A nurse is manually documenting information related to a client's condition. When documenting this information, the nurse makes an error on the manual record sheet. Which is the best technique for recording the error made in documentation?

Question

A) Erase the incorrect statement and write the correct one.
B) Cross out the wrong statement in a way that is not readable.
C) Use correction fluid to obliterate what has been written.
D) Cross out the incorrect statement with a single line.

Answer 1

Ans: D

When recording an error in documentation, the nurse should always cross out the incorrect statement with a single line so that it remains readable, add the date, initial, and then document the correct information. The nurse should not erase the incorrect statement and replace it with the correct one, nor cross out the wrong statement in a way that makes the statement unreadable, nor use correction fluid to obliterate what has been written. These methods render the medical record a poor legal defense.