Increasing acuity, increasing technology, and the changing demands on nurses

As the work environment for nurses continues to evolve, the demands on nurses increase along with the potential for nurses to become more distant from their patients. Among the key changes in the environment are the increasing acuity of patients in all settings, the introduction and evolution of the electronic health record, the expansion of telemetry and smart bed technology, increased use of video monitoring and telemedicine, and changes in payment that will focus attention on specific aspects of care. Nurses and nursing departments will need to aggressively manage the changing environment so that patient care is enhanced. How these demands and new technologies can be harnessed to enhance the patient experience and the quality of the nurse-patient interaction is a central question that will shape the future of nursing.