I am looking for some EPIC documentation advice, tips, hints, etc. EPIC is new to our hospital. I feel we had the max training time allowed and overall I really like it, just unsure how best to approach it. I am mostly looking for the best possible time management advice. I've found that if I document assessments in the patient rooms as supposed to, I become too distracted by patient or other person talking to me or it just simply takes too long in general. Here's what I'm doing now. I begin my 7am shift by checking on each patient and doing initial assessment. I then start by passing meds, and then doing dressing changes and fulfilling other orders. I find myself not documenting until around 2-4 pm when seems to be the most common time I'm "caught up" and am doing Is and Os. I take notes and just go back and enter what I did in the correct time slot. This also is time consuming and if anything at all goes wacky, I'm still trying to catch up way after my shift is supposed to end. I also find that I am not getting to resolve care plan problems each shift; mainly due to simply forgetting to click on it. I charted very well and often on paper and I just am scared of not doing enough on this system.
I've only done one direct admission assessment and all the documentation is done in the room at that time of course. I must get faster with this also.
If anyone has developed a "system" that works well for them and timing and reducing errors, etc. please share advice. Plus, I am a new grad from May 2010 and recently off orientation so time management and getting a "routine" down is still not something I have mastered yet.