Nurses' views on digital technology: Infographics
Nurses told us about ongoing problems with digital technologies such as poor connectivity, outdated equipment, and limited interoperability between systems. However, the pandemic has also been a testbed for nurses to be a part of developing creative solutions that support effective patient care. Some key points are illustrated in these infographics.
Infographics designed and illustrated by Jeremy Richard.
Nurses act as advocates for their patients, they know them and their needs, and are at the sharp end of delivering care. Therefore, involving nurses in implementation processes is vital in ensuring that new equipment is right for their patient group.
One outcome of the pandemic was that nurses were having to repeatedly adapt to a shifting situation, it was not always easy to anticipate what might happen next and what equipment or protocols might be brought in at short notice.
The usual pace of implementing and embedding new equipment and technologies sped up during the pandemic, which meant that training and support were vital in helping keep nurses updated with new equipment and processes.
During the pandemic, nurses were able to innovate with a minimum of red tape.
There is a willingness among staff to use digital technology, but ongoing training and dialogue with nurses at all levels is essential to ensure they are a part of change rather than change happening to them.
A common observation among the nurses we spoke to was that they wanted technologies to be integrated, with different systems and devices being able to ‘talk’ to one another.
