Should nurses be technology enhanced?

Digital technology continues to evolve rapidly and change many aspects of our daily lives. It is revolutionising health care and will fundamentally change many aspects of nursing care. Nurses need the skills to function within this new world and the vision to use opportunities to improve the quality of care and the working environment.

Advances in digital technology have already led to improved outcomes and greater patient empowerment. Service users are able to become expert managers of their own disease through online access to a huge range of information and apps that allow virtual consultations with healthcare staff. Huge leaps in computing power have accelerated our understanding of the human genome and made the use of genomics a reality. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms aid analysis of large datasets and informatics is enabling healthcare providers to manage resources effectively. As connectivity improves, remote monitoring, biosensors and AI-supported diagnostics will shift health care more closely to patients' homes. The goal is to tailor provision to meet every individual's specific needs.