EMRs for RN's
(This is an academic paper, APA format, though much of the format is lost in the blogger interface) © 2009 Ruth Molenaar Abstract When significantly new technologies are introduced into a highly structured workflow like professional nursing, there can be negative reactions from the staff. Knowledge and education are the tools that are used to combat that negativity and help lessen the fear. Patient safety is paramount to all healthcare providers and facilities. However, that safety is often compromised through various avenues, including the most basic: written documentation (the “chart”). Electronic documentation is one tool that can help health care practitioners provide safer care, if the nurse who is using the application does so in the correct manner, with minimal workarounds. This is more likely to happen if the nurse understands the “why” behind the mandates. The focus of this paper is to educate nurses (RNs and LPNs) who work in the inpatient setting on why electroni