The rapid increase in technological advancement has brought some changes to our nursing practice. I believe the growing trend in the use of technology will have a radical impact on healthcare delivery and nurse education. Through the use of the Internet, patients and families are increasingly equipped with knowledge that was once known only to healthcare professionals. Nowadays, nurses have taken on a variety of roles and are also involved in activities ranging from the design and implementation of clinical information systems to research and the use of technology to improve patient outcomes (Kelly & Crawford, 2008 ). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In this essay I will discuss the trend of increasing technology in the healthcare system and the impact on nursing practice and care delivery. Kelly and Crawford (2008) write, “The explosion of information – some estimate that all information is replaced every 9 to 12 months – requires nurses to be at the cutting edge of knowledge to practice the profession ethically and safely.” (p. 82) The authors also mention that nursing information helps to “promote the generation, management and processing of relevant data in order to utilize information and develop knowledge that supports nursing care in all domains of practice” . The National Nursing Informatics defines nursing informatics as “the application of computer science and information science to nursing care.” I think in this age of technology not all nurses will have to be information specialists, but every nurse must be computer literate and be able to navigate between different trained programs. Distance learning has already facilitated students and teachers from different places to communicate in the name of improving and continuing professional learning. A variety of factors have been noted in the explosion of information technology, including advances in processing capacity and speed, the development of interactive user interfaces, developments in image storage and transfer technology (Kelly & Crawford, 2008 ). The authors write: “The continuing development of computer technology – smaller, faster machines with large storage capacities… is making the goal of an integrated electronic system a realistic option…” (p. 81). Changes in telecommunications technology and the ever-increasing accessibility of computing gadgets have also made this explosion possible. Berner, Detner, and Simburg (2005) write, “an influence of forces including improved technology, government support, and the receptivity of physicians and patients to the benefits of information… lead to increased use of information technology 'health information'. placed in hospitals, primarily for financial reasons to capture orders, charges and bill patients. This quickly changed and expanded to be used in nursing units. Nursing Informatics (2011) writes, “By the late 1980s, most hospitals had at least a rudimentary information system that required nurses to enter common data such as admission profiles…” Today, nursing technology has evolved to become an integral part of our daily life. health care delivery practice. I believe that emerging technologies in the telecommunications sectors; video, digital imaging and microprocessing are changing and shaping the future ofnursing practice. Nurses must be able to accommodate these changes; they should be aware and also have the desire to be computer literate. I think all nursing programs should include a computer science course as a foundation for understanding the use of computers in practice. Carty & Rosenfeld (1998) indicated that “computer skills topics and training need to be included in the current nursing education curriculum.” Training must also be available to nurses already in the field. Nurses already in the workforce must be encouraged to adapt and embrace technological changes. McIntyre and McDonald (2010) agree with this notion and point out, “Likewise, nurses currently working within the healthcare system in Canada will need adequate support and training” (p.241). Alpay & Russell (2002) recognized that nurses' use of information technology was a function of the culture of a unit or department. The authors also indicated that the use of information technology is highly dependent on the attitude and understanding of colleagues. I believe this is why it is important to include information technology knowledge in nursing courses to prepare graduates for the need and importance for nurses to be able to integrate nursing informatics skills into their practices. Nursing informatics can be applied in several practice areas that include: education, research administration, and clinical practices (Kelly & Crawford, 2008). The integrations of new technologies will influence nursing practice and patient care processes. Since the time of Florence Nightingale, nurses have provided direct care to patients at the bedside. The interpersonal; contact between nurses and patients, with the new implementation of technology, could be something of the past. Advances in information technology have accelerated efforts to implement IT supplies such as telemedicine. Moore (2000) writes, “Telemedicine is recognized as the provision of clinical services, health care, and/or health education remotely using telecommunications or information technologies.” It further goes on to mention that the use and purpose of telemedicine is to increase access to healthcare services for healthcare providers and patients, as well as provide clinical and educational