Computer Charting

jenrninmi, MSN, RN · Sep 1, 2007

We use OB TraceVue and I love it. Postpartem is still on paper though. I believe it will be another year before postpartum switches to computer. With carpel tunnel and tendonitis in my right hand, I can hardly imagine charting l&d on paper.

DEB52 · Sep 1, 2007

At the beginning of Aug our L/D and Antepartum units went to computer charting with OBTV. It has been a very trying ,stressful and educating time for everyone. Of course, it has also been a very busy month. Everyone is trying to adjust to this and the kinks are being worked out. (hopefully) This fall others units in our OB dept will be switched over to it. I know that change is going to occur. I have seen it often in nursing and in the hospital. But many times it hurts as the change is happening. It is only much later that we say , Thank God we made it through that.

airtranchick · Sep 14, 2007

We are going to start computerized charting in the next couple of months with the WatchChild system. Is anyone else using this system? How does everyone like it?

We use watchchild at my hospital and it is the greatest thing iv seen. you dont have to be a wiz to use it. The best it transposes all ur data to other users,e.g if the dr wants to check vitals, see ur notes and the pain level without even talking to the nurse.

It keeps the nurses on thier toes so it is best to chart as you go

it also has possible recurring phrases e.g fundus firm, pt educated to pit inducttion or augmentation....so u dont have to type the same stuff all the time

Good Luck

cassioo, RN · Sep 16, 2007

We don't have it yet but it's coming this year YIPPY. I've taught nursing clinicals at a couple of hospitals that have it and love it...I can also type over 100 words per minute on an old selectric typewriter (the kind with the ball for you young ones that have only worked computers I learned on an old royal with carbon paper LOL) I love the computer I've been online over 10 years now and my husband has a degree in IT and used to work IT at a local hospital and in the USAF for 20 years before that (ashamed to say we have 3 running ones online in our house right now and I don't know how many outdated ones in the basement) YEA for computer charting

mugwump · Sep 16, 2007

OK here is a laugh, our fetal monitoring program is traceview, our charthing is IPROB, the rest of the hospital for labs and such uses cerner, IPROB doesn't talk to cerner so when we order somehting in IPROB it prints out a sheet to the secratary to order it in CERNER. we still have to put height wieght and allergies in cerner for pharmacy. we can requests meds from pharmacy in IPROB but pharmacy doesn't like that so we have to do that in cerner, cerner does talk to IPROB for some things it will flow some lab results so we can see them in IPROB but others don't so then we have to look in cerner. Wait it gets better. The hospital has a bed board system Premise so we have to look in premise to see if out patients have been placed in a bed. So that is 4 computer systems that we have to work with (not fun)

l&drn4u · Nov 9, 2007

I agree that IPROB is not user friendly and is sooo time consuming. I often feel rushed to complete patient care so that I can go nurse the computer. The idea behind IPROB is good, it just does not work well clinically.

waterfall99 · Nov 12, 2007

I am at a hospital that just did "go live" with Cerner, and let me tell you, it SUCKS big time, it is NOT user friendly for OB, it's tedious and stupid, NOT to mention the program for our OR, called "surginet" it's a joke.

I've used Cerner, for little things at other hosp, and it wasn't as bad, because we still used our paper flowsheets.

Here, they're doing physician order entry, and it's kinda cool, no more paper orders.

I've used watchchild, before and LOVE IT, also QS is good, too.

There are so many better systems then Cerner, that's for sure.

BirthCenterRN · Nov 13, 2007

We also have computer charting and I love it. We are only half way there though. We still do the qshift assessment and labor notes on paper but everything else is computer.

We have laptops for each L&D nurse. You can move the laptop from the nurse alcove outside of the room to a pull down desk inside of the room next to the monitor.

cpassmore30 · May 31, 2009

We have computer charting and it is set up as the paper L & D record, with same sections for Cervical exams, Fetal monitoring, etc as paper charting. It is pretty easy to use, but I am still getting used to finding where everything is on the computer. Much slower than just typing in a block charting method.

LDRNMOMMY, BSN, RN · May 31, 2009

I no longer work where I worked when I replied to this thread 2 years ago. I now work in a military hospital that does not use OB tracevue! :down: They use a computer charting system called Essentris. It is used by all inpatient units at the hospital and was tweaked for L&D. I prefer OB Tracevue.

MomBabyUnitRN · Jun 2, 2009

We use the QS system, and have a computer in each labor room to chart on. We also have a portable computer on wheels for each triage bed. Since I grew up on computers (essentially) I love, love, LOVE computer charting!! Our system is set up where you click on particular tabs in the program, and then either click your choice, or hand type in your charting (ex: fhr, contraction frequency, duration, etc). You can also free text with an unlimited number of characters under the "nurse's notes" section.
The downside to computerized charting in L&D - when the computer system goes down, then the strips are not saved, nor can you chart on the computers (obviously). Then, we have to physically save the paper strips, and we have to chart on downtime forms (paper charting forms). The newer nurses have never done the paper charting, except when the computers are down, so they flip out, because they don't know where things are on the paper. The "older" nurses who used to chart only on paper don't mind the paper quite so much, when it needs to be used, but, for the most part, everyone likes the computerized charting the best.
I really feel that it saves time, especially if you're a fast typer.

We also use QS. It blends the L/D part of the chart into the MBU part of the chart and you can also chart on the infant as well with a link. It's a fabulous program which is pretty user friendly. We have computers in each patient room and we also have computers on wheels for those computers that might be on the fritz. We have three computers at the nurses station that nurses can chart on up there. I like it much better than hand writing all my charting.