5 Digital Skills for Nurses: A Comprehensive Guide

November 3, 2022

Planning to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)? Wondering about the skills required for nurses at the moment? Are you not sure what digital skills for nurses are required to shine in the nursing field? Worry not!

In this article, you will learn more about the general and digital skills required for CNAs in the healthcare industry and some tips to improve your digital skills.

Skills Required for Nurses

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are professionals who work closely with patients and members of the healthcare team. It is very much required for CNAs to have the right skills to be able to stand out among their coworkers.

CNAs assist patients to perform their daily activities. They are also responsible for patient safety and care for all the patients under their care. It is essential for CNAs to have all the required skills to perform their tasks efficiently.

Let’s discuss some of the general skills required for CNAs to perform tasks efficiently at work.

Good communication skills.
Strong attention to detail.
Consistency.
Flexibility.
Good knowledge of medical terminologies.
Patience.

Apart from these general skills, CNAs are highly expected to have digital skills as well. In this digital era, it is essential for a CNA to be aware of how things work digitally in the healthcare industry.

Now, let’s learn about some of the digital skills for nurses that are highly required to know to stand out in the healthcare industry.

5 Digital Skills for Nurses

In this digital age, the healthcare industry is rapidly adapting to handling things digitally. It is essential for all healthcare professionals to be educated on handling digital files.

They need to be well-trained to use digital skills in their respective fields. As a Certified Nursing Assistant, it is important to be aware of some of the digital skills for nurses that are required to perform tasks efficiently. These digital skills for nurses help CNAs shine and advance in the healthcare industry.

Some of the digital skills for nurses are as follows:

Data Handling.
Technical Proficiency.
Digital Creation.
Patient Details.
Communication.

Let’s dive into some more details about the digital skills for nurses that you may need.

DATA HANDLING

The first on the list of digital skills for nurses is Data Handling. As a CNA, you will be required to record and maintain patients’ data and records. Maintaining patient records on paper and in files is long gone. Patient records are now stored, shared, and handled digitally. So, as a CNA, it is an essential requirement to be aware of how patient records and other data are digitally managed.

TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY

The second on the list of digital skills for nurses is Technical Proficiency. As a Nursing Assistant, you will be handling equipment and machines required to record patient data, perform certain tests, or perform certain treatments. As a healthcare professional, you must be well aware of how to operate this equipment and how to perform the respective tasks.

DIGITAL CREATION

The third nursing skill on the list is Digital Creation. As a Certified Nursing Assistant who assists the patient to perform their daily tasks, you must be able to plan the daily schedules for each patient. Most likely, it is difficult to maintain a schedule on paper. Rather, you can use digital platforms to plan your schedule and the patient’s daily schedule hassle-free.

PATIENT DETAILS

The fourth on the list of digital skills for nurses is Patient Details. It is a part of your duty as a CNA to maintain proper patient records. It is necessary to be aware of how patient records are maintained digitally. As a CNA, you may have to prepare charts based on the data you recorded about a patient’s health condition. You must be aware of how these charts are created and how informative they can be.

COMMUNICATION

Last but not the least, the last digital skills for nurses you should know is Communication. As a Certified Nursing Assistant, you must be able to digitally communicate with other members of the team. You will be required to follow protocols set by the organization you work for to communicate about a patient’s health condition. You must be able to communicate and collaborate with the right people at the right time.

Tips to Improve Your Digital Skills

Now that you have learned about some digital skills for nurses that are used most often, it is essential for a CNA to know how to improve in the areas they lack. Some tips to improve your digital skills as a Nursing Assistant are as follows:

Take courses online to learn how certain tasks are performed digitally.
Make sure to maintain the proper accuracy of the details you record.
Seek help and learn from your coworkers.
Enroll in training programs to learn more about new digital skills or software used in the nursing industry.

Wrapping Up

As technology advances, all industries are adapting to tasks that require digital skills. As a CNA, it is essential to adapt and learn proper digital skills for nurses so that you can shine in the industry. Make use of these tips to improve your digital skills as a Nursing Assistant.

If you are passionate about taking the CNA exam, make sure to refer to our CNA free practice test to take your exam preparation to the next level.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are the 5 basic digital skills?

Some of the 5 basic digital skills for nurses are as follows:

Data Handling.
Technical Proficiency.
Digital Creation.
Patient Details.
Communication.

What computer skills do nurses need?

Some computer skills required for nurses are as follows:

Patient data entry.
Patient record maintenance.
The ability to use software common in the healthcare industry to prepare charts in a patient’s records.

What technology do nurses use?

Some technologies used by nurses in the healthcare industry are as follows:

Smart beds.
Wearable devices.
Electronic Health Records (EHR).
Portable monitors.
Electronic IV Management.