ASSIGNMENT ON

ANECDOTAL RECORD

Subject: Nursing Management

Submitted to:

Prof. Purnima Kundu

Principal
CON, MCH.

Submitted by:

Loushambam Media Devi

M.Sc (N), 2nd year,
Date of Submission- /08/2021

COLLEGE OF NURSING,
MEDICAL COLLEGE AND HOSPITAL, KOLKATA

INTRODUCTION:
Assessment involves observing and documenting student's development, their learning
experiences and relationships, and how they interact with the world around them. The
purpose of assessment is to gather meaningful information about student in order to make
informed decisions to benefit their education and development.  An anecdotal record is a
detailed descriptive narrative recorded after a specific behavior or interaction occurs.

Definition
According to Randall, “Anecdotal record is a record of some significant item of conduct, a
record of an episode in the life of student, a word picture of the student in action, a word
snapshot at the moment of the incident, any narration of event in which may be significant
about the personality.’’

Anecdotal record, as the name implies, involves setting down an anecdote concerning some
aspects of student behavior which seems significant to the observer.

Anecdotal records can be defined as a brief description of an observed behaviour that appears
significant for evaluation purposes. It is a factual record of an observation of a single specific,
significant incident of the behaviour of a student.

Characteristics of anecdotal records

 They should contain a factual descriptions of what happened, when it happened, and
under what circumstances the behavior occurred.
 The interpretations and recommended action should be noted separately from the
description.
 Each anecdotal record should contain a record of a single incident.
 The incident recorded should be that is considered to be significant to the students
growth and development of example.
 Simple reports of behavior
 Result of direct observation.
 Accurate and specific
 Gives context of child's behavior
 Records typical or unusual behaviors

PURPOSE
 To furnish the multiplicity of evidence needed for good cumulative record.
 To substitute for vague generalizations about students specific exact description of
behaviour.
 To stimulate teachers to look for information i.e pertinent in helping each student
realize good self- adjustment.
 To understand individual’s basic personality pattern and his reactions in different
situations.
 The teacher is able to understand her pupil in a realistic manner.
 It provides an opportunity for healthy pupil- teacher relationship.
 It can be maintained in the areas of behaviour that cannot be evaluated by other
systematic method.
 Helps the students to improve their behavior, as it is a direct feedback of an entire
observed incident, the student can analyze his behaviour better.
 Can be used by students for self-appraisal and peer assessment.

GUIDELINES FOR MAKING ANECDOTAL RECORD

 Keep a notebook handy to make brief notes to remind you of incidents you wish
to include in the record. Also include the name, time and setting in your notes.
 Write the record as soon as possible after the event. The longer you leave it to
write your anecdotal record, the more subjective and vague the observation will
become.
 In your anecdotal record identify the time, child, date and setting
 Describe the actions and what was said.
 Include the responses of other people if they relate to the action.
 Describe the event in the sequence that it occurred.
 Record should be complete.
 They should be compiled and filed.
 They should be emphasized as an educational resource.
 The teacher should have practice and training in making observations and
writing records.
ITEMS IN ANECDOTAL RECORDS
 To relate the incident correctly for drawing inferences the following items to be
incorporated.
 The first part of an anecdotal record should be factual, simple and clear. • Name of the
students
 Unit/ ward/ department
 Date and time
 Brief report of what happened.
 The second part of an anecdotal record may include additional comments, analysis
and conclusions based on interpretations and judgments.
 Descriptive reports- The instructor writes a brief report on student nurses performance
over a given period. These reports are quite useful if instructor highlights student’s
strength and weaknesses in a systematic way.
 Instructor decides what to include in a report and she may quite inconsistent unless
she is guided by some kind of a structure. Otherwise these type of reports turn out to
be subjective assessments.

ADVANTAGES OF ANECDOTAL RECORDS

 Supplements and validates of other structured instruments.
 Provision of insight into total behavioral incidents.
 Needs no special training.
 Use of formative feedback
 Economical and easy to develop.
 Open ended and can catch unexpected events.
 Can select behaviors' or events of interest and ignore others, or can sample a wide
range of behaviors' (different times, environments and people).

DISADVANTAGES OF ANECDOTAL RECORDS

 If carelessly recorded, the purpose will not be fulfilled.
 Only records events of interest to the person doing the observing.
 Quality of the record depends on the memory of the person doing the observing.
  Incidents can be taken out of context.
 Subjectivity.
 Lack of standardization.
 Difficulty in scoring.
 Time consuming.
 May miss out on recording specific types of behaviour.
 Limited application.

USES OF ANECDOTAL RECORDS

 Record unusual events, such as accidents.
 Record children's behavior, skills and interests for planning purposes.
 Record how an individual is progressing in a specific area of development.
 It provides a means of communication between the members of the health care
team and facilitates coordinated planning and continuity of care. It acts as a
medium for data exchange between the health care team.
 Clear, complete, accurate and factual documentation provides a reliable,
permanent record of patient care.
EFFECTIVE USE OF ANECDOTAL RECORDS COULD BE MADE BY:
 Determine in advance the behavior to be assessed, and limit observations to those
categories or qualities.
 Record enough of the situations to decrease subjectivity. Record the incident as soon
as possible after its occurrence.
 Minimum time gap to record is necessary to avoid too much dependence on memory.
This will increase its objectivity, validity and reliability.
 Limit each anecdote to a brief description of a single specific incident.
 Record both positive and negative incidents and consider both while making
inferences. Relate anecdotal records directly to the clinical objectives.
 For maximum clarity, an anecdotal notation should include:
-A description of the particular occasion.
-A delineation of the behavior noted, indicating who, what, why, when, where and how.
-The evaluator's opinion or estimate of the incident or behavior.
CONCLUSION:
Anecdotal records inform teachers as they plan learning experiences, provide information to
families, and give insights into identifying possible developmental delays. Informal device
used by the teacher to record behavior of students as observed by him from time to time. It
provides a lasting record of behavior which may be useful later in contributing to a judgment
about a student.
FORMAT OF THE ANECDOTAL RECORD

Name of the school/college:

Name of the student observed:

Class:

Subject:

Name of the observer:

Date & place:

Objective description:

Comments of the observer:

Interpretation:

Recommendations:

Signature of the observer:

Signature of the student:

 ANECDOTAL RECORD

Observer:
Observation date: Observation time:

Student name:

Class:

Description of the incident:

Description of Location/Setting:

Notes/Recommendations/Actions:

Signature: