Nursing Informatics in Brazil. A Brazilian experience.

Nursing Informatics in Brazil began around 1985. In 1990, the Nursing Informatics Group at the Federal University of São Paulo (NIEn/UNIFESP) was created. The first task was to prepare students and professors to use computers. Since its creation, members of NIEn/UNIFESP have been working in clinical practice, administration, education, and research areas of Nursing Informatics. Initially, the discipline was introduced in the Doctoral and Master programs. Subsequently, all specialization degrees and undergraduate programs were provided with the discipline as well. In the research area, the author explores the use of computers as a tool to support nursing research as well as the implications of computer resources in nursing practice, administration, and teaching. However, the use of the computer as an instrument to support nurses' activities in taking care of patients still needs investment. The majority of hospital information systems do not attend to the nature of nursing practice.