Textbook:

Focus on the concluding chapters of the text, which take a look at the future of informatics. As well, review the chapter on ethical applications of informatics. The growing complexity of healthcare practices will require practitioners to use familiar ethical decision-making frameworks, but in a much more demanding arena.

 McGonigle, D. & Mastrian, K. (2012). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (2nd ed.). Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Additional Readings:

Canadian Nurses Association (2009). The next decade: Canada’s vision for nursing and health.

As you read this article, be thinking about the development of yourself as a knowledge worker, and note what will influence the transformation of healthcare. This quote from the article sets the tone for the discussion: “The next decade will bring a Canadian health system different from the one we have now, in ways we can’t foresee. Many of those changes will have been driven by new knowledge and new technology, increasingly influenced by global and regional dynamics (CNA, 2009, p.4).

Newbold, S. K. (2004). New uses for wireless technology. Nurse Practitioner, 29(4), 45-46.

In this short article, a number of applications for wireless technology are described. Although this article is already quite dated, it serves to illustrate that some of what seemed futuristic in 2004 is now already in practice. It also may emphasize the lack of progress in some areas of healthcare.

Tooey, M. J. & Mayo, A. (2004). Handheld technologies in a clinical setting. State of the technology and resources. Critical Care Nurse, Career Guide 2004, 28-30,32,34-36.

In this continuing education offering, the growing application of handheld technologies, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in health care is described. The authors provide a good overview of the history of these devices, their potential in clinical practice, and potential problems that might arise from their use. For some of you this information is likely redundant as you have become comfortable with the technology. However, others will find this article very useful.

I have added:

Abbott, P. A. (2012). The effectiveness and clinical usability of a handheld information appliance Nursing Research and Practice, 2012, 307258. doi:10.1155/2012/307258 Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3324168/?tool=pubmed

I will assume that everyone could easily do a Google Scholar search and find many more contemporaneous references!