Reflection on Nursing Informatics Competencies (graded)
Reflect on your self-assessment completed in Week 1. How do your current competencies
compare to discussions of NI competencies in the published, scholarly literature?
Hello NR 512 nurses! Welcome to the week 4 discussion and exploration of nursing
informatics competencies. You all are somewhat familiar with these already as you
completed the TIGER competencies in week 1. We are going to dig a bit deeper this week
and apply evidence to our discussion.
The course outcome guiding our discussion this week is:
CO #5: Explore various nurse roles, competencies, and skills in informatics. (POs 2, 11)
This week, reflect on your self-assessment completed in Week 1. The question this week is,
“Reflect on your self-assessment completed in Week 1. How do your current competencies
compare to discussions of NI competencies in the published, scholarly literature?”
In order to fully respond to this question you need to COMPARE your current
competencies compare to discussions of Nursing Informatics competencies in the published,
scholarly literature. A comparison notes either similarities, or similarities and differences.
You might consider comparing by using either the block method or point-by-point method
(you can Google these terms to see how they might be used) or any other way you find most
effective.
Some other things to consider as you create your post: Have you seen any impact from
your current competencies in your daily practice or perhaps even in your continuing work
toward your graduate degree? Is there enough literature out there or does more research
need to be done in this area? What are your strengths, weaknesses, and where you would
like to focus your learning in technology and nursing informatics?
Nursing Informatics
There is a number of nursing informatics competencies. These include overarching
competency; knowledge and information management; regulatory and professional
accountability; and communication and information technologies. Evidently, I am not competent
in some of these competencies as I still am incompetent in some of their indicators. In relation to
overarching competency, I am able to use communication and information technologies for
supporting information synthesis based on regulatory and professional standard in client or
patient care delivery (Saba & McCormick, 2015, 38).
Although I am able to use many of the indicators related to knowledge and information
management which helps support evidence-based patient care delivery, I have challenges
critically evaluating information and data from different sources including relevant websites,
NURSING INFORMATICS
practice guidelines, databases, clinical applications and experts, and this hinders proper nursing
care delivery as some aspects are missed. One of the indicators for regulatory and professional
accountability is recognizing the need to involve nurses in the selection, design, evaluation, and
implementation of systems and applications in healthcare (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012, 19).
However, I have not yet been able to be involved adequately, and this makes me feel that I am
somehow not sufficiently part of the system. In relation to the communication and information
technologies competency, although I can identify the various technologies, demonstrating
appropriate use is a challenge since some are not in the department I work in. therefore, while
pursuing the graduate degree, I still need to do a lot for total competency to be demonstrated.
This will also ensure that I am able to practice professionally and competently in my practice,
something that I doubt I am doing correctly at the moment (Mcbride, 2015, 29).
There is a need for more research in this area since there are inconsistencies and the
current literature dates a few years back. I am competent in many of the competencies’ indicators
but as noted above, there are some where improvements are needed. I have a deep desire to
familiarize myself with the various technologies including EMR, HER (electronic health
records), point of care systems, devices for monitoring fetal heart, telehomecare, hemodynamic
monitoring, and capillary blood glucose (Baker, 2012, 34). I addition, I need to be competent
with the decision support tools like critical pathways, clinical reminders and alerts, as well as
web-based clinical practice guides. This will promote a practice with safe patient care and
clinical judgment.
NURSING INFORMATICS
References
Baker, J. D. (2012). Nursing informatics. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders.
Mcbride, S. (2015). Nursing informatics for the advanced practice nurse: Patient safety, quality,
outcomes, and … interprofessionalism. Place of publication not identified: Springer
Publishing.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2012). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge.
Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Saba, V., & McCormick, K. (2015). Essentials of Nursing Informatics, 6th Edition. New York,
N.Y: McGraw-Hill Education.