As a sub-I were are asked to signout patients. However, there is no universal signout form or card used. Anyone know a site where I can download a generic form to use with the "must have" info???? Thanks!
Perhaps medfools.com?
Best bet is to ask your resident what they want, as some places expect them to be really detailed, others not so much. I went to a med school that required a lot of detail, so now sketchy sign out cards are a big pet peeve of mine.
At the very least, you should have the patient's identifying info at the top: name, medical record number, room number, team, your name and pager, and if you're a subI, your resident's name and pager.
Then a one liner describing the patient - 48 y/o BM h/o DM2, GERD, CHF admitted for UGIB, GI to scope in AM.
Usually these three things are at the bottom:
code status: FC, DNR, etc.
do they need the IV replaced if it falls out: IV+ or IV-
do you want blood and urine cultures sent if they spike a temp: Cx+ or Cx-
The rest is variable. Good cards will also have the meds and allergies listed, really good cards have the dosages.
If you have things that need to be checked by the cross-cover, you can make a to-do list with checkboxes. But don't check out anything that can wait until morning, and don't check out anything without specifying what to do with the result. For example, "check labs" is unacceptable. Better checkout would be: "check 1800 lytes, replete K prn" or "check q6h H&H, transfuse if Hb < 8". (And if you expect a pt might be transfused, it is good etiquette to make sure the blood consent form is signed and in the chart before you leave.)
It is also good form to give warnings for problems you anticipate might come up, such as:
"pt w/ delirium, if called, prn haldol already written."
It's not as complicated as it sounds. Just think what info you would want if you got called about this patient at 2AM and didn't have any info except what's on the card.
