Define Nursing Informatics

According to the nonprofit organization Healthcare Information and Management Systems, nurses bring valuable skills and experience to the field of health informatics. Nurses are trained in critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills, which are essential in designing effective health information systems.

Defined

• Nursing informatics involves the use of health care information technology to support nursing practices and patient care. It includes the management of medical data for use in the administration of nursing care, according to a 2001 journal article written by Dr. Nancy Staggers and Dr. Cheryl Bagley Thompson.

Function

• Nursing informatics allows nurses to access health information in order to develop, implement, and evaluate methods of patient care or treatment. Nurses are able to review all information related to a particular patient, which can lead to more efficient communication and care.

Significance

• According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems organization, nursing informatics is important to the health care industry not only because it improves the one-on-one dynamic between nurses and patients, but it also allows for the evaluation of nursing practices. In addition, nursing informatics systems can increase accuracy and improve nurses' job efficiency.