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Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Pilot Project. Ruth Chastain, EdD, RN Jill Webb, PhD, RN Rosemary McLaughlin, MSN, RNC. Question. What is the effectiveness of using handheld/ PDA devices for nursing faculty and students in the clinical lab experience at Union University School of Nursing?.
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Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Pilot Project Ruth Chastain, EdD, RN Jill Webb, PhD, RN Rosemary McLaughlin, MSN, RNC
Question • What is the effectiveness of using handheld/ PDA devices for nursing faculty and students in the clinical lab experience at Union University School of Nursing?
Literature Review • Personal experience • AACN Standards • TNA convention presentation • Nursing literature • Colleagues • Schools of nursing Web sites • http://www.southalabama.edu/nursing/PDA.html • Nurse Educator List-serv
Methodology • Descriptive Inquiry About: • Advantages • Disadvantages • Personal experiences • Shared experiences • Student feedback
Procedure • PDA’s purchased for 3 faculty members • A technical support person assigned • Nursing software installed • Used in clinical areas of: • Medical/surgical nursing • Skills practicum • Psychiatric nursing
Results - Advantages • “PDA envy” • Information depth • Current information • Adaptivity • Beam capacity
Results - Advantages • Interest and cooperation from software publishers • Outcomes interest by software publishers • Reference books in PDA format • Disciplinary freeware • http://www.freewarepalm.com • Other freeware • http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/atpiii/atp3palm.htm
Results - Advantages • Increasingly technologically connected • Expanded knowledge for faculty and students • Information available at point-of-care • Demonstrated to potential students and families that Union University School of Nursing was aware of current technology
Results - Disadvantages • Learning curve as with any technology • Cost • Data loss potential • Hardware requires respect • Confidentiality issues • Ethical and legal demands • Potential violation • Problems may be overcome with system security
Results - Disadvantages • Student expectations – faculty must direct use in clinical setting • Personal web access helpful and preferred • Heightened attention to test security
Conclusions/ Implications • Recommend for all school of nursing clinical faculty • Provide an orientation to PDAs • Phase in faculty use • Formal faculty discussion about recommended software for faculty and students – c/c text decisions
Conclusions/ Implications • Recommend but not require for nursing students • Optional alternative to reference books beginning fall 2003 to entering students • Provide and introduction to PDAs for junior and senior students
System Recommendations • Recommend to students • At least 16M • Palm OS • Color, lighted screen • Expandability • Explore e-mail
Are you considering PDAs? • Explore discipline specific data bases available • Obtain 2 or 3 professionally specific proprietary programs for a pilot study • Evaluate need carefully – not a toy
Future Considerations • Anticipate time required for programming • Acquire experienced technical support • Determine potential impact on Computing Services resources
Still MUCH to Learn • QUESTIONS?