HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY & NURSING LEADERSHIP

FROM THE PAPER TO THE CLOUDS

IMPROVING HEALTHCARE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY & INFORMATICS

As the healthcare industry continues to grow and improve, so does the knowledge and expertise of healthcare technology and information technology by nurse leaders. Through the use of resources and sites such as HIMSS and AHRQ, nurses are equipped with the information to aide in the implementation and management of technology. Healthcare professionals in all domains of practice and at all levels, including clinical leaders, must be technology competent to be able to participate in decision making ad evaluation of health IT systems and their Meaningful Use. It is the nurse leaders responsibility as they work closest to the nurses and patients on a daily basis to serve as a resource to ensure the information systems are patient centered and support healthcare providers in information management, knowledge, development, and evaluation of evidence based innovative practice strategies (Szydlowski & Smith, (2009). 

 

 

 

 

The use of mobile devices by clinical leaders and other healthcare professionals has transformed the entire healthcare system. However, there are a vast number of facilities and organizations that have not adopted this use of technology. Through the use of mobile devices comes apps that assist healthcare professionals with daily task such as time and information management, health record maintenance and access, communications and consulting, reference and data gathering, clinical decision making, and education and training (Ventola, 2014). Cloud-based storage and file-sharing services that can be accessed using a mobile device are also useful for information management, since they allow users to store, update, and share documents or photographs with others without exchanging a flash drive or CD. Cloud-based information storage provides the additional advantage of permitting information to be accessed instantaneously from multiple devices, which allows people who are collaborating together to share materials quickly. Box is a cloud-based storage service that is reportedly compliant with both the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act (Ventola, 2014). 

 

  

 

 

Nurse leader and nurse engagement is essential in regards to technological decision making. Nurses must be involved in selecting, implementing, and using information technologies as well as devices. It has be proven that technology can help nurses make better patient care decisions, promote the  healthcare organization's overall business of delivering care, and provide data about patient outcomes (Waneka & Spetz, 2010). Information technology systems and smart devices such as mobile devices, smart pumps, and sensors offer great promise if used properly to promote patient safety and increase quality of care. However, the implementation and management of these devices can not be made possible with the input and expertise of clinical health leaders.

 

References

 

http://www.rapidvaluesolutions.com/infographic-information-technology-in-healthcare-mobility-cloud-big-data/

Szydlowski, S., & Smith, C. (2009). Perspectives from nurse leaders and chief information officers on health information technology implementation. Hospital Topics, 87(1), 3-9.

Ventola, C. L. (2014). Mobile Devices and Apps for Health Care Professionals: Uses and Benefits. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 39(5), 356–364. Retrieved from, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4029126/

Waneka, R., & Spetz, J. (2010). Hospital information technology systems' impact on nurses and nursing care. Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(12), 509-514.

 

 



Where Is The Chart? A Workflow Solution to Promote Patient Safety and Cost-Effectiveness

Information Management Workflow Concern and Proposed Solution

 

 

Health Information Management (HIM) is information management applied to health and healthcare. It is the practice of acquiring, analyzing, and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. With the widespread computerization of health records, traditional, paper-based records are being replaced with electronic health records (EHRs). As a result the concept of nursing workflow has dramatically improved.

 

 

 

 

Currently, the long term care facility in which I am employed are still paper-based. As a result of being paper-based the workflow of the facility is constantly being disrupted. Nurses find themselves constantly searching for their MARs during a medication pass due to different health care professionals wanting to know information about the current medication profile of a certain resident. Certain times each month the pharmacist consultant has the MAR at times for at least 1/2 hour to review medications and make recommendations. At the end of the shift nurses are having to stay after the shift is over for extended periods of time waiting for the paper chart to chart on their patients. At times, some nurses have forgotten to chart on patients due to the long wait for the paper chart. This not only decreases patient safety but also leads to increased overtime. Implementing EHR/EMR into the facility would not only be a workflow solution but will also have time, financial, health, and environmental benefits as well as seen in the image below. 

