In the current dynamic healthcare system, providing quality patient care requires the deployment and integration of information technology within the healthcare system. As a result, competence in nursing informatics has become a core requirement for nurses because it enables nurses to combine nursing with technology to manage and integrate health information effectively” (Simamora, 2019). Ideally, competence in nursing informatics improves patient care by improving efficiency and performance in the healthcare system. As an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) working in a nursing home, I aim to improve informatics competence in three key areas: knowledge, skills, and attitude. That is, to improve my knowledge of how information and technology skills improve nursing care, how to manage and apply information and technology in nursing, and appreciate the importance of continuous learning in technology skills. This paper discusses the rationale for choosing the competencies, my goals, and outcomes.
Rationale
Knowledge
One way to improve my competence in nursing informatics is to learn why information and technology skills are essential in providing safe patient care. Improving knowledge in nursing informatics improves the quality of healthcare delivery because nurses are responsible for providing day-to-day care to patients. Nursing informatics has become an essential part of the healthcare system in recent years because of its efficiency and performance in healthcare delivery. However, the effectiveness of nursing informatics is not automatic. Its effectiveness depends on the competence of nurses. Simamora (2019) indicates that the reliability of an information system depends on the interrelationship between existing components. Besides the hardware and software used, nursing knowledge, skills, and attitude toward information systems influence the system’s effectiveness. Nursing knowledge of information systems improves nursing care as a high level of knowledge increases the ability of nurses to interpret data accurately and use interrelated systems. Simamora (2019) found that increased technology usage led to increased nursing information system requirements. Ideally, the use of information systems produced new sophisticated systems considered temporary to the sophisticated information produced. The study also found that the level of knowledge was associated with a higher level of effectiveness in nursing information systems.
Skills
Improving skills in managing and applying information and technology in nursing is another way of improving competency in nursing informatics. Improving information technology skills is relevant to nurses since data, information, and technologies are necessary for improving nursing care. In contrast, lacking these skills can lead to less optimal patient care outcomes (Chipps et al., 2022), such as decreased patient care and error in clinical practice. In older nurses, the level of education, several years worked, computer experience, and fear of technology may negatively affect their attitude towards technology use. However, training in IT skills can positively influence these attitudes. Chipps et al. (2022) further show that failure to offer formal informatics training can cause nurses to hate informatics because a lack of informatics competency and lack of knowledge of its relevance in nursing care negatively influences attitude. Improving my skills in managing data and applying IT skills will increase my competence.
Attitude
Attitude plays a significant role in the adoption of technology. A positive attitude encourages the adoption of technology, while a negative one does not. Negative attitudes arise because of a lack of knowledge and skills in nursing informatics. Chipps et al. (2022) mention that one strategy to create a positive attitude toward nursing informatics is to offer formal training in informatics. However, with informatics, more than having a formal education is needed, given how technology is rapidly changing. Therefore, nurses need to learn new technologies to remain effective in care delivery continuously. Lera et al. (2020) indicate that lifelong learning is a qualitative indicator of health discipline as it improves health professionals’ skills and knowledge. The analysis of nurses engaging in lifelong learning showed that the reason for learning was to improve the nursing profession and nursing care.
Goals
As an LPN working in a nursing home, I aim to improve my knowledge, skills, and attitude toward computerized physician order entry (CPOE) to improve resident care. With the increasing adoption of nursing information systems (NIS) in residential care institutions, nurses need to increase their knowledge, skill, and attitude toward the system. CPOE is a system that enables health professionals to enter medical orders directly. The system also provides electronic charting that allows nurses to provide information quickly and efficiently, thus improving daily workflow (Alexander et al., 2020). Additionally, its ability to store information electronically ensures that information is available to all healthcare team members.
Improving my knowledge of CPOE is likely to take about one month. The expected outcomes at the end of the process are the ability to enumerate all the benefits of CPOE in healthcare organizations, especially in nursing homes, and enumerate all system components and their importance to nurses. However, learning the skills to order medications and perform electronic charting accurately is a complex process that would take a while before mastering it. The process will take approximately four months. The expected outcome of the process is being able to order medications and perform electronic charting. Changing my attitude towards lifelong learning is likely to take approximately five months because, at this time, I will appreciate the importance of nursing informatics in improving nursing care. Notably, this new knowledge, skills, and attitude toward nursing informatics will improve the quality of care and my professional growth as a nurse.
Conclusion
Competence in nursing informatics is critical to all nurses, irrespective of their specializations. The increasing importance of competence has surfaced due to the integration of information technology and nursing practice. The integration has benefited healthcare organizations by improving the efficiency and performance of healthcare professionals. The analysis shows that using nursing informatics in nursing care reduces sub-optimal care cases. However, while the technology is beneficial, its effectiveness depends on knowledge, skills, and attitude toward it. Therefore, this self-assessment has focused on improving knowledge, skill, and attitude toward implementing computerized physician order entry (CPOE) in nursing homes. The technology improves care delivery by allowing healthcare professionals to order medication electronically and perform electronic charting. These streamlined processes reduce errors, protect the information, and improve workflow, improving the quality of care.
References
Alexander, G. L., Georgiou, A., Doughty, K., Hornblow, A., Livingstone, A., Dougherty, M., … & Fisk, M. J. (2020). Advancing health information technology roadmaps in long term care. International journal of medical informatics, 136, 104088.
Chipps, J., Le Roux, L., Agabus, J., & Bimerew, M. (2022). Nursing informatics skills relevance and competence for final year nursing students. Curationis, 45(1), e1–e8. https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v45i1.2277
Lera, M., Taxtsoglou, K., Iliadis, C., Frantzana, A., & Kourkouta, L. (2020). Nurses’ Attitudes Toward Lifelong Learning via New Technologies. Asian/Pacific Island nursing journal, 5(2), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.31372/20200502.1088
Simamora, R. H. (2019). Socialization of information technology utilization and knowledge of information system effectiveness at Hospital Nurses in Medan, North Sumatra. International Journal of Advanced
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