Today, healthcare workers have access to more patient data than ever before. Knowing how to analyze and interpret that data can lead to better patient care and outcomes.
Enter the concept of nursing informatics, a realm of information science that can empower nurses and other healthcare workers to use patient data and health records to optimize care.
So, what is informatics in nursing and why does it matter? Likewise, what are some trends to watch for? As a nurse, these are all things you’ll want to know.
Defining Nursing Informatics: A Gateway to Empowered Care
Specifically, nursing informatics refers to the use of technology and data to improve patient care and overall nursing practice. To do this, nursing informatics infrastructures rely heavily on computer networks and algorithms.
The Intersection of Clinical Care and IT
In many ways, nursing informatics makes it possible to bridge the proverbial gap between nursing knowledge and information technology. This benefits patients and nurses alike by enhancing overall safety, improving communication and collaboration among healthcare workers, and maximizing the efficiency of many everyday nursing practices.
Evolution of Nursing Informatics in Healthcare
The history of nursing informatics can be traced back to the 1950s, when computers were first introduced to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. For many years, these computers were used for nothing more than the storage of patient data. By the 1980s, nursing informatics saw significant advancements, and by 1992, the American Nurses Association officially recognized informatics as a nursing specialty.
The Core Impact of Nursing Informatics on Patient Care
There are many ways in which nursing informatics can have a direct impact on the quality and efficiency of patient care.
Enhancing Patient Safety Through Advanced Informatics
For starters, nursing informatics helps to reduce errors and adverse events in healthcare facilities. This is because informatics optimizes documentation, ensuring data is as accurate as possible. That can then minimize errors in things like medication administration, allergy interactions, and even clinical decision support.
Enhancing Communication and Collaboration Among Healthcare Team Members
In many ways, nursing informatics tools can also facilitate more seamless information exchange between nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals. This can foster improved care coordination while strengthening professional relationships at the same time,
Implementing Electronic Health Records
Nursing informatics can also play a critical role in the design, implementation, and optimization of electronic health records (EHRs). When nurses have input in choosing a user-friendly system, healthcare workers enjoy EHR platforms that make it easy to get the information they need to make the right care decisions.
Streamlining Medication Administration and Management Processes
When it comes to the administration and management of medication, healthcare informatics can also streamline processes while enhancing patient safety and reducing the risk of prescribing errors. This is done seamlessly through specific medication practices, such as e-prescribing, smart pumps, and barcode scanning.
Promoting Patient Education and Empowerment Through Health Informatics
Nursing informatics technology can also be used to deliver patient-centered health information, which can enable informed decision-making and self-management of care for patients.
Trends Shaping the Future of Nursing Informatics
From the rise of predictive analytics to the integration of mobile health technologies, the area of nursing informatics is undergoing a major transformation with many trends shaping the future of the field.
The Rise of Predictive Analytics in Nursing Care
Nursing informatics is beginning to see the use of predictive analytics, which analyzes data to help nurses quickly plan a course of treatment to achieve the best patient outcomes. This, in turn, can aid nurses in identifying high-risk patients, preventing complications, and personalizing care interventions whenever possible.
Integrating Mobile Health Technologies in Nursing Practice
Meanwhile, mobile health technologies are also making it easier for healthcare professionals to collect and analyze more patient data than ever before. With the use of smartphone apps, wearable devices, and even remote monitoring tools, nursing care can extend far beyond “traditional” settings.
Practical Examples of Nursing Informatics at Work
Already, there are many examples of nursing informatics at work, and this is just the beginning. In the coming years, there are many more ways in which informatics will likely be incorporated into the healthcare field.
Case Studies: Success Stories in Hospital Settings
A comprehensive evaluation of a Nursing Information System (NIS) implemented in a 1,648-bed tertiary care hospital in Taiwan demonstrated significant improvements in quality indicators over a decade. The NIS included various subsystems such as barcode medication administration, automatic transmission of vital signs, and a nursing shift system.
Key improvements included:
- Medication Administration: The implementation of a barcode medication administration system significantly reduced medication errors. Before the system’s implementation, medication errors ranged between 42 and 70 errors per month. After introducing a closed-loop system and refining the medication interface in 2021, errors decreased substantially.
- Patient Safety: The incidence of pressure injuries decreased from 0.35 per 100 patient days in 2011 to 0.21 in 2019. Falls remained consistently low, and the incidence of blood transfusion errors dropped from 8 errors per month to just 1 over the same period.
The successful deployment of the NIS, supported by continuous improvement and user feedback, enhanced overall patient safety and nursing efficiency.
