Documentation in critical care: a flow sheet format that communicates and saves time.

The design of a critical care nursing documentation form in a flow sheet format provides quick access to and rapid communication about patient information. Assessment parameters can be organized on the form to communicate standards of care, facilitate the nursing process, and save nursing time. The structure of a flow sheet format results in standardized documentation that simplifies quality assurance review and eliminates duplicate documentation. Nursing staff members comment on how easy charting is when the standards for documentation are clear. Staff members no longer waste time charting; they save time communicating. Our goals to effectively and accurately communicate the patient's status and to document nursing care efficiently and accurately have been achieved.