computer vs. written charting............

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hey everyone,

Just wanted your thoughts and inputs in this subject. Our hospital will be going to computerized charting starting this coming April 2005. We already had an 8 hour intro class and many of us are stressed out. I prefer written charting over computer charting. It seems that it takes tooooo long to chart on the computer. I work on a very very busy M/S floor. I know that it will be a hassle and a big problem when we start in April. We are all dreading this April but we have no choice but accept this challenge. Anyways... just venting my concerns to you. Can't wait to hear from you.

WARHAWK320

Specializes in ER.

It all depends on the system/program. I have worked with systems that were user friendly and useful. I have also worked with the worst system on the market (Amelior). It was started at our hospital last fall, a very busy ER with about 70,000 patients per year. It was a disaster, slowed things down to a crawl and mercifully crashed and died one night. BUT, they have ressurected this miserable failure and are briniging it back next week. We, too are all sick about it. The doctors are threatening mutiny, nurses making vacation plans, and others looking for other jobs. As a traveler, I am fortunate to only have to deal with it for another few weeks. If it had not crashed when it did before, I would have never renewed my contract. From now on, when I interview for a job, I will ask about the computer program and would never go where they had this particular one.

Sorry for the rant, but it was really bad. On the flip side, I have talked with nurses who thought other programs were great and hated to go back to paper charts. So, it ALL depends on the program and how they orient you to it. Good luck. Sometimes I wish I was born 100 years ago!

MAR and flowsheets. I find that it is fairly user friendly and it is much neater than my handwriting! If we have a critical patient (vented or on CVVH), then we use the paper flowsheets. Good luck with the transition!

Jen

I think there was a thread started yesterday on this very subject. You might try and search and find some good input! :wink2:

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