The Problem With Ordering Everything and Seeing What Sticks

If you're a new Nurse Practitioner (NP), you're probably spending valuable, unpaid time scrolling through online forums asking for "the best lab interpretation guide." I've been there. The desire for a perfect, all-in-one guide to deciphering every lab result is real, especially when you're faced with an overflowing inbox of patient data.

And when you're in a rush, it's natural to want a simple, clean answer: "What does this high or low result mean for my patient?" or "What is my next step (diagnose, treat, do more testing, refer to specialist) now that I have this abnormal result?"

Your EHR can be your biggest hurdle or your strongest ally.

If you feel like your electronic health record (EHR) is clunky, slow, and full of generic templates that force you to work late, you are not alone. EHR inefficiencies are a notorious source of unpaid after-hours work, effectively giving you a pay cut by making you work a 60-hour job on a 40-hour salary. 

The good news is that you are not powerless. Optimizing your EHR is the front-loaded effort that allows you to automate repetitive tasks and save countless minutes every day. 

Are you a Primary Care Provider (PCP) who loves patient care, but dreads the after-hours chart pile-up? Do you feel that gnawing anxiety when the clock hits 5 PM, knowing your actual workday is far from over?

I know that feeling. I am an NP with people-pleasing tendencies (it’s now in remission) and I used to work late nights and weekends, sacrificing my personal life just to meet my patient’s needs.

If you've ever found yourself scrolling through a medical app at 9 p.m., trying to nail down a diagnosis for a patient you saw that day, you're not alone. I've been there. In many online groups for nurse practitioners, I see the same question: "What's the best clinical reference tool for primary care? I need one place that has everything." 

Instead of manually searching for and clicking on each item one by one, a well-designed order set allows you to apply a comprehensive plan with a single action. Think of it as a pre-loaded shopping cart for your clinical decisions.

This isn’t just about speed. It’s about making your workday sustainable…