CNOs should implement new technologies with careful consideration.
New technologies are popping up constantly in the healthcare industry, and many health systems are eager to jump in and start using them.
From virtual nursing to smart rooms to AI, there are plenty of new opportunities to enhance patient care and outcomes. In nursing, this technology also has the potential to improve workload, turnover, and retention.
Lisa Stephenson, chief nursing informatics officer at Houston Methodist, spoke with HealthLeaders about new technologies in nursing, and how CNOs and CNIOs can implement smart technology and AI to solve some of the biggest challenges in nursing.
Implementation and messaging
The most important factor to consider when introducing a new technology into workflows is whether it will become a burden to those using it. For CNOs, this means the technology should not hold back nurses from being able to do their jobs efficiently and effectively.
According to Stephenson, it's critical to include nurses and get their input on new technologies before bringing them in. Will the actually solve a problem or help improve a workflow? Communication about these topics is important.
"Really [understand] how it can help the clinician, make sure it is something that will be beneficial," Stephenson said. "You can't communicate enough on technology."
Additionally, everybody involved should be fully informed as early as possible to address hesitancies and avoid confusion. Staff, providers, and patients should all be made aware of things like cameras for virtual nursing, and other technologies that will impact them.
"Having communication available for all levels and even talking points for nurses to talk to patients about it," Stephenson said, "I think will really help with the adoption and acceptance when you get into [the] actual training and implementation mode."
Stephenson emphasized that implementing new technology into healthcare has always been a challenge, and that the first iteration will likely not be perfect.
"Getting that technology out there with some foundational use cases [really] lays the groundwork to be able [to] then build on that, and increase your use cases," Stephenson said, "and optimize processes, and really make [the] technology continue to work for you."
Training
After implementation, nurses need the necessary training to use the new technology. According to Stephenson, the informatics team at Houston Methodist partners closely with the implementation teams to develop training materials and come up with a good support plan.
Stephenson said they follow a super user model, where the nurses who are going to be directly impacted can get in-person classroom training. The majority of nurses will get online training, for efficiency's sake. A support team assists the super users
"If it's something new that they haven't really experienced before," Stephenson said, "it can be challenging until you really get your hands on it."
Houston Methodist also partners with their clinical educators to make sure programs are in place to train new hires. According to Stephenson, they use online training modules and encourage nurses to "touch, see, and do" with the technology.
“We have new technology that they need to be prepared [for], that they may not [have] even seen at other hospitals [up to] this point," Stephenson said.
AI privacy
Privacy is a top concern for CNOs and CNIOs when implementing any new technology, especially AI. Patient safety is always a priority, and that includes keeping data and personal information safe.
Houston Methodist has updated its policies to state that staff are not allowed to use public-facing AI models like ChatGPT with any sort of patient information.
" You can't use patient information to put into that model to get some kind of note or summary," Stephenson said. "They have to use the models and tools that we have baked into our EHR or other [Houston Methodist] system."
That way, any data given to those models passes security standards and is kept private and secure, Stephenson said. CNOs and CNIOs should consider adopting similar policies to ensure privacy .
Data safety
As healthcare technologies change, nurses need to be aware of their own contribution to keeping data safe. For instance, nurses might want to send a quick text to a provider, or someone they work with, on their personal device, Stephenson said.
"We've made it clear [that] they need to be using secure texting platforms, which are things that we have on our Houston Methodist devices through our applications," Stephenson said. "We want to make sure people aren’t using any kind of private devices to do any of that type of communication or photography of anything."
Additionally, patients might have concerns about technologies like virtual nursing cameras, and this is where that communication piece is key. Patients must be informed about when the cameras are on and recording.
"The cameras point up and away from patients when they're off, so it's clear that they're off and can't be recording," Stephenson said. "And when they are active, the nurse does kind of a knock to say 'Hey, are you ready?' "
The important factor is transparency and communication, so that patients, staff, and providers are all aware of what is happening with the technology around them.
"Communication, communication, communication," Stephenson said, "to make sure everybody's aware of what's going on and how to best use the technology as well."
G Hatfield is the nursing editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Communication is key when implementing new technologies so that patients, providers, and all staff are aware of what technology is present and how to use it.
Nurses should be given the proper training to use new technology, either online or in person, and familiarize themselves with how it will impact their workflows.
CNOs should update policies to outline proper and improper use of AI and personal devices to keep patient data safe.