NURS FPX 4040 Assessment 1 Nursing Informatics in Health Care

Name

Capella University

NURS-FPX 4040 Managing Health Information and Technology

Prof. Name

Date

Nursing Informatics and the Nurse Informaticist

What is nursing informatics?

Nursing informatics combines nursing science with information science, computer science, and analytical science to manage and share data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. To achieve the best possible health outcomes, nursing informatics, according to the American Nurses Association, aids nurses, patients, and the larger healthcare team in decision-making across various roles and situations. (American Nursing Association, n.d.). It significantly impacts medication safety by reducing errors and adverse drug events, supports patient education, and contributes to public health through effective data management. The role of a nurse informaticist involves designing, implementing, and optimizing electronic health records (EHRs) and other health information systems to improve patient care and healthcare delivery.

Nurse informaticists ensure accurate data management, enhance clinical decision support systems (CDSS), and educate and train healthcare staff on new technologies. Nurse informaticists play a significant part in guaranteeing the productive integration of technology and procedural enhancements to achieve patient safety by minimizing medication errors even without technological aids. Furthermore, their involvement in scrutinizing data concerning patient care quality, coupled with pinpointing areas for enhancement, results in the elevated quality of care and increased patient contentment (Najjar & Shafie, 2022). Additionally, they are instrumental in developing and managing systems that provide real-time alerts about potential drug interactions, thereby improving medication safety and reducing adverse drug events (ADEs). Evidence supports the effectiveness of these systems; for example, a research study found that hospitals using EHRs saw a 52% reduction in medication errors (Lahti et al., 2022). By leveraging data and technology, nurse informaticists enhance patient care, increase efficiency, and improve communication within healthcare teams, ultimately leading to better health outcomes and reduced healthcare costs.

Nurse Informaticists and Other Health Care Organizations

Several healthcare organizations have experienced significant improvements in medication safety and reduction of adverse drug events (ADEs) through the collaboration of nurse informaticists, the interdisciplinary team, and the other nursing staff. One hospital in Spain implemented a Clinical Decision Support System (CDDS) with the help of nurse informaticists to improve medication safety. The CDDS system called HIGEA generated 8.9 alerts in one day, which were examined by the nurse informaticist and pharmacists. The 51 % of alerts generated led to interventions that prevented possible ADE (Ibáñez-Garcia et al., 2019). Additionally, 20 % of hospitals in Spain utilized CDDS with the significant contribution of nurse informaticists (Ibáñez-Garcia et al., 2019).

Additionally, nurse informaticists analyze data on medication errors and ADEs to identify trends and areas for improvement. They collaborate with quality improvement teams to develop targeted interventions to reduce medication errors and enhance patient safety. Through these collaborative efforts, nurse informaticists effectively contribute to improving medication safety and reducing ADEs within healthcare organizations. Similarly, 500 nurses were members of the Office of Nursing Informatics’ Field Alliance at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) (Alsubaie et al., 2022). They contributed to implementing Electronic Health Records (EHRs) for Veterans to improve their medication management while receiving care from VA health care (Deckro et al., 2021).

Impact of Full Nurse Engagement in Health Care Technology

Nurses with sufficient knowledge and skills in nursing informatics play a crucial role in enhancing patient care, including safeguarding patient information, optimizing workflow, managing costs, and maximizing returns on investment. Their proficiency in utilizing healthcare information technology significantly improves patient care quality. By leveraging technologies such as electronic health records and barcode medication administration systems, nurses can effectively reduce the occurrence of medication errors, ensuring accurate and precise care delivery, which ultimately enhances medication safety. Moreover, seamless communication among interdisciplinary teams is facilitated when nurses adeptly utilize technologies like electronic health records and patient portals to coordinate care effectively. As a result, adverse drug events and treatment errors are minimized, improving medication safety and patient care outcomes (Najjar & Shafie, 2022).

Evidence-Based Strategies to Manage Patients’ Protected Health Information

Nurse informaticists and interdisciplinary teams can implement three evidence-based strategies to effectively manage patients’ protected health information (PHI) while utilizing technology to enhance medication safety and reduce adverse drug events (ADEs). Firstly, By limiting access to PHI based on an individual’s duties and responsibilities, role-based access control (RBAC) solutions ensure that only authorized staff can view sensitive data (Nweke et al., 2020). Secondly, encryption techniques and data masking methods protect the confidentiality of PHI during electronic transmission and storage, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access and breaches (Ahmad et al., 2021). Thirdly, regular security audits can help identify system vulnerabilities and reinforce best practices for safeguarding PHI, contributing to a culture of privacy and compliance within healthcare organizations (Jayanthilladevi et al., 2020). These strategies collectively ensure the secure management of PHI while leveraging technology to improve patient safety and care outcomes.

Impact on Workflow, Costs, and Return on Investment

Healthcare information technologies enable nurses to optimize workflow by facilitating seamless interdisciplinary communication and accurate documentation of patient health data, thereby enhancing medication safety and reducing adverse drug events (ADEs). Electronic documentation allows for efficient exchange of information, presenting patients’ data comprehensively and minimizing errors in medication administration and treatment. This streamlined approach saves healthcare providers time, enhances productivity, and reduces the risk of ADEs.

While integrating technology and recruiting nurse informaticists may require initial investment in budget, resources, and training programs, the long-term benefits outweigh the costs (Fuller et al., 2020). Decreased incidences of adverse events, improved efficiency in patient care, and accurate data management contribute to cost savings in the long run. Moreover, nurse informaticists’ expertise in healthcare information technologies leads to improved patient outcomes and satisfaction, attracting more patients and increasing revenue. Enhanced workflow efficiency and reduced administrative tasks result in more patient encounters and higher returns on investment (Najjar & Shafie, 2022).

