In the age of EHRs and data sharing having standardized terminology is beneficial.
In the age of EHRs and data sharing having standardized terminology is beneficial. Nurse informatics specialists collaborate closely with chief nursing officers to guide the organization towards effective and efficient demonstration of meaningful use and standardized terminology. Informatics nurses are now focusing on reducing documentation burdens, streamlining processes, and leveraging data from EHRs to drive innovation and improve patient care. They use data from the point of care to highlight the value of nursing’s contribution to patient care quality. Examples include developing algorithms for identifying intimate partner violence, bringing healthcare directly to homeless populations using mobile technology, and using advanced analytics for predictive modeling to improve patient outcomes.
Reflect on how nursing contributions can be documented and highlighted through electronic health records. Consider the impact of nursing interventions that are not electronically documented and how they can affect patient outcomes. Discuss some cases where this might occur including examples from your work or clinical experiences if applicable. What actions can be taken to enhance the visibility and recognition of nursing contributions? What best practices would you suggest for nursing professionals to adopt in order to streamline processes, reduce documentation burdens, and enhance patient outcomes? How can these practices help in making the nursing profession more visible and acknowledged within the healthcare system?
Sample Answer
Highlighting Nursing Contributions in the Age of EHRs
Electronic health records (EHRs) offer a powerful tool to document and showcase the vital contributions of nurses to patient care. However, for this potential to be fully realized, we need to address the gap between the impact of nursing interventions and their electronic documentation.
The Silent Impact: Undocumented Interventions
Many crucial nursing interventions go undocumented in EHRs due to various factors:
- Time constraints: Nurses often face heavy workloads, leaving them with limited time for thorough documentation.
- Lack of standardized language: The absence of standardized nursing terminologies can make it cumbersome to accurately capture the nuances of nursing care.