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Discussion

Signatures...

Is it illegal to use a nick name when signing a pt. chart??

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  • Experts

We were taught in school to use our legal signatures. While deposing in a lawsuit, I was asked if the signature at the bottom of all of my charting that the opposing attorney was going over, was my signature. I expected the same questions on the witness stand.

I use the name on my license. In nicknames, are you talking like "Mickey" instead of Michelle, or "fancy face sweetie pie"? Really- why would you use anything other than your true real given name?

  • Experts

Your charting is a legal document. Why wouldn't you use your legal signature?

  • Author

I go by a shortened version of my name.... i drop a single letter and have asked to be called by that (though it seems none of my supervisiors ever do:madface:). My name is very common and I like having the nickname to avoid some of the confusion that goes with being one of 5 people with the same name. As far as signing the only reason I would rather use my nick name instead of my legal name is it seems to throw people off, they see the signature and all the sudden "who's that"..... Really is it that hard to figure out :uhoh3:. But if for legal purposes if this will bite me in the later on, I may just need to go back to signing with my full name.

You are supposed to sign a chart as your name appears on your nursing license.

Everywhere I've worked, the signature required has been first initial, last name, RN...as in W. Nurse, RN. Y'all use entire first name??

Do y'all sign your full name? We usually just use our first initial and last name. H. Nurse, RN.

Funny, Whispera. Same post, same time. Great minds think alike, I guess :D.

  • Experts

i guess i'm the oddball in the group because my license, driver's license, credit cards bank accounts etc. all use my legally recognized signature. as in jane w. doe... it's such an automatic reflex that when i used to get tired, i wouldn't have to give it a thought.

:offtopic: i had occasion recently to have to sign some papers addressed to me using my maiden name ( was married in 1986) and i was told by a lawyer that the proper way was to sign jane q. whatever/jane w. doe/by marriage and both the bank and the courthouse would be happy. hope that bit of info helps someone else.

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

Where I work, we are completely paperless, and our name is printed automatically at the end of all our documentation....... typed out, Full first and last name with title at the end. Then we also have signitures that have been scanned into the system so that if we send out any letters to providers and patients, our signiture goes out on the letter and they had us sign our full first name and full last name with title, as it reads on our I.D. and Nursing License.:specs:

I sign mine with my first inital, last name, and RN (K. Lastname, RN). No one ever told me if there was any "proper" way to sign, that's just how I decided to do it. I notice that a lot of nurses where I work do it that way. Some sign their first name, last name, and then title.

First initial and last name as it appears on your nursing license then your disipline is appropriate.

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