NR 512 Week 4 Informatics Skills

Name

Chamberlain University

NR-512: Fundamentals of Nursing Informatics

Prof. Name

Date

Informatics Skills Development and Self-Assessment

Nurses are increasingly required to possess nursing informatics competencies due to their critical role in everyday practice. Informatics is integral to decision-making, and nurses interact with technology more frequently than other healthcare professionals (Darvish, Keyhanian, Bahramnezhed, & Navedhamidi, 2014). Given the nature of their work, nurses are often the primary communicators with patients and utilize various technological tools to enhance care delivery. Companies in healthcare aim to ensure that their employees uphold values of loyalty, compliance, and minimize risk, which are achieved through effective use of informatics (McGonigle, 2015).

Before embarking on this course, I had not fully grasped the significance of nursing informatics, as I was not particularly adept with computers. However, throughout the course, I have come to realize the crucial role informatics plays in my practice. I can now identify instances where informatics are integrated into my daily tasks, which I had previously overlooked. The use of informatics has directly contributed to my ability to provide safer and more effective care to patients. From electronic health records to online educational tools, informatics enhances both patient care and professional development, such as through simulators for emergency scenarios or license renewal courses.

NR 512 Week 4 Informatics Skills

However, there is a concern regarding the lack of adequate training for nurses in relation to informatics, especially when it comes to operating specialized equipment. For example, in the emergency department, nurses must be trained to operate rapid infusers correctly in situations like GI bleeds, where quick action is essential. This lack of proper training can be detrimental to patient care, as nurses may not fully understand the technological tools at their disposal.

After completing the TANIC self-assessment, I realized that my informatics skills were not as developed as I had initially thought. I felt somewhat inadequate upon recognizing the number of tasks I was unfamiliar with. However, this experience has reinforced the idea that nursing is a continuous learning process, and each day presents new opportunities to expand and enhance our skills.

NR 512 Week 4 Informatics Skills

Table: Informatics Skills Development and Reflection

Informatics Skills Development	Impact on Practice	Self-Assessment Reflection
Nurses’ daily interaction with technology and decision-making tools (Darvish et al., 2014)	Enables safe, efficient, and informed patient care	Prior to course, lacked awareness of informatics in practice
Use of online tools for education and patient simulations	Supports ongoing professional development and quality care	Realized the critical role of informatics in both patient care and education
Need for proper training on equipment (e.g., rapid infuser in emergency departments)	Improves response time and patient safety during emergencies	Identified gaps in technical proficiency, especially with equipment
Awareness of personal limitations post-TANIC self-assessment	Increased desire to learn and improve informatics skills	Felt initially ignorant but embraced the learning process

References

Darvish, A., Keyhanian, S., Bahramnezhed, F., & Navedhamidi, M. (2014). The role of nursing informatics on promoting the quality of healthcare and the need for appropriate education. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(6), 11–18.

NR 512 Week 4 Informatics Skills

McGonigle, D. (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.