The speed at which technology is changing cannot be overstated. Monitoring systems, artificial intelligence, surgical tools, and medical devices seem to change as rapidly as the weather. This both benefits and challenges healthcare providers. While new nursing technologies can offer solutions for busy hospital units and improve patient safety, they also require nurses to adapt and learn new systems without getting left behind.
Related: Fundamentals of Telehealth: Registered Nursing Practice in the Virtual Care Environment, 2nd Edition
Virtual reality training
Scenario-based learning is one of the most effective ways for nurses to solidify their critical thinking skills and feel confident in an emergency. With virtual reality, nurses can practice responding to situations while experiencing realistic, real-time responses to their interventions.
The most obvious benefit of this kind of training is that it allows nurses to try different interventions without any risk to a real patient. When a nurse makes a mistake in the virtual world, it is unlikely that they will forget the mistake and allow an error to harm their real-life patients.
Virtual reality can also be used for students studying anatomy and physiology. Rather than memorizing pictures from a textbook, students get a more immersive and realistic experience that transfers well into real-life practice.
Wearable technology
Wearable technology such as pedometers and heart rate monitors have been around for several years. However, new nursing technologies have made wearable devices more reliable and useful for a variety of conditions. Patients who may have needed an inpatient stay can now go home with their wearable devices and have their condition monitored from afar. Some of the most advanced wearable technologies include:
- Continuous, portable ECG monitoring, to monitor heart rate and rhythm
- Microfluidic patches to give real-time analysis of biomarkers
- Continuous glucose monitoring for diabetic patients
- A robotic prosthesis that functions more like a real body part
Advanced pregnancy screenings
As advancements in laboratory and testing equipment continue, researchers have identified better ways to screen for a wider range of genetic conditions. Less invasive and earlier testing can help parents plan for the future. Advancements in this technology also mean there are fewer false negative and false positive tests, faster results, and more detailed information.
In addition to laboratory testing, fetal imaging has also made big improvements in recent years. Providers can now get a better idea of the anatomy, size, and any abnormalities present during pregnancy. Again, this allows parents to make informed decisions and make plans earlier in pregnancy.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is one of the fastest-growing technologies in recent years. Some nurses are hesitant to utilize this technology. However, there are some clear benefits to artificial intelligence that cannot be ignored.
For patients on continuous monitoring or telemetry, artificial intelligence can be used to reduce alarm fatigue and ensure that changes in patient conditions are not overlooked. Artificial intelligence can learn what is within normal limits for a particular patient. It can notify providers of trends or concerning changes.
For patients who are confused, impulsive, or forgetful, artificial intelligence can be used in addition to other safety features like bed alarms. Artificial intelligence can monitor a patient. It can remind them not to get out of bed without assistance before they injure themselves or suffer a fall. In some cases, artificial intelligence can be used instead of pulling a staff member to have a 1:1 assignment. This monitoring may even reduce the use of physical and chemical restraints.
Artificial intelligence can also be used to update patient medications and perform medication reconciliations. Patients do not always keep their pills labeled or organized. It can be a challenge for providers to determine which medicines they are taking. Artificial intelligence can be used to take a photograph of a pill and identify the medication and dose.
Virtual care
Crowded waiting rooms and understaffed hospitals can be reduced by using virtual care tools. Many healthcare organizations are offering virtual care appointments for conditions such as rashes, illnesses, mental health disorders, and minor injuries.
Rural hospitals also depend heavily on virtual care programs. This allows telehealth providers to video conference into a patient’s room to assist with assessing the problem and creating a treatment plan.
Related: Introduction to Rural Nursing: The Center of Care for 60 Million Americans
Scheduling software
One of the many new nursing technologies that may be overlooked by most of the healthcare industry is self-scheduling software. Balancing skill level, seniority, weekend and night requirements, and time off requests can become a nursing manager’s biggest challenge. Improvements in software can help nurses build their own schedules while balancing skill mixes and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly.
New scheduling software allows nurses to submit for time off, request trades with one another, pick up extra shifts, and manage their timecards from their cell phones at home. Using this software also helps managers avoid “playing favorites” or giving some nurses an unfair or unrealistic schedule.
Nursing meets technology
For a long time, nursing education has focused on topics like anatomy and physiology, patient care, medication safety, and meeting a patient’s emotional and spiritual needs. Now, nurses must be ready to add another skill to their repertoire. Learning how to deal with and troubleshoot new equipment and computer systems is now almost as important as being able to place a good intravenous line or perform a patient assessment.
Nurses have a responsibility to integrate new technologies into their practice. In doing so, they can continue to provide a safe and caring environment for the patients in their care.
