NURSING INFORMATICS IN CANADA

CANADIAN NURSES ASSOCIATIONRegistered nurses need to be able to demonstrate their unique contribution to the health of Canadians within Canada's rapidly evolving health care system. Basic, essential nursing information is required by nurses, employers, researchers, educators, policy makers, and clients so that informed decisions can be made about nursing's role in the changing health care system,"

The National Nursing Informatics Project

In 1998, the Canadian Nurses Association spearheaded another initiative, the National Nursing Informatics Project, to begin to develop a national consensus on definition, competencies, and educational strategies and priorities in nursing informatics development.

"In 1998 a national steering committee was formed to address Nursing Informatics issues and develop strategies to ensure that Registered Nurses have the competencies required to successfully carry out the responsibilities of their practice - whether that be clinical, administrative, educational or research.

The committee members of National Nursing Informatics Projects1. Canadian Association of University Schools of Nursing 2. Canadian Nurses Association, 3. Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia 4. Academy of Canadian Executive Nurses 5. COACH Nursing Informatics Special Interest Group.

Each participating organization appointed a nurse expert in Nursing Informatics to a five-member working group to develop and initiate a plan to: 1. develop consensus on a definition of Nursing Informatics for Canada;2. recommend Nursing Informatics competencies for entry level nurses and specialists, managers, educators, and researchers;

3. identify curriculum implications and strategies for both basic and continuing nursing education 4. determine priorities for implementing national nursing informatics education strategies.

Nursing Minimum Data Set

The Nursing Minimum Data Set was the first major Canadian Nurses Association informatics initiative beginning in 1990.This was in response to the strong conviction that nursing data must be included in the centralized national health data system being planned by the Canadian Institute of Health Information (CIHI)

Another influential group, theCanadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI)also plays a unique and crucial role in the development of this new Canadian health information system. CIHI has described its' role as 1. Setting National standards for financial, statistical, and clinical data 2. Setting National standards for health information technology, 3. Collecting, processing, and maintaining health related databases and registries

The CIHI helped introduce theStrategic Plan for Health Information Management in British Columbiain 1996 that provides guidelines for holistic assessment and processing of information. 1995, the CIHI initiated a project to provide a cohesive set of guidelines for Canadian health information privacy In 1999, a second edition of these guidelines was produced, which incorporated issues related to the advancement of health information and techology.

In 2002, an updated versionPrivacy and Confidentiality of Health Information at CIHI: Principles and policies for the protection of health information In March 2000, the CIHI published an updated version of theRoadmap Initiative,a national vision and four-year action plan to modernize Canada's health information system

The CIHI also provide a comprehensiveGoodsourcing Statisticswebsite related to Canadian health and health care, society, the environment and National populations. Dozens of other reports are available on the CIHI website, related to population health, health indicators, health workforce, issues in health and health care institutions.

Another national organization, theCanadian Organization for the Advancement of Computers in HealthorCOACH,founded in 1975actively initiated professional protocols for using computer systems in Canadian health care.

One important document,Guidelines to Promote Confidentiality and Security of Automated Health-related Information(1979), In 2001, COACH, as Canada's Health Informatics Association, launched the Patron Program. As an individual member based organization, COACH promotes understanding and effective utilization of information and information technologies within the Canadian Healthcare industry through education, information, networking and communication.

Today, COACH is a leading organization with an evolving membership. It is in the forefront of the Canadian Healthcare information resource and technology field by working cooperatively with health institutions, professions, associations, consultants, vendors of information technology and applications, government and regulatory organizations in the pursuit of its mandate.

In February 1999 the Canadian Federal government published the timely document,Strengthening Health Care for Canadians,outlining new initiatives and funding to promote health care technology and informatics initiatives.

Various nursing programs are beginning to offer courses and content in Nursing Informatics. ome programs integrate informatics into individual courses, which is the model we have adopted in the BSN Nursing Program

lowly but steadily, other colleges and universities are expanding their curricula to include Nursing Informatics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As more nurses become computer literate, and become aware of the potential of technology to support nursing documentation, decisions, and professionalism, Nursing Informatics can become a strong and integral part of Canadian nursing science. With this goal in mind,

The BSN Nursing Programhas adopted Nursing Informatics as an integral component of the curriculum

In 2001, a new group, theCanadian Nursing Informatics Association(CNIA) received emerging group status from the CNA and affiliate status in 2003. The CNIA now has full associate status with the CNA.

he CNIA conducted a study in 2002 - 2003 on the Informatics Educational Needs of Canadian Nurses, funded by the Office of Health and the Information Highway, Health Canada or OHIH calledEducating Tomorrow's Nurses: Where's Nursing Informatics?

The intent of the study was to describe the current state of informatics education opportunities currently available to students of nursing across the country,the level of preparedness of nursing faculty to deliver these offerings, information and communication technology infrastructure and support for faculty in delivering these offerings, and

opportunities to enhance nursing curricula, faculty preparedness, and ICT infrastructure and support in schools of nursing across Canada.

Nursing Informatics at Kwantlen Polytechnic University

wantlen Polytechnic University offersThe BSN and BSN Post Baccalaureate Nursing Programswhich integrate both theory and practice of Nursing Informatics across the program in BC, Canada. The faculty of the BSN Nursing Programs fully support that Nursing Informatics is central to nursing in the various domains of practice. Since 1996, Kwantlen Polytechnic University faculty have integrated Nursing Informatics into all semesters of the program.

Learning activities which include: . aCognitive,("to know" or epistemological), anInteractive,("to do" or ontological) as well as aReflective,("to be" or phenomenological) component