| Transitioning from the conventional paper-based | | | | medical perioperative nursing language in the EMR, |
| systems to the <a rel="nofollow" | | | | perioperative nursing documentation can be |
| onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' | | | | performed in a consistent and uniform manner. |
| outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" Medical | | | | Nowadays, despite the high costs of some of the |
| Records</a> | | | | EMRs in the market, more and more hospitals in |
| (EMR) software offers a much improved | | | | the U.S and in some parts of the globe are |
| approach in the documentation of medical | | | | gradually transitioning to electronic medical |
| records. One feature that Electronic Medical | | | | records. One main reason for this is that the |
| Records offer is the incorporation of standardized | | | | <a rel="nofollow" |
| nursing language which will make the nurses in the | | | | onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(' |
| healthcare team work more efficiently in a | | | | outgoing/article_exit_link');" href=" system |
| well-coordinated manner and at the same time | | | | interconnects all departments – pharmacy, |
| limit the likelihood of lawsuits secondary to clinical | | | | ancillary, laboratory, care management, |
| errors. Compared to the paper-based medical | | | | administrative, and billing sections. With these |
| records, the EMR does not allow problems that | | | | departments merged, smooth workflow of the |
| are inherent to the paper-based medical records | | | | entire healthcare organization is warranted |
| that can jeopardize both medical and nursing | | | | because of improved communication among |
| practice. | | | | healthcare providers and efficacy in work. |
| Electronic medical records allow coordination | | | | Electronic medical records software also |
| among the members of the healthcare team, | | | | safeguards the nurses who are the primary |
| which means that all those who are directly | | | | contacts of the patients from medication errors. |
| involved in the care of the patient are able to | | | | Most often, nurses are having trouble deciphering |
| access the patient’s medical files whichever | | | | some physicians’ handwritings. This |
| department they maybe at the moment; | | | | sometimes leads to misinterpretation of drug |
| whereas with the traditional paper-based medical | | | | names and medication errors. With the EMR |
| records, only one person is allowed to handle and | | | | incorporated in the care delivery system, nurses |
| access the patient’s file at a time. There is | | | | are able to comprehensively monitor on the |
| also a greater chance of accidental misplacement | | | | computer all pertinent information regarding |
| and/or loss of some of the files in the | | | | medication prescriptions and drug administrations. |
| patient’s chart with frequent flipping through | | | | The EMR software also comes with alerts and |
| thick pages and/or handling to find pertinent | | | | alarm signals that prompts the physician for any |
| information leading to redundant requests of | | | | miscalculations of drug dosages and drug |
| laboratories, x-rays and prescription of | | | | interactions based on the patient’s present |
| medications. | | | | and past medical history that are keyed-in in the |
| It’s not only the nurses in the wards who will | | | | during history taking. Preoperatively, nurses in the |
| benefit from electronic medical records but also | | | | recovery unit can also access the patient’s |
| the nurses in the Operating Room Complex. The | | | | therapeutic records and be able to correlate |
| electronic medical records are also customized to | | | | medications that are given preoperatively like |
| meet the requirements of all those involved in the | | | | prophylaxis antibiotics, intraoperatively like the |
| medical and surgical setting. Nurses who are | | | | type of anesthesia given and the medications that |
| assigned in the perioperative care of the patients | | | | are about to be given postoperatively. With the |
| have different tasks and language documentation | | | | nursing language being standardized nurses are |
| that are inherent only to perioperative nursing | | | | able to document all of the nursing care and |
| practice. With the incorporation of standardized | | | | interventions rendered to the patient accurately. |