Keyboard shortcuts can help you work more efficiently and productively throughout the day, not to mention get through more tasks in the same amount of time. Whether you’re using your computer at home or in the office, it’s important to learn and practice the most efficient shortcuts to use when you’re dealing with patient records, medications, vital signs, or other forms of data entry. Here are nine keyboard shortcuts that nursing professionals should know and use every day! 9 Keyboard Shortcuts Nurses Should Know
9 Keyboard Shortcuts Nurses Shouldn’t Live Without
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The world of nursing can be a hectic place, but there are ways to make your daily tasks easier. As an RN, you are responsible for an extensive amount of information and tasks, so it’s important to save time whenever you can! Here are 9 keyboard shortcuts every nurse should know.
1) F2- create a new patient chart
2) F5- refresh the current screen
3) Ctrl+P- print the current screen
4) Ctrl+S- save the current screen
5) Ctrl+Z- undo the last action
6) Ctrl+Y- redo the last action
7) Ctrl+F- find a specific word or phrase
8) Ctrl+H- replace a specific word or phrase
9) Ctrl+B- open the help menu
Ctrl+Space bar – Autocomplete
One of my favorite Cerner keyboard shortcuts is Ctrl+Space bar, which autocompletes what you’re typing into a drop-down list. I primarily use it when entering patient names into a chart, because that’s one of those things I just forget how to spell. But instead of typing and retyping their entire name every time, all I have to do is type their first initial followed by space bar and then hit Enter—and now they’re entered!
Shift+Ctrl+W – New Word Document
Whether you need to create a new Word document or email, using Shift+Ctrl+W is a quick way to do so. It’s also great for accessing that Word Options window quickly without navigating through menus. Instead of clicking on File, then click on New and then typing out your full path to Word Options like some kind of caveman, simply hit Shift+Ctrl+W in any Word program and it will open up immediately. I use it at least once per day.
Ctrl+Z/Shift+Ctrl+Z – Undo/Redo
An unfortunate reality of working with computers is that sometimes you make mistakes. You should have learned these by now, but if not, a quick tip is to hit Ctrl+Z to undo what you just did and Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo it. These shortcuts work in any word processing program. If your word processor does not use Ctrl key combinations, try Esc+Ctrl+Z or Esc+Shift+Ctrl+Z for an undo function.
Alt + Shift + Up arrow – Move line or selection up (works in text boxes)
The Alt and Shift keys allow you to make changes to formatting, such as bolding or underlining text. Hold down Alt and tap Shift once, then tap another key (up arrow) to make your selection move up one line. Alternatively, hold down Alt, tap Shift twice in quick succession, then hit an arrow key to move your selection up one line.
Alt + Shift + Down arrow – Move line or selection down (works in text boxes)
Keeping your fingers on three keys is a lot less work than moving your hands to a mouse or touchpad. If you’re working in text and need to move lines down, Alt + Shift + Down arrow will do it for you. You can also use it to select a line of text and move that line or selection down by holding Alt + Shift and hitting Down arrow.
Ctrl + End – Go to end of document, Ctrl + Home – Go to beginning of document, Ctrl + K, Ctrl + E, Ctrl + U – Go to top, middle, bottom of document respectively
Hold down Ctrl key while pressing K, E, or U to go to that location, respectively. Ctrl + G – Go to a specific line: Type in any line number and press Enter (no need for Ctrl), Ctrl + Shift + , – Cut selected text, Ctrl + X – Cut selected text, Ctrl + C – Copy selected text, Ctrl + V – Paste copied or cut text at cursor location.
Alt + F4 – Close the current form without saving , 9 Keyboard Shortcuts Nurses Should Know
A lot of us in healthcare make a lot of small mistakes, but it’s easy to fix them before they get sent out for transcription. If you realize that you made a typo or wrote something down wrong, just close out of the screen instead of saving. It takes less than 30 seconds to review a note before hitting send.
Ctrl+N – Creates a new task or note; you can use this shortcut when creating a new document as well.
This shortcut will save you time by reducing mouse movement and clicks. Many people who use a computer for work have RSI (repetitive strain injury) from overuse of the mouse, so think about using keyboard shortcuts whenever possible. Just another perk of being a nurse!
Cerner keyboard shortcuts- here’s what you should know
Cerner keyboard shortcuts are similar to the shortcuts that you find on many other keyboards, but they have special meaning in the interface of the Cerner software. By learning these shortcuts, you’ll be able to more quickly and easily navigate through your work and complete your tasks more quickly than ever before! Remember, most of these shortcuts will only work if you’re logged into the software. So, follow along and learn about Cerner keyboard shortcuts today!
A list of all the commonly used Cerner Keyboard Shortcuts
Recently, Cerner released their new version of Synergy. Included in that release was a whole new way to navigate throughout your workday. I’ve been using it for a few months now and have figured out some really helpful tips that make working on Synergy more efficient. I wanted to take a minute to share those with everyone else so we can all become faster, better nurses! That being said, let’s get started!
How to customize your own layout for quick access
The good news is that there are a lot of customizable options in Cerner that allow you to be more efficient with your time. By customizing your layout, you can quickly access your most commonly used screens with a few clicks.
Tips on how to use keyboard shortcuts in an efficient manner.
Keyboard shortcuts can help nurses at Cerner save time and be more productive. Here are some tips on how to use them. The first step is to familiarize yourself with which ones are available. You don’t want to waste your time searching for a command that could have been executed in half a second if you had known about it beforehand! The next step is practicing, so try typing faster and using shortcuts as much as possible. Soon enough, they will become second nature, and you’ll wonder why everyone doesn’t use them!
Examples of scenarios where you can use them effectively
Common scenarios for using Cerner keyboard shortcuts include entering information about a patient, looking up tests and lab results, viewing doctors’ notes and viewing medications. As an example, to look up lab results from your last shift as a nurse, press l on your standard keyboard. This will display test results in chronological order from most recent to least recent.