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Information Technology and its Effect on Nursing PracticeAlex RodriguezAuburn UniversityAbstractThe purpose of this paper is to explore the growth of information technology in healthcare and discuss its effect on current nursing practice. Today, healthcare settings are transitioning to electronic systems of documentation and care and this is significantly affecting health care providers, most notably nurses (Graybeal, 2009). This has led to numerous changes in nursing practice with advances in technology providing tools to help nurses improve care. With nurses playing such a pivotal role in health care, they need to be thoroughly engaged in informatics. This means they should be involved in the development, implementation, and use of new systems (Mitchell, 2011). It is also important to note that not only has information technology provided nurses with tools to provide better care, but it has increased educational and job opportunities as well. This is made very clear through the development of nursing informatics as a specialty within nursing. Overall, the goal is to improve all aspects of care through successful use of continuing technological advances (Graybeal, 2009). Information Technology and its Effect on Nursing PracticeIntroductionToday, one of the country’s leading challenges is improving quality, cost, and access to healthcare. With the continuing emergence of new technology, informatics holds great promise in aiding healthcare reform and improving patient outcomes. The use of information technology (IT) to achieve these goals is clear in the Institute of Medicine reports on quality and safety, as well as the Federal government mandate for adoption of electronic health records by 2014. Also, as the transition to electronic systems of documentation and care continues, IT departments are making the transition from having a supporting role to focusing more on business and strategic planning. With nursing being the profession closest to the patient bedside, nurses are at the center of healthcare reform and have been greatly affected by the continued advances of information technology. This has led to many changes in nursing practice, such as the development of nursing informatics, which focuses on guiding workforce changes and adopting new technology to improve healthcare quality, safety, and access (Graybeal, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to discuss information technology and its impact on current nursing practice. DiscussionCurrently, health care environments are working to integrate many different types of technology to help provide the best care possible. This includes wireless solutions, mobile computers, automated exchanges between health care providers and patients, electronic health records, virtual office visits, and mobile labs (Sensmeier, 2011). With this steady increase of technology in the clinical environment, information technology has begun to play a crucial role in healthcare. Today, solutions exist that eliminate repetitive and mundane tasks, provide access to resources, provide efficient use of space, and improve environment of care. These solutions have greatly impacted nursing practice in many ways. For example, they help keep nurses from performing unnecessary tasks, which means that they have more time to provide direct patient care. The use of wireless monitoring devices has helped nurses save time and keep them informed when potential problems are imminent. Now it is much easier to acquire and track the use of resources and nurses are able to use new technology to organize and manage their work. Communications have also improved now that messages and requests can be routed and prioritized in order to enable immediate responses to patients and health care providers. All of this has helped nurses and other health care providers to provide safer and more efficient care, which leads to better patient outcomes (Cipriano & Murphy, 2011). Not only is information technology impacting nurses in the clinical setting, but it is also influencing nursing education as well as that of other health care providers. For example, there are now electronic tools that can simulate experiences requiring decision making, knowledge testing, and skill application. Programs like these can be used to demonstrate effective learning as well as improve practice by providing information on effective methods of care. These simulations also allow healthcare providers to practice use of new technologies such as electronic health records, so that they are able to transition more efficiently in the workplace. An increase in online education is another important factor affecting nurses and health care providers. Today many universities offer programs with a large amount of online content. Many employers can also provide programs and classes to aid in continuing the education of those who work for them. This means that there are more opportunities for nurses to advance their education. Lastly, emerging technologies help nurses engage in lifelong learning by allowing them easy access to just-in-time learning as well as essential reference resources. With these advances in health care education, not only will there be more chances for those interested in health care, but providers will also be able to supply excellent care with increased opportunities to further their education (Cipriano & Murphy, 2011). With information technology affecting nurses in so many ways, it is crucial that nurses are thoroughly engaged and involved in health IT. This means that nurses should not just use new technologies available to them, but should truly understand how they work and how they can benefit or hurt current practices. This is especially important since many nurses are not adequately trained in informatics or basic computer skills. Nurses need to actively participate in the exploration of new ways to improve care (Mitchell, 2011). This means that they need to involve themselves in planning, implementation, and customization of new systems, since user