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For those of us who have been in nursing for a while,
the speed of change due to new technologies is mind-boggling.
For me, it is a race to keep up with clinical technology,
as well as to manage the technology in my personal life.
Although a part of me thinks all the new gadgets have
made my life better, another part of me thinks I will
never be able to use all of the capacity that exists.
It is fascinating to see how information technology
is at the heart of training and continuing education,
both from the standpoint of clinical information systems
and the tools for electronic education. I still have
memories of learning CPR on ResusciAnne. What a contrast
to the sophisticated mannequins used today. It also
occurs to me that the clinical technology used to restart
the heart was once the bastion of the highly trained
clinicians in hospitals; now, these devices are found
in almost all public places.
Professional nurses today are experts in using clinical
technology, as well as clinical information systems.
Nearly every hospital and care facility is implementing
or planning to implement clinical information systems
that will produce an electronic medical record, and
support for clinical decision-making. Although there
are no guarantees that this technology will save time
for nurses, there is the hope that it will create a
safer patient environment and fewer mistakes will be
made.
Likewise, the use of learning technologies in schools
enables students to access classes and information from
the most convenient places. Faculty can develop and
teach courses that can reach a wide audience and still
provide individual guidance. Tailored learning finally
has a platform that is working in a variety of settings.
So, the age of medical informatics is upon us. Our
patients, colleagues and friends can access information
on the Internet on any topic of interest. Although not
all the information may be reliable, the sense of empowerment
to be able to find answers at will is a powerful force.
Maybe a word of caution is to keep in the forefront
the concept of care and the nature of relationships
that nursing is built on. I don't think we want to become
so mechanized that we forget the meaning of touch, caring
and compassion. Our challenge is to balance all of the
incredible events that are wrapping us in a whirlwind
of change.
All of you undoubtedly know nurses who are consummate
professionals. We are providing you with the opportunity
to nominate them for an important award-the Nursing
Excellence Awards. We will have our second annual awards
ceremony in August to celebrate finalists and winners
in the eight categories listed on the nomination form.
I hope you will submit a nomination for a nurse you
believe exemplifies excellence in practice.
The nomination form is on Page 16 (Midwest/Heartland
Feb. 17, 2003 issue) as well as at www.nurseweek.com.
Be sure to provide a complete response to the questions
and that your response clearly differentiates your candidate
from others. The nomination deadline is April 30, 2003,
so take the time to do it now. It is a wonderful event
to honor our best.
Discuss this and other topics with your colleagues
at www.nurseweek.com/rnvillage
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