Improving computer skills to support hospital restructuring

A vital part of restructuring in hospitals is a continuing effort to find ways to meet the growing demands of caregivers for efficient ways to enter and retrieve patient information. The process of effectively meeting these demands was coordinated through the leadership and efforts of the chief nurse executive and the information manager for nursing at New York Veterans Affairs Medical Center. These efforts resulted in timely support for restructuring, improvement in the development of competency skills among nursing staff, and increase in the use of electronic methods for documentation of patient care. Discussion of the changes implemented include approaches and content of training for computer skills development, a position description for an expanded role of a nurse in the field of informatics, and the facility's structure that fits a patient-centered care model.