General Guidelines
While working in the ward, you are always required to record. You should follow the general guidelines while recording which are as follows:
- All entries on the chart must be accurate and factual.
- Exactness is essential in changing times, effects and result of treatments and procedures.
- Full dates including year should be written.
- Use ink while entering and write legibly.
- Each entry must follow by your first initial, last name and title.
- Ditto mark and erasers are not acceptable. Errors are corrected by drawing a single line though the incorrect material and writing in the correct entry as close to the mistaken entry as possible.
- Lines should not be left completely or partially blank in the record. If a line is skipped or not filled completely, draw a single line through the remainder to prevent charting by someone else.
- Descriptions are essential when charting about drainage, stool, vomitus, pain and any other diagnostically valuable occurrence.
- The time should be recorded on all entries.
- Only abbreviations accepted by the hospital are allowed on the record.
- Each page of the chart must be identified with the name of the patient/client, hospital identification number and any other data required by the hospital.
- The reliance on various facilities as a means to reimbursement for health care facilities had placed increased emphasis on the need for accurate documentation.
- The chart should reflect nursing assessment and nursing therapy prescribed by the professional registered nurse and reflected on the nursing care plan.