Charting the Course

This statewide study was conducted to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses' experience with use of the Electronic Health Record (EHR). This work was part of a larger study conducted in partnership with the Texas Nurses Association, ANA-Michigan, the Texas Organization of Nurse Leaders, and the Michigan Organization of Nurse Leaders to examine nurses' EHR satisfaction in 2 states. Although EHRs benefit patients and clinicians, unnecessary documentation burden and usability issues have negatively impacted clinician well-being, and the pandemic contributed additional burden. A mixed methods exploratory descriptive analysis with a cross-sectional survey from a random sample of Michigan nurses was conducted in 2021 within Michigan (n=551). Nurse participants were asked open-ended questions specific to their EHR experience including any changes introduced to address the COVID crisis. Findings indicate challenges with nurses' EHR experience, with EHR maturity and Magnet status significantly impacting satisfaction. Results and qualitative themes are presented along with recommendations for reducing burden during crises, including improving organizational culture and leadership through the use of compassionomics. As this study presents findings of stress and frustration that could indicate moral distress from dissatisfaction with EHRs and lack of system-level support, policy considerations are warranted.