Computers Used by Nurses
The area of interest in nursing informatics are nursing information, nursing data and nursing knowledge. The present state of knowledge related to these phenomena proposes four implications for the development of systems to assist nursing. First, research suggests that experience and knowledge is linked to the quality of nursing assessment, diagnosis or clinical inference, and planning of nursing care, and also that knowledge is task-specific Information technology can provide access to a variety of information resources, such as knowledge bases and decision support systems, to enhance the level of knowledge of the nurse decision-maker. Second, organized patient assessment forms with linkages to knowledge bases of diagnoses have the capability to improve the quality of the patient check up and the accuracy of the diagnosis. Third, studies on planning care have demonstrated the complexity of the task when a number of options are potentially appropriate Model-based decision support applications such as decision analysis and multi-attribute utility theory can help the clinicians and patients to analyze and compare the treatment alternatives in a systematic manner. Fourth, there is little support for proving the relationship between the process and results of clinical decision-making. Large databases built upon nursing data are needed to further examine this relationship.
Computer as nurse
Using computer as "Physician" for "nurse" has produced significantly more results. In light of this, the search terms "nurses and computers" and "nurses attitudes and computers" were used successfully. Future research may require appropriate search terms to produce the desired results. The research studies that cover multiple aspects of interest: attitudes and anxieties towards computers and computer use, factors related to usage of innovations, email, and use of handheld technology. These studies were representative of the literature, had predictive value about nurses and/or use of technology, with obvious implications for future study. (PDA CORTEX, 2000)
Current usage of computers
Nurses have been using technology for decades. From IV therapy in the post war years to the use of ICU in the mid-20 the century and to the current use of compact digital point of care devices nurses have become accustomed to and experienced in using technology in different areas. The mixture of healthcare and technology has created an industry that now drives both the cost and the standard of healthcare. Nurses are now using arterial lines and PA waveforms, and mastering microchip driven IV pumps and other important aspects of their work, but the documentation and communication have remained, as a rule, limited to pen and paper, and face-to-face or phone-to-phone talking.
Nurses and Email
An email study, by Bunting, Russell, & Gregory, (1998), declared email as a basic communication method between members of a research team. The authors were working on different data sets and research texts. They explored that use of email provided a medium for immediately exchanging ideas, in a way as if they were actually face-to-face. Their electronic "meetings" also included fax, telephone and some face-to-face meetings between the principal author and each member separately. Through electronic media, they were able to establish consensus, and felt that email made precious contribution to the process of writing and synthesizing the work of three different researchers. In addition to the benefits of overcoming communication hurdles described above, another benefit was cost control, e.g., decreased use of phone calls and use of snail mail (postage). Barriers highlighted included access to email by either reliability of Internet connections, physical reach to a computer, and reasonably priced Internet service providers. They also establish that use of email required minimum skills. As a medium for exchanging manuscripts or editing documents, email requires that users have friendly software applications that recognize and assist features such as, strikeout, marking text for changes and highlighting. The authors establish that in their experience of long distance research using email as the basic communication medium, that email provided them with "an unexpected bonus" (p. 132); allowing for reflection, creation of new ideas, and wider perspectives all around. Future use of the medium could be extended to the international level.
Personal digital assistants
Investigators at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada conducted study-using Palm computing technology. The purpose of the study was to implement this new technology in an ICU setting and study its impact on efficiency and physician competence. Participants included 24 medical staff, medical trainees, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, researchers and nurse educators. Using regular group focus meetings and findings on advantages and disadvantages, their overall results were positive. The study investigators, Stephen Lapinsky, MD and Tom Stewart, MD, established that handheld technology could revolutionize patient data management as well as access to medical reference materials
Online nurse's courses
Today nursing is trying to get creative solutions to increase the number of advanced practice nurses and overcome workforce shortages in specially U.S.. Such shortages could damage the U.S. health...
...Good patient care is illustrated by being caring and thoughtful. It is important to also use a correct nursing care plan, and safe nursing techniques. This includes not only infection control, hand-washing and correct skills, but up-to-date procedures and knowledge. A a) Quote part of the above statement in a sentence. Effective nurses are both "caring and thoughtful" in their approach with patients. A b) Paraphrase the above statement in a sentence. Effective nurses
Figure 2: Comparing RFID Tags and their Use It's important to note that the majority of RFID tags can be programmed by the user - a critical component in the development of patient-based strategies around RFID and the reason healthcare service providers are focused on this technology and its implications for redefining their entire treatment programs and treatment value chains. Figure 3 provides a schematic that defines how RFID works. Tags communicate
Computers are tools for learning; and as such are not essentially different from the way dictionaries, calculators, and videos are teaching and learning tools. However, computers provide a wide range of learning experiences that do make them qualitatively and quantitatively different from other learning tools. Three ways that computers measurably benefit the learning experience include communication, information access and retrieval, and training. Computers facilitate communication between learner and teacher, or
(Andrews, 1985) The study found that computer charting was well accepted by therapists. "Charge capture was reduced from a four-step manual process to a single-step computer documentation of the procedure. Computer charting was more complete and informative. Productivity increased 18%, although it remains unclear to what degree the computer was responsible." (Andrews, 1985) In conclusion, the study determined that computer charting streamlined the process of documentation and allowed more beneficial use
At its most extreme, the type of technology that is most distancing is the type of automated voice phone system that is the first point of contact for many patients between themselves and their insurance companies. I have witnessed patients waiting to discover if a procedure is covered, if a doctor is in-network, or an answer as to what laboratory their blood work should be sent. Other technologies, like
computer-based vs. paper-based medical records, and discuss which are better. Record-keeping is an important and vital part of any medical practice. Keeping medical records ensures the health and wellness of patients by tracking their overall care and health history. Record-keeping is important for many purposes including legal information, health information and documentation, and keeping information that must be shared for professionals that are documented caregivers for patients. Thus, determining
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now