The real cost of administrative systems:

To determine the true cost of automation, one must take three things into account: 1- cost of the hardware and software: while hardware and software are often the only things considered when determining cost, they are, today perhaps the least costly element given the constantly declining cost of technology. 2- cost of education: A system is only effective if nurses use it and nurses cannot use a system unless they get the necessary training. 3- intellectual resources: nursing management should serve as advisors, directors, and influencers of the technology that nursing uses.

The need for nursing data standards:

Several years after developing practice standards, ANA established the nursing information and data set evaluation center (NIDSEC) to create and disseminate standards for information system. These standards were designed to ensure complete, accurate documentation of nursing practice and to serve as a guide by which to evaluate information system. The NIDSEC standards apply to four aspects of nursing data sets and the systems that contain them nomenclature, clinical content, clinical data repository, and general system characteristics. Though most often applied in the selection of clinical systems, these standards could serve as an equally good model for evaluating administrative systems for nursing.

How nursing benefits from information technology:

Nursing administrative systems fall into three basic categories of use: 1- Strategic. 2- Operational. 3- Tactical. In general, they help nursing: Improve communication Improve order entry

Improve continuity of care Spend more time on patient care. Guide critical thinking. Tap into expert resources. Evaluate care.

Computer applications for administrative information management:

Applications for nurse managers
Nursing intensity Patient classification systems Acuity systems Unit activity reports Utilization review Computer-based patient records(CPR) Poison control Error reports Incident reports

Applications for nurse executives

Forecasting and planning Hospital expansion Preventive maintenance Consumer surveys Evidence-based nursing Personnel files Risk pooling Costing nursing care Quality assurance

Nurse Executives Data Needs:

1- Managing organized nursing services and the environment in which clinical nursing is practiced. Forecasting and planning Financial planning Hospital expansion Preventive maintenance Planning systems 2- Ensuring that standards of nursing practice are established and implemented, and are consistent with standards of professional organizations and regulatory agencies. Quality assurance Regulatory reporting Consumer surveys Evidence-based practice 3- Evaluating care delivery models and of services provided to individuals and aggregates. Personnel files

Risk pooling Costing nursing care Case mix