Reply to each post with 220 WORDS EACH. Replies have to be insightful, education

Reply to each post with 220 WORDS EACH. Replies have to be insightful, educational, and relevant to the learning experience
POST#1Technology and Communication in the Hospital
I have been a nurse for 10 years now, and there is not one day that I am not thankful for the technology we use. Thinking back to my second nursing role in a memory care unit, it amazes me that I was giving medications without using a scanner, because today I would definitely not feel safe doing so. But technology does not only mean safety; today it is an intrinsic part of communication, and the ability to share and deliver patient assessment findings in a prompt and accurate manner.
My hospital, along with a third of the hospitals in the United States, uses Epic to record patient information data (Cohen, 2022). We switched from a different electronical medical record two years ago, and to be honest, I am so used to Epic that I do not recall much from Cerner anymore. I find Epic practical, and so far, I like its features to record and communicate patient assessments. The assessments I perform on patients vary on a daily basis, but it may include intravenous access, wounds, neurological and focused physical assessments, vital signs, sugar monitoring, just to name a few. It is important to deliver these findings as soon as possible, and share them with the rest of the team so patient care can be provided in the best possible way. When taking vital signs, our system allows us to log in and deliver them automatically, so whoever opens the chart is able to see them right away. I also like the fact that it brings attention to results outside of normal parameters by highlighting them in red, and also, displaying a warning for sepsis alerts for example, which you can only dismiss by addressing the situation. The same thing happens with sugar monitors, as soon as the device is docked, the information in it gets transferred to the chart automatically. With regards to wounds, there is a patient Avatar where things can be tagged, and then further charting happens in a cascading form with all the needed details. Frequent neurological assessment are easily recorded as well, and can be copied and pasted, if there has been no change since the last assessment.
With regards to communication with physicians, we use an integrated clinical communication platform called PerfectServe (PerfectServe, 2022). This is a wonderful system that allows us to contact doctors in a far less disruptive way than a phone call. As a nurse, I can choose just to inform the doctor, or request a phone call back. If a communication is particularly crucial, I can copy this somewhat “verbal conversation” and paste it into a progress note in Epic, so that there is no misunderstanding in the exchange. Good charting is important because it will determine whether a treatment is being effective or not, and the only way to determine that is to be able to promptly communicate patient findings to doctors, and other healthcare disciplines (Paul, n.d.).
Another important thing is that since we have lot of patients on telemetry on our floor, our off-site monitor room is able to get in touch with the nurse via Epic’s internal text messaging feature (different from PerfectServe), without disrupting the flow of the day (if a battery that needs to be replaced for example). The same goes for other disciplines (PT, ST, OT, dietitian), they can message us to communicate information regarding a session, or to ask if a patient is available for therapy.
POST#2
Before technology, the physical assessment of patient in the hospital depended on the knowledge of the nurse and the human body workings, along with the ability for the patient to hear, see, and feel the patient during an assessment. With these senses and the ability for the nurse to critical think, the nurse can compile information in a manner to make a care decision based on the findings. Nurses relied on their physical capabilities to guide them in making clinical decisions with limited resources on technology. As medical technology continues to advance, the nurses’ senses have been advanced and assisted by new technology that is designed to detect physical changes in the patient’s condition (Powell-Cope, G., Nelson, A., Patterson, E., 2008).
In the current times, there are so many machines that can assist with the monitoring of the patients and their road to health. To start, there are simple items such as electronic stethoscopes that can amplify the sound for hearing impaired and can automatically identify patients with cardiac dysrhythmias. There are glucometers that can connect to the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system to accurately record glucose numbers directly into the chart. Another use of machines are the Electrocardiogram and Halter monitor that can continually monitor cardiac patterns, and alert healthcare staff remotely or via alarms during admission for adverse cardiac concerns that need to be addressed. The electronic health records system is a fantastic system because it contains all the information from every visit to the facility and has the capability to search other hospitals for more detail on services rendered elsewhere. This can greatly reduce the work of the healthcare works by ensuring the patient is not obtaining polypharmacy and repetitive and unnecessary procedures, especially if trying to rule out a concern.
While a patient is admitted in the hospital, some facilities contain smart beds that monitor vitals, weight, movement, and pressure areas (Western Governor University, 2021). This system can assist the nurses by saving their back, reducing the need to lift patients to obtain the correct weight, and monitor the patients continually to ensure the diet and calorie consumption is correct to ensure the patient is not excessively nourished or malnourished. Lastly, mobile technology has surpassed its original use where now they have wearable items that are directly connected the Electronic Health Record and can alert the providers of abnormal situations, which can trigger a provider to call them and inform them of emergency services needed to correct the issue.