WGU C468 OA Question and Answers Nursing Informatics

Information science - interdisciplinary field primarily concerned with analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval, movement, and dissemination of information. information processing - cognitive processing theory, how mind functions. acquisition, recording, organization, retrieval, display, and dissemination of information. information systems - study of complementary networks of hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data. nursing informatics - may be broadly defined as the use of information and computer technology to support all aspects of nursing practice, including direct delivery of care, administration, education, and research. The definition of nursing informatics is evolving as advances occur in nursing practice and technology; there have been many different definitions throughout the years as the discipline has evolved. Nursing informatics is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge and wisdom into nursing practice. Nursing informatics facilitates the integration of data, information, knowledge and wisdom to support patients, nurses, and other providers in their decision making in all roles and settings. This support is accomplished through the use of information structures, information processes, and information technology. data - collection of numbers, characters, or facts that are gathered according to some perceived need for analysis and possibly action at a later point in time. Examples of data include a client's vital signs. Other examples of data are the length of hospital stay for each client; the client's race, marital status, or employment status; and next of kin. Sometimes these types of data may be given a numeric or alphabetic code. a collection of data can be examined for patterns and structure that can be interpreted. information - is data that have been interpreted. example, individual temperature readings are data. When they are plotted onto a graph, changes in the client's temperature over time and comparison with normal values become evident, thus turning into information.