Navigating the Electronic Health Record: Epic EHR Training for Student Nurses

Introduction

Scenario

You are a newly assigned student nurse preparing for your first clinical rotation. Your hospital uses the Epic Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. Before working with real patients, you must learn how to safely navigate patient charts, document assessments, review medications, and communicate within the healthcare team.

As part of your orientation, you and your classmates will complete a digital investigation into how Epic supports safe patient care.

Your mission is to become a safe, efficient, and legally compliant student nurse user of the EHR.

Essential Questions

  1. Why are Electronic Health Records important in nursing practice?
  2. How does Epic improve patient safety?
  3. What are the legal and ethical responsibilities of charting?
  4. What information is most critical for nurses to document?
  5. How can inaccurate documentation affect patient outcomes?
Task

Students will:

  • Explore Epic EHR basics
  • Investigate nursing workflows within Epic
  • Review HIPAA and patient privacy standards
  • Analyze a simulated patient chart
  • Complete documentation activities
  • Collaborate with peers on patient safety scenarios
  • Create a final nursing documentation guide or presentation

Final products may include:

  • Slide presentation
  • Nursing charting guide
  • Clinical workflow poster
  • Mock patient documentation assignment
  • Video walkthrough
  • Reflection paper

Resources:  Also see Credits Tab

For Students:

Process

Part 1 – Understanding EHRs

Student Directions

Research the purpose of Electronic Health Records and explain how EHRs support communication, safety, and continuity of care.

Guiding Questions

  • What is an EHR?
  • How is an EHR different from paper charting?
  • Why do hospitals use Epic?
  • What are the benefits and risks of electronic documentation?

Recommended Resources

  • Epic Systems Overview
  • HIPAA for Healthcare Workers
  • Nursing Informatics Resources
  • Hospital Clinical Documentation Policies

Teacher Notes

Encourage students to discuss how technology impacts patient care quality and workflow efficiency.

Part 2 – Epic Navigation Basics

Student Directions

Explore the major sections of a patient chart in Epic.

Students should identify:

  • Patient Header
  • Flowsheets
  • MAR (Medication Administration Record)
  • Orders
  • Labs
  • Provider Notes
  • Vital Signs
  • Intake & Output
  • Allergies
  • Care Plans

Activity

Create a labeled diagram or screenshot annotation showing where nurses locate:

  1. Patient allergies
  2. Current medications
  3. Provider orders
  4. Vital signs trends
  5. Lab results

Discussion Questions

  • Why is chart review important before patient care?
  • What errors can occur if nurses fail to review the chart?

Part 3 – HIPAA and Patient Privacy

Student Directions

Review HIPAA guidelines and discuss patient confidentiality within electronic records.

Students Must Investigate

  • Password security
  • Appropriate chart access
  • Logging off workstations
  • Sharing patient information
  • Consequences of HIPAA violations

Scenario Analysis

A nursing student leaves a workstation open while stepping away to answer a phone call.

Students should answer:

  1. What policy was violated?
  2. What risks could result?
  3. How should the student have responded?

Reflection Prompt

Why is privacy especially important in electronic systems?

Part 4 – Nursing Documentation Practice

Student Directions

Review the mock patient scenario and practice documenting nursing care.

Mock Patient Scenario

Patient Information

  • Name: Maria Thompson
  • Age: 67
  • Diagnosis: Community-acquired pneumonia
  • Allergies: Penicillin
  • Oxygen: 2L nasal cannula
  • Fall Risk: High

Nursing Assessment Findings

  • Temperature: 101.4°F
  • Heart Rate: 108 bpm
  • Respirations: 24/min
  • O2 Saturation: 91%
  • Lung Sounds: Crackles in bilateral lower lobes
  • Productive cough present
  • Reports fatigue and shortness of breath

Student Task

Document:

  1. Head-to-toe assessment
  2. Oxygen therapy
  3. Safety interventions
  4. Pain assessment
  5. Intake and output
  6. Nursing note

Teacher Extension

Have students peer-review each other’s documentation for completeness, professionalism, and accuracy.

Part 5 – Medication Administration Workflow

Student Directions

Investigate how Epic supports medication administration safety.

Topics to Explore

  • Barcode medication administration (BCMA)
  • The Five Rights of Medication Administration
  • Medication scanning alerts
  • PRN medication documentation
  • Missed medication workflows
  • Dual-signature medications

Case Study

A medication barcode does not scan correctly.

Students should answer:

  1. What should the nurse do next?
  2. Why is barcode scanning important?
  3. What documentation steps are required?

Part 6 – Clinical Decision-Making Challenge

Student Directions

Analyze the patient chart and identify priority concerns.

Students Must Determine

  • Priority nursing assessment
  • Safety concerns
  • Abnormal findings
  • Provider notification needs
  • Nursing interventions

Group Collaboration

Students work in teams to create a patient safety action plan.

Evaluation

Evaluation Rubric

Criteria Excellent (4) Proficient (3) Developing (2) Beginning (1)
Understanding of EHR Concepts Demonstrates advanced understanding Demonstrates clear understanding Partial understanding Limited understanding
Epic Navigation Knowledge Accurately identifies all chart areas Identifies most chart areas Identifies some chart areas Unable to identify chart areas
Documentation Accuracy Accurate, organized, professional Mostly accurate Several errors Major inaccuracies
HIPAA Understanding Strong understanding of compliance Good understanding Partial understanding Limited understanding
Clinical Reasoning Strong prioritization and analysis Adequate analysis Limited analysis Minimal analysis
Collaboration/Participation Highly engaged and collaborative Participates appropriately Inconsistent participation Minimal participation
Final Project Quality Professional and detailed Complete and organized Partially complete Incomplete
Conclusion

Electronic Health Records are a critical part of modern nursing practice. Safe and accurate documentation protects patients, supports communication, and improves healthcare outcomes.

As future nurses, students must develop strong informatics skills, ethical awareness, and clinical judgment when using systems like Epic.

By completing this WebQuest, students gain foundational knowledge needed to succeed in clinical environments and provide safe patient-centered care.

Credits
  • Credits & Sources

    Information and training materials adapted from Lee Health, SSM Health, Unity Health Toronto, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and Epic educational resources. Additional simulation practice provided by NCLEXSim
Teacher Page

Teacher Facilitation Tips

Suggested Classroom Activities

  • Simulated charting stations
  • Peer documentation review
  • Mock medication scanning activity
  • HIPAA role-play scenarios
  • Clinical communication exercises
  • EHR scavenger hunt

Differentiation Ideas

Support

  • Provide charting templates
  • Offer guided notes
  • Pair students for collaborative tasks

Extension

  • Add complex patient scenarios
  • Include interdisciplinary communication
  • Introduce critical lab value interpretation
  • Require SBAR reporting exercises