NURSES STATION


Nurses see ups, downs of electronic charting


By DEBORAH A. MILES Technology is moving everyone to a


paperless society and that includes medical professions. Paper charts in hospitals and doctors’


offices are becoming obsolete. They have been replaced by electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic charting, the cornerstones for a modern health care system. At SUNY Stony Brook Medical Center


on Long Island, PEF member Doug Begent is a teaching and research center nurse 3. He said when EMRs were first introduced, it was challenging to get used to them. As time passed, they have become second nature. “EMRs are very helpful and it is a


better process,” Begent said. “EMRs hold current information which is obtainable no matter where you are. You can view a patient’s record and see what data other people have added. This makes everything complete and current.” For the most part, EMRs make life


easier for medical caregivers and can help with patient care. The issue of illegible handwriting on an old paper chart just doesn’t exist anymore. Wanda Tyson, a PEF nurse at Roswell


Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, said the system is beneficial in many ways. “We have used paper medication


sheets and sometimes you couldn’t read


someone’s handwriting. Now those orders are on the computer, so it’s easier,” Tyson said. “If you are late or miss giving a patient his medication, a red flag goes up so it alerts you right away. “When the system gets overloaded, it


slows down. That happens when too many people are on at the same time. EMRs are valuable for aiding with patient safety. Doctors have the ability to look up information and lab results in one spot, instead of calling someone. We don’t have to wait for old charts from medical records,” Tyson said. Gale Baptiste, an emergency room


nurse at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, said electronic charting has both a plus side and a minus side. “There is less paperwork, so there is less of a hassle,” Baptiste said. “Having


five to 10 pieces of paper with patient information can be overwhelming.” However, Baptiste said what is


missing from electronic charting is the human touch. Doctors are able to view a patient’s chart without actually being in the room with a patient. “The actual hands-on care and


touching of a patient is diminishing. Instead, everyone runs to the computer and charts,” Baptiste said. “Another flaw is when the system shuts down and we have no access. We have to go back to paper charting. When the computer comes back up, all the notes have to be transferred into the computer. It’s very time consuming. It needs to have a back-up plan. This takes away time from actual patient care.” PEF Region 11 Coordinator and


Nurses Committee Chair Jemma Marie- Hanson said nurses need to be aware of changing technology. “Nurses are the front-line workers


involved with the implementation of these EMR systems. It is important they receive a complete education on the system used by the hospital to ensure the patient’s privacy is maintained,” Hanson said. “We need to evolve in an ever-changing world, but at the same time, we can’t trade in our compassion for a computer.”


Probation officers still without a contract Dozens of PEF members at the Albany


County Department of Probation addressed the county Legislature March 14 in yet another attempt to get a contract.


Probation officers have been working


without a contract since January 1, 2009, despite ongoing negotiations with the county’s executive staff. PEF Division 502 member Matt


Calderwood said the members are aware of the financial climate of the county and state. “We are asking the county executive


and his staff to negotiate a fair and equitable contract for 2009, one that was afforded to other bargaining units in Albany County,” Calderwood said. At the last round of negotiations,


Calderwood said the county offered a 3 percent raise to the base salary of probation officers from the date a tentative agreement is signed. Calderwood told the Legislature some


other employees in the Probation Department received an 8.5 percent raise in 2009. “I’d also like to point out most Albany


STOPTHE STALL—PEFmembers at theAlbany County Department of Probation ask the county Legislature for a fair and long-overdue contract. Themembers have not had a contract since January 1, 2009.


—Photo by Lisa Pulver Page 12—The Communicator April 2011


County employees were furloughed for a total of five days in 2009. By not receiving a raise to our base salary, probation officers took an approximate 2 percent pay cut. We would like to resolve this contract dispute,” Calderwood said. —Deborah A. Miles


PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445


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