Electronic Charting for the newborn/ Special Care Nursery

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2011

A few questions. Are you physicians trained to use the system so they can access information? What exactly is the issues you are having? You can certainly document moment to moment events in OBIX as they happen on as a late note entry. What I have seen is that they physicians no longer have a clipboard or chart to pick up and get their info quickly..which causes them to meltdown. OBIX has OODLES of flowsheets that can easily summarize the happenings of a shift, an hour or whatever you specifiy, and if you have facility specific flowsheets that you use, they can certainly customize for you. I worked for OBIX and they are very good at responding to customer issues. Why don't you give them a call..it may simply just be a need for refresher education or maybe take at close look at the issues at hand and trying to help you solve them.

Good luck to you...you have a great product, you just have to make it work for you now (and the docs).

dmenday · Jun 19, 2011

Yes, the physicians have had brief oreintation and training. There are 2 main issues: 1) The first problem is the "oodles of flow sheets" . It is the complaint that there is a seperate flowsheet for each area. One for Vital signs, one for Intake and Output, one for feedings, one for general systems assessment, one for weights..... They can't see everything on one flow sheet and the I &O's don't link to the feedings to calculate total Kcal intake. There is no differentiation between breast milk given and formula or po vs NG indicated on the flow sheet at the one feeding session. (I know we can chart it but it doesn't show as charted) 2) The second problem is with moment to moment charting when we are stablizing a sick infant; we don"t have time to hunt and peck each thing in each category where, when we had paper charting everyting got written down on one flow sheet in an instant as it occurred. Part of our problem is we only have one computer that we share in the nursery with more than one staff person and a Dr. and we all keep getting logged out or timed out so our charting happens up to hours after the care was given. I understand that we can customize. Any suggestions on how to best create what we need? We've been told we have one chance to make the changes in 120 days then we can't make any more changes for a year without paying big money. I feel the OBIX rep was around the first week to help us get started and then was gone and has not been around since as we run into new situations. I feel support has been poor and our manager doesn't seem to understand our concerns.

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2011

I agree with you on the hunting a pecking thing. I was frustrated with that module and that was one of my suggestions was to make it more friendly to the sick baby and the nurse. There are tons of flowsheets and I don't remember if there is one that summarizes everything into one for that module. I know the labor one does, and I don't see why special care wouldn't. Get together as a group and decide what you want to see on ONE FLOWSHEET. As you chart, it will flow over to that, but you have to agree on what you want to see on the one or two flowsheets and then tell them what to build. OBIX typcially stays only for a week after you go live, but if you contact the trainer (your manager will have the name and number) and let them know you are having issues, they can certainly help you. Or you can always call the 888 number and get to your educator that way. It is also very important for you facility to understand they NEED MORE COMPUTERS. Eventually this is all we will have and they have to give you the tools to be able to document.

So, get together as a group, and I suggest you get your physicans on board too....discuss what you want to see on a flowsheet or charting and write it all down. Have it presented to OBIX to see if it can be done for you, and go from there.

It sounds like you just went live with this not too long ago. I know you know this, but you have to allow a learning curve and time to get used to the new stuff. Its hard when you are taking care of wee ones and sick ones at that and have to struggle with charting when it doesn't flow like you want.

I feel your pain. It does get better though in time. Just figuring out where things live in the module is the hardest part. Hope this helps.