Nursing Informatics…I know it has something to do with computer science and information but didn’t really know what it entailed. I’ve been out of hospital nursing and in school nursing for the past three years. So I’m not up to date on the mega information systems that are used in the hospital. We have a well managed program at our district SISK12 which allows all disciplinary systems to be integrated together. Except special education, for cost reasons they are on a different program. Funds are limited for many school districts and are even cut year to year. So we don’t have the luxury of having amazing programs. But it works for us and definitely cuts down on the paper work! It is an online system that can be accessed from home by parents and faculty. It’s a great communication tool for parents who work during school hours to keep up to date on their child’s assingments and grades.
Back to Nursing Informatics…it is “a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice.” (McGonigle and Mastrian 2009). We deal with so much information that this is an efficient way of handling the data, it can be easily stored and retrieved by all entities within the Health System. I can’t even imagine the depth of knowledge that the programmers have by creating such a system of this magnitude. I am so thankful that those people are out there! And truly make my job easier!
The Electronic Health Record….so many thoughts! But my first thoughts on who owns the Electronic Health Record (EHR) is the patient. It’s their own, private information and they are paying the insurance premiums that pay for the care. But after reading and understanding the great deal of effort and cost that goes into the system, I feel that the Health Center owns the record but the patient owns the information. I’ve got mixed emotions. The EHR is a phenomenal resource and definitely cuts down on the admission process with having all their information at hand!
