Embracing Technology: The Role of the Nurse Leader

  

 In the current world of health care reform, nursing leadership at all levels must be ready to embrace and encourage health information technology as a means of improving the quality of nursing practice.   Nursing informatics leaders are innovative and are considered to be both educators and practitioners of nursing care.  They understand nursing workflow and assist in the development, integration and communication of technology that will assist and support nurses at the bedside.    Nursing leaders must embrace HIT, communicate, support and challenge the visions that are created so as to optimize the development of new heath care delivery models (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson, 2015). 

            It is crucial that nursing leaders at all levels partner with and support HIT.  Leaders in nursing informatics can facilitate and help to educate other levels of nursing leadership to achieve competency and true understanding of the technology available.  Included in this understanding must be the realization of the data available and how nurse leaders at all levels can transform and innovate the findings into improved clinical practice and outcomes (Daly, Speedy, & Jackson). 

References

Daly, J., Speedy, S., & Jackson, D. (2015). Leadership and nursing: Contemporary 
     perspectives (2nd ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier Australia. 

Human Technology Interface: Where human and computer communications meet

             Human technology interface is the communication and connection between the computer and the human end-user.  This technology is essential in healthcare and in nursing practice.  The quality and safety opportunities that are generated through the use of technology are necessary as we strive to succeed in the world of healthcare reform and in the improvement of population health.

         
             Examples of Human technology interface are seen in many care settings.  The EHR is certainly a classic and important example of such an interface, and one that provides patient’ access to their records.  This access will improve communication between patients and providers, along with assisting in the decisions surrounding appropriate care management.  The current goal of such technology is to improve the quality of patient care, decrease health care costs, and focus on the quality and compliance of population health.

            When it comes to patient engagement and the promotion of health,  telemedicine provides the technology to improve such a relationship between provider and patient (Gephart & Effken, 2013).  While there is not much family education needed for this technology, the improved care behaviors and trusting relationship between patient and providers with the sharing of information, improves the patient experience and improves engagement.  This patient monitoring system can be used in the patients with chronic conditions such as CHF, and that require continued communication and reinforcements from providers and members of the healthcare team.  With the new technology, alerts can be deployed and instructions given to patients.  This technology can help in reducing the numbers of readmissions to the acute care hospital settings, decrease costs, and improve patient communication and engagement.

 Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-18-2013/No2-May-2013/Impact-of-Emerging-Technology.html July 21, 2015

Retrieved from: http://www.nursezone.com/nursing-news-events/devices-and-technology/Top-Technology-Trends-in-Patient-Safety_33668.aspx  July 21, 2015

Gephart, S. & Effken, J. (2013). Using Health Information Technology to Engage Patients in their Care. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics (OJNI), 17 (3), Available at http://ojni.org/issues/?p=2848