Impact of Technology on the Nursing Profession
Introduction
Registered nurses sometimes work alone or in collaboration with doctors to provide health care services to patients. The roles of registered nurses include taking and recording patients’ symptoms, diagnosing health problems, and administering drugs and treatment (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). To be successful in the nursing profession, every registered should perform theses role efficiently. Just like all other industries, technology has revolutionized the healthcare industry. These technological advancements do not change nursing fundamentals but rather make the jobs of nurses easier. As such, a nurse should be aware of these methods and be willing to incorporate the technologies in their work. Doing this will ensure that the nurses remain professional and are eligible for career advancement.
Documentation of patient records is a vital part of the nursing profession. In the past, nurses used papers and files to record and store patient information. Currently, healthcare information systems are used for recording and storing the records. This electronic documentation of patient records will increase the accuracy of patients’ records and improve the quality patient care. This is because the presence of all patient records in one place will reduce human errors. The healthcare information system will also facilitate fast and efficient access to patients’ records. This will significantly reduce nurses’ workload since patient records can be accessed using a few key strokes (Health Information and Management Systems Society, 2017). In the long term, nurses will be able to use the electronic records to plan to coordinate their efforts and plan for patient care. The health records can also be used in universities to equip nursing students with the much-needed knowledge required for them to be successful in their careers. Nursing is an evidence-based practice that relies on research. The patient records can be very useful sources of information that can be incorporated in the research.
Better diagnostic tools have also been developed to help nurses to perform diagnostic tests. An example is a biosensor based on nanotechnology that can perform multiple diagnostic tests using on minuscule body specimens (Papandrea, 2016). These devices allow nurses to perform less invasive and minimal tests on patients. This increases the accuracy of the test and also lowers the risks of infections. In the long term, the healthcare and operating costs will be reduced since the need for multiple diagnostic tests will be eliminated.
Finally, there are systems that have been developed to help nurses administer medication and take care of patients. Currently, there are healthcare facilities that are using automated drug delivery systems. The systems are implantable devices that are attached to patients and scheduled to release a certain amount of medication at a specific time. There are also smart alarms that do not operate like the previous alarm systems. Instead of being pressed by the patients, the alarms measure the patients’ vitals and alert the nurses in case of any emergencies. Finally, there are patient lifting technologies that are used to help nurses safely handle patients.
The automated drug delivery system has helped reduced nursing errors. The systems together with the smart alarms also increase the efficiency as everything is automated. The patient lifting technologies help prevent nurses from getting injuries due to heavy lifting. Studies show that about 2,400 nurses get hurt every year while lifting patients. The automation of patient care will give nurses a chance to focus on other important things. In future, nurses’ roles may be expanded, and they may be assigned more responsibilities. This is because they will have very little work to do. Also, the number of hours lost due to nurses missing work due to injuries will be reduced significantly.
Educational Plan
Most universities and medical schools do not have the resource to keep up with new technologies. Due to this reason, students can only learn in theory about the technologies but will have the opportunity to interact with them. The best way to develop nursing career objectives and have a feel of the technological advancement in this field is applying for internships. The chosen organization should be one that is open to new technologies and incorporates the useful ones in their routine activities. This will help gain experience and develop useful nursing skills.
References
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2015, December 17). Nurse Anesthetists, nurse Midwives, and nurse practitioners: Occupational outlook handbook: U.S. Bureau of labor statistics. Retrieved January 19, 2017, from Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm#tab-2
Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. (2016, December 29). The right balance –Technology and patient care. Retrieved January 19, 2017, from Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, http://www.himss.org/right-balance-technology-and-patient-care
Papandrea, B. (2016). 7 tech breakthroughs that will make you a better nurse. Retrieved January 18, 2017, from TravelNursing, http://www.travelnursing.org/nursing-technology-7-advancements-you-should-know-about/
