Upcoming Technological Advances in Nursing - Case Study Example

Upcoming Technological Advances in Nursing Abstract Nursing departments of nearly all countries in the world are working hard to improve on everything and maintain the high standards required in the health care. A lot has been and is still being done in nursing just to make all the undertakings go hand in hand with technology. This revolution is coming about due to the emerging technologies that are believed to make gradual changes on how the nursing fraternity carries on duties, how employees are treated and how patient’s welfare is enhanced. This sequence of advancement looks into how and when varieties of innovations are being incorporated by the health sector or the healthcare organizations so as to motivate nurses and other stakeholders perform their duties with a lot of ease and efficiency. With all these related advances in technology, the professional culture of reflection, profound inquiries, and inter-professional collaborations will gear nursing as a whole towards success by the year 2025. Therefore, the whole field of nursing will be admirable and appreciable by many as patients will also enjoy the technology by getting the knowhow about various diseases, symptoms, causes and effects, drugs and methods of prevention and curing the diseases. Nurses too will enjoy many privileges and favors around. Technology enabled changes Technology has proven to every fundamental in the health care as a lot is being experienced in nursing. At work, nurses employ technology during care as long as they are within the clinical settings. Such settings where they can employ technology include; primary care, community, acute care, and long-term care so as to improve and come up with their clinical decisions and employ the most viable outcomes for clients they deal with (Huston, 2013). Another great change as far as technology is concerned is the health and wellness records of clients and family. Through technology, they are made to be in a position of reviewing and contributing positively to their health records, hence taking charge of anything that come about with relation to their wellbeing. Clinical practice workflow impacts with relation to current and new technological changes Technology is very paramount within the nursing fraternity. When we talk about technology, automation comes in whereby computers and other machines are used in nearly everything that takes place. From the year 2025 and beyond a lot would have taken place technologically. Benefits will be experienced in staffing offices, census control, patient care, and determination of patient’s acuity. ChrysMarie (2013) asserts that many nurses are to be trained so as to fill the gap between patients and the existing nurses. Studies show that by 2025, the U.S. nursing shortage will grow to a number greater than 250,000 RNs. By this, patient’s acuity will increase and by 2020 36% of inpatients will be added. Unlike in current situations where they lack jobs, by 2025, there will be jobs flooding in the industry due to the inadequate workforce. This will force them to drastically employ computer automation where all these procedures and problems will be solved just by clicking the mouse. The 2011 PSS annual Survey was done in 2011 discovered that among the 170 hospitals that responded, most did not have the electronic interfaces that can be used to transfer data between them and patients, among the staff and between them and other hospitals and many other institutions. Many hospitals revealed that their employees report directly to those in managerial positions, and it is only 39% who use the software in office (ChrysMarie, 2013). Therefore, by 2025, export of data from different clinical records systems will be made efficient and fast as compared to many hospitals today that use the analog manual way. This increases labor hence the number of employees in an organization. Therefore, more money will be used in the name of salaries and remunerations. a) How nursing care will change in future basing on the two technology-enabled changes chosen A lot of technological changes are being experienced in the health care sector consciously and unconsciously. No one can tell how and to what extent these changes will affect nursing care as a whole since the rate at which technology is changing the world is so fast. Huston (2013) argues out that while myriad forces are changing the face of contemporary healthcare, anybody can think that there will be no change in the way nursing is practiced more than current advances in technology. Technology is changing the world at a warp speed, and this is evident nowhere than in the healthcare setting. Although the current advances in technology have a lot to do with such changes, there are still more to come by, and this will be evident in the year 2025. The following are bound to be improved on by the stated period. Genetics and Genomics Many diseases, health conditions together with the therapies that boost the treatment of such conditions have an element from genetics and genomics that is accelerated by one’s lifestyle, environment and others which leads to great consequences within the whole nursing fraternity. More Accurate and Less Invasive Tools for Diagnostics and Treatment These types of tools are very important as they offer accurate treatment hence results in low risks, therefore, reducing the cost. As these tools get introduced and used in hospitals, a lot of challenges are experienced by nurses regarding their use and competence. 