Transforming Healthcare:
The Nurse Informatics Specialist [NIS]
Current Roles of the NIS
Nurse informatics specialists are essential to healthcare and the proliferation of the nursing profession. The NIS connects the nursing process to the electronic process which captures the data (McFadden, 1992). Each step in the nursing process is influenced by the nurse informatics specialist. Nurse informatics specialists assist in the creation and standardization of documentation and assessment tools (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society [HIMSS], 2014). For example, the NMDS and NANDA contain nursing specific terminology and diagnoses, which allow for the contributions of nursing to be captured and measured (Lundeberg et. al, 2008). Communication across healthcare disciplines and clinical areas is fostered by the NIS, contributing to efficient care delivery and greater patient outcomes.
Roles and Responsibilities
As described by Kenney & Androwich, 2012, as cited in McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012, nurse informatics specialists can occupy many roles and responsibilities, such as:
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Project Manager
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Responsible for the planning and implementation of informatics projects
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Experts in communication, teamwork, risk assessment, process analysis, and scope definition
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Key player in change management
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Link between management and other parties
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Consultant
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Expert in their field, sharing knowledge, ideas, and recommendations
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Educator
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Create and implement education sessions, especially for new technologies
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An important role as inadequate education an can lead to unsuccessful projects
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Researcher
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Conduct research to discover new knowledge and advance nursing informatics
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Being able to duplicate research guides evidence based practice and standardization and improve patient outcomes (HIMSS, 2014; Bredemeyer & Androwich, 2012, as cited in McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012)
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Product Developers
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Plan, create, and market new informatics solutions
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Decision Support/Outcomes Manager
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The management of information gathered from standardized documentation is essential as it can then be analyzed for nursing knowledge and research (HIMSS, 2014)
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Improvement of workflow via analysis and redesign of processes (Hammel-Jones, 2012 as cited in McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012)
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Advocate/Policy Developer
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Policy development on all local, national, and international fronts
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Essential role players in the development of health policy infrastructure
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Advocate for patients, families, and nurses and other clinicians
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Clinical Analyst/System Specialist
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The NIS understands the medical and healthcare perspective while also being able to communicate with developers of information systems (HIMSS, 2014)
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Liaison between nursing and information services
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Entrepreneur
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Invent and promote informatics solutions based on the nursing needs
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(Kenney & Androwich, 2012, as cited in McGonigle & Mastrian, 2012)