Work-arounds and artifacts during transition to a computer physician order entry: what they are and what they mean.

This study examined work-arounds and artifacts in the work performed by nurses and other healthcare providers when physicians transitioned to a computer physician order entry system. There were 5 types of work-arounds and artifacts identified: (1) workflow timing of events, (2) communication changes, (3) system problems, (4) learning curve, and (5) patient safety. Benefits of this study include the ability to understand how nursing work changes in the transition to a computer physician order entry system.