Discussions are designed to promote dialogue between faculty and students, and students and their peers. In discussions students:

When using company-owned devices to communicate professionally, there are many advantages. These include improved security, privacy, and tracking for purposes of quality control, along with potential cost savings if the agency is able negotiate bulk pricing for devices and services. In addition, devices from the company could have special features for communication in healthcare, like secure messaging or video conferencing.

Some of the disadvantages to using company devices as a professional tool include restrictions regarding personal usage, a decreased level of flexibility for nurses that may be required to use their own devices in order for them communicate outside normal business hours and reliance on an agency’s technology and devices.

If I was the agency, then I’d choose devices that have a secured login. Although personal devices can offer greater flexibility to nurses, they also pose a risk for patient privacy. Aside from cost savings, purchasing plans and devices in bulk could allow the agency to improve the overall quality of patient care. This discussion was based on articles from professionals and websites that deal with healthcare technology, patient privacy, and communication.