Smoothly integrating nursing and computer science into professional skill set development.

The evolution of a word into the mainstream vocabulary of a society is an interesting phenomenon that many linguists spend years examining.  An equally important observation in healthcare is the combination of distinct professional areas to better represent the clinical and technological advancements in healthcare. 

The constantly evolving constellations that represent the specialized areas in healthcare are changing as new models of care delivery are developed.  These new frontiers in healthcare create enormous opportunities for pioneering healthcare professionals and institutions to stand at the cusp of healthcare delivery in the 21st century.

Informatics, defined as computer science and information science, is slowly migrating into the general vocabulary of healthcare professionals throughout the system. The term healthcare informatics recognizes the unification of computer science and information unique to the medical profession, coupled with the processing and management of data. 

Nonetheless, the profession of nursing has already transformed nurse consultants hired in the 1980s into nursing informatics specialists. Nursing informatics (NI) is the application of computer science and information science to nursing to support the practice and delivery of nursing care.  Typical NI projects include the following:

*Graphic Users Interfaces for Nursing Orders
*Online Nursing Notes
*Automated Patient Discharge Plans
*Online Risk Alerts for Slips/Falls.

Initially their consultations provided the critical clinical link necessary for acute care centers to implement Hospital Information Systems.  Nursing leaders and educators supported this transformation through the development of certification programs in NI and advanced nursing degrees with informatics as the primary focus. 

By expanding healthcare informatics professional-development opportunities, nurses have been able to move into decision-making positions that support nursing practice.  Therefore, the initial consultation role of providing clinical expertise in system implementation and preparing nurses to use technological innovations has been enhanced by these new leadership responsibilities.  

The exponential discovery in nursing care supported by computer science is pressuring the system to adjust managerially, philosophically, and structurally.  Yet the most significant adjustments that determine the effectiveness of integrating these discoveries are those made by nursing staffs and institutions that support the delivery of care.  NI in its continual analysis relies on the ability of nurses to interpret information derived from the administration of nursing care. 

Obtaining consistency in the delivery of nursing care from a quality perspective involves shared responsibilities between institutions where care is delivered and nurses that provide the services.  In order to align informatics with the healthcare delivery system, institutions and nurses must establish partnerships to ensure the effective application of NI.  Healthcare institutions and nursing professionals committed to developing the infrastructure to integrate benefits of informatics in nursing care must also commit to staff development and professional development.

Nursing Informatics Professional Competencies

The profession of nursing involves constant vigilance toward acquiring news skill sets and sharpening existing ones to enhance the delivery of nursing care.  Maintaining competencies in nursing services supports professional growth and development.  As such, understanding the competencies that lead to rewarding NI careers enables nurses to make lasting contributions to the profession. Susan J. Grobe, PhD, RN, FAAN, of the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, identifies the following NI competencies:     

*Use basic information-handling tools
*Independently learn about computers and information management
*Use computer systems and access databases
*Knowledgeably use systems and specialized databases
*Perceive new applications
*Develop information systems for personnel applications
*Development of NI tools.

Source: Nursing Intervention Lexicon and Taxonomy, National Center For Nursing Research.

These competencies delineate between the different levels of nursing training and education.  The first three skill sets are directly related to the delivery of enhanced patient care through NI.  The last three points represent the merger of nursing science and information science, while the fourth area of competence establishes a knowledge base that represents the link