Focus Charting Review PDF

FOCUS CHARTING
The Focus Charting System is the accepted documentation system at Windsor

Regional Hospital.
Advantages of Focus Charting

• Flexible enough to adapt to any clinical practice setting and promotes
interdisciplinary documentation
• Centers on the nursing process, including assessment, planning,
implementation and evaluation
• Information is easy to find because data is organized by the focus
• It promotes communication between all care team members
• Encourages regular documentation of patient responses to care
• Helps organize documentation so that it is concise and precise
• Can be easily adapted to computer based documentation systems
Focus Charting Combines:
The Focus: It describes the focus of actions
DAR format: Is the structure used to document patient assessment, care

interventions or actions and patient responses to the actions or care
The Focus System Uses:
Focus Lists Flow Sheets Care Plans
Progress Notes
Developing the Focus
Refers To Example
A sign or symptom Hypotension, or chest pain
A patient behaviour Inability to ambulate

Loss of consciousness
An acute change in the patient’s condition
or increase in blood pressure
A significant event in the patient’s therapy Surgery
A special patient need Discharge planning need
A focus may also be written in the format of a nursing diagnosis.

The Focus List
A FOCUS LIST sheet is used as an index or quick reference for what you will
find in the progress notes. All disciplines should record on the focus list.
1 Inability to 11/12/01 Nursing, PT

ambulate 11/12/01 Nursing
2 Chest pain
Enter the Focus on the Focus List:

• The focus is numbered in order that they are listed
• Document the focus
• The date the focus is identified is indicated in the active column
• The dates are entered if the focus is resolved or reinstated
• The discipline entering the focus should identify themselves.
Additional Information
• Focus Lists must be regularly updated and expanded as the patient’s
condition changes.
• Note: At discharge, focus list needs to be checked to ensure that all the
foci have been addressed and / or resolved.
The Use of Care Plans
Once a focus has been identified, a plan of care needs to be documented.
• All disciplines should have a plan of care.

• “Care Plans” are included either as a standard nursing care plan or as an
entry in the progress notes under the “A”.
• Standardized care plans should be activated with the patient and/or
significant other’s input in order to make it individualized.
• Care plans should be regularly updated as required.
• A Clinical Pathway is another example of a care plan available at WRH.
Flow Sheets
• There are numerous pre-printed flow sheets available at WRH.
• These are helpful in accurately and concisely documenting routine and
frequently collected data.
• Use flow sheets whenever it is logical and helpful to do so. For example: Any
documentation which is required on a regular basis by hospital policy or
standard.
• Any nursing care activity which is provided on a regular basis (i.e. activities of
daily living).
Examples of Flow Sheets
• vital signs record
• medication record
• intake and output
• post op flow sheet
• wound assessment record
Things to Remember
• All flow sheets must be correctly dated and must contain the patient’s
name on both sides.
• All entries on the flow sheets must be initialed (no use of check marks) by the
person who assesses or provides the care and must have initials with full
signature on a master copy.
• Any variances from normal should be recorded in DAR format.
Progress Notes
Are Used to:
• Provide detail to data in a flow sheet

• Document patient response to care
• Record an unusual or unexpected event
• Record changes in patient condition and notification to the MD
• Describe the status of the patient at the time of admission, transfer from one
nursing unit to another, or at the time of discharge
When writing progress notes you should include information about:
• The details about the patient’s condition (assessment data)

• The interventions or nursing actions implemented and their effectiveness
• The patient’s response to care
How to Complete a Progress Note

When starting a note the focus is documented first.
• Notes are chronologically entered. The date and time is documented in the
columns provided. The time and date you are actually writing the note is
used.
• The service or discipline writing the note is recorded
• In focus charting the structure of the progress note that follows the focus uses
a DAR outline: Data, Action Response
D - Assessment done as per referral-----------

