Diagnosing orthopedic symptoms can be tricky. X-rays, for example, don't tell you a lot about tendons and ligaments that are often responsible for joint pain. More advanced testing, like MRI, is costly, and often requires prior authorization from insurance companies leading to a delay in treatment. While there are a number of clinical orthopedic exam maneuvers that indicate the exact type of injury and help lead nurse practitioners to a diagnosis, the specifics of these exam techniques can be difficult to recall on the spot. 

Reduced levels of productivity and distraction aren’t the only personnel issues that can arise when nurse practitioners use their phones at work. Because smartphones are essentially handheld computers, the stored information is just as susceptible to being hacked as your laptop. This means that if you use your mobile device in your NP practice without precaution, a patient’s protected health information can be easily accessed and transmitted, quickly putting you in violation of HIPAA and your integrity at risk.