Being late to work...

sarabellum1 · Mar 20, 2012

I hope the night shift RN gave you cab money too :madface:

OCNRN63, RN · Mar 20, 2012

What effect does being late to work have on your unit? How about your patients??

Homework?

dudette10, MSN, RN · Mar 20, 2012

So being late doesn't delay patient care?? I have to write a paper and since I don't work as a nurse and am not familiar with how the day flows, I am trying to get opinions from all of you experienced nurses. Thank you for your help! Also, can being late for your shift be considered negligence to the patients?

There is always a nurse responsible for patient care. You don't hand off responsibility until report is given. Even then, it is sometimes helpful for the off-going nurse who has already given report to talk to a doctor who comes in during shift change or to give the ok to a transporter to take a patient for a test or procedure.

I'm trying to think of a reason that a late nurse would delay patient care, but shift change itself often does. All the nurses are involved in report at that time, so simple patient requests either have to be delegated or the patient waits a short time for the nurse to be available.

Negligence is a big word with a specific legal definition, so no, a late nurse would not normally be accused of negligence.

beckster_01, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2012

I consider myself late if I get there at 0700, because that typically means I will not be on the floor until 0745. 15-20 minutes to look up my patients, and a half hour to track down the last shift which is undoubtedly running around answering the 15 call lights that went off right at change of shift.

sarabellum1 · Mar 20, 2012

Homework?

Yes...unfortunately

sarabellum1 · Mar 20, 2012

Thank you all for helping me out! Much appreciated :bow:

healthstar, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2012

Being late to work not only affects the patient but also the RN. The RN will not have time to plan her day at the beginning of the shift. Fail to plan=plan to fail, they will be much less productive, overwhelmed, distracted easily etc. Going to work 30 minutes early, and start planning the day will save you a lot of time.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Mar 21, 2012

What effect does being late to work have on your unit? How about your patients??

I think the concept of "being late" was beaten out of all of my classmates during lab and clinicals...

With the exception of one person. She was always, always, always 15 minutes late. If we had lab at 730, she'd show up at 7:45, if we had an exam at 1 - she's stroll in at 1:15. Every time. She would always say, "I had to take care of my kids...this or that.."

The fact that we had classmates with more kids than she had (and some with special needs kids at that) and they were never late.

As much as she got yelled at or points taken away, she was still late every day. I think she got a job through connections with her mother and she is/was probably late every day there too.

BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2012

Well, when I am at a large Medical Center, like the DFW area, and we have ER patients on the wall, and only 2 RNs by 7:00, I START GETTING THAT, "LOOKs LIKE I'M NOT GOING TO GET TO GO HOME ON TIME" FEELING.

I would love to know who puts these NAMES on the SCHEDULE, that never come in, GHOST NURSING STAFF, as if someone had to make out a schedule before going on vacation, and filled it with FAKE NAMEs (BECAUSE THEY NEVER SHOW), and . . . :madface:

Sorry to vent on your post, but I have a huge tolerance for nurses being late, . . .(Moms getting kids off to school, and husbands to work, and pets to where-ever, and crisis loves the AM, BUT THESE NAMES ON THE SCHEDULE THAT NEVER SHOW KILL ME, and having them taken off is like passing a BILL IN CONGRESS!!!!!!!!!

guest2012 · Mar 21, 2012

late for work, it's not that serious. But for doctors, nurses, it would be quite a fatal mistake, since the patient can't wait, may be somebody is on the edge of death, and waiting for the operation treatment, and you are the main physician, but you are late maybe just 10minutes, so can you imagine how it will be ? That's really really horrible!

Gold_SJ · Mar 21, 2012

Ok ...

I am terribly guilty of this. I need a good kick up the rear end. I'm that person that walks in on the dot or 5-10mins late half the time. Why --.-- I don't know. I hate that I do it. I can't see how or why it happens yet it continues, my life is like this. Everything at the last minute, I arrive to everything this way, lunch, birthdays, in the past school, appointments.

There is no reasonable excuse other then being an idiot. Well in my opinion.

I'm lucky in my ward that work starts say 0630am, I arrive, handover and they always get to leave by 7am, so they always get to leave on time. All the same it's unprofessional and is my biggest peeve about myself that I'm working on. (Note I said half the time now, used to be everytime).

My defending virtue is that I'll stay back an hour with no complaints.

However yes there is many of us that scourge this professional world, hopefully some like me are trying very hard to kill the dirty habit.

I don't know what the reason is...I think it's because I'm an unorganized, distractable ditz at home. I am terrible at noting the time, three alarms I have to try to remind me when to leave, but I always end up pausing to talk to someone or do that one last 'thing'.

So like everyone said I think it's a terrible habit, somewhat lifelong that the individual just has to get out of.

It sounds so simple...just leave ten minutes earlier. (Realistically it is that simple! Yet I still manage to stuff it up)

Wish me luck people I want to have this downpat soon. Very soon, just got promoted I don't want this habit to continue.

I post this not in defense for chronic late people but maybe to show why/how it happens.

I think I can understand those arriving dead set on time or late more than those arriving half an hour or more early, that blows me away. Very professional dedicated people they must be.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2012

It's really aggravating when someone arrives chronically late. If they would just set their clock for 10 minutes later than the real time, they could get to work on time.

I am late myself on rare occasions - maybe 2 or 3 times per YEAR.

Negligence? I don't think so, but you might want to talk to a lawyer or 2.

Effect on patients? I'm not sure. None where I work. We make sure the patients get cared for properly, come hell or high water.

Good luck with your paper.