Giving report in LTC

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I am very curious on how everyone gives report. DO you all sit with the kardex and read off the names of course, age, diagnosis etc. etc. etc for each resident??? For our 60 residents, this takes us almost 45 minutes. Can someone please enlighten me to the purpose of all this. I would absolutely appreciate it.

I agree with you on "report books". Ours simply contains the census sheets with our notations that are passed along in report. We use the census sheets rather than a kardex. As a matter of fact, we don't even use a kardex. On our Rehab and Recovery unit, the census sheets are used to give report and then shredded. A lot of the nurses keep their own "report books" and make sure they're locked up at all times. Most of them do this to avoid having to say "HUH??" if our DON comes to them and asks about something that happened months before. Good idea actually. They also use their books for charting purposes and make sure that the factual information is in the nurse's notes. Other than that, they keep notes on feelings, attitudes at the time, the floor census, and staffing for that particular time. Some facilities strongly discourage this practice but I, for one, think it makes sense in the long run.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

We had a nurses notebook and same with CNA's. Everything that happened on your area was written there and you took five mins or so to give an oral after the next shift read your notes...too much writing if you asked me, and my facility wouldn't listen to me AT ALL about making that more efficient..grrrrrr!

I like the way my hospital does it...the charge nurse gets a census sheet and makes a few notes, that is copied and given to the area needed. Then oral taped report on the specifics per area. We did this by exception and not all this "okay so in so is well...so is so in so"...nope only the important info or changes...as well as a brief on any tubes, PRNs, CBG's, TX's and what not that would help a nurse if she was caught before hitting the kardex!

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Specializes in ICU, CCU,Wound Care,LTC, Hospice, MDS.

We haven't had a Kardex in years. We have a 24 Hour Sheet made up by the secretary. It is similar to the census sheet with more room. Pertinent details like lab, x-rays, appts are typed on. New orders or comments are written in during the day by each shift. A new sheet is started every day by night shift. Report is taped. It cuts down on idle chit chat and 15 minutes is alloted.

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

This is the method we use to and my report is limited to "anything new... no .. great dont forget to come back and relieve me" .. and the time frame for this varies depending on whether it is a smoking report or not.

We haven't had a Kardex in years. We have a 24 Hour Sheet made up by the secretary. It is similar to the census sheet with more room. Pertinent details like lab, x-rays, appts are typed on. New orders or comments are written in during the day by each shift. A new sheet is started every day by night shift. Report is taped. It cuts down on idle chit chat and 15 minutes is alloted.
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We use a tape recorder and do not go over the same things all of the time. Only on new residents. We do go over new issues. If a nurse is coming back from a day off we are encouraged to read the 24 hour report. We are also encouraged to give report on the tape recorder with the 24 hour report in front of us as we are supposed to document on it through out the shift. tinkle

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In our center, each hall has it's own report sheet, with room number, patient, doctor, and room for notes on each. Report is usually taped, and the amount of detail varies, depending on how long the oncoming nurse has been away from the hall. The charge nurse in turn gives report to the CNTs, who have worksheets of their own, with I&O, bath schedule, meal % and information important to their care. Team coordinators report off to each other (and also receive report from the charge nurses), either taped or verbal depending on circumstances. these reports are more detailed as they include scheduling, coordinating the patients' care with all departments, and interacting with patients, family members, and doctors.

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Specializes in LTC, med-surg, critial care.

When I worked LTC my report usually consisted of standing in front of the chart rack, pointing at charts saying "Fine, fine, antibiotics for a UTI last dose tomorrow, fine, fine, fell last night no complications, fine, fine..." for all my residents.

Any new residents got a full report. Or if a nurse hadn't worked on that side in a while a more detailed report would be given.

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We use what we call a "jotbook". This is just a notebook especially for report. Census sheets at the place I work, tend to "get lost". A jotbook has many pages, binded together. If your gone for several days, you can come back and go back and read what has happened since you were there last. We only write "the exception" things. We do not go over every resident if nothing has happened to them. This is a waste of time, and we all know ... time is precious. We save those jotbooks for 3 months at a time. Hope this helps.

hazeleyedbabygirl

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If the nurse oncoming does not know the residents, report should include things like diagnoses, allergies, other background, as well as current status.

If oncoming staff know the person, you could just do current status. It would take a very long time to do report, otherwise.

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I am curious about a report sheet that you can use in a LTCF that has all the residents on the sheet. Maybe front and back? I have tried to come up with my own on Microsoft Word but with little success. Any ideas?

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

It's relatively easy to set one up in word....try making a table. I used to have 2 double sided papers for a 41 bed floor. The boxes contained the patient name, room number and MD at the top and along the bottom were the diagnosis. The middle was blank for taking notes. The surveyors loved it.

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Specializes in ICU, CCU,Wound Care,LTC, Hospice, MDS.
I am curious about a report sheet that you can use in a LTCF that has all the residents on the sheet. Maybe front and back? I have tried to come up with my own on Microsoft Word but with little success. Any ideas?

Report sheet is a misnomer. It is actually several sheets front and back, stapled together. Perhaps Report BOOK would be better! :bugeyes:

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