Research Final Using the feedback you received, you will complete your final research paper.You will also add additional content to the subheadings (body) of your research.Your work must clearly show revisions and additions or you may be asked to revise and resubmit your final research paper (see research template). You must meet the following requirements: Your paper should range from 8-10 pages. The paper should have 8-10 peer-reviewed references.Your paper must combine information from two different disciplines.Your paper should be written in third person and past tense. Your paper must be in APA format. Criteria for the Research Final: Title – not just a topic name – should capture the research problem and tell the reader what the research investigatesIntroduction – 1-2 paragraphs – gives your reader adequate background information and includes your main thesis statementProblem Statement – 1 paragraph – describes the overarching problem to include your main (supported) problem statementPurpose Statement – 1 paragraph – describes the intent of the research to include your main purpose statementResearch Questions – include your research question(s)Study Significance – 1 paragraph describes the importance of the study to include your main significance statement(3-5) Subheadings – Include topic sentences that describe what is covered under each subheading (the subheadings make up the main research body)Discussion – Present your results to include the answer to your research question(s) Conclusion – 1 paragraph to summarize the key points to include a rephrasing of your thesis statement References – 8-10 peer-reviewed sources Note** We are not writing a proposal anymore, we have completed our research. Therefore, this paper should be written in past tense.
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Running head: TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
The Impact of technology in Nursing Practice
Billeto R. McGee
Grantham University
CA499-Professional Strategies
March 24, 2019
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TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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The Impact of Technology in Nursing Practice
In the past, many obstacles hindered efficient and effective delivery of healthcare
services. However, the introduction of technology era has made diagnosis and treatment in
healthcare to be not only efficient but also cost effective in the overall performance. This is
thanks to introduction of radiography equipment, dialysis machines, and an introduction of
biometrics and electronic health records. Also, technological innovations such as EHR, modern
imaging devices, and remote monitoring facilitate patient-centered care that is timely. Therefore,
main aim of an introduction of technological innovations is to cut on cost, improve service
delivery, and improve the overall performance of healthcare.
The field of nursing is of great significance in the medical world. Nurses play a key role
in the diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention of diseases among individuals as well as
populations (Roneyet al., 2017). Technology is a discipline which has been applied in almost
every sector all over the world. Over the past decades, developments in technology have led to
tremendous improvements in various fields. The field of nursing is one area where technology
has led to numerous improvements and breakthroughs (Roneyet al., 2017). Technological
discoveries and advancements have had massive impacts in nursing. Use of technology in the
nursing field has had various impacts in nursing practice with such tasks as patient records,
disease diagnosis, treatment and surveillance being made easy (Piscotty, Kalisch & Gracey‐
Thomas, 2015). Additionally, use of technology in nursing has led to enhancements in areas such
as nurse education, research, and communication.
Problem Statement
Efficiency is a significant element of success and progress in any field. Nursing
profession, like any other field, has witnessed numerous changes over the years. Moreover,
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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improvements have been made in a bid to explore ways through which service delivery can be
improved (Piscotty, Kalisch & Gracey‐Thomas, 2015). Many organizations have turned to the
use of technology in order to make work easier and to improve service delivery (Elgin &
Bergero, 2015). The field of nursing is crucial in the health sector and as such, it is important to
incorporate the use of technology in nursing in order to yield the best results (Piscotty, Kalisch &
Gracey‐Thomas, 2015). Through proper use of technology, the nursing sector would experience
unprecedented success.
Purpose of the Study
This research was primarily set up to determine and understand the various ways in
which the use of technology affected the nursing practice. It was important to determine some of
the ways in which technology improved service delivery and efficiency within the field of
nursing. The study was carried out with a view of understanding the various ways in which
technology has been utilized in the field of nursing. In order to achieve this, it was of great
essence for the study to determine the most crucial areas in the nursing profession where the use
of technology had recorded the most significant impact. Among the areas of interest included the
following; research, data storage and retrieval, communication among various stakeholders in the
nursing field as well as the use of electronic health records.
Research Questions
To help achieve its purpose, it was of great essence to identify a research question which
would be used for the study. It was notable that use of technology had resulted in significant
improvements in the nursing sector. These improvements ranged from easier storage and
retrieval of records, communication as well as medical research. This study sought to determine
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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how use of technology had affected operations in the nursing practice. Thus the first research
question used in this study was; what were the impacts of technology in the field of nursing? The
second research question was; what were the challenges faced in the implementation of
technology in nursing practice?
The research included an interview with Kelly Hancock, a nursing practitioner who also
doubled up as the executive chief nursing officer at Cleveland clinic (Kelly Hancock, 2019).
With experience spanning twenty years and placed in charge of close to twenty-two thousand
nurses (Kelly Hancock, 2019), Hancock was viewed as the best candidate for this interview.
Significance of Research
Focusing on the impact of the use of technology in the field of nursing, this study was
vital for various reasons. One of the ways in which this study was significant was in determining
the importance of embracing technology in the nursing practice. Additionally, the study was
significant since it provided the best ways through which technology was being utilized in the
medical sector; nurses and other medical practitioners who had not yet embraced the use of some
of the various medical technologies would be able to do so. In providing the benefits and
strengths that were associated with use of technology in nursing, the study helped in the
marketing of the various technologies.
There were challenges too in the implementation of the various technologies in nursing
practice. Some of the equipment were new while most hospitals were used to the old ones
(Huston, 2013). Additionally, there was also the fear that human interaction in nursing practice
was being overlooked in the implementation of the new technologies.
Use of Technology in Facilitating Mobility, Communication, and Relationships
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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In the new millennium, use of technology in healthcare facilitates operation processes,
interactions, mobility, and relationships. It is critical for all nurses to be able to use technology in
their daily activities in healthcare centers. This is for the reason that leadership skill set enables
them to understand applications and smart technologies that are being introduced in healthcare
(Wilson, 2017). By 2020, it is expected that every nurse will be able to use health information
technology and health communication strategies to achieve health equity, improve on healthcare
quality, and improve on health outcomes of a population.
In addition, systems will be developed in such a way that they will support decision
making between healthcare providers and patients. This technology will support social networks
where it will be easy to access and deliver accurate information about healthcare (Wilson, 2017).
Information technology innovations will also be useful especially in interventions that result in
healthy behavior, providing sound principles in program designs, connecting populations that are
in remote areas and culturally diverse, increasing health literacy skills, and enabling for public
health emergencies and decision making on health risks
This study determined that the use of technology in nursing practice as well as the health
sector in general was becoming an integral part of most healthcare organizations. It was
important for nurses and other medical service providers to embrace the use of technology.
Among the key areas where use of technology was found to yield the desirable results included
relationships among medical service providers and other stakeholders within the healthcare
organizations as well as communication enhancement among medical care providers (Huston,
2013).
Introduction of a number of technological equipment, software and applications would go
a long way in helping nurses develop proper communication skills and build good working
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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relationships (Huston, 2013). Furthermore, technology had been of great essence when it came to
conveying information between different departments within the healthcare organizations.
Medical applications and software had been introduced into the healthcare sector and had proved
to be very effective in disease diagnosis, management and prevention (Doswell et al., 2013).
Electronic Health Records
Technology has mostly contributed to the development of electronic health records. It is
apparent that any alterations in the documentation process may cause detrimental effects on the
nursing practice. Notably, electronic health record (EHR) can be described as a digital record
that consists of a patient’s date and can be accessed by authorized personnel from different
health facilities. EHR is accessible all through, and adequate measures have been enforced to
ensure that confidentiality is enhanced (Roney, Westrick, Acri, et al., 2017). President George
Bush pledged that by 2014 all Americans would enjoy the EHR system. When President Obama
took over, he backed up his predecessor’s desire by funding hospitals in implementing the
program by a tune of $30 billion. For this reason, this significant advancement that was once
optional is becoming mandatory.
