NR 351 Week 7 Discussion: Informatics in Professional Nursing
NR 351 Week 7 Discussion
How do you use informatics (not technology; not data entry into electronic health records) in your nursing practice? What ethical issues have arisen or might arise from use of informatics in professional nursing?
NR 351 Week 7 Discussion Answer
Nursing informatics, as elucidated by McGonigle and Mastrian (2015), is a multidisciplinary field integrating nursing science, computer science, and information sciences to maintain and evolve medical data and systems, ultimately supporting nursing practice and elevating patient care outcomes. The landscape of healthcare is undergoing a transformative shift with the progression of informatics.
Technological advancements empower healthcare organizations and providers to gather, analyze, and harness data more efficiently, thereby influencing care delivery, resource allocation, and team dynamics (Hood, 2018). In my nursing role, informatics plays a pivotal role, notably in documentation. The contemporary nursing practice has transcended traditional boundaries, and informatics now serves as a fundamental tool for capturing,organizing, and managing patient information, ensuring accuracy, accessibility, and timeliness in the healthcare delivery process.
Beyond documentation, informatics enhances communication among healthcare team members, facilitates evidence-based decision-making, and contributes to quality improvement initiatives. Embracing nursing informatics is crucial for staying abreast of the evolving healthcare landscape and optimizing patient care through the strategic utilization of technology and information systems (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015; Hood, 2018).
