NR 599 Assignment Pre TANIC Self-Assessment and Reflection Post

. How is informatics used?

We use informatics in several ways. It is used to collect and store information and data, such as information our EHR. EHR’s have come a long way and now connect patients to their provider with the click of a button from their phones. Informatics is also used in research. We are able to gather data related to new and best practices which is used to initiate evidence-based changes. Informatics can also be applied to general workflows in our care settings. It is a part of every aspect of medicine. The American Medical Informatics Association describes informatics as “… computer and information science to the advancement of life sciences research, health professions education, public health, and patient care” (What is informatics, n.d.).

2. Regarding the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment for this week, how did your perceived competency level prior to the self-assessment compared to after the self-assessment? Explain in detail.

Prior to the assessment I felt good about the technology that I use daily within my current role. After using the TANIC Self-assessment tool, I was not much surprised by my results. I am confident and competent in use of systems tools and our daily technology. I am less competent when it comes to informatics research or informatic process changes. Also, informatics is such a large category. I think it would be difficult to master all of it. Finding areas of competence and mastering those areas can be helpful. For example, I excel with use of Epic. As such, I have requested to be one of our Super Users for the program. But even though I scored myself lower in some areas of the assessment, I still had no categories in the assessment that I rated as Novice. I was competent or higher in all areas. Expert or proficient when it comes to operation of personal computer and the various applications and competent or proficient with respect to use of technology to guide patient care.

3. What TWO competencies do you use in your current clinical role? Provide examples.

In my current role we use HIS to guide patient care (guidelines, plan of care, protocols) and we use HIS to communicate electronically with providers. We are able to use HIS to access policies and procedures from our organizations employee portal. This is an important guide for patient care. We always have nursing resources available on best practice procedures. For example, if we need to refresh on proper procedure for changing a central line dressing, we can go on to our employee portal, access Eslevier clinical skills, and are able to search and view proper procedure for central line dressing changes. We have an online database of policies for use as well. While our policies cover every topic from general roles, to patient guided care, we can often cross reference clinical skills with a corporate policy addressing the same issue. We also have built in nursing protocols for triage in our emergency room. We are able to execute appropriate protocols in Epic when triaging our patients based off chief complaint, assessment, and clinical judgment.

Click here to ORDER an A++ paper from our Verified MASTERS and DOCTORATE WRITERS NR 599 Assignment Pre TANIC Self-Assessment and Reflection Post:

In my current role we also use telehealth. We are a small community based hospital. We have a 4-bed inpatient unit that I float to frequently. Since all our hospitalists are staffed at the larger locations in the city, we use telehealth for patient admissions, assessments, and any change in patient conditions. Continued innovations in the technology of telehealth has created the opportunity to provide better care to patients in remote settings (Brown, et al., 2022). By becoming familiar and competent with use of this technology allows us to stay connected with other providers and optimize the best possible care to our patients when they are admitted to our community locations. Our telehealth equipment is fully functional. We have tools that attached to the computer station which allow our hospitalist to assess our patient in real-time but from a remote location. With assistance of the RN, they are able to inspect skin and even listen to heart and lungs. So, for my role, being able to operate the telehealth equipment and its applications with competence allows my provider to fully assess my patient leading to more accurate plan of care.

4. Identify TWO resources to develop a strategic plan to enhance your competency skills.

A study was done by Akbari, et al. gauged toward nurses self-competency related to basic computer skills, informatics knowledge, and informatics skills (Self-assessment, 2020). They found that the higher the education and training, the higher the competency in informatics (Akbari, et al., 2020). Once we have been able to identify our weaknesses in informatics (self-assessment), then we are able to develop a plan to increase our competency. Goal setting is one tool I can use to increase my competency. Because I have been able to assess my areas of weakness and reflect on areas of needed improvement, I can set goals to increase my knowledge in the areas where I am less confident. As we grow as leaders, we must be able to assess our own knowledge base and determine what additional skills and/or experience is needed to advance our competency (Backonja, et al., 2021). I have higher competence in basic computer skills than I do in informatics knowledge and informatics skills. So, I can use goal setting as a resource to increase my competence in these two areas.

As Akbari, et al. noted, education and training lead to higher competence (Self-assessment, 2020). I can use continuing education opportunities within my facility as a resource to increase my knowledge. I am also fortunate to have great teachers and mentors in my department. I can utilize this as a resource for learning. Backonja, et al. states that mentoring programs are resources that can provide support that take us from novice level to expert in HIT (How to support the nursing, 2022). Backonja, et al. goes on to state that mentorship is an important tool because mentors can provide real-time feedback on areas of needed improvement (How to support the nursing, 2022).

