Authors (including presenting author) :
Chu LY(1), Kwok LY(1), Selena Ng(1)
Affiliation :
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Kwong Wah Hospital
Introduction :
In the digital healthcare era, nursing informatics (NI) plays a crucial role
by integrating nursing, computer science and information science, to enhance
patient care and operational efficiency.
Three innovative NI projects, the Smart Panel, In-Patient Medication Order Entry(IPMOE) and Paperless Label Management with UPI and Scheduling (GCRS-PLUS),
were introduced in neonatal ward as of hospital planning, a significant
transformation within a one-year interval. The Smart Panel provides updated
patient care information via tablets at bedside. GCRS Plus revolutionizes lab
management through a paperless system. IPMOE, streamlines medication
administration.
Objectives :
The primary goal of this quality improvement project was to design and
implement a comprehensive educational program tailored for the neonatal
nursing staff, ensuring safe and effective use of advanced NI systems to
enhance operational efficiency.
Methodology :
A multifaceted educational program was developed to facilitate
effective adoption of the NI systems. The program began with the distribution
of pre-training materials, including videos and training websites developed by
the hospital. Then, mandatory in-person training sessions were conducted,
the functions of each system were thoroughly reviewed, and redemonstrated.
The training also integrated workflow processes with system functions and
included return demonstrations based on common scenarios and routine task
integration. Finally, hands-on troubleshooting exercises were conducted.
Questionnaire was sent to neonatal nurses for comment on voluntary basis.
Result & Outcome :
All neonatal nurses completed the program. The Smart Panel, IPMOE
and GCRS Plus have been adopted since May 2023, October 2023, February
2024 respectively. During return demonstrations, all nursing staff members
demonstrated 100% compliance with the operational procedures.
Feedback from the nursing staff regarding the impact of the NI projects
on their daily operations was positive. 54%, 83% and 67% of the respondents
reported that the Smart Panel, IPMOE and GCRS Plus, respectively,
increased proficiency over traditional paper-based methods. Challenges noted
by the staff primarily related to insufficient hardware provision, which they felt
hindered full utilization of the systems, rather than issues with the systems’
workflows.
Additionally, 75% of the staff confirmed that the support provided was
sufficient. The training components: pre-training videos, in-person training
sessions, return demonstrations, and comprehensive workflow and notes, were highlighted as particularly effective in familiarizing them with the systems
and workflows.
