Nursing Acronym Question

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Hey, I'm a student and I've recently started having clinical dates. Yesterday, I was looking at the Nursing Notes for my patient and on several notes, by multiple nurses, there was the normal note, noting whatever was going on/being monitored, but then at the end was the acronym "CLWR". Not all of the nurses used this, but several did.

My instructor thought it might be a title or something but she doesn't recognize it, and the nurse I was with didn't know what it meant either. None of the nurses that had written CLWR were on shift at the time. And Of the nurses that wrote it, it wasn't any of their initials.

I googled it, but all I could come up with was that CLWR was the short hand for Clearwater Corporation in the NASDAQ stocks...

Any ideas?

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"Call light within reach"?

Maybe?

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I like SoldierNurse22's thoughts.... just don't know where that's standard????

If you're in Ohio, Classics and World Religion came up on a search... but don't know how THAT would fit into charting unless they were having a major brain fart, and flash backing to a school paper ....

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Hm it could be "Call Light Within Reach"...But the patient in question was very mobile. He was up and walking every chance he got. :D Lol, At one point, I "caught" him walking down the hall with a walker. He looked at me and was like "I don't know why I need this, but they're making me use it."

We were in Recuperative care, if that helps any and he was receiving radiation treatments.

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Specializes in Psych/Substance Abuse, Ambulatory Care.

Call Light Within Reach sounds right... Although the patient is mobile, it may just be habit of those nurses who wrote CLWR to do so. Goes along with the siderails up, bed (wheels) locked, head elevated stuff.... try peeking though some charts for clients that aren't mobile- do you find CLWR there, too? If so then I would definitely assume it to be a charting habit.

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Rehab, Home Health.

I would ask other nurses on your clinical site if they know what the acronym stands for rather than "peeking"through other charts as that may be viewed as a HIPAA violation. You have no business in those other charts. And before I get flamed...nitpicky yes, but in today's world I wouldn't take the chance. If you have access to their medical records clerk they may be able to shed some light.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

The fact that you found this acronym at the end of the nursing note really makes me believe that it's the call light within reach note. And even the mobile patient needs to be able to see/reach his/her call light if something happens and they are no longer so mobile.

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It probably was Call Light Within Reach.

And just to be clear, I wasn't peeking through other charts. =) I was looking through the notes for my patient to glean any pertinent information about his condition. I've worked hard just to get into this program and I'm not going to lose it over doing something like that.

Thanks though! I'll have to pass that on to my instructor since she didn't know it either.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Note: Joint Commission does not favor acronyms period but especially ones that are not universal or can be misconstrued. So even when you find out what the code is, do not get in the habit of using acronyms. Hard to explain in court. Looks like you are hiding something

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Hm it could be "Call Light Within Reach"...But the patient in question was very mobile. He was up and walking every chance he got. :D Lol, At one point, I "caught" him walking down the hall with a walker. He looked at me and was like "I don't know why I need this, but they're making me use it."

We were in Recuperative care, if that helps any and he was receiving radiation treatments.

Mobility status is irrelevant with keeping the call light in reach. It's the times when someone needs staff and can't do something that they need the call light- and even mobile patients have those times :)

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Rehab, Home Health.

To OP:

I was not saying that you were looking in other charts. I was pointing out that the suggestion you were given by another poster to do so was probably not the best thing to do. Sorry I wasn't clear on that.

Good luck in your studies.

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Specializes in Telemetry, ICU/CCU, Specials, CM/DM.

I have not ever seen that used as an acronym either. At the facility that I used to work at, we used Stedman's dictionary. Any abbreviation had to be in there if we were going to use it. At the insurance company that I work at now, we also have a standard list. If an acronym is being used in a facility, it should be standard where the other nurses there at least know what it means.

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