14: LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY ■ 343■ SUMMARY
This chapter provided an overview of technological tools that provide opportunities
to work more efficiently and effectively to deliver, improve, and document care in our
health system. It is absolutely critical that the doctoral APN possess high- level skills in
the use of technologies to support health care delivery in order to function effectively
in a leadership role (Carsten Stahl, 2011; Chase & Pruitt, 2006; O’Keefe & Griffin, 2013;
Porter- O’Grady & Malloch, 2008; Webber, 2008). The APN must be able to use technol-
ogy to better manage and use an increasing volume of evidence to guide practice and
establish new standards of care within health care systems. The doctoral APN must
leverage these technologies to generate more evidence- based and practice- based scientific
knowledge and serve as a catalyst for change.
■ CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
- What weaknesses did you identify from the specialty nursing organizations’ discussions of
their goals for technology competency and utilization? - Perform a literature search on the TIGER. Discuss what kind of impact TIGER is making
on nursing informatics and health care. - Discuss the similar and different technology needs of the doctoral APNs in various settings
and roles. - Evidence- based information can be located in PubMed/ MEDLINE, and in the CINAHL
database using certain search methods. Perform a search of one of your professors using each
one of these databases. Review the results to conceptualize the focus of their scholarship. - Describe some ways in which Twitter can be used in health care beyond what was discussed
in this chapter. - Evaluate your own skill at “knowledge management.” Discuss what your primary specialty
area is and where you go for the most up- to- date content. - Go to the Cochrane database and browse. Retrieve a systematic review close to your spe-
cialty area and discuss its significance. - Go to Active Worlds Educational Universe at http://www.activeworlds.com. Register for a free
citizenship and request an Avatar (a name). What kind of health care uses might there be for
“Second Life”? - Identify ways in which the use of the standardized patient could be used in DNP curricula.
- Identify ways in which simulation can be used to improve quality and patient safety within
your institution. - Discuss whether DNP- prepared APRNs ought to have better technology proficiency skills
than master of science in nursing (MSN)- prepared APRNs.
■ REFERENCES
Aebersold, M., & Tschannen, D. (2013). Simulation in nursing practice: The impact on patient care. The
Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 18 (2), 83. doi:10.3912/OJIN.Vol18No02Man06
Aflague, J. M., & Ferszt, G. G. (2010). Suicide assessment by psychiatric nurses: A phenomenographic
study. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 31 (4), 248–256. doi:10.3109/01612840903267612
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. (2013). Discussion paper: Doctor of nursing practice.
Retrieved from https://www.aanp.org/images/documents/publications/doctorofnursing
practice.pdf