D9-eBecome familiar with writing conventions in nursing.
Nurses agree on some conventions when they write.
Nurses increasingly refer to the people in their care as “clients,” not “patients.”
Evaluations and conclusions must be based on accurate and detailed information (At the time of his diagnosis, the client had experienced a 20-lb weight loss in the previous 6 months. His CBC showed a WBC count of 32, an H & H of 13/38, and a platelet count of 34,000).
The first-person pronoun I is acceptable in reflective papers about your own experience, but you should use an objective voice in the third person for research papers, reviews, case studies, position papers, and papers describing nursing practices (Postoperative findings: External fixation devices extend from the proximal tibia and fibular shafts of the left foot).
Nurses often use the passive voice in describing procedures or recording their observations (Inflammation was observed at the site of the incision). See W3-a.
The identity of clients whose cases are discussed in writing must remain confidential (nurses often make up initials to denote a client’s name).
Direct quotation of sources is rare; instead, nurses paraphrase to demonstrate their understanding of the source material and to convey information economically.
The APA (American Psychological Association) system of headings and subheadings helps readers see the hierarchy of sections in a paper.