Google, the tech giant that began as a search engine in the 1990′s by Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and funder Andy Bechtolsheim is offering new and old ways to enhance connectivity, transmission of knowledge, and collaboration for health care education. Unfortunately, this post is going to look like one giant endorsement of the company and its practices, and perhaps it is, but really the aim is to provide a short collection of links and an overview of some of the great applications by this powerhouse that can be used by nurses.
Below are only a few of the applications and websites in which Google offers tools for nursing.
- Gmail: It is so obvious that it sometimes gets overlooked, but Gmail offers an excellent way to hold, organize, and access large amounts of e-mail anywhere, anytime (your work/home/or any other computer). The advantage of this e-mail account and its free 7GB storage mail is that you get a google account which opens itself up to the other applications below. Did I mention the size yet? That 7GB of free space? Did you know it has 7GB of free space?… I am belaboring the point I know but currently my EDU email has only 500MB, which restricts my receipt and storage of documents. Google can additionally set up entire campus private EDU accounts for colleges and universities.
- Google Docs: Upload, share, and edit anything from a Power Point to an Excel spread sheet. Currently I am collaborating with a nurse in Canada and Texas on a presentation abstract with this application and the ease of collaboration has made them seem like they are right next door. Google Docs could be useful for students and faculty to share works in progress as well, without having to constantly e-mail and attach them.
- Google Presentations: Much like Google Docs you can upload and edit presentations and Power Points in this application. The great part is, you can also publish them to share with students, colleagues, or the world.
- Google Voice: Call anyone in the U.S. or Canada for free. Voice chat, video chat, and other options are available. This application is free and it simplifies calling people from numbers attached to signatures and in e-mails. Google Voice also has a voice mail feature in which you can forward cell phone calls to a voice mail system within Google. Then, it transcribes these messages into e-mails and sends them to you. HOW COOL IS THAT? (What if you could document all of the phone messages you get?)
- Google Apps: This great web page highlights and offers access to great Google applications for the general user, business minded, and academic professionals. Easily organized into categories, simply click the ‘Learn More’ header to get started.
- Google Body Browser: Although you need a more high-powered browser to make this application run, it is well worth the effort. I suggest the newest Google Chrome Beta which runs HTML 5. This great application is excellent for anatomy and physiology courses, pathophysiology anatomy review, health assessment, and any medical/surgical course.
Google Body Browser
Things to come?
Google continues to want to advance health care in avenues of technology, organization, and communication and is openly working on EHR systems with the likes of the Cleveland Clinic. Let’s hope that they can open source this technology for nursing schools to utilize, without paying exorbitant fees, which would allow nursing students to practice electronic medical charting outside of a system with protected health data in it. Likewise, Google has also recently launched open source software in its infancy called CloudCourse. This system is still in its beginnings but is open to development and could change the face and the cost of LMS use by Academia.
I have to say that I am lamenting the passing of Google Wave, which I used for real-time meetings and discussions with fellow Googlers that were then archived and I could go back to. Perhaps they will revive it? No matter, the use of technology in health care and education is exploding and Google is a company to continue to watch.
GO NURSING! GO GOOGLE!
By Terri Schmitt
Terri is a founding member of Global Technology Nursing Association #GTNA. Find her on twitter @onlinenursing
