Summary of an article that discusses how microsoft office is being used in Nursing - Essay Example

Nursing: Summary of an article that discusses how microsoft office is being used in Nursing. This article reports on the use of mobile learning in anursing education context in Canada during April-May 2007. The third year nursing students had to go out on work practice and they had to learn to use mobile devices which operate using the microsoft office system. The tutors also had these devices, and part of the course was especially focused on how information technology is used in hospitals to enhance patient care and increase efficiency.

Students were given the equipment on loan for use in a clinical setting. The equipment that was used was iPAQ computers complete with WiFi and GPRS capability. These devices are larger than a mobile telephone but smaller than a laptop computer. The authors note that there is an increasing tendency for nurses to be required to use microsoft applications for such tasks as making list, accessing clinical reference materials, writing progress notes, and referring to protocols etc. The advantages of mobile devices with this software include a decrease in medical errors, because mobile notes are more reliable than memory, and an increase in self-efficacy for the students.

This is important in nursing because even students have a busy working day and deal with heavy demands in terms of holding and using information. It transpired that stundents could quite easily transfer skills from desktop computing, such as word processing and spreadsheets. Knowing Windows and how it works was a big help in giving the students confidence with the new devices. One hindrance in the use of microsoft technology in a clinical setting is that many hostpitals do not permit the use of wireless equipment near patients because of the possibility of interference with medical equipment.

Students reported that the facility to look up unfamiliar medications, compatibility of IV fluids etc was very easy and so there was a positive encouragement to use the technology to verify drug information. The importance of having up to date information at the point of care is the strongest argument in favor of nurses’ current drive to increase their competence with information technology. There is often quite a considerable time allocation necessary in order to acquire the skills necessary to use all the functions that the software offers, and some students did not fully appreciate this at the start, and consequently were not able to access all of the functions.

As educators and practitioners make increasing use of equipment like this, the local and national health organizations will be encouraged to make their systems compatible with the most common and familiar features such as microsoft WORD and Excel, at least in the pocket versions if not in the full versions with the whole range of functions. This article shows that there is a gap currently in provision of information technology training for nurses which young learners with their previous experience of windows computing are well placed to fill.

As hospitals and care organizations increasingly move to this approach, nurses need to upgrade their skills to match. References Kenny, Richard et al. “The Feasibility of Using Mobile Devices in Nursing Practice Education. 2008. Online article available at: http://auspace.athabascau.ca:8080/dspace/handle/2149/1722