Data and Information Literacy: A Fundamental Nursing Competency

NASN Sch Nurse. 2020 May;35(3):140-142. doi: 10.1177/1942602X20913249. Epub 2020 Apr 2.

Abstract

Nurses in the 21st-century are expected to be data and information literate and proficient in data management. Nurses graduating from baccalaureate programs must be able to use computers and information systems and apply data and evidence to inform practice. Those competencies are also essential for the entire nursing workforce. That puts the onus on school nurses, school nurse supervisors, school districts, and state affiliates to take responsibility for comprehensive data and information literacy professional development. Fortunately, the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has anticipated the needs of the membership. NASN included data and information capacity building as a part of The National School Health Data Set: Every Student Counts!, a national standardized data set and data collection initiative.

Keywords: Every Student Counts!; data literacy; informatics; information literacy; school nurses.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Curriculum*
  • Data Analysis*
  • Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / organization & administration*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Information Literacy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nursing Staff / standards*
  • Professional Competence / standards*
  • School Nursing / education*
  • United States