Learning Objective #1: Identify whether personal digital assistants (PDAs) save time for novice nurse practitioners when used in the evaluation of clinical scenarios

Learning Objective #2: Describe how PDAs influence accuracy of novice nurse practitioners when used in the evaluation of clinical scenarios

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In the constantly changing health care system, rapid access to data and resources wherever patient care is delivered is critical for accuracy and reducing medication errors. Efficient patient care delivery occurs when the nurse practitioner (NP) is able to access information and make clinical decisions at the point-of-care, saving valuable time. PDAs have been increasingly used in nurse practitioner education as a strategy to enhance both accuracy and efficiency of the clinical decision-making process; however, a paucity of research exists supporting or refuting their value. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if using PDAs for the evaluation of clinical scenarios increased accuracy and efficiency of clinical decisions made by novice NPs. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Donabedian's (1992) model incorporating the concepts of structure, process, and outcome; additional support was provided by Benner's (1984) novice to expert framework. The study employed a randomized, controlled trial with a repeated measures design. Forty novice family or pediatric NPs completed two clinical scenarios. Subjects were randomly assigned to use either a defined set of textbook resources or a PDA equipped with a defined set of software applications to respond to clinical questions. The findings of this study demonstrated the value of PDAs in facilitating diagnosis along with medication and treatment decisions made by novice NPs saving them time and providing accuracy in the evaluation of clinical scenarios. PDAs provided a noteworthy addition to the resources available to novice NPs and supported efficient and accurate patient assessment decisions. As there continues to be an increased focus on costs and scarcity of resources in health care, offering innovative and capable methods for ensuring accuracy and efficiency as outcomes with patient care is of prime importance.