Informatics competencies for nurses at four levels of practice (original) (raw)
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Nursing informatics competencies: assessment of undergraduate and graduate nursing students
Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2013
Today in the digital age, we are committed to prepare the future nurse for the information technology-rich workplace, and to help them reducing the "shock reality" upon arriving at the clinical setting. The study aims to promote the knowledge and examine the implications of Information Competencies Technology among undergraduate nurses and to address the current state of informatics competency guidelines and assessment tools. Due to the growing use of technology and shift to electronic health records, informatics competency is becoming a needed skill and requirement in the nursing profession. Studies show that integration of technology in the patient setting improves quality of care and patient safety. To possess competence in nursing informatics, one must possess the ability to obtain, store, retrieve, and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom, which is essential to nursing practice. In order to understand whether nursing students are competent in clinical informatics, a descriptive design was adopted among purposively selected undergraduate and internship nursing students (n=70) to complete self assessment of informatics competency skills SANICS tool and demographics survey to measure student's personal knowledge and understanding of nursing informatics. The tool was sent out to undergraduate and internship nursing graduate students. The results of this study indicate that students whom have taken an informatics course statistically report an overall higher mean competency than students whom have never taken an informatics course (p=.048). Further studies using this tool, or tools like it, can lead to evaluation of the need for informatics courses in nursing curriculum. Nurses must be educated and competent in nursing informatics in order to exhibit safe and effective nursing practice. Possessing a tool that assesses how competent an individual is in nursing informatics ultimately improves outcomes of nursing practice and increases the safety and effectiveness of patient care. In conclusion, the overarching theme of this study is the need for Information Technology to be integrated within the larger body of the nursing learning program, and its implication for educators and students.
Nursing informatics competencies: an analysis of the latest research
Nursing informatics ... : proceedings of the ... International Congress on Nursing Informatics, 2012
To update the published NI competencies with the latest research findings, we conducted a literature search via CINAHL and PubMed databases from 2009 to 2011. A total of 19 articles were retrieved with 7 meeting the inclusion criteria. Five studies gave examples of NI competencies. It's possible to observe trends in NI competencies research field, including contemporary skills, foundational concepts and intellectual capabilities amongst the competencies. The studies consider progressive levels of nursing practice, and give examples of the NI competencies. Nevertheless, a need of studies that links theoretical concepts and practical real environments still remains all over the world, as well as the need for defining competencies as rapid changes in informatics processes and solutions occur.
Nursing Informatics Competencies Assessment Level 3 and Level 4 (NICA L3/L4)
Springer eBooks, 2015
Aims and objectives. To report the informatics competencies of students in selected undergraduate and graduate nursing programmes, to examine whether informatics competencies differed between the different programmes and to suggest competency-based applications that will strengthen informatics courses and informatics-related content throughout the curricula. Background. Nursing students in undergraduate and graduate nursing programmes have different educational backgrounds and different practice experience. Thus, their informatics preparation is apt to be varied, and nursing curricula must reflect this variation while advancing students towards informatics proficiency. However, studies on informatics competency assessment in these nursing students are scarce. Design. A descriptive survey design. Methods. Data were collected from 289 nursing students using a 30-item Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies Scale via an email sent to students using a LISTSERV mailing list. The email embedded link to the Internet survey package, SurveyMonkey, which included the Self-Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies Scale and demographic questions along with an online consent form. Results. Students in both programmes were competent in three subscale areas: basic computer knowledge and skills, clinical informatics attitude, and wireless device skills. Graduate students reported slightly higher mean competency scores than did undergraduate students in three subscales: clinical informatics role, clinical informatics attitude and wireless device skills. Conclusions. Findings indicate specific topics for nurse educators to consider when designing informatics curricula. The comparison of undergraduate and graduate students indicates similarities in informatics competencies in terms of areas where students were competent and small mean score differences. Further studies are suggested to examine whether there are differences in informatics competencies between undergraduate and graduate students. Relevance to clinical practice. These results assist nurse educators in determining specific areas of informatics content that need greater focus and inclusion in the design of better nursing educational programmes. Examples of integrating competencies into existing curriculum or informatics courses are suggested.
