Discussion
The computerization of nursing tasks is almost inevitable for every health care organization. The increasing number of patients forces hospitals and clinics to adopt new technologies to perform such tasks as charting, medication administration, and research quicker. However, this process may prove challenging for many institutions (Nguyen, Bellucci & Nguyen, 2014).
One such challenge comes from the conversion of physical hospital records into electronic ones. The main problem with this process lies in the extensive amount of work it requires from the staff. Patient records cannot be automatically converted into digital information, and therefore require the staff to input them by hand. However, there is a clear benefit to this process. In a physical environment, archival information may take hours to access based on how well the archive is maintained. In a computerized hospital, the same information can be accessed in seconds and with no need for upkeep (Nguyen et al., 2014).
The second biggest challenge comes from the need to train the staff to use the new computerized systems. Most hospital computer systems use proprietary software designed specifically for hospital use. Even people who are already familiar with computers would have to learn the new system from scratch. The benefit of this training is clear: when staff is capable of utilizing these new machines, their efficiency rises. In the future, the veteran staff may help the new hires to utilize the system (Nguyen et al., 2014).
Conclusion
Although the computerization of nursing tasks may bring new issues into the health care facilities, the benefits of this process are clear. Conversion of the old files and training of the staff are only two of the challenges. However, the benefits of the process have shown to outweigh the difficulties of its implementation.
Reference
Nguyen, L., Bellucci, E., & Nguyen, L. (2014). Electronic health records implementation: An evaluation of information system impact and contingency factors. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 83(11), 779-796.