Writer of Notes

I am crazy about writing nursing note narratives. It's not really a lost art, but rather a form of communication / documentation that has been cast to the wayside, because our Over-Lords have fashioned an easy out  (Computer charting). Nurse got lazy! That's all it is.

I write, as if I am going to find myself in court, about 3 years from now. Those who read my notes, would agree to my statement. I write a narrative journal in a sense, on each patient I have that day. I have done that from the beginning of my career, until now, 35 years later.

Anybody who wants to know what happened on Tuesday, at 5pm, when Oscar (me) was that nurse, only needs to go to "Notes and Transcriptions"...........Nursing Progress Notes...........and you will find out, what procedural sheath of 22 French, was in what Femoral artery, and if it bled and how long, and what Doctor was called,  and who the Echo Tech was and so on.........................that's how it still needs to be done!

Note Writer

I'm a nursing note writer

That's my declaration,

Like I'm writing to the Jury

Describing fact and causation,

Every single interaction

For the patient I observe,

In the final court of law

I didn't drive off the curve.

Go ahead, read my notes

You'll know what happened each time,

When Joe-Bob got up

And slipped on his slime,

And I called the Doctor

And the Doctor said:

For Gods sake, keep Joe Bob

Tied down in his bed!

Or something like that

Back in the day, when we could do it,

When Joe Bob broke his leathers

After all, he could chew it,

Whereas, you can be sure

I documented it all.........

You might try to sue me

But I won't take the fall.

In these EMR days

Half the Nurses, they don't write,

They check boxes and forms

And read their phones half the night,

But three years down the line

When Joe Bob's case comes up in court,

They won't remember a damn thing

They'll just shake, whimper and snort.

Yes, Nursing is very demanding

But I write, for each one,

My job is to tell their story

Everything that was done,

During my short contract

Their events, my responsibility,

And if I am questioned later

My notes are my utility.

12/4/18