Ideas to Expand Healthcare Informatics
One Way Hospitals Could Expand Informatics
There are so many ways technology can make our lives as healthcare workers more efficient. I would love to see hospitals incorporate something similar to text messaging/instant messaging to contact physicians. It would be more efficient for the simple questions that don’t necessarily require a phone call. For example and order for pepcid or a stool softener. The physician could place the order through the CIS. Phone conversations may still be necessary for more critical patient care situations. This would cut down on the physician having to return phone calls vs. treating patients. It would also same time for nurses who are waiting for a phone call at the nurses’ station. Sometimes the calls get missed and re-paged and then the process starts again.
One way Nursing Schools Could Integrate Healthcare Informatics
Nursing school reminds me of heavy textbooks and sore backs. It also conjures up images of time wasted looking through textbooks for information. I lost hours looking through books, reading back through notes, rewinding lecture tapes just to find one piece of information. One great way to cut down on all the above frustration would be nursing school PDA’s. Textbooks, drug dosages, class notes, calendar of assignment dues dates and clinical times all in ONE place. This would make finding that one piece of information quick and efficient by searching the PDA. This would make studying anywhere/anytime easier. There is no end to the possibilities this could have to increase the knowledge base of student nurses and the communication between students and instructors.
