NURS 5051 – Transforming Nursing and Healthcare Through Technology

Module 2 / Week 3 Assignment: The Impact of Nursing Informatics on Patient Outcomes and Patient Care Efficiencies

Course and Assessment Overview

Course: NURS 5051 / NURS 6051 – Transforming Nursing and Healthcare Through Technology (MSN level)

Assessment type: Written project proposal / structured paper (individual)

Suggested timing: Module 2, Week 3 (paired with the Week 3 discussion on technology and patient outcomes)

Length: 3–4 page paper (approximately 1,000–1,200 words, excluding title page and references)

Weighting: Approximately 15–20% of the course grade (varies by program)

This assignment requires students to design a focused nursing informatics project that applies health information technology to improve specific patient outcomes and/or patient-care efficiencies within a real or realistic practice setting.

Assignment Context

Earlier modules introduced the role of the nurse informaticist, the interaction between informatics and other clinical specialties, and the use of data to support improvements in care delivery. This assignment builds on that foundation by shifting from conceptual understanding to application. Students are asked to propose a feasible informatics-enabled project that could be implemented in their organization, such as a clinical decision support tool, electronic documentation redesign, patient portal enhancement, telehealth workflow, or data-driven quality-improvement initiative.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Explain how nursing informatics and health information technology contribute to improved patient outcomes and care efficiencies.

• Design a basic informatics project proposal that addresses a clearly defined clinical or operational problem.

• Identify key stakeholders, technologies, and project team roles involved in implementing an informatics initiative.

• Communicate the anticipated impact of the proposed project using current evidence and graduate-level academic writing.

Preparation

1. Review Module 2 learning resources related to nursing informatics, health information technology, and data-driven improvement of patient outcomes and care processes.

2. Reflect on your Week 3 discussion work addressing collaboration between nurse informaticists and other healthcare specialists.

3. Identify a patient-care or workflow efficiency issue in your current or recent practice setting that could realistically be addressed using an informatics solution.

4. Locate recent scholarly and professional sources related to your proposed technology, such as clinical decision support systems, electronic health records, telehealth, or patient portals.

Task Description

1. Project Description (approximately ¾–1 page)

Clearly describe the nursing informatics project you propose.

• Identify the practice setting (for example, acute-care unit, outpatient clinic, long-term care facility, or community health program).

• Describe the clinical or operational problem to be addressed, such as medication errors, discharge delays, low patient portal engagement, or incomplete documentation.

• Introduce the informatics solution you propose, such as an EHR enhancement, alert system, standardized electronic care plan, telehealth workflow, or performance dashboard.

2. Stakeholders and Project Team (approximately ½ page)

Identify the key stakeholders and project team members.

• List major stakeholder groups, including patients, bedside nurses, nurse leaders, physicians, pharmacists, IT staff, quality improvement personnel, and administrators.

• Describe the role of the nurse informaticist and how this role contributes to project planning, implementation, and evaluation.

• Briefly explain how stakeholders would be engaged in decision-making and change management processes.

3. Patient Outcomes and Care Efficiencies (approximately 1 page)

Explain which patient outcomes and/or care efficiencies the project is designed to improve.

• Identify at least one patient outcome, such as reduced adverse drug events, fewer hospital readmissions, improved chronic disease management, or decreased patient falls.

• Identify at least one care-efficiency measure, such as reduced documentation time, shorter length of stay, improved communication timeliness, or fewer duplicated tests.

• Explain how the informatics solution influences these outcomes, using mechanisms such as real-time alerts, standardized data capture, improved access to information, or enhanced patient engagement.

• Support your explanation with recent scholarly or professional evidence.

4. Technologies and Data (approximately ¾–1 page)

Describe the technologies required and the data used to measure project impact.

• Identify key technology components, such as EHR modules, clinical decision support systems, order sets, mobile applications, patient portals, or telehealth platforms.

• Describe the types of data collected before and after implementation, including quality indicators, event reports, workflow measures, or patient-reported outcomes.

• Explain how data will be analyzed to determine whether the project achieved its intended outcomes.

5. Project Team Composition (roles)

Identify the core project team roles.

• At minimum, include a nurse informaticist, clinical nurse representative, physician or advanced practice clinician, IT analyst, quality improvement specialist, and leadership sponsor.

• Briefly state one primary responsibility for each role.

Paper Requirements

• Length: 3–4 pages of narrative text (approximately 1,000–1,200 words), excluding title page and references.

• Format: Formal academic paper using the program’s required style and headings aligned with assignment sections.

• Sources: Include at least 3–5 current scholarly or professional sources (published within the last 5–7 years).

• Submission: Upload the paper to the Module 2 / Week 3 Assignment link by the scheduled due date.

Marking Criteria (Impact of Nursing Informatics Assignment Rubric)

Clarity and Relevance of Project Description (20%)
Assesses how clearly and feasibly the informatics project and practice setting are described.

Stakeholders and Team Roles (15%)
Evaluates identification of key stakeholders and explanation of team member contributions.

Articulation of Outcomes and Efficiencies (25%)
Measures how well patient outcomes and efficiency measures are defined and supported with evidence.

Technologies, Data, and Evaluation Plan (20%)
Assesses the relevance of selected technologies and the clarity of the evaluation strategy.

Organization, Writing, and Use of Evidence (20%)
Evaluates clarity, organization, academic tone, and appropriate integration of scholarly sources.

Clinical decision support tools are most effective when aligned with clearly defined problems, such as preventing adverse drug events or reducing redundant testing. When nurse informaticists collaborate closely with bedside nurses during system design and implementation, informatics solutions are more likely to integrate smoothly into clinical workflows. This collaboration allows routinely collected data to be transformed into timely, actionable guidance that supports safer care delivery and improves both outcomes and operational efficiency (Glassman, 2017).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.10.008

Evidence suggests that informatics-driven interventions are most successful when paired with strong clinical leadership and ongoing performance feedback. Continuous monitoring of outcome and process measures enables healthcare teams to refine technology use and sustain improvements over time. By embedding evaluation metrics directly into informatics systems, organizations can ensure that technology adoption leads to measurable gains in safety, efficiency, and patient-centered care rather than adding unnecessary complexity to clinical practice (McGonigle and Mastrian, 2022).

References

• Glassman, K. S. (2017) ‘Using data to drive outcomes in professional nursing practice’, Journal of Professional Nursing, 33(2), pp. 91–96. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2016.10.008

• McGonigle, D. and Mastrian, K. G. (2022) Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge. 5th edn. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

• Hebda, T., Hunter, K. and Czar, P. (2019) Handbook of Informatics for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals. 6th edn. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson.

• Macieira, T. G. R. et al. (2017) ‘Clinical decision support systems and nursing: A scoping review’, International Journal of Medical Informatics, 104, pp. 88–101. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.05.014

• Topaz, M. and Pruinelli, L. (2017) ‘Big data and nursing: Implications for the future’, Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 232, pp. 165–171. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-753-5-165

• Sewell, J. P. (2019) Informatics and Nursing: Opportunities and Challenges. 6th edn. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.