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?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Truly, you will. Particularly those docs whose writing you read day after day after day. Even the handwriting of those that you see only sporadically will start to make more sense, given your ever-increasing experience with the patients, the floor and the day-in and day-out issues.

And frankly, it can be a little scary when you realize that you can understand the chicken scratches!

They just went over this in school. They told us that if we are unsure about what is written (aka just lazy scribbles) then we should call the doctor and confirm the order. I don't know if this will apply in the real world but it's what we were taught.

Specializes in CVICU.

I'm sorry, but I have to say that the title of this thread gave me a warm fuzzy, because part of my job is to convince the doctors that the new order entry system we're implementing is a lot safer for patients and will reduce medication errors due to transcription misunderstandings, etc.

I know this is silly, but it is something that really gets under my skin. Every time I'm looking through a chart and looking at dr's orders/progress notes, it seriously looks like a 2 year old just scribbled on some paper....and I'm supposed to know how to read this!?!? I mean, it's kind of important that I read the dr's order right? Is there a trick to it? Does anybody else have the same problem as I do? I'm graduating in May and I'm scared that I'll never be able to read their chicken scratch!

In my hospital everything is computerized EXCEPT for MD orders. Some of them enter orders via computer: easy to read, decipher, acknowledge not to mention quick, timely and possibly better for pt care! Others write their crappy chicken scratch and get away with it. My first response is : AND JHACO ALLOWS THIS? Last week four of us were hovering over another incomprehensible hand written drs order: 2 of us read it as BG (blood glucose) and 2 others as ABG's. Ultimately had to call MD who was (big surprise!) miffy and annoyed. It really annoyed me and I found myself thinking "What passive aggressive behavior." The more important point is that it inevitably must lead to errors more than we know and to delays in necessary treatment.

Specializes in Geriatrics.

I love new docs- they print in nice square type printing!! No questions on what they order! I have a few older docs, who over the years, I have learned there scratch! If I ever have a question I will call and ask! they havent got mad about me calling, and if they did, I would just fax over what I couldnt read (and wish them luck on reading it themselves!) Never 2nd guess a docs orders. clarify, clarify, clarify!!!!

Specializes in ICU.

When I was in nursing school I remember whining to my teacher that I could not understand the Dr's handwriting and I thought I would never be able to. She told me that I might not believe it, but it will come to me.

Guess what? I am the one they come to now to decipher dr's orders. Once you actually learn what the abbreviations mean, them meds and the frequencies, it becomes much easier. Right now you don't kno those things, so you can't decipher them. Hang in there!

Specializes in Professional Development Specialist.

It does come easier. You learn the individual docs. Like Dr. B's x's look like ts and it confuses the heck out of you until you know that and then tanat doesn't look like some foreign med you should look up. I have called my fair share of docs and they were all polite in clarifying the one word I wasn't sure on in their order. On the other hand I always gripe "if their order is so important that I must follow it, then why can't they write it so we can read it!?"

Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU, s/p Open Heart surgery.
Infinisynth said:
They just went over this in school. They told us that if we are unsure about what is written (aka just lazy scribbles) then we should call the doctor and confirm the order. I don't know if this will apply in the real world but it's what we were taught.

We do this in real life. after being called over and over for order clarifications, the docs/PA/NP will get tired of it and most of them start to make an effort to write legibly. some of them go so far as to hunt you down and go over the orders with you to make sure you understand it all. we like those docs ?

Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

At the hospital I used to work at, all doctor's orders were entered electronically and printed out -- thank goodness! So I never had the problem of deciphering chicken scratch. Did occasionally have to call for clarification of ambiguous wording. As someone else said, never second guess -- if you're not sure, call for clarification!

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
I know this is silly, but it is something that really gets under my skin. Every time I'm looking through a chart and looking at dr's orders/progress notes, it seriously looks like a 2 year old just scribbled on some paper....and I'm supposed to know how to read this!?!? I mean, it's kind of important that I read the dr's order right? Is there a trick to it? Does anybody else have the same problem as I do? I'm graduating in May and I'm scared that I'll never be able to read their chicken scratch!

*** It's not by accident they write like that. See doctors were the guys who were nerds in high school. Some of them are very lonely and would like to be woken up in the middle of the night to speak with a nurse who is just seeking to get clarification.

At least that's what I assume when I call to wake them up.

Specializes in ICU,ED, Corrections, dodging med-surg.

It really shouldn't be tolerated. Com'on..your smart enough to go to med school. Write orders that are legible. Nurses don't have time to play Sherlock Holmes! And..WHO"S gonna get in trouble if a mistake was made?..yup... It is just disrespectful. Not everyone has been there 20 yrs to know your every slant!

Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

I think I heard that med schools are addressing this issue and requiring them to practice writing legibly. Maybe that was the block letters someone mentioned earlier. In teachers' college, I had to learn how to write in perfect Zaner-Bloser form (think: the alphabet that goes across the front of the room above the chalkboard, that's what the font is called) and one of our finals included a page of the entire alphabet written on kid-size lined paper. We also had to demonstrate neatness on the board. That perfect "kindergarten teacher" lettering you see teachers do doesn't happen by accident!

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