Recipe for Success: Integrating Technology into a Leadership Platform

What types of information should be shared with staff in order to bring them up to date?

2015 is a year full of technology, such as stem-cell surgery and nanobots (Govette, 2015). There are also additional meaningful use requirements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, along with the start of penalties for noncompliance (Murphy, 2010). In order to ensure that the knowledge of staff members aligns with the times, several things should be conveyed. First, staff should be aware of what meaningful use is, and what step the organization has attested to. Second, staff should understand the benefits of the electronic health record they are using- benefits such as data mining, practice based evidence, and data analytic properties. Third, there should be constant feedback on the data analytics for the specific department that they work in, along with departmental goals and incentives.

When integrating technology into the workplace, along with updating staff, it is important to keep a positive attitude. It has been shown that positive attitudes from leadership is contagious (Cheng, Yen, & Chen, 2012), and can greatly affect the success of both the implantation process, and the success of the organization as a whole (Huryk, 2010). Nurse administrators should mirror what they would like out of there employees, and should maintain a front lead when it comes to informatics.

How can technology be woven into staff education?

We are beyond the times where updates from hospital leadership means boring e-mails or wordy presentations. There are so many other technologies that can be used to capture the attention of the audience, and possibly even have them enjoy the process. YouTube videos and self-created cartoons can prove to be engaging, along with info-graphics. Staff can also be encouraged to explore websites, and those in administration can post creative blogs in order to develop relationships with hospital personnel. With the assimilation of technology into education, learning can be transformed into a 24 hour opportunity. Off shift employees can learn when it is convenient for them, and can feel actively engaged with hospital leaders.

Be an effective, engaging leader. Take your staff to the next level, by guiding them into the world of healthcare technology. It is a fast-paced environment that requires a conscious effort to stay on top, with benefits that extend to all who are involved. Technology improves workflow, and allows for a level of patient care quality that has never been experienced before. Today, clinicians are not only delivering care, but are re-inventing the entire care model. Be a part of that new creation as it is being developed, and enjoy the journey alongside your entire organization.

References

Chang, Y., Yen, C., & Chen, L. (2012). Transformational leadership and job involvement: The moderation of emotional contagion. Military Psychology, 24(4), 382-396.

Govette, J. (2015). 10 biggest innovations in health care technology in 2015. Retrieved fromhttps://getreferralmd.com/2015/02/the-10-biggest-innovations-in-health-care-technology-in-2015/

Huryk, L. (2010). Factors influencing nurse's attitudes towards healthcare information technology. Journal of Nursing Management, 18, 606-612.

Murphy, J. (2010). The journey to meaningful use of electronic health records. Nursing Economic$, 28(4), 283-286.





Go With the Flow

Nursing workflow is essentially the series of tasks related to patient care (Whittenburg, 2010), and documentation is a key step in the patient care sequence. According to a survey reported by Hill (2014), nurses spend 28% on documentation, while only spending 16% on patient care, thereby making it critical to modify electronic charting systems in order to increase efficiency. One of the major concerns related to workflow within the electronic health record (EHR) platform that we use in the emergency department (ED) that I work in, is related to the trauma, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI) documentation pieces. The integration of EHR's into hospital environments is largely beneficial to all stakeholders, though there are alterations that are necessary in order to enhance the usability of the software for nurses. The fast paced environment of the ED allows little room for extraneous charting elements, and the trauma, stroke, and MI narrators contain a great deal of this. Additionally, the charting sequence needs to align to a greater degree with the real time flow of the patient's actual care.

 



 

My recommendations to alleviate these issues and to improve the accuracy and timeliness of the ED documentation, is to gather a group of health information technology specialists, doctors, and nurses in real scenarios related to trauma, stroke, and MI's. Combining all of the individual professionals involved will allow for the computer specialists to gain a greater understanding of how charting fits into real world scenarios, and why it is imperative to tailor the charting experience to the unique needs of the ED. Based on the results of these sessions, unnecessary charting elements can be removed, and the flow of documentation can be re-ordered if necessary. Furthermore, it is essential that nurses actively participate in the redesign process (Schwartz 2012; The Urban Institute, 2013), in order to ensure success. I feel that the aforementioned suggestion to improve workflow in the emergency department will yield fruitful results by not only increasing efficiency, but also by encouraging staff engagement and buy-in of  yet another aspect of hi-tech healthcare.

