Implementing Focus Charting: process and critique

Documentation is an issue of importance to nursing for many reasons. Quality patient care depends upon complete and accurate information among care givers, third party reimbursement is based on documented care, inefficient documentation systems and behaviors are costly to an institution in terms of salaries, overtime pay and dissatisfied nurses, and documentation is an essential component of institutional licensure and accreditation. The authors describe documentation issues that prompted Christ Hospital of Oak Lawn, Illinois to revise their documentation system, selection of Focus Charting, the educational process for a nursing staff of 1200, and a critique of the educational process. Clinical nurse specialists played a key role in each step of the project.