nursing abbreviations

[texas_lvn]

Hi all. I am working at a clinic now and one of the nurses circles her initals all the time. I have always been taught when you circle your initals the order was not done. Can anyone give me a book name or a way to see if this is true. I have looked, but cant find anything to confirm or deny if this is proper nursing procedure.

Also, I was taught in school that R/T (related to) was a nationally recognized nursing abbreviation, yet I was asked to stop using this because I couldnt find the proper confirmation. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!!!:typing

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

there is no "rule" but there could be a facility policy. Documentation should be consistent throughout the facility so all will understand and interpret the same.

[2BSure]

Indeed. Ask for the guidance document(s) on this subject.

[nkochrn, RN]

Look at your facility policy.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

There is no set rule. The rule is what your facility says it wants you to follow, so you need to be aware of what your facility policy and procedure is regarding the use of your initials and abbreviations.

I have a book called Medical Abbreviations: 15,000 Conveniences at the Expense of Communications and Safety by Neil M. Davis. He has attempted to collect the meaning of just about every medical abbreviation there is. We used this book when I was a medical coder because many doctors like to abbreviate diseases and we had to figure out what these abbreviates meant since we had to turn them into numeric codes that often had a great deal to do with how much money we were going to be paid by insurance companies.