Guides
Focus charting with DAR: method and examples for nursing students
Focus charting is a widely used method for nursing documentation. The principle: start from a focus, then organise the information in three parts, Data, Action, Response.
The structure
| Part | What you write |
|---|---|
| Focus | What the note is about: a problem, a patient response, an event, a change in condition. |
| D: Data | What you observed or collected: what the patient says, signs, measurements. |
| A: Action | What you did: care, monitoring, provider notified, treatment given as ordered. |
| R: Response | The effect of your actions, reassessed later: what changed, or didn't. |
Example 1: pain
Focus: Pain
- D: at 14:00, Mrs L., day 1 after a right hip replacement, reports right hip pain rated 7/10. Grimacing, refuses to move.
- A: analgesic given at 14:10 as ordered. Repositioned with an abduction pillow. Reassessment planned in 30 minutes.
- R: at 14:45, pain 3/10, patient relaxed, agrees to get up to the chair with assistance.
Example 2: fever
Focus: Hyperthermia
- D: at 18:00, temperature 38.9 °C, shivering, heart rate 104/min.
- A: provider notified at 18:05. Blood cultures drawn as ordered. Antipyretic given as ordered. Oral fluids encouraged.
- R: at 19:30, temperature 37.8 °C, shivering resolved, patient resting.
Your handover notes, always with you
The Pocket Nurse notebook keeps your shift notes with tags and instant search, next to your shift planner and your calculators.
The mistakes instructors correct most often
- A medical diagnosis as the focus. "Pneumonia" is a medical diagnosis. Write what you observe and manage: "Shortness of breath", "Hyperthermia", "Anxiety".
- Vague data. "Severe pain" says little. "Pain 7/10" can be compared from one shift to the next.
- Forgetting the response. Without R, nobody knows whether the action worked. If the reassessment isn't done yet, note when it is due.
- Judgemental language. "Difficult patient" doesn't belong in a record. Describe the behaviour: "Calls every ten minutes, expresses worry about the surgery."
- Actions without a time. The time places each event and makes the note usable.
The final check
Before you sign, reread and ask yourself: would a colleague who has never met this patient understand what happened, what was done, and what to watch for? If so, your note is good.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a focus note for every patient on every shift? No. You write when there is a focus: an event, a change, a response. A stable patient with nothing new doesn't need a focus note, that's what flowsheets are for.
Can there be several focuses in one day? Yes, one note per focus. Two short, clear notes beat one that mixes pain and fever.
What if the response isn't known by the end of my shift? Write D and A, then "R: to be reassessed at [time]". The next shift completes it. That's exactly what the structure is for.
How is this different from SOAP or narrative charting? SOAP is organised around a problem list and the clinician's assessment. Narrative charting is a chronological story. Focus charting sits in between: one topic, three parts, easy to scan at handover.
Is DAR the same everywhere? The structure is widely shared but the name of each part can vary (Focus, Data, Action, Response, sometimes with an added Plan). Follow your unit's documentation policy.
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