3 D Printing Structures of cells will be designed in 3D nature. The layer by layer arrangement to come up with the human tissue will form human organs that will be used for replacement and transplant. Robotics This can lead to the very improved diagnosis that offers very friendly experiences for many patients concerning injections physical and mental care will also benefit from robotics to act as an adjunct. As this requires a lot of research, nurses will have to find ways on how to learn robotics and human care. Biometrics This leads to provision of much security to very personal information in the health care, therefore, reducing the use of so many passwords. Electronic healthcare records (EHR) When providers have full access to important and personal information belonging to patients all the time, it becomes easier to coordinate with everyone, hence, presenting good services. Computerized Physician/Provider Order; Entry (CPOE) and Clinical Decision Support When computers are employed in any undertaking, everything becomes swift and accurate leading to reduced labor, low costs, and few medical errors. b) Find a scholarly article that discusses nursing job satisfaction and the factors that influence such. There are so many factors affecting nursing job satisfaction within the nursing fraternity. Such factors might either lead to good productivity or reduced productivity as they affect individuals and institutions differently. According to Ehlers and Oosthuizen (2008) “Factors influencing nurses’ job satisfaction in selected private hospitals in England” article, a lot of factors are said to be influencing job satisfaction of most nurses. This research article investigates several factors of job satisfaction. Many employees yarn to have what it takes to feel satisfied with their jobs but fail to understand how and when that should come by. Job satisfaction can be evaluated under different levels including; intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Ehlers and Oosthuizen (2008) have it that, there are two factor theory of Herzberg, namely the intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the nurses’ job satisfaction. Extrinsic factors also known as hygiene factors affect are said not facilitate the job satisfaction of employees. They continue by stating that salaries contribute a lot towards job satisfaction of individual employees, although nurses in the private sector appear more satisfied then those in the public sector. Other extrinsic factors that contribute to nursing job satisfaction include increased workloads, insecurity of nurses’ jobs, changes in the organization and shortage of nursing jobs. Once these factors affect nurses, the level of production will go down. At the same time, careers related to nursing will not be undertaken by many upcoming students. Besides extrinsic factors, there are also intrinsic factors affecting nursing job satisfaction. Intrinsic factors are simply motivators that have a great relationship with the employee’s job hence, promoting their level of satisfaction (Ehlers and Oosthuizen, 2008, p. 63). Work schedule in that matter had a great effect as employees can find it hard creating a balance with regard to personal life and work life. Age also contributes a lot towards working for a long period of time till retirement or exploring all institutions in the name of finding greener pastures. Responsibility and autonomy contribute to nurses’ retention at a particular institution. c) Discuss the potential impacts on job satisfaction of the technologies outlined in the case scenario. Genetics and Genomics will be well incorporated in the treatment of patients especially due to empowerment. After learning how Genetics and Genomics works; individuals will be able to deal with patients with courage (Huston, 2013). More Accurate and Less Invasive Tools for Diagnostics and Treatment are types of tools are very important as they offer accurate treatment hence results in low risks, therefore, reducing the cost. As these tools get introduced and used in hospitals, a lot of challenges are experienced by nurses regarding their use and competence. 3D Printing of cell structures together with the use or robotics brings a lot of advancements in the nursing care which motivates employees to work smart and provide the best services hence, boosting their performance (Huston, 2013). On the other hand, biometrics plays a crucial role in making health care amazing which can lead to more nurses being impressed with the results and being motivated to work, it increases turnout. Electronic healthcare records (EHR) increase the rate of production in organizations in question. All critical information is handled appropriately and accurately. Computerized Physician/Provider Order; Entry (CPOE) and Clinical Decision Support is another very profound way of, making employees less tired due to reduced human labor. Cases of burnout will, therefore, be reduced (Huston, 2013). It also increases the production rate. d) Identify at least 3 ways that nurses could use the new technology to partner with patients to manage their health Managing patient’s health will be cheaper and easier if the discussed technologies used well between patients and nurses. Nurses and patients can partner to make the nursing fraternity a good place to be by the use of computers to tackle certain issues that would rather have been dwelt within a hospital environment at the comfort of their homes. Use of data analysis is, therefore, appropriate in this scenario. Another way is by administering services that are friendly to the patients. This creates good rapport between health care members and patients since they all benefit. Services become faster and efficient since the nurses are more trained and perfect in their undertakings in that they can provide any assistance to the patients whenever a complication or a need arises. In summary, technology is available for everyone hence all sectors need to go with the trend. It is good to embrace it through the provision of better services to individuals around the organization and around the world. It is therefore quite clear that by 2025; a lot of technology in the nursing sector will have taken place. References ChrysMarie Suby MS, R. N. (2013). Nursing operations automation and health care technology Innovatios: 2025 and beyond. Creative nursing, 19(1), 30. Huston, C. (2013). The impact of emerging technology on nursing care: Warp speed ahead. OJIN: The online journal of issues in nursing, 18(2). Ehlers, V. J., & Oosthuizen, M. J. (2008). Factors influencing nurses’ job satisfaction in selected private hospitals in England. Cell, 84(587), 3303. Read More