Embracing Technology and Change

Embracing Technology and Change If you graduated nursing school recently and are now practicing, you may think you are up-to-date on the latest technology and medical advances.

However, medicine advances faster than we can keep up with. Technology literally evolves daily, and if you don't evolve and embrace what comes your way, you could get left behind.

Introductions to New Technology We always seem to have that one person in a group that usually avoids change. They have adopted the “If it's not broke, why fix it?” philosophy.

That person can either conform to a new way of thinking, or find another profession. You have to be ready to accept, and embrace new equipment and technology. Consider what it would be like for today's patients if medical personnel had refused to learn and accept laparoscopic surgical techniques. In most cases the introduction of new equipment, or a new way to perform a procedure, is beneficial to the patients, which is reason enough to embrace new ideas.

Related: How Technology Affects Nurses?

Volunteering for Trials Many times medical equipment representatives visit hospitals or medical facilities to introduce new equipment. They may ask for volunteers to work with the equipment on a trial basis in order to offer feedback and suggestions. This is truly something every nurse should embrace. You represent other nurses, so trying equipment out, and offering your input, including suggestions for improvement, is like helping to advance the medical profession.

The Ten Most Valuable Advances in the Last Decade •The electronic health record. This is such a great addition to modern day medicine. Statistically speaking, when patients were asked about their medications, the number of times they get it 100% correct is less than 30 percent. It's hard to recall everything you take if you have numerous prescribed medications. It's also very easy to overlook what you don't take on a regular basis, and those slip ups involving what medications a patient takes, can have devastating consequences. The electronic healthcare records virtually eliminate the problem. Providing the patient uses the same hospital, and doctors in the affiliated medical center, the patient record, including medications, are right in front of you.

•Mobile health is freeing medical devices of annoying cords and wires. No longer does a patient have to devote a half of a day to visit a medical facility, just to have their durable medical equipment checked, monitored, or adjusted. This also permits doctors and nurses to be alerted to changes in the patient's condition, as the equipment monitoring alerts the appropriate responders, and they can react immediately, versus waiting until the patient reports a concern.

•Telehealth is gaining popularity, and for obvious reasons. It has shown to lower patient mortality significantly, and can help to reduce the time patients are hospitalized, thus lowering costs significantly.

•Portal technology is a favorite among many nurses. Patients should take an active role in their own health care, however, that has often been overlooked. The patient offers information, symptoms and concerns, then steps out of the picture, leaving everything else up to the medical staff.

With patient portal technology this is changing. The patient is involved in their care, treatment, and all aspects of their medical visit. Patients can view lab results online, view medical records, and get results visually rather than by phone. Think how valuable it is for patients to see, review, and verify their own test results, it, is leaps and bounds over a quick telephone call from a nurse.

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•Self service kiosks are similar to portal technology. They can speed up registration times, check in times, and make the process involved move much quicker. It frees admission staff to do other jobs, and lowers the risks of getting a name or other incorrect information.

•Remote monitoring tools are a 3 million dollar industry, and growing by the day. This can save patients time, travel money, and major headaches.

Their equipment is monitored remotely, alerting responders instantly in the event of a problem. A pacemaker malfunction could result in death, however, with remote technology, the malfunction is more likely to be detected and treated instantly.

•Sensors and wearable technology are becoming more popular than ever.

Wearable medical devices are allowing seniors to remain safely in their homes, and alerting responders in the event of a fall, or other emergency.

This particular technology is providing peace of mind to patients and their families, making it a valuable part of today's modern medicine.

•Wireless communication is becoming the normal means of communication in many medical facilities. Annoying pagers are becoming a thing of the

past, and hospital staffs are receiving alerts quicker than ever, allowing for faster response time. •Location services are saving lives daily. Not actually intended to be a medical service, it has proven to be very beneficial in locating people in an emergency, and is responsible for saving countless lives.

There is little doubt that most discoveries and equipment introduced is beneficial to patients, and to the medical staff. In many cases the advances introduced are designed to keep the cost of medical care under control, while providing top notch preventative treatment. Most patients are accepting of technological devices and advances in medicine, and more and more seniors are educating themselves in technology every day. There was some initial concern that the technology being used in patient care may depersonalize the doctor/nurse/patient relationship, however to this point that has not been a concern from any party. The ultimate goal in medical technology is to improve the care and treatment of patients, while training, medical staff to recognize needs and offer preventive care based on indications from devices.

For nurses, change is generally a good thing, as it indicates an improvement or advancement in care for your patients. If you have difficulty adjusting to change, consider researching new technology before it is introduced officially.

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