Using Technology to Support Teamwork essay

Using Technology to Support Teamwork essay

Draft a 3–5-page report on how nurses use technology to collaborate and how the use of technology can improve patient safety and quality outcomes.

No one would argue that we live in an increasingly electronic world, or that we continue to move more toward mobile technology. But what does that mean for health care and nursing? In this assessment you will consider topics at the intersection of health care technology and interprofessional collaboration.

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By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Explain strategies for effective interprofessional teamwork and collaboration in health care delivery.
  • Explain the role of virtual modalities such as Telemedicine and electronic ICU in promoting interprofessional collaboration.
  • Describe how nurses can use current and emerging technologies to build teamwork and interprofessional collaboration.
  • Explain the benefits and limitations of using virtual modalities in interprofessional collaborations.
  • Competency 2: Analyze the implications of working with interprofessional teams in multifaceted health care settings.
    • Explain the role of virtual modalities such as Telemedicine and electronic ICU in promoting improved patient safety.
    • Describe how nurses can use current and emerging technologies to improve patient safety.
    • Explain the legal and ethical implications of using social media in interprofessional collaborations.
  • Competency4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations of a nursing professional.
    • Write content clearly and logically, with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
    • Correctly format citations and references using current APA style.

Competency Map

Check Your ProgressUse this online tool to track your performance and progress through your course.

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The economic stimulus package of 2009 offered hospitals the financial means to implement health information technology. This incentive, combined with increasing pressure to provide more care and services outside of hospitals, positions nurses to lead a change in how patient populations are managed. No one would argue that we live in an increasingly electronic world, or that we continue to move more toward mobile technology. But what does that mean for health care and nursing?

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With health care costs and rates of chronic diseases on the rise, electronic communication technology can be an efficient, effective means to educate and engage patients, or to monitor patient behavior. Nurses and health care teams have an opportunity to develop stronger relationships with patients through online communication portals such as hospital Web sites, Facebook sites, YouTube, Twitter, text messaging, and e-mail (Weaver, Lindsay, & Gitelman, 2012). Instead of leaving patients to wander through the confusion of health information available on the Internet, technology-savvy health care teams can provide accurate, reliable information to their patients. This approach can reduce patient anxiety caused by unreliable health information, while it also can improve patient outcomes.

In addition to providing communication opportunities with patients, technology and social media offer ways for nurses to connect, interact, and share experiences with health care professionals around the world. Online nursing forums provide opportunities for dialogue on topics from career options and research issues to methods for tracking disease outbreaks. Most professional organizations use social media to reach their members and facilitate ongoing dialogue.

Although technology and social media have much to offer health care professionals, there are also risks. How is the information provided being monitored? Where is the line between collaborating with a colleague in an online forum and violating patient privacy? How might images and comments posted on an individual’s personal Facebook page be considered unprofessional behavior? Can your personal postings be viewed as harmful to an organization’s reputation? Nurses and health care professionals need to be aware of policies and guidelines around the use of social media and avoid behavior that can negatively impact their careers, their patients, colleagues, and employers.

Reference

Weaver, B., Lindsay, B., & Gitelman, B. (2012). Communication technology and social media: Opportunities and implications for healthcare systems. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(3), Manuscript 3.

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To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community.

• What online nursing forums do you currently use, and how do you use them?
  • What are the benefits and limitations of using an online nursing forum?
  • How does your current organization use its own Web site, Facebook, YouTube, or other social media?
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Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Library Resources

The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:

• Bell, B. S., & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (2002). A typology of virtual teams: Implications for effective leadership. Group and Organization Management, 27(1), 14–49.
  • Vroman, K., & Kovacich, J. (2002). Computer-mediated interdisciplinary teams: Theory and reality. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 16(2), 159–170.
  • Casciaro, T., & Lobo, M. (2005). Competent jerks, lovable fools, and the formation of social networks. Harvard Business Review, 83(6), 92–99.
  • Kalisch, B. J., & Begeny, S. M. (2005). Improving nursing unit teamwork. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 35(12), 550–556.
  • Kosnik, L. K., Brown, J., & Maund, T. (2007). Learning from the aviation industry. Nursing Management, 38(1), 25–30.
  • Lo, V., Wu, R. C., Morra, D., Lee, L., & Reeves, S. (2012). The use of smartphones in general and internal medicine units: A boon or a bane to the promotion of interprofessional collaboration? Journal of Interprofessional Care, 26(4), 276–282.
  • Furst, C. M., Finto, D., Malouf-Todaro, N., Moore, C., Orr, D., Santos, J.,…Tipton, P. H. (2013). Changing times: Enhancing clinical practice through evolving technology. MEDSURG Nursing, 22(2), 131–134.
  • Stewart, S., Sidebotham, M., & Davis, D. (2012). International networking: Connecting midwives through social media. International Nursing Review, 59(3), 431–434.
  • Watson, J. (2012). The rise of blogs in nursing practice. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 16(2), 215–217.
  • Emery, E. E., Lapidos, S., Eisenstein, A. R., Ivan, I. I., & Golden, R. L. (2012). The BRIGHTEN program: Implementation and evaluation of a program to bridge resources of an interdisciplinary geriatric health team via electronic networking. Gerontologist, 52(6), 857–865.
  • Barry, J., & Hardiker, N. R. (2012). Advancing nursing practice through social media: A global perspective. Online Journal of Issues In Nursing, 17(3), 1–9.
  • Valaitis, R. K., Akhtar-Danesh, N., Brooks, F., Binks, S., & Semogas, D. (2011). Online communities of practice as a communication resource for community health nurses working with homeless persons. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 67(6), 1273–1284.

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Course Library Guide

A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the BSN-FP4017 – Collaborative Group Process for Nursing Professionals library guide to help direct your research.

Internet Resources

Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have either been granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication.

• AHRQ Health Care Innovations Exchange. (2013). Virtual teams that coordinate care for chronically ill geriatric patients reduce emergency department visits, and improve medication compliance, referral patterns, and patient outcomes. Retrieved from https://innovations.ahrq.gov/profiles/virtual-teams-coordinate-care-chronically-ill-geriatric-patients-reduce-emergency.
  • Laura A. Stokowski. (2011, November 17). Social media and nurses: Promising or perilous? Medscape. Retrieved from www.medscape.com/viewarticle/753317_3
  • American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Social networking principles toolkit. Retrieved from www. nursingworld.org/socialnetworkingtoolkit.aspx
  • Nursing forums:
    • AllNurses.com.
    • Just Us Nurses.
    • Nurse Portal.
    • Ultimate Nurse.
    • Mighty Nurse.
    • DiversityNursing.com.

Bookstore Resources

The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and are not required. These resources are available from the Capella University Bookstore. When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific –FP (FlexPath) course designation.

Preparation

Look in the Capella library and on professional Internet sites for scholarly articles on the use of technology and social media in interprofessional collaboration.

Requirements

Your organization is in the process of developing some new policies and guidelines regarding the use of technology and social media in the workplace. You have been asked to draft a report on how nursing uses technology to collaborate, and how the use of technology can improve patient safety and quality outcomes.

Format this assessment as a professional report. Follow APA guidelines for your in-text citations and references. Within your report, address the following:

• Explain the role of Telemedicine, electronic ICU, and other virtual modalities in promoting interprofessional collaboration and improved patient safety.
  • Describe how nurses can use current and emerging technologies as part of an overall strategy to build teamwork and collaboration and improve patient safety.
  • Explain the benefits and limitations of these types of virtual modalities in supporting interprofessional collaboration and improving patient safety.
  • Explain the legal and ethical implications of using social media (Twitter, Facebook, online forums, et cetera) in interprofessional collaborative efforts.

Your completed assessment should be 3–5 pages in length, not including the title page and references page. Support your statements and opinions with references to and citations for at least three scholarly or professional resources.

Additional Requirements

• Include a title page and reference page.
  • Reference at least three current scholarly or professional resources.
  • Use APA format for citations and references.
  • Use Times New Roman font, 12 point.
  • Double space.