COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Computer technology has now become a reality in the modern world and is being used as a tool for enhancing efficiency and resolving complexity in clinical practices. The health sector has benefited from this computer revolution since there is easy access to information, improving documentation, and reducing health costs. However, most of the nurses are familiar with computer information systems, and they may not have adequate confidence in using the computer-related methods in their clinical practices. The nursing professionals have not yet updated themselves with the technology that led to poor health services, poor documentation of records, and delay in clinical researches. Many nurses are running managing heath with old equipment due to a lack of training in computerized systems. For an instant, in Canada, many health organizations are still using paper chart systems, and in some health centers, they are prohibited from cellular devices, although full of information (Morris, 2019).
As a result of old systems, there is poor primary care in hospitals and increased workload among the nurses. There have been many issues of medical errors such as poor medicine administering, poor discharging practices of the patients from the nurses, causing unnecessary suffering, poor management of the working staff, Mismanagement of finance in health organizations, poor stock control, and inadequate patient management strategies. A relatively recent study has revealed that nurses have a negative attitude toward technology. Nurses are not trained on the new system to embrace the technology. Moreover, the systems are expensive, and not every health organization can afford it (Gonen, Sharon & Lev-Ari, 2016). There is also reduced innovation of quality health systems, which can be incorporated in the current technology. Furthermore, governments still fail to finance on the incoming health systems technology.
Consequently, the nursing field has a long way to go in upgrading their health systems, to enhance compatibility with the technology. The most important thing for any government in a country can do to improve the health of the citizens. The improvement in health can only be made when significant and practical strategies are put in place, one of them being developing information systems in a health organization. One of the essential strategies to be taken is by incorporating information system education to the nursing curriculum for them to meet the set objectives in the nursing workforce. The main aim of incorporation would be increasing computer competency and change the altitude of the information systems in the nursing field (Lin, 2017). Computer literacy will not only equip them with computer skills but also relevant information management skills to use in clinical practices.
On the other hand, nurses should embrace and acknowledge the new technology in their clinical practices. They learn skills should be practiced for the benefit of the patient outcome. To improve health systems in hospitals, the government can provide incentives that can support nurse education on Information systems. It may well finance in purchase information systems in various health centers to reduce the costs of information systems and the costs of medication (Ergo et al. 2012).
By this, there is a guarantee of solving medical administration errors and increase efficiency in patient management. Education on information systems is a surety of competency and improved management in the health sector. Besides, Information systems will enhance research on better medication methods, which can be used to solve many illnesses. Computer information systems will also help in managing other staff in health organizations.