Implementation and delivery of electronic health records training programs for nurses working in inpatient settings: a scoping review

Abstract

Objectives Well-designed electronic health records (EHRs) training programs for clinical practice are known to be valuable. Training programs should be role-specific and there is a need to identify key implementation factors of EHR training programs for nurses. This scoping review (1) characterizes the EHR training programs used and (2) identifies their implementation facilitators and barriers. Materials and Methods We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Web of Science on September 3, 2023, for peer-reviewed articles that described EHR training program implementation or delivery to nurses in inpatient settings without any date restrictions. We mapped implementation factors to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Additional themes were inductively identified by reviewing these findings. Results This review included 30 articles. Healthcare systems’ approaches to implementing and delivering EHR training programs were highly varied. For implementation factors, we observed themes in innovation (eg, ability to practice EHR skills after training is over, personalizing training, training pace), inner setting (eg, availability of computers, clear documentation requirements and expectations), individual (eg, computer literacy, learning preferences), and implementation process (eg, trainers and support staff hold nursing backgrounds, establishing process for dissemination of EHR updates). No themes in the outer setting were observed. Discussion We found that multilevel factors can influence the implementation and delivery of EHR training programs for inpatient nurses. Several areas for future research were identified, such as evaluating nurse preceptorship models and developing training programs for ongoing EHR training (eg, in response to new EHR workflows or features). Conclusions This scoping review highlighted numerous factors pertaining to training interventions, healthcare systems, and implementation approaches. Meanwhile, it is unclear how external factors outside of a healthcare system influence EHR training programs. Additional studies are needed that focus on EHR retraining programs, comparing outcomes of different training models, and how to effectively disseminate updates with the EHR to nurses.