Capella 4045 Assessment 1

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX4045 Nursing Informatics: Managing Health Information and Technology

Prof. Name

Date

Nursing Informatics in Health Care

The integration of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) is vital for advancing patient safety and the accuracy of clinical decisions. CDSS aids in providing precise diagnostic support, recommending appropriate treatment options, and assisting healthcare professionals with complex decision-making tasks (Laraichi et al., 2024). This proposal highlights the critical role of Nurse Informaticists (NIs) in applying CDSS effectively to mitigate errors, generate timely medication alerts, and bolster patient safety across healthcare environments.

Nursing Informatics and the Nurse Informaticist

Nursing informatics merges nursing science, computer science, and information systems to enhance the management and communication of healthcare information, ultimately promoting patient safety. This discipline facilitates the interpretation of clinical data, improves care delivery, and empowers nurses to use technology for data-driven decisions (Nashwan et al., 2025). The Nurse Informaticist (NI) serves as a clinical and technical liaison, ensuring the seamless integration and application of new health technologies. They train staff, manage implementation strategies, and utilize data analytics to enhance accuracy and safety in patient care (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2024).

Dr. Virginia Saba stands out in this field for her development of the Clinical Care Classification (CCC) system, which improved the quality and consistency of patient records (Lopez et al., 2023). Within healthcare facilities, NIs are tasked with designing and refining CDSS to align with user needs and institutional workflows. They also provide education and support to interdisciplinary teams to optimize the use of technology in reducing clinical errors and promoting safe, effective patient care.

Nurse Informaticists and Other Health Care Organizations

In various U.S. healthcare systems, NIs play a crucial role in safeguarding patients through the application of informatics tools. CDSS enables NIs to send real-time notifications, particularly during medication administration. Institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic have successfully integrated advanced digital platforms to improve electronic health record (EHR) functionality and clinical workflows (Cleveland Clinic, 2024). At the Mayo Clinic, CDSS is employed to manage Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), aiding clinicians in risk assessment, diagnosis, and individualized treatment decisions (Mayo Clinic, 2024).

NIs collaborate with physicians, nurses, and IT personnel to ensure that CDSS tools are evidence-based, user-friendly, and embedded effectively within EHR systems. Their collaboration fosters innovation, enhances decision-making, and ensures the system reflects clinicians’ practical needs. By educating nursing teams on how to use digital systems, NIs promote higher standards of care and better clinical outcomes (ANA, 2024).

Impact of Full Nurse Engagement in Health Care Technology

When nurses are directly involved in developing and implementing CDSS, patient safety, workflow efficiency, and cost management improve. The presence of nurses during CDSS development ensures that the tools support informed decision-making and reduce the risk of medical errors (Laraichi et al., 2024). These tools enable rapid data retrieval, highlight critical patient changes, and foster safer clinical environments.

Involving nurses in the adoption of technology also results in significant cost savings. For instance, following the integration of CDSS into EHR systems, vitamin D testing decreased, generating annual savings of approximately \$300,000 (Lewkowicz et al., 2020). Nurse leadership in informatics ensures that these technologies are implemented efficiently, delivering both clinical and economic value.

Benefit of Nurse Engagement in CDSS	Outcome
Improved patient safety	Reduction in medication errors
Enhanced efficiency	Faster clinical decision-making
Financial savings	\$300,000 saved from reduced testing
Increased user satisfaction	Better system usability

(Zhai et al., 2022; Lewkowicz et al., 2020)

Opportunities and Challenges

While the role of NIs introduces numerous benefits, it is not without challenges. The successful implementation of CDSS depends on the NI’s capacity to guide the integration process, interpret clinical data, and support informed decision-making (Laraichi et al., 2024). They also assist staff in understanding and adapting to EHR and CDSS functionalities through training programs and awareness sessions.

A key barrier includes resistance from staff due to limited knowledge or reluctance to change. These issues can be addressed with ongoing training and leadership engagement. Moreover, secure system implementation is vital. Measures like data encryption and routine system audits mitigate security and privacy risks (Shojaei et al., 2024). NIs help evaluate technological readiness, ensure ease of use, and align digital tools with clinical goals. Their collaboration with interdisciplinary teams helps address healthcare challenges, improve resource utilization, and deliver precise patient care.

Summary of Recommendation and Justification of the Role

The presence of Nurse Informaticists enhances the reliability and safety of CDSS. Research indicates that CDSS improves diagnostic accuracy, supports complex decision-making, and fosters patient-centered care (Laraichi et al., 2024). NIs aid nurses in managing data input, navigating health information systems, and making evidence-informed decisions (Nashwan et al., 2025). They also ensure that the implementation of digital tools adheres to safety protocols, including staff training on multi-factor authentication and HIPAA compliance (Shojaei et al., 2024).

Furthermore, NIs deliver strong return on investment (ROI) by improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary testing. CDSS contributes to this ROI by eliminating redundant procedures and enhancing care standards (Lewkowicz et al., 2020). Ultimately, the NI role is indispensable in improving healthcare delivery through safe and strategic use of digital systems.

Conclusion

Employing Nurse Informaticists to implement and manage Clinical Decision Support Systems will substantially improve care delivery and workflow processes. CDSS enhances patient safety by minimizing clinical errors and encouraging data-driven decision-making. Through collaboration and expert use of digital technologies, NIs help create a clinical environment that is informed, efficient, and responsive. Their contributions significantly elevate healthcare quality and support the institution’s mission to deliver high-value, evidence-based care.

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References

American Nurses Association. (2024). What is nursing informatics, and why is it so important? https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-resources/nursing-informatics/

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Nursing informatics. https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/nursing/nursing-informatics

Capella 4045 Assessment 1

Laraichi, O., Daim, T., Alzahrani, S., Hogaboam, L., Bolatan, G. I., & Moughari, M. M. (2024). Technology readiness assessment: Case of clinical decision support systems in healthcare. Technology in Society, 79, 102736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102736

Lewkowicz, D., Wohlbrandt, A., & Boettinger, E. (2020). Economic Impact of Clinical Decision Support Interventions Based on Electronic Health Records. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 871. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05688-3

Lopez, K. D., Langford, L. H., Kennedy, R., McCormick, K., Delaney, C. W., Alexander, G., Englebright, J., Carroll, W. M., & Monsen, K. A. (2023). Future advancement of health care through standardized nursing terminologies: Reflections from a Friends of the National Library of Medicine workshop honoring Virginia K. Saba. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 30(11), 1878–1884. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocad156

Mayo Clinic. (2024). Clinical decision support systems for personalized management of patients with acute kidney injury. https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/pulmonary-medicine/news/clinical-decision-support-systems-for-personalized-management-of-patients-with-acute-kidney-injury/mac-20524049

Nashwan, A. J., Cabrega, J. A., Othman, M. I., Khedr, M. A., Osman, Y. M., Ashry, A. M. E., Naif, R., & Mousa, A. A. (2025). The evolving role of nursing informatics in the era of artificial intelligence. International Nursing Review, 72(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.13084

Capella 4045 Assessment 1

Shojaei, P., Gjorgievska, V. E., & Chow, Y.-W. (2024). Security and privacy of technologies in health information systems: A systematic literature review. Computers, 13(2), 41–41. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13020041

Zhai, Y., Yu, Z., Zhang, Q., Qin, W., Yang, C., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Transition to a new nursing information system embedded with clinical decision support: A mixed-method study using the HOT-fit framework. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 22(1), 310. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-022-02041-y