International Journal of Medical Informatics, 2005
An online survey of deans/directors of 266 baccalaureate and higher nursing programs in the U.S. was developed by informatics expert nurses. Participants (1) identified nursing informatics (NI) competencies and knowledge of undergraduate and/or graduate students in their nursing programs; (2) determined faculty preparedness to teach NI and to use informatics tools; and (3) provided perceptions of NI requirements of local practicing nurses. Frequency data and qualitative responses were analyzed. Approximately half of undergraduate nursing programs were teaching information literacy skills and required students to enter with wordprocessing and email skills. Least visible informatics content at all levels included the use of information system data standards, the Nursing Information and Data Set Evaluation Center criteria, the unified medical language system (UMLS), and the nurse's role in the life cycle of an information system. Almost 50% of respondents perceived faculty as ''novice'' and ''advanced beginners'' in teaching and using NI applications. Participants reported no future plans to offer NI training in their region. Findings have major implications for nurse faculty, staff developers, and program administrators who are planning continuing education opportunities and designing nursing curricula that prepare nurses for use of the electronic health record and 21st century professional practice.
Developing entry-to-practice nursing informatics competencies for registered nurses
Studies in health technology and informatics, 2014
Information and communication technologies (ICT) have brought about significant changes to the processes of health care delivery and changed how nurses perform in clinical, administrative, academic, and research settings. Because the potential benefits of ICT are significant, it is critical that new nurses have the knowledge and skills in informatics to provide safe and effective care. Despite the prevalence of technology in our day to day lives, and the potential significant benefits to patients, new nurses may not be prepared to work in this evolving reality. An important step in addressing this need for ICT preparation is to ensure that new graduates are entering the work force ready for technology-enabled care environments. In this paper, we describe the process and outcomes of developing informatics entry-to-practice competencies for adoption by Canadian Schools of Nursing.
Curricula Challenges and Informatics Competencies for Nurse Educators
Studies in health technology and informatics, 2017
Nursing informatics competencies are fundamental to nursing practice in all areas of nursing work, including direct patient care, administration and education. The recent activity relating to the development of nursing informatics competencies for beginning level nurses has exposed a paucity of understanding of the requirements for nursing informatics competencies for nurse educators. So, whilst the challenge of educating faculty to teach informatics has been limited, research into such competencies is required to meet this challenge. This paper describes the challenges and issues associated with nursing informatics competency development for faculty, outlines the capabilities of faculty, and presents a vision for the future of informatics education for faculty. The final requirement of the introduction of new competencies is to determine appropriate evaluation measures that reflect the requirements of all stakeholders.
Development of a Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Tool (NICAT)
2015
Development of a Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Tool (NICAT) by Alphonsa Rahman MS, Towson University, 2011 BSN, Notre Dame of Maryland University, 2008 Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice Walden University October 2015 Abstract Nursing workforce competency in informatics is crucial to providing safe patient care, improving quality, and reducing healthcare costs. Assurance of informatics competency in a workforce with increasingly diverse educational preparations, demographics, and informatics skills poses significant challenges. The question addressed was the lack of nursing informatics competency assessment tool relevant to bedside nursing. The purpose of this project was to develop and review a new nursing informatics competency assessment tool designed to address the individual educational needs of newly hired nurses. The tool was designed to measure nurses’ competency in computer literacy, informat...
Nursing Informatics: Competency Challenges for Nursing Faculty
Studies in health technology and informatics, 2024
Nursing is the largest workforce in health care with nurses increasingly required to work with digital health technologies. However, despite the adoption of nursing informatics in Australia in the mid-1980s, nursing graduates are not being adequately equipped to use these technologies in a way that benefits the profession and improves patient care. Using a scoping review approach, this paper presents an analysis of contemporary published literature and describes the barriers to faculty engagement with digital health technologies in undergraduate nursing education. Thirty five articles were included and identified faculty lack of understanding of nursing informatics and resistance to technologies, limited infrastructure and expenditure, and limited educational resources and best practice recommendations as significant barriers to the integration of nursing informatics into undergraduate nursing curricula. Recommendations for faculty development will be explored.
Nursing Informatics Education Past, Present, and Future
CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 2012
(HITECH Act) has put pressure on hospitals and provider organizations to increase the "meaningful use" of health information technology (IT) to improve health outcomes and decrease healthcare costs. In order for that to happen, the healthcare workforce must be prepared to use technology effectively. Several nursing, health services, and national policy organizations have urged BSN programs to review their curricula and increase informatics training, computer competency, information literacy, and information management. This article reviews the policy recommendations for curricular changes, assesses the present state of nursing informatics education, and suggests different Key Points: • Need for changes in nursing informatics education • Recommendations for nursing informatics education • Framework for change management in curricular changes paths for programs to embark on this arduous process. Regardless of the path a BSN program chooses, it must find the resources to train its faculty and administration to make informed curricular decisions. Release time is required for the overburdened BSN faculty to find time to increase their knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward curricular change and informatics education.