Nursing Informatics Competence

After completion of the P.A.T.C.H. self assessment tool, I have discovered that my competence level is at the modifier level. This assessment shows that I am a nurse who currently demonstrates intermediate competence in nursing informatics. The world of informatics in healthcare is such a broad and complex concept and I hope with continued education and experience that I will be able to achieve competence at the innovator level. More information regarding the modifier level of nursing informatics can be found here.

I feel that due to the complexity of nursing informatics, I have only scratched the surface of learning. I thoroughly enjoy the concept of using technology to achieve optimal patient outcomes. I feel there are many benefits to the inclusion of computer science and nursing science in order to keep up with the ever-changing world of healthcare. Simulations for nursing competencies, electronic healthcare records, and data sets are some examples of the variety of technological advancements in healthcare.

At the beginning of this assessment, I understood that I could not possibly be at the innovator level. This course has been my first experience using nursing informatics with truly understanding what nursing informatics is. Through this assessment, I was able to learn the role nursing informatics has on the care of a patient. I learned that informatics is so much more than the electronic health record. It can be used for research, educational advancement and competence, and the development of policies. It is beneficial to nurses to obtain knowledge in tis field to gain comfort and competence with technology.

There are areas of improvement that I need to develop in order to improve my competence with nursing informatics. I should try to utilize the internet and other health materials to support the care that I provide. Through this type of research in the workplace, I will not simply do things because that is the way I have always done them or that is what I have been told to do. I will utilize research and evidence based findings to support  my care. If I question a policy or procedure, I will investigate using nursing informatics to provide a solution.

As an educator, I feel it necessary to prepare students to utilize nursing informatics in their care. If they are taught this concept in the classroom, they will be more likely to utilize it once they enter the workforce. Through implementation of this concept in the classroom, students will gain clarity about the correlation between technology and nursing care. If I am able to show students the benefits that nursing informatics can have on patient outcomes, the students will gain knowledge and understanding of the vital role nursing informatics has in healthcare. More information about nursing informatics in nursing education can be found here.