Week 2: Assignment
Reflection Questions
Reflect upon your current or most recent clinical practice and answer the following:
1. How is informatics used?
Informatics is an essential part of the healthcare system, and it is used by every healthcare
professional on a daily basis. As we see technology evolving, we need to develop our
understanding of technology as nurses and future Nurse Practitioner. Informatics is used in
varies way in health care, whether if it’s inpatient or outpatient, clinicians and patients
utilize online portal systems, electronic medical records, data collection devices such as vital
sign machines and glucometers, as well as personal data devices and email, which these are
a few ways it is utilized. (Sweeney, 2017). One of the biggest reasons why informatics was
adopted into the healthcare system is to ensure patient safety and to give good healthcare
outcomes to patients.
2. Regarding the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment for this week, how did your perceived
competency level prior to the self-assessment compared to after the self-assessment?
Explain in detail.
I perceived my competency at a mid-level, which is considered as an experienced nurse.
Before the Pre-Tanic Self- Assessment due to my current job title, I am expected to help
improve patient outcomes and develop policies in my healthcare setting. After completing
the self-assessment, I realized that my competency is at a mid-expert level, which is
between an experienced nurse and an informatics nurse specialist, reflecting on the
questions presented in the self-assessment. I assume that I have improved in my computer
skills and knowledge over time because of my current role. When I was a floor nurse, I was
exposed to limited computer usage, which focused mostly on EHR and some clinical
applications used throughout the hospital. As I assumed my current role as a Director of
Nursing in a Home Health Agency, I have improved my computer knowledge, focusing me
on expanding my nursing knowledge into informatics.
3. What TWO competencies do you use in your current clinical role? Provide examples.
According to McGonigle & Mastrian (2018), there are three competency categories that are
considered in nursing informatics, which are computer skills, informatics knowledge, and
informatics skills. After reflecting on each competency, I think I use all three of the
competencies, but if I have to choose two of them, I would say I use computer skills and
informatics knowledge in my current clinical role. The reason why I say I use these two
competencies in my current setting is to fulfill my current position, I have to develop
different ways of improving the patient’s outcome and prevent further decline in their
health when our agency is servicing them. To accomplish these goals, I need to become an
expert in computer skills to help develop different formats to improve existing programs
used in the agency. Also, to prevent further patient decline, I must analyze nursing data
Reflection Questions
Reflect upon your current or most recent clinical practice and answer the following:
1. How is informatics used?
Informatics is an essential part of the healthcare system, and it is used by every healthcare
professional on a daily basis. As we see technology evolving, we need to develop our
understanding of technology as nurses and future Nurse Practitioner. Informatics is used in
varies way in health care, whether if it’s inpatient or outpatient, clinicians and patients
utilize online portal systems, electronic medical records, data collection devices such as vital
sign machines and glucometers, as well as personal data devices and email, which these are
a few ways it is utilized. (Sweeney, 2017). One of the biggest reasons why informatics was
adopted into the healthcare system is to ensure patient safety and to give good healthcare
outcomes to patients.
2. Regarding the Pre-TANIC Self-Assessment for this week, how did your perceived
competency level prior to the self-assessment compared to after the self-assessment?
Explain in detail.
I perceived my competency at a mid-level, which is considered as an experienced nurse.
Before the Pre-Tanic Self- Assessment due to my current job title, I am expected to help
improve patient outcomes and develop policies in my healthcare setting. After completing
the self-assessment, I realized that my competency is at a mid-expert level, which is
between an experienced nurse and an informatics nurse specialist, reflecting on the
questions presented in the self-assessment. I assume that I have improved in my computer
skills and knowledge over time because of my current role. When I was a floor nurse, I was
exposed to limited computer usage, which focused mostly on EHR and some clinical
applications used throughout the hospital. As I assumed my current role as a Director of
Nursing in a Home Health Agency, I have improved my computer knowledge, focusing me
on expanding my nursing knowledge into informatics.
3. What TWO competencies do you use in your current clinical role? Provide examples.
According to McGonigle & Mastrian (2018), there are three competency categories that are
considered in nursing informatics, which are computer skills, informatics knowledge, and
informatics skills. After reflecting on each competency, I think I use all three of the
competencies, but if I have to choose two of them, I would say I use computer skills and
informatics knowledge in my current clinical role. The reason why I say I use these two
competencies in my current setting is to fulfill my current position, I have to develop
different ways of improving the patient’s outcome and prevent further decline in their
health when our agency is servicing them. To accomplish these goals, I need to become an
expert in computer skills to help develop different formats to improve existing programs
used in the agency. Also, to prevent further patient decline, I must analyze nursing data
