Video Disk Technology in Nursing Education

Abstract

Nurses and nursing educators alike rely heavily on the use of visuals, usually 2×2 color slides, in the process of communicating with a variety of audiences ranging from other practitioners and office staff to patients, community organizations, or student groups. The diversity of these audiences requires that the person preparing the material tailor it to the audience to communicate effectively, which can be very time consuming and costly in terms of both material and human resources. Optical disks and computer technology offer a means of cataloging, storing, and retrieving thousands of visuals to accommodate the needs of these diverse audiences. These technologic innovations offer tremendous potential for nursing education and create a more cost-efficient and effective means of handling large quantities of visual material.