Information science for the future: an innovative nursing informatics curriculum

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Health Informatics
• Educational Curriculum Design

Background:

• Healthcare's increasing reliance on information necessitates effective information management for patient care.
• A critical challenge exists to prepare baccalaureate nursing graduates proficient in using information technology to improve patient care processes and healthcare.
• Developing an evolving nursing informatics curriculum is crucial for providing foundational skills to nursing professionals impacting healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the design, implementation, and evaluation of an innovative nursing informatics curriculum within a baccalaureate nursing program.
• To present an integrated curriculum framework based on information, technology, and clinical care processes.
• To assess the effectiveness of the curriculum in familiarizing students with informatics and promoting critical thinking in its application.

Main Methods:

• Design and implementation of a four-course nursing informatics curriculum sequence.
• Integration of core components: information, technology, and clinical care processes.
• Evaluation of student learning and engagement with informatics concepts.

Main Results:

• The integrated curriculum effectively familiarizes students with nursing informatics principles.
• Students demonstrated increased critical thinking regarding the application of informatics in practice.
• The curriculum successfully prepared graduates to utilize information technologies in patient care.

Conclusions:

• The innovative nursing informatics curriculum is effective in preparing baccalaureate graduates for modern healthcare demands.
• The curriculum fosters essential skills for improving patient care processes through technology.
• Nursing informatics education is vital for transforming healthcare delivery and enhancing clinical practice.