Nursing informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing, computer science, and information science to manage healthcare data and communication. It supports patients, nurses, and other providers in decision-making through using information structures, processes, and technology. Nursing informatics professionals work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities and may develop, support, or analyze data systems used in direct patient care. The Cleveland Clinic is implementing an electronic medical records system from Epic Systems to transform clinical practice for nurses, providers, and other staff by enabling access to patient records across all facilities.

1. Rachelle Bagor BSN-III ADAM
Info 2(6:30-8:00) Mr. JOSEPH LAGOD
Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and
information science to manage and communicate data, information, and knowledge in nursing
practice. Nursing informatics facilitates the integration of data, information and knowledge to
support patients, nurses and other providers in their decision-making in all roles and settings. This
support is accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes, and
information technology.
In relation to the person who desires a future in "developing" information systems, nursing
informatics is the development, support and analysis of data systems used in the day to day function
of nurses providing direct patient care. The amount of programming or pure informatics
development each nursing informatics professional will perform varies by experience level and
specialty. Nursing informatics professionals may work in hospitals, physician's offices, clinics, and
general medical or mental health facilities. A certification process is administered by the ANCC
American Nurses Credentialing Center which provides some insight as to the career path a nursing
informatics professional might take.
Nursing Informatics is not new, but it certainly is NOW! Technology is dramatically altering
the ways in which we diagnose, treat, care for and manage patients. It is our past and it is our
present. Nursing Informatics participates in multidisciplinary strategic planning to determine system
solutions that support patient care, set standards for clinical applications, conform to accreditation
standards and regulatory requirements and transform clinical practice. The department also
facilitates the development of automation policies, procedures and guidelines for nursing and is the
primary liaison between the Cleveland Clinic Information Technology Division and the Nursing
Institute. Taking Patient Care to New Levels, the implementation of the electronic medical record,
as with other Cleveland Clinic approaches to clinical medical practice, sets a high standard for
innovation, collaboration and interoperability.
Nursing Informatics, in collaboration with the Information Technology Division, is
implementing an electronic medical records system from Epic Systems of Madison, WI. Electronic
documentation of the patient’s medical record is transforming clinical practice for nursing, allied
health and medical practitioners at the Cleveland Clinic. After using Epic Care successfully in
ambulatory outpatient services for two years, the Clinic is currently undergoing a phased
implementation of the Epic system in the inpatient setting– enabling health care providers to
examine any patient record across the entire continuum of care in all Cleveland Clinic facilities. The
current implementation includes Provider order entry (CPOE), nursing care documentation,
medication dispensing and administration, and results reporting. Cleveland Clinic patients may even
access their own records and request prescription renewals via the internet with My Chart. T