Impact That Information Systems and Computer Technology Has on the Practice of Nursing

¶ … Information Systems and Computer Technology Has on the Practice of Nursing

Innovations in telecommunications and information systems have revolutionized the delivery of health care services in many ways in recent years in general and on the practice of nursing in particular given the nurses' role on the front-lines of patient care. To determine how these trends have affected the practice of nursing, the purpose of this paper was (a) to examine the role nurses typically play in choosing and managing information systems in the workplace; (b) to describe how nursing practice is impacted by information systems and computer technology in health care; (c) to evaluate how these things impact nurses' role with respect to quality of care, productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness; (d) to describe the training for these systems in a given place of employment and corresponding opportunities for refresher courses; (e) to examine the perceptions of nurses when required to use new technology or information systems and (f) to analyze how information systems and computer technology impact patient safety and outcomes. A summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.

Review and Analysis

The role nurses typically play in choosing and managing information systems in the workplace

One of the biggest mistakes that tertiary healthcare facility administrators and information services department heads can make when it comes to selecting new information systems is failing to solicit feedback from the people who will actually be using the system concerning what their views and needs are with respect to any new system that will require significant amounts of time and resources (Shaw & Stahl, 2011). Unfortunately, personal observations over the years confirms that little or no thought is assigned to the views of nursing staff in choosing and managing information systems in my workplace.

How nursing practice is impacted by information systems and computer technology in health care

In sharp contrast to say, the mid-20th century, nursing practice is currently characterized by pervasive computer-based applications and information systems that provide improved communications between clinicians and more rapid access to health care information (Fonseca & Martin, 2007). Medications are bar-coded or otherwise digitally marked to identify them in ways that have reduced medication errors, and many previously manual administrative tasks have been automated or facilitated through the introduction of computer-based technologies and information systems.

How these things impact nurses' role with respect to quality of care, productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness

Despite making life easier for clinicians, Shaw and Stahl (2011) caution that information systems and computer-based technologies typically require several years to become truly efficient and their impact on nurses' role in health care remains modest. In this regard, Shaw and Stahl emphasize that, "Health information systems have yet to impact the quality of care. The most frequently reviewed measure of quality is adherence to evidence-based guidelines" (2011, p. 255). Indeed, based on their analysis of the effectiveness of health care information systems, Shaw and Stahl suggest that even the biggest potential benefit is offset by a downside: "One possible benefit of health information systems is that they allow a more detailed breakdown of costs and a clearer charging structure for different stakeholders, which may lead to an over-emphasis on financial considerations" (p. 256).

Description of training for these systems in a given place of employment and corresponding opportunities for refresher courses

Part of the orientation process for all new hires in my workplace is training on the decentralized hospital computer program that provides system-wide communications, patient data, treatment records and so forth. When new upgrades or major modifications are made to the system, in-house training is also provided by the information services division. Refresher training for all of these courses is continuously available through the hospital's intranet training modules.

Perceptions of nurses when required to use new technology or information systems

While innovations in technology and modern information systems can make health care more efficient and reduce costs, the perceptions of younger nurses regarding these technologies may differ dramatically from their older counterparts. For instance, Bergiel, Bergiel and Balsmeier emphasize that, "The younger generation has an advantage because they have successfully used computers for most of their lives. Members of the older generation, on the other hand, are generally not as comfortable or familiar with this sort of technology" (2006, p. 428).

How information systems and computer technology impact patient safety and outcomes

The research to date indicates that information systems and computer technologies have modernized and automated the delivery of health care services in many ways, the actual impact on patient safety and outcomes remains relatively modest. In this regard, Shaw and Stahl conclude that, "Evaluations show an improvement in compliance, but there is little effect on patient outcomes" (2011, p. 256).