I search

Kaitlen Baser

            Instructor Hartley-Smith
            English 201-20
            14 May 2012

I-Search

When I first started debating topics for my research paper, I was slightly overwhelmed with the notion of having to write a paper of this nature about technology. I took into consideration possible topics involving ideas about video games or television. Taking into account the fact that I only occasionally play video games and I hardly ever watch TV, it didn't make much sense to me to write this paper on something that I really don't care about. Instead, I look at this paper as an opportunity to inform myself, and hopefully others, about something that I care about and have a passion for.  That is why I decided to write my paper on Nursing and Technology. My major is nursing and I thought it would be interesting to write a paper on something that I might have to deal with in my future career.

            I started to look at different articles in the library database that were written about nursing and technology. I soon discovered that I needed to narrow down on a more specific topic to improve my results. That is when I came across an article that was about tele-healthcare. I was immediately intrigued and I was able to specify my searches. I began searching for more articles related to this one until I got to an article about monitoring systems that were used to keep a better eye on patients in the ICU which included an introduction into tele-ICU (Goran). I continued to find articles that talked about tele-ICU rooms and how much better they are compared to the traditional ICU room. But with “someone” always watching you, there can be issues that arrive. Something like this might be considered an invasion of privacy and unethical (Swann).  However, the majority of the sources that I have are pro tele-ICU rooms. I originally thought that most of the articles that I would find would be against this type of thing, but to my surprise, I am finding more and more articles that are written by scholars in the field of health care who advocate this new technology.

             A number of the articles specifically talk about the improvements that have been made to the ICU because of technology. They discuss how using technology provides a better service to patients because you are better able to carefully watch over not only one, but many people at a time.  By improving hospital rooms with technology, nurses can ensure the correct medicine for a patient and check administration time by simply scanning a bar code that is located on the wrist band of the patient. I wanted to also include some background on tele-ICU rooms. I knew that my potential audience might be curious with how tele-ICU rooms work and what kind of training would be involved. In an article by Jennifer Mitchell gave an overview of the system and how this technology worked. She also gave a brief description of the training that a nurse might have to go through (Mitchell). I even discovered that pretty soon, this won't be a choice for nurses, every nurse will need to know how to work in an environment with tele-healthcare and I found that to be very interesting (Nowlin).  Overall, I am very pleased with my discoveries in my research thus far because each article has the ability of providing specific details about nursing and technology.

            From here, I see that I have the option of taking different angles on my paper. I can write about the ethical issues that come along with technology being more involved with the care of a patient. Is it better to have conveniences in the work place, or does this interfere with personal care? Yes I could argue that, however, the position that I have decided to take is opposite of that. A rough draft thesis that I have could be, despite the fact that many might have weary thoughts behind tele-ICU rooms, the ability to improve health care with technology while providing even better patient care, will eliminate the hesitation of tele-healthcare. With the research that I have found already, I feel very confident that I will be able to provide an informative, argumentative paper on this topic.

            The next goal that I have in the writing process would be developing a complete analysis of the articles that I have found. From there I feel as though I would be better able to start putting together the important information that would support my argument. I also hope to improve my thesis and the claim that I am making with my paper. After doing all that, I feel as though I will be able to form a counterargument claim that will be included in my paper. The only problem that I think I will face is forming my counterargument and finding evidence to support it that is unbiased. I feel as though I have gotten lucky with my research because I haven't really come across a road block of any kind, and I hope that my streak will continue. As stated previously, I am happy with what research I have. Overall, I have a desired outline for my paper and I have discovered many articles that will continually help me through the writing process. 

Works Cited

Goran, Susan F. "A Second Set Of Eyes: An Introduction To Tele-ICU." Critical Care Nurse 30.4 (2010): 46-56. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition. Web. 14 May 2012

Mitchell, Jennifer, K. "Nursing Informatics 101: Using Technology To Improve Patient Care." ONS Connect 26.4 (2011): 8-12. CINAHL with Full Text. Web. 14 May 2012.

Nowlin, A. "Get Ready For The Virtual ICU." Rn 67.8 (2004): 52. CINAHL with Full Text. Web. 14 May 2012.

Swann J. Telecare: looking to the future. International Journal Of Therapy & Rehabilitation [serial on the Internet]. (2007, Nov), [cited May 14, 2012]; 14(11): 512-517. Available from: CINAHL with Full Text.