Module 2: ' Being One with the System'

As I'm getting deeper into 'the woods,' it's fascinating that I'm actually finding that there is a vast clearing within. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that despite the vastness of technology where I oftentimes  feel so handicapped due to my unsavviness in computers, I am continually amazed at what I am learning each day that are so beneficial to me. I worked at a small community hospital in Hawaii 31 years ago where we utilized paper charting; I proceeded to Utah where I worked at two facilities that did the same. From there our young family moved to New Jersey and then to Pennsylvania where the  4 medical facilities I worked at had utilized computers at very limited levels. Studying about healthcare information systems now, including the utilization of the electronic health record, simply just faze me. The access to pertinent data to improve patient care is simply exciting.

What I'm so enthused about now is that my current work place has been working on obtaining an electronic charting/information system that will synchronize all the various aspects of our nursing care. Because I work closely with our nursing management, I have the opportunity to become involved in evaluating the information system being proposed and hopefully provide some insights that will help in customizing such system to fit our unique needs. Implementing the Infection Prevention & Control Program in a school setting is different from that of a hospital setting because of the type of clientelle being dealt with- ours is a well population where I focus on preventive measures whereas the hospital deals with sick clients who's already dealing with a compromised medical condition. Nevertheless, the implementation of an information system at my school will be very beneficial so that surveillance measures can be streamlined and interfaced with student data. I need to get involved in the designing and selection of such information system because the program I am involved in is part and parcel of the medical and nursing care of the students.

This module is actually the impetus behind my increased interest in evaluating an information system that we can use at my facility--I need to be one with the system.