5. Types of Report
Product report
Business report
Lab report
Technical report
Case study report
Research report (inc. dissertations) etc.
6. Reports Made By Nurses
Change-of-shift reports
Telephone reports
Transfer reports
Incident reports
7. Structure of General Reports
A report may contain many or all of the following:
Title
Acknowledgements
Executive summary
Contents page
Main body
Bibliography
Appendices
Introduction
Background information
Methodology
Findings
Analysis
Conclusions
Recommendations
8. Preparatory Steps To Writing Reports
Identifying the purpose and scope
Knowing the audience
Gathering Information
Organizing the Data
Sketching out an Outline
Presenting the Visuals
Editor's Notes
COMMUNICATION
The record is a means by which the health care team members communicate health needs and progress, individual therapies, content of conferences, client education and discharge planning .
The plan of care needs to be clear to anyone reading the chat.
LEGAL DOCUMENTATION
Accurate documentation is one of the best defenses for legal claims associated with nursing care. Nurses need to be indicate all assessments, interventions, client responses, instructions and referrals in the medical record. It safeguards the patient, nurses, doctors and hospitals
FINANCIAL BILLING
Medical records are audited to review financial charges used in the clients care.
EEDUCATION
Records help the medical and nursing students in their clinical experience and provide data for care studies.
RESEARCH
Records serve as a reference material for research works.
AUDITING AND MONITORING
Nurse monitor or review records through- out the year to determine the degree to which quality improvement standards are met. Deficiencies identified are shared with all members of nursing staff so that corrections in practice can made.
Factual
A record must contain descriptive, objective information about what the nurse sees, hears, feels and smells. The use of vague terms such as appears, seems, or apparently is not acceptable because these words suggests that the nurse is stating an opinion.
Accurate
The use of exact measurements establishes accuracy
Documentation of concise data is clear and easy to understand
Use standard abbreviations , symbols and systems of measurements
Correct spelling demonstrates a level of competency and attention to detail
3. Complete
The information within a record entry or report needs to be complete , containing appropriate and essential information.
4.Current
Timely entries are essential in the clients ongoing care. Most of the health care agencies keeps records near the clients bedside for the immediate documentation of information
5 .Organized
The nurse communicates in a logical order.
6. Confidentiality
Nurses are legally and ethically obligated to keep information about clients confidential. Nurses are responsible for protecting records from all unauthorized readers. The record is stored by the health care agency after treatment ends.
Change- of-shift reports
At the end of the each shift nurses reports information about their assigned clients to the nurses working on the next shift.
The purpose of the report is to provide continuity of the care among the nurse who are caring for a client.
A change of shift may be given orally in person , audiotape recording or during walking planning rounds at each clients bedside
Oral reports are given in conference rooms with a staff members from both shifts participating, an advantage of oral reports is that it allows staff members to ask questions or clarify explanations.
An audio-taped report is given by the nurse who completed care for the client and is left for the nurse on the next shift to review.
Data about clients need to be objective current and concise.
To prepare for the report, the nurse gathers information from work sheets, the clients record and the clients care plan.
2. Telephone reports
Nurse inform physician of changes in a clients condition and communicate information to nurses on other units about transfer.
Persons involved with a telephone report also must provide clear, accurate and concise information.
To document a phone call [write TO- telephone order or VO- verbal order] nurse includes when the call was made
Who made it
Who was called
To whom information was given
What information was given
What information was received
A telephone order involves a physician stating a prescribed therapy over the phone to a registered nurse.
A verbal order may be accepted when there is no opportunity for a physician to write the order, as in emergency situation.
3. Transfer Reports
Clients may transfer from one unit to another to receive different levels of care .Transfer reports may be given by phone o in person .when giving a transfer report nurses include the following information.
Clients name, age, primary physician and medical diagnosis.
Summary of progress up to the time of transfer
Current health status
Allergies
Emergency code status
Family support
Current nursing diagnosis.
Any critical assessments.
Ned for any special equipment.
4. Incident Reports
An incident is any event that is not consistent with the routine operation of a health care unit or routine care of a client. Examples of incidents include client falls, needle stick injuries, a visitor having symptoms of illness, medication administration errors, and accidental omission of ordered therapies.