Organizing my shift

[BostonOncoNurse]

I am into my second week of a new position where I have changed my nursing direction. After coming from an outpatient setting, I am once agan working the floor and am finding an obtacle in organizing my shift report notes and ulitmately passing report on. Does anyone have a cheat sheet or any other idea on how I can get the job done?

[AmAnRN]

SOMETHING MY PRECEPTOR TAUGHT ME WAS TO DRAW A BOX ON A SHEET OF PAPER FOR EACH PT. (FOR 6 PT'S YOU WOULD HAVE LIKE A CHART WITH 6 BOXES) AND WRITE IN IMPORTANT STUFF LIKE THEIR I.V. FLUID, O2,SIGNIFICANT LABS, TESTS THEY ARE GOING FOR, ETC THEN THAT WAY, YOU WILL HAVE IT RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU. IT HAS HELPED ME. HOPE IT HELPS YOU!

[Dr. Kate, BSN, RN]

I have a sheet I use with my new grads to help them bring together all the information they need when talking with anyone about their patients. It was designed for those late at night calls to the doc where they always ask for something you don't know. It isn't designed for getting report or organizing the shift.

PM me if you'd like a copy.

[ptnurse]

Originally posted by AmAnRN

SOMETHING MY PRECEPTOR TAUGHT ME WAS TO DRAW A BOX ON A SHEET OF PAPER FOR EACH PT. (FOR 6 PT'S YOU WOULD HAVE LIKE A CHART WITH 6 BOXES) AND WRITE IN IMPORTANT STUFF LIKE THEIR I.V. FLUID, O2,SIGNIFICANT LABS, TESTS THEY ARE GOING FOR, ETC THEN THAT WAY, YOU WILL HAVE IT RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU. IT HAS HELPED ME. HOPE IT HELPS YOU!

I basically do this too. Then at the end of my shift I spend just a couple of minutes reviewing this report sheet and jotting down anything that has changed during my shift. Then during shift change I just basically read it off to the next nurse. I have even had nurses ask if they can just have my report sheet so they don't have to write it all down.

[hospicern]

I section space for each pt, write in info from cardex in black ink, write info from shift report in green ink, and what I do on my shift in red ink. this makes it easier to give report at end of shift

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I use a separate sheet for each patient because each patient has a chart with a clipboard on it. But working nights, that's easy. If I worked days, I probably would have as little paper as possible.

I like to give report in systems. On my paper I have a spot for each system, i.e. neuro, resp., GI, GU, etc. and give report system by sytem. At the top is information like allergies, activity, labs, tests, etc.

[newrngrad]

i would be extremely interested in that offer, if its still on the table?!

thanks! newgradrn