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Electronic Health Records
Electronic Health Records Give Nurses More Time to Care for Patients
As the clinical supervisor of the medical progressive
care unit at Gulf Coast Medical Center, Beth
Thacker, RN, cares for patients with all types of
ailments. Patients in the MPCU are not sick enough
for the intensive care unit, but they also are not well
enough to be transferred to a regular unit. Instead,
they receive 24/7 heart monitoring and round-the-clock
nursing care, while still able to get out of bed
and accept visitors.
“Many of our patients were either moved here from
the ICU or were admitted directly to the MPCU
because of a heart attack or stroke,” Beth says. “They
are well enough to know what’s going on, but their
families often play a big role, too.”
Like all Lee Memorial Health System patient care
nurses, Beth goes to the bedside when coming on
or leaving from a shift to share information about
each of her patients with the overnight nurse. Now,
instead of trying to write down everything about the
patient, nurses can view the electronic health record
on a computer screen while still allowing the patient
and family to ask questions or mention any new
symptoms or progress. Updating the patient’s record
requires only a few keystrokes, and gives the nurses
more time to focus on the most important part of
their job—helping patients get well.
“It helps me be a better nurse and it helps everyone
provide better care for our patients,” Beth says. “If
a physician orders a medication, and the patient
forgets to tell us that he or she is on another
medication that could cause a serious reaction, it’s
OK because anything he or she has been prescribed
will already be on the medical record.”
Beth and her staff transitioned to Epic—our
electronic health record system—in June 2010.
Because Gulf Coast Medical Center previously used
a different electronic health record system, they
found the switch simple but with many benefits.
“Epic works just like any Windows program, so it’s
very easy for us to enter our notes, check lab
results or find out what the physicians
want their patients to do next,” Beth
says. “Since everyone involved in a
patient’s care—as well as any Lee
Physician Group physicians or
employees—can access Epic, it
helps everyone know exactly
where a patient is in his or
her treatment process at all
times.”
Cape Coral Hospital
recently launched Epic, and
HealthPark Medical Center,
Lee Memorial Hospital and the
outpatient centers will follow in the
summer of 2012. Then, all hospitalized
patients’ records will become electronic—allowing
instant access by physicians and staff at primary
care offices, specialty offices, Lee Convenient Care
locations and emergency departments.
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