Nursing Informatics Competencies

User Level Competencies

A "User" level of competency indicates nurses who demonstrate core nursing informatics competencies. This level includes practicing nurses, nursing administration, nurse researchers and educators. In most taxonomy, this is the basic level that ALL nurses should minimally demonstrate, no matter what area of practice he or she works in. Even user level competencies include technical, utility and leadership related skills and knowledge.

The competencies required by nurses in the workplace are catergorized in a number of ways in the literature. Although different language is used to describe these competencies, the key concepts and categories are quite similar across taxonomies. All proposed frameworks include competencies that describe:

1. the use of information and communication technology (technical competencies),
2. the use of automated information in a professional context (utility competencies)
3. decision-making with respect to planning for and using both the technology and information (leadership competencies).

User Level Technical Competencies

1. uses word processing applications
2. demonstrates keyboarding skills
3. uses spreadsheet applications
4. uses telecommunication devices to communicate with other systems
5. uses e-mail systems to communicate with other health care professionals
6. uses presentation applications to create slides, displays, overheads (Power Point, etc.)
7. uses multimedia presentations
8. uses internet resources to locate client support groups, online resources
9. uses sources of data that relate to nursing practice and care
10. accesses, enters and retrieves data related to client care via available hospital or nursing information systems
11. uses database management programs to develop and access databases and tables
12. uses database applications to enter and retrieve data and information
13. conducts online and database literature searches
14. uses decision support systems, expert systems and other aids for clinical decision making and care planning
15. uses computer applications to document client care
16. uses computer applications to plan client care, including discharge planning
17. uses computer applications to enter client data (demographic, vital signs, physiological data)
18. uses information management systems for client education
19. uses technology based client monitoring systems
20. operates periphereal devices (bedside and hand held)
21. uses operating systems
22. uses computer periphereal devices (CD ROMs, DVD, zip drives)
23. uses computer technology safely
24. navigates in Windows environment effectively
25. demonstrates basic technology skills (load paper, change toner, unjam printers, print)

User Level Utility Competencies

1. recognizes the relevance of nursing data for improving practice
2. recognizes limitations of computer applications
3. recognizes need for continual learning in informatics skills, applications and knowledge
4. recognizes the nature of computer - human interfaces and assesses impact on client care
5. understands the basic process of using networks for electronic communication
6. recognizes the basic components of computer systems and mobile devices

User Level Leadership Competencies

1. uses computerized management systems to record administrative data (billing data, quality assurance data, workload data, etc.)
2. uses applications for structured data entry (classification systems, acuity level, etc.)
3. understands client rights related to computerized information
4. recognizes the utility of nurse involvement in the planning, design, choice and implementation of information systems in the practice environment
5. incorporates a Code of Ethics in regards to client privacy and confidentiality