Elina Rajalahti

Impacts of structuring nursing records: a systematic review

AIM The study aims to describe the impacts of different data structuring methods used in nursing records or care plans. This systematic review examines what kinds of structuring methods have been evaluated and the effects of data structures on healthcare input, processes and outcomes in previous studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrieval from 15 databases yielded 143 papers. Based on Population (Participants), Intervention, Comparators, Outcomes elements and exclusion and inclusion criteria, the search produced 61 studies. A data extraction tool and analysis for empirical articles were used to classify the data referring to the study aim. Thirty-eight studies were included in the final analysis. FINDINGS The study design most often used was a single measurement without any control. The studies were conducted mostly in secondary or tertiary care in institutional care contexts. The standards used in documentation were nursing classifications or the nursing process model in clinical use. The use of standardised nursing language (SNL) increased descriptions of nursing interventions and outcomes supporting daily care, and improving patient safety and information reuse. DISCUSSION The nursing process model and classifications are used internationally as nursing data structures in nursing records and care plans. The use of SNL revealed various positive impacts. Unexpected outcomes were most often related to lack of resources. LIMITATIONS Indexing of SNL studies has not been consistent. That might cause bias in database retrieval, and important articles may be lacking. The study design of the studies analysed varied widely. Further, the time frame of papers was quite long, causing confusion in descriptions of nursing data structures. CONCLUSION The value of SNL is proven by its support of daily workflow, delivery of nursing care and data reuse. This facilitates continuity of care, thus contributing to patient safety. Nurses need more education and managerial support in order to be able to benefit from SNL.

Curricula challenges and informatics competencies for nurse educators

Nursing informatics competencies are fundamental to nursing practice in all areas of nursing work, including direct patient care, administration and education. The recent activity relating to the development of nursing informatics competencies for beginning level nurses has exposed a paucity of understanding of the requirements for nursing informatics competencies for nurse educators. So, whilst the challenge of educating faculty to teach informatics has been limited, research into such competencies is required to meet this challenge. This paper describes the challenges and issues associated with nursing informatics competency development for faculty, outlines the capabilities of faculty, and presents a vision for the future of informatics education for faculty. The final requirement of the introduction of new competencies is to determine appropriate evaluation measures that reflect the requirements of all stakeholders.