Teaching Tech: The Challenges of Making IT Work Across Generations

Start a discussion among nurses about adopting a new technology, and watch the generation gaps play out across the assembled faces.

Nurses fresh out of school are apt to look bored. Whatever device and whatever software you're putting in their hands, they've been there, done that. They likely did it this morning on their way to work—listening to iPods, watching “The Daily Show” on their cell phones, wirelessly accessing The New York Times on their laptops. Of course you need to get some more technology onto the floor. Why wouldn't you?

Some mid-career nurses, for their part, likely will roll their eyes and think to themselves, “Here we go again. Yet another boardroom brainstorm about how to make us more efficient. More training, training, training—how long is this going to pull me off the floor?”

Veteran nurses, well, you might see some fear reflected in those eyes. “We've got this job nailed down—why go messing around with something that's working fine? What's technology going to do that I can't do better myself? Why now, of all times, near my professional sunset?”