Additionally, in 2021, a hospital implemented Care Direct, a nursing information system embedded with clinical decision support (CDS). This mixed-method study focused on nurses’ interaction with Care Direct and the system’s impact on clinical practice.
Key findings included:
- System Use and Behavior: Nurses reported an average system use behavior score of 3.76 out of 5, indicating moderate to high usage. The integration of CDS options within Care Direct helped streamline routine tasks and improve decision-making processes.
- User Feedback and Training: Regular biweekly meetings and group chats among core team members facilitated cross-disciplinary collaboration and continuous system optimization. Nurses’ feedback was crucial in identifying technical issues and enhancing system usability.
The study highlighted the importance of organizational support and ongoing training in maximizing the effectiveness of nursing information systems.
Informatics in Telehealth: Bridging the Distance in Care Delivery
One of the most notable ways informatics in nursing is transforming the field is by empowering healthcare workers to care for patients remotely. More specifically, healthcare informatics is being used in telemedicine to assess and monitor patients remotely. Likewise, nurses and doctors can use this data to provide virtual consultations and treatments in situations where patients may not be able to travel to seek care in-person.
The Role of Nursing Informaticists in Healthcare Teams
As informatics technology continues to improve and be implemented more widely, it is also likely that the need for knowledgeable nursing informaticists will grow.
Responsibilities and Collaboration With Other Health Professionals
Nursing informaticists take on a multidisciplinary role, where they are responsible for collaborating with other healthcare workers for system development, problem-solving, and much more. The collaborative nature of this role requires that informaticists be able to work well with others while taking feedback and input seriously.
Advocating for Patient Privacy and Data Security
Nursing informaticists also play a critical role in upholding data ethics, ensuring HIPAA compliance, and safeguarding patient information. In this sense, informaticists also need to have a solid understanding of data privacy laws, cybersecurity, and information technology as a whole.
Advancing Your Career in Nursing Informatics
If you’re interested in becoming a nursing informaticist, there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to advancing your career. This includes building upon some crucial skills, as well as pursuing the appropriate education and training.
Essential Skills and Competencies for Nursing Informaticists
Nursing informaticists need to possess a number of technical skills and core competencies to do their jobs well. From a technical standpoint, this includes having a solid background in information technology, data analytics, and computer programming.
Meanwhile, nursing informaticists also need to have strong problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and impeccable data-analysis skills. A strong background in project management with plenty of clinical experience can also serve these professionals well in the field.
Because nursing informatics also involves collaborating and working with others, having strong communication and team-building skills is also important.
Pathways to Becoming a Nursing Informatics Specialist
Nursing informatics is a specialty within the nursing field, so you’ll need to pursue the appropriate education and training as well. Generally, a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) is required to pursue a career in nursing informatics. These professionals also need to be registered nurses.
In some cases, employers may also prefer a certification. The most common is the RN-BC Informatics Nurse Certification, which is valid for five years before needing to be renewed. To qualify for this certification, you’ll need up to 2,000 practice hours in informatics, two years of experience as an RN, a bachelor’s degree, and 30 continuing education hours.
The Global Perspective: Nursing Informatics Impacting Worldwide Healthcare
Across the globe, nursing informatics and its innovations have had a far-reaching impact in patient care.
Cross-Country Innovations and Adaptations in Nursing Informatics
In recent years, nursing informatics technologies have been used in many different countries and regions across the globe, including Canada, Asia, and parts of Europe. The implementation of these technologies, their unique solutions, and cultural considerations have provided the same benefits to patients and healthcare workers regardless of location.
Challenges and Opportunities for Nursing Informatics on an International Scale
As promising as nursing informatics technologies may be, there are some potential barriers and opportunities to consider when it comes to implementing informatics in nursing on an international scale.
For starters, the biggest challenge is a lack of resources and similar disparities, especially in countries where access to computer systems and similar technologies may be scarce. Even in countries where healthcare facilities can access the hardware and software needed to implement nursing informatics systems, privacy and security concerns may further complicate things.
Fortunately, with the right innovations and planning, it is possible to bring the benefits of nursing informatics systems to countries across the globe and provide better patient care for all.
Interested in Pursuing Your BSN?
It’s no secret that the evolution of informatics in nursing is changing the way healthcare workers interpret and utilize health records and data to enhance quality of care. As informatics technology progresses, the nursing field will need more knowledgeable professionals who understand how to use information systems properly.
If you’re interested in working as an informatics nurse or in a similar role, then it may also be time to pursue your BSN. Fortunately, Nevada State University’s School of Nursing offers an RN to BSN online program that includes both indirect and practice experiences to help you prepare for the next stage of your career.
Get in touch to learn more about Nevada State’s online RN to BSN program, or get started with your online application today.