5. Which resources are suited to your needs and why?

Mentorship on the job is better suited for me. I do well with a hands on approach and having a interactive dialogue with someone. I work in a teaching environment and our providers embrace this atmosphere. I have ample opportunity to learn from them and they are a wealth of knowledge. They are also good about pointing out additional resources for learning. And while I still plan to use the educational tools offered by my organization, I think combining these education with what I can learn from my mentors will draw a better understanding in the areas of informatics where I am less proficient.

6. How do you intend to enact this improvement plan?

Miller, et al. states that looking for teachable moments is an important concept because a vast amount of learning occurs within our clinical environment (Recognizing and seizing, 2021). In this respect, learning is a purposeful and continual process that we have to act on. To enact my improvement plan I will continually assess my level of competencies, revise, or set new goals, and then actively seek teachable moments with my mentors. I will also incorporate educational modules or courses offered by my organization into my learning. This will allow me to bring learned concepts into practice and ask questions of those with more experience than myself.

Akbari, H., Frazandipour, M., Jabali, M., Mohamadian, H. & Safari, S. (2020). Self-assessment of nursing informatics competencies in hospitals. HIMSS. Retrieved on 03/12/2023 from: https://www.himss.org/resources/self-assessment-nursing-informatics-competencies-hospitalsLinks to an external site.

American Medical Informatics Association (March, n.d.). What is informatics? Informatics: Research and Practice. Retrieved on 03/12/2023 from: https://amia.org/about-amia/why-informatics/informatics-research-and-practiceLinks to an external site.

Backonja, U., Langford, L. & Mook, P. (2021). Calling nursing informatics leaders: opportunities for personal and professional growth. OJIN: The Journal of Issues in Nursing, 26(3). https://doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol26No03Man06Links to an external site.

Backonja, U., Langford, L. & Mook, P. (2022). How to support the nursing informatics leadership pipeline recommendations for nurse leaders and professional organizations. Computers Informatics Nursing, 40(1), 8-20. DOI: 10.1097/CIN0000000000000827. Retrieved on 03/12/2023 from: https://www.journals.lww.com/cinjournal/Fulltext/2022/01000/How_to_Support_the_Nursing_Informatics_Leadership.3.aspxLinks to an external site.

Brown, J. & Hewner, S. (2022). The role of telehealth and clinical informatics in data driven primary care redesign. Journal of Informatics Nursing, 6(4). Retrieved on 03/12/2023 from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9211055/Links to an external site.

Miller, B. & Szymusiak, J. (2021). Recognizing and seizing the teachable moment. Academic Pediatrics, 21(5), 767-771. Retrieved on 03/12/2023 from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S187628592030485XLinks to an external site.

The rise of technological breakthroughs in the healthcare systems has led to more accessible data collection and collation by healthcare personnel. The usefulness of technology is that it facilitates data collection, but the effectiveness of the data collected and its application is informatics. With informatics, the application of information gathered from technology will be effective. Nursing is a data gathering and data usage profession. Nurses use information collected to form a person-centered care plan that is personalized and effective. Nurses use informatics to provide safe, evidence-based care, and educate patients on better ways to promote health and prevent diseases.
The Tannic assessment was eye-opening as I mainly rated competent in the questions asked. I have used the same EHR for six years, and though the system gets updated occasionally, the functionality has remained the same. According to Carrol (2019), for the Nurse to effectively use EHR, one must possess some level of computer skill which gets perfected with more practice and time. Nurses must attain a better understanding of the development of new technologies, understand the fundamentals of their use within the healthcare organization and make informed decisions about applying new technology to patient care.
Some competencies that I currently use is the basic computer literacy and information literacy skills. As a Nurse, I can document data and gather information from the EHR and use the data collected to improve care rendered to the patient using basic computer skills. As a student, I research different databases and online resources to gather information and apply the knowledge to concepts or systems learned.
Resources that can help develop a strategic plan to enhance my computer skills for practice efficiency are Education and support from the health care system, according to Tiase (2022), As a healthcare leader, the Nurse is the liaison connecting the patient, communities, and organizations to promote better health outcomes. There is, however, a need for the health care system to better support the Nurse through education aids, better Education and exposure to existing and emerging technologies, and lastly, better compensation for the practicing Nurse.

The most suited resource

Tiase. V. L, (2022). The Future of Nursing 2030: Informatics Implications. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 40(4), 228–229. https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000923Links to an external site.

Carroll. (2019). Nursing informaticists safeguarding the use of emerging technologies. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 23(3).

