CATANDUANES STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Health Sciences

Virac, Catanduanes

TERM PAPER IN NURSING INFORMATICS

(Computer System)

Kristine Claire G. Tariman

BSN-2A

Prof. Aries Gianan

26 January 2020
 Table of Contents

Cover Page ...................................................................................................................................... 1

Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Body ................................................................................................................................................ 5
Hardware ..................................................................................................................................... 5
Software ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 8
 Abstract

This paper discusses all about computer systems. It examines its fundamentals such as what

computer and computer system is, the components, and the importance of computer and

computer system. It will also explain the differences between its two components which are the

hardware and software computer system. This paper also covers a brief introduction about

computers before actually jumping to the specific topic which is about computer systems.
 Introduction

Today, almost all of us in the world make use of computers in one way or the other. It

finds applications in various fields of engineering, medicine, commercial, research and others.

Not only in these sophisticated areas, but also in our daily lives, computers have become

indispensable. They are present everywhere, in all the dev ices that we use daily like cars, games,

washing machines, microwaves etc. and in day to day computations like banking, reservations,

electronic mails, internet and many more. The word computer is derived from the word compute.

Compute means to calculate. The computer was originally defined as a super fast calculator. It

had the capacity to solve complex arithmetic and scientific problems at very high speed. But

nowadays in addition to handling complex arithmetic computations, computers perform many

other tasks like accepting, sorting, selecting, moving, comparing various types of information.

They also perform arithmetic and logical operations on alphabetic, numeric and other types of

information. This information provided by the user to the computer is data. The information in

one form which is presented to the computer is the input information or input data. Information

in another form is presented by the computer after performing a process on it. This information is

the output information or output data. The set of instructions given to the computer to perform

various operations is called as the computer program. The process of converting the input data

into the required output form with the help of the computer program is called as data processing.

The computers are therefore also referred to as data processors Therefore a computer can now be

defined as a fast and accurate data processing system that accepts data, performs various

operations on the data, has the capability to store the data and produce the results on the basis of

detailed step by step instructions given to it.

 Body

A computer system is a combination of various components. It performs the system

functions such as input, processing, output, storage and control. A computer system consists of

hardware, the physical unit (parts) of the computer that are capable of computing and

manipulating information and software (set of instructions or programs) that carries out

predefined tasks to complete a given job. The computer performs operations like addition,

subtraction, multiplication and division only when the user instructs it to do so. The user issues

instructions and the CPU acts in accordance with the instructions. The sets of instructions, which

control the sequence of operations, are known as programs, and collectively programs are called

software. We can equate hardware and software with human body and human intelligence,

respectively. All human physical actions such as walking and eating are based on the thoughts

and feelings, which is raised by the brain. If the brain does not raise thoughts and feelings, we do

not perform any physical activity. Similarly, the actions and functioning of every hardware

equipment is driven by software. The combination of physical equipment (hardware) and logical

instructions (software) gives modern computing system their power and versatility.

Hardware

One of the component of computer system is hardware which is the physical components

of the computer, such as electrical, electronics and mechanical unit are known as the hardware of

the computer. That is, the input units, output units and CPU are called hardware. Thus hardware

is the equipment involved in the function of a computer. It consists of the components that can be

physically handled. The function of these components is typically divided into three main

categories: input, output, and storage. Components in these categories connect to

microprocessors, output and storage. Components in these categories connect to

microprocessors, specifically, the computer's central processing unit (CPU), the electronic

circuitry that provides the computational ability and control of the computer, via wires or

circuitry called a bus.

Software

Software on the other hand, is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the

hardware components of a computer and to accomplish specific tasks. In other words, software

tells the computer what to do and how to do it. For example, software instructs the hardware

what to display on the user’s screen, what kinds of input to take from the user, and what kinds of

output to generate. Thus, software communicates with the hardware by organizing the control

sequences, and the hardware carries out the instructions defined by the software. A computer

needs to be instructed to perform any task. These instructions are given in the form of computer

programs, which are written in computer programming languages. A program controls the

activity of the processor. The moment the hardware (processor, memory, etc.), acts as per the

instructions of a program, the program is said to be in running or executing state. A set of

programs, which are specifically written to provide the user a precise functionality like solving a

specific problem is termed as a software package. For example, word processing software

package provides functionality to the computer so that it can be used to create text documents

like letters and mailing lists. Similarly, an image processing software package assists a user in

drawing and manipulating graphics.

 Conclusion

Computer systems are everywhere today. From business to entertainment, from shopping to

education, in our daily lives, communication and in every situation, it is difficult to imagine a

world without computers. Computer systems are more often than not linked together in networks

and the ability to connect with these networks is something we take for granted now. We can

now communicate across the planet at a speed that was unimaginable only a few years ago.

Using our smartphones, tablets, laptops and personal computers, we can send and receive data

from wherever we are. We can do this across the Internet or via the phone network using 3g or

4g. Businesses make extensive use of computers. Jobs that used to take specialists a long time to

do can now be done by a lot of people. For example, many people know how to set up and use

spreadsheets for looking after accounts. Word processors are used by many people to write

letters. Databases are used to search through millions of records and reorganise them very

quickly. Images, video and sound can be manipulated easily now using a variety of packages. All

of these types of jobs were done by specialists in the past. Now they are accessible to everyone,

perhaps with some degree of training. Anyone can set-up a business easily online using the

Internet now and appear to be a very large company and you can run an online business

completely from home, too. The way students learn now has changed beyond recognition. Whole

libraries of information are available via the Internet. The use of interactive whiteboards,

wireless connections, video cameras, smartphones and tablets, for example, have changed the

activities in a classroom and exam boards are making increased use of online testing and

marking as well. To summarize it all, computer system are indeed important part of our lives

because it helps us a lot in every situations. It has answers to our problems. It also has its own

disadvantages but with the proper use of this, these disadvantages can be scratched permanently

and we can enjoy its convenience without doubt.

 Bibliography

ITL Education Solutions Limited. (2003). Introduction to Information Technology. New Delhi:
Pearson Education.

Leon, A., & Leon, M. (2011). Fundamentals of Information Technology. New Delhi: Leon
Vikas.

Paramewaran, R. (2006). Computer Applications in Bussiness. New Delhi: S. Chand and Sons
Company Ltd.