An exploration of nursing information systems
Authors
Ward, Mary
Issue Date
2003
Degree
BA (Hons) in Business Information Management
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
Items in eSource are protected by copyright. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/copyright holder.
Abstract
The overall aim of this dissertation is to explore how Nursing Information Systems (NIS) can complement Nursing Informatics to add value and enhance the nursing profession. Nursing informatics is the multidisciplinary scientific endeavour of analysing, formalising and modelling how nurses collect and manage data, process data into information and knowledge, make knowledge-based decisions and inferences for patient care, and use this empirical and experiential knowledge to broaden the scope and enhance the quality of their professional practice (International Journal of Biomedical Computing, 1996). Although nurses are paid less than other health professionals, they have a complex workload of responsibility that ranges from managing and operating budgets and staffing, coordination and management of investigations, technical equipment and treatment regimes, and physical welfare of their patients. Primary research will illustrate how the use of a NIS will help the nursing profession with this complex workload, improving use of resources and better patient care. Research illustrates this through the use of interviews, questionnaires, site visits and a case study.