Nurses should be sure that their documentation includes a number of key criteria in order to be thorough and help protect them from liability. Which of the following is not necessarily correct regarding thorough documentation practices?

Question

a. complies with professional practice standards, such as those provided by the ANA
b. can use the FATE acronym to ensure good charting practices
c. is written evidence of what was done, the patient's response, and any revisions made in the patient's plan of care
d. a method of communication among health care providers responsible for the patient's care

Answer 1

B
Documentation serves a number of purposes in health care, but the key reasons why nurses document are professional responsibility and accountability. Some of the primary criteria that thorough documentation should contain include: 1) complies with professional practice standards, such as those provided by the ANA, and with accreditation criteria, 2) is written evidence of what was done, the patient's response, and any revisions made in the patient's plan of care, 3) a method of communication among health care providers responsible for the patient's care, and 4) the FLAT (not FATE) acronym can be used by nurses to help ensure accurate and thorough documentation.