NURS FPX 6025 Assessment 3 Practicum and Scholarly Article

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Capella university

NURS-FPX 6025 MSN Practicum

Prof. Name

Date

Practicum and Scholarly Article Overview

Murphy, J. (2010). Nursing Informatics: The Intersection of Nursing, Computer, And Information Sciences. Nursing Economic$, 28(3), 204–207. doi:10.1007/978-1-84996-278-0

Judy Murphy’s article examines the intersection of nursing, computer science, and information technology (IT), focusing on how these fields converge in the healthcare system. She explores the roles of nurse leaders, such as nurse managers and faculty, in the implementation and use of health information technology. The article discusses the essential competencies needed for effective practice within the evolving healthcare environment. Murphy emphasizes the role of nurse informaticists in utilizing IT to improve patient care quality, preparing them to leverage technology for better healthcare outcomes.

The article traces the historical development of nursing informatics, noting its growth into a specialized field with well-defined scopes of practice, competencies, and certifications. It highlights key regulations, such as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, and concepts like “meaningful use” and the Technology Informatics Guiding Educational Reform (TIGER Initiative), which have shaped the field. Murphy provides an in-depth look at the implementation and enforcement of health IT, including the use of electronic health records, medication reconciliation, barcode medication administration, and automated care planning and documentation. She discusses the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in this domain and prepares nurse informaticists to enhance patient care through improved technological integration.

Technology Integration in Nursing Education

In today’s fast-evolving healthcare landscape, technology plays a critical role in nursing education and practice (Darvish et al., 2014). Murphy’s article underscores the importance of integrating nursing professionals into technological advancements and advocating for specialized education in health IT. Nursing informatics involves the fusion of IT with nursing practice, ensuring that nurses at all levels are adequately trained to handle emerging technologies in healthcare settings. This training is vital for maintaining high standards of patient care while adapting to technological changes.

Nursing informatics originated in the 1960s when hospitals first used computer systems for administrative purposes. Over time, the influence of computers in healthcare expanded, transforming patient care, data analysis, resource management, and clinical workflows (Sridhar, 2017). The integration of IT has revolutionized healthcare systems by improving the quality and accessibility of patient data, thereby enhancing care delivery.

The article also recognizes the emergence of a specialized nursing career in informatics, where nurses at all levels utilize technology, particularly in managing electronic health records. It outlines various career paths in nursing informatics, such as clinical informatics specialists, informatics analysts, and clinical informatics managers, reflecting the growing demand for skilled professionals in this field (Ball & Hannah, 2011).

Nurses’ Role in Health Informatics

Murphy (2010) identifies nurses as particularly well-suited for roles in health informatics due to their clinical expertise, workflow experience, and familiarity with healthcare technologies. Nurses have an in-depth understanding of patient care processes and the challenges associated with healthcare systems, making them ideal candidates for health informatics positions. As technology continues to play a larger role in healthcare, the demand for nurses with informatics skills is expected to increase. The integration of nursing into the technological landscape will create more job opportunities, allowing nurses to enhance patient care through innovative IT solutions (Ball & Hannah, 2011).

References

Ball, M. J., Hannah, K. J., & ProQuest Ebooks. (2011; 2010). Nursing informatics: Where technology and caring meet (4th ed.). London; New York: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-84996-278-0

Darvish, A., Bahramnezhad, F., Keyhanian, S., & Navidhamidi, M. (2014). The role of nursing informatics in promoting quality of health care and the need for appropriate education. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(6), 11. doi:10.5539/gjhs.v6n6p11