Computers in nursing最新文献

Before introducing computers or other tools to support nursing care, it is important to have a clear picture of the information processing functions required in this area. This article presents a compendium of information processing functions used in nursing. This compendium can be used to support management of information systems in planning and monitoring nursing information systems. The article describes the development of the first version of this compendium and its evaluation in a pilot study. The results of this evaluation show that the compendium can be used to assess the quality of information processing in nursing.

The first Chinese Hospital Information Systems (HIS) was used as a pilot project at People's Hospital, of Beijing Medical University (BMU). To assess the computer knowledge, attitudes, and skills of nurses working in the hospital, and to examine the relationships among these factors, 169 staff nurses working on clinical units were surveyed by proportionate stratified random sampling. Computer knowledge, attitudes, and skills were measured, by a nurses' computer knowledge questionnaire (NCKQ), nurses' computer attitude scale (NCAS), and nurses' computer skill scale (NCSS), respectively, developed by the investigators. Data analysis showed that the overall computer knowledge and skills of nurses were at moderate levels and the computer attitudes were neutral. Nurses' computer skills were significantly and positively correlated with both computer knowledge and computer attitudes; however, no significant correlation was found between computer knowledge and computer attitudes. Strategies to enhance nurses' computer knowledge, attitudes, and skills were proposed.

An online epidemiology course was developed, implemented, and evaluated for graduate nursing students through the collaborative efforts of nursing faculty and information, education, and instructional design staff of the library at a health sciences university. This epidemiology course is a core curriculum course for graduate nursing students. The course was piloted with 14 students (one student in Romania); the initial online offering ran concurrently with a traditional classroom section. Extensive evaluation data were collected and analyzed to compare the effectiveness of the classroom and distance-learning formats. Areas of evaluation included objective measures, such as midterm and final examination scores and content analysis comparisons, as well as subjective ratings by the students of time commitments, course objectives, technical aspects of the web-based course, areas of satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and self-confidence regarding epidemiology and computer skills. Recommendations for course development, implementation, and evaluation for similar distance-learning courses will be included.

Alzheimer's disease affects more than four million Americans and ranks as the fourth leading cause of death in adults. To deal with the stresses of constant caregiving, family members of patients with Alzheimer's disease are encouraged to participate in support groups. However, geographic and time constraints combined with lack of substitute caregivers may preclude attendance at traditional support groups. Internet-based groups offer caregivers the opportunity to interact with other caregivers for guidance, information, and encouragement. This project examines the content and themes of 532 messages posted on a public Alzheimer mailgroup during 20 days of 1998. Members used the mailgroup to find and proffer information, share experiences and opinions, and provide encouragement. By becoming aware of the potential advantages that online support groups offer to caregivers, nurses can encourage Alzheimer caregivers to use online groups as an empowering and practical adjunct to traditional caregiver support.

Graduate nursing faculty evaluated their initial experiences with online course discussions after making the transition from traditional use of weekly face-to-face classroom discussions to primarily computer-based interactions with students at distant sites. The online discussion data were analyzed qualitatively. The ways the faculty member communicated to facilitate active student involvement in the online discussions were coded. Six categories were identified that describe the ways the faculty member communicated to facilitate active student involvement in online discussions: assist with navigation, explain expectations, clarify faculty role, stimulate critical thinking, share expertise, and provide encouragement. Examples of each were provided to demonstrate ways faculty promoted student learning in online discussions.

Modern hospital nursing management requires timely and accurate information to allow nurse managers to adjust resources to patient requirements. We report an experience using production theory to provide the framework for the development of Decision Support Objects: graphic displays of nursing hours budgeted, scheduled, and worked within institution-specific control limits. Every month, nurse managers follow an analytic algorithm to understand nursing resources and trends on their units. Exception reporting closes the accountability loop. The essentials of education for nurse managers include skill training in the use of the decision-support tools and supportive lecture/seminars for understanding the managerial implications of using them.

A case study describes how faculty at Saint Louis University School of Nursing have developed computer-based, multimedia courses for master's and post-master's nursing education. Lectures with slide presentations are recorded digitally and encoded for multimedia streaming over the World Wide Web for distance learning. The technology is explained in detail in terms of the specific technologies used for lecture and course development. How this technology supports graduate student learning is also presented.

This case study demonstrates both the positive and the negative aspects of developing a stand-alone database for use by a small unit of a larger organization. The advantages center on the ability to tailor the program to the requirements of a single unit. The disadvantages relate to the inability to apply systemwide resources to the problem, the dependence upon a small group of experts who are able to modify and maintain the program, and the inability to share data across organizational units. Units that are contemplating the development of an isolated database to meet the needs of a small unit are advised to consider their development in light of the needs of the entire organization. A unit should explore all other options for meeting its and information management needs before embarking on an isolated database project. They also should identify a method for eventual consolidation of information resources. Finally, when at all possible, a solution should not center upon the talents of a single individual. This approach sets up the organization for problems when that individual leaves the organization or moves on to another position.