NR 361 Discussion AACN Essentials Informatics Self-Assessment

I can not believe this session is over! I wish everyone nothing but the best of luck while achieving their dreams in the healthcare profession = )

This course has led me to understand that informatics is used all throughout the health care industry, as it utilizes ” …basic computer skills, information literacy and information management which are essential components of current nursing practice” (Foster, 2017). Looking back on my previous score of the AACN Essentials Self-Assessment, I scored a 29. The one topic I did not score well on was “…evaluation of information systems in practice settings through policy and procedure development” (AACN, 2008). However, after learning more about informatics in healthcare, my score has went up to 31. It is not a big jump, but it has improved, which I wish to continue to improve throughout my nursing career.

Through this session I have gained more of an understanding how I can have an impact on my facility by using informatics to amend previous or implement new policies and procedures, specifically when it comes to patient safety (Hebda et al., 2019, p. 6). I can use my new found knowledge to look closer and the technology that is used, including mobile devices, electronic medical records (EMR), etc. and see how it impacts patient safety and quality of care. I feel more comfortable in knowing I can use this information to bring up to the Quality Improvement team and know I can help improve patient care.

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. http://www.aacnnursing.org/Education-Resources/AACN-EssentialsLinks to an external site.

Foster, M., Sethares, K., (2017). Current strategies to implement informatics into the nursing curriculum: An integrative review. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics. 21(3). doi: 10899758

Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2019). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (6th ed.). Pearson.

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Thanks for your wishes and best of luck to you to. I really enjoy reading your progress in AACN Essential self assessment. I also agree with you that information system through practice setting in poly and procedures is also one area that i lack as well. As i have learned over the course i have improved as well. It is important that us as nurses understand the policies and procedures to better assist our patient and provide competent care. Technology and the way we use it can make a difference in the way we deliver care. As indicated in our textbooks ”It is a valuable resource that differentiates the informatics nurse specialist (INS) as an RN with formal, graduate-level education in informatics or a related field (a specialist in the field of nursing informatics) from the nurse informaticist (NI), who is an RN with an interest or experience in an informatics field but who is actually a generalist (Hebda et al., 2019).” Thank you and best of luck.

Reference: Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2019). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (6th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Upon completing this post-class self-assessment, my score increased by 3 points when compared to my previous self-assessment score. My scores have improved in the “Demonstrate skills in using patient care technologies, information systems, and communication devices that support safe nursing practice” and the “Use standardized terminology in a care environment that reflects nursing’s unique contribution to patient outcomes” sections.

This class has sparked an interest in informatics in nursing. I am a fan of technology and the implementation of new products that help in providing patient care. I foresee myself joining committees at my hospitals whenever a new piece of technology is being introduced.

My score improved from 35 to 38. I most improved in the areas of ‘participate in evaluation of information systems in practice settings through policy and procedure development’ and ‘use telecommunication technologies to assist in effective communication in a variety of healthcare settings’. We have recently implemented a secure chat system in Epic, so I can instant message providers and it reduces the number of pages i have to send and reduces the time it takes to get the orders I need. This definitely streamlines my work, and makes patient’s happier that they don’t have to wait too long for their medication or whatever need they have.

While I don’t do much with policy and procedure development, I can give feedback on how a new practice or system is working for me. When the secure chat system was first implemented, it was a little over used and not used in the proper way. Some things aren’t appropriate for the chat, like urgent labs or abnormal vitals. I often use it for fyi updates or simple medication requests such as tylenol. I gave feedback on how it was working for me and how I decided what was appropriate to use it for, and that was taken into account when they were defining how to use the chat.

My score has improved as well and the assisting in communication and the evaluation of the information system were areas that I improved in. I believe all nurses should definitely share their experiences with the systems to help improve them. I encountered several of our nurses in surgery that had encountered issues with EPIC when it was first introduced but did not tell anyone. The users input is of vital importance to the successful and long term use of the system. Good Luck with your program.

My score improved from a 22 to a 37 and I’m quite surprised that it jumped that much. Coming into this class, I had very little knowledge of the term informatics and taking this class I’m more confident in the field. I’ve been able to access more information about the subject at work and got to know a little more as to what an informatics nurse does each and every day. “Sharing health information, otherwise known as health information exchange (HIE), provides a means to reduce redundant tests, improve quality of care, and improve public confidence”. (Hebda, Hunter, & Czar, 2019)

I’ll be using the information from this class to help improve patient outcomes and increase patient satisfaction. No one likes to get exams or being put in a big machine for no reason. With the help of the health care providers, we’ ’all be able to get these patients quick results with less time waiting and out the door so they can go back to their regular routines,

Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2019). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (6th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Great post, lots of good points! It is so true that no ones like unnecessary testing… patients, clinicians, insurances companies!!! Using evidence is the foundation for nursing science (Hebda et al., 2019). Although prior to this class, we probably all had a good understanding of evidence based practice, now I know I personally feel more confident in how I apply that knowledge. I’m excited to share the things I have learned with my co-workers and to apply it to my practice. I went into this class thinking that I knew a good bit from touching on informatics in other courses, yet I have learned so much! The Milestone projects were very helpful in creating ways to educate patients. As we progress though our careers, I think we will find that the world of technology will continue to grow as an asset to the education we provide. Having taken this course, we will be prepared to embrace the changes and apply them to high quality care.

Good Luck as you continue your BSN journey!

Reference:

Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2019). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (6th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

I had the a similar result from taking this course. I felt like I had a general knowledge, a little bit of everything if you will. After this course, my score increased a point in each category. I too feel more confident about informatics. I also agree no one likes being put in a big machine for no reason. Communication is key. Sometimes just explaining what we are doing and what we are looking for decreases unnecessary anxiety in our patients. As nurses, our goal is to improve quality of care and as stated, “public confidence”. As technology improves, I believe we will continue to improve in care and time spent caring for patient’s also as you stated so that people can return to their regular routine. On some level with Covid, we are already be starting this faster process, groups of people are no longer sitting in waiting areas, we are moving through the process much faster. For example, it seems that people are going to the physician’s office and get in a room right away and are seen faster. Good post! Thanks for sharing.

The world of nursing education must keep up with technology trends and advances to enhance the curriculum and educational process as healthcare continues to rapidly change and evolve” (Hebda, Hunter, & Czar, 2019). I went from a score of 26 to a score of 30. I did better in using telecommunication to assist in effective communication in a variety of healthcare settings. In the future of nursing. Starting out as a new nurse, I was not aware of the different methods to communicate with other healthcare workers on a patient’s health team. Learning all the methods and ways to update each other made things easier in a patient’s care plan. One thing for certain is nursing informatics is always evolving. As time goes on I plan to be educated on each level that technology will go as long as I am a bedside nurse. I will take the necessary steps to be more informed and research more for the future of my nursing practice.

References

Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2018). Handbook of informatics for nurses and healthcare professionals. NY, NY: Pearson.

I cannot believe how fast this class has gone by! I scored a 32 on the Week 8 AACN Essentials Self-Assessment. I have improved by 3 points. This class has encouraged me to think about informatics in nursing in ways that I have not in the past. Accepting the fact that it is a rapidly and continually growing aspect of my profession. I do not think that in 8 weeks I have become an expert in nursing informatics, but it has encouraged me to see the potential for growth I have to better serve my patients. I think that it is a good foundation and encouragement for me to continue to seek more knowledge regarding nursing informatics. As Hart stated, “Establishing a baseline of informatics competencies in the existing workforce is vital to forecasting and planning for growth in an expanding electronic healthcare era” (2008). I understand that it benefits me and the profession to become more involved in the decision-making aspect of my hospital’s CIS. I have found myself already being more passionate about alarm fatigue in my workplace. Making sure that myself and my fellow nurses are more proactive at checking and setting alarm parameters at that start of each shift to reduce alarm fatigue invaluably. Reporting issues with monitors in a timely manner is a matter of safety. As Kai and Lipschultz mentioned, in an organization where safety is valued as a system priority, the use of a patient safety reporting system is one method to analyze events and errors, thereby improving safety (2015). As I move forward with taking care of different patient care scenarios especially with Covid-19 patients more recently, I embrace the value of the technology available to me. I also better understand the challenges of teaching patients, especially those with little exposure to the use of computers and Apps.

References

HART, M. D. (2008). Informatics Competency and Development Within the US Nursing Population Workforce. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 26(6), 320-329. DOI: 10.1097/01.NCN.0000336462.94939.4c.

Kai S, Lipschultz A. HTM NEWS & VIEWS: Patient Safety and Healthcare Technology Management. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology. 2015 Jan;49(1):60-5

In comparison to my self assessment during Week 1, my scored improved. Most importantly throughout the course, I was able to identify weakness in my knowledge and gain education to improve. This class has been enlightening on the various forms of technology and how we, as nurses can improve our care by implementing them. Not only did I learn a huge variety of informatics that I can apply to my practice, but I also learned the ethical considerations to factor in when using them. Nursing education and technology trends must grow together as the processes evolve (Hebda, Huner, & Czar, 2019). I have learned that nursing informatics can allow for education resources, increase communication, increase efficiency, promote nurses’ safety and documentation, and save the lives of patients. Clinicians can advance their practice by embracing health information and innovations (Quinn, 2017).

