After my 12, I just want to go home! RANT

CABGx4, ASN, BSN, MSN, CRNA · Nov 16, 2011

If I'm not out by 7:31 I'm annoyed. If the next shift is late, don't expect me to stay over because you can't get in on time. Obviously exceptions can be made, but if it's a regular thing forget it. I'm writing down my report and handing it to you---buh bye!

cardinalRN · Nov 16, 2011

I regulary have to report to several different nurses at shift change myself, so I understand what you are talking about. Do you use SBAR? This seems to make report much easier.

Just be assertive with the "lollygaggers"! I simply walk in, get my blank SBAR sheets, look at my assignment and find the nurses I need report from. If they are busy giving report to someone else, then I look for the next nurse, etc. If everyone is busy, then I get on the computer and start reading H&P's or looking through my pt's charts. I don't sit around for too long though. If I feel like someone is taking too long, I will "hover", or just say something to them directly. There are some, that if given the chance, will stand around and gossip all day on the clock if allowed.

Be assertive, but not rude. If a nurse is charting instead of giving me report, I will just tell her I need report and then she can finish her charting afterwards. You have a lot of control over this and they will soon learn what is expected when giving you report. You can get away with saying a lot when you do it jokingly, too. Bottom line: be assertive! :twocents:

vashtee, RN · Nov 16, 2011

I really hope you aren't clocking out on time, and staying later to chart for free. It seems that if you are being paid overtime on a regular basis, management will intervene.

I use SBAR for report too, which is supposed to be updated throughout the shift. I photocopy the SBAR and highlight the most important things about my patients to give to the next nurse. During report, I just read the highlights, and move on.

I have given report on 8 patients in 30 minutes, often to 4 or 5 different nurses. If the next nurse is late, I hand my report to the following shift's charge nurse. Using this system, I have only stayed late maybe 3 or 4 times in 2.5 years.

FlyingScot, RN · Nov 16, 2011

I had that problem once. Same nurse repeatedly wandered in 15-20 minutes late although she had clocked in on time. One evening I gave report to the charge nurse (she knew what was going on and she still had 2 hours left in her shift) so there was a proper hand-off. I wrote a brief report and taped it to the oncoming nurses computer and went home. About 15 minutes after I got home I got a call from the nurse with questions about the patients although the answers she needed were on the sheet. I told her I was off-duty and she had all the info needed, said good-night and hung up. I called the CN to let her know what happened and she followed up with the nurse to make sure she didn't have any more questions. That nurse was never late again.

NightOwl0624 · Nov 16, 2011

We were having that problem, too, only in the morning. The morning "huddle" was lasting so long, then we would have to give report to 2-3 people. Funny, the people punching out late are getting "talked to", but they don't seem to be looking at the reason for us staying late. It usually isn't the person's fault who is punching out late because they have to stick around to make sure everyone has a proper report. (Now if they are late because of documentation, that is a different story!)

The manager got tired of paying us for the extra minutes, so things have gotten better. I, for one, do not want to stay even one minute over, ever!

KyPinkRN · Nov 16, 2011

I once floated to a unit in our hospital who recorded report for the oncoming shift. The off-going nurses would just take turns when they had the time at the end of their shift and the ones getting report would do the same. It seemed to work very smoothly. Also remember that you don't need to tell the patient's life history when you are giving report. Just the pertinent things that happened on your shift and any changes in condition. Keep it simple!

muesli · Nov 17, 2011

What are you staying for? If a patient is declining, or having an emergency, then I will stay, because the nurse walking into this patient hasn't even assessed them or got to know them, and I am better prepared to assist in getting them transferred to the ICU or giving them an urgent med than the nurse reading report.

However, if the patient is simply due for a scheduled medication or routine intervention that occurs after my shift officially ends, then I don't do it. It is the next nurse's responsibility. I try hard to do all of my documentation throughout my shift, however it's not always possible. But if I have a change of shift note available at the time the next nurse's shift starts, then I expect them to have read it by the time I leave. I don't wait until the nurse who strolls on in 30 minutes late finishes reading her personal emails and then decides to read change of shift report. If I feel there is something important to emphasize, then I will pass that on; but otherwise, I'm out.

makawiliwili · Nov 17, 2011

This used to be a big problem, unit our blessed nurse manager started coming in at 5 am and staying until evening shift was gone. (we work 8 hr shifts). If anyone is even two minutes late they get a scathing look, a talking to, and later a write-up. As a result, we all go home on time, every day!!!! I wish I could say my workplace was awesome, but this part of it is, at least, lol.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Nov 20, 2011

I don't know how u do 12 hour shifts. I've done 10 without a break and it nearly killed me. My feet and legs ached & throbbed for 2 days (and I do have good nursing shoes with support arches in them).

