Bedside report in labor and delivery

I LOVE bedside report. It makes me a better nurse. Particularly with patients who are complicated or challenging - before report I have to ask myself "How do we talk about this patient in front of the patient?" Hint: we're much more respectful!!

And patients say they feel like they're getting better communication from the nursing staff.

I was apprehensive about bedside shift report at first, but I love it.

I do not care for it. I think there are certain things that are private and don't need to be said in front of family and friends that need to be given in report. I also have been on the other side as a patient and a patient's family member and I don't really like it. It's disturbing to me and especially during the morning for day shift. I also don't like hearing myself talked about. This is just my opinion, I know a lot of people really like it.

Hi

Thank you!! Both are very helpful comments

I work on an LDRP unit and we are in the process of implementing bedside report. Like lots of things in nursing, I feel like it's great in theory but difficult to do in practice. The issues I'm having with it are, first, there are lots of things getting missed because we do a basic bedside report with the patient then have to discuss all the other "issues" outside the patient's room. So it feels as though we're having to give two reports on the same patient without "really" getting a thorough report. Second, even when I tell the patient ahead of time that I will be coming in at shift change to do report, I still feel like I'm waking/disturbing the patient unnecessarily at 7 am when they've been up all night with a new baby. Our manager is insistent that even if the patient is asleep we still should go in and update their boards, which inevitably wakes the patient up. I know it works on some units, but it just seems somewhat invasive and too lengthy to me without improving patient care.

I really dont like bedside reporting. How are you going to say shes a G3....what if someone knows what that means or asks and she told them its her first baby. How can you say she has HSV or foul smelling fluid etc. You have to give a "PC" report and then a real report. Many of the patient's are asleep at 7am when I come on, especially if they have had a long night. Our midwife gets to the unit at report time and commences on breaking water etc. I am an "old" nurse but I think the report should be left outside. Now when you go into the room and speak with the patient you can do a mini recap and make sure everybody is on the same page....answer questions etc.

I LOVE bedside reporting!! The patient feels involved, it promotes bonding, the pt can clarify any information. I want to see my pt as I am getting report, when you are in the room you're more likely to give better report bc you have reminders! I want to look at the orders in the computer with the nurse, to make sure orders have been followed through , and meds have been given and signed off. If there is family, I ask the pt if it's ok to give report in the room, and even when there is family I keep my voice low. However; there are times I don't report everything at bedside, when we step out, I tell the RN about STDs, EAB, SAB, etc!

Instead of saying " have a nice day" I'll start saying " have the day you deserve" ya know, let karma sort that sh..t out 😂

I was skeptical at first, but I really like it now. We announce to the patient that we will be giving report, and ask if any of her visitors need to leave. After we are done, I ask, "Did we leave anything out? What else do you want your nurses to know?" We use a standard SBAR reporting sheet on the front of the clipboard, and if there is information that the patient may not want shared, I just point to it on the clipboard. The patients and families like being included. Of course, if it is an ante- patient who is sound asleep and needs her rest, we just do the report outside the door.

Be careful about letting the patient sleep. Too many nurses in my unit used that as an excuse to not do report at the bedside, so now bedside report is done on everyone, awake or asleep. We just warn them that that's what we'll be doing. Apparently doing is such a patient satisfier that it's worth whatever downgrades we get for the ones we wake.