Nursing, Technology and Care
NYSNA nurses support advancements in technology that improve care for patients and working conditions in our facilities. But some emerging technologies are being introduced in healthcare facilities without the proper evidence, clinical testing or input from nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Nursing is a profession of caring, connection, and communication. Early nursing was largely rooted in hands-on care, observation and basic medical knowledge with an emphasis on compassion and meticulous patient attention. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the integration of technology into nursing began with the use of practical tools like stethoscopes, thermometers, and blood pressure cuffs which led to improved accuracy, efficiency, and patient outcomes.
Today, nurses interface with more advanced technologies like electronic medical records, barcode scanners, telemetry monitors, and smart infusion pumps, which are mainly beneficial but present unique challenges. Some emerging technologies like artificial intelligence are being introduced in healthcare facilities without the necessary evidence, clinical testing or input from nurses and other healthcare professionals. NYSNA embraces new technologies that enhance patient care and safety, improve working conditions for nurses, and protect practice standards. NYSNA nurses oppose tools that threaten patient safety, add to nurses’ workloads, limit the exercise of professional judgement, or threaten to replace nurses or supplant our vital role in providing bedside patient care.