1. Why You Use This Workflow
When you first open PointClickCare on your medication cart laptop, looking at 30 residents with 24 hours of scheduled orders creates instant cognitive overload. Setting up your digital environment before touching a blister pack organizes your working queue and prevents missed time-critical doses.
2. The Three-Lane Shift Launch Model
Safe EHR operation requires pairing software navigation with physical bedside verification and complete documentation handoffs.
🖥️ IN PCC
- Confirm facility campus and assigned wing/station.
- Set the eMAR shift time window filter.
- Scan resident cards for red Allergy ribbons and Do Not Crush icons.
- Review uncleared order alerts on the Clinical Dashboard.
🩺 AT THE BEDSIDE
- Receive face-to-face shift handoff report.
- Count and verify narcotic cart keys with off-going nurse.
- Check vital sign equipment (stethoscope, BP cuff, glucometer calibration).
- Identify residents requiring immediate AC glucose checks before breakfast/dinner.
📝 DOCUMENTATION
- Verify active resident census (discharges, hospital transfers, new admits).
- Note new telephone/verbal orders requiring nurse acknowledgment.
- Check PRN effectiveness tiles left open from prior shift.
3. Training Schematic: eMAR Header & Shift Filters
Use your station filter and shift range to isolate active passes before pulling medications.
4. NurseEXP Floor-Example Shift Schedule
The times below are common SNF shift/pass patterns based on practical floor experience and are used throughout NurseEXP examples for consistency. They are not California-mandated shift hours or universal PointClickCare shift definitions. Actual shift times, medication-pass schedules, and administration windows vary by facility and orders.
- ☀️ AM (Day) Shift Example (07:00 – 15:30): Common pass examples include morning scheduled pass, pre-meal fingersticks, and midday pass.
- 🌆 PM (Evening) Shift Example (15:00 – 23:30): Common pass examples include afternoon pre-meal fingersticks, dinner pass, and bedtime pass.
- 🌙 NOC (Night) Shift Example (23:00 – 07:30): Common pass examples include night treatments, monitoring, and early fasting medications.
5. The 4-Step Cart Launch Checklist
Login & Verify Station Assignment
Ensure you are logged into your specific station (not float coverage or another unit).
Lock Shift Time Window
Select your active shift range (e.g. 07:00 – 15:30) to eliminate out-of-shift visual clutter.
Scan Resident Safety Banners
Review the Red Allergy Ribbon, Texture/Crush warnings, and NPO flags on each resident card.
Identify Priority Passes (Fasting & Pre-Meal Insulins)
Locate early empty-stomach thyroid/PPI doses and AC fingerstick blood sugars before meal delivery.
- Verify two unique resident identifiers (Name, DOB/MRN, or verified photo) before administration.
- Verify medication cart is locked whenever out of direct line of sight.
- Never share EHR login credentials or leave active sessions unattended.
🎯 Clinical Reasoning Scenario
Scenario: You log into PCC at 07:05 AM for a 28-resident station. You see a sea of scheduled tiles across the next 24 hours. Resident Mr. Smith has a scheduled 08:00 Levothyroxine (Synthroid) on an empty stomach and an 11:30 AC Novolog sliding scale. What is your best first action?
Best Nursing Action: Lock the eMAR filter to your AM shift (07:00–15:30) to isolate immediate morning tasks, review Mr. Smith's allergy ribbon and empty-stomach order directions, and prioritize the 08:00 Levothyroxine before breakfast trays arrive.
🧠 Knowledge Check
Question: What is the primary purpose of setting the eMAR shift time window filter upon cart setup?
• PointClickCare EHR for Skilled Nursing Facilities Supplemental Guide (Current Official)
• Clear Choice / PointClickCare 2020 eMAR Quick Reference Guides (Historical PCC UI)
• CMS State Operations Manual Appendix PP — 42 CFR Part 483 (Federal Survey Baseline)