By: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL & Mary Gannon, MSN, RN, CEN

Throughout nursing, computers are integrated into all aspects of care. This is no different in nurse leadership. Whether it is creating staff schedules to payroll to chart audits, nurse leaders are required to navigate sometimes dozens of computer-based programs to fulfill their roles and responsibilities.

How much orientation is provided for these programs? How many logins and passwords are a nurse leader required to have to utilize all of these systems? How often do the programs “talk” to each other? And how many times does a leader have to reach out to a friend, colleague, or expert resource to help support them in utilizing these programs in a meaningful way?

If you are like many reading this, you know exactly how inefficient these work flows can be for leaders at all levels. That is why it is so important to think about how to choose tech systems strategically and design training schedules effectively so that leaders know how to maximize the use of their tech AND time in their work day.

Tips on how to best address technology tools as a nurse leader:

Have a list of all the systems you use, and make sure you have CURRENT access to them. - This may sound simple, but many nurse leaders assume a new position without ever getting a comprehensive list of all the tech systems/platforms they may need to access. Or if you do get a generic login to get you started on a system, that login and password may expire before you ever need to use it. It is recommended to log on to every system you may need to use in your new role at the time of orientation to ensure access in the future. And if a full list of all the programs you may need is not incorporated into your leadership onboarding, CREATE IT. You will be doing yourself and future members of your team a huge favor.

Know what your systems are and what they do. - Even if you do not know all the in’s and out’s of each tech program that you use, knowing what each are and what their intended function is can be key to effectively using them.

Provide adequate training time for each technology system and platform. - Training budgets are always tight, but offering enough time for tech tools is key for the best use of each. Ideally, training should also be provided by effective instructors who are truly subject area experts for the platform that they are educating to.

Keep your support numbers at the ready. - For each system, there should be a tech support number. Having this readily available to nurse leaders cuts down on time digging for answers on their own by allowing them to quickly “phone a friend” when help is needed.

Securely store your logins and use strong passwords. - Security is always paramount when using any system involving secure data. Ensure that your logins are securely stored, and that you are using strong passwords to avoid cybersecurity breaches.

Technology can be our greatest asset or our biggest challenge. Working smarter and not harder is always the goal when integrating digital tools into our leadership work. For nurse leaders to foster effective use of computer-based platforms, try these quick tips and see if you notice a difference during your next shift.

Hello New Thing Nurse Tribe!

My name is Ted, and I am a new nurse who graduated in June 2019. I found my first job working at the Student Health Unit for the California School for the Deaf (CSD) & California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont, CA. When I started my nursing journey, I couldn't have known that I would end up here, nor could I have foreseen what a good fit it would be for me.

Before nursing school, I worked as a preschool teacher, a barista, a planetarium presenter, a waiter, a resident assistant for foster youth, and a summer camp director. I lived in four states earning just enough to pay taxes and in another five states for short stints with AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps NCCC. I accidentally fell into healthcare when I became an EMT while earning a FireFighter-1 Certification. All this is to say, I knew I had a lot of experience but was unsure how I'd fit into the nursing world when I graduated.

Sarah from New Thing Nurse visited my school in Fall 2018 with a presentation on the importance of self-care and avoiding burnout. At that point I was already feeling burnt out from nursing school and really didn’t know what type of nursing I'd like to pursue upon graduation. I was also hearing healthcare professionals tell the world that turning 36 hour weeks with lots of overtime is bad for them and bad for patients’ health. One thing that really stood out from the New Thing Nurse presentation was a picture of Sarah with her shift mates doing a silly dance on a slide entitled - "Find Your People."

From my experience in EMS and non-profits, I was already familiar with how much self-care outside of the job and taking breaks was key to avoiding burnout. But this concept of "finding your people" was a new idea for me. So often I was devoted to the work that whoever my coworkers were just happened to be who they were. It was a very strong tool I carried with me on each clinical rotation throughout nursing school and sure enough, the rotations that were the most fun and meaningful had less to do with where I was than who I was with. Put me with someone who liked their job and wanted to help people, and I was happy in all kinds of clinical settings from Pediatric Heme One, the Cardiac ICU, Med-Surg, NICU, to orthopedic rehab.

And then there was my nursing school cohort. I love my cohort dearly and wouldn't trade them for anything, but so often in class, my views and values clashed with theirs. I would often hear my fellow nursing students say things like - "I'm going to be in a level 5 NICU" or "I'm going to be an ICU nurse" . In protest, I declared - "I'm going to be a school nurse."

After I calmed down and took some breaths, I remembered once working as an EMT at a Renaissance Fair. I had met someone who was studying American Sign Language (ASL) and had just been accepted to a graduate program. In my travels and previous jobs, I had actually learned a fair amount of ASL and interacted with a large deaf community in my early adulthood. That was when I remembered that the California School for the Deaf was near my nursing school, and I had a simple thought - “It's a boarding school, so they must need nurses.”

I looked, and there was a position open! I kept my eye on that post for four months while I finished school, recovered from my preceptorship, and finally studied for and passed the NCLEX. I wasn't sure what I'd find there, and I certainly had almost no experience with the blind community. But even before I was hired, school staff were so kind and welcoming.

Ultimately, I applied and got the job! On my second day, there was a "True Colors" team building exercise where I got to really know my coworkers and felt immediately at home. I quickly discovered a friend, who is now one of my mentors, who loves theater (like me!) so I joined her and her husband for a play my very first weekend on the job. I quickly realized that I had found my people - we're huggers, we like to laugh, we like watching kids grow from children into adults, and we wear fun scrubs. A great moment came when my mentor and her husband joined my grandmother, aunt, mother, and myself for Hamilton. She wanted to get a picture with just her and me, and I quickly thought we should make a sign together as one. She immediately knew the best sign: Nurse!

- Ted, School Nurse

Photo: Ted and mentor make the American Sign Language sign for “nurse”.

Photo: Ted and his colleagues are doing "serious” work at the California School for the Deaf (CSD) & California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont, CA.

Photo: Ted and colleagues in the fun scrubs on Crazy Hair/Punk Day during spirit week.

About the Author - Ted Rossini, BSN, RN, PHN works at the Student Health Unit at the California School for the Deaf (CSD) & California School for the Blind (CSB) in Fremont, CA. When Ted is not at work, he enjoys attending the theater with family and friends.

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