Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge Model

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational concepts in nursing informatics, including the DIKW hierarchy, types of knowledge, the Foundation of Knowledge Model, information system components, interoperability, and cognitive informatics.

Nursing Science

The body of knowledge unique to nursing that guides patient care and professional practice, combining biological, behavioral, and social sciences, nursing theories, and clinical experience.

Data

Raw facts without interpretation that have little meaning by themselves (e.g., $BP = 88/54$, $\text{Temperature} = 102.4^\circ\text{F}$, $\text{oxygen saturation} = 89\%$).

Information

Data that have been organized and interpreted so that the nurse understands what the numbers mean (e.g., recognizing that vital signs indicate hypotension and fever).

Knowledge

Information combined with experience, education, and context, enabling nurses to recognize patterns (e.g., recognizing that fever and hypotension may suggest sepsis).

Wisdom

The appropriate use of knowledge in clinical situations, involving sound judgment, clinical reasoning, and decision-making to initiate rapid intervention.

Explicit Knowledge

Knowledge that can be documented and easily shared, such as policies, procedures, textbooks, and clinical practice guidelines.

Tacit Knowledge

Knowledge gained through experience that is difficult to articulate or teach directly, such as intuition, expert nursing judgment, and recognizing subtle patient deterioration.

Knowledge Acquisition

The stage of the Foundation of Knowledge Model focused on obtaining new knowledge (e.g., reading research, learning in class, attending training), supported by computers through gathering information.

Knowledge Processing

The stage of the Foundation of Knowledge Model involving the interpretation and organization of knowledge (e.g., comparing information, analyzing patient data), supported by computers through organizing data.

Knowledge Generation

The stage of the Foundation of Knowledge Model centered on creating new knowledge through research and evidence-based practice projects, supported by computers through research and analysis.

Knowledge Dissemination

The stage of the Foundation of Knowledge Model focused on sharing knowledge through teaching, documentation, and presentations.

Information Science

The discipline that studies the collection, processing, storage, retrieval, and communication of data and information to ensure the right information reaches the right person at the right time.

Hardware

The physical computer equipment of an information system, such as CPUs, monitors, keyboards, servers, tablets, and scanners.

Software

Programs that instruct computers and process information within an information system, categorized into system software and application software.

System Software

Programs that control computer operations, such as Windows and MacOS.

Application Software

Programs designed to perform specific user tasks, such as electronic health records (EHRs), medication administration systems, and database programs.

Databases

Organized collections of information that store demographics, diagnoses, medications, and laboratory results to provide quick retrieval and data analysis.

Interoperability

The ability of different healthcare systems to exchange and effectively use data (e.g., a hospital EHR communicating directly with a pharmacy system).

Cognitive Science

The study of thinking, learning, memory, problem-solving, and decision-making, exploring how the human mind processes knowledge.

Cognition

Mental actions and processes that include perception, reasoning, understanding, judgment, and decision-making, influencing every clinical decision in nursing.

Cognitive Informatics

A multidisciplinary field combining cognitive science, information science, and computer science to design technology that supports rather than hinders human thinking and decision-making.

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)

Computer programs designed to support clinical decision-making through tools such as drug interaction alerts, allergy warnings, fall-risk alerts, and sepsis screening alerts.

Cognitive Load

The total amount of mental effort required to perform a task; high levels can increase errors, fatigue, and missed information.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

The study of how people interact with technology, guiding the design of systems that are easy to use, efficient, safe, and intuitive.

Four Sciences of Nursing Informatics

The four disciplines that combine to form nursing informatics: Nursing Science, Information Science, Computer Science, and Cognitive Science ($\text{Nursing Informatics} = \text{NS} + \text{IS} + \text{CS} + \text{CogS}$).