Practicum and Scholarly Article
Informatics in the healthcare system is a demand that has gained popularity in the 21st century. According to Williams, Oke & Zachary (2019), technological advancement and the diversification of healthcare delivery require robust education and training on technology and informatics across all institutions and levels in the healthcare system.
Nursing informatics is the science and practice of integrating knowledge in nursing and technology to effectively manage and integrate health information. The practicum specialty is informatics. Integrating practicum experience and literature helps a student gain a deeper understanding and perspective of the practicum area. This essay summarizes a scholarly article that aims to gain a deeper perspective and understanding of nursing informatics.
The scholarly article to be summarized is “Assessing Nurses Informatics Competency and Identifying its Related Factors” by khezri and Abdekhoda (2019). The article represents a study that aimed to assess the competency of nursing informatics and identify the factors related to nursing informatics in registered nurses.
The study was based on the assumption that due to the increasing demand and use of informatics in healthcare, informatics competency is an important requirement for nurses, especially nurse leaders. Nurses are at the frontline in ensuring patient safety and providing quality care. Nursing informatics enhances the use of technological infrastructure to improve the quality of care and ensure patient safety (Strudwick et al., 2019).
The article has several central ideas. The first is that nurses have been exposed to complex clinical technologies that necessitate having complex skills and advanced knowledge in nursing informatics. Secondly, most nurses know and acknowledge that they do not have enough computer skills and efficient informatics competency.
Third, it is the responsibility of nurse leaders to evaluate informatics proficiency in the workforce, including the obstacles that prevent nurses from using health information technology effectively and the requirements for safe patient care. Therefore, the authors seek to understand the current level of informatics competency among nurses and the related factors, thus recommending evidence-based interventions to improve informatics competency among nurses.
The authors identified three components of informatics competencies to understand nursing informatics and the level of competency for assessment. The components are informatics skills, informatics knowledge, and computer skills. These three elements are interdependent but equally important.
Nurses should have a certain informatics competency level since they are a significant part of the healthcare workforce. Nursing informatics competency enhances the successful implementation of health information systems such as telehealth, thus improving the quality of care and enhancing patient safety (Khezri and Abdekhoda, 2019).
However, many nurses have little or no knowledge of nursing informatics. The authors note that some nurses only have basic computer skills but are not necessarily connected to nursing informatics. Nurses are willing to learn and train on nursing informatics and acquire skills and knowledge on health information technology.
Khezri and Abdekhoda (2019) also note that some nurses believe their informatics role is only to use health information technology. Thus, some nurses do not know about their role in informatics. The gap makes it challenging to measure nursing informatics competency and the factors associated with nursing informatics. The issues affecting nursing informatics were found to be crucial in encouraging nursing informatics.
As mentioned above, the study variables used to measure nursing informatics competence were informatics skills, computer skills, and informatics knowledge. The study found that most nurses had basic computer skills but lacked adequate knowledge and skills in informatics. The factors influencing informatics competency were job satisfaction, self-efficacy, clinical experience, and the time spent on information health systems.
Nurses who demonstrated high job satisfaction and self-efficacy had higher levels of informatics competence than those who demonstrated low job satisfaction and self-efficacy. The level of clinical experience also had a significant contribution to informatics competence. Nurses who had spent more time using information health systems also recorded high informatics competence compared to those who had spent less time using information health systems.
The study’s underlying findings are that the nursing informatics competency level among nurses is currently still considerably low, despite the advancement in technology and health information systems. Also, the factors associated with nursing competency among registered nurses are self-efficacy, job satisfaction, clinical experience, and time spent on health information systems. The study recommends several evidence-based strategies to improve nursing informatics competency.
The strategies include regular training on informatics and health information systems, enforcing informatics in education programs, and emphasizing on computer skills among nurses. According to Kinnunen et al. (2019), most nurses feel they have not received sufficient informatics training. Therefore, more training for both nursing students and practicing nurses are required.
In conclusion, the article has deepened my perspective on informatics and changed my general outlook on nursing informatics. Understanding that personal factors such as self-efficacy and time spent in health information systems may influence my informatics competency level is a call to put individual effort into learning the necessary informatics skills and believing in myself. I have also acknowledged that computer and informatics skills and knowledge are equally important in developing informatics competency.
Experience is also essential in developing nursing informatics competency since the more you use health information systems, the more you can use them effectively. I have also appreciated the importance of regular informatics training to keep up with the ever-dynamic technological advancements in health information systems.
References
Williams, F., Oke, A., & Zachary, I. (2019). Public health delivery in the information age: the role of informatics and technology. Perspectives in public health, 139(5), 236-254. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1757913918802308
Khezri, H., & Abdekhoda, M. (2019). Assessing nurses’ informatics competency and identifying its related factors. Journal of Research in Nursing, 174498711983945. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987119839453
Strudwick, G., Nagle, L., Kassam, I., Pahwa, M., & Sequeira, L. (2019). Informatics competencies for nurse leaders: a scoping review. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(6), 323-330. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000760
Kinnunen, U. M., Heponiemi, T., Rajalahti, E., Ahonen, O., Korhonen, T., & Hyppönen, H. (2019). Factors Related to Health Informatics Competencies for Nurses-Results of a National Electronic Health Record Survey. Computers, informatics, nursing: CIN, 37(8), 420–429. https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000511
Assessment 3 Instructions: Practicum and Scholarly Article
My clinical setting is in the informatics department of a hospital. And my preceptor is an informatics nurses
In this assessment, you will concentrate on your practicum experience outside the courseroom and continue to create a thorough log that reflects your work. You will also provide a scholarly article on your practicum specialty to gain a deeper perspective of your work.
Assessment Instructions
Respond to the following in a short paper: Select a current, peer-reviewed, evidence-based journal article on your practicum specialty. Summarize the article and share it with a peer or peers. Share any new insights gained through your discussion.
PRACTICUM HOURS SUBMISSION
With this assessment, submit your CORE ELMS hours log showing a minimum of 20 hours earned and confirmed with your preceptor. Be sure that in addition to the hours you are also providing a brief description of the focus of your practicum hours for each entry. Reminder: You will need to have your preceptor approve your hours in CORE ELMS. Your Preceptor will get an email every time you submit hours to the CORE ELMS system. You will not receive a grade for this assessment without a confirmed Practicum Hours Log showing the minimum required hours per assessment. Faculty will review your hours to date and will contact you there are any questions or concerns.
Additional Requirements
Length of submission: 2–3 pages, double spaced. Number of resources: Minimum of 3 resources. Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message. APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style. Header formatting follows current APA levels. Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point. Portfolio Prompt: You may choose to save this learning activity to your ePortfolio.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria: Competency 2: Demonstrate completion of hours toward the practicum experience. Demonstrate completion of hours toward the practicum experience. Competency 3: Reflect on your practicum experience including accomplishments and challenges met to improve health outcomes. Summarize a current, peer-reviewed, evidence-based journal article on the practicum specialty. Discuss a current, peer-reviewed, evidence-based journal article on the practicum specialty with a peer and share any new insights.