Shady shift change

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So, I work 12 hour night shift, and most of my unit is on 12 hour shifts. We are a split unit, with half of the floor being ICU beds, and the other half step down/med-surg. Since I am a relatively new grad who is not yet ACLS certified, I always work on the step down side.

The other day, I showed up to work about 10 minutes early, and checked the nursing assignments. There were three of us coming in at 7pm, and four day shifters going home. I was taking over 6 patients on the med surg side of the floor, and the other two night nurses, (who were not there yet) were assigned to the ICU side. As I looked up from the assignment book, I realized that all three of the day shift nurses who were working in ICU had their coats on, purses in hand, and were about to leave. The secretary pointed out to them that there was no one there to take over for them. They pointed to me, and said "she can until the rest of the night shift shows up." and walked out the door. It was still not yet 7pm.

So, instead of heading over to the other side of the floor and getting my own assignment, I had to hang out in the ICU and wait until the other two night shift RN's showed up. My question is, would you call this patient abandonment? Or is it just a case of horizontal hostility?

How long were you alone and with how many patients? Did anything bad happen?

Why did you not speak up and say "Hold it, folks. I am leaving with you if you plan to not wait for night shift. I can't watch all of these folks by myself. You need to stay until you are properly relieved and I'm not your proper relief." I guess you were too shocked to say anything but now they will expect that you will watch the whole place.

I would speak first to all of them but do it individually, I think. If no apology/acknowledgement is forthcoming - and maybe even if it does, you need to let the supervisor or Unit Manager know what's going on.

Do not accept such an assignment again

Specializes in neurology, cardiology, ED.

What did happen was the night charge nurse walked onto the floor less than 2 minutes later, so it was reported to her, and she reported it to our unit manager, who labeled it "horizontal hostility"

But what would have happened if she hadn't been right behind me, or if the other night shifter had not shown up for some reason. It boggles my mind. But as far as I can tell, no disciplinary action will be taken, I guess because nothing bad happened...

I have looked into this sort of thing and determined the following.

If you tacitly accept the assignment, by not protesting, than if anything bad happens you will lose your license. If you refuse the assignment because it is unsafe, you must notify the supervisor. You risk being fired (at least in my state) but you do not risk the pt's safety or your license.

Don't let them do this to you again. I would risk being fired over losing my licnense.

Don't you have an overlap of shifts, like 7-7:30 so you have time to give report. The JC says in report the oncoming nurse must be given time to ask questions of the off going nurse. This was definitely patient abandonment.

What time are they suppose to clock out at? We do written time sheets and if someone leaves 15 minutes early they must sign out 15 minutes early or they are lying on their time sheet.

Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

Abandonment - - where was the supervisor? You put your own license on the line here. And it was not even the end of the shift? Abandonment. I hope you called the supe IMMEDIATELY, and documented with her the time these workers left the unit.

What did happen was the night charge nurse walked onto the floor less than 2 minutes later, so it was reported to her, and she reported it to our unit manager, who labeled it "horizontal hostility"

But what would have happened if she hadn't been right behind me, or if the other night shifter had not shown up for some reason. It boggles my mind. But as far as I can tell, no disciplinary action will be taken, I guess because nothing bad happened...

They're covering their own asses. This wasn't horizontal hostility. This was patient abandonment and they know it. They should have been fired and reported to the BON. I would document what happened in writing and send it to your boss, her superior, HR, and Risk Management. You could have lost your license as a result of their actions. You need to really assert yourself here scary as that may be.

Abandonment, a grave offense.

Many moons ago, I had to fire a nurse from the floor for patient abandonment. It was one of the scariest things that I’ve had to do, as a charge nurse. This nurse had a habit of sneaking off for smoke breaks (or something). One evening, he left the floor without giving report. My supervisor told me to fire him when he returned, because he had abandoned his patients. This nurse was an ex-medic and we had gone out for drinks two or three times. I followed the supervisor’s order. Even writing about it now gives me tachycardia!

The BON would/will probably do nothing about this. You have to look at the entire picture, not just the act. This is how things are reveiwed by the BON. The day shift was virtually over. There was an RN there (which is better than no RN). The patient's were stable. These are all factors the BON will look at, and which will ultimately guide them in their decision NOT to pursue it in any way. It's not TRUE patient abondonment.

I'm not saying what they did was warranted. What they did was wrong. I sure as heck would not want to work at a place like that. It does lend to the fact that if they are willing to do something like that, then they are probably shady in other areas as well. I would report it so that there is a record of a prior incidient just in case an incident happens in the future; then you wiill already have a prior concern documented.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

I would go to the manager AND I would say something to those nurses the next time I saw them. They are taking advantage of you because you are new. Dont let them get away with it or it will continue.

Refusal to stay over AFTER the scheduled shift (as in working several extra hours) is usually considered an employment issue rather than abandonment.

I don't think this applies in this case. The OP says that it wasn't yet 7 PM...which I gather is the earliest the nurses could have clocked out...no one was staying over his or her time.

I would not hesitate to bring this to light for the patients' sake. You don't have to make an angry report, but rather, as a new grad, you could simply inquire on how to handle this type of situation. Be aware that if the other night nurses were indeed late, they will also hear about it.

I guess I missed the part about the night shift nurses being late. The OP was ten minutes early, I know that...and it wasn't yet 7PM, so how were the nurses late?

And, I don't mean to be rude but this should be brought to light for the staff's sake as well as the patients'. By no means does there have to be an "angry report," but even the newest of grads must do something immediately. Things like this are why the chain of command exists!

Naomi Grace RN

Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.

And, I don't mean to be rude but this should be brought to light for the staff's sake as well as the patients'. By no means does there have to be an "angry report," but even the newest of grads must do something immediately. Things like this are why the chain of command exists!

Naomi Grace RN

You're not rude at all. You're contributing and that's what makes this forum what it is. Sure, it's nice to have people agree with you, but I learn more from different views or opposing posts.

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