Older nurses taking forever to computer chart

netglow, ASN, RN · Jan 2, 2011

I don't see how I'm suppose to "help" somebody chart faster. It's something they do every time they come into work. You'd think they'd have gotten the hang of it by now. I could probably do it with my eyes closed.

Giga, you have some valid points. I understand this is your vent, you should have kept it a vent.

I lost all credibility in ya when you posted the above.

Have you figured out the other angle? Maybe nobody really wants to help you anymore because of your personality. Great if you can manage to keep it all locked up in your head. But should you have gone around showing your thoughts to your co-workers... Heck, I'd probably make myself busy with a stupid excuse just to show you how much I dislike how you behave.

"Giga, sorry I can't help you because I am waiting to belch. I just drank a coke. It might take all day"

Remember, if you might think you've got the upper edge, it just could be the older nurses opening the door for you to make a fool of youself, fueling the fire for you to get yourself all lathered up. And off to the races she goes evidence in hand to the DON, or IT. Do you understand how things go? You will have just given yourself a negative review without anybody having to have complained about you.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2011

I find it very sad and unfortunate how nursing seems so cliquey. Which is not to say that this mentality is not prevalent in every other profession, because it is. Thankfully, as a new grad, I have had mostly wonderful experiences with younger and older nurses, so I just don't let the miserable ones get to me, or judge all nurses on the basis of a few.

However, as a mature person, with life experience, I realized long ago that often, the interactions you have with people are guided by your own values, expectancies, and biases. In other words, the energy you put out there is what comes back. So when people arbitrarily decide to stereotype and judge others, maybe these people need to take a closer look at their own behaviour,

OP, some of these older nurses that you seem so annoyed with could be your greatest ally. In return, you could teach them what you have learned. That would be true collaboration.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jan 2, 2011

i can chart pretty fast (an assessment in 3 minutes or less) and when i see the other nurses sitting around, catching up on their charting when the early am lull comes, i wonder what the heck they are spending so much time on that i didn't? are they filling in things i wasn't shown to do? we all got the same computer training, but everyone else seems to be busier charting than me. i haven't gotten dinged by management, so i must be doing it right. computer charting is so much easier than using a flowchart :).

and i wonder what you're missing. if you haven't been dinged by management, it doesn't necessarily mean you're doing it right -- they could be just waiting to gather enough documentation to approach you with concrete complaints.

of course, it's possible -- not likely, but possible -- that you already know everything and everyone else is just not up to snuff.

pawsomepooch47 · Jan 2, 2011

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.

I cannot believe a nurse of 9 months and green as grass has the nerve to post this! In 25 years you come back and tell me what you've learned......

Also wondering what your idea of 'older' is--30?

Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2011

Well, Giga, I think your idea of a timed computer test is great. Nothing like a little extra stress to help the day go faster. And after that test, we could give YOU a timed test about how fast you can give your meds. And do a VAC dressing. And run a code.

I think the reason why other nurses aren't helping you is that you turn around and use the extra time to "audit" them - while making extra money that they are not getting.

pawsomepooch47 · Jan 2, 2011

You've heard that saying 'They don't make them like they used to.'

Looks like there are quite a few computer savvy 'older' nurses posting here!!

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2011

In other words, the energy you put out there is what comes back.

Joanna-I have found this to be true in EVERY aspect of life.

allnurses Guide · Jan 2, 2011

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.

this is the truth. :up:

as to the op - i've always heard it said that you shouldn't complain about an issue unless you have a solution. so far, no real solution has been offered by the op but there have been many by the other posters.

steph

GHGoonette, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2011

This is the truth.
As to the OP - I've always heard it said that you shouldn't complain about an issue unless you have a solution. So far, no real solution has been offered by the OP but there have been many by the other posters.
steph

Well, you know what the fairy tales tell you, Steph...Trolls aren't really that bright...

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2011

BTW, it probably takes me at least 20 to 30 minutes to chart an assessment. I can't do it in 7 min. I'm 37. I guess I'm old too....

lylenrn · Jan 2, 2011

As an older nurse i want to have a simple answer for why it takes so long to chart,but its not always short and simple so perhaps i can take you through an example: A few years back i was involved in a lawsuit against the hospital by a patients family. This patient had a poor outcome, and the family was very angry (understandably). I will say that i consider the click/point three minute charting to be reserved for pts that are stable walky/talky progressing as expected in other words probable discharges. When i have patients that have change in condition usually a lot of narrative charting is included (aside from the drop/point/click). I will chart when the patients condition changed who i called, what they said, whether orders were given, what the outcome was of those interventions. Whether i needed to go up the chain of command (nursing supervisor/medical director) based on the md response. All of this is timed. As you can imagine its also time consuming.

In this particular example my charting was extensive. I cannot tell you how uncomfortable it is to sit at a conference table full of attorneys (only one of them being yours) and answer for the care you gave a patient years before. It was the thorough narrative charting on this particular patient, my interventions, reassessments,etc that got me dismissed from the lawsuit early (after the deposition). I think it was the time consuming charting that made it evident that the problem was recognized, steps were taken as ordered and still there was a poor outcome. Unfortunately, some of the people that subscribed to "speed charting" saw that lawsuit out to the end (a couple are no longer practicing nurses).

Based on this experience in my career my motto is "either spend the extra time as care is given, or spend it with a familys attorneys later".

sharpeimom · Jan 2, 2011

when my a-g-i-n-g old eyes began to have trouble seeing or doing anything on the computer, i happened to mention it (complained a lot actually) to my engineer brother-in-law, he suggested i have a pair of what he

referred to as "engineer's glasses" made up. those are glasses with the regular part of your rx

on the top and the bifocal part on the bottom of the lens. he said they use them for reading maps,

plans, etc. i absolutely could not believe the difference they made in my ability to see, read, and

use the computer. jim said a lot of the younger guys who weren't old enough to need bifocals otherwise,

used those special glasses on job since they helped so much.