Table 1 Main topics presented in the workshop

Session 1 (in the first week)

Familiarity with and ability to use computer in the following areas:

• Windows, data storing and processing, data access and security

• Introducing different file formats, and key notes about advanced word processing functionalities, presenting slides and key notes (hyperlink, transition, slide master, design), managing reference

• Using telecommunication, telenursing and software tools such as email, adobe connect, skype, and Lync

• Managing computer systems security to protect data, devices, passwords and detect viruses

• Demonstrating how to search for policies and procedures, just-in-time training materials

• Demonstrating Internet tutorial and introducing databases and search engines, Google and key notes (translate- image- books- directory-scholar …), searching for policies and procedures and information, training just-in-time materials on the web

Session 2 (in the second week)

• Introducing and orientating variety of information sources including hard copies, electronic files

• Demonstrating medical and nursing databases such as Current Nursing and Allied Health Literature)CINAHL(, PubMed, Scopus,…

• Using search strategies in databases such as PubMed and Scopus

• Searching articles in Persian databases such as Scientific Information Database)SID(, Medlib, Iranmedex, and Magiran

• Demonstrating a variety of electronic search capabilities such as the ways to subscribe and receive free articles

• Doing simple and advanced search, and conducting limited search based on the publication year, full text, keywords, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), and using search operators such as AND, OR, NOT and etc.

• Doing practical exercises. For example, retrieving related articles in databases such as PubMed and Scopus for “Intubate Patient Care” with related keywords and providing search results

• Sending results of search through email to the professors for receiving feedback from them

Session 3 (in the third week)

• Presenting instances and practical exercises about the topics taught in the second session

• Reviewing IT initiatives such as HIS and its various capabilities such as documenting care plan in the medical record, collecting and maintaining patient care data like laboratory data, the picture archiving and communication system, patient admission and discharge

• Identifying human-computer interaction bottlenecks to enhance care quality, implementing HIT for higher care quality and patient-nurse communication.

• Introducing the use of informatics tools for the design of effective care plan such as: nursing interventions classification (NIC), and nursing outcomes classification (NOC)

• Correcting some flaws in the nursing care systems, data recovery and security, levels of safety and access to health information

• Discussing about barriers to timely documentation, reviewing methods to improve documentation in an efficient and timely manner and providing egregious examples