Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment and Reflection Post
Informatics involves the integration of technology with nursing knowledge and practice to manage patient information. Based on this technology integration in nursing, there are various ways in which informatics is used. One of the major uses of informatics is the documentation of patient and health data. The goal of using informatics is to improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery and reduce the costs of care by improving patient monitoring and collaboration among healthcare professionals (Lanza et al., 2020).
Application of Informatics
The application of informatics in recording patient care and treatment progression improves patient observation and statistical evaluation of treatment plan outcomes, making it possible for the care team to adjust the care plan based on changes in the patient’s condition. Informatics is also used to store and share the collected patient data and health information. Informatics technologies have also found application in managing hospital and nursing staff, assessing their efficiency, and developing evidence-based risk management approaches within healthcare organizations (Yasar & Akten, 2018).
Before my self-assessment using the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment tool, I had a lower perception of my competency level in informatics technologies. I knew the basic uses of computers and related technologies, such as sending emails, searching for information or sharing other documents via email. Nonetheless, I did not pay much attention to the use of informatics technologies in nursing as I believed nursing was all about caring for patients from the ward or in other care settings. I also had not paid much attention to lessons on the use of informatics technologies in future nursing practice because the same view of nursing was purely about attending to and caring about patients. To me, the use of informatics technologies was a different career path that had nothing less to do with nurses.
After taking the self-assessment, I realized that the skills I possessed were actually applicable in informatics. I was able to identify my current competencies and the areas where I had no required skills. The self-assessment also made me want to develop my informatics competencies to improve the efficiency of my current clinical role.
Competencies in My Current Clinical Role
Two of the competencies that I feel are most important are knowledge of how to upload and share health patient data and information using informatics technologies and how to keep the information management systems secure. Understanding how to use informatics systems, including the sharing of patient data, improves the efficiency of nursing operations and collaboration between healthcare professionals. Knowing how to maintain and improve the security of the informatics technologies means understanding the threats and basic safeguards of the systems and having good internet hygiene in order to be able to use the technologies without timeouts and shutdowns. Nurses, as the main users of informatics technologies in healthcare, are at the frontline of maintaining the security of the systems and protecting their organizations against cybercriminals (Kamerer & McDermott, 2020).