ER nurses not calling report anymore...

[plinytheRN]

Hey all, our hospital started a new policy where the ER nurses don't have to call report on the patients coming to our floor- they can choose if they want to call report. Most don't call report. It is up to us to find this patient and research all about them before they get to the floor, hopefully. Most of the time, they show up before we know they are coming. It is very frustrating and unsafe, we don't know anything about what we are walking into. I work on a medical telemetry unit, with usually 5-6 pts per nurse, it's hectic and busy no time to be clicking through a computer on a new admit. From what I understand this is a trial to test out this new policy, I am hoping it doesn't last. It seems the only one that benefits from this new policy are the ER nurses, it's definitely not ideal or safe for the patients... Anyone experienced this sort of thing? Thoughts? Thanks.

[plinytheRN]

An update on the whole thing, the hospital cancelled this policy within a few months or so. I figured with J. Co coming and magnet status re-designation coming up they did away with it. The new policy is that if after trying to get a hold of the floor nurse or a charge nurse for report, the ER nurse can write an SBAR and the nurse can call down for verbal report if necessary. But otherwise the need to call report is re-instated. Thanks for all the info and perspectives.

[Loo17]

An update on the whole thing, the hospital cancelled this policy within a few months or so. I figured with J. Co coming and magnet status re-designation coming up they did away with it. The new policy is that if after trying to get a hold of the floor nurse or a charge nurse for report, the ER nurse can write an SBAR and the nurse can call down for verbal report if necessary. But otherwise the need to call report is re-instated. Thanks for all the info and perspectives.

I assume you mean JCAHO, J.co.

[JMD14]

There's so many things I would like to say but i'll keep it as sweet and simple as possible. I believe that should be the policy at every hospital. Floor nurses think we (ER nurses) give the worst report possible because we don't tell them everything they need for their full assessment. They think we are busy playing around with nothing to do in the ER. Well let me tell you something, that's not true. Wanna talk about frustrating and unsafe? Try managing 5 ICU patients in the ER all on your own with no one around to help because each nurse is drowning in new orders and trying to keep their patients alive. Calling report to floor nurses is a courtesy, we really don't have time to sit around and call 5 times just to try and get a hold of someone so we can give report. There's so much more I would like to add to this but I don't wanna come off as a mean person. If you don't believe anything i'm saying or agree with me then why don't you float to the ER sometime and see for yourself. GOD-BLESS!

[Guest03/15/15, BSN, RN]

At my hospital - we require bedside hand off. All rnf, tele, mcu, sdu, and Icu nurses come down to the ER and receive bedside report. If tele is required - the floor nurse brings down the tele pack and places it on the patient during report. We escort our own patients to surgery and/or cath lab. We will also escort our Icu patients upstairs with the Icu rn - sometimes with rt and crash meds. As for delaying getting our boarded patient until shift change - we will get written up if the patient isn't upstairs within 30 min of receive the bed assignment with the exception of the "no fly zone" of 0700-0730 and 1900-1930.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

All rnf, tele, mcu, sdu, and Icu nurses come down to the ER and receive bedside report.

curious- do the floors staff so that a nurse can come down to ED? Our charge usually has a full assignment also.

[Vonneb2]

hone care nurses are being asked to be responsible for the electrical cords outlets. i think if the nurse opened the equipment such as a nebulizer which is shipped to our patients without education. what happens with your hone care nurses?

[Guest03/15/15, BSN, RN]

I don't believe they have any extra staffing.