Nursing Informatics in The Philosophy of the Nursing Course Program - Assignment Example

DEVELOPMENT ASSIGNMENT Development Assignment on Nursing Infomatics SAMPLE CURRICULUM I. Introduction and rationale: Rationale and need for the course. Describe placement of the course and give rationale for the placement of the course in the curriculum. How does this course fit with the philosophy of the nursing program and college as a whole A. Rationale and Need. In a single day, an ICU nurse has to process a million pieces of information (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). How much simpler would her life be if, through the click of a mouse, she was able to take care of all of her nursing duties The answer is nursing informatics. "Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science and information science to manage data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). Obviously, only having to click a mouse to retrieve or input information would be made much simpler. Nursing informatics is concerned with the question, "How many times does a nurse have to click a mouse" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). The need for nurses to be technologically savvy is more important than ever. Nursing informatics can help patients receive a better quality of care. Nursing informatics includes "how nurses gather and record information tohelp improve patient health care" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). B. Placement of Course and Rationale for Course in Curriculum. How does this course help Nursing informatics is the gathering of "a person's health history and keeping a record of it" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1).' What does nursing informatics include Nursing informatics includes: "implementation of information technologyoptimizing information management and communication[and utilizing] electronic records" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). Why is this included in the curriculum Nursing informatics should be included in the curriculum because all nurses in practice today should be familiar with how to use technology in the workplace in order to help their patients and make everyones' lives more efficient and easier. Whether it be use of an IV pump or an electronic thermometer, every technology makes things easier for the nurse and the nurse is always going to encounter technology on-the-job (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). This makes the necessity of including informatics in the nursing curriculum even more important. The good informatics nurse "understands theory, implementation, [and] evaluating outcomes" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). This is what the curriculum will teach the nursing student. As technology changes, so does the field of nursing. Although there is no way to predict what the future holds in technology, the role of the nurse in informatics is to continually be attempting to bridge the gap between technology and clinical practice, communicating with both arenas (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). So what lies in the future The future of informatics is to create a more efficient health care system with information technology, specifically: systems that are multi-layered so there are no separate electronic charts; synthesization and interfacing systems which are seamless; basic language within a unified system; and best practices in informatics (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). How can one expect a nursing student to benefit from taking this course The answer is simple: patient care will be improved. As one nurse said it best, "The more we have at our fingertipsthe better we are going to be able to take care of that patient" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). C. How this Course Fits with the Philosophy of the Nursing Program and College as a Whole. Nurses today must be trained so that they are competent when they go out into the field. Nurses are often the "liaison between information technology and real nursing" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). In order that competent nurses are trained properly with regard to technology, all nursing curricula should include a course on nursing informatics. A competent individual in nursing informatics is "the registered nurse who has a lot of clinical background and knows the policies and procedures [along with] information technology" (Giannini, 2010, p. 1). II. Curriculum conception and curriculum design: Describe how the course articulates the organizing framework and curriculum design. Identify concepts from the organizing framework. How does this course fit into the whole A. How the Course Articulates the Organizing Framework and Curriculum Design. The course has assignments that would cover each chapter of the book Nursing Informatics by Bell, et. al. Each chapter focuses on a specific topic. Chapter Four focuses on using specific technologies. It is with that in mind that part of the Chapter Four Unit was designed. It includes an in-class assignment of 10 open-ended questions with specific answers from the book, a 5-item multiple-choice quiz, and a test with 5 multiple-choice items and an essay question. B. Identify Concepts from the Organizing Framework and How This Course Fits into the Whole. The chapter on specific technologies is just one component of the overall course. Basically, this part of the unit for Chapter Four would be worth 100 points total, with each segment being worth a separate amount of points, so the grade is already weighted. The classwork worksheet would be worth 20 points, the quiz would be worth 30 points, and the test would be worth 50 points. Obviously the test is worth more because it is also assessing deep understanding with the essay question. III. Course objectives and Evaluation: Develop 4 to 5 course objectives and discuss your rationale for these objectives. How do the course objectives relate to the broader curriculum plan How do the course objectives fit with the level and program outcomes What professional standards and competencies did you use to develop the course objectives and describe how they relate to them. How will you evaluate if course objectives have been met How will you measure them Given the above course objectives and content, develop three (3) assignments and describe how they would help students meet the course objectives. How much weight would you give to each assignment Why Identify three implications for teaching, learning and assessment. a. Course Objectives: 1) Students will learn academic preparation in nursing by reading, writing about, and being assessed on Chapter 2; 2) Students will learn using computers in basic nursing by reading, writing about, and being assessed on Chapter 4; 3) Students will learn new roles for nurses in healthcare by reading, writing about, and being assessed on Chapter 6; and 4) Students will learn information systems by reading, writing about, and being assessed on Chapter 7. Evaluation: Students will be evaluated by their answers on the classwork worksheet, the quiz, and the test. b. The course objectives relate to the broader curriculum plan in that they target specific chapters necessary to nursing informatics. c. The course objectives fit with the level and program outcomes because students are being forced to: a) read the chapter; write about the chapter; and c) be assessed on each chapter. d. Course objectives will be evaluated if there is evidence of students having read the chapter through what they have written and how they are assessed on the quiz and test. e. Standards of Professional Nursing Practice, used by the ANA, were used in the development of this course, focusing on Education and Research (ANA, 2004, p. 1). f. Course objectives will be measured by giving the assessments of a classwork worksheet, a quiz, and a test. g. Three assignments: A. Classwork Worksheet: Answer the following questions as it relates to Chapter 4 of your book Nursing Informatics. The page numbers where you can find the answers are given. (20 points) 1. Who traditionally have provided the interface between the client and the healthcare system (p. 49) Nurses. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 49) 2. The use of computers, information science, and the Internet in nursing practice, education, and administration help nurses use and manage what and in what context (p. 49) 3. It manages information technology in nursing environments. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 49) 4. Computer-based multimedia aids in what process (p. 50) 5. The knowledge and information transfer process, provides feedback to students about the efficiency of their learning processes, improves access to a vast warehouse of electronic databases, and enables students to problem solve and apply their learning. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 50) 6. What is multimedia (p. 50) Multimedia refers to computer-based technologies that integrate traditional forms of communication to allow seamless access or interaction by users. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 50) 5. What are hypermedia/hypertext programs (p. 52) They use highlighted text or terms that the user selects to receive more information. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 52) 7. Give an example of an experimental hypermedia/hypertext system. (p. 52) The Internet is an example. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 52) 8. What can provide learning experiences without regard to location or time (p. 54) Distance learning. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 54) 9. What are some ways the computer can be used by undergraduate and graduate nursing students and nurse educators (p. 55) To instruct, evaluate, identify individual students' learning problems, to gather data on how learning takes place, and to facilitate meetings and group communication. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 55) 10. What does staff development include (p. 57) Activities directed at orienting a new staff to a facility, updating technical competency, progressing toward professional goals, and enhancing professional roles and accountability. (Ball, et. al., 2004, p. 57) B. Quiz on Chapter 4: Choose the letter of the correct answer. (30 points) 1. What is an example of an experimental hypermedia/hypertext program a. books b. an IV pump c. a Pulsox machine d. the Internet 2. Which of the following are ways that the computer can be used by nursing students and educators a. to instruct b. to evaluate c. to gather information d. all of the above 3. What provides a learning experience without regard to location or time a. Reading a book b. Monitoring an IV drip c. Distance learning d. Using a laptop to input patient data 4. Which of the following does staff development not include a. orientation b. drinking on the job c. updating technical competency d. enhancing professional roles and accountability 5. How, in nursing informatics, is information managed a. through use of drugs b. through use of laptops c. through use of PC's d. through use of the Internet C. Test (50 points total): In Part A, choose the best answer (10 points). In Part B, follow the essay prompt and develop an essay based on the question asked. (40 points) Part A 1. Nursing informatics is: a. incorporating technology into the clinical nursing situation b. a way of understanding computer systems c. information for the nurse 2. Who provides the interface between the clinical and the technological aspects a. student nurses b. nurse educators c. all of the above 3. What is distance learning a. It is time to surf the Internet. b. It provides a learning experience without regard to location or time. c. It is time to goof off. 4. Through use of laptops, PC's, and the Internet, information is: a. recovered. b. understood. c. managed. 5. Orientation, developing technical competency, and enhancing professional roles and accountability are examples of: a. playtime. b. coordination and management. c. staff development. PART B Essay. Discuss three major components of nursing informatics and their importance. IV. Course outline: Present course description. Develop outline of content and discuss how you selected the content and subject matter for the course. What criteria did you use Give rationale. Demonstrate the relationship between the course content, course objectives and professional competencies. A. Present Course Description. The course Nursing Informatics will cover a variety of topics on the subject. "If [one is] studying to become a nurse [one should] take courses in nursing informatics along withcore course work" (How to Get a Job In Nursing Informatics, 2010, p. 1). B. Develop Outline For Content, Discuss How Content Was Selected and the Subject Matter for the Course. The content will include Chs. 2, 4, 6, and 7 of the book. These topics were selected due to their relevancy as a core topic. Students must learn to use computers in nursing (Makkonen, 2010, p. 1). C. Demonstrate the Relationship Between Course Content, Course Objectives, and Professional Competencies. Deciding upon course content, objectives, and competencies to cover are difficult. Even educators in the field struggle with this. "Even with a content guide, consensus [is] lacking among educators concerning what should be taught in a nursing informatics course and what core competencies" must be taught (Guenther, 2008, p. 1). Thus, it is up to the discretion of the person developing curriculum in order to decide how to best implement course content and objectives reflecting competencies necessary for nursing. REFERENCES Ball, M.J., Hannah, K.J., Newbold, S.K., & Douglas, J.V. (2000). Nursing informatics: where caring and technology meet. USA: Springer. Giannini, G. (2010). What is nursing informatics USA: Duke University. http://www.youtube.com/watchv=Eq4n8u6H-WM. Accessed 1 March 2010. Guenther, J.T. (2008). Mapping the literature of nursing informatics. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/93/. Accessed 1 March 2010. How to get a job in nursing informatics. (2010). http://www.ehow.com/how_5837057_job-nursing-informatics.html. Accessed 1 March 2010. Makonnen, P. (2010). Learning of basic concepts in informatics. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/downloaddoi=10.1.1.118.3511&rep=rep1&type=pdf. Accessed 1 March 2010. Standards of professional nursing practice. (2010). http://www.ferris.edu/htmls/colleges/alliedhe/link_desc.cfmLinkID=45. Accessed 1 March 2010. Read More