Course Description:
Integrates nursing science with computer technology and information
science to identify, gather, process, and manage information. Emphasis
on technology based health applications which support clinical, administrative,
research, and educational decision making enhancing the efficacy of nursing
endeavors.
Course Purpose:
This course provides an overview of nursing informatics for the advanced
practice nurse. Focus is on developing an understanding of concepts
relevant to health care informatics. Current trends and issues in
using, designing, and managing heath care information systems will be examined.
Students, applying knowledge from assigned readings, will analyze
the design and implementation of health care information systems.
The course includes email, electronic discussion forums, computer applications,
worldwide web, and internet assignments.
Course Objectives:
1. Identify key trends and issues in nursing informatics and
the impact on health care information systems.
1.1 Describe the historical perspectives
of nursing and computers
1.2 Discuss the term nursing informatics.
1.3 Define basic terms related
to hardware, software, World Wide Web, and the Internet.
1.4 Identify informatics visions
for the profession of nursing.
1.5 Discuss technology applications
utilizing speech recognition, genomic informatics, date warehousing, and
virtual reality.
2. Explain how theories, such as communication, information, management,
systems, and nursing relate to
health care information systems.
2.1 Define classic change theories:
early group, small group, and field theories.
2.2 Discuss the impact of technology
and change in the health care setting.
2.3 Explain organizational culture.
3. Examine ethical/legal issues that arise in using, designing, and
managing health care information systems.
3.1 Define the terms of privacy,
confidentiality, and security.
3.2 Discuss what influence technology
information systems have on privacy, confidentiality, and security.
3.3 Identify the need for data
standards.
4. Discuss taxonomy and nomenclature relating to nursing and health
care information systems.
4.1 Define nursing minimum data
set.
4.2 Identify standardized nursing
language classifications.
4.3 Describe the benefits of a
standardized nursing language.
4.4 Discuss the electronic health
record.
5. Analyze current health care information systems used in nursing practice,
administration, research, and education.
5.1 Discuss the four major stages
of the system cycle.
5.2 Identify nursing role in implementation
of a health care information system.
5.3 Describe the benefit of the
evaluation process in the last stage of the system cycle.
5.4 Identify computer applications
utilized in the practice setting.
5.5 Describe the benefits of administrative
applications of information technology.
5.6 Define knowledge discovery
in datasets (KDD).
5.6 Discuss the impact of computer
technology on nursing curriculum.
5.7 Identify uses of technology
in research.
5.8 Discuss challenges and issues
of technology in telehealth applications.
6. Synthesize knowledge from various information sources to increase
accessibility and usability of a health care information
system.
6.1 Define human computer interaction.
6.2 List usability factors that
facilitate human interaction with computers.
6.3 Discuss the value of usability
testing.
6.4 Define data, databases, information,
and knowledge.
6.5 Perform searches with different
World Wide Web search engines.
6.6 Search nursing bibliographic
databases.
6.7 Explore collected and stored
data elements.
6.8 Evaluate a health related
web site.
6.9 Discuss the technology impact
in health care settings.
Teaching Strategies
This is a distance learning course allowing students access to the
course information with flexibility of location and study schedule.
The World Wide Web and WebCT will be used to deliver the course providing
conversations with the instructor, fellow students, and nurse informatics
experts via threaded discussions and email. Class discussion, literature
and health database surveys, independent readings, electronic communication,
written assignments, and projects will be included in the course. A specific
schedule will define the time frame for the course content as well as due
dates for assignments.
Technical Requirements
Please see the Indiana
University-Purdue University Fort Wayne Distance Learning Site for
a discussion of minimum technical requirements for distance learning courses.
You should be comfortable with doing work processing, e-mail, management of e-mail attachments, downloading and uploading of files, and simple searches.
Help Using WebCT
On-line
Student User Guide
Course Assignments:
Course assignments are designed to foster students' learning experiences.
Students are expected to read not only the assigned chapters within the
textbook but additional professional literature related to the weekly content.
Students' information levels vary greatly on a topic entwined with computer
technology. Thus, as in any graduate course, learning outcomes are
dependent upon the degree of intellectual pursuit put forth by each individual.
All written assignments must meet the standard for graduate level work
with correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax, concept development,
and follow APA (5th Edition) format. Refer to pp. the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001) for rules
regarding plagiarism. The following are some resources found on the
web with information based on the American Psychological Association (APA)
style of writing.
