Information technology has developed to the point of providing a means to manage nursing and related health-care data effectively for nursing administrators, educators, practitioners, and researchers. Therefore, the newly recognized area of nursing informatics is important to the nursing profession as a whole. Nursing informatics is defined as the integration of computer and information science into nursing-practice settings to enhance client care and the profession. Nursing schools and health settings, in which nurses must prepare for or function in their nursing roles, must fully utilize the nursing informatics capabilities currently available. Technologically enhancing nursing will ultimately improve client care. (Contains 4 references.) (Author/SLD)