If you ask 10 EMS workers what the best charting method is, you will probably get more than 10 different answer. Throwing in QA/QI, billing, your FTO, your medical director, paper vs electronic, state requirements, and you can see where it all goes to ****....
DrP's rules for charting: 1) if your agency has a specific way they want to chart, and everyone follows the same method, than that is the way you write your chart. If your agency says one thing, and someone else say otherwise, (FTO, billing, etc), than they need to have a chat so you are all on the same page, and get back to you on how the "agency" wants it done, and then the agency needs to then make sure that everyone is on the same page.
2) paper charting and electronic charting are done different. the content might be the same (and should be), but the method of charting is different. in some electronic charting systems, you shouldn't have a traditional narrative.
3) If no requirements are provided (and no, my FTO's opinion doesn't count) I do chronological, for the simple reason of it's how my brain works, and if I get called into court / medical review / medical directors office / supervisor's office over something, I have my documentation the way I want it, complete, and easy to review.
Day 3 of paramedic school, the local county EMS deputy director was giving a lecture on documentation, going over charte, soap and another one that I can't remember. then she gave a demonstration of a scenario, and the students were supposed to document what happened. when she asked us to give our narratives, I gave mine, using my chronological flow, entirely from memory, because that's how my brain likes to record things.
It's not rocket science, but it does take practice, and repetition is the best way to accomplish it.
