Okuzeka
Nursing vocabulary · Documentation

Incident report

Meaning in nursing, with examples

nounCommon term

In nursing, incident report means: A form completed when something happens that harmed, or could have harmed, a patient, visitor or member of staff, such as a fall or a medication error.

In Turkish: olay bildirim formu, olay bildirimi, güvenlik raporu

How it is used

Nurses 'fill in', 'complete' or 'submit' an incident report, often on an online system. Near misses, mistakes caught before they reach the patient, are reported too. The aim is to learn and improve safety, not to blame individuals, although staff often worry about this.

Example sentences

  1. Mrs Kılıç was found on the floor by her bed, so I've completed an incident report.

  2. Even though the patient wasn't harmed, the near miss still needs an incident report.

Common collocations

  • complete an incident report
  • fill in an incident report
  • submit an incident report
  • incident reporting system
  • fall riskHow likely a patient is to fall, judged from things like age, medicines, confusion, poor balance or earlier falls.
  • nursing notesThe written or electronic record in which nurses describe a patient's condition, the care given and any changes or events during each shift.
  • escalateTo pass a concern about a patient to a more senior or specialist person, such as the nurse in charge or a doctor, so that they can act on it.
  • needlestick injuryAn accidental prick or cut of the skin with a used needle or another sharp object, which may expose the person to infections carried in the blood.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Documentation

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.