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What are the four sciences that synthesize to form the nursing informatics specialty?

The four sciences that synthesize to form the nursing informatics specialty are nursing science, computer science, cognitive science, and information science. The text defines informatics generally as integrating a specialty's science, computer science, cognitive science, and information science. In nursing informatics, the specialty's science is nursing science.

According to the glossary definition of informatics, the field integrates a specialty's own science with computer science, cognitive science, and information science to manage and communicate data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in practice. For the nursing informatics specialty, the specialty science is nursing science. Therefore, the four sciences that come together are nursing science, computer science, cognitive science, and information science. These four sciences underlie the knowledge work of nurses who use informatics to support patient care and nursing practice.

Key points

  • The four sciences are nursing science, computer science, cognitive science, and information science.
  • Informatics integrates a specialty's science with three foundational sciences.
  • The specialty science for nursing informatics is nursing science.
Source:Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge· Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge· p. 1405–1511
Cover of Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge

Nursing Informatics and the Foundation of Knowledge

McGonigle, Dee; Mastrian, Kathleen; & Kathleen Mastrian

Fourth edition · Jones & Bartlett Learning

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