Week 8: Digital Leader

“Digital leadership is less about a single person and more about bringing together a coalition of power, skill, and vision that can collectively start the first wave of transformation” (Ross, 2014). Throughout this course, we have learned that the internet has been an influencing factor on how we interact, communicate, collaborate, and learn.

 

As educators, we must carpe diem, seize the day and acknowledge that it is important that we have a relatively good understanding of the digital tools/apps that would encourage a learning environment for our future workers. If we are lacking in this, then we need to surround ourselves with fellow leaders who are willing to collaborate and share their technological know-how with others.

Stephen Covey’s, author of The 7Habits of Highly Effective of People, noted that people who were able to use synergic communication, that is, the ability to open their minds and hearts to new possibilities, alternatives, and options are leaders (cited in Sprung, 2012). To be a leader in the digital age, we need to be open to innovation and welcome any and all ideas that may impact the learning outcomes for our students.

The top takeaways from this course for me is to be open to the many opportunities that I have at my disposal. My work environment is constantly changing and I need to keep abreast of any and all tools that will make learning more student centered. The “hi-tech” environment that I work in does has its advantages, but it can also be intimidating to those unfamiliar with simulation. The Corning Day Glass videos is a glimpse of what our world will be like in the near future. This youtube video is another look of Technology in Education: A future classroom.

 

Another takeaway is the impact social media has on both our personal and professional lives. Issues such as privacy, confidentiality, ethics, professionalism can impact one’s life either positively or negatively.

While I am away recuperating for the next 6 weeks, I am planning on using this time to review the digital tools that was shared in our past posts for possible use in our summer semester courses.

Ross, M. (2014). Digital leadership? Or leadership in a digital world. Retrieved from: leadership-leadership-digital-world-01100076#6lwulpMXB5Glosj.97

Sprung, S. (2012). RIP Stephen Covey: Here Are His Famous ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-coveys-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people-2012-7

 

Week 7: Emerging Technologies

The Corning videos gave us a glimpse of what the future will be like in the very near future. I can only imagine what size TV we will have in the family room now!!! All kidding aside, the time to respond to the call in training/educating our future worker is now. From the 2015 Internet Trends Report, we learned that the Millennial workers are tech savvy and expect flexible work hours. Others may see this group as entitled with a less than desired work ethic. From slide #146: People + systems + regulations/policies = Need to evolve /adapt to a more connected society.  How does an organization with varying groups of people begin to work together in a more collaborative manner? How can we begin to bridge the gap and expectations from this diverse workforce. This very question was asked of my department group the other day. How can we best prepare our students for their future profession? Are we keeping up with today’s technology to meet the demands of our students? My director shared this in a Yammer posting to our work group: http://dailygenius.com/periodic-table/  

The periodic table is a dynamic version of the ever expanding technologies to support immersive learning. As educators and leaders it is incumbent that we have knowledge and/or use of these tools to assist us in generating a work environment that encourages both collaboration and communication with others. Does the classroom invite learners to access the information needed? We changed the arrangement of both the type of desks and rooms at our university to be more conducive for learning. Students now sit in large circular desks outfitted with outlets for computers/phones. Large monitors on both sides of the room enable all students to have access to the day’s lecture. Faculty are becoming more savvy with utilizing more technology when introducing new concepts to the students. Access to information is no longer confined solely to our physical library. More and more of the journals can only be accessed online which enable the faculty to broadcast simultaneously the references for students to view.

There is now an over-abundance of information and knowledge that is readily available through the the “NET”. As Weinberger noted, this abundance of information “is more available to us than we ever imagined back in the days of television and physical libraries (Weinberger, 2011, p. 174). What determines “good information/knowledge from bad”. Will our students have the tools necessary to determine good and bad information? Kevin Kelly’s top 6 verbs for transacting information are: screening, interacting, sharing, flowing, accessing, and generating. When you look at Weinberger’s 5 ideas about networking knowledge (abundance, links, permission free, public, and unresolved), you can see a relationship between the two. The vast array of information that the Net has will continue to grow exponentially. People will be able to access, commiserate on its meaning, share/collaborate their thoughts etc. If all access to information is free, who will then protect private and personal information? Or should we dare say, should access to information be free? Who will it belong to? These are questions that we are now facing. We learned in past post that behavior towards others can be off-setting or consider a negative behavior/attribute (professional/business ethics, ransomware, generational attributes/customs).

As leaders are we ready to embrace the technological advances that lays ahead? If tomorrow’s workers want an environment that enables them to “have it all”…. Flexible work hours, access to information 24/7, a more collaborative work enviornment, work infrastructure that allows for changes in technology, etc, will we be ready to meet this charge?

“Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all.”
― Arthur C. Clarke

Reference

Weinberger, D. (2011). Too big to Know: New York, NY: Basic Books.

Week 6: Nursing, Ethics, and Social Media

Kuhns (2012), defined social media as “a generalized term for a group of online software tools that allow for increased interaction, authorship, and development of online content by any web user” (as cited in Lachman, 2013, p. 326). Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, flickr, and Linked In are just a few examples of the ever changing landscape of social media.

 

The increase use of social media has changed how we communicate and interact with each other. Social media statistics show that Facebook has more than 751 million monthly users. Twitter boasts more than 555 billion users. This translates to approximately 58 billion tweets per day (Lachman, 2013). Society’s use of social network platforms has grown exponentially in the past two decades. Healthcare providers are not alone in embracing this form of communication. Those who choose to use social media both professionally and personally must be cognizant of both privacy and liability concerns. (Hader & Brown, 2010). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 and the American Nurses Association, Code of Ethics for Nurses with interpretative Statements offers guidance for nurses in meeting the ethical obligation of patient confidentiality. “The patient’s well-being could be jeopardized and the fundamental trust between patient and the nurse be destroyed by unnecessary access to data or by the inappropriate disclosure of identifiable patient information” (as cited in Lachman, 2013, p. 326).

 

Nurses must therefore be mindful not to disclose in their social media postings any information that would inadvertently compromise the patient’s privacy. Facebook postings by 5 RNs in California led to their immediate dismissal from a hospital. http://scrubsmag.com/five-nurses-fired-for-facebook-postings/   Recently, a nurse in New York lost her RN license after allegations made by her co-workers that she photographed pictures of her unconscious patient’s penis which she later sent to them http://cw39.com/2016/04/06/nurse-loses-license-over-penis-pics/  These are not isolated cases. HIPPA’s privacy rule “protects all individually identifiable health information held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associated, in any form or media, whether electronic, paper, or oral” (Hader & Brown, 2010 p. 271). The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics (2015) noted in the following provisions:

Provision 5  The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth.  Provision 6  The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes, maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.

Provision 9  The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional organizations, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and integrate principle of social justice into nursing and health policy.

“Members of healthcare disciplines, such as professional nurses, are responsible and accountable for their words and actions in any venue and the online persona is inextricably linked to the professional nurse’s identity” (Milton, 2014, p. 284). An innocent omission on the part of the nurse for inappropriate postings will not relieve them from any possible litigation by either the patient or the hospital organization. Nurses must be mindful of hospital policies, federal and state laws concerning social media as well as the Board of Nurse’s and ANA’s policies on ethical/professional behavior (NCSBN, 2011). If used wisely, the nursing profession can utilize social media in a variety of ways: establishing professional connections, research, collaboration; promoting timely communication with patient and their family through hospital/clinic organizational postings; as well as educating and informing both public and healthcare professionals (NCSBN, 2011).

Lastly, I am reminded of the Florence Nightingale Pledge that was read to us during my Pinning ceremony:

…I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.

 

American Nurses Association (2015). Retrieved from: http://www.nursingworld.org/codeofethics

Hadler, A.L. & Brown, E.D. (2010). Legal briefs: Patient privacy and social media. AANA Journal, 78 (4), 270-274.

Lachman, V.D. (2013). Social Media: Managing the ethical issues. MEDSURG NURSGING, 22 (5), 326-329.

Milton, C.L. (2014). Ethics and Social Media. Nursing Science Quarterly, 27 (4), 283-285.

NCSBN (2011). White paper: A nurse’s guide to the use of social media. Retrieved from: https://www.ncsbn,org/Social_Media.pdf

 

 

Week 5: Networked Workers

I can attest that I am one of the 96% of “wired and ready workers” that uses information and communication technologies both inside and outside of my work environment. I had to call in sick this week. It did not stop me from interacting with several faculty members through phone calls and emails. I knew that if I did not get my work done that there would be problems to address in the long run. I knew I needed to rest but I could not shake that feeling that I still needed to get my work completed despite how I physically felt. This notion of being ready to respond 24/7 is very taxing. As a health care provider, one of the axiom that I address to both my patients and students is “self-care is important”. I say this but I do not adhere to my own advice. As noted in Madden & Jones (2008) article, the negative impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) are: increase work hours, increase level of stress, and increase difficult in disconnecting from work while at home. The need to set boundaries for one’s time is now a novel concept. Internet access enabled me to keep abreast of any changes that may have occurred on a project I was working on with others. I was able to give my input, with the caveat that I would be “signing off for 2 hours” to regroup physically. Information was exchanged in my absence and I was able to get up to speed while looking at documents shared on our LMS. Sometimes the problem lies with me. I “need” to be sure that everything is done on time. Other times, the sense of urgency that the work must come first lies with leadership within the organization. If telecommuting allows you to get your work accomplished, then yes, internet access is definitely an option. You do have to be focus and not allow for distraction in your house to interfere with what needs to be accomplished. I am guilty of being distracted while at home. I have found that working in a designated area, and behind closed doors enables me to be in the mindset that I am “at work/school”.

