Documenting and reporting

Report: Is oral, written, or computer- based
communication intended to convey
information to others.
Record: Is written or computer based, the
process of making an entry on a client’s
record is called recording, charting, or
documenting. A clinical record, also called
a chart or client record is a formal, legal
document that provides evidence of a
client’s care.

(b) Records used in
nursing office
(A) Records used in
nursing unit
1- Master record
1- Patient record
2- Attendance record
2- Assignment record
3- Personnel record
3- Time record
 Employment record
4- Census record
 Evaluation record
5- Inventories record
6- Narcotics and
Medication record

It can be :-
Oral report (a)
(b) Written report.

Are given when information is
needed to be reported immediately
not for permanency, e.g. oral
reports given by head nurse to all
personnel, reports about patient
condition and needs.

It includes :
1- Day, evening and night
report.
2- Incident report.
3- Report of complain.
4- Report including
negligence.
5- Reports for requisition.

1- Communication… The record serves
as the vehicle by which different
health professionals who interact with
a client communicate with each other.
2- Planning Client Care……Each
health professional uses data from the
client’s record to plan care for that
client.
3- Auditing Health agencies……An
audit is a review of client records for
quality assurance purpose.

4- Research…….. The information contained in a
record can be a valuable source of data for
research. The treatment plans for a number of
clients with the same health problems can yield
information helpful in treating other clients.
5- Education……. a record can frequently provide
a comprehensive view of the client, illness,
effective treatment strategies, and factors that
affect the outcome of the illness.

6- Reimbursement……. for a facility to obtain
payment through Medicare, the
client’s
clinical record must contain the correct
diagnosis.
7- Legal Documentation…….The client’s record is a
legal document and is usually
admissible in a court as evidence.
8- Health Care Analysis ……. it assists health care
planners to identify agency needs.

General Guidelines for Recording
Because the client’s record is a legal document
and may be used to provide evidence in court,
many factors are considered in recording:
1- Date and Time, document the date and time
of each recording. This is essential not only for
legal reasons but also for client safety. Accurate
according to the 24-hours clock (military
clock) or in the conventional manner (am, pm).

2- Timing, follows the agency’s policy about the frequency
of documenting, and adjusts the frequency as a client’s
condition indicates. No recording should be done before
providing nursing care.
3- Legibility, all entries must be legible and easy to read to
prevent interpretation errors.
4- Permanence, all entries made in dark ink so that the
record is permanent and changes can be identified.

5- Correct Spelling, is essential for accuracy in recording.
Incorrect spelling gives a negative impression to the
reader and, thereby, decreases the nurse’s credibility.
6- Signature, each recording on the nursing notes is signed
by the nurse making it. The signature includes the name
and title. For example, SH.Qadous, RN.

7- Accuracy, the client’s name and identifying
information should be stamped or written on each
page of the clinical records. Before making any entry,
check that it is the correct chart. Do not identify charts
by room number only, check the client’s name.
Notations on records must be accurate and correct.
Accurate notations consist of facts or observations
rather than opinions or interpretation. It is more
accurate, for example, to write that the client” refused
medication” (fact) than to write that the client “was
uncooperative” (opinion).

When describing something, avoid general words, such
as large ,good, or normal, for example, chart specific
data such as “2cm* 3cm bruise” rather than ”large
bruise”. When a recording mistake is made, draw a
line through it and write the words mistaken entry
above or next to the original entry, with your initials
or name. Do not erase, or use correction fluid. Write
on every line but never between lines.

8- Sequence, document events in the order in which
they occur, such as record assessments, then the
nursing interventions, and then the client’s responses.
Update or delete problems as needed.
9- Appropriateness, records only information that
pertains to the client’s health problems and care.
Recording irrelevant information may be considered
an invasion of the client’s privacy.

