Introduction
The patient care environment has changed significantly because of the introduction of technology in nursing practice. Many nurses are technology literate and use technology to provide quality patient care (Ball 42). Nurses have transformed from passive consumers to active consumers of technology in efforts to improve their practice while maintaining ethics. Technology has been described as the most effective tool for transforming nursing practice today. It has improved and introduced innovation and efficiency in nursing. Certain technology innovations have made great contributions by eliminating repetitive nursing tasks and helping nurses to perform their daily tasks effectively (Cipriano 286). Also, technology has promoted efficient use of nursing space, improvement of patient care, and has facilitated access to resources.
This has led to the improvement of the safety of patient care and efficiency of nursing practice. Technologies that have changed nursing processes have improved efficiency by eliminating unnecessary tasks, thus leaving nurses with complex tasks only (Ball 44). Technology has enabled nurses to use time effectively by relinquishing certain tasks to technology tools. The extra time is used to care for patients. This has improved the quality of patient care.
Discussion
Nurses use wireless devices together with specialized call systems and monitoring devices to track the progress of patients’ recovery. These electronic devices improve patient care because they alert nurses whenever patients experience health problems (Turisco and Rhoads par3). Nurses also use electronic records to save time and improve storage of patient information. Electronic records improve the safety and privacy of information because only authorized people can access them. There are also systems that enable nurses to use time effectively by preparing schedules, acquiring equipment necessary during practice, and creating awareness (Cipriano 286).
Other technologies help nurses to manage and organize their workflow in ways that promote timely and quality delivery of nursing services to patients. Information technology has also contributed significantly because it facilitates routing and delivery of messages. This improves efficiency because of immediate responses (Ramundo 40). Immediate responses to patients’ problems improve safety and efficiency of patient care.
In the last few years, health care has become a global concept that has been introduced into the virtual world of technology. Technologies such as mobile devices have facilitated the expansion of health care from local and national arenas to the international arena (Ball 48). Technologies have facilitated the shifting of health care from hospitals to other areas such as homes. Patients can monitor their conditions and progress about chronic and acute health conditions (Turisco and Rhoads par4). On the other hand, technology has elevated the position that patients occupy within the health care sector. Patients have become partners and not clients and customers, as the situation was before the advent of technology in nursing practice.
Technology has played the role of transforming nursing through the improvement of patient care. This has occurred in different fields, including education and research. The technology was introduced into nursing practice after patient care deteriorated to levels that promoted high mortality rates (Cipriano 288). As a remedy to the situation, several technologies were introduced including re-engineered care processes, application of information technology, coordination of patient care and services, and improvement of hospital environments. The main aims of incorporating technology into patient care included provision of safe, effective, efficient, timely, equitable, and patient-centered care.
Health information technology is used to improve the safety, quality, and efficiency of patient care (Ramundo 42). Its focus is automation of patient health information, improvement of communication between patients and nurses as well as among patients, reduction of medical errors, and promotion of research (Mahan 56). The main goal of incorporating information technology into nursing practice is to improve patient safety.
This has been the goal of many nurses. It is important to realize that information technology is important in nursing practice in order to address challenges in education, leadership, and research (Turisco and Rhoads par6). Technological advancements have revolutionalized the delivery, evaluation, planning, documentation, and review of patient care (Ball 48). Digitization of data has improved efficiency due to timely posting of feedback and responses between patients and nurses. In olden days, delays were common because everything was done manually. Digitization of patient data enables nurses to develop individualized patient care programs that suit the specific health needs of each patient.
Technology has improved the processes of disease diagnosis, analysis of laboratory tests, information recording, and administration of medications (Ramundo 40). This has greatly reduced medical errors because nurses have easy access to medical information through hospital databases or from the internet (Mahan 58). These activities have become automated, leaving the most complex ones to nurses. These include diagnosis of diseases and the administration of medication. Technology has decreased patient stays in hospitals. On the other hand, technology has increased life expectancies due to timely and quality care. Technology has lowered the demands of nursing, hence making work easier for nurses.
Finally, technology has improved training, education, and research (Mahan, 59). This has led to highly knowledgeable nurses who are up to date on current trends in the medical field. Quality research has led to the development of new medications and vaccines. Nurses are more educated than they were before the advent of technology in the nursing practice. In addition, they are now able to engage in lifelong learning.
Technology is important to people who are not nurses because it reduces the cost of health care, and improves efficiency as well as safety of patient care. Technology has globalized health care by improving communication between patients and nurses. Also, it has made health information readily available to people. People can take control of their health by accessing health information from the internet (Turisco and Rhoads par7). They can use it to eradicate diseases, develop preventive measures, develop programs against infectious diseases, and participate in their patient care programs.
Conclusion
Technology has transformed the nursing practice tremendously. Nurses are more educated, and their work has been made easier. Technology has improved the efficiency, equity, safety, and provision of patient care. Patients can communicate effectively with nurses through technology tools such as emails. Digitization of patient health information has improved relay of feedback and responses between patients and nurses. This has eradicated delays that were existent before the advent of technology. Information technology has improved the safety of patient care because it has reduced medical errors that were common in treatment, diagnosis, and administration of medications. Technology supports systems that improve nursing practice, public health, and the health of individuals.
Technology will continue to revolutionalized the nursing practice by facilitating the automation of certain tasks that do not require human attention. This has and will continue to create more time for nurses to focus on patient care. The main aims of incorporating technology into the nursing practice are to provide patient-centered, safe, efficient, reliable, and equitable health care services.
Works Cited
Ball, Marion. Nursing Informatics: Where Caring and Technology Meet. New York: Springer, 2000. Print.
Cipriano, Pamela. The Future of Nursing and Health IT. Nursing Economics 29.5 (2011): 286-289. Print.
Mahan, Wendy. Integrating Technology in Nursing Education: Tools for the Knowledge Era. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010. Print.
Ramundo, Dabby. New Technologies to Enhance Nursing Practice. Nursing Critical Care 7.3 (2012): 40-42. Print.
Turisco, Fran and Rhoads Jared. Equipped for Efficiency: Improving Nursing Care Through Technology. 2008. Web.