How is informatics used?

Informatics in nursing practice is used to improve the efficiency of clinical practice. It achieves this by integrating data, information, and knowledge which support patients, nurses, and other healthcare providers in clinical decision-making. This is facilitated by using information structures, processes, and technology. Informatics technology in nursing makes patient information accessible such as the electronic health record (Nibbelink et al., 2018). Besides, informatics supports clinical decision-making through health data analysis. Furthermore, informatics in nursing is used to enhance patient communication, education, and engagement via electronic patient portals that allow clients to access their health information and communicate with providers.

Regarding the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment for this week, how did your perceived competency level prior to the self-assessment compared to after the self-assessment? Explain in detail.

Prior to the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment, I regarded myself as proficient and skilled in using personal computers and health information systems. This was based on my ability to use my computer and the basic skills in using the health-information system in our healthcare organization. However, after completing the self-assessment, I learned I am proficient in information literacy and basic computer competencies. Besides, I identified that I need to gain knowledge and skills in privacy and security of information in computer systems. For example, I am not experienced in maintaining the integrity of information resources, systems, equipment, and facilities. I could not also clearly explain the privacy and security of information.

What TWO competencies do you use in your current clinical role? Provide examples.

The informatics competencies I primarily use in my current nursing role are Basic computer skills and information literacy. I apply these competencies in my day-to-day nursing activities. They enable me to access patients’ health information from EHR databases, update nursing and treatment plans, document nursing care, chart vitals, and monitor patients’ progress (Nibbelink et al., 2018). Furthermore, I apply information literacy to use health systems to provide patient care and safe, high-quality nursing care.

Identify TWO resources to develop a strategic plan to enhance your competency skills.

The resources that I find helpful in developing a strategic plan to improve my informatics competency skills include journals on nursing informatics and informatics training programs for healthcare providers. Nursing informatics journals provide a peer-reviewed international forum for innovation and research and the exchange of practice, reflecting health informatics’s interdisciplinary nature (Khezri & Abdekhoda, 2019). Informatics training programs are crucial in improving health providers’ informatics knowledge, skills, and competency.

Which resources are suited to your needs and why?

Informatics training programs are suited to my knowledge and skills needs since they are tailored to facilitate continuous learning and improve on one’s weak areas (Khezri & Abdekhoda, 2019). This will significantly improve my areas of weakness in informatics and eventually enhance my nursing practice.

How do you intend to enact this improvement plan?

I plan to implement the improvement plan by actively participating in informatics training programs in our organization. I will also register for conferences and seminars for informatics training held by other organizations. Besides, I will search for online training programs that conduct free or paid training and give certificates.

References

Khezri, H., & Abdekhoda, M. (2019). Assessing nurses’ informatics competency and identifying its related factors. Journal of research in nursing: JRN, 24(7), 529–538. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744987119839453

Nibbelink, C. W., Young, J. R., Carrington, J. M., & Brewer, B. B. (2018). Informatics solutions for the application of decision-making skills. Critical Care Nursing Clinics, 30(2), 237–246. doi: 10.1016/j.cnc.2018.02.006

Informatics is used in many ways in nursing and directly affects the way in which we provide care. Informatics identifies important data and information based on nursing and computer sciences and ultimately guides evidence-based practice, process/protocol changes, and ways to improve patient care and safety. Prior to taking the TANIC self- assessment I perceived my competency level to be fairly high. I am typically good with the basic aspects of computers and try to stay up to date on new technology. I have also used multiple different EHRs throughout my career in healthcare and can very clearly identify the differences in what aspects work well based on our unit workflows. For instance, my current facility just switched from an older EHR to EPIC. In the transition process, we’ve identified the need for major workflow changes to ensure all documentation and patient care is being accurately completed. When the initial EPIC changeover happened, all the original process and procedures remained in place which left us with no idea how to correctly find and do things, including restraint documentation which drastically changed with the new system. The nice thing we are finding with EPIC is that despite the issues we initially found, the system is able to be tailored more directly to our needs (although it takes a little while to get there). After completing the self-assessment, I still believe my competency level is high. I was able to score myself as proficient and expert on the majority of the questions. Since the TANIC assessment is based on the lower-level competencies and I have nursing, research, and computer experience I believe my perceived competency to be relatively accurate.

