Any Strategies for leaving when you're suppose to?

[Alicia777, MSN, NP]

I'm a month into my new job as a inpatient surgical NP and it frustrates me how I can never get out on time! I leave between 45mins-1hr late daily.

It's seems as if we're only starting sign out at end of shift which takes 20-30 mins depending on how many patients we have and then typically a task or two comes up that needs to be rectified before I go.

Being new I don't feel comfortable trying to change the culture but geesh!!

[caliotter3]

It sounds to me as if you are going to have to speak up. I would start the signing out process at 20 minutes before the end of the day if you have determined it is going over that length of time. There is no reason for the day to go past the end of hours more than ten minutes or so. The true emergency should be the exception, not the norm. Now would be the time to address this and not later. If you don't feel comfortable in speaking up, then you will have to put up with the status quo. At least bring it up, so that they can clue you in on what they really want.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

You could stress to nurses that the time to sign out should be respected and unnecessary interruptions for non-emergency calls can wait until after sign out is over and the oncoming provider can address it.

You can also have a sign out system where patient lists are updated with pertinent information for the next provider to read easily so you just need to mention the important stuff and not have to go through the entire story for each patient.