Learning Program Involving Electronic Health Records

The implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in hospitals signifies the sociocultural shift towards ever-advancing technology. EHRs aim to improve hospital functionality and patient care through the minimization of error and the streamlining of organization and record-keeping on a broader nationwide healthcare record system. “It has been shown in several studies that the use of an information system was conducive to more complete and accurate documentation by health care professionals” (Hayrinen, Saranto & Nykanen, 2008). However, proper training is necessary to avoid setbacks, technical errors, and employee frustration. My position as a student allows me to learn EHRs from the beginning of my nursing education. That, coupled with my level of technical literacy, predisposes me to quickly learn the system. Still, it is important to take into consideration the fact that many nurses are not as comfortable with technology and therefore face a steeper learning curve. As such, I would design a learning program centered on five primary points: preliminary identification of nurses’ levels of computer skills and providing basic training to supplement those skills, the designation of a handful of tech-savvy nurses to be point-people in helping specific groups of nurses learn the system, focusing on training nurses specifically in only the areas that they need to use, making a concerted effort to collect employee feedback and tweaking the training process accordingly, and finally to take advantage of online resources generally provided by EHR vendors. It is important to note that some nurses resist the system for issues such as the belief that “records hindered nursing work through impaired critical thinking, decreased interdisciplinary communication, and high demand on work time… the use of [EHRs} enabled them to provide safer care but decreased quality of care” (Kossman & Scheidenhelm, 2008). To this end, I would also include bedside nurses in establishing guidelines, increasing speed of system use, and in selecting a system that streamlines processes to encourage bedside use and care.

References

Hayrinen, K., Saranto, K., & Nykanen, P. (2008). Definition, structure, content, use and impacts of electronic health records: A review of the research literature. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 77(5), 291-304.

Kossman, S. P., & Scheidenhelm, S. L. (2008). Nurses' perceptions of the impact of electronic health records on work and patient outcomes. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 26(2), 69-77.