NURSING INFORMATICS: A DISTINCT SPECIALTY

1. Nursing Informatics: A Distinct Specialty<br />As clinical information systems have become more commonly used in clinical practice, a specialty in nursing has emerged--nursing informatics. The informatics nurse combines his knowledge of nursing practice with information management. It has been estimated that nurses spend as much time gathering, coordinating, and documenting information. That's why it is essential that some kind of structure and discipline be maintained in managing all of this clinical data in order to realize the full potential and benefit of these systems. Nursing informatics provides the support for that information management for all other nursing specialties.<br />Utilizing clinical information systems, an informatics nurse can help other nurses explore and understand the informational and cognitive foundations of their profession. The ability to electronically record, integrate, and analyze data and information enables nurses to quickly move to the synthesis of nursing knowledge and the development of nursing wisdom, which they can then apply to affect patient care.<br />These clinical information systems can assist in reducing medication errors through sophisticated medication management solutions and provide clinical decision support to aid in the decision making of all clinicians. They can also help offset the effects of a growing worker shortage, especially hard-felt in nursing, by reducing redundant tasks, improving communication, and streamlining clinical data collection. By bringing both clinical and information systems expertise to bear, the informatics nurse plays a crucial role in ensuring that these goals are met to help the organization maximize its use of clinical information technology.<br />