Tips and tricks for FirstNet

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 11, 2016

I feel your pain.

Same thing happened last year at my job...still don't like it, but what can I do? *shrugs*

Hopefully you will have a better introduction to it...there are places where you will find yourself double charting; so make sure what you want to chart is WHERE you want to chart.

The quick orders are pretty cool; you can order meds, testing, etc under that model; plus the discharge education you can place under favorites for quick access.

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · May 11, 2016

I use FirstNet and I think it is a great charting system.

Key to make it easier for you is customization.

Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN · May 12, 2016

A lot will depend on what and how it is set up.

First net (and Care 4) have lots of tweaks and options than can be disabled by admin.

Saving your favorites does make it easier. First Net is all I have ever used so no idea how it compares to other software.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 12, 2016

I'm biased...I loved MedHost and worked with Epic...I find Epic MUCH more nurse friendly than FirstNet

MedicFireRN · May 13, 2016

A lot will depend on what and how it is set up.
First net (and Care 4) have lots of tweaks and options than can be disabled by admin.
Saving your favorites does make it easier. First Net is all I have ever used so no idea how it compares to other software.

Please explain "saving your favorites". We use firstnet and were not shown anything about this.

Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN · May 13, 2016

Please explain "saving your favorites". We use firstnet and were not shown anything about this.

It is for order sets (if your allowed to do it). When you go to add an order, MPP, IPOC, you will see a favorites folder that you can save common orders in.

Just create an order, then (I think) right click on it and add to favorites. I have a few that get ordered a lot (4/4 morphine/zofran, 4/4/1 morphine, zofran, NS, etc). Makes it faster for putting in e-verbals, and when on the floor I had the regular IPOC's I used saved so I did not have to search for them.

I will mess with it tomorrow at work, I have not added any favorites in a while.

outlierrn · May 15, 2016

A lot will depend on what and how it is set up.
First net (and Care 4) have lots of tweaks and options than can be disabled by admin.
Saving your favorites does make it easier. First Net is all I have ever used so no idea how it compares to other software.

Ah thanks for this (and everyone else), I'll have to talk to my informatics nurse and see about this.

outlierrn · May 25, 2016

One new question that's come up is how people enter surgical history? In Medhost, it's bundled in the triage history group that includes allergies, current meds, and medical history, but it seems to be buried in the bedside nurses assessment in Firstnet, as far as I can tell.

I've brought this up to my manager and the chief doc, but don't have an answer yet, so, how are people doing it elsewhere?

thanks,

Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN · May 25, 2016

Surgical history is in our Screening form (blue + on top left side, about 3 icons to the right of the red triage +), but again, it is dependent on how it is set up, you may not even have a screening form.

I also have a "History" on the left side when in the patients chart that has history, family history, surgery and smoking/alcohol/drug info. Again, dependent on how it is set up.

irishstormy · May 27, 2016

For bedside, you would look under the 'History' tab and then there are options to put in patient medical/surgical history, family history, social history etc.

ALSO it can go into the problems&diagnosis tab, as a chronic problem like "spinal fusion" and it will show up better for MD to see right next to all the medical hx.