Hospitals do a good job of educating on HIPAA policies, but there isn’t enough focus on guidelines around HIPAA for nurses. With the focus on privacy and security, we have all heard a lot about security breaches, privacy violations, and what HIPAA requires.
HIPAA for Nurses – A Few Dos and Don’ts Read More »
The Nerdy Nurse’s Guide to Technology provides the tools nurses need to improve their practices, further their careers, and solidify themselves as assets to their employers. Written with humor and easily digestible sections of information, this reference guide supplies nurses with the practical application tools they need to embrace technology and be successful.
Technology should be seen and used as an aide to delivering nursing care. If it is a barrier, then we need to break down those walls and make it useful for the care you give. Technology, like most things in life, becomes what you make of it. If you make it difficult and useless, then it will be difficult and useless. But if you make it prominent and valuable, then you might find that you not only experience increased satisfaction in your job performance but are a happier nurse overall.
The Nerdy Nurse’s Guide to Technology: The Book Read More »
When I discovered nursing informatics, it was like a dream come true. I was completing my BSN coursework, and I began researching options to further my education in nursing. I realized fairly quickly that I wasn’t interested in most of the education pathways that many of my nursing peers were following. Somewhere in the midst of that research I stumbled onto “Nursing Informatics” and I knew it was for me. The stars aligned, the angels sang, and the fascinating world of healthcare information technology became my goal.
Becoming an Informatics Nurse: Going Beyond the Bedside Read More »
Many people do not realize there are differences between an electronic medical record (EMR), electronic health record (EHR), and a personal health record (PHR). I myself am guilty of often using the terms EHR and EMR interchangeably. There are, however, some defining differences that set these health and medical records apart.
Differences Between EMR, EHR, and PHR Read More »
Again the names of clinical informatics nurses vary. You may be called an informatics nurse, an analyst, a nurse informaticist, information technology nurse support, or any number of titles. Your role in nursing is going to be altered, but still very impactful to the patients in the community you serve.
7 Tips to Be a Successful Clinical Informatics Nurse Read More »
Social media offers many benefits to it’s users. Nurses in particular have the ability to gain many skills that can improve their nursing practice by using social media. While many in healthcare fear social media for various reasons, there is greater good that can come of it for healthcare as a whole.
6 Reasons Why Nurses Should Use Social Media Read More »
In my years of bedside care I often had to go outside of the 30 minute window for timed medications for the benefit of the patient. Most of the times these times are arbitrary anyhow. If a medication is ordered once per day it doesn’t really matter what time of day the patient gets it. It should fit within their normal routine not within what the pharmacy schedules it. I never once received any sort of reprimand for my medication timing. I often had to request the scheduled times for medications be changed by the pharmacy, but many times I had to give the medication at a different time and documented the reason why.
Is Medication Timing More Important Than Good Patient Care? Read More »
Hospitals and healthcare providers every start shaking in their boots when they think of social media and healthcare. They freak out about the possibility of a HIPAA violation. But the fear that is struck in many of their hearts is really unneeded. There are 18 patient identifiers that are off limits when it comes to blogging and things of the like.
18 Patient Identifiers HIPAA Defines as Off Limits Read More »
While browsing the Goodwill tweeter @Potato_Chip found a box of Journal of American Medical Associations. A sweet find for an MD/PhD student right? Unfortunately, it turned out to be bittersweet though for the healthcare industry and patient advocates everywhere. In that very same box were discarded drugs, prescription pads, and ultra sound records. Many of these records, including ultrasounds, had patient identifiers or protected health information (PHI) intact.
Why HIPAA Laws Exist: Careless Disposal of PHI, RX pads, and Medications Read More »
I sincerely hope you still feel the rush of endorphins when you get a successful IV stick. I encourage you to smile, be proud, and ask your co-worker for a high five (after a good hand washing of course) the next time you change a particularly challenging dressing. Turn to the side and tell the nurse beside you how excited you are that your patient made the transfer from the bed to the chair successfully. Heck, share with your patient how excited you are that their kidneys produced an adequate amount of volume of the shift. I can’t tell you how happy I’ve had patients get when I complement their kidneys and acknowledge their bodies success and our collective success of a productive and healing shift.
High Fives in Healthcare: Taking Time to Celebrate Your Victories Read More »
