Do you interrupt report to give pain meds?

Nurses General Nursing

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Just to clarify, I'm not talking about a fresh post-op patient who needs IV Morphine like clockwork or something that *acute* where you would not make them wait., we give a lot of PO mainly......and LOTS and LOTS of Oxy IR, which SO many of our patients want the MINUTE they can have it again!

If we're in report, MOST of my coworkers will tell whoever answered the light "the nurses are in report, but I let him/her know you needed pain meds". For me, altho I HATE having report interrupted (and who doesn't? :uhoh3: )

I feel that pain is a PRIORITY, and I'll stop report to go give it.

On the other hand, interruptions lead to forgetting something, and also, once you go to give that pain med "really quickly"..maybe two other patients see you and yell out for something. Happens to me all. the. time. If there's none of the oncoming staff available and it's not urgent, of course I tell them "use your call light and someone will be with you."

But...again with the PAIN issue, I just don't think a patient should have to wait 10, 15, 20 minutes longer just because we're in report...not fair to them. What do you think? :nurse:

Specializes in LTC/Rehab,Med/Surg, OB/GYN, Ortho, Neuro.

I too am one of those nurses that medicate before shift change, and let the pts know that shift change will be happening at such and such times. I do not interrupt report to medicate. To me, it's no different than if I was in a room w/ another pt, the first one would have to wait until I could get there. If there's an emergency, different story altogether.

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Specializes in NICU,ICU,ER,MS,CHG.SUP,PSYCH,GERI.

Absolutely. It meets the paients needs and saves a lot of trouble in the long run.:o

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Specializes in LTC Family Practice.

Welll, when I used to work in a hospital environment we had team nursing, and one team would give report while the other covered at shift change, so it was never an issue, there was always someone on the floor who could medicate and address any issues and not disrupt report.

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Specializes in acute care.
I too am one of those nurses that medicate before shift change, and let the pts know that shift change will be happening at such and such times. I do not interrupt report to medicate. To me, it's no different than if I was in a room w/ another pt, the first one would have to wait until I could get there. If there's an emergency, different story altogether.

That's the best way to handle this issue--plan things so that the patients are taken care of before report. That way nobody has to wait around in pain, and report can be uninterrupted (I happen to be of the opinion that report is not to be interrupted unless there is a true emergency--it's just too easy for errors to be made or information to be forgotten).

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Specializes in School Nurse.

I remember one hospital I worked at had report taped so while the oncoming shift was listening the offgoing shift could cover any issues on the floor. We could meet up after everyone listened if there were other questions.

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I'm also in the camp of topping everyone off before I give report. Check do they need anything. Of course, I've learned you can't go in right before report. What happens is they don't need anything then, but you get the wheels turning and they need something as soon as you're in report. So I do this early enough that they will come up with their requests BEFORE report starts. I do the same before I go eat lunch, a round long enough before that they don't call as soon as I pull my food out of the microwave. :D

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.

No. I too try to medicate before shift change. In this situation there is a nurse ready to go home, and a nurse ready to get started. Neither one of those things can happen until report is over. It may not be very nurse-like, but for those 15-25 min it takes to give report I put myself and my replacement first.

Just read what I wrote and it sounds self centered.:uhoh3:

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Specializes in ER, SANE, Home Health, Forensic.

Multiple studies have been completed regarding nurse interruptions and mistakes being made because of it. Evidence-based practice dictates certain times that a nurse should not be interrupted and during report is one of them. Do rounds an hour before shift end, even enlist your aide to help; they are perfectly capable of asking re: pain/position/toileting and reporting back to you. Obviously in emergency situations all the rules can change... and do sometimes...

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Specializes in LPN.

I am in the camp of getting a proper report. I work LTC and subacute. I know there are more pressing pain issues in other facilities and floors. I know most pts like the back of my hand. I will be rounding immediately after report to each person. They will recieve pain meds if needed then. If I continually run from one side of the floor back to the other, (I have 60 patients at night), no one will get care in a consistant manner. I have to implement some sort of order in the midst of it all, or I will sink. I go from side to side, sweeping the floor consistently and constently. I used to do first come first serve. Now, I meet the most pressing pain issues in one area, and spread out to the other ones as I do my rounds. I can guarentee that no one waits over 15 mins for a pain pill, but I have to look out for my own energry and time constraints as well. My thoughts are these, if I were on my 1/2 break, anyone of them would have to wait 30mins for me to return. Unless it's an emergency, I will not come back on my lunch. People know who they can pressurize, and demand things from, and who they can't. I am a pretty big push over, but if I don't look out for the unit as a whole, it only takes 1 or 2 demanding patients to sink the ship, and make me work behind and stressed the whole night through.

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In a LTC facility, we had a LOL who was obviously a person with a dependency problem.

I think it is inappropriate to say someone is addicted.

as you can see, she didn't say addicted.

thanks.

leslie

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I'm also in the camp of topping everyone off before I give report. Check do they need anything. Of course, I've learned you can't go in right before report. What happens is they don't need anything then, but you get the wheels turning and they need something as soon as you're in report. So I do this early enough that they will come up with their requests BEFORE report starts. I do the same before I go eat lunch, a round long enough before that they don't call as soon as I pull my food out of the microwave. :D

Our hospital implemented bedside change of shift report to include patient, and family. It was so uncomfortable and we never could get out on time. Also, did not get paid for ot.

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as you can see, she didn't say addicted.

thanks.

leslie

Oh, well , excuse me...addiction, dependency problem,..either one is not a nurse's decision.

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