Week 6 Reflection

 Letter to my Future Nursing Students

Dear students,
    Just a few weeks ago, I had the misconception that I was a fairly tech-savvy individual. I grew up with technology advancing around me and I thought I had stayed pretty up-to-date with the latest trends. Due to my course on informatics and technology, I now realize how much there is that I did not know, and still do not know! As an educator, my learning is always ongoing. I knew that I needed stay current on recent literature and research in nursing. Now I also know that I need to stay informed on the latest advances in the world of technology and how that is integrated into my teaching.

    You may be asking, how will I be using technology with you and your class? I will be interweaving technology into your pre and post-class assignments and within classroom learning activities. We will be using platforms such as Moodle, Prezi, NearPod, Piktochart, and YouTube. You will be using technology throughout your simulation experiences in the practice lab by using Electronic Health Records, bar-code and medication scanning, and QR codes. All of this use of technology throughout your nursing education is helping to prepare you for a technology-laden healthcare system. Healthcare is constantly moving forward and advancing, and soon you will see some tech that seems out of this world! Watch the video below on the top 10 technologies you may see in the future of healthcare and nursing.

    These technologies may be currently out of your reach, but I want to encourage you to grab ahold of the current resources you have that will prepare you for becoming a competent and knowledgable nurse. During the remainder of your nursing education, I recommend you utilize Kaplan as a primary resource to prepare you for your NCLEX exam. Kaplan has incredible material to help prepare you, including practice Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) tests that simulates exactly how the NCLEX exam is given. Please reach out to me if you need assistance with any of Kaplan's online resources.

    I am excited to watch you grow and blossom as you navigate through your nursing education. The use of various technologies may feel daunting, but it will be a fun challenge. Bear with me, Knowing that I too am a student, as I continue to learn more about technology alongside of you. Wishing you many blessings throughout your learning!

💛 Prof Kurtz

Week 5 Reflection

 Technology and Patient-Centered Education

    Thanks to the readily available access of the internet, many patients turn to the world wide web for answers to their questions about pregnancy and childbirth. There are both pros and cons to this. There are many great sources of information out there that provide accurate and helpful education, and technology now provides easy and usually free access to a multitude of options for patients to explore. The cons include disinformation, out-of-date information, and non-expert opinions that can sway a patient towards decision-making that may not be in their best interest.

    Many obstetric patients desire prenatal education. Offering trustworthy resources to our patients is important. There are virtual prenatal classes being offered from the hospital through Zoom. This is a great use of modern technology that patients appreciate attending from the comfort of their own home. Some patients desire prenatal education that focuses specifically on pain management during labor. This link is a great resource on education, planning, and labor pain management.

    Our patients should be encouraged to vocalize their specific wishes or desires during their labor, delivery, and postpartum process. Often patients write these desires down in a Birth Plan which is shared with the staff. This is a great way for patients to advocate for themselves and be included in specific decision-making in their care. Birth Plan templates are available online for patients to download and fill-in their specific requests. This article discusses the benefits of Birth Plans and encourages active patient engagement as a part of their healthcare team.

    I desire to be the type of educator that encourages nurses to take a patient-centered approach to education. If a patient is an un-willing participant, or does not understand the rationale behind receiving specific education, then it falls on deaf ears. In turn, we need to be open to listening to our patients desires and follow their wishes when they make educated decisions. We need to treat the patient as not just a member of the care team, but the center of the care team.

Week 4 Reflection

 Big Data and Healthcare

    The amount of data in the world is overwhelming. The subject of big data, actionable data, and predictive analytics is difficult to grasp by many, including myself. As a nurse educator, I need to do my best to wrap my brain around these concepts so I can relay that knowledge to my students.

    Big data is defined by IBM as "data sets whose size or type is beyond the ability of relational databases to capture, manage and process the data with low latency." Actionable data a useful byproduct big data. Big data analytics collects the excessive amounts of data and organizes it into a concise report, which presents an actionable plan for decision-making. These reports are used in healthcare to help lower costs and achieve better patient outcomes.

    Predictive analytics is when descriptive data is used to predict potentially adverse events in a patient. It takes real-time data from biomedical devices such as patient vital signs, labs, and assessment findings, and can foresee when the patient's condition may worsen in the near future. This can be incredibly valuable to doctors and nurses caring for high-risk patients. Having even a few moments of warning can lead to better planning and decision-making for these critical patients. By using predictive analytics, patient lives are potentially saved.

    Health IT Analytics is a great website that does a good job explaining the differences between descriptive analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics. Descriptive analytics tells clinicians what has already happened. Predictive analytics tells clinicians what is about to happen. Prescriptive analytics takes it a step further and recommends the best course of action to take if/when the predicted even occurs. WOW!!!

    The process of taking big data and changing it into smart data is incredible. Just knowing that this technology exists is mind-blowing. As a nurse educator, awareness and understanding of this technology is important. Improving patient care outcomes is at the forefront of my mind and I am grateful for the insight I now have into technology that can improve those outcomes. The YouTube video below has great details explaining differences between descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics.