2. Informatics?
French word informatique which means computer science.
Informatics is defined as computer science + information
science.
Used in conjunction with the name of a discipline, it denotes
an application of computer science and information science
to the management and processing of
data, information, and knowledge in the named discipline.
Thus we have, medical informatics, nursing informatics,
pharmacy informatics and so on…
3. What is Nursing Informatics
A way of helping in the management and processing
of nursing information data through the use of
computers.
Involves research and analysis aimed at supporting
nursing education and practice.
Deals specifically with the process of gathering and
acquiring nursing health care data.
4. History
Nurses have worked in informatics roles for over
twenty-five years, but the phrase “nursing
informatics” was not seen in the literature until 1984.
Nursing informatics has established itself as a
specialty in the nursing field.
Nurses have become proficient in utilizing and
adapting complex technology into caring nursing
practice for decades, at least since the time of
Florence Nightingale in the United Kingdom and even
earlier, when Jeanne Mance (1606-1673) founded
the first hospital in Montreal, Canada in 1642.
5. History
Various forms of machinery such as ventilators and
physiological monitors were first used in intensive
and critical care settings, and are now currently
used in adapted form in less acute areas, even in
home care.
Nursing has evolved significantly over the past few
decades, with many of the changes being driven by
advances in information and communication
technology (ICT).
10. Definitions
Rognehaugh
• “the use of any computer and information
technologies that support any nursing function
carried out by nurses in the performance of their
duties”
11. Definitions
Hannah (1985)
• “use of information technologies in relation to those
functions, within the purview of nursing that are
carried out by nurses when performing their duties”
12. Definitions
Graves and Corcoran(1989)
• “a combination of computer science, information
science and nursing science designed to assist in
the management and processing of nursing data,
information and knowledge to support the practice
of nursing and the delivery of nursing care.”
13. Definitions
Hebda (1998 )
• Defines nursing informatics as "the use of
computers technology to support nursing, including
clinical practice, administration, education, and
research.
14. Definitions
ANA Scope and Standards of Nursing Informatics
Practice( 2001, pg vii)
“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.”
15. Goal
The goal of Nursing Informatics is to improve the
health of populations, communities, families, and
individuals by optimizing information management
and communication. This includes the use of
technology in the direct provision of care, in
establishing effective administrative systems, in
managing and delivering education experiences, in
supporting life-long learning, and in supporting
nursing research.
(Scope of Standards of Nursing Informatics Practice -
American Nurses Association 2001)
16. Framework of Nursing Informatics
Deals with how this data is collected and
processed with an aim to improve various
decision-making levels within the nursing
profession.
Is applied to model the human processing
of data, information, and knowledge within a
computer system.
Automates the processing of nursing data
to information and the transformation of
nursing information to nursing knowledge.
17. Framework of Nursing Informatics?
The framework for nursing informatics relies on the
central concepts of data, information and knowledge:
DATA: is defined as discrete entities that are described
objectively without interpretation
INFORMATION: as data that is interpreted, organized
or structured
KNOWLEDGE as information that has been
synthesized so that interrelationships
are identified and formalized.
19. Application of Nursing Informatics
Nursing Informatics can be applied to all areas of
nursing practice which include;
• Clinical Practice,
• Administration
• Education
• Research
20. Clinical Practice
Point-of-Care Systems and Clinical Information
Systems
Work lists to remind staff of planned nursing
interventions
Computer generated client documentation
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Computer-
Based Patient Record (CPR) Monitoring devices that
record vital signs and other measurements directly into
the client record (electronic medical record)
21. Clinical Practice
Computer - generated nursing care plans and
critical pathways
Automatic billing for supplies or procedures with
nursing documentation
Reminders and prompts that appear during
documentation to ensure comprehensive charting
22. Nursing Administration
Health Care Information Systems
Automated staff scheduling
E-mail for improved communication
Cost analysis and finding trends for budget
purposes
Quality assurance and outcomes analysis
23. Nursing Education
Computerized record-keeping
Computerized-assisted instruction
Interactive video technology
Distance Learning-Web based courses and degree
programs
Internet resources-CEU's and formal nursing courses and
degree programs
Presentation software for preparing slides and handouts-
PowerPoint and MS Word
24. Nursing Research
Computerized literature searching-CINAHL,
HINARI, Medline and Web sources
The adoption of standardized language related to
nursing terms-NANDA, etc.
The ability to find trends in aggregate data, that is
data derived from large population groups-
Statistical Software, SPSS .
25. Benefits
• Electronic Medical Records(EMR)
benefits:
• Improved access to the medical record. The EMR can
be accessed from several different locations
simultaneously, as well as by different levels of
providers.
• Decreased redundancy of data entry. For example,
allergies and vital signs need only be entered once.
• Decreased time spent in documentation. Automation
allows direct entry from monitoring equipment, as well
as point-of-care data entry.
26. Benefits
•Increased time for client care. More time is available
for client care because less time
is required for documentation and transcription of
physician orders.
•Facilitation of data collection for research.
Electronically stored client records
provide quick access to clinical data for a large
number of clients.
27. Benefits
• Improved communication and decreased potential
for error. Improved legibility of
clinician documentation and orders is seen with
computerized information systems.
• Creation of a lifetime clinical record facilitated by
information systems
28. Decision Support Software
Decision- support software, computer software programs
that organize information to aid in decision making for
client care or administrative issues; these include:
Decision-support tools as well as alerts and reminders
notify the clinician of possible concerns or omissions.
An example of this, is the documentation of patient
allergies in the computer system. The health care
providers would be alerted to any discrepancies in the
patient medication orders.
29. Decision Support Software
Effective data management and trend-finding
include the ability to provide historical or current
data reports.
Extensive financial information can be collected and
analyzed for trends. An extremely important benefit
in this era of managed care and cost cutting.
Data related to treatment such as inpatient length of
stay and the lowest level of care provider required
can be used to decrease costs.
30. Advantages
Database advantages
• shared data;
• centralized control;
• disadvantages of redundancy control;
• improved data integrity;
• improved data security, and database systems;
• flexible conceptual design.
31. Advantages
• More easily archived
• Standardized and customized reporting
• Legible
• More accurate patient data, less chance of error
• Document set maintained
32. Disadvantages
• Complex conceptual design process
• Need for multiple external databases
• Need to hire database-related employees
• High DBMS acquisition costs
• A more complex programmer environment
33. Disadvantages
• Potentially catastrophic program failures
• A longer running time for individual applications
• Highly dependent DBMS operations
• Increased costs to startup, maintain, train, and
upgrade Computer literacy required-fear of
computers
• Confidentiality, privacy and security difficult to
guarantee
34. Conclusion
Virginia Saba (1992) predicted, "By the turn of
the century, most health care delivery systems will
function with computers and will be managed by
computer literate nurses. I believe, that by the turn
of the century, "high tech and high touch" will be an
integral part of the health care delivery system,"
35. Conclusion
At present, nursing informatics is an emerging
field of study. National nursing organizations
support the need for nurses to become computer
literate and versed in the dynamics of nursing
informatics. We are at a transition period. Becoming
educated in nursing informatics is, for the most
party, a self-directed and independent endeavor.
Programs that offer basic and further education in
nursing informatics are beginning to spring up
around the globe, but many more are needed to
provide easy access for motivated nurses.
