Nursing Informatics Competencies Assessment Paper

Nursing informatics is a discipline which integrates computer and information science with nursing profession. Informatics competencies are a must for every professional nurse nowadays. The basis of the nursing informatics competencies are user-level competencies related to working knowledge of basic software programs and processes (Park, Murray & Delaney, 2006). My current informatics competencies are the following. I have the skills of a regular computer user, keyboard typing skills, skills of using portable devices such as tablets and smartphones, and possess working knowledge of the following programs: word processors (basic text processors and MS Word), table processors and spreadsheets (MS Excel and Google Docs), software for creating presentations (MS Power Point) and databases (basic knowledge of MS Access and creation of small databases in MS Excel). I am an experienced user of the internet, can search and evaluate information in the web, work with wikis, blogs and social media, can send email and use online messengers such as Skype. I can also set up and use software for managing emails such as MS Outlook. These competencies might be enough to fulfill basic nursing tasks, but I am eager to expand my knowledge of nursing informatics and acquire more specialized knowledge and skills in nursing informatics.

Registered nurses should be able to work with computer software at three levels – user level, modifier level and innovator level (Park, Murray & Delaney, 2006). Currently most of my competencies are at the user level. I would like to improve my technical competencies at modifier and innovator level. In particular, I would like to learn how to apply technology support in order to provide evidence-based nursing practice, how to synthesize data from different sources, how to use decision support systems, etc. With regard to nursing-specific skills, I would like to learn how to design, implement and analyze EMR, how to use software-based protocols and patient tracking software, to gain experiences with electronic drug guides, medication administration software, etc.

Using the information and skills gained during the nursing informatics course, I will be able to demonstrate the capacity for professional leadership in the 21st century healthcare environment; I will be able to explain my thoughts and ideas to the audience, engage and motivate others and effectively achieve my professional goals. Advanced knowledge of nursing informatics will allow me to share information and maintain information security, create and manage relevant content and support others in using the relevant software and sources of information.

The role or nurses and the scope of nursing have been transformed by the use of computerized information management systems. For nursing, the relevant computerized information management systems are also referred to as clinical information systems (Hunt, Sproat & Kitzmiller, 2004). The processes of automating patient care have changed the responsibilities of nurses and requirements towards their skills. Using clinical information systems, nurses can optimize their administrative responsibilities, reduce the number of errors, reduce costs of these responsibilities and devote more time to direct patient care (Thede & Sewell, 2010). In addition to this, nurses now can effectively use expert knowledge provided by the information systems to improve the quality of care and to integrate evidence-based practices in their workflows (Hunt, Sproat & Kitzmiller, 2004). Therefore, in order to respond to the changing needs of the clinical environment, nurses should have working knowledge of nursing informatics, understand the principles and processes of computerized information management systems and use the technology to improve the quality of patient care.