Nursing Informatics

Abstract

The healthcare delivery environment is dramatically changing, and nursing has found itself during these revolutionary changes. Health care providers are expected to be able to provide safe, competent care in a highly technical and digital environment. Today’s nursing requires nurses to be constantly aware of new developments, new medications, and new technologies among others. With the influx of patients into the medical system, it is more essential than ever that nurses keep up. A major theme in this new healthcare arena is the use of information systems and technologies to improve the quality and safety of patient care expanded roles and technology are being incorporated into the domain of nursing informatics. The effects of these roles are visible across all sectors of nursing. Nursing informatics (NI) is the specialty that integrates nursing science with multiple information management and analytical sciences to identify, define, manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. NI supports nurses, consumers, patients, the inter-professional healthcare team, and other stakeholders in their decision- making in all roles and settings to achieve desired outcomes. This support is accomplished using information structures, information processes, and information technology.