Week 2 Assignment: Nursing Informatics Pioneers

Write a scholarly 3- to 4-page paper comparing two nursing informatics pioneers. Synthesize your thoughts using the bullets below as a guide:

• What are the professional accomplishments of each individual?
• How have their contributions influenced nursing practice?
• How have their contributions shaped the field of nursing informatics?
• What lessons can you take away from their experiences?
• What skills or ideas demonstrated by these leaders might you apply to your professional practice?

Research articles and research is extremely significant in the nursing field and practice as a whole. Nurses work directly with patients on a daily basis and because of this, they are the most aware of the needs of the patient. They are also the most informed about what procedures and policies favor the quality of patient care given and what needs to be adjusted to better cater to their needs. Rigorous research is extremely important for nursing students and nurses to keep up with at every stage of their career. This is because it advances nursing practice like aiding in the shaping of healthcare policy which leads to overall advancements in health all around the globe not just within the United States. For example, the National Institute of Nursing Research is dedicated to finding new knowledge on disease prevention, disability, illness symptom management, and improvement of end-of-life care (“Importance of research in Nursing: UNCW online,” 2016). In terms of the application of research in the modern world, the importance of research can be seen with the occurrence of the pandemic of COVID-19. The world experienced a complete lockdown and incredible spike of deaths in the past two years due to a virus that has no cure and still does not hold a cure rather than a vaccine that aims to slow and decrease the spread and prevalence of the disease. It is due to research that a vaccine could be created a

Week 2 Assignment Nursing Informatics Pioneers

nd that nurses and other medical professionals found out what treatment methods and care plans work best to treat this disease.

Pioneers of Nursing Informatics

Information technologies have shaped significantly the provision of nursing care in the modern world. Healthcare and nursing institutions are constantly exploring innovative technologies that can be used to advance the quality, safety and efficiency of care that patients receive. Since its inception in the 1960s, the field of informatics has grown to become a critical driving force in promoting organizational success (Ball et al., 2011). The development of nursing informatics is attributed to its pioneers that ensured the sustainability in the interventions adopted by health organizations. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the contributions of Roy Simpson and Patricia Aboott to nursing informatics.

Professional Accomplishments

The selected pioneers of nursing informatics are Roy Simpson and Patricia Abbott. Roy Simpson is a professional with more than 30 years of experience in the field of nursing informatics as well as senior executive administration. Simpson is recognized for his pivotal role in the development alongside funding of the Werley ad Lang Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS). The NMDS provides definitions as well as categories of nursing problems, interventions, diagnoses and patient outcomes, which the American Nurses Association has approved. He has served in other professional capacities such as being the member of board of trustees for Excelsior College, visiting scholar at the University of Oklahoma, and distinguished lecturer at Georgia State University (nursing.emory.edu, n.d.). On the other hand, Patria Abbott is a director of the Pan American Health Organization. She works as a profession in the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. She has experience as a specialist involved in the management of healthcare information at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Baltimore (Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care, 2019).

Influence on Nursing Practice

One of Simpson’s contributions that have influenced nursing is the development of the NMDS. NMDS has influenced nursing by ensuring the use of information technologies in the definition and categorization of nursing problems, diagnoses, interventions, and patient outcomes. The influence can be seen from the adoption of the NMDS by the American Nurses Association for use in nursing practice. His other contribution is through training of nurses on nursing informatics. Simpson is a professor of informatics who has extensive knowledge, skills and experience in nursing informatics. He uses the knowledge to impart competence on nursing students. He also contributes to nursing through research to generate evidence-based data on issues related to nursing informatics (nef.orgg, n.d.). Patricia Abbott’s contributions that have influenced nursing practice include her roles in policy, advocacy, and education. She was critical in advancing the knowledge of nursing students on issues related to informatics in University of Maryland. She has also influenced nursing practice through research that has led to evidence-based practice in nursing and informatics (Center for Integrative Research In Critical Care, 2019).

Influence on the Field of Nursing Informatics

One of the ways in which Simpson’s contributions influenced the field of nursing informatics is his development of the NMDS. His discovery increased the need and relevance of nursing informatics in healthcare. Simpson has also undertaken researches on various issues related to nursing informatics to ensure its need, relevance, and efficiency in healthcare. Simpson has also influenced the field of nursing informatics by writing articles that reflect the transformations in nursing informatics and the emerging roles of the nurses (ANIA, n.d.). Abbott’s contributions also influence nursing informatics. Her research on issues related to nursing informatics informed the need for changes in nursing technologies to meet the complex care needs of the different patient populations. Abbott also contributed to the development of evidence-based practices in nursing informatics through her researches (Newbold & Brixey, 2016). Therefore, their contributions have led to significant transformation in nursing informatics.

Lessons from their Experiences

One of the lessons learned from Simpson’s experience is hard work is important in one’s professional and personal live. The importance of hard work can be seen from Simpson’s contributions in the different settings he was worked and his impacts on the nursing profession. The other lesson is the importance of research in nursing. Simpson’s work shows that research is a critical component that drives evidence-based practice in nursing informatics and identification of new inventions in the profession (nef.orgg, n.d.). One of the lessons learned from Abbott’s experience is the importance of advocacy. Abbott’s work such as her contributions to John Hopkins School of Nursing Program shows the ways in which effective use of nursing advocacy skills can lead to societal transformation. Abbott’s experiences also makes us understand the importance of determination in life. Abbott began her nursing education at the diploma level, rising to become a doctor of nursing informatics (Newbold & Brixey, 2016). As a result, she exemplifies the importance of determination in enabling one succeed in life.

