re: Why do old people suck at computers?

I literally spent 1 hour recently teaching a late 60's y/o nurse (new hire) how to assign herself 3 patients (normally, a 2 minute effort) on the computer so she can document what treatments/meds she administers. Assigning a patient involves searching for a patient's name in the patient database, assigning a RN code, then clicking a nurses name from a nursing database. Simple.

(Louisiana/NOLA hospitals have mandated computer charting since 2012 so I assumed she had some basic pc competence.)

I realized quickly how simple I had to break things down when I had to explain what a mouse/cursor were and what windows were, how to close/minimize windows, etc...

I guided her through the first two assignments which took 45 minutes, with slow, simple detailed repetitive instructions, step-by-step. She said "They said you were good at teaching, and that I should orient with you! You make it seem really simple". Plus she wrote down every step I mentioned!

Ok she seemed to get it, so I told her I was going to watch her assign herself the 3rd patient unprompted. If I did not stop her before she hit enter, she would have assigned her 3rd patient to a doctor in Baton Rouge at a sister facility!!! I mean it's one thing if she didn't realize she wasn't in the nurses database, as she was actually in the MD database, but why the frick would she randomly select a name that is not HER name??? The first thing she should have said was "Ok I'm lost. I don't see my name. Help!" Instead, she just clicked a random name, not close to hers, and was about to apply the selection by hitting enter. It makes no fricking sense.


I lost my patience assigning patients.

Yeah. And they can help you with spelling, grammar, proper sentence structure. "LOL"