Nursing Leadership and Technology

  

Advancing technology and nursing informatics are changing how health care is delivered and how nurses deliver that care. Current and future nurse leaders have a responsibility to both understand and utilize technology in order to ensure those they are leading are taking full advantage of it as well. According to Troseth (2012), some ways for a nurse leader to help support the ever-changing field of technology include focusing on the skills of the nurses such as communication, strategic thinking and their ability to understand and adapt to technology. Leaders should also work to build a culture of support for nursing informatics as well as encourage professional development and performance. In addition, professional organizations (such as the American Organization of Nurse Executives) have begun to see the value in advancing technology and have issued guidelines aimed at helping nurse leaders to incorporate technology into their practice and those they are leading. Some of the guidelines set forth by the American Organization of Nurse Executives include to define clear and measurable outcomes for each project and making sure there is a system in place that oversees the technology initiative (AONE Guiding Principles, 2009). In an editorial written by Nickitas and Kerfoot (2010), the authors discuss the importance of nurse leaders remaining informed, remain responsible for informatics changes within their organization while working to maintain top level, efficient care. In 2004, the TIGER (Technology Informatics Guiding Education Reform) Initiative was formed with the intention to bring nursing together to develop a vision to improve patient care through technology (TIGER Initiative, n.d). Nurse leaders are in an important position to set examples to their staff when faced with changing technology and how to incorporate it into the work environment. Technology can improve the safety and effectiveness of patient care as well as alter patient outcomes for the better. Nurse leaders need to lead by example by forming strong, collaborative working relationships with those in informatics. Nurse leaders who have accepted and implemented technology into their clinical practice will have greater success in obtaining equipment that is needed by staff simply because there is a greater understanding of what will provide better patient care. The nurse leader is in a unique and powerful position to help form relationships across the organization and change patient care for the better.

References
 AONE Guiding Principles, 2009.
 Nickitas, D., & Kerfoot, K. (2010). Nursing Informatics and why nurse leaders need to stay informed. Nursing Economic$.. Retrieved February 14, 2015 from https://www.nursingeconomics.net/necfiles/news/MJ_10_Nickitas.pdf
 Troseth, M. (2012). Informatics and the future of nursing practice. Advanced Health Care Network for Nurses. Retrieved February 14, 2015 from http://nursing.advanceweb.com/features/articles/informatics-the-future-of-nursing-practice.aspx