NR 361 Week 7: Use of Personal Communication Devices in Patient Care Settings (graded)

Hello Professor Graham and Classmates, 

The use of personal communication devices can impact the nursing practice in positive and negative ways. Distraction can be a negative impact of nurse’s personal communication device. When a nurse is distracted it can cause errors and mistakes. Distractions also decrease the quality of care that a nurse gives the patients. On the positive side nurse’s personal communication devices can help get important patient information to the correct people in a timely manner and it is an easy way to look up something you are not familiar with quickly. Using the device in this matter will improve quality care and decrease delays in treatment. “Bedside technologies continue to grow; they interface with smart phones and other devices to improve communication and, ultimately, patient care” (Hebda, Hunter, & Czar, 2019 p.218).

The patient is the nurse’s first prior. The use of personal devices can cause challenges ethically and legally.  “These challenges are personal (distraction), negative patient perception (interference), and potential delays (disruption) in providing care” (Conant, et al., 2020).  We as nurses have ethical guidelines that we are supposed to follow. One of the nursing ethical guiding principles is “nonmaleficence: the obligation for doing no intentional harm” (Hebda, Hunter, & Czar, 2019). If the nurse was distracted by a personal communication device and the patient experiences a negative outcome, the nurse did not follow ethical guidelines which may result in legal consequences.

There are several generations of nurses. Older nurses tend to not need to use personal communication devices as much as younger nurses. Nurses have personal communication devices at work is now normal. There is a time and a place for everything. Nurses have a life outside of work should still have access to it while at work but not allow it to cause a distraction. It is important that all nurses be mindful of their agency policy in reference to these devices. “ Policies concerning the use of personal communication devices need to provide the ability for the nurse to remain connected to his/her personal life yet not inhibit the provision of care” (Conant, et al., 2020). If these devices are being used it important to have clear and concise guidelines to follow to ensure patient’s safety as well as the patient’s rights.

References

Conant, J., Elmore, R., Moore, A., Blake, S., Peacock, A., & Ward-Smith, P. (2020). Use of Personal Communication Devices in Clinical Settings. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 50(4), 192-197. doi:10.1097/nna.0000000000000867 https://chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=142534847&site=eds-live&scope=siteLinks to an external site.

Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2019). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals (6th ed.). Pearson.

NR 361 Week 7: Use of Personal Communication Devices in Patient Care Settings (graded)

NR 361 Week 7: Use of Personal Communication Devices in Patient Care Settings (graded)

The use of personal communication devices can impact the nursing practice in positive and negative ways. Distraction can be a negative impact of nurse’s personal communication device. When a nurse is distracted it can cause errors and mistakes. Distractions also decrease the quality of care that a nurse gives the patients. On the positive side nurse’s personal communication devices can help get important patient information to the correct people in a timely manner and it is an easy way to look up something you are not familiar with quickly. Using the device in this matter will improve quality care and decrease delays in treatment. “Bedside technologies continue to grow; they interface with smart phones and other devices to improve communication and, ultimately, patient care” (Hebda, Hunter, & Czar, 2019 p.218).

The patient is the nurse’s first prior. The use of personal devices can cause challenges ethically and legally.  “These challenges are personal (distraction), negative patient perception (interference), and potential delays (disruption) in providing care” (Conant, et al., 2020).  We as nurses have ethical guidelines that we are supposed to follow. One of the nursing ethical guiding principles is “nonmaleficence: the obligation for doing no intentional harm” (Hebda, Hunter, & Czar, 2019). If the nurse was distracted by a personal communication device and the patient experiences a negative outcome, the nurse did not follow ethical guidelines which may result in legal consequences.

