Giving report-rude nurse

Giving report to someone like this is the worst part of nursing.

If it ever happens to me again, I am *not* going to take it, ignore it, or "try to figure out how to deal with it.".....

I'm going to be very blunt about the fact that I am here to give report, only report. DO NOT interrrupt me; DO NOT tell me I "did it wrong," or any of the other B.S. I've been subjected to....if you cannot conduct yourself in a civil, professional manner; then I will give you a quick report and be on my way.

Oh, one other thing: I do not "answer" to you. I give good care, professional care.

Now, take this report and SHOVE IT.

You're good!

I've had this problem before, and finally, when I was so pi$$ed I couldn't just sit quietly, pointed out the fact that it was a shame that nurse wasn't there, because then I could have done it the way she wanted me to. I've also told her that "well, you weren't on duty then, were you" when she said she wouldn't have handled a situation that way. Worked for me. LOL, you just have to keep a straight face and not appear flustered when you say it, which can be easier said than done.

Whether giving face to face or taped report, there's always one. Always one who will ask questions, or have some smartass remark, etc. Sometimes it's the one who ain't had her coffee yet and who probably is really nice an hour later; sometimes the person has low self esteem and needs to look good, etc. Sometimes they just have questions 'cause they're new and don't know what you're talking about.

Right now I'm the new one to my unit and every day there's something that if I don't ask the offgoing nurse about, it will screw up my shift and theirs too the next morning, so I must absolutely ask questions. With my very complicated patients I'll come in a bit early and follow the nurse in the room, sort of a walking round in order to make sure I know what the stuff is, how it's set up and what I am to do with it. I could care less how this makes me look, the job needs to be done, I have a steep learning curve and intend to get things done right.

On my old job, it was taped report and there were always one or two who had stupid questions because they would SLEEP during listening to the tape. I always answered them politely. In the end I made a friend- it turned out that despite her quirks and aggravations, her patients were always well taken care of and I learned quite a bit from her.

Don't be intimidated. If you have to make notes in a format that you can use to give a thorough, consistent report, do so. (brain sheet, report sheet, whatever you call it) Keep on talking, be polite, be professional. Explain your reasoning and don't be afraid to say "I disagree and this is why." It is really okay for one nurse to do things differently from another, providing care is good and doc's orders are followed. That's why there is such a thing as nursing judgement. Conversely, when you are the one receiving report, and you hear something that you disagree with, if you have to say so, maybe save it for the end of report and try to make it plain that you respect the nurse and have a different opinion. Yes, we need to grow thick skins but it takes time to do so.

I HAVE said (on a few occasions) to day shift: "Well, that's great and all... but the situation is different at night - and if you want to make all the nursing judgments, you should work 24/7. It's MY shift and MY license; I'll do it MY way as long as it doesn't violate P&P and safe pt care."

That generally shuts them right up.

I work with a nurse who is rude, but more than that, she is just downright mean! Before I can give her report, she insists on getting things like assignment sheets for the next day, consult sheets for the next day's appointments, and chart review forms out of the file cabinet...this is all stuff that she doesn't take care of until after 2200, but she will not take report until she has the forms in front of her. I started getting them out for her before she arrives, so that is taken care of. Besides that, she interrupts report with questions like, "Where does her daughter work?" and "Isn't she the one who sued the hospital last year?" I don't know...I don't live there...I don't know anyone except the people at the facility and the people at the gas station. She also gets upset if she doesn't have enough "detail." One of our residents went to the eye doctor and was asked to bring a pillow for his back to his follow up appointment. She was upset becasue we didn't know what kind of pillow and what part of his back and why the doctor's office didn't have their own pillow. She also gets angry if she has to give 1 unit of insulin per sliding scale or if she has to give too many suppositories in the morning or if someone gets more pain meds than she thinks they need. And...since we have to check our MARs for missed signatures at the end of the shift, she signs everything for her shift while we check for mine...it takes twice as long and we all know you aren't supposed to pre-chart.

There is really no point to my rant here, is there?

Thanks for letting me vent!

[quote=VAC;2236302]With people like this....I keep keep talking, and talking and talking. I go into very lengthy detailed explanations about why I did what I did the way I did....
Very soon they are eager to get away from me .....[/


Very true, we have one of those that floats to our floor every so often and everybody thinks that she is the most annoying person, and the one nurse that I work with every so often will totally keep giving report as if she didn't even ask a question. Chances are the other staff see this and talks about how annoying she is also. They have to work with her.

Tell her that you actually do have a life after you give her report and that she can get her forms ready after you leave. Of course I being shy and non-confrontational would just come here and talk about it or discuss with co-worker on the way through the parking lot.