Dr's giving orders at bedside

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

what is your hospital or facilities policy on a doc giving orders to you at a pt's bedside? we had a nurse go with a doc to the bedside .. the doc talked to the pt's said some things he wanted to do to the nurse ,, sounded like orders to her .. she wrote them as orders ........... .. and it turns out the Doc was just thinking out loud and did not want those orders written Doc said he was "thinking out loud"...................... nurse got written up....... here's my take on orders by the bedside.... i don't do it............... if a doc wants to give a bedside order.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,. he is there he can write it himself.. also you cannot repeat back orders when given by the bedside... i repeat back orders on the phone and when a doc talks to me at the nurses station.... i have had dr's tell me things by the bedside and have not written them as orders ( many times ..)... if he wants them written he is there he can write the orders himself... what do you think? i just don't take bedside orders....

thank you all in advance.. sorry if this is poorly written just got off a 15 hour shift.... exhausted...

[Crux1024]

If hes at bedside, then hes close enough to the chart to write it himself.

The hospital i work for is having DoH issues with verbal orders and theyre cracking down on how theyre written and how quickly theyre signed off. Not worth the grief, if you ask me.

[klone, MSN, RN]

At the hospital I used to work for, docs would give verbal orders all the time. Generally they would speak directly to you and you would know it was a verbal order. I now work at a teaching hospital, so generally if a doc gives an order, they're good about writing them down. If they give a verbal, I usually say "can you write that for me?" I figure it's good practice for them.

[ObtundedRN, BSN, RN]

My hospital's policy is that we are not supposed to take a verbal order unless it is an urgent or emergent situation. If it is a routine order, they need to write it.

My hospital is supposed to go to computerized physician order entry over the next year. I'll be interested in how that turns out. lol.

[shiccy]

One little phrase to remember: "Do you want me to write that as a verbal?" This MAKES him/her say yes/no.

I'd have a hard time signing that write up. If he's in front of the patient telling him the things that they're going to do for the patient, and it doesn't happen, this doc would have written the RN up for NOT doing a V.O. Use of the above sentence alleviates this.

[lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN]

Shoot, I repeat verbal orders at the bedside.

[mskate]

Generally speaking, I won't take verbals. You have hospital computer access at home, where ever you are in the hospital, and especially at the bedside - you can put the orders in yourself. I will do it if the doc is in the O.R. and I am getting a call back via the O.R. nurse on speaker phone and the doc CAN'T put the order in himself.

Otherwise - I don't have time to do your job by writing orders for you. I also don't have the desire to deal with it later on when you forget you said something, or your verbal order had an adverse reaction and then you won't co-sign the order and *I* get in trouble.

[Kiringat]

No verbal orders unless there is a code or other emergency. If a doctor is around and tries to give me an order in a non-emergency situation, I will offer to go get the chart and a pen (or just freaking hand them the chart!).

[Batman25]

One little phrase to remember: "Do you want me to write that as a verbal?" This MAKES him/her say yes/no.

I'd have a hard time signing that write up. If he's in front of the patient telling him the things that they're going to do for the patient, and it doesn't happen, this doc would have written the RN up for NOT doing a V.O. Use of the above sentence alleviates this.

I don't think I'd be signing off on that one either. This is a good example of why verbal orders are a bad idea. I can see it in a code/emergency but other than that we don't do them and I'm grateful for that.

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

yes verbal orders are a bad idea... if a doc is at the bedside saying all these things outloud.. and you write them and they change their mind.. and walk off the hall ..you write these orders and he decides that he was " thinking outloud" .. you are cooked... he is there he has the chart ,,, he has to write in his progress notes... write the order at the same time.... i don't write orders on what a doc says to me at the bedside of a pt... he has the chart let him write them himself...

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Unless it's during an emergent situation I generally don't take orders at bedside. Even during an emergent situation, you should still be repeating back what was asked for to verify ie. "Here is Hydrazine 25mg IV" It would give the physician one last chance to say "no, I changed my mind."

[RN-ing, BSN, MSN, NP]

"Do you want me to write that as an order?" Then repeat it back and write "VVO Dr. So and So".