How do you give next shift report?

[Thunderwolf]

What type of report method do you use the most?

[baby&mommynurse]

We tend to do all three where I work. It's verbal in the nursery, but if an oncoming nurse is going to be late for some reason, we'll do a written. Out in OB-Gyn, we'll tape report.

[PedsNurse04]

What type of report method do you use the most?

We use verbal and tape record on our unit, mainly verbal though. What I like to do is start out with a history of my patient (when they were admitted, reason why they were admitted, etc.) then I give a brief description of my pt. (IV site, IVF, any labs that are due or results if important, continuous feeds, what formula, how often a med if important, social issues with family, then I go into what I did, like if they had a temp, what time tylenol given, if called doc, if they were taken off O2, sats what they were, if vitals were stable, if parents or family members in room, then I end with do you have any questions? Hope this was helpful, I probably give too much info., but I know when I leave I have done my job to the best of my ability

[nurseinlimbo]

At one job, we write down significant findings, prns, new Dr.'s orders and anything else down and then give a verbal report as well. At the other job, we do a written report which is then used to give a longer tape recorded version.

[jjtwins]

I'm not working yet but here in our place, the ratio of nurse- patient is 1:20. and well, they don't really have enough time to do the NPI so they just prepare the medicines, check who needs to change IVF's and who has a fever or something like that and then write the NCP.

that's how they do it here. but anyway, they give verbal or oral report.

Are you kidding? 1:20 ratios, we have 1:25 if we are fortunate to be on those assignments. Most here are 1:34 to 38, time is never on our side! : :rotfl: help!!!

Where are you from, I may be moving soon

Joan Wisconsin

[jjtwins]

I'm not working yet but here in our place, the ratio of nurse- patient is 1:20. and well, they don't really have enough time to do the NPI so they just prepare the medicines, check who needs to change IVF's and who has a fever or something like that and then write the NCP.

that's how they do it here. but anyway, they give verbal or oral report.

Are you kidding? 1:20 ratios, we have 1:25 if we are fortunate to be on those assignments. Most here are 1:34 to 38, time is never on our side! : :rotfl: help!!!

Where are you from, I may be moving soon

Joan Wisconsin

[skemergirl]

I work in The PICU and I like the way we give/get report. About 6:00 or so the charge nurse comes around and asks for a quick report. You tell her/him how the night/day went. The next shift goes into the report room and gets a quick down & dirty report: who & dx, who coded who's going home who's going for surgery yada yada.. then you give a bedside report to the nurse who has your kids. I go by the flow sheet. Tell about the night & changes we had. Plans for the next 12 hours. Then we go to the bedside & look at lines and pumps...then see ya!! Can be quick if your night was good.

[suebird3]

We do written and verbal. Written consists of tracking who is on 72 hour vitals (hospital return/incident/behaviour), census, call offs, other oddball occurances and the like. Verbal elaborates on the above, and any info that is not to be written in the log book.

[tambradan]

Hello Oliver and welcome to the USA!

In my particular facility, everyone has their own way of starting the shift. My particular habit is starting with a verbal report which I am able to ask the previous nurse questions regarding plan of care, possible test preperation and what not. I then go to the desk to make sure my pt. have no STAT orders waiting. I then do a quick run through my pt.s rooms to make sure no one is in distress. I then look through my med book for any early med pass, check my diabetic pt's accu check, then proceed with vitals and assessment, another med pass, then charting. Somewhere in there you need to fit in call lights, doctor rounds, visitors, misc. and a break. Then you give report and go home. We have a normal load of 7 pt's per RN and you may cover an LPN who will have another 7 pt's.

[xrockstheheart]

Nsg in this country is very different and it is different from nsg all over the world. We don't use the best medicines, we use the most expensive, the ones that give the most profit. You will need to learn aboout 6000 of them. It is a very labor intensive field. You will also be surprised at the intensity of the job. We also try to keep people alive as long as possible because the govt pays for it. Brockton Hospital is in the news today apparently someone gave 60 times the recommended dose. However you speak spanish, let me recommend telephone triage. It will be much safer for you.

Hello!! I'm Oliver from Spain.

In my country we give to the next shift a verbal report, and also we have to write a report in each patient folder when we finish the shift. In some units we also use the computer.

I have another question for you guys.

How is a normal day in your shifts? what do you do first? Where I've been working, usually we have to prepare the medication for all the patients first, then we have to cure/dress (I don't know how to say this) all the wouds, IV sistems, to measure blood pressures, differnet nursing activities, etc. then to give out all the medication, and at the end of the shift to write everything (to make a report)

So, What do you do? I'm really scare about to start working in this country and I would like to know if everything here is very different.

Thank you all and I'm sorry for my English.

By!

[rfmages]

I personally enjoy taping my report daily. I dont care for oral report myself, too much time is always spent being sidetracked by other things going on.

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

:yeahthat: ITA. I would love to do verbal, but it turns into "Oh, I have pictures of the baby!" "What did you have for lunch?" "How's your hubby?", etc. The other problem with verbal is that if you're on nights, your assignment may be split between nurses on the day shift depending on the ratio and you have to wait your turn. If you're on days, several nurses may have to give the oncoming nurse report and you have to wait your turn. I really try to make time to tape, even if I'm doing it as the oncoming shift is walking in midway through my recording. Then I hang around in case someone has questions after they listen. Otherwise, I'm not getting out of there until 8 or 8:15 instead of 7:30 or 7:45.

[grace90, LPN, LVN]

We do taped report, all 3 shifts do. I think it works fairly well as long as the previous taper gives all the pertinent info. At times I have had to give verbal when things got messy at the last minute. I actually enjoyed doing it that way as well, but I could see how it could get time-consuming if one or both persons was a "yacker", as I can be at times.