Hey fellow burned-out nurse practitioner!
My name is Erica D the NP. I am a family nurse practitioner, wife, and mom of two!
I wanted to take a minute to introduce The Nurse Practitioner Charting School and explain the benefits for ALL Nurse Practitioners!
Here is the story of why I created The Nurse Practitioner Charting School….
After overcoming burnout myself, I created The Burned-out Nurse Practitioner to help overwhelmed nurse practitioners, create work-life balance, conquer burnout, and advocate for themselves.
The more I coached APRNs through their burnout, the more I realized….
Charting was the #1 cause of nurse practitioner burnout!
Nurse practitioners, in many different specialties, are going into work early, staying late at the office, and bringing charts home. This extra, unpaid time is creating a disproportionate work-life balance. (Raise your hand if you agree!)
Many nurse practitioners are spending 10-15 hours (in addition to a demanding 40 hour work week) just trying to catch up with the charting. And the problem is, the work is never ending. Nurse practitioners are pushed to see more patients, sicker patients, managing to “other ” nurse practitioner tasks (setting up referrals, prior authorizations, responding to patient messages, etc.), and adhering to a non supportive management.
It’s no wonder nurse practitioners are burned-out!!
I took some time to reflect on my own experiences with charting. I realized I only had one 45 minute lesson on charting in nurse practitioner school. We did not receive much education on how to actually create a chart note, what components to add, and how to properly bill and code.
During my clinical rotations, I was fortunate enough to have electronic medical record access to practice documentation, but I know many other students did not. I felt like I received very little feedback from my instructors or preceptors. As far as charting, I felt ill prepared coming out of my Masters of Science in Nursing program, and I know many nurse practitioners feel the same.
Once I started in my role as a family nurse practitioner in a primary care clinic, I did not receive the adequate training or feedback. I knew very little about choosing the correct Evaluation and Management level. I wasn’t exactly sure what components needed to go into a chart note. I did not know any charting shortcuts or time management tips.
I was overwhelmed with charting (on top of the feelings of imposter syndrome and stress as a new grad nurse practitioner).
I decided I needed to educate myself on charting as a nurse practitioner. I spent extra time learning how to chart accurately and efficiently. I implemented time management and charting shortcuts to avoid staying late at the office. I learned the components needed to choose the correct Evaluation and Management code for patient visits. I studied about malpractice cases and how my documentation can prevent a negative outcome.
I have found many nurse practitioners struggle with the same issues I had with charting!
That is why I created The Nurse Practitioner Charting School, to be the one stop for all documentation resources made specifically for nurse practitioners.
I offer free charting tips on The Nurse Practitioner Charting School’s blog page!
I also offer expanded education via online courses:
Time Management and Charting Tips Course,
Billing and Coding: Outpatient Visits,
Legal Issues with Documentation,
and more to come!
You don’t have to feel frustrated, alone, or burned-out because of charting! I strive to educate and empower nurse practitioners to do the best job they can!
Check out The Nurse Practitioner Charting School for documentation resources made specifically for nurse practitioners!
Don’t forget to follow The NP Charting School on social media!
Follow us on Facebook: The Nurse Practitioner Charting School
And on Instagram: @npchartingschool
Erica D the NP is a family nurse practitioner and nurse practitioner career coach. Erica created The Nurse Practitioner Charting School to be the one stop for all documentation resources created specifically for nurse practitioners. Learn more at www.npchartingschool.com
Also check out The Burned-out Nurse Practitioner for help creating a better work-life balance and conquering burnout.
