Nursing informatics is defined as a specialty that incorporates nursing science and other analytical and information sciences to define, identify, communicate, and manage data, knowledge, wisdom, and data in the nursing field. Data in the healthcare system is growing essential because of the fast-changing technological advances. The system attempts to assimilate technology quickly into its daily routines by adopting the concept of informatics in its practice. In nursing informatics, aspects such as privacy and security of patient information are considered necessary in transforming data into valuable and helpful knowledge.
Nurse informaticists analyze patient information to improve their healthcare and help their facilities implement new patient-centred technologies. The role requires high-level technical personnel who use technology and data daily to maintain and monitor programs, systems, and patient-centred initiatives (Ball et al., 2011). The informaticists analyze what works, what improvements need to be made on projects, and which they must shift technologies. The individuals also develop, research, and implement cutting edge technologies in healthcare facilities.
McCormick and Saba (2015) present that nursing informaticists have positively impacted their organizations. The nurses reduce the chances of medical-related errors in the organization alongside associated costs. These nurses provide staff training on how to use new technologies to improve their healthcare practices. McGonigle and Mastrian (2021) present that nursing informaticists can enhance communication within the healthcare facility among various professionals by providing them with accurate patient information. This allows the professionals to make informed decisions on the treatment or administration needs of the patients. Darvish et al. (2014) foresee an impact of informatics in nursing in terms of future advancements towards automated clinical and patient records, simplified information collection, and the analysis and tracking of patient’s information.
Nursing informaticists work alongside other professionals in healthcare and collaborate with them to draft and design requirements, implement, and build technological solutions and workflow for their organizations. The personnel help in the training of other professionals on how to use the new technologies and deploy teleworking and telehealth strategies within the facilities. Such techniques are meant to help in maintaining hospital operations and improving healthcare.
Engaging nurses in healthcare technology has a positive impact, especially inpatient care. One of the significant impacts on patient care is the improved access to their medical data. The digital revolution in the healthcare field provides the facility’s ability to access and store patient data. They can update the information and make it available to the patient on demand. This gives the patient the ability to review their care results and evaluate how much they have improved from the care provided. Additionally, health care technology has made it possible for patients to have remote consultations with their doctors. Patient care is improved because they can access medical guidance anywhere.
Healthcare technology also has an impact on protected health information. Protected health information defines medical histories, mental health results, demographic data, insurance information, laboratory and test results, and other information that is considered confidential to patients. One can use such information to define and identify a patient. Darvish et al. (2014) showcase the impact of technology on protected health information, citing that technology makes it possible to keep and safeguard confidential health records. With technology, healthcare facilities can effectively manage protected health information and enforce security measures that ensure the data remains secure, private, and personal (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2021).
Healthcare technology influences the workflow of an organization. The technology comes with the advantage of providing easy ways of keeping and recording patient information. Electronic data recording is less time-consuming than other data entry methods and reduces any risks of erroneous records. The ability to access patient information online also allows professional healthcare providers to work on other essential healthcare solutions rather than spending time retrieving some info.
Additionally, technology in healthcare impacts the return on investment for the organization. Technology comes at its price, which could be considered a disadvantage, but it creates revenue for the organization by eliminating unnecessary expenses in the long run. Through technology, costs resulting from erroneous entry and long patient wait times are eliminated. In the long run, the organization gains revenue from such eliminations.
A nurse informaticist role comes with some opportunities and challenges for the interdisciplinary team and the nurses. One of the significant challenges is integrating the computer systems and the typical nurses routine. The nursing informatics role revolves around the integration of technology into the everyday work of the nurses, which could be a challenge. This is because such requires financial resources, which are pretty high for the high cost of healthcare technological devices. In addition, the shift to technologically focused nursing practice could not be smooth because there could be some stuffing issues and a lack of support from the other personnel who need to receive technical training.
The nurse informatics role creates an opportunity for development and growth for the interdisciplinary team and the nurses. The role functions to enforce the use of technology to solve some of the issues impacting the nursing practice and eliminate some errors resulting in poor working in the department. The role would open doors to making positive contributions to patient healthcare using technology. The interdisciplinary team could collaborate with the nurse informatics to improve healthcare quality outcomes with technological influence.
Creating the nurse informaticist role in the organization is essential, as presented in the individual’s position. The part is described in how nursing informaticists work alongside other professionals in healthcare and collaborate with them to draft and design requirements, implement, and build technological solutions and workflow for their organizations. According to Ball et al. (2011), the individuals are also presented to help train other professionals on how to use the new technologies and deploy teleworking and telehealth strategies within the facilities. This indicates that the nurses would play an essential role in the organization.
The essentiality of the nurse informaticist role is cemented by the impact of the individuals in the healthcare facility. As Darvish et al. (2014) present, the role impacts patient care by improving patients’ access to their medical data. The digital revolution in the healthcare field provides the facility’s ability to access and store patient data. They can update the information and make it available to the patient on demand. This gives the patient the ability to review their care results and evaluate how much they have improved from the care provided. Through the role, the healthcare facility can effectively manage protected health information and enforce security measures that ensure the data remains secure, private, and confidential.
The nursing informatics role’s opportunities for the organization are another reason to create the part. It functions to enforce the use of technology to solve some of the issues impacting the nursing practice and eliminate some errors resulting in poor working in the department (McGonigle and Mastrian, 2021). Also, it would open doors to making positive contributions to patient healthcare using technology. The organization should, therefore, consider creating the nursing informatics role. It should implement a system that attempts to assimilate technology quickly into its daily routines by adopting the concept of informatics in its practice. In nursing informatics, aspects such as privacy and security of patient information are considered necessary in transforming data into valuable and helpful knowledge. Therefore, the organization would need the role to ensure it keeps up to date with current technology trends in healthcare.
References
Ball, M. J., DuLong, D., Newbold, S. K., Sensmeier, J. E., Skiba, D. J., Troseth, M. R., & Hannah, K. J. (2011). Nursing informatics. Springer.
Darvish, A., Bahramnezhad, F., Keyhanian, S., & Navidhamidi, M. (2014). The role of nursing informatics on promoting quality of health care and the need for appropriate education. Global journal of health science, 6(6), 11.
McCormick, K., & Saba, V. (2015). Essentials of nursing informatics. McGraw-Hill Education.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2021). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
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