Organization?

Hey everyone,

I'm a nursing student, and this semester I'm in the ER with a preceptor. I'll be working weekends, so I'm excited about all the stuff I'll get to see!

I have a question -- In school, we have this little form that we use to easily track our patients. A spot for their dx, allergies, meds and times, I&O, vitals and all that good stuff. The form seems to have a lot of stuff that I won't really need in the ER, so I was trying to find another one. It's hard because I cannot figure out what to Google. Time management? Flow sheet? Organization?

So, I was wondering ... do any of you have something that you use to help you keep track of your patient information? A quick form you can stick in your pocket? Or, can you point me in the right direction?

I appreciate any help!!

~Jax

Hi and welcome to the ER! I use bits of paper, alcohol wipe wrappers and my hand or even the bedsheet if it's "big and bad" to make my notes. Otherwise, I just pull up the chart, read the triage nurses' note and go from there.

I think that if you use a sheet other than the chart to write down info, you are going to fall behind. Keep a pocket sized notebook and a pen with you to jot things down as you go. Staying on top of my charting helps me remember things, and there is just too much to do to write it down twice.

Don't panic. You will be paired with a preceptor and he or she will show you what works best for them. When you are acclimated to your surroundings, see what works for others and you will adapt something that works for you.

Good luck - I hope you love it as much as I do!

Blee

Good advice

Thanks for the advice! However, since I'm a student, I won't be doing the charting for awhile, so I'm looking for some handy way to keep track of things.

Maybe something with patient age, chief complaint, signs/symptoms, vital signs, tests/labs ordered, results, what meds/treatments ordered, and outcome? That's still probably a lot, but I think that would be a good tool for learning later on.