Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory

Module #1 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

Lesson title: INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATICS Materials:

Electronic gadget, pen, & notebook
Learning Targets:
At the end of the module, students will be able to: References:
1. Define nursing informatics;
2. Describe the components of health care informatics; and, Calano, Roel B. & Del Rio, Fernando. (2017).
3. Explain the benefits of computers to nursing. Health informatics: An illustrative approach
(1st ed.)

Saba, Virginia & McCormick, Kathleen.

(2006). Essential of nursing informatics (4th
ed.). McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

Introduction:
Hello, PHINMA Ed student! Welcome to Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory. In today’s session, you are tasked to
set expectations as you get oriented with what the subjects is all about and to determine the nature of your mode of
learning. You may write in this area the vital policies, rules, and regulations to be noted in this class. You may also refer to
the Course Outline to be provided by your instructor.

B. MAIN LESSON

INFORMATICS

Walter Bauer – translated “informatics”; combined the terms “information” and “automation” which means automatic
information processing.

Informatics: A science that combines a domain science, computer science, information science and cognitive science.

Health informatics: is the practice of acquiring, studying and managing health data and applying medical concepts in
conjunction with health information technology systems to help clinicians provide better healthcare

Components of Healthcare Informatics

1. Computer science: development, configuration, architecture of computer hardware and software.
2. Healthcare science: body of knowledge on which healthcare profession bases their practice. The sciences of
anatomy, physiology and knowledge specific to each profession.
3. Information science: includes information technology which involves the process of sending and receiving
information.
4. Cognitive science: the process of human thinking, understanding and remembering.

Nursing Informatics
● Computer science, information science, and nursing science combined to assist in the management and
processing of nursing data, information and knowledge to support the practice of nursing and the delivery of
nursing care (Graves and Corcoran, 1989).
● Intersection point with nursing science, computer science and information science (Turley, 1996).
● This is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and
communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice.

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 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #1 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

● Nursing Informatics facilitates the integration of data, information and knowledge to support patients, nurses and
other providers in their decision-making in all roles and settings (Nursing Informatics: Scopes and Standards,
ANA 2008).

At this time, these are the computer system that nurses use:
1. Management Information System – This is a designated department that facilitates the organization and
application of data used to manage an organization or department. For instance, upon entering the hospital, the
admitting section will enter the personal data of the patient to their computer. This computer is actually a
centralized one. It means that the information about the patient can be seen in the emergency room, laboratory as
well as to the other units that have something to do with the patient. Anything that they have done such as
purchases of medications and laboratory results are reflected in a record intended for the single patient. The MIS
serves as a way to prevent duplication of data of patients and keeps up the flow of patients especially those old
patients.
2. Hospital Information System – It is system catered to the types of data needed to manage client care activities
and health care organizations. The personnel in these areas enter the data needed to allow management of
billing. The Management Information System and the Hospital Information System actually works hand in hand.

Purpose of Nursing Informatics:

1. For Nursing Education – Through nursing informatics, nursing students can retrieve literature. Computers have
significantly presented huge amounts of data and catalogues which can search systematically. The tedious job of
organizing literature was greatly reduced with computer systems. Users can access statistics from the Centre for
Disease Control and Prevention, get census and even the current mortality and morbidity of a certain type of
disease or group of population in just one click.
2. Computer- Assisted Learning – Nursing students can enjoy learning the basic nursing care through software
programs. Programs may cover topics from drug dosage administration to ethical decision making. Programs
have been intended to certify the aptitude of nursing students about electrocardiogram and other important
nursing activities that is important in the real work set-up.
3. Distance Learning – Through nursing informatics, online degrees in nursing and continued professional
education have been a trend. Teachers can now reach a wider group of students. Homework or assignments can
be sent via the internet without even facing the educators or meeting them in person. The physical distance
between the educator and the student is now shortened.
4. Documentation of Client Status and medical records – Nursing informatics can make the impossible
organization of huge records possible. Research about past medical illness and management is easier since a
computer keeps the records and the researcher will just get proper access to that information.

Core Competencies
● The Entry Level Nurse: Knows how to use nursing specific software such as computerized documentation; use
of patient care technology and information management for patient safety.
● The Experienced Nurse: Skilled in information management and computer technology to sustain their specific
area of practice includes making judgments based on trends of data in addition to collaboration with the
informatics nurses in the development of systems.
● The Informatics Nurse Specialist (INS): Has advanced informatics preparation at the graduate level and assists
the practicing nurse in meeting his needs for information. Has advanced informatics preparation and possesses
skills for conducting informatics research along with theory development.

History
● Nurses have worked in informatics roles for over thirty years, but the phrase “nursing informatics” was not seen in
the literature until 1984. Nursing informatics has established itself as a specialty in the nursing field.
● Various forms of machinery such as ventilators and physiological monitors were first used in intensive and critical
care settings, and are now currently used in adapted form in less acute areas, even in home care.

