I's/O's...

[Scoobiedoo]

I'm a new LPN and soon to be RN.

I'm finding it difficult to tally up my I's & O's at the end of my shifts due to some staff that is negligent in recording my patient's I/O's from meals, drinks, voiding, BM's, etc.

What can I do about this when TRYING to tally up my end-of-shift inputs and outputs? I can't very well record % and mL's that I don't know of.

Ideas?

Thanks,

[TazziRN, RN]

You tally what you have recorded and continue to remind other staff that I/O recording is important and that you cannot do your job properly if they don't help you. Do not make up numbers and do not guess, just tally what is written. Let your NM know that there is a discrepancy and ask her how to handle it.

[KSELRN]

At a hospital I used to work at, there were I/O sheets on the bathroom door (on the outside), so that it was easy for everyone to record I/O's. If your unit doesn't require all pts to have recorded I/O's, maybe you can make your own sheet and put up on the walls in the pts rooms to remind everyone to record everything?

[Scoobiedoo]

My facility DOES have I/O sheets on the bathroom doors. However, many of our staff (Rn's too) are negligent to record info when they pick up and remove trays when I am with other patients, busy, etc. At the end of my shift I have no info on percentages (%) or I/O's during meals, etc. So it makes MY computer charting look like I myself am not keeping track of such things, totalling them at end of shifts, etc.

[TazziRN, RN]

Oh......I didn't think about it making you look bad........if they're not recording them for you, are they recording them for their own pts? If they are for themselves then is there one staff member you feel comfortable enough with to ask why they won't help you? If they don't record their own I/Os either, then it's time to talk to the NM.

[Scoobiedoo]

Honestly,

I don't know if they are even recording their own. Thats a good question...

I think they are such a hurry to pick up the dinner trays and get back to their patients that they just don't mark anyhting down.

[TazziRN, RN]

Try and find that out, then take it from there.

[chenoaspirit, ASN, RN]

I go thru the same thing. I usually have to wake up the patient and ask (if they are oriented). I have discussed it with the assistants. One assistant has openly admitted that she "fudges" I/O's and BP's. The NM will do nothing to correct the problem. She continues to get by with this. She has been caught approximately 6 times faking BP's on the vital board. I ask the patient how much they have drank thru the night. I will ask them "If i were to fill that styrofoam cup, how many did you drink" they usually can tell me. Hopefully your NM will have a discussion with the assistants if you go to her.

[CrazyPremed, MSN, RN, NP]

My facility DOES have I/O sheets on the bathroom doors. However, many of our staff (Rn's too) are negligent to record info when they pick up and remove trays when I am with other patients, busy, etc.

Boy, I thought that only happened to me!!! For us, it tends to be family members, dietary, etc, who grab trays and don't write it down. Then I have to play detective and grill the patient themselves!!

CrazyPremed