Computer Charting -- Do you like it or hate it?

Nurses General Nursing

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Just curious how the nurses onboard feel about computer charting? Does it make things easier for the nurses or more difficult? Do you get off work in time, or are you having to stay later to chart because it's all done by computer?

Thanks for your responses! :nurse:

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Meditech is DOS based/driven. Need I say more? anyone Even REMEMBER what DOS was????

It is a waste of time, money, paper and our talents. It should be scrapped. And EMAR along with it.

My DON has just started a pilot program where I work, for some computer charting.

It's supposed to be designed that we chart our medications by the computer.

We have a station set up with a med cart in one home, where about 20 of our people live. The people served come to the nurse one at at time for their medication.

We pull their name up, it gives their meds, we administer and then chart it on the computer.

Well, the concept is good, but it's a pain the a$$.

Sometimes it won't let me log on, sometimes the computer just won't do anything at all, the mouse was frozen yesterday for the dayshift, but started working for me last night. Go figure.

We can never contact the guy who is the, whatever you call him, the "daddy" of this program.

One person's meds never show up on the screen, it's just as if he's never been entered at all.

Talkabout a mess. It is not dependable, and I will never trust it.

We still have a regular way of charting, the old fashioned MARs, which I take the book with me to the home, so I can be sure my med pass is still done right.

This computer program was supposed to be a 3 month trial and it's going over a year now, with no real progress. It's just there, something extra for us to do.

If she ever gets them in all 7 homes, well, let's just say, I'm praying every day my retirement gets here before all 7 homes get this stupid computer.

I have workerd with decent Meditech systems, but I went to an agency job last month that had the 'latest' update to meditech and it was awful, completely different.

Of course in ICU I totally prefer a 3 page cardboard nurses note/graphics combo personally. Like most ICU nurses (and docs) do. Everything right there, no hunting....

Our docs(when meditech was instituted) insisted the nurses 'print out' vitals rounding sheets for them everyday, they 'didn't have time' to hunt for them in the computer. A nurses' work is never done. :rolleyes:

I used to get those prima donna demands. I just didn't do it for them.

Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.

Hi

We started computer charting in sept. After a period of a couple of weeks, I have learned to LOVE it!! It cuts down on the time I spend charting. Gives me a bit more time for Pt. care.

Our Docs are starting it now & I like that part too. Some of them like it, some don't.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

IF computer charting did as it was intended, we all would love it. Sadly, some systems are a bigger bog than they are worth. And the reams of paper they waste, scandalous.

Specializes in NICU.

I love computer charting. I can always read what the other nurses wrote, and I also like that I can make decent descriptions of wounds and such without having to fit my note on a teeny tiny line-- you never run out of room! Titrating drips is easier in regards to your I/O because the computer can calculate intakes even if you are titrating up and down several times an hour. If I am behind on charting because I've been busy, I can make up for several hours of ICU charting in about 10-15 minutes.

I find computer charting easier all around. I suppose if our system had bugs or was slow it might be different.

We just changed to the EMR charting, lots of problems. Hopefully most of them will iron out, in the meantime we are dbl. charting, computer and paper. UGH. Plus, one of the most common probs. we have is with the nurses and the unit secretaries recieving the same pt. Once the pt. is in the system twice, the orders can go to either med record. Big mess. Also now they want the doc's to put in thier own orders and now paper hardcopies are not coming from the lab. It's all on the computer. Only of course, right now, no one can find anything, ever. Esp. if there is an MD after their name. :chuckle

I'm hopin', wishin', prayin' that it will all get better.

We've had pts have to wait in the ER for an extra hour because the doc hasn't figured it out yet. Frustrating!!

Specializes in Critical Care.

I started using point of care charting on the computer over 4 years ago in the PICU and I loved it. It doesn't take near as long to point and click as it does to sit down and write everything out by hand. Plus there's a big plus in being able to read everyone's hand writing.

We have just gone to charting on the WITT system here in the cath lab and it does take a while to get used to.

Every system has it's bugs when first implemented. You have to get the nurses used to charting a different way, you have to streamline the system for your practice and you have to get everyone to accept that it's a computer system and as such there are limitations just as there are with any machine.

Unfortunately, it isn't going away as our society moves toward a more automated approach to healthcare.

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