Informatics and IT in Nursing Practice

Abstract

Clinical nurses are finding information technology (IT) increasingly useful. Some of the more common IT facilities are:

• hospital information support systems (HISSs)

• databases

• online resources of an increasing diversity available on the NHS intranet (NHSNet), via Trusts’ own intranets or from the Internet itself.

Nurses in the clinical area should not bother about the technology itself but instead consider what it might offer to them in their practice. Typical nursing functions that are helped by IT include:

• evidence-based practice and research: using bibliographic databases (especially where a full text of the articles or abstracts is available), full text electronic journals and online clinical guidelines

• continuing professional development: using online courses, online continuing education articles and electronic discussion forums

• planning and executing nursing care: sharing electronic patient records with other health professionals and accessing HISSs

• patient information: either writing new material or using material made available from other Trusts/organisations.

This chapter will explore the use of IT in nursing practice, concentrating on those aspects of IT which assist the nurse practically. We will start with an outline of some of the more important concepts and resources, much of which may already be familiar. This material is not covered here in depth but it is available in many texts, for example Anthony (1996).