The year 2020 will be remembered as having brought the globe together in a most unconventional way. As the world reflects upon the ongoing pandemic, what better time to have the World Health Organization globally recognize nurses by designating 2020 as the International "Year of the Nurse and the Midwife"? Alongside the American Nurses Association, the Alliance for Nursing Informatics (ANI), and numerous other partners, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) has harnessed its platform to raise awareness and illuminate value by shining light on both nurse informaticists and the greater nursing profession. In response to the global crisis, nurse informaticists have been presented with a unique opportunity to not only optimize their approaches in ensuring best practices but also combine nursing knowledge and management of information and technology to promote health and wellness in their communities. In educating the public about the role nurse informaticists play in improving patient care and transforming healthcare, HIMSS has published a multitude of resources to engage the larger clinician audience.
Both inside and outside the hospital, nurse informaticists are essential to the intersection of best nursing practice with health information and technology. Researchers and presenters attending the HIMSS20 Nursing Informatics Symposium Poster Sessions highlighted the impact of nursing informatics from a variety of scientific, practical, and topic-oriented methodologies through 14 poster sessions. One such example is A National Nurse Identifier: Updates from the NKBD Workgroup by Whende Carroll, MSN, RN-BC, Founder, Nurse Evolution. In this poster, the Nursing Knowledge: Big Data Science and Policy Workgroup discussed the value and recommendation of the use of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing identifier or ID for nursing care. As healthcare transitions to a value-based reimbursement model, nursing documentation in the electronic health record (EHR) and other health information technology (IT) systems will increasingly be used to demonstrate nursing's contribution to that value. The poster states that a unified voice is vital for adoption of a unique nurse identifier in health IT systems for documentation, education, research, and training purposes in the United States and globally.
Another example is Defining the Value of Nursing Informatics In Your Organization: You Cannot Afford Not To! by Nelita Iuppa, DNP, MS, BSN, RN-BC, NEA-BC, FHIMSS, ACNO Office of Nursing Informatics, Cleveland Clinic. Using the 4-step value definition approach, dedicated nursing informatics teams can add value to any organization that is demonstrated through the return on investment to both the IT and nursing teams. This poster argues that the use of technologies will seamlessly support clinical practice to enhance the caregiver and patient experience, adherence to standards, efficiency, and outcomes. A third poster that exemplifies the great work of nurse informaticists is in A Universal Model for Efficient, User-Centered EHR Training by Cory Stephens, MSN, RN-BC, CPHIMS, SHIMSS, Nurse Consultant (Informatics), National Institutes of Health, and Kim Stevens, DNP, MSN, RN, Supervisor Nurse Consultant (Informatics), National Institutes of Health. Training requirements for EHR users have changed as skills have grown and organizations have matured with their EHRs. By utilizing blended training, user-centered options are able to accommodate flexible schedules and different learning styles.
Making a difference is an understatement. Reflecting on the past and looking to the future, informatics nurses are essential to guiding the best use of industry tools and resources. In May 2020, HIMSS released the 2020 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, which builds upon research that began in 2004. Reaching nurses globally, the survey reveals that nurse informaticists play a crucial role in healthcare. Data show that they continue to be the driving force behind the development, implementation, and optimization of electronic medical and health records, nursing clinical documentation, point-of-care clinical decision support, and computerized practitioner order entry. The results of the Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey will be discussed in an upcoming ANI Connection.
As we celebrate the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, continue to thank your nurses and nurse informaticists for their significant efforts to make the world a better place.
More information on the HIMSS20 Nursing Informatics Poster Sessions and HIMSS 2020 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey can be found onhttps://www.himssconference.org/program/nursing-informatics-symposiumandhttps://www.himss.org/resources/himss-nursing-informatics-workforce-survey.