Discussion: The Roles of Nurse Informaticists

Just as the Internet and other technological innovations have radically changed the world, the constant evolution of informatics continues to transform nursing and health care. The nurse is at the forefront of this transformation, serving as a knowledgeable leader in system development, implementation, and management. As new technologies become integrated into health care settings, the nurse informaticist areas will continue to become more critical.

For this Discussion, you examine the informatics areas that have evolved to facilitate this transformation. You consider different functional areas and responsibilities that nurse informaticists may fulfill and how they contribute to technological progress throughout the health care field.

Note: There are many different terms used to refer to “nurse informaticist,” including informatics nurse, nurse informatician, and informatics specialist. In this specialization, the term “nurse informaticist” is applied, adhering to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) terminology.

To prepare:

• Review this week’s media presentation, The Role of Nurse Informaticists, reflecting on the impact that informaticists have on health care settings.
• Using the American Medical Informatics Association web resource in this week’s Learning Resources, investigate the various working groups associated with nursing informatics.
• Identify a nursing informatics role that is of particular interest to you. Conduct further research to find out how this specific role might contribute to patient safety, quality of care, nurse efficiency, the implementation of new informatics initiatives, and/or electronic health records.

By Day 3

Post a description of a nursing informatics role that that is of interest to you and why. In your posting, explain how the nurse informaticist in this role impacts one or more of the following: patient safety, quality of care, nurse efficiency, the implementation of new informatics initiatives, and/or electronic health records. Justify your reasoning by citing authentic examples and references to the research literature.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using one or more of the following approaches:

• Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence or research.
• Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
• Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.