Preparing for Epic HELP!

Take a deep breath. Some facts of life.... The scariest things are always those you are unfamiliar with. Nothing ever turns out as bad (or as good) as you imagine it will. Change happens - it's better to be part of the process than looking in from the outside.

So - I would suggest that you volunteer to participate in the process. Join the task force &/or committee that will be working on these issues. It will be a great opportunity for you to learn more about the process and have influence on the outcomes.

Based on my own experience, in-room terminals are MUCH better than having to haul COWS from room to room. The biggest issues are disturbing the patient at night (monitor glare) and associated noises but careful positioning can eliminate these problems. I'm sure that this project will also include a plan for changing the medication administration process.

Thank you! I will suggest a committee if there isn't one in the works already.

We use Epic and have our COWS. While there is a small amout of space on the COWS, not as much as I'd like. And really no storage places to put things like flushes, tapes, etc They are big, don't all steer properly (I always grab the one that has a wheel that is always pulling the COW to the left or right , and they are difficult to manuevor in the small patient rooms. I hate having to come in with the COW. Its difficult to get into the double room without disturbing both patients as well, then we have to place the COW close enough to the bed so the scanner for the wrist band can reach the patient

Many of our nurses have what could be descibed as craft organizers. Portable tote like things that sit nicely on the top of the COW. They fill them with all those little things you always seem to need but don't have enough pockets for....IV tube and bag labels, flushes, fill needles, alcohol wipes, caps for IVs, tape..etc

I think I'd rather a laptop in each room and maybe carry the tote than dragging the COW up and down the hall and all the other issues with having a big bulky COW. As long as the scanner cord was long enough to reach in all areas the patient might be I would be sooo on board with fixed laptops in the room. Just my $0.02

Be sure there is computer access, next to the pyxis in a secure med room, for you to use to confirm that you are removing the correct meds for your patient.

Scan those at the bedside before you give them. Epic is a great system compared to Mc Kesson. Less clutter at the bedside = more efficient use of supplies.

If you are at all a techie, be a super user. You can put that on your resume.

Thanks for the input! I'm already in the super user courses!

We are moving from Sunrise to Epic within the year! Thank God we are keeping the COWS/WOWS! I always grab the ones with drawers and fill them up!

Could they install a pull down small shelf/counter for pulling up meds? We have ones that are about 4 ft long that are nice but can collect a lot of junk from the patients, their family and us!!

Are you taking super user courses through your hospital or on your own?

Do you have an image or link of the pull down things your hospital has? I am taking it through work. They asked who was interested and I volunteered.

We switched to epic and our COWS were taken away as they were deemed a fire hazard in the hallways. Our COWS had drawers for basic supplies, and numbered drawers that corresponded to our rooms so that pharmacy was able to stock them with patient meds that couldn't be pulled from accudose. Losing the COWS was rough. Now we had to all jockey for turns at the accudose and pull our other meds from bins in that room. Then we had to find a little piece of counter space to draw up insulin, push meds, etc. As with any change in nursing, we got used to it. My biggest complaint was fighting for a computer to do my charting (sorry - I'm not charting my assessments in the room while the patient and family are talking to me). I also didn't like not being able to park my COW near my assignment so I could keep an eye and ear out on my peeps. Our new floors have built in work areas with a workstation and cabinets/drawers for supplies every so many rooms. I think that would work well.

I'll take a picture of one next time I work (if we have an empty room) and PM you. I hope my hospital does something like yours did with asking for volunteers!