Nursing Notes Template with Examples
Jocelyn Gulliver
March 24, 2025•19 min read
Fact checked by Dr. Ben Condon
Template
Nursing Notes Template
This nursing notes template was designed by a nurse practitioner to capture detailed patient encounters. It’s ideal for documenting complex cases, including sections for subjective and objective findings, assessments, and treatment plans. The template is particularly useful for patients with chronic conditions or when multiple issues are addressed in a single visit.
- Incorporates a review of systems and vital signs to document objective findings.
- Separately lists the assessment and treatment plan for each issue.
- AI automatically formats objective findings (eg., blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, etc).
What is a Nursing Notes Template?
Nursing notes are the primary record of nursing observations and interventions in healthcare settings. They are a vital form of clinical documentation, serving as a legal record of care and facilitating communication and continuity of care between members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT).
A nursing notes template is a tool commonly used to streamline the production of nursing notes. By including a pre-defined structure and prompts, a well-designed nursing notes template reduces the cognitive load involved in documentation and ensures compliance with institutional and regulatory requirements. Using a template also helps standardize documentation across an organization and can reduce the overall time nurses spend writing notes.
In this article, we’ll explore different settings in which a nursing notes template might be used and then cover how to write a nursing note. We’ll also explain how AI-enabled nursing notes templates can enhance documentation efficiency without compromising quality.
Nursing Notes vs. Nursing Charting
While the terms are often used interchangeably, nursing notes and nursing charting technically refer to different documentation practices.
Nursing notes typically refers to narrative clinical notes, where nurses describe their assessments, interventions, and patient responses in paragraph-based format (typically in a SOAP, DAP, or BIRP structure). These notes usually capture the nurse’s clinical reasoning and provide context for care decisions.
Nursing charting, on the other hand, refers to structured documentation of specific observations or interventions, which frequently follows a flowsheet type format with checkboxes and drop-down menus. Examples include medication administration records, fluid intake and output charts, and vital signs flowsheets.
The distinction between nursing notes and charting has blurred in modern healthcare settings. Many of the entries nurses make on medical records involve a combination of structured data entry (charting) and narrative notes. As a result, the choice to emphasize notes or charting is largely personal or organizational preference.
The Benefits of a Good Nursing Notes Template
To understand the benefits of using a well-designed nursing notes template, we must first look at the purpose of nursing notes. The American Nurses Association (ANA) details the following uses of nursing documentation:
- Communication - Nursing notes provide vital information to the treating healthcare team that enables the delivery of safe and effective care.
- Decision making - Information contained in nursing notes supports decision-making both for individual clinicians and the wider MDT.
- Legal accountability - Accurate and complete documentation can protect nurses and organizations in the event of malpractice claims or medicolegal issues.
- Regulatory compliance - Documentation completed by nurses is almost always considered in credentialing and regulatory audits.
- Reimbursement - Nursing notes may be used to determine the severity of illness and intensity of care, both of which may influence reimbursement rates.
- Quality and performance improvement - Documentation is the main source of evidence by which performance outcomes and quality of care are measured.
Nursing notes are clearly integral to delivering high-quality care. However, we know that nurses often work under conditions of significant administrative burden, spending as much as 41% of their time on documentation.
Research indicates that structured nursing documentation (such as that utilized in nursing notes templates) supports nurses’ daily workflow, facilitates continuity of care, and contributes to patient safety.
Therefore, while they aren’t a standalone solution to documentation challenges, the use of high-quality nursing notes templates can positively benefit patients, organizations, and clinicians.
We’ve witnessed the benefits of clinical notes templates firsthand at Heidi, with practitioners in fields as broad as psychiatry, cosmetic surgery, and primary care reducing documentation time by up to 50%.
Clinicians using Heidi also often report producing higher quality notes and delivering better care, as with Heidi looking after notes they can give patients their full attention.
Nursing Notes Templates in Clinical Settings
Nursing notes templates are used in virtually every healthcare environment. Below is a list of some of the key practice settings, with an overview of how nursing notes templates are commonly tailored to meet the unique needs of clinicians in each area.
Hospital Inpatient Units
In acute inpatient settings, a nurse notes template might be used for observations, documenting changes in a patient’s status, recording interventions, and operative notes.
Inpatient nurses’ notes templates often incorporate both narrative and structured charting elements, with sections for vital signs, medication administration, patient response to care, and handover for the next shift.
Emergency Departments
Sometimes also called a nurse triage note template, emergency nursing templates prioritize rapid assessment and decision-making. The template typically starts with a triage assessment and patient intake form, followed by a timeline format that captures events from triage through to treatment and discharge or transfer to another ward.
Mental Health Treatment
Mental health nursing notes templates often utilize a narrative format, prompting the clinician to describe behavioral observations, therapeutic interactions, and the patient’s general demeanor. Depending on the setting, a psych nursing note template may also include a structured risk assessment, safety monitoring, and mental state examination.
