Where to plug in

This week we are planning a new construction project. I am lobbying and hoping to be engaged as part of the discussion. Being involved in the planning for the computer and device placement in each room is paramount to optimally supporting real time documentation and care delivery.

One thing I have learned from past projects is to lobby for electrical outlets to be above the standard 12 inches off the floor placement. Nurses should not have to crawl around on the floor or bend down to plug in carts and other devices. In the past, I have asked for a power strip of plugs placed 36 inches above the floor at a specific location in an exam room. The electrician didn’t have any trouble with accommodating this request. No one at our facility had ever thought to ask the construction team about this accommodation. I learned it was easier to adjust electrical outlet placement during construction rather than retrofit the electrical wiring afterward. I have also learned from past projects that it is helpful for the construction team to understand the number of devices that will need to be supported in advance of their electrical planning and design. This information supports the design of the electrical infrastructure to ensure the electrical system can support the electrical load. With electronic devices exploding in healthcare delivery, the demand for electrical circuits is exponentially growing. This is a consequence of advancing beyond paper documentation and manual systems as we move into the digital age.

In recent time, we have seen computers, flat screen monitors, peripheral devices, and wireless networks access points appearing in every space within a healthcare delivery setting. Many healthcare facilities are older structures that were not designed to support the electrical demands of these new systems. During times of renovation there is an opportunity to address some of the infrastructure gaps. I see an opportunity to set the stage for future growth with each renovation.

Lesson Learned: If a renovation is being planned at your facility, ask to be part of the team. As information nurse specialists, we have access to critical information related to infrastructure enhancements necessary to support the digital age.

Plug in

What it is like to be a tomato.

 

As I mentioned in my first blog, nursing informatics encompasses and links together nursing science, practice, and knowledge, with computer science, information management, and technologies to promote the health of people, families, communities, and populations. The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognizes nursing informatics as a nursing specialty. There are many recognized nursing specialists; all are graduate-level prepared nurses who focus on a specific domain or population such as pediatrics, critical care, trauma, or oncology, to name a few. As an informatics nurse specialist (INS), I am a member of one of the youngest and newest nursing specialties. An INS brings to the workplace a unique set of skills that enable the analysis, design, and implementation of systems that support nursing in a variety of healthcare setting and functions.  An INS serves as a translator between nurse clinicians and information technology personnel to ensure that information systems capture critical nursing information.

At our hospital, the other nurse specialists have formed a group, in which they work together addressing common concerns such as evaluating nurse competencies. Each member of the group represents a clinical specialty such as perioperative, obstetrics, or emergency care.  Because the INS role is not well understood, it is not obvious to my colleagues why someone like me should be included in such a group.  I am the tomato, technically a fruit, but not seen as one.  I have come to realize that it is my job to tell my story and let others know the added value an INS brings to the table. 

Nurses trained in informatics support improve patient outcomes through their expertise in information processes, structures, and technologies. We help nurses and other care providers to create and record the evidence of their practice.  There are fundamental informatics competencies that all practicing nurses should possess to meet the standards of providing safe, quality, and competent care. According to the TIGER initiative, informatics competencies that all nurses need to succeed in practice in today’s digital era can be broken down into three parts:

·         Basic computer competency

·         Information literacy

·         Information management

Lesson Learned:  You have to tell your own story and not wait for someone else to figure it out.