Simchart: A Nursing Case Study

Demonstrate effective use of technology to navigate the electronic health record, communicate with inter/intraprofessional teams, and be involved with decision making in the delivery of quality and safe patient care. (Ivy Tech Community College, 2016).

Rationale

In nursing, the use of technology is vital in providing high quality of care and complete understanding of the patient. Technology is used in the health care system to chart patient health information, communicate with the interprofessional team, and monitor plan of care. The nurse, upon licensure, recognizes the importance of computer literacy and the effect technology has on patient outcomes. The use of technology can hinder or help the patient based on its use. For this reason,

SimChart, as many know, is a simulation of what a real electronic health record looks like. SimChart was a real eye opener for me as I thought all health care records were full of drop boxes and completed with routine clicks of the mouse. This turned out not to be true as even though there a many drop boxes, the nurse must be able to understand what drop box is for and how each bit of information charted affects patient care. While extensive, lengthy, drawn out care plans are completed in the hospital like they are in nursing school, I have learned through completing my exhibit that the electronic health record acts as the care plan. With this, each box marked drives the plan of

The information charted within the patient’s record is with them for the rest of their life and for this reason, it is critical that every bit of information charted is correct and truthful. Aside from this, SimChart has taught me to talk to with my patient as they are the physical beings behind the written information. While it is important for the charted information to accurate, it is also important to remember that all technology has malfunctions. While completing my SimChart, the system crashed on me multiple times. This was frustrating and discouraging as I felt like I was just trying to do my job and chart information on my “patient”. I had to remember that my “patient” was still alive even though my computer system was not. In this situation I learned routine assessments along with the electronic health record are the best way to monitor patient outcomes. This is one of, if not the biggest, lesson the SimChart has taught me this