My young friend got a job at Google soon after graduating from school. She was excited of course to get the opportunity to work in this organization. Large commuter buses are provided at low or no cost for workers. Food is never a problem since there is a large cafeteria on campus with every imaginable food item available 24/7. You do not even have to go to the cleaners since that is also on campus. They thought of everything you may need on campus. You really do not need to leave. The number of hours spent on campus may be more than you bargained for but as my friend said, “I have a great job”. Needless to say, after 3 months there, she sometime wishes she was still at school since she knew that there was always an end in sight. “I’m hella tired!”. I understand the motive Google may have in providing all the creature comforts for its employees. Google is not alone in providing their workers with these amenities.

Pros: freely available internet access to workers

• Collaboration with others in the same field/working on similar problems. Geographical barriers are no longer an issue.
• Open access repositories allow the public to review/read past and current research free.
• Social networks- questions can be posed on a particular problem. Ideas/conversations with others can be done freely and rapidly.
• Telecommuting. Allows for the worker to decide how much time will be spent physically at the work site. There is no typical 9-5 set hours. Worker must be able to work both independently and collaboratively with others. Trust established with team/management that work will be done.
• Stress-free work environment. Hours/assignments can be negotiated with worker/management. Mutually agreed upon.
• Happier worker. Always connected: smart phones, lap tops, IPADs/Surface, Web 2.0 tools that allows for increase productivity and collaboration.

Cons: freely available internet access to workers

• Your time is not your own. You are available 24/7 unless otherwise noted by your employer.
• Less leisure time- no time for you to decompress/disconnect.
• Gray areas will exist: where does work end and social time begin.
• Employee productivity
• Increase stress.
• Information overload. What discerns good information from bad?
• Security issues: company information

 

Madden, M. & Jones, S. (2008). Networked Workers. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from: pewinternet.org/2008/09/24/Networked-workers

Weinberger, D. (2011). Too big to know. New York, NY. Basic Books.

Week 4 : Changing Nature o

I just completed my annual evaluation online and despite having used this program in the past, I still find it hard to navigate through. The main problem I had with it was how could I condense my year’s performance on a finite number of characters I could use. Since my memory can be short in terms of how many workshops I conduct each year, consultation I have with fellow faculty etc, I make a running calendar in my “paper file” of events I feel best suits different categories (I think I will use one of the web 2.0 tools I learned in the prior blog for next year’s evaluation). This collection of data is what will be used for my evaluation. As I was writing my anecdotal assessments of my work in both “scholarly and service” areas, I was struck on how the two areas are really intertwined. But I had to choose what example I wanted to use for which area. I was afraid I would be writing too much so I chose to limit or filter the data I would share with my supervisor. If the program was such where I could make hyperlinks or inserts to work that were pertinent to certain areas, I would have been able to “save” the number of characters typed. Weinberger, in his talk “Power of the Internet”, noted that the web is not limited to physical space. There is all sort of data that one can obtain via the net. “When in doubt include it all” (Weinberber).

The amount of data that is stored is mind-boggling. As Weinberger noted, data is filtered on the way out by those who access it.

 

Data is never lost, it lives on forever. “The internet is what you get when everyone is a curator and everything is linked” (Weinberger, 2011, p.45).

As the simulation educator at my university, I am always astounded how our students react to “meeting” their robotic patient for the first time. Students are oriented to what the manikin can and cannot do. During the orientation period, I slip behind into our “control” room to manipulate the manikin. Once the manikin begins to speak, the initially fear in their eyes changes instantly to “what do I need to do now”. Once static, the manikin of today can blink, tear, sweat, and with various software, we can manipulate the sounds of the lungs and the heart. I know that in the near future, the prospect of artificial intelligence being integrated to this manikin modality will definitely change how we educate our students.

