What Is Digital Literacy?
To be digitally literate means you have the capabilities that fit you for living, learning, working, participating, and thriving in a digital society. This implies that you are well equipped to function maximally in a digital age and your flexibility to adapt to digital changes in the healthcare system. The first thing you must do as a nurse you need to have digital Skills and how to become a digital Nurse
The world has evolved with advancements in technology and this has shifted the healthcare work pattern including nursing and caregiving, therefore, to thrive in a digital society as a Nurse you need to have digital skills.
These recent advancements are being integrated into health care delivery for quality and efficient patient care and to achieve better patient outcomes as research revealed that the more a hospital embraces digital technologies the better off its patients will be.
Digital Skills You Need To Have As A Nurse
Below is a list of the digital skills you need to have as a Nurse;
Computer Skills
The use of computers in clinical settings to carry out tasks like creating spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint presentations, Skype for meetings or online interviews, and so on.
Use of Electronic Health Records
Use of software for electronic medical records to input patient data instead of charts such as prescriptions, diagnostic test results, etc.
This helps to get notified promptly if anything needs urgent medical attention, for example, getting notified of early warning signs of a patient that needs urgent medical attention.
It also enhances easy monitoring and communication among team members in charge of patient care.
Digital health/medicine for example telemedicine
Video chat and internet-based consultation for patients that can not visit the hospital due to location barriers or some other factors ensure rapid response to reduce the mortality rate arising from delayed access to healthcare.
Monitor Devices
Use of monitor devices such as cardiac monitor, which is attached to patients to monitor the baseline vitals and easily spot any deviation from normal.
Portable defibrillator, to assist with CPR instead of the manual method, which reduces the incident of associated death due to factors like delays, unnecessary interruptions, and fatigue of provider due to exertion.
Smart alarms control all the alarms of other monitoring devices thereby reducing alarm fatigue that may occur from multiple alarm sources.
The list is inexhaustible.
Use of automated drug dispensing machine.
To reduce life-threatening situations, certain innovations are being put in place aside from the conventional method of drug administration such as the use of barcoding for verification of medications and automated dispensing machines, these computerized devices control the dosage of medications.
Another example is an infusion delivery device that makes it easier to administer drugs slowly and over a given period.
E-rosters and E-job planning
Use of software or computer application in creating duty rosters and duty delegation to reduce the time spent on paperwork to make duty roster and delegate tasks which increases the spent with patients.
Patient Lifting Device
The use of patient lifting devices makes it easy for Nurses to lift and transfer the patients without strain and exertion to themselves and injury such as falls to the patients.
Use of social media
Use social media to stay informed and get updated on the latest events and trends in the profession, healthcare, to drive change, for patient education, public awareness, or be aware of the skills you need to learn.
Blogs, podcasts, LinkedIn, Twitter can be useful platforms professionals can utilize to connect with other professionals to achieve this.
WHY YOU NEED DIGITAL SKILLS AS A NURSE.
Most professionals have not yet embraced the recent adjustment happening within the healthcare system, some still believe it is the future of healthcare, whereas, digital transformation within the healthcare setting is no longer the thing of the future, it is already here and it is now, hence the need for you to be aware and equip yourself.
Here is why you need to have digital skills as a Nurse;
For Patient
These innovations play a vital role in preventing patient harm, injury, and complications. It improves the quality of care being delivered to the patients and facilitates better patient outcomes through efficient patient monitoring, reduction in error in care delivery, and so on.
For example, AI (artificial intelligence) makes it easy to explore different scenarios as if it’s real which teaches rapid response to manage this case scenario appropriately, e.g. you can explore congenital heart defects in 3D, dampening pain signals for patients suffering from burns or chronic conditions
For Professionals
Professional development is another great way the recent changes have positively impacted the healthcare setting as this improves your capacity to function effectively in the clinical setting, you become marketable with this skillset.
When you are unfamiliar and out of touch with the new trend in your workplace, you might lose confidence and become frustrated, this again pours into the delivery of your responsibilities thereby affecting your work efficiency, hence the need to embrace the change so as not to get displaced out of the workforce just because you can not keep up with the change.
For Nursing and Patient Education
Involvement in education and training of professionals for distance learning, digital literacy, simulations, real-life case scenario with Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Patient education is made possible due to this
This has also changed the way nurses learn so that they can be up to date with the latest information and happenings in their field.
Time Management
Real-time communication within the healthcare setting and among professionals has been made possible by recent innovation thereby saving time.
Job satisfaction
You also become happy to come to work when you can seamlessly carry out your tasks, you are not drained easily and this again improves your work efficiency.
HOW TO BECOME A LITERATURE NURSE
Be in an environment that promotes the culture of change in educating and training their workers adaptivity to the digital society within the healthcare ecosystem.
Enroll for courses: theree are different online courses made available and tailored to equip healthcare professionals with the needed and necessary skills to meet up the demand of the new face of healthcare technology.
Social media platforms can be a useful tool to keep in touch with the recent trends and related events on digital literacy and innovation in healthcare.
Be part of a professional network or community that share information on recent update and advancement in Nursing care and health care so as not to be left out.
CONCLUSION
Change is constant, the health care ecosystem is not static, it has evolved over the centuries and will continue to evolve, as an individual, you have also evolved as you are not the same person you are in the past ten years, hence you should see this as a norm and be flexible to adapt to all that comes with it. Your willingness to learn and adapt to different situations is a good sign of being a person with a sense of balance, a skill essential to thrive in the workplace.
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