how to file an incident report

Sparrowhawk · Nov 10, 2009

That'd be something you ask your facility as each is different. G'luck :)

loriangel14, RN · Nov 11, 2009

Usually each facility has their own forms for this and the patient's chart is also documented on.

WarmBlanket · Nov 11, 2009

Usually each facility has their own forms for this and the patient's chart is also documented on.

Hello ! Incident report forms should be readily available either in paper or via computer if thats the way your facility documents. You should become familiar with the criteria and hopefully your place of employment has a risk manager or someone that can be of help. Please don't hesitate to report events . Unfortunately some facilities try to sweep things under the rug. Your voice might be the only one the patient has . Far to often incident reports are seen as admission of inadequate care , but it is our duty to identify and correct any event that is detrimental to our patient.

Also : in loriangel14's reply it was stated that incidents are documented on patients charts . Please find out your employers policy on that. Usually incident reports are NEVER written as part of the chart. Incident reports are internal communication and not shared with the patient.

lorelei1973 · Nov 11, 2009

Incident reports are not optional where I work, and they're done electronically. Because so many of our nurses and staff are semi-literate (at best) when it comes to computers, we lobbied to get a desktop icon that leads the user straight to the form. So even a lack of typing skills doesn't work as an excuse -- even if one has to hunt and peck their way through the form, it's fairly idiot proof. At the bottom there's a send button so it goes directly to the intended recipients. I still don't get the computerphobia I see at work. For some people even checking their work email is so "difficult" they practically have panic attacks.