What do instructors think of PDA's in clinical?

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Specializes in CVICU.

There has been numerous threads in the student forums about PDA's in clinical. I was curious to find out what instructors thought about them. Do you suggest them or not? And why? Thanks!

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Good question! Okay, nurse educators, give us your thoughts on PDAs. There are many of us prenursing students that would also like to know.

Kris

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For 2 years we have required our sophomore nursing students (BSN) to use PDAs second semester. We have them load epocrates, etc. I also have them load a detailed assessment format ( in Word to Go) so they can record their assessment data at the bedside and then hot sync it to their computers at home-- then the careplan is half done.

A lot of them get the PDA as a Christmas present, so it doesn't break the bank. (Of course, the prioces are coming down.)

Conclusions: Hi - tech students love it. It's a great help with meds and lab values. Downside, some students never get the hang of it, and lose their epocrates because they don't hot sync and update . Plus the faculty in the Junior year haven't caught on to it.

Personally, I wasn't in favor at first, not being too technologically adept, but I caught on right away and wouldn't want to go to clinical without it:rolleyes: .

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Great question and great responses so far. Here's my take on the subject--

Nursing educators are responsible to their students to ensure a level of competence or at least familiarity with computerized documentation.

Nursing documentation is now moving past the standard desk-top form of computerized documentation to actually collecting data and inputting directly into a mobile system right at the point of patient care. Customized personal digital assistants (PDAs) are ideal for this function and appear to be the wave of the future. (AACH! We were just getting used to computer charting, and now they spring this on us!)

Informatics experts agree that it is only a matter of time before PDAs are a standard part of health care practice.

PDAs have the ability to voice record, have point-of-contact information for the patient with the interdisciplinary health care team, have drug reference resources (ePocrates), receive email, and even have capability to link with a hospital library's Ovid@Hand database for evidence-based journal articles regarding patient care issues. All this and small enough to fit into your pocket or the palm of your hand!

There is a whole new language of terms which goes along with PDAs such as "synch up" using a "cradle," and "beaming" data through "IR ports" (my Trekie husband would love that last term).

There are very serious issues that need to be addressed with the use of PDA technology, however: security issues, patient confidentiality, HIPAA regulations, quality of software, and theft of hospital technology.

The authors of the referenced "Handheld Technologies" article caution that practitioners not store patient data on their personal hand-held device unless the institution has policies and procedures in place to ensure confidentiality of data and data transmissions. This is very relevant for nursing instructors, since it is becoming commonplace for nursing students to bring their own PDAs with them to the clinical floor. We need to check if the facility has a policy governing PDAs and if it is "kosher" for our students to use them. Schools of nursing also need to develop their own policies and procedures concerning the use of PDAs both in the classroom and on the clinical floor. Our ADN program has just begun to address this.

Reference

Tooley, M.J., & Mayo, A. (2004, February). Handheld technologies in a clinical setting: State of the technology and resources. Critical Care Nurse Supplement, 28-38.

Wilson, S. (n.d.). PDAs in Nursing Education. Retrieved November 20, 2004, from http://www.pdacortex.com/pda_nursing_education.htm

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Specializes in OR, Education.

I encourage my LPN students to use a PDA in clinicals - I have one and I use it for non-patient/student info; for example, looking up unfamiliar drugs, new diagnoses, etc. I think it saves alot of time for students and also nurses.

Just my two cents' worth!

Lyn

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Specializes in Surgical.

Ask your instructor. Thats the best way to discover how they feel about it. :) Personally, I think using them is a great idea.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

We were told not to bring them, due to stethoscopes growing legs and walking away. The same could have happened to a PDA.

IF you could even AFFORD one while a student.

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I think the use of a PDA encourages growth and stimulates the student to seek out information in their nursing education. It is the wave of the future and will only enhance the future nurses knowlege base and profession.

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Clinical instructor here .... I encourage them, and carry my own (both to clinicals and to my ER job). I haven't seen them used for personal information, but for resources/reference they are priceless. My first day with new students, part of our orientation is giving them my recommended list of PDA programs and internet websites - nothing required, but resources that will help in the long run. A lot of them are still not very tech savvy, but they at least know the information is available when they want it.

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Specializes in ER, CCU.

i will be starting nursing in the Fall...thankgoodness...i didn't think i was ever going to be done with prenursing...but anyway...they are pretty much requiring us to drop 300 to 500 dollars on a PDA and programs...i have heard from other students that it is much faster in looking up drugs and terms...i guess it's a good thing...since my school (Kent State University) is requiring them due to a national trend i don't think your clinical instructor wouldn't mind too much!!

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Ask your instructor. Thats the best way to discover how they feel about it. :) Personally, I think using them is a great idea.

I graduated 3 years ago, not that long ago, but PDA's were around..... My school would not allow them on clinical.... we were expected to know everything and anything pertaining to our patients and to recite it (including ALL meds, s/e, class, pharmacokinetics, ... disease pathophys, all labs, dx testing, etc...) VERBATIM. They couldnt really control what we did after, of course, but they even discouraged that too... they wanted everyone to get the same info from the texts that were required. A sort of "old school- school" if you will. But we learned.We had to, or we were out. But, everyplace is different.:uhoh21:

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As a note of information, PDA's are available w/ security software. I purchased one that requires both a fingerprint and/or PIN for access. If it is cold booted, it still requires the information - so theft of the device is useless - and files are secure.

Yes, they cost a bit more but if you will be using it for sensitive information, it may be worth the price. The model I bought had this as a feature, it was not what I was looking for - I wanted the large RAM/ storage and auto backup...

But I have found the security to be an added bonus now that I will be having pt info in - when I start clinicals.

SJ

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