Opportunities and Challenges

The integration of a nurse informaticist role into the interdisciplinary team presents both opportunities and challenges. With the expertise of nurse informaticists, there is a notable opportunity to enhance medication safety through the implementation of technology-driven solutions such as electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical decision support systems (CDSS). These systems provide real-time alerts and recommendations to healthcare providers, significantly reducing the risk of adverse drug events (ADEs) and improving patient outcomes (Ibáñez-Garcia et al., 2019). Additionally, nurse informaticists can streamline workflow processes, improving efficiency and time management for nurses and the interdisciplinary team.

However, challenges such as technology adoption, training, and concerns regarding data security and privacy may arise (Wilson & Obasanya, 2022). Overcoming resistance to change and ensuring effective communication among team members is crucial to successfully integrating nurse informaticists and leveraging technology to enhance medication safety. Collaboration within the interdisciplinary team is essential, and technology can facilitate this collaboration by providing platforms for seamless communication and data-sharing. Through continuous quality improvement efforts and patient engagement initiatives supported by technology, the interdisciplinary team can work together to achieve better medication safety outcomes and improve patient care quality (Sherwood & Barnsteiner, 2021).

Summary of Recommendations

Justification for the Need for a Nurse Informaticist

The proposal emphasizes the critical role of nurse informaticists in healthcare organizations, underlining their capacity to significantly enhance medication safety and reduce adverse drug events (ADEs) through technology-driven solutions such as electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical decision support systems (CDSS), as evidenced by successful implementations in various healthcare settings (Ibáñez-Garcia et al., 2019). Furthermore, nurse informaticists’ expertise in data management and technology integration streamlines workflow processes, improves efficiency, and time management for nurses and the interdisciplinary team, ultimately leading to improved patient care quality (Sherwood & Barnsteiner, 2021).

The proposal underscores evidence-based strategies implemented by nurse informaticists to ensure the secure management of patients’ protected health information (PHI) while leveraging technology to promote medication safety and reduce ADEs, aligning with regulatory standards and organizational goals (Nweke et al., 2020; Ahmad et al., 2021; Jayanthilladevi et al., 2020). Overall, the proposal highlights the opportunities presented by the addition of a nurse informaticist role, emphasizing the potential for healthcare organizations to achieve better patient care outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and increase revenue through enhanced workflow efficiency, reduced administrative tasks, and improved communication within interdisciplinary teams (Najjar & Shafie, 2022; Fuller et al., 2020).

References

Ahmad, G. I., Singla, J., & Giri, K. J. (2021). Security and privacy of e-health data. Multimedia Security, 199–214. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8711-5_10

Alsubaie, M. S. M., Alshamrani, A. A. R., Althobaiti, K. M., Al-Rashidi, A. A., Alshamrani, A. M. N., Almudeebry, M. O. M., Alsulami, M. M., Alsubaie, A. M. H., & Almuthaybiri, Z. S. (Year). Improving patients outcomes through health informatics and quality management: The roles of nursing, laboratory and pharmacy. Journal of Namibian Studies, 31(3), https://doi.org/10.59670/evd92f61

American Nursing Association. (n.d.). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice, 2nd ed. American Nursing Association. https://www.nursingworld.org/nurses-books/nursing-informatics-scope-and-standards-of-practice-2nd-ed/#:~:text=Nursing%20informatics%20(NI)%20is%20the

Deckro, J., Phillips, T., Davis, A., Hehr, A. T., & Ochylski, S. (2021). Big data in the veterans health administration: A nursing informatics perspective. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 53(3), 288–295. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12631

Fuller, R., Joynes, V., Cooper, J., Boursicot, K., & Roberts, T. (2020). Could COVID-19 be our “There Is No Alternative” (TINA) opportunity to enhance assessment? Medical Teacher, 42(7), 781–786. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2020.1779206

Harerimana, A., Wicking, K., Biedermann, N., & Yates, K. (2021). Nursing informatics in undergraduate nursing education in Australia before COVID-19: A scoping review. Collegian, 29(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colegn.2021.11.004

NURS FPX 4040 Assessment 1 Nursing Informatics in Health Care

Ibáñez-Garcia, S., Rodriguez-Gonzalez, C., Escudero-Vilaplana, V., Martin-Barbero, M. L., Marzal-Alfaro, B., De la Rosa-Triviño, J. L., Iglesias-Peinado, I., Herranz-Alonso, A., & Sanjurjo Saez, M. (2019). Development and evaluation of a clinical decision support system to improve medication safety. Applied Clinical Informatics, 10(3), 513–520. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0039-1693426

Jayanthilladevi, A., Sangeetha, K., & Balamurugan, E. (2020). Healthcare biometrics security and regulations: Biometrics data security and regulations governing PHI and HIPAA act for patient privacy. 2020 International Conference on Emerging Smart Computing and Informatics (ESCI), 244–247. https://doi.org/10.1109/ESCI48226.2020.9167635

Najjar, R. I. A., & Shafie, Z. M. (2022). Impact of nursing informatics on the quality of patient care. International Journal of Medical Science and Clinical Research Studies, 02(05). https://doi.org/10.47191/ijmscrs/v2-i5-19

Lahti, C. L., Kivivuori, S.-M., Lehtonen, L., & Schepel, L. (2022). Implementing a new electronic health record system in a university hospital: The effect on reported medication errors. Healthcare, 10(6), 1020. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10061020

Nweke, L. O., Yeng, P., D., S., & Yang, B. (2020). Understanding attribute-based access control for modelling and analysing healthcare professionals’ security practices. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.14569/ijacsa.2020.0110286

Wilson, G. M., & Obasanya, M. (2022). Principles of health informatics. Health Informatics, 15–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91237-6_2