Drs. handwriting - Can you read it well?

Hi. I was just wondering how you deal with not being able to read a drs. handwriting, because even though I am not a nurse, a lot of times I cannot read the Prescriptions that my drs. write out, therefore I wonder how nurses deal with this? When you have to go back to the Dr. to ask questions, are they usually nice or do they act like you should have been able to read it?

[Agnus]

Ask for clarification. If you do this enough something magical happens. They start taking care with their handwriting. If they seem upset that you asked it is not your fault. They know that.

Any docotor worth his/her salt will want you to ask rather than make an error.

I don't recall having a problem because I asked after not being able to read an order.

Gusessing is not wise. Too many drugs and such have simular names and spellings. If you can read an order and it doesn't make sense ask. They do make mistakes.

[ageless]

....also prescriptions are witten in apothecary style so perhaps some of the symbols may also throw one a curve ball if one has never been exposed to pharmacology..............

[HoJo]

Haven't had to for a while, where I work we have a complete computerized system, but we still call them for clarifications sometimes when need be.

[altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN]

Oh, but it is sooo much fun translating the md's writing. with one doc at my facility it used to be a game on who could figure the orders out the fastest....too bad that this doc has switched to all printed out orders, progress notes now:) LOL Really, we call the doctor to clarify and even sometimes the pharmacy can help us out with the meds. Never gotten chewed out for it

[ScarlettRN]

I guess if you work in a pharmacy, it is harder to decipher a script the way we can based on the diagnosis and the context of the order.

[ShelleyERgirl, LPN]

I work in an internal medicine office with a doctor who has quite possibly the worst handwriting in the free world! I think he was an ancient Egyptian in a past life:p We constantly have to ask him for translation on his scripts not to mention his progress notes that his IF he remembers to document everything. This man has got to be the most disorganized man ever, sometimes we are amazed he ever made it through med school. One thing I can say is that he doesn't get mad, I think he is used to it at this point.

[niteshiftnurse]

I have had times that "no one" can read the hand writing, not even the people in the pharmacy. I have even had to hold the order upto the ceiling lights and read it backwards. As a rule, when I call for clarification, they are nice, but did have to call a doc who was very rude. At that point, I wrote an incident report and made a copy of the order and guess what............when it was given to the doc, he couldn't read it either. will be glad when we get computerized orders

[MandyInMS]

LOL...makes me think of an older Doc we had who would make up abbreviations for things that nobody had ever heard of..like: 3H enema=High, Hot, and Hellavalot....or,seen in progress note: BOP=Bubble off Plumb in reference to mental state....he'd also write the first letter of a med and the rest was a big scribble..like Morpine was written: M~~~~~~ 2-4 mg q 3 hrs prn...bless his heart, he died a few years back,but he was a HOOT...after working with him for many years everyone learned to 'decifer' his orders and he'd LOVE when somebody new came along and asked about his funny written orders.....dang, missin him now..he always loved me cuz I'd joke back with him when others would be scared to death of him...off subject now..lol...he always wore these plaid "golfer" pants...asked him one day what garage sale he got those awful thangs at...the nurses at the desk were standing there with their mouths gaped open and he BUSTED out laughin.....hehe

[gwenith, BSN, RN]

Why do doctors have bad handwrting?

To disguise the fact that they can't spell!

[ShelleyERgirl, LPN]

Originally posted by gwenith

Why do doctors have bad handwrting?

To disguise the fact that they can't spell!

:rotfl:

Girl, that is the truth! You are not kidding.

[nowplayingEDRN]

I think that they send docs to a class on how to write illegibly. When I worked civilian, we had a doc that his hand writing used to look like the practice loops for cursive handwriting practice. If you did not stand right there when he was writing and the clerk was gone for the day, you had no alternative but to call and ask for clarification.

There is a locum tenems (sp) surgeon here at the MTF that I work at now and the Assistant Hospital Commander called him out on the carpet, stating that his illegible orders and notes were intolerable. His writing has since got a dab batter but it is still touch and go.

I find that the docs would rather have you call than to guess and misinterpret the orders and personally, I'll take a griping doc any day over transcribing orders wrong.

[Burnt Out, ASN, RN]

Our docs have had to attend a handwriting class-it has helped some of them, but others:rolleyes: .....we usually call to clarify; if they get mad...it is there problem, not mine-I'm just taking care of the patient:D