Recent Technology That has Redefined Nursing
Though nursing is a profession that has been around for decades, it is one that is constantly evolving and adopting new tools and processes. In recent years, certain technologies have made an astronomical impact on the field of nursing and how these professionals provide care to patients.
Understanding which technologies have made monumental differences in the nursing industry can provide one with a deeper understanding of how medical care is evolving in today’s modern age. Here are some recent technologies that are redefining nursing.
Nursing Apps
Though much of the general public might not know, nursing apps have begun to revolutionize the workplace for nurses. These apps are broad, but they all share the common benefit of being able to help nurses in various ways.
For example, some nursing apps help nurses avoid burnout while others help them stay on top of their patient visiting rounds while reminding them of everything that they need to check. In addition, there are even apps that help nurses de-stress or calm down when they find themselves in the middle of a high-stress and hectic situation.
Before apps, many nurses were left to have to do all of these tasks in their head or maybe with the help of a clipboard. While this might work just fine if a nurse were treating one to two patients, this becomes much more difficult when there are dozens of patients that one needs to care for.
As such, having apps to help one stay calm and perform nursing duties accurately has proven to be beneficial aids to nurses that help them do their jobs more effectively.
Central Command Centers
While medical facilities such as hospitals have integrated a lot of useful technology, one form of technology that is only now beginning to gain mainstream adoption is that of central command centers. Central command centers are an interface that allows medical professionals, such as nurses, the ability to monitor their patients in real-time. As one might imagine, this can save nurses a lot of time and also allow them to quickly assess which patients need their care the most at any given time.
Central command centers utilize a number of different technologies, such as AI and data flows, to combine different parts of patient care into a single, easy-to-use interface. This ability to integrate various forms of information and make it easily accessible is one of the things that makes central command centers so useful to nurses.
As such, the more that central command centers are integrated into medical facilities, the easier it will be for nurses to do their job and the more effective they will be in providing patients with care.
Electronic Health Records
Before the wide-scale adoption of electronic health records, a patient having to switch medical providers or go to a new hospital could be an incredibly laborious process. Records had to be physically mailed or medical professionals had to call other facilities to talk to other medical professionals about particular patients. Anyone who has been in a busy hospital or clinic can understand just how cumbersome this process must have been.
Thankfully, electronic health records have put this inconvenience to an end. Medical professionals are now able to have up-to-date medical records of their patients even if it’s their first time seeing them. For nurses, this convenience and accessibility to records can help them speed up their work without having to take away time from actively caring for patients.
This being the case, it becomes obvious just how impactful, beneficial, and transformative the adoption of electronic health records has been on the medical community.
Smart Hospital Beds
Smart hospital beds, much like smartphones, are hospital beds with advanced functions, features, and capabilities. These advanced features include technologies that perform functions such as monitoring patient breathing and recording patient temperatures.
As one might imagine, having these functions can make a nurse’s job far easier and can streamline many processes. Rather than having to manually take a patient’s temperature, nurses can access a smart hospitable bed’s interface to get vitals.
Smart hospitable beds typically feature a tablet that displays a patient’s vitals along with other information. This makes this form of technology easy to use for nurses while also improving the patient experience by introducing fewer inconveniences into their daily schedules. This being the case, smart hospital beds have streamlined workflows for nurses in medical facilities while also improving the patient experience for those receiving care.
Telehealth
Telehealth is a form of medical technology that has radically transformed the way many individuals receive and experience medical care. Put simply, telehealth is the utilization of technology such as smartphones, computers, and tablets for the use of medical care.
Examples of telehealth can range from instant messaging a nurse to checking prescriptions digitally. As one can imagine, being able to engage with medical providers from one’s home has made a huge difference in how healthcare is done.
Telehealth can be especially for nurses who treat patients in their homes, such as elderly patients. This way, when a nurse is not present, patients will be able to access them easily through digital means. This heightened level of accessibility has made healthcare far more convenient for patients while also making interactions easier for nurses.
Technology is Changing Healthcare
Technology has redefined the way nurses function time and time again. In addition, new technology is constantly changing the nursing profession by making certain processes easier, more accessible, and more effective.
While technology has already transformed healthcare in many ways, these changes will likely continue in the years to come and new forms of technology will improve nursing and healthcare in novel and exciting ways.
