Almost as bad as really being late, is the chronic morning "lolly-gagging" that occurs on my unit. I work nights.
Usually, the nurses all show up "on time" (at 7:02 am, they are getting off the elevator). The problem is that they all move like molasses to the break room to deposit jackets and purses, then they gaggle around to check their assignments and haggle with patient swaps. Several touch up their makeup and more try to slug down that extra cup of coffee first. THEN they like to gather charts/kardexes and spend tremendous amounts of time going over labs etc and filling out their shift worksheet before taking report.
Meanwhile, our director likes us to be done with report and gone by 7:30am. He HATES to pay "unnecessary" OT.
Even as a new nurse, I have told several of the long-time employees that a) I arrive for shift 15 mins early to gab and to gather what I need on my assignment before taking report; you can too if necessary - it is not fair to hold ME up while you get organized or jump-started; then b) you can hold your "ladies sewing circle" conversation at break or at lunch - you are holding me and MY day up with the chronic lolly-gagging; and finally c) taking report does NOT require you to be fully conversant with every event or value that has occurred since the pt's admission. You CAN look up labs etc. AFTER you take report.
I, for one, do not need nor do I desire a total restate of what's in the kardex or the latest labs when I take report - I look that stuff up at the bedside while passing meds and doing assessments. All I need to know at report is any changes that occurred during the last shift or so.....
On another note, the other morning, as I was giving report on my last patient (at 7:45am), the unit secretary called me on the intercom to tell me that one of "my" patient's PCA was beeping (empty). To the consternation of the other nurses at the station, I announced "I have already given report to Nurse A - you need to notify her about that". Seeing the looks of incredulity on the faces of my coworkers, I announced (looking at my watch) "Sorry ladies, but I have worked my nearly 13 hours today, I am tired, and I am going home - because I have to be back here in (again looking at my watch) 11 hours to do it all again. Just how late do you expect me to stay to do work that properly belongs to this shift?
I have already gained the reputation of being willing to work nearly anytime I am called, and am always willing to help another nurse with tasks, but sometimes the expectations of some are just too much. Honestly, my unit is not the "House of Horrors" that I hear other posters on AllNurses talk about, but the constant disrespect of my personal time is starting to get really annoying.
Bullying and abuse of coworkers takes many forms. I am unwilling to take it just because "that is how it has always been". I guess that I am one of the fortunate ones that doesn't worry about what others think of me. I do my job, as well as I can, and take care of my patients. That is what I am here for - if getting along with my coworkers means getting abused.... I guess that I just won't get along.
Your initial post should be a requirement for all nurses to sign upon hiring. Leaving a written report for someone kind of gives me the willies-it COULD be considered abandonment? You left-new nurse not there.
try encouraging your manager to randomly show up at shift change. surprise visits at 7 am may be difficult for him, but will eventually save him a bunch of overtime money.
i give night shift no more than 5 minutes to get ready; then they get the abbreviated report. it was hard at first, but i learned to repeat "you can look that up later. you're on my time now."
P_RN, ADN, RN
6,011 Posts
Your initial post should be a requirement for all nurses to sign upon hiring. Leaving a written report for someone kind of gives me the willies-it COULD be considered abandonment? You left-new nurse not there.