Yuh-Fong Hong
The University of Texas, USA
Title: INTEGRATING INFORMATICS AND TECHNOLOGY IN NURSING RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Biography
Biography: Yuh-Fong Hong
Abstract
With the rapid implementation of EHRs and health information technologies (HITs) in hospitals, it’s important that entryto-practice nurses acquire HIT competency to provide patient-centered care, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and improve care quality. The most recent Nursing Residency Program (NRP) accreditation standards from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) add informatics and technology in the NRP to expand resident's knowledge and skills acquired in their prelicensure programs to analyze and implement best practices in effective use of information technology to safely manage patient care. A recent survey result of 86 senior student nurses conducted to understand the gap between academic settings and real-world practice of using HITs indicated 5 challenges of utilizing HITs in practice: a) technical issues (58%), b) patient privacy concerns (51%), c) human errors (34%), d) less time for patient care (26%), and e) communication between disciplines (15%). Using the CCNE NRP standards and the survey results, an online learning module was created to assist nurse residents in learning applicable HITs in their practice. Six learning objectives include: a) understand health/clinical information systems in hospitals, b) use effective electronic communication for team-based care delivery, c) evaluate information resources for evidence-based practice, d) apply health information technology in care quality improvement and error reduction, e) comply with policies and confidentiality laws when using social media, f) exercise safety, security, and emergency backup plan in HITs. In addition to the lecture, gamified simulation
activities and required self-assessment quizzes are integrated to help nurse residents achieving the identified learning objectives.