10- Completeness, not all data that a nurse obtains
about a client can be recorded; however, the
information that is recorded needs to be complete and
helpful to the client and health care professionals.
Nurse’s record need to reflect the nursing process,
record assessment, dependent and independent
nursing interventions, client problems, client
comments and responses to interventions and tests,
progress toward goals.

11-Conciseness, recording need to be brief as well as
complete to save time in communication.
12. Accepted Terminology, Use only commonly accepted
abbreviations, symbols, and terms are specified by the
agency. Many abbreviations are standard and used
universally.
13- Legal Prudence, accurate, complete documentation
should give legal protection to the nurse, the client’s other
caregivers, the health care facility, and the client.
“Complete charting for example by using the steps of the
nursing process as a framework, is the best defense
against malpractice.”

1. Have the patient’s name and hospital number.
2. Initiate each entry with the data and time.
3. Chart after providing care, not before.
4. Chart as soon as possible.
5. Chart only your own observation, care, and
teaching.

6- Be objective in charting.
7- Use permanent black ink pens.
8- Be specific, accurate, and complete.
9- Use concise phrase, begin each phrase
with capital letter and each new topic on a
separate line.
10- Use only approved abbreviations.

11- Use medical terminology.
12- Follow rules of grammar.
13- Fill all spaces.
14- Correct errors in documentation.
15- Don’t erase the error.
16- Draw a single line through any
erroneous information.
17- Sign each block of charting.

 Source-oriented records
 Problem-oriented medical records
 PIE charting
 Focus charting
 Charting by exception
 Case management model
 Computerized documentation
 Electronic medical records (EMRs)

A number of documentation systems are in current use:-
1- Source – oriented Record
It is a traditional client record, each person or department
makes notations in a separate section or sections of the
client’s chart, For example, the admissions department has
an admission sheet, the physician’s has order sheet, a
physician’s history sheet, and progress notes, nurse’s
notes.
Narrative charting is a traditional part of the source –
oriented record. It consists of written notes that include
routine care, normal findings, and client problems.

Advantage
- Source – oriented records are convenient
because care providers from each discipline
can easily locate the forms on which to record
data and it is easy to trace the information
specific to one’s discipline.
Disadvantage
- Information about a particular client problem is
scattered throughout the chart, so it is difficult
to find chronological information on a client’s
problems and progress. This can lead to
decreased communication among the health
team, an incomplete picture of the client’s care,
and a lack of coordination of care.

2- Problem- Oriented Medical Record (POMR)
The data are arranged according to the problems the client
has rather than the source of information. Members of the
health care team contribute to the problem list , plan of
care, and progress notes.
Advantage of POMR:-
1- Encourages collaborative
2- The problem list in the front of the chart alerts caregivers
to the client’s needs and makes it easier to track the status
of each problem.

Disadvantage
1- Caregivers differ in their ability to use the
required charting format
2- It takes constant vigilance to maintain an up – to –
date problem list

The POMR has four basic components:
- Database
- Problem list
- Plan of care
- Progress notes

Data base
Consists of all information known a bout the
client when the client first enters the health
care agency. It includes nursing assessment, the
physician’s history, social and family data,
baseline diagnostic tests.
Problem list
Problems are listed in the order in which they are
identified, and the list is continually updated as
new problems are identified and others
resolved.

Plan of care
Care plans are generated by the person who lists the
problems. Physicians write medical care plans;
nurses write nursing care plans.

Progress Notes
Is a chart entry made by all health professionals involved in
a client’s care, they all use the same type of sheet for
notes. For example, the SOAP format is frequently used.
S – Subjective data consist of information obtained from
what the client says. It describes the client’s perceptions of
and experience with the problem.
O – Objective data consist of information that is measured
or observed by use of the senses(e.g., V/S , Lab test, X-ray
results).

A – Assessment is the interpretation or conclusions
drawn about the subjective and objective data. ’’A’’
should describe the client’s condition and level of
progress rather than merely restating the diagnosis
or problem.
P- Plan is the plan of care designed to resolve the
stated problem.

