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Reply to this post , giving an account on how informatics has affected the nursing profession today

I finished nursing school in June 2009, and I did not wait to do the NCLEX.  I sat and passed the NCLEX by August 2009, and received my first nursing job as a medication nurse in a nursing rehab facility.  At that time, all documentation was on paper.  I was assigned to a bed unit and I was the only medication nurse, and the medication record was split into two humongous folders.  It was so very difficult for me because some of the residents did not have an identification bracelet, and I had to constantly find someone who knew who the patient was before I could administer the medication.  Needless to say, the medication pass took me hours to complete, and I always worry that I might make a medication error.  After spending years as a rehab nurse, I finally landed a full-time job in the hospital. I do not know what I expected, but when I arrived most of the documentation was on paper and some were on the computer. Imagine having a patient on a PCA pump and having to do the manual calculations were a nightmare.  After working with them for a year we were informed that they will be switching to a fully computerized system called EPIC and the training started.

               I have always heard about nursing informatics, but I did not know what they did or how it applied to my day-to-day practice.  After taking this course, I have a better understanding of the role of an informatics nurse and how this role is crucial to overall patient care.   As nurses, it is our duty to advocate for our patients and make sure that they are receiving safe and effective care.  Data and information technology have become more widely used to drive healthcare and improve patient outcomes. “The informatics nurse communicates this information to the team members so they can help health systems reach optimal performance. They help to evaluate data to drive change, improve efficiency, cut costs, and improve the quality of care” (Menkiena, 2021). 

               I now have a greater appreciation and understanding of the role of an informatics nurse.  As for me, I do not think that my practice will change, but I will incorporate the knowledge that I gained in this class into all that I do.  I have a greater understanding of how easily there can be a breach in a patient’s information, and what it takes to safeguard patient information in this technological age. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCIENCE
HEALTH SCIENCE
NURSING
NURSING BS N494