The increasing digitization of the healthcare industry is changing how nurses view their profession and how employers view nurses.
Nursing as a profession has evolved to adapt to these changes. But in most countries, employers and hospital practices haven't, which is a significant barrier between nurses and patients.
Today's healthcare policies must alter their perception towards nursing and adjust work dynamics accordingly. The goal is to work together for a digitized and more efficient healthcare experience.
The future of nurses and nursing lies in being connected to the technology they use. For example, nurses may need to be more tech-savvy and familiar with wearable tech that tracks vitals or even the increasing number of healthcare-related apps.
Let's take a look further for a deeper understanding of the subject:
How does implicit bias affect patient care?
Despite learning the ins and outs of healthcare, studying the latest medicine trends, and ensuring patients receive the best care quality possible, skilled nurses encounter prejudice due to sexual orientation, gender identification, disability, or stigmatized diagnoses.
This isn't new. Implicit bias is a form of prejudice or stereotyping prevalent for years in healthcare. It occurs subconsciously and is shaped by societal values, past experiences, and personal beliefs.
The lack of acknowledgment in the healthcare industry, refusal to communicate and understand different cultures is the major issue with nursing and implicit bias regarding patient care.
Studies have shown that while nurses are aware of implicit bias surrounding the industry, it still affects how they interact with patients and each other.
What are some ways nurses can adapt to these changes?
One of the most significant changes in nursing is that they're not restricted to their physical location and can freely communicate with their employers virtually from anywhere.
It allows them to work remotely and expands the potential for nurses to be called into work at a moment's notice.
Also, another significant change seen in this industry is that nurses are required to have more than just clinical skills. They must also have strong knowledge in the business aspect of healthcare.
Therefore, nurses must stay up-to-date on the best clinical practices while also managing projects, budgets, and new legislation in medicine.
What are the potential downsides to this?
These changes in daily work dynamics and the nursing profession seem to be positive, and for the most part, they are.
However, to evolve alongside their profession, nurses must have strong time management skills and continue providing exceptional care.
The changing digital landscape of the healthcare industry also means that nurses must be willing to learn new technologies and effectively implement them into their workflows.
Since technology is here to stay, nurses must learn how to utilize it to be the best nurse they can be.
Future of Nursing
It's no secret that digitization is not only changing the way patients receive treatment but it's also transforming how nurses can interact with their employers.
Now that nurses are more connected to technology, it's up to the stakeholders and the management to bring quality care to patients from different cultures.
With the advancement of more technology, meaningful outcomes and medicinal breakthroughs are expected in the future.
So nurses need to become more technologically literate to be more efficient at their job and stay updated with the latest trends in medicine.
Adapting to Different Work Cultures
In addition to all of this, nurses must be flexible and adapt to different work cultures. This is because of the increasing globalization of healthcare and the increased reliance on telehealth.
To do so, nurses must be open to change and learn from other cultures while also maintaining their values.
In conclusion, it seems that for nurses to adapt to the changes in the industry, balancing work and life will be the most difficult challenge. They must learn to manage their time while also learning new technologies effectively.
This is especially challenging when the work culture is globally diverse, requiring nurses to open themselves up to change, whether it's from co-workers or patients.
Educate rather than accuse
Nurses should use technology to their advantage and implement it into their workflow to be more efficient at their job.
While they should continue to provide exceptional patient care, they must not let implicit bias affect how they care for their patients.
Nurses should be flexible and adapt to different work cultures for providing exceptional patient care.
However, to do this, they must learn to manage their time effectively and be open about any changes in their personal lives. These key aspects are essential when it comes to providing exceptional patient care.
Cultural challenges and opportunities in nursing, and how nurses can adapt
While technology has made nurses' jobs easier, additional training and education are necessary to provide exceptional care and manage their time more efficiently.
Nurses also must remain open about any changes in their personal lives and understand the gravity of implicit bias and its effects on patient care.
While technology has not only revolutionized how nurses and patients interact, it has also brought about new changes in how nurses can adapt to changing work dynamics.
So, in a nutshell:
Employers and employees must work together to stay updated with the latest technology and clinical advancements.
In contrast, nurses must learn about new healthcare technology trends and use them to streamline their workflow while focusing on patient care.
Last but not least, nurses must be more accepting of different cultures and have the ability to communicate in a way that brings them and the patient on equal grounds.