Nursing informatics: an evolving specialty

Health care organizations will continue to invest heavily in clinical information systems to help improve patient safety, reduce variability of care, and increase the efficiency of their staff. These clinical information systems can assist in reducing medication errors through sophisticated medication management solutions and provide clinical decision support to aid in the decision making of all clinicians. They can also help offset the effects of a growing worker shortage, especially hard-felt in nursing, by reducing redundant tasks, improving communication, and streamlining clinical data collection. As these clinical systems are implemented, there is an increased need for information management of all of this complex data. By bringing both clinical and information systems expertise to bear, the informatics nurse plays a crucial role in ensuring that these goals are met to help the organization maximize its use of clinical information technology.$