I saw a facebook post on the Hansen Robot and was instantly taken on how it could be incorporated in patient/health professional communication. Students would be able to interact and communicate with the “patient”. At this point the robot is not super intelligent. The question that we will face in the near future is who will determine the regulatory oversite once artificial intelligence becomes far superior than human intelligence. Gates concerns on A.I. should not be taken lightly. Will we see a triad of governmental, science, religious entities coming together to determine what path to take? The fear that I sense is that we as humans will no longer have a sense of their intellectual or artistic wonder. The need to go out and learn and discover. I do not want A.I to take away our ability to question and determine what can and cannot be done.

As a leader, I would hope that I have the ability to take into consideration the sharing of information, collaboration and, communication necessary in working with others in an organization. Networking with others is necessary. Today I worked with colleagues from our sister university in Japan. They want to collaborate on best practices in teaching beginning nursing students the skills necessary before they begin work in the hospital setting. The exchange of ideas in the 3 hours I met with them will hopefully continue via Skype/Adobe connection. I am unable to “teach” at their site this coming June but have shared with them that I would be willing to lecture via the “net”. Hopefully I will get an invitation to teach in this manner in the near future. Technological innovation will allow for more interchange of ideas between our two schools. The leadership of both of our schools understands the importance of continuing the exchange of ideas from both a faculty and student perspective.

Weinberger, D. (2011). Too big to know. New York, NY: Basic Books

 

 

 

 

Week 3: KM

Week 3 Blog:

It took me quite a while to wrap my head around this week’s assignment. As an educator, I have shared with my students that “knowledge is everything”. No longer are our students mesmerized by the “Sage on the stage”, but rather, they want a more interactive speaker that relishes the contributions that students have to offer. “The mind is everything, what we think we become” (Buddha). Has the internet become the all telling mind? Weinberger (2011), noted the following, “The Net becomes more of an expert not just from the content people create for it but also from the links they-we-draw among the pieces” (p.60). It is not unusual for students to team together in search of the answer to a particular question. Within a relatively few minutes they can access any information. “Google” has become a verb in today’s educational realm. “I googled it and found the answer” is the response that I often hear. What they do not question is the source of the answer. The assumption is that their search led them to the correct information that would answer their question. Davenport (2015) felt that knowledge was intertwined between politics, ego, and culture. Listening to recent Republican and Democratic debates these past few weeks could give credence to this notion. My students want instant answers and as Davenport alluded to in his article, the search for external knowledge is so much easier and faster to achieve via the various search engines that they have at their disposal. What I find disturbing at times is the relatively ease that my students have in accepting the expertise of the “Net”. The challenge is how can we efficiently handle the constant flow of information that the internet has and how effective are we in interpreting the data.

The internet has changed how we, as a society connect and communicate with each other. The exchange of ideas and knowledge is constantly in flux. Technology is now the driver of how we connect with each other. Networking with others in any field of expertise is no longer bound by geography. Facetime, Skype, and Adobe Connect are but a few examples of how the internet has enable groups to meet. This exchange of ideas or social learning is predicated on trust. “Communications without trust are just noise, not accepted and never internalized by the recipients” (Jarche, 2010).

KM can be defined as the process in which knowledge is captured and distributed throughout the organization effectively. Leaders must reconcile how best to share corporate knowledge within their workforce. Shared knowledge can only be gained through group learning and work.

Davenport, T.H. (2015). Whatever happened to knowledge management?, The Wall Street Journal.

Jarche, H. (2010). A framework for social learning in the enterprise. Retrieved from: http://jarche.com/2010/02/a-framework-for-social-learning-in-the-enterprise/

Weinberger, D. (2011). Too big to know. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Week 2: Trello

Trello is a web 2.0 tool that can be used to both organize one’s projects, ideas, tasks, as well as collaborate with other members of a team. Think of it as a bulletin board where you can see what needs to be done at a glance. Each board is made up of lists and cards in which you can invite members to collaborate in the identified project.  If you are a visual person, then this app will seem more attractive to you. Let’s look at the following youtube video:

The white board that they are working on could be easily transferred onto a Trello app. The Board could be titled: Sheldon’s Conundrum. Lists could be Approved movies, Approved restaurants, Theatres with Icy, Movie schedule etc. You could also tease out with the use of “cards” what specific items is essential behind each list. Members could be assigned to individual list.

I can see the advantage of using this tool for the many projects that I am assigned to do at work as well as projects that I will be working on for school. File sharing through Google Drive is an essential component for collaborating on projects. Assignments for various members would be identified. As the Project manager I would be able to readily glance on the Trello boards what projects are/are not progressing. I wish I knew of this application earlier in the semester, it would have saved me a lot of heartache in my schedule. I had unfortunately labeled two different student groups with the same title. They both had similar course themes, same faculty, as well as  similar student cohorts. This affected how I collaborated with the various faculty and students. What was the collaborative penumbra (as Clay Shirky would say) that caused this? I identified my inability to organize the various web 2.0 applications that the faculty groups used simultaneously ( Sharepoint, Box, and DropBox).

