Case-based learning and Lippincott® DocuCare: Perfect partners
Documentation within the electronic health record (EHR) has emerged as a critical competency in nursing practice. Novice nurses are expected to know the components of the EHR, where to find information, and how to interact with the EHR for safe documentation and communication.
Research indicates that nurses spend on average 40% of their time of their time in documentation and interacting with the EHR. In contrast, training available in the clinical area may be limited. Students often face restrictions in the clinical arena related to use of the EHR, transferring significant educational responsibility to nurse educators. With the advent of artificial intelligence, and its role in shaping healthcare practices, mastery of documentation and the digital health record are even more paramount as nurses transition to practice. With the steep learning curve already inherent in novice nursing orientation, the need to learn about the EHR from the ground up adds to the cognitive load and learning burden as nurses orient to a new work environment.
Bridging the gap with an Electronic Health Record (EHR) for nursing education
Nurse educators may ease this load by robustly infusing the EHR into learning in varied ways. Here, we discuss five ways the EHR may bolster active learning practices and lead students through the complexities of documentation using Lippincott DocuCare. This Wolters Kluwer product is known for its contextual cases that replicate real life care, providing users with ready-made scenarios for use in class, clinical, lab, and simulation.
1. Create a case-based learning environment
The use of case-based learning is well documented in educational research. As nurse educators, we need to ensure that knowledge is surrounded by context — essentially each subject should be informed by patient care scenarios. Lippincott DocuCare provides you with more than 400 ready-made cases in EHR format to complement any topic or subject. A sound teaching strategy is to provide a short, microburst lecture of 15-20 minutes and then provide reinforcement of learning through the use of a Lippincott DocuCare case. Demonstrate the Lippincott DocuCare scenario in class, varying your approach to students working in pairs, in groups, or with the class as a whole.
2. Pre-class preparation
Setting the stage for learning is critical if you want your students to “hit-the-ground running” in your classroom. Providing a pre-class assignment in Lippincott DocuCare allows your students to “dip their toes” in a topic prior to further exploration in the classroom, lab, or simulation. Assign your students Lippincott DocuCare scenarios before class. During class, use a mix of brief lectures, discussions, and reinforcing exercises, or have students complete a lab or simulation. Conclude by asking students to complete a Quick Write reflecting on their pre-class assignment. Consider using these questions:
a. Now that you have learned more about this topic, name one or two things you would change in how you completed your assignment.
b. Now that you have learned more about this topic, what additional information would you need to document in or learn from the EHR to provide safe and patient-centered care for this client?
3. Clinical compare and contrast
After clinical, assign students a Lippincott DocuCare case matching conditions they encountered. For post-learning, have them compare and contrast their clinical client with the assigned case. In conference, discuss their insights, lessons on patient care, and documentation.
4. Lippincott DocuCare “speed dating”
After a brief lecture, discussion, or simulation, assign students related Lippincott DocuCare scenarios to complete in class (20-30 minutes). Then, have them “speed date” to share their scenarios and answers, teaching peers key care aspects and client priorities in 3-minute intervals. Debrief by discussing client priorities and lessons learned.
5. Build clinical judgment with reverse case studies
Use DocuCare’s “Author a Case” feature to create reverse case studies that build clinical judgment. Develop variations on a client problem, such as heart failure, and assign cases to student pairs. Have students log in, create detailed client profiles, and present their cases during “grand rounds.” Use Socratic questioning to compare cases, clarify misconceptions, and reinforce clinical judgment skills. Encourage students to think deeply about each cognitive process in the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model.
Training with Lippincott DocuCare during nursing education embeds hands-on EHR experience directly into the curriculum—helping students build practical, technology-driven skills for real-world care. See how it works.
