Which narrative note accurately documents a patient who reports seeing butterflies on the wall and hearing voices?

• A. Patient states he sees butterflies on the wall and is hearing voices.
• B. The patient reports no hallucinations.
• C. The patient states he sees butterflies on the wall but does not hear voices.
• D. The patient is observed talking to himself.

Answer: (A)

Documenting patient-reported symptoms requires conveying what the patient experiences as they describe it. When a patient reports hallucinations, the note should reflect that these are his experiences, not something you’ve confirmed or denied. The best choice records both visual and auditory experiences exactly as the patient reports: he sees butterflies on the wall and is hearing voices. This preserves the patient’s subjective experience in a clear, neutral way.

The other options fail because they either deny the hallucinations, omit one of the reported experiences, or focus on an observed behavior rather than the patient’s own report.