Two quick questions

Hi hassled,

I'm sorry to hear about your bad luck on the grad program front. However, even if you don't get into a program with a second round offer, if you're still planning on practicing as an RN the questions you asked are useful.

AM shifts are almost always a dizzying whirl, so for the most part there's no time to read histories before handover. However, once you've got on top of a patient's history, keeping up-to-date with new entries takes considerably less time. PM, night duty and weekend shifts usually have a little more time, allowing you a better chance to catch up.

For patients who are stable and straightforward, I sometimes write notes in the morning lull (around 10:30). I always include the time the notes were written, which means that if something happens later it's okay that it was documented (if that makes sense). If something changes I write an addit, with the new information.

I hope this helps. Good luck :)

What??? We campaign to bring in overseas nurses to fill the "so called" nursing shortage we have. It's gotta be a joke when so many of our own end up humiliated, ignored, and misplaced.

Fight for your rights. And good luck because you will get there in the end.