Usability of Academic Electronic Medical Record Application for Nursing Students' Clinical Practicum

OBJECTIVES: Nursing curricula for undergraduate nursing students need to reflect the information technology used in current nursing practice. A smart-device Academic Electronic Medical Record (AEMR) application can help nursing students access and document records for the clinical practicum. We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the usability of an AEMR application before applying it to the clinical nursing practicum. METHODS: A previously developed EMR application was modified as an AEMR to access patient information at bedside and to practice documentation. We added several features to the current EMR application to create an AEMR environment. We created a series of document forms and several useful scales on an external application, which included nursing admission notes, vital signs, and intake/output. The case scenarios and tasks were created by a research team to evaluate aspects of AEMRs, including their usability and functionality. Five nursing students completed 15 tasks using a think-aloud method with a tablet device. RESULTS: Minor usability issues were identified and rectified. All participants indicated that they became familiar with the application with little effort. They said that the application icons were intuitive, which helped them find patient information more quickly and accurately. CONCLUSIONS: The application will improve timely access to patient data and documentation for nursing students. We are confident that this AEMR application will enhance nursing students' experience with their clinical practicum, and help them to better understand patient conditions and document them with ideal accessibility.