In my current role I use aspects of level 1 competencies such as turning on/logging on to the computer via password, sending and receiving emails, and basic collection of patient data. I also use aspects of level 2 competencies regularly, which includes gathering and synthesizing data and protecting health information. Basic use of the computer is something I use on a daily basis, as we are reliant on the computer and EHR for all our unit communications and documentation. Logging on to the computer, sending emails, and charting are three main functions in my role. Protecting health information is also vital in my position. There are many factors on my unit that make it easy for PHI to unintentionally be revealed, but also many ways to prevent it. We have an open nurse’s station, meaning the patients can reach over and grab/see anything that sits on the desk. They are also able to hang around on the sides of the desk and potentially see our documentation and what is pulled up on the screens. To protect this information, we have the darkening screen protectors that make it difficult to see the screen unless directly in front of it, and we make it a point to leave all paperwork, charts, and anything with patient identifiers in the locked conference room behind the nurse’s station. We also use only first name and last initials to ensure privacy for our patients and staff alike.

One resource that with directly enhance informatics competency is the use of interprofessional education. According to Reynolds (2018), interprofessional education or IPE refers to when two or more professions work together to increase education, collaboration, and quality of care. When utilized with informatics, IPE increases collaboration and teamwork, quality improvement strategies, and can guide in depth EBP. When each profession has a better understanding of what the other does and their ultimate goals, quality of care ultimately increases. Cooperation among various professionals lends new perspectives to developmental work (Ahonen, 2018). Continued education in informatics is another incredibly useful resource for enhancing knowledge and skills. For me, this is my first official informatics class and while my basic knowledge is proficient, my advanced knowledge of informatics is lacking. The best way to gain competence and skill is to continue exploring educational information and classes that build on the basic concepts. Informatics as a specialty includes more in-depth knowledge and training with technological aspects and advancements, and without additional schooling would be increasingly difficult to become competent in. For me specifically, the best method would be to continue my informatics education to become more skilled in the specialty and be able to adequately apply it to my work. IPE is something I see being done quite often in my current facility through regular treatment team meetings and I find it to be incredibly beneficial. As a nurse I don’t always understand why the social workers, dieticians, physicians, etc. do things the way they do, but when everyone gets together in these meetings there are open discussions and education on why/how to create the best plan for each patient. This collaboration effort greatly increases the quality of patient care. In my future practice I plan to encourage such meetings and ensure open lines of communication between providers to decide the best possible practice. I also intend to continue learning as much as I can throughout this course and subsequent courses in order to improve my informatics competencies to the best of my ability.

References

Ahonen, Kinnunen, U.-M., Lejonqvist, G.-B., Apkalna, B., Viitkar, K., & Saranto, K. (2018). Identifying Biomedical and Health Informatics Competencies in Higher Education Curricula. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 251, 261–264. https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-880-8-261,

Reynolds, & Wilson, G. M. (2018). The Power of Interprofessional Education to Enhance Competency-Based Learning in Health Informatics and Population Health Students. The Journal of Health Administration Education, 35(3), 377–387.

As well known in today’s healthcare systems, technology has played an essential role in nursing. Informatics has integrated nursing science with information to manage & communicate data, knowledge, and wisdom. During Covid-19, nurses assisted in getting telehealth and teleworking systems to limit patients entering hospitals. ” Nurses have been key participants in developing the infrastructure for healthcare technology.” (Strudwick et al., 2019). It has helped improved clinical policies, processes, and policies. Nurses must be able to collect data to be able to have insights to the nursing practice ( Stridwick et al., 2019). Furthermore, nurses must continue to be involved in the systems to improve healthcare quality.

Regarding the Pre-Tanic Assessment, I felt competent or proficient in basic computer skills, & information literacy after the assessment. I was more proficient but doubted myself. When I started my nursing profession, paper-based records were done. Over time, I have improved my computer skills.

I use basic computer competencies and capture clinical processes in my current role as a nurse. It is crucial in the emergency room to streamline processes due to the increasing number of ED patients each year. Currently, if I have a problem with my computer that I cannot handle, I contact IT. In addition, I have worked in different hospitals, so I have become more proficient in learning clinical software since every hospital uses different ones. I am proficient in accessing patients previous history records and ulitizing data needed to communicate with provider. Self assessment tool helped me know my strengths and weakness so I can improve forward. Continuing learning from advanced courses such as this one will be beneficial.

It is essential to improve nursing informatics through educational programs ( Jouparinejad et al., 2020). Continuing education will help students and nurses strengthen in informatics. According to this study, this will enhanced the nursing informatics in the working environment (Jouparinejad et al., 2020). Therefore, nursing informatics competency in beside nurse, nurse educators and nurse leaders are required. Nursing courses will be a great beneficial in learning the skill and concepts in nursing informatics. Many resources to aid in my needs, first using online library resources and telecommunication projects will be a positive outcome. It is vital that nurses incorporate the concept of informatics for the benefit of patient.

