NURSING INFORMATICS

Software B. Disk management utilities

 General term applied to the instructions that direct  Designed to help the user keep hard disk space
the computer’s hardware to perform work clean and efficient
 It is distinguished from hardware by its conceptual C. Backup utilities
rather than physical nature  Serve to help the users back up their data
D. Screen savers
PURPOSES  Computer programs that either blank monitor screen
 Translate instructions created in human language or fill it with constantly moving images when the user
into machine language is away from the computer
 Stored software is needed to make the computer an E. Archival software
economical work tool  Compresses information in files to be achieved, and
 It s supplied as organized instruction sets called then stores them in a compressed form in some long
programs, or more typical as a set of related program term storage device
called a package F. Programming environment support programs
 Without software, hardware performs no function  Used by the program developers to support their
programming work or to run their programs
BASIC TYPES
1. System software 3. Application software
 Starts up and initializes the computer system  Includes all various programs people use to do work,
 Search and controlled by the RAM process..
 Controls input, output and storage
 Controls operations of application software COMMON SOFTWARE FOR NURSES
 Operating system is the overall controller of the work  In most hospitals, most software used by nurses are
of the computer based in a HIS
 Manages the interface to all peripheral  The HIS is a multipurpose program, designed to
hardware support many applications in hospitals and their
 Schedule tasks associated clinics
 Allocates storage in memory and on disks The components nurses use:
 Retrieves programs and data from storage  The electronic medical record
 Provides an interface between the machine and  Admission-discharge-transfer (ADT) systems
the user  Medication administration record (MAR)
software
2. Utility programs  Supplies inventory systems
 Consists of programs designed to support and  Laboratory systems
optimize functioning of the computer system itself  Radiology system
 Adding power to the functioning of the system  Computerized patient acuity system
software  E-mail system
 Supporting the operating system or applications  Computer physician order entry (CPOE) system-
software programs physicians document medical orders.
 Clean the unwanted programs, protect from viruses  Given that many people have PDAs, nurses may
download software applications to assist in patient
CATEGORIES care
A. Security software
 Includes primarily anti-virus, firewall, and encryption FREE SOFTWARE
programs  Defined by the FSF in terms of four freedoms for
software users

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a. To have the freedom to use

b. Study
c. Redistribute
d. Improve the software
OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
 It promotes software reliability and quality by
supporting independent peer review and making the
source code of software freely available.
 Open source licenses allow anyone to modify and
redistribute software.
 The open source initiative (OSI) has created a
certification mark, “OSI certified”
 In order to be OSI certified, the software must be
distributed under a license that guarantees the right
to read, redistribute, modify and use the software
freely.

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