Why are most nurses hoarders?

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

So why is it some nurses feel compelled to save every piece of paper they've ever put their hand on? I've been trying to clean out my office and have found papers in there from previous directors that are 5 and 6 years old. It doesn't matter any more that Suzy Sunshine needed a lip plate in 2006.

Why keep all the old pharmacy recommendations? The recs are in the medical records so why save copies? Why save the dietary report when the dietitian has her own copy?

I am SO looking forward to EMR so we won't be buried in a sea of papers.

I save incident reports for a year, reportables to DPH with statements for the year, but other than that what is the point?

3/4s of the stuff I found in the filing cabinets (have been there a year and never had time to clean the office before) is going to Iron Mountain.

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Just make copies before you get rid if them!:o You never know!

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

LOL...even EMR has a 'print' capability. I worked at a outpatient clinic that utilized EMR, yet almost everything put into it had to have a copy printed off and kept in a file folder. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
Just make copies before you get rid if them!:o You never know!

:coollook:

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Well, the only thoughts I have are, every time I have surveyors in my building they ask for pharmacy reports for the past 6 months, so I do save those. And the incident reports, we also have to think of litigation, which usually doesn't occur within a short time frame. So I won't venture out to say how long they are needed, but I do think there is some reason to keep them for a period of time. Dietary Consult reports, same thing with state, you get one complaint on weight loss, and it might be in your favor to be able to produce those quickly.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Thanks for your thoughts but: the pharmacy recs are in the charts. The dietitian keeps copies of everything so the information is available. Today I found 2 years worth of census reports which are available on line, 3 years of prior auths for meds for patients who had been discharged, and :eek: a bottle of really cheap vodka!

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Ive never been asked to produce the individual pharmacy recommendation letters, they usually want the entire consult report. The consolidated version which includes all the data that won't be placed on the chart. Ie med pass validation, or med time changes that don't go out as letters to MD. The psych med review portions. They aren't interested in individual recommendations in my state, they are interested in her consult report. Could very well be different unless you're in Texas as well, which I can attest to with certainty that it is a document you shouldn't discard!

And the vodka, that is also vital here in Texas, and again I'm not sure about your state, but I would hang onto that as well!

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

LOL...the vodka smelled like fingernail polish remover so it went down the sink. I've been in long term care for years and years and never once had a surveyor ask for a consultant report....watch...this'll be the first year they ask. I can always call the consultant and have him fax me a copy.

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.
Just make copies before you get rid if them!:o You never know!

OMG too funny!

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In a previous career I followed an Administrator who saved every fax cover sheet that she had sent - lol and most of them didn't say who it was going to! I have no idea what the hell she was saving them for, but it didn't take me long to get rid of them! :jester:

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Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.

In my new facility, I have found in my office... incident reports, 24 hr reports, B&B reports, CNA set sheets, pharmacy stuff... the list goes on and back to 2004. OMG!! I got the shred bin and totally emptied on file cabinet and then some. I still have more to do, just not the time. My policy (in writing) Event reports are kept for three months and then shredded..... surveyors do not say a word when I hand it to them.

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Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU, Psych, Med-surg...etc....

Survey to survey I think would be the rule, except for incident reports. I think they have to be saved for 5 or 7 years...or maybe forever now-a-days.

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