Nurses as Knowledge Workers - Essay Example

Running head: NURSES AS KNOWLEDGE WORKERS Nurses as knowledge workers [Institute] Nurses as knowledge workers Knowledge workers are people known for their skill. They take steps and communicate with knowledge regarding a specific area of study. They are experts in identifying issues and problems and dealing with solutions. Integration of knowledge is utilized by the nurses to provide care and support to the patients in a healthy environment. Nurses are knowledge workers, who hold a responsibility to provide patients the best required care. There has been found a very strong link between knowledge worker and innovations. They keep themselves engaged in peer to peer sharing of knowledge and data, across governmental and corporation borders, making networks of expertise. One of the major issues which nurses will have to deal in future is the way to deal with increasing population. The nurses will have to deal with this problem by critical analysis and would have to find a proper solution to resolve it. The ever changing and improving technology will serve as a great support for the nurses, by making physical and scheduled tasks well-organized. In the present 21st century, much advancement has been made in terms of health care technology, and nurses are facing further greater challenges in order to cope up with them. Learning and working are two key goals of nurses now as they are exposed to an ever changing era of technology. The future of health care and technologies are interrelated - (Melvin Choi, CIO, Adventist Health, Hong Kong). Innovation and Nursing When we talk about innovation, Clinical Information Systems have taken the place of paper and pencil specifying method. Nurses are regularly facing tension and stress to make sure that the required medications are administered correctly. Due to these ever changing health care technologies, nurses are opting to become critical thinkers in order to use their intellect to find ways for betterment. Now days, Drug relations, estimate dosages, examine lab outcome, plan procedures, order prescriptions are now checked by applications provided by the software companies. These revolutions have made nurses critical thinkers as they are keen to study latest technologies and accept them in their daily routine (Rivers, Blake, & Lindgren). Technology had, and still has, a great role in helping the health care industry by wireless communication. Voice detection, telemetry, patient monitoring alarm and real-time place tracking are some of the real world examples of technology which the nurses have adopted by critical analysis. This has enhanced the flow between the patients and caregivers (Hicks, 2009). Nurses opt to develop themselves into knowledge workers in the present century, due to the development in healthcare technologies. Specialized nurses are needed today to work with doctors, as health care system is rapidly advancing. Programs launched for the benefit of nursing Nursing is the major section of the nation’s care workforce with members exceeding 3 million. IOM, in 2008, launched a 2 year program to react, to evaluate the requirement. A committee was appointed by the IOM, on the RWJF program with the intention of putting forward a report which would help in recommending an action-centered design for the future nurses. This committee produced four messages which are, that Nurses should perform to their fullest with respect to their education and training, There are many barriers which work against the future of nursing and restrict nurses from responding well to the swiftly changing health care settings, These barriers should be overcome to make the nurses able to cope with the changing and advancing heath technologies. Through an improved education system nurses should be able to achieve a higher level of education; nurses should work as partners with health care professionals and physicians. Apart from IOM, Evidence based practice (EBP) largely emphasizes on the outcomes of investigational comparisons to find out how raw control groups can be treated. It places emphasis on clinical expertise. Clinical expertise is the ability that individual nurses have, through clinical knowledge and clinical practice (Evidence Based Practice). Also for the future of nursing, many demands for fitness professionals will be positioned by The Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) which will offer many events for the nurses to generate a scheme that is extra–tolerant and focused. The long course of altering the focus of the U.S. health care structure has been begun by the legislation With regards to unrelieved conditions, primary care, including care coordination and transitional care, avoidance and wellness, and the deterrence of unfavorable events, such as hospital-acquired infections When we talk about innovation, In order to develop high quality educational understanding and improving its status as a center of brilliance, innovation is extremely important and essential. Innovation can be defined as the creation of a better product which can be used and appreciated by the market and people all over the world. Innovation is the key to find solutions and to work effectively in the present world. Innovation can also be defined as the use of a previous idea to produce a more effective one. Innovation is accepted as a blessing in every field, be it nursing, business etc. For the process of innovation to continue, nurses should never stop researching and progressing as it is fundamental for the society. They should always keep themselves updated continue to educate themselves to the fullest. This would help them deal with the daily problems occurring, and they should think critically to solve them. Impact of innovation on nursing As described in the above discussion, Clinical Information Systems have taken the place of paper and pencil specifying method, whereas drug relations, estimate dosages, examine lab outcome, plan procedures, order prescriptions are now checked by applications provided by software companies. These new innovations for medicine have done much good for nurses as they have got a chance to develop their skills. These ideas have helped nurses to work at ease and in relatively less time. At the present age, technology and science is developing at a great speed, and it is very essential for all the workers to develop their skills in accordance with the present technologies (Rivers, Blake, & Lindgren). Meeting challenges When it comes to nurses as knowledge workers, their main concern should always be to keep themselves updated, regarding all the latest inventions and innovations, and have a broad mind to accept what comes in their way and also, to work as critical thinkers and progressive learners. After being critical thinkers and learners, they can understand what needs to be done for the benefit of patients they are dealing with in their daily lives. In order to fulfill what is required for a better future of nursing and for its development; time to time surveys should be conducted on regular bases (Hicks, 2009). As the part of technology has increased in the development of health care, so has the job of nurses. According to the (HIMSS) Healthcare Information and Management Systems 2011, Society Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, IT skills are considered important for nurses. As the world of technology, IT and innovations is getting bigger, so is its impact on healthcare and nursing. Nurses should be exceptionally skilled, to merge communication, clinical, and managerial skills which are essential to carry out medical research. References The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. (2010). Retrieved April 3, 2012, from http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/The-Future-of-Nursing-Leading-Change-Advancing-Health.aspx Evidence Based Practice. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2012, from Smith College: http://sophia.smith.edu/~jdrisko/evidence_based_practice.htm Hicks, R. (2009, September 1). How will technology change the future of healthcare? Retrieved March 30, 2012, from http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2009/sep/01/how-will-technology-change-future-healthcare/ Rivers, F. H., Blake, C. R., & Lindgren, K. S. (n.d.). Information Technology: Advancements in Healthcare. Retrieved April 3, 2012, from http://ojni.org/7_3/riversinfotech.htm Read More