Title : The benefits of point of care electronic documentation by school nurses – A quality improvement project
Abstract:
Problem Statement: School nurses need to gain EHR knowledge. Most of the time, the training is insufficient, resulting in a poor understanding of EHRs, affecting documentation accuracy at the point of care. The problem can negatively impact point of care documentation, resulting in poor student outcomes.
Purpose: This project aims to determine whether school nurses in the K12 school system understand EHRs system documentation during care delivery. A further objective is to identify barriers that hinder school nurses from documenting their point of care in the K12 school system and develop and implement improved documentation of point of care in the K12 school system.
Methods: This project was conducted in one of the districts in Middlesex County in the United States between August 2023 and September 2023 using a descriptive quantitative study method. The project was carried out with thirteen school nurses who agreed to participate.
Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: The inclusion criteria are limited to school nurses with a bachelor's degree or higher in nursing who have worked as school nurses for at least one year. SNAP electronic documentation and full-time school nurses in Middlesex County, United States, were eligible to participate, excluding those using other electronic documentation systems with no Bachelor of Science in Nursing or less than one year of experience.
Analysis: In total, 12 participants completed the survey. The G Power = 11. The final sample for inferential testing was n = 12. Overall, scores improved from the pretest (M = 102.1, SD = 16.1) to the posttest (M = 121.3, SD = 17.03), a difference of 19.2 points. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was used to discern if there was a statistically significant change in scores from pretest to posttest. There was a statistically significant increase from pretest (Mdn = 103.5, IQR = 85.5, 121.5) to posttest (Mdn = 119, IQR = 89, 149), z m 2.0, p =.004.
Implications for Practice: EHR education can be provided at orientation and continuously throughout a school nurse's career to help them comprehend the advantages of electronic point of care documentation. A nursing process that integrates EBP with student care to provide effective student outcomes. It is possible to achieve this by providing electronic documentation showcasing school nurses' interventions and visits and making the interprofessional team more efficient when managing students. Education on EHR use by school nurses is expected to increase care efficiency and improve student outcomes.
Keywords: EHR, benefit of documentation, documentation error, point of care, school nursing
