Integration of electronic health records in a Baccalaureate nursing program

Health Informatics & Technology Conference

October 20-22, 2014 Double Tree by Hilton Baltimore - BWI Airport, USA

Rebecca Jensen and Katrina Kessler

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Health Med Informat

Abstract :

Electronic health records (EHR) are required by law to help healthcare personnel and patients realize better portability of health information, while maintaining confidentiality. Students preparing for careers in healthcare need to understand how to input patient information, and then retrieve information needed to provide quality patient care. To that end, a Midwest university with a baccalaureate nursing program integrated an EHR into nursing courses. The integration occurred over several semesters to ease faculty and students into the use of the system. Each semester more students were introduced to EHR?s as they began the program. Student interface with the EHR system progressed from using case studies to recording findings during clinical skill labs to documenting care during clinical experiences. More recently, students learned to scan bar codes for medication administration using the EHR. Patient care orders were entered into the EHR as students communicated assessment results to the patient care provider through a phone conversation. Within the system, which is used live in a multitude of institutions, students in our nurse executive graduate program may be able to mine data from student charting for compliance with safety measures and other indices. Faculties interface with the EHR by developing case studies and grading student documentation. The EHR used in the nursing program has educational support mechanisms built in to allow faculty to comment on student documentation within the patient record. While some of the clinical faculties are reticent in the use of the EHR, they have been provided repeated instruction in its use.

Biography :

Rebecca Jensen has completed her PhD at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis with a specialty in Nursing Education, including primarily simulation. She is the Director of Research and Simulation, in the nursing program.