Question

The nurse has made an error in a narrative documentation of an assessment finding on a client and obtains the client's record to correct the error. The nurse should take which action to correct the error?

a. Documenting a late entry into the client's record
b. Trying to erase the error for space to write in the correct data
c. Using whiteout to delete the error to write in the correct data
d. Drawing one line through the error, initialing and dating, and then documenting the correct information.

Answer 1

The nurse should draw one line through the error, initialing and dating, and then document the correct information.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should take the action described in option D: drawing one line through the error, initialing and dating, and then documenting the correct information.

This is known as an error correction method called a single line correction or single line entry. It is important to maintain the integrity of the original record by not trying to erase or delete the error, as this may raise concerns about tampering with documentation.

By drawing one line through the error, initialing and dating, and documenting the correct information, the nurse can provide a transparent and accurate correction to the client's record.