Writing in nursing

Hi Britt -

I am just a lowly nursing student (ha!) but I can tell you that writing is extremely important in nursing. First, nurses communicate by means of charting ("nursing narrative"), and the motto is "If you didn't chart it, you didn't do it." Charting is a legal record as well as a means of communicating, so it is extremely important to be thorough but concise (so others don't have to spend all day reading your notes). This was one of the first things we practiced in my nursing class, so it is very important. And it is harder than you might think to include all the pertinent information, try to be concise, not use unacceptable abbreviations, etc. But practice makes perfect! Hope I was able to help.

Good writing and English skills are a must for charting! Your charting can reflect both your care and intelligence. I will sometimes read through prior charting to find if there have been any changes, and you wouldn't believe how many times I find spelling errors (major ones). I was told by an ethics instructor (she was a legal nurse consultant) that if you are involved in a court case, the patient's attorney can throw errors like that against you (rare but it happens). You also want to look professional in every way - and communications counts.

I write for our hospital's professional nursing journal, so that requires good writing skills. You may be asked to give a presentation to your peers or management.