Computer charting...love it or hate it?

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What program does your hospital use....we use Cerner. It's OK, but we still have paper charts that the doctors write their orders in. The charge nurse then puts the new orders into Cerner.

We still have paper interdiciplinary plans of care, moorse falls sheets, education pathways, and a bunch of other paperwork that could easily be put into the Cerner system. It seems like a lot of double charting occurs IMO.

Specializes in ER.

Where I used EPIC everyhthing was computerized, NO PAPER. It was wonderful when a hospital uses the entire program the way it was intended it is awesome. Look forward not ahead. The problem with all institutions is they have people picking these computerized programs that are not using them in the clinical setting. I know IT people need input but when I am the one who legally is responsible for my charting and actions I (nurses) should be the primary one picking the programs.

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

For the most part, I'm a fan. My last hospital just switched to Electronic MAR & putting the vital signs & I & O's in the computer.

I do think the med passes are slower, but I also know they're supposedly safer, and I do believe they are. It's also a pain waiting for Pharmacy to profile IV fluids and PRN meds.

As for the Vital Signs & I & O's, I love that they're in the computer. Physicians don't need the chart or the nurse to check vital signs. However, sometimes it means we almost forget to tally I & O's at the end of the shift. It's also a hassle when a patient is post-op or getting blood.

I worked at a facility that had flowsheets on the computer instead of actual flow SHEETS. I HATED it. When I chart assessments, I want to be able to see trends, and that is very difficult with computer assessment charting. (At least it was with this system). I'd prefer that to be in paper.

Jess

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I love Cerner. Did paper charting two terms in school, very glad that the facility I hired onto is 100% Cerner.

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Have Cerner, love it. Sure, it has it's problems. Some of that is how each facility utilizes it, though.

We have a handheld device for scanning meds and entering a little info, like vitals and i/o.

Computers at intervals outside in the hallway for the big stuff.

What I don't like is the flowchart-it is very difficult to look up somone else's assessment. If I were the designer, I would have all the abnormal assessments show up on the MD review page, with the ability to scroll through them and click on them.

I love the EMAR.

I hate how long it takes to log on each *$&) time I want to use it. I HATE HATE HATE that. When we first started this -- 3+ year ago -- they said they were SOON going to implement a type of scanner where it recognized your bar code on your employee badge and automatically signed you in, with a password. Hasn't happened yet.

We are supposed to be getting physician order entry in the next year or two. I'll believe that when I see it. THere are a few physicians who I think are either going to quit or lose their ability to practice at our hospital when that happens--they are so anti-computer and have fought everything else tooth and nail.

Mostly I love not having to fight for a chart. When I went back to bridge from LPN to RN, my clinicals were at a place that only had paper charting, except they did have some DOS format, antiquated, total user unfriendly system for scanning meds. It was horrible, trying to get the chart to look up labs, read other people's notes (if you could even read them, nurses are worse than docs sometimes), checking orders, etc. I didn't necessarily like our computer system at work until I did those clinicals; now I am a HUGE fan of CERNER, after I've seen what's out there.

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Specializes in ICU, CCU,Wound Care,LTC, Hospice, MDS.

I've used CPSI at the last three facilities I worked at (in two states). In my opinion it is written by non-medical people! Lots of room for improvement.

But I do think computer charting is better once you get used to it, and definitely much easier to read!

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Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

We use a system called MedChart for administration of medications. And we use COWs as well. love that term. But we use paper charting for vitals etc. I too love computers. But this can be so slow and cumbersome. And a couple of times it has crashed. Once for over three hours! Took them three hours to finally decide to print out paper charts! And then when the system came on line it had to be updated! Scary stuff.

I like the sound of some of your systems. Can we do a swap?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

I'm new to computer charting (Meditech) and hate it. I could quickly document assessments as I did them with paper charting. With Meditech, I have to take notes on my brains for later computer charting as I don't have time to do it as I go. And I have to check VS & IO on the computer instead of quickly checking a paper flow sheet, and often find that CNAs haven't gotten around to documenting them yet so I have to repeatedly look for this info. Now I'm expected to lug a computer on a cart around all shift. And the meds are integrated into Meditech making it more difficult than with paper MARS to figure out what meds need to be given and to document giving them. I wonder how many more med errors are occurring with doing away with paper MARS.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

My staff can find most documentation in 1 minute to get auths.

Been on McKessons' Horizon home care program for 5 years and love it....except upgrade time when some quirk happens and they need to download patches theerfore shutting down computers early, like tonight..........3rd time in 2 weeks......grrrrrrrrrrr.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Both love it and hate it. Great that once you enter in say the vitals that anyone can see them, hate that I have to carry in a laptop into patient rooms to administer meds. Talk about a vehicle for infection!

I also hate having to scroll through it - I worry constantly about missing something...

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Specializes in ICU. Med/Surg: Ortho, Neuro, & Cardiac.

Yeah, Epic is pretty good.

It's easy to use (fill in the blanks) and it's pretty user-friendly.

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Specializes in ICU. Med/Surg: Ortho, Neuro, & Cardiac.
Both love it and hate it. Great that once you enter in say the vitals that anyone can see them, hate that I have to carry in a laptop into patient rooms to administer meds. Talk about a vehicle for infection!

I also hate having to scroll through it - I worry constantly about missing something...

That is pretty gross. We have computers in every room. They get cleaned by housekeeping every time a patient is discharged.

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Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.

We currently use Ibex in the ER, but the floor uses paper....So we are now going to start using Meditech hospital wide. Ibex is so easy to use!!!! I really like it. I went to a Meditech (sp?) training class & it seems so long & drawn out for any thing you need to do. I have heard it is really good for MS but horrible for ER. Sounds about right......:uhoh3:

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