Post 2 Module 1

The nature of technology has effected American society and my role as a nurse in an immeasurable way. Every time I think about past technology and future technology my mine is overwhelmed with the possibilities. As I watched the YouTube video for this assignment I was reminded of how small the United States is, and how impressionable other countries are on our society. I think this realization of how small we are compared to other countries sums up the effect technology has had on American society. Before the internet, the message delivered to the American population was controlled. Therefore, the Americans heard only what other Americans wanted them to hear. Sure there is freedom of speech and freedom of the press but I feel like when a story was published or reported there was a strong emphasis on how great the US was and how ideal the American people were. Now, with access to information from all over the world, the American society has been educated on how great other countries are, and also have been educated on how large of a threat those other countries have the potential of being. Lastly, I think technology has opened a new door of fear for the American society because there are so many unknowns about technology, and at the rate technology has grown and how quickly it has evolved, the American society now has the fear of, is my role is society going to be eliminated and am I needed to help society function? With corporations outsourcing and thinking of cheaper faster ways to achieve quality and quantity, technological advancements tend to be the answer which eliminates "the man."
As a nurse, technology in my opinion has made medicine better, safer, and more efficient. With electronic bar code scanning, IV pumps that eliminate human calculation error, robot arms that conduct surgery more precisely, and electronic charting that can communicate from one medical facility to another, technology in my opinion has brought a piece of mind to patients and families.
On the other hand, there is still room for error, and room for patient's and families to track every step and nurse or doctor has made. This can make it easy for a patient or family to file a litigation against a hospital. There are still people working the technology, and sometimes I think healthcare workers forget this fact as well as patients and families. There is never a "for sure" when you are dealing with people. Everyone is different, everyone thinks different, and everyone responds to medical treatment different. As an American society we forget this.

Post 1 Module 1

During the span of my life time I have experienced a variety of technological changes.  As an elementary student I remember only using the computer to take tests based on books for accelerated reader points. In middle school, technology became more of a learning tool mixed with interaction and games.  This was displayed in social studies class by learning and exploring via "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago" and "The Organ Trail." During Jr. high and high school the negatives of technology along with more positives began to surface. During Art class in Jr. high we were told to search the internet for images of our favorite actor/actress so that we could draw them. At this point the security and abuse of the internet became apparent because a vast majority of the Jr. high boys were "accidentally" finding inappropriate images. At this point, the internet proved to be an avenue for a vast variety of educational avenues. During high school technology began to take different forms. During this time instant messaging and email were playing a large part in my social life. Cell phones were beginning to be very popular around my peers, and texting was replacing face to face communication. In the classroom, the computer was being used more for research. This is when I was first introduced to "CINAHL."   Also, in biology class we were using computer applications to test the effects of genetics on the feline population. Needless to say, if you mix the wrong species of cats together, the product is less than extraordinary.