The Connectivity of Nursing and Technology

The practice of nursing is constantly changing, due in part to technological advances.As we begin a new decade, the health care industry has secured its place as one of the country's top issues for the coming year and beyond. Consumer-driven care and quality reporting are becoming widespread; organizations continue to push for a nationwide electronic health record; the need for increased health information technology (IT) persists; and health care reform is imminent.

As more and more patients seek out minimally-invasive surgical procedures because of reduced risks and easier recovery, hospitals across the country are also realizing the importance of robotic-assisted surgical devices, such as the da Vinci system.With a growing senior population that will be requiring care this decade and in the decades to come, access to medical providers is expected to be an increasing priority. Experts predict that much of this access will become home-based, thanks to the growing trend of telemedicine and online physician office visits

Modernizing our health care system requires the mobilization of an educated and talented workforce. By supporting such training we will accelerate the meaningful use of health IT and create tens of thousands of secure jobs when and where they are desperately needed.