For instance, many Federal programs have been set up to support the implementation of
EHR. This includes employee-training, exchange of information across facilities, capturing a
patient’s accurate information. However, challenges continue to exist since capturing accurate
information has not been fully enhanced. On top of that, there is also the problem of insufficient
technology. Many health care facilities and health systems feel that they do not have the
capacity to adhere to the new EHR policies (Roney, Westrick, Acri, et al., 2017). According to a
recent survey, only 48% of healthcare facilities were confident in using EHR. Thirty-nine
percent revealed that they were not fully confident while three percent exposed that they doubted
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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the system. This has not deterred healthcare facilities from using EHR systems since 71 percent
of them have revealed that they are 50% complete in implementing EHR.
Use of electronic health records was viewed as one of the most easily recognizable
impacts of technology in the field of nursing as well as medical care at large (Huston, 2013). Use
of electronic health records resulted in major positive impacts in nursing practice since
advancements in technology had resulted in hospitals and other healthcare provision
organizations switching to electronic data storage, retrieval and manipulation (Weaver et al.,
2016). Through use of modernized software, applications and equipment, healthcare provision
organizations had embraced the use of electronic health records, a move which lead to improved
service delivery and efficiency within the nursing practice (Weaver et al., 2016).
In the United States of America, President George Bush had pledged to ensure that the
use of electronic health records would be in use in all American hospitals by the year 2014, an
idea which was put into effect by his successor, President Barrack Obama. Most hospitals in the
United States are either in the process of finalizing the switch to electronic health record or have
already switched to its use (Lavin, Harper & Barr, 2015). However, implementation of the
electronic health records had its own challenges such as complexity of the systems involved as
well as less knowledge by many individuals on how to use it (Lavin, Harper & Barr, 2015).
Biometrics
The issue of security on patients’ data and confidentiality is prompting healthcare to
come up with transformative technology that ensures accountability. Through establishment of
HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), it suggests biometric signatures on
healthcare institutions to secure medical records (Piscotty, Kalisch & Gracey‐Thomas, 2015).
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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Therefore, only individual with full authorization would be able to get access to medical records
and patients’ data. Thus developers had to ensure that the systems are appropriate and accurate in
every activity they were performing. These activities would range from identification of
individuals through dynamic signatures, facial structure, voice recognition, palm vein prints,
retinal scans, hand prints, and fingerprints.
Accessing information would be done depending on the level of authorization, and this
will ensure that there are minimal errors in terms of misdiagnosis as a result of a mix-up in
records. In the long run, every healthcare system would adopt use of biometrics for access and
authorization. Therefore, it will make it convenient for healthcare organization from different
regions as they will be able to communicate and access information remotely (Piscotty, Kalisch
& Gracey‐Thomas, 2015). Currently, a fingerprint is the most common biometric in healthcare as
it is affordable, small in size, and is easy to use. However, healthcare organizations are starting
to consider advancing to facial recognition as a way to identify and authorize individuals to
access healthcare data and information.
Over the years, the issue of patient identity and confidentiality proved to be a nightmare
to medical practitioners until after technology had been embraced (Lavin, Harper & Barr, 2015).
Through the use of technology, patient identification and confidentiality was solved. Technology
enhanced the manner in which crucial information on health matters and patients was handled.
The introduction of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPPA, ensured
that vital medical information was secure and that it could only be made available to the relevant
authorized persons (Doswell et al., 2013). Challenges were reported in the implementation of
most technologies in hospitals. Among the major cited reasons included compatibility,
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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complexity of the systems, and difficulties in operating some of the complex equipment
(Doswell et al., 2013).
