Program Overview

Nurse SmartUser is an efficiency training program designed to help nurses make the most of Epic tools. Each session within the Nursing SmartUser Program contains one hour of time-saving tips for a specific subject.

Overall Program Learning Objectives

At the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• Customize and apply Epic personalization and workflow tools to efficiently organize work, manage tasks, and support patient care across inpatient and outpatient nursing workflows.
• Analyze nursing workflows and information flow to identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary navigation, cognitive load, and documentation burden while maintaining accuracy, timeliness, and clinical relevance.
• Create, modify, and evaluate user-level tools and configurations to support efficient, consistent, and clinically appropriate documentation and message management.

Session Overview

Session Statement of Need and Purpose 

Inpatient nurses often rely on default Epic settings that don’t reflect how they plan their work or manage patient care, which can lead to inefficiencies and increased cognitive load. They also may not be fully aware of the personalization options available to them across the Brain, chart, and Patient Lists, or how to use those tools effectively without impacting team workflows. Without intentional personalization, nurses may spend unnecessary time navigating the system and managing tasks manually rather than proactively organizing their workday.

This Nurse SmartUser course introduces personalization tools to increase charting efficiency. Inpatient nurses have the power to update their workspace to meet their documentation needs. Participants will be able to manage tasks in the Brain, modify patient review activities, and master Patient Lists. The class also explores customization opportunities in documentation tools like Navigators, Orders, and Care Plans.

Session Learning Objectives

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Customize Epic personalization settings (tasks, reports, activities, patient lists, and toolbars) to support efficient shift planning and patient review.
• Apply personalization tools within the Brain, chart, and Patient Lists to organize work, reduce cognitive load, and improve task management.
• Evaluate personalization choices to determine which configurations best support individual workflows while maintaining team visibility and consistency.

Elements of Competence

This educational activity is designed to change learner competence and focuses on the following competencies:

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)/Nursing: 

• Systems-based practice
• Utilizing informatics

Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies

• Roles and responsibilities
• Interprofessional communication

Intended Audience

This session is intended for nurses in inpatient settings using the EMR in their daily practice.

Course Schedule & Agendas*

*We will add agendas to this table as classes are scheduled. Credit information document is available on Epic's registration site. 

Policy on Disclosure

It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) to identify, mitigate and disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* held by the speakers/presenters, authors, planners, and other persons who may influence the content of this accredited continuing education (CE).  In addition, speakers, presenters, and authors must disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation.

This accredited continuing education activity is focused on the non-clinical topic – use of and communication within the electronic health record. As such, no persons in a position to control content have relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

*Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical services directly to patients to be ineligible companies.

Planning Committee Members

Peer Reviewer: Laura Vergenz, BSN, RN

Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP and Epic. The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American   Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation Statements

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 ANCC contact hours.

Continuing Education Units (CEU's)

The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP, as a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), authorizes this program for 0.10 continuing education units (CEUs), or 1.00 hour.