Shift B.S.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I got a late admit yesterday and after running my butt off to do as much as I could for the next shift, during report, all the next nurse did was focus on the one thing that I did not do (change the caps on the PICC line). I left a half hour late which is already going to get me into trouble with the manager.

You really get squeezed here -- the manager comes down on you if you get overtime and the night shift nurse berates you. I'm sick of it. How would you handle this? My guess is to just smile and shrug during change of shift and say, "I really tried my best to get as much done as I could. I'm sorry that you're not satisfied with that."

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Specializes in med-surg, psych, ER, school nurse-CRNP.

Nursing is a 24/7 job. Where I used to work, we did not accept admits an hour before or after shift change. The hospital that I worked at that DID, the next shift was grateful just to have the admit done (paperwork), and could care less about something as piddly as caps being changed.

Now, this is me, but the next time you get in a situation like that, give that loo-la something to complain about, fluff and stuff the patient, but unless it's critical, leave it. She'll learn. I may be mean, but darned if I'm going to bust my heinie doing for someone only to have them go off because the IV pole isn't facing east.

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The stress of nursing. I'm only thankful I work best while under pressure.

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Specializes in Med-surg ICU, Adult psych.

I've had shifts like that as well, usually after I've been essentially coding a pt all day and my standard response is hey the pts alive - hope you do as well. Mean....well yes, but honestly who gives a flying rump if caps were changed. As a previous poster stated, nursing is 24/7.

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

Hey, if the PICC line caps was all she found wrong...YOU did a great job~~

Congrats!

Some people just have to find something wrong with everything. Besides, how hard is it to change a cap anyway? sheesh.

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I just basically give them a list of things I did do, and things that need to be done. And apologize for not getting it all done (because on my floor, nightshift gets killed at the beginning of the shift, so I really hate when I can't give them a nice tidy packaged patient.) You do what you can do, if you're consistent about that instead of doing the bare minimum, the ones you care about will appreciate it, and you can go home with a clean conscience.

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Specializes in PCU/tele.
Where I used to work, we did not accept admits an hour before or after shift change.
WOW!!! i would LOVE that! my floor there is usually 2 or more admits waiting for us in the ER at the beginning of our shift, and then they usually dump on us again 30 min before our shift ends too... :banghead:
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Specializes in LTC.

I feel the same way as you op. I work 7-3p and I am super busy ! I do the best I can and I try not to leave much for the next shift. Some nurses really get upset but I only have 7.5 hours for my shift and my boss gets fightin mad if I go into overtime. Nursing is 24/7 and us nurses have to work together.

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Specializes in ER, LTC, IHS.
WOW!!! i would LOVE that! my floor there is usually 2 or more admits waiting for us in the ER at the beginning of our shift, and then they usually dump on us again 30 min before our shift ends too... :banghead:

You know I really resent that statement. I know I, nor any of the other ER nurses I work with, "dump" patients to the floor. We are also busy as heck down here. The difference is people keep coming in demanding that they need to be seen "NOW" We have to free up the rooms to get the new patients in, and believe me I am not sitting on a pt staring at the clock thinking, "Just a little longer and I will send this pt up to make dayshift stay late."

Another thing is we nurses cannot control the doctors. We may want to get the pt up to the floor an hour before the doc decides to admit. And you know as well as I do that our hands are tied in that situation.

The last thing I'd like to mention is that I can't tell you how many times we have had a pt ready to go and have to wait half hour or more for a bed assignment and someone who wants to take report. Please know I am not blaming anyone here for anything, just pointing out why it's wrong to say the ER "dumps" pts on the floor.

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How would you handle this? My guess is to just smile and shrug during change of shift and say, "I really tried my best to get as much done as I could. I'm sorry that you're not satisfied with that."

Whenever you get a late admit or an emergency late in the shift, you may not be able to get everything finished. That is just the way it is. If the oncoming nurse can't understand that, tough! I don't apologize; I just tell the oncoming nurse what is still pending.

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Never apologize. That implies that you made a mistake. Many people forget that the hospital is a 24/7 ship. Crap happens. They'll get over it.

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To be totally honest with you, I understand (and have been in) both situations. On one side, it always makes you feel like crap when someone acts/assumes that you did nothing throughout your entire shift (esp. when you were running all night/day!). Even though YOU know that you worked as hard/fast as you could, their attitude makes you feel like you didn't do enough. On the flip side, I know how it feels when you are following a nurse that REPEATEDLY doesn't "get to" or "have enough time" to complete even basic tasks (even with an easy slot). It becomes frustrating when you are spending a large amount of time just "cleaning up" after the nurse that they are following. (I am in NO way saying that you are that type of nurse, please do not be offended by my response). Most likely, this nurse was just being rude. I agree with previous posts, just tell them that you did your best. That's all you can do and don't feel bad about it!

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