There’s no denying that technology impacts many facets of our daily lives. We’re heavily reliant on technology, from online shopping to bank transactions and even ordering meals. As its impact on different industries, the influence of technology on health care is irrefutable.
In fact, during a LinkedIn survey, more than 82% of nurses viewed the influence of technology in health care positively.
As per AI healthcare provider TestDynamics, because of its rapid takeover of the healthcare industry, we see both entry-level and veteran nurses constantly learning new technologies.
This article explores how technology contributes to making nurses more efficient.
1. Gaining More Skills
As we pointed out, with such strides in healthcare technology, nurses and other healthcare providers need to keep up their pace of learning.
This will help them better care for their patients and meet the industry standard of exceptional care.
New nursing technologies like Symptom Checker can help you perform better at your current job, but they can also help prep you for the inevitable tech advancements ahead.
Many nurses advance their careers and learn healthcare tech by pursuing higher education degrees, which typically entails registering for a master’s degree if you’re just a graduate.
One of the main reasons you’ll need a higher degree is skills and knowledge.
Typically, graduate nurses opt for a Master of Science in Nursing FNP Online Program to learn about new ways of providing quality care to patients, understanding complex treatment procedures and earning clinical experience to pursue higher roles in nursing.
2. Improved Scheduling
This is perhaps one of the most practical uses of healthcare tech — more streamlined scheduling. Like all workplaces, hospitals are prone to experiencing short staffing.
However, to lessen the chaos caused by short staffing, the hospital administration department uses resource-demand management software.
This analyzes staff availability and caseload information. Other programs allow managers to control costs while also keeping an eye on service quality.
3. Efficient Care Coordination
Another great benefit of healthcare tech to nursing is an easier collaboration between different care providers.
By using Electronic Health Records (EHR), nurses can draw on patient history that helps them provide more efficient care.
Moreover, EHR systems can help increase coordination between different teams of providers. With this system, registered nurses are informed whether they need to monitor small changes in a patient.
When these changes occur, they’re notified through alerts and real-time notifications.
Yet another benefit of electronic health record systems in healthcare is that patients won’t need to waste time filling out forms because it’s already present in the record system.
Thus, it reduces the time wasted taking a patient history and allows nurses to start treatment immediately.
4. Quicker Lab Results
Another way technology contributes to the efficiency of nurses is by providing quicker lab results. In high-stakes situations, every minute counts. This is why the timely distribution of lab results could mean the difference between life and death.
With the help of electronic health records, nurses and other care providers can retrieve patient information more quickly.
As a result, they also gain access to lab results online as soon as they’re available.
5. Better Performance Analysis
Electronic information management systems serve as a great aid to nurses. While health records help significantly minimize drug errors, there are still chances of mistakes.
With the help of these information systems, hospital administration can better identify areas of improvement and ultimately upgrade patient safety.
6. Portable Monitors
With a portable monitor, nurses can check on their patients from anywhere within the hospital. These devices monitor vitals, ECG, respiratory rates, and oxygen levels.
Since many hospitals require nurses to check these levels every hour, nurses can still keep track no matter how busy they get. They’re also notified in cases of emergencies.
It is interesting to note that some nurses only learn how to operate portable monitors either at the hospital or at a nursing school.
7. Automated IV Pumps
Medical software and tech have advanced to such a degree that nurses can use automated IV pumps to control the dosages and drips given to patients.
Moreover, there are also IV pumps for nutrition that give patients their meals at the correct times.
Perhaps the best part of these pumps is that they allow nurses to focus their time and efforts towards more pressing matters. These pumps can be a great aid in speeding up the process in case immediate attention is required.
Moreover, keeping doses automated helps eliminate the chance for human errors.
Typically, many nurses receive training and education regarding automated IV pumps at the hospital they’re working at — different hospitals may have different kinds of pumps.
8. Smart Beds
Smart beds allow nurses and other health care professionals to keep track of information like weight, movement, and patient vitals.
Moreover, they can also help ensure that the patients’ stay at the hospital is as comfortable and safe as possible. These limit the number of falls and patient injuries at the hospital.
This helpful in-room technology offers nurses insight into patient patterns, leading to a better understanding of their condition.
Instead of being buzzed each time the patient needs to adjust the bed, they can use the remote to change it themselves, saving a lot of the nurse’s time and increasing efficiency.
Conclusion
Nurses play a significant role in a patient’s recovery. Over time, their responsibilities have evolved alongside those of physicians and specialists.
However, things can get a little trickier since nurses have to cater to multiple patients. Thus, it’s essential to stay up to date on new technological advancements in medicine so that they can keep performing at the top of their game. BCA IT in Miami is a managed IT support provider that specializes in healthcare technology.