 

 

 

 

EHR systems are designed to store data accurately and to capture the state of a patient across time. It eliminates the need to track down a patient's previous paper medical records and assists in ensuring data is accurate and legible. It also data to be documented and displayed in real time. It can reduce risk of data replication as there is only one modifiable file, which means the file is more likely up to date, and decreases risk of lost paperwork. Due to the digital information being searchable and in a single file, EMR's are more effective when extracting medical data for the examination of possible trends and long term changes in a patient. With the implementation of EHR/EMR the facility would then be able to further improve workflow by implementing medical device connectivity leading to decrease in time spent doing repetitive, time consuming tasks.

 

 

 

 

As a result of implementing EHR/EMR, this would all the facility to have the ability to integrate medical device connectivity, allowing all healthcare professionals the ability to improve and maintain adequate workflow leading to increased patient safety and cost-savings to the organization.

 

 

 References

 

Dyell, David. (2011). Medical Device Integration & Patient Safety

http://healthcare-executive-insight.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/Medical-Device-Integration-Patient-Safety

 

Hillestad, R, Bigeiow, J, Bower, A, Girosi, F, Meiii, R, Scoviile, R, and Tayior, R. (2005). Can electronic medical record systems transform health care? Potential health benefits, savings, and costs. Health Affairs, (24) 5. Retrieved from, http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/cs199r/readings/RAND_benefits.pdf 

 

Lavin, M., Harper, E., Barr, N. (2015) "Health Information Technology, Patient Safety, and Professional Nursing Care Documentation in Acute Care Settings." OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (20) 2. Retrieved from, http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-20-2015/No2-May-2015/Articles-Previous-Topics/Technology-Safety-and-Professional-Care-Documentation.html

 

 

 

 

 



 

Nursing Leadership and the Importance of Technology Use
 

 

 

 

Demand is on the rise for nurses at the executive level to lead in the process of technological development, implementation, and use, and possess the competencies needed to lead the development of informatics and assist in advancing the science. The nurse leader plays a critical role in the selection, implementation, and adoption of technology. It is imperative that nurse leader fosters a culture of shared decision making to ensure optimal staff participation while actively engaging others to participate in continuous technology planning, learning, and implementation. With advancing technology and its use in healthcare, there is a demand for a strong mutual relationship between clinicians and information technologists, with the nurse leader at the forefront.

 

 

 

 

Technology has shown that it has the ability to aide nurses in decision making at the point of care, promote quality of care, and provide data regarding patient care and outcomes. Information technology and smart devices improves safety and efficiency by reducing the risk of errors and eliminating redundant work, giving nurses more time at the bedside. Nurse leaders who embrace technology and are knowledge about technology are in a better position to put the right technology/devices/equipment in the hands of nurses to deliver quality, safe care. Nurse leaders must be interpreters and translators of data to empower staff/frontline nurses. This nursing leadership role requires that the experienced nurse be savvy enough to use the data in a meaningful way and to articulate the need to acquire systems that will provide important data they don’t have. When nurse leaders translate data to other staff, they provide practical information on the impact of practice patterns



 

 

 

Due to the proven positive effects of advancing technology, there are many initiatives and resources available to support the growth and continued learning for nurses and technology in healthcare. One major resource site to aide in the progress of nurses advancing and working together to engage in technological advancements is the T.I.G.E.R. (Technology Informatics Guiding Education  Reform).

 



 

  

References

 

Nurse leaders discuss the nurse's role in driving technology decisions. American Nurse Today. Retrieved from

http://www.americannursetoday.com/nurse-leaders-discuss-the-nurses-role-in-driving-technology-decisions/.

 

The CNE-CNIO Partnership: Improving Patient Care rough Technology. Nurse Leader

http://www.nurseleader.com/article/S1541-4612(13)00325-X/fulltext.

 

Human/Technology Interface

THE HUMAN TECHNOLOGY INTERFACE & NURSING

 

 

 

Human-Technology Interface (HTI) is the hardware and software through which the user interacts with any technology.

