Measuring the Impact of Nursing Informatics Competencies on Decision Satisfaction: Theoretical Model and Direction for New Research

Nursing informatics competencies (NIC) refer to the knowledge and skills needed to effectively use technological resources to provide effective care using health care technology (TIGER, 2006). NICs are crucial in providing patient-centred care in healthcare, an industry that uses different technology to support clinical activities, for example, electronic health records (EHR). This study will provide an overview of the benefits of nursing informatics competencies, and propose a theoretical model that can be used to assess the impact of nurses NIC level on their satisfaction with their decisions resulting in the use of decision support systems. This study will then discuss a proposed methodology, and managerial implications for the results, and future research directions which may be pursued. This preliminary research is important because it will indicate if and how this research should advance as it will determine if decision making satisfaction is a viable outcome of nurses and their level of NIC.