Nursing Informatics: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

AbstractEarly hospital information systems (HISs) placed computers at nursing stations, and the passage of Medicare in 1965 set reimbursement rules that required documentation, first met by nurses using precoded cards and forms. In the 1970s, interactive terminals with visual displays became available; in the 1980s, microcomputers custom-tailored for nursing functions began to be installed at the patient’s bedside. Handheld portable devices began to appear for use at the point of care, and hospitals began to use bar codes for identification purposes. Nurses became increasingly involved in specifying information requirements for nursing services. In the 1980s, nursing information systems (NISs) were probably the most widely used HIS subsystem. They were used for bed assignment and control, nurse staffing recommendations based on patient classification systems, quality assurance programs, nursing care planning, and decision support. The 1980s also saw advances toward implementation of the Nursing Minimum Data Set and development of nursing education programs. In the 1990s, the American Nurses Association published documents defining the scope and standards of nursing informatics practice, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center had established a certification in nursing informatics as a practice specialty. In the 2000s, an international nursing terminology summit brought nurses and standards experts together to integrate nursing concepts and map nursing interface terminologies to SNOMED-CT, ultimately creating what in 2007 became an international reference terminology standard. The 2000s also saw the establishment of the Alliance of Nursing Informatics (ANI) and TIGER (Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform); both continue to be active today.Keywords Nursing informatic s Nursing information system s Nursing terminology Nursing minimum data set Professional certification Nursing practice Professional association s Direct patient care Nursing management