Nursing Brain Sheets: How to Organise Your Shift
A brain sheet is a nurse's personal worksheet for the shift. It collects key information for each patient and lays out the timing of assessments, medications and tasks.
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What to put on it
- Room, initials, age, code status and allergies
- Diagnosis, key history and day of stay
- Lines, drains, diet and activity
- Medication and assessment times
- Pending results, procedures and discharges
How to use it through the shift
Fill it in during handover, then plan your first hour before you start rounds. Use the hourly strip to cluster care, and update it as plans change. Before giving report, use it as your checklist.
Keep it confidential
A brain sheet contains patient information. Keep it on you, never leave it on a counter, and shred it on the unit at the end of the shift. It is not part of the official record.
Choosing a layout
Single-patient sheets give more room for complex patients; four- or five-patient sheets suit medical-surgical assignments. Many nurses adapt a layout until it matches how they think.