Informatics for Health Professionals 2nd Edition Mastrian

The Gap This Book Fills

Healthcare is increasingly driven by data, digital records, and interconnected systems. Yet many health professionals graduate without the foundational knowledge to navigate, evaluate, or contribute to these technologies. The result is a gap between clinical practice and the information systems that now support it. Informatics for Health Professionals directly addresses this gap, providing a structured, theoretically grounded approach to understanding and applying informatics in real-world healthcare settings.

Inside Informatics for Health Professionals 2nd Edition Mastrian: A Full Overview

Informatics for Health Professionals is a comprehensive textbook designed to equip students and practitioners with the core competencies needed to integrate informatics into their daily work. Authored by Kathleen Garver Mastrian and Dee McGonigle, both distinguished nursing educators and informatics scholars, this Second Edition builds on the Foundation of Knowledge model—a framework that explains how data, information, and knowledge interact to support clinical decision-making and evidence-based practice. Published by Jones & Bartlett Learning in 2021, the text spans 1119 pages of focused, practical content.

The book covers a broad range of topics, from the basics of computer literacy and information management to the ethical, legal, and regulatory issues surrounding health data. It emphasizes the role of informatics in improving patient outcomes, streamlining workflows, and supporting interprofessional collaboration. Each chapter includes learning objectives, case studies, and critical thinking exercises that bridge theory and practice.

Who Should Read This Book?

This textbook is primarily designed for undergraduate and graduate students in nursing, health administration, public health, and allied health programs. It is also an invaluable resource for practicing healthcare professionals who want to update their informatics knowledge or prepare for certification exams. Faculty teaching introductory informatics courses will find the Foundation of Knowledge model a useful organizing framework for their curriculum.

Specifically, the book serves: nursing students seeking a clear, accessible introduction to informatics; health informatics certificate candidates who need a broad overview; clinical educators designing interdisciplinary informatics modules; and healthcare administrators looking to understand the data systems their teams use every day. If you work in any capacity where health data, technology, and patient care intersect, this book belongs on your shelf.

Skills You Will Gain

• The Foundation of Knowledge model and how it explains the relationship between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom
• Core computer literacy concepts, including hardware, software, and networking essentials for healthcare settings
• How to evaluate and select health information systems, including electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical decision support tools
• Strategies for managing and protecting patient data in compliance with HIPAA and other regulatory frameworks
• Techniques for using informatics to support evidence-based practice and quality improvement initiatives
• The role of telehealth, mobile health, and consumer health informatics in expanding access to care
• Ethical considerations in health informatics, including data ownership, privacy, and the digital divide

Why This Book Stands Out

While several introductory informatics texts exist, few are built around a unifying theoretical model as practical as the Foundation of Knowledge. This framework, developed by the authors themselves, gives students a consistent lens through which to view every topic—from data standards to system implementation. Competing books often present informatics as a collection of unrelated topics; this one shows how everything connects.

Additionally, the Second Edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect the rapid changes in health IT since 2016. New content on interoperability, population health informatics, and the use of big data in healthcare ensures that readers are learning current best practices. The book also includes expanded coverage of nursing informatics competencies, aligning with the TIGER (Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform) initiative and the QSEN (Quality and Safety Education for Nurses) standards.

Another advantage is the pedagogical design. Each chapter includes not just review questions but also case studies and “stop and consider” prompts that encourage active learning. This makes the book suitable for both classroom use and self-study. No other introductory text offers this combination of theoretical depth, practical application, and currency.

Author & Publisher Credentials

Kathleen Garver Mastrian, PhD, RN, is a professor emerita at Penn State University, where she taught nursing informatics for over two decades. She has published extensively on the integration of technology into nursing education and practice. Dee McGonigle, PhD, RN, CNE, FAAN, ANEF, is a professor of nursing and the director of the Virtual Learning Environments at Chamberlain University. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a recognized leader in nursing informatics education. Together, they bring a combined half-century of experience to this text.

Jones & Bartlett Learning is a respected academic publisher known for its high-quality textbooks in nursing, health sciences, and public health. Their editorial standards ensure that every chapter is peer-reviewed and aligned with current educational outcomes. This Second Edition carries the authority of both the authors’ expertise and the publisher’s rigorous quality control.

The Bottom Line

Yes. For students entering the health professions, this book provides the essential informatics foundation that many curricula still lack. For practicing clinicians, it offers a structured way to fill knowledge gaps and stay current with evolving technology. The Foundation of Knowledge model alone makes it worth the investment—it gives you a mental framework you will use for the rest of your career.

The digital price of $62.98 (as listed by major textbook retailers) is competitive for a full-color, 464-page textbook of this caliber. When you consider that the book covers material that is tested on the NCLEX, the ANCC Informatics Certification, and other professional exams, it is a cost-effective study tool. Moreover, the Second Edition’s updates ensure you are not learning from outdated material—a common complaint with older informatics texts still in use.

Add Informatics for Health Professionals 2nd Edition Mastrian to Your Library

Whether you are a nursing student preparing for a career in a data-driven healthcare environment, a public health professional seeking to understand EHR systems, or an educator looking for a reliable course text, Informatics for Health Professionals, Second Edition delivers the knowledge and skills you need. With its unique Foundation of Knowledge framework, practical case studies, and authoritative authorship, this is the informatics textbook that will stay relevant throughout your career. Order your digital copy now and start building the informatics competence that employers demand. Jones & Bartlett Learning’s 2021 edition is available for immediate download—add to cart today.