The SOAP format has been modified to SOAPIER
I- Interventions refer to the specific interventions that have
been performed by the caregiver.
E- Evaluation includes client responses to nursing
interventions and medical treatments.
R- Revision reflects care plan modifications suggested by
the evaluation.

3- PIE Charting (Problem, intervention,
evaluation)
Each client problem is labeled and numbered for
easy reference. When interventions are
implemented to manage the client’s problem, the
problem number is identified.

4- Focus Charting
Is intended to make the client and client concerns
and strengths the focus of care. The progress
notes are organized into (D) data which reflects
the assessment phase of the nursing process.
(A) action which reflects planning and
implementation and includes immediate and
future nursing action.(R) response which
reflects the evaluation phase of the nursing
process and describes the client’s response to
any nursing and medical care.

For example:-
Date/Hour Focus Progress Notes
2/11/08 Pain D: Guarding abdominal
incision.
0900 Facial grimacing. Rates
pain
at “8” on scale of 0 -10
A:Administered morphine sulfate 4mg IV.
0930 R:Rates pain at”1”states willing to
ambulate.

5- Charting by exception (CBE)
Is a documentation system in which only abnormal or
significant findings or exceptions to norms are recorded.
6- Computerized documentation
Nurses use computers to store the client’s database, add new
data, create and revise care plans, and document client
progress.

Concepts of Nursing-NUR 123
 CASE MANAGEMENT
 A methodology for organizing client care
through an illness, using a critical pathway.
 A critical pathway is a multidisciplinary plan
or tool that specifies assessments,
interventions, treatments and outcomes of
health related problems a cross a time line.

 Initial nursing assessment
 Kardex and patient care summary
 Plan of nursing care
 Critical collaborative pathways
 Progress notes
 Flow sheets
 Discharge and transfer summary
 Home healthcare documentation
 Long-term care documentation

 Face-to-face meetings
 Telephone conversations
 Written messages
 Audio-taped messages
 Computer messages

Reporting
The purpose of reporting is to communicate specific
information to a person or group of people.
Change-of–shift Reports, is a report given to all nurses on
the next shift. Its purpose is to provide continuity of care
for clients by providing the new caregivers a quick
summary of client needs and details of care to be given.

Telephone Reports, health professionals frequently about a
client by telephone. Nurses inform primary care providers
about a change in a client’s condition.
- The nurse receiving a telephone report should document
the date and the time, the name of the person giving the
information, and the subject of the information received.
- The person receiving the information should repeat it back
to the sender to ensure accuracy.

- When giving a telephone report to a primary
care provider, begin with name and relationship
to the client.
For example “This is Maher Battat, RN, I’m
calling about your client, Shamsa Mendes. I’m
her nurse on the 7pm to 7am shift’’.
- Telephone reports usually include the client’s
name and medical diagnosis,…ect. The nurse
should have the client’s chart ready to give any
further information.

Telephone Orders, physicians often order a therapy for a
client by telephone. While the primary care provider gives
the order, write the complete order down and read it back
to ensure accuracy. Question about any order that is
ambiguous, unusual, or contraindicated by the client’s
condition.

16-58
Copyright 2004 by Delmar Learning, a
division of Thomson Learning, Inc.

Nursing Rounds, procedures done to:
- Obtain information that will help plan nursing care
- Provide clients the opportunity to discuss their care
- Evaluate the nursing care the client has received.
During rounds, the nurse assigned to the client
provides a brief summary of the client’s nursing
needs and interventions being implemented.

Incident Reports, or occurrence reports, are used to
document any unusual occurrence or accident in the
delivery of client care, such as falls or medication errors.
These reports are used for quality improvement and
should not be used for disciplinary action against staff
members. Incident reports improve the management and
treatment of patients by identifying high-risk patterns and
initiating in-service programs to prevent future problems.

Documenting and reporting

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