The Role of Nursing Informatics within the Nursing Practice and Some of Its Major Tenets - Essay Example

Introduction Nursing Informatics denotes a broad area which combines nursing science with other information systems and analytical science for the purpose of defining, managing and reporting within the nursing practice. It has been defined as an area of nursing which aims at integrating nursing information and knowledge with various communication technologies for reasons of promoting the provision of health (Ferguson 2013, p. 64). Therefore, this area of specialities focuses on the use of better since strategies and techniques to improve communication and provision of information by the nurses. This has been viewed as a great milestone in fusing the modern technology with the nursing services. The online social media denotes the various applications which are run on the internet portfolio and form a major platform for sharing of information. There are various social media platforms which are integrated into improving the services and ensuring a focus on person-centered nursing practice. All these online social media platforms rely on the framework of technology for their efficiency. This study aims at evaluating the role of Nursing Informatics within the nursing practice and some of its major tenets. The study intends to discuss the significance of online social media within the nursing profession. In particular, this paper intends to discuss the Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) as an example of an Australian nursing informatics (Lee 2014, p. 101). Besides, the study aims at evaluating the Electronic health records as one of the examples of online social media systems applied within the health care domain (Tavana et al., (2015 pp. 78). A person-centered care and the principles A person-centered care refers to a philosophical approach towards the processes of service delivery and service development which ensures that the services are provided in a manner that is responsive to the needs and values of people (Ghapanchi & Talaei-Khoei 2017, P.21). It focuses on developing an approach which sees that the preferences and values of people are taken care of in the process of service delivery. Person-centered care is focused on the people and those who care for such people. Therefore, all the services developed and delivered are intended to ensure that the values and the needs of people are addressed under this philosophical approach (Ferguson 2013, p. 64). The person-centered care approach is based on some models and principles. These principles include; Valuing people (dignity and respect) One of the major principles underlying this approach is the aspect of valuing the people. This principle argues that a person-centered care needs to treat people with the dignity and respect which they deserve. It needs to focus on supporting the values, beliefs and even the perspectives of people as a way of valuing their presence in the society as provided in the fifth chapter of Tavana et al., (2015 pp. 48-49). This principle asserts that proper working relationship and communication need to be fostered as a way of improving service delivery. Autonomy (recognition of strengths and abilities) The other principle of person-centered care is referred to as Autonomy. This principle implies the provision and also the respect for choices made by people within a given set up. It details the need to balance the rights, responsibilities and even risks to which people are exposed. According to Pedell et al. (2015) pp. 102 – 103, Autonomy requires that the aspect of control within individuals be optimized through the processes of power sharing and also decision-making and this ensures maximization of independence by building on areas of strengths and supporting areas of weaknesses. Offering personalized care (life experience) The other principle ensures that people are offered personalized care and support. This principle acknowledges the different life experience through which people undergo. It, therefore, advocates for ensuring treatment and care to people through recognition of their past and even present life. Environment This principle advocates for the provision of organizational values which ensure responsive support to the needs of individuals. The environments consisting of the various policies and guidelines need to ensure that the members are supported and officered incentives to ensure proper service delivery and for better growth of skills (Schmitt et al. 2012, p.210). Nursing Informatics systems The nursing informatics offers a broad field for purposes of improved communication management and delivery to ensure reduced costs and efficiency in patient-care services (Lee 2014, p. 101). This area seeks to advance the kind of service delivery witnessed in the nursing profession and also aims at improving the quality of services offered and also seeks to improve the nature of information in the nursing set up. The adoption of these systems has been seen among many countries in the world due to its robust significance in improving service delivery and communication (Spector & Kappel 2012, p. 117). Nursing informatics embraces the use of science to provide informed and assisted healthcare in the society. The informed care implies the process of ensuring that the right information and details are available the entire time to the subject of concern. This implies that the nursing informatics aids in ensuring that proper documentation and communication of right knowledge and information is channeled to the recipients in the healthcare system (Schmitt et al. 2012, p.145). Besides, the assisted care implies that healthcare workers are given proper environment and working conditions to aid in their services. The consumers are equally assisted in making the right information in regards to the required services. Advantages and disadvantages of nursing informatics Nursing informatics is useful in documenting and storing information especially for patients. Every health care facility requires better and good storage of its information. The technology and science used in nursing informatics aids in ensuring efficiency of information storage. In addition, nursing informatics is useful in improving the nursing practice by enabling nursing research and reduced costs of service delivery (Casella et al. 2014, p.88). Nursing informatics is however criticized for its specific focus and reliance on technology. Technology offers the platform upon which the system runs. Suppose technology fails, the systems would be rendered useless. Therefore, it suffers the disadvantage of full reliance on technology (Lee 2014, p.54). Nursing informatics in Australia Australia is one of the countries which have embraced the integration of nursing informatics within its healthcare sector (Ferguson 2013, p. 78). The introduction of one of the systems referred to as HISA as greatly contributed to the adopted and development of better strategies for service delivery within this sector (Spector & Kappel 2012, p. 323). The major purpose of this system is to provide better policies, opportunities and the environment for training and learning of better nursing informatics by the various nursing professionals in the country. This system has a national outlook and is focused on ensuring that the required tenets of nursing informatics are employed and integrated