What's up with this RN?

[Guest219794]

More accurately: What's up with "this RN"?

Does anybody know where use of "this RN" in place of "me" or "I" comes from? Can anybody cite a decent source, or another industry in which that kind of writing is used?

"This RN was informed by the PT..." VS "The PT told me...".

I know we were all taught this, but have no idea why, and no longer do it. IT just seems silly. It is neither more, or less, accurate- it is just bad writing, and I can't see how that adds clarity.

Thoughts?

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

I guess I just chart in a passive voice. That’s how I’ve always seen it in this unit.

Dressing was changed. Green, foul smelling drainage noted on dressing. MD notified.

Infant’s father stated...

Infant’s mother yelled “I’m going to kill you” and threw white board markers at staff. (Not making this up)

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

I work with a ton of social workers and just a couple RNs. The social workers use "this writer" in their notes.

Yuck

I think it stems from APA format.

[JKL33]

Most things can be stated objectively without special finagling about how to refer to the nurse's involvement.

"Responded to bedside immediately for patient report of difficulty breathing. Pt sitting upright on edge of bed with visibly increased work of breathing: RR 28/min, nasal flaring/pursed-lip; SpO2 84% on 2L NC oxygen...[blah blah blah...]

The next challenge is avoiding "pt" and "pt states" repeatedly...also the word "noted."

[peripateticRN, BSN, RN]

36 minutes ago, FolksBtrippin said:

I work with a ton of social workers and just a couple RNs. The social workers use "this writer" in their notes. 



Yuck

I think it stems from APA format.

I've never heard of 'this RN'... we were taught to use 'writer'. Ie "Pt was placed in 4 point restraints after throwing fecal matter at writer"

[Kitiger, RN]

Leaving pronouns out entirely can be a problem. As a student nurse in OB, I once wrote, "Father in. Nursing baby."

[Guest219794]

46 minutes ago, peripateticRN said:

I've never heard of 'this RN'... we were taught to use 'writer'. Ie "Pt was placed in 4 point restraints after throwing fecal matter at writer"

Either way, both are synonyms for "me", or "I". I don't think there is anything wrong with using "writer" or "this RN". I just think it is weird, and adds nothing.

I don't think using a synonym for "me" depersonalizes it. Whether the PT throws the urinal at writer, this rn, or me, I am still the one that has to go find some surgical scrubs for the rest of this writers's shift.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

6 hours ago, Davey Do said:

I think you got that wrong, Davey. "The PT" means the Physical Therapist. If you mean the patient, that's "The pt."

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

2 hours ago, NICUmiiki said:

I guess I just chart in a passive voice. That’s how I’ve always seen it in this unit.

Dressing was changed. Green, foul smelling drainage noted on dressing. MD notified.

Infant’s father stated...

Infant’s mother yelled “I’m going to kill you” and threw white board markers at staff. (Not making this up)

Well, at least she wasn't throwing poop. Seriously, I don't doubt you . . . I've seen stranger things.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

I was never trained to document using “this RN” when referring to actions I took to care for patients in nursing school. I was taught to simply omit pronouns referring to me as the author of the documentation since my signature at the end makes it clear enough that I was performing the tasks on the note.

As an NP, I also don’t see physicians document “this MD” in their operative notes and progress notes. So, I simply write for example, “sterile gown, mask, and gloves worn, patient’s skin prepped with Chlorhexidine solution, right internal jugular vein identified with ultrasound guidance and cannulated using Gauge 18 finder needle...”

Or “Family meeting held with patient’s wife and daughter to update them of the patient’s deteriorating condition and interventions that have been provided thus far...”

[BarrelOfMonkeys, BSN, RN]

In nursing school we were taught this but I’ve always thought it was odd. I had a supervisor who would expect staff to notate in that manner and we would have meetings and it would be brought up with, “...it’s your license on the line!” I never truly understood why though. Like several have mentioned I simply chart without self-reference since I’m logged in/signing as myself and it’s understood I’m self-referencing unless otherwise stated. ??‍♂️

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

14 hours ago, BarrelOfMonkeys said:

In nursing school we were taught this but I’ve always thought it was odd. I had a supervisor who would expect staff to notate in that manner and we would have meetings and it would be brought up with, “...it’s your license on the line!” I never truly understood why though. Like several have mentioned I simply chart without self-reference since I’m logged in/signing as myself and it’s understood I’m self-referencing unless otherwise stated. ??‍♂️

Exactly this. I was taught to use "writer" or "this nurse" while narrative charting as well. I stopped years ago as it just looks silly and sounds silly if read back aloud. I signed the note, so it really should be obvious who the writer is without resorting to the redundancy of stating several times in the note's body that I am indeed the person writing it.

[Asystole RN]

When writing formally you generally try to avoid first person writing. Writing in first person makes the communication about you as the individual and not a detached professional.

Seems like a small thing but the audience comes away with two very different ideas or feelings with the two different styles.