Two leading academics have gone on to argue that a major upsurge in digital skills training as well as support for nurses is indeed required if an overall benefit is to be gained from the digital revolution within healthcare.
In an article that is based on their research, Professor Dawn Dowding as well as Dr. Sarah Skyrme from the University of Manchester underscore the role that the digital revolution, especially AI, is anticipated to play when it comes to addressing challenges in the NHS, such as the recruitment as well as the retention of nursing staff.
The article said that moving to a digital environment with care offered remotely and contact through digital technologies rather than face-to-face goes on to provide both challenges as well as opportunities for the existing nursing workforce.
In order to do this, they believe that nurses should be able to make use of digital tools.
The effect of the digital revolution on healthcare services
The article goes on to state that the digital revolution happens to have the potential to free up nursing time, and one potential outcome when it comes to the generation of AI-based tools is that they will go ahead and take on routine tasks as well as administrative duties.
All this could very well lead to a shift in approach when it comes to staffing services that may go on to encourage some nurses in order to stay in practice longer and, at the same time, also provide opportunities when it comes to delivering care in individualized, remote ways.
However, for any digital solution to go ahead and work effectively, the authors believe there is a requirement for good infrastructure, which includes Wi-Fi as well as access to the appropriate hardware as well as software.
Inequalities within technology training
The fact is that there is indeed a dearth of equality when it comes to the availability of internet access among the general population, with individuals having the lowest incomes and often the highest healthcare needs being more likely to have no internet access or devices so as to connect to Wi-Fi.
Due to this, the authors go on to emphasize the need for nurses to be trained properly when it comes to using digital technology.
Apparently, the resources to help the nurses develop digital skills are indeed required.
It is worth noting that many organizations go on to offer their own training, and NHS England has gone ahead and produced a number of digital capability frameworks, but currently there is not one that is specifically focused on the nursing workforce.
Apart from this, one needs to make sure that nurses graduating from education programs have the skills needed to perform in a digitally enabled NHS.
Elevating digital skills in the workforce
It is many a times assumed that individuals who happen to have grown up with digital technologies and made use of them daily will automatically have the required skills, the report said.
But the research clearly demonstrates that this is not the case and that teaching students to use the kinds of tools that are currently used in the NHS as well as in the in the care sector needs a well-targeted approach.
The University of Manchester academics go on to urge the government as well as NHS policymakers to stress investment when it comes to enhancing the digital skills of the nursing workforce.
