JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Studies have examined the association between Electronic Health Record (EHR) use by physicians and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) and burnout. However, a gap in the literature exists concerning this relationship for Registered Nurses (RNs).

Objective:

The aim of this study was to examine the association of EHRs with nursing satisfaction and overall perceived wellbeing for nurses in the hospital setting.

Methods:

Registered Nurses employed at a major southeaster medical center were surveyed about their demographics, experience with EHRs, satisfaction with EHRs, and about elements of burnout. Kendall’s and Fisher’s tests were utilized to examine relationships between subgroup traits and survey questions.

Results:

A total of 113 registered nurses responded to the survey. Nurses reported a general level of satisfaction with EHRs, and a high level of satisfaction with ability to manage work assignments, especially for nurses with greater years of clinical experience. Analysis indicates frustration with the time spent using EHRs compared to direct patient care, particularly for older nurses. EHR satisfaction was significantly correlated with perceived workload, RN wellbeing, and feelings of disconnection from work.

Conclusions:

Although nurses reported acceptable satisfaction scores with EHR use, deeper analysis suggests that EHR indirectly affects the well-being of nurses. These findings strongly indicate that lower EHR satisfaction can lead to experiencing characteristics of burnout.