Computerized Charting

Hey, we have a computerized system that we're supposed to use at the bedside....doesn't work, because there isn't room in the rooms for the computers to come in....half the time, we're busy doing care and can't get vitals in the computers right away....the other half, computers are slow and won't let us input on a timely basis....so, we end up having to chart vitals all at once, we sometimes forget to put in some of the outputs...oversights happen....Waiting to see what comes of it....

I used a computerized charting system during my externship this summer and loved it. Drop down boxes and places to insert comments made it very quick and simple to chart.

I personally hate it. It may have a place in parts of nursing, but it has no place in the ER where I work.

Yesterday, I had 3 patients, which is not unusual....but 2 of them could not maintain a BP above 60, we were pouring in fluids, starting central lines, hanging drips and doing everything possible to keep them from dying.

Then I got a 54 year old woman with chest pain that I was giving NTG, heparin, lopressor and integrelin, starting lines and getting her ready for the cath lab.

Did everything I did get put on the computer?? Not a chance. When you pull those charts does it look like I was doing all I did? No way. It was bare bones charting, but the patients all survived. So is that what really counts? Not to the chart auditors, not to Joint Commission, not to the lawyers.

Even though all my patients were on cardiac monitors, they are not tied to our computer, so all vitals must be put in manually. I may be checking BP's every 5 minutes and making adjustments on drips, but I can't possibly get it all in the computer. It takes longer to document it than it does to do it.

If any one thing is going to drive me out of nursing, it is computer "documentation".

We have laptops that we take into the room with us. They are slow and the battery life is not long but I love the computer for documentatin. It takes me longer to get through all my assessments and I do meds as I go but when I am done, I am done!

We also have computerized care plans which are awesome!

Med reconcialtion, fall risk and the braden are all on the computer.

I like being able to look up labs while I am in the room.

Just takes a little getting use to!

Hi

I work a BUSY med/surg-Hem/Onc floor. I personally LOVE computer charting---however, I could see where it might not be a good thing in the ER.

I do know that not everyone likes it; the people who dislike it most are people who are not very comfortable with computers.

At our Hospital, more & more is on-line.

Our charting is done on the computer; all of our policies & procedures are there; now , are competancies are all on the computer.

It really makes life easier, once you get used to your particular program, it's not really hard.

Before we started, I dreaded the thought, even tho I'm quite computer savvy. (I'm also an old DOS Baby). It only took me a week or so & I felt like I had been doing it for years!!

Good Luck

I use a computerized charting system. I hate it. A blank page of paper would be better. The program has had several JAVA programming issues that have yet to be resolved in spite of a program update. The program runs through a VPN, so it is very slow. In addition, the format is not user friendly and you are limited to the amount of words you can type in the vital signs and ongoing assessment sections of the chart. It is not uncommon to chart for up to three hours following a 30 minute flight.

we have medhost in the ER I work in and I agree it doesnt belong in the ER- if you have a critical patient- it takes forever to go back and chart. along with the fact- you have so many different places you have to chart- it doenst flow well at all. add to the fact some days its down, other days its so darn slow.. maybe for fast track or on the medical side but thats about it. I wouldnt ever think about using it in a code.

We have computerised med charts - they are good except for the day when nobody could log in - that was really great, our patients meds were delayed by an hour!