Nursing Resource Considerations for Implementing an Electronic Documentation System

Abstract

Implementation of an or management information system (ORMIS) requires a significant commitment of human resources. The experiences of the personnel at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, as they transitioned to using a single, unified, computerized ORMIS are detailed in this article. Included are discussions of the nursing resources involved in the process, the lessons learned, and the work that remains to be completed for the hospital to fully utilize the system.

Perioperative Nurses' Attitudes Toward the Electronic Health Record

“…This positive effect on patient care is illustrated with improved patient and family involvement in care, efficiency of care, access to information impacting patient safety, improved communication, and independent decision making by the nurse. 8,9 Electronic health records also allow the clinician to focus on patient care; therefore, less time and energy are spent chasing paper information. 1 Medical and/or surgical and critical care nurses who use the EHR consistently reported fewer poor patient safety and quality outcomes than in hospitals without an EHR.…”

“…Nurses play a key role during implementation of a new system and staff concerns and frustrations must also be heard and addressed for successful implementation of a new system. 8 Additional research would be helpful to examine if attitudes of nurses working in the postanesthesia areas would differ from their peers in the operating room.…”

“…These issues may be attributed to attitudes toward the use of electronic technology or failure of the implementers to seek input from potential users. 8,14,16 Three general categories of potential barriers have been identified in the literature around implementation of the electronic record. 18 These categories include the following:…”

“…3,8 The future of nursing depends on a profession willing to be innovative in the use of health information technology and informatics to enhance patient safety, change management, and quality improvement as evidenced by quality outcomes, enhanced workflow, and user acceptance. 3 …”

Choosing an information system

“…3 If a process is created that doesn't work when implemented, it will cause delays and the staff and surgeons will lack confidence in the system. Today's ORIS systems are robust and the team must understand how to get information out of the system in a useful manner.…”