Case study: A view of informatics nursing from a clinical nurse's perspective

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Informatics
• Nursing Administration
• Clinical Informatics

Background:

• Major renovation of outpatient surgical clinic areas was completed.
• Informatics nurse was not assigned to the project.
• Project timeline spanned from 2002 to May 2005.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of lacking informatics support during a healthcare facility renovation.
• To identify challenges in transitioning to new spaces and business processes without dedicated informatics planning.
• To address deficiencies in clinical information systems for patient education documentation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of challenges encountered during clinic renovation and move.
• Analysis of the impact of missing informatics support on nursing workflow and documentation.
• Collaboration with nursing informatics to modify clinical information system forms.

Main Results:

• Lack of informatics planning impeded smooth transition and workflow.
• Absence of post-surgical teaching information in the clinical system caused documentation problems.
• Nursing informatics intervention was required to update patient education forms for Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospital Organization compliance.

Conclusions:

• Dedicated informatics nurse involvement is essential for successful healthcare facility redesigns and transitions.
• Proactive informatics planning mitigates workflow disruptions and documentation challenges.
• Clinical information system optimization is critical for meeting regulatory requirements and improving patient care.