The shortage of nurses has prompted departments across the nation to examine nursing practices in individual healthcare facilities and to initiate changes where relevant. Saint Thomas Hospital, a 571-bed tertiary-care facility, developed a number of strategies designed to allow nurses to focus on skills consistent with professional practice and to reassign technical and clerical duties to other members of the healthcare team. One of the changes implemented was the clinical outcome assessment documentation (COAD) system, which communicates the plan of care without the use of a separate form, expedites charting times, and eliminates duplication. This system also facilitates the documentation of the patient's progress toward outcome-oriented goals. Evaluation of the COAD system after implementation showed improvement in documentation of the nursing process, staff satisfaction with the system, and compliance with the Joint Commission's 1991 nursing standards.