Advances in healthcare have promoted the rise of numerous nursing professionals and roles in clinical settings. DNP in informatics holds the potential for improving nursing informatics and patient care. DNP studies are likely to promote the emergence of new nurse informaticist roles through the unique skills attained by DNP-prepared informaticists.
The emerging roles of DNP-prepared informaticists will be focused on big data, electronic health records management, and evidence-based practice (EBP). Some of the emerging roles for DNP informaticists in these fields include working in clinical and academic positions that relate to big data management, data science, managing information systems in healthcare organizations that deal with population epidemiological data, and clinical system analysis, among other roles (Trautman, Idzik, Hammersla, & Rosseter, 2018). DNP-prepared informaticists can participate in more than one of their emerging roles in nursing practice.
The Doctor of Nursing Studies will bring unique skills to nursing informatics. Some of these unique skills include collection and utilization of patient data for analysis and dissemination of information regarding the overall population within a community, advanced technology use in critical decision-making in clinical settings, and the combination of data science, computer science, and nursing knowledge in epidemiological studies of populations (Forman, Armor, & Miller, 2020; Daly, 2015). Other unique skills associated with the Doctors of Nursing Studies include leadership principles that relate to the management of medical insurance records through electronic health records and analysis of big data (Edwards, Coddington, Erler, & Kirkpatrick, 2018; Lavin, Harper, & Barr, 2015; Cassano, 2017). These unique skills will improve the outcome of patients in clinical practice and create more opportunities for nurse informaticists.
DNP-prepared informaticists will promote the quality of services offered to patients in the future. There are numerous emerging roles of DNP-prepared informaticists in areas like electronic health records management and EBP. The advanced skills offered in Doctor of Nursing Studies in information management and data analysis will improve nursing informatics.
References
Cassano, C. (2017). Nursing Informatics Careers -The Future of Healthcare. JOJ Nursing & Health Care, 5(5), 1-3. https://juniperpublishers.com/jojnhc/pdf/JOJNHC.MS.ID.555672.pdf.
Daly, P. (2015). Clinical nurses lead the charge with EHR. Nursing 2019, 45(10), 25-26. https://journals.lww.com/nursing/fulltext/2015/10000/Clinical_nurses_lead_the_charge_with_EHR.8.aspx.
Edwards, N., Coddington, J., Erler, C., & Kirkpatrick, J. (2018). The Impact of the Role of Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurses. Medical Research Archives, 6(4),1-11.
Forman, T. M., Armor, D. A., & Miller, A. S. (2020). A Review of Clinical Informatics Competencies in Nursing to Inform Best Practices in Education and Nurse Faculty Development. Nursing Education Perspectives, 41(1), E3-E7. https://journals.lww.com/neponline/fulltext/2020/01000/a_review_of_clinical_informatics_competencies_in.27.aspx.
Lavin, M. A., Harper, E., & Barr, N. (2015). Health Information Technology, Patient Safety, and Professional Nursing Care Documentation in Acute Care Settings. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 20(2). http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-20-2015/No2-May-2015/Articles-Previous-Topics/Technology-Safety-and-Professional-Care-Documentation.html.
Trautman, D. E., Idzik, S., Hammersla, M., & Rosseter, R. (2018). Advancing Scholarship through Translational Research: The Role of PhD and DNP Prepared Nurses. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(2). http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-23-2018/No2-May-2018/Advancing-Scholarship-through-Translational-Research.html.