participation in the design and development of new technology increases the likelihood of successful implementation and utilization (Courtney, Alexander, & Demiris, 2008). Nurses and other healthcare providers should also contribute to the testing of new products, since they can more accurately determine the impact on care, workflow, productivity, and satisfaction. IT departments, in turn, must acknowledge nursing expertise since it is becoming essential to have individuals who understand healthcare practices as well as how to best create technologic tools that can increase safe patient care. The increasing importance of data sharing between health care providers and patients also calls for skilled individuals who can help develop and support electronic data exchange. This is why nurses who can integrate informatics solutions into clinical practice are so crucial for the current transition to an automated healthcare environment (Sensmeier, 2011). With informatics having such a profound effect on nursing practice, it is not a surprise that nursing informatics (NI) was established as a specialty within nursing; however, this did not occur until 1992, when it was officially recognized by the American Nurses Association (ANA) (Graybeal, 2009). Currently, there are numerous NI programs that continue to grow, and as of 2010, there are over 500 nurses who hold certification (Murphy, 2010). For the most part, it is the job of the nurse informaticist to use his or her knowledge and understanding of the patient care process, combined with new advances in technology, to aid in patient care as well as the transformation of healthcare. This includes working with other nurses to indentify computer needs and to assists in the training and implementation required when new systems are introduced (Mitchell, 2011). It is extremely important for nurse informaticists to advocate for both patients and fellow nurses, as they are the ones most affected by the introduction of new technology (Sensmeier, 2011). Nurse informaticists also need to help bridge the gap between new and mature nurses. With the current nursing shortage, there is a drive to retain the older workforce as well as recruit new graduates. This has led to a few problems, as newer graduates have adopted and enjoy working with technology, while the more mature nurses are comfortable with older methods such as paper charting. It is up to the nurse informaticist to ensure that programs are developed to increase computer literacy and acceptance among all nurses in order to help in providing consistent, safe, and effective care (Graybeal, 2009). Along with creating new roles and opportunities for nurses, information technology is also giving patients an opportunity to become active members in their own care. Not surprisingly, this influences nursing practice by changing the way that nurses interact with their patients. As of 2011, 59% of adults use technology to access healthcare information, including details about their own health problems, treatment options, and the history of others who have similar diagnoses (Sensmeier, 2011). This is something nurses need to be aware of as well as encourage. Now it is the job of the nurse to work with patients in understanding the benefits of being an active participant in their own care. This can be done by encouraging patients to actively use technology to manage health care as well as to share information with health care providers (Murphy, 2011). The goal is to customize care to fit each individual, and it is up to the nurse to help patients see how they can contribute to meet this goal (Sensmeier, 2011). ConclusionIt is extremely clear that healthcare is moving in a direction that will eventually lead to almost complete digitization of systems and data (Cipriano & Murphy, 2011). With technology having such a huge role in healthcare, it is no surprise that informatics has become so important in enhancing clinical practice as well as appropriateness, efficiency, and effectiveness of care (Oroviogoicoechea, Elliot, & Watson, 2008). Information technology is also having a profound effect on nurses and other healthcare providers by creating changes in practice and education, as well as by creating new roles and responsibilities (Cipriano & Murphy, 2011). In my future practice, I hope to share what I have learned about the impact of informatics and technology on nursing as well as work to engage myself and others in using and evaluating new practice tools. This is essential in making sure nurses are prepared for the future and ready to lead change and advance health in order to provide patients the best care possible (Cipriano & Murphy, 2011).ReferencesGraybeal, K. B. (2009). Charting a winning course with nursing informatics. Nursing Management, 40(11), 18-22. Retrieved from , K. L., Alexander, G. L., & Demiris, G. (2008). Information technology from novice to expert: Implementation implications. Journal of Nursing Management, 16(6), 692-699. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2834.2007.00829.xSensmeier, J. (2011). Information technology. Transforming nursing practice through technology and informatics. Nursing Management, 42(11), 20-23. doi:10.1097/01. NUMA.0000406572.04085.e8Mitchell, J. K. (2011). Nursing informatics 101: Using technology to improve patient care. ONS Connect, 26(4), 8-12. Retrieved from Murphy, J. (2011). Nursing informatics. Engaging patients and families in ehealth. Nursing Economic$, 29(6), 339-341. Retrieved from , P. F., & Murphy, J. (2011). Nursing informatics. The future of nursing and health IT: The quality elixir. Nursing Economic$, 29(5), 286-282. Retrieved from , J. (2010). Nursing informatics: The intersection of nursing, computer, and information sciences. Nursing Economic$, 28(3), 204-207. Retrieved from , C., Elliott, B., & Watson, R. (2008). Review: evaluating information systems in nursing. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(5), 567-575. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.01985.x ................
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