It is evident that patient outcomes improve when nurses implement their training in an evidence-based manner. Technology and research have a critical role in patient outcomes. It involves the use of the recent and best practices from the patient values, well-designed studies, patient preference and clinical expertise. Research ensures that there is improved patient safety, decreasing the variance in patient outcome, and to reduce the costs of healthcare. All organizations need to conducts research on evidence-based practices that will ensure that they offer the best care (Graneheim &Lundman, 2004). To enhance research in an organization, there should be research role models, encouraging better relationships between academics and real life situations, and the participation in the various interest groups. The paper will seek to advocate for research and competency in nursing, and the significance of technology in research and nursing.
Advocating for Research in Nursing
Nursing research is a crucial component in the healthcare field because it assists in the implementation of new changes in the regular care of patients and is used in the development of better treatments that will offer the best level of care. Research focuses on the promotion and development of high standards in various areas in the nursing profession. It enhances the management of patients with long-term conditions, improving the recovery of patients and encouraging healthy lifestyles that will prevent the onset of avoidable diseases (Fry, 2012). It also assists in the development of standards that will minimize the spreads of diseases in the society, easing the pain of patients who have terminal illnesses, and instilling treatment and techniques that will improve the quality of patient lives. Research encompasses the use of a holistic approach that takes into account the views of the caregivers, patients, and their family members. When better healing methods are utilized on the whole society, there is a higher level of efficiency when new and better technologies are used. When a holistic approach in nursing is used, the quality of healthcare treatment is improved, and the patients receive the best services and care.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
There are ways of developing my colleagues to become better consumers of nursing research is by encouraging them to read research literature such as journals and books. They should explore the origins of knowledge and how they contribute to their nursing profession. Nurses require diverse sources of knowledge that begin from research to the decisions they make in the workplace and how they are planning care with the patients. The advancement in nursing research is due to the influence of technology and the need to improve patient care and outcome (Alexander & Randolph, 2015). All nursing research should be aimed at investigating and contributing to the vast body of knowledge that has shaped and guided the nursing profession. Another technique of improving their consumption of nursing research is going for nursing training. It will allow my colleagues to learn new perspectives and to keep updated with the new healthcare trends while expanding their knowledge and experience. The nursing profession continues to make critical advances daily. As science invents and improves the medical boundaries, there will be significant leaps in the nursing profession. When one reads literature and goes for training, they will learn how the new trends in research can be utilized and developed into treatments and therapies.
Maintaining Competency in Research Practices
There are various ways of maintaining competency in the nursing profession. One of the ways could be joining a nursing research discussion group. The importance of nursing discussion groups has been explored in various research articles. The competency of nurses can be improved in discussion groups or a similar simulated setting. The discussions can create situations where the nurses can apply what they know, and they can use evaluators to objectively assess their performance. The competency of nurses is a critical reflection of their actual performance in their profession. Discussion groups assist the nurses to continue their competence and learn new evidence-based practices from colleagues who may be more experienced in certain fields. For instance, if a nurse had been used to taking care of adults for more than a decade is shifted to the outpatient pediatric unit, they will need to adapt through help from their discussion group (Graneheim&Lundman, 2004). Another technique will be research on their various fields ad sharing it with their colleagues. The previous twenty years have seen various advancements in the nursing profession that can be easily implemented when they are shared with colleagues. It will allow them to develop a better team at the hospital.
The Future of Technologies in Nursing and Research
Information technology is fundamental to the future of the nursing profession. The improvement in technology and healthcare modernization be better understood if a comparison is made to the technology that was used about thirty years ago. The need for nursing care improvement was the main force behind the computer revolution in healthcare. About thirty years ago, computers were mainly used in administration, but in the current era, it is mainly used in the clinical care process. Patient care is the primary focus during the development of clinical applications in the current healthcare trends and will continue playing a lead role in the future (Fry, 2012). The nursing industry recognized the need for an interface between nurses and information technology personnel in addressing the various issues in patient care and formulated the nurse informatics specialist positions. The IT specialists play a significant role in the healthcare delivery procedure and are an integral factor when making decisions in selecting, implementing and evaluating the nursing profession so that it supports patient-centered, safe, and high-quality treatment. Nursing informatics acts as the interface between computer science and nursing science in the management and communication of knowledge and information in the nursing profession.
There are various strategies that can improve the participation of nurses in lifelong learning and research. I believe that the most effective technique would be mentorship. Most nurses often have a role model or a model in their profession who gives them advice regarding various issues in their field. All the health institution can implement programs that focus on mentorship. Mentorship can be defined as a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship where the less experienced nurse is supported by a more knowledgeable and experienced nurse. It is a crucial process in the leadership and professional development of nurses. In most cases, the relationship may be spontaneous. However, the mentor and mentee can be matched intentionally. It will allow the less experienced nurse to learn the required positions and to develop in their responsibilities (Graneheim&Lundman, 2004). The mentors can be trained to keep updated on the recent technologies and research and later transfer the information to the less experienced nurse. The mentor can also challenge the less experienced nurse to participate in lifelong learning to ensure that they offer the best care that will improve patient outcome.
Telecommunications and technology play an integral role in research participation. New and innovative technology assist nurses in fundamental procedures such as caring for chest tubes, the insertion of Foley catheters, passing NG tubes and other basic drainage devices. Wireless communication has also been used in improving patient outcomes and minimizing physical stress among nurses. A patient can call the assigned nurse’s smartphone rather than pressing the button next to the call light. The technology allows the patient to call the nurse wherever they are in the institution. The technology saves the energy spent running or walking to answer the call lights (Alexander & Randolph, 2015). It also improves the effectiveness of nurses. The nurse would be aware of the medication that may be required by the patient instead of going to the patient and then back and forth to acquire the required medication. The use of barcodes on the packaging of medicine assists in the proper identification and avoidance of medical errors. However, it requires a correct and accurate data input. The importance of technology in nursing can encourage the participation of nurses in research. When nurses understand the critical role of technology in their profession, they would be more willing to participate in researches regarding their profession.
Summary
The essay has advocated for research and competency in nursing. It has also explained the role of technology in the nursing profession. Nursing research is a crucial component in the healthcare field because it assists in the implementation of new changes in the continual care of patients and is used in the development of better treatments that will offer the best level of care. There are ways of developing my colleagues to become better consumers of nursing research is by encouraging them to read research literature such as journals and books (Polit& Beck, 2008).The improvement in technology and healthcare modernization be better understood if a comparison is made to the technology that was used about thirty years ago. The need for nursing care improvement was the main force behind the computer revolution in healthcare. Mentorship is important in improving the participation of nurses in research. Telecommunications and technology will continue playing an integral role in the profession.
References
Graneheim, U. H., &Lundman, B. (2004). Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures, and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse education today , 24 (2), 105-112.
Fry, L. W. (2012). Technology-Structure Research: Three Critical Issues1. Academy of Management Journal , 25 (3), 532-552.
Alexander, J. W., & Randolph, W. A. (2015). The fit between technology and structure as a predictor of performance in nursing subunits. Academy of Management Journal , 28 (4), 844-859.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2008). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice . Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
