included. This is to be renewed every five years. There should be an examination test majoring in information technology and technical know-how, clinical understanding and project management. Five PARCA certifications are also required from the entry level to the architect level (Young, 2004).
The main aim of nursing informatics is majorly to achieve a patient-centered care. An informatics nurse develops information and communication technology. They carry out researches, take positions as chief information officers, software engineers, and offer education concerning informatics nursing. Nurse informatics develops policies is an implementer and consultant. An informatics nurse is free to work not only in a hospital but also in other health care facilities including universities and consulting firms.
In most cases, these nurses hold various titles such as clinical analyst, director of clinical informatics, informatics nurse specialist and coordinator of clinical informatics. In some cases, an informatics nurse undertakes patient care duties because they mostly work with developing systems, they are improving the systems and are even training other nurses on how to use the new equipment.
Since the year 2007, the average salary for an informatics nurse is $79,000 up to $83,000. The informatics nurses experience quite a number of challenges in their line of work. For them to work efficiently, these challenges need to be addressed. One such limitation is provision of security. Even though the nurse informatics appears making efforts to produce records of patients and make them easily accessible via the internet, the challenge of ensuring the information safety arises. Without security, the information in the internet would be easily accessed by hackers thus there is the possibility of tampering with patients’ records. This process also requires confidentiality because sometimes the need of making payments online would arise and the records of payments must be well kept to avoid confusions. For the plans of nursing, it should be noted that nurses should be given the appropriate environment to be able to offer their skills to the maximum level possible (Registered Nurses, 2012).Role of Nursing Informatics Essay
Conclusion
They are also expected to have higher level of training and education. In the United States, it should be noted that the future plans for informatics nursing involve allowing nurses to become full time partners with doctors or physicians and other health care providers. Leadership roles of informatics nursing also tend to be changed in the near future. The roles would include nursing informatics executive and chief nursing informatics officer. In the future, nursing education would be transformed to include competencies in informatics.
Even though most people would argue that nurse informatics does not seem as nursing at all, in real sense, the benefits of nurse informatics are seemingly on the higher level. Nursing informatics helps in improving nursing care through technology. Technology helps in making work easy hence creating better and more appealing environment for in-patient nurses. Therefore, if technology makes work easier for the nurses, this would only mean that the patient would also have effective services because a happy nurse makes a happy customer. Informatics nurses have proven to be a vital part of our society.Role of Nursing Informatics Essay