Long-Term Care Facilities
Nursing homes and rehabilitation centers use nursing notes templates that focus on ongoing functional assessments, daily care activities, and the execution of a nursing care plan.
These templates often include prompts to describe nurse-led medical treatment, rehabilitation engagement, preventative care measures, and an end-of-shift nursing note template for handover.
Intensive Care Units (ICU)
An ICU nursing notes template is usually highly structured, focusing on detailed monitoring of critically ill patients. Prompts to document vital signs, ventilator settings, IV medications, hemodynamic measurements, neurological assessments, and minute-to-minute changes in patient condition are common, with minimal to no narrative or subjective observations.
Home Health Care
A home health nursing note template can vary widely according to the role of the visiting nurse. For example, home hospital type services commonly use templates designed to accurately record treatment delivered with detailed observations.
Templates used by aged care support services are designed more around completing a holistic assessment and treatment plan involving a team of visiting support staff.
How to Write a Nursing Note with Examples
As detailed above, the focus of nursing notes templates varies according to the practice setting and type of care delivered. However, there are several key features common to most nursing notes.
Common Features in Nursing Notes
- Context - A brief statement explaining why the nurse is seeing the patient (eg., “Morning check of blood glucose levels.”)
- Observations - A record of what is observed (eg., “Glucometer reading 8.4 mmol/L.”)
- Assessment - Interpretation of context and observations (eg., “Blood glucose levels remain elevated.”)
- Intervention(s) - Description of interventions undertaken (eg., “Administer am oral medications and contact endocrinologist, as per management plan.”)
- Plan - State any further actions to be taken (eg., “hourly obs until endo review.”)
Nursing Notes Examples
Nursing Head-to-Toe Assessment Note Example
This note provides a concise head-to-toe assessment showing the patient’s stable condition with no abnormalities, supporting effective care planning and communication.
"Patient alert and oriented, well-groomed. The head is symmetric with no lesions. Pupils are equal, round, and reactive to light. Lungs are clear bilaterally. The heart has a regular rate and rhythm with no murmurs. Abdomen soft, non-tender, bowel sounds present. Extremities warm with strong pulses and no edema."
Nursing Progress Note Example
This progress note documents the input of a nurse at a primary care practice for a follow-up appointment for wound care.
“Mr. Wilson presents day 7 post partial thickness burn to right forearm (approx. 4cm x 6cm). Initially treated in urgent care before being discharged to primary care physician for follow-up wound dressings.
“Mr. Wilson presents day 7 post partial thickness burn to right forearm (approx. 4cm x 6cm). Initially treated in urgent care before being discharged to primary care physician for follow-up wound dressings.
Burn site shows good healing progression, with healthy pink tissue at wound edges. Minimal serous drainage on removed dressing and no signs of infection. Patient describes pain as 2/10, down from 5/10 last visit.
Wound cleaned with saline then applied silver sulfadiazine cream. Covered with non-adherent dressing and secured with gauze wrap. Patient to continue attending every second day for wound care until burns outpatient clinic appointment in 1 week.”
Wound cleaned with saline then applied silver sulfadiazine cream. Covered with non-adherent dressing and secured with gauze wrap. Patient to continue attending every second day for wound care until burns outpatient clinic appointment in 1 week.”
Nursing Observations Note Example
This nursing note describes routine observations on an orthopedic ward for a patient who underwent a recent right total knee replacement (TKR).
“Routine nursing obs. Post-op day 2 following right total knee replacement. Patient is alert and responsive, reporting 6/10 pain with movement, 2/10 at rest. Vital signs stable: BP 126/72, HR 76, RR 16, Temp 98.6°F, O2 sat 96% on room air.
Surgical dressing intact with no drainage. Moderate edema (+2) in right lower extremity. Capillary refill <3 seconds in right toes. Patient able to wiggle toes and dorsiflex ankle. Active knee flexion achieved to 75 degrees with assistance, although patient visibly distressed by pain upon movement..
Patient demonstrating appropriate post-op progress. Continue 2-hourly obs and administer pain meds 30 minutes before PT session at 1500 today.”
Surgical dressing intact with no drainage. Moderate edema (+2) in right lower extremity. Capillary refill <3 seconds in right toes. Patient able to wiggle toes and dorsiflex ankle. Active knee flexion achieved to 75 degrees with assistance, although patient visibly distressed by pain upon movement..
Patient demonstrating appropriate post-op progress. Continue 2-hourly obs and administer pain meds 30 minutes before PT session at 1500 today.”
End of Shift Handover Note Example
This psychiatric nursing note provides an end of shift handover for an inpatient who is 7 days into a trial of antipsychotic medication.
“End of shift handover for Ms. Foster. Day 7 of hospitalization following an acute psychotic episode. Currently on trial of risperidone 2mg BD.
Patient appears less agitated compared to previous shifts but paranoid ideation persists. Auditory hallucinations reported as “not so often and less scary.” Sleep improved with 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night. Compliant with oral medication administration. Vital signs stable. AIMS assessment completed with score of 2 (mild finger tremor noted).
