Assignment: Nursing Documentation

Assignment: Nursing Documentation

NOW FOR AN ORIGINAL PAPER ASSIGNMENT:Assignment: Nursing Documentation

For example, Gugerty et al. ( 2007 ) studied the challenges and opportunities in nursing documentation and determined that it was possible to decrease the time a nurse spends documenting per shift by 25%. Technology ought not to be implemented for the sake of automation unless it promises to deliver gains in patient outcomes and proper workflow. In fact, the cost to organizations for duplicate/redundant documentation by nursing can range from $6,500 to $13,000 per nurse, per year ( Clancy, Delaney, Morrison, & Gunn, 2006 ). Stokowski ( 2013 ) found other issues, such as systems that are slow, freeze, lose data, and “don’t dump data from monitors and screening devices into the EHR in real time” slowing the documentation process and increasing the amount of time the nurse must spend on the computer and not in direct patient care (p. 9).

Examining the workflow surrounding the use of technology enables better use of the technology and more efficient work. It also promotes safer patient care delivery. The need to focus on workflow and technology is attracting increasing recognition, although there remains a dearth of literature that addresses the importance of this area. As more organizations work to achieve a level of technology adoption that will enable them to meet MACRA measures and receive financial payments, we will likely see more attention paid to the area of workflow design and, therefore, a greater body of research and evidence (AHRQ, n.d.;  Qualis Health, 2011 ;  Yuan, Finley, Long, Mills, & Johnson, 2013 ).

Workflow and Technology

Workflow  is a term used to describe the action or execution of a series of tasks in a prescribed sequence. Another definition of workflow is a progression of steps ( tasks ,  events ,  interactions ) that constitute a  work process , involve two or more persons, and create or add value to the organization’s activities. In a sequential workflow, each step depends on the occurrence of the previous step; in a parallel workflow, two or more steps can occur concurrently. The term workflow is sometimes used interchangeably with process or process flows, particularly in the context of implementations. Observation and documentation of workflow to better understand what is happening in the current environment and how it can be altered is referred to as process or workflow analysis . A typical output of workflow analysis is a visual depiction of the process, called a  process map . The process map ranges from simplistic to fairly complex and provides an excellent tool to identify specific steps. It also can provide a vehicle for communication and a tool upon which to build educational materials as well as policies and procedures.