Nurses Notes plagiarism at work such a thing?

Nurses General Nursing

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Any one ever been accused of plagiarizing another nurses nursing notes. I don't mean whole paragraphs, just a few phrases here and there, like "ambu bag at bedside" or "I & O cathed x 1 for clear,yellow urine" or trach care performed. Pt. tolerated well". In my state SC the SBON does not have anything regarding same. Just want to know what is the general census regarding this.

Thanks!

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

from the examples you gave I would say they are more like common phrases that many people use. Aslong as they are accurate and do not represent lazy charting I do not see the problem. We do electronic charting and there are checklists. Basically the nurse is checking a phrase that fits the situation. What is the difference?

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If the phrase used accurately describes the situation, don't see a problem.

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I'm tcurious, how do you see this as an issue?

ETA: Not my intent to sound accusatory. I was more interested in how or why this issue arose, as I agree with the rest of those who have posted. These are rather common phrases and there are a limited number of ways that this information can be phrased.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I prefer to think of it as learning from the good example set by others. If someone else charts a phrase that is more descriptive or, more often more professional than mine, I'll adopt it.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Who said this was plagiarism?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Considering that most of us continue to chart using tried and true phrases taught to us in nursing school, I'm not sure how plagiarism could ever even be considered. I expect routine narrative notes to cover certain bases and to sound essentially the same, barring exceptions of course.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Nuts. Definition of plagiarism from Webster - to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

Does not even apply in this case. Nurses notes are not by any stretch of the imagination - 'new and original'. Are they using this as a code for "falsifying documentation"?

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Specializes in Oncology.

We once had a patient transferred to us from another unit with a large stage III pressure ulcer. The daughter was very upset about it and threatening to sue. I swear for her entire stay on our unit that patient had charted, every two hours, "Turned and positioned. Barrier cream applied. Comfort assured." As long as it's accurate, who cares?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

About three years ago one of my 'older,' more experienced coworkers made a xerox copy of one of my written narrative notes and would use it to help guide her routine charting when nothing spectacular was going on with any of her patients. It was just quicker to use a copy of my nurses note as a template to get through her charting.

I had absolutely no problem with this. In fact, I was a bit flattered. After all, they say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Who said this was plagiarism?

More important, WHY is it thought that it would be plagiarism...

OP if the BON has nothing based on basic charting phrases, then the phrases are essential to depicting a picture of pt care. :blink:

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I don't think it's plagiarism. And I aways go through and read the nurses notes

and I have picked up tips from more

seasoned nurses and found better ways to phrase things.

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