As part of efforts by AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC) to promote the clinical engineering/biomed field to students, the public, and healthcare providers, a member of the Executive Committee of AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC)  has authored an article about the field for the Feb. 2008 issue of the nursing journal, Nurse Leader.

The publication is the official journal of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

In his article, Ken Maddock — director of clinical technology services with the Baylor Health Care System in Texas — offers background on the medical technology management field, and advises nursing leaders, “to make sure you get the most out of this valuable resource, make sure that you have a solid and open relationship with your clinical engineering department, that you fully understand its capabilities, and that you clearly articulate your needs.”

Some specific suggestions Maddock offers nursing leaders in the piece include:

• Asking the head of the clinical engineering department to give a presentation to the nursing staff about the clinical engineering department.
• Arranging for clinical engineering technicians and the clinical engineering manager to attend nursing department meetings regularly.
• Including clinical engineering in discussions about clinical workflow when that workflow involves the use of medical equipment.
• Ensuring that clinical engineering and clinical departments work and act as a team.

To view the article, click here.

More information about Nurse Leader is available at www.nurseleader.com.