Nursing care systems: enhancing care processes in practice and management.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize aspects of nursing informatics application and introduces challenges that are currently being addressed by nurses around the world.


METHODS
Key contributions in the field are surveyed and put in the perspective of the IMIA Nursing Informatics Strategic Plan.


RESULTS
As a discipline, nursing informatics offers real and practical instruments and opportunities to delivery nursing care across settings, units of care and specialties. A variety of patient care systems are managed by nurses who are introduced to this link during their training embracing information networks, communication skills together with an ability to work both in practice and administrative positions in a variety of clinical and community settings.


CONCLUSIONS
At a time when the tendency is toward a computer-based patient record, nurses must be able to identify what kind of nursing data and information will construct useable and useful nursing knowledge. There are many options for each area of application and the selection must be done carefully, considering the enhancement for organizational, technological and local requirements.
Marin
H F
HF
Nursing Informatics Group, Federal University of São Paulo , Rua Dep. Bady Bassit 440, 05517-050 São Paulo SP., Brazil. hfmarin@attglobal.net
Carr
R
R
D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D009732:Nursing Care; D048108:Nursing Informatics; D009737:Nursing Records