When does your shift begin?

[whipping girl in 07]

Last week, on my last night to work before 5 in a row off, I had the night from hell. I had one patient who was actively dying (DNR, on vent, family was almost ready to let him go) and another patient I had to take to MRI at 6:15 am. I got back from MRI at 7:15 am (the time I should be done with report and clocking out) and got the patient reconnected to cardiac monitor, CVP, arterial line, pulse ox, bp cuff, and IV fluids. The day nurse came in to help me and I started telling her about the night but not really giving report. She proceeded to start assessing the patient (the patient was a neuro, so I can understand checking hand grasps and following commands, but for god's sake she broke out the stethoscope and started listening to breath sounds!!) so I stopped her and said, I need to give you report, then you can come back and do your assessment. (I was to give her report on my other patient too.) As I walked around the desk, she mumbled under her breath, "You're lucky I came in and helped you get her back to bed." I asked what she said and she wouldn't repeat it, so I went ahead and started giving her report. I won't get into any more gory details, but I'll just say that I didn't get out of there till 9:30 and I was about ready to rip her f@#$ing head off by the time I left.

So my question is this: when you come on to a shift, when do you think your work actually begins? Do you feel obligated to help the leaving nurse with the patient if he/she needs it, or should the leaving nurse have everything done before you take over? 99% of the time, I have everything done and I'm leaving a clean patient in a clean room with up-to-date vitals (for 0700 if they are qhour), pain med given, new bags of IVF/gtts if they will run out in less than 4 hours, supplies for the next dressing change, chux if needed, etc, etc, etc. But if the patient takes a dump while we're in report, would you expect me to clean up the patient without at least helping me? Just curious...

[JailRN]

I also do not clock in, they expect us to work EXACTLY our shift then leave. No OT, for a nurse being late, etc.

Of course, I don't work in a hospital setting, anymore, but when I did, I was one of those nurses who checked my pts minutes before report, to make sure they were clean, etc, but if there was a problem after report, would stay sometimes to help out. If I had to be somewhere, no, if not yes. That way, the next shift didn't expect it., but were greatful when it happened.

[TRAMA1RN]

My "shift" is the dreaded night shift I am the only nurse in our ER LPN or otherwise. I always am in before 10:45 and I always start after getting report still well before 11:00 pm it doesn't matter if I have a full ER I am left alone, by the way I follow 3 nurses 2 RN's and an LPN and they usually call another nurse down from the floor. I NEVER get out of the ER before 7:10 because no one else comes in early for me. I stay late I come in early and I go in 95% of the time when asked. I love nursing and can forgive others for their lack of commitment but eventually I have confidence that things will change, because change begins with me.

[whipping girl in 07, RN]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I was really upset after the night I'd had and I knew that 90% of the day nurses I work with (I work nights) would have jumped in and helped without bytching or being snide. I just wanted to see how other people felt about when they should start working. It's hard for me to feel sorry for the nurse relieving me when she has to hit the ground running when she's been hanging out waiting for me to get back for over 30 minutes. Sounds like everyone here is hard working and if an ALLNURSES hospital is ever created, it will be the best place ever to work.

YOU GUYS ROCK!!