NURS FPX 6412 Assessment 1 Policy and Guidelines for the Informatics Staff

• NURS FPX 6412 Assessment 1 

Policy and Guidelines for Nursing Informatics Staff

Policies and guidelines have been established within the healthcare system to support the Nursing Informatics staff in delivering efficient healthcare services. These protocols ensure that staff can seamlessly integrate information and communication technology (ICT) with healthcare services while assessing, diagnosing, managing, preventing, implementing, and evaluating a patient’s condition.

Policy and Guidelines

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) system exemplifies integrating medical services and technological tools to enhance patient safety and care quality. The electronic medication administration record (eMAR) has been selected as a key tool for achieving these goals. By leveraging electronic tracking and radio frequency identification, eMAR continuously updates medication administration information in the EHR system, supporting efficient and safe patient care.

Evaluation of Function

According to Fei et al. (2029), the eMAR framework allows healthcare professionals to provide remote medical services to patients. By tracking medication records and automating dispensing processes, eMAR improves care NURS FPX 6412 Assessment 1 quality and safety. It ensures patients receive the correct medications, prevents drug-drug interactions, and enhances overall health outcomes. Additionally, it reduces readmission rates, boosts patient satisfaction, and minimizes medication errors.

Enhanced Patient-Centered Care

As Moore et al. (2020) highlight, eMAR enables nurses to spend more time with patients. This approach supports care coordination and fosters a patient-focused approach. Nurses benefit from reduced medication administration time, allowing them to prioritize patient engagement and care delivery.

Moreover, Joseph et al. (2020) emphasize that eMAR systems enhance the administration of infusion medications like Epinephrine, ensuring accurate dosing and delivery. The system’s built-in alarms notify staff of potential errors, such as incorrect dosages or frequencies, thereby improving the safety and efficacy of healthcare services.

Hunt and Chakraborty (2021) further explain that eMAR minimizes minor errors that could lead to severe adverse events. The system prevents life-threatening mistakes by identifying, assessing, and addressing potential issues. It improves patient safety. Automated IV pump integration, supported by eMAR, halts incorrect infusions and contributes to superior care standards.

Analysis of Work Setting

The eMAR system’s application in healthcare exemplifies evidence-based practice aimed at reducing medication errors. Studies, such as those by Rodziewicz et al. (2022), reveal that medication errors are a leading cause of fatalities in the United States. Overburdened healthcare providers may inadvertently make errors that impact patient safety. By analyzing and evaluating areas contributing to medication errors, eMAR mitigates these risks and fosters equitable healthcare delivery.

Sorensen et al. (2020) observed that adopting eMAR in emergency departments, such as Randers Regional Medical Clinic, significantly alleviates nurses’ workloads. This system enables staff to focus on guiding and coordinating patient care while detecting and addressing prescription errors, thereby improving patient safety and health outcomes.

eMAR Supports Strategic Plans

The eMAR system aligns with strategic plans to improve patient outcomes and reduce disparities caused by medication errors. It alleviates healthcare providers’ workloads by verifying medication safety based on the latest data. This includes checking dosages, frequencies, and concentrations while ensuring that medications are appropriate for individual patients.

Additionally, eMAR fosters better communication between patients and healthcare providers by connecting them through electronic systems. This collaboration enhances care coordination and helps create comprehensive care plans tailored to patients’ needs (Karnehed et al., 2022). Patient data is securely stored and accessible only to authorized providers, ensuring confidentiality and promoting high-quality care.

Assessment of Workflow

The introduction of eMAR has streamlined healthcare workflows, reducing burdens on staff and enabling them to spend more time with patients. This shift improves patient-centered care, fosters collaboration, and enhances clinical outcomes. Digital tools minimize adverse events, reduce near-misses, and increase patient satisfaction by ensuring compliance with healthcare regimens. Consequently, readmission rates and therapy costs decrease while staff productivity and morale improve (Albagmi, 2021).

eMAR and Interprofessional Collaboration

The eMAR system enhances communication and teamwork among healthcare providers, improving patient satisfaction. As patient information is updated in the EHR system, it becomes accessible to all relevant providers. This transparency supports interprofessional collaboration and helps devise patient-focused care plans to achieve positive health outcomes.

This collaboration ensures thorough assessments and evaluations from diverse healthcare perspectives, minimizing the risk of overlooking critical information. As a result, care plans become more effective and tailored to patients’ unique needs. Additionally, patients are encouraged to participate in their care decisions, fostering compliance and improving satisfaction (Vos et al., 2020).

Conclusion

The eMAR system bridges the gap between technology and healthcare, enhancing patient safety and care quality. Its automated features prevent medication errors and activate alarms in case of potential mistakes. By promoting interprofessional collaboration, eMAR ensures comprehensive and effective care delivery. This integration of technology and healthcare aligns with the objectives of NURS FPX 6412 Assessment 1, emphasizing the importance of improving workflows, reducing disparities, and achieving better patient outcomes.

References 

Albagmi S. (2021). The effectiveness of EMR implementation regarding reducing documentation errors and waiting time for patients in outpatient clinics: A systematic review. F1000Research, 10, 514. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.45039.2 

Fei, L., Robinson, J., & Macneil, A. (2019). Case study: Using electronic medication administration records enhances medication safety and improves efficiency in long-term care facilities. Nursing leadership (Toronto, Ont.), 32(2), 102–113. https://doi.org/10.12927/cjnl.2019.25958 

Hunt, S., & Chakraborty, J. (2021). Dose verification errors in hospitals: A literature review of nurses’ eMAR-based systems. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 36(2), 182–187. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000491 

Joseph, R., Lee, S. W., Anderson, S. V., & Morrisette, M. J. (2020). Impact of interoperability of smart infusion pumps and an electronic medical record in critical care. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy : AJHP: Official Journal of The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 77(15), 1231–1236. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxaa164 

Karnehed, S., Erlandsson, L. K., & Norell Pejner, M. (2022). Nurses’ perspectives on an electronic medication administration record in home health care: Qualitative interview study. JMIR Nursing, 5(1), e35363. https://doi.org/10.2196/35363 

Moore, E. C., Tolley, C. L., Bates, D. W., & Slight, S. P. (2020). A systematic review of the impact of health information technology on nurses’ time. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association: JAMIA, 27(5), 798–807. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocz231 

Rodziewicz, T. L., Houseman, B., & Hipskind, J. E. (2022). Medical error reduction and prevention. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29763131/ 

Sørensen, C. A., Lisby, M., Olesen, C., Enemark, U., Sørensen, S. B., & de Thurah, A. (2020). Self-administration of medication: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial of the impact on dispensing errors, perceptions, and satisfaction. Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety, 11, 2042098620904616. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042098620904616 

Spinewine, A., Evrard, P., & Hughes, C. (2021). Interventions to optimize medication use in nursing homes: A narrative review. European Geriatric Medicine, 12(3), 551–567. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-021-00477-5 

Vos, J. F. J., Boonstra, A., Kooistra, A., Seelen, M., & van Offenbeek, M. (2020). The influence of electronic health record use on collaboration among medical specialties. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 676. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05542-6