Chapter 6by Nancy Staggers and Ramona Nelson

Overview of Nursing Informatics

Objectives

• Define nursing informatics (NI) and key terminology

• Explore NI metastructures, concepts and tools

• Reflect on the sciences underpinning NI

• Describe phenomena of nursing

Key Terms Defined• Decision Support System• Ergonomics • Expert System • Human-Computer Interaction• Informatics Nurse Specialist

Key Terms Defined

• Informatics Nurse• Informatics Solution • Information • Information Literacy • Knowledge

Key Terms Defined• Nanotechnology • Nursing Informatics• Usability • Wisdom

Metastructures

• What are metastructures?• The processing of data• What concerns all nurses, no matter their area

of practice?• Explain the difference between knowledge

and wisdom

Metastructures

• The full range of the study of Nursing Informatics

• Using knowledge appropriately• An example of applied wisdom • What is now the concern of NI?

Sciences Underpinning Nursing Informatics

• NI - A combination of sciences• A unique whole, greater than the sum of the

parts• The importance of the application of data

Structured Language as a Tool for Nursing Informatics

• How is nursing knowledge gained? • Different ways to approach data collection

and analysis• The ANA specifications

Structured Language as a Tool for Nursing Informatics

• Promoting interoperability• The importance of understanding languages

and terminologies• The INS must bridge a gap to envision

emerging functions

Concepts and Tools from Information Science and Computer Science

• Fundamental elements of NI• Information technology• Information structures• Information management• The use of information technology

Human Computer Interaction and Related Concepts

• Human–computer interaction • Elemental roots of HCI• Addressing usability issues • Usability and ergonomics of HCI

Human Computer Interaction and Related Concepts

• Optimal task completion • HCI and usability assessments • The number of HCI and usability publications

on the rise• Vendors installing usability laboratories

Phenomena of Nursing

• Four key concepts of the metaparadigm of nursing

• Basis of nursing actions • Nurse’s decisions• The process of decision-making

Phenomena of Nursing

• Critical thinking• Wisdom in informatics • Describing nurse’s decision-making

Phenomena of Nursing

• Decision making and potential problems• The environment of decision making • Decision support systems • What is an expert system?

Phenomena of Nursing

• The future of Nursing Informatics• Informatics solutions as common nursing tools• How will the future evolve?

Thought Provoking Questions

1. How is the concept of wisdom in nursing informatics like or unlike professional nursing judgment?

2. Think of a futuristic technology and explain its impact on nursing.