within the national nursing practice. The main intention of coming up with this system was to ensure the proper procedures for adoption and integration of better nursing practices and knowledge in the country. The advancement of nursing informatics within the national level required the establishment of training strategies, policy strategies as well as the provision of a better environment to ensure successful adoption (Casella et al. 2014, p.47). One of the notable features of this Australian system is it multi-dimensional outlook which embraces the nurses, other medical specialists and the patients for collective service delivery improvement. It’s a multidimensional approach which ensures that all the stakeholders are made aware of the requirements in the nursing practice and the levels of improvements as advocated for by various policies. Person-centre care has been highly advanced by the introduction of this system. This has been made possible by the various policies and development programs initiated for the purposes of integrating person-centered care principles in the nursing practice (Lee 2014, p.42). Besides, the practical creation of an environment that supports all the stakeholders in the nursing practice has been seen as advancement in the person-centered approach. Online social media systems (electronic health records) The introduction of better and more improved technology has been defined as one of the major contributors towards improved healthcare provision. The modern healthcare sector boasts of better service delivery methods and information communication due to the advancement of better and more robust technology. Communication is one of the significant areas in the healthcare delivery and improvement. Many scholars have argued on the benefits of communication and its relevance in ensuring that the entire processes of service delivery are improved and natured well. One of the improvements in the fields of communication is the introduction of online social media systems in the healthcare sector. These online systems are operated on the internet platforms and are purely enabled by the use of better and modern technology. In the recent years, significant changes and contributions have been witnessed in the technology sector especially in regards to the healthcare sector. Much attention has been diverted to the communication component of communication. The online social media platforms are avenues and platforms through which information is processed, stored and kept. Healthcare records and information are important elements of in this sector, and therefore the online social media systems have led to the advancement of record processing (Lee 2014, p. 96). One of the systems of online social media systems is referred to as Electronic Health Records (HER). Electronic Health Records refer to the systematized collection and storage of patient-health information in a digital format (Casella et al. 2014, p.30). The electronic information is collected and stored in a systematic digital format which can easily be shared across different health settings. In many instances, this information is shared through network-connected platforms and networks for purposes of safety and efficiency. Some of the information kept in such formats includes medical history, laboratory test results, demographic data, medication and allergy status, radiology images, personal status information as well as billing information. Every healthcare facility requires such records for purposes of easy retrieval and consistency of treatment and monitoring. Besides, every client requires such information in a well-stored format for purposes of easy retrieval and reference. The purpose of Electronic Health Records is to reduce the costs and time required to access and retrieves the health records both for the medical facilities and the patients (Schmitt et al. 2012, p. 11-12). The digital format ensures that it’s easy to access the patient information and this can be done at the lowest costs possible. The other purpose is to ensure accuracy and consistency of client information. The Electronic Health Records ensure that accurate and consistent information about every patient is fed into the system and kept for purposes of future access (Schmitt et al. 2012, p. 56). This, therefore, ensures that accurate medical information and services are delivered for every patient. Besides, the Electronic Health Records is advantages since it ensures that the quality of the information is well kept at safeguarded over time. The healthcare records are normally delicate and as such need to be well kept, and their quality maintained for a longer time. The other purpose of these records is to ensure the privacy of the health records of all the clients who visit the healthcare facilities (Casella et al. 2014, p.50). Every patient has a right to privacy of information. This right is easily and efficiently guaranteed under the auspices of Electronic Health Records. Conclusion The nursing profession continues to benefit from great improvements brought along by nursing informatics as well as online social media systems. The nursing informatics offer a wide platform for integrating scientific procedures and models for purposes of improving service delivery and information. This has had a significant impact on person-centred care and service delivery. This study has evaluated the subject of person-centered care in the healthcare provider as well as the major principles behind this kind of care. It has equally focused on the aspect of nursing informatics and how this strategy has been instrumental in improving the nursing practice. The other area which has been considered in this study is how the quality of services in healthcare has been advanced through the nursing informatics and the online social media systems. These have been comprehensively discussed through the use of speuif8ic examples of both online social media systems and the nursing informatics systems existing in Australia References Casella, E., Mills, J., & Usher, K. (2014). Social media and nursing practice: changing the balance between the social and technical aspects of work. Collegian, 21(2), 121-126. Ferguson, C. (2013). It's time for the nursing profession to leverage social media. Journal of advanced nursing, 69(4), 745-747. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9066248 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jan.12036/epdf Lee, VC 2014, ‘Social media and health care professionals: Benefits, risks, and best practices', P and T, vol. 39, no. 7, pp. 491-520. Spector, N & Kappel, DM 2012, 'Guidelines for using electronic and social media: the regulatory perspective', Online journal of issues in nursing, vol. 17, no. 3, manuscript 1. Schmitt, TL, Sims-Giddens, SS & Booth, RG 2012 , 'Social media use in nursing education', Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 15 Pedell, Sonja, Antonio A. Lopez-Lorca, Tim Miller and Leon Sterling 2015. "Don't Leave Me Untouched: Considering Emotions in Personal Alarm Use and Development. In Tavana, M., Ghapanchi, A. H., & Talaei-Khoei, A, " Healthcare Informatics and Analytics: Emerging Issues and Trends. IGI Global, 2015. 96-127. Web. 27 Aug. 2017. doi:10.4018/978-1-4666-6316-9.ch006 – Chapter 6 Tavana, M., Ghapanchi, A. H., & Talaei-Khoei, A. (2015). Healthcare informatics and analytics: emerging issues and trends. Read More