Technology is meant to be exploited for the better at every phase and in almost every sector. This development has taken root over the years in several fields, including health, education, business, and many others.
The need for technological integration became even more evident following the Covid-19 pandemic, when the world saw the need to not only rely on physical models of operation but also expand to the digital world. The emergence of more technological advancements has exposed the world to many ways that productivity, operations, and the entire system could be even more functional. In a system such as this, learning is beginning to transcend the four walls of a classroom setting.
With technology changing how we can teach and learn, more doors are opening for transferring knowledge in every field, including nursing. The demand and necessity of online learning education in nursing is becoming a norm by the day, and we are seeing the sector embrace this alternative. The next natural question after this would be, how? This article explores all there is to know about the advancements of digital technology in nursing education, including the ‘how’ to this, its advantages, disadvantages, and the major challenges that are being encountered.
An overview of technology in education
Several studies have been carried out to explore the advancements of technology in education and how it can and has been facilitating learning among students in several fields. Digital technology involves everything that uses electronics, devices, and other digital tools to increase knowledge. The role of digital technology in education is becoming widely explored following the physical restrictions accompanying the Covid-19 pandemic. The innovation gives room for flexibility and limits the restrictions on education.
In recent years, more schools and institutions have embraced the use of digital technologies in advancing learning, and one of the most prominent of these is the use of an online learning system that includes online courses where people can explore learning across several fields, all from the comfort of their home. Students can now access online educational materials and content they need to advance their knowledge. This advancement also contributes to the ease with which individuals learn and get into the work field of their choice. People get to learn, build a career, and live their dream while working online. In addition, interactive digital content is emerging as a powerful learning mode for individuals.
Collaboration and communication technology is another way technology advances learning for individuals and institutions. Through online tools, forums, and discussion channels, individuals can now explore sharing while they learn. Video conferencing platforms can be exploited to bolster communication and make the learning system even more interactive. The traditional learning system needs to provide an immediate model for learning and restrictions like location barriers. Digital technology fills some of these gaps in flexibility and makes education accessible to anyone, anywhere.
How technology is being embraced in nursing education
How technology is embraced in the nursing field is similar to the overall adoption of the innovation. It is happening fast and improving learning on a whole different level. The integration of technology learning in nursing education is taking an entirely different trajectory and has been more advanced over the past few years. It transcends facilitating online learning, and its practicality is advancing into electronic health record (EHR) training, telemedicine education, remote clinical training, health monitoring devices, and so much more. Let’s discuss each of these use cases in more detail below.
Telehealth education
Telehealth is an aspect of healthcare involving digital technology to provide a broad professional healthcare system for patients. This aspect of medicine is gaining prominence and becoming widely integrated into nursing education. A study on the integration of telehealth across nursing education emphasized how training nursing students on using telehealth technology is essential to delivering the proper nursing care to patients across the globe.
The advanced learning would further make it easier to integrate this system into healthcare systems and promote the use of remote healthcare systems for all. Telehealth has gained prominence due to advances in technology and increased internet accessibility, and these are developments that can be leveraged to improve the healthcare systems around us further.
Mobile health is another aspect of telehealth being explored in the present healthcare system. It includes using mobile technologies to deliver health-related services and information. It is a rapidly growing field with many applications, including text messaging for appointment reminders and medication adherence, mobile apps for tracking and managing chronic conditions, and remote consultations.
Training about new technologies, such as mobile health and telehealth optimization, is one significant advantage of technology in nursing education. With investments being made into integrating telehealth education in nursing, the need for flexible and convenient healthcare options, especially in situations where physical access to healthcare facilities may be limited, is being met.
Remote clinical training
Covid-19 came with some modifications in the educational approaches for nursing, one of which was in the clinical setting. Traditional face-to-face clinical practices were restricted during the Covid period, and technology came to the rescue. With the aid of technology, institutions could still pass on clinical knowledge to nurses even without necessarily having to meet with them physically. Even after the pandemic, this method is still employed to provide flexibility in learning experiences.
Although it began as a major challenge and barrier to learning since nursing is a practice that comes with a lot of practicality, and the need for a physical learning environment, digital technology was an effective mitigation approach that keeps seeing more modifications over time. Adopting virtual learning spaces allowed nursing schools to create a new training model for clinical training with reflective and debriefing periods for feedback, discussions, and contribution of opinions. It also set a new view for nurses on using technological widgets to improve their practice.
Electronic health record training
Electronic health record training tools are another valuable technological contribution to nurses’ practice. And the training practices contribute to improving the level of competence of nurses getting into the field. The EHR system is optimized to enhance communication and productivity in the field both internally and externally. It brings more ease in recording and documenting patients’ medical data and communicating with other staff within the healthcare center. Technological education enables nurses to interpret and analyze patient data, facilitating personalized care plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs and characteristics.
The training focuses on equipping nurses with the knowledge and skills to use and navigate electronic health record systems to maximize operations. With this training in place, health institutions can ensure that they can manage the digital record of patients, including their medical histories, conditions, treatments, prescriptions, allergies, and test results. Training in EHR builds nurses up to seamlessly integrate these digital records into their clinical workflow, boost their operations, and improve the process of managing patients and their health. Nurses trained in technological tools can quickly access patient records, lab results, and medical histories, leading to faster diagnoses and treatment decisions.
Online learning and e-learning in nursing education
Online learning is another part of technological integration in nursing education that will continue to prove valuable as time passes. Technology has also enabled access to a wealth of research articles, medical journals, and evidence-based practice resources that nursing students can use to learn and stay relevant in their fields.
