Australian nursing and midwifery organisations are collaborating to create the first national framework to arm nurses and midwives with the digital health skills they need to deliver safe and quality care within a rapidly evolving digital workplace.
Undertaken by Health Informatics Society of Australia (HISA) and the Australian Digital Health Agency, nurses and midwives from across the country are now being called on to provide feedback on the specific digital health skills they need, what is practical and relevant for them, and how a draft digital health capability framework could be used in hospitals and health services as a guide for nursing and midwives working in a digital world.
Consultation began this month and will run for six weeks, with nurses encouraged to complete a survey, attend feedback sessions or email the project team.
National nursing and midwifery organisations part of the program’s Advisory Committee include the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF), Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council, the Australian College of Midwives, and the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association.
State and Federal Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers and other key stakeholders from across the professions also form the committee.
Once consultation has been completed, the final capability framework and resources will be launched at the Nursing Informatics global congress NI 2020 in Brisbane in July.
HISA CEO Dr Louise Schaper said nurses and midwives are at the forefront of the emerging field of digital health, combining knowledge, data and technology to deliver the best outcomes for patients.
“Our goal is to raise awareness among nurses and midwives of the value of digital health skills, the opportunities in the area and the knowledge to improve quality of patient care,” Dr Schaper said.
Chair of the Advisory Committee, ANMF Federal Professional Officer Julie Reeves, said the program offered an opportunity for nurses and midwives to identify the digital health skills they need in order to maximise benefits for their patients.
“We understand how important it is for our members to be skilled in the use of digital health tools and technology and see this as an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing development of our professions.”
To take part in the consultation by completing a survey, joining in on a webinar or registering to attend face-to-face consultations click here.
