When Marquette Nursing signed its deal with Epic Systems to incorporate the company’s Lyceum electronic health records learning platform into the classroom, Dr. Sarah Calonder saw a golden research opportunity.
“Marquette is in a great position to provide guidance to other nursing schools on how to use EHR with students, both because of this partnership and our proximity to large health care companies that use Epic,” Calonder says.
Calonder, a clinical instructor, wrote her dissertation on how students use EHR at clinical sites to enhance their clinical judgment. However, working at Marquette also allows her to use this knowledge to integrate Epic’s technology with upper-level courses. This practical application of research makes student nurses better prepared for practice.
What motivated you to take up EHR as a research focus?
I practice at the bedside as a nurse in addition to my teaching, and nurses use health records all the time. We use it to gather patient information, give medications and carry out the plan of care. You have to know how to utilize it effectively so you can promote patient safety.
I wanted to see if there was a gap between the knowledge nurses need to have around EHR versus what we’re teaching them, then maybe help bridge that gap.
What does your research tell you about the ways students use this technology?
I often found that students were missing a lot of important information about their patients. They weren’t looking at pertinent lab work or picking up on certain provider orders. There were a few puzzle pieces missing when it came to getting a good grasp on that patient story.
EHR is such a complex entity, and it takes a while to learn where everything is. This research can be applied to help students get a better handle on it.
There was a lot of excitement when the deal between Epic and Marquette was announced, but also a lot to figure out about how the technology would be used. Now that we’re 18 months in, is it going the way you thought it would?
We’ve implemented Epic’s software in several places during our simulations and didactic courses. I think we’ve really solidified the learning objectives for our seniors around this technology as well. Epic is also further adapting their Lyceum platform based on our feedback and the feedback of other schools. The fact that they’re willing to listen to how it’s going on our end and alter things to meet the needs of our students is such a positive of working with them.
What are the barriers to putting this technology in the classroom? How have Marquette and Epic been able to navigate them?
One barrier is cost. Electronic health records programs are expensive, so there needs to be more discussion between schools of nursing and EHR vendors about economical ways to get our students ready for practice.
Epic has been a great partner to us in implementation. Students were able to attend an Epic efficiency class, and they learned how to utilize different components of Lyceum. They’ll be able to use the technology more efficiently now to provide safe patient care.
Why is it important to have an EHR platform in the classroom? What does that offer that students can’t get through using it at their clinical sites?
Off-campus training on EHR software is variable. We can’t always guarantee that students will get experience in that setting because of different levels of student EHR access, patient populations and varying skill levels and experience of clinical instructors. Federal facilities don’t even allow students to have EHR access. Schools of nursing should be doing everything they can to bring health record education in house, so students have a more standardized experience.
What do you see for the future of EHR use in the nursing curriculum?
I would love to see it implemented across all levels eventually, starting from the first nursing course. I’d want to show a student what an EHR looks like and what it does, then look at it together so they can get familiar with the interface. Each year would then build on that knowledge so by the time students reach the senior level, they’re familiar with the nuances of it.
