A post by Andrew Barna

I received my first issue of Journal of Healthcare Information Management this week and it has an intriguing theme: nurse informatics. I have only read a few articles so far, but one of the central tenets of the issue strikes me as absolutely true: nurses are at the heart of patient care and therefore should play a central role in the selection and implementation of information technology. However, it seems to me that there is a truly sad reality about nursing today that prevents them from participating in IT selection as much as they should. With budgets stretched thin, nursing departments often do not have the resources to do more than patient care and a handful of other required functions.

More than just the expected seats on a selection committee, I could see nurses playing a significant role, not only in the selection of information technology, but in the creation of information technology solutions. With the front seat to healthcare delivery, nurses have a unique perspective on the processes that add value to patient care and the processes that are otherwise required. I think given the time and technical support, nurses could help develop innovative IT solutions that could significantly improve the lives of nurses and the quality of care delivered.

You can learn more about nursing informatics at the HIMSS Nurse Informatics website.