Nursing Informatics Notes

COMPUTER HARDWARE

HARDWARE

 Quite simply, computer hardware is the physical components that a computer system
requires to function. It encompasses everything with a circuit board that operates within a
PC or laptop.
 Without hardware, there would be no way of running the essential software that makes
computers so useful. Software is defined as the virtual programs that run on your
computer; that is, operating system, internet browser, word-processing documents, etc.
 Although a computer can function only when both hardware and software are working
together, the speed of a system will largely rely on the hardware used.

PERIPHERALS

 Peripheral devices are used to enter information and instructions into a computer for
storage or processing and deliver the processed data to a human operator or, in some
cases, a machine controlled by the computer. Such devices make up the peripheral
equipment of modern digital computer systems.
 Peripherals are commonly divided into three kinds:
 Input devices
- Converts incoming data and instructions into a pattern of electrical signals
in binary code that are comprehensible to a digital computer.
- Examples: typewriter-like keyboards, mouse, trackpad etc.

La Madrid, Hanna Mae B.

BSN 2E
 Nursing Informatics Notes

 Output devices
- Reverses the process, translating the digitized signals into a form
intelligible to the user.
- Examples: Laser printers, loudspeakers, headphones etc.

 Storage devices (which partake of the characteristics of the first two)

(photos)

MEMORY

 Random Access Memory, or RAM, is hardware found in the memory slots of the
motherboard. The role of RAM is to temporarily store on-the-fly information created by
programs and to do so in a way that makes this data immediately accessible.
 The tasks that require random memory could be; rendering images for graphic design,
edited video or photographs, multi-tasking with multiple apps open (for example, running
a game on one screen and chatting via Discord on the other).

MOTHERHOOD

 The motherboard is at the center of what makes a PC work. It houses the CPU and is a
hub that all other hardware runs through. The motherboard acts as a brain; allocating
power where it’s needed, communicating with and coordinating across all other
components – making it one of the most important pieces of hardware in a computer.
 When choosing a motherboard, it’s important to check what hardware ports the
motherboard supplies. It’s vital to check how many USB ports, and what grade (USB 2.0,

La Madrid, Hanna Mae B.

BSN 2E
 Nursing Informatics Notes

3.0, 3.1) they are, as well as what display ports are used (HDMI, DVI, RGB) and how
many of each there are. The ports on the motherboard will also help you define what
other hardware will be compatible with your computer, such as what type of RAM and
graphics card you can use.
 Although the motherboard is just one piece of circuitry, it is home to another one of the
most important pieces of hardware: the processor.

CPU

 The CPU (Central Processing Unit or processor) is responsible for processing all
information from programs run by your computer. The ‘clock speed’, or the speed at
which the processor processes information, is measured in gigahertz (GHz).
 This means that a processor advertising a high GHz rating will likely perform faster than a
similarly specified processor of the same brand and age.
 The CPU itself is a core component of what makes a computer a computer, but it isn’t the
computer itself – it’s just the brains of the operation. It’s a small computer chip that sits
atop the main circuit board (motherboard) of a computer.
 CPUs are built by placing billions of microscopic transistors onto a single computer chip.
Those transistors allow it to make the calculations it needs to run programs that are stored
on your system’s memory.

ADVANCED HARDWARE and mHealth

La Madrid, Hanna Mae B.

BSN 2E
 Nursing Informatics Notes

ADVANCED HARDWARE

 There is a lot of change taking place within the mobile market.  Some phones are getting
simpler while others get more complex or “smarter”.  Touch screen phones occasionally
look like small tablets while tablets start to look like large phones.  Some tablets have
removable keyboard docks while some laptops can be used without their keyboard.
Laptops and desktop PCs both allow users to access cellular and wireless signals as easily
as a phone or tablet, while some phones can only be used on limited networks.  New terms
are being coined to reflect these adaptations, such as “phablet” and “hybrid”, yet the basic
categories still remain.

BLUETOOTH

 Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard used for exchanging data between fixed and
mobile devices over short distances using short-wavelength UHF radio waves in the
industrial, scientific and medical radio bands, from 2.400 to 2.485 GHz, and building
personal area networks (PANs).
 Compatible hardware: Personal computers; smartphones; gaming consoles; audio devices
etc.

mHEALTH

La Madrid, Hanna Mae B.

BSN 2E
 Nursing Informatics Notes

 mHealth is defined by the WHO as the “medical and public health practice supported by
mobile devices, such as mobile phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital
assistances and other wireless devices”.

MOBILE DEVICES

 A mobile device is a general term for any type of handheld computer. These devices are
designed to be extremely portable, and they can often fit in your hand. Some mobile
devices—like tablets, e-readers, and smartphones—are powerful enough to do many of
the same things you can do with a desktop or laptop computer.
 Advantages of mobile technology
o higher efficiency and productivity of staff.
o the quality and flexibility of service you offer your customers.
o the ability to accept payments wirelessly.
o increased ability to communicate in and out of the workplace.
o greater access to modern apps and services.
o improved networking capabilities.

WIFI

La Madrid, Hanna Mae B.

BSN 2E
 Nursing Informatics Notes

 Wi-Fi is the name of a wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide
wireless high-speed Internet and network connections. A common misconception is that
the term Wi-Fi is short for "wireless fidelity," however this is not the case. Wi-Fi is
simply a trademarked phrase that means IEEE 802.11x.
 Wi-Fi networks have no physical wired connection between sender and receiver by using
radio frequency (RF) technology -- a frequency within the electromagnetic spectrum
associated with radio wave propagation. When an RF current is supplied to an antenna,
an electromagnetic field is created that then is able to propagate through space.

La Madrid, Hanna Mae B.

BSN 2E