Learning Objective #1: Recognize nurses' experiences in using a custom-designed iCare worksheet loaded in the Pocket PC to improve the efficiency of patient care and shift report

Learning Objective #2: Identify nurses’ perceptions of using references loaded in the Pocket PC for patient care

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Nurses in the paper-based system use self-designed paper-based worksheets to take reports of their patients during shift change. They write key patient information (e.g., name, diagnosis, problems, and test results) while listening to shift reports recorded in a tape recorder. With a workload of 5 to 8 patients, each nurse can spend at least thirty minutes for shift reports before starting to take care of assigned patients.

The iCare worksheet was developed through a collaborative effort among the School of Nursing, the Department of Computer Technology, and a local hospital nursing staff to improve the efficiency of shift reports. The iCare Worksheet, loaded in the Pocket PC and desktop computer, simulates nurses' daily work processes and keeps track of patient condition and care activities. The iCare worksheet has pull-down menus with text, voice, and handwriting note-taking features to reduce handwriting data entry. It has alarm features to remind nurses to perform certain tasks. The interface program can retrieve patient information from the mainframe (SMS) to a desktop computer at a specified regular interval. Whenever Pocket PCs are synchronized with the desktop computer, updated SMS patient information is transferred from desktop computer to iCare worksheet.

A pilot study was conducted for one month in August 2004. Nurses of one unit in a local hospital used the iCare worksheet and medical references loaded in the Pocket PC for patient care and shift report. The presentation will show the functions of iCare Worksheet and references loaded in the Pocket PC, report nurses' perceptions of benefits and problems in using Pocket PC and iCare Worksheet, and provide suggestions for future development.