Emergency release forms

[melvolny]

Good Morning,

In every transfusion service I have worked in, we have always filled out an emergency release form for the doctor to sign and manually completed transfusion report forms for the documentation of vitals, times, etc.

As I am looking at my current emergency release procedure, it does not specify the manual complete of transfusion report forms. So, of course then I started investigating what others do. Standards only states a doctor's signature is required. Others, rely on the flow charts, and some manually complete transfusion report forms.

So - I put the question to you folks: what is your practice? it seems unreasonable to make the RN's document the vitals in the patient's chart and then again on our form in an emergency, but then it seems these should be part of the patient's history in the blood bank.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts - it's so nice to have somewhere to bounce these questions around.

Melissa

[clmergen]

We require a physicians signature on the form or alternately an electronically signed order in the MR for uncrossmatched blood. Documentation of vitals is performed by nursing in their usual manner which is in our electronic MR.

[Bill]

We require physician signature for emergency release. All transfusions of any component is documented on the transfusion record in addition to any other part of chart required by nursing, anethesia, dialysis, etc. Our place LOVES duplication!!

[Likewine99]

We have the physician sign the emergency release form, documentation of vitals is in the electronic med record

[mjshepherd]

We require a physician's signature. We do not record vitals on the transfusion slip, they are recorded on a nursing documentation form in the patients chart.

[TJCOOK]

We have the physician sign the emergency release form and vitals are documented on the transfusion administration record (TAR) or in the pt. chart. If documented in pt. chart then this is indicated by a check box on the TAR. We also give the physician 24 hrs to return the signed emergency release form to the blood bank.

[Deny Morlino]

Similar to TJCOOK here. Nurse signs for the unit(s) on the Emergency release as well as the issuing tech. Ordering physician has up to 24 hours to sign Emergency release. Transfusion record is the place for all the vitalswith a chart copr and a copy to blood bank.

[David Saikin]

MD signature on emergency release; vitals on transfusion record.

[tbostock]

Same as David Saikin here.

[adiescast]

Physician signature on the emergency release form, vitals in the chart by the usual method.

[KKidd]

Meditech has an Emergency Issue feature that will print a transfusion form. It is attached ot the uncrossmatched unit and the MD signs the release form when things calm down. On the front end we only require a verbal order. No MD has ever refused to sign the form. This provides a place to record the information and have a record for the chart.

[Bill]

melvolny, you state "but then it seems these should be part of the patient's history in the blood bank." Why? I can think of no good reason to keep all the nursing documentation in the blood bank. In my opinion, nursing documentation belongs on the chart.