PRACTICE APPLICATION OF NURSING T THE GOAL OF INFORMATICS

INFORMATICS  Improve the health of populations,

communities, families and individuals by
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES optimizing information and management and
 Florence Nightingale emphasized the communications. This includes using
critical importance of nursing informatics in technology in the direct provision of care;
patient care. establishing administrative systems; and
 She stated, “Decision making must be delivering educational experience;
made upon the use of accurate data.” supporting life-long learning and supporting
 However, she expressed her frustration nursing research.
upon seeing how inadequate patient records are.
 Only a century after Nightingale’s era did INFORMATICS COMPETENCIES
computers crossed the healthcare industry.  Informatics competencies are needed by
all nurses whether or not they specialize in
THE CURRENT DEFINITION OF NURSING nursing informatics.
INFORMATICS  Computer Literacy Skills
 The American Nurses’ Association, in  These are the basic computer skills needed
2001, defined nursing informatics as a specialty to use a word processor, access database,
that integrates nursing, computer and create spreadsheet, communicate with e-
information sciences to manage and mail and interact with clinical
communicate data, information and knowledge documentation systems.
to support patients, nurses and other providers
in their decision making in all roles and settings.  Information Literacy Skills
This support is accomplished through the use of  These include the ability to
information structures, information process and recognize the need for information and the
information technology. skill to access, evaluate and interpret
information correctly.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF NURSING INFORMATION  Example: determine the extent of
information needed, accessing that
information efficiently and effectively,
evaluating the information efficiently,
using information into one’s own
knowledge base.

 General Informatics Competencies

 These basic skills are required for
all nurses but are not sufficient for
specialists
 Example: identifying, collecting
and recording data relevant to the nursing
care of patients; analyzing and
interpreting patient and nursing
information;

THE PROBLEM OF UNDERUTILIZATION

 Studies have shown that nurses perceive
the usefulness of computer programs for the
care of their patients.
 However, the have concerns about the
lack of training to harness the potential
benefit of such programs.
  This was the observed norm in the  Trend data in a graphical
beginning of the century because it is still presentation
and “exploding technology.”

NURSING DOCUMENTATION PHYSIOLOGIC MONITORING SYSTEMS

 Development of nursing classifications  Oversee the vital signs of patients.
aimed at diagnosis, interventions and patient  Has five major components:
outcomes and support activities directed towards  Sensors
the inclusion of nursing data elements in  Signal conditioners
healthcare databases.  File to rank and order
Example: NANDA, NIC, NOC, NMDS information
 Computer processor
CARE PLANNING  Evaluation or controlling
 The computer-based patient record component.
impacts nursing care such as contact time with
patients, accuracy of documentation, charting
time, transcription and medication errors and
communication/collaboration.
 The ability to electronically record,
integrate and analyze data and information
enables nurses to quickly move to the synthesis of
nursing knowledge.

DECISION-MAKING WITH ADMINISTRATIVE DATA HEMODYNAMIC MONITORS

 Deciding for administrative matters  Allows for calculations of
requires intricate data for sound judgment. hemodynamic indices and limited data
 One system, CLASSICA, focused on storage. This technology can be used to:
developing a database of management  Measure hemodynamic
information of hospitals. parameters
 Closely examine cardiovascular
OUTCOMES MANAGEMENT functions
 Informatics is used to correlate nursing  Evaluate cardiac output and
interventions and patient outcomes. blood volume.
 Outcomes of healthcare should be  Estimate cellular oxygenation
monitored so that nursing profession and  Invasive/Noninvasive
healthcare industry can determine and implement
the best practices in healthcare.
 Outcomes such as client satisfaction,
decrease hospital admissions and ER visits.

APPLICATION OF IT IN CRITICAL CARE

 IT in critical care has several major
capabilities:
 Process, store and integrate
physiologic and diagnostic information from
various sources.
 Present deviations from preset
ranges by an alarm or alert.
 Accept and store patient care
documentation in a lifetime clinical
repository.
  Clinicians, hospitals and healthcare
systems have essential roles in public health
infrastructures.
 Same problems hamper dev’t of health
information systems (training, funds, manpower).
 Worsened by shortened timeline.

CRITICAL CARE INFORMATION SYSTEM

 Designed to collect, store, organize,
retrieve and manipulate all data related to care of
the critically ill patient.
 Purpose is the organization of patient’s
current and historical data for use of all care
providers.
 Hospital infrastructure should interface
of with the CCIS

FEATURES OF CCIS
 Patient management
 Vital signs monitoring
 Diagnostic test results
 Clinical documentation of physical
assessment findings
 Decision support
 Medication management
 Provider order entry

 Interdisciplinary plans of care

COMMUNITY HEALTH APPLICATIONS

 Clinical Care Pathways
 Statistical Reporting Systems
 School Health Systems
 Telemedicine
 Transfer of healthcare
information through telecommunication
devices.
 This replaces face-to-face home
visits.
 E.g. VoIP for supervised
interactions.

It solutions for Emergency preparedness and

response
 The rise of bioterrorist attack (9/11).