Difference Between EBP & Nursing Informatics

According to NursingInformatics.com, EBP and nursing informatics are both up-and-coming and ever-changing aspects of modern nursing care. EBP is the act of performing nursing duties based on the most recent and most accurate research available at the time. Nursing informatics is the realm of the technology that supports efficiency in documentation and seeking of information.

EBP (Evidence-Based Practice)

• Nursing Informatics is a sub-group of health informatics.

  Evidence-based practice is the incorporation of evidence from research, expertise, and other available resources to prioritize patient care. The decision-making process in clinical nursing is influenced by evidence, values, client preference, professional judgment, ethics, law and workplace policy. Systematic reviews, research studies, abstraction journals and other scholarly sources are being used by nurses to facilitate their use of evidence.

Nursing Informatics

• In the "Journal of the Medical Library Association," nursing informatics is defined as use of information technologies, in relation to functions, within the scope of nursing practice that are carried out by nurses when performing their duties. This includes electronic monitors, computer charting and web-based research. Technology is often used to facilitate a process or increase efficiency.

Potential

• The JMLA notes that nursing informatics is a developing field of study, strongly connected to education, business, and computer science. The most direct route to information connecting nursing clinical practice to research is through informatics. Informatics is the link between the literature and the nurse, providing access to research applicable to current practice. There is much growth expected in this field in the future of health care.