Essay On Technology Changing Practice

In the hectic and harried environment of a hospital, a nurse or technician does not have to search for an available workstation when they can pull up an individual chart on their tablet. Medical personnel can expect to access medical records more frequently and faster than traditional paper and folder charting models. “Location no longer creates a barricade to patient data. Role-based roaming and printing means better access to records from multiple locations. Many different devices, such as tablets and mobile phones, are supported.” 3

Nursing informatics and technology are quickly becoming the hot buzz words for nursing in the twenty-first century. While performing research for this specific paper, the observations of how far technology has come from its inception is mind boggling. When looking back to the mid 1990’s every patient had paper charting. Nurses manually charted vital signs, nursing notes, treatments and all orders were manually written in the chart. The patient’s name, insurance information, and billing items were stored electronically. Fast forward twenty plus years and everything nurses do with, for or to a patient is filed electronically. This file today is known as the electronic health record (EHR) (Lavin, Harper, & Barr, 2015). This paper will be delving into the history of nursing informatics and technology, the pros and cons for nurses and what will be the big picture for informatics and technology in nursing today and in the future. Nursing informatics and the technology that has evolved over time are changing and quickly affecting how nurses treat, communicate, plan and document everything that they do for their patients.

This reading discusses the use of wireless alerts pagers in a Surgical Intensive Care Unit and how it affects both work practices and information flows through a qualitative study. From the research that exists, we can see that pagers are successful communication tools because of the mobility and immediacy they provide. Interviews were completed with physicians and pharmacist who used the pagers and nurses who did not use the pager about how it impacted their work. In addition to collecting data this way, the researchers also compiled observational data from watching the device be used in regular practice. The study noted that

As consumers utilize smartphones, tablets, and other devices for other functions like social media and email, they are starting to look at these features to assist them with their healthcare. Mobile body area network devices will be a growing trend in the coming years as a way to get patients engaged in their healthcare and also to give providers routine updates on the status of patients with chronic conditions. As DeGaspari (2014) indicates, these devices can lead to improved functionality for other devices used in hospitals, such as sensors for monitoring patients that might get up and wander or be a fall risk. Telemedicine will continue to grow as payers, providers, and patients all start to realize the mutual benefits that can be

In the world today, smartphones are becoming the “norm”, with basic phones becoming nearly obsolete in recent years. Pairing the overwhelming presence of social media with the rise in usage of smartphones brings to light an entirely new set of problems and challenges regarding patient privacy. According to a 2010 study conducted regarding various boards of nursing, 67% of executive officers surveyed reported receiving complaints about nurses misusing social media (Spector & Kappel,

Over the past decade, virtually every major industry invested heavily in computerization. The heath care industry was no exception to the rise in the use of technology. These technologies are starting to allow health care practitioners to offer faster, and more efficient patient care than ever before. No doubt this is the right direction we expect health care to follow.

Working with this tool on a day to day basis has raised questions on how it is being effectively used. Analyzing human-technology interface we can see what questions need to be solved for the future. Human-tech. interface is defined as, people having any contact with technology (Mastrian, McGonigle, & Effken, 2017). This can be a large problem, especially when work flow is affected; Nurses simply do not like breaking their routine (Mastrian, McGonigle, & Hammel-Jones, 2017). If a program is given to them and the staff does not know how to use it, they will continue their day and forget about it. I asked staff how they incorporate the program in their workday, several people

Many job titles or description can be associated with the position of an informatics nurse specialist (INS). According to Sweeney (2010), there is no single job description for an individual with a graduate level of education in the informatics field. Furthermore, the author stated that job titles and/or description of an INS varies with each employing organization. However, expected activities should include responsibilities such as administration, project management, software development, analysis, designing and implementing educational programs, consulting, program evaluation and research, and management and leadership (Sweeney, 2010). This implies that an INS should have the skills and knowledge to meaningfully use current technologies to convey and coordinate care across various settings. The purpose of this paper is to summarize three job descriptions, analyze these job descriptions, and make recommendations for improving one of the summarized job description to meet current employer recruitment strategies.

With the rapid growth in the implementation and use of electronic medical records, there is an increase in how we define the role of nurses and other team member’s (Deese & Stien, 2004). Along with providing optimal care, nurses are also responsible for interpreting and accurately documenting large amounts of information. According to, (Ericksen, 2009) nursing informatics is defined as the integration of nursing, its information, and information management with information processing and communication technology to support the health of people worldwide. In this

Nursing of the future builds on old technology and new innovations to continue to grow towards a common goal. Nurses are just starting to see some of the changes happening in their workplace. Laptop computers on wheels aka (Cows) have been implemented to make the recording of patient data happen at the bedside. Larry Flynn and Dave Barista (2005) reported that “Wireless networks allow nurses to continue the care to the patient and not the chart. This is where nursing informatics plays a key role in hospital based technology and implementation of such technologies.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe two health information and communication technologies (HICTs) and how they aid nurses in supporting safe, quality care, facilitating continuity of care and care coordination, and partnering with patients and families to increase participation in health care. HICT involves electronic creation, storage, exchange, and analysis of health information to advance delivery of health care. Widespread use of HICT within the healthcare industry can achieve the following goals: improve healthcare quality and safety, reduce costs and health disparities, enhance clinical research, and ensure security of patient health information (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). Several examples of HICTs include: electronic medical record systems, electronic prescribing, consumer health applications, and telehealth (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], 2015). Integration of HICTs in healthcare settings is valuable for all clinicians, but most importantly nurses as they are primary caregivers.

The use of personal devices can benefit the patient and the way nurses care for them. For example, smartphones, laptop or tablets in healthcare settings has the potential to enhance productivity, lower failure-to-respond to patients on time, and increase information access and communications among other healthcare providers. Equally, the use of these devices can also have a negative impact on our patients. Patient safety with the use of personal devices includes the

The best candidates for a job within nursing informatics would be nurses with clinical experience who are well versed

As technology has and continues to advance so will the expansion of nursing informatics. Data from (19th annual 2008 himss leadership survey, 2008) hold this statement true showing a steady increase in the implementation of technologies. As computers became smaller, it became easier and efficient for hospitals and physicians office to implement their use. (sutton, 2007)The first computers were large, expensive, and inefficient. Now, computers are compact, inexpensive, and efficient. The smaller technology allows for portability of information. PDA’s are small enough to fit in your pocket. With these small devices, you can look up a patients medication, drug interactions, side effects, and just about anything, you could think of to

While software selection criteria were not in scope for this effort, it does warrant discussion on the overall availability of specialty software for the medical industry on iOS, Android and Windows platforms. Currently, most of the “MCA’s” or Medical Clinical Assistant platforms operate in a Windows-only environment, as do most of the key medical records and billing platforms in the medical field. The cost of custom software development to build a mobile solution is far beyond the budget of most local hospitals and not an endeavor to be undertaken lightly.