Thanks for everyones input into this thread. I thought I would post a update to let you all know how I've progressed.
I bought a cambridge mead notebook at OfficeMax for about three bucks. It is about 3x8 and is spiral bound. This fits folded nicely on the med cart and I use it all night keeping notes (meds out, incidences, complaints etc). I put circles in front of things I need to complete that shift and check it off as I complete the tasks. I date one page for each day, and put 'off' for days I am not in. I note staff on duty, bs checks, and any things else special I need to be aware off.
At the end of the shift I take each item, insure it is done, fill out the reports, and notes as required. It is amazing how much happens when you note things down. From my list I complete the
daily shift report which now amazingly has information that is more than 'Mrs Jones is sick'.
On occasions more numerous than I can count, I have used the book to recall events to 'save my butt'. The
detailed daily shift reports have stopped numerous 'how come you didn't...' comments when I was able to point out to the day shift that the minor details (that come back and bite) are
in writing. I put in yellow important stuff. Of course they still don't read it, but the water is there if they get thirsty. I also take a copy of the
shift report and staple it in a way that I can unfold it out while still being stapled to the facing page.
The mead notebook has yellow pages with narrow lines and the facing page is printed graph blocks.
With the notebook I started taping neat stuff I collected onto the cover. I also started to write down phone numbers. I started to dread the notebook (which is spiral bound) running out of room, so I took a idea from lifehacker.com and bought 5x8 colored cards which I will put together with ring clips to save all that important stuff (pizza hut number, chinese food that delivers etc.).
One color will be phone numbers, another med cards, another color for something else....I can move pages around and add whenever. If it gets to bulky I just buy bigger rings.
Well, that is where I stand. The whole system was less than 10 bucks. (Excluding the jetpens.com pens I have become fanatic about.)
I really enjoy hearing from everyone else. A couple of sites I found in quest of tools include jetpens.com (fine point neat pens from Japan), Lifehacker.com (ideas), notebookism.com (are notebooks a mental illness?), levenger.com (great stuff but expensive).
As an aside, I took a hint from lifehacker.com and kept detailed notes during a inservice, rather than fidgeting, falling asleep, being bored etc, etc. At the end the instructor said she was pleased I was interested and took it so seriously!
Covering your butt (for me) is becoming enjoyable because I now know how to win...if it is important enough to do, it is important to remember......thanks to you all!!!!
Primum non nocere
Would you like to comment?
I get interrupted so many times a day and usually during med pass, so I right it down to accomplish later. I do take it home and keep it usually a month then shred them. They have no names on it, just numbers and some pertinent things I receive in report. Last week I was called by a higher up that I didn't do something and I was told in report about it. I was able to pull it up and prove that I wasn't told anything about it. Of course the main reason to keep notes is to make sure everything at the end of the day is charted and all paperwork is filed properly to CYA.
