Verbal Orders

[D. Rowe]

In our ER the RN's take verbal admission orders from the attending (admitting) physician. This has become very time consuming because MANY orders are given versus just immediate orders. Our medical staff sees nothing wrong with this but it is taking us away from patient care. How do other ERs handle admission orders?

[TazziRN, RN]

In our ER, if the admitting doc doesn't come in to write orders, the ER writes holding orders until the admit doc can see the pt later. Once in a while the admit doc will give us orders over the phone but not often. I did that last night for the first time in I can't remember when.

[neneRN, BSN, RN]

Once the ER doc has talked with the admitting, if the admitting doc wants to give orders, then the charge RN writes them. The ER docs' area is right next to the charge desk, which is right next to the admission coordinator's desk; so, its like a little assembly line- ER doc talks to admitting, passes it off to me to take orders, and I hand it off to admitting to put in for a bed. Much easier than trying to find the ER nurse taking care of the pt, who is busy taking care of all her other pts. The only time the ER nurse has to get telephone orders for her own pt is for critical lab values/change in pt status/need for certain order type situations. Works well for us.

[babynurselsa, RN]

Note that this thread was started in 1999.

No ER that I have worked in do we do this. Most places the ER doc will write basic orders then the floor would call Admitting doc for futher orders.

[shasta1]

wow..didn't realize the thread was from 99... in our er we take telephone orders from almost all pts admitted. the worst is when you take a whole page or 2!!!! of orders from the admitting doc and then 3 minutes later he appears to assess the pt. apparently he/she didnt want to be the one to write all of those orders!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it is very aggravating, especially when the give you crap bc you want to "read back"....why didnt they just write them themselves if they were already walking into the building....arrrgh