Need help in wording

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Sep 21, 2005

I appreciate any help that anyone can give me. I am suppose to write a general survey on assessment findings. On physical presence I am suppose to write on my clients "stated age vs. apparent age". How do I write that? For example, I want to write "client appears stated age of 26". The only problem is is that my instructors do not want me to use the word 'appears'. What do I say instead?

How about "judged age," "judging a client's age," "estimated age," "estimating a client's age," "assessed age," or "impression that the client is older/ younger than the stated age" ??? Hope this helps :)

Win98 · Oct 22, 2005

Your instructor is crazy. The words appear and apparent are from the same word. How can she/he tell you not to use appear? Doctors write that all the time. "appears younger (older) than stated age".

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2005

How about, "patient states age of 30 but visual impression is of a person possilby 10 years older showing marked greying of hair, deep furrowed facial wrinkling and weakness in extremities.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2005

Years ago my instructors did the same. Don't use the word appears--it is a judgment. As soon as I had my license and a job "appears" appeared in my charting although I do try to use other other wording if I can.

Other words similar to "appears" that you could use are: seem, look, presents, resembles, looks like, what I see is. . . (these are from my thesaurus just to be fair and give credit).

I will never forget the opening statement a doctor made on his H&P of a patient. It went something like this: "The patient is a xx-year old male resting quietly in bed who looks very much like my cadaver in medical school." None of us nurses could believe he wrote that. Another doc put in his progress notes on an obese stroke patient: "Looks like a beached whale." Rude, huh? But at least they didn't use the word "appears"!

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Oct 23, 2005

Years ago my instructors did the same. Don't use the word appears--it is a judgment. As soon as I had my license and a job "appears" appeared in my charting although I do try to use other other wording if I can.
Other words similar to "appears" that you could use are: seem, look, presents, resembles, looks like, what I see is. . . (these are from my thesaurus just to be fair and give credit).
I will never forget the opening statement a doctor made on his H&P of a patient. It went something like this: "The patient is a xx-year old male resting quietly in bed who looks very much like my cadaver in medical school." None of us nurses could believe he wrote that. Another doc put in his progress notes on an obese stroke patient: "Looks like a beached whale." Rude, huh? But at least they didn't use the word "appears"!

This brings to mind something I heard years ago during a seminar I was attending on proper documentation and how to avoid being in a lawsuit. A physician had actually written these cruel words in the progress notes about a patient who was about to expire, "Pine box at bedside." The family sued over some aspect of the patient's care and when they discovered these words, the case was settled uncontested out-of-court.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2005

This brings to mind something I heard years ago during a seminar I was attending on proper documentation and how to avoid being in a lawsuit. A physician had actually written these cruel words in the progress notes about a patient who was about to expire, "Pine box at bedside."

Oh, wow! Well, the whale comment was on a patient who was the mother of this doctor's office nurse! That's another thing that made it so appalling. He was pretty sure of himself that the daughter wouldn't be reading it. What a jerk.

Editorial Team / Admin · Oct 24, 2005

When I do my history and physical about the patient, I always write, "patient appears stated age".

Your instructor is out of touch with the words used by most all nurses be they RN, NP as well as the physicians.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Oct 28, 2005

Daytonite, my standard for charting in those instances where the patient may be sleeping is,,

"patient resting quietly with eyes closed at this time. No respiratory distress noted, no facial grimicing noted on observation.",,

Its worked for me.

1Tulip · Nov 1, 2005

When you're a student you have to jump through the hoops and play the instructor's silly games. In your position I'd probably start writing stuff like;

Patient with deep facial creases about eyes and mouth, scant grey hair, sallow complexion with 1x2 cm senile keratosis on nose tip states his age as 26 years. Full set of dentures observed in glass on bedside table.