According to the American Nurses Association (2015) , “nursing informatics is the specialty that integrates nursing science with multiple information and analytical sciences to help recognize , define, manage, and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice.” In an era of information and technology, it has become increasingly important for nurses and health practitioners to be competent in the analysis of data using available technology. Most health organizations have automated systems that aid in patient care. Nurses have to integrate their field with analytics and information science to effectively care for their patients.
Functional Areas of Nursing Informatics
In patient care, I have to apply nursing informatics to the functional areas of analysis, administration, and management. The analysis is important as it helps in data synthesis to make decisions in my line of work. Electronic medical records provide patient data that requires me to analyze to ensure I offer the best and most personalized care to patients. It is also important in making decisions on patient care for effective work. Administration and management functional areas are relevant because I have to put in medical information on a patient and manage it to ensure other departments of the organization can rely on the data (Health Information and Management Systems Society, 2012b) .
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TIGER Competencies
Basic computer competencies, information literacy, and management are important for me to carry out my functions as a nurse (Health Information and Management Systems Society, 2012b) . In an automated organization, it is important for me to have basic computer skills to ensure I can work a computer and the information system in it. Information literacy will help in the analysis and administration of the patient information in the organization. Information management is necessary for my management function to ensure I can analyze data into information, understand it, and make required decisions. These competencies are important especially since information systems are always being updated. These updates make it necessary for me to update my knowledge in informatics every year.
My organization has an IT department that offers training in new areas of informatics and current areas that are challenging. These training workshops help in improving and developing the required TIGER competencies of my work. The IT department is available anytime to help in challenging areas of the informatics system.
Effectiveness and Nursing Informatics
Information technology enables automation of work hence much time is saved compared to manual work. I can easily access information on my patient from the system to make an important decision. I can also update necessary information on the patient that other nurses and practitioners can use in their line of work. Nursing informatics, therefore, has allowed me to work faster and effectively in the provision of patient care. It is also easy to keep my colleagues up to date on a patient to ensure they get the best health care. Information literacy has allowed me to develop analytical skills that are important in making critical decisions as a nurse (Choi, Yang, & Lee, 2014) .
References
American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing Informatics: Scope & Standards of Practice. Silver Springs, MD: American Nurses Association.
Choi, M., Yang, Y. L., & Lee, S. (2014). Effectiveness of Nursing Management Information Systems: A Systematic Review. Health Information Research, 20 (4), 249-257.
Health Information and Management Systems Society. (2012b). Resources/Reports. Retrieved from HIMSS: https://web.archive.org/web/20151108084347/http://www.thetigerinitiative.org/resources.aspx
