Introduction
The first chapter of the readings develops our knowledge about the role of informatics in contemporary health care. The chapter develops a discussion about integrating the practice of nursing and management of treatment information to the technology of information processing and communication. The chapter also offers expert information about communication and efficient movement of data among personnel in different departments. Information processing goes through the following stages: collection, storage, interpretation, and transmission (Hebda & Czar, 2013).
When I was working in a mission hospital immediately after graduating, I used to collect patient laboratory results from the central patient record, in real-time from the interoperability EMR. I integrated nursing workflows with lab results and stored them. The EMR would also highlight and alert me on critical lab test results that required me to document actions taken. This ensured there were efficient collection, storage, interpretation, and transmission of data between the lab tests and nursing interventions that were transmitted to the doctor through the central patient record. The inter-operative EMR information system helped me in moving data from knowledge to wisdom.
Technological advancements in our work helped us to move data to wisdom. I remember working in a community hospital after graduating. We used an encrypted mobile phone system, which helped us to share critical information among departments, and alert personnel on a call about situations and the approach employed. This technology ensured that information was passed quickly leading to the acquisition of wisdom about a patient’s condition.
Self-Assessment of AACN Essentials
My score was 35/48 points in the assessment. The assessment made me realize that I had more strength in evaluating and advocating for the development of information systems. However, I lacked a basic understanding of the use of basic patient care technologies. My areas of strengths included: participating in the evaluation of information systems through policy development, recognizing and redesigning the flow of work and care processes before implementation of care technologies, and advocating for the use of recent patient care technologies for quality care. The assessment aided me to identify certain areas that had knowledge deficiency and needed improvement through acquiring course concepts. I lacked essential nursing knowledge in the following fields: demonstrating skills in using patient care technologies, communication devices, and information systems, using telecommunication technologies for effective communication, and understanding the use of CIS systems to document nursing interventions.
Essentials of nursing care require nurses to have the knowledge and skills in patient care technologies to deliver efficient patient care, including the use of computer monitors, information transmission equipment, and other technologies that support patient care. Further, the nursing profession is required to be competent in using information technology systems that aid in decision-making, data collection, and storage. It is also essential that nurses maintain ethical standards in managing stored data, information, and the use of communication done through technology. Nurses should also make sure that they provide safe and successful patient care. This is done through research and clinical data analysis technologies that aim in making informed decisions about the care provided to patients.
Conclusion
Successful nursing requires a basic understanding of Clinical Information Systems (CIS). These systems support daily nursing procedures and improve professional communication between different departments in a health care system. Lastly, nurses should know about information management systems that provide quality and improved data.
Reference
Hebda, T., & Czar, P. (2013). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.