The technologies nurses use to care for patients change every year. Innovation brings new devices to the medical forefront, changing how nurses and physicians interact with patients and share information across different platforms.
These technologies impact the nursing world in meaningful ways, and all nurses or prospective nurses should be aware of them. Here are seven cutting-edge technologies changing the face of nursing today.
Telemedicine and apps
Not all patients need in-person care to get the treatment they deserve. Many patients are now relying on digital consultations with nurses and doctors who aren’t in their area. Digital consults can also help patients constrained by their work schedule or limited transportation.
Telemedicine technology saves nurses, patients, and medical institutions time and money on in-person consultations. It was also invaluable for servicing non-urgent medical visits during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hospitals are using telemedicine and apps to deal with nursing shortages. In addition to long-distance communication apps, future-forward marketplaces like Fusion Marketplace are doing their part to alleviate existing nurse shortages.
Automated IV pumps
Nurses often spend a lot of their shifts adjusting IV pumps to fit different patients’ dosage schedules. They also change IV levels if a patient’s status changes, and often this need arises at the drop of a hat, displacing all of their other duties. Automated IV pumps make adjusting and monitoring a patient’s IV levels possible without making the rounds, freeing nurses to spend time on more intensive tasks.
Wearable devices
Wearable technology removes the element of human error from patient monitoring. These smart devices track health metrics like heart rate, sleep, and respiration and provide invaluable data for nurses and doctors.
Electronic health records
Rifling around in a decades-old filing cabinet for paper records is a thing of the past. Electronic health records allow nurses to record and exchange data directly within a central database for further use. Healthcare workers can access any patient’s files at the touch of the button instead of wasting valuable time hunting down patient records in a sea of intake and discharge forms.
Portable monitors
Nurses often watch patients’ digital monitors for any changes that might affect their health. Portable monitors allow nurses to leave the room and go about their other duties without losing sight of a patient’s monitor. Nurses automatically get an alarm notification if something goes wrong.
Smart beds
Smart beds are the next significant innovation in healthcare. They can help monitor weight, heart rates, and vital signs without any invasive procedures or tests. Nurses can connect smart beds to their portable monitors and command center for a constant stream of patient data directly to their workstations.
Centralized command centers
Updates to software technology allow hospitals to compile and send out vital patient information and treatment data in a centralized command center. The command center can update nurses and hospital management to supply deficits, available beds, working hours, and more. When doctors and nurses can communicate freely, the entire facility runs more smoothly.
Know your tech
These cutting-edge technologies changing nursing are working faster than you might think. If you’re an RN or want to be one, knowing about and taking advantage of these technologies will make your time in scrubs much easier.