Analysis of Research and Technology in Nursing Practice, Essay Example

Advocating for Research in Nursing

In modern healthcare systems, nurses provide significant knowledge and expertise beyond traditional direct patient care. They often work collaboratively regarding topics of interest in order to solve problems and to address gaps in knowledge. Many nurses develop research ideas and explore these concepts using different proven techniques that support the growth of the research enterprise. These factors are critical in the development of new approaches that support the continued growth and development of nursing research and enhance the scope of practice. These factors are instrumental in shaping outcomes and in demonstrating the value of nursing research as a key promoter in improving healthcare systems. There are significant opportunities for growth and change within the research enterprise that nurses support with their activities. It is imperative that nurses become increasingly involved in research as a means of exploring new ideas and shaping new perspectives regarding patient care and treatment to improve practice methods. These factors are critical to the development of new strategies to improve outcomes and to address the most important issues that nurses face in modern healthcare settings. Technology plays an important role in these processes and enhances the research experience through new techniques that promote efficient practices and improved quality of care. The following discussion will address these objectives in greater detail and will emphasize the importance of new strategies that are designed to enhance patient care outcomes using technology in different forms, and the growth of practice initiatives as they support the nursing research enterprise.

Maintaining Competency in Research Practice

Nursing practice objectives require a strong level of support and guidance from nurses, who often offer a fresh perspective regarding patient care needs and expectations that other clinicians might not consider. These factors are instrumental in shaping outcomes for patients and in determining the most feasible courses of action for future practice initiatives. Technology-based solutions provide a framework for exploring the insights of patient care and treatment, and also demonstrate the value of efficient methods in promoting greater quality of care. Nursing research is a critical factor in the development of new perspectives that utilize technology in smart and innovative ways. It is important to identify how technology might be effective in advancing research protocols to achieve the desired results.

Nurses must demonstrate their level of competency in nursing research through the use of technology-based tools that are available to support the desired outcomes (Rantz et.al, 2010). The first step in this process is the recognition of technology as a useful and efficient means of improving nursing practice and the opportunities that are available to nurses to meet the needs of patients (Rantz et.al, 2010). Technologies provide cost effective means of developing new approaches to patient care and research that will improve the practice as a whole and enhance the quality and delivery of patient care on a continuous basis (Rantz et.al, 2010). These contributions are effective in expanding knowledge to support patient care and develop new protocols to promote greater care and treatment for patients (Rantz et.al, 2010). One issue to consider is the amount of clinical data that is recorded and stored in one or more databases, which is a frequent method of adopting a form of technology in the nursing setting; therefore, it is important to utilize these resources carefully when conducting research according to specific guidelines (Rantz et.al, 2010). These factors are critical in enhancing the quality of research that is conducted by nurses; however, it also requires a strong level of knowledge and training in order to use these applications to their maximum potential within the desired research framework (Rantz et.al, 2010).

Kelley et.al (2011) address the utilization of electronic documentation in the provision of patient care as a means of improving quality of care. However, electronic documentation has not been proven useful in achieving patient outcomes on a consistent basis, as additional research is required in this area (Kelley et.al, 2011). These findings suggest that nurses must work collaboratively in order to demonstrate that electronic documentation is a useful approach to patient care, while also considering other factors that play a role in the daily routines of nurses who provide direct care to patients (Kelley et.al, 2011). The ability of nurses to demonstrate effective outcomes supports continued efforts to integrate technologies into patient care settings that will support nurse satisfaction and support of these tools as part of the practice environment (Kelley et.al, 2011). One of the key contributors to the acceptance of technology as part of nursing practice is its ability to promote efficiency and greater quality of care for patients (Kelley et.al, 2011). Although this is an obstacle for some nurses, it is likely that it will convey the importance of new strategies that will have a positive impact on patient outcomes (Kelley et.al, 2011). Nursing practice objectives must ultimately consider the most important aspects of patient care and treatment so that nurses are provided with a framework for success and achievement in the use of these tools (Kelley et.al, 2011).

Nursing-based technological implementation requires demonstrated competency in these tools as part of the patient care process (Goncalves et.al, 2012). Nursing informatics requires a strong level of attention and focus from practicing nurses as a means of expanding knowledge to improve patient outcomes on a continuous basis (Goncalves et.al, 2012). As a result, nurses must obtain updated knowledge and training regarding these tools as appropriate in an effort to fully implement them into the nursing practice setting and to support greater quality of care as necessary (Goncalves et.al, 2012). Nursing informatics supports advanced knowledge of nursing information technologies to enhance practice objectives, and should be provided in a number of formats to offer a comprehensive examination of these principles (Goncalves et.al, 2012). Acquiring specific knowledge regarding technology also enables nurses to recognize its benefits in different forms, including mobile applications (Doswell et.al, 2013).

It is necessary to develop strategies that will be used to enhance nursing practice objective and demonstrate competency with an emphasis on nursing research. This requires active study and examination of research principles and studies that are of professional interest to nurses. Most importantly, nurses must be able to acquire a vast knowledge base regarding research so that they are able to participate in different endeavors that impact research objectives in a positive manner. Furthermore, addressing research in the workplace environment is a positive means of evaluating the different issues that are prominent and that warrant change. These concepts could serve as the basis for a new type of research study to address a problem of critical concern to the nursing community. For example, a discussion group regarding a topic of interest that is derived from a journal article, perhaps a “brown bag” session during the nursing shift, might be an effective use of time to discuss a topic that is of relevance to all nurses throughout the unit.

