The attempts at integrating nursing science with the data management tools that have become available due to the digitalization of the industry and the recent technological breakthrough have led to the creation of nursing informatics. A nursing informaticist plays an important role in ensuring that patient data is arranged properly and stored securely. However, the specifics of a nursing informaticist’s role within a nursing setting may differ depending on whether a nursing informaticist works in an urban or a rural environment.
Rural populations often happen to be underserviced due to the lack of communication between a nurse and a patient. Therefore, when operating in a rural environment, a nursing informaticist will have to focus on communication and the tools for collecting the necessary patient data as precisely as possible. The physical distance between a nursing facility and the target demographic, along with spoor Internet connection due to the specifics of the terrain, represent major impediments to effective communication and data collection. Therefore, in the rural context, facilitating proper communication and data collection is the main challenge for a nursing informaticist. In turn, the urban setting also represents major issues to overcome for a nursing informaticist. The high diversity rates, along with very high population density, imply that the amount of data to be processed increases exponentially (Mohamed & IbrahimMohamed, 2018). Consequently, in the urban environment, a nursing informaticist has to deal with a massive workload.
However, the field of nursing can be improved significantly with the introduction of a distant education program in which nurses and target populations could participate. While nurses will gain access to the information about the target demographic and the strategies for managing their needs, patients will have an opportunity to receive essential guidelines for managing their health. Thus, health literacy will increase among underserviced populations and vulnerable groups, contributing to the management of key public health issues.
Reference
Mohamed, H. M., & IbrahimMohamed, A. (2018). Nursing informatics competency and attitudes toward internet-based distance education among nursing students. American Journal of Nursing Research, 6(6), 650-657.