I'm a nighter, and there's this very short unassuming asian lady that works days. She has been there for like 35 years. She's an absolute nightmare to give report to. She drills you like a boot camp. EVERYONE dreads giving report to her. It takes a long time. People wait in line to give report. For example, she'll ask for dates, times, places, doctor's, places, weights, heights, and it just goes on and on and on and on and on. Last night I had to give a report and it lasted 25 minutes. She wanted lab values, print outs, documentation, etc, etc, etc. Not related to the hospitilization, this patient was a borderline diabetic under observation - so we were just taking blood sugards AC and HS to monitor the glucose levels - no coverage though. Oh my God... she asked me if I had started diabetic teaching and I said no. She went on and on and on and on about it... why didn't I call someone, why didn't I play a movie, why didn't I explain a phamplet, why didn't I go over it with him, etc. He was put on a 1800 ADA diet so she asked me why he was on a diabetic diet - I said I don't know, why don't you call the doctor and find out. Then she said something like "Ok, I'll be sure to document that you didn't start diabetic teaching." I swear, this lady drives everyone insane. She's a nightmare to give report to. The only positive thing about her is the double time people get when they give report to her. And, she'll report you to the Nurse Manager if you don't do your best to explain your reasoning. Uggghhh....
On a positive note, there are some I absolutely love giving report to. They're laid back, only want pertinent information that's going to impact the patient right then and there. Report is short, sweet, and simple. They don't need to know the date and Dr. that performed a hysterectomy 10 years ago.
Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
I find it interesting that people suggest "well why don't you tape report?". I have never worked in a place where you actually have a choice as to whether to give a verbal report or a taped report. I would love to work for such a place.
Yes, I have had many nurses that I dreaded giving report to. Many would ask "why hasn't this been done"? and insinuate that I should have done certain things that are really much easier done during the day. Many would scoff if I didn't know the answer to a question of theirs. Get mad if there was anything that wasn't done. And so on, and so on. There will always be nurses that stink to give report to, but I have to admit I have never encountered anyone as bad as the OP has to deal with!
Then there have been nurses that I didn't necessarily dread giving report to, but I'd get annoyed. One nurse had to talk and talk and talk and talk, about varying things, before she'd let me give her report. Once she even called her son RIGHT in the middle of report, to make sure he was awake or something, I can't remember. Another nurse HAD to know detail after detail, but she was never mean about it; actually she was a sweet little thing but very... neurotic.
I miss taped reports at the state hospital where I used to work.
I can empathize. There was a nurse who told me that it was a good thing I didn't have to deal with the docs in rounds that day because they were mad about something that happened the night before when I had him - that was not my fault AT ALL. She went on and on about how I would have cried... is that necessary? It is all about making new nurses feel inadequate.
We do not have an option to tape report. In clinicals we got taped report but we never had to be taped.
There are two nurses in particular that I dread giving report to or getting report from. The first, when she gives report she is all over the place. She'll start with the admission diagnosis and then start going over tests and results without even giving me the history first! Whenever I get report from her I have to stop her at least 2-3 times and tell her "stop, you're going all over the place, I need you to go by system" and then she does. It's just so frustrating! The other one, when she's ready to get report she is ready at 6:59am, before the rest of us know who has what patients. When she knows she's getting report from you she'll track you down and keep asking you if your'e ready when it's obvious that you're not. And, when she gives report she will start talking without the other nurse even being ready and won't know that she's already started giving report. We all dread getting/giving report from her.
There are 2 nurses that I don't "dread" per se...but I know they will want a full and detailed report. Including daily meds on their shift, but I'm going "I don't know why they take that/because I DIDN"T give it on my shift!"
They are older and set in their ways...and you just know that regardless, you have to give them FULL reports always....sometimes even the updates are a long time.
You just prep the best you can...and answer what you can....
The only nurses I dread giving report to are the insecure ones. They are the ones who will look for any mistake you made during your shift so they can write it up and feel superior about their nursing abilities. I used to let it bother me, but now I don't care, I think these nurses have a reputation.
Yes there are a few I just cringe when I know I have to give them report. I have learned that if I give them the info they always want the report goes soooo much smoother. (ie: there is a weekend day nurse that always wants to knowlabs, bowel mvmnts, presciptions, time last med was given, etc.) Some mornings I feel like screaming "Can't you look on the computer or must I spoon feed you every last detail of the patients medical life!":D:p
Yes, yes, yes! The nurse who I swear doesn't pay attention to a thing I say, or take a single note. And the nurse who interrogates me the whole time, "Why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that?"
