In the Discussion for this module, you considered the interaction of nurse informaticists with other specialists to ensure successful care. How is that success determined?
Patient outcomes and the fulfillment of care goals is one of the major ways that healthcare success is measured. Measuring patient outcomes results in the generation of data that can be used to improve results. Nursing informatics can have a significant part in this process and can help to improve outcomes by improving processes, identifying at-risk patients, and enhancing efficiency.
To Prepare:
- Review the concepts of technology application as presented in the Resources.
- Reflect on how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence may help fortify nursing informatics as a specialty by leading to increased impact on patient outcomes or patient care efficiencies.
Resources
- McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
- Chapter 25, “The Art of Caring in Technology-Laden Environments” (pp. 595–607)
- Chapter 26, “Our Expanding Realities” (pp. 611–624)
- Mosier, S., Roberts, W. D., & Englebright, J. (2019). A Systems-Level Method for Developing Nursing Informatics Solutions: The Role of Executive LeadershipLinks to an external site.. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration , 49 (11), 543-548.
- Ng, Y. C., Alexander, S., & Frith, K. H. (2018). Integration of Mobile Health Applications in Health Information Technology InitiativesLinks to an external site.: Expanding Opportunities for Nurse Participation in Population Health. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing , 36 (5), 209-213.
- Sipes, C. (2016). Project management: Essential skill of nurse informaticistsLinks to an external site.. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 225 , 252-256.
The Assignment: (4-5 pages not including the title and reference page)
In a 4- to 5-page project proposal written to the leadership of your healthcare organization, propose a nursing informatics project for your organization that you advocate to improve patient outcomes or patient-care efficiency. Your project proposal should include the following:
- Describe the project you propose.
- Identify the stakeholders impacted by this project.
- Explain the patient outcome(s) or patient-care efficiencies this project is aimed at improving and explain how this improvement would occur. Be specific and provide examples.
- Identify the technologies required to implement this project and explain why.
- Identify the project team (by roles) and explain how you would incorporate the nurse informaticist in the project team.
- Use APA format and include a title page and reference page.
- Use the Turnitin Drafts to check your match percentage before submitting your work.
Nurse Leader as a Knowledge Worker
Laura Quintans
Walden University
NURS-6051C
Dr. Howe
Jun 5th, 2025
Who Is a Knowledge Worker
Coined by Drucker in 1959, knowledge workers use expertise.
They analyze data, apply theories, and solve complex problems.
Require advanced education, critical thinking, and continuous learning abilities.
Common in fields like engineering, law, education, and healthcare.
Not defined by labor, but by cognitive and intellectual contributions.
Central to innovation, decision-making, and process improvement across industries.
(Nagle, Sermeus, & Junger, 2017).
Nursing Informatics: Role in Nursing Work
Integrates nursing science with information, computer, and cognitive sciences.
Enhances healthcare through data management, analysis, and communication systems.
Supports evidence-based practice, improving patient safety and outcomes.
Enables nurses to access, interpret, and apply clinical data.
Requires informatics competencies like data literacy and system evaluation.
Empowers nurse leaders to innovate with real-time, actionable insights.
(Sweeney, 2017).
Nurse Leader as a Knowledge Worker
Applies data and evidence to guide clinical and administrative decisions.
Leads teams using insights from patient records and analytics.
Translates complex information into actionable practice improvements.
Champions technology adoption and informatics education among staff.
Collaborates across disciplines using shared health information systems.
Monitors quality metrics and outcomes to guide nursing strategies.
(McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022; Nagle, Sermeus & Junger, 2017)
Infographic: Nurse Leader as a Knowledge Worker
Hypothetical Scenario: Reducing Readmissions for Heart Failure Patients
Nurse leader targets 30-day readmissions for heart failure patients.
Reviews EHR data: vitals, BNP, ejection fraction, medication adherence.
Adds demographics, behavior, and previous utilization for risk stratification.
Uses dashboards and predictive tools to flag high-risk individuals.
Implements education, telemonitoring, follow-up, and home health visits.
Evaluates interventions using ongoing outcome data for continuous improvement.
(McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022; Nagle, Sermeus & Junger, 2017)
Accessing Data, Generating Knowledge
Data sources: EHRs, dashboards, surveys, incident reporting systems, wearables.
Data is accessed via hospital systems, secure portals, and applications.
Must follow HIPAA standards to ensure patient data privacy.
Knowledge derived from trends, correlations, and predictive analytics tools.
Supports decision-making at both clinical and administrative levels.
Promotes proactive, rather than reactive, care delivery strategies.
References
Drucker, P. F. (1959). The landmarks of tomorrow. Harper & Row.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Nagle, L., Sermeus, W., & Junger, A. (2017). Evolving role of the nursing informatics specialist. In J. Murphy, W. Goosen, & P. Weber (Eds.), Forecasting competencies for nurses in the future of connected health (pp. 212–221). IMIA & IOS Press. https://serval.unil.ch/resource/serval:BIB_4A0FEA56B8CB.P001/REF
Sweeney, J. (2017). Healthcare informatics. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 21(1). https://www.himss.org/resources/ojni-vol-21-number-1
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Interaction with Other Specialists by Nurse Informaticists
Nurse informaticists are crucial as middlemen between clinical workers and the IT departments within my healthcare organization. An example would be a recent implementation of an EHR system. When this change was implemented, nurse informaticists worked beside bedside nurses, physicians, IT professionals, and administrators to adopt it. Their role was to translate clinical needs into system requirements, such that workflows were not disrupted and patient care quality was not impaired. For example, as an ICU nurse, I have seen nurse informaticists work with ICU nurses to create customized templates for recording patient observations so that documentation was more precise and less time was spent on redundant data entry.
This collaboration demonstrates how informaticists help seamlessly integrate technology with clinical practice. They fill communication gaps, promote user-centered design, and help with frequent staff training and feedback (Mosier, Roberts, & Englebright, 2019). One, however, cited challenge was the little nurse feedback during the initial planning phases of adopting EHRs. This meant redesign after the first rollout, causing workflow disruptions and frustrating staff.
Strategy for Improvement
An active inclusion strategy could be employed to enhance these interactions. This would include forming interdisciplinary planning committees in technology projects with nurse informaticists as facilitators. These committees would have members from direct-care nurses, physicians, IT personnel, and quality improvement personnel. Timely feedback sessions and usability testing phases would allow stakeholders to identify potential issues before implementation. For example, piloting a new barcode medication administration (BCMA) system in one unit and seeking user feedback before the hospital-wide rollout would prevent system-wide issues and lead to more clinician acceptance (Sipes, 2016).
Impact of the Evolution of Nursing Informatics
The nature of professional partnerships will also change with the evolution of nursing informatics, especially with mobile health technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). Informaticist nurses are now more and more expected to possess project management, data analysis, and leadership skills in order to be able to promote population health initiatives, predictive analytics, and precision medicine (Ng, Alexander, & Frith, 2018). Such emerging roles will strengthen interprofessional working as data-driven decision-making becomes more central to clinical practice. Expanding nursing informatics as a specialist career will also lead to greater visibility of nurses’ functions in strategic planning and innovation within healthcare systems (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).
References
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Mosier, S., Roberts, W. D., & Englebright, J. (2019). A systems-level method for developing nursing informatics solutions: The role of executive leadership. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(11), 543–548. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000814
Ng, Y. C., Alexander, S., & Frith, K. H. (2018). Integration of mobile health applications in health information technology initiatives: Expanding opportunities for nurse participation in population health. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 36(5), 209–213. https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000431
Sipes, C. (2016). Project management: Essential skill of nurse informaticists. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 225, 252–256.