Introduction
Technology has significantly influenced the way some practices are carried out in most organizations. Moreover, the field of nursing has also experienced a major transformation in nursing practices as a result of the development in technology around the world. The increase in population in the country calls for the intense use of technology within the health care facilities. Comprehensive training should be adopted on various levels of nursing and strengthened to sustain the knowledge-based technology usage. Nurses have been forced to take advantage of computers in their workplace due to the increased nursing practices and roles. Some studies have provided some limitations of technology in nursing field, but they stated also that the benefits prevail over the drawbacks (Turale, 2011). The impact of technology includes the reduced documentation period as nurses carry out their routine activities to enable an improved productivity. This paper discusses the impact of advanced technology in nursing field.
Discussion
Technology comes with some benefits such as the capability of performing research regarding demographic analysis, diseases, medical care, introduced medicines, and nursing care. The use of technology is undergoing constant evolution, where practices linked to the transfer of information by the nurses within the institution and receiving responses from doctors via mail messages have developed significantly. The impact of technology is evident in nursing practices, but it is expected to advance increasingly in the health care sector. Additionally, some computerized nursing care practices provide an improved recording, but there was no notable change concerning the outcomes of the patients (Gerdin & Tallberg, 2007).
Nursing care planning experienced some challenges as health care providers transform their services into computerized systems. Currently, technology or computer use in nursing practices for the entire documentation has a narrow use and is undergoing some development. Issues regarding ethical and legal conditions are increasing in the medical sector. These legal issues should be kept in mind since computers are easily accessed by various departments within the health care system, as well as several employees. Privacy and confidentiality are the critical matters in the health care, where it may include a case in which a nurse accesses some documents in presence of another person. Integrity in health care may include the capability of a nurse to enter some details of a patient, but the same nurse may come to alter these details someday. Moreover, it can include the ability of a nurse to gain access and alter some details entered by another nurse. Another important issue is the extent in which facilities and services in the health care can be offered without physical contact with the patients. Therefore, nurses have considered computerizing their facilities instead of some clients visiting the facilities (Mastrian & Mahan, 2011).
Although technology has allowed easier and faster access and input of patient’s data to their database, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) has detailed the approaches in which the members should manage the data in their systems (Mastrian & Mahan, 2011). They should only access the details of the client that they require to carry out their duties. Therefore, these technology applications should ensure that an access to certain information should be specific and restricted to certain members only based on their needs. It has also helped in recording client’s details using various techniques such as dynamic signature, voice identification, fingerprints, digital photos, and facial structure. Medical experts have stated that biometric signatures will provide a significant platform for the required security and privacy in the health care systems.
Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) system has also influenced the way nurses perform their work in that they can get access to the patients’ details from multiple health care providers, which it enables an effective coordinated care. Another technology that has been greatly used in health care system is robotic technology. This has provided the enhanced diagnostic abilities that are effective and more comfortable for patients. Moreover, robots have been used as an attachment care provider for various psychological and physical care conditions (Mastrian & Mahan, 2011). Some health care providers have also allowed nurses to use their mobile phones at work, where nurses can easily communicate with patient’s families and friends. They can also use GPS to track clients undergoing dementia conditions. Moreover, nurses have benefited from telemedicine since it allows them to gain access remote areas.
Conclusion
Nurses have benefited most from advanced technology as they perform their duties. Health care providers have moved forward to provide services to the clients that are not able to gain access to the health care facilities by direct physical contacts with doctors or nurses. New technology has helped nurses as they perform documentation, although this has also brought some issues such as privacy and confidentiality. The demands for health care facilities have gone up as there is a rapid increase in population. However, the technology advancement has helped significantly in addressing the shortage of nurses in the country. Experts are expecting that technology advancement will enable nurses across multiple geographical settings to share information and work together for better delivery of health care for their clients.
References
Gerdin, U., & Tallberg, M. (2007). Nursing Informatics: The Impact of Nursing Knowledge on Health Care Informatics. Berlin: IOS Press.
Mastrian, K., & Mahan, W. (2011). Integrating Technology in Nursing Education: Tools for the Knowledge Era. New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Turale, S. (2011). Technology and its Impact on Nursing Education. Journal of Nursing Science , 29(1), 9-17.