Put the darn chart back!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I don't know how those of you that are day nurses deal with docs leaving charts all over. I really don't understand how hard a concept it is to either put it back on the door, or if life is really that busy, drop it off to the secretary at the desk!

OK that's it.

:heartbeat Tait

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Thankfully, the vast majority of docs at my facility are pretty good about responsible chart placement. Having to track charts down would drive me nuts, too.

Specializes in Med surg, Hospice, Geriatrics, AL, LTAC.

Ah, another "pro" for electronic charts!

Specializes in ER, Medicine.

To me the most irritating thing is when they leave the chart with a now or a stat order that you and the secretary have no idea about and don't get to it until 5 hours later.

We are 50% computer and 50% paper it's nice when they put all now/stat orders in the computer...I generally catch those quick.

Sometimes the doc will find me, talk to me about the patient and then before he leaves will give me the chart and read the order to me if his handwriting is terrible. That is truly a great situation.

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I agree, it is nice when the doc takes the time to talk to me. Some do, some don't.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Docs, students, PT, OT, insurance reps, social workers, sometimes a chart is in circulation for hours. Then finally gets put back in the rack, but somehow bypasses the secretary without orders.

Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

Makes a great case for computer charting. I can't wait until the day comes when the doctors have to put their own orders in the computer. That would be heaven, no more deciphering what that scribble is.

Specializes in Family Practice/Primary Care.
Makes a great case for computer charting. I can't wait until the day comes when the doctors have to put their own orders in the computer. That would be heaven, no more deciphering what that scribble is.

Amen to THAT. This future nurse (a few more months...) has already tried, and failed, repeatedly to decipher the scratchings in charts.

Maybe the "DR" title stands for= "Don't Return":lol2:

Guess what happens in the LTC I work in part time.....the RNs, like the care plan coordinator...and some others....take charts away from the desk and it will be locked up in their office overnight or over the weekend, and we don't have access to the charts during those times.

Specializes in ICU, M/S,Nurse Supervisor, CNS.
To me the most irritating thing is when they leave the chart with a now or a stat order that you and the secretary have no idea about and don't get to it until 5 hours later.

:yeahthat:

I hate finding a chart full of stat orders that were written hours ago. I had a two patients this last weekend I worked who had multiple consulting physicians that were seeing them. Each doctor wrote orders, I would look over them and start implementing what I could and put the chart in front of the secretary to get the orders entered. Well, it never failed, before the secretary could even get to the chart, another doc would take the chart, write more orders and leave it at the substation in front of the pt room where I would find it much later. Luckily, not all the orders were stat or could be implemented right away anyway, so everything was done by the end of the shift anyway. But, really, if you got the chart from the secretary's desk with the new orders flagged, would it really be so hard to replace it there after you've written your orders??? Apparently so! I must say that our regular docs know the routine and actually talk with the nurse after they've finished writing orders.

Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

I hate that the biggest offenders are also them same ones that get really ticked-off when it's not where it's suppossed to be. They're the same ones that expect people to just drop everything and find it for them. :rolleyes:

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