Week 3 - Nursing Informatics and Technology Applications
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lecture and laboratory hours and activities:
Students will be able to:
Utilize nursing informatics applications in:
Assessing and formulating a plan of care
Implementing safe and quality interventions
Evaluating the outcomes of care and corrective action
Providing health education
Ensure:
Completeness, integrity, safety, accessibility, and security of client data using information systems
Adhere to protocols and principles of confidentiality in safekeeping and releasing of information about the client.
Information Technology Systems Applicable in Nursing Practice
Categories of Application:
A. Hospital/Critical Care Applications
B. Community Health Applications
C. Ambulatory Care Systems
D. Emergency Preparedness and Response
E. Administrative Assistive Devices and Workplace Technologies
F. Telehealth
Historical Perspective
Importance of Nursing Informatics in Patient Care:
Florence Nightingale emphasized the critical importance of nursing informatics in patient care over 150 years ago, stating that "Decision making must be based upon the use of accurate data" (Ulrich, 1992, p.68).
Timeline of Hospital Information Systems:
The first hospital information systems emerged from the late 1950s to mid-1960s, primarily focused on financial and administrative functions.
Nightingale expressed frustrations about the challenges in accessing critical patient-related data from hospital records.
Computer technology began to be integrated into hospitals more than a century after Nightingale’s time.
Nursing Informatics Definition and Evolution
Broad Definition (since 1980):
Focused on technical aspects and interaction between nurses and technology.
Nurses specialized in developing technology applications for nursing practice (ANA, 2001).
Nursing Informatics as a Specialty:
Integrates:
Nursing Science
Computer Science
Information Science
Cognitive science
Purpose:
Supports nursing practice, administration, education, and research.
Expands nursing knowledge through data management and information processing.
Goals of Nursing Informatics (ANA):
Improve the health of populations, communities, families, and individuals by optimizing information management and communication.
Includes direct use of technology in care provision, administrative systems establishment, educational experiences management, supporting life-long learning, and nursing research.
Informatics Competencies
General Informatics Competencies for All Nurses:
Identifying, collecting, and recording data relevant to patient care
Analyzing and interpreting patient and nursing information
Implementing informatics applications within nursing processes
Adhering to policies on privacy, confidentiality, and security (ANA, 2011, p.26).
Additional Skills for Nursing Informatics Specialists:
Information literacy skills including:
Accessing databases
Creating spreadsheets
Communicating via email
Interacting with clinical documentation systems.
Critical Care Applications
Critical Care Nursing:
Focuses on human responses to life-threatening problems.
Critical Care Nurses are responsible for care of critically ill patients and optimal support for families.
Critical Care Applications' Areas:
Require complex assessments, high-intensity medication, continuous therapy, and vigilant nursing attention.
Critical Care Information System (CCIS)
Purpose:
Automate collection and management of medical information.
Provide real-time data management and patient profiling.
Advantages of CCIS:
Feedback and alerts for patient condition evaluation.
Integration of diagnostic information into a secure clinical repository.
Trended analysis of results with graphical representation.
Clinical decision support systems to aid clinical staff.
Medical Information Bus (MIB)
Overview:
Networking application to compile data from bedside monitoring devices and hospital computers.
Standardizes communication protocols for patient monitoring devices.
Goals of MIB:
Communicate accurate information for clinical decision-making.
Allow timely data collection and reporting on patient conditions and therapy effectiveness.
Community Health Applications
Purpose:
Promote and protect the health of the community while maintaining health data integrity.
Utilizes a health information system focused on public health data.
Focus Areas:
Disease prevention
Health education and awareness
Computer-based Survey Systems
Health Statistical Surveys:
Gather quantitative data to establish specific health-related information.
Types of data collected can focus on opinions or factual information.
Advantages:
Tracking diseases, building health strategies, and facilitating communication.
Ambulatory Care System
Definition:
Medical care provided on an outpatient basis, including diagnosis, consultation, treatment, and rehabilitation.
Service Locations:
Outpatient clinics, urgent care centers, emergency rooms, and more.
Advantages of Ambulatory Care Information Systems:
Real-time access to patient records, improved workflows, error reduction, enhanced clinical outcomes, and regulatory compliant formats.
Telehealth
Definition:
Use of telecommunication technologies to provide healthcare services and access to health information.
Applications:
Telephone communication, teleconferencing, call center use, computerized health care systems.
Educational Technology Systems
Purpose:
Provide communication linkages and information access for clients.
May also offer screening for compliance with health prevention standards.
Issues in Telehealth
Legal Issues:
Regulation of telehealth practice.
Safety Standards:
Certification of care providers engaged in telehealth.
Security Concerns:
Ensuring privacy and data security in communications.
Budget Constraints:
High costs related to telehealth infrastructure and training.
Conclusion on Nursing Informatics
Nurses coordinate and deliver care as primary providers and coordinators.
Continuous emphasis on integrating technology in practice to ensure effective care delivery without replacing the essential, human element of nursing.