support. He indicated that the use of telemedicine also provides a cost-saving practice and has removed distance barriers for patients in remote areas. In daily clinical practice, nurses work side-by-side with patients and families to coordinate multiple services that impact patient care. The explosion of nursing informatics has fostered the evidence-based practice movement. McIntyre and McDonald (2010) write, “During patient care, nurses can use technology to improve the quality of patient and client care and generate nursing outcome data” (p. 240). The need for nurses and healthcare workers to have the information necessary for decision-making at the point of care has increased. DeCenso & Callum (1998) indicated that “evidence-based clinical practice involves the integration of the best available evidence with clinical judgment, client values, and consideration of available resources.” A well-designed clinical application can serve as a supplement that supports and facilitates clinical judgment. with proven results and updated evidence-based practices. Kelly and Crawford (2008) also havestressed the importance of having up-to-date information at all times and write: “Nurses are informed workers who need accurate and up-to-date information for their professional work.” When evidence-based practice is used appropriately, it will allow nurses computerized nursing documentation so they can monitor client care and focus on improving outcomes. This will only result in improved patient safety and better measurable outcomes from evidence-based care in the long term. Nurses should be at the forefront of shaping the technology and applications they use day in and day out. Nurses have different information needs and work processes than other healthcare workers due to their unique role. As the largest group of healthcare professionals, I believe the field of nursing informatics is important and should be encouraged by all nurses. Having more IT nurses will ensure that nursing is represented in decisions that impact the clinical system and different practice settings. McIntyre and McDonald (2010) write, “To date, nurses have rarely been at the table when it comes to developing much of the biomedical technology that influences their practice” (p.241) Technology is changing the way health care is delivered healthcare, whether in clinics, hospitals or in the patient's home. With the increased use of clinical information systems (CIS), nurses are able to provide client-centered care and organizations are moving toward the use of electronic health records. “Electronic health record systems can improve communication and coordination of clinical care, resulting in better care outcomes” (Madison & Staggers, 2011). I believe the goal of nursing is to have these technologies improve and maintain nursing care for patients and families. Madison & Staggers (2011) noted that the ultimate goal of the EHR was to be able to communicate across a national health information network. Such a system better serves patients, as the system can record and store health data throughout a person's life that could be accessible nationwide. This will improve quality, safety, and efficiency and also reduce health disparities (Madison & Staggers, 2011). EHRs have the potential to improve nurses' decision-making regarding care delivery by having up-to-date access to patient records. I think there is a need for all nurses and healthcare professionals to be more aware and knowledgeable about technology designed to manage an information process. Regarding nursing education programs, McIntyre and McDonald indicate that they “still need to overcome the broader issues surrounding the knowledge, skills and practical competencies needed for nurses to function in the future.” As the use of technology in healthcare increases, there are some issues that will tend to arise. Issues related to privacy, confidentiality, security, application misuse, and ethical and legal issues will also be on the rise. The use of computers has been made easy to organize and manage a wide range and impressive amount of health information. An important requirement of the system is data protection and security. Kelly and Crawford (2008) write: “Security systems must ensure that access to data is provided to those who are authorized and have anlegitimate purpose..." Because information can be accessed and connected nationwide or even globally, it becomes vulnerable to hackers. Desktops and laptops can be stolen, putting personal information at risk for identity theft. I think nurses should be well informed about information security and educated on positive methods that ensure data protection. Kelly & Crawford (2008) suggest that the design of security functions comply with legislative regulations and standards. Three important concepts regarding information security in healthcare settings include privacy, confidentiality and consent (Kelly & Crawford, 2008). Privacy refers to “the right of individuals to prevent information about themselves from being disclosed to anyone” (Kelly & Crawford, p. 80). privacy, access to servers should require users to provide their name, email address and registration number. Confidentiality is the secure state and degree of privacy agreed upon between the individual and the receiving organization (Kelly & McKenzie, 2002). To also ensure confidentiality is protected, nurses must also be cautious when accessing data. Security arrangements for data storage and transmission of personal information