Which outcome is most consistent with the impact of technology on nursing care in ICUs?

• A. Decreased therapeutic nurse-patient communication
• B. Decreased risk of errors
• C. Improved patient satisfaction
• D. Improved patient safety across the spectrum

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how technology changes the nurse–patient interaction in the ICU. Technology brings powerful monitoring, alerts, and documentation, but it also requires nurses to spend substantial time with screens, alarms, and data entry. This can reduce the opportunity for direct, therapeutic conversations with patients and families—eye contact, listening, comforting touch, and focused bedside dialogue that are central to patient-centered care. While technology can lower errors and enhance safety in many situations, the most direct and consistent impact on nursing care in the ICU is a reduction in therapeutic nurse–patient communication. The other outcomes may occur, but they are not as tightly tied to the day-to-day nursing encounter as the communication aspect.