Last night I watched a Cerner Health Conference video that was presented last year on an academic EHR - Academic Education Solution (AES) that Cerner provides to nursing colleges  for a cost (grants are available to fund this solution). What I found most valuable from this presentation is the design structure of the basic PowerChart components of what I teach to the students. I will model my practicum to follow some of those designs. 


However, there was no mention of the resources available for help with critical thinking skills, such as the resource links embedded in PowerChart. To me, this is the beauty of an EHR, such as PowerChart. The information system is customizable to add links to provide resources right at the patient's bedside. I believe if the students learn from the beginning how to conduct a search using the workstation-based learning supports, they learn to practice evidence-based nursing care. Over time, I believe it is logical that patient care outcomes should improve with improved navigational skills of the nursing staff. This would make a decent research study hypothesis!


For example, if a student receives report on a patient who has a disease process that they have never heard of or they are not familiar with the etiology, they have the ability to research this disease using a variety of embedded tools. 

• Up-to-Date is one resource that is phenomenal; using this tool is similar to searching in a brick and mortar library. 
• Micromedex is a drug search database and an excellent tool to check on IV drug compatibilities, contraindications, etc. 
• The homegrown link we use - Resources/Forms for Printing - is invaluable and designed to save time. Every resource is compiled here for easy access plus links to documents that are frequently printed for the patient. (Example: Advance directive in English and Spanish). This also links into our computer job aides for additional application functionality help.
• Medical Calculators - great tool for critical care areas
• Pathways and protocol site - another homegrown site designed by a multidisciplinary committee for the DRG's to locate the pathways easily

My plan is to teach the navigation of these embedded tools to the nursing students via an audio-graphic presentation using WebEx. This will allow me to reuse this teachable moment for future classes as well as a provide a resource for a just-in-time refresher. That is the heart of my practicum and I hope to demonstrate this journey through this blog!