Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

Teaching documentation skills and concepts to the emerging professional is a new challenge for nurse educators as the infusion of meaningful use is implemented within nursing’s affiliating agencies. Discipline mandates and accreditation requirements expect the emerging professional to be current in technology and communication as one prepares to care for patients in contemporary times. The purpose of this instructional opportunity was to examine issues contributing to the successful learning of electronic documentation within an undergraduate nursing course in western Pennsylvania. This presentation will address one approach to infusing documentation skills into an obstetrical clinical experience, share lessons learned, and discuss gaps that have been revealed in the teaching learning of meaningful use into higher education. Current inquiry and future research into evidence-based practice is needed as preparation gears toward workforce ready graduates who will be skilled and adept at documentation using current technologies. Teaching skills for information systems, particularly the electronic health record requires identification of challenges and obstacles which can be surmounted if academy and corporate culture work in tandem.

Biography

Julia A Greenawalt is a full-time, tenure track faculty member in the Department of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, College of Health and Human Services at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches maternity and ethics to undergraduate nursing students. She was the recipient of the 2011 Excellence in Academic Setting Integration of Simulation, sponsored from INACSL, and is a current member of the cohort for Leadership Development Program for Simulation Educators sponsored by the NLN. She currently is serving on the Research Committee for IMSH and INACSL. Her research efforts focus on infusion of meaningful use into academia and curriculum.

Email: jgreen@iup.edu