Nursing And Computers

As computers continue to become more common in the health care industry, computer literacy has become an integral part of the nursing profession. Selected Book of the Year by the American Journal of Nursing in its first edition, this book continues to provide an introduction to computer technology for nurses.

Since its first publication in 1988, this guide has established itself as the premier reference text in the field for all health care professionals seeking an up-to-date review of the role of information technology in the nursing profession. The second edition of this seminal work goes on to address the growth and evolution of the nursing informatics discipline as well as the impact of the rapid and far-reaching changes in IT and in health care. In addition to a new section on integration, this edition includes all-new chapters on subjects such as: the national health information infrastructure; reengineering health care and business processes; electronic resources for nursing; usability concepts and the clinical workstation; ubiquitous computing and the nurse; information management and long-term care; the information needs of nurse-managed centres; critical path/care map and case management needs; large databases and their implications for planning and health policy; virtual reality; and defining the informatics nurse specialist.

This series is intended for the rapidly increasing number of health care professionals who have rudimentary knowledge and experience in health care computing and are seeking opportunities to expand their horizons. It does not attempt to compete with the primers already on the market. Eminent international experts will edit, author, or contribute to each volume in order to provide comprehensive and current accounts of in novations and future trends in this quickly evolving field. Each book will be practical, easy to use, and weIl referenced. Our aim is for the series to encompass all of the health professions by focusing on specific professions, such as nursing, in individual volumes. However, integrated computing systems are only one tool for improving communication among members of the health care team. Therefore, it is our hope that the series will stimulate professionals to explore additional me ans of fostering interdisciplinary exchange. This se ries springs from a professional collaboration that has grown over the years into a highly valued personal friendship. Our joint values put people first. If the Computers in Health Care series lets us share those values by helping health care professionals to communicate their ideas for the benefit of patients, then our efforts will have succeeded.

The best selling nurses' guide to understanding and using computers in the workplace--now revised and completely up-to-date. New edition discusses the increasing use of specialized software within nursing curriculums. Examines use of the Internet as a powerful research tool; the way computers are changing the practice of nursing and the NCLEX; telemedicine; and more.

Nurses and computers are increasingly becoming partners in health care. This comprehensive introduction to computers provides a foundation in computer basics and applications to nursing education and practice. It seeks to prepare students to use computers in their careers as learners and provide concepts that the future nurse will use in clinical practice.

Nursing, like other health-related professions, is information-inten sive. The quality of care a patient receives is based on the soundness of judgment exercised by the health care team. Underlying sound judg ment is up-to-date information. Unless nurses have access to accurate and pertinent information, the care being rendered will not be of the highest standard. What is required is not necessarily more rapid and efficient informa tion services. Modern technology can process immense amounts of data in the blink of an eye. What we in the health professions need are information systems that are more intelligent, systems that can inte grate information from many sources, systems that analyze and syn thesize information and display it so that it may be applied directly in patient care-in other words, information that answers a question or even gives practical advice. In order to accomplish such objectives, work is needed to establish the scientific and theoretical basis for the use of computing and infor mation systems by health professionals. This is the research com ponent. In addition, there is the need for continued development and evaluation of practical information systems.

A compilation of both landmark historic and contemporary papers, illustrating the inception and evolution of nursing informatics. The authors have assembled the papers into an invaluable source book providing a framework for future developments in the field. Examining the relationship between nursing and information systems, practical applications include administration, practice, research, education, critical care, and community health. An essential tool for nurses seeking to attain credentials as Nursing Informatics Specialists.