I'm a pretty new RN, had to float to another unit for nightshift last night (our census was low on the home turf). So, after reporting off, finishing up, know that everyone was breathing and that a nurse had spot checked them before I left, I had the following thought.
It was a good shift if at the end, in this order, things happen this way:
I charted quantity and quality sufficient to keep my rear end out of a lawsuit and to accurately document the patient' s progress through the night. Yes, in that priority.
Everyone is breathing (maybe that should be concurrent w/ number one......), pain controlled, early meds done, toileted, and consents done for any procedures, diet orders in, and ideally has fresh fluids hung. OK, I try really hard to think about where the bag is in its lifecycle, but I don't always get that one done. Strike that.
I get to give report and be finished with that no later than my official end time. Thanks, 'cause today's day staff is one awesome group, they get in and on it on time! I'm serious.
I have less than 2.7% "Oh crap, did I remember to do X ?" per patient, increased in inverse proportion for later admits during the shift. I loved that 0300 admit today, just not the fact that that admit put me at max pt load on a floor I usually don't work on. Argh. Still, per #1 & #2 above, I did ok.
I spend no more than 7 minutes finishing up charting so that I don't hit the dreaded 8 minute over that rolls to the 15+ mark for incremental overtime....bah!
I remember to get my lunch leftovers out of the fridge, especially my lunch bag.
I remember to put my badge and keys in my bag, and not leave them out somewhere necessitating a call to locate or a return trip to the unit. Or an incident form (bah! again) and extra forms for replacements. Haven't had that happen, hope not to, but it does cross my mind.
I don't have any pesky meds in my pockets, like insulin, or, oh, narcotics that should have been wasted. That just destroys the whole good shift vibe right there when that happens. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. On previous shift I left with a Lantus Solostar in my pocket. Gosh, that made the trip home a little longer that day....
My car has minimal frost on the windows.
That's it. What crosses your mind to make you say, "hey, good shift...." as you swipe out and walk away?
To me, it's a good shift if no codes were called. Even if I'm dragging myself home four hours late, as long as no one died or needed to be restrained, I've won.
A good shift is when nothing eventful happened, and **** didn't hit the fan.
Or the floor!!! (been there night before last...yuck)I have to agree that the one thing that can really make all the difference is the group I'm working with.
Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, Ophthalmology, Tele.
A good day is doing education on a new CHF or diabetic and they get it. That I had the time to sit and do a good quality education without being called on vocera.
Ugh!! You have Vocera too?? We just got them a month ago at our hospital and we hate them (most of the time). By the end of the day we are yelling at our Voceras "No!"....."Cancel". Sometimes I say "you're fired!!" and I grab a real phone to call pharmacy (I wanted pharmacy..not Phong Lee). At lunch we have to hold our lunch buddy's vocera too and there are times, usually when starting an IV of course when both voceras are asking if I can take a phone call at the same time. So much fun.
I agree with most of the comments I have read. For me: of course safe, breathing patients at the end of the shift. All families have had all their questions answered,patients understand education, all documentation done timely and accurately.
My all time wish is to be at the time clock with lunch box and keys in hand at 7:25. It has only happened probably 4 times in 3 years but this is always my goal. I used to stress out when I wan't clocking out by 7:30 or 7:35, now if its 7:44 oh well....close enough. I never understand how some nurses are done with everything at like 6pm and they are chatting at the nurses station or just sitting there looking at the hangnail on their hand. How do they do it?? It's a mystery to me.
On the other hand these are things that usually happens in the last 20 minutes of shift(especially when I think I am going to actually leave on time that day):
Grand mal seizure at 6:50, family wants patient to have a bath now or get changed, IV infiltrates, low blood sugar/high blood sugar, "where's my Dilaudid?", the direct admit for altered level of consiousness rolling in the door that no one told me was coming (that's a fun one). Sorry....needed to vent.
1) The shift I happened to be working isn't right after certain messy coworkers.
2) I finish half an hour before my shift is supposed to end-- every patient is in bed, content, clean, and full.
3) All of my ADL charts are finished. Sometimes my coworkers chart their stuff on the wrong shift column (charting ADL for that morning but writing in the "Evening" boxes) and it drives me nuts.
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Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN
20,908 Posts
That the oncomming shift showed up....