Introduction
Currently, the new technologies are developing rapidly, and their implementation may prove effective in a variety of fields, including nursing. There exist several technologies that have not yet been widely introduced, but the use of which may significantly advance the quality of nursing care. In this paper, some of these innovations, namely, the real-time locating systems, will be discussed.
The Crux of the Real-Time Locating Systems
Some of the new technologies that may help increase the effectiveness of nursing care are related to the pace at which the nurse can access their patient. In particular, such technologies as real-time locating systems, or RTLS, allow the nurses and other health care providers to much more effectively track the location and movement of their patients to quickly provide them with care when it is needed (Papandrea n.pag.). RTLS are local systems that allow for the real-time tracking of the location of certain persons (or moving objects) that are carrying a special ID tag. Every tag sends its signal, which permits to unerringly identify the tag’s bearer and determine their exact location. A nurse or any other member of the medical staff of a hospital that is using RTLS may access the system at any time by employing either a special piece of RTLS equipment or simply their mobile device, and pinpoint the location of a patient that needs to be provided with care. In contrast to GPS, which only works effectively outdoors, RTLS is perfect for indoor utilization, which makes them highly useful for health care professionals (Papandrea n.pag.).
The Benefits of the Real-Time Locating Systems
Information and communication technologies, including RTLS, can help in advancing patient-centered care and increase the customers’ health outcomes (Rouleau, Gagnon, and Côté 75). In particular, the use of RTLS can provide the nurses with quick and convenient access to their patients inside the hospital’s walls. It is stated that this offers significant assistance with patient care routines and bed management (Papandrea n.pag.). These technologies permit clients to receive medical aid much faster in case of an emergency.
Constant tracking can also be extremely useful in case of caring for patients with mental diseases because these patients may wander away from the hospital into the outside area and get lost there; it might even be possible to integrate RTLS technologies into alarm systems to warn the staff if the patient leaves a certain area. Also, RTLS may record the patient’s mobility throughout the day; this information may then be used to provide further recommendations about their physical activity. Also, RTLS may be used to solve certain specific organizational problems, for instance, to identify when patients demand assistance the most, to record the times of overcrowding, etc.; this information can then be employed by the management to maximize the effectiveness of the nursing staff.
Possible Issues
Even though RTLS can propose numerous benefits for the health care industry, it should be stressed that any new technologies ought to be implemented cautiously, and not suddenly. Their features need to be carefully devised, for it is stated that the presence of numerous redundant functions may hinder the nurse’s work (Piscotty, Kalisch, and Gracey-Thomas 292).
Conclusion
It can easily be seen that the implementation of RTLS can not only provide major benefits to the nurses but also improve the patient health outcomes, enhance the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the nursing staff and other medical personnel by e.g. supplying information that would allow for a better distribution of workload, and possibly even offer crucial assistance in looking after patients who require special care (such as persons suffering from Alzheimer’s disease). Better health outcomes, more satisfied clients, cost-effective distribution of working time, and perhaps even the reduced rates of burnout among nurses are the possible outcomes of RTLS implementation. However, the features and functions of the new technologies need to be carefully devised so as not to hinder the work of the healthcare staff.
Works Cited
Papandrea, Dawn. 7 Tech Breakthroughs that Will Make You a Better Nurse. 2015. Web.
Piscotty, Ronald J. Jr., Beatrice Kalisch, and Angel Gracey-Thomas. “Impact of Healthcare Information Technology on Nursing Practice.” Journal of Nursing Scholarship 47.4 (2015): 287-293. ProQuest. Web.
Rouleau, Geneviève, Marie-Pierre Gagnon, and José Côté. “Impacts of Information and Communication Technologies on Nursing Care: an Overview of Systematic Reviews (Protocol).” Systematic Reviews 4.1(2015): 75-82. BioMed Central. Web.