Psychiatrist review scheduled for tomorrow morning before family meeting at 2pm. Maintain safety checks every 30 minutes and hourly overnight obs.”
Patient appears less agitated compared to previous shifts but paranoid ideation persists. Auditory hallucinations reported as “not so often and less scary.” Sleep improved with 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night. Compliant with oral medication administration. Vital signs stable. AIMS assessment completed with score of 2 (mild finger tremor noted).
Psychiatrist review scheduled for tomorrow morning before family meeting at 2pm. Maintain safety checks every 30 minutes and hourly overnight obs.”
Sample Nursing Notes Template PDF
Tips for Choosing a Nursing Notes Template
Nursing notes templates are widely available online. However, with the vast amount of choice, selecting the right one for your needs can be challenging. Here are some tips for finding the perfect template to streamline your documentation.
- Choose your preferred format - Most templates follow one of the general clinical notes formats (eg., SOAP, DAP, BIRP). Decide on a format first to help narrow your search.
- Compare examples - Compare a “gold-standard” nursing note to an example note from your template. The template you choose should be capable of matching this quality.
- Prioritize customization - The best nursing notes templates are easy to customize, edit, and adjust to ensure they meet your exact needs.
- Search widely - Online databases such as Heidi’s Template Community let you easily search, evaluate, and compare dozens of free nursing notes templates.
- Use AI-enabled templates - AI-powered templates are helping clinicians of all backgrounds cut their daily documentation time by 1-2 hours per day.
Of all the tips above, utilizing AI to support the creation of nursing notes is likely to have the most benefit. An AI medical scribe like Heidi allows nurses to spend less time on clinical notes without sacrificing quality, leading to better work-life balance and improved patient care.
Instantly Write Nursing Notes with Heidi
Heidi harnesses the power of ambient AI to automatically generate nursing notes. When you use a nursing notes template within Heidi, you can focus 100% on delivering care while Heidi looks after your documentation in the background.
Here’s how Heidi works.
- Transcribe - Press Start and Heidi captures every detail from your patient encounter.
- Customize - Pick a template to generate a perfectly structured nursing note.
- Complete - Edit the note (if needed) and copy & paste or push to the medical record.
Heidi adheres to international data safety standards, including the NHS, HIPAA, GDPR, and APP, and has obtained enterprise-grade security certifications such as SOC2 and ISO27001. Used by tens of thousands of clinicians across 50 countries, Heidi allows clinicians to work more efficiently, reducing the risk of burnout and enhancing quality of care.
Free Nursing Notes Templates
Nursing Charting Template (Intake)
This general medical and nursing charting template helps clinicians efficiently gather all relevant patient information during an intake session. It includes some narrative sections. However, the focus is on collecting the objective data required to populate a patient’s chart, such as demographic details, medical history, current medications, primary care doctor, and insurance information.
Nurses Notes Template
This nurses notes template follows the SOAP format to provide a structured framework for documenting patient encounters. Designed with the needs of nurse practitioners in mind, the template facilitates clear formulation of the care plan, ensuring patients understand their treatment and receive adequate education and guidance regarding self-management.
Nursing Narrative Note Template
This narrative format discharge summary is particularly useful for nurses who need to provide detailed discharge reports that facilitate effective communication with patients and other healthcare providers. A complete narrative nursing note template, it includes critical information such as diagnoses, treatments, medication plans, and follow-up instructions.
Nursing Notes Templates FAQs
What are the basic nursing notes templates formats?
General nursing notes templates tend to follow the standard frameworks for clinical documentation, such as SOAP, BIRP, and DAP. More specialized templates often build on these basic formats through customized headings and integration of assessment tools, consent forms, chronic care management plans, and more.
What guidelines should I follow when writing nursing notes?
Compliant nursing notes record care as it happens. They are accurate, timely, and objective. Each entry reflects what the nurse sees, hears, and learns from the patient. Using standard terminology keeps documentation consistent across teams. Good notes follow the nursing process, protect patient confidentiality, and include the nurse’s name and timestamp. When written clearly, nursing notes do more than meet requirements: they strengthen communication, support safe care, and uphold professional standards.
How do I organize my nursing notes templates?
Because of the complexities of nursing practice, most nurses use a specific template for distinct areas of practice (eg., progress notes, intake, observations, discharge summary). This is great for streamlining documentation, but managing a big collection of templates can be difficult. With Heidi, you can build a personal library of nursing notes templates that are easily accessible for every patient encounter. You can even use multiple templates to produce different outputs from a session, such as a referral letter and patient summary.
Can I create my own nursing notes template?
Yes! Heidi’s template editor makes creating your own nursing notes templates easy. You can: 1) Give Heidi a reference nurses note to build a template from; 2) Adapt an existing nursing notes template from the community; 3) Build your own nursing notes template from scratch. Read the full instructions in our Help Centre article on Creating Templates in Heidi.
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