The nurse has made an error and is documenting such on the client’s re

The nurse has made an error and is documenting such on the client’s record and notes. The action that the nurse should take is to:

1. Draw a straight line through the error and initial it.
2. Erase the error and write over the material in the same spot.
3. Use a dark color marker to cover the error and continue immediately after that point.
4. Footnote the error at the bottom of the page.

ANSWER

ANS: 1
If a nurse has made an error in documentation, the nurse should draw a single line through the error, write the word error above it, and sign his or her name or initials. Then record the note correctly. The nurse should not erase, apply correction fluid, or scratch out errors made while re-cording because charting becomes illegible. Also, entries should only be made in ink so they cannot be erased. Using a dark color marker to cover the error is not correct. It may appear as if the nurse was attempting to hide something or deface the record. Footnotes are not used in nurs-ing documentation.