CRITICAL CARE NURSES CHAPTER----QUALITY IN CRITICAL CARE. SUB THEME TECHNOLOGY USE TO ENHANCE QUALITY CARE OCTOBER 2017 RUTH AKINYI KHAINGA JOOTRH MCHD/BCHD/CCN/DIP CHN

INTRODUCTION Technology is the making modification usage and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, systems and methods of organization. Technology is progressing being used within health care institutions to enhance the quality and safety of patients care, essential requirements that health care providers promote in the health care institutions. Patient care technology has become increasingly complex transforming the way nursing care is conceptualized and delivered. Before extensive application of technology, nurses relied heavily on their sense of sight, touch , smell and hearing to monitor patient status and to detect changes.

INTRODUCTION CONT,D Overtime the nurses unaided senses were replaced with technology designed to detect physical changes in patient conditions e.g. in the case of pulse oxymetry. Technology has the potential to improve care ,it’s not without risks. Technology has been described as both part of the problem and of the solution for safer health care. The introduction of yet to be errors after the adoption of new technology should be warned e.g. Nurses and other health care providers can be so focused on data from monitors that they fail to detect potentially important subtle changes in clinical status.

Problems may emerge based on the sheer volume of new devices the complexity of the devices, the poor interface between multiple technology at the bedside, and the haphazard introduction of new devices at the bedside. Patients care technology of interest of nurses range from relatively simple devices ,such as catheters and syringes to high complex devices such as mechanical ventilators , electronic health records.

PATIENT CARE TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY Critical care unit is a high technology environment and technological developments become incorporated into nursing practice. Patient care technology can be classified in many ways , these technologies are categorized by commonly understood nursing activities thus. Direct nursing care delivery technology, communication technology, patient assessment, monitoring and surveillance ,patient assistive devices ,pattern identification ,well designed technology allows nurses to focus on care giving function and promotes the health of patients. Work places have four dimension: Organization arrangements (goal, policies, rewards) ,Social factors (values, organizational philosophy),Physical/Environment ( physical design) and Technology

Technologies used by nurses offer the means for preventing errors and adverse events e.g. Errors and delays in treatment and adverse events (nosocomial) . In social factor ,nurses have been users of technology and facilitators for gaining patient acceptance of technology. Nursing that requires higher levels of technology in critical care is value more than nursing that requires little technology. The physical environment particularly in older buildings that were never designed to accommodate newer technology is often a constrain factors in the use of many types of equipment used by nurses.

Accordingly the use of technology devices can ensure better outcomes for patients’ health and decreases morbidity and mortality thus improves nurses productivity and satisfaction operational efficiency. The quality health care by use of technology, nurses have concentrated on patients safety, patient- centred, timely, efficient, effective, equitable and patient satisfaction. Quality is desired as doing the correct thing at the correct time in the correct manner to the right individual and having the most excellent possible outcomes . Nurses agree that time efficiency is very crucial to their performance with the technology time efficiency is achievable in that integrated retrieval, viewing data ,data input and in minimal cases reactions to reminders and alerts.

CONCLUSION Technology allow both nurses and doctors to have easy access to patient health data in order to make timely clinical decision. Nurse providing direct patient care should be involved in setting and evaluating institutional, organization and public policy related to technology. In quality and safety ,nurses should ensure that the technology they use meet international quality and safety standards and technical specifications needed to perform in the clinical environment . Nurses providing direct patient care can ensure that institutional decisions are made with their input and the input of other critical stakeholders. Technology will not replace great teachers but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational.

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