This week’s readings focused on definition of nursing science from the perspective of nursing informatics, discussed basic concepts of information technology, and described the process of cognition in nursing informatics (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). It also focused on the role of nursing informatics in the context of the currently changing nursing profession (Johnson et al., 2012). This paper discusses my impression of nursing informatics after reading the assigned texts that reveal the meaning of nursing informatics, its building blocks within the profession, and its role in nursing science.
The biggest change has occurred in my perspective on nursing informatics.
Whereas earlier I thought of nursing informatics skills as an rather optional and not requiring specific education, after I have read the assigned texts I realize that nursing informatics is a full-formed branch of nursing science which has emerged at the intersection of information technology and nursing science. From Johnson et al. (2012) report “Nursing’s Future. What’s the Message?”, it becomes clear that nursing informatics is one of the greatest priorities in nursing profession development. As a matter of fact, it has been distinguished as one of four key messages regarding the future development of the nursing profession along with nursing practice, nursing education, and partnership for progress. In particular, the ability to make data-based decisions while delivering healthcare and use information technology to upgrade the quality of all nursing processes is the priority of the nursing science development for the years to come.
Some examples of where nursing informatics knowledge is applied are “full implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs), radio frequency identification technology for inventory control, and bar coding for medication and laboratory services” (Johnson et al., 2012). From the book Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge, I have developed an understanding of nursing informatics as a field with a solid theoretical background. In particular, nursing informatics redefines the concept of a nursing professional as “information-dependent knowledge worker” and emerges as the field within both nursing science and information science/computer science that can be viewed within the Foundation of Knowledge Model (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015).
Overall, it is surprising how nursing informatics plays a key part in nursing profession development. It provides a wealth of opportunities for improving nursing processes and aligning them with the requirements of our modern cyber world.
- Johnson, J. E., Veneziano, T., Malast, T., Mastro, K., Moran, A., Mulligan, L., & Smith, A. L.
(2012). Nursing’s future: What’s the message? Nursing Management, 43 (7), 36-41.
doi:10.1097/01.NUMA.0000415493.20578.f2 - McGonigle, D. & Mastrian, K. (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