The OP is more patient than i am. When a nurse starts that ridiculous interrogation with me, i make it clear im here to give report and im not going to argue with you. If you have a problem with that go cry to charge nurse or nurse manager. I take no more than one min per pt to give report and thats it.
The stress of having to give report to a person like that can turn a good day at work into a miserable day just in a few minutes. You will walk to the car feeling worn out.
I have not had many problems giving report recently, but I do remember one nurse like the OP described when I was a new grad. She shredded what little confidence I had.
I'm a nighter, and there's this very short unassuming asian lady that works days. She has been there for like 35 years. She's an absolute nightmare to give report to. She drills you like a boot camp. EVERYONE dreads giving report to her. It takes a long time. People wait in line to give report. For example, she'll ask for dates, times, places, doctor's, places, weights, heights, and it just goes on and on and on and on and on. Last night I had to give a report and it lasted 25 minutes. She wanted lab values, print outs, documentation, etc, etc, etc. Not related to the hospitilization, this patient was a borderline diabetic under observation - so we were just taking blood sugards AC and HS to monitor the glucose levels - no coverage though. Oh my God... she asked me if I had started diabetic teaching and I said no. She went on and on and on and on about it... why didn't I call someone, why didn't I play a movie, why didn't I explain a phamplet, why didn't I go over it with him, etc. He was put on a 1800 ADA diet so she asked me why he was on a diabetic diet - I said I don't know, why don't you call the doctor and find out. Then she said something like "Ok, I'll be sure to document that you didn't start diabetic teaching." I swear, this lady drives everyone insane. She's a nightmare to give report to. The only positive thing about her is the double time people get when they give report to her. And, she'll report you to the Nurse Manager if you don't do your best to explain your reasoning. Uggghhh....
On a positive note, there are some I absolutely love giving report to. They're laid back, only want pertinent information that's going to impact the patient right then and there. Report is short, sweet, and simple. They don't need to know the date and Dr. that performed a hysterectomy 10 years ago.
Nurses like this contribute heavily to nursing burnout!!!:argue:
I once worked with a woman I hated giving report to. She wanted everything presented in a very specific was......she was a tough one. I never felt my report was good enough for her. I also felt like she didn't like me...... anyhow...... On my last day of work at that facility (I was moving out of state), she literally started bawling, crying, she was going to miss me, I was such a great nurse and friend. Yeah, seriously. Blew me away. She gave me a nice card and a nice gift. I guess she liked me after all. In a way, her demanding of report a specific way certainly did make me improve my report giving skills. So, she did help me grow as a nurse.
I usually don't have any problems, except with one nurse, Miss PB. First word "prissy" and second word, you figure it out...
She comes in late every day, she has to go get her coffee, then she has to chat with the charge nurse, then she has to call home and make sure baby daddy one, baby daddy two, and baby daddy three each came and got their kids for school/daycare. She won't even START listening to report until it's time for night shift to clock out, and so everyone with pts assigned to her is late clocking out, and we get yelled at for "unauthorized overtime" when it's her fault. The hard rule at our place is our shift goes to 0730, and we're responsible for all meds up to the 0730 meds. This chick NEVER gives her 1900 meds, and was b'ing and whinning that we were leaving with "meds not given" for not giving her 0800 meds for her!
She has no idea, but we all argue about it when she's getting patients -- "look, I had to follow her last time, give her pts to someone else," "no, I've got to get to class, I can't wait for 0800 for her to call all the daddies" "my pt last night didn't get their FSBS or their antibiotics until i came on shift, and we can't do that to her again." But she sucks up to the NM like a lamprey, so we're told to be "understanding of her situation."
NurseCard, ADN
2,850 Posts
I find it interesting that people suggest "well why don't you tape report?". I have never worked in a place where you actually have a choice as to whether to give a verbal report or a taped report. I would love to work for such a place.
Yes, I have had many nurses that I dreaded giving report to. Many would ask "why hasn't this been done"? and insinuate that I should have done certain things that are really much easier done during the day. Many would scoff if I didn't know the answer to a question of theirs. Get mad if there was anything that wasn't done. And so on, and so on. There will always be nurses that stink to give report to, but I have to admit I have never encountered anyone as bad as the OP has to deal with!
Then there have been nurses that I didn't necessarily dread giving report to, but I'd get annoyed. One nurse had to talk and talk and talk and talk, about varying things, before she'd let me give her report. Once she even called her son RIGHT in the middle of report, to make sure he was awake or something, I can't remember. Another nurse HAD to know detail after detail, but she was never mean about it; actually she was a sweet little thing but very... neurotic.
I miss taped reports at the state hospital where I used to work.