Post a description of experiences or observations about how nurse informaticists and/or data or technology specialists interact with other professionals within your healthcare organization. Suggest at least one strategy on how these interactions might be improved. Be specific and provide examples. Then, explain the impact you believe the continued evolution of nursing informatics as a specialty and/or the continued emergence of new technologies might have on professional interactions.

Post a description of experiences or observations about how nurse informaticists and/or data or technology specialists interact with other professionals within your healthcare organization. Suggest at least one strategy on how these interactions might be improved. Be specific and provide examples. Then, explain the impact you believe the continued evolution of nursing informatics as a specialty and/or the continued emergence of new technologies might have on professional interactions.

                                                                      Introduction

       The American Nurses Association (2019) or ANA, believes in having a standard electronic health record (EHR) and further assuring that health records are patient oriented.

                                                       Experiences and Observations

       It may seem very odd to some, but after working for eleven years in a local mental health agency, we only went to electronic health records (EHR) this year.  When I started, they said then that we would be using EHR soon, but that did not happen.  Now after a long wait, we are finally able to use EHR, and it is helpful, but there are many issues that need to be worked-out. One of the main issues that we have is that we cannot effectively communicate essential information with the providers in the client’s EHR.  For example, in order to be sure that a provider knows that a client has called and is having side effects from their medications, we must do everything the old-fashioned way, which is to email them or simply leave them a note on their desk.  We are able to leave a note in the chart (under ‘note to chart’), but there is no way to flag our note to let the provider know there is important information that needs to be reviewed.  Our long-awaited computer program is actually antiquated.   The communication between staff nurses and our data technology specialist is usually a telephone call and a screen-share where they can see our dilemma and attempt to assist us.  Studies have shown that nurses who have more experience may need more training in electronic health records.  Nurses with a year or less than one year of nursing experience are faster in charting in EHR and more timely in turning-in documentation, than those nurses who have much more experience.  Informatics specialists will need to continue to assess documentation and assist with this (McBride, et al., 2018). 

                                                          Improvement Strategy

       According to Bredfeldt, Awad, Joseph, & Snyder (2013), electronic health records is comprised of extensive training of personnel.  However, if there is not much follow- up to support the staff in daily work, the use of electronic health records will become more difficult.  I believe that the EHR system personnel can add software that will enable staff to communicate more effectively and therefore have better information management and patient outcomes.  I believe that my facility would greatly benefit from an alert program and proper training on this program given to all staff.

                                                                      Conclusion

  Alert management programs in EHR can be used to alert prescribers while also assisting in positive patient outcomes.  Prescribers, patients and nurses will all work together to promote overall wellness with electronic health records (McGreevey, et al., 2020).  As new technology emerges, nursing informatics will continue to expand and inactions between prescribers and other professionals will be enhanced.  Professionals should continue to strive for effective communication while using EHR, which will aid in producing careful diagnosing and treatment.

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