This page addresses frequently asked questions about Nursing Informatics. For any other questions or concerns about our department, please contact:
Shawn Coomer, MBA, MSN, RN
Manager of Nursing Informatics
615-438-6286
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VNIS (pronounced "venus") stands for Vanderbilt Nursing Informatics Services. We are a team of nurses, trained in informatics principles, who support clinical roles reporting through Nursing in their use of technology. Meet Our Team to learn more about our nursing and educational backgrounds and why we became interested in informatics!
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Nursing Informaticists support customer use of the electronic health record, other technology, and associated workflows. We educate customers on the use of sound informatics principles, including problem shaping, troubleshooting, design requirements, system design life cycle, and change management. We utilize current evidence-based nursing knowledge, including research findings, to guide practice. We work with clinical and IT team members in evaluating the effectiveness of technologies that impact clinical users.
For more information and a list of our primary services, view our Our Services page.
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Essentially, VNIS supports all clinical roles that report up through executive nursing at VUMC. This includes all Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Medical Assistants, Care Partners, Medical Receptionists, Respiratory Therapists, Case Managers, and other ancillary roles. Our list of customers is subject to change based on the needs of the organization.
We also partner closely with other teams who support the technology needs of other roles at VUMC. Click here for more information on Our Partners and who they support.
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For general technology questions or needs, please reach out to one of our team mailboxes for support. Mailboxes are manned M-F, 8:00-4:30.
- nursinginformatics.amb@vumc.org - for all ambulatory and infusion questions and needs
- nursinginformatics.inptperiop@vumc.org - for all inpatient, procedural, perioperative, ED, and psychiatric facility questions and needs
We utilize a Microsoft Forms request form for our services for projects or requests that would require at least 4 hours of work from a VNIS team member. This request form is monitored by the department Manager and a response and allocated resource is typically received within 2-3 business days.
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VNIC stands for Vanderbilt Nursing Informatics Committee and is our shared governance process for eStar system changes for nurses. Members of VNIC are called eStar Representatives, and they help disseminate information gathered from VNIC to their peers. VNIC meets monthly and asks for active participation from its members in order to evaluate current workflow and how technological changes will impact users.
For specific information about each VNIC Subcommittee, follow the links below:
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No, VNIS is not able to order hardware or software for any clinical or non-clinical areas, but there is a list of resources for hardware/software needs here.
