informatics.comwww.healthcare- informatics.com

 There have been many promises around the benefits of using information technology (IT), but these often do not materialize. More sophisticated and powerful information systems are available and these have the potential to affect the work of nurses in clinical practice, education, research and administration (including governance and policy making). Nursing education and involvement with information and communications technologies (ICT) must change to keep pace with the increasing opportunities the technology provides. NURSING INFORMATICS

 Participate in faculty development programs to achieve competency in informatics.  Designate an informatics champion in every school of nursing to: (a) help faculty distinguish between using instructional technologies to teach vs. using informatics to guide, document, analyse, and inform nursing practice, and (b) translate state-of-the- art practices in technology and informatics that need to be integrated into the curriculum.

 Incorporate informatics into the curriculum.  Incorporate ANA-recognized standard nursing language and terminology into content.  Educate nursing students and practicing nurses in core informatics content. This includes promoting the inclusion of core informatics skills and knowledge leading to competency in nursing undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs.  Prepare nurses with specialized skills in informatics.

 Support is required for innovative nursing and health informatics programs that teach  specialized informatics skills needed to develop information technology that supports the  national health goals of providing accessible, high quality, and cost effective care.  Enhance nursing practice and education through informatics projects. Funding for innovative, collaborative telecommunication projects that would enhance the quality of clinical practice for populations at risk and contribute to the education of health care providers is critical.

 Prepare nursing faculty in informatics. Support for increased nursing faculty preparation in informatics through the use of collaborative programs and technology is critical.  Increase collaborative efforts in nursing informatics. Efforts to facilitate the advancement of informatics in nursing through collaboration among public and private organizations need to be supported.

The need to adopt a culture in nursing that promotes acceptance and use of information technology has been identified as an important parallel initiative to establishing Nursing Informatics competencies and educational strategies. Strategies for achieving NI competencies in the workplace include understanding theory and practice behind adoption of innovations, training, access to resources (e.g. CNA’s plans for a “Virtual Lab/Library”), and opportunities for continuing education.

 NURSING SCHOOLS LEADING THE WAY WITH ICT  These schools are preparing highly skilled and competitive nurses by deploying ICT solutions in the classroom and helping nursing students purchase a PC  through the PC Acquisition Financing Program.

 University of Perpetual Help System  Wesleyan University-Philippines  Good Samaritan Colleges  University of Pangasinan-Phinma  University of Iloilo-Phinma  Cagayan de Oro College-Phinma  Araullo University-Phinma

 human resources - lack of time, lack of knowledge, faculty preparation  technical resources including unsuitable software, limited access to appropriate computer hardware and software and the rapid rate of change within the technology industry makes it difficult to keep skills and educational materials current  system resources including little or no support from administration, financial burden of maintaining and upgrading computers and a lack of funding to develop and present programs, as well as declining financial support for continuing nursing education