Majority of Nurses Believe Wireless Unreliable

Nurses using computing devices over wireless networks are frustrated with the frequency of dropped connections resulting in lost application and session data, according to a study by Menlo Park, Calif.-based Spyglass Consulting Group.

According to Spyglass, nurses interviewed were also concerned that stringent IT security policies impede nursing productivity, with nurses logging in/out of systems upwards of 80 times per day.

In addition, the study found that nurses are using clinical information systems but not necessarily in real-time nor at point of care. Seventy-six percent of acute care nurses reported that mobile clinical carts remain abandoned in the hallway where they are being used as a fixed location terminal.