giving report

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Hey Everyone!

I just had a very frustrating experience last night while giving report to one of the night shift nurses. He was very rude to me and has been this way before. Apparently he doesn't like the way I give report and gets annoyed if I leave out details and he has to ask me questions. I was giving report on a patient diagnosed with a near syncope episode and leukocytosis/UTI. I told him I didn't give the patient's thyroid hormone until the afternoon because pharmacy was waiting for a shipment and that's when they delivered it. He looked surprised and said, "well, you know you're supposed to only give that in the morning on an empty stomach right?" and rolled his eyes and then said "ok...anyways....keep going..". When I was done giving report he said. "Hmm, this interesting, (as he scanned what he wrote down) you seemed to have given me all the information except for what I actually need to know." He then went on to list questions about if the patient had had a CT scan or troponins drawn and if she was on antibiotics. I told him sorry I left that out, and that the troponins were negative, and no CT scan was ordered. He looked over on my sheet and said "I notice you have written down the patient had a 2d eccho done today?" I told him yes but that the results weren't back yet. I realize I left out important information, but once prompted I knew the answers! It's not like I had no clue what was going on with the patient. The truth is that my other patient's were sicker and this patient was probably going home the next day. I gave a less than perfect report on this patient, but in the end he had all the info he needed. I have less than 1 year experience as a nurse and I am still learning.....I hate days when I work so freakin hard and then the night shift just tares me to shreds!

Question #1: What can I do to improve my giving report skills? Books? Suggestions?

Question #2: How should I handle a co-worker being rude to me in front of a patient/family in a situation such as this?

TIA!

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Tell him to stop being such a ****. He can look up his own stuff.

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Specializes in Medicine.

Some people are really picky with the way report is given. We have a few nurses on the unit that want/ask every little detail about the patient while there are others that get annoyed when I give them too much detail.

He just wants to break you down. Don't lose your confidence in what you know. Continue to hold your ground, tell him the pertinent details of the patient and whatever you forget that he reminds you. Were all human, I forget details and I am reminded or I go home and find myself calling the unit!

I don't think your reporting skills are in need of a check unless other's have felt the same way about him. It might just be helpful to ask him exactly how he wants report to be given. I also ask other nurses "Is their anything else I can give you or report" prior to leaving the unit at the end of my shift. Ask other nurses for some reporting tips if you think that would be helpful for you.

Best of luck:D

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I am also a new nurse. I had someone react to my reporting in much the same manner a few months ago. I countered by asking the receiving nurse how she got into the habit of giving excellent reports. I was met with a blank stare and she replied that it comes with experience. I asked for advice and she basically told me it will come with time. I was initially frustrated and angered by her response, but I have now learned my own way.

My report sheet is separated by system and as the day goes on I make notes in each section as needed. I visually scan my sheet during report to make sure I don't miss anything and I know that I hit each system. I also write "new' information in red ink so I am alerted that it is important and needs to be passed on. I used to leave out tests for which results were not yet available, but now I include them so the oncoming nurse can be on the lookout for them as the MD may need to be called for an alternate ABX or change in other meds/treatments.

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Specializes in Hospice.

ditto, he is being a jerk.

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I was met with a blank stare and she replied that it comes with experience. I asked for advice and she basically told me it will come with time.

Also being a ****, and her response to you was proof. But what an excellent way to throw her off her perch, I must say :yeah:

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Specializes in LTC.

No.. experience. The more you give report the better you get at it.

You aren't alone though. Theres one nurse who belittles everything I give her report on. The report I'm giving her is from 3-11. Not much changes on 11-7. Shes the only nurse I dread giving report to. She rolls her eyes and makes a big deal over things that are passed on. Nursing is 24/7, I get crap passed on when I work 3-11 and I expect that. But I do admit one of my biggest pet peeves is when previous shifts leave UA/CS for us to get. You take the order for the UA/CS.. you get the UA/CS on your shift. Thats really the only thing that ticks me off. I don't mind getting it but there's no reason why they can't get it.

When I receive report I write everything down the nurse reporting off says for that patient. If I have a question, I ask. If the nurse left something out, oh well, the world goes on, all pertinent information is in the patients chart. What might be important to one nurse might not be important to another.

Towards the end of the shift I go through the report and just cross off any nonsense that doesn't need to be passed on, and make another report sheet that I read off when giving report.

Just keep going if he tries giving you ****. Tell him the information that you have prepared and move on. Let him cry in the corner when you are finished.

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I'm sure we all have our own little quirks and pet peeves when it comes to report. What I hate the most is being interrupted to ask a question that is totally off the wall to what we were talking about. That drives me bat crazy.

The two things I want to know more than just about anything else is #1. How do they go to the bathroom? How many to assist? and 2. When was the last pain medication given? Since I work an ortho floor those questions are pertinent.

We have report sheets... sheets that give room to write stuff down..diagnosis, doctors, tests, code status, fall risk, bathroom, etc. but dayshift sometimes doesn't have the time to update them. That's okay... tell me about pee and pain, and anything unusual (labs, dr callbacks, skin, etc).

I work night shift, and for cryin out loud, if there will need to be a drs call for something that you couldn't find the time for (change in pain meds, foley, abnormal labs, etc) please, please let me know. I hate those surprise findings at 1am as much as the drs do.

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He knows you are a new nurse and is being a bully plain and simple. With time you will know the nurses and how they like their report. Some nurse are anal about IV site, others about last BM, others about tests and procedures for the day and others about everything...and others are laid back. You will catch on:)

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No need to change the way you give report just based on this fool. In most cases, those that are the biggest jerk to give report to are the worst nurses.

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I believe I work with his identical twin... I recommend you grab a tape recorder, tape report and hand it to him on the way out the door. Some people thrive on being obnoxious so don't feed his appetite.

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Specializes in CVICU, anesthesia.

We have a few nurses in our unit who want THE MOST THOROUGH report ever...it will literally take 30 mins to give report on one patient. Everyone dreads giving report to them because you know you'll be leaving late! They ask question after question that can clearly be answered by glancing at the flowsheet. The one thing that REALLY irks me is when one of them will open up the computerized documentation and go through everything I documented, while she does her own documenting! Wait a second...you can do this on YOUR time, not MINE. Also, you shouldn't be documenting anything based on what I told you, you should be documenting based on your own assessment! Whenever we get to that point, I wrap things up by saying, "OK that's about it have any questions?" Grr!!!

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