Digitalization in Nursing

Digitalization has significantly changed the everyday life of nurses, and this development is clearly visible at health centers. We handle a great deal of sensitive client information and use various digital tools that bring both benefits and new responsibilities. In my work, digitalization appears, for example, through the use of digital clinics and photographing wounds. We take pictures of wounds and skin changes and store them in a shared system. That system is shared with the staff at Tampere University Hospital.


In this work, data protection is paramount. Every image must be recorded under the correct patient’s information. If a mistake happens, we cannot delete the images ourselves but must contact IT support, which highlights the importance of accuracy. We also have a new service for assessing skin changes. If a doctor needs a dermatologist’s consultation, we can take a picture using an iPad and send it through a PADOC request. A diagnosis and possible prescriptions typically arrive within a few days, significantly speeding up the patient’s treatment pathway.


While digitalization brings many benefits, it is unfortunately accompanied by another trend. Healthcare professionals are constantly being laid off due to financial pressures. This reduces staff resources, but the demand for services does not decrease. Digital services, such as remote consultations and electronic referrals, are increasing rapidly, but the number of employees is not keeping up. This creates pressure at health centers and increases workload.


Growing time pressures and staff shortages can lead to an increased number of errors, especially in assessing the need for care, which can compromise patient safety. The benefits of digitalization can thus backfire if adequate resources and support are not secured at the same time.


The Future: More Technology and New Skills
I look toward the future with both hope and realism. I believe that digitalization will continue to transform nursing work even more. Artificial intelligence, automatic triage systems, and digital decision-support tools can ease workloads and improve the quality of care.
The nurse’s role may increasingly shift toward being a guide and coordinator who ensures that the patient receives the right care at the right time. However, alongside technology, strong professional skills and critical judgment will always be essential.


Risks of an Open Digital Society and Data Protection (GDPR)
The biggest risk of an open digital society in healthcare is related to the protection of personal data. The GDPR, which came into force in 2016 and was applied from 2018, has brought many positive changes. It ensures that patient information is handled securely and only for necessary purposes and patients have the right to know how their data is used and the right to demand corrections or deletion.
In my work, GDPR is reflected in everyday caution. I always make sure that images and information are attached to the correct patient, and that data protection guidelines are followed. GDPR has increased security but also added bureaucracy and administrative work, taking time away from direct patient care. GDPR also has positive impact on patients’ privacy and rights. For example, data processing is more systematic and transparent.


After all, digitalization brings many opportunities to nursing work but also presents significant challenges. Technology can speed up processes and improve care, but it cannot replace human judgment, professional expertise, or adequate staffing. It is crucial that digital development is pursued wisely, with a strong emphasis on patient safety. As nurses, our task is to use new tools responsibly and always keep the patient’s well-being at the center of everything we do.


Using ChatGPT to Reflect on Nursing Roles and Responsibilities
ChatGPT has been familiar to me for a few years already. I use it in my free time, for example, to search for recipes when I bake gluten-free pastries. I find it significantly easier than using Google search, especially when I want to specify which ingredients I already have at home. For instance, I’ve found a great banana cake recipe with the help of AI.


I asked ChatGPT what a nurse does at a health center and what is meant by a nurse’s assessment of the need for care. In my opinion, ChatGPT’s responses were mostly accurate, although they can be understood in different ways. The answers also somewhat mixed up the roles of public health nurses and registered nurses. ChatGPT also claimed that nurses can handle urgent care situations like minor injuries and infections, but not life-threatening cases. This wasn’t completely accurate, since nurses regularly handle life-threatening situations, often together with a doctor. ChatGPT did revise its answers once I was able to question them. It explained the definition of the assessment of the need for care correctly.


In my opinion, artificial intelligence is useful as long as you remember to verify its answers using reliable sources. ChatGPT is a convenient tool, for example, when keeping a diary of flu symptoms, their duration, and what medications have been used. Later, when visiting a doctor, you can ask ChatGPT to create a summary to serve as a symptom diary. I’ve noticed that when you ask ChatGPT for advice related to your own health, it often quickly recommends contacting a professional. This is a good thing, as it helps prevent anyone from accidentally receiving incorrect guidance.

Self-Evaluation: Learning Through Digitalization and AI in Nursing
Through this exploration of digitalization in nursing and my experiences using ChatGPT, I have gained a deeper understanding of how technology is reshaping healthcare work at many levels. I have become more aware of the increased responsibilities that come with these tools, especially in terms of data protection and patient safety.


I have also realized the critical role that GDPR plays in my daily work. It has taught me to work more carefully and consciously, always double-checking that sensitive information is handled correctly. I now better understand both the security benefits and the bureaucratic burdens that come with strict data regulations. Using ChatGPT as a tool has helped me reflect on the complexity of my own role as a nurse. While it provided mostly accurate information, it also showed me that AI tools must be used with a critical mindset.


Despite everything I’ve learned, I see a clear need to improve my digital competencies further. I would benefit from a deeper understanding of strategies for managing increased digital workload without compromising care quality. I also want to improve my ability to guide patients. In conclusion, I feel that I’ve strengthened my ability to reflect on both the opportunities and challenges of digitalization in nursing.

Blogs I comment on:

DIGI SOCIETY – Niina’s site

DIGI SOCIETY – Mind your step