bedside report

[Mr. Murse]

So maybe this is just a rant, but oh well.

I'm tired of going into report every morning and seeing that clearly not a single nurse actually wants to do report in the patient's room, but as soon as management comes along they all scurry into the doorway quickly to avoid being chastised.

Don't get me wrong, I totally agree that the oncoming and offgoing nurses should see the patient together at shift change before or after report, but the big push for a full "bedside report" in the past few years, while well-intentioned, is nothing but another nuisance for management to make their nurses resent them just a little bit more.

It's time consuming and unnecessary. Half the time the patient and families don't even want to be woken up anyway.

Am I the only one that thinks bedside report is a flop and a burden and completely fails at what it's intended to accomplish? Let us report how we're comfortable reporting.

[caliotter3]

Once had a DON at a long term care facility who insisted we do report this way. Very inefficient as nurses took more time and effort to make those important “nurse to nurse” comments meant to be out of earshot of the residents. Same thing at another facility where it was insisted that the CNAs be present for nurse report instead of report tailored for CNA concerns. Some nurses flat out refused to do report these ways.

[NewEnglandRN16]

I personally think a full a handover at the bedside is inappropriate. I do give report outside the room and then go in with the nurse after and do a quick goodbye/introduction. I like to update my board at that time, offer toileting or drink, clarify questions for the patient, check drips, tubes, etc. My manager is fine with this action. I still meet resistance from staff. If they don’t want to come in with me then I go by myself.

[Daisy4RN]

When i started nursing this type of report was not done. I never liked the bedside report per se unless there was a specific reason (wound check, new equipment etc.). I am ok with a quick view of the pt while doing walking report. I didnt like when the oncoming Nurse felt the need to do an assessment, update board etc.bc after 12.5hrs of running all day i was ready to go. I also returned the favor when giving report knowing the out going nurse wants to get out of there. It is just a matter of respecting each others time, IMO.

[Kallie3006, ADN]

But how else would you learn of the patient's sister's ex husband's 2nd cousin's niece figured out the patient really has congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, because the patient didn't feel anything when a skillet fell on the patient's prosthetic foot and she googled the symptoms?

[Davey Do]

16 hours ago, Mr. Murse said:

I'm tired of going into report every morning and seeing that clearly not a single nurse actually wants to do report in the patient's room, but as soon as management comes along they all scurry into the doorway quickly to avoid being chastised.

[EDNURSE20, BSN]

I think it depends on the nurses tbh. I work float pool, and I find some floors are really good at bedside handover. It efficient, the staff like it, the pt like it.

We go in, if the pt is asleep we won’t wake them. We say what we need to and move on. If there’s anything important we can check it there together. If the pt had something important to say, we let them. But we don’t stand there while they rant on. Takes just as long as handover in the nurses station.

Other floors that still try to get away with out doing it, it doesn’t work. Nurses make a big deal about it, just makes something that’s simple and should be quick into something long and dreaded.

[Guest219794]

I think that, in general, nurses don't like change.

Many are reluctant to give up a traditional report, despite the fact that it is a dated process that failed to change along with technological developments-

A piece of information is accurately documented electronically, a lab value for instance. Or any other bit of information in achart. Nurse A reads it, writes it on a piece of paper, reads it from that piece of paper to nurse B, who then hand writes it on another piece of paper. It is difficult to think of a worse transfer of information, and there is a reason no other industry does this.

But, we do hang on to our traditions. Bedside report interferes with this practice.

I am an ER nurse, and personally, I like bedside report. As far as I can tell, I am the only one.

[Miss.LeoRN]

I don't mind bedside report, in general. My primary concern is that currently only isolation rooms are private rooms at our facility. We're moving to a new facility next year in which all the rooms will be private, which will be nice. If there isn't another patient in the second bed, bedside is no problem. If there is, I can't bring myself to discuss patient care in front of another patient, or their family. I don't care if my patient "is okay with it". I personally am not. I know it technically doesn't violate any laws, but I am just uncomfortable with it.

My second issue with bedside report is there are times we need to pass on information that the patient or family may not be aware of yet, or that will upset or aggravate the patient. It seems like then I have to give two reports as we then have to step outside and whisper anything I couldn't say in front of the patient. It just takes longer, and sometimes report can already take long enough.

Typically, because of these issues, I do report at the doorway. Afterwards, the oncoming nurse and I will go in, meet the patient, discuss anythings they might want to ask about. It's usually something like "They told me I was going home today!" from a patient just admitted 8 hours ago. I get the worst look from the day shift nurse while I'm like no, not me! The ER tells them this crap, this guy is totally gonna be here like a week. Ugh.

[Scarlettz, BSN, RN]

I don't mind doing bedside report. It seems like the patients like to interact with the nurses during this time. And if there is a question about something coming in, you can ask the off going nurse.

As a previous poster mentioned, I do dislike giving bedside report to a handful of nurses. They use this time to start their assessments. I don't mind helping out if the pt. needs to be changed, but with some nurses, it takes way too long to give report.

[dennis8, ADN, BSN, CNA, RN]

What I like doing is get report at the doorway, go in together with previous nurse to check that the patient is breathing and to look at important things like dressings, wounds, special equipment etc.

[JKL33]

On 3/13/2019 at 11:02 AM, hherrn said:

I think that, in general, nurses don't like change.

Many are reluctant to give up a traditional report, despite the fact that it is a dated process that failed to change along with technological developments-

A piece of information is accurately documented electronically, a lab value for instance. Or any other bit of information in achart. Nurse A reads it, writes it on a piece of paper, reads it from that piece of paper to nurse B, who then hand writes it on another piece of paper. It is difficult to think of a worse transfer of information, and there is a reason no other industry does this.

But, we do hang on to our traditions. Bedside report interferes with this practice.

I am an ER nurse, and personally, I like bedside report. As far as I can tell, I am the only one.

There are positives and negatives to just about everything, right? Lots of transcribing things onto paper did waste time (was inefficient). Report becoming a long and drawn out review of every detailed opinion or giving a play-by-plays wasted a lot of time. On the flip side, we are super efficient now: Lots of people don't have to actually know one darn thing because "its all in the computer!" Truth. ???‍♀️.

Old-vs-new-vs-old-vs-new = ?. Tradition doesn't make something right/better and neither does something being new make it perfect. Problems arise when people with either tendency (change vs. tradition) refuse to consider the opposite perspective and incorporate its valuable parts. We have undergone a lot of change for the sake of change without anyone being expected to convey/defend the value of the change. They thought it would work to get mad at people who asked questions. Well....not unpredictably, that is going to leave the atmosphere in a less than ideal state. The choice is to get even more angry about that or else commit to a better change process.

As long as report time isn't gossip hour, I could care less where it happens. I do like going around together to say hellos/goodbyes with the patients, which includes the 15-second 'this is what we've done and what we're waiting on' for the patient's benefit, and most of my coworkers are on board. I'm sorry you are alone in understanding the value of some of this at your workplace. I've noticed that just being cool/upbeat and matter-of-fact about it encourages others. Assuming every other person is a luddite is not as helpful.