In the United States (US), the early adopters, developers, and innovators of technology in nursing practice are referred to as Pioneers of Nursing Informatics. These individuals are the innovators, spear headers, and groundbreakers in the specialty of nursing informatics. This paper seeks to compare two nursing informatics pioneers, Patricia Abbott and Virginia Saba, focusing on their professional accomplishments and how their contributions have influenced nursing practice.

Professional Accomplishments of Each Individual

Dr. Patricia Abbott undertook her nursing degree at the University of Maryland and later developed an interest in informatics. Dr. Abbott was among the first nurses to employ data-mining techniques in nursing (Shortliffe, 2004). She explored the existing databases in long-term care to understand factors that contribute to patient outcomes. In addition, she expanded her preliminary work into the patient safety aspect (Shortliffe, 2004). She ensured strong informatics content in programs funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration and AHRQ (American Medical Informatics Association [AMIA], (2021). She took leadership roles in preparing scholars and practitioners in nursing informatics. Besides, she led the establishment of the ANA Standards of Practice for Nursing Informatics and has been the country’s representative to the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) Nursing Special Interest Group.

Dr. Virginia Saba is a nationally and globally recognized pioneer of information technology in nursing. She has led the nursing informatics movement for over 40 years. Dr. Saba started academic technology programs and has supported the expansion of healthcare information technology systems such as the Clinical Care Classification (CCC) System (AMIA, 2021).  During her nursing career, Dr. Saba provided national leadership and fostered technology in nursing practice. When serving in academia, she incorporated nursing technology in nursing programs, facilities (AMIA, 2021). She also undertook federally funded research developing CCC System, National Nursing Standard. She is currently the President/CEO of Sabacare Inc & CCC System, where she integrates the CCC system into electronic healthcare documentation systems.

How Their Contributions Have Influenced Nursing Practice

Dr. Abbott’s contributions have influenced nursing practice by helping nurses to provide better patient care resulting in improved health outcomes. She explored existing databases in long-term care, which enabled nurses to understand better factors that contribute to patient outcomes (Shortliffe, 2004). As a result, nurses factor in these factors when planning patient care and implement interventions to improve outcomes. Dr. Abbott’s contributions have also influenced nurses to provide safe patient care (Shortliffe, 2004). Dr. Saba’s contributions have improved patient care efficiency through information technology systems such as the CCC system (AMIA, 2021).  The system provides nurses with a unique coding structure for assessing, documenting, and classifying patient care by nurses. Her contribution has also eased and improved nursing documentation, promoting easy access to patients’ health data.

How Their Contributions Have Shaped the Field Of Nursing Informatics

Dr. Abbott’s contributions have shaped nursing informatics by informing nurse informaticians how they can mine data from databases. As a result, informaticians obtain large data sets and use them to improve healthcare delivery (AMIA, 2021). Her contribution in leadership in preparing scholars and practitioners in nursing informatics has helped to increase the number of nurse informaticians, which promotes the growth of the informatics field. Dr. Saba shaped nursing informatics by introducing academic technology programs, which gave nurses the chance to gain informatics knowledge and thus apply technology in nursing practice (AMIA, 2021). She also supported the development of the CCC system, which helps in the electronic documentation of nursing plans of care. Besides, the CCC System is acknowledged as the terminology of choice for documenting patient care in the electronic health record system.

Lessons I Can Take Away From Their Experiences

Dr. Abbott’s experiences teach me to pursue my passion and interests in nursing. For instance, she developed a growing interest in informatics, which led her to pursue a master’s degree in nursing informatics and a Ph.D. in information systems. I have also learned that I should use my leadership skills to influence other nurses and foster the growth of the nursing profession. Lessons learned from Dr. Saba include using my knowledge and skills to develop innovative ways to improve patient care delivery. Besides, I should use my leadership position to promote the growth of the nursing profession.  I should also use my leadership power to advocate and lead movements that promote the greater good in the nursing profession.

Skills or Ideas Demonstrated That I Might Apply To My Professional Practice

            Dr. Abbott’s used her leadership to prepare scholars and practitioners in nursing informatics. I would apply this idea of using my leadership position to draw more scholars and nurses to my nursing specialty or towards a certain course that will improve nursing practice. Dr. Saba used her informatics knowledge, skills, and expertise to initiate academic technology programs (AMIA, 2021). I can use my nursing knowledge and skills to establish programs that equip nurses with specific specialty skills.

Conclusion

            Dr. Abbott and Dr. Saba are nursing informatics pioneers who have contributed immensely to influencing nursing practice and shaping nursing informatics. Dr. Abbott employed data mining techniques to help understand factors affecting patient outcomes. She has used her leadership role to equip other nurses with informatics skills and represent other nurse informaticians.  Dr. Saba established academic technology programs and developed the CCC System used in coding and documentation. Her efforts have helped improve patient care delivery for nurses.

References

American Medical Informatics Association. (2021). Nursing informatics innovators: Patricia Abbott. AMIA – American Medical Informatics Association. https://amia.org/community/working-groups/nursing-informatics/nursing-informatics-innovators-patricia-abbott

American Medical Informatics Association. (2021). Nursing informatics innovators: Virginia K. Saba. AMIA – American Medical Informatics Association. https://amia.org/community/working-groups/nursing-informatics/nursing-informatics-innovators-virginia-k-saba

Shortliffe, E. H. (2004). American College of Medical Informatics Fellows and International Associates, 2003. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association: JAMIA, 11(3), 225–233. https://doi.org/10.1197/jamia.M1521