Informatics
1. Describe ways nursing informatics can be used in nursing practice.
a. Computers/technology to retrieve and manage information about nursing
practice, monitors to assess patient parameters, diagnostic tests, etc.
b. Hospital network systems- access information in the clinical setting to aid in
direct patient care; nursing documentation & patient chart; reference guide
for policies and procedures of the agency; standards as accrediting
regulatory agencies- JCAHO, OSHA
c. Personal home computers- maintain level of personal practice/knowledge,
internet, e-mail, Web sites, group discussions
d. Libraries (search on computers for index of hard copies), textbooks (1 yr old
at publication), periodicals (Journals -professional; magazines for general
population)
2. Discuss informatics terminology.
a. E-mail (endings of --.gov,. edu, .com, .org)
b. Search engine to find Web sites--Pg 300 text
c. Listserv- type of group discussion conducted by e-mail (subscribe to)
d. Abstract/full text
e. Netiquette- internet etiquette
3. Search internet sites for use in nursing practice.
a. Use textbook pg 300 for list of search engines
b. Selected internet sites for nursing resources located Ellis/Hartley p 305-6
c. Indexes most helpful to nurses- Hard copies & internet site- ACC library has
1) MEDLINE (National Library of Medicine) Hard copy-Index Medicus
2) CINAHL (Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature)
4. Evaluate information obtained from internet sites
a. Is the source identified?
b. Is the source reliable?
c. Is the source biased?
d. How timely is the information relative to the need?
e. How does the information fit with the purpose for which it will be used?
f. How does the setting that originated the information compare with your
setting? p. 308
g. Ellis & Harley p 301 lists sites that guide in evaluating internet resources
h. ACC web tutorial-“Info Game”
library.austin.cc.tx.us/research/guides/infogame/start.htm
i. Web page evaluation worksheethttp://www.duke.edu/~de1/evaluate.html
j. Web site evaluatinghttp://servercc.oakton.edu/~wittman/find/eval.htm