Nursing informatics (NI) is a nursing practice discipline that incorporates computer science and information technology in managing and communicating information data and knowledge (Ball 2011). Informatics nurses act as the link between nursing and information systems department. NI supports the nurses patients consumers amongst other providers in making decisions in all roles and settings. Therefore nurse informatics plays crucial roles in the nursing practice. To begin with nurse informatics plays an administrative leadership and management role. In this role they contribute mostly in decision making process concerning medical information systems. Secondly informatics nurses are involved in medical system integration. Nursing practice and health care system at large require integration of new systems based on new technologies. This is highly encouraged to improve the effectiveness of the existing systems. Additionally information systems is comprised of people structures automated tools processes and manuals used for collecting storing interpreting transforming and reporting medical information. Integration of such a system includes the following stages; analysis selection designing implementation and optimization (Masters 2009).
This role is aimed at improving quality and delivery of health care patients safety and so forth. This is primarily achieved through automated documentation of medical information. Automated documentation enhances accurate collection of medical information and reuse as well. This helps to eliminate redundancy in documentation. In addition to this informatics nurses come up with recommendations for improving the nursing practice. In this respect they are involved in a consultation role. Next nurse informaticists are instrumental in educational development of the nursing fraternity. Here they educate and train nurses how to effectively use the new technologies in handling medical information. Another major role of nurse informatics is workflow analysis. Workflow analysis is one of the most significant analysis roles of nurse informatics. Workflow analysis targets to enhance proper and appropriate display of medical information processes and programs according to nurses activities. Furthermore informatics nurses are deeply involved in research and evaluation about health care. The primary goal of nursing informatics lies in improving health care of populations communities families as well as individuals through information management. This pertains using technology establishing administrative systems and delivering education in provision of health care. The mentioned tasks require massive nursing research and evaluation to accomplish (McGonigle and Mastrian 2012).
Besides the role of nurse informatics take informatics nurse are of much benefit to nursing practice particularly with less skilled nurses. According to the nursing objectives it is a requirement for nurse to have high standards of education as well as training (Bonnel and Smith 2010). However the emerging new technologies render nurses ineffective. Nurse informatics provides an improved platform for educating and training nurses hence complementing nurses with this requirement. Next informatics nurses would ensure improved information system and data collection. This will promote effective policy making and workforce planning amongst nurses. Lastly patients safety and delivery of quality healthcare would be enhanced. Accurate and reliable information will be collected stored and submitted to other departments like medication.
Computers and information technology is widely used in the nursing practice. One of the major areas it is employed is in medication administration. Barcode medication administration (BCMA) is amongst the technologies used in medical administration (Bak and Stair 2011). Medication administration involves five stages. These are right patient right medication right does right route and right timing. Errors related to medication are more frequent and major cause of adverse medical effects. Studies have revealed that close to about 100 000 deaths and over million injuries are attributed to these medical errors. Therefore these medical errors are much costly. Barcode medical administration system has helped to improve the situation by automating medication process and making medical records electronic. I have witnessed successful reduction of the medication errors after implementation of this system. The previous used systems like the computerized physician order entry were unable to overcome fully these errors. Most of these errors occur during administration dispensing and transcribing stages of medication. BCMA technology does not consist of simple tools. Thereby its implementation in a new environment is not easy. Its implementation requires vital changes that are associated with integration of new technologies. These include policy changes social as well as cultural changes (Ciampa and Revels 2012).
Relative to policy changes BCMA implementation requires modification of policies concerning administering of medication and identification of patients. As far as workload is concerned BCMA triggered workload increment in for the pharmaceutical staff as opposed to nurse. This was attributed to additional roles of BCMA system barcoding and labeling of medication. Like expected nurses faced difficulties with BCMA which diminished after they became acclimated to it. Nevertheless its introduction has substantial impact in health care systems. BMCA enhances communication between the nursing staff and the medication staff like pharmacists (Dumitru 2009). Effective communication leads to improved relationship amongst the staff. In turn this facilitates better planning and implementation of processes thus preventing challenges like the one mentioned above. The BCMA system enhanced the ability to monitor and evaluate medication administration. This provided all relevant information regarding medication information to avoid any challenges. For example it showed if the medication were scanned.