NURS 8210 – Transforming Nursing and Healthcare Through Technology

NURS 8210 – Transforming Nursing and Healthcare Through Technology

HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING INFORMATICS: NURSING INFORMATICS INNOVATORS

In the video titled “Nursing Informatics Innovators,” you are presented with an extensive list of 34 nursing informatics innovators. Each of these individuals has played a crucial role in advancing nursing informatics and the nursing practice field.

These innovators in the nursing informatics field have led the way in transforming the perception of nursing from an art of patient care to a scientific discipline deeply rooted in science, technology, and progress.

Nursing informatics innovators have not only facilitated but also spearheaded significant advancements in nursing. They have ensured that the field continues to progress, change, and innovate continuously. Exploring the work of these innovators is essential for comprehending the origins of nursing informatics, its current state, and its future trajectory.

For this discussion, take a moment to reflect on the individual nursing informatics innovators and consider their contributions, the impact of these contributions, and the specific lessons you can derive from them in your nursing practice. Reflect on how you can apply the knowledge and experiences of these innovators to your nursing practice, education, and future aspirations.

BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 1

Share a concise description of the two innovators you have chosen and explain your reasons for selecting them. In your description, clarify how their contributions have influenced health information technology and outline their professional achievements. Subsequently, elucidate how their contributions have left a mark on nursing practice and how these contributions have shaped the field of nursing informatics. Please provide concrete details. Lastly, articulate any lessons you can draw from their experiences, including how the skills or concepts demonstrated by these trailblazers might be applicable to your professional practice. Be specific and provide illustrative examples.

BY DAY 6 OF WEEK 1

Take the time to read several of your peers’ responses and engage with at least two of them on two different occasions. Explain how the innovators chosen by your peer may exemplify skills relevant to your professional practice and provide reasoning for your viewpoint.

Nursing Informatics

As Sipes (2022) has pointed out, informatics involves the study of computational systems responsible for storing and retrieving data. Over the years, nursing informatics has evolved to become a significant component of the healthcare industry. Nursing informatics, as highlighted by McBride and Tietze (2022), revolves around the fusion of patient care with technology. The American Medical Informatics Association (2022) has identified several pioneering nursing informatics innovators who have honed expert skills and harnessed technology to design, plan, and orchestrate the utilization of technologies and informatics within the nursing domain.

Selected Nursing Informatics Innovators

The first innovator I’ve chosen is Patricia Abbott, RN, Ph.D. Dr. Abbott is widely recognized as a trailblazer in informatics innovation. She earned her master’s degree in nursing informatics in 1992 and pursued a Ph.D. in information systems in 1999. Presently, Dr. Abbott serves as an associate professor at the University Of Michigan School Of Nursing, where she concentrates on the role of telehealth in promoting self-management of diseases. Furthermore, she emphasizes the application of such knowledge to underserved communities, particularly patients dealing with heart failure in home-based settings. From a leadership perspective, one of Dr. Abbott’s notable strengths lies in her spirit of experimentation. She was the first to implement data-mining techniques within the nursing discipline (Shortliffe, 2004). Dr. Abbott utilized these systems to enhance long-term care, extending the concepts of data mining and big data to elevate care quality and safety. These remain pivotal applications that continue to shape the landscape of informatics and health information technologies (HIT).

The second innovator is Judy Murphy, who boasts over 25 years of experience in the field of Nursing Informatics, with a specialization in Electronic Health Care Records. Ms. Murphy’s career was centered in healthcare in Wisconsin, specifically in Milwaukee, where she oversaw a network of 30 hospitals (AMIA, 2021). She has lectured and published extensively on various topics, including the application of technology in evidence-based practice and the utilization of automated clinical documentation and methodologies in system implementation (AMIA, 2021). Ms. Murphy has conducted research on Nursing Informatics systems, their functions, and their features. This research has enabled nurses to monitor workflow and thought processes related to patient care. Among the skills explored by Murphy are the utilization of standard computer technologies such as Wi-Fi, IP, and various devices that enhance healthcare delivery (AMIA, 2021). Understanding how these systems function can be instrumental for me as a future nurse leader in aiding the nursing staff in performing their duties more effectively and in facilitating their training through shared governance.

Contributions and Impact of Innovators on Nursing Practice and Nursing Informatics

The contributions of nursing informaticists have played a pivotal role in shaping nursing informatics by instigating positive changes in healthcare quality through informed decision-making and the promotion of equity by meeting the unique needs of various populations. These contributions have not only influenced the quality and efficiency of care but have also significantly improved patient-centeredness, safety, and timeliness. Additionally, they have enhanced patients’ access to healthcare services and elevated the overall quality of care. In the field of nursing informatics, the impact of Patricia Kathleen Abbott’s and Judy Murphy’s innovations cannot be overstated. Their contributions have led to the widespread adoption of nursing informatics innovations by healthcare organizations. Examples of these innovations include electronic health records/medical records, e-prescribing, remote patient monitoring, and telehealth. These innovations have ushered in a host of benefits, including improved coordination, reduced healthcare costs, more efficient storage of patient records, enhanced patient empowerment, superior care quality, better patient outcomes, and heightened patient safety.

Lessons Learned from the Innovators

The primary lesson gleaned from the experiences of Patricia Abbott and Judy Murphy is the imperative for healthcare and nursing professionals to acquire competencies in nursing informatics. These competencies encompass the abilities, skills, and knowledge required to perform informatics tasks (American Nurses Association, 2015). Given that nursing informatics innovations have advanced technology and care approaches across various nursing specialties, it is essential for both current and future professional nurses to become proficient in using informatics and technology to facilitate informed decision-making for optimal patient care. The skills and concepts exemplified by these two pioneers hold great relevance to my professional practice. They will enable me to leverage nursing informatics innovations to make critical decisions regarding patient care, underpinned by timely clinical information.

References

American Medical Informatics Association. (2021). Nursing informatics innovators. https://amia.org/community/working-groups/nursing-informatics/nursing-informatics-innovators

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). American Nurses Association.

Kalsy, M., Lin, J. H., Bray, B. E., & Sward, K. A. (2018). Role of nursing informatics in the automation of pneumonia quality measure data elements. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 36(10), 475-483.

McBride, S., & Tietze, M. (2022). Nursing informatics for the advanced practice nurse: Patient safety, quality, outcomes, and interprofessionalism (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.

Sipes, C. (2022). Project management for advanced practice nurse (2nd. Ed.). Springer Publishing.