What Is Informatics?

The American Nurses Association Scope and Standards for Nursing Informatics Practice (2008) defines nursing informatics as, "a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom in nursing practice.”

In short, nursing informatics is a fusion of nursing and healthcare technology. One major push in the field is the rapid adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in place of paper charting. With the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in 2009, $30 billion was allocated to healthcare technology. EHRs are a large part of what the money is slated to go toward. Currently, incentives are being offered to hospitals and physicians who adopt EHRs and use them in a meaningful way to give higher quality patient care. Nursing infomaticists are a necessary part of helping the implementation of EHRs go smoothly.

Role

The role of nursing informaticists can include:

• Implementation and systems development: preparing and training users and providing support and education.

• Quality initiatives: systems evaluation, problem solving and quality improvement, and providing patient safety. (Examples of systems implemented are electronic medical or health records, computerized practitioner order entry, and clinical information systems.)

• Facilitating smooth workflow, patient safety, user and clinician acceptance, and enhanced quality of care.

Specialties

Nursing informaticists can practice in a variety of different specialties.

Articles

Learn more about the field of nursing informatics by reading these articles.

A brief history of nursing informatics in the United States of America by Judy G. Ozbolt, PhD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, FAIMBE & Virginia K. Saba, EdD, RN, FAAN, FACMI, LL

(Ozbolt, J. G. & Saba, V. K. (2008). A brief history of nursing informatics in the United States of America. Nursing Outlook, 56(5), 199-205.)

Results of a Delphi Study to Determine Informatics Competencies for Nurses at Four Levels of Practice by Nancy Staggers, Carole A. Gassert, & Christine Curran

Staggers, N., Gassert, C. A., & Curran, C. (2002). Results of a delphi study to determine informatics competencies for nurses at four levels of practice.)