Discuss ways that nursing informatics could be applied to all areas of professional nursing practice, including clinical practice,  administration, education, and research. What do you see as the biggest significance of nursing informatics, and why?

In order to optimize nursing workflows and improve patient care, the use of Nursing Informatics is applicable to every area of professional nurse practice. Informatics in clinical practice can help improve data collection and documentation, while also improving communication among providers. Informatics at the administrative level can streamline billing and scheduling processes by increasing efficiency and accuracy. In the educational arena, informatics can provide access to research-based materials that enhance nurses’ skillsets. In research, nursing informatics can be used to collect large quantities of data that are then analyzed for valuable insight into trends or patient outcomes.

Nursing informatics has the potential to improve healthcare on an individual as well as population level. Nurses can quickly and easily access patient data by using technology like electronic health records or telehealth. This reduces the amount of paperwork, or administrative work that takes time from patient care. Additionally, nurses can analyze data sets that are larger and reveal trends in health previously unrecognized. This could ultimately result in better quality care across multiple settings.