How do I Give Instructions to a Nursing Assistant on a PDA?

Technological skills are increasingly becoming important in the health care industry, and nursing assistants need to know how to use electronic devices that can make day-to-day health care operations easier. For example, in an effort to increase contact between patients and nursing assistants, the University of Rhode Island Nursing Program is training its students on using devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs). By using a PDA, nursing assistants need not leave the bedside for quick questions about a patient's illness, symptoms or dosage calculations. As the University of Toronto discovered in a research study, PDAs help nursing assistants access electronic health care resources at the point of care.

Things You'll Need

• PDA
• E-mail software
• Medical information software

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Instructions

• 1

  Install medical software on the PDA. Make sure that you choose a PDA that allows you to install a medical software, and one that is user-friendly. A research by the University of Toronto stated that PDAs are not commonly used by nursing assistants, so a PDA that is easy to use is the best option, especially if it is meant for group use. Depending on the product that you will be using, plan to spend $100-300 on one software. You may be able to get the hospital to reimburse you for this work-related cost, or they may be able to give you a subsidy.

• 2

  Train the nursing assistant on how to use the PDA. Commands to source information depend on the product, but training the nursing assistant on which medical software or database she should look into and its corresponding purpose will help her make the most of the PDA. It will also help her productivity because she will be able to focus on asking about medical questions rather than technical questions about how to use the PDA.

• 3

  Use an e-mail software or other communication software that allows you to send instructions to the nursing assistant. You may need to set this up at first so that the nursing assistant will have to do minimal set-up at her end. E-mail and other messaging software can help you send medical instructions to her, which she can read on her PDA.

• 4

  Send the nursing assistant a message on her PDA to follow up with the nursing assistant regarding the results of the suggestion or action. To make sure that she has understood the instruction and the recommended action is taken, following up is the key. This will also gauge if the nursing assistant is comfortable using the device or she is still having issues with her PDA usage.

• 5

  Update the software at least every couple of months. Technology companies are aware that it is critical to have the most current information available to health care professionals. They add new medical information that may render the previous information outdated, so it is important for you to keep an eye on updates and decide if the new information added to the medical software warrants an upgrade.