Utilizing an Informatics Engagement Strategy as an Approach to Sustain and Retain the Nursing Workforce

Gillian Strudwick; Tania Tajirian; Jessica Kemp; Noelle Coombe; Uzma Haider; Satinder Kaur; Susan Murphy; Hwayeon Danielle Shin; Sara Ling; Damian Jankowicz

doi:10.12927/cjnl.2023.27074

Utilizing an Informatics Engagement Strategy as an Approach to Sustain and Retain the Nursing Workforce

Nurs Leadersh (Tor Ont). 2023 Jan;35(4):42-54. doi: 10.12927/cjnl.2023.27074.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Senior Scientist and Chief Clinical Informatics OfficerCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthAssociate Professor, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
² Chief of Medicine in Psychiatry, Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
³ Research Analyst, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Adjunct Lecturer, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
⁴ Director Health Information Management and Clinical Systems Innovation, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON.
⁵ Senior Project Manager Enterprise Project Management Office Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Toronto, ON.
⁶ Advanced Practice Clinical Leader Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Adjunct Lecturer Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing University of Toronto Toronto, ON.
⁷ Clinical Informatics Nurse Team Lead, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON.
⁸ Research Analyst, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Doctoral Student, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation University of Toronto Toronto, ON.
⁹ Associate Scientist and Advanced Practice Clinical Leader Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Toronto, ON.
¹⁰ Vice-President, Information Management, Chief Information Officer and Chief Privacy Officer Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Adjunct Professor Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation University of Toronto Toronto, ON.

PMID: 37216296
DOI: 10.12927/cjnl.2023.27074

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe a nursing informatics engagement strategy at an academic teaching hospital in Canada aimed at sustaining and retaining the nursing workforce by (1) enhancing nursing engagement and leadership in informatics decision making; (2) improving nurses' experiences using the electronic health record (EHR) by creating a process of rapid handling of technology issues; (3) leveraging data about nurses' EHR system use to identify opportunities to further streamline documentation; and (4) enhancing and optimizing informatics education/training and communication strategies. The nursing informatics strategy aims to improve engagement among nursing staff, as well as decrease the burden of using the EHR as a way of addressing possible causes of burnout.

MeSH terms

Communication
Hospitals
Humans
Nursing Informatics* / education
Nursing Staff*
Workforce