Running head: ESSENTIAL IV: Information Management and Application 1

e-Folio - Essential IV: Information Management and

Application of Patient Care Technology

LaDonna D. Henderson

Frostburg State University

ESSENTIAL IV: Information Management and Application 2

e-Folio - Essential IV: Information Management and

Application of Patient Care Technology

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essential IV of The Essentials of

Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice is Information Management and

Application of Patient Care Technology (2008, p. 3). The field of nursing informatics has

evolved over the past several years as a specialty that integrates nursing science and computer

science to manage and communicate data, information, and knowledge. (Cassano, 2014). An

important aspect of information management is the documentation of nursing care. The

electronic health record has developed into an efficient tool to communicate information about

the patients medical condition and interdisciplinary treatment plan.

Exemplar

The technological innovation project written for my Nursing Informatics class best

illustrates the components of Essential IV of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing

(AACN), which recognizes that Knowledge and skills in information management and patient

care technology are critical in the delivery of quality patient care. (American Association of

Colleges of Nursing, 2008, p. 3). The requirements of the technological innovation project were

to choose a process currently in place at your facility and, usually technology, implement an

alternative process that could positively impact the healthcare environment.

Reflection

As recognized by the AACN, Computer and information literacy are crucial to the future

of nursing. Improvement of cost effectiveness and safety depend on evidence-based practice,

outcomes research, interprofessional care coordination, and electronic health records.

(American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008, p. 17). My proposed technology innovation

ESSENTIAL IV: Information Management and Application 3

was to incorporate nursing care plans into the current electronic medical record (Cerner) being

used at my hospital. With a little research, I discovered that Cerner has the capability of using

electronic Power Plans for nurses, as well as physicians, to coordinate patient care. Paper

charting of nursing care plans are time-consuming and inefficient. They are typically several

pages in length and are used inconsistently, offering little opportunity for real-time collaboration

or shared communication among disciplines. Power Plans, however, utilize nursing order sets

based on evidence-based clinical nursing content to provide patient centered care planning in an

electronic format. They are immediately viewable and easily shareable by all disciplines which

increases the quality and safety of patient care as information is communicated in real-time. The

technological innovation project allowed me to meet the expectations of Essential IV,

specifically by being aware that new technology often requires new workflow patterns and

changes in practice approaches (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2008, p. 18).

ESSENTIAL IV: Information Management and Application 4

References

American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Washington, & Dc. (2008). The essentials of

baccalaureate education for professional nursing practice. Retrieved from

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/BaccEssentials08.pdf

Cassano, C. (2014, October 1). The right balance Technology and patient care. Retrieved from

http://www.himss.org/right-balance-technology-and-patient-care