Thursday, September 13, 2012

Why Writing and Communication is Important to Nurses

In the profession that I’m going in which would be nursing, communication and writing plays a major role in their everyday lives. Nurses need to be able to speak and listen well because the position requires communication with several different people like coworkers, patients, patients’ families, and doctors. Also, a nurse must be able to listen to doctors’ orders and complete them without error. I personally know this because I’m a CNA (certified nurse’s assistant.)When going to work I must listen very carefully and follow each task precisely that was given to me. Another thing we have to do is document or chart. My documentation reflects the care that I provided to my patient and is my only legal proof that I did or did not do a task. When writing I must include my assessment, intervention and my patients’ outcomes this will reflect on the quality of the hands-on care I provide. Writing is important because the records that I provide must be clear, concise, complete, and accurate. Oftentimes, other care providers later on will rely on the information that I chart to make decisions about the patient’s care and needs.