Academic-Practice Partnerships, EHR in Nursing Curriculum, and the Value Equation

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Informatics
• Healthcare Technology

Background:

• Workforce well-being is a major concern, with burnout, depression, and documentation burden being key issues.
• Academic nursing curricula are evolving to include informatics and healthcare technology (Domain 8).

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure baseline and progression of Electronic Health Record (EHR) use among nursing students.
• To assess student confidence, documentation competency, and post-graduation employer-based performance.
• To develop a strategy for university-wide EHR technology deployment and financing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an academic Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to track technology skills.
• Measured EHR use, confidence levels, and documentation competency over 1.5 years.
• Collected post-graduation employer-based performance assessments.

Main Results:

• Provides results from an ongoing 1.5-year study on nursing students' EHR technology skills.
• Establishes baselines and tracks progression in EHR use and confidence.
• Correlates academic EHR training with employer-based performance.

Conclusions:

• Academic EHR training is crucial for developing essential nursing informatics skills.
• Improved technology skills can positively impact workforce well-being and reduce documentation burden.
• A strategic approach to EHR deployment and financing is necessary for academic institutions.