What is nursing informatics?
Imagine a world where technology works for you, making nursing care delivery more efficient, patient care safer, and your role more impactful. That’s where nursing informatics comes in—a rapidly growing field that is shaping the future of health care in Australia.
Nursing informatics blends nursing, computer science, and data analysis to improve healthcare outcomes and showcase the care provided. At its core, nursing informatics helps streamline documentation, enhance patient safety, and ensure that healthcare decisions are based on real-time, evidence-based data.
For Australian nurses, this means having the right tools at point of care to minimise duplication of documentation, improve workflows, share nursing data across healthcare services, and focus more on patient care. It’s not just about working with computers—it’s about using technology to make nursing more efficient, visible, and integrative.
A day in the life of a nursing informatician
A nursing informatician’s day is dynamic, diverse, and highly collaborative. While some work in in a range of clinical settings, others contribute to policy-making, software development, or research.
A typical day might involve:
- Assessing technology with a patient safety lense to ensure it is safely implemented with appropriate governance structures (e.g. use of artificial intelligence)
- Driving innovation by collaborating with healthcare leaders to implement digital solutions that improve patient safety, health delivery efficiency, and nursing visibility
- Consulting and training nurses on new digital systems to ensure seamless adoption
- Analysing electronic medical record (EMR) data to identify patterns that can improve patient outcomes
- Working with IT teams to develop and refine digital tools that support nurses at point of care
- Advocating for nurses, addressing workflow challenges to reduce administrative burden and increase efficiency
- Using documentation and data analytics to measure treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes, ensuring evidence-based improvements in care
- Contributing to or undertaking research by compiling real-world data from digital health records to identify trends, leading to publications and conference presentations
- Working with multidisciplinary teams to define a better workflow and harmonise data.
Nursing informatics connects technology with the real-life experiences of patients and clinicians. It is an exciting and ever-evolving field where nurses can actively shape the future of health care.
Why is it important?
- Improved patient safety: Real-time access to records and reduced duplication reduces errors and allows more time at the bedside. Prompts and rules provide guidance on care delivery and help reduce cognitive overload.
- Streamlines workflow: Automated processes reduce time spent on paperwork and searching records.
- Enhances communication: Electronic health and medical records ensure better collaboration. Nurses can quickly update patient records, and that visibility is available in real time to enable continuity of care across the multidisciplinary team.
- Supports proactive care: Remote patient monitoring tools enable early intervention and care in the home. For example, a diabetic patient’s continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sends alerts to patients and/or clinicians if their blood sugar is too high or low, allowing for immediate action without necessarily needing a hospital visit.
- Empowers decision-making: Data-driven insights guide clinical decisions. A nurse can use data from a patient’s health history to determine whether a change in care or treatment is necessary, ensuring the best care plan is implemented.
- Facilitates advocacy: Nurses can advocate for improved resources using data. If a nurse notices a high frequency of patient falls in a particular unit, they can use incident tracking data to suggest changes to staffing levels or training.
- Improves patient outcomes: Technology-driven care leads to better treatment. For example, telehealth consultations allow rural patients to access care from specialists without the need to travel long distances, improving their health outcomes. Patients also benefit from a better experience, with continuity of care supported by data being available at each touch point in the healthcare journey.
- Prepares for future healthcare needs: As health care becomes more technology-driven, nursing informatics helps nurses adapt. For instance, using AI tools to predict patient needs based on historical data or assisting with documentation are just some of the areas informatics is involved in.
A brief history of nursing informatics
Nursing informatics has been growing since the 1960s when hospitals first started using computers for record-keeping. Over the years, Australia’s adoption of digital health records has evolved from simple digital health record systems and electronic prescribing to advancements in telehealth, mobile health applications, and digital monitoring and diagnostics.
The introduction of My Health Record, Australia’s national digital health system, marked a turning point. It highlighted the need for more nursing professionals who can understand both patient care and data management. Now, with complex electronic medical records entering most major hospitals, and rapid developments in artificial intelligence and predictive analytics, nursing informatics is more relevant than ever.
