Older nurses taking forever to computer chart

[Giga]

I've been working on the surgical floor for 9 months now and I'm starting to feel like I'm getting the hang of things on my unit. I've learned a lot of tips and tricks and my time management has really improved.

One thing I'm getting really frustrated with is that some of the older nurses take FOREVER to computer chart. And from my observation a lot of it comes from them not "knowing how to use a computer" the same way younger people do. To do a routine assessment on a total knee for example probably takes me 5-7 minutes, and that's not me rushing or anything and only talking about routine stuff. The same assessment would take some of these nurses anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

It's a little frustrating at times when they need help with other things because they used all their time "charting". Or when I need help but they can't help me because "If I leave this screen I might lose it and I've spent too much time on this!".

And truth be told I think maybe sometimes they're doing it on purpose because it gives the illusion of working, but that would be MEAN and I TRY to give everybody the benefit of the doubt.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Small font?Edit and increase the font.Hope that helps.

might not be possible for a mere user to make such a change on the facility's 'puter. might require someone with Admin privileges to do it. In other words, it will require committee meetings, time and more time, a recommendation to fire the complainer for being too old or that the complainer, at the least, get glasses, etc.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

To the ones saying they're making extra notes or doing a more detailed version, all I can say is that is not the case in my situation. I know because I've been curious about this for a while so when I'm doing my montly random chart audits I've made a point to pull certain pts that have had X or Y nurse for several days and I've combed through EVERYTHING paper and computer. They most certainly are not taking a longer time because they're doing a more detailed job.

I know I'm venting and it is NOT fair to generalize. I was just wondering if anybody else had the same frustrations as me. Maybe I'm just stuck with some LAZY nurses that are stuck in their ways.

Who really knows what the exact trouble is with the nurses where you work? What do YOU think the trouble really is? How many nurses are you referring to? Have you investigated their work or talked with them directly?

Be a detective.

Meantime, do NOT give in to the temptation to badmouth your coworkers. You will only be causing pain for them but also for yourself when you find that they no longer like you and are no longer willing to help you with things you don't have mastered yet. And believe me, there are plenty of situation that, in 9 months, you have not yet encountered. Learn early, like now, to keep your thoughts to yourself when they are critical of others, unless you want to make trouble. If someone is dangerous, that's different. If they're merely annoying, be nice.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

Right. Seems Giga knows everything and harshly judges everyone "older" than her. Yet Giga wants older nurses to teach her things and gets angry if said old nurses want to chart thoroughly.

I'd love to know more about the bonus she got for what she called "random" chart audits on the "older" nurses. Giga back peddled on that one among other things.

She hasn't really said that she thinks she knows everything, has she?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I have thought of a solution. A timed computer competency test. So if somebody passes it but then still takes a long time charting then you know they COULD go faster but they simply choose not to. Think of all the advantages of going slow, mainly that you look busy when you're not and then you can con people into doing some of your job for you.

Fee, fie, fo, foal,

I smell the blood of a 'puter TROLL!!!!!

LOL, I love it. I am absolutely ancient by your standards, Giga, yet here I have brilliantly updated an olde, olde "nursery rhyme" and made it relevant to this modern computer era in which we presently find ourselves!!! LMBO

Remember, Giga, you are young now, but one of these days, you'll see that your best days are behind you, agewise. You'll get gray and wrinkled, start having physical ailments associated with years of backbreaking, veinbusting, hand callousing WORK. You'll be old and washed up but still need an income. Your boss will be younger than you, and on and on. Life and time have a way of causing us to wise up. And, as others have said, what you give out is what you will get back - maybe not today or tomorrow, but somewhere down the road, that payback is waiting for you.

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

I have thought of a solution. A timed computer competency test. So if somebody passes it but then still takes a long time charting then you know they COULD go faster but they simply choose not to. Think of all the advantages of going slow, mainly that you look busy when you're not and then you can con people into doing some of your job for you.

And if they don't pass the test, will they be able to be re-trained or will they get the boot?

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

We had a manager like that for 3 years and finally! she is gone.

This pesky overpaid old faht is going to a very mimimal schedule, since I'll be getting SS and will be limited to how much I can earn. Let the young take over....maybe I should set up a consulting service for nurses! Yes, I know how to take Paypal:)

You won't be limited re: how much you can earn. You will be limited by how much of your SS you are willing to have taxed - or reduced - or whatever their outrageously stupid rule is. Check this out, it's very important. But please don't say you're not allowed to earn as much as you want to earn/work as much as you want to work.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

I am a very computer literate "OLD" nurse and I have had great difficulty with some of the computerized documentation systems that are out there. Each of us were taught a certain way to complete an assessment of a patient and ways to document such. Computerized charting does not always allow for that. Each system is different, some very easy, some quite difficult. I find the more difficult a system is to use, the less nursing input was given at the time the system was designed and implemented. It is the same for automated medication dispensing systems. Some are easy, some are not. But they are set up for the convenience of pharmacy and billing, not for nursing use.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

And someone made an important point. The more automated we become, the more we nurse machines rather than patients. I HATE that.

[Katie5]

So your manager told you to target particular nurses' charts?

Hmph! There's more going on with this unit than slow charting!

So, how do you propose to solve the problem?

You're taking away more from the comment than neccessary-

"The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product."

If there's a recognised problem somewhere, then it is acceptable to find out the whys of it. What the OP might want to do it to take out the term, "mature"? It is instigatory,I should know.

[Katie5]

Originally Posted by Giga

To the ones saying they're making extra notes or doing a more detailed version, all I can say is that is not the case in my situation. I know because I've been curious about this for a while so when I'm doing my montly random chart audits

I've made a point to pull certain pts that have had X or Y nurse for several days and I've combed through EVERYTHING paper and computer.

They most certainly are not taking a longer time because they're doing a more detailed job.

I know I'm venting and it is NOT fair to generalized. I was just wondering if anybody else had the same frustrations as me. Maybe I'm just stuck with some LAZY nurses that are stuck in their ways.

OP needs to look up the definition of 'random'. She sounds mad that the "old" (read experienced) nurses aren't spending all of their time teaching her how to be a good nurse. Also I question the novice nurse who charts an assessment in 3 minutes. It takes longer to do more complete CYA documentation.

That gave me pause too.

[Orange Tree]

I'm always amazed when so many people take a thread like this one seriously. Giga? This has to be joke....:chair:

[GM2RN]

To the ones saying they're making extra notes or doing a more detailed version, all I can say is that is not the case in my situation. I know because I've been curious about this for a while so when I'm doing my montly random chart audits I've made a point to pull certain pts that have had X or Y nurse for several days and I've combed through EVERYTHING paper and computer. They most certainly are not taking a longer time because they're doing a more detailed job.

I know I'm venting and it is NOT fair to generalized. I was just wondering if anybody else had the same frustrations as me. Maybe I'm just stuck with some LAZY nurses that are stuck in their ways.

I don't get why it makes any difference to you how long it takes another nurse to chart, except that they can't help you. So why do you care?