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| Nurse writing on a digital chart/tablet computer. |
Imagine the benefits if all health care facilities ditched
the pens and papers and decided to go digital. The environmental and financial
savings on paper alone would be staggering. Factor in the cost of hardware like
large printers and expensive ink cartridges, duplicates being made, unnecessary
waste, and other accessories like envelopes, pens, postage, etc. and the
savings are easy to add up. In addition, the non-financial benefits of turning
charts digital would be increased accuracy and better treatment for patients.
It would be as if suddenly everyone involved in patient care all had the same
handwriting. Misinterpreted prescription amounts, dosages, and diagnoses would
be a thing of the past. Furthermore, imagine patients’ charts being updated and
shared across all caregivers in real time. No more repeat treatments or
redundant visits to an already treated patient. Additionally, doctors and
nurses could carry hundreds of quick-reference resources all in one electronic tablet
computer, increasing their speed in care given and accuracy of information
provided. The only cost would be the initial cost of providing the digital
components such as tablets, styluses, and charging mats.
However, revolutionary changes are often met with stubborn
resistance. People fear change, even beneficial ones, and will often fight to
keep things status quo. One major obstacle to adopting a completely electronic
and digital charting approach would be the generations of doctors and nurses
that didn’t grow up with computers at an early age. For these generations,
checking email can be an all-day venture and navigating a website can be
confusing. Unlike younger generations that were born into the digital age, the
baby boomer generation has transitioned into it, and sometimes prefer to leave
things as they were, pen and paper, the way they’ve always been. It’s
comfortable, and more importantly they understand it. A healthcare career can
be stressful enough, adding in learning new technology can feel overwhelming.
This is where training comes in, and the advanced generations, given a little
patience and room to learn their way, can realize the transition to digital
tools can be easy and even enjoyable. Technology grows to be both more
complicated, but also more intuitive. Large keyboards and peripherals have been
replaced by touch-screen interfaces and slim, portable devices. Tablets can be
made to feel like books, with animated turning pages and a pen-like stylus for
highlighting or taking notes. Introducing and training from a boomer’s point of
view will make the transition much smoother; teach them and train them using
concepts and ideas they’re already familiar with. They’ll soon be as fluent as
their children and will wonder how they ever went so long without going
digital.
Rue Education understands the needs of adult learners. We’ve been helping adult LPN/LVNs,
paramedics, and RTs transition to RNs for over 20 years. Rue Education has
adapted and grown to keep up with technology and the demands of a changing
health care industry and the new ways of earning a nursing degree and becoming
an RN. Classrooms have turned into online courses, and teachers have become
online tutors and mentors. The result? Hopeful nurses that thought they never
had time to earn their RN degree due to their busy family lives and work
schedules now have a chance to be RNs. Rue Education also understands that
online study can be intimidating, which is why we have academic advisors with
you from your first day until you pass your state board exam. You’ll also get
support from other graduates that have used Rue’s system. Maybe you’ve been thinking about earning your
nursing degree, and are open to completing it in a new way that works into your
busy schedule. Having a little help getting started might be the only thing you
need. Give Rue Education a call if you’re ready to transition to RN and see how
easy it can be!
