Clinical Applications Specialists Make a Huge Impact on Healthcare

Today I had clinical.

My expereince is a bit unique as I choose to do more informatics in my clinical as a BSN student, so it was agreed that it would be practical for me to go through the orientation that the nurses go through to get familiar with their EMR system.

My gosh is their system beautiful. Everything talks to everything else and the data flows almost seemlessly from department to department. All data from previous visits flows over into new admissions including all the patients history, medications, and even if they are a smoker. It’s very impressive.

The techs enter the vital signs, I/Os, and even meal consumption into the system, thus eliminating the need for the nurses to track down the CNAs to get a result needed to administer medication.  They actually hold them accountable for this information, which is something unfortunatly my facility does not. Basically, if they don’t do a darn thing all day, well that’s all on you, because as the nurse it is your responsibility and your license that will be held accountable if it doesn’t get done. And not that I don’t think this is how it should be, I just don’t like it when accountability falls souly on the nurse. Rergardless of if you are licensed, if it is part of your job, you should do it and not yell at the nurse that its her responsibility to make sure it gets done… but thats a story for another day.

As silly as it seems, I get really excited about systems that just work. Maybe it’s the Apple fangirl in me, but when things inegrate with one another and work they way you expect them to, requiring little tweaking or working around from user, well it’s a beautiful thing.

This is the way their EMR system is. And guess what, if it doesn’t do something they want, they change it. It’s customizable to meet the standards needed by Joint Commision and various Excellence Awards ceritifcations but can be modified to additionally meet the needs of the nurses, which I think is the raddest thing. And actually thats what their clinical applications specialists do. A team of them, for one hospital, constantly tweaking, fixing, and improving the way that information is tracked, maintained, and cataloged. The behind the scenes nurses and technical gurus who make it all happen, who most of the nurses don’t even realize exist.

It’s pretty powerful and impressive the things they do, even if most don’t know they do it. They effect the day to day workflow and care of so many and have the power to change it for the better, and this nerdy nurse thinks that is pretty rad.