Being a home healthcare nurse carries with it a huge amount of responsibility simply because of what the job entails. Unlike patients in a hospital or nursing home, there is not a doctor on the premises, so the responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the nursing staff. Sometimes nurses are hired in shifts around the clock and other times they visit patients being cared for by nursing aides to check charts and monitor the status of a patient’s health and/or recovery. In fact, there really are many ways in which the services of an LPN or RN are used in home healthcare. No matter what their role, the job itself demands a reliable laptop. Here are three reasons why.
1. Paper Charts Are a Thing of the Past
Within the past few years, a growing number of providers have transitioned to Electronic Health Records and/or Electronic Medical Records. While existing patient files had to be transcribed or scanned into digital format, new patient records were immediately logged onto a patient’s digital file. This not only made it easier to access records by date or diagnosis but also reduced the amount of space taken up for paper files. Hardcopy files are, for the most part, a thing of the past and with a high-quality Lenovo for nursing laptop and an internet connection, the pertinent patient data is then accessible to the provider and the home healthcare service the moment information is entered.
2. Transmission of Data in Real Time
It cannot be stressed enough just how important the transmission of patient data in real time can prove to be. If the nurse is unable to make any necessary and immediate changes in treating a patient, the doctor can pull up the record and quickly read any pertinent data that is already on file and in front of them on the monitor. Having the ability to ‘see’ exactly what the nurse is observing, the physician can immediately prescribe a treatment or medication. Accessing digital files is much faster than having a conversation via a phone call and can often avoid transferring the patient to a hospital for immediate treatment.
3. Video Conferencing Link with Physicians
That laptop mentioned above should also be fitted with a state-of-the-art graphics card. Video conferencing with patients, telehealth, depends on a solid connection and crystal-clear images. While many patients can communicate well with their doctors, some patients have lapses in mental clarity. The elderly, for example, may be suffering from dementia and in this age of Covid, telehealth is often preferable to being treated in a clinic or hospital. With the nurse on hand and a laptop with a state-of-the-art graphics card, doctors can ‘see’ their patients without unnecessary risk of exposure to that already frail patient.
There are other reasons as well for nurses to be equipped with laptops such as online schedules being posted and communications with the head office. In this age of technology, there is no reason why every home healthcare worker should not be equipped with a laptop. It’s the most logical way to work efficiently at a time when there is a global crisis level shortage of healthcare workers. That should say it all.