Evolution of Nursing Workload Indicators Since the Implementation of the Electronic Health Record at a Tertiary Hospital in Spain

Nurses can be overwhelmed by the growing need for documentation derived from the implantation of electronic health records. The objective was to describe the evolution of nursing workload since the implementation of the EHR. We performed a longitudinal study of global workload indicators over a 5-year period at a referral hospital in Spain since introduction of the EHR (2014). Clinical activity records of each nurse were monitored using audit logs of their accesses to EHRs. During the study period, the number of EHR sessions, the number of EHR sessions in which a nursing order was changed, and the time needed to complete each session significantly increased. The number of mouse clicks and keystrokes and the time required to complete each nursing order decreased. Documentation of the following nursing tasks increased: administration of medication, peripheral vascular catheters, urinary catheters, pressure ulcers, nursing assessment forms, and pre-surgical verification. In conclusion, since the implementation of the EHR, an increase in the workload of nursing professionals-estimated through indirect indicators-has been observed due to greater documentation.