Reference:

Jouparinejad, Foroughameri, G., Khajouei, R., & Farokhzadian, J. (2020). Improving the informatics competency of critical care nurses: results of an interventional study in the southeast of Iran. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 20(1), 220–220. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-020-01244-5Links to an external site.

Strudwick, Nagle, L., Kassam, I., Pahwa, M., & Sequeira, L. (2019). Informatics Competencies for Nurse Leaders: A Scoping Review. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(6), 323–330. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000760

Informatics in the healthcare field is more common than one might think. At my current practice, informatics is tied into a majority of what we do. We use an electronic health record system to complete all our documentation, prescription refills, as well as lab orders. We can access other healthcare facility records after proper paperwork is filled out. We also have Telemedicine capabilities which is great when patients are unable to leave their homes or do appointments during their lunch breaks. It is important for one to understand where patient information can be located in healthcare software, systems, devices associated with those systems, and networks (Pino, 2022).

Prior to taking the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment survey, I felt my competency level in computer technology and information literacy was exceptional. While completing the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment I realized I do not know very much about being safe online. After reading the questions on the self-assessment questionnaire I often answered that I was in the middle range for most of the technology and computer-based questions. My answers on the questionnaire really made me think about my position on computer safety and technology. It opened my eyes to the realization that I need to improve my competency level on technology and information literacy.

Using the self-improvement plan I can develop steps to help me succeed in improving my competencies. Step one was accomplished when I completed the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment, and I realized that I need to improve my technology skills and knowledge. Step two is to create a goal. The third step is to make achievable deadlines in order to complete the goal. The fourth step is to determine how I will reach my goal by creating an action plan. Finally, the fifth step is to review my progress on accomplishing my goal.

My goal is to gain more understanding about online safety and what I can do to have more security while working with patient’s healthcare information. I will complete videos produced by Cyber.org and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. These two companies produced a sequence called Cyber Safety Series. It contains seven videos which I will watch to improve my understanding of how to stay safer when online. The videos discuss common threats individuals come across online and how to protect oneself (Cyber Innovation Center, 2020). This is a great resource as it has a lot of excellent information packed into a few minutes per video.

To be more compliant and understanding of computer technology safety at my workplace. HealthIT.gov website has great resources and tools for healthcare providers regarding privacy and security of patient information. The tools, resources, and educational information are made available to improve HIPPA and other healthcare privacy and security compliance into one’s healthcare practice (HealthIT.org, 2019). With this resource I can work my way down the list of tools and educational information. This information is directed at the type of work that I do, and it will help me feel more compliant when working with patient information and technology that is used.

Now that I have set my goal and identified the resources I will use, I can determine my timeline for achieving my goal. In order to achieve my goal, I must complete the educational information from my resources prior to the due date of the Post-TANIC Self-Assessment survey. I have until the twenty- second of April to complete these. My first deadline will be to complete all of the seven videos from the Cyber.org website by March twenty-second. If I meet this deadline, I will have one month to complete all the educational information on the HealthIT.org website.

To achieve my goal and complete my resource education I must determine how I will do that. I will watch 2 videos a day from the Cyber.org website to complete them all by the twenty-second of March. I can listen to one video on the way to work and one video on the way home from work each day. If for some reason, I am unable to listen to a video on the way to work I will watch it during my lunch break. If I am unable to listen to a video on the way home from work, I will watch it after my children are in bed that night. In order to get through all the educational information from the HealthIT.org website I will have to complete thirty pages of reading or a total of sixty minutes reading and or watching videos, whichever comes first. Video content can be listened to on the route to work and back. I can print off and review other material while riding in the car or after other assignments are completed for school. This plan should give me enough leeway in case something comes up unexpected, to get my goal accomplished. Step five at this time can not be discussed as I have no goal progress at this time.

References

Cyber Innovation Center. (2020, August 3). Cyber safety video series. Cyber.org. Retrieved from https://cyber.org/cybersafetyLinks to an external site.

HealthIT.org. (2019, August 28). Health IT privacy and security resources for providers. HealthIT.gov. Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa/health-it-privacy-and-security-resources-providersLinks to an external site. Pino. (2022, April 7). Improving the cybersecurity posture of healthcare in 2022. HHS.gov. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/blog/2022/02/28/improving-cybersecurity-posture-healthcare-2022.htmlLinks to an external site.

NR 599 Assignment Pre TANIC Self-Assessment and Reflection Post