What is Nursing Informatics? Technology and innovation have transformed the way people function personally and professionally. In the past, writing and mailing a letter was standard practice, but now most people send electronic and text messages to their phones. Healthcare is also changing dramatically: Not only are paper medical records and records becoming obsolete, but many facilities now share test results, visit information details, and prescription drug lists. This shift to the digital age has helped improve healthcare by reducing long-term costs, increasing efficiency with reduced wait times, and reducing medical errors. This ever-evolving technological expansion, commonly referred to as nursing informatics, has created many opportunities for nursing professionals with information technology expertise to move into this growing field. The Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN), was launched in 2007, and allows healthcare providers to provide better healthcare services by having the ability to review previous patient visits, surgeries, prescribed medications (“Delaware Health Information Network ”, 2014). The creation of the DHIN and the initiative in the United States to make all medical records electronic creates an urgent need for more nursing informatics. There is an opportunity for states to align data by allowing national trends to become more visible, identifying drug seekers, and promoting more proactive care instead of reactive care as health histories are visible nationwide. Nursing informatics professionals integrate technology with patient care. They look for ways to provide better care and improve the patient experience by reducing duplication, evaluating trends, forecasting, and implementing procedures b...... middle of document ......Rise on Advance for Nurses, 2013 ).ReferencesBrokel, J. (2007). Updates in the field of nursing informatics. Iowa Nurse Reporter, 20(4), 19. Delaware Health Information Network. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://www.dhin.org/aboutInformatics Nursing Certification Eligibility Criteria. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2014, from http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Certification/ExamResources/Eligibility/ECategory/InformaticsNurseEligibility.htmlJohnson & Johnson Informatics Nurse | Johnson & Johnson Discover Nursing. (n.d.). Retrieved March 2, 2014, from http://www.discovernursing.com/specialty/informatics-nurse#.Ux3DL1y54X0Richins, S. (2013). Nursing Informatics: A Career on the Rise on ADVANCE for Nurses. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/Nursing-Informatics-A-Career-on-the-Rise.aspx