young nurse assisting older female adult

National Nurses Week: Technology on the Job

Categorized in: Feature, Health & Wellness Posted on: Last updated on: Written by: Comments: 0

May 6–12 is National Nurses Week. Salute The Power of Nurses™ and thank a nurse for their service!

A Nurse by Any Other Category

If you’ve ever gone to a doctor, chances are a nurse was among the first people to greet you. And it probably wasn’t a nurse in the old stereotype of a pretty young woman in a cute white outfit. Nurses come in all ethnicities, ages, and genders—and in a variety of uniforms.

They also come in a variety of job titles and qualifications. A small sample:

  • Cardiac Nurse
  • Critical Care Nurse
  • Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Labor and Delivery Nurse
  • Licensed Practical Nurse
  • Mental Health Nurse
  • Nurse Midwife
  • Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) Nurse
  • Public Health Nurse
  • Rehabilitation Nurse
  • School Nurse
  • Travel Nurse

However, the registered nurse (RN) is the best known. RNs can also be school nurses, cardiac nurses, or any number of other specialties; but by any name, they’re in the thick of hands-on patient care. They handle everything from impromptu therapy to heavy lifting; and their official duties include:

  • Orienting and assessing incoming patients
  • Taking vital signs
  • Administering medication
  • Adjusting beds or other furniture for patient comfort
  • Coordinating patient care
  • Assisting doctors during patient examinations and operations
  • Sterilizing medical instruments
  • Operating and monitoring medical equipment
  • Knowing how to administer CPR, treat minor injuries, and perform advanced first aid
  • Maintaining patient medical histories
  • Helping with public relations and public education
  • Picking up supplies
  • Delivering medications
  • Filling out forms

And a fair amount of screen time. Read on….

two nurses looking at phone together smiling

Using Technology All Day Long  

Every career field has digital aspects these days, and healthcare almost runs on digital. A nurse’s day on the job may include using technology in all the following ways and more:

  • Virtual meetings with health teams
  • Checking data from patients’ step trackers, glucose meters, even “smart beds”
  • Organizing appointments and work schedules
  • Creating memos with AI (artificial intelligence)
  • Looking up health information from any location
  • Sending information to patients, doctors, or fellow nurses via message apps (with the messages automatically screened for HIPAA compliancy)
  • Talking to patients with digital translators or AAC devices
  • Doing telehealth consultations
  • Maintaining electronic health records
  • Using electronic medication management systems (EMMS)
  • Scanning barcodes and QR codes
  • Monitoring AI website assistants, digital sign-in systems, or delivery robots
  • Using AI data analysis to identify trends, catch potential problems, or help prepare individualized treatment plans
  • Practicing new skills with digital games or virtual-reality simulations
  • And, keeping up with new technology innovations.
nurse helping older adult woman

Thank You, Nurses!

Nurses are much more than “just” doctor’s assistants: they’re among the most knowledgeable, most dedicated, hardest workers in society. So, again, take time during National Nurses Week to give a nurse a special thank-you!

Recommended reading:

Leave a Reply