American
Psychological Association
Electronic Reference
Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Grammar,
Punctuation, and Mechanics
Writing
On-Line This service is offered by the Writing Center at IPFW.
You can improve your writing for any class with knowledgeable peer writing
consultants. The staff will help you brainstorm, develop, and organize
your ideas, work on issues of meaning and style, and learn to polish and
edit your final draft.
| Course Assignments | Points |
| Bibliographic database search | 5 |
| Database search | 5 |
| Evaluation World Wide Web Information | 20 |
| Joining a health care listserve, sharing information two times with other students | 20 |
| Definition of "heuristics" | 5 |
| Security of paper records vs electronic records | 5 |
| Classroom discussion participation | 40 |
| Ask the Expert | 100 |
| Nursing Informatics Assessment and Proposal | 100 |
| Power Point Presentation | 50 |
| Total | 350 |
Descriptions of Assignments and Correlated Icons
Evaluation World Wide Web Information
Publishing on the Internet is available to anyone with no peer or editorial
reviews, thus evaluation of the information is essential. The ICYouSee
site provides the st*p*d assignment for evaluation of a Web site. Upon
completion of the assignment remember to put my email, meyer@ipfw.edu,
in the cc line.
Listserv
Select and join a listserv that is of professional interest to you
and related to technology in nursing/health care. Twice during the
semester submit to the class discussion an issue/concern/topic that has
been discussed on the listserv. Sharing of information synthesized
from listserv sites will enhance learning in this course. Group discussion
of the listserv information is encouraged to further expand learning with
shared experiences and information appropriate to the topics.
Class Discussion
Class discussion and group assignments, important components of this
class, will enhance the students' learning. Students' discussions
resulting from analysis and synthesis of current literature, coupled with
illustrations of real life experiences and observations will facilitate
the achievement of several objectives. First, students gain an awareness
of the range of ideas found on informatics issues. Second, students
define a foundation of basic informatics concepts from which to build upon
for further informatics explorations. Third, group dynamics facilitate
interactions requiring application of problem solving approaches to reach
finalization of identified goals.
Ask the Expert
This is an exciting and unique opportunity for students to dialog with
internationally known experts in the field of nursing informatics.
Technology brings these experts to the students, allowing interactions
without the expense of travel and conference fees. Within a limited
time frame, the experts have agreed to asynchronously respond to students'
posted questions and comments. The willingness of these people to
participate in this course by sharing their time and expertise is greatly
appreciated and students should recognize the contributions that are being
made to promote the understanding of nursing informatics.
Nursing Informatics Assessment and Proposal
Assess an information system used in a health care setting. The
assessment should include a description of the organization, details about
the system users, and an analysis of the information system. Synthesize
information from the required textbook and current professional literature
to propose changes to or replacement of the present information system.
Describe the benefits of the proposed system, as well as the personnel
and equipment requirements and budget estimates. Discuss the development
aspects related to standardization, uniqueness, and testing measures.
Utilize concepts of information and change theories in the strategies to
analyze, design, implement, and evaluate the project. Incorporate
flowcharts, database and/or spreadsheet applications. Limit the report
to eighteen pages, not counting the reference pages, using APA format.
Grading criteria is defined on the Nursing
Informatics Assessment and Proposal grade sheet .
Power Point Presentation
Using the software of Power Point, create a presentation of the Nursing
Informatics Assessment and Proposal paper. Submit this via regular
email to each class member and me by the due date. Grading criteria
is defined on the Power
Point Presentation grade sheet . See the discussion under
Course Assignments for suggestions of helpful Power Point sites.
Course Schedule:
See Class
Schedule .
Course Policies:
Student are accountable for information in the IPFW Student Handbook
entitled: "IPFW Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities,
and Conduct".
Assignments submitted via the assignment drop box will become property of the University. Students should make a copy of the assignment before submitting the original to the professor. All assignments are expected on the due dates. There will be a deduction of 5% per day for late assignments.
Grading Scale:
| A | 93 - 100 | = | 325 - 350 points |
| A- | 90 - 92 | = | 315 - 324 points |
| B+ | 87 - 89 | = | 305 - 314 points |
| B | 83 - 86 | = | 291 - 304 points |
| B- | 80 - 82 | = | 280 - 290 points |
| C+ | 77 - 79 | = | 270 - 279 points |
| C | 73 - 76 | = | 256 - 269 points |
| C- | 70 - 72 | = | 245 - 255 points |
| F | <below 70 br> | + | <below 245 |