Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.

allnurses

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.
Discussion

Never chart this

Was just doing (yet another) mandatory education bit. Just had to share. Thankfully I did this, otherwise I might have charted these very things, since I never went to nursing school and like to shoot off my mouth on a legally binding document... ;)

•This patient is drunk.

•This patient is looney-tunes.

•This patient is a pervert.

•This patient is nasty.

•This patient smells like he has never taken a bath in his life.

Featured Replies

That is funny, but it makes me wonder what the heck happened at your facility that caused them to make this education mandatory.

In those exact words, I can understand ...but surely you're allowed to imply???

  • Guides
In those exact words, I can understand ...but surely you're allowed to imply???

Yeah, I agree but you could state facts.

Patient came into ER with foul odor, feces under nails, confused about person, place, time.

  • Author
Yeah, I agree but you could state facts.

Patient came into ER with foul odor, feces under nails, confused about person, place, time.

You forgot that 'pt continues to expose his genitals to staff, even after being requested to stop. Appears to be masturbating'

I worked with a nurse who would chart about "pt being NASTY". She really did use the word.

I did try to cue her in. This was years ago.

  • Guides
You forgot that 'pt continues to expose his genitals to staff, even after being requested to stop. Appears to be masturbating'

Yeah, I got called away from the computer! :)

I worked with a nurse who would chart about "pt being NASTY". She really did use the word.

I did try to cue her in. This was years ago.

"Nasty" is an opinion.

"Patient is non-cooperative with treatment, demands increased doses of Dilaudid to be given as quick IV push, uses foul words and racial slur toward personnel, refuses to wear gown and attempts on walking around the unit completely naked" is factual description if the same, and is completely OK to chart. Just takes much more time to write down (we still use paper) :writing:

I work with an MD who has absolutely terrible documentation skills (actually kind of a terrible MD in general). Not only are her basic spelling and grammar atrocious (all her notes look like she was texting with mittens on or something) but she puts subjective comments in her notes all the time. I read a note of hers that literally stated "Patient is very Type A...needs to talk a lot." It seems like that's asking for a lot of trouble, but what do I know?

Write this instead of that:

•This patient is drunk. ("only two beers, I swear!" )

•This patient is looney-tunes. (arrives with suitcase full of unused psych meds) *under personal possessions

•This patient is a pervert. (Invites you to see his "rare butterfly collection post discharge")

This patient is nasty. ( room malodorous like decayed road kill)-for some mysterious reason???

•This patient smells like he has never taken a bath in his life. (same as above)

The chief attending at our small hospital charted that a patient had "a phlegmatic personality." Some definitions of phlegmatic don't seem to bad, but I'm sure the doctor meant sluggish, apathetic, etc.

One of those things I remember that happened over 30 years ago....wish I could remember where I put my tickets for The Lion King?

The infamous "Pus*y" discharge from a wound, should be included in every "do not chart" discussion!

I had a 1:1 sitter chart "patient was acting a fool, RN knows"

I worked with a nurse who would chart about "pt being NASTY". She really did use the word.

I did try to cue her in. This was years ago.

I absolutely cannot stand the word "nasty" when describing a person. I don't know what it is, I just cringe when I hear it. It would extra offensive if I saw it in a patient's chart! How unprofessional.

I like to read the charting from the nurse who was at my school before me. Here are some direct quotes:

"Faking, goofing off. Back to class."

"Student pooped pants AGAIN!"

"Again with the poop"

"Parents called to come pick up child, parents finally came 2.5 hours later!"

I absolutely could not believe my eyes when I read those things.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Add a Comment

Currently Reading 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications

Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.