Nurses notes...Print or Cursive?

leslie :-D · Mar 10, 2011

However, when you write orders you have an obligation to write legibly and clearly.

...and check your spelling!! :cool:

leslie;)

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2011

either....whichever is faster.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2011

We are computerized for our charting and for entering orders. Anything I do have to write by hand I print. I print my end of shift report also.

Back in the day, when I worked as a CNA and everything was written out by hand, some nurses did it in cursive and some printed. I did notice that if the nurses cursive writing was more legible that's what she did, if her printed writing was better that's the form she did.

I don't think there is a "legal" way to do it, however your signature should be in cursive.

TheCareerStudent · Mar 10, 2011

Legible!

P_RN, ADN, RN · Mar 11, 2011

With me it depends on the pen. A fine point my cursive is OK. But if it's a gel pen or felt pen my cursive runs all together -very short letters and it looks like a crooked line-so I print. I printed all through college (pre- wordprocessor) or I used a manual typewriter for papers. Now aren't you happy to have computers?

Sarah G · Mar 11, 2011

my handwritten notes are a mix of cursive & print but thats my day to day style.

elkpark · Mar 11, 2011

Doesn't matter as long as it's legible.

For those who are saying that printing is the better choice because it's more legible -- not necessarily. Where I work, we have a physician who prints all her notes, but her printing looks like just a bunch of random scratch marks on the page! I've been in nursing >25 years, and she has one of the worst handwriting styles I've ever had to deal with. (Of course, I haven't seen her cursive writing -- maybe it's even worse! )