Use of PDA’s in Nursing Clinical Education

Helen Heiskell, MSN, RN

Instructor, Darton College

Albany, Georgia

Assessment

Healthcare environments requiring more technology. Computerized :

charting (paperless systems) lab and x-ray reports medication administration systems Others….

Technology Boom

Assessment (cont.)

Textbooks outdated Drugs Nursing diagnoses Lab tests Other…..

                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                 

New Food Pyramid

Assessment (cont.)

Students carrying heavy book bags into the clinical setting. Storage Spreading of germs Theft Ability to access during clinical

Nursing Diagnosis

Ineffective Use of Technology r/t Poor planning Financial constraints Limited support resources Inadequate level of faculty confidence

NANDA 2005-06 (Almost)

Plan

Explore options for PDA contract Seek funding assistance for students and

faculty Establish campus resources to support new

technology Allow faculty to use PDA’s in clinicals prior to

students. Review literature for evidence of best practice

Short Term Goal

Students in NURS 1111 will obtain appropriate data for client care using PDA software AEB: Current lab/diagnostic results and rationales Current drug administration rationales Current NANDA diagnoses Correct definitions for medical terms/disease

processes/surgical procedures

Long Term Goal

All students in Darton College’s nursing program will have access to personal digital assistants for use in clinical and/ or private practice.

Implementation

Wrote several grants seeking funding for project.

Implementation (cont.)

Found minimal literature on beginning students and the use of PDA’s in clinical settings.

Implementation (cont.)

Made a choice to purchase a HP wireless PDA with additional memory/wifi card.

Chose 4 programs as required and 2 as optional; 4 Lippincott, 3 Mosby; required 56 mb memory

Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis, Carpenito—Lippincott—requiredA Manual of Laboratory and Diagnotic Tests, Fischbach—Lippincott—required 2005 Lippincott’s Nursing Drug Guide—requiredStedman’s Medical Dictionary—Lippincott—requiredClinical Companion for Medical-Surgical Nursing (Lewis)—Mosby—optionalMosby’s Nursing PDQ—optional

Implementation (cont.)

Made agreement with financial aid to cover cost of PDA and software.

PDA and software made optional if students could not afford.

Implementation (cont.)

Faculty began using PDA’s in the hospital.

Evaluation

Unexpected Problems! Wireless capability did

not work Extended memory/wifi

card deleted programs when bumped

Implementation (again)

Negotiated with HP representatives to fix problems: Replaced wireless card

with 1G memory card HP Donated money to

cover unsold PDA’s Students with financial

hardships will get HP PDA’s free or at greatly reduced rates.

Implementation (cont.)

Changed to Dell. Less expensive Wireless technology

works More memory Representatives very

helpful

Changed to all Mosby software: required 20 mb memory—no additional memory card needed Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, Ackley Mosby’s 2005 Drug Consult for Nurses Dorland’s Pocket Medical Dictionary Mosby’s Diagnostic and Laboratory Test

Reference

Evaluation

No more heavy book bags.

Evaluation (cont.)

No more aching backs!

Evaluation (cont.)

College ordered 10 new computers for nursing lab so students could “synch” updates.

Evaluation (cont.)

Students without computers at home can: Access e-mail Surf the web

Evaluation (cont.)

Faculty and students are happy!

Have now added Micromedex for desktop computers with ability to download Mobile Micromedex for PDA

Funding Sources

http://www.thejournal.com

http://techfoundation.org/

http://www.cartridgesforkids.com/