Nursing Informatics and the Nurse Informaticist
Information and analytical sciences are integrated with nursing science in order to convey, manage, define, and recognize knowledge, information, and information in the nursing process. The primary focus of nursing informatics is on the dissemination and management of patient care information generated by nursing practice via the use of various information and communication technologies (Collins et al., 2017). The responsibilities of a nurse informaticist are wide-ranging and complex. The nurse informaticist is responsible for educating and monitoring the nursing staff on the use of technology. Nursing staff provide input to the nurse informaticist, which she uses to see if the technology is improving patient outcomes (Sharma et al., 2020). Other duties include overseeing projects and resources, as well as creating system-related guidelines and processes. System performance is improved and people are educated about informatics through their work. It is also the job of a nurse informaticist to serve as a link between IT and nursing departments. They are also interested in EHR (Electronic Health Records) interfaces that are both easy to use and conducive to providing the best possible treatment (Collins et al., 2017). To guarantee that rules and policies are in place that promote healthcare technology and satisfy the requirements of patients and providers, they collaborate with government agencies and lawmakers.
Other Health Care Organizations and Nurse Informaticists
Using nurse informaticists in other healthcare organizations has given such organizations valuable insight into a wide range of topics, including information and communication technology. Nurse informaticists are involved in tackling the day-to-day difficulties in healthcare organizations, which have a substantial influence on patient care. Nurse informaticists are also influencing the practice of nursing and healthcare through the use of documentation. In healthcare, the use of charts with handwritten notes is rapidly becoming obsolete (Sweeney, 2017). To keep patient medical records updated and conveniently available, nurses in today’s world are more likely than ever to input data and notes into electronic health records and other systems. Through the use of technology to manage staffing, nurse informaticists have made it feasible to maintain an optimal nurse-to-patient ratio. Better patient outcomes and better healthcare services have been achieved as a result of this. Interactions between nurse informaticists and members of multidisciplinary teams and other health care providers take several forms: As one example, nurse informaticists teach nursing and multidisciplinary teams how to best utilize medical technology. There are several ways in which nurse informaticists might communicate with other nursing staff and other members of the healthcare team. As a result, it is easier for other experts to discover areas for improvement in communication, process, and staffing. Nurse informatics is responsible for ensuring that medical data is preserved electronically and is accessible to other nursing staff and members of the multidisciplinary team. As the population of the United States and the rest of the globe becomes increasingly mobile, it is essential that people bring their medical records with them wherever they go. In this situation, the nurse informaticists work with the other healthcare professionals and multidisciplinary teams to guarantee that healthcare practitioners in other organizations may get patient medical records as necessary to offer efficient treatment.
The Impact of Full Nurse Engagement in Healthcare Technology
When patients are fully involved in their own treatment, it has a favorable influence on the quality of that care. Improved access to patient medical records, for example, ensures that patients receive high-quality treatment. Through the use of technology, comprehensive nurse involvement increases the use and determination of evidence-based practices. As a result, patients receive better treatment since the most up-to-date methods of providing services are being employed. Another benefit is that better communication across multidisciplinary teams and nurses results in better patient care. Improved security, confidentiality, and privacy of protected health information can be achieved by fully involving nurses in healthcare technology (PHI). This is because nurses learn how to properly manage and protect patient information (Glasper, 2019). Nurses will have a better understanding of end-to-end encryption as a result of our collaboration. A secure socket layer and transport layer must be in place when data is exchanged across embedded devices. Access permission and audit trails help prevent PHI from being compromised because of technology’s role in strengthening security. The technology guarantees that information is transmitted securely and reaches its intended destination. Improved workflow is a result of full nurse participation in healthcare technology. According to the Healthcare Information and Management Society, involving nurses in electronic records results in faster access to patient data. The data is put to good use in streamlining the day-to-day operations. Another benefit is that it improves care coordination and the ability to manage workflow and staffing more effectively. The nurses will have an easier time identifying areas for improvement in the workflow and devising strategies for putting those improvements into action. Reduced expenses and a higher return on investment are the results of full nurse involvement. The reduction of medical mistakes, in turn, results in lower health-care expenses (Glasper, 2019). In addition, it saves money since there are fewer workflow redundancies and operational inefficiencies.
Opportunities and Challenges
The creation of a nurse informaticist profession provides possibilities for interdisciplinary teams and nurses to learn more about healthcare technology. Improved HIPAA compliance, which necessitates a high degree of privacy, secrecy, and security for protected health information (PHI), is another possibility (Collins et al., 2017). Interdisciplinary teams might also benefit from better communication and collaboration. There are also issues due to other staff members’ limited technical understanding. Inefficient healthcare systems may also be a problem.
The multidisciplinary team may work together to improve healthcare quality through technology by ensuring that each member of the team has access to any information essential to provide excellent treatment to patients (Sharma et al., 2020). As a result, appropriate specialists will have access to the material online. The team can also work together to find technology-enhanced aspects of the healthcare process. Additionally, incorporating cutting-edge technology will boost patient confidence since they’ll know their personal information will be safe and secret when it’s shared.
Summary of Recommendations
According to this proposal’s three major points, I would like the HR manager and CNO to keep in mind the following:
Patient care will be enhanced thanks to the addition of a nurse informaticist to the team. This is due to the fact that healthcare providers will have easy access to patient medical records, allowing them to provide more efficient service. The efficient use of technology will also result in the development of evidence-based policies for the provision of health care. As a result, better patient outcomes will be achieved.
PHI will be more secure, private, and secret as a result of the proposed function. As a result, nurse informaticists are well-versed in the best practices for securing personal health information (PHI). The rest of the nursing staff and multidisciplinary teams will be educated on how to maintain strict confidentiality, privacy, and security of PHI under their care.
The position indicated will lead to better utilization of technology and more effective communication in the facility. The nursing staff and interdisciplinary teams will be taught by the nurse informaticist how to best utilize technology in healthcare. As a result, they’ll serve as a conduit for communication between the nursing department and the IT department.
References
Collins, S., Yen, P. Y., Phillips, A., & Kennedy, M. K. (2017). Nursing informatics competency assessment for the nurse leader: The Delphi study. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 47(4), 212-218.
Glasper, A. (2019). A long-term plan for embracing digital healthcare technology. British Journal of Nursing, 28(3), 204-205.
Sharma, K., Devi, S. D., & Sharma, B. (2020). The Role of Nursing Informatics in Healthcare Sector. Journal of Critical Reviews, 7(10), 1364-1369.
Sweeney, J. (2017). Healthcare informatics. On-Line Journal of Nursing Informatics, 21(1).
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