The Future of Technologies in Nursing and Research

Some nurses may find it difficult to accept technology if they have been in practice for many years, often as a result of resistance to change. For example, some nurses have struggled in the past with Smart IV Pumps, which reflect an important opportunity to promote efficiency in the workplace environment (Carayon et.al, 2010). In order to accept this and other forms of technology, it is important to identify the resources that are necessary to enable nurses to accept these tools as viable in their clinical practice settings (Carayon et.al, 2010).Therefore, training in these technologies is critical to success and achievement in the promotion of positive patient care outcomes (Carayon et.al, 2010). In this context, human behaviors are essential to the discovery of new insights regarding technology and its potential impact on clinical practice environments (Carayon et.al, 2010).

The ability to enhance nursing practice requires the use of technology as a means of expanding knowledge and efficiency, and this is often observed in critical care settings (Williams et.al, 2012). The use of technology impacts patient care because it serves as an additional alert or safety monitoring system to ensure that patients who require immediate care are provided with this care as quickly as possible (Williams et.al, 2012). This method supports an ongoing expansion of knowledge and familiarity with technology that will have a positive influence on patients and on nursing performance (Williams et.al, 2012). With tele-ICU technologies in place, it is possible for critical care units to maximize their standards of care and to provide a framework for exploring new opportunities to expand knowledge and insight into telehealth opportunities (Williams et.al, 2012). When monitoring is continuous using telehealth technologies, nurses are able to recognize their benefits and the ongoing influence of technology on the quality of patient care (Williams et.al, 2012).

In order to accomplish the objectives of professional nursing, technology must play an integral role in ongoing education and training for nurses. Research is also critical to the success of nursing practice; therefore, research concepts must be integrated into nursing education at all levels. Research must continue to expand in nursing practice so that nurses are familiar with its benefits and its ability to be effective in solving clinical problems that involve patient care. Nursing practice must support the development of new insights regarding patient care that will expand knowledge of research principles to support favorable patient outcomes. Nurses must continue to focus on research and its core principles so that patients benefit from new discoveries. In addition, nurses will be provided with a framework for improving their own practice methods to enhance growth and change throughout the practice environment.

Finally, technology must continue to play an expanded role in encouraging nurses to actively participate in research projects. This process will provide nurses with much-needed knowledge and innovation in order to support the research enterprise on a continuous basis and also demonstrate an opportunity to expand research to new levels. Technology and telecommunications are critical factors in the success of the research process and its overall impact on patient care outcomes. Nurses should establish a greater interest in research because it provides an opportunity to address complex problems that might not otherwise be considered. When technology is incorporated into a research participation strategy, it is likely to be well-received by the target population because it supports and engages this group of individuals so that they are able to better understand research and its impact on nursing practice. One example that requires further consideration is the random application of sequential compression devices on patient legs without an evaluation of DVTs, and another example might be to consider how it is possible for medication errors to exist frequently, even when technology-based medication administration tools are in place, thereby exposing the risk of human error in this process.

Conclusion

Nursing research continues to grow and thrive in many practice settings and supports the continued growth and development of new factors that encourage high quality care and treatment for patients. Identifying problems and developing research protocols to address these concerns is of critical importance in the development of new strategies to effectively support improved treatments and care for patients. Nurses should be provided with education and guidance regarding research as a means of exploring the potential of research and its impact on daily practice environments. At the same time, it is necessary to recognize the importance of technology in these endeavors as a means of evaluating new research methods and protocols that nurses will embrace and support through their own research-based activities and support systems on a continuous basis.

References

Carayon, P., Hundt, A. S., & Wetterneck, T. B. (2010). Nurses’ acceptance of Smart IV pump technology. International journal of medical informatics, 79(6), 401-411.

Doswell, W., Braxter, B., DeVito Dabbs, A., Nilsen, W., & Klem, M. L. (2013). mHealth: Technology for nursing practice, education, and research. Journal of Nursing Education & Practice, 3(10).

Gonçalves, L. S., Wolff, L. D., Staggers, N., & Peres, A. M. (2012). Nursing Informatics Competencies: An Analysis of the Latest Research. In NI 2012: Proceedings of the 11th International Congress on Nursing Informatics (Vol. 2012). American Medical Informatics Association.

Kelley, T. F., Brandon, D. H., & Docherty, S. L. (2011). Electronic nursing documentation as a strategy to improve quality of patient care. Journal of nursing scholarship, 43(2), 154-162.

Rantz, M. J., Skubic, M., Alexander, G., Popescu, M., Aud, M. A., Wakefield, B. J., … & Miller, J. (2010). Developing a comprehensive electronic health record to enhance nursing care coordination, use of technology, and research. Journal of GerontoloGical nursing, 36(1), 13-17.

Williams, L. M., Hubbard, K. E., Daye, O., & Barden, C. (2012). Telenursing in the intensive care unit: Transforming nursing practice. Critical care nurse, 32(6), 62-69.