Nursing Documentation Abbreviations in Canada
Abbreviations save time until someone reads them differently than you meant. The safest rule is simple: use only abbreviations your employer has approved, and never use the ones known to cause medication errors.
The short answer
There is no single national approved abbreviation list for all Canadian nurses. Employers and regulators set their own rules, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Canada publishes a Do Not Use list of dangerous abbreviations, symbols and dose designations that organizations are encouraged to adopt. When in doubt, write it out.
Why this matters
Regulators expect abbreviations to be used only when their meaning is clear to everyone who will read the record. The College of Nursing of New Brunswick (CNNB, formerly NANB), for instance, notes that organizations often restrict abbreviations to an approved list. Misread abbreviations are a documented source of medication errors, and that is why ISMP Canada keeps a list.
Examples from the ISMP Canada Do Not Use list
The table below shows some entries from the 2025 update of ISMP Canada's list. Check the full current list before relying on this summary.
| Avoid | Risk | Write instead |
|---|---|---|
| U (units) | Mistaken for the numeral 0 | units |
| IU | Mistaken for 10 or IV | international units |
| QD, OD | Mistaken for QID (four times daily); OD also mistaken for the right eye | daily |
| QOD, EOD | Mistaken for other frequencies | every other day |
| µg, ug | Mistaken for mg | microgram or mcg |
| cc | Mistaken for U (units) | mL |
| Trailing zero (5.0 mg) | Read as 50 mg | 5 mg |
| Missing leading zero (.5 mg) | Read as 5 mg | 0.5 mg |
| @ | Mistaken for 2 or 5 | at |
| D/C | Mistaken for each other (discharge or discontinue) | write out "discharge" or "discontinue" |
| Drug name abbreviations (e.g., MSO4) | Mistaken for a different drug | full drug name |
Practical rules
- Use your employer's approved list. If an abbreviation is not on it, spell it out.
- Never abbreviate drug names, doses or frequencies in ways on the Do Not Use list.
- Do not invent personal shorthand. If another nurse cannot read it, it is a risk.
- Be careful with abbreviations that mean different things in different specialties.
- Students: use the list your school and placement site specify. Ask if unsure.
Example (fictional patient)
Risky
Insulin 5.0 U SC @ 1800.
Safer
Insulin 5 units subcutaneously at 1800 per order.
What to verify locally
Ask your educator or manager for the current approved abbreviation list, and whether your electronic system blocks or warns on high-risk abbreviations. Lists change, so check dates.
Where Fiabita fits
Fiabita is an educational and documentation-support tool. Its "Clean up my note" tool can help you reword practice notes in clearer professional language, and Study Lab can turn your own course material into quizzes and flashcards. Treat every output as a draft to verify, do not enter information that could identify a real patient, and follow your program or workplace policy.
FAQ
Q: Is there one official Canadian abbreviation list?
No single list covers every employer. ISMP Canada publishes a Do Not Use list; employers and regulators set their own rules.
Q: Can I use common abbreviations like BP or HR?
Often yes if your employer approves them, but confirm the approved list for your setting.
Q: What if an order uses a banned abbreviation?
Clarify the order with the prescriber before acting, and follow your employer's process for unclear orders.
Sources and further reading
- ISMP Canada: Do Not Use list of dangerous abbreviations, symbols and dose designations
- College of Nursing of New Brunswick (formerly NANB): Documentation FAQ
- College of Nurses of Ontario: Documentation practice standard
Always check the current version of each source and your own regulator's standards; links and wording can change.