should be established via passwords. Nurses should not be allowed to access information from their homes or even take work laptops home. Nurses should consider it an essential duty to take appropriate precautions to protect the information collected about patients. In terms of having all patient information easily accessible, you may need to start developing guidelines for the use of the information. How much patient information can nurses and healthcare professionals review? I think patients should have some control over the information available that can be easily accessed. Uckert and Prokosch (2002), suggested that patients could be granted read-only access, emergency access only, access to certain parts of the medical record for specific providers. Concerns about the information explosion of medical information have been recognized for some time. As more and more medical information can be accessed online, nurses should be aware of what is readable and what is not. While some excellent, health-related materials exist, they vary in accuracy, content, and up-to-dateness. Kelly and Crawford write, “The open nature of the Internet means that anyone with a computer and online access can create a home page and publish it for the world to see.” I think nurses should critically analyze and evaluate some of the information they get on the Internet if they intend to use it in practice. Another aspect that I think is of great concern in nursing informatics is clinical decision support systems (CDSS). CDSS are “active knowledge systems that use two or more patient data to generate case-specific recommendations” (Clinical Decision, 2011). They have been shown to improve patient safety and reduce the cost of care (Garg, Adhikari et al, 2005). Clinical decision support systems help and assist nurses and other healthcare professionals by providing them with patient-specific assessments in the decision-making process. These systems have the potential to improve the quality of healthcare; however, concerns have been raised regarding its misuse. Hsieh, Kuperman, Jaggi, and others noted that drug alertsthey were often ignored and set at a very high threshold so that nurses were alerted to only the most dangerous interactions. In a journal by Berner, Maisiak, Heudebert & Young (2003 ) described that doctors did not always follow the correct advice from clinical decision support systems, due to overconfidence and because some doctors found it difficult to distinguish the correct advice from the wrong ones. They write: “Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) can impact both diagnostic and therapeutic decision making, but clinicians sometimes fail to heed appropriate CDSS advice…” I believe that doing so means that no the full benefits of the systems are realized The authors also noted that “…clinicians may fail to change their original poor decisions or, worse, may change correct decisions to incorrect decisions after using CDSS.” Schiffman, Brandt et al (1999), suggested that users tend to understand and accept guideline recommendations if they are provided rationally. Combining rational explanations and evidence-based suggestions could increase user confidence. I believe that if CDSSs were used appropriately according to manufacturer guidelines without people choosing what they want to use, there would be a further improvement in diagnostic decision making and a decrease in medication errors. As the trend of information technology continues to grow in the healthcare industry, it is important for nurses to become more knowledgeable about the technology around them. Information technology will continue to evolve and advance as time goes by. Computer science courses and classes should be established while students are still in colleges and universities. It is inevitable that the technological trend will move quickly and, as healthcare professionals, we must be in a position to embrace the changes and adopt them. As nurses, I believe we should take advantage of these technological changes to improve patient outcomes. McIntyre and McDonald (2010) write, “Technology has the potential to improve the availability of basic and continuing nursing education for those for whom geography or other barriers have prevented access…..”(p.253). However, as computer systems increase, so does the potential for information security. Nurses play a critical role as the primary defenders of data security. It is therefore important that all precautions are taken to protect patient private information. McIntyre and McDonald (2010) note: “Applied informatics will require nurses to adhere to standards of practice, codes of ethics, provincial legislation and competencies established by regulatory bodies.” The authors go on to state that developments in the definition of protocols are necessary to ensure respect for privacy and confidentiality. In conclusion, the essay highlights the significant impact of technological advances on nursing practice and healthcare delivery. The evolution of IT, particularly nursing IT, has transformed various aspects of the profession, from training to patient care. Embracing technology is critical for both current and future nurses, requiring a change in curriculum and ongoing education. The integration of electronic health records, telemedicine, and clinical decision support systems has the potential to improve patient outcomes, enhance communication, and streamline healthcare processes. However, it is essential to address challenges such as.. 825-9