Critical patient @ change of shift, which nurse is responsible??

[Soulsinfinity]

Just the other day we had a situation on my floor between two nurses @ change of shift. Second shift nurse had a patient that had a change in status and needed to be moved to a higher level of care. Our rapid response team had already been called and was assisting with the patients care, the patient was stable. The first shift nurse who just had came on got report regarding the patient. The patients room was ready and rapid response was ready to transfer the patient but waiting on the nurse to go give report to the nurse accepting the patient in the higher level of care. My question is "which nurse should have gone to give report?" The one who had taken care of him and called rapid or the nurse just coming on? Who is leagally but not only morally responsible? Both nurses felt that the other should go. Please help???

[vashtee, RN]

If I were the nurse going off shift, I would feel responsible for doing it since I was the last person to assess the patient, and I presume the oncoming nurse hadn't.

[masonRN]

The nurse going off, who knew the patient, should have called the report. Verbal/written report is NO replacement for 4-12 hours of actual contact/interaction with the patient.

[kmarie724]

In my very inexperienced opinion, I would say the nurse who had been taking care of him and called the rapid response team. She is the one who knows what had been going on. The nurse just coming on might not know enough to give a good report.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I'd say the off going nurse also. That would allow the oncoming nurse to assume care of the remaining patient (s) she is assigned. As for transporting the patient surely anyone can do that as the rapid response team would be there helping hopefully.

[RNKPCE]

The one who knew the patient best which would be the one who just got done taking care of him/her for the last 8-12 hours, even if overtime is incurred. Valuable information is lost with each hand off. Remember the game telephone when you were a kid?

[Quaffetti]

There is no way I would dump that on an incoming nurse. I don't know legality, but it is definitely not morally right. Nurses coming on their shift are busy enough getting their patients assessed and all, they don't need that.

How long can it take to give a report? 5 min max?

[rnmi2004]

If I were the receiving nurse, I'd want to get report from the nurse who knew the patient.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I have been in the position of the oncoming nurse when trouble hits at change of shift.

I was so grateful to the offgoing nurse for staying long enough to talk to the doctors.

The nurse stayed long enough for me to take over on my own before he left.

[in2bate71, BSN, RN]

I don't think this should have even been an issue...the RN who had the pt is going to have the answers to most of the questions the receiving RN is going to ask, you know, the stuff that won't be passed along in a shift change report.

[Virgo_RN, BSN, RN]

I am in agreement with the others. The offgoing RN should have called report.

[Medic09, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

First off, I agree with all the previous answers. The nurse going off SHOULD be the one to handle the transfer.

But the question wasn't professional or moral; it was technical. I think that technically speaking the nurse receiving the patient with shift change is the one ultimately responsible. I just think it is unconscionable to just leave it to her. Either the nurse going off stays a bit late to do the transfer, or the two work it together.