2020 SALUTE TO NURSES
news-star.com Shawnee News-Star
Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3, 2020 • 1G
2020
ABOVE & BEYOND
DERRICK McANALLY NAMED NEWS-STAR 2020 NURSE OF THE YEAR IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL NURSE’S WEEK
PART OF GANNETT MEDIA’S
Derrick McAnally 2020 Featured Nurse
A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE SHAWNEE NEWS-STAR
FREEPIK.COM
LEARNING IN A multigenerational WORKPLACE
By Melissa Erickson
“Don’t prejudge people,” she said. Technology is one area where people often find differences. “Technology isn’t just the realm of the uccessful nurses consider health young. People may think that younger care a team sport. Multiple genpeople may be tech-savvy and older peoerations in the workforce bring ple are not, but that’s not necessarily the unique characteristics, which can reality,” Cardillo said. add challenges but also blend differences Building productive relationships into better patient care. requires education and open channels of “Regardless of age, level of experience, communication. gender, ethnicity or background, diversity “As technology fades in and out, we strengthens the profession,” said regisneed to use what’s available to us,” Cardiltered nurse and nurse practitioner Donna lo said. Different generations may comCardillo, who writes as The Inspiration municate differently. Some may prefer a Nurse. “Everyone brings different perphone call or in-person chat while others spectives, different ideas and skill sets. It’s prefer emails or text. critical that we are able to learn from each Whatever on-the-job other.” system The nursing workforce “Regardless of age, communication is in place needs to work is composed of six generalevel of experience, for everyone, Cardillo tions. said. That may require “That’s unprecedented,” gender, ethnicity education, training and said Cardillo, author of or background, leadership support. “Falling Together: How “We have to make sure to Find Balance, Joy and diversity everyone is on board,” she Meaningful Change When strengthens said. Your Life Seems to be FallTo help build relationthe profession. ing Apart” as well as several ships pair up individuals books on nursing. Starting Everyone across generations, such as with the youngest there are brings different a preceptor with a newly Gen Z, millennials, Gen Y, hired nurse or someone Gen X, baby boomers and perspectives, new to a leadership role some traditionalists who different ideas with a more experienced are in their 80s and 90s. “Everyone has something and skill sets. It’s leader. Each generation values and skills, to learn from someone critical that we are brings and the goal for all is the else,” Cardillo said. able to learn from same: to improve the With the retirement of quality of health, Cardillo boomers and traditionaleach other.” said. ists, many in the industry Donna Cardillo “Have a goal to know worry about these nurses someone in each decade: leaving the profession and 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s. We all have something taking their knowledge with them. Yet to offer,” she said. some millennials are already in their 30s When working on projects and comwith years of experience. Younger nurses mittees make sure different voices are have the advantage of being trained in represented. As humans we tend to want newer technologies as well as the energy to be with those who are like us, but it’s and adaptability of youth. so important to spend time with others, To create harmony and cohesion in a Cardillo said. multigenerational workforce, Cardillo “It’s not just older people opening up to suggests appreciating the differences the young. We all have something to learn rather than defining people by their age and to teach.” group. More Content Now
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AI: Supplementing, not replacing, nurses By Melissa Erickson More Content Now
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rtificial intelligence is changing the way nurses care for people. From saving time and money to improving decision making and patient care, innovation in health care now includes AI at the bedside. While we race toward telehealth solutions and increased machine learning, experts stress that robots will not replace nurses. Artificial intelligence can never take the place of the care, skill and art of nursing, said registered nurse Catherine Burger, spokeswoman for RegisteredNursing.org, a nonprofit that promotes education and employment resources. “AI will be challenged to ever have the ability to sense or feel what patients are saying and relate it to the caring connection provided by human touch and connection,” she said.
“Robots can do a lot, though. These new technologies can help nurses do their jobs more efficiently,” said Ping Li, instructor of information management in the College of Nursing at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. In certain situations, for example treating a patient in isolation for COVID-19, a robot with a camera could enter a room and interact with a patient while a nurse remotely controls the robot, viewing the images captured on a computer, Li said. Nurses have witnessed advances in health care technology through the ages. “Not only are we the ones initiating the changes, we are on the front lines to test and tweak the changes, Burger said. “From test-tube babies to angioplasty to robotic surgeries and the electronic health record, nurses are not only present but essential to the success of these improvements.” People often think AI equals robots, but that’s not
the case, Li said. It’s also patients interacting with an iPad logging in to look at lab results, ordering a meal in a hospital and talking to nurses and doctors. “What started with a tool to record health information is rapidly changing into predictability models that can provide nurses information on a patient’s pending decline so they can intervene earlier in the process,” Burger said. Once a certain criteria is met, such as an elevated temperature or lab result, AI triggers an alert for a nurse or other provider to check in on a patient, Li said. Nurses use numerous formats of AI in their practice. “Smart apps now hold the pharmaceutical, pathophysiology and dosage calculations we once held in our brains. The electronic health record allows for clear documentation, communication and even differential diagnosis to help drive care and improve patient outcomes,” Burger said.