Nurses Want ‘IT'
If it hasn't been documented, it hasn't been done. With such demands on a stretched-too-thin workforce, could information technology ease workflow?
According to a March 31 Government Health IT article, "What Nurses Want", nurses elbow-deep in paper work, do, in fact, want fully implemented electronic records instead of common hybrid systems that combine automated processes and paper.
About 10 percent of the country's healthcare providers use EMRs, according to the article.
In the Government Health IT article, author John Pulley reports the American Academy of Nursing Workforce Commission surveyed nurses nationwide.
They found, in terms of informatics, nurses want:
- computerized order entry systems to eliminate handwriting legibility issues;
- touch-screen or voice-activated technology for documentation;
- automated networks that collect and download vital information directly into patients' electronic records;
- hands-free applications, particularly wireless technology;
- smart beds that monitor patient movements and use pressure sensors to reduce the incidence of bedsores;
- interoperable systems that allow a full view of patients' records without toggling or entering multiple passwords; and
- IT that enhances workflows rather than disrupting them.
It is believed such systems improve the workflow while making a perceived labor-intensive profession more appealing to nurse recruits.
Adopting health IT doesn't end there.
When hospitals adopt these technologies, sustaining such change is key. At the American Nursing Informatics Association Conference next week in Washington, DC, speakers Ricki Willett, MSN, RN, and Donna Franks, BSN, RN, will talk about "Sustaining Integration Beyond Implementation."
They plan to discuss how evaluating facility culture, workflow and communication are imperative in creating a solid foundation.
So it's not just a matter of adopting IT; it's a matter of ensuring it is effective, practical and worth the investment.