ABSTRACT
Introduction and Background For several decades, interest in the competencies nurses need to effectively “use computers” in clinical, administrative, research, and educational settings has increased. In 1988, NLN published a document titled Nursing Informatics Competencies for Nurse Educators and Researchers.1 It included computer, informatics, and information literacy competencies, most of which was relevant to all nurses. Looking back on that work in light of recent interest and efforts around informatics competencies, it was quite prescient and is, in many ways, still relevant to the dialog taking place on this topic today. Our assessment is that the concept of informatics competencies for nurses has evolved through four phases: (1) Attitudes toward computers (1980-1990), (2) Basic computer skills (1985-1995), (3) Nurse informatician competencies (1989-2000), and (4) Informatics competencies for all practicing nurses and graduating nursing students (2001-present, and beyond). You will note that our estimates of the years associated with these phases sometimes overlap. This is because of the considerable variability among organizations, institutions, and individuals in the evolution through these phases.
