EMRs for RCPs have been growing rapidly over the last 10 years. As with any technology advances, certain new challenges emerge. Unlicensed student therapist must have their work observed and documentation counter-signed by a licensed practitioner. Pen-on-paper has its own challenges getting the RCP back to the chart to counter-sign ALL student documentation. In EMRs you have password/security issues whereby the RCP cannot share their pass code with ANYONE. In our clinical affiliates that have EMRs, we have various methods or approaches which the facility implemented. The best place to start is with the IT department at the clinical affiliate.
A couple of approaches we have implemented include; 1) The students and the clinical instructor are given individual sign-on access. At the end of the day, the clinical instructor "signs off" their charting by reviewing what the student documented and makes their own entry stating they "have reviewed the students documentation and concur." The chonological entry satisfies the IT department's policy. This also provides a learning opportunity if the student documents something inappropriately, they can be corrected - the student can go back and edit their charting or make a correction entry., 2) In this case, the hospital did not want to manage students and faculty signing onto their network. The RCP logs onto the system and turns the keyboard over to the student. The student charts it under the RCPs sign on. The students will place a comment in the comment section "Service provided by J. Doe, SRT." This informs whomever is reviewing the documentation that although the service has an entry by the clinical affiliate's RCP, the service was physically administered by the student - under direct observation.