Nurse Leaders and Nursing Informatics

How do you lead your staff into the technological frontier?

The best way is by example. As a nurse leader, the changes that have come about just in the last few years with the emergence and gaining dominance of the electronic medical record (EMR) could be very overwhelming. Embracing this change for yourself and then being able to pass that enthusiasm onto your nurses is key to developing a department that is in the forefront of your institution's informatics revolution.

In a brief by the Academy of Canadian Executive Nurses (ACEN) their was a suggestion of the need to develop innovative leadership competencies that enable nurse leaders to lead and advance transformative health system change. Specifically, this competency is articulated as "state of the art communication and technology savvy," and it implies linkages between nursing informatics competencies and transformational leadership roles for nurse executive (Remus & Kennedy, 2012). In this way, their nurse leaders could be trained and become comfortable with all the changes that are facing their departments and, with this comfort comes confidence, thus being able to lead their nurses.

Another important factor is to realize that no one person can achieve change alone. The change can start with one, but must include others to help with the surge. Therefore, it is not only important for the nurse manager to look towards her management for assistance, but to also surround herself with the staff that can assist her. In looking to management, there is an emerging type of nursing management, the Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO). This position is a nurse who leads the region in the strategy, development and implementation of information technology to support nursing, nursing practice, and clinical applications, collaborating with the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) on the clinical and administrative decision making process (Retrieved from http://www.himss.org). Also, getting the rest of the staff involved in the changes, allowing them ownership of such change, and, then, having them help to disseminate the change to the rest of the staff not only builds morale but also creates a team atmosphere.

This nurse manager and her team seem to have a great selection of YouTube videos called "Nurses PRN" discussing topics that are important to their nursing teams. I found the approach refreshing and innovative. What a great way to use technology to tout technology.

In conclusion, the nurse manager first has to learn to be an informatics leader herself and then she can ask her staff to join her in the exciting world of Nursing Informatics.

References

Chief Nursing Informatics Officer Job Description. HIMSS Nursing Informatics. Retrieved from http://www.himss.org/files/FileDownloads/CNIO%20Job%20Descriptions_1392155663869_5.pdf

Garde, S, Harrison, D., and Hovenga,E. (2004). Skill needs for nurses in their role as health informatics professionals: a survey in the context of global health informatics education. International Journal of Medical Informatics.74(11-12) 899-907.

Nursing Leadership Management and Leadership Styles(2014) AANAC Extras. Retrieved from http://www.aanac.org/docs/white-papers/2013-nursing-leadership---management-leadership-styles.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Remus, S.and Kennedy, M.A. (2012) Innovation in transformative nursing leadership: nursing informatics competencies and roles. Nursing Leadership. 25(4) 14-26.