EPIC ASAP Charting

[tedards1]

I came from an ER that used paper charting and then I briefly used MedHost at another facility. I just started in an ER that uses EPIC ASAP.

I am trying to keep an open mind but I dislike this software intensely. It is incredibly messy, disjointed, overly complex, illogical, and guaranteed to confuse.

Does anyone who is highly organized, efficient, anal-retentive, methodical, and detail oriented have any advice? I was given a woefully inadequate paper brochure on the software and an overwhelmingly useless 6-hour class on using the software though the class was intended for prior users of EPIC.

My preceptor has been very patient but I am having to memorize everything I am being taught as there is no logical flow to the layout. There would also seem to be multiple ways to do the same thing, a feature which I do not find endearing. I have always been recognized for my scrupulous and thorough documentation, but this is an extremely busy ER and I do not have the time nor the desire to spend half of my shift trying to chart properly.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

I liked prior versions of Epic, but I agree with your assessment — it's messy. Just keep at it and figure out your OCD pathway to everything you need to find or document.

[tedards1]

Thank you for the advice. It will be frustrating and tedious, but you are right. Hopefully six months from now I will laugh at myself for stressing over EPIC. Maybe I will even write my own how-to instruction guide for charting in EPIC ASAP for obsessive compulsive freaks like me.

[Cricketstar]

My hospital uses ASAP, we used meditech prior. At first ASAP was overwhelming. We have been using it for over a year now and I have to say I am a converter and LOVE it. Once you learn it I hope it will be more of a help to you than a hindrance. Good luck!

[tedards1]

Thank you for the words of encouragement. I was in trauma last night and my preceptor assumed I knew more than I do about EPIC. I did fine with patient care but I had no idea when labs or additional pain medication or a CT, etc. were ordered. When I tried to discharge a patient, it seemed I had to do it three different times and ways. I had to enter discharge vitals even though I had just put vitals in the flowsheet. There are at least five places to chart an assessment and the nurses keep telling me to make notes but shouldn't there be a template for what I am charting? I apologize for venting but it is preventing me from being competent!