computer charting

[luvbug]

I am rather new to this site, so if someone has already mentioned this, I'm sorry for bringing it up again. I am just very curious to see if anybody else out there is using computer charting, and what their opinions are on it. I think in some ways, it makes my job easier, but I haven't been out of school all that long (5 years since high school, 3 since Nursing school). this means that I still have at least some computer knowledge and typing skills. For the other nurses I work with, it doesn't come so easily. They still take it in stride, but they do tend to struggle a little more. They would tell you that they don't like the system at all. I work in a branch office of a larger clinic. The computer system allows us to correspond with that clinic in a timely manner, and everything that is entered at any of our other clinics can be viewed at all 4 clinics. for example, at our office, we don't have Internal Medicine doctors. So, if we refer a pt. to go see one of the Int. Med Dr.s there, we don't have to send a paper chart over to our main office, and all of that Dr.s notes can be reviewed by the pt's primary care physician. It is really efficient, and very secure. Each person has to have a log in number and a password, and it does keep track of who's been looking in charts.

Curious to see if anyone else has any type of system like this and how it affects their jobs. Thanks much

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

I work agency in different hospitals, 2 use computer charting and one doesn't I love computer charting, it is fast east and you don't forget anything. At first I wasn't sure If I would like it but once you learn the system is really is a time saver.