Book excerpt: For courses in nursing informatics. A practical guide to applying healthcare IT and nursing informatics Handbook of Informatics for Nurses & Healthcare Professionals is a complete, up-¿to-¿date overview of key issues related to adopting and applying healthcare IT and nursing informatics. It provides nurses and other healthcare professionals with a much-needed practical guide to using computer applications and healthcare information systems. The authors cover the concepts, skills, and tasks needed to achieve national IT goals to help transform healthcare delivery. The 6th edition reflects rapid changes in healthcare IT and informatics, and builds upon the expertise of contributors involved in day-to-day informatics practice, education, and research.