Unit #1 Class Preparation

In this initial unit of our second hospital unit course, we will be discussing the three different types of physician’s orders. Students will learn the various ways that orders may be communicated, as well as the basic process for processing physician orders in non-CPOE environments.

A Note About CPOE

As more hospitals move towards implementing CPOE, the HUC’s role in order entry will evolve. The HUC will still remain as the primary communicator in helping to coordinate patient care activities within the nursing unit; however, many orders will go directly to the associated department without the HUC’s intervention. Instead, the HUC may need to monitor his/her computer screen for icons to follow up on such as patient consults (such as a phone), medical records requests (chart icon), or transfer and discharge instructions (bed icon). Additionally, the physician may input orders which require an outside appointment be scheduled and documented by the HUC or change in status, such as NPO, which the HUC must relay and document.

In CPOE, the HUC still remains responsible for many tasks that facilitate workflow related to patient care and doctor’s orders, including communicating with the Bed Allocator/Admissions, coordinating patient discharge and booking patient transfer services. creating and printing consent forms, updating unit forms such as admission, discharge, and transfer records as well as face sheets and labels, delivering equipment and lab specimens through the pneumatic tube system and lift, monitoring unit supplies, and checking utility and supply rooms.

Although CPOE signifies a shift towards fully electronic records, the HUC will still have some chart management responsibilities. These may include scanning documents and reports such as EKG tracings, signed consent forms, and patient completed forms (such as pre-operative questionnaires) into the EMR. Additionally, the HUC will still complete unit coordination tasks, such as staffing, nursing assignments, and payroll duties. Finally, the HUC may be tasked with verifying EMR currency at the end of each shift, as well as planning for computer downtimes by printing paper MARS and chart forms.

References:

Gillingham, E. A., & Wadsworth Seibel, M. (2014). Health Unit Coordinating, 6th Ed. Elsevier Canada.

Unit #1 Activities

The following activities will be completed in class for face-to-face course delivery. Students who are absent from class or taking this course remotely should complete these after reviewing course materials and viewing video resources to check their learning in each area.

Review Activity