Write a 4-5 page evidence-based proposal to support the need for a nurse informaticist in an organization who would focus on improving health care outcomes. Nursing Informatics in Health Care Nursing Informatics in Health Care Introduction As you begin to prepare this assessment, you are encouraged to complete the Team Perspectives of the Nurse Informaticist activity.
Nursing Informatics in Health Care
Data collection and documentation influence the quality of healthcare services. Accurate documentation reduces the incidence of medical errors and improves the billing process. Nurses and other healthcare providers should embrace technology to improve the accuracy of data collection documentation and reporting. This paper discusses nursing informatics and evaluates the role and relevance of a nurse informaticist.
Nursing Informatics and the Nurse Informaticist
Forman et al. (2020) report that nursing informatics (NI) is a field that embraces technology to optimize the management of health information. NI focuses on lowering healthcare costs by increasing data accuracy and promoting evidence-based practice (Booth et al., 2022). This is accomplished via proper characterization, management, and dissemination of information. NI has enabled healthcare facilities to acquire and implement healthcare technology. For instance, NI triggered the introduction and widespread implementation of electronic health record (EHR) systems in healthcare setups (Booth et al., 2022).
Nurse informaticists are relevant stakeholders who accomplish various roles and responsibilities. Firstly, they initiate and oversee the implementation of health technology in various healthcare settings (Booth et al., 2022). Appropriate use of health technology (such as EHR systems) optimizes workflow, reduces medical errors, and improves the quality of healthcare services (Ngangue et al., 2020). Secondly, nurse informaticists use evidence-based data to restructure, create new, or modify organizational policies and standard procedures (Booth et al., 2022). Evidence-based data from the organization enables them to make informed decisions to formulate the best plans. Thirdly, they are involved in the supervision of data handling and data validation (Booth et al., 2022). To accomplish this, they work in concert with interdisciplinary team members to increase the accuracy of data collection, documentation, and reporting.
Nurse Informaticists and Other Health Care Organizations
Nurse informaticists work in various healthcare setups, such as private health facilities, public health facilities, government organizations, and academia. Females account for more than 75 percent of this population (Zippia.com, n.d.). About 48 percent of these specialists work in private health facilities, whereas 25 percent work in public healthcare facilities (Zippia.com, n.d.). About 19 percent are involved in academia and research, whereas 11 percent practice in government organizations (Zippia.com, n.d.).
Nurse informaticists have been proven to be beneficial stakeholders in academia and public and private facilities. They collect, analyze, interpret data, and disseminate their findings. This feedback forms the basis for optimizing workflow, identifying existing gaps, and developing new policies (Booth et al., 2022). Also, nurse informaticists train and provide continuous education to interdisciplinary team members. Training and education are guided by evidence-based research and organizational data. By so doing, employees acquire pertinent skills and knowledge to improve service delivery quality and increase productivity (Booth et al., 2022). Furthermore, nurse informaticists select, acquire, and implement pertinent health technology (Booth et al., 2022). The emphasis is to acquire the best technology to improve healthcare quality by improving documentation, promoting collaboration, and improving the decision-making process (Booth et al., 2022). Examples of these technologies are telehealth and electronic medical systems.
Nurse informaticists interact with members of the interdisciplinary team during training, policy formulation, or when conducting performance evaluation. The interactions can be physical or virtual. Examples of interdisciplinary team members include physicians, administrators, pharmacists, nurses, nutritionists, and laboratory personnel. Zareshahi et al. (2022) report that training and education equip these stakeholders with information on the underperforming metrics, new technology, merits of the new technology, how to use new technology, and any changes in organizational policies and standard procedures.