I have recently talked with my manager about this very question. She told me that many of the ideas that have led to significant improvements/changes in our EMR have come from nurses themselves. She then indicated that she attends a monthly meeting regarding our EMR and she would be glad to take any suggestions for improvement that I might have to present at that meeting. I gave her my top two suggestions (which I believed would decrease the amount of medication errors) via email so as to increase clarity in her presentation. This experience helped me to feel like I could make a difference and influence the efficacy of our EMR.
Your manager is right, nurses as users of these systems are the keep to improving the systems. Interestingly many clinicians are not aware that they can contribute to the design, development, implementation, and improvement of these systems. You find many will complain but do not know the channels for addressing the problems in their facilities. Therefore, for moving forward I challenge you to continue to participate in improvements of these systems in your facility. Clinician involvement and feedback is critical.
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