What Exactly IS Informatics Nursing?

absbernalrn · Aug 20, 2008

Good day! I am a Telehealth Nurse in the premiere school/university of the Philippines. I was wondering how do we define Telehealth Nursing in contrast to Nursing Informatics? We sometimes use the terms interchangeably. When do you use the term Telehealth Nursing and Nursing Informatics?

rninformatics, DNP, RN · Aug 21, 2008

Greetings absbernalrn,

The terms Telehealth Nurse and Informatics Nurse should not be used interchangeably. Some might view telehealth nurses as informatics nurses in that both utilize "technology" as a tool to deliver patient care. Informatics Nurses utilize multiple technologies to assist in the delivery of patient care AND to improve nursing practice. Nursing Informatics is a recognized speciality, Telehealth Nursing is not. I would say you use the terms according to the specific role performed and practice skills demonstrated. "Telehealth Nurse" often is a job description. Informatics Nurse (can be a job description) but it is also a recognized specialty within the healthcare discipline of Nursing and as such has its own defined Scope and Standards of Practice.

Nurse Informaticists can and do practice as telehealth nurses. The practice of Informatics Nursing is not limited to just the utilization of telecommunications technologies.

Although there are many definitions of Nursing Informatics the revised American Nurses Association(ANA/ANCC) definition of Nursing Informatics reads:

"Nursing Informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom in nursing practice. Nursing informatics supports patients, nurses, and other providers in their decision-making in all roles and settings. This support is accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes, and information technology."

ANA defines Telenursing as: "a subset of telehealth in which the focus is on nursing practice via telecommunications"

Telenursing Definition from the International Council of Nursing reads:

"Telenursing refers to the use of telecommunications technology in nursing to enhance patient care. It involves the use of electromagnetic channels (e.g. wire, radio and optical) to transmit voice, data and video communications signals. It is also defined as distance communications, using electrical or optical transmissions, between humans and/or computers."

Good day! I am a Telehealth Nurse in the premiere school/university of the Philippines. I was wondering how do we define Telehealth Nursing in contrast to Nursing Informatics? We sometimes use the terms interchangeably. When do you use the term Telehealth Nursing and Nursing Informatics?

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2008

I fell into an informatics spot as an LPN because I live in a rural area, have a very strong programming/systems development background and ANY nursing license was more than they expected and applicant to have. It did matter that I was pursuing my RN (I take the boards in October), and want to continue on for a BSN.

My position has turned out to be a little bit of everything. I just built and populated a huge policies and procedures database and pulled together over a thousand documents into one source that we have published on the intranet.

I am now writing the project initiation documentation for the new patient care system we're implementing, attending training sessions, working on the install, and will be developing, with the nurses, the care plans and flow charts we use.

I pull a lot of numbers out of the system for the clinical managers - PA volume, pt transfer, # pts who left AMA - that sort of thing.

Next week I will be driving to a "satellite" office to install a program that will allow them to initially view lab results from our lab and, later, radiology. I'll train them and take support calls.

The big advantage I have is that I can speak clinical, English, AND geek.

I love it.

:)

ETA: I also unjam printers, reset passwords, teach people how to cut and paste - 5 IT staff, 200 users. I like the small environment in which I get to learn a bit about everything.