5 Tech Trends Changing The Field Of Nursing
Nursing is being enhanced in numerous ways by technology, which enables nurses to be more efficient and informed in order to provide superior patient care. These devices and apps, ranging from handheld mobile units and wearables to software-enabled command centers, provide nurses with critical insights that are easy to access and share with other clinicians.
“Technology can truly streamline information across the continuum of care and enable nurses to extend their human touch,” Sue Murphy, chief experience and innovation officer at University of Chicago Medicine, tells HealthTech. “We never want technology to take over those interactions; rather, we want it to help us express them more effectively.”
Indeed, a recent LinkedIn survey of more than 600 nurses discovered that 82% believe new technology will improve patient care by assisting in the improvement of human processes and reducing human error.
Five areas of continued development are as follows:
Mobile Devices That Perform Multiple Functions Streamline Workflows and Save Time
A single portable tool for communicating, obtaining patient data, and tracking patient care eliminates the need to run back to nursing stations on a constant basis. With instant access to patient information, an onboard barcode scanner, and the ability to receive alerts, it frees up time for daily patient care.
“Nurses can focus on the critical tasks at hand rather than juggling 17 different tasks,” Murphy explains.
Nurses at Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City, Missouri, use the Zebra Technologies TC51-HC, a mobile computer, phone, and barcode scanner in one. Nurses benefit from a variety of benefits associated with the devices, including the ability to send messages, receive alerts, and transmit images directly to a patient's health record or to another caregiver.
Wearables Enable Remote Patient Monitoring and Bedside Care
Additionally, wearables provide significant benefits for nurses and their patients. Small, Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as smart watches and monitors can now track and transmit personal health data such as glucose levels, blood pressure, body position, and physical activity, allowing nurses to keep a closer eye on patients — regardless of whether they are at home or in a hospital.
Thus, care can be improved, time saved, medical errors prevented, and adverse effects minimized. Wearables "provide numerous benefits to nurses, including increased time for more focused patient care," Lindsay Coffman, a senior clinical nurse editor for Wolters Kluwer, writes in the journal Nursing2020 Critical Care.
Wearables empower patients to take an active role in their care and to understand the consequences of their behaviors in real time. Similarly, according to The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, automatically generated data and analysis enables nursing teams to intervene more quickly.
This is especially critical as healthcare teams monitor discharged COVID-19 patients for signs of distress during their recovery.
Secure Connections from Anywhere are Made Possible by Telehealth Platforms
Telehealth solutions enable nurses to extend their reach and care for low-acuity patients while avoiding the risk of COVID-19 exposure.
It also benefits critical cases: According to MIT Technology Review, numerous hospitals investigated tele-ICU applications during the pandemic. Nurses can monitor ICU patients remotely, regardless of their location, thanks to high-definition cameras, telemetry, and a multidisciplinary team of intensivists.
According to mHealthIntelligence, Falls Village Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, has used telehealth applications to reduce rehospitalization rates. Previously, nurses had to wait for an off-duty doctor to respond when a patient's condition deteriorated; the new telehealth system can connect them to a doctor in less than an hour.
“Nurses value having dedicated access to a physician during off-hours,” says Falls Village administrator Nick Gulich. Additionally, "it strengthens their ability to assess." They have a slight advantage in terms of knowing what to look for. It has bolstered their self-esteem.”
Mobile Workstations Offer More Seamless Care
While nurses have long relied on wheeled care vehicles and portable monitors, these devices are becoming increasingly compact, intelligent, and capable. These machines transport equipment, medications, and health records to the patient's bedside for nurses to access.
And, according to a 2019 case study published in the Journal of Clinical Engineering, the new carts are lighter, more economical, and easier to maneuver.
“With their workloads already overburdened, nurses look for ways to eliminate steps in the workflow, not to add more. When they are able to provide seamless care while interacting easily at the patient's bedside, the hospital environment is enhanced,” the case study notes.
Command Centers Provide Extensive and Actionable Intelligence
Software-enabled command centers provide real-time updates, enhance patient experiences, and enable nurses to be more proactive in their monitoring of schedules, patient needs, and available rooms.
AdventHealth in Florida is reportedly utilizing a new command center to coordinate care across departments. Custom dashboards assist in coordinating scheduling and screenings and enable nurses to prioritize care and treat the most critically ill patients first.
At the University of Chicago, command centers have been critical in assisting nurses in making more informed patient care decisions.
“All of the information is in one location, which enables us to make decisions without having to visit numerous locations,” Murphy explains. “We use that information for staffing, scheduling, discharge, developing a plan of care, and providing post-acute care.”
