Executive Summary (Benchmark Assessment)
Introduction
Nursing informatics integrates the field of computer science, nursing science, and using data in order to improve nursing practice. Information technology has become an integral phenomenon in the 21st century. Thereby, the healthcare system has to adapt to the dynamic society. Nursing informatics is important because it aims at improving nursing practice through efficiency and analytical skills. Given that most health care systems have adopted the electronic health records systems to ensure that patient care is efficient, nurses should adapt to technology and information systems that have automated patient’s data. Thus, nursing informatics class should be taught as an introductory course in all nursing schools so that all nurses are comfortable accessing computerized data and can quickly analyze the patient’s data history in order to have a good work flow in the health services department.
- Project proposal
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH), support the idea of switching to digital technology that would enhance service for the patients (Baker 2012, p.76). Given that technology is an important thing in the field of nursing when it comes to updating or using electronic health records, nursing informatics would be an integral thing that would encourage use of data to improve efficiency in a given health facility. However, it is crucial to note that some nurses are not proficient in the field of technology thereby, making them incompetent to accessing data and information. Thus, an informatics class is crucial while teaching a nursing course in order to ensure technological competency among nurses (Baker, 2012. P.91). Given that electronic medical records aim at improving patient services through increasing efficiency among nurses, all nurses should be proficient in technology. Thus, nursing informatics should be a program that is taught to all nurses while in school or one should be certified yearly to ensure all nurses are competent in technology.
- Target Population
Nursing informatics should be integrated to the introductory nursing course. Regardless of the fact that some high school students acquire computer skills while at school, there are different levels of computer competency. Also, there are some students who have little to no computer access thereby, making nursing informatics course necessary as an introductory course. Statistics indicate that most students that enroll to nursing courses have little basic informatics skills, which hinders them from using the internet as a data base tool for learning. Thus, nursing informatics should be taught as an introductory course to nursing students in order to ensure that they are competent in computer skills that may come in handy in their careers.
- Benefits of the Project
Nursing informatics is crucial because it promotes use of shared patient’s data with all registered health facilities. Given that electronic medical records require competency in technology, all nurses should have the ability to read the patient’s health history in order to make decisions based on evidence (Saba, 2006, p. 102). Also, every nurse should have the ability to improve patient’s safety through the ability to access past health history of a given patient. Nursing informatics go hand in hand with electronic health records to reduce errors and improve services rendered to the patients. Nursing informatics can also improve data security and integrity because of the availability of data among nurses. Access of data by nurses ensures that there is increased continuity of care and the fact that a patient’s disease can be easily micro-managed by those accessing the EHR. Given that paper health records are being replaced by computerized data history for patients, nursing informatics is an important course for nursing students to be proficient in accessing data through using technology.
- Cost or Budget Justification
Given that nursing informatics go hand in hand with goals of the American Nursing association in terms of interweaving information technology to nursing, the executive board should set about $75,000 for gadgets that can be used in a nursing informatics class. Also, instructors who are competent and comfortable in providing the services to teach the course should be paid such that all students are proficient in computer skills and thorough knowledge in updating data in a medical record. In addition, students need skills to search through data in order to find patient’s health records that may attribute to cause of their injury or health issues. Thus, nursing informatics would ensure that there is an improvement id efficiency and effectiveness.
- How the Project should be evaluated
The project should be evaluated through the goals achieved by nursing informatics class. Developing documentation guidelines that give effective communication between the patients, health care professionals, the health care insurance companies, and that nurses can stipulate a legal documents that shows the patient’s records (Saba, 2006, p.118). Given that nursing informatics aid nursing students to be competent in technology and computer skills, there are so many advantages and their skills can be used hand in health care institutions. Also, most health care institutions have turned to electronic medical records rather than paper trail health records that require nurses to be confident in technological skills as a way of reducing medical errors.
Given the changes in technology, level of technology integrated to nursing should be easily flexible (Baker, 2012, p.88). This means that nursing informatics course should teach students the contemporary technology that is mainly used in health facilities. This makes all nurses reliable and proficient in giving good services to the patients. Also, nursing informatics can be taught to all genders and not limited to one’s age. This makes it a good program to integrate to the field of nursing. In addition, nursing informatics give all nurses the ability to collect data for their patients.
- Do you believe that the proposal would be approved if formally proposed?
Yes. The proposal would be approved because information technology has become an integral thing in the field of nursing thereby; nursing informatics ensures that all students are proficient in their computer skills. Also, nursing informatics reduces medical errors among nurses because decision can be based on prior past record of a given patient. Thus, nurses have to be competent in searching and recording data of a given patients such that proper medical treatment is given to the patient. Given that not all nursing student have appropriate computer skills, an introductory nursing informatics course would ensure that all students are at par with each other in class.
- What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal?
References
Baker, J. D. (2012). Nursing informatics. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders.
Saba, V. K., & McCormick, K. A. (2006). Essentials of nursing informatics (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, Medical Pub.
