Nurse educators' and students' experiences on electronic patient records: A multiple-methods study.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Nursing Education

Background:

• Electronic patient records represent a significant 21st-century advancement in healthcare.
• Nursing education must adapt to incorporate electronic health record (EHR) training for staff and students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nurse educators' and nursing students' perspectives and practical experiences with electronic patient records.
• To identify challenges and opportunities in electronic patient record education within nursing programs.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative data collection and qualitative semi-structured interviews.
• Survey data from 133 nurse educators and 366 nursing students, alongside interviews with 14 educators and 14 students.
• Quantitative data analyzed using descriptive statistics; qualitative data analyzed via content analysis.

Main Results:

• Over 90% of participants learned about electronic patient records via clinical observation.
• More than 70% believe electronic patient record content should be part of the nursing curriculum.
• Lack of system credentials limited participants' direct experience, relying heavily on observation.

Conclusions:

• Participants' understanding of electronic medical record systems was primarily observational due to ineligibility for system registration.
• Recommendations include expanding electronic patient record education, developing specific educational software, and facilitating system access during clinical practice.