Integrating informatics in undergraduate nursing curricula: using the QSEN framework as a guide

Informatics education must prepare today's nurses to manage a deluge of information and use technology effectively. In addition, U.S. health care is being redesigned with technology that improves patient safety and quality of care. The Institute of Medicine's recommendations for health care safety and professional education prompted initiatives by the National League for Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and others to make informatics a fundamental part of nursing education. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) project outlines specific competency goals for informatics knowledge, skills, and attitudes. However, progress toward integration of informatics in nursing curricula has been slow, and additional strategies need further exploration and discussion in the nursing literature. This article uses the QSEN framework to present strategies for teaching multiple facets of informatics in the classroom, simulation laboratory, and clinical settings in a baccalaureate nursing curriculum.