Technology has been integrated widely in clinical practice and practice nurses need to develop skills in information management and technology application in nursing practice. One of the challenges nurses face is identifying the training needs and the training opportunity. This paper seeks to answer these challenges in view of a Nurse Leader position I hold. In this position, nursing informatics has wide applications. The most important functional areas involved in this position are administration, leadership, management, compliance, and integrity management.
Every functional area requires a different set of skills to enhance performance. The TIGER initiative has listed skills and competencies which are important in various functional areas in nursing advanced nursing practice. The functional roles of administration, leadership and management include developing team visions, communicating the visions to the nursing team, implementing and monitoring the vision. Nursing informalities competencies applicable in this functional area include basic computer skills, information management, and information literacy (Waneka & Spetz, 2010). Basic computer skills which are vital are office applications and email. Information management skills allow for effective use of information such as limiting access to confidential information such as patient records while enhancing access to information such as quality standards. Competency gaps are best identified from job descriptions and job evaluations (Issel ET AL., 2012). The identified competency gaps can be bridged through training and practice in information management systems. My organization has a training program in which nurses and other people not from the IT department are given IT skills. In addition, the staff members have subscriptions to online libraries from where they can self train to get the required skills. Developing nursing informatics competencies has enhanced my effectiveness as a nurse through better information management skills to meet legal requirements such as HIPAA.
Reference
Issel, L. M., Ashley, M., Kirk, H., & Bekemeier, B. (2012). Public Health Nursing Job
Descriptions: Are They Aligned With Professional Standards?. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 18(3), E1.
Waneka, R., & Spetz, J. (2010). Hospital information technology systems' impact on nurses and
nursing care. Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(12), 509-514.
