Collaboration Cafe

Standardizing language and data concepts are common problems informatics nursing specialists face when implementing projects and EMR systems.

• • Determine if your organization uses a nursing nomenclature recognized by the American Nurses Association.
  • Determine if data concepts such as Length of Stay (LOS) are standardized across the organization.
  • Do these terms clearly and comprehensively represent nursing care and nursing practice at your work setting? Why or why not?
  • If your work setting does not use a formal nursing nomenclature, apply these questions to the terms that are used.
  • Second, consider your database project. Could an ANA-recognized nomenclature be used in your database? Why or why not?