NASA NTRSDate not supplied
The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing informatics as the integration of “nursing science, computer science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. [1]” In additional to nursing education and clinical experience, this field requires additional education in areas of data analysis, database management, and clinical information systems. Nursing informaticists help bridge the communication gap between clinical and technical stakeholders which help align common goals. NASA is currently developing a new medical system trade analysis and decision support tool called IMPACT (Informing Mission Planning via Analysis of Complex Tradespaces). The development team is comprised of multiple specialties including but not limited to clinicians (pharmacists, physicians, and nurse informaticists), software and program developers, human factors experts, and engineers. The nurse informaticists play a significant role in the development, operation, and results interpretation of IMPACT. Their expert knowledge and skills in both clinical nursing, information science, and database management place them in a unique position to collaborate and integrate with the clinical, engineering, and software development members of the team to achieve a cohesive, functional, and user-friendly model.