Informatics Competencies Week 4 NURS 6401
Informatics Competencies
Nursing informatics is a discipline that is still evolving. Yet, there is a set of core skills and knowledge that applies to all individuals who work as nurse informaticists and many competencies that are specific to informatics roles, positions, tasks, and responsibilities. For example, a nurse informaticist who works as a consultant for a health care technology company and a nurse informaticist who works as a professor at a university will share much of the same expertise and knowledge. However, they will also have distinct competencies specific to their unique roles.
In this Discussion, you explore informatics competencies within the informatics functional area you selected for the Week 1 Assignment.
To prepare:
Review nursing informatics competencies such as those outlined by the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER), and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN).
Review this weeks media presentation Competencies for Nurse Informaticists, and reflect on the competencies outlined by the presenters.
Recall the informatics functional area you identified in the Week 1 Assignment. With this in mind, what competencies would be most important for you to master? How might you go about developing these competencies?
Create a list of competencies you would like to master.
By Day 3
1. Post a brief description of the informatics functional area in which you are interested. (Leadership in Nursing Informatics)
2. Then, identify at least four ANA, TIGER and/or QSEN competencies that you believe to be vital for success in this functional area, and justify your choices.
3. Explain how you might successfully develop and master each of these competencies.
***APA style with reference, 600 characters minimum*** Due date 9/20/2017
Required Readings
American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.
Read the following chapter: Informatics Competencies: Spanning Careers and Roles In this section, the authors explain the competencies necessary for nurse informaticists to be successful. The section also highlights which competencies are applicable for various informatics roles and functional areas.
Saba, V. K., & McCormick, K. A. (2015). Essentials of nursing informatics (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Chapter 2, Computer Hardware
This chapter discusses introduces the basics of computer hardware used for nursing informatics.
Chapter 4, Computer Software This chapter introduces computer software, as well as the programs that are most relevant to nursing informatics.
Chapter 11, System Life Cycle: A Framework In this chapter, the authors introduce the systems life cycle (SDLC) and its stages. These stages are often used by organizations for large-scale projects, such as implementing or upgrading health information technology.
Chapter 13, System Life Cycle Tools Chapter 13 focuses on the tools needed to assist with each phase of the System Life Cycle. Successful implementation projects require clinical expertise as well as technical knowledge from nurse informaticists.
Chapter 9, Computer Interaction This chapter explains the need for nurses to be informed about human-machine interactions to prevent unintended consequences. Increased awareness of these factors can result in improved performance and outcomes in nursing informatics and other technologies. Chapter 30,
The Role of Technology in the Medication-Use Process In this chapter, the authors discuss how new technologies that can create a safer environment for the patient. This is especially relevant for nurses involved in administering medication and educating patients on its use.
Gooder, V. J. (2011). Nursesperceptions of a (BCMA) bar-coded medication administration system. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 15(2). Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article explores the outcomes of a bar-coded medication administration (BCMA) system, which included increased patient safety and accuracy of medication. The importance of assessing the impact of a BCMA system on nurses before implementation is also highlighted.
Preheim, G. J., Armstrong, G. E., & Barton, A. J. (2009). The new fundamentals in nursing: Introducing beginning quality and safety education for nurses competencies. The Journal of Nursing Education, 48(12), 694 – 697. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. This article discusses the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative and its six competencies, including informatics, that are essential for nursing practice. The authors emphasize that nursing education should shift from task-training and development to more current skills and competencies for informatics and patient-centered care.
Quality and Safety Education for Nurses. (2012). Informatics. Retrieved from http://qsen.org/competencies/graduate-ksas/#informatics Access this website to explore the knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected of informatics graduates.
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. (2015). Informatics competencies for every practicing nurse: Recommendations from the TIGER Collaborative. Retrieved from http://www.himss.org/file/1308906/download?token=zGqfWaqp‚
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012a). Competencies for nurse informaticists [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. In this week media presentation, Gail Latimer, Dr. Patricia Button, and Dr. Roy Simpson overview the progress that the ANA and the TIGER initiative have made in outlining key informatics competencies. In addition, each presenter identifies competencies that he or she believes to be vital to working in the informatics field.
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012h). Selecting new technologies [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. Dr. Patricia Button and Dr. Roy Simpson discuss the critical process of selecting the right technology for a health care organization. The presenters discuss the factors to consider, as well as the key skills informaticists should have to successfully lead these processes.
Optional Resources