 

Examples of human-technology interfaces the nurse might encounter on a daily basis depending on the job specialty include:

 

• Defibrillators
• Omnicell
• Intravenous pumps
• Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pumps
• Physiologic monitoring systems
• Electronic thermometers
• Cardiac Monitoring systems
• Hospital Barcoding
• Telephones & Pagers

 

 

 

 

 

Human Technology Interface not only serves to increase patient satisfaction and improve patient outcomes but creates a dynamic partnership with nurse leaders allowing them to track quality measures and monitor outcomes.  Nurse leaders not only stand in the forefront when in comes to clinical advancement but also must be knowledgeable regarding technology and how it functions to improvement healthcare all around. In the long term care facility I used to work, the facility implemented the use of tablets for all NPs and MDs to have on their persons at all times. With the use of the tablet the physician was able to enter the patient's room without carrying a stack of papers or an oversized laptop, and show the patient and family the progress or decline that patient was experiencing. With this implementation it allowed that patient, medical professional, and family members to be part of the healthcare process, not a body just sitting in a room answering redundant questions and receiving a physical assessment. The facility was in process of distributing tablets to nurse managers so that they would have the opportunity to exit their office more often and become more mobile throughout the unit and entire facility.

 

 

 

 

The EHR system is a human-interface technology becoming widely used by healthcare due to government push as a result of its positive patient safety outcomes. EHR is cost effective by reducing costs through decreased paperwork, reduction in duplicate testing, improved safety, and improved health. EHR promotes better healthcare by improving all aspects of patient care, including safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, communication, education, timeliness, efficiency, and equity. However, the user must know how to use the system properly. Much discussion is on the negative outcomes associated with nurses  performing workarounds, such as overriding an alert to a potentially dangerous medication. On the other hand, the benefits of the EHR by far outweighs the risks.

 

 

 

 

References

 

Gephart, S. & Effken, J. (2013). Using Health Information Technology to Engage Patients in their Care. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics (OJNI), 17 (3), Available at  http://ojni.org/issues/?p=2848

 

	Vogelsmeier, A. A., Halbesleben, J. R. B., & Scott-Cawiezell, J. R. (2008). Technology Implementation and Workarounds in the Nursing Home. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, 15(1), 114–119. http://doi.org/10.1197/jamia.M2378

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



PCDS! PNDS! Whatever That Means!



 What Did You Really Mean By That?

Data Sets: A Movement In Healthcare to All Speak the Same Language

 

 

 

 

Patient Care Data Set (PCDS) & Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS) are attempts used to standardize the nursing language. Based on recent readings in relation to this topic, the original Patient Care Data Set, recognized in 1998 by the American Nursing Association (ANA) as the sixth nursing classification system was birthed from NANDA (Helmlinger, 1998). This system is no longer widely accepted as the PNDS. The PNDS, recognized by the ANA in 1999, is a nursing language that provides standardized terminology to support perioperative nursing practice. Emerging issues and changes in practice associated with the PNDS standardized terminology require ongoing maintenance and periodic in-depth review of its content (Peterson, C., & Kleiner, C., 2011). The most recent literature found in relation to PCDS dates back to its original evolution year of 1998.  

 

 

 



 

 

Standardized nursing language is of great focus, especially with the increased implementation of the EMR/EHR. Just recently through switching employers that I came across a labeling dilemma. At the previous facility worked all DNR Code patients wore red name bands that symbolized their code status and to alert one to "STOP" and not do CPR. However, in the new facility Full Code patients wore red name bands to Alert one to do CPR. If a universal coding system was in place this would prevent someone working from another facility or through agency to misinterpret the color codes and possibly fail to perform CPR or complete CPR against a patient's wishes.

 

 

References

 

Helmlinger, C. (1998). ANA Resources. The American Journal of Nursing, 98(12), 63–63. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3471731

 

Petersen, C., & Kleiner, C. (2011). Evolution and revision of the perioperative nursing data set. AORN Journal, 93(1), 127-132. doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2010.07.015