Academic Electronic Health Records in Undergraduate Nursing Education: Mixed Methods Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Health Professions Education
• Simulation-Based Learning

Background:

• Limited clinical opportunities challenge nursing programs in teaching electronic health records (EHRs).
• Simulated EHRs offer a safe, learner-centered environment for students to gain informatics skills.
• Experiential learning with simulated EHRs prepares students for real-world patient encounters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Lippincott DocuCare simulated EHR.
• To identify implementation feasibility issues for DocuCare.
• To assess its impact on nursing students' informatics knowledge and attitudes.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study using a one-group pretest-posttest design.
• Surveys and focus group interviews with undergraduate nursing students and instructors.
• Analysis of self-reported knowledge, attitudes, documentation accuracy, and satisfaction.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant increase in students' self-reported informatics knowledge post-simulation (P<.001).
• No significant change in attitudes toward EHRs, but documentation accuracy improved over time.
• High satisfaction reported by both students and faculty, with recommendations for integration.

Conclusions:

• The DocuCare simulated EHR is feasible and suitable for enhancing nursing students' informatics learning.
• The tool effectively supports the acquisition of computerized documentation skills.
• Recommendations for integration into undergraduate nursing curricula will be provided.