Nursing Informatics Competencies
With there being so many facets to the nursing spectrum, providing silos of care, there are many challenges to defining what competencies should be taught and practiced among nursing due to the variance in computer literacy and information management skills (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012). In order to rectify this confusion among health care, Staggers et al., (2002) believe that all nursing students and practicing nurses should be educated on core NI competencies.
Below are the definitions of the four levels of nursing, which need to be achieved through the various required competencies (Staggers et al., 2002):
existing information systems and available information to manage their practice.
data elements, and make judgments based on trends and patterns within these data.
Experienced nurses use current information systems but collaborate with the informatics
nurse specialist to suggest system improvements.
specific to information management and computer technology. They focus on information
needs for the practice of nursing, which includes education, administration, research and
clinical practice. Informatics specialists’ practices are built on the integration and
application of information science, computer science and nursing science. In their
practice informatics specialists use the tools of critical thinking, process skills, data
management skills (includes identifying, acquiring, preserving, retrieving, aggregating,
analyzing, and transmitting data), systems development life cycle, and computer skills.
theory. These nurses lead the advancement of informatics practice and research because
they have a vision of what is possible, and a keen sense of timing to make things happen.
Innovators function with an ongoing healthy skepticism of existing data management
practices and are creative in developing solutions. Innovators possess a sophisticated
level of understanding and skills in information management and computer technology.
They understand the interdependence of systems, disciplines, and outcomes, and can
finesse situations to maximize outcomes.
Source: Staggers et al., 2002, p.386
Below are the definitions of the four levels of nursing, which need to be achieved through the various required competencies (Staggers et al., 2002):
- Beginning nurses (Level 1):
existing information systems and available information to manage their practice.
- Experienced nurses (Level 2):
data elements, and make judgments based on trends and patterns within these data.
Experienced nurses use current information systems but collaborate with the informatics
nurse specialist to suggest system improvements.
- Informatics specialists (Level 3):
specific to information management and computer technology. They focus on information
needs for the practice of nursing, which includes education, administration, research and
clinical practice. Informatics specialists’ practices are built on the integration and
application of information science, computer science and nursing science. In their
practice informatics specialists use the tools of critical thinking, process skills, data
management skills (includes identifying, acquiring, preserving, retrieving, aggregating,
analyzing, and transmitting data), systems development life cycle, and computer skills.
- Informatics innovators (Level 4):
theory. These nurses lead the advancement of informatics practice and research because
they have a vision of what is possible, and a keen sense of timing to make things happen.
Innovators function with an ongoing healthy skepticism of existing data management
practices and are creative in developing solutions. Innovators possess a sophisticated
level of understanding and skills in information management and computer technology.
They understand the interdependence of systems, disciplines, and outcomes, and can
finesse situations to maximize outcomes.
Source: Staggers et al., 2002, p.386