Proper Documentation

[Willowjude]

• Can you please give me your feedback about a debate we are having at work? I was doing a follow up note on an incident report for one of our patients that fell his injury was on his right eye and yet this other nurse was documenting his injury being on his left. The nurse responded that she was always taught to chart someone's injury whether it be on the left or right by how she is looking at the patient. So looking at the patient face to face his injury is on her left( his right in reality). So she's documenting the injury is on his left! Please tell me if I have been doing this wrong for the last 13 years.
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[kidzcare]

It's funny-but this has caused much confusion between my family and friends and myself. I look at a patient and his boo-boo is on his right arm (the one nearest to my left.) I do call that his right arm. But. if I say " look at the TV-, see the kitty cat there on the right?" I'm refering to the oposite side from the one I called "right" when referring to a patient. I have, at least once a week forgotten and reversed the intended direction when referring to the TV, or some other non-animate object. Makes my wife CRAZY!

I had a throat infection once and went to the doctor. I kept saying "The right side of my throat hurts so bad" and finally the nurse asked me "Are you a nurse?" .... Yes.... "Because you keep saying the right side of your neck, but you're touching the left side" WHOOPS!