Nurses are the direct caregivers and are on the front lines of patient care and, therefore, are often quicker to feel the impact of changes in best practices than other healthcare providers. As the healthcare system faces challenges such as an aging population and a shortage of healthcare workers, with the help of nursing informatics, these data can be easily established, and clever approaches to curb them are known.
Most of these problems can be minimized thanks to information and communication technology, especially as hospitals become increasingly interested in reducing costs and shifting from inpatient care to home care (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2021). Nurse informatics specialists work with a diverse group in various healthcare sectors, which ultimately helps bridge the gap between clinical and technical perspectives and focuses on patient safety at all costs (Strudwick et al., 2019). At this point in my development, I am improving skills such as the ability to use certain programs and electronic record keeping. These skills will help me in the future to be an effective and highly skilled worker in the medical field.
I can give some examples from my professional life. Hospitals are actively introducing electronic medical records for patients, which require some knowledge. These systems can facilitate workflow and improve patient care and safety. The skills I learned helped me to understand this innovation easily. The second example is nursing apps. This innovation is equally sophisticated and features robust software that simplifies nursing practice.
I identified my strengths and weaknesses by completing the Tanic Nursing Informatics Self-Assessment Tool. I learned I am fine switching quickly in an evolving technology environment. The difficulty for me was analyzing a lot of information. At this point, I need help to remain efficient with a heavy workload. My next skill that needs improvement is the critical appraisal of sources. I sometimes need to improve in identifying reliable information, so I keep practicing.
References
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2021). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Strudwick, G., Nagle, L., Kassam, I., Pahwa, M., & Sequeira, L. (2019). Informatics competencies for nurse leaders: a scoping review. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(6), 323-330.