Discussion
This research study was able to explore the various ways through which technology had
had an impact not only in nursing practice but also in the medical service provision field
generally. Through the interview with Hancock, the research was able to not only determine the
impact of technology in the nursing practice; it was also able to determine the major areas where
technology had the most significant impact.
The use of technology in nursing practice was, no doubt, a major breakthrough in the
healthcare industry as noted by Hancock (Kelly Hancock, 2019). Technology proved to be of
great essence in improving service delivery, disease diagnosis and management in various
hospitals (Roneyet al., 2017). There are numerous positives as a result of incorporation of
technology in various areas such as biometrics, electronic health records as well as in the
communication and research sector.
The interview with Hancock not only provided insight into the positive impacts of
technology in the nursing practice but also provided an overview into the challenges which were
associated with the introduction of new technologies into the field of nursing (Kelly Hancock,
2019). A number of challenges were reported with one of them being the complexity of the
technological equipment being utilized (Elgin & Bergero, 2015). Additionally, the issue of
compatibility was also a major concern; most of the adopted technologies were not really
compatible with the old ones (Elgin & Bergero, 2015). This meant that a complete overhaul of
the systems would be needed, meaning the whole process would be very expensive. There were
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
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also concerns about loss of human interaction in nursing practice with the use of technologies
such as robots (Kelly Hancock, 2019).
One of the challenges faced during this research was the limited interview time with the
main correspondent, Hancock. This meant that crucial information and data was not completely
captured. Furthermore, the interview was only conducted on one person. It was not possible to
have more nurses and other medical health practitioners being interviewed.
One of the recommendations would be for future research studies to carry out more
research on the challenges faced in the adoption and implementation of new technologies in
nursing practice. While technology has provided better results, it is important to note that a
number of nurses face numerous challenges in the use and implementation of certain
technologies (Elgin & Bergero, 2015).
Conclusion
Technological advancements played a big role in the nursing practice. Through modern
technological equipment, software and applications, most areas in nursing practice witnessed
tremendous success in terms of service delivery and efficiency in handling medical cases.
Among the areas where technology was of great essence in nursing were; research, storage and
retrieval of information as well as communication within the medical provision organizations.
Challenges were also reported in the use of technology within nursing practice. Among
these challenges include the expensive costs of the technologies to be implemented as well as
compatibility issues. Moreover, there were also challenges to do with the complexity of various
equipment.
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References
Doswell, W. M., Braxter, B., Dabbs, A. D., Nilsen, W., & Klem, M. L. (2013). mHealth:
Technology for nursing practice, education, and research. J Nurs Educ Pract, 3(10), 99.
Elgin, K. H., & Bergero, C. (2015). Technology and the Bedside Nurse: an exploration and review
of implications for practice. Nursing Clinics, 50(2), 227-239.
Huston, C. (2013). The impact of emerging technology on nursing care: warp speed ahead.
The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 18(2).
Kelly Hancock, DNP, RN, NE-BC. (2019) Self Biography. Retrieved from:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/about/overview/leadership/executive/hancock-kelly
Lavin, M. A., Harper, E., & Barr, N. (2015). Health information technology, patient safety,
and professional nursing care documentation in acute care settings. Online J Issues Nurs,
20(6).
Piscotty, R. J., Kalisch, B., & Gracey‐Thomas, A. (2015). Impact of healthcare information
technology on nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 47(4), 287-293.
Roney, L. N., Westrick, S. J., Acri, M. C., Aronson, B. S., & Rebeschi, L. M. (2017). Technology
use and technological self-efficacy among undergraduate nursing faculty. Nursing
Education Perspectives, 38(3), 113-118.
Weaver, C., Delaney, C., Weber, P., & Carr, R. (2016). Nursing and informatics for the 21st
century: an international look at practice, education, and EHR trends. HIMSS Publishing.
TECHNOLOGY AND NURSING
Wilson, D. (2017, April). An overview of the application of wearable technology to nursing
practice. In Nursing forum (Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 124-132).
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