 

 

 

 

References

 

Hill, L. (2014). Redesign of nursing workflow seeing success. Retrieved from http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2014/04/redesign-of-nursing-workflow-seeing-success/

 

Schwartz, A. (2012). Nurses adopt electronic health records. Science of Caring. Retrieved from http://scienceofcaring.ucsf.edu/future-nursing/nurses-adopt-electronic-health-records

 

The Urban Institute. (2013). Final report: Lessons from the literature on electronic health record implementation. Retrieved from

http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/hit_lessons_learned_lit_review_final_08-01-2013.pdf

 

Whittenburg, L. (2010). Workflow viewpoints: Analysis of nursing workflow documentation in the electronic health record. Retrieved from http://www.himss.org/files/HIMSSorg/content/files/Code%2053%20Workflow%20Analysis%20of%20Nursing%20Documentation%20in%20EHR.pdf 

 

Leading Today with Tomorrow's Technology



Innovative technology is permeating every realm of healthcare, therefore it makes perfect sense for those in leadership positions (especially nurse leaders) to support that advancement by integrating technology into both their clinical areas and leadership styles. Likewise, the main goal of implementing such technology is to improve care quality and outcomes, which precisely aligns with the modern objectives of the nursing profession.

 

Two of the major barriers today's nurse administrators face, are the unwillingness to change from staff, and the lack of nursing involvement during the selection and implementation processes (Robert, 2009; Virginia Nurses Today, 2010). Both of these barriers, however can be overcome by open communication (Vogelsmeier & Scott-Cawiezell, 2009), involving strong staff representing all age groups (Virginia Nurses Today, 2010), and by ensuring that the technology to be adopted not only meets the patients needs, but effectively meets the needs of the nurses, and elevates their practice (Robert, 2009). Similarly, in a roundtable discussion by several top nursing chiefs from across the country, Virginia Nurses Today (2010) adds that nurse executives should cultivate close relationships with vendors in order to reap the full product benefits, and that Chief Nursing Officers should maintain a constant presence and active engagement throughout the entire process. In brief, healthcare technology is here to stay, and can ultimately transform patient care and nursing practice. The constant battle for nurses to define their profession makes it equally important to stay at the cusp of modern advancements, and modeling support of technological integration starts with nurse leaders.

 

 

References

 

Robert, G. (2009). Technological innovations: From bench to bedside. Nursing Management, 16(5), 20-21.

 

Virginia Nurses Today. (2010). Nurse leaders discuss the nurse's role in driving technology decisions. VA Nurses Today, 18(1), 8-9.

 

Vogelsmeier, A., & Scott-Cawiezell, J. (2009). Technology: The role of nursing leadership in successful technology implementation. Retrieved from http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/JournalArticle?Article_ID=927674







Human-Technology Interface

 

 

 

The term interface, means to interact (Dictionary.com, 2015), therefore human-technology interface, is the connection between humans and technology. In healthcare, new technologies are emerging daily- from electronic health records, mobile health tracking apps, robotic surgery devices, to telemedicine. The interface between humans and technology is relevant to not only nursing practice, but also to patient care and even nursing leadership. Nursing practice benefits from technology through the formation of evidence based practice standards, and patient care is rendered through technologies such as smart pumps and electronic charting, thereby increasing care quality. Likewise, nursing leadership interacts with technology through obtaining data on quality measures, and is also expected to stay up to date on these technologies in an effort to support the progressive integration of hi-tech into healthcare.

 

 

An example where a technology has supported the nurse-patient relationship and resulted in improved care quality is through the use of phone applications that keep a patient in direct contact with nurses and other medical personnel even when the patient is at home. In 2006, a hospital system in New York City integrated a diabetes control app into their care protocol for diabetics with reported positive disease outcomes (Rhea, 2010). Apps such as diabetes apps are just one example of the numerous technologies available to patients that increase engagement, promote continuity of care, and result in increased care quality. Likewise, mobile device applications are another element to be considered in the dynamic world of the human-technology interface. As Lytle (2013) points out in an article about the role of technology in clinical research trials, it is neither human touch nor hi-tech that prevail in the medical world, but the combination of both- the human-technology interface.

 

References

 

Dictionary.com. (2015). Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/interface?s=t

 

Lytle, T. (2013). Balancing high-tech and high-touch approaches: Clinical trial success depends on effective use of technology and human touch. Research Practitioner, 14(6), 136-139.

Rhea, S. (2010). Going mobile: Wireless devices and technology bring surge in advanced applications for health monitoring and treatment, but legal and privacy issues remain. Modern Healthcare. Retrieved from http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20100503/MAGAZINE/100439991