This is unaccepatable. Ask ur manager if you can do a taped handover. I do not stay back for anything now - don't care if something isn't done.

The more we as nurses tolerate this sort of rude behaviour, the more people won't care and will take advantage of us. You should not have to stay back one more minute after your shift.

Nursing has got to the point where we may as well work around the clock, never sleep, never eat, never see our families. And just think, while ur sitting there way past your end of shift time, fuming & waiting to give h/over, management are probably out on the town or having a nice dinner, tucked up next to the TV. They don't give a shite how hard you work, they couldn't care less.

Can u do 8 hour shifts instead over more days, or go part time?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Nov 20, 2011

i used to work with a nurse who relied on public transportation to get to work. in order to get to work on time, he'd have to leave his house at 5am; and in order to stay until the end of the shift, he'd not get home until 9 pm. he decided this was too much for him, so started arriving 20-30 minutes late and leaving 15 minutes early, each time asking his relief if they would "help him out, just this once" and come in early for him. the third time (in a row) it happened to me, i did some investigating. then i checked the sign-in sheets. he was signing in at 0700 and out at 1930 every single day despite arriving at 0730 and leaving at 1845 or so.

the fourth day, i was in the manager's office explaining why i had altered the sign-in sheet for the day before. explained the situation to her. pete was incensed -- he thought his colleagues would just arrive early and leave late for him every single day without getting paid for it. and he thought he should get paid for 07-1930 no matter what hours he actually worked. funny how incensed his colleagues were when they realized they'd been had for about six months!

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2011

This is a VERY common problem, I find. When I work days, I am typically in by 6:30 am and am ready to take report by 7:00, same for when I work nights. It's unacceptable when people stroll in at 7:10 then want to take their sweet time to look everything up and don't even want to START taking report until 7:30. My goal is to have all my vitals and 8am/8pm meds done before said time (I rotate shifts) so I don't start my day by getting behind. Last week, I was giving meds at 7:15 on the night shift while most of the day shift was still on the floor because others had not taken report yet.

I view it as common courtesy. I want to go home when I'm done with my shift so I try to ensure that my colleagues can do the same. My hospital also doesn't pay for time when we stay late. (Labor laws... what?) We've created a culture where we tolerate non-sense and it's almost impossible to change what has become ingrained in us.

erinberrin, CNA · Nov 23, 2011

Do I have any grounds for being annoyed with this? I arrive at work at 630 to prepare for my 7A shift (I do not punch in until 5 of 7)...Once 7 PM rolls around, I am exhausted. We do nurse to nurse report. The 7P folks are always a few minutes late, then they mosey around and by the time I am done giving report and tying up a few loose ends, its 8PM or often 830 PM. This is a rampant problem around the entire hospital. Most people don't mind staying late because it adds up to extra money. For me, getting out of work at a reasonable time (ok 730, even 745 is acceptable) is more important. I was hired for a 7A to 7P shift and I feel like it's unfair to have to stay so late more times than not. I do not mind staying once in a while if I am needed to help out, but being stuck there for really no good reason is annoying. I have noticed most nurses save their charting for after 7 PM because they have just accepted that this is the way it is...
So my question...Is it even worth trying to work this out with one of my managers or is this just something I have to suck up and live with? 12 hour shifts are exhausting enough, but 13-14 hours is crazy to me...Sometimes I have to give a quick med or do a little task and I feel so brain dead after 7 that I feel unsafe. I know to quintuple check myself when I am that tired but again...Bottom line, I just want to go home when my shift is over!

:mad: ..yup..me too..same thing cant leave until your relief is ready..sometimes they nice..other times they dont care. If it were me I would say to whomever was comming in..could you please try to get here on time because I have a family and other responsiblities..or just your plain old tired and dont function after your shift..then if that doesnt work..rat em out if its that much torture for you;( good luck.