Online learning goes beyond being able to learn in a flexible setting and encompasses the ability to build an online community where nurses get to share ideas with others while increasing their knowledge. Online forums and communities provide a platform for nursing students to discuss case studies, share experiences, ask questions, and collaborate with peers and instructors beyond the four walls of the classroom.
There are several opportunities for advancing one’s profession as a nurse, and several programs for accelerated BSN online, all of which are possible through the rapid advancements in integrating technology into nursing education. Enrolling in the online Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program at Elmhurst University is a fast track to building a new and fulfilling career as a registered nurse (RN) from a university that supports nursing students and is grounded in intellectual growth, integrity and social justice.
Advantages of technological innovation in nursing education
Looking at the range of applications listed above, it is pretty glaring that technology has brought many advantages to the nursing community. Using the Covid-19 pandemic as a point of reference, the use of technology made nursing education overcome some of the limits that plague the traditional learning environment. Let’s examine some of the advantages of technology integration into the nursing education system.
Eliminating geographical barriers to learning
One of the major advantages of e-learning systems is that it eliminates some of the significant limitations of the traditional learning system. With online learning programs, individuals can advance their nursing careers through easy learning. Technology makes learning easy for individuals learning from a distance and those already occupied with their jobs but still interested in furthering their education and increasing their qualifications.
In addition, online platforms and digital resources offer flexibility in learning, allowing students to access materials at their own pace and convenience. This benefits not only those with geographical barriers but also working professionals or those with other commitments. Access to global resources is another plus to this system, and it gives students opportunities to reach a global network with limitless learning opportunities.
Improved patient care
There are several ways technological innovation in nursing education can improve healthcare quality. Nursing students learn to use data analytics tools to evaluate patient outcomes constantly, which eases the management process. In addition, they quickly identify areas for quality improvement and take a proactive approach that contributes to safer and more effective patient care. This could be an advantage in other ways, too, such as:
- Medication management.
- Optimized patient engagement.
- Precision in healthcare processes.
- Effective patient monitoring. Technology could contribute immensely to optimizing skills development through the above-listed ways, thereby putting patients in a better condition to receive maximum care.
Telehealth
The impact of telehealth in the field has provided many benefits for the health sector, and the ease with which this knowledge can be passed on through technology in education is a plus. By incorporating telehealth into the learning process, there can be a forward-looking approach toward evolving healthcare in the landscape.
Other possible ways this could be a significant advantage include adapting to technological trends in telehealth, improving patient education, bolstering understanding of remote monitoring, and technological proficiencies in the field. In addition, it also helps raise awareness of how telehealth bridges the gap to remote care settings and mobile health management.
Disadvantages of technological innovation in nursing education
As much as there are many pros to technological innovations in nursing education, there are also some disadvantages that come with the approach. There have always been conversations about the bad and the ugly in technological integrations, and it is no different with the advent of this innovation in nursing education.
Loss of practical skills
Although the significant basis of introducing a more flexible learning model is to optimize these processes and improve educational systems, it is impossible for these systems to fully replace real-world, hands-on practical experiences. And in the long run, this could lead to the loss of practical skills in the next generation of nurses. Overreliance on technology might also lead to reduced face-to-face interaction between students and educators, which can hinder the development of interpersonal skills and communication.
High initial cost
The initial cost of integrating technology into nursing education can be high, and this could pose a disadvantage for those who do not have the financial capacity. Implementing and maintaining technology in nursing education requires equipment, software, and training investments, which can strain institutional budgets. In addition, using internet resources for several learning programs could be expensive and limited to those without access to the financial means to cater to these extras.
Therefore, there is a limit to those who can maximize the opportunities remote learning offers nursing. Not all students have equal access to technology or reliable internet connectivity, creating disparities in learning opportunities and access to resources.
Major challenges of technology integration in nursing education
While technology is integrated in several areas and sectors today, some system challenges still limit its potential. And as much as this exists in every educational system, the nursing educational system is not restricted. Below are some significant challenges to the integration of technology in nursing education.
Reluctance from older generations
Technology is easier to embrace by newer generations, and in this case, there is a possibility of a divide. As new technologies emerge, there is a chance that a generational gap will surface between the newer generation of nurses and the older ones. The older generations make up a more significant percentage of the current RN in most hospitals, which may cause them to feel disconnected from the system. In addition, there might be issues of these generations being slower to embrace such changes as they were never exposed to many right from the get-go.
In addition, some of these older generations could feel threatened by the potential of introducing technology into learning processes and operations. The fear of going out of jobs due to such could hinder their willingness to embrace this technology.
Privacy and security issues
Privacy, theft, hacks, and security threats have always been setbacks that accompanied technological advancements, and it is no different in this case. There are possible threats of exposure to these things when dealing with patient’s information and medical records. These records are kept in digital records, and exposure to threats and more could be a major risk to the safety of their personal information. To combat such problems, healthcare systems need to be extra sensitive with handling this information and keep their patients safe.
Restrictions to human interactions
This is another major challenge that institutions could experience, especially with more focus being shifted to new technologies like telehealth and mobile health. Such systems are built to thrive in a virtual environment, and this could limit human interactions between nurses and patients. Since nurses would also be in a position where they work with online and e-learning processes, they are also exposed to an increased reduction in having access to human interaction.
Embracing technological advancements in nursing education
Ultimately, every innovation has pros and cons, and maximizing its good sides is the best way to ensure we get the best. As mentioned above, many benefits could accompany introducing technology into students’ learning processes. Subsequently, there is also room for improvement around the challenges that have been discussed above. Technology is an evolving industry, and there is bound to be innovation as time passes. It is an excellent way to improve the learning processes in the nursing profession. Learning how to keep up with this and stay on top of the positive trends is essential.