Three ways in which technology is helping nurses advance
As more of the population ages and life expectancy increases, technological advances are critical for the welfare of the healthcare industry. The shift is most evident in the nursing field, where nurses are the lifeblood of our hospitals.
Being a nurse is both a highly demanding and equally fulfilling job, and since you can earn your nursing degree online, the pace of change to touch people’s lives is expected to increase even further.
While the core of the nursing job is paying attention and personal caring, there are three promising ways in which nurses can take advantage of the integration of scientific research to lessen the onus of these repetitive tasks.
Telehealth has impacted the shortage of nurses
Prolonged mental and physical exhaustion is the principal reason for nurse burnout. This has been a major factor in the shortage of nurses in the US which leads nurses to leave the practice early. The increasing demand for telehealth has helped mitigate this burden put on nurses to provide adequate care.
Nurses can now access geographical regions identified with healthcare shortages by using distance technology. These locations are likely to be in rural areas that are always found lacking in a reasonable number of healthcare providers. Telehealth, fortunately, will be able to address these shortages by providing care to patients remotely. Ultimately, these strides in technology will reduce costs of healthcare treatment and decrease hospital admissions.
Makes drawing blood easy
As always, patients and nurses both dread the procedure of drawing blood. While the patients have a perineal dislike for needle pricks, the task of the nurse to locate the right vein is equally cumbersome. The experience invariably leaves both the nurse and the patient miserable and uncomfortable.
Technology innovators, like the Veebot robot, have come to aid the nurses in this soulless task. This robot phlebotomist works with a combination of image analysis and infrared light to detect a suitable vein and then applies ultrasound to detect if the blood flow is sufficient. With an accuracy strike rate of 83%, it spares the nurses from making painful errors and significantly reduces the time for the whole procedure.
Medical devices for increased access
User-friendly portable diagnostic devices have appeared in the market that have made patient care much more easier for the patient. With their introduction, the bulky machines now being used for ECG, ultrasound and laboratory testing will soon become things of the past. In fact, a department’s worth of diagnostic tools can now be fitted in a briefcase.
These devices can help in uploading readings online and can be shared with one or more healthcare professionals for further advice and treatment. Such remote tools can access patients in remote regions, where facilities for healthcare are lacking. Nurses can now themselves take readings and share them with physicians for detailed analysis and recommended hospitalization where needed.
Further ultrasound devices like Clarius, can assist nurses in critical tasks of fluid retention in the lungs and vena cava of heart patients.
