Week #2 Assignment: Competencies
Submit the completed assignment by 11:59 PM, Sunday of Module 1. Overview
A competency is the capacity to use related knowledge, skills, and abilities that are essential to successfully perform critical functions in the work setting. Competencies are the foundation of skill standards that detail the level of knowledge, skills, and abilities required for success in the workplace. Nursing Informatic competencies provide the measurement criteria for assessing the capability of the nurse to function in the specific role.
Select one competency from each of the areas of knowledge, skills and attitudes in the table below. You will have a total of 3 competencies (one knowledge, one skill and one attitude). Make sure that you select a competency that is a self-assessed weakness, not one where you are already strong. You will create an education plan for yourself to improve your competency in the areas selected. This plan is individualized and will only pertain to your own knowledge development. The plan should include the competency, resources to help you improve your understanding, a timeframe for completion and how you would assess your knowledge growth in the area.
For example, if I needed to improve my attitude about protecting confidentiality of protected health information in electronic health records I could list web links from high quality resources that help me to understand why this is important. My timeframe for completion might be 6 months. I could assess my knowledge growth by evaluating my current area of practice for privacy issues I learned from the resources (such as listing the high volume and frequently missed privacy initiatives such as evaluating how long it takes for a screen to lock on the nursing unit computer) and/or volunteering to serve on a committee that relates to this topic (such as a EMR Nursing Committee).
Hints: Be clear about your points. I’ve included a table (sample table below) that you may use by copying and pasting it into a new word document. If you choose to write it out, use headers for the competencies, resources, timeframe and self-assessment. This will help you when your work is graded.
Sample Table
| QSEN Competency: | Resources | Timeframe | Self-Assessment |
| Knowledgle: | |||
| Skill: | |||
| Attitude: |
NUR 451 Nursing Informatics
QSEN Competencies
| Knowledge | Skills | Attitudes |
|
Explain why information and technology skills are essential for safe patient care |
Seek education about how information is managed in care settings before providing care
Apply technology and information management tools to support safe processes of care |
Appreciate the necessity for all health professionals to seek lifelong, continuous learning of information technology skills |
|
Identify essential information that must be available in a common database to support patient care Contrast benefits and limitations of different communication technologies and their impact on safety and quality |
Navigate the electronic health record
Document and plan patient care in an electronic health record Employ communication technologies to coordinate care for patients |
Value technologies that support clinical decision-making, error prevention, and care coordination Protect confidentiality of protected health information in electronic health records |
|
Describe examples of how technology and information management are related to the quality and safety of patient care Recognize the time, effort, and skill required for computers, databases and other technologies to become reliable and effective tools for patient care |
Respond appropriately to clinical decision-making supports and alerts
Use information management tools to monitor outcomes of care processes Use high quality electronic sources of healthcare information |
Value nurses’ involvement in design, selection, implementation, and evaluation of information technologies to support patient care |
Directions
1. Read the information about Nursing Informatics competencies in the reading material.
2. Review the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies for informatics knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the table provided.
3. Select one competency from each area of knowledge, skills and attitude (3 total) where you feel the weakest. Provide a rationale as to why you selected this competency for yourself.
4. Identify a minimum of 3 resources for each competency (3 for skills competency, 3 for knowledge competency and 3 for attitude competency for a total of 9 resources) that can help to improve your understanding of the competency. Each resource must clearly provide support for learning the specific competency.
5. Provide a timeline for each competency (3 total). This is as simple as stating when you would like to complete the learning. The timeline must make sense (e.g., stating one week to achieve competency in a complex skill would not make sense).
6. Explain how you will self assess your knowledge growth. You will need a minimum of one for each competency (3 total). You might participate in something that shows your knowledge or volunteer for a committee. This is highly individualized based on your assessment of where you work, what you do and the opportunities available to you.
7. Write a 2-3 page paper that includes the above information. You can do this as a table, write it out as a text with the competency as a header or use a list format. All are acceptable options as long as the format makes sense and abbreviations are not used.
8. You are NOT required to provide your references in APA format. Links are acceptable as shown in the example.
