Informatics Competencies

Nursing informatics is a discipline that is still evolving. Yet, there is a set of core skills and knowledge that applies to all individuals who work as nurse informaticists and many competencies that are specific to informatics roles, positions, tasks, and responsibilities. For example, a nurse informaticist who works as a consultant for a health care technology company and a nurse informaticist who works as a professor at a university will share much of the same expertise and knowledge. However, they will also have distinct competencies specific to their unique roles.

In this Discussion, you explore informatics competencies within the informatics functional area you selected for the Week 1 Assignment.

To prepare:

• Review nursing informatics competencies such as those outlined by the American Nurses Association (ANA), the Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform (TIGER), and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN).
• Review this week’s media presentation Competencies for Nurse Informaticists, and reflect on the competencies outlined by the presenters.
• Recall the informatics functional area you identified in the Week 1 Assignment. With this in mind, what competencies would be most important for you to master? How might you go about developing these competencies?
• Create a list of competencies you would like to master.

Post on Tuesday 06/21/16 a minimum of 550 words in APA format with 3 references addressing the level one headings below:

1)  A brief description of the informatics functional area in which you are interested

2) Then, identify at least four ANA, TIGER and/or QSEN competencies that you believe to be vital for success in this functional area, and justify your choices.

3) Explain how you might successfully develop and master each of these competencies

Readings

• American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.

  Read the following chapter:

  • “Informatics Competencies: Spanning Careers and Roles ”

    In this section, the authors explain the competencies necessary for nurse informaticists to be successful. The section also highlights which competencies are applicable for various informatics roles and functional areas.

• Saba, V. K., & McCormick, K. A. (2015). Essentials of nursing informatics (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
  • Chapter 2, “Computer Hardware”

    This chapter discusses introduces the basics of computer hardware used for nursing informatics.

  • Chapter 4, “Computer Software”
    This chapter introduces computer software, as well as the programs that are most relevant to nursing informatics.
  • Chapter 11, System Life Cycle: A Framework”

    In this chapter, the authors introduce the systems life cycle (SDLC) and its stages. These stages are often used by organizations for large-scale projects, such as implementing or upgrading health information technology.

  • Chapter 13, “System Life Cycle Tools”

    Chapter 13 focuses on the tools needed to assist with each phase of the System Life Cycle. Successful implementation projects require clinical expertise as well as technical knowledge from nurse informaticists.

  • Chapter 9, “Computer Interaction ”

    This chapter explains the need for nurses to be informed about human-machine interactions to prevent unintended consequences. Increased awareness of these factors can result in improved performance and outcomes in nursing informatics and other technologies.

• Preheim, G. J., Armstrong, G. E., & Barton, A. J. (2009). The new fundamentals in nursing: Introducing beginning quality and safety education for nurses’ competencies. The Journal of Nursing Education, 48(12), 694–697.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

  This article discusses the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative and its six competencies, including informatics, that are essential for nursing practice. The authors emphasize that nursing education should shift from task-training and development to more current skills and competencies for informatics and patient-centered care.

• Quality and Safety Education for Nurses. (2012). Informatics. Retrieved from http://qsen.org/competencies/graduate-ksas/#informatics

  Access this website to explore the knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected of informatics graduates.

• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. (2015). Informatics competencies for every practicing nurse: Recommendations from the TIGER Collaborative. Retrieved from http://www.thetigerinitiative.org/docs/TigerReport_InformaticsCompetencies.pdf

  This comprehensive report provides you with an overview of the TIGER collaborative as well as informatics competencies.

Media

• Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012a). Competencies for nurse informaticists. Baltimore: Author.

  Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 10 minutes.

  In this week’s media presentation, Gail Latimer, Dr. Patricia Button, and Dr. Roy Simpson overview the progress that the ANA and the TIGER initiative have made in outlining key informatics competencies. In addition, each presenter identifies competencies that he or she believes to be vital to working in the informatics field.

   

Health care reform has made insurance accessible to everyone. As a consumer, it is important to be able to understand and compare health care coverage options. From a marketing perspective, consider consumers and why it would be important to understand consumer needs and how to market to different consumers based on their needs.

Complete the Case Study Comparisons worksheet.

Case Study Comparisons

Part 1

Complete the chart below that differentiates the following insurance types.

Part 2

Review the insurance plans and answer the following questions.

1. Compare the plans above.

·         What are the major differences between the plans?

·         What are the major similarities between the plans?

·         If you were presented with these plans, what would be the major selling points and pitfalls of the plans for you?

2. Read and answer the questions below regarding the two consumers and refer to the Gold, Bronze, or Silver plans listed above.

Consumer A

Betsy has type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.  She visits the doctor often to keep her diabetes and blood pressure controlled. The doctor regularly checks her blood levels and prescribes level 1 prescriptions to help Betsy control her diabetes and blood pressure.

·         Betsy is considered a controlled diabetic but still uses her insurance plan frequently.

o   Compare the plans provided and determine the best plan for Betsy. Remember to consider deductibles and general costs for the services she would be using.

·         For a couple of years, Betsy was really taking care of herself. However, after suffering a broken leg and being more inactive, Betsy has gained weight and has not been diligent about controlling her diabetes. Betsy has found that she is requiring emergency room services and urgent care more often.

o   If Betsy was considering changing her insurance plan, which plan should she consider? Why?

o   How does the plan she should consider in this scenario compare to the plan choice from the first question?

Consumer B

Zach is a healthy 30 year old who rarely goes to the doctor and is not on any medication. He has been offered the following insurance plans and he is considering the plans for use of common alignments (i.e., colds) and for preventive tests.

o   Compare the plans and determine what would be the best plan for Zach.

Zach has recently been hired as a construction worker and was considering changing his health plan. He realizes that this new job may have more hazards than his last job.

o   Which plan should Zach consider? Why?

o   How does the plan he should consider in this scenario compare to the plan choice from the first question? Remember to consider deductibles and general costs for the services he would be using.

**Select a high-risk family type; for example, homelessness, family violence, teen pregnancy, suicidal ideation, or with drug or alcohol abuse issues.

**Obtain an article or articles on common health problems and mortality data for a specific high-risk family type either from the Electronic Reserve Readings or from the University Library. The article or articles need to include information on common health issues among members or families from this high-risk group.

**Visit the Healthy People 2010 website to find four health promotion and disease prevention objectives applicable to the specific high-risk family group.

**Write a 1,700-word paper that includes:

A summary of the health profile of the specific high-risk family group, with explanation of the high-risk condition and associated behaviors or patterns
Describe assessment of the family type you selected with use of applicable theories.
Identify applicable Healthy People 2010 objectives for one of the health problems common to this high-risk group.
Describe nursing intervention strategies applicable to this family situation based on health promotion: health belief models, family theory, and analysis of family function that are supported by literature or research.
Describe the role of the advanced practice nurse as a case manager in this type of nursing situation.
This paper requires a minimum of six (6) references.
DUE DATE: 6/22/16 @ 10:00 am California Time

Dave is a 46-year-old attorney with a family history of heart disease (his father had a heart attack at the age of 56) whose recent blood tests reveal high blood LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. His doctor has advised him to eat less fat in his diet. Dave is a self-confessed “foodie” and he enjoys wine and cheese at several social functions each week. He cooks with “real” butter at home and uses half milk and half cream in his coffee. Although fairly inactive, Dave keeps his weight stable at 170 pounds. He is 5 feet 10 inches tall.

1.   What factors may be contributing to Dave’s elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels?

2.   From the history given, identify the main sources of saturated fat in Dave’s diet. What are some reasonable changes he could make to lower his intake of saturated fat from these foods?

3.   Assume Dave eats about 2000 kcalories a day and that his doctor has advised him to limit his fat intake to 35 percent of his daily kcalories. Refer to the “How to” feature (p. 155) of this chapter to calculate his personal Daily Value for fat.

4.   According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, what is the maximum percentage of kcalories from saturated fat that Dave should consume each day? Remembering that 1 gram of fat contains 9 kcalories, calculate the maximum grams of saturated fat that Dave should eat each day based on his daily intake of 2000 kcalories.

5.   Using information from Highlight 5, what additional advice would you offer Dave to improve his heart health?

6.   Plan a one-day menu for Dave with higher amounts of healthful fatty acids and lower amounts of harmful fatty acids.