Doctor's orders and Text Messaging

[AstonishiaInlimbo]

text messaging is very popular in our country, and i was just wondering if there are any other nurses out there who get like doctor's orders thru texts?

in my 6-semester clinicals, i've only seen one nurse recieve a doctor's order through text. i forgot what it was about already, i think it was because they adjusted the patient's drug or something...the doctor was like on vacation.

other nurses we've been with refer doctors on vacation to the resident doctors for their orders, or write down the order and never carry it out till a doctor signs it...that's for telephone orders though...

the text order thing made me uneasy and thinking though...

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Call me old-fashioned, but I still prefer to receive doctor's orders verbally or in writing. I'm technologically crippled regarding cell phones, and text messages simply have too many errors and shorthand to be accurate.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

I would be very wary on receiving text orders by phone, see lots of issues and errors occuring

[lenjoy03, RN]

from the hospital we're my school was affiliated, we used text messaging via chikka or if its down, the turbo text to text doctors regarding the patient's condition but never for doctor's order! Its prone to error! Not very advisable I must say!

[lawrence01]

in my 6-semester clinicals, i've only seen one nurse recieve a doctor's order through text. i forgot what it was about already, i think it was because they adjusted the patient's drug or something...the doctor was like on vacation.

a nurse cannot carry-out an order if not penned and signed in writing by at least a resident doctor on behalf of the physician-in-charge of the patient. since you forgot what it was about then i can safely presume that you were not directly involved w/ this and that you've only heard of this from someone else. it is therefore hearsay.

the physician may have just clarified something about the orders or he wants to find out if the resident doctor has already placed the order on his behalf. physician doctors do this when they want to double check what his resident doctor has been doing or whether something has been carried out yet by his residents and if the hospital has medical interns, then the physician-in-charge may also text the intern on duty to double check on the resident-in-charge. asking someone if an order has been placed correctly or has even been made is different from carrying out an order through text.

other nurses we've been with refer doctors on vacation to the resident doctors for their orders, or write down the order and never carry it out till a doctor signs it...that's for telephone orders though..

.

this is always the norm in ph. a resident doctor or a house-doctor if the hospital has no residency programs has to pen the order and sign it before a nurse can carry it out.

[suzanne4, RN]

Text messaging is not a legal order, if it is not written and placed in the chart, then it never existed. All must have written documentation to be legal.

Even in the US, a physicians can phone in to the unit and order something, but it needs to be recorded on an order sheet and written as a verbal order and then requires the physician's actual signature within a certain time period. And there is even a place to check off that you verified and read back the order to them.

Text messaging should never be used for a legal order for a patient.

[aboood25]

really it is not legal order through text message , the order must have written clearly in the file and followed by doctor's signature ,and the same for verbal order except in emergency situation .

[Ocasiday]

It has become the norm to text questions and receive orders through texting. I have found that the doctor texting the order back is complete and full of answers to my questions or concerns. I do not have any doubt in what he/she is saying or trying to communicate. The dosage, the medication, times and route are clear, I simply write the order on an order sheet as a telephone order. I have supporting documentation that the physician text it to me if there is any questions about the order. The physician comes in and signs the order when he/she is able too. This also helps the physician in the middle of the night to wake up, get their heads on and be able to answer with a rational answer!

The other thought is since most of the hospitals are going to computer charting, orders are faxed and we receive orders per telephone--why not texting?? It is a great tool and I love it, also no added verbage or tones are shown through texting per a physician that is a little cranky. Loving it!

[spongebob6286, BSN, RN]

we only have verbal / telephone orders here (VO/TO-RB read back). never heard of via text. how will you write it in physician's order then? SMS-text back? lol