Charting has to be done no matter what?

[Blackcat99]

Most of the nurses at my job do their daily required charting each day. However, we have a few nurses who don't do their daily required charting. Management is now telling us that all charting has to be done period. For example, if the other shifts did not do their required charting then they want someone from another shift to do that person's charting for them. For example, the 7-3 nurse did not do some required charting on her shift. So the supervisor tells the 3-11 shift nurse to do the 7-3 nurses required charting. Is this something new or do all LTC facilities do this now?

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

No way am I charting for anyone else. EVER.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

I wonder if you are misunderstanding your DON.

Things such as medicare charting needs to be done daily but there is no requirement as to what shift it needs done on. Therefore if days doesn't get to it, technically there is no reason an evening nurse can't do an assessment and then document for the required medicare charting. This DOES NOT MEAN your charting someone else's assessment.

Now with that said, we all have bad shifts and need a hand, BUT if it's always the same person not getting done (and probably the same one dilly dallying all day) then I wouldn't be volunteering to bail them out either. management needs to step in and get them to do their job.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

There must be a skilled note at least once a day after the first 72 hours. If the day shift didn't document, the 3-11 shift should. Document what YOU did, what YOU saw. Not what happened on another shift.

[CCU BSN RN]

Like others have said, there's a difference between telling you you have to chart a set of vitals for 1pm when you weren't even clocked in and definitely didn't do it,

and saying that if q24 hour charting isn't done on days (e.g. assessment, bradens, falls risk, whatever) it becomes your responsibility.

The former would be wrong, the latter is encouraging you to talk to your co-workers or your supervisor if you notice a trend with one person. Essentially, someone needs to rat out the lazy people, and no one was doing it. The boss is appealing to the uptight, rule following employees by telling them that their paperwork will be double until they rat out their co-workers. Effective management, I'd say.

[caliotter3]

Yeah, that's right, leave all charting for night shift. They don't do anything anyway. That's what I see here.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Since patients should be sleeping on 11-7 it would be difficult to assess them in order to write a note. Split the work between days and evenings

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

Um...chart things that other people did and didn't chart? No way. Not unless I'm in a situation where one nurse is charting but others are helping manage a patient (like a code or other emergency). I have to do something or see it happen to chart it.

Are they talking about things that need done sometime every 24 hours? Like care plans, etc? Cause if it can be done anytime but should be done on days, then yeah, sure, if I have time to do so I will do it. I'd totally do that. Many times on my old unit, I didn't get to my care plans or my coworkers on days didn't. We just had to have one entry each day, so we did the ones that needed done for the day and then the ones our shift was responsible for. Like days did odd numbered rooms, nights did evens. If the days nurse I relieved didn't get to it, I'd take two minutes and fill it out. Something like that...no problem.

[Glycerine82, LPN]

They probably want you to chart on the patient because the 7-3 nurse didn't so they've been charted on that day. (Medicare rule)

I doubt they are asking you to chart on behalf of the 7-3 nurses, and if they are you need to RUN away.

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

If a lawsuit happens...what evidence do you have?

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

I can only chart on what I see, hear, and do. Maybe if, in verbal report, previous nurse stated that vitals were WNL, I *might* chart as such but would be really tempted to do a reassessment to make sure since I did not have any starting data. This sounds unfair to the night folks but it's also catastrophically bad for a nurse's license if s/he doesn't chart.

[KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN]

Perhaps your DON needs to implement some consequences for those who are not charting. It does not become YOUR responsibility to cover another nurse's laziness, refusal, poor time management, etc. etc. that is contributing to them not charting. No way will you EVER catch me charting for someone else. NOPE.