The course I am currently enrolled in at the University of Utah asks me to respond to two questions related to informatics in the healthcare arena. The two questions are as follows:

1. Why do you as a graduate level nurse need to know about information management?

As a graduate level nurse I have the opportunity to assume the role of an advanced practice healthcare provider. This role carries with it greater responsibility and accountability including that of making appropriate clinical diagnoses, prescriptive recommendations, safe and effective clinical interventions, timely decision making strategies and accurate billing practices. The primary reason why it is imperative that I know about information management (IM) is to provide safe, effective and efficient care to the patients entrusted to my care.
Several of the articles in Module 1 identify the overwhelming volume of data collected by the healthcare system. An attempt at identifying, collecting, tabulating, deciphering and condensing all the pertinent data into useable information and then translating it into applicable knowledge without the assistance of a sound information management infrastructure is not only impossible in today’s society, but could be considered negligent practice.
Colleagues, consumers of healthcare and yes, even lawyers are expecting us to accurately manage a stream of constant flowing and changing information. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report reshaped the delivery of healthcare in this country by mandating safety and quality in the delivery of care. Since the release of the IOM findings, IM theories, strategies, systems and tools are being invented and refined at a pace never before seen. It is through skillful use of such IM knowledge that both the internal and external customers/consumers of healthcare will benefit from evidence based medicine when evidence is seen as a constantly moving target.

2. Describe what is happening related to IT in your clinical or practice setting.

After seeing Dr. Sward’s nursing graduation picture on her blog site, I could not resist putting mine on as well. It reminds me of how far we have journeyed since the days of counting on one or two textbooks to get us through the nursing program. My practice area is currently as an educator in a baccalaureate nursing program. I have the distinct pleasure of working with some of the brightest and enthusiastic nursing students in the country. I facilitate a leadership and management course and oversee students in several clinical settings including Medical, Surgical and Cardiovascular ICU, ED, Med/surg, and OR. As one can imagine it is a challenge to keep up with the latest and greatest in one area of healthcare let alone a variety of settings. In the not too distant past, faculty questioned whether or not allowing the use of laptops in class was more a distraction than a learning opportunity. Today’s students have sources of information flowing to them at the speed of light. Laptop computers connected to the world wide web, PDAs and cell phones packed with applications related to healthcare, podcasts, Facebook, Skype, YouTube and the entire arsenal of healthcare literature are just a few ways in which today’s students are expected to find data, gather information and discover knowledge. As an educator, I am expected to keep up with the pace at which my students are learning and discovering new knowledge. In order to accomplish this, I must be familiar with the current IT resources available. “PowerPoint by Death” can quickly close the window of learning opportunity in this new generation of students. They are a “techno-savvy” generation and demand the latest in IT. Within the classroom environment I have begun to use podcasts, incorporated training videos and examples from YouTube and incorporate the use of student laptops into classroom work. IClickers, a device used for instantaneous feedback within the classroom allows ongoing evaluation and feedback from students. Complex simulation lab models benefit the student prior to actually experiencing real patient hands on activities. The examples go on and on and on….but I shouldn’t.

I guess this is too long winded as well…..hmmm…the older we get, the longer our story becomes!