The Use of Personal Digital Assistants to Shape Nursing Care

1. The Use of Personal Digital Assistants to Shape Nursing Care Malik M. McDaniel 9/15/2011 Nursing Informatics

2. Purpose • To discuss the benefits of PDA usage in nursing • To determine challenges related to PDA use • To examine strategies being implemented to further adopt this technology

3. Order of Content • What are Personal Digital Assistants • The Benefits of PDA usage • What is the patient’s perception? • Obstacles • Increasing PDA usage in nursing • Conclusion • References

4. What is a PDA • Small handheld computers that function as an information manager • Allows wireless access to the internet • Some can be used a cell phones and vice versa. These are known as smart phones. • May have a stylus pen, keyboard, touch screen or combination of all

5. Benefits of PDA Technology • Portability • Data Storage • Transmit Data • References and Resources • Organization (Manage personal, work, and school data) • Access to the internet

6. PDA Fact A 2003 study estimated that only about 559,800 nurses use PDA’’s (Dravenport, 2003).

7. PDA’s & Nursing • The following video provides some insight on how PDA and mobile technology is applied to nursing: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLlUU1qukpU&NR=1

8. Benefits to Nursing • Drug Database Access and Nursing Reference • Bedside Data Entry and Data Collection • More Effective Collaboration and Communication • Effective Education Tools

9. Patients Perception • Surveyed patients reveal “PDA’s increase a nurse’s efficiency in data retrieval, calculations, and documentation “(Lee, 2007) • Patients believe PDA’s promote continuity in care (Lee, 2007) • Fear that it may replace hands on care (Lee, 2003)

10. Barriers • Learning Curve • Privacy Concerns • Cannot Replace Hands-on Care • Cost • Risk of Damage, Loss • Collaboration amongst practices

11. Ongoing Improvements • Cost decreasing • Multi-functionality • Screen and Keyboard Size • Better Computer Interface • Wi-fi and Data Plans • Battery Life

12. Promoting Further Usage • Nurse managers play a more active role in the adoption of PDA’s • Nurse Informatics Specialist should lead the initiative to develop staff, organize technical support, organize user interfaces, and develop a plan to tackle organizational confidentiality (Dravenport, 2003) • Institutional Supplied PDA’s and PDA software • Tools to educate patient on their usage

13. Conclusion • Continued research studies showing the benefit and highlighting safety and patient satisfaction are important in fostering further adoption. • More importantly, the need for nursing leaders in the form of nurse managers, nurse educators and nurse informatics specialist are needed to ensure attempts at fostering this technology are embraced, understood, and unfailing.

14. References • Dravenport, C. (2003). Analysis of PDA’s in Nursing: Benefits and Barriers. Retrieved on August 3, 2011 from http://www.pdacortex.com/Analysis_PDAs_Nursing.h tm • Lee, T, T. (2006). Nursing Administrators Experience in Managing PDA Use for Inpatient Units. Computers, Informatics Nursing, 24(5), 280-287. Retrieved on August 4, 2011 from the University of Colorado Health Science. • Lee, T, T. (2007). Patients Perceptions of Nurses Bedside Use of PDA’s. CIN: Computers, Informatics, and Nursing .25(2). 106-111. Retrieved on August 2, 2011 from the

15. Bonus Slide • The following video contains a song made by a nurse about the benefit and concerns of such technologies: • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0rhawEiqOo