There are several generations of nurses. Older nurses tend to not need to use personal communication devices as much as younger nurses. Nurses have personal communication devices at work is now normal. There is a time and a place for everything. Nurses have a life outside of work should still have access to it while at work but not allow it to cause a distraction. It is important that all nurses be mindful of their agency policy in reference to these devices. “ Policies concerning the use of personal communication devices need to provide the ability for the nurse to remain connected to his/her personal life yet not inhibit the provision of care” (Conant, et al., 2020). If these devices are being used it important to have clear and concise guidelines to follow to ensure patient’s safety as well as the patient’s rights.

This week, we will discuss personal communication devices and their use in healthcare. As we focus on this topic, please address the questions below in the discussion.

How can the use of the nurse’s personal communication device(s) impact patient care positively and/or negatively?

What are the ethical and legal implications?

What does the professional literature say about how communication devices can support safe nursing practice?

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Good morning Professor Graham and Classmates,

How can the use of the nurse’s personal communication device(s) impact patient care positively and/or negatively?

The topic of communication devices would be an interesting discussion at any period however the current COVID 19 situation we find ourselves in can support the pros for this technology more than ever. At my facility, we make great efforts to minimize patient contact with positive COVID 19 patients. Nurses are primary care providers as we act like all the ancillary disciplines. We are lab techs, housekeeping, and respiratory therapists to just name a few. We do our best to be a liaison for the family, many times communicating and updating on patient’s personal cell phones. When contact is necessary for other healthcare professionals like the physicians and or consultations,  we have an iPad available in each isolation room. This is very helpful in situations like translation, informed consent, and even delicate discussions involving code status changes. It is up to the nurses, especially now to be the patient advocate and initiating these conversations while sometimes we are the only direct contacts these patients have. As stated by Tsigrogianni and Tarnanas, “There are winners and losers with any change; and it is incumbent on health service workers (including researchers, providers, administrators, and decision- and policy-makers) to ensure that care recipients and informal caregivers continue to be on the winning side” (2007). As far as the use of healthcare professionals’ personal devices, the pros have a lot to do with education. I can use my own device to access information from the web quickly when needed to educate myself or review a topic prior to introducing the information to patients and family. Although I do have the same access to this info on my work devices, it is many times faster to access from my personal phone’s internet. Although it is convenient for the nurses it may be negatively impactful when a patient or family member sees a healthcare professional on their phone not understanding the reasons.

What are the ethical and legal implications of the use of personal devices?

Information can fall into the wrong hands if it is not handled with the most caution to protect the confidentiality of our patients. Therefore, when I use my PCD I will only search for generic topics like disease processes and not information with specific identifiers. I know some nurses will friend patients on social media, but I fear that a simple casual conversation on this media could cross confidentiality lines and result in HIPPA violations. This is a no-go zone for me. As mentioned in Hebda, “Threats to information and system security and confidentiality come from a variety of sources, including system penetration by thieves, hackers, unauthorized use, denial of service and terrorist attacks, cybercrime, errors and disasters, sabotage, viruses, and human error” (2019). These are many reasons why we should not use a PCD to access anything involving personal identifying information. My facility provides a safe way of accessing information online that is protected by firewalls and encryption if it involves the use of confidential information. Therefore, there is no need for me to put myself or my patients at risk.

What does professional literature say about how communication devices can support safe nursing practice?

Using communication devices can support the safe nursing practice by providing documentation, reimbursement, and efficient use of valuable time. Saving time is especially helpful when urgent situations arise. As Hebda explains, Database searches of professional journals and credible evidence-based practice (EBP) Web sites significantly reduce the time and effort one might expend investigating a clinical question (2019). Although this technology is always evolving, we must keep up. As Hebda also explains, the process of accreditation has direct implications for how documentation and information systems are structured (2019). One example impressing upon us the importance of accreditation.

References

Hebda, T., Hunter, K., & Czar, P. (2019). Handbook of informatics for nurses & healthcare professionals       (6th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.

Tsigrogianni KG, Tarnanas IA. Patients, Caregivers, and Telehome-Based Care Systems: A Case Study.       Journal of Cases on Information Technology. 2007 Jul;9(3):71-90.

 

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