Order Instructions

Analyze a network that you use/are familiar with in your work setting, comparing it against network characteristics found in the literature and discuss the significance these network characteristics have for your informatics practice.

Identify an electronic or computer-based information network in your work setting. This could be within an organizational unit, an entire physical building, or across facilities. Do NOT select EHRs, which are software applications.

2. Using the template provided, describe the network’s purposes, size, software/applications supported, architecture, scope (e.g., how much of the unit, building, or organization is connected by the network), users, performance/ connectivity, and devices supported.

3. Relate the extent to which the network’s characteristics fit your findings in the literature (compare your network to networks described in 3 published scholarly articles).

4. Identify the significance these network characteristics have for you as an informatics nurse, and the informatics practice or standard areas impacted OR that you might use to support healthcare providers and patients. Relate 4 specific ways that nursing informatics practice can support network function. Please provide literature support.

FYI: The focus is on the infrastructure NOT on software. The interest in the assignment is what access is there for types of software – this is not the time or place for you to provide a presentation on your EHR or other tools.