Medical Shorthand Symbols

[ScriptNurseFlorida, BSN, RN]

Hello nursing colleagues,

I live in the United States, and I was wondering if medical personnel in other countries use the same shorthand symbols that we do.

As examples: lower case "c" with a line over it means "with"; lower case "s" with a line over it means "without", a triangle (chevron symbol) means "change", etc.

Please let me know if all medical personnel use this system or a different one.

Thanks!

Laura

[john83, BSN, RN]

ScriptNurseFlorida said:

Hello nursing colleagues,

I live in the United States, and I was wondering if medical personnel in other countries use the same shorthand symbols that we do.

As examples: lower case "c" with a line over it means "with"; lower case "s" with a line over it means "without", a triangle (chevron symbol) means "change", etc.

Please let me know if all medical personnel use this system or a different one.

Thanks!

Laura

Here in the Philippines we follow(taught in school and applied in hospital documentation)and use that.

I think it's some sort of an internationally accepted body of shortcuts/symbols/language taught in nursing schools and in the medical professions in general.

I am speaking personally from a Philippine nurse's point of view(pov), specifically one from the province.

The triangle symbol is also taught in basic science subjects like chemistry to signify change.

[ScriptNurseFlorida, BSN, RN]

john83:

Thank you for your response. I am not sure how wide-spread the use of medical shorthand symbols may be, but it is surprising, and comforting, to learn that there is a common basis for the language we are accustomed to using.

Thank you,

Laura

[john83, BSN, RN]

ScriptNurseFlorida said:

john83:

Thank you for your response. I am not sure how wide-spread the use of medical shorthand symbols may be, but it is surprising, and comforting, to learn that there is a common basis for the language we are accustomed to using.

Thank you,

Laura

You're welcome ScriptNurseFlorida!

Yup, having a common language in the medical profession (and the allied professions)greatly helps. ?

[flight027]

All nursing texbooks used in the Philippines are either from the US or are based on US publications. Except for the community nursing textbook, which extensively discussess local health programs, all nursing books, including locally-authored ones, use mostly American references.

[hitrold, BSN, RN]

Hello

In Denmark, Europe we never use symbols like you describe. Abbreviations and symbols instead of real words are professionally not well liked here hence they can cause misinterpretations of doctor's orders etc.

Best regards

Heidi

ScriptNurseFlorida said:

Hello nursing colleagues,

I live in the United States, and I was wondering if medical personnel in other countries use the same shorthand symbols that we do.

As examples: lower case "c" with a line over it means "with"; lower case "s" with a line over it means "without", a triangle (chevron symbol) means "change", etc.

Please let me know if all medical personnel use this system or a different one.

Thanks!

Laura

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Medical Shorthand is although used is not approved by the Joint Commission and should not be used or encouraged. That is the reason it is not found in textbooks.

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

That's interesting because in one of my nursing textbooks it does have shorthand. I just can't remember which one since it's one that we haven't used lately. I honestly like using shorthand because it saves so much time when you're charting, but I do agree that it does leave room for errors due to the fact that someone might misinterpret something for something else.

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Medical abbreviations 'pose risk'

List of Error-Prone Abbreviations

This is one reason medical orders are going CPOE to avoid medical mistakes.