Nursing Leadership and Incorporating Technology

 

 

The Importance of Technology in Healthcare

The use of technology within the healthcare setting is growing at an increasingly fast pace. There is currently technology all around us within the hospital setting from the way we barcode scan patient medications, EMRs and documentation, Electronic prescriptions, the online bed board, communication between physicians, patients, and the nursing staff, and so much more. The use of technology within health care is a key dynamic of the health care reform.  Technologies in hospitals, doctors offices, and out patient clinics, etc. are being utilized to improve the care of the patient, the safety of the patient and staff, patient and staff satisfaction as well as decreasing cost across the board of healthcare. The need for the nursing leader to understand the technology in order to implement and explain the use of technology to other staff member is crucial. There are many organizations such as the American Nursing Association, The American Organization of Nurse Executives' Guiding Principles, and the TIGER which help to support nursing leadership in understanding and helping to educate other staff members.

 

The ANA and Technology

The American Nurses Association has developed guidelines to use technology to enhance patient outcomes. Another guideline created is the Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform or TIGER. This recommends having competencies for all levels of nursing by integrating education of informatics to the nursing curriculum in order to integrate healthcare information technology. Hospital executives and leaders are persuaded to guarantee  practicing nurses are given informatics education which correspond with the three main TIGER informatics competencies: computer basics, information literacy and information management.  Guiding principles for the use of technology by all nursing staff include:

1. A model which defines the vision, roles, and responsibilities of the nurses using technology

2. The steps for integrating the multitude of technologies within the scope of nursing practice

3. A model which allows communication and collaboration amongst the CNO, CIO, and technology partners.

 

Nursing Leadership and Technology

Nursing leadership organizations have posted much on how to educate and implement nursing informatics among fellow staff members and nurses throughout the clinical setting. It is of utmost importance that nursing leadership is prepared to educate nursing staff members on the positives in adopting new technology as it helps to improve patient care and the cost of the healthcare system.

Among many of the nurse leaders responsibilities in order to facilitate the use of technology in the healthcare setting are:

1. To partner with colleges in nursing to develop the required skills and competencies that are needed for use of the technology

2. Explaining the policies and procedures that come along with adopting the new technologies to all staff members such as HIPPA violations.

3. Educate focusing on leadership, communication, business operations, technical skills, etc.

4. Join informatics leadership programs to further education.

5. Create an environment which relies on reward and recognition and career path development through technology and informatics.

6. Develop a champion leader who has the skills to integrate informatics and collaborate on goals and implementing the technology throughout the health system.

 

 

 

To learn more about the nurse leaders role in engaging staff in the use of technology click HERE or HERE

More on the TIGER project can be viewed HERE