Nursing Informatics NEW COMPETENCIES

Nursing informatics or NI is a field specialty that blends and integrates the nursing, computer and information sciences in managing and transferring information and insights in nursing (Anderson, 2008; Coleman et al., 2010). It is aimed at assisting in the decision-making function of patients, nurses and other participants in patient care through information structures, processes and technology. Nurses who integrate this specialty into their regular practice are called nurse informaticists. They are expert nursing clinicians, clinicians with extensive clinical practice, and those with additional and technology-and-information-related know-how and experience. With the infusion of the new specialty, they increase their competencies. These competencies include administration, leadership and management; analysis; compliance and integrity management; consultation; coordination, facilitation, and integration; development; educational and professional development; policy development and advocacy; and research and evaluation (Anderson, Coleman).

My selected functional area is staff and patient education. This can be developed by a healthcare environment that supports them as care coordinators through disciplines and as advocates with patients and their families (Anderson, 2008). The findings of a Delphi study (Staggers et al. 2002) revealed the four levels of informatics competencies for nurses in my functional area. Level 1 is for beginning nurses to use information management technologies pertinent to patient education, such as for instruction, education, and evaluation of outcomes and resources. Level 2 is for experienced nurses to use informatics to develop testing materials, for curriculum planning, and as a teaching tool. Level 3 is for informatics specialists to implement and evaluate these applications or programs; plan and develop them; construct guidelines for the purchase of software and hardware; and participate with practicing nurses, nurse administrators, and nurse researchers in developing new computer competencies; and teach clients about effective uses of these applications and systems; and serve as resource persons for these applications (Staggers et al.). Nurse informatics will help transform healthcare delivery through leadership, education, practice and policy (Anderson, 2008). Specifically in the area of education, they can contribute to the transformation...

Their educator competencies can be used as professional process components of peer input, self=evaluation, and portfolio development (Johnson, 2002). Portfolio development documents their accomplishments for the organization. Thus, it serves as a strategy in placing nurse staff educators to meet increasing healthcare demands and demonstrates leadership in the profession at the same time (Johnson). Core competencies of nurse educators are the facilitation of learning, learning development and socialization; the use of assessment and evaluation strategies; and participation in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes; serving as change agents and leaders; continuous quality improvements in their role; acquisition of scholarships; and functioning within an educational environment (Brunt, 2007).
In the second part of my chosen functional area of patient education, nurse informaticists can apply the new instructional methodology called patient stimulation (Durham & Alden, 2008). This is a preferred methodology because of the absence of risk to a live patient, capacity for standardization of cases, the promotion of critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and psychomotor skills; immediate feedback and the integration of knowledge and behavior. Patient stimulation emphasizes prevention of medical errors, promotes effective communication, and enhances teamwork (Durham & Allen).

There are, however, issues connected in accomplishing appropriate and comprehensive patient education (Freda, 2004). The huge influx of a wide range of cultures into almost all healthcare systems throughout the country, the lack of time that must be expended for it in tightly scheduled managed care visit, the shortage of educational materials in languages other than English, and the lack of reimbursement for professional time used on patient education. Moreover, many providers do not have the specific training for patient education or the development of suitable health educational materials comprehensible to diverse populations they serve (Durham & Alden).

Other competencies, which will enhance my chosen functional area, include the 6 domains of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (McKeon et…