Does your agency still use paper charting?

spitfire93 · Jan 24, 2018

Yes, I live in Maine and most of the agencies here use paper charts in the home. There are 100 or more nurses and perdeims that would need a computer, I just dont see that as being affordable for the agencies. My charting is one sided duplicate and of course the careplan,MAR, TAR and orders.

Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B · Jan 24, 2018

Paper charting here in central pa for the most part. Bayada here has gone full digital. Epic is attempting to use one from another agency they merged with earlier this year. Maxim has no computer charting in the field that I am aware of. Frankly I have not been super impressed with the computer charting systems I have seen so far, but only time will tell if they will get better.

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · Jan 25, 2018

Ugh yes! I have skilled private duty cases that are sometimes 3 pages for a long dayshift. I can type super fast (medical transcriptionist in past) so I am waiting.

AdobeRN · Jan 25, 2018

the agency I work for just converted over to computer charting. They set up a tablet device at the patients home - it stays there. I have a love/hate relationship with it - haha. Love that I no longer need to travel to the agency to drop off my paper work, pick up paperwork if patient is low etc. Hate that sometimes the tablet is not working properly, previous nurse forgets to charge it before leaving, or the previous nurse misplaces the dang charging cord, can't log in or it crashes in the middle of charting, MAR's don't seem to be updated in office computer in a timely manner - so that leads to additional charting that needs to be done, if you chart something out of the ordinary or chart late meds given the program gives an error - you then have to go and chart on the error - gets alittle annoying at times. The other thing that irritates me is that I can not see/read previous nurses notes - I only have access to my notes.

Paper charting was so much easier in my opinion.

caliotter3 · Jan 29, 2018

One time I was asked about electronic charting in a job interview and I told them that I preferred paper charting because it was more difficult for a third party to alter my charting. This answer seemed to be shared by the people on the interviewing panel. An acquaintance complained to me that so much of her free time was taken up because her tablet would not connect or it would crash while she was trying to do something with it. Her charting/communicating with the office always had to run over into the next day, putting her behind from the start. Based upon how my phone/tablet/computer act, there is no way that I would ever embrace electronic charting. With a pen and a form, I can whip out my nursing documentation as fast as I can and then put it into the mail. Done.

quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN · Feb 4, 2018

The agency I work for went to electronic charting on tablets that are in each patient's home. The MAR is still on paper. Paper only if needed. Personally, I prefer the tablets. I was with a patient one evening where we picked her up from school and took her to therapy. Since we clock in on it and are to start assessment soon after, it went with me. Much easier than taking the paper charting they use to do and make sure you have a place to write.

Kitiger, RN · Feb 5, 2018

One of my agencies just started electronic charting, and I have not been impressed. Sometimes I have to double or triple-chart the same information. Scheduled water via GT - for example - goes in the MAR, the I & O, AND the narrative notes!

Under each sub-heading (GI, Neuro, etc.), I have to write in what the care plan requires. Every day, I have to write it in.

Perhaps it's because we're new at it. I'm hoping that the powers that be will relax their requirements, given time.

I also find it frustrating and time-consuming to have to keep scrolling up and down on the screen to get to whatever section I need. With a paper chart, I could see the whole thing at a glance. Plus, I have to switch screens to get to the MAR and the I & O.

Granted, I didn't grow up with computers, so it has been a bit of a learning curve. But I object to all the extra time it takes to chart in so many places.

tami2017 · Mar 15, 2018

I totally agree with AdobeRN and others who prefer paper charting! On the tablet you have to chart multiple places, have to worry about it syncing, cant see your previous notes, have a 15 min window to chart everything you do, with paper forms its so easy its all spread out right there in front of you and if youre too busy to chart for a few hrs you chart later without needing to put in an error note and explaining why u didnt chart in the 15 min window.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Apr 14, 2018

My agency has paper MARs, narcotic sheets, and 485s. All other documentation is done via laptop.

My previous agency did everything on paper. It worked pretty well.

LilyRN99 · Apr 27, 2018

Yes. It's not bad. It's a check list by system and then short narrative. All documentation in the patient's home is on paper. The nurse supervisor creates the 485 and MAR on a computer in the office. We get the printed versions in the field. After hearing about other people's computer charting issues, I'm happy we still use paper.

Crystal-Wings, LVN · Aug 28, 2018

We are finally getting tablets next month! We have to do a mandatory online training session before we start so everyone will know how to use it. All I can say is, it's about time!