Information science

Informatics
It is an art and science of turning data into information.
Nursing science
Using of the patients data to improve care and managing health data and research.
Evidence gathering, researching, knowledge generation, knowledge integration, decision
making and integration.
Information Science
It is the compiling of data information
It is a form of data mining which involves finding patterns in data.
Functions to improve the ability to access, organize, evaluate, and utilize information.
Computer science
Understanding of basics of the computer hardware, computer software, ergonomics and
computer programming languages.
This includes the formal representation of evidence in computer based systems and the
use of machinery to access data and information system.
Basic Components of Nursing Informatics
Competency Levels of Nursing Informatics
a. Technical level
Related to the actual psychomotor use of computers and other technological equipment
Includes the ability to use selected applications in a comfortable and knowledgeable way.

b. Utility level
Related to the process of using technology within nursing practice, education, research, and
administration.
Includes the process of applying evidenced based practice, critical thinking and accountability
in the use of selected application in an comfortable and knowledgeable way.

c. Leadership Level
Related to the ethical and management issues and using technology within nursing practice,
education, research and administration.
Includes the process of applying accountability, client privacy and confidentiality and quality
assurance in documentation in the use of selected application in a comfortable and
knowledgeable way.

Competency Levels of Expertise in Nursing Informatics

A. User level beginner level

Indicates nurses who demonstrate core nursing informatics competencies

Includes practicing nurses, nursing administration, nurse researchers and educators
who can minimally demonstrate basic knowledge in the use of technology
The basic level that all Nurses should possess no matter the area of practice.

B. Modifier level intermediate level

Indicates nurses who demonstrate intermediate nursing informatics competencies.

Includes practicing nurses, nursing administration, nurse researchers, educators who
have mastered basic skills and use technology in inventive ways in their practice.

C. Innovator level advanced level

Indicates nurses who demonstrate advanced and specialized nursing informatics

competencies
Includes practicing nurses, nursing administration, nurse researchers, educators who
have mastered expert skills and use technology in designing, planning, coordinating the
user of technologies and informatics theory in nursing.
Competency Framework

Computer systems
A. Computer
A device that computes, especially a programmable electronic machine that performs
high-speed mathematical or logical operations or that assembles, stores, correlates, or
otherwise processes information.

Is a machine that uses electronic components to perform calculations and repetitive and
complex procedures, process text, and manipulate data and signals.
1. Computer Hardware
All of the physical components of the machine itself.
The basic hardware of a computer includes the electronic circuits, microchips,
processors, and the motherboard itself inside the computer housing.
Includes devices that are peripheral to the main computer box
Computer Hardware Fundamentals
Motherboard
is a content of any computer box. It is a thin, flat sheet made of a firm, non-conducting
material on which the internal components-printed circuits, chips, slots, and so on-of
the computer are mounted.
Basic Components of the Computer
1. CPU (Central Processing Unit)
a. The brains of the computer
b. Consist of one arithmetic and logic units, and memory.
c. CPU chip is attached to the motherboard.
2. Memory
- It is where the data are stored
Two types of memory:
a. Read Only Memory (ROM)
b. Random Access Memory (RAM)
. Types of Memory
*Read Only Memory is a form of permanent storage. Data and programs in ROM can only be
read by the computer, and cannot be erased. Can store data even in state of dormancy
*Random Access Memory refers to working memory used for primary storage. It is volatile
(changeable) and used as temporary storage.
RAM speed is expressed in megahertz (MHz)
3. Input and Output devices
These are wired to a controller that is plugged into the slots or circuit boards of the computer.
INPUT DEVICES
-It allows the computer to receive information
from the outside world.
Input Devices
a. Keyboard
b. Mouse

