Advancing Informatics Competencies in Nursing Practice

The article “Expanding the Informatics Competencies of Nurse Practitioners through Online Learning” by Galacio (2022) emphasizes an increasingly more significant need for advanced informatics skills by nurse practitioners (NPs) in digitally enhanced health care settings. Two major themes were identified: the inadequacy of current training in informatics and the effectiveness of targeting the said gaps through online learning modules. Notably, despite the widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs), most NPs lack the competencies to extract, manage, and analyze data and evaluate health information online. These skills significantly improved immediately following the online module on informatics that the NPs underwent as evident from the study (Galacio, 2022): Advancing Informatics Competencies in Nursing Practice.

Notably, the article aligns with AACN Essentials 7 and 8, emphasizing the integration of information systems and evidence-based practice to improve health service quality. Essentials 7 uses information and technology to refine care, while Essentials 8 focuses on integrating clinical and population health data to drive effective decisions (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021). Together, these create a strong interrelatedness in reinforcing that NPs in advanced practice should employ informatics, and indeed, through informatics tools, there is better care informed by data, operational efficiency, and improved population health.

Besides, informatics and system-based practice most powerfully influence advanced practice nurses (APNs) because, through them, APNs can improve outcomes by analyzing data, using evidence-based interventions, and educating patients better. For instance, Altmiller and Pepe (2022) note that some informatics competencies, such as “the use of decision-support tools and protection of data,” are significant factors that directly affect the quality and safety of care provided to patients. Integrating such skills into their educational experiences is essential in preparing future preceptors and educators to ensure that new NPs enter practice ready for the demands faced in modern health care.

Having observed other experienced NPs incorporate informatics into practice, I can see how these competencies enhance care. For example, mentors have shown me how to use EHR reporting to track patient progress or how to use telehealth platforms to increase access to care, thus showing how these competencies are applied in the real world.

This article points to the importance of systematic integration of informatics in education for NPs. Further research is needed in broader populations to confirm such findings and expand the curricula in informatics education relevant to changing healthcare needs.

References

Altmiller, G., & Pepe, L. H. (2022). Influence of technology in supporting quality and safety in nursing education. Nursing Clinics of North America, 57(4), 551–562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2022.06.005

American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The Essentials: core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf

Galacio, B. (2022). Expanding the informatics competencies of nurse practitioners through online learning. Computers Informatics Nursing, 40(9), 606–614. https://doi.org/10.1097/cin.0000000000000864

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Discussion Prompt:

Purpose:

• The purpose of the threaded discussion is to promote dialogue among students and faculty during the course.

Requirements:

• The student must provide the initial substantive response to the discussion question/topic(s) posted by the course faculty by Friday of those weeks with a discussion board assignment.
• The student must also provide a minimum of two additional responses to two student colleagues on two different days by Tuesday of those weeks with a discussion board assignment.
• All questions posed to the initial student post by course faculty need to be answered by the student to earn full credit for the discussion board assignment.
• This should be substantive feedback to a student colleague’s response to the question/topic posted by the course faculty. All responses must be respectful and thoughtful.

Discussion boards are not opinion boards. Students are expected to have scholarly sources to support their claims and constructs presented in the original post and citations must be provided. While scholarly resources are not required for your response posts, they do strengthen your posts and you must cite information taken from a source.

Citations for parts of posts that are synthesized from the course text, peer-reviewed research articles, and other credible sources are required. Course faculty monitor for the compliance of citations with Turnitin evaluation of the posts intermittently during the course session.

Note: This discussion requires you to complete your initial post before you can see your classmates’ posts. If you are having trouble getting started, please contact your instructor.

Read the attached article regarding informatics competencies:

• What themes stood out to you?
• What other information is out there to support/disprove the concepts presented? How are Essentials 7 and 8 linked?
• How do informatics and system-based practice impact advanced practice nurses?
• How would it be valuable for future preceptors or educators to incorporate the Essentials into educational experiences?
• Have you been mentored by or witnessed advanced practice nurses in the past who clearly incorporated these competencies into their practice? In what way?
• Provide supporting literature – 3 peer-reviewed sources minimum.
• Be sure to include specific sub-competencies in your post.

Give a brief summary of the article, then critically analyze the content. Refer to the learning activities overview in the student resources.

Remember, even though this is an opinion/experience-based discussion topic, scholarly references ARE required to support your statements. See the learning activities overview and discussion rubric for discussion expectations.

Resource:

• American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. Retrieved from https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/AcademicNursing/pdf/Essentials-2021.pdf