How late after your shift do you stay at work?

Nurses General Nursing

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Recently, my unit manager asked us all to write an email explaining why we are clocking out after our scheduled shift. This is to be done after every late clock out.

While I am a new RN, I have a feeling this issue is not limited to being a new grad learning time management. There are so many factors that affect whether or not I get out on time.

I'm curious, on average, how long after your shift do you stay, giving report, documenting, etc? What kind of circumstances get in the way of you clocking out on time? If you don't mind also sharing, how many years experience do you have in acute care?

I will share: I have six months exp.

Factors that affect me: interruptions during report, late admissions or discharges (6:30 or later), late med passes, having to complete documenting, giving report to multiple nurses, a generally hectic day, just to name a few...

For me it depends. I work in LTC. Most of the time its either to finish documentation because stuff happens to me during the day. For example emergencies/codes, short a nurse so I have to do the med pass. The other times it is usually admissions or re-admit that comes right at the change of shift. Depending who is coming on for the next shift will do the admit/re-admit. Some get mad and state/demand you do it or at least part of it. With the facility I'm at they are going to lay off 2 full-time day RNs and move one to evening and nights. So I can see, whoever is the lucky RN on days, will be staying longer than scheduled.

I have 11 years of experience in the NICU. Just this past week was the first time in forever that I was still there 30 minutes past my shift. My night went to you-know-where in a hand basket around 5 A.M. and as I was trying to give the oncoming nurse report, I was constantly interrupted by every service imaginable coming by on early rounds to see my patients and needing some form of assistance (supplies, dressing changes, questions answered, etc.). I would say 95% of the time, I'm out on time or even early. The other 5% is usually over by just 5-10 minutes, mostly because the oncoming nurse is late and/or asking numerous questions. My employer doesn't require any explanation if we go into overtime.

you brought up another good point. The other day I had a MD call me in to round with him at 1900. Really? The consult had been in all day and you literally get there as I'm about to handoff my patients. I honestly dont even mind it that much to stay but now that I have to explain everytime i'm there past 1915...*sigh*

Specializes in NICU, Psych.
I leave typically close to being on time. You are punished if you clock out early.. It counts as a tardy (what sense does that make?) Sometimes I could leave 5-10 minutes early if it wasn't for that rule. Now if I get a late admission or have a crashing patient that is a different story. Then I try to stay and help out (depending of course who the oncoming nurse is).

There is a nurse that I work with who MILKS the clock. She often stays at least one hour after her shift to finish charting. She's been part of the team for years now. About a month ago she stayed nearly 6 hours after her shift ended to "finish" charting. Nothing is done to address that issue..

I don't want to know how bad her home life must suck to make staying at work for 18 hours straight preferable to being at home, no matter how good the overtime is.

I don't want to know how bad her home life must suck to make staying at work for 18 hours straight preferable to being at home, no matter how good the overtime is.

A lot of female nurses are the sole breadwinner of their homes. Maybe her life at home doesn't suck at all and she just needs the income.

As a preceptor, did you or do you guys help with how to chart in a timely manner? Does it matter how long, as long as the charting is correct? Or is it a learn as you go type of thing?

This is one of the problems I have with electronic charting (at least our system). You're charting c a lengthy assessment (think train wreck patient) and when you are almost done one of the following is bound to happen. 1) bed alarm goes off or careview. Everyone is expected to run to the room like a code. Drop everything. I lock the computer but am. Either timed out or someone logged it and bumped me out, losing what I had put in and I have to start over, 2) doc needs me in another room, same thing happens, or 3) the computer gets stupid, goes offline, and I lose it all anyway while I sit there fuming at the thing. Paper was archaic, but it didn't vanish.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
As a preceptor, did you or do you guys help with how to chart in a timely manner? Does it matter how long, as long as the charting is correct? Or is it a learn as you go type of thing?

First thing is to get the charting correct. We start out slow with only one patient, and I do the "work" while the orientee charts. Once the orientee has the charting down -- usually no more than a shift or two -- we start working on charting in real time while adding in more patient care. The goal is to chart as you go. Most orientees pick it up, but the one orientee (who, it should be noted, I dearly LOVED working with except for that one quirk) never quite caught on.

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

I do Psych and have 17 to 22 patients that I have to chart on each shift. I chart as a go through the day. If I didn't I would never get out of work on time. With a few exceptions report takes 30 minutes. My facility requires that we call the Supe if we are expecting to stay overtime (and it's always approved) . This may happen if we have behavior codes. New admissions are expected to be picked up and finished by the on-coming shift. I am usually out within 15 minutes of my end of shift.

Hppy

I usually leave at 1900 on the dot if the incoming nurse is in. Stayed for an extra ten minutes once to help out another nurse so she could leave on time too.

The only time that I am not able to clock out from work on time is when management asks me to stay. Managemrbt has asked me to stay over due to staffing issues (someone has called in sick and they do not have enough nurses). Management asks me to stay to call report on a critical patient (when the room is posted at the change of shift). Or during the time a critical patient (such as a full arrest or bad trauma) rolls in at a change of shift.

It depends. If there is something important I will stay but probably a normal time is 10-15 min. Usually this is because of report, but sometimes because of patient care, important charting or an admit right at shift change. If it's not important... don't let the door hit me on the way out.

Everywhere is trying to cut back. You're new so don't worry about it much- just get better. The powers that be will have to decide what they want to focus on at any one time and it ebbs and flows... overtime vs. charting vs. patient care vs. surveys vs. staffing etc.

At most maybe 10 minutes

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