Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory

Module #2 Teacher’s Guide

Lesson title: THEORIES, MODELS & FRAMEWORK Materials:

Electronic gadget, pen, & notebook
Learning Targets:
At the end of the module, students will be able to: References:
1. Describe different models and theories of healthcare
informatics; Calano, Roel B. & Del Rio, Fernando. (2017).
2. Define the three building blocks of nursing communication; Health informatics: An illustrative approach
3. Explain nursing informatics as a distinct specialty; and, (1st ed.)
4. Identify different terminologies used in nursing informatics.
Saba, Virginia & McCormick, Kathleen.
(2006). Essential of nursing informatics (4th
ed.). McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

The teacher will take a lesson review by letting the students answer the task/question in their SAS based on their
academic view and learnings from the previous lesson. Here is the task/question:
What is the importance of informatics in nursing?

B. MAIN LESSON

Nursing informatics is a field of nursing that incorporates nursing, computer, and information sciences to maintain and
develop medical data and systems to support the practice of nursing, and to improve patient care outcomes. Technologies
that have evolved due to health care/nursing informatics include:
● Computerized provider order entry (CPOE)
● Electronic medical records (EMRs)
o Test results
o Progress notes
o Nursing notes
o Medication records

There are three "building blocks" of nursing communications - data, information, and knowledge.
A. Data: Raw facts which lacks meaning and described objectively without interpretation, may include direct observations
that do not need interpretation, such as:
● Patient's name
● Age
● Vital signs
● Disease history
B. Information: Data that is interpreted, organized, or structured. Data made functional through the application of
knowledge. Examples include:
● Prevalence of hospital-acquired infections, by care unit
● Percentage of patient care delays in outpatient clinics, by specialty
C. Knowledge: Processed information that helps to clarify or explain some aspects of our environment or world that we
can use as a basis for action or upon which we can act Nursing knowledge: Is defined as information that has been
synthesized so that interrelationships are identified and formalized resulting in decisions that guide nursing practice
such as:
● The effect of nurse-patient ratios and patient outcomes
● Developing care protocols (i.e. anaphylactic reaction protocols, pressure ulcer protocols, etc.)

While nurses incorporate all three communication "building blocks" in their daily routines, the three concepts are also
stored in computer programs and software to assist health care providers across the continuum to provide high-quality,
safe patient care.

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 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #2 Teacher’s Guide

THEORIES AND MODELS

CHANGE THEORY
● No matter which agency experiences computerization of information and whether it is an entirely new experience,
or an update to an ongoing system, change is involved.
● It may be a simple change such as a minor upgrade to a system, or a major change such as moving from a paper
– based record to a completely paperless electronic system.
Different Theories:
● Lewin’s Change Theory
● Information Theory
● General Systems Theory
● Cognitive Science
● Learning Theories

GRAVES AND CORCORAN MODEL (1989)

● Nursing informatics as the linear progression - from data into information and knowledge
● Management processing is integrated within each element, depicting nursing informatics as the proper
management of knowledge – from data as it is converted into information and knowledge

SCHWIRIAN’S MODEL (1986)

● Nursing informatics involves identification of information needs, resolution of
the needs, and attainment of nursing goals/objectives

● Patricia Schwerin – proposed a model intended to stimulate and guide

systematic research in nursing informatics in 1986 Model/framework that
enables identification of significant information needs, that can foster research
(somewhat similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs)

TURLEY’S MODEL (1996)

● Nursing informatics is the intersection between the discipline-
specific science (nursing) and the area of informatics Core
components of informatics:
1. Cognitive science
2. Information science
3. Computer science

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #2 Teacher’s Guide

DATA-INFORMATION- KNOWLEDGE MODEL

● NI is a specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science
and information science to manage and communicate data,
information, knowledge and wisdom into nursing practice (ANA)
● Nursing informatics is an evolving, dynamic process involving the
conversion of data into information, and subsequently knowledge
● Important Note: Processing of information does not always result in
the development of knowledge.

BENNER’S LEVEL OF EXPERTISE MODEL

● Every nurse must be able to
continuously exhibit the capability to
acquire skills (in this case, computer
literacy skills parallel with nursing
knowledge), and then demonstrate
specific skills beginning with the very
first student experience

Check for Understanding

The students will be instructed to answer the following multiple choice questions regarding the main lesson and provide
the rationale for each item. For the teacher’s reference, here are the answers and rationales of the respective questions.

