Computer systems support the development of wisdom in nursing science. From both mandatory and optional readings for this class, I have developed a new vision of nursing informatics. This is the vision that nursing informatics is inseparable from nursing science and that it comprises four major competencies of nurses: data, information, knowledge, and wisdom (Matney et al., 2011).
In McGonigle & Mastrian (2015), it is explicitly stated that nursing informatics has become an integral part of the nursing profession. Given this, skills and competencies associated with this field of knowledge need to be cultivated in nurses. Specifically, as a nurse, every professional is required “to use information technology to communicate, manage knowledge, manage error, and support decision-making” (p.12). Further, nursing informatics competencies are those that help the nurse ensure that she/he delivers health care which is both of high quality and safety. Based on the report by Association of Colleges of Nursing QSEN Consortium (2012), informatics is one of core nursing competencies and embraces a number of clearly defined skills, including the following: application of performance improvement tools (such as Lean, PDSA, Six Sigma) in carrying out system analysis and system design to improve care; participation in the processes of selection, design, implementation, as well as evaluation of various information systems; searching, retrieving, and managing data to make adequate decisions with the help of information and knowledge management systems; promoting access to existing patient care information for healthcare providers; and accessing and evaluating high quality electronic sources that contain health care information (Association of Colleges of Nursing QSEN Consortium, 2012).
In this way, nursing informatics professionals have their own set of competencies essential for the types of services they deliver. They need to integrate a number of skills with the aim of achieving their nursing care and information technology goals.
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing QSEN Consortium. (2012). Graduate-level QSEN
competencies: Knowledge, skills and attitudes. Retrieved
from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/faculty/qsen/competencies.pdf. - Matney, S., Brewster, P. J., Sward, K. A.,Cloyes, K. G., & Staggers, N. (2011). Philosophical
approaches to the nursing informatics data-information-knowledge-wisdom
framework. Advances in Nursing Science, 34 (1), 6-18.
