Nursing Informatics Competency Based Assessment for Nursing Personnel in Primary Healthcare Centers in Tabuk

Abstract

Background: Technology is an integral part of every role of nurses, nursing informatics competencies crucial competencies required in the contemporary healthcare system. When nurses have an expected level of informatics practice, they will utilize patient data in a way that grantees increase quality, maximize outcome, enhance patient satisfaction, and promoting evidence-based practice. Aim: To assess nursing informatics competencies for nursing personnel in primary healthcare centers in Tabuk. Method: A descriptive study conducted in primary healthcare centers in Tabuk. Nursing Informatics Competencies. The questionnaire used for data collection. Study subjects: The total sample size was (n=217) nurses personnel. Results: The highest percentage of nursing personnel was female. More than half of the study sample had associated nursing degree, and less than one-third of them had a bachelor's degree in nursing. About half of the study subjects were capable of computer literacy competency and informatics literacy competency. Meanwhile, about one-third of them were capable of information management literacy competency. More than half of them were capable of total nursing informatics competencies. Conclusion: More than half of them were capable of overall nursing informatics competencies. Meanwhile, more than one third were partially capable, and less than one-quarter of them were not capable. Recommendations: Involve nursing informatics competencies in nursing personnel performance appraisal. Conduct competency based nursing informatics training programs for nursing personnel according to their needs and to be up to date with new competencies. Develop curricular based competencies and further researches to investigate the correlation between nursing informatics competencies and patient safety. Keywords: Nursing Informatics, Informatics Competencies, Computer literacy, Information management literacy, Informatics Literacy.