Bedside report

CelticGoddess, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2015

I actually like bedside reporting, but I work acute care. LTC/Rehab, forget it I did that for 2 years, and most of the time it was "no change" because I had the same patients every day for months/years. It takes between 15 to 30 minutes to do bedside report with only 5 patients, depending on acuity, wether the nurse had the patient the previous day and any changes. I can't see being able to do bedside report in LTC on 15 pt in a half hour. And what shift? I worked eves and most of my residents were at activities or what have you at 3pm. We would have had to go all over the facility to find them.

I just don't see how it would work in LTC

thenightnurse456 · Jan 25, 2015

Agree with above post. It works in acute care, but it's kind of redundant in an LTC setting.

heather_d12 · Jan 25, 2015

I agree with you! We have a new manager. States our report currently in place isn't working. However, he's never once sat in our report to know if their is a problem. It's currently causing an uproar due to the fact he's only discussed this one nurse.However when looking up bedside report not once have I found anything for LTC. We don't except great acuity due to the fact we are not equipped for it. I understand a walk thru to make sure fluids are running properly or alarms are intact. But this isn't a hospital setting, we don't have ekg, monitors, drips or even AED. Very seldom a patient comes in and we start branching out to other diagnoses. Maybe a uti? Most are there for a hip or knee replacement get therapy and go home. Some come in and due to their age, they stay and now their LTC. Thank you for your opinion I wanted another persons stand point. Our manager is the only one who is accepting of this new idea.

amoLucia · Jan 25, 2015

What about sticking to bedside report on the pts who are on new admit, out-of-the-norm new orders, skilled charting, incident, ABT, wounds, IV, GT? They'd usually be the ones on your 24 hour report, yes?

You'd kind of be eyeballing everyone else as you pass by and they would the 'no change' pts. No need to elaborate on them.

heather_d12 · Jan 25, 2015

I wouldn't mind the bedside report if majority were a "no change" or i didn't have 15 ppl to report on. At this current moment from the weekend I've had at work I only had 1 out 15 that would qualify no change. The remaining had anything from new orders to incidents. I just can't see how staff could be done in a timely fashion with 15 people. And if we're short staffed it can be 1 nurse to 30. Thank you for your opinion.

amoLucia · Jan 26, 2015

Question - might your assignment just be running 'heavy' at this time of season? Does it ever slow down to a point when your ABTs are finished and your incident/falls pts are off report and there were no admits?

This time of the year sometimes runs 'heavy'. Some things run seasonal.