Student Charting?

[abundantjoy07]

When do we learn (ie practice charting)? We do tons of care plans and other things, but we haven't really focused on charting. I know that charting is an essential skill. Has anyone had any practice in school or during clinicals? Or is this just something we really learn during orientation to our first RN jobs?

[jenrninmi, MSN, RN]

I'm trying to think back...I believe we started practicing our charting during our second semester (1st clinical rotation). We practiced by looking through our patient's chart and writing it down in our own paper work that needed to be turned in to our instructor. I can't remember if we charted in the actual chart for Postpartum or not - that was our first rotation by the way (L & D and postpartum) 2nd clinical rotation was when we started charting in the actual chart for sure. It was Med/Surg.

[studentnurse74, LPN, LVN]

1st semester, we did a ton of practice charting in the lab, and then charted at the nursing home we were at with our instructor signing after us. I sort of have the hang of it now, but the med-surg I'm doing this semester is at a place that uses computers. It's pretty much fill in the blank, not a lot to it at all. Many places are using this now for charting, it's great.