Document Type
DNP - Open Access
Award Date
202
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Graduate Nursing
First Advisor
Robin Arends
Second Advisor
Dannica Callies
Abstract
Introduction: Suicide in the hospital setting is a major sentinel event. To prevent suicide, routine observations are completed every 15 minutes and documented on a paper-based observation record. Routine observations are not always completed within the ordered 15-minute time frame, putting patients at risk for self-harm. Methods: The literature review was completed using the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Cochrane, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Elton Bryson Stephens Company (EBSCO) databases using the following keywords: routine observation compliance, electronic health record, suicide prevention, and electronic alerts. Inclusion criteria included peer-reviewed articles written in English published between 2007 and 2023. Thirteen articles were utilized for the literature review and compiled into the evidence table using The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) model.
Gaps: The evidence is limited concerning mobile technologies being used specifically on inpatient psychiatric units. The majority of the articles on mobile applications were taken from other specialties such as cardiovascular units. The literature did not describe explicitly what an electronic observation record should display aside from electronic alerts, timestamping, interoperability, and security safeguards. Recommendations for Practice: Using an electronic observation record to document routine observations improves safety check compliance.
Publisher
South Dakota State University
Rights
Copyright © 2025 Robert Baune
Recommended Citation
Baune, Robert, "Digitizing Care: Enhancing Efficiency and Accuracy through a Mobile Electronic Observation Record on an Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit" (202). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practice Innovation Projects. 218.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/con_dnp/218