Defining Community Nursing Informatics to Drive Nursing Practice Innovation: A Conceptual Analysis and Framework

The increasing dependence on information and communication technology in nursing is associated with the growing recognition of the role of nursing informatics in enhancing community nursing efficiency. This concept analysis aimed to define and clarify the essence and attributes of community nursing informatics and establish a theoretical foundation for applicability in nursing practice and education. Guided by Walker and Avant's 8-step concept analysis framework, we identified the definition, key attributes, antecedents, and consequences of community nursing informatics. Based on the analysis, community nursing informatics can be described as a nursing field that examines the collection, classification, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of relevant information to support all facets of community health nursing, including practice, management, research, and education. Its defining attributes are as follows: (1) community-focused; (2) health-oriented; (3) utilization of information technology; (4) data management and analysis; (5) active and autonomous collaboration; and (6) innovativeness. Community nursing informatics improves health outcomes and optimizes community functions through the effective use of information technology. The framework demonstrates that utilizing technology and fostering autonomy and engagement among community members can lead to innovative outcomes in community nursing practice. Accordingly, the findings provide theoretical and practical implications for developing and implementing community nursing informatics in real-world settings.