Chapter 14 deals with information technology. The following discussion topics relate to this chapter. There are a number of questions below from which to choose. Please do not duplicate material discussed in your classmates' posts.
If you work as an RN in a facility that has not implemented computer charting, please post to the class why the facility has chosen to stick with paper charting? Is this a good or a bad policy? With a paper based system is it easier or more difficult to trend patient data?
For those of you who are already licensed and working RNs, please post to the class a description of a Nurse Informaticist that works in your facility. The individual may not have that title, but he or she is there. Who is the liaison between the computer department and the nursing department? Who designs the pages that you use on the computer system to chart patient data?
Some institutions are reluctant to issue passwords to nursing students that would allow them to access the CIS, fearing that this could compromise its security. Is this a legitimate concern? Do you agree with this position? Why or why not?
A lifetime patient record, such as the type envisioned in an EHR, would include all health information from a person's life. Some people have questioned the necessity of including this amount of detail. They also are concerned that this type of record would limit the individual's ability to keep information private. Health care providers, on the other hand, argue that they must have access to all information to provide appropriate care. Is this always true? Give an example of health information from the past that might not be relevant to a current problem. What strategies could be used to help patients maintain the privacy of sensitive health data in a lifetime electronic record?
How does the information literacy of nurses affect patient outcomes? Share an example from your experience to illustrate your point.
Read and comment on the following article: Robles, J. (2009). The effect of the electronic medical record on nurses' work.Creative Nursing,15(1), 31-35. (You may also use this source for your one minute read post.)