Left hand swollen. Digits in extension.---
Painful to passive ranging.---------------
A - Discussed splint use and benefits with Pt.
Splint molded. On-off schedule developed.
R - Pt. concerned splint will be painful
----K. Smith O.T.
is an acronym
Data - subjective & objective patient assessment data that supports the
Focus Statement or describes observations of a significant event
Action - immediate or future actions or plans of action or care based

on the evaluation of assessment data
Response - the patient response to the action taken.
Things to Remember About Progress Notes

The Response may not need to be immediately charted. There may not be an
immediate response, therefore, only Data and Action may be charted.
Eventually, there should be a Response entered to that action taken.
Date Time
20 June 98 1000 Nrsg. Wound Dressing
D - Moderate amount of purulent, foul smelling drainage from abdominal
incision noted. Suture line red and swollen and warm to touch, T-39.5
Joan Smith R.N.
complaining of pain at the site.--------------------------------------------------------
A - Dr. B. Jones notified and informed of patient’s incisional status, orders
received. Analgesic and antipyretic given as ordered, C&S of wound
taken and sent to Lab. Wound cleansed with antibacterial solution and
dry drsg. Applied.-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joan Smith R.N.
1230 R - T38. Patient states incisional pain improving. Dressing remains dry
and intact, no discharge noted. Antibiotic initiated as ordered.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------Joan Smith R.N.
Joan Smith R.N.
• There may be more than one focus that requires charting at one time
• Progress notes must have a signature after each entry
Write patient progress notes only when necessary. The goal is to minimize
duplication of information and to save time.
Date Time Nrsg.

22 June 98 1700
#1 pneumonia
D - pt. c/o of chest pain on inspiration, fatigue.
T-39.5 at 1515, wheezy breath sounds, productive
cough for purulent tenacious sputum. IV infusing.
A - 02 at 3 litres, chest x-ray this am, sputum
for C&S referral for chest physio. Tylenol ii for
elevated temp at 1520. Fluids encouraged.
R-T @1620 - 38---------------------Amy Nurse, RPN
Focus Charting Do’s and Don’ts

Progress notes can be improved by choosing language which is:
• Objective
• Precise
• Specific
• Thorough
Inconsistencies in documentation can leave you and the health care facility open
to accusations of incompetence.
A medical record containing inconsistencies can be difficult to defend in court.
DO NOT use words like confused, uncooperative and depressed. These words
may be interpreted in different ways and are not specific in accurately describing
the patient.
Poor Wording Good Wording

Eats poorly Ate ½ the meal and drank 80 ml fluid
Patient confused Patient unable to recognize family
Uncooperative Refuses to assist with am care
Patient complaining of pain Complaining of constant, sharp RUQ abd. Pain
Good day Patient states has been pain free without
medication and still able to complete activities
of daily living
Diuresing well Lasix 10 mg IV at 1430 resulted in 1000 ml of
clear, yellow urine
Walking ad lib Walks around the unit, up to the elevator and
back to room without any discomfort
Remember to be factual, specific, precise, and thorough. Avoid summarizing or

using value judgments.

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FOCUS CHARTING

The Focus Charting System is the accepted documentation system at Windsor

Advantages of Focus Charting

Focus Charting Combines:

The Focus: It describes the focus of actions

DAR format: Is the structure used to document patient assessment, care

Focus Lists Flow Sheets Care Plans

Developing the Focus

A patient behaviour Inability to ambulate

A special patient need Discharge planning need

A focus may also be written in the format of a nursing diagnosis.

1 Inability to 11/12/01 Nursing, PT

Enter the Focus on the Focus List:

• All disciplines should have a plan of care.

• Provide detail to data in a flow sheet

When writing progress notes you should include information about:

• The details about the patient’s condition (assessment data)

How to Complete a Progress Note

D - Assessment done as per referral-----------

Action - immediate or future actions or plans of action or care based

Response - the patient response to the action taken.

Things to Remember About Progress Notes

Date Time Nrsg.

Focus Charting Do’s and Don’ts

Poor Wording Good Wording

Remember to be factual, specific, precise, and thorough. Avoid summarizing or

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