Would you do this for someone else?

[onthejourney]

I'm a new grad. I just realized I forgot to sign off on a 0600hr g-feed that I gave. I just phoned and spoke with the nurse who came on after me and asked her if she could just put my initials beside it for me on the MAR. She said ok, but what I am wondering is if this is common practice? would you do it for someone else? She knew I gave it because the pt vommited up the feed and I stayed to clean it before I left...I just don't want to get in trouble for asking someone to do something that they shouldn't have to do.

thanks

onthejourney

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

It's not being "dramatic" to say something is wrong. Putting someone else's initials on a legal document is forgery and falsifying a medical record. Y'all can make any excuse you want, but it's wrong, and, frankly, illegal. If you forgot to sign something, let someone know and sign it yourself the next time you go in.

[sauconyrunner]

I would not have asked them to sign for you, but to write a note that the feed was given, and that she verified it with you. Things do get forgotten...and sometimes you won't even remember it. So you did the right thing calling back. She did the wrong thing in putting your initials down. All she had to do is verify that they were given.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

No, I would not sign someone else's initials. I would document that Suzy, RN reported that pt received his full volume of Nutren 1.0 at 1800.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Our electronic EMR has an option to "mark as done by other." When you sign it out, you select who did it. Next time they log into the EMR they get a pop up asking them to verify or deny that they gave the drug. It's a nice system. I've never used paper charting, so unfortunately I can't help you there. I do wonder if it's legal since there's an EMR equivalent, but obviously harder to verify that something was actually done on a paper MAR.

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

absolutley not

[renegadern]

This would be considered falsification of the patient's medical record. A better method may be to wait until you return to make a 'late entry'; by intitialing the G-tube feeding in the MAR and writing "late entry'.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

No, I would not put the initials of a co-worker as documentation that a medication or feed was given. That's forgery and falsifying documentation. I would also not ask another nurse to forge my signature on documentation.

I would write a note such as, "Verbal confirmation from J. Doe, RN- feed given @ 6:10am."

If you know you are going to be back the next shift, you could also sign off on it then.

[BrandonLPN, LPN]

Just to clarify, what I was talking about was those big huge MARs in LTC that have thousands of tiny little boxes to initial. If I'm working after Jane Doe and I notice that out of the hundreds and hundreds of tiny little boxes, she forgot to initial one prilosec or one glucoscan or

something, sure I'll initial it for her as I'm initialing my stuff. Obviously she did it and just missed that box. It's almost impossible not to mis a box in a med pass that size. Now, if she missed ALL the meds for a resident, or there's no initials at all for her entire shift (yes, I've seen that) then that's another story. EMARS are also obviously different. Guess what, I also routinely fill in the last shift's med fridge temp log, too if they forgot. And I borrow meds from one resident if I run out of anothers. And I don't ask for the PIN number from family members calling about grandma when it's a granddaughter I've talked to every week for a year. And I give insulin shots in the dining room. So I guess I'm guilty of forgery, stealing, violating HIPPA and violating "dignity rules". It's amazing I still have a nursing license! I guess my coworkers, residents and family members only like me cause they don't know my deep, dark secrets.....

[withasmilelpn]

Typical LTC - but careful. Even though 'everybody' does it - all you need to do is tick off the wrong person and they have plenty to burn you with. Seen it in action. If they like you they'll let stuff slide, LTC is absolutely ripe with Nurses taking shortcuts, etc - simply because of the huge patient loads. Just doing a med pass within 1 hour before or after is often impossible - a violation itself. But like I said, be careful. Best if you take care of it yourself.

[Piglet08]

Well, I wouldn't exactly sign off on someone else's work. If I know the med was given or the task was done, I would make a note like "med given per statement of previous nurse", if someone asked me, or if I noticed it wasn't charted but knew it was done (if the patient could say she got the med, or the dressing was dated accordingly, or it was discussed in report but for some reason didn't get charted).

[Orca, ADN, ASN, RN]

Charting and signing meds for someone else is illegal. It is a violation of the Nurse Practice Act everywhere I have ever worked. A better solution would have been for you to ask the coworker to enter a progress note stating that you called and acknowledged that you forgot to sign, and that you would do so at your next opportunity. That way the situation is documented and no one has done anything questionable.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

the issue is not so much with you asking, but with her agreeing. I would never "sign off" for someone else on anything. HOWEVER, I would, and have, made notes in the chart that "Nurse A called to say she forgot to chart ----". It would be in the record but not on the MAR. When you returned to the facility you could make a late entry. Always following facility policies when making late entries as this could become a documentation/legal issue.