NURS FPX 6025 Assessment 3 Practicum and Scholarly Article

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 6025 MSN Practicum

Prof. Name

Date

Practicum and Scholarly Article Overview

Judy Murphy’s (2010) article explores the intersection of nursing, computer science, and information technology (IT), focusing on how these fields integrate within the healthcare system. She highlights the role of nurse leaders, such as nurse managers and faculty, in adopting and implementing health information technology (HIT). The article discusses essential competencies required for effective practice in an evolving healthcare environment, emphasizing the significance of nurse informaticists in utilizing IT to enhance patient care quality. Murphy underscores the importance of preparing nurses to leverage technology for improved healthcare outcomes.

The article also traces the historical development of nursing informatics, illustrating its transformation into a specialized field with defined scopes of practice, competencies, and certifications. Key regulations, such as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009, and initiatives like the Technology Informatics Guiding Educational Reform (TIGER Initiative), have significantly influenced this field. Murphy provides an in-depth analysis of health IT implementation, addressing aspects such as electronic health records (EHRs), medication reconciliation, barcode medication administration, and automated care planning. She also discusses the challenges faced by healthcare professionals in this domain and the role of nurse informaticists in overcoming these obstacles to enhance patient care through technological integration.

Technology Integration in Nursing Education

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare environment, technology plays a crucial role in nursing education and practice (Darvish et al., 2014). Murphy (2010) underscores the necessity of integrating nursing professionals into technological advancements and advocating for specialized education in health IT. Nursing informatics represents the fusion of IT with nursing practice, ensuring that nurses at all levels are well-trained to handle emerging technologies in healthcare settings. This training is critical for maintaining high standards of patient care while adapting to technological changes.

Nursing informatics first emerged in the 1960s when hospitals began using computer systems for administrative functions. Over time, computer applications in healthcare expanded, transforming patient care, data analysis, resource management, and clinical workflows (Sridhar, 2017). The integration of IT has significantly enhanced healthcare delivery by improving the quality, accessibility, and security of patient data.

Murphy (2010) also recognizes the rise of a specialized career path in nursing informatics, wherein nurses use technology, particularly for managing electronic health records. The article outlines various career options within nursing informatics, such as clinical informatics specialists, informatics analysts, and clinical informatics managers, highlighting 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 possess a comprehensive understanding of patient care processes and the challenges associated with healthcare systems, making them ideal candidates for health informatics roles. As healthcare increasingly relies on technology, the demand for nurses with informatics skills continues to grow. Integrating nursing into the technological landscape creates new job opportunities, allowing nurses to enhance patient care through innovative IT solutions (Ball & Hannah, 2011).

Table: Key Topics in Nursing Informatics

References

Ball, M. J., & Hannah, K. J. (2011). Nursing informatics: Where technology and caring meet (4th ed.). Springer. https://doi.org/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 healthcare and the need for appropriate education. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(6), 11. https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v6n6p11

Murphy, J. (2010). Nursing informatics: The intersection of nursing, computer, and information sciences. Nursing Economic$, 28(3), 204–207. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.library.capella.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=51701635&site=ehost-live&scope=site

NURS FPX 6025 Assessment 3 Practicum and Scholarly Article

Sridhar, D. S. (2017). Impact of healthcare informatics on quality of patient care and health services (1st ed.). CRC Press.