Creating care plans via modems: using a hospital information system in nursing education

Preparing nursing students for the demands of high technology in health professions is a challenge for everyone involved in nursing education today. Advancements in technology have changed the health care delivery system resulting in computerization that affects all areas of patient care. Nursing education programs must assure that all graduates can effectively use computer technology. To address this need, the Wright State University-Miami Valley School of Nursing was one of the first schools in the nation to provide connectivity via computers in the school's student computer lab to a real hospital information system. This connectivity allows the nursing students to create care plans for their assigned patients, plans which after discussion with the instructor and the patients' nurse, are entered into the patients' records. This real-life application allows the students to see not only the results of their decision-making, but the overall process of patient care. The benefits of having students use a nursing information management system include enhanced student motivation, professional socialization, the ability to understand the "whole clinical picture," and decreased fear of computer technology. The computers in the student computer lab play an invaluable role in the education of the nursing students. They give the students the opportunity to experience a real-life application in the nursing profession and prepare them for the world of technology they will encounter after graduation.