Times are changing and so are the technology needs of clinicians who want to provide the best possible care to their patients. In some healthcare facilities, bedside nurses carry as many as five mobile devices: a company-issued phone, a pager, a barcode scanner a specimen labeler and their own smartphone. Although the technology for a device that accomplishes everything exists, healthcare organizations are not there yet in acquiring it for their staff. Facilities know they need to provide staff with the best, fastest and most convenient mobile technology without compromising patient privacy or spending money on devices or systems that may become obsolete in a few years. In this feature, nurse leaders discuss the multiple challenges facilities face in making decisions about what they can and will provide for their employees and offer their insights on creating or adopting policies and procedures to protect patients’ privacy, the “BYOD” movement and the rising demand for mobile technology.