References:

Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2019). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (6th ed.). Pearson.

Quinn, J. (2017). Five Ways Healthcare Informatics Help Nurses. EBSCO Health Notes.

Using the American Association College of Nursing (AACN) Essentials and Chamberlain’s self-assessment at the beginning of this course I scored a 31. Today I scored a 33 (Chamberlain School of Nursing, 2018). I consider myself a “new aged” nurse in the grand scheme of things. I am nearing a decade in the field but still feel like a new nurse in many ways. I come from the generation when EMRs are standard. Information systems have been part of my normal routine since I began my career. That might not be the case for nurses who graduated nursing school 2 decades ago. I can’t think of a time where I wasn’t in the middle of learning, using, or changing the technology I use in my practice. My “normal” is change, which fits well in this new technological advanced world we are now in. I am never one to call myself excellent or expert in anything, there is always room to grow and learn, I highly doubt I would personally score myself much better than I currently have it. There are certainly areas I could become more comfortable with things such as utilizing all of the tools provided in the patient care technologies, I use daily. The problem with living in constant change is that it is hard to learn everything about the system you are using. I know in my personal practice I am likely underutilizing the tools embedded in the technology I have access to. I use what I know but I know I don’t know everything. For “Apply safeguards and decision-making support tools embedded in patient care technologies and information systems to support a safe practice environment for both patients and healthcare worker” (Chamberlain School of Nursing, 2018 p. 1) I gave myself a 2 verses a 3, which I have in a lot of other areas, because I don’t feel like I’ve fully explored the systems I use.

How will I use the information learned in the future? Well Bryant et. al. says, “Ever since the time of Florence Nightingale, one of the critical roles of the registered nurse (RN) has been to collect and interpret data to provide safe and effective patient care” (2016, p. 3), data is a major part of our care. What’s different from Nightingale’s time is that we now have tools that make this easier for us and provide insights we might not have ever seen from the same data had we not used the tools we have. That’s really the nuts and bolts of it all isn’t it? As nurses we need to not only utilize the tools, we have but when we see there is something wrong or could be enhanced it is our job to speak up and be the change. That is how I will use the information learned in this course. I will spend more time exploring the tools I have and then share what I find with my staff and share my feedback with the various system’s enhancement teams.

Reference:

Bryant, L. E., Whitehead, D. K., & Kleier, J.A. (2016). Development and Testing of an Instrument to Measure Informatics Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes among Undergraduate Nursing Students. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics. Vol. 20(2). P. 3-3. https://web-b-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=fcd66534-ee4e-4315-ae4b-b1138afe32f4%40pdc-v-sessmgr03&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwJnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=117367832&db=c8hLinks to an external site.

Chamberlain School of Nursing. (2018). Week 8 The Essentials of Baccalaureate Educations for Professional Nursing Self-Assessment. NR361 Information Systems in Healthcare.

In reviewing the AACN Essentials Self-Assessment (2008) results compared from my initial week 1 results to that of week 8, I gave myself a 4-point increase. Some examples of results that showed improvement were in the categories for “evaluate data from all relevant sources, including technology, to inform the delivery of care” and “recognize the role of information technology in improving patient care outcomes and creating a safe care environment” (AACN, 2008). Though prior to taking this course, I would admit to the prevalence of technology throughout our lives and profession, I believe that this course helped solidify the idea that technology is a benefit to our work and helps promote a safer care environment for our patients. I believe that technology will continue to evolve, and informatics will evolve with it. As people disassociate from being around each other physically; people will stay connected through technology; similarly as they are doing through the Covid crisis. Hebda, Hunter, and Czar (2019) states that ” Connected health helps to bridge the disparate urban-rural gap by providing a mechanism of care for those who are restricted by distance or mobility, but still prefer a face-to-face option.” Informatics help creates a unity of care. Nursing is a large part of that unity. According to Bickford (2017), “To assure safe, quality nursing practice and care, all nurses today must demonstrate understanding of the relationship and the impact of data, info, knowledge, and wisdom in professional and healthcare consumer decision- making.”

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2008). The essentials of baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/Education-Resources/AACN-Essentials

Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2019). Handbook of informatics for nurses and healthcare professionals (6th ed.). p. 400. Pearson.

Bickford, C.J. (2017). The Professional Association’s Perspective on Nursing Informatics and Competencies in the U.S. Studies in health technology and informatics. Vol. 232. Pp. 62-68. Publisher: IOS Press. Retrieved from: MEDLINE Complete PubMed.

NR 361 Discussion AACN Essentials Informatics Self-Assessment