IMAGE: NurseGrid.com
Advancements in technology have been a boon to just about every industry, especially medicine. From improvements in treatment to tracking details about patients with electronic health records, the digital age has certainly enhanced the efficiency of healthcare.
Despite all of that progression, one important process that’s key in the role of nurses still seems to be stuck in the stone ages---scheduling.
Most nurses’ schedules are managed through good old pen and paper, but with constant changes in shifts and important status updates, a lot can fall through the cracks.
That’s precisely why emergency room nurse Joe Novello created NurseGrid, a smartphone app that allows nurses to monitor their schedules and have instant communication with fellow nurses.
The app is separate from the official schedule used to manage the hospital or clinic, but if any nurses want to share information, coordinate their work calendars or swap shifts, the NurseGrid app provides a streamlined tool right at his or her fingertips.
No more searching for co-workers numbers and emails.
Nurses can accept or reject “swap” requests.
“If NurseGrid is a personal assistant for individual nurses, it is a party planner for entire departments,” the nursegrid.com boasts, referring to the app’s coordination capabilities.
While other scheduling options have previously been released, the Portland based startup is unique in that it was made for nurses by nurses; it was created with nuances of the field that nurses working in the trenches can appreciate.
Brittney Wilson, owner of the popular nurse blog The Nerdy Nurse believes that more mobile technology is needed in healthcare period, and in her February review of the NurseGrid app in February, she shared that her favorite aspect of the smartphone app is the built in messaging system.
“You might know the phone numbers of a few nurses on your unit, but it isn’t likely you have the contact information for everyone. It can be difficult to try to connect with those nurses without this information. With the NurseGrid app you don’t need it. You can connect with anyone else who has the app and message them conveniently,” she wrote.
Wilson isn’t the only fan. The app really struck a chord with nurses---it gained users from 45 states within 72 hours of launching, according to Biz Journal.
Currently, the app is free as Novello works increase its popularity among nurses.
However, once he’s galvanized a massive nurse following, he plans to introduce the app into a subscription based portal that would connect nurses from one unit into the app’s interface.
The NurseGrid app is only available for iPhones, but an android version is in the works.
To learn more about this app, visit http://www.nursegrid.com/.
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