Introduction
As a nurse, I believe that as medical technology advances, patients will receive better-individualized care and recover faster. This is consistent with Locsin’s theory, “Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing” (TCCN), which links technology in nursing with care. The complexity of patient care technology has grown, transforming how nursing care is envisioned and delivered. Before the widespread use of technology, nurses relied primarily on their senses of hearing, touch, smell, and sight to monitor patients’ conditions and detect changes. Over time, technology to detect physical changes in patient conditions gradually replaced the nurses’ unaided senses. Nurses can use technology to prevent errors and adverse events such as medication errors, miscommunications, and treatment delays. These technologies can also help to prevent adverse events such as nosocomial infections, pressure ulcers, falls, and immobility-related complications.
Defining Theoretical Concepts
Person
My nursing philosophy empathizes with comprehending a person as a holistic care recipient with diverse perspectives and experiences. Technology is invaluable in helping to understand the patient’s needs at an individual level. With the help of modern technologies like wearable health monitors and electronic medical records (EMRs), patients’ information concerning their health is stored to be assessed for accuracy, safety, and completeness (Dinh-Le et al., 2019). However, the data undertakes a task in a different class as a many-sided assessment. I endorse the idea of technology application in plan customization to enable interventions to contextualize the underlying reality of the same person.
Environment
Technology is also in the capacity of creating a suitable environment for a patient. Telehealth consultations can become more comfortable and perfect for people in far places or with mobility obstacles. Conversely, VR can be applied to design safe or distractive environments for those involved in routine or control activities and those experiencing anxieties (Haleem et al., 2021). However, as human interactions become more virtual, a balance between technology and a sterile, depersonalized experience must be ensured. Nurses must be in front of the patients and provide such social and emotional support as necessary.
Health
Technologies can positively influence health learning and increase proactive health behaviors. Educational apps and online resources can give patients the primary role in managing their conditions and who to choose as health partners. Moreover, wearable health monitors can trace activity levels, best sleep preferences, and other health markers, and by doing so, the problems can be detected in the early stages (Hosseini et al., 2023). Nevertheless, a technology concern should refrain from crowding out traditional approaches tailored to individual patients, such as patient education and maintaining trust and commitment.
Nursing
Technological resources may be important, but nursing implies trusting relationships and a human approach. As a nurse, the responsibilities continue after analyzing data and using medical equipment. Locsin’s TCCN concept agrees with this understanding by arguing that technology is a tool for attaining high-quality, compassionate care. Nurses, in turn, must find the perfect balance of being effective listeners, nurses, patient friends, advocates, and compassionate healers (Krel et al., 2022). Technologies can reduce the nurses’ workload from office work, which is indirect patient care tasks, letting them spend more time with the patients where the caregiver can relate to the needs of the patients and ensure quality care holistically.
Interrelationship of Theoretical Concepts
From my nursing perspective, consistent technological development goes hand in hand with an individualized comprehension of the patient’s experience. Such a practical approach leads to deserving care to improve patient outcomes. I use technology to customize my approach by making my services individual-oriented, respecting individual differences and inclinations. Telehealth consultation is an option for patients in remote places and those with mobility restrictions. Nurses must be there, and although technology is involved in this situation, a therapeutic area that considers the differences between people and promotes inclusiveness is still created.
Technology increasingly allows us to delve deeper into world health, facilitating an active part in developing a healthy lifestyle. The availability of educational applications and online means converts patients into self-managers and participants in their healthcare outcomes (Wai et al., 2023). Wearable health trackers evaluate physical activities, ranging from walking and regular sleep patterns to other health indicators, which help catch any indifferences as soon as possible.
Individualized Philosophy Aligned with Locsin’s Theory of Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing
Locsin’s TCCN theory heavily influences my philosophy of nursing. This theory stresses the significance of technology as a source of expansion, not a distraction from compassionate care. Personal development of abilities is the most important for me as a nursing professional, being able to use health technologies effectively. It entails a detailed explanation of how technology can gather information, enhance communication (by telehealth), and tailor the interventions to fit each patient’s needs.
Like Locsin entitled his work, my focus largely remains on offering compassionate treatment. Technology allows me to focus more on the patients as it frees me from repeating numerous administrative tasks that consume much time. It encourages me to develop exclusive relationships and understand their needs more deeply. Technology can make possible the creation of data-driven care plans that aim to achieve precision medicine, and they make possible telehealth communication that ensures trust and emotional support.
Impact of Policy and Politics
Policy and politics are essential because they are the components that build a setting in which technology-enhanced nursing philosophies can be successful. Nurses can use this knowledge to promote policies supporting technology and its drawbacks to create patient-centered and accessible health care. Support policies can be applied to include any financial provision for bringing the latest growth technologies in the healthcare industry, such as telehealth modules of teleconsultation, wearable health gadgets, and electronic medical records (Wai et al., 2023) aboard.
Provision of the regulations that should be followed in setting up data privacy and security rules can be a policy. This approach will guarantee technology’s safety and ethical use, building confidence between the patients and the healthcare system. Moreover, policies that award researchers and developers in healthcare technology give them the means to realize such advances as remote patient monitoring and AI-based diagnosis (Quach et al., 2022). This, in turn, empowers nurses to adopt the newer, more advanced machinery for better insight into both the patient and their conditions.
Conclusion
My philosophy of nursing focuses on the empowering role technology plays in improving the relationship between nurses and patients. This strategy, therefore, creates a more personalized, targeted, and useful environment for patients. The successful integration of technology hinges on navigating the ever-changing policy landscape while remaining true to the core values of the nursing profession: charity, advocacy, as well as an obligation to do one’s best in terms of individual functioning. Locsin’s TCCN theory about technology use offers nurses a series of guidelines for preventing the patient from excessive dependence on technology, increasing attention given to the patient’s needs, and, finally, nursing the patient. Nurses can carry out tasks models are requested to complete by using technology, which frees their time to spend with their peers, gives a better understanding of what they require in the process, and ensures that the environment is conducive for them and their patients.
References
Dinh-Le, C., Chuang, R., Chokshi, S., & Mann, D. (2019). Wearable Health Technology and Electronic Health Record Integration: Scoping Review and Future Directions. JMIR MHealth and UHealth, 7(9), e12861. https://doi.org/10.2196/12861
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Singh, R. P., & Suman, R. (2021). Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications. Sensors International, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sintl.2021.100117
Krel, C., Vrbnjak, D., Bevc, S., Štiglic, G., & Pajnkihar, M. (2022). Technological competency as caring in nursing: A description, analysis, and evaluation of the theory. Slovenian Journal of Public Health, 61(2), 115–123. https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2022-0016
Masoumian Hosseini, M., Masoumian Hosseini, S. T., Qayumi, K., Hosseinzadeh, S., & Sajadi Tabar, S. S. (2023). Smartwatches in healthcare medicine: assistance and monitoring; a scoping review. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 23(1), 248. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-023-02350-w
Quach, S., Thaichon, P., Martin, K. D., Weaven, S., & Palmatier, R. W. (2022). Digital technologies: tensions in privacy and data. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 50(1), 1299–1323. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00845-y
Wai, A., Torkamani, A., Butte, A. J., Glicksberg, B. S., Schuller, B. W., Rodríguez, B., Shu, D., Bates, D. W., Schaden, E., Peng, H., Harald Willschke, van, Car, J., Rahimi, K., Leo Anthony Celi, Banach, M., Kletečka-Pulker, M., Kimberger, O., Eils, R., & Shariful, M. (2023). The promise of digital healthcare technologies. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1196596
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