Advances in technology have transcribed new ideas and discoveries in the medical field. Medical patents have made ripples of change, innovation, and breakthroughs for the better, improving our quality of life. As technology continues to improve, how will this affect our educational paradigms? Nursing programs touch base on these great medical patients and incorporation of such medical patents will only shotgun medical practices and change lives.
One innovation that will be making its presence in nursing schools is a Bioprinter. Imagine printing yourself a brand new heart with the touch of a button. Two companies Invetech and Organovo based in San Diego have developed this 3-D Bioprinter, innovating on an old dot-matrix printer technology, the printer features two sides of print heads – one that sprays out a gel like substance that forms the shape of the organ while the other one fills it in with living cells. You will have a custom-made organ in one week’s time. This new technology will help nursing students understand the human body on another level – 3-d and instantly.
The creation of lab-grown lungs which are able to operate 95% of a normal human lung’s inhaling and exhaling functions and capabilities represents great news not just for smokers but for medical nursing students. Nursing degrees should encompass how essential organs operate, and what better way than a little help from artificial intelligence? The lab-grown lung is made up of life-like tissue that exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide, just like the composition of normal lung tissues, making the learning experience more realistic.
Another medical invention that continues to change lives and make educational advances in medicine is the advent of an exoskeleton device that may help paraplegics walk again. These robotic prosthetic devices mimic a natural human gait and stance, allowing the user to control his or her device using two crutches. This medical patient has made great contributions to replacing the need for wheelchairs in some situations. Since accredited nursing programs touch base on rehabilitation and physical therapy, this invention will greatly help nursing students understand how humans interact with prosthetics.
It is no question that as technology continues to redefine what we know about medicine, this new technology should be transcribed to the classroom. With medicine in a constant state of flux, there is always a room for improvement and higher education should always incorporate new discoveries, patents, and technologies into the classroom, familiarizing doctors, nurses, and medical students.