Finding a new platform to allow all nurses to practice difficult clinical decisions is key. A virtual immersive environment, like Second Life, can provide simulation for nurses to practice making such difficult decisions.

Background Nurses promote self-care and active participation of individuals in managing their healthcare, yet little is known about their own use of electronic personal health records (ePHRs). Purpose To examine factors associated with ePHR use by nurses for their own health management. Method A total of 664 registered nurses working in 12 hospitals in the Maryland and Washington D.C. area participated in an online survey from December 2013 to January 2014. Multiple logistic regression models identified factors associated with ePHR use. Results More than a third (41%, 95% CI=0.37-0.44) of the respondents were ePHR users. There was no variation between ePHR users and nonusers by demographic or job related information. ePHR users were, however, more likely to be active health care consumers (i.e., have a chronic medical condition and taking prescribed medications, OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.06-2.53) and have health care providers that used electronic health records (EHRs) for care (OR=3.62, 95% CI=2.45-5.36). Conclusions Nurses were proactive in managing their chronic medical conditions and prescribed medication use with ePHRs. ePHR use by nurses can be facilitated by increasing use of EHRs.

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Implementation of an or management information system (ORMIS) requires a significant commitment of human resources. The experiences of the personnel at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, as they transitioned to using a single, unified, computerized ORMIS are detailed in this article. Included are discussions of the nursing resources involved in the process, the lessons learned, and the work that remains to be completed for the hospital to fully utilize the system.

Nurses who use ePHRs for their personal health might promote adoption by the general public by serving as health-promoting role models. They can contribute to improvements in patient education and ePHR design, and serve as crucial resources when working with their individual patients.