Nursing Informatics Competencies in Staff and Patient Education
This paper examines nursing informatics (NI) as a specialty that integrates nursing, computer, and information sciences to improve patient care decision-making. Focusing on staff and patient education as a functional area, the paper draws on a Delphi study to outline four levels of informatics competencies for nurses. It discusses patient simulation as an instructional methodology, identifies barriers to comprehensive patient education, and reviews the six Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) domains. The paper concludes by applying the Caring Framework for Excellence in Nursing Education as a conceptual foundation for developing nurse educators and advancing nursing informatics practice.
- Introduction to Nursing Informatics: Defines nursing informatics and nurse informaticist roles
- Informatics Competencies for Staff and Patient Education: Four Delphi study levels of informatics competency
- Patient Simulation as an Instructional Methodology: Patient simulation benefits for nursing education
- Barriers to Comprehensive Patient Education: Cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers to patient education
- Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) Domains: Six QSEN domains and survey findings on curricula
- A Caring Framework for Excellence: Caring framework as foundation for nursing education
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its argument in empirical research, particularly the Staggers et al. Delphi study, which provides a clear four-level competency framework that structures the discussion of the chosen functional area.
- It effectively connects theoretical frameworks (the Caring Framework for Excellence) to practical applications, demonstrating how conceptual models inform real nursing education settings.
- The author integrates personal professional experience to contextualize the informatics competencies, adding credibility and relevance to the academic discussion.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates synthesis across multiple sources — blending foundational nursing informatics definitions, empirical study findings, domain frameworks (QSEN), and conceptual models into a coherent argument about one functional area. Rather than summarizing sources in isolation, the author weaves them together to build a cumulative case for informatics competencies in nursing education.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a definition of nursing informatics and identifies the chosen functional area. It then presents layered competency levels drawn from the Delphi study, followed by a discussion of patient simulation methodology and barriers to patient education. The QSEN domains section broadens the competency lens, and the paper closes with the Caring Framework as an overarching conceptual anchor for nursing education excellence.
Introduction to Nursing Informatics
Nursing informatics (NI) is a field specialty that blends and integrates 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 functions 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 with extensive clinical practice and additional technology- and information-related knowledge and experience. With the infusion of this specialty, they expand their competencies, which 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, 2008; Coleman et al., 2010).
References
Anderson, C. (2012). Nursing informatics. Healthcare Informatics and Management Systems Society. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from
Brunt, B. (2007). Competencies for staff education. HCPro, Inc. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.marketplace.com/supplemental/4940browse.pdf
Coleman, P. A., et al. (2010). The TIGER initiative. TIGER Summit: Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.tigersummit.com/uploads/3.Tiger.ReportCompetenciesfinal.pdf
Durham, C. F., & Alden, K. R. (2008). Enhancing patient safety in nursing education through patient simulation. Chapter 51 in Patient Safety and Quality. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2628
Freda, M. C. (2004). Issues in patient education. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 49(3). Retrieved September 22, 2013, from
Johnson, S. (2002). Development of educator competencies and the professional review process. Journal of Nurses Staff Development, 18(2). Retrieved September 23, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11984263
McKeon, L. M., et al. (2009). Developing patient-centered care competencies among pre-licensure nursing students using simulation. Journal of Nursing Education, 4(12). Retrieved September 22, 2013, from
Sawatzky, J. A. (2009). Teaching excellence in nursing education: A caring framework. Journal of Professional Nursing, 25(5). Retrieved September 23, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19751929
Staggers, N., et al. (2002). Results of a Delphi study to determine informatics competencies for nurses at four levels of practice. Journal of Nursing Education. Retrieved September 22, 2013, from
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.