Nursing Informatics
Hardware is the physical part of the computer and its associated equipment. Computer hardware
Input Devices: used to enter data; keyboard, mouse, trackball, touch screen, light pen, microphone, bar code reader, faxmodem card, joystick, and scanner.
Output Devices: used to view and hear processed data; video monitor screens, printers, speakers, and fax.
Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the “brain” of the computer, three components:
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): number “crunching”
Memory: is the storage area in which program instruction (code) reside during execution.
Read-only memory (ROM) is permanent; it remains when the power is off. A start-up instruction for the computer is an example of ROM.
Random access memory (RAM) is a temporary storage area for program instructions and data that is being processed; it is only active while the computer is turned on. (Located on the motherboard not part of CPU)
Control Unit: manages instructions to other parts of the computer, including input and output devices “traffic cop”
SECONDARY STORAGE: provides space to retain data in an area separate from the computer's memory after the computer is turned off, these include; hard disk drives, floppy disks, tape, zip drives, optical drives and CD-ROM drives.
COMPUTER CATEGORIES
Super computers, are the largest and most expensive, can perform billions of instructions every second
Mainframes, large computers capable of processing several millions instructions per second.
Minicomputer, is a scaled-down version of the mainframe, since they are now becoming more powerful they can now be found in hospitals and HMO's.
Microcomputers (PCs), inexpensive processing power for an individual user.
Laptop or Notebook , Handheld, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
NETWORKS
A network is “a combination of hardware and software that allows communication and electronic transfer of information between computers” (as cited in Hebda, 1998, p. 19).
Hardware may be connected permanently by wire (Ethernet), or temporarily by wireless communication, and modems/telephone lines.
A Server stores files and programs that are accessed by the client on the network.
TYPES OF NETWORKS
They range from small (home network) to very large (Internet)
Home Networks – within a home
Local Area Networks (LAN) – networks within an area, location or business. The University connects all its computers on a LAN.
Wide Area Networks (WAN) – several LAN connected together
Internet – many WAN connected together around the globe to give us the Internet that we use today
Intranets – private company networks that are protected from outside access Kaiser HMO and its clinics and hospitals is an example.
Extranets – several Intranets connected together, Kaiser maintains Extranet a network connection with its suppliers
1.) ROM (Read only Memory) – Permanent Storage (boot,etc.); cannot be changed by user
2.) RAM (Random Access Memory) – working memory for primary storage (temporary storage)
3.) Cache – smaller form of RAM. Speeds up processing.
Input – allows the computer to receive information from the outside world.
Mouse, Keyboards, etc...
Output – allows the computer to report its result to the external world.
Printers, Flash Drives
STORAGE MEDIA:
Includes main memory and external devices on which programs and data are stored.
Hard Drives
Usb Flash Drives
Optical Media
Cloud Storage
An operating system is the collection of programs that manage all of the computer’s activities, Including the control of hardware, execution of software, and management of information. Operating Systems provides a user interface by which the individual interacts with the computer.
● Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and Wireless Devices
● Emails, Bookmarks
● Wireless phones
● Two-way Video Teleconferencing
● FaceTime
● Text Messaging
● Twitter, Google, Internet, Facebook
● Web 2, blogs, wikis
Web Conference: Used as an umbrella term for various types of online collaborative services including web seminars (Webinars), webcasts and peer-level web meeting.
● NVivo: - it also can manage documents, audio and video files as categories, attributes, or nodes in visual displays that show the structure and properties of the document.−
● E-Mails: messages distributed by electronic means from one computer user to one or more recipients via a network
● Two-way video conferencing: “means to conduct a conference between two or more participants at different sites byusing computer networks to transmit audio and video data.
● FaceTime: “Time spent in face-to-face contact with someone. It is an application for a mobile communications device that enables people to speak to each.”
● Twitter: a social networking and blogging service that allows users to send and read tweets (updates)
●Text Messaging: “It is an electronic communication sent and received by mobile phone.”
● Social Media: “computer-based technology that facilitates the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information throughthe building of virtual networks and communities. By design, social media is internet-based and gives users quickelectronic communication of content.”
● Personal Digital Assistant: It is a term for a small, mobile, handheld device that provides computing and informationstorage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedules, calendars andaddress book information handy.
Battery Life - Mobile devices depend on batteries. Battery life has both hardware and software components, e screen illumina tion algorithms for wen to dim the screen to conserve the battery.
PDA Operating System
-The type of operating system determines in part the strategies for conserving energy in order to prolong the battery life.
Available Software for nurses:
● Telehealth
● Tettito
● Nursing Central
●PEPID
● Skyscape
● Netdoc
● Taarsion
●PDA Cortex