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The Advantages of Computers in Nursing

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Several different tasks in the nursing field are now easier and more comfortable to do, which directly influences the proper treatment of patients. Tasks like reviewing clinical records, stock of medicines and other procedures are now done in a matter of minutes with the aid of computers. The advantages of computers in nursing are virtually endless, and their inclusion in the medical field cannot be challenged anymore.

Stock of Medicines

One of the major advantages of computers in nursing is that a basic system permits the nurses to have an updated record of the pharmaceuticals the hospital have in stock. Therefore, when making inventories, the process is much faster and accurate in order to always have a full stock of all the medicines needed to treat patients. Computers also allow making a description of each medicine, including side effects, composition and uses.

Clinical Records

Computers allow nurses to get the patient's clinical records in a matter of minutes. It’s not necessary for nurses to wade through stacks of papers and files anymore. Also, if the patient has ever been treated in a specific medical institution, the hospital interconnected network allows nurses to ask online for their patient's clinical records and receive an immediate response. This is very important when treating a patient since knowing their pre-existng conditions is a matter of life or death.

Improving Patient Treatment and Follow-ups

Nurses often use computers to take full notes on how a treatment is progressing. By placing notes on the patient dosage, with reminders about giving medicines, nurses ensure the proper treatment of a patient. Statistics show that even when there's human error involved when treating patients, these have been reduced to a minimum. If a medication has not been released, the computer makes a notification so that the nurses can address this issue in a timely manner.

Research

Computers in nursing today contain huge medical libraries open to research and study. Nurses, during their college years and when working in a hospital, need to keep updated constantly. Online data bases of medical cases from all around the world, medicine researches, and treatment comparisons are essential to their professional growth.

References
Writer

Living in Jacksonville, Fla., Jay Boone started writing in 2000. He has written extensively for technical journals and in-house publications, including work for Jim Dawson Engineering and McCartney Publications. Since 2005, Boone has been writing descriptions of installation, removal and maintenance of different genres of hardware.

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