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Nurse shorthand, explained.
Every weird abbreviation on a brain sheet or doctor's note — searched and explained. ISMP and Joint Commission "Do Not Use" abbreviations are flagged in red so you don't pass them on in your own charting.
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About the "Do Not Use" flag: ISMP and the Joint Commission maintain lists of abbreviations that have been linked to documented medication errors and patient harm. We mark them so you can recognize them when others use them — but you should NOT write them yourself. Use the full term in any chart you sign.
Sources
- ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, Symbols, and Dose Designations — Institute for Safe Medication Practices, most recent edition. The authoritative US list for "do not use" medication abbreviations.
- The Joint Commission "Do Not Use" List — official accreditation requirement for US hospitals.
- Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, current edition — standard medical reference for healthcare abbreviations.
- AMA Manual of Style, 11th edition — abbreviation usage conventions in US clinical literature.
- Mosby's Pocket Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions, current edition.
This tool is educational only. Always confirm meaning with your facility's approved abbreviation list before charting.