Final answer:
Focus Charting is a method of documentation which uses the DAR format, encompassing Data, Action, and Response, and is utilized by nurses in various settings, including psychiatric-mental health.
Step-by-step explanation:
Focus Charting is a documentation method used by nurses to organise patient information and nursing interventions. When addressing Focus Charting, it is important to consider the statements provided:
- a. Focus Charting uses the DAR format, which stands for Data, Action, Response. This is true. The DAR format helps the nurse to structure their documentation around specific patient concerns or nursing diagnoses and includes a clear narrative of the patient's condition, the actions taken by the nursing staff, and the patient's response to those actions.
- b. Data are based only on observations. This is false. In Focus Charting, data not only includes observations but also can include patient reports and other relevant information collected during the nursing assessment.
- c. Action includes all nursing actions that address the focus and evaluate the care plan. This is true. Actions are the specific nursing interventions that are taken to address the identified focus and assess the effectiveness of these interventions within the care plan.
- d. Response is the evaluation of the patient responses to the plan of care. This is also true. The 'Response' element of the DAR format is used to document the outcomes of the nursing interventions and whether the patient’s condition has improved, worsened, or remained unchanged.
Therefore, statements a, c, and d are correct about Focus Charting.