Introduction to Health Information Technology Systems and Nursing Informatics

What brought you to the nursing profession and what are your strengths as a nurse? Many times, nurses are called upon to use skills that do not relate to the reasons that made them enter their profession. What is your attitude toward change, especially the increased reliance on technology in health care? Organizations such as TIGER are developing computer competency resources to improve nursing professionals’ understanding of health care informatics. How might nursing informatics and competencies increase quality, patient safety, and job satisfaction?

To prepare:

• Review this week’s media presentation, focusing on the benefits and challenges of health informatics.
• Reflect on your professional nursing experiences and how informatics has impacted or changed your practice.
• Examine the TIGER and ANA informatics competencies presented in the Learning Resources. What insights do these give you with regard to:
  
  • How these competencies influence nursing informatics, improve quality of care and patient safety, and promote excellence in nursing practice
  • Ways in which nursing practices have changed and/or will change as a result of informatics
  • Your personal skills, strengths, and preferences related to informatics
  • Potential challenges or areas in which you need to strengthen your capabilities, and at least one strategy for accomplishing professional growth in this area

By Day 3 post a cohesive response that addresses the following:

• Briefly share your nursing background and professional interests.
• Summarize how informatics has impacted or changed nursing practice. Provide an example from your professional experience.
• Evaluate how established informatics competencies influence quality of care, safety improvements, and excellence in nursing practice.
• Assess your informatics strengths and preferences, as well as potential challenges and areas for development. (Be sure to refer to specific TIGER and ANA competencies.)
• Describe one strategy for enhancing your informatics skills and competencies.