Are verbal orders still done?

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Hey everyone

This question is for everyone,

Are verbal orders still done? I thought we could no longer do verbal orders.

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We avoid them, but they occasionally occur.

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Verbal orders are a routine part of every shift on my unit. We take multiple ones every night. Just another thing that bothers me about my unit.

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isnt it that we are supposed to be limiting vo so that we no longer do them. I mean i understand that people bend rules but legally speaking, are verbal orders supposed to still be done?

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Yes, but then the doc writes the order right away...usually!

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I could swear that i read somewhere on jhaco that we are trying to rid hospitals of vo's there for we are not supposed to take them, places like cedars-sinai no longer take vo's for instance. I thought we weren't allowed to take verbal orders anymore.

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At the hospital where I work we should only take VOs in an emergency situation. Docs still occasionally give them though.... I usually enter them as a telephone order to avoid problems. Not sure I should be doing it this way but I'm not sure how else to get around it.

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At the hospital where I work we should only take VOs in an emergency situation. Docs still occasionally give them though.... I usually enter them as a telephone order to avoid problems. Not sure I should be doing it this way but I'm not sure how else to get around it.

Yeah same here, but one doc said he was going to get me fired for not taking a verbal order, I explained that joint commission changed the rules regarding VO's and i gave him the chart and some order sheets, but he didn't write anything. So when someone else paged him for something else, I spoke with him and asked for the order, but he just said that he was going to report me and get me fired. I understand that i could just "TO" it but he was across the room and spoke so low that it was difficult to understand what he said, I explained this but no dice. so i told him ok doc, u do what u need to my full name is so and so, now can i get the order? and i got it, I'm expecting to hear from my DON soon. Some Doctors are just SOBs.

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That doc sounds like a jerk....Here you are just trying to do your job properly and you have to put up with this crap. This is why I just put them as TOs

"sigh"

I think you are right about the joint commission changing the rules regarding VOs so the DON shouldn't be mad at you. Good luck...keep us posted..

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thanks, im really happy to hear that. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks again for the support!!!!

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Specializes in ER, Medicine.

We still do verbal orders. At the end of the order we have to read back to the physician his order to ensure we have heard everything correctly. It's also a routine thing at my workplace.

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Specializes in ER.

yeah its still done and its ok as long as you make them sign the chart afterwards

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