Abstract

Health information technology courses, including academic electronic health record documentation, are not part of New Mexico State University undergraduate curricula. Plans were made to integrate academic electronic health records into student simulation labs, skills labs, and classrooms to prepare nursing students for entry into the modern workplace. Since faculty are not well-versed in electronic health record keeping, they are not ready to adapt to the information technology, nor do they have the ability to instruct students to navigate an electronic record. The purpose of the project was to educate faculty to navigate academic records using electronic health record software through a one-time instructional session demonstration. This seminar provided faculty with the tools and technology to use the electronic record. An evaluation tool using a Likert-type scale was developed specific to the participants’ knowledge about information technology and its usability prior to their participation in the demonstration. At the completion of the instructional seminar, this survey was provided to faculty to analyze perceived usefulness, ease of use, and increased knowledge of navigating the system from baseline to outcome. The sample was a convenience sample comprised of 22 NMSU clinical faculty members. Evaluation data were provided by 15 of 22 female participants. Of these, 9 were MSN prepared (60%) and 6 (40%) were PhD prepared. Years of teaching averaged 14.1 (range = 1-40, SD =11.23). The majority (68%) reported that they learned to navigate the AEHR and a third implemented the software into their coursework. Establishing a successful change plan and implementing the project involved challenges with the clinical faculty attitudes towards accepting the AEHR and the project leader. The AEHR was implemented into the academic environment by 5 of 15 faculty members. Although implementation was less rapid than anticipated, the evaluation results will be used to further promote AEHR implementation with the goal of use by all clinical faculty members during fall semester 2012. Further expansion of AEHR use within the NMSU is also anticipated.