Informatics competency and development within the US nursing population workforce: a systematic literature review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Health Information Technology
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• Nursing informatics competencies were not clearly defined until 2002.
• Early assessments (1999-2006) focused on attitudes and online resource use, not comprehensive skills.
• Establishing baseline informatics competency in the current nursing workforce is crucial for future healthcare planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review literature on US nursing informatics competency beyond recent graduates.
• To assess if current nurses possess adequate informatics knowledge and skills.
• To evaluate the facilitation of evidence-based practice and electronic medical record (EMR) system utilization.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review focusing on US nursing informatics competency.
• Analysis of research on informatics education and clinical assessment in the US.
• Examination of literature from 1999 to the present.

Main Results:

• Nursing informatics competencies lacked clear definition before 2002.
• Limited scope of clinical assessments in early studies (attitudes, online resources).
• Significant need for job-specific competency development, evaluation tools, and educational guidelines.

Conclusions:

• The existing US nursing workforce needs further development in informatics competency.
• Healthcare organizations must establish clear guidelines for nursing informatics education and evaluation.
• Addressing these needs is vital for advancing evidence-based practice and optimizing technology use.