Ward Slang Intermediate Ward Slang

Soft call

Formal Definition

A page or call about a non-urgent issue, especially overnight.

How It's Used on the Ward

"Don't soft call the resident for Tylenol" - handle minor issues yourself if you can.

Example

"Nurse paging at 3am: "Patient requesting a sleeping pill." Resident thinking: "That's a soft call. Should have been addressed during the day.""

Clinical Context

Learning what warrants an urgent call vs. what can wait is an important skill. Soft calls overnight irritate cross-cover residents.

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