Article Summary – Technology and Communication in Nursing Practice

Article Summary – Technology and Communication in Nursing Practice

This paper aims to critically assess two groundbreaking articles in nursing practice with a focus on the impact of technology on health care. The first article methodologically investigates how interactive and well-coordinated communication, which is based on structured nurse-surgeon bedside rounds, can increase the effectiveness of communication and cooperation in surgical units. The second article talks about the application of exoskeleton technology in nursing, which is a topic that will redefine the physical role of a nurse. From such an assessment of these beneficial innovations, this paper posits that structured forms of communication and the incorporation of state-of-the-art wearable technologies must form part of the progressive future for nursing and better patient and healthcare outcomes.

Assigned Article Summary

The study conducted by Harris et al. (2022) aims to examine the effects of the introduction of structured nurse-surgeon bedside rounds on the organizational culture in terms of communication, collaboration, and teamwork in a mixed surgical unit. As a part of the current study, these perceptions were measured using a pre-and post-test research design through the Nurse-Physician Collaboration Scale (NPCS). The findings showed gains in the communication and exchange of patient information, with NPCS scores reducing from 2.62 to 1.75 ( P = . 002). The latter measure revealed that, although progress was observed in the sphere of joint participation and cooperation, these positive shifts were not substantial enough to qualify for an officially documented Statistically Significant Increase. Issues such as synchronization of the rounding schedules and dealing with rounds involving many surgeons simultaneously were also brought to the limelight by the study. However, the particular design of the structurally designed bedside rounds should effectively improve the nurse’s and surgeons’ satisfaction since it strengthens the interaction between them and facilitates decision-making.

Nonetheless, the validity of the results presented in the study could be skewed by the low number of participants and the short number of post-tests completed by the total number of participants at the end of treatment. “A significant limitation of the study was the small sample size, which makes it challenging to generalize the study findings. Moreover, the number of participants who completed the posttest was less than half of the number who completed the pretest (19 versus 41 participants, respectively)” (Harris et al., 2022, p. 58). To ensure that interdisciplinary rounds have a positive effect, the authors recommend that more studies be done to assess the effectiveness of multidisciplinary rounds by analyzing goals such as discharge time and patient satisfaction. This work highlights an essential need for effective communication and interdisciplinary teamwork in delivering personalized patient care, especially when undergoing surgery (Harris et al., 2022).

Impact of Technology on Nursing Practice

Exoskeleton technology is one of the advances in nursing practice meant to solve the physical challenges that come with the profession. As explained by Vallée (2024), exoskeletons are wearable technologies whose purpose is to offer mechanical assistance with the intention of decreasing the effort and physical tiredness among the nursing staff. “These wearable robotic devices are designed to provide mechanical support and assistance, aiming to alleviate the physical demands of nursing tasks and mitigate the risk of musculoskeletal injuries” (Vallée, 2024, p. 2). It has been asserted that these devices are effective in reducing torque and forces experienced by the body, and the chances of developing musculoskeletal injuries are reduced. However, usability and acceptance of exoskeletons are the two critical determinants that need to be incorporated into clinical practice. Therefore, comfort, practicality, and the ability to perform nursing tasks while using these devices should be maintained. Vallée (2024) mentions that despite the positive outcome of applying exoskeletons, uplifting nursing care by diminishing fatigue among the nurses, some obstacles, which include costs, ergonomics for supporting a wide range of tasks, and durability over time, are present. In sum, applying exoskeleton technology has the potential to enhance the quality of the work life of nurses, and more research needs to be carried out to reveal the technology’s sustained effects on patient status and healthcare provision.

Conclusion

The use of innovative technology, such as exoskeletons and sophisticated elements in the nursing practice environment, in addition to the promotion of structured professional communications by nurses and surgeons during bedside rounds, has been of great help. These innovations are essential in addressing problems that have persisted for many years in the healthcare sector, be it in addressing the issue of interprofessional relationships or the challenges posed by the physical stress placed on nurses. Based on the evidence, it can strongly be suggested that adopting these technologies will enhance healthcare delivery in terms of quality, efficiency, and patient centricity. Continuing along this healthcare progression path or change, nursing practice must embrace these transformative tools fully to establish a new benchmark in the quality of care provided and the satisfaction of its professional nurses.

References

Harris, A., Lane, R., & Higgins, M. (2022). Improving perceptions of communication, collaboration, and teamwork using structured nurse-surgeon bedside rounds. Nursing, 52(2), 56–59. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nurse.0000806180.71822.99

Vallée, A. (2024). Exoskeleton technology in nursing practice: Assessing effectiveness, usability, and impact on nurses’ quality of work life, a narrative review. BMC Nursing, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-01821-3

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Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate appropriate organization, scholarly writing, and utilization of APA format in a professional paper related to the use of technology in healthcare.

Technology and Communication in Nursing Practice

Course Outcomes

This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:

• CO 3: Demonstrate effective communication and interprofessional collaboration in professional decision-making. (POs 3, 4)
• CO 4: Apply concepts of ethics and professionalism to nursing practice, nursing roles, and academic development. (POs 5, 6)
• CO 5: Discuss theories and evidence-based practice in the planning of patient-centered care. (POs 1, 8)

Preparing the Assignment

Follow these guidelines when completing each component of the assignment. Contact your course faculty if you have questions.

Directions

Complete this assignment following the steps below.

1. Download the APA Scholarly Writing Paper templateLinks to an external site.. Use of the template is required. A 10% deduction will be applied if the template is not used. See the rubric. Save the template and include your name in the file name.
2. Use the two required articles to complete the assignment:
   1. Article #1: In the NR351 Announcements, locate the announcement entitled, “IMPORTANT: Assigned Article for Weeks 4 & 6 Assignments.” This is the same article used for the Week 4 Assigned Article Summary assignment. In this announcement, you will find the link to the assigned article from Week 4 (you must be logged into the Chamberlain Library before clicking the link).
   2. Article #2: Locate an article from the Chamberlain Library to answer this question: How does technology help or hinder nursing practice as it relates to the topic in the Week 4 article?
3. Follow the APA Scholarly Writing Paper template instructions to complete the paper.
4. When complete, save and close the template. Click the Submit button at the top of this page to upload your completed assignment.
5. Correctly cite and reference ideas and information from scholarly literature.
6. Follow grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation rules consistent with formal, scientific writing.
7. Abide by Chamberlain University’s academic integrity policy.