Shut up when I am giving you report...

NewWayofLife · Oct 12, 2008

Amen!

Straydandelion · Oct 12, 2008

This is one of the reasons my unit starting taping report. You would hear the tape getting a brief outline then make rounds with the nurse asking any further questions at that time.

rn/writer, RN · Oct 12, 2008

Rather than keep fighting to get a word in edgewise, I suggest you stop cold. Not with any hostility, just with a calm attitude that says you aren't going to waste your energy butting heads with her. Wait till she stops talking and then continue with your own train of thought.

If she challenges you, tell her that if she wants to talk, you'll let her, but if she wants to hear report, then she needs to hold her questions until you're done speaking.

The trick to doing this is not to get angry. Getting riled shifts the balance of power in her direction. If you can draw a line just because it needs to be drawn, you will be giving the message that you aren't going to wrestle with her. This is a way to invite respect. Whether she decides to give it or not is moot. You will have made an unspoken statement that you are worthy of it.

Doing this draws your own boundaries without humiliating her. You don't want to make her look foolish, especially if she is precepting and has a newbie looking on. But you will be letting both nurses know that you aren't going to be pulled into this or any other tug of war.

Stay kind but determined.

The only way to win is not to play. :up:

RN1982 · Oct 12, 2008

You are right. Getting angry with the RN lets her win. I was just very exhausted and when co-workers act like that towards me, it really irritates me. I find it embarassing because it makes me think that they are questioning my practice. I think what bothered me most was that the orientee had the same patient yesterday with a different preceptor and this preceptor wanted me to give her full report. Is it really necessary when your orientee had the patient yesterday and she could very well explain to you what is going on with the patient? Maybe it was necessary. All I know is, is that I did the best I could and the patient is still alive.

pirello77 · Oct 12, 2008

I am sorry for your experience. I know how frustrating it can be to try and talk to someone and have them interrupt so many times that you cannot get in much of what you want to say!

You did a good job. You showed much class. :hgu:

pirello77 · Oct 12, 2008

Rather than keep fighting to get a word in edgewise, I suggest you stop cold. Not with any hostility, just with a calm attitude that says you aren't going to waste your energy butting heads with her. Wait till she stops talking and then continue with your own train of thought.
If she challenges you, tell her that if she wants to talk, you'll let her, but if she wants to hear report, then she needs to hold her questions until you're done speaking.
The trick to doing this is not to get angry. Getting riled shifts the balance of power in her direction. If you can draw a line just because it needs to be drawn, you will be giving the message that you aren't going to wrestle with her. This is a way to invite respect. Whether she decides to give it or not is moot. You will have made an unspoken statement that you are worthy of it.
Doing this draws your own boundaries without humiliating her. You don't want to make her look foolish, especially if she is precepting and has a newbie looking on. But you will be letting both nurses know that you aren't going to be pulled into this or any other tug of war.
Stay kind but determined.
The only way to win is not to play.

Excellent advice. Thanks for sharing. I know everyone of us can use that advice sometime within our life. :yeah:

lpnflorida · Oct 12, 2008

I also hate being interupted when giving report live and in color as I say. I usually stop, ask to keep questions to the end of that particular patient and if I missed something then they can question.

I miss being able to tape report, but when JCAHO or what ever their accronym is now made the push for nurse to nurse report that ended our taping. Do not get me into the desire to do a walking rounds type of report. I have yet to learn how to write all I need to write while standing gosh knows where during live walking round report.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Oct 12, 2008

There are some people I want to just say "shut up" when I'm giving report to. I usually just say "I'm getting to that."

IE

Me: "She was started on levophed."

Nurse: "I thought she was on vasopressin."

Me: "And then they changed her to vasopressin."

Other nurse: "Oh."

There's one nurse who keeps trying to finish her charting while giving me report. Dude, focus on me! now. Then she'll invariably call me an hour later cause she forgot to tell me something.

PICNICRN, BSN, RN · Oct 12, 2008

This is one of my biggest peeves, too!! SOOOOOOO annoying and disrespectful! I usually just say "I'll get to that" or "I'll explain that in a minute" when I am so rudely cut off.

Personally, I would be thankful and impressed that the pt was bathed! I always feel bad to leave those things to the oncomming shift when I've been running my but off all night. I'm with you.... keep the pt safe, comfy, and clean- worry about the little things(new JP bulb) for later.

JB2007, ASN, RN · Oct 12, 2008

This is why I love taping report. I just fill the other nurse in on anything that has changed since I taped and anything that I forgot to tell him/her in report. They can stop the tape to make notes or whatever when they need to make notes. During this time I can finish up charting or whatever needs done before I leave. After they get done listening to report they come out and ask whatever questions they might have.

interleukin · Oct 12, 2008

Why do nurses often interrupt?

Each of us needs to make our own particular sense of the last shift. But the information is being filtered through someone else who may have a somewhat different perspective.

Perhaps we have issues from our own shift experience which need to be addressed. The sheer number of tasks and items sometimes makes it hard for us to wait before commenting or questioning about a certain thing in fear that we may forget.

For this reason it may seem we sometimes rudely interject.

If questions are continually irrelevant, ask the nurse why he/she thinks a particular query is important. It may be that she nurse sheds a light on something of which we were unaware. It may also force the nurse to be more critical in her questions and may avoid similar interruptions.

If the questions are simply patterns of irrelevant interruptions, I have said, "Let me go through the systems then let me know what I've missed."

This gives the other nurse some control and allows you to proceed with your own style of presentation.