A Comparison of Nurse Attitudes Before Implementation and 6 and 18 Months After Implementation of an Electronic Health Record

The implementation of an electronic health record is a dramatic change in a healthcare organization; however, little is known about how nurse attitudes toward the electronic health record change over time. The purpose of this research project was to compare nurses' attitudes before and at 6 and 18 months after implementation of a comprehensive electronic health record. A presurvey-postsurvey design using a modified Nurses' Attitudes Toward Computerization Questionnaire was implemented with a population of nurses employed at an academic medical center. On average, the nurses' attitude about the electronic health record became less positive between preimplementation (n = 312) and 6 months after implementation (n = 410) (74.2 vs 65.9, P < .0001) and preimplementation and 18 months after implementation (n = 262) groups (74.2 vs 67.7, P < .0001). No significant improvement between 6 and 18 months after implementation groups (P = .16) was noted. Prior to electronic health record implementation, the nurses were uncertain yet hopeful about the benefits. However, 18 months after implementing a comprehensive electronic health record, challenges remain regarding cumbersome documentation processes and promoting interdisciplinary communication. Thus, the results demonstrate a gap between preimplementation expectations and the postimplementation reality of the actual experience. Nonetheless, some subjects have experienced positive benefits after implementation of the comprehensive electronic health record and remain hopeful for the future.