Strudwick et al., (2019) showed that informatics competencies for nurse leaders included such items as privacy and security knowledge, the ability to manage large amounts of data, knowledge of technological trends and issues, and effectively managing change. Offering formal classes to nurse managers can close the gap. If the knowledge acquisition occurs on the job, how can an organization be certain that the training nurse managers are receiving is consistent and is documented as having occurred? While the evidence supports the need for specific nurse manager training on the EHR, the question is what should be included in such training and how should it be delivered? The Delphi Study by Collins et al., (2017) showed that 74 EHR competencies were needed by most nurse leaders yet, they acquired HIT knowledge through on-the-job training. According to Strudwick et al., (2019), the result of nurse leader training is better informatics competencies among leaders, leading to improved guidance for staff nurses, thus making these leaders more effective in their roles. It has been shown that organizational EHR training programs have yielded positive results on end user confidence, efficiency and utilization while promoting patient safety (Kleib & Nagle, 2018 Kinnunen, et al., 2019).
EHR training should occur not only for leaders, but all clinicians. Education and training are necessary to develop technological competency, which is further solidified by experience. Oakes et al., (2015) identified that many clinician leaders may not have an adequate background to fully understand the technologies that are used for patient care and that impact clinical workflows, considering the constant evolution that occurs with 21st century technology. With improved knowledge of information systems, nursing leaders can better communicate with staff nurses and support the adoption of evolving functionality to improves patient care workflows. They can serve as a reference point for bedside staff and, therefore, it is important for them to be proficient in all aspects of nursing duties including the use of EHRs. Nursing leadership can directly impact issues related to EHR satisfaction and usability by creating a positive culture that focuses on staff engagement with an EHR and promoting EHR adoption and use.
Not only is there benefit in knowing nursing documentation workflows in the EHR but capitalizing on EHR reporting features that show staff documentation compliance with both organizational and regulatory requirements can prove invaluable for nurse leaders. Nurse leaders should have awareness of the value between technology and nursing workflows and the resulting adoption of health information technology (HIT) (De Leeuw, et al., 2020). However, the absence of a direct patient care role does not negate the need for and importance of EHR competencies for nurse leaders. This may be because nurses in leadership positions are not providing patient care at the bedside. While the importance of end-user training for an electronic health record (EHR) is known, training for nurse leaders can be an afterthought for health care institutions. Keywords: Nurse Leaders, Nurse Manager, Electronic Medical Record, Electronic Health Record, Training, Information Technology Background Outcomes: Using descriptive statistics, attendees reported improvement in mean scores related to system functioning over pre-test scores.Ĭonclusions: Due to positive feedback, this training will continue to be offered on a quarterly basis for nurse leaders.
All participants were given a survey using a five-point Likert scale to assess knowledge before and after class completion. Two subsequent classes (n=23) were conducted virtually due to the pandemic with topics including manager lists, audits, downtime, reports, and unit workflows. Problem: An EHR training class was being requested but did not exist for nurse leaders in roles such as directors, managers and charge nurses.Īpproach: A pilot, instructor-led class was developed specifically for nine nurse leaders in January 2020. While nurses in leadership positions must be familiar with staff nurse functionality, they also have very different system needs. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics (OJNI), 25 (2), Abstractīackground: Electronic health record (EHR) training at our organization was historically catered toward staff nurses. Electronic health record training for nurse leaders. CITATION: Carson, N., Campbell-Smit, B., Walters, W., Sharp, K., & Smailes, P.