Abbreviation Use Habits in Nurses’ Work

Abstract

Introduction. The use of abbreviations in nursing practice is common and frequent. Abbreviations are considered a time saver but can lead to omissions in work due to misinterpretation.Aim. To collect data on the attitudes and habits of using abbreviations in nursing practice, and to determine whether there is a difference with regard to professional education, place of work and years of service. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted during September 2020. A questionnaire implemented by Koh et al. in their research was used; permission was obtained to adapt the questionnaire according to our needs. The study was conducted at three Clinics at the UHC Zagreb. A total of 50 questionnaires were distributed on every clinic. The study was approved by the UHC Zagreb’s Ethics commission.Results. The use of abbreviations is common in nursing practice. Nurses most often learn abbreviations from nurses with longer work experience and regard the use of abbreviations as acceptable. Nurses with 16 or more years of service use abbreviations significantly more often in order to save time, than respondents with up to 15 years of service. Nurses with up to 15 years of service significantly more often report incorrect application of therapy as a result of misinterpretation of abbreviations compared to nurses with longer working experience.Conclusion. The study showed that abbreviations are often used in nursing practice. Standard abbreviations are most often used, although non-standard abbreviations are also increasingly present. Abbreviations are acceptable in nursing practice, although nurses must be made aware that the use of abbreviations can lead to omissions in the work. For this reason, other researchers who have studied the use of abbreviations suggest that lists of permitted abbreviations should be created at the institutional level and that they should be regularly updated.