NR351 Week 6 Discussion, Use of Informatics in Professional Nursing
This is a graded discussion: 50 points possible
Week 6: Use of Informatics in
... [Show More] Professional Nursing
How do you use informatics and technology in your nursing practice? How do you see that use changing in the future? What ethical issues have arisen or might arise from use of technology and informatics in professional nursing?
Answer
Professor and classmate,
According to himss.org “nursing informatics (NI) is the specialty that integrates nursing science with multiple information management and analytical sciences to identify, define, manage, and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice” (himss.org staff, n.d.). Using Informatics and technology has become integral part of nursing. There’s different devices and platforms that can be utilized to chart in a patients electronic health record (EHR) which “stores client health information digitally in a secure database” (Hood, 2018). I chart on my company provided ipad and/or iphone into the company’s specific platform and the information is immediately available for the entire team to see. The company also has a secure encrypted program for documents that need to be uploaded into the patients chart, for example DNRs, Advance Directives, or hand written orders. This allows continuous of care since in hospice our patients can be in various locations. The patient could be in the hospital one day then go home and from there go to one of the companies in patient unit and then end up at a nursing home. The patients history and important documents are at the touch of a finger the whole time. Technology is constantly evolving and improving. Different platforms and updates can streamline and make charting more efficient.
With all the changes and new technology’s ethic issues could arise. Conflicts between technology and religion or beliefs. For example, debates over stem cell therapy. Some people argue over when human life actually begin. “Does life begin at conception or when the fetus becomes viable?” (Hood, 2018). Along with technology come advancement in procedures but also cost of those procedures. This is another ethical issue as not all people can afford these procedures, so they can not benefit from them. This can cause a difference in the quality of care a patient receives (Hood, 2018).
References:
himss.org staff. (n.d.). What is Nursing Informatics? Retrieved from himss.org: http://www.himss.org/what-nursing-informatics
Hood, L. (2018). Leddy & Pepper’s Professional Nursing, 9th Edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer. [Show Less]