Though nursing degrees used to be taught exclusively in person, the last decade has radically shifted the way in which nurses are educated. More and more programs are taking advantage of digital technology and conducting their programs in completely virtual settings. For nurses intending to work in an age where digital health is on the rise, receiving training online is a great way to become acclimated to the digital health landscape.
What is Digital Health?
Digital health is a wide-ranging discipline that utilizes a multitude of digital technologies to improve people’s healthcare experience. Examples of digital health include mobile apps designed to track health and artificial intelligence programs that can identify illnesses without the need for human intervention. Digital health is a growing field and new technologies are broadening the limits of its potential every day.
Why is Digital Health Important?
Digital health is an important field because it has the potential to drastically change the way the average person receives and experiences healthcare. With the use of digital technology, healthcare can become far more cost-effective and accessible to scores of people. Other benefits include emerging digital technology’s ability to identify and diagnose illnesses earlier, thereby having the potential to save lives. In addition, digital health can, in many ways, streamline the process of giving and receiving health-related care, making it more efficient for both healthcare workers and patients alike.
Other potential benefits of digital health include increased personalization of healthcare for individuals. With the aid of digital health technologies, patients now have the ability to have care individualized to a greater degree. In addition, digital health makes it possible for patients to play a greater role in their healthcare experience by being able to track their health, particularly regarding their individual needs. It is likely that this interactive and personalized aspect of digital health will help educate more people on good health and how to maintain it.
How Can Online Nursing Degrees Prepare Students for Digital Health?
Online nursing programs offer many benefits, including flexibility, convenience, and personalized support. In addition, online nursing programs can be extremely conducive to learning about digital health practices, especially when it comes to electronic communication. Here are a few ways in which an online nursing degree can prepare you for the coming digital health innovation.
Normalizing the Use of Digital Technologies
Students who participate in an online nursing degree program will have the advantage of being exposed to tools that allow people to interact virtually. By becoming familiar with the technology that is already becoming commonplace within nursing, those who attend online programs will enter the healthcare profession with an advantage. Those who opt for online programs will have a leg up on their counterparts who attended in-person programs that didn’t utilize the digital technologies that are a staple within the healthcare landscape today.
Becoming Familiar with Telehealth Nursing
Telehealth nursing is the use of digital technology, such as electronic communication, to provide nursing care remotely. Schools, such as Carson-Newman University, offer online accelerated BSN programs that have begun to integrate telehealth nursing into their curricula. Exposure to telehealth nursing can be invaluable for those interested in entering the nursing industry. By taking advantage of online programs, students will have a significant advantage compared to those who opt to enter in-person programs.
Webside Manner
The shift in healthcare to incorporate more digital technologies has come with some challenges. One, in particular, is learning how to interact with patients over electronic communications. This dynamic has been coined, “webside manner,” a play on the term “bedside manner,” which typically referred to the way in which doctors and nurses interacted with their patients in person.
Webside manner can be a tricky space to navigate when it comes to diagnosing and monitoring people’s health and illnesses. Fortunately, online degree programs can prepare students for this dynamic and prepare them with the tools necessary to navigate this space. By becoming accustomed to practicing webside manner while still in school, nurses will avoid the jarring transition that would otherwise happen while working professionally.
Take Advantage of Online Accelerated BSN Programs
At Carson-Newman University, becoming a family nurse practitioner has never been more accessible. By offering online courses and flexible scheduling, CNU’s online MSN-FNP program has made it itself the perfect option for working nurses looking to improve their future. The course can be completed in only 32-months, making it ideal for those looking to advance their careers in just a few short years. A staggering 95% of students find jobs within four to six months of graduating from the program. So what are you waiting for? Find the success that you deserve with CSU’s online accelerated BSN program today.
