Epic Rover

[Ioreth, ADN, RN]

My hospital is about to roll out Epic Rovers. My understanding of the online training for this device is it is an I-phone with an app that allows some (but not all) access to Epic documentation. We will be able to record vitals, administer medications including those with Alaris IV pump integration, view and edit orders, I & O charting, and LDA assessment. Head to toe assessment charting and nursing notes will be have to be done at a workstation with the full Epic desktop application.

My initial reaction to this was "Great, another thing we have to use that will just slow me down." However after the training, I'm actually a little excited about this. I can chart on the Rover all the things I generally scribble onto a notepad or an alcohol wipe. Our hospital is ancient and the rooms are tiny and weird, so sometimes it is difficult to physically get to the computer mounted on the wall, especially if the patient is sitting in a chair in front of it. Also our scanners are corded, so it can often be difficult to maneuver between the IV pump and the computer if they are on opposite sides of the bed, often with other equipment in the way. I've also had the rare occasion when I've had to give meds in the CT scan room (no scanners there) or in the hall, and this would make doing that trivial. As long as it really is as fast and easy as the training makes it out to be, just the med scanning can be a lifesaver.

I have so many questions, most of which I suspect will be answered in due time and may be facility-specific. I'd love to hear the experiences of other nurses with these Rovers. Did they help? Were they difficult to find a way to carry them? Are they durable if one slips out of a pocket? I already carry a staff phone, will they replace that? Tell me how life looks for you with these things!

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

We used these at one of my former jobs. I liked them when they worked correctly, especially for iso rooms when I didn't want to take the whole computer in and have to wipe it down afterward. The major struggle I remember having was to keep a refreshed battery inside it at all times; I think I changed it at least once a shift. I could still use it for documenting if I didn't change to a fresh battery, but after a certain point the scanner stopped working, which could be inconvenient.