| Course | NUR 444 Innovation in Nursing |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 5 |
| Paper type | Informatics competency self-assessment and development plan |
| Length | About 747 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NUR 444 Module 5
Comfortable With the Screen, Less So With the Data: An Informatics Competency Self-Assessment and Development Plan
Student Name
Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University
NUR 444: Innovation in Nursing
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Comfortable With the Screen, Less So With the Data: An Informatics Competency Self-Assessment and Development Plan
Every nurse uses information technology, but using it is not the same as being competent in informatics, a distinction our course text draws when it describes informatics as a tool for professional practice (Friberg & Saewert, 2023). Informatics competencies include the skills to use technology safely, to manage information and knowledge, and to meet professional and ethical standards for data and privacy. This paper assesses my informatics competencies, compares them with published findings, and presents a development plan.
The Framework Used
I assessed myself using the domains of the Canadian Nurse Informatics Competency Assessment Scale, a 21-item measure developed from entry-to-practice informatics competencies for registered nurses (Kleib & Nagle, 2018). The scale groups competencies into three areas: foundational information and communication technology skills; information and knowledge management; and professional and regulatory accountability, including the use of technology in patient care. Although developed in Canada, its domains overlap closely with the informatics expectations in the national essentials for baccalaureate nursing education (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2021), which call for nurses to use information and communication technologies to gather and manage data, support decisions, and protect privacy.
My Self-Assessment
Foundational skills are my strength. I adapt quickly to new systems and often help colleagues with the electronic health record. Information and knowledge management is my weakest area. I can enter data, but I rarely use data to answer a question, such as how many of our joint replacement patients call the unit after discharge, and I have limited experience searching databases beyond what this program has taught. Professional accountability is mixed. I understand privacy rules, but recording teaching videos on a personal phone, even without patients in them, was a gap in judgment about approved devices and data storage.
| Domain | My rating | Example from practice |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational technology skills | Strong | Daily use of the electronic health record, barcode medication administration, smart pumps and secure messaging without help |
| Information and knowledge management | Developing | I document well but rarely retrieve unit data, search databases or judge the quality of online health information for patients |
| Professional and regulatory accountability | Competent | I follow privacy rules and know the policies on photos and devices, but I recorded early teaching videos on my personal phone |
Comparison With Published Findings
My pattern matches what Kleib and Nagle (2018) found among 2,844 registered nurses in Alberta, who rated themselves slightly above competent overall, highest on foundational technology skills, somewhat lower on professional accountability and technology in care delivery, and lowest on information and knowledge management. This suggests that my weakness is common and reflects how nurses have been prepared, with training focused on using systems rather than on using information.
Development Plan
Each goal connects to the innovation I have developed in this course. Data skills will let me measure whether the videos make a difference, searching skills will ground the videos in evidence, and using approved technology will protect patients and the organization.
| Goal | Actions | Resources | Measure and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Retrieve and interpret unit data | Ask the unit's quality analyst to show me the discharge call log and readmission reports; build a simple monthly count | Quality department; spreadsheet skills course from hospital education | Produce a three-month baseline of post-discharge calls by the end of the session |
| 2. Strengthen literature searching | Complete the ASU Library database tutorials; run a documented search on patient education videos after joint replacement | ASU Library; course journal club articles | A search record and five appraised sources within four weeks |
| 3. Use approved technology for patient education | Meet with the patient education committee and information technology about approved recording, storage and QR code tools | Hospital policies; IT security office | Videos moved to an approved platform before any further pilot |
Ethical and Legal Considerations
Informatics competence includes protecting patient information and using technology within legal and organizational rules. Any video or data used in my project must avoid identifiable patient information, follow the hospital's privacy and security policies, and be stored on approved systems. Patients and families should be able to access the videos without creating accounts or sharing personal data, which a public QR link to an approved platform allows.
Conclusion
I am comfortable at the screen but less skilled with the information behind it. My plan targets that gap with specific, measurable goals tied to my practice, so that informatics becomes a tool for improving patient care rather than only a way to document it.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2021). The essentials: Core competencies for professional nursing education. https://www.aacnnursing.org/essentials
Friberg, E. E., & Saewert, K. J. (Eds.). (2023). Conceptual foundations: The bridge to professional nursing practice (8th ed.). Elsevier.
Kleib, M., & Nagle, L. (2018). Development of the Canadian Nurse Informatics Competency Assessment Scale and evaluation of Alberta's registered nurses' self-perceived informatics competencies. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 36(7), 350-358. https://doi.org/10.1097/CIN.0000000000000435
NUR 444 Module 5 instructions, in plain terms
The posted syllabus lists the Assessment of Nursing Informatics Competencies and Development Plan in Module 5, Information and Communication Technologies, worth 10 points, and describes it as a written reflection that demonstrates knowledge of informatics competencies. The same module includes a short paper on telehealth. The assignment usually asks you to complete or apply an informatics competency tool, rate your competencies, reflect on strengths and gaps, and write a development plan with goals, actions, resources and time frames. Module outcomes also cover ethical, legal, professional and regulatory standards. Check Canvas for the assigned tool, the format of the plan and any page limit. Some instructors ask you to attach the completed tool or a screenshot of your scores.
How this NUR 444 Module 5 example is built
The paper names the competency framework used and links it to the national baccalaureate essentials in a single paragraph. A table rates the writer in three domains with workplace examples, and the paragraphs below explain each rating honestly, including a lapse in judgment about personal devices. A comparison section shows that the pattern matches a large survey of nurses. The development plan is a four-column table with three goals, each with actions, resources, a measure and a date, followed by a paragraph tying the goals to the writer's innovation project. A short section addresses ethics and privacy. Tables carry the ratings and the plan so the prose can focus on explanation.
NUR 444 Module 5 rubric: what earns full marks
This assessment is typically graded on accurate use of an informatics competency framework, honest and specific self-assessment, a development plan with measurable goals, connection to practice, and attention to ethical and legal standards, along with APA writing. Graders look for goals that address the weaker areas identified, not the ones that are already strong. A plan without dates or measures usually loses points. Because the syllabus describes the assignment as a written reflection, depth of insight counts as much as completeness. An honest gap in professional accountability, explained and addressed in the plan, tends to read as stronger reflection than a perfect score. Clear tables also help.
NUR 444 Module 5 help from the desk
Students often rate themselves highly in every domain, which leaves nothing for the plan to address. Use examples to justify each rating. Another mistake is writing goals such as "learn more about informatics," which cannot be measured; name an action, a resource and a date. Connect at least one goal to your current practice. Do not mention specific patient data or system passwords, even as examples. Cite the framework you used. If you want help completing the self-assessment and plan for your own role, send the tool and the prompt. Finally, make sure each goal names something you can show was done by the date you set.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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NUR 444 Module 5 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NUR 444 Module 5 sample paper?
The complete informatics competency assessment and development plan is above, with a three-domain self-rating table, comparison with a survey of nurses, a three-goal plan and references.
What informatics competencies are assessed in NUR 444?
Common frameworks cover foundational technology skills, information and knowledge management, and professional and regulatory accountability for data and technology.
How do I write a development plan for NUR 444?
Set two or three goals that target your weaker areas, and give each one specific actions, resources, a measure and a target date.
Which informatics competency tool can I use for NUR 444?
Use the tool your instructor assigns. Published scales such as the Canadian Nurse Informatics Competency Assessment Scale or the AACN essentials domains also work.
Should I include ethics in the NUR 444 informatics assessment?
Yes. The module covers ethical, legal and regulatory standards, so address privacy, security and approved use of technology.