13 Oct A summary of the Practicum Project topic, goal, objectives, and rationale A summary of the Practicum Project methodology A summary of the Practicum Pr

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Practicum Project Plan: MyChart Bedside Implementation

Walden University

NURS 6461

September 25, 2025

Practicum Project Plan: MyChart Bedside Implementation

Introduction

Healthcare is undergoing rapid transformation as technology becomes increasingly central to the patient’s experience. In inpatient settings, hospitalized patients and their families often feel disconnected from the care team and uncertain about treatment plans. This lack of engagement can negatively affect satisfaction, communication, and outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to present a Practicum Project Plan focused on the implementation of MyChart Bedside, a patient portal integrated with the Epic electronic health record (EHR). The goal of the project is to empower patients and families to engage in their care, improve interdisciplinary communication, and enhance outcomes such as satisfaction and reduced hospital length of stay. This paper will outline the project goal statement, measurable objectives, evidence-based literature review, methodology, resources, formative and summative evaluations, and a timeline for implementation.

Goal statement

The goal of this project is to implement MyChart Bedside in a pilot unit to improve patient engagement and satisfaction, enhance communication between patients, families, and the care team, and support improved outcomes. The focus area is an adult inpatient unit, where patients and families often experience the highest levels of uncertainty and communication challenges. The target population includes hospitalized adult patients and their caregivers, with nursing staff serving as primary facilitators.

Project Objectives

The project objectives align with Bloom’s Taxonomy at the application and analysis levels: 1. Implement MyChart Bedside on an adult pilot unit to facilitate real-time communication and care coordination.

2. Integrate MyChart Bedside into daily clinical workflows to improve interdisciplinary communication and reduce delays in decision-making. 3. Evaluate patient use of MyChart Bedside to analyze its impact on patient satisfaction and engagement.

Evidence-Based Review of Literature for Project Justification

Patients frequently report gaps in communication and transparency during hospitalization, which contribute to dissatisfaction, adverse outcomes, and recurrent readmissions. Research shows that hospitalized patients desire greater access to their health information and care team (Kelly et al., 2020). MyChart Bedside addresses these needs by providing tools for communication, education, and engagement.

Studies demonstrate that inpatient portals improve understanding of care plans and medication adherence (Anderson et al., 2021). A review by Wolcott et al. (2022) found that patient-facing technologies improve safety and reduce communication breakdowns between patients and providers. Similarly, O’Connor et al. (2021) highlighted that digital tools enhance engagement and participation, leading to better patient experiences. However, challenges such as workflow integration and patient digital literacy must be addressed (Shaw & Navar, 2022).

Professional standards support the use of patient engagement technologies. The American Nurses Association (ANA) emphasizes patient-centered care as a core nursing responsibility, while the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) advocates for informatics solutions that improve quality, safety, and efficiency. Implementing MyChart Bedside aligns with these standards by empowering patients and leveraging technology to improve care and patient outcomes.

Methodology

The project will use Lewin’s Change Theory as a guided framework:

· Unfreezing: Engage stakeholders (nurses, physicians, IT, patient experience leaders) in education sessions to highlight benefits. Baseline data on patient satisfaction and communication will be collected.

· Change: Deploy MyChart Bedside on bedside TVs in the pilot unit, train staff, and introduce the system to patients during admission. Real-time technical support will be available.

· Refreeze: Establish standardized workflows (e.g., incorporating MyChart Bedside use during rounding) and assign unit champions to maintain sustainability.

Who: Pilot unit patients, nurses, physicians, IT staff, and nurse educators. Where: One medical-surgical unit at Houston Methodist West. When: Weeks 1–10 of the practicum project (Week 11 for wrap-up). How: Stepwise rollout, staff training, patient onboarding, and weekly monitoring.

Resources

Human resources: Nurse educators to provide training, unit champions to model use, IT analysts for technical setup, patient experience staff for usability support.

Technical resources: Bedside televisions configured with MyChart Bedside, secure hospital Wi-Fi, Epic EHR integration.

Physical resources: Training space, printed orientation guides, signage in patient rooms to encourage portal use.

Formative Evaluation

Formative evaluation will occur weekly throughout Weeks 1–9. Data will be gathered via staff debriefs, patient usability feedback, and real-time usage analytics from the pilot unit’s bedside TVs. Issues such as log-in difficulties, unclear education materials, or staff adoption barriers will be identified early. Adjustments such as refining orientation scripts or improving technical support will be made promptly. These evaluations will ensure the project stays aligned with patient and staff needs.

Summative Evaluation

The summative evaluation will occur in Week 10. Outcomes measured will include patient satisfaction, frequency of MyChart Bedside use on bedside TVs, and staff-reported communication barriers. Success will be determined by improvements compared to baseline data and qualitative feedback from patients and staff. The findings will give recommendations for sustaining the pilot and refinements.

Timeline

Week 1–2: Stakeholder engagement, baseline patient satisfaction input, technical configuration of bedside TVs. Week 3: Staff training and patient education material preparation. Week 4–5: Initial pilot rollout on the medical-surgical unit. Week 6–7: Ongoing monitoring, weekly formative evaluations, mid-point staff feedback. Week 8–9: Workflow refinements, reinforcement training, enhanced IT support. Week 10: Summative evaluation, final data evaluation, and recommendations. Week 11: Post-project wrap-up, practicum reflection, dissemination of results to leadership.

Conclusion

The implementation of MyChart Bedside in one pilot medical-surgical unit represents a strategic step toward improving patient-centered care. By leveraging existing bedside TVs as the delivery medium, this project increases accessibility while minimizing additional hardware costs. The project emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, technology integration, and real-time communication leading patient engagement and satisfaction. Formative and summative evaluations ensure that implementation remains responsive to stakeholder needs and aligned with organizational goals. Although limited to a single pilot unit, the project sets the foundation for hospital-wide expansion by demonstrating feasibility, sustainability, and measurable impact on patient experience. As a nursing informatics initiative, it not only addresses a real-world problem but also aligns with national standards promoting technology-driven, patient-centered care.

References

Anderson, M., O’Connor, S., & Devlin, A. M. (2021). Nurses’ perspectives on the use of patient portals in hospital settings. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 53(3), 331–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12647

Kelly, M. M., Coller, R. J., & Hoonakker, P. L. (2020). Inpatient portals for hospitalized patients and caregivers: A systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(3), 408–416. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocz200

O’Connor, S., Hanlon, P., O’Donnell, C. A., Garcia, S., Glanville, J., & Mair, F. S. (2021). Understanding factors affecting patient and public engagement and recruitment to digital health interventions: A systematic review of qualitative studies. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 16, 120. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-016-0359-3

Shaw, R. J., & Navar, A. M. (2022). Barriers and facilitators to patient portal adoption in hospital settings: A scoping review. Health Informatics Journal, 28(1), 14604582221078864. https://doi.org/10.1177/14604582221078864

Wolcott, V., Brixey, J., & Sheehan, B. (2022). Patient portals in acute care: A scoping review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 161, 104731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104731

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