Types of Information Systems in Nursing

Nursing information systems, or NIS, are computer systems that manage clinical data. The clinical data can be retrieved, viewed and analyzed by the nursing staff and then integrated into a patient's care plan. Some of the features provided by such systems include patient charting, staff schedules, and decision support, such as disease linkage between signs and symptoms. The intended benefits of NIS include better drug administration, improved workload functionality and better care planning. There are a variety of health care information systems that can be found in different nursing specialty areas.

Emergency Department

• In the fast-paced, high stress environment of an emergency room, having an information system to improve efficiency is critical. One solution designed by clinicians features a touch-screen interface to make it easier for clinicians to chart, place and interpret orders and track patients. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 40 percent of total hospital admissions arrive through the emergency department.

Operating Room

• Patient safety in the operating room is obviously vital and some NIS solutions are designed to foster patient safety and measure operating room performance. From the point of scheduling, through all stages of perioperative care and back up to the nursing floor, these systems share patient data to improve communication.

Pediatrics

• Nurses working in pediatrics have systems that capture patient data for the full nine-month perinatal period. Capabilities of these systems might include remote viewing of patient information, access to the latest clinical findings, and alerts and reminders for clinicians for fast response to patient events.

Medication Management

• Being able to control medication retrieval and administration from anywhere in the hospital is important for nurses. This type of system may integrate bar code medication administration, pharmacy information systems and medication cabinets on a single mobile device. These systems are designed to help nurses reduce medication errors. Nurses can use the system from anywhere in the hospital to automatically generate a list of medications and the exact location of those medications. Nurses can also use to the technology to access a pharmacy order management system.