Tips to Help You Spend Less Time Charting (Without Sacrificing Quality)
- hello067308
- May 22
- 3 min read
If you feel like you spend more time charting than actually caring for patients, you’re not alone. Nurses spend, on average, about 40% of their shift performing documentation. Between progress notes, care plans, medication administration records, and incident reports, it's easy to get buried in paperwork. The good news? There are smarter ways to chart that can help you reclaim your time without compromising accuracy or compliance.
Here are practical tips to help you chart more efficiently and finally leave on time.
1. Start with a Plan
Before beginning any patient interaction, know what you need to chart. Having a mental or written checklist helps you stay focused and reduces the chance of missing information. Think in terms of what’s necessary for the patient's condition, your facility’s requirements, and what will support continuity of care.
🧠 Pro tip: If your unit has standard templates or protocols, review them before you start charting to streamline your workflow.
2. Use Time-Saving Templates or Pre-Set Phrases
Most EHR systems and documentation tools allow you to save common phrases, responses, or full note templates. These pre-filled entries can drastically reduce the time it takes to document routine procedures or assessments.
💡 For example: Instead of typing “lung sounds clear bilaterally” in every shift note, save it as a quick-click response or hotkey text.
3. Document in Real Time (When Possible)
It’s tempting to chart everything at once until the end of your shift, but this often leads to stress, errors, and wasted time trying to remember every detail. Try to chart shortly after patient interactions. It keeps the information accurate and prevents a note backlog.
🎯 Try this: Chart during downtime (like while waiting for a medication to infuse) or use mobile charting options if available at your facility.
4. Streamline Your Assessment Notes
Not every note needs to be a novel. Focus on what’s clinically relevant. Use head-to-toe frameworks or formats like SOAP or DAR to stay structured but concise.
⚠️ Avoid over-documenting things that don’t affect care or outcomes. If you’re repeating normal findings every shift with no changes, use abbreviations or defaults where your system allows.
5. Leverage Voice-to-Text Tools
Voice-to-text software or mobile tools like NurseMagic™ can help you document notes much faster, especially during busy shifts when typing everything out just isn’t feasible. You can simply dictate your notes, review for accuracy, and submit them.
6. Minimize Duplicate Documentation
Double-check if you’re entering the same information in more than one system or location. Many nurses unintentionally duplicate work across paper records, shift reports, and the EHR.
Ask your manager or clinical documentation specialist about systems that sync with each other or find out what’s legally necessary so you’re not over-charting.
7. Batch Similar Tasks
If you can’t chart immediately after every interaction, group similar tasks together. For instance, chart all of your wound care documentation at the same time using the same workflow. This reduces the mental load of switching between different formats and patient types.
8. Use AI-Powered Charting Tools
Modern documentation tools now leverage AI to take your spoken or typed input and instantly format it into professional notes. Apps like NurseMagic™ meet HIPAA requirements and allow you to enter your assessment as a brief scenario and generate notes in any format or type.
9. Clean Up Your Workstation and Digital Tools
A cluttered desk or desktop makes charting harder. Keep only what you need visible—quick links, folders, logins, and cheat sheets should be easy to access. Digital distractions like multiple open tabs or constantly switching between screens slow you down more than you realize.
10. Give Yourself Grace—and Keep Practicing
Charting is a skill like any other. The more you refine your process, the faster and better you’ll become. Track what’s slowing you down and troubleshoot your habits over time.
🧘♀️ You don’t have to get it perfect every shift. Focus on progress, not perfection.
Final Thoughts
Nursing documentation doesn’t have to eat up your entire shift. With a combination of smarter workflows, voice-to-text support, and AI-powered tools, you can dramatically reduce the time spent charting and refocus your energy on patient care.
Want to spend less time on paperwork and more time with your patients? Try NurseMagic™ here: https://www.nursemagic.ai/pricing
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