How to get involved in nursing informatics
Are you interested in the intersection of technology, data, and clinical care? The Australian College of Nursing’s (ACN) Nurse Informatics & Digital Health Faculty is your entry point into this exciting and rapidly evolving field.
Ways to get started
Become part of a national community of like-minded nurses using technology to enhance care. The Faculty holds bi-monthly webinars with guest speakers and sends out news updates in alternate months to keep members informed. Webinars are recorded so you can watch anytime, at your convenience.
If you’re an ACN member, you can join the Nurse Informatics & Digital Health Faculty through The Buzz and connect with a passionate community driving innovation in care. To learn more, simply email us at nurseinformaticsanddigitalhealth@acn.edu.au.
Not yet a member? Apply for ACN membership today to access our expert Faculties and take advantage of a wide range of benefits designed to support your professional growth, expand your network, and advance your nursing career.
Reach out to digital health or clinical informatics leaders within your own workplace. Let them know you’re interested. You might:
- Serve as a subject matter expert on digital projects
- Collaborate with or become a business analyst
- Help analyse data to identify care patterns and drive improvements
- Contribute to the testing of systems and workflows
- Be involved in innovation, including virtual care technologies.
Formal education can expand your career opportunities. ACN offers a Graduate Certificate in Digital Health—a course designed specifically for nurses.
Several universities across Australia also offer postgraduate digital health courses—find the one that suits your interests.
The Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) runs annual and state-based forums including the Nursing & Midwifery in Digital Health Forum. These events are regularly promoted in the Faculty newsblast, or you can ask your organisation’s digital leaders about upcoming opportunities.
Nursing informatics is a growing field worldwide. National organisations contribute to the International Medical Informatics Association – Nursing Informatics (IMIA-NI), offering opportunities for international collaboration.
What the Faculty is working on
The Nurse Informatics & Digital Health Faculty is currently advancing several key projects that contribute to better care through digital innovation. If any of the following areas align with your interests or expertise, we encourage you to join the Faculty and submit an expression of interest to participate by emailing nurseinformaticsanddigitalhealth@acn.edu.au.
Current initiatives
Standardised Nursing Terminology (SNT)
The Faculty is helping sustain interoperability through the use of SNT and coded nursing data, which allows for meaningful comparisons and measurement of patient outcomes.
An Australian SNT Research and Development Centre—established by ACN, Monash Health, and Australian Catholic University under the auspices of the International Council of Nurses—is currently focused on embedding SNT into nursing care plans.
Nursing and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
With AI rapidly transforming health care, the Faculty will soon establish a working group focused on the safe and effective use of AI in nursing. This group will explore how AI can support care delivery and documentation. Expressions of interest will be advertised to Faculty members soon.
Digital health capability self-assessment tool
In collaboration with the Chief Nursing Informatics Officers Faculty, we are developing a self-assessment tool aligned with the Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Capability Framework. This tool will help nurses and midwives assess and grow their digital skillset.
Nursing documentation standards
To ensure the quality and consistency of nursing data, the Faculty is working toward the development of national standards for digital nursing documentation. A dedicated working group will be formed for this purpose.
With the rapid pace of health technology development, the need for nurse involvement in digital transformation has never been greater. Whether you want to contribute locally or nationally, study formally, or shape the future of the profession, there’s a place for you in nursing informatics.
Take the leap—your skills are needed.
With thanks to ACN’s Nurse Informatics and Digital Health Faculty
This article was developed by the Leadership Team of ACN’s Nurse Informatics & Digital Health Faculty, whose expertise and commitment support the integration of digital health technologies into nursing practice to improve patient safety and care quality.
Chair: Ms Janette Gogler MACN
Deputy Chair: Ms Zara Lord MACN
Leadership Support:
- Dr Rebecca Jedwab FACN
- Ms Simone Fitzgerald MACN
- Mrs Victoria Hornidge MACN
We thank them for their contributions to this important discussion on the role of nurses in advancing digital innovation, enhancing care delivery, and shaping the future of health technology in Australia.
Joining a Faculty is an exclusive benefit of ACN membership, offering access to a dynamic community of nurses shaping the future of the profession.
Not an ACN member yet? Become part of Australia’s peak professional nursing association to access this benefit and many more. Join today by completing the online membership form.
