The Use of Personal Cell Phones in the Clinical Setting
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Kevin Besse, RN, MSN, CNE

The use of technology in the clinical practice has rapidly increased in delivering quality patient-centered care. Technological advances in the last decade have transformed the manner in which healthcare is delivered. “Nursing is a complex profession which utilizes the integration of knowledge, skills and competencies to provide patient care and improve outcomes. Nurses are knowledge workers who are responsible for the delivery of patient care. Accessing online evidence-based resources may be challenging for nurses as computers are often located away from where patient care occurs – at the bedside” (Johnson, 2008). Since the development of the personal handheld device (PDA), access to any online reference material or clinical guideline at the tip of one’s fingers will make all the difference in delivering quality patient-centered care. The technological advances have also brought a new field of studying in the nursing profession, formally known as informatics. Today, the technology that is available to the general public is astounding. The advances that have been made over the years have dramatically changed the general public’s personal lifestyle. A person today, more than likely, owns a smart phone, laptop, computer, PDA, iPad, etc. All of these technological devices have simplified our lives to a dramatic extent. There has been “an 18% increase in sales to 13.1 million devices worldwide [and] the PDA has had the greatest impact due to its multi-functionality use as a phone, a camera, an organizer, and direct access to the Internet” (Johnson, 2008). Technological devices like the PDA have also had a dramatic effect on the manner in which health care is delivered. At the stroke of a button, a person can be instantly connected to the