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #1 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

● Nursing has evolved significantly over the past few decades, with many of the changes being driven by advances
in information and communication technology.
• Four Major Nursing Areas
• Nursing Practice • Nursing Education
• Nursing Administration • Nursing Research

• Standard Initiatives
• Nursing Practice Standards
• Nursing Data Standards
• Health Care Data Standards Organizations
Six Time Period
✔ image of nursing was improving
Prior to
✔ nursing practices and services were expanding its computers were initially used in health care facilities
the
scope and complexity for basic business office functions
1960s
✔ the number of nurses was increasing

• CRT terminals was introduced, online data

✔ nurse’s station in the hospital was viewed as the
communications, and real-time processing
hub of information exchange
1960s • HIS was primarily developed to process financial
✔ the appropriate center for the development of the
transactions and serve as billing and accounting
computer applications
systems

nurses recognized the computer’s potential for

several mainframe HISs were designed and
improving the documentation of nursing practice, the
1970s developed, a few of which eventually became
quality of patient care, and the repetitive aspects of
forerunners of a number of today’s systems
managing patient care

● PC emerged which made computers more

✔ the field of informatics emerged in the healthcare
accessible, affordable, and usable by nurses and
industry and nursing
1980s other health care providers
✔ NI became an accepted specialty and many
● user-friendly and allowed nurses to create their own
nursing experts entered the field
applications

✔ computer technology became an integral part of

health care settings, nursing practice, and the
● workstations are connected to networks(LAN)
nursing profession
1990s ● 1995 The internet was made more public with the
✔ policies and legislation were adopted promoting
introduction of emails.
computer technology in health care including
nursing

wireless point-of-care, serious considerations for open

CIS became more individualized in the EPR
Post- source solutions, regional database projects, and
(Electronic Patient Record) and HER (Electronic
2000 increased IT solutions targeted at all healthcare
Health Record)
environments

Advantages of Nursing Informatics

• Improved access to information
• Error reduction and improved communications
• Decreased redundancy of data entry
• Convenience

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 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #1 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

• Decreased time spent in medication administration and documentation

• Increased time for client care
• Facilitation of data collection and research
• Improved quality of documentation
• Improved compliance with regulatory requirements
• Improved record security
• Improved quality of care and patient satisfaction
• Decreased administrative costs for location and maintenance of client record
• Creation of lifetime clinical record facilitated by information systems.

Disadvantages of Nursing Informatics

• Decrease communication and socialization between nurse and patient
• Increased costs to startup, maintain, train, and upgrade
• Computer literacy required
• Confidentiality, privacy and security difficult to guarantee
• A complex conceptual design process
• The need for multiple external databases
• The need to hire database-related employees
• A more complex programmer environment
• Potentially catastrophic program failures
• A longer running time for individual applications

Why do we NEED to study Nursing Informatics?

1. In the 21st Century, information is doubling every 5yrs, if not tripling in quantity and quality.
2. Information is POWER
3. Technology also facilitates the creative process in nurses, affording amazing vehicles for patient education,
teaching and learning and providing general health promotion and prevention information on a global scale.

Check for Understanding

After studying the main lesson, you may now answer the following multiple choice questions and provide the rationale for
each item.

1. Who translated the word “informatics”? He combined the terms “information” and “automation” which means
automatic information processing.
A. Mark Bayer C. Walter Bauer
B. Steve Jobs D. Albert Einstein
Answer: ________
Rationale:
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2. Which of the following is not a component of healthcare informatics?

A. Computer science C. Cognitive science
B. Healthcare science D. Radiologic science
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________________________

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #1 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

3. A component of healthcare informatics that deals with the development, configuration, architecture of computer
hardware and software.
A. Computer science C. Healthcare science
B. Information science D. Cognitive science
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. A component of healthcare informatics that deals with the body of knowledge on which healthcare profession base
their practice.
A. Computer science C. Healthcare science
B. Information science D. Cognitive science
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. A component of healthcare informatics that includes information technology which involves the process of sending
and receiving information.
A. Computer science C. Healthcare science
B. Information science D. Cognitive science
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. A component of healthcare informatics that deals with the process of human thinking, understanding and
remembering.
A. Computer science C. Healthcare science
B. Information science D. Cognitive science
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. The framework for nursing informatics relies on the central concepts of the following EXCEPT:
A. Data C. Knowledge
B. Information D. Science
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #1 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

8. Which of the following is a benefit of Electronic Medical Records (EMR)?

A. Improved access to the medical record. C. Decreased time spent in documentation.
B. Decreased redundancy of data entry D. All of the above.
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Refers to the ability to recognize when information is needed, as well as the skills to find, evaluate, and use needed
information effectively.
A. Computer literacy
B. Nursing literacy
C. Information literacy
D. Evidence based practice
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. The ANA expects you, the entry level nurse, to possess what knowledge pertaining to informatics upon graduation?
A. Basic computer literacy
B. Ability to access data and perform computer documentation
C. Ability to use information technology to support clinical processes
D. All of the above
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

Thinking about Learning

CAT: MUDDIEST POINT

This technique will help you determine which key points have been missed in the main lesson:

In today’s session, what was least clear to you?

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