Cerner Computer Charting

The hospital will probably send you to a Cerner class. It will be difficult and time consuming to just jump in there with no training. I am not a big fan of Cerner. I have used it at two hospitals. Where I am now, I spend much more time charting than I do on pt care and that is just WRONG!

Multiple computer forms, triple or quadruple charting on the same items. I would like to go back to forms I can check and paper chart significant events. That would save me probably at least 3 hours a night.

Hi,

Cerner is a great system if it was configured with the daily life in mind. Otherwise you end up with the scenario from above.

Your hospital should have training available from the education and development department. This would be better than going through it via Cerner.

Cerner training should be taken by those individuals assisting with configuring the system.

Hope this helps,
Elyse
http://www.anticlue.net

Cerner was the very 1st system I used as a Travel Nurse. I adjusted to the forms very easily. I actually prefer it to other systems that I used as a travel nurse.
Nurses still need to use judgment when it comes to charting on the computer and know that just because there is an open field for charting doesn't mean you have to fill it in (if you've already charted it somewhere else, don't chart it again).
Each hospital can set up Cerner to meet their needs and different hospitals have different functionality based on their code level and what programs they purchased from Cerner.
The newer versions of Cerner are more sophisticated but may be a little harder to just jump in and learn. The hospital should offer, if not require, that you attend a basic orientation class to learn the charting system.