Let’s have a look at major advancements in nursing that changed the entire scenario in healthcare and are being used in top hospitals and healthcare facilities around the world.
1. Electronic IV monitors:- Earlier, nurses had to pay constant attention in order to administer IVs so that steady flow can be maintained. Now, With the advent of IV pump infusion and electronic monitoring, a constant attention of nurses is not required
2. The Sphygmomanometer:- The sphygmomanometer is a term used for electronic blood pressure cuffs that also measure heartbeat rate automatically. Those days are gone when a nurse had to measure blood pressure manually. This is the technological change has made the biggest daily difference in the lives of nurses.
3. GPS Tracking:- GPS Tracking system is mainly used in elderly care situations, where residents have wearable technology that tracks them no matter where they are in the care facility. These type of devices are embedded with tracking chips and integrated with an “in-house” positioning system so they can be located instantly.
4. The portable defibrillator:- Manual CPR used to be the only method to revive someone’s heart but now with the introduction of portable defibrillator, immediate resuscitative action after critical heart failure.
5. Wireless Patient Monitoring:- The technology of retrieving data from wireless devices has migrated to actual patient beds pads where weight, blood pressure, pulse rate, sleep patterns and more are constantly being transmitted. The collation and utilization of this data alert nurses to any number of changes to a patient’s status.
6. Intelligent Alarms:- Introduction of new technology using “intelligent” alarm notification has the ability to discern which alarms need immediate intervention and which others are less critical. The proliferation of patient monitoring technologies and data collection allow for this layered approach to alarm notifications and responses.
7. Computer-Assisted Surgery:- Robotics is an emerging and developing field in surgery especially for complex operations where fine movement is critical. Though it is expensive but it outweighs the risks reduced for the patient.
Thus, technology has become an integral part of nurses and will continue to grow to improve the live of patients. Nurses are one of the most essential parts of technology implementation in healthcare and without them, the process would be much less effective.
