Nurses notes...Print or Cursive?

Do-over, ASN, RN · Mar 10, 2011

Our charting is computerized. FWIW, I use cursive to write orders...

mentalhealthRN · Mar 10, 2011

Cursive IS handwritten so I'm confused. Do you mean cursive or printed? I don't think it really matters. As long as it is LEGIBLE--that is what matters as far as I'm concerned. I have seen both over the years and am just happy when I can read what someone writes. Both are legal as far as I know.

3dayRN · Mar 10, 2011

I used cursive when I had paper charting. It doesn't matter as long as everyone can read it. I always hated when I couldn't read the previous nurses notes.

bassadict69 · Mar 10, 2011

Yes, printed or cursive?

BluegrassRN · Mar 10, 2011

Typed (you poor thing). I think it wouldn't matter, as long as it's legible.

bassadict69 · Mar 10, 2011

I may should have posted this in the student section...if someone has the capability to move it, please do!

rn/writer, RN · Mar 10, 2011

Seems fine here. You'll probably get a pretty good sample of all kinds of nurses in this forum.

I agree with what the others have said. Where I work we do our charting on the computer. We do, however, write out our shift-to-shift reports by hand. I don't care if the notes are in cursive or are printed as long as I can read what's there. After a while, you can tell whose note you're reading just from the handwriting. You also learn to recognize crazy doc and nurse signatures that would pure spaghetti to the uninitiated.

KalipsoRed · Mar 10, 2011

Computerized is the best....if you must handwrite please print. Some people think they have legable cursive handwriting and they don't. It's pretty handwriting, looks nice on paper, but so many loops can get confused in so many ways. Always, always, print.

noahsmama · Mar 10, 2011

Either is acceptable, just make sure it's legible. If you're not sure if your handwriting is legible to others, ask someone to take a look at it for you.

At the hospital where I used to work, there was one nurse who was infamous for having really bad handwriting. He was aware of this though, so he started doing his notes on the computer, and printing it out on a label which he could then stick onto the appropriate page in the chart.

In nursing school they teach you that if you didn't document it, you didn't do it. I think the corollary should be that, if you didn't document it LEGIBLY, you didn't document it!

When I was in nursing school, one of the nurses during my ICU rotation prided herself on being very meticulous and detailed in her documentation. However, her handwriting was so tiny that no one else could read it, and she KNEW this -- would even make jokes about it. Kind of hard to understand what the point is of detailed documentation that you KNOW no one can read!

TDCHIM · Mar 10, 2011

Obviously computer charting is going to be more legible than either print or cursive, but we'll set that aside for now. For the sake of all the people down the line who will have to review your handwritten notes (not just other nurses/clinicians but coders, clinical documentation specialists, etc.) I'd probably argue for printing. It's the handwriting style with the highest probability of being legible to the largest number of people. You may think your cursive writing is very clear, but others who aren't used to your handwriting quirks may have difficulty comprehending it. So why take the risk when accurate written communication is so vital?

sevensonnets · Mar 10, 2011

Legibility is not an issue if your facility uses computer charting. However, when you write orders you have an obligation to write legibly and clearly. If your cursive is difficult to decipher for some people then print.