NR 512 Week 4 Discussion: Informatics Skills

NR 512 Week 4 Discussion: Informatics Skills

NR 512 Week 4 Discussion: Informatics Skills

We utilize informatic skills every day in nursing. The skills that we are developing/expanding upon not only validate ourselves to be current in informatic skills, but also validate our decision-making skills. As a nurse, we communicate with our patients and utilize technology to communicate patient care with one another. 

Before I was enrolled in this course, I did not even know what “nursing informatics” was. I remember a friend of mine was talking about it and I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about. However, in the four weeks I have been in this class, I have realized how significant informatics is to our profession. Upon being enrolled in this course, I am learning things throughout my work shifts that involve informatics. I feel that being enrolled in this course I am able to care for my patients in a more safe, diligent way than I was before. With technology and informatics constantly improving, we are provided opportunities that can allow us to reform our current practice to better future practice.  Informatics and technology allow us to experience an endless amount of education, resources, and connect us to a world within reach (Moen & Knudsen, 2013). 

Until I attended this course, I would have said that nursing informatics is understudied and underestimated and that most people would not understand it’s importance (including myself). But, daily, I see how important informatics truly is! Nursing informatics has proven to improve quality of care through effective communication, information sharing, and even through access of evidenced-based practices. Changes and innovations in our nursing profession contribute to health care, patient care, and even their treatments. Nursing informatics stimulates ways to improve outcomes, handle dilemmas, and prevent harm during transitional periods (Moen & Knudsen, 2013). 

When I filled out the TANIC self-assessment, my impression was absolutely changed. I always believed I was pretty “tech-savvy.” I believed I could figure most things out on a computer. After completing the self-assessment, I realized there was a lot I had no idea what it meant. I began to underestimate my own abilities and my own informatic skills. I am looking forward to seeing the change in my pre TANIC self-assessment and my post TANIC self-assessment. 

Reference:

Moen, A., & Knudsen, L. M. (2013). Nursing Informatics: Decades of Contribution to Health Informatics. Healthcare Informatics Research, 19(2), 86. doi:10.4258/hir.2013.19.2.86

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An example of how technology improves communication within multidisciplinary teams includes emails, video conferences, online newsletters, instant messages, and the Intranet. The Intranet is a website designated for that company and is a crucial factor for employees. The Intranet can be used as a means of obtaining feedback from managers, other employees, and other colleagues from other units (Crowley & Heyer, 2018).

Another way that communication helps multidisciplinary team members is through a work e-mail. Every Thursday my work sends an e-mail with updates, new policies, changes, etc. We utilize e-mail unit to communicate anything and everything. 
Technology often is utilized as a form of communication by acting as a “meeting place” for the employees. Technology makes global communication easily accessible (Crowley & Heyer, 2018).

For me, I think that technology is a phenomenal form of communication. It is convenient, especially for those with disabilities or impairments such as hearing impairment or vocal impairments. Technology acts as a substitute form of communication that is important in all aspects of our industry. 

Reference:

Crowley, D., & Heyer, P. (2018). COMMUNICATION IN HISTORY: Technology, culture, society(6th ed.). S.l.: ROUTLEDGE.

Informatics can be merely defined as a focus on information instead of technology (Beckham & Reidford, 2014). Every new skill we are reading or learning about in class is an opportunity to personally develop on or expand personal and new skill levels in informatics for myself. I am a relatively quick learner when it comes to technology. My husband is an Information Technology major, so I have learned plenty of shortcuts and tricks throughout the years. I have always put on my resumes that I am proficient with computer skills. I thought I was…

Beckham & Reidford (2014) believe clarifying personal informatics goals is a crucial step for graduate-level nursing students and instructors for integration of topics into the curriculum. After taking the self-assessment in week one of class, I realized that I still have so much to learn in the world of informatics. The TIGER assessment we did is part of the TANIC self-assessment. The TIGER consists of basic computer competencies, information literacy, and information management, including the use of an electronic health record. (Sensmeier, Anderson, & Shaw, 2017). The self-assessments when used in combination with Nursing Informatics education, conversation, and research, are meant to influence adoption into practice (Sensmeier et al., 2017).

Thankfully, I used the self-assessment show me where I am currently and what to learn and improve from competent to proficient or expert. We are also in this class receiving extra information on all things informatics. We research what to post and converse with one another to add information to the threaded discussions. Between class, discussions, research, and the self-assessment, I have a personal guide in where to emphasize my studies. I can put what I have learned from this class and apply the focus of information to my clinical setting. I am interested to see what my reassessment at the end of this class shows and how I have grown throughout the course.

Beckham, R., & Riedford, K. (2014). Evolution of a graduate-level informatics course for the noninformatics specialist nurse. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 10(6), 387-392. doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2014.03.012

Sensmeier, J., Anderson, C., & Shaw, T. (2017). International evolution of TIGER informatics competencies. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 232(1), 69-76.