The American Academy of Nursing
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 22, 2002 CONTACT:
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American Academy of Nursing Cites Technology as one Solution to the Looming Nursing Shortage
Washington, DC -- Responding to a looming nursing shortage, growing dissatisfaction among the nursing workforce, and the public's demand for safer health care environments, the American Academy of Nursing, in conjunction with over 20 organizations, convened an interdisciplinary conference focused on using innovative technology to enhance patient care delivery.Nurses, pharmacists, physicians, hospital trustees, administrators, manufacturers, health policy analysts, architects, software engineers and others gathered in Washington, DC, July 12-14, 2002, to begin harnessing the strength of technology in redesigning the practice environment and care delivery system in order to improve nurse retention and health care quality.
The current and future workforce shortages will have an adverse effect on the health of the American public. Today, many organizations, governmental agencies and health policy makers are endeavoring to increase the supply of registered nurses. The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) believes that, while these efforts are essential, the demand side of the equation must also be addressed.
Studies have repeatedly shown that a significant portion of hospital registered nursing work involves non-direct care activities; this figure has been reported as upward to 40 per- cent in some cases. Yet, there have been almost no efforts directed toward remedying this situation through the development and/or application of suitable technologies. This inefficient use of nurse's time has been largely unrecognized as contributing to the growing workforce shortage.
"Health care systems should implement new technologies that automate non-valued work tasks in order to make nurses' jobs easier thus allowing nurses to devote more time to direct patient care. The participants developed action plans to improve the practice environments, increase nursing and patient satisfaction and decrease the incidents of medical errors in health care settings," stated Linda Burnes Bolton, DrPH, RN, FAAN, Chair, AAN Commission on Workforce.
However, the challenges of applying new and emerging technologies to patient care delivery systems should not be underestimated. Demonstration projects will be developed which will allow providers, institutions, and vendors to work collaboratively to create safer patient environments, decrease the work load burden on providers and address a future public health crisis.
The conference was sponsored and supported by US Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Nursing, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, ALARIS Medical Systems, American Hospital Association, American Organization of Nurse Executives, Cedar Sinai Health System, Cerner Corporation, Eclipsys Corporation, Hill-Rom Corporation, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, Kaiser Permanente of California, McKesson, National Student Nurses Association, Pyxis Corporation and Siemens Medical Solutions.
The American Academy of Nursing is an organization of distinguished leaders in nursing who have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the profession and to health care. For a copy of the conference papers, contact Terri Gaffney at 202-651-7238.
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The American Academy of Nursing (AAN) represents leaders in nursing care who have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the profession and to health care. The Academy was established in 1973 under the aegis of the American Nurses Association, the professional organization representing the nation's 2.7 million registered nurses.
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