c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

Touch screen
Light pen
Voice
Scanner
Security devices detects users fingerprints, retinal prints, voiceprints, other physical
characteristics that identify users who have clearance to use the system.
h. Electrodes on patients body for computerized physiologic monitoring.
Output Devices
It allows the computer to report its result to the external world in form of text, data files,
sound, graphics, or signals to other devices.
a. Monitor (display screen)
b. Printer
4. Storage Media
Includes the main memory but also external devices on which programs and data are stored.
a. Hard drive
b. Diskettes
c. CD-ROM is a form of optical storage. Optical media are read by laser eye rather
than a magnet (Columbia Encyclopaedia, 2003)
d. USB (Universal Serial Bus)/ Flash drive
Other output devices
a. Magnetic tape drives it run magnetic tape which is similar to the tape in any music
tape player. Popular in 1980s-1990s but today are obsolete for home use.
b. Zip drives more similar to ordinary floppy disks, but are of higher capacity.
5. Computer Power
a. The term bits and bytes refer to how the machine stores information at the lowest, or
closest to machine registers and memory, level.
b. Computer do not process information as words or numbers.
c. They handle information as words or numbers.
d. They handle information in bytes. A byte is made up of 8 bits.
6. Computer Speed
a. The CPU speed is measured in cycles per seconds clock speed of the computer.
b. Megahertz(MHz) speed of 1 million cycles per second.

Classes of computers
A. Analog Computer
a. The analog computer operates on continuous physical or electrical magnitudes, measuring
ongoing continuous analog quantities such as voltage, current, temperature, and pressure.

b. Selected physiologic monitoring equipment, which accepts continuous input/output

signals, is in the analog class of computers.
Examples: heart and fetal monitors.
B. Digital computer
a. Operates discontinuous numerical digits using the binary numbering system.
b. It represents data using discrete values for all data. Its data are represented by numbers,
letters, and symbols rather than by waveforms such as on a heart monitor.
c. Most of the computers used in the health care industry for charting and decision support
are digital computers
C. Hybrid Computers
a. Contains features of both the analog and the digital computer.
b. It is used for specific applications, such as complex signal processing and other
engineering-oriented applications.
c. It is also found in some monitoring equipment that converts analog signal to digital ones for
data processing.
Examples: Physiologic monitor that capture the heart waveform (ECG,EEG, and so forth) and
also to measure the core body temperature at specific times of the shift
Types of Computers
Supercomputers is a computational-oriented computer specially designed for scientific
applications requiring gigantic amounts of calculations.
a. A world class number cruncher
b. Designed primarily for analysis of scientific and engineering problem and for task requiring
millions or billions of computational operations and calculations.
c. it is found primarily in areas such as defense and weaponry, weather forecasting, and
scientific research.
d. Is also providing a new source of power for the high-performance computing and
communication (HPCC) environment.
Mainframe computer is the fastest, largest, and most expensive type of computer used in
corporate America for processing, storing, and retrieving data.
a. It is a large multiuser central computer that meets the computing needs-especially the large
amount of repetitive calculations of bills, payroll, and the like-of a large organization.
b. Capable of processing BIPS and accessing billions (GB) of characters of data.
c. Can serve a large number (Hundreds) of users at the same time.
There are also phone lines into the computer so that remote users can gain access to it and
it has an extremely large memory capacity and fast operating and processing time, and it
can process a large number of functions (multiprocessing) at one time.
Microcomputers(Personal Computers or PC)
a. They are being used for an increasing number of independent applications as well as
serving as a desktop link to the programs of the mainframe.

b. Hospital nursing departments are using PCs to process applications such as patient
classification, nurse staffing and scheduling, and personnel management applications.
c. * They are also found in educational and research settings, where they are used to
conduct a multitude of special educational and scientific function.
* Desktop can also serve as stand-alone workstations and can be linked to a network
system to increase their capabilities.
* Also available as portable, laptop, notebook, and handheld computers.
Handheld computers are small, special function computers, although a few full function
handheld computers were introduced in the late 1990s.
a. More popular are palm-sized computers, including personal digital assistants (PDAs), which
are the smallest of the handheld computers.
b. PDA is a very small special function handheld computer which provides calendar, contacts,
and note-taking functions, and a variety of other functions (Hyperdictionary, 2004).