Health care technology is changing fast, says Diane Skiba, RN, PhD, FAAN, FACMI, associate professor and project director of the I-Collaboratory, Partnerships in Learning at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver. Just think about some of the buzz terms today: “nanotechnologies,” “artificial intelligence,” and “robotics” — it almost sounds like a clip from a James Bond movie.

According to Skiba, high-tech isn’t just special effects. It’s real, and much of it is taking hold at hospitals around the country, with more on the way.

In a word, nanotechnology is a miniaturization. Examples are smart pills that go directly to the site of treatment and the tiny cameras patients swallow that can take images of the small intestine.

Health care is also starting to embrace artificial intelligence, which has been around for some time and using this technology to help health care professionals make sound treatment decisions.

Let’s say you’re managing a patient with a clinically difficult problem and aren’t sure what to do. You enter information into the system, and the computer offers a probable diagnosis — and it tells you how it arrived at the decision. The computer then offers evidence-based recommendations, says Skiba.

“Artificial intelligence is coming back in the form of decision support tools,” she adds. “You will see it referred to a lot in the medical literature as ‘knowledge management,’ but it’s really back to that artificial intelligence piece.”

Another technology with a big impact on nursing is smart clothing for patients. One garb has sensors that let nurses monitor patients without having to disturb them. A nurse who cares for chronically ill patients might outfit them with a vest that checks vital signs. These patients, who would normally make multiple visits to the facility or need home health care, could be monitored remotely. And nurses could telephone or e-mail patients to communicate.

With all these advances comes the burning question: How will they change nursing and what nursing does?

Skiba believes the new technology will free up nurses to be more engaged with the patient in terms of planning and discharge. “It definitely is a shift in how we think about nursing and how nurses are trained,” she says.

Skiba adds that the technology is changing the nature of what nurses do, says. Instead of spending time taking vital signs, nurses might have more time for educating patients, serving as their health advocates, and promoting good health. And they’ll have the data at their fingertips to make decisions about patient management.

The way nurses manage data would also change. Computers will allow nurses to look at data in a variety of ways, including graphically.

“They’ll be able to pull out information and have alerts and highlights. We used to just look at data,” says Skiba. “With this, you can have the story behind the data. [Let’s say] you’ve forgotten a little of your pathology, and you’re not quite sure what’s happening. You can click on something and get a reminder. It’s the ‘Webasizing’ of the information.”

Becoming Techno-Savvy

All the tools in the world aren’t any good if nurses don’t know how to use them. Teaching the technology becomes the role of educators, Skiba says, and the onus is on schools to provide opportunities for students. Educators also have to put the technology into the proper perspective. For instance, a computer that assesses the patient should not be a crutch for one’s lack of critical-thinking skills, but rather a tool to fill in information gaps and serve as a partner in making decisions.

Technology is also changing the way students learn. In the future, nurses might not have to set foot on a campus, and might begin their hands-on experience in facilities equipped with simulation patients that look, act, and feel like the real thing.

The Flip Side

Of course, there could be unintended consequences to high-tech. In the long term, how will all these sensors and communication tools affect the health of patient who must wear them? And while advances like wearable monitoring tools may be helpful, will patients lose out on that all-important human touch and face-to-face interaction? Scientists are looking into creating a companion robot for elderly people that can talk and provide company for those who are alone or need help. The technology could make patients more independent, but it might also isolate the elderly even more.

Advances in genetics also puts a number of issues on the front burner. If we’re able to create a “designer baby” through artificial insemination with a specific genetic code, says Skiba, how does that change the way nurses educate patients? She envisions legal, moral, and ethical objections, as well, to this brave, new technology.

“It’s our responsibility in nursing to begin to look at the technological impact and what it’s going to mean, both positively and negatively,” says Skiba.

“In the next decade, you will begin seeing more innovations that will start impacting health care.

And as they do, the roles of nurses will change.”

Lisette Hilton is a freelance healthcare reporter.