Nurses whom give overly detailed reports...

Nurses General Nursing

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Ideally you have 30 minutes for report, or we do at least, 6:45-7:15. I generally clockin at 18:35 to grab the patient info from the cardexes (Diet, vitals, activities, special notes from doctors, meds, IV site loc/fluids/etc).

I prompty notify the nurse of this and begin report for "updates", "highlights", "Important info". This works 99% of the time, and I feel it's the most effect report that can be given/done as you don't waste time on the nurse giving you outdated info when the cardex should be updated constantly whenever an order is written if the nurse is doing their job properly.

But that 1% likes to give EVERY DETAIL. Sits there and reads everything off the kardex to me (which I already have written down), every med to me (I make sure all meds were signed for prior to begining to report), how many times the patient coughed, their complete history medical and personal, every little detail of the day.

A great report sure, detailed very, but I don't care that the patient ate half an apple with their dinner, or that they coughed a few times when their in for pneumonia.

Am I the bad nurse for wanting to get a good, yet quick report so I may begin my shift or are they the bad nurse for taking over 30 minutes to give report on 6-7 patients.

Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

Even me being a new nurse (and being spanish. lol) sometimes I talk too much but I can tell with the look on the nurses face that I am talking way too much. Then I quickly ok there are the orders, next patient. Usually I try to have a brain already ready for the next shift with the new orders highlighted along with important things. So all I do it point out the highlighted areas and that cuts down alot on report time.

You are so right. If we just know who what where when how and why when we walk into a patient's room it helps! Hey, I feel like a dumpkoff, but can't for the life of me remember what CS means? Cat Scan? Central Supply? Cerebral Spinal? Help!!!!!

i hazard a guess she is referring to Chem Strips, ie Blood sugars....i think it is a brand name........took me a while to figure that one out at one place i have worked.....

Okay, in defense of some of these loquacious nurses... when I was a newer nurse, I felt that I could leave out things that my pt didn't have or weren't pertinent and was criticized for it!! For instance, pt has no edema, no headache, no cough... well I figured we could go on forever about what he/she doesn't have, so I didn't mention any of those things. But then the oncoming shift would ask me about them!! So I started giving more details (within reason of course). I guess since I was new they wanted to make sure I was doing a decent assessment, and could see the big picture. So maybe some of these talkative nurses have also been told they weren't giving enough detail. But I agree, every last detail about a normal BM is TMI...

Specializes in Rehab, Infection, LTC.
You are so right. If we just know who what where when how and why when we walk into a patient's room it helps! Hey, I feel like a dumpkoff, but can't for the life of me remember what CS means? Cat Scan? Central Supply? Cerebral Spinal? Help!!!!!

ahh sorry, Chemsick.

Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

It's funny, the other night I followed a nurse who did this, but she wasn't overly detailed about everything. For example, she told me that one patient's daughter's cat had died (I am not making this up) but couldn't remember if another patient had a heart monitor or not.

For the most part, detail doesn't bother me. I'd rather get too much than not enough. It's better to have a good picture of the patient rather than discover lots of fun surprises during the shift. At the same time, though, don't read me a list of meds or tell me lab values that are WNL.

well yall would hate me. my report is short sweet and to tha point. but it is head to toe withe every system covered. it takes about 10-11 minutes a patient. but then we have to review all orders written during the shift to verify that i updated the cardex, then we look through the progress notes to make sure i wrote a simple care plan and what the outcomes where. its ok in the icu but when on the floor with 5 patients its a bear. me i like a through report. system by system. drips ivs all of it. i have a habit of going in and seeing the patient before report to see if they are giving me the good scoop during report. but i do have those that during report will be looking into space and off in another galaxy. then at the end of report will ask a question on what i just said, or ask to repeat what i just said. so i will state to these individuals that they need to pay attention i will only say this once. it seems to work ok..:devil:

Hey...I would just love to get a semi decent report. I get the "unchanged" or "no issues", walk in the room and find IVs, wound vacs, tube feedings etc that were not ordered the last weekend I worked. Grrr.

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
well yall would hate me. my report is short sweet and to tha point. but it is head to toe withe every system covered. it takes about 10-11 minutes a patient.QUOTE]

Well, on the med-surg floor where I work, that would take you 80-88 minutes, and obviously, not gonna fly.

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

Recently I got in troubled for not using the "you must use it, it's evidence-based practice" SBAR form....which I find to cumbersome, and overkill. For years, I've used my own little system, can get report for 4 couplets on 1/4 of an 8 1/2x11 piece of paper and never miss a thing. But since "research" says I can't possible do this, I heard about it. Rubbish! It's not a legal document, or part of the patient's chart, and they get tossed. I don't see how it can be required, and I'll probably carry it around in my pocket, but probably won't use it except to check all the stupid boxes in order to produce it when asked.

Piglette

Specializes in Tele.

we've solved the problem in our hospital...NO OVERTIME ALLOWED...unless there is some dire extreme situation i.e. code, sudden chest pain (at shift change), patient went code green (at shift change). I personally need this

1. orientation

2. why are they here

3. plan for today i.e. is this d/c day, are they having a special consult

4. what significatn changed on your shift

absloutly everything else i check when I look at the patient. I always review the MAR so i'll know what drips they are on.

what i don't need:

what they ate yesterday

what the poop looks like (unless they are there for a GI bleed)

what their wife is like

how many kids they have

the dog

blah, blah, blah

if these things MUST be reported on or your head will explode, then make it brief...I want/need to get my shift started b/c we have the dang turn team starting at 0800 and 2000(for nights), I'd like to get my assessments done before then!

but can't for the life of me remember what CS means?

Could be culture and sensitivity test results

Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.
well yall would hate me. my report is short sweet and to tha point. but it is head to toe withe every system covered. it takes about 10-11 minutes a patient.QUOTE]

Well, on the med-surg floor where I work, that would take you 80-88 minutes, and obviously, not gonna fly.

That's how it would be at our hospital where I had been working last. We had 12 patients each, and 10 minutes each, we would be so behind after just that one nurse reporting, you are so behind coming on the floor. The charge nurse sits in report for all 35 patients - enough to get a sacral decub just getting report.

Anne, RNC

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