Characteristics of pioneers of nursing informatics: a thematic analysis.

Little has been published on the individuals and circumstances that shaped the development of Nursing Informatics. This qualitative research, through a process of concept analysis, was undertaken to shape an understanding, of the Pioneer aspect of the leaders and innovators whose work contributed significantly to the early accomplishments that framed the development of the specialty. A content analysis of the transcripts of the identified 33 Pioneers of Nursing Informatics, defined as "innovators, trailblazers and ground breakers in some area of nursing informatics" was conducted to begin to define relevant concepts. The large data set was coded and themed in an iterative, inductive fashion. Four overall themes emerged from the research, including: Envisioning, Forging, Tinkering, and Swarming. The presentation will describe the themes and offer narrative textual examples of each theme. Future research will use this analysis to create a theory of nursing leadership.