Nursing Documentation in ICU

Busy CVICU (post open heart) - head to toe Q4hrs, add nursing notes in between. If the patient is so sick that they need Q2hr assessments, then you don't have time to type!

We do a complete head to toe Q4H and a focused assesment Q2H. That is we document on the main issues for the focused assesment. And only if something has changed, because we have the option of saying "no changes to previous assesment" if it is the same nurse and same shift.

Good Luck.

We do charting by exception. We chart the detailed assessment at the beginning of shift, and only change things that change during shift. I love my electronic charting system, I feel like I'm able to focus ont he patient more, plus we just have to double click for vital signs to enter. So instead of spending all this time charting vitals, i can focus on what I need to do about those vitals.

We chart Head to Toe Q4, Chart changes when they happen, Rounding assessment Q2. VS @ 15, then Q 30, Then Q1 hour. Some hospitals have the new systems that allow VS documentation by the click of a button that are slaved over from the monitors, depending on pt needs, to be done as often as needed.

Q4 here

We do complete assessments Q4 and focused Q1H.

Neuro ICU. Head to toe assessment Q4 and neuro assessment Q1.

every four hours here -- and in every other icu in which i've ever worked over the past thirty years or so.

I'm not in the ICU, but our MICU documents head-to-toe every 2 hours, stepdown floors do every 4.

Three ICU's in my hospital and three documentation ways:

NeonatalICU - Full assessments q3-4 depending on the kids "care" schedule

PedsCardiacICU - Full head to toe once, then neuro/resp/CV q4

PICU - Full head to toe once, neuro q4 and other changes q4

Q2h head to toe assessment, hourly neuro checks if needed. VS q1-2h

**We have a hybrid of electronic/paper charting and I swear that I spend more than 50% of my time charting. I feel like this electronic charting makes my work life he**. Charting was much faster when it was all paper. (I've heard from others that this is due to the incomplete system our organization purchased though.)