Week 2: Core Competencies and Scope of
Practice in Nursing Informatics
The continued integration of information technology within the nursing profession is resulting in
the development of nursing informatics as a distinct specialty. As with other specialty areas,
nursing informatics has unique foundational documents, concepts, competencies, and functions.
How might information technology competencies pertain to your professional practice?
This week focuses on the core competencies and scope and standards of practice in nursing
informatics. If you are not specializing in nursing informatics, some functional areas will be
more relevant to your professional role than others. Therefore, this week you will analyze the key
functional areas of nursing informatics and consider competencies that would be useful in your
professional role. In addition, you assess how information technology skills can improve nursing
practice.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Analyze the key functional areas of nursing informatics
Formulate a personal plan to improve health information technology competencies appropriate
for your professional role
Assess how information technology skills can improve nursing practice
Discussion: Nursing Informatics
Competencies
Today’s fast-paced health care environment demands nurses to be skilled not only in their
clinical practice or specialty area but in the use of technology tools that improve practice and
lead to better patient care. Basic and advanced technology competencies are required and
expected as technology increasingly touches and changes the job of every nurse. Numerous
organizations, including the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Medical
Informatics Association (AMIA), and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
(HIMSS), have developed nurse-specific technology competencies. The challenge for nurses is to
identify both needs and training opportunities.
In this Discussion, you identify the role informatics plays in your professional responsibilities.
You pinpoint personal gaps in skills and knowledge and then develop a plan for self-
improvement.
To prepare:
Review
Nursing Informatics
: Scope and Standards of Practice in this week’s Learning
Resources, focusing on the different functional areas it describes. Consider which areas
relate to your current nursing responsibilities or to a position you held in the past. For this
Discussion, identify one or two of the most relevant functional areas.
1.
■
Administration, leadership, and management
2.
■
Systems analysis and design ■
Compliance and integrity management
3.
■
Consultation
4.
■
Coordination, facilitation, and integration
5.
■ Development of systems, products, and resources
6.
■
Educational and professional development
7.
■
Genetics and genomics
8.
■
Information management/operational architecture
9.
■
Policy development and advocacy
10. ■
Quality and performance improvement
11. ■
Research and evaluation
12. ■
Safety, security, and environmental health
13.
