Med-Surg · 5-6 patient assignment
Med-Surg brain sheet — built for the unit you actually work in.
Six patients, two pending discharges, one new admit, and a PT consult that's late again. Your sheet shouldn't make you flip pages — it should fit one shift on one side of a letter sheet, with room for meds, I&O, and the discharge plan that everyone asks about.
Pt: M. Johnson · Rm 318 · 72F
B · Hx HTN/DM2/HFrEF EF 35% · on home Lasix
A · Bilat crackles, +2 BLE edema, SpO2 94% 2L NC
R · IV Lasix, strict I&O, daily wt, low-Na diet
○ ASA 81 @ 2100 · ○ Atorva 40 @ 2100 · Heparin SQ ✓ 0800
What's on it
Every section you actually use on a med-surg floor.
Built around how med-surg shifts actually flow — and a 3-up compact version if you'd rather see all 6 patients on one page.
Core med-surg sections
- Patient banner — code status, allergies, isolation, fall risk, Braden score
- SBAR header — situation, background (PMH), assessment, recommendation
- Chief complaint & PMH side-by-side so report makes sense at a glance
- Q4h vitals grid — 4 rows of BP/HR/SpO2/temp across the shift
- Head-to-toe by system — neuro, CV, resp, GI, GU, skin, musculoskeletal
- Scheduled meds with times given — check off as you pull from the Pyxis
- PRN log — what, when, response (pain 8→4)
- I&O totals + accuchecks (FSBS) — running total with net
- Lab values — BMP/CBC with this AM's values
- Discharge planning — anticipated date, barriers, consults, teaching
3-up compact option
If you take 5 or 6 patients and want them all on one folded page, the Med-Surg Compact 3-up gives you three patient strips per page. Each strip has the banner, CC + PMH, head-to-toe, vitals strip, and a combined meds/tasks/discharge box.
Two sheets folded in your pocket and the whole assignment is in your hand.
See the 3-up version →Who it's for
From orientation week through year five.
"My preceptor wants to see structure."
The SBAR header gives report a shape so you don't trail off into background. The head-to-toe grid prompts every system so you don't forget to ask about bowels or skin. Discharge box keeps the case manager off your back.
"I just want my numbers and meds."
Q4 vitals, BMP, this AM's accuchecks, scheduled meds, PRN log, I&O. Nothing extra. Print 7 copies in the morning, fold once, done. The 3-up compact is for when you'd rather see your whole assignment on a single sheet.
"My instructor wants a head-to-toe."
Every system has its own row. Pair it with our care plan templates and you can write up the full patient — assessment, NANDA-I diagnosis, goals, interventions — without a separate worksheet.
Clinical content
The diagnoses and scores the sheet is built around.
Common med-surg diagnoses
If you work med-surg, you'll see most of these every week:
- CHF / HF exacerbation — I&O, daily weight, BNP, edema
- COPD exacerbation — SpO2, breath sounds, neb schedule, steroid taper
- Pneumonia / sepsis — vitals trend, lactate, abx times, cultures
- AKI / CKD — BMP, BUN/Cr trend, urine output, fluid status
- DKA / hyperglycemia — FSBS q1-2h, anion gap, K+, insulin gtt
- GI bleed — H&H trend, melena/hematemesis, blood products
- Post-op — POD #, drains, dressing, ambulation, pain control
- Cellulitis / wound — borders, drainage, abx, wound vac settings
Safety scores we leave room for
- Morse Fall Scale — high risk ≥ 45
- Braden Scale — pressure injury risk; ≤ 18 puts you in prevention bundle
- CIWA-Ar — alcohol withdrawal; protocol drips trigger at 10+
- Glasgow Coma Scale — for stroke, head injury, altered mental status
- NEWS / MEWS — early warning score for clinical deterioration
Most med-surg units score Morse and Braden every shift. The sheet has a one-line spot for each so you don't have to flip to the chart.
Get yours
Premade in 30 seconds, custom in 3 minutes.
Med-Surg Classic premade
SBAR header, head-to-toe by system, q4 vitals, meds, I&O, discharge plan. Or grab the Compact 3-up for all 6 patients on one page.
Build your custom med-surg sheet
Add tele rhythm row, drain log, ostomy assessment, CIWA, or change to a 4-up layout. AI assist suggests a starter.
Secure Stripe checkout · Instant email delivery · 7-day fix-or-refund
FAQ
Common questions from the floor.
I take 5 patients — does one sheet hold all of them?
You have two options. The Classic is one patient per page (most detail, best for new grads and complex patients). The Compact 3-up fits three patients on one page, so two folded sheets cover six. Most experienced med-surg nurses prefer the 3-up.
Is there a discharge planning section?
Yes. Bottom-right has an anticipated discharge date, barrier list, pending consults (PT/OT/case mgmt/social work), and a teaching checklist. It's the section the case manager keeps asking about during huddle.
Does it have a place for accuchecks (FSBS)?
Yes. The meds section has a 4-row FSBS column for the typical AC + HS schedule, plus a free row for q4 or q2 sliding scale on a DKA patient.
Can I add a telemetry rhythm row?
Not on the Classic premade. If you're on a step-down or tele floor, use the custom builder and toggle on the rhythm strip row + cardiac history block. Or grab the Tele Cardiac Pro premade.
Does it print well on the unit's beat-up printer?
It's designed for grayscale on a tired Lexmark. No background colors, no heavy fills. Just clean grid lines and bold section headers.
Pairs well with
Tools med-surg nurses tend to buy together.
Drug card builder
Build pocket cards for your top 30 med-surg drugs — anticoagulants, antihypertensives, insulins, IV abx, pain meds.
See drug cards →Care plan templates
25 NANDA-I care plans for the diagnoses you see most: pain, infection, fluid volume excess, impaired skin integrity.
See care plans →Handoff coach
Photograph your filled brain sheet, get back a clean SBAR for the oncoming nurse in seconds.
See handoff coach →