BLOG #3

A. ERGONOMIC ASSESSMENT

Is your computer workstation safe and ergonomically situated? If not, what do you need to change to work in an ergonomically supported environment? What about using PDAs, laptops, or cellphones?

What do we mean by an ergonomically situated workstation? This is an example of an ergonomic workstation.

    According to the picture above, no, my workstation is not ergonomic but I tried to adjust my things to be as ergonomic as possible. I only use a laptop, my table is approximately 15in x 15in so I don't have much space so I only put my laptop, pen holder and mouse in my table. And since using my laptop put pressure and stress over my neck, I placed it above a box that is 5 inches in height for it to be on my eye level. And then my chair is also not ergonomic, I use a wooden chair like the ones found in classrooms minus the armchair. So, my arms can't rest on my chair because it doesn't have an arm holder. Then my arms are raised when I am typing because the keyboard of my laptop is raised on a box. I used to have an external keyboard but it doesn't work anymore. So, I just rest my arms from time to time. I also put a small pillow under the chair to relieve pressure when I am sitting and sometimes I also put a pillow on my back. And lastly, my legs and feet lie on the lower shelf on my computer table. Therefore, to improve my workstation, I may need to have another external keyboard and an ergonomic chair. 

B. ASEPSIS AND COMPUTERS EXERCISE

Research studies suggest that computers in the hospital workplace can be primes habitats for various fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms including "superbugs" like MRSA.

a. What activities do you think are the biggest culprits for promoting the growth of these harmful micro-organisms?

    In hospital settings, computers are accessed by different hospital staff. Computers are not in a 1:1 ratio with the health care workers, especially in rural hospitals. So, it is one major factor why computers harbor microorganisms and why disease-causing microorganisms can be transmitted within the hospital workplace. Another factor is improper hand hygiene, in some situations, hand hygiene is omitted because of an urgent situation like when they urgently need a patient's medical file or when researching a possible treatment. If they didn't sanitize their hands before using the computer, then the microorganisms present in their hands are transferred to the computer itself.

b. What can nurses do to protect their clients from computer-transmitted infections?

    The number one weapon of protection against infection is and has always been handwashing and hand hygiene. This is the most effective way nurses can use to protect patients against all kinds of infection including computer-transmitted infection. Handwashing destroys the weakest link in the chain of infection which is the mode of transmission, and since microorganisms can be transmitted through contact, handwashing reduces the risk of transmission. Nurses should always bear in mind the 5 moments of handwashing, before touching a client, before doing a clean or aseptic procedure, after body fluid exposure or after exposure to the computer, after touching a client, and after touching the client's surrounding. And also wearing of gloves, and gown, when necessary contributes in reducing infection risks.

c. Who is responsible for cleaning computer and mobile equipment in your employing agency or workplace?

    Even though health care facilities have housekeeping workers that is responsible in maintaining the cleanliness of the workplace, everyone should be responsible in cleaning computer and mobile equipment. We must bear in mind that if we are the ones using this equipment, we are also the ones responsible for cleaning and maintaining it. It should always be sanitized after use and every day.

C. STANDARDIZED NURSING LANGUAGE EXERCISE

If you were on a planning committee to determine the language to use to clearly articulate nursing data (assessment, interventions, client perspectives & experiences, outcomes, etc.) what important considerations would you keep in mind? Would it be easy to reach consensus?

    Good communication is a must in a health care professional team because if they failed to communicate effectively, patient's lives are at stake. So, a committee should always be open-minded and every member should always be open to all suggestions and advice. Collaboration is also an essential factor in order to come up with an appropriate medical decision. Also, collaboration assesses the team's awareness of each member's capability, knowledge, and medical skills. In this way, they can distribute the workload more efficiently and fairly. Medical professionals have their own medical language that they use when they are communicating with their fellow health care professionals. But it is also important to consider the language that they are going to use when they are communicating with their patients, to always explain a medical term that can be unfamiliar when a non-medical professional hears about it. Trust and respect also play a vital role in a team, it increases collaboration, reduces conflict and problems within team members and it promotes teamwork which is really important in health care settings to be able to provide an effective health care delivery system.

D. TELEHEALTH AND TELENURSING EXCERCISE

Telehealth practices not only call for nurses to reconceptualize presence, place, and bodies in nursing, but also to explore how these practices threaten to displace nursing. It is imperative for any nurse who engages in telenursing to be aware of this, and to ensure that network exchanges with their clients reflect dynamic, personable caring and attentiveness, even when the interactions occur via ICT mediums. What can nurses do to ensure this?

    Communicating digitally imposes a lot of disadvantages too especially in telehealth nursing. Nursing is caring, nurses show that they care through physical comfort, touch, and being present. But with limitations nowadays and the continuous growth of technology, nurses can now deliver healthcare services virtually. Like in the physical rendering of health services, ethical principles should also be applied here. Privacy and patient's consent should also be given importance here. Because there is a risk of a breach of confidentiality when using multiple devices when communicating. Always ask the consent of the patient before taking pictures or recording the conversation and always assure them that we as nurses will always value their privacy. And since there a barrier, we should always ensure that we give therapeutic care as possible like in real face-to-face health setting. We should always be attentive when listening to the patients, ensuring eye contact through the camera, and ensure clarity and brevity when giving advice or instructions. And to always ask them to inform you if they missed something that you have said or if they have more queries. Ensuring clarity is the most important during telehealth nursing because of the technological issues that they may encounter like poor connectivity and the ability of the speaker. Therapeutic communication should always be applied here always to make the conversation as real as possible.