Docs forced to write legible

RegisteredNurse06 · Jul 15, 2004

Ya know....I have always wondered how in the world these docs got through elementary school with the way they write! My 6 year old writes better than most docs and was sent home with a note last year saying he NEEDED to practice his handwriting! I guess you all are right. They had to take a class to learn to write that poorly. But why?????

dphrn · Jul 15, 2004

Is their legible equal to my legible? What a joke!

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 15, 2004

It took me while, but now I can read 'pretty much' most of what all our docs write, but I won't hesitate to call them and tell them that I can't read the orders they wrote. One went as fas as threaten me with a write up........oh right, like he could even go there..........for calling him for no reason and wasting HIS time........... :rotfl: :rotfl: We are known as the unit that calls docs to verify orders and now most of them will read out the order to a nurse before they leave the floor......but I think that this ruling is a long time a coming!!!! It's about time.....now all they need is to make a 'law' about the nurses who write like crud!! Boy howdy, you would think that some of them think they were docs in another life by the way they write!! ahahahahahahaha

You mean there are places where nurses still write??? LOL

I thought computer charting had taken over completely - except maybe LTC. Even home health nurses chart on laptops.

Nitengale326 · Jul 15, 2004

Write legible... we spend time betting on how many nurses it will take to be able to figure out Dr. so and so's orders.... We have had 7 nurses look at orders and still come up with 7 different answers. Get them to write legibly... not a chance! We can't get them to stop writing Q (as in Q day, etc) per THEIR patient safety guidelines!!!! This I gotta see!!!!!

rollingstone · Jul 15, 2004

I work in a large teaching hospital in Boston and the MD's do all of their orders and scripts on the computer. The RN then has to go into the computer and acknowledge the order. The only time they write is when they are doing progress notes in the chart. It certainly cuts down on mistakes because you don't have to decipher crummy handwriting.

Eventually this will be the norm across the land.

missmercy · Jul 15, 2004

It really is a wonderful system and I have never seen anything like it (of course this is the first nursing job I've had). I wonder if there are other places around that do the same thing.
I also hate when the MD's get mad because you call them to ask about what they wrote in their note. It's not our job to figure out what your assessment says!
I hope that more hospitals will begin to move away from paper and move towards computers!

Couldn't agree more!! So many of our Docs write like third graders and have the nerve to get angry with us when we call for a clarification of that order -- dispite the fact that there were 3 or 4 of us trying to figure out what it might say. In addition tho their handwrinting, now we have to police their abbreviations for them.. We ( as nurses and pahrmacists) will have to call any physician who uses one of the unapproved abbreviations. Lets see, they swear at me if I call them because I can't read what it says -- how do you think they willrespond when I have to call and say " I understand that your intent was to write for this patient's IV to run @ 100ml/hour, however, since you wrote to run it at 100ccs/hour, I need to have that order clarified please."

OH JOY!!

Audreyfay · Jul 15, 2004

I work with Aurora Health Care. They are slowly converting everything into computerized charting, including MD orders, nurses notes, etc. Some of the hospitals are already 100% computerized from prescriptions on down. Why not? It eliminates errors.

On a side note, the ACT/SAT College exams are now including a hand-written essay with the exam. Some of the kids taking it are concerned that the graders won't be able to read their handwriting! :chuckle

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jul 15, 2004

Perhaps now that doctors will be made to write so that we can read it, nurses will have to type and speak correctly....it should be legibly....not legible.

NannaNurse · Jul 15, 2004

You mean there are places where nurses still write??? LOL
I thought computer charting had taken over completely - except maybe LTC. Even home health nurses chart on laptops.

Oh I wish.......we are still charting in about 15 different places and they are adding more!! Our 'big brother' is too 'cheep' to do that, but we do have a 'new toy'......we wear these little 'garage door opener' looking things and a cordless phone. When a call light goes off, you don't hear that nerve racking ''BEEP" every half second, now if it's your patient, your phone rings to let you know which patient. The call buttons in the rooms now have special buttons to push.....pain, toilet, etc.....if they need pain meds, it says that. When you go into the room, the light goes off and if your a nurse, the light outside the room is green, if your a tech, it's orange. There is a computer screen at the nurses station that shows where you are at all times.

But, Oh we would really love to have laptops, would make all that darn charting more easy. But we are not holding our breath!! :angryfire

Mimi2RN, ASN, RN · Jul 15, 2004

Our hospitalists are slowly converting into preprinted orders or orders entered directly into the computer, which print up for the hard chart. Also their progress notes are written on the computer, and we get a copy. It's made a big difference to the time wasted attempting to read the scrawl!

AmyLiz · Jul 15, 2004

We just found out at our last staff meeting that everyone has to write legibly (thank goodness), but also that some standard abbreviations (like bid) are no longer permitted to be used. And we're no longer allowed to write with a zero after a decimal (like 5.0 mcg...it would have to be 5 mcg), which isn't too much of a stretch to do, but after writing 2.0, etc for eons, it's tougher than it seems.