Nursing Informatics in United Kingdom

Electronic nursing: informatics is about communication not technology, says Marina Copping, and nurses are expert communicators

Author(s): Marina Copping

 

Source: Nursing Standard. 19.40 (June 15, 2005):

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Document Type: Article

 

Full Text:

 

Nursing Standard' s Nursing the Future campaign aims to redefine nursing, celebrate its diversity and challenge misconceptions. New and emerging roles are often misunderstood, even within the profession itself, and the role of the nurse in information management and technology (IM&T) is one of them.

There is a myth that IT nursing is all 'techy' talk and computers, but in reality nurses involved in informatics are agents for change and communicators who have less interest in the technology and more in what it can do to support nursing care. Nurses are becoming involved in informatics in increasing numbers and in different ways, including:

* Local IT developments, such as defining midwifery, renal or cardiac care systems.

* Developing training tools, audit databases or patient information leaflets.

* Acting as a bridge between clinical teams and IT departments.

* Working in project management, education or research.

All four of the UK's health departments have published comprehensive information management and technology strategies (see further information overleaf), all of which outline the development of core electronic health records for patients.

Each country is implementing its strategy in different ways and nurses need to be engaged to ensure the strategies meet their needs, as well as those of their patients and clients.

Tailored systems

In the past nurses have had to cope with inappropriate IT systems that were introduced without their input. Although communication plans for the new strategies exist, a recent RCN online survey found that more than 90 per cent of respondents felt that consultation on NHS information technology developments was inadequate.

Despite nurses' expertise in communication and technology--a major part of nursing care is, after all, about information sharing, and we use sophisticated technology every day in the form of pumps or monitors--we do not see ourselves as having a central role in IM&T.

We must challenge this view to avoid ending up with systems that do not meet our clinical needs.

Information technology department staff are always desperate for more clinicians to get involved in developing, testing and using products, and they in turn can be valuable allies for nurses in the wake of new ways of managing information such as:

* Shared assessments

* Integrated records

* Child protection alerts

* Mobile technologies

* National electronic patient records.

At the same time, nurses can define what they need from IT, and where, why, and when they need it, and can evaluate and measure results.

Building partnerships with IT departments reaps benefits for all, and as expert communicators, nurses can play a pivotal role in improving communication between the departments.

You do not have to be an expert in IT to become involved. The informatics nurse's role is about new ways of working, communicating and managing change

Case study 1

Kath Darroch, informatics officer, University of Manchester

'My practice became a lead site for practice-wide electronic patient records. I was enthused by having information around that could help plan my work, and it helped create a team feeling and an understanding about each other's contribution to health care. The GPs now have a handle on what health visitors, district and practice nurses do. I find it exciting to see health care evolving and believe that by having improved access to information about patients we deliver better care.'

Case study 2

Val Baker, director of clinical informatics, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh

'I got involved in informatics to get rid of numbers and start working towards what nurses really needed. I did a degree in informatics and social use of computers, then became a nurse project manager for a new community information system. Now I have the lead role in defining the clinical priorities in IT for the region. As a nurse working in an IT department, I speak the language of the people who need to use the technology. There is a need to change the view that IT is about computers. It's not. It is about information for patients and those who care for them--the technology is just the tool.'

Case study 3

Rosemary Currell, midwife, Suffolk West Primary Care Trust

'What I love about working in informatics is the problem solving, the to understand people's work, how they tick, their role [n the healthcare process, what they do and why they do it. The technical computer side of it is only a little bit of informatics. There are people who are skilled at managing wires and boxes, but what is needed are people who can translate the needs of the clinical world to the technical world.'

FURTHER INFORMATION

* The Scottish information, management and technology (TM&T) strategy--Health/Information Management and Technology Strategy NHS Scotland--can be accessed at www.show.scot.nhs.uk/imt

* For information about the English strategy, visit www.dh.gov.uk and key 'information management and technology' into the search box.

* The Welsh strategy, Informing Healthcare: Transforming Healthcare in Wales Using Information and ICT, can be found at www.wales.nhs.uk. Click on 'continuous improvement' on the left hand side, then click on 'national IM&T programmes', and finally click on 'informing healthcare'.

* To access Northern Ireland's Information and Communications Technology Strategy, go to www.dhsspsni.gov.uk and key 'information and communications technology strategy' into the search facility.

Marina Copping is clinical nurse specialist, health informatics, NHS Lothian

Copping, Marina

Source Citation

Copping, Marina. "Electronic nursing: informatics is about communication not technology, says Marina Copping, and nurses are expert communicators." Nursing Standard 19.40 (2005): 69+. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 May 2012.

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