1. Which of the following is not a component of healthcare informatics?

a. Computer science
b. Healthcare science
c. Cognitive science
d. Radiologic science
ANSWER: D
Healthcare Informatics is defined as “the integration of healthcare sciences, computer science, information science, and
cognitive science to assist in the management of healthcare information”.

2. Which of the following is associated with nursing informatics theory?

a. Organizational interactions
b. Impact of technology on productivity
c. Data with some structure
d. Employer rewards and authority
ANSWER: C
Nursing informatics theory addresses data (discrete facts), information (data with some type of structure or interpretation),
knowledge (synthesis of information), wisdom (evaluation of knowledge with reflection), and continuum. Sociotechnical
theory addresses organizational interactions, the impact of technology on productivity, and employer rewards and
authority.

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 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #2 Teacher’s Guide

3. Supports the use and documentation of nursing activities, provides tools for managing and delivery of nursing care.
a. Healthcare information system
b. Nursing information system
c. Computer program system
d. Nursing information systems
ANSWER: D
Nursing Information Systems are computer systems that manage clinical data from a variety of healthcare environments
and are made available in a timely and orderly fashion to aid nurses in improving patient care.

4. Based on traditional documents with nursing diagnosis as an organizing framework, may use standardized nursing
languages from assessment to evaluation.
a. Nursing process
b. Healthcare information system
c. Nursing information system
d. Computer program system
ANSWER: A
The nursing process is a scientific five-step approach that nurses use to safeguard levels of care that patients receive.
ADPIE is an acronym representing the five phases of the nursing process. This means Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning,
Implementing and Evaluation.

5. The ability of a nurse to use knowledge & make a judgment call which can impact actions resulting from this decision.
a. Nursing process
b. Critical thinking
c. Healthcare information system
d. Nursing information system
ANSWER: B
Critical thinking is applied by nurses in the process of solving problems of patients and decision-making processes with
creativity to enhance the effect. It is an essential process for a safe, efficient and skillful nursing intervention.

6. The framework for nursing informatics relies on the central concepts of the following EXCEPT
a. Data
b. Information
c. Knowledge
d. Science
ANSWER: D
The Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom (DIKW) framework is one of the core conceptual frameworks for the practice
of nursing informatics. However, in order for the framework to be effective, nurses must define knowledge, within
electronic health records, to accurately capture the context of nursing practice.

7. This model emphasizes three entities: data, information and knowledge which are regarded as the core concepts of
informatics.
a. Graves and Corcoran Model
b. Schwirian’s Model
c. Turley’s Model
d. Data-Information- Knowledge Model
ANSWER: A
Graves and Corcoran (1989) as “a combination of computer science, information science and nursing science designed to
assist in the management and processing of nursing data, information and knowledge to support the practice of nursing
and the delivery of nursing care”.

8. This model states that nursing informatics is an evolving, dynamic process involving the conversion of data into
information, and subsequently knowledge
a. Graves and Corcoran Model
b. Schwirian’s Model
c. Turley’s Model
d. Data-Information- Knowledge Model
ANSWER: D
Data-Information- Knowledge Model

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 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #2 Teacher’s Guide

9. A model intended to stimulate and guide systematic research in nursing informatics. It enables identification of
significant information needs that can foster research somewhat similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
a. Graves and Corcoran’s model
b. Schwirian’s Model
c. Turley’s Model
d. Data-Information- Knowledge Model
ANSWER: B
Schwirian developed the NI pyramid as a model for Nursing Informatics. Schwirian defined NI as, “the use of information
technology in relation to any of the functions which are within the purview of nursing and which are carried out by nurses.”

10. Stage of skill acquisition that is accomplished when the expert performer no longer relies on analytical principles like
rules, guidelines and maxims to connect his/her understanding of the situation to an appropriate action.
a. Expert
b. Beginner
c. Competent
d. Proficient
ANSWER: A
The fifth and final stage discussed in the novice to expert model is the expert stage. The expert individual has an
extensive knowledge of situations that allows for confidence and an intuitive grasp of complex patient situations (Dale et
al., 2013). Rules, guidelines, and maxims are no longer relied upon during the expert stage because the individual is able
to grasp the situation and understand what needs to be accomplished at this point (Benner, 1982)

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

Thinking about Learning

SIMILE ME

A simile is a useful way to describe something without using a long list of adjectives. It can create a vivid image in the
reader’s mind, helping to engage and absorb them. Have students complete the statement:

"Health informatics is like ______________________________ because _____________________."

ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR TEACHERS

o The next module session is the computer hardware. Remind the students to take a lead and read ahead their
learning materials.

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