Pros/Cons of Trello:

Pros: Free, intuitive, flexible, platform compatible ( iOs, Android, Windows, Wiki, Kindle App), group collaboration accessible,

Cons: Sharing of word documents only through Google Drive, cannot delete boards, I found the Trello websites “how to” format difficult to understand. The youtube videos were much more user friendly. See example below:

Open source, free web 2.0 applications can play an integral part in improving collaboration between groups. No longer are we confined to a local geographical area. Our EdD program is an example on how various people throughout the world can collaborate, meet, debate, and solve various issues/problems.

AlohaILD831

 

Ravin765

Are you finding rural healthcare providers in your community taking advantage of telehealth technology in the care of their patients? Rural Health Information Hub notes that patients in rural communities are able to “see” specialists without leaving their home community. Video-conferencing, remote patient monitoring, real-time access to medical data ( xrays, scans, etc) are just a few of the capabilities that telehealth can provide patients. Telehealth demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt6O_RLTRlA

Rural example: https://youtu.be/JstL39NaVvI

The shortage of primary care physicians in rural communities is of growing concern in many states. Non-physicians’ providers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistant can mitigate the need for primary care access. In the meantime, telehealth can be used as an adjunct in providing care to those in rural communities.

Your comments on AI and safety controls is of great concern. Who has the authority to decide on the safe practices/protocols to ensure the welfare of humans? Will it be up to the leaders (political / religious) of the world, scientists, and philosophers to make the decisions?

AlohaILD831

Reply to Creighton Leadership

The digital divide as you alluded to affects many in today’s world. When we look at this dilemma here in our own country, it is not lack of access but the kind of access. Today’s smart phones have the capability of accessing the internet. Many use their phones to access their personal and professional emails as well as gather information from the information. Phone apps give the user ready access to social networks, music, etc. What we see though is the lack of low cost broad band access for many families. “This creates an entertainment vs empowerment divide” (Hertz, M. 2011). One predictor of internet usage is household income. Another is access such as the lack of infrastructure in a community  (e.g. rural areas). If humanity has an obligation to promote the diffusion of information technology, I think our local leaders should look closer to our own communities to see how changes can be made in providing access for all. Access to the internet is especially important for students. More and more student assignments rely on computer access.  One’s zip code should not be the deciding factor for the “haves and have nots”.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KSkWalmV1s

Hertz, M.B. (2011). A new understanding of the digital divide. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-divide-technology-internet-access-mary-beth-hertz

AlohaILD831

Wk 1: World Globalization

Technology has had a far-reaching affect in today’s world. In the eyes of my mother, the world has changed in such a dramatic way that she feels at times she has emigrated to another country. For her, the loss of a “human” voice when attempting to renew a drug prescription over the phone was the last straw. She is not comfortable with technology of any sort and relies on us to help her navigate this unfamiliar territory. I do not think she is alone in this dilemma. The world is changing exponentially. The question that both Richard Florida and Thomas Friedman have addressed in their writings is how has technological advances influenced globalization? Has technology leveled the playing field? Friedman identified 10 forces that he feels led to globalization and world flattening. A common denominator that I see in these 10 factors is the notion of people being able to communicate with each other freely. There are no walls that separate the interchange of the flow ideas, information, commerce, etc.  Florida noted that with economic growth there has been a growing divide between the “haves and the have nots”. Cities that are able to support technological innovation through new infrastructure are seeing a wave of people migrating from rural areas to cities. New industries mean more people, new investments, new jobs which can translate to more competition between everyone.

I listened to Nick Bostrom’s TED talk twice. I could not help picturing the movie Terminator even when he said not to. Oh well. The thought that one day in the not so near future, we may see the computers capable of human intelligence that is far superior to us can be disconcerting. I cannot see how you can impart values, dreams, or ideas into a computer?

Communication is key. In my department we have had challenges in how best we should communicate with each other. What platform should be used? Work email, personal text, yammer, twitter, etc. What I have found is that we end up having to check several sources to ensure that something does not get missed. It is not unusual to hear…. Did you check yammer? I put the info there… or, I googled it? I can scream sometimes. I just want one platform to use. I don’t know how many times I have been asked to check Box, Dropbox, Canvas, Sharepoint and google docs for the same documents. It is always the same